Tis the season for chef turnover. Today will be Hilary Ambrose Jr's last day at Avalon, the wood grill and wine bar on Changle Lu. Ambrose will be heading to MOCA's erstwhile ArtLab (new name pending), gutting the restaurant and turning it into a veritable laboratory of edible science experiments. Expect a lot of molecular gastronomy on your plate come mid-February when the renovations are scheduled to be completed (or earlier, if you snag an invite to the private Chanel parties that are being held there in the coming months).

As for Avalon, Howard Quan (former ASC wine exec who owns Avalon) is "interviewing extensively" for a new chef, but has not confirmed Ambrose's replacement. He is in talks with a former chefs from Luna and Kathleen's 5, as well as several from the Expo Pavilions, noting "this is the first time the Expo has actually been helpful to finding staff".

Avalon's new chef will obviously bring his talents to the menu, but for now expect it to remain at the "status quo". Quan would like to keep the sous vide aspect that Ambrose popularised at Avalon on the table, noting that it was "the most eye-opening part of Hilary's dishes". Quan would also like to play up the restaurant's wood grille strength in the future.

When asked for a comment, both Ambrose and Quan wished each other the "best of luck".