#01-12, Fortune Centre
6333 1461
Basil Alcove made a wave in the local dining scene more than a year ago as the food reviewer from the Sunday Times raved about it offering "fine dining" at "roadside prices". The small dining area is literally located besides the roadside and not wanting to endure the exhaust fumes, we chose to dine at the only table available indoors.
The Salmon & Pickled Red Radish ($18) served with daily greens was simply beautiful. Soft and juicy, this was definitely not overcooked. The peach puree on the side failed to impress me though as it's just pureed canned peaches.
After sampling the succulent salmon, I regretted ordering the Sea Bass & Baked Tomato ($18) once I laid eyes on the dish. The description read "accompanied by saffron veloute" but it was a misnomer. There was no hint of saffron at all and the veloute was more like a watery soup than a sauce (which it was supposed to be!). The baked tomato was topped with a thick layer of hardened cheese and if you know me, you would know cheese is one of my least favourite food. To be fair, the sea bass was cooked just right but paled in comparison to the lovely salmon.
I have to say that the portion of Chicken & Basil Pasta ($10) was extremely generous with shredded cheese atop a bed of spaghetti. We also ordered Pork Loins & Honey ($16) which was disappointing as the meat was very tough and hard.
We couldn't get out of this place fast enough. The space was cramped and service was so bad that it was almost laughable. The teenage waitress didn't seem to know the menu at all and had to walk back to the kitchen for help whenever we asked her a question. It's really a shame that with some "fame", the quality of basil alcove has dropped so drastically that I'm not sure whether I'll be back again.
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