Encore by Rhubarb: S$48 set lunch at rebranded French restaurant, which received one Michelin Star for 9 years
2025 is a year of recalibration for the Singapore F&B scene.
After years of intricate fine-dining menus, the economic downturn has inspired a paradigm shift into more affordable meals and casual a la carte offerings, even amongst stalwart Michelin-starred outfits.
One of them is Rhubarb at Duxton, a modern French restaurant that received a one-star award on the Michelin Guide Singapore for nine years in a row.
As of June 20, it operates under a new name and identity: Encore by Rhubarb.
This rebrand represents chef-owner Paul Longsworth’s goal of pivoting to a more accessible, mass-market-friendly format where more people can come in to enjoy his food.
With the rebrand also comes a facelift, as Encore by Rhubarb does away with its rustic blend of reds and whites. It now welcomes guests with an ensemble of verdant upholstery.
Of course, the new identity also means it wasn’t up for consideration in this year’s Michelin Guide, but we’ll see what the future holds!
But the space still retains its semi-open-kitchen configuration and white undertones — it keeps its classy vibe, especially with the soft glow of the afternoon sun streaming in from the skylight.
Encore by Rhubarb’s S$48 set lunch
One big change at the new concept is the S$48 three-course set lunch.
The best thing about this is the freedom of choice: You get a choice between four different dishes under each category of starter, main and dessert.
None of the dishes require any top-up, unlike the set lunches at many other restaurants!
Chef Paul came by for a brief chat after lunch service and we got to ask him about the impetus of the rebrand.
He says candidly: “We’ve been open for 10 years and we were planning a roadmap for the next 10 years. With the current economy, we just want to provide better value and get more people through the door, especially with affordable set lunches.”
“As a chef, I think the most important thing is to underpromise, and overdeliver!” he adds.
Sure, even though Rhubarb did serve affordable lunch experiences in the past (including an S$88 omakase), this is probably as low as you can get from a Michelin-starred team.
Most importantly, every set lunch at Encore by Rhubarb will start off strong. Why? Because of the complimentary bread.
Fresh out the oven — with smoke wafting out, when broken apart — the mini baguette and olive bread were satisfyingly crunchy on the outside and nicely fluffy on the inside.
On top of that, slather some of the accompanying French butter to make them even more exquisite.
It’s not hyperbole to say we would return to Encore by Rhubarb just for the great bread!
Going into the lunch proper, the duck rillettes & pear and cured NZ salmon & orange were our choice of starters.
The duck rillette, in particular, was quite enjoyable — Encore by Rhubarb’s duck rillette is superbly juicy and not gamey at all, and nicely contrasted with the crunchiness of the tart and tanginess from the pear.
The former is also quite interesting, featuring beetroot-cured salmon, topped with slices of orange.
Encore’s method of curing it with beetroot imbues the salmon with a delectable savouriness and firms it up. Meanwhile, pairing it with orange gives it that vibrant burst of citrus — a very nice mix of flavours!
Under-promise, but over-deliver
As we venture into the mains, the poached chicken leg is a dish that we think is worth highlighting, as it plays into chef Paul’s vision for Encore by Rhubarb.
Even though the restaurant had served set lunches in the past, there were customers who showed cynicism over ingredients such as chicken, which some see as less premium, being served as a main at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
This poached chicken leg is the perfect embodiment of the new “casual, but elevated” direction for Encore by Rhubarb.
It comes with a peculiar look — it’s crusted with parsley crumble and finished with mandarin sauce — but it reveals a sexy, light pink flesh once you cut into it.
The chicken itself is brilliantly tender and all the components on the plate work harmoniously together, with the mild flavour from the meat providing a great canvas for the parsley’s earthy and sharp fragrance, along with the splash of citrus acidity.
There’s also a bit of creativity amongst the variety of mains on Encore by Rhubarb’s set lunch — one quite intriguing dish is, surprisingly, the Canadian pork belly.
While you might anticipate a sizeable slab of fatty pork, chef Paul serves it shredded and compressed into a gently crispy shell, finished with grilled green apples and mandarin sauce.
The pork is hearty, with the luscious sweetness of the apples and the sauce deftly cutting through the heavy flavours from the meat.
For desserts, our favourite was undoubtedly the Little Chocolate Pot, featuring a bounty of fudgy chocolate that’s elegantly perfumed with citrus, adding an added dimension to the dessert’s rich profile.
Having tried Rhubarb’s original set lunch in the past, we think Encore by Rhubarb is a splendid evolution of chef Paul and his team’s ethos over the years.
The flavours are bold, but still showcase finesse. And the prices are more than value-for-money here — it’s a contemporary French restaurant made to be accessible to everyone!
For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the hot new Michelin-approved Korean restaurant that’s landed in Singapore and the first local outlet of one of Australia’s most viral froyo brands!
Tues 12pm - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 9.30pm
Thurs 12pm - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 9.30pm
Fri 12pm - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 9.30pm
Sat 12pm - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 9.30pm
- Maxwell
Evan started off writing about food on Instagram, before joining outlets such as Buro and Confirm Good to pursue his passion. His best work usually comes after his first whisky shot in the morning.
Read more stories from this writer.
