dining out: it's been awhile

It's been awhile.

Indeed, it's been ages since I've posted my last food review. My absence owing to my fussy work schedule and perhaps my not-so-fussy palate. Seeking gratification in home-cooked foods after a whole day at work may just seem a little more comforting to the empty soul. But with a little coaxing and a date with the girls, the squirrel manages to sneak out from it's tree hollow home and venture into the mind boggling, beyond atas playground of the rich.

Maramalade pantry @ ION. Yes, gone are the days of the renaissance as the kitchen makes a move to the newly furbished ION. A pain in the ass to navigate if you ask me. After a few rounds of the shopping mall, I felt suffocated and strangely claustrophobic despite the spacious halls and high ceilings. Must have been the lack of natural lighting I reckon.

I eyeballed as an immaculately dressed caucasian lady stood up from her seat in her well fitted frock and tottled down to the cake display area in her gorgeous blood red designer heels. Indeed, this was a place to be seen and heard.

Moving on to the food, we settled down quickly after our long wait-list ordeal. With one famished counterpart and another die-hard quiche fan; we perused the menu at break-neck speed and set out ordering the following, steak sandwich with wasabi mayonnaise, caramelized onions and rocket for me; Soft scrambled eggs and house-cured salmon with horseradish creme fraiche on pumpernickel for the beauty queen(just because the kitchen had run out of quiche); and finally Spice Grilled Lamb with iman biyaldi, mint and radish on garlic flatbread for the soon to be migrating swan.

The steak sandwich certainly made my day. With an intangible bun paying homage to the lucious wasabi mayonnaise within, it went down amazingly well with the medium well steak. The tapioca and sweet potato chips provided an incredible color contrast on the plate, however, failed miserably in the taste test with it's lack of seasoning. In conclusion, this was good but I've had better and more valued-for-money version at Uluru.

Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. Pathetic portion. Mystical pumpernickel bread that left the better of us a but confused. Tasted like stale cornbread to me really.

The Spice Grilled Lamb with iman biyaldi, mint and radish on garlic flatbread fared much better with the garlic flatbread providing a perfect canvas for the spices from the grilled lamb to shine thru. The yogurt dip flecked with chopped mint soothing the palate with every mouthful.

I would have given desserts a go alas for the timing. Work beckons with the trayful of damp cutlery waiting to be wiped down and cashier full of paper notes waiting to be tabulated. I promise I'll be back.

The Marmalade Pantry
good things to eat

Unit 03-22
Orchard Ion
2 Orchard Turn
Singapore 238801

telephone 6734 2700
facsimile 6734 2279