Chef Andre Chiang’s creations are a personal reflection of southern French nouvelle cuisine, a meticulous, thoughtful expression of artisanal produce.

But after spending close to 20 years in the Parisian kitchens of Pierre Gagnaire, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and L’Astrance, and La Maison Troisgros in Roanne, France, it would be hard not to expect the 37-year-old trailblazer to have picked up some tried and tested tricks along the way.

That said, from his surprising penchant for antiquated French recipes to a habit of staying up until 3 am thinking of new ideas, Chiang has definitely come into his own — and it’s all apparent at his eponymous 30-seat restaurant in Bukit Pasoh, which is now in its third year.

Chiang, though, is marking his restaurant’s milestone with an unexpected menu of past highlights. It’s a degustation, but one that does what Chiang has famously avoided.

“I never look back,” said the soft-spoken Taiwan-born top toque, who has made Singapore his base for the past five years.

He doesn’t even keep notes, mind you. “I would sketch out an idea and once the dish is created, I would throw those notes in the bin. My wife has since bought me a sketch book,” he said.

Creating a retro-menu took some convincing, said Chiang, who still believes that a deliberate aim forward is a good thing. “It forces me to take risks and try new things; it’s easy to fall back on something you’ve done before when you’re stuck (for ideas)” he explained. “But these dishes represent a process so (this menu) celebrates this process.”

His inaugural Retro-Dinner carte du jour of an astonishing 20 items is not set chronologically. It comprises dishes that hail as far back as 1997 (a dish of warm foie gras jelly with Perigord truffle coulis, to be precise). As such, it flaunts a myriad of inventive showcases. Instead, the menu is presented like any multi-course meal should, in a progression of flavours, peppered with a few unexpected perks, no doubt.

Fans will relish his cheeky dish of squid risotto, which debuted in 2010 and has not resurfaced until now. It’s the same with the aptly named Underwater World, an observance of ocean delights and their softly saline qualities; no added salt was clearly necessary, though the mild acerbity of a touch of apple played the perfect counterpoint.

There are a few noticeable updates, like the addition of a bechamel blanket over his “salt-baked black boned chicken egg”, paired with a forest of wild fungus and the salty warmth of a little Iberico Jabugo. This dish was first conceived in 2008, the year diners were first acquainted with White Snickers — his playful reinterpretation of the popular chocolate bar and one of the first to add salt to its chocolate snack. Yes, the dish is also on this menu of all-time favourites.

For the uninitiated, this “retro dinner” invitation is undoubtedly their best chance to discover a style of cuisine that some critics have described as inventive yet honest; where artisanal ingredients and not pretence dictate. In fact, diners will also get to taste one of the first crops, baby corn, from Chiang’s farm in Taiwan which he started just this year.

Looking back, he quipped, “you never like your past fashion or hairdo”.

But for Chiang’s admirers, revisiting the past is a delicious thought.

The Retro Degustation Menu, S$298 (additional S$188 with wine pairing) is available until Oct 31. Call 6534 8880 to make a reservation.