MERCI MARCEL launches Flagship Store at Orchard Road

By Nookmag @nookmag · On October 20, 2019

Nestled in Palais Renaissance, Merci Marcel Orchard’s multi-concept outlet presents a quaint respite with design-led space and new offerings. Having officially opened earlier this month, the design-led multi-concept outlet thoughtfully combines European modern and vintage furniture pieces with Singaporean heritage designs inspired from the 1950s, whilst unveiling a new menu and a brand-new concept store that carries over 700 lifestyle products spanning across 80 unique brands.

The Café and Bar

Giving its own interpretation of “France In The Tropics”, Merci Marcel Orchard tips its hat to the stylistic choice of Singapore’s bungalows in the 1950s, reminiscent of Bauhaus architecture, by utilising minimalist metal framed windows, walls, doors, and incorporating rattan furniture in the space. Valuing authenticity and sustainability in its design aspects, Merci Marcel Orchard’s flooring comprises of 100% ecologic and eco-sustainable custom-made hexagon terracotta tiles that are each handcrafted by Italian artisans Cotto Etrusco.

Purposefully designed to evoke a sense of warmth and familiarity, The Foyer welcomes with design touches from the South of France and Morocco and the vintage Parisian velvet sofa beckons guests to rest under the vibrant neon “MARCEL” while waiting.

Following the success of her exhibition at Merci Marcel Tiong Bahru, local artist Juls brought her iconic Automarktic style to the flagship outlet’s foyer with a specially-designed vintage mailbox emblematic of the French heritage. Guests are encouraged to write on endearing complimentary postcards and for a limited time period, Merci Marcel will go the extra mile by mailing it, anywhere in the world, on guests’ behalf.

Taking center stage is the floor to ceiling island bar that draws guests’ attention upon entering. A paragon of Merci Marcel’s overarching tropical motifs with its suspended vines and mahogany earthy tones, the island bar offers guests a serene reprieve from the concrete city’s hustle and bustle.

Uniquely designed umbrella lamp shades from Honoré Déco emanates mellow warm light, illuminating the cosy area that tastefully integrates vintage and modern European furniture. These vintage pieces date back to the 1970s and are sourced and directly imported from France, and are artfully incorporated with vintage Danish dining chairs, Saarinen tulip furniture, Sweden Møller Chairs, Ceska and Sika bar stools. The space also spots hand-stitched cushions from Paris; a medley of fabrics and colours that add to the vibrancy of the café.

Alternatively, a breakout space for the busy and buzzing, the Lounge accommodates low and comfortable seating suitable for casual meetings or as a welcoming spot for guests to wait for a friend over a cuppa. A dazzling yet pleasant backdrop for the Lounge, the Rosé Wall features a wooden shelf wrapped with rattan strips and lined with low-voltage flame bulbs that casts a soft, gentle glow to more than 1000 bottles of French Rosé on display.

Presenting a picturesque view of Singapore’s iconic shopping district, diners can take delight in the outlet’s food and drinks options while luxuriating in the sun and fresh air at Merci Marcel Orchard’s al fresco Patio and its sweeping open arches.

Situated just beside the Patio is The Winter Garden – fully air-conditioned, this intimate corner provides a relaxing dining experience with a full view of the calming greenery over at the Royal Thai Embassy.

Enhancing the tropical ambience is the venue’s alcove and patio rattan ceiling that is hand-woven by Indonesian artist, Lim Masulin specially for Merci Marcel and the tranquility is accentuated with ample greenery including palm trees, fronds and various types of indoor plants arranged by Singaporean garden designer, John Lim.

As a tribute to iconic French artist Henri Matisse’s 150^th birth anniversary, French artist Tiphaine Sartini’s large interior wall murals of greenery borrows from the intense colourism abstract style notable in Matisse’s later life and fuses it with inspiration from Singapore’s tropical landscape.

Concept Store

Located adjacent to the café and bar, Merci Marcel Orchard concept store reflects the same cohesive bohemian and tropical elements while infusing its own charm into the space spanning 600 square feet. Soft warm light radiates to the corners of the concept store, drawing guests in to explore its extensive product catalogue with items from all over the world. Displaying some of its very own merchandise including the quirky Seletti World monkey and banana lamps and exclusive timeless lamp designs from Market Set, guests are enticed to shop and dine at Merci Marcel Orchard flagship outlet.

Bolstering its commitment to champion artisanal and independent brands, Merci Marcel Orchard amplifies its position as the bastion of craft and boutique goods with an exhaustive selection of over 700 lifestyle products that spans across 80 unique brands. Accessible through the main entrance or through the café’s foyer which serves as a side entrance to the retail space, guests are invited to shop and dine at Merci Marcel Orchard expansive concept store adorned with vintage furniture, teak wooden shelves, and lush mahogany undertones.

The concept store also conjures a sense of homecoming with handcrafted Moroccan Bouchra Boudoua ceramics, made in Japanese Wabi-Sabi tradition that celebrates the beauty in imperfections and pillows and cushions from Paris-based CSAO (Compagnie du Sénégal et de l’Afrique de l’Ouest) which supports artists and craftspeople through apprenticeships from Senegal and West Africa and incorporates traditional prints and embroidery into its handmade cushions.

Guests looking for crafted trinkets and smaller products to take home can expect eco-friendly surfer’s necklaces from All The Must that marries new colours and drawings with carefully selected Heishi pearls. Created in Israel, Umasqu’s limited handmade wall décor mask art is inspired by quotations from different design languages such as mid-century modern, steampunk and cubism. Blending practicality with aesthetically pleasing designs – French publishing house Maison Fondee’s numbered and original notebooks will be available for guests to purchase.

Dawn to Night Dinning Experience

Introducing its new menu conceptualised by French Consultant Chef Nicolas Nguyen Van Hai, Merci Marcel Orchard capitalises on the critically-acclaimed chef’s knowledge and penchant for combining the best produce with great traditional cuisine to produce the flagship outlet’s comprehensive French culinary offerings.

For starters, the Orchard flagship store features Chef Nicolas’s take on the classic gravlax with Beetroot Carpaccio & Wild Trout Gravlax that substitutes salmon with fresh trout from Norway fjords. The marinated fish is sliced and served fresh with beetroot carpaccio drizzled with a mix of homemade honey and vodka marinade. Roasted Leeks embodies tasteful simplicity by pairing the lightly grilled vegetable with homemade traditional gribiche sauce of capers, cornichons, bread seeds, boiled egg whites and yellows, and old fashion mustard.

The Perigourdine salad features a delightful mix of crisp mesclun, flavourful boneless duck confit, buttery foie gras, fresh potatoes, chestnuts, and a splash of special truffle oil to heighten the flavours. Those who prefer an all-green option can partake in the Cauliflower Tabbouleh. To create a refreshing salad, this fascinating dish invites guests to pour a vial of ice shavings blended with cucumber; green apple; lime juice; and homemade sugar syrup, over a healthy mix of couscous, raw cauliflower, and crunchy croutons.

Tuck into new mains offered the flagship outlet with the Tarte Flambée – the outlet gives its own spin to the quintessential dish with generous servings of reblochon cheese and ample delicate slices of smoked duck breast atop oven-baked, thinly-rolled bread dough.

Bringing back Merci Marcel’s signature French dumpling pasta but with a new twist, the Ravioles de Royans, Palais is prepared with a new frothy foie gras emulsion and served with chunks of foie gras and its signature savoury Tête de Moine cheese – a truly indulgent dish.

Conceptualised with Autumn flavours in mind, the Rosemary Infused Chicken is a creamy scrumptious chef-d’oeuvre. Succulent pieces of chicken, rolled with rosemary and seasoning, is first steamed for two hours and pan fried after. The fragrant poultry is then paired with pasta cooked with pan fried whole Cepe mushroom, diced brown Paris mushroom, and whole Bluefoot mushroom.

Diners craving for heartier mains can feast on the Atlantic Cod. The tender fish is paired with two unique homemade sauces – creamy beurre blanc sauce made from white wine, shallots, cream and butter, and herb infused sauce composed of spirulina and vinaigrette. This complete and nutritious meal also comes with velvety spelt risotto and a splash of chopped white, purple and orange carrots.

Treating diners to a sweet finish is Merci Marcel Orchard’s new dessert menu which includes the new Crème Brulee. Made from Werther’s Original candies (whipped and cooked with milk, cream, and eggs) a sense of nostalgia is evoked with each bite. The visually arresting Pineapple Carpaccio is made up of thinly sliced pineapples, dribbled with a house made sauce comprising of natural organic honey, lime juice, and olive oil, finished with mango puree sprinkled with coconuts flakes and coconut biscuit.

The new dessert menu also provides guests with a selection of crêpes including the perennial tiramisu emulsion Crêpe Marcel; poised to be the perfect high-tea destination, Merci Marcel Orchard also features a wider rotating selection of delectable Crêpe flavours from 3 – 6pm (weekdays only).

Complementing Merci Marcel Orchard’s contemporary French cuisine culinary options is the brand’s extensive beverage menu. The substantive selection mirrors Merci Marcel’s eco-friendly ethos – 80% of the beverage options are organic or made from sustainable agriculture.

Merci Marcel Orchard’s dedicated cocktail menu presents guests with refreshing tipples such as the La vie en Marcel fortifying concoction of Fair gin, lime cordial, egg white, pear nectar, lime juice, pear nectar and pear liquor and the Little Narcos Dictator piquant mix of Dictator rum (12yo), bitter chocolate, and cinnamon. The flagship outlet also carries a new organic beer selection from Maddam, a craft and organic beer company in Chablis that hand selects all of its barley grown in Burgundy, offers all-natural, non-filtered and non-pasteurized beer for guests to wine down.

Merci Marcel Orchard wine selection focuses on organic sustainable wines, bringing to guests a wide variety of wines originating from organic wineries such as Domaine Boudon (the oldest organic winery in Bordeaux). The whites are broadly categorised into taste profiles like light & sharp Welcome White, dry & fruity Intense White, and buttery & spicy dry Imposing White; the reds are categorised into light & fruity Discreet Red, velvety & spicy Charming Red, and powerful & tannic Robust Red. Merci Marcel Orchard’s wine selection also serves as the perfect companion to the outlet’s daily rotational cheese menu.

Guests looking for non-alcohol options can imbibe on the outlet’s new soft drinks selections such as Innate Water, organic-certified infused pure Alpine water with super fruits and birch tree sap; Le Coq Toqué, organic apple juices with flowers and aromatic plant infusion made in Normandy, France; and Domaine Le Coq Toqué‘s organic apple and pear craft cider which is made from 400 different types of apples without artificial colouring or preservatives.