Not to worry though. There are also other mains on the menu. The Kitsune Udon ($12.90) is served with japanese sweet beancurd, assorted mushroom and pumpkin with a dashi broth. I think this is a somewhat semi-organic cafe as the noodles are organic!

Desserts are understandably limited since this is a small cafe. They have a impressive selection of drinks though. The Ugly Mud Pie ($7.50) was served with a scoop of normal vanilla ice cream. This didn't impress us much as the generous consenus was that it was a tad too dry and cakey. Personally, I find it too sweet for my liking.

In case you are wondering what's in the background of the photo, it's actually a board game. There's a small selection of games stacked on a bookselves for diners to play after their meals. We did exactly just that over desserts. The guys lost a bet and treated us to the Warm Apple Crumble ($7.50)! This is apparently the house specialty and one of their customers' favourites. And rightly so! I like the fillings which were generous and not too sweet. I can't really on the crust since I don't like pastry crust in general but I reckon it was alright here.

The ambience of the cafe is very relaxed and laid back. This is the type of place perfect for winding down with friends after work. My only grouse is its slightly inaccessiblity since it's tucked away in the housing estate just off Thomson Plaza.

Labels: Fusion, Western

7:39 PM

Finally, there came a dish that was decent enough to warrant a second order. Although the salmon tartare was simply executed, I enjoyed the raw and natural taste of the roughly chopped salmon. However, this did not fare well with Yong Huat as it was too fishy tasting.

Next, the mushroom tempura was relatively good too. The batter was light and not oily but the real star was the button mushroom which was very juicy. The accompanying mushroom shot was simply mushroom soup in disguise.

After the starters, the mains started arriving. The pan seared sea bass with the wakame salad was my favourite. Don't get me wrong, this was nothing exceptional. It's just that compared to the rest of the dishes, this stood out as one of the best with its freshness and well-balanced flavour. Our second order of this was better as the fish was more tender. This seems to question the consistency of the food served.

I quite like the potato gnocchi with shrimps as the latter was very fresh. However, the tomato base was way too oily!

The corn risotto was a culinary disaster: overcooked, mushy and gooey. We sent it back virtually untouched.

I didn't try any of the meat dishes but according to my dining companion, they are nothing to shout about.

See the layer of salt crystals on the roasted chicken? Yes, it's that salty!

This is the roasted beef slices sitting on top of a bed of mashed potato.

I was hoping that the desserts would be better but alas, my hope was dashed. The strawberry milkshake was good but milkshakes are not classified as a "dessert" in my dictionary.

The apple crumble was not even the traditional type of baked crumble. This rendition was simply assembling stewed apple cubes with pieces of biscuits, topped with a minute scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The grand finale was the dessert platter which consisted of tarts and macarons. The chocolate macaron was seriously a sugar overdose. It was much too sweet for my liking.

The whole meal was disappointing, to say the least. Nothing stood out with a "wow" factor. Most of the dishes are misses rather than hits. Service was also lacking. The waitresses who served us the dishes mumbled the names and I had to ask them twice on more than one occasion. There also seems to be a lack of coordination among the servers as we were asked twice "Are you ready to move on desserts?" despite the fact that we were still waiting for our second orders. Much have to be improved before I'm willing to step into this restaurant again. Fantastic presentation without substance just doesn't cut it for me.

Labels: Buffets, Fusion

1:04 PM

I didn’t try since it’s not the “hard” kind of bread I like. The olive oil dip tasted fresh though.

The Pan-Fried Catfish with Green Curry Sauce and Black Olive Rice ($25.80++) is delicious. I requested to replace the rice with crabmeat mash and I’m glad I did! Initially I thought they will use those types of frozen crabsticks which I don’t like but I was wrong. Real fresh crabmeat was used and it was in chunky bits and not minced finely. The flesh of the catfish was soft yet firm, and the mild spiciness of the sauce goes well with it.

The Braised Lemongrass Ginger Lamb Shank with Roast Garlic Potato Mash ($27.80++) is nice too. The lamb was not overcooked and was tender and juicy. I like that the mash has small cubes of potato in it instead of being a smooth paste. The cubes really give a good texture and bite to the side dish.

Service was great and efficient even though the place was packed. The water was continuously refilled without us asking for it. Ambience was quite nice with very soft lighting and candle lit tables.

Do make a reservation before coming because judging from the full house, this place is certainly not wanting of customers despite being in such an inaccessible place.

Labels: Fusion

7:35 PM