Sunday, April 28, 2013

Open Door Policy in Tiong Bahru

Risotto Nero with Confit Calamari

Despite everything that I had heard about this place over the years, I avoided it (19 Yong Siak Street, 6221-9307), in part because it sounded a bit overhyped, but also because it was related to the Spa Esprit Group, which in my experience has a tendency to be over-reliant on rucola and truffle oil. Still, I noticed its counter seating (read: my kind of thing) when I rode my bike past it this afternoon, and somehow the idea got planted in my head that I should come here later for dinner, especially since most of the other places that I wanted to go to were all closed on a Sunday.

It was totally better than I thought it would be. Now, I still encountered truffle oil with my very first dish (and I intentionally tried to choose a soup that didn't explicitly list it as an ingredient), but despite that, everything that I had was done perfectly, be it the watercress soup, seared scallops, roast quail, or that risotto above, all washed down with a few yummy cocktails. Granted, it wasn't cheap, but it was honestly good food without any pretentiousness (paper napkins!). And I didn't encounter any rucola in anything that I ordered!

No comments: