Showing posts with label lamb shank. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lamb shank. Show all posts
Chez Petit Salut: French fare without breaking the bank
Labels:
bistro,
chip bee gardens,
dinner,
duck confit,
french,
holland village,
lamb shank,
the entertainer app
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Chip Bee Gardens has seen a revival with the installation of the Holland Village MRT station and the 'big-bang' like pop-up of Sunday Folks along the usually quiet stretch. With that comes accompanied a whole slew of new worries mostly shrouding parking issues.
Not new to the once sleepy neighborhood is Chez Petit Salut, a sister outlet to the more showy Au Petit Salut; here, the style is casual French bistro with hearty traditional French classics ringed in by a respectable wine list. Decor is kept simple, rustic, with an air of nostalgia of the French romanticism period. It's the kind of restaurant where it is possible to go for both lunch and dinner on a single day, a restaurant where waitresses race through the dining halls with four identical bowls of duck confit.
To start off the meal, we had the Oven Baked Portobello Mushroom with melted Camembert cheese and baby spinach ($16) and the Half dozen baked Burgundy snails, tomato fondue & garlic butter ($16). The former (pictured right above) greeted the table; and we wished that the chef had made a mistake with only a measly mushroom to share round the table. Perhaps the mushroom had been a blooming onion before it's brief stint in the oven, but that doesn't warrant such a sad serving. The latter was apparently very well received by the other end of the table. Never got to taste it but I must say that generous slathering of herbed butter definitely whet my appetite.
Some of the main courses that graced the table that night were the Braised Lamb Shank ($38) served 'a la Provencale' in tomato accompanied with root vegetables. This unfortunately never quite surpassed the works of the master, the fork tender protein lacking in personality, but it was good enough to be a contender in any serious discussion of Singapore's lamb shanks.
My Crispy Duck leg confit, sauteed potatoes, streaky bacon and mesclun ($32) was superb, a golden crusty exterior heightened by the showering of fried shallots; all this yielding with the quick prod of the knife to reveal impossibly rich and succulent flesh with the subtle hints of garlic. The sauteed potatoes however were the black sheep of the plate, marring a perfect dish with its slightly undercooked hearts.
There's also the more delicate offering of Oven baked fillet of black cod with ratatouille ($32) should you be seeking a lighter option.
Chez Petit Salut doesn't fall under the fashionable category for today's food mavern, but it for sure, serves up good honest French bistro food that has accumulated a close following over the years. Good for a romantic night out sans the razzle dazzle or an intimte gathering with friends and loved ones.
Chez Petit Salut
44 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-54 Singapore (278116)
Tel: 6474 788
Closed on Sundays
Website: http://www.chezpetitsalut.com/
Food Tasting: Street 50 @ Bay Hotel
Labels:
food tasting,
harborfront,
lamb shank,
rendang,
restaurants
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First of all, I would like to thank Dennis from Craft Communications for the invitation to Street 50. Long overdue post alert but apparently it's never too late when food is concerned because memorable foods (be it good or bad) leaves deep imprints on the mind. So a good month after the food tasting, I attempt to put pen to paper, food descriptions a blur, the lingering aroma of certain dishes fixated in my mind. We'll see how this pans out.
Forest Mushroom ($9): veloute of wild mushrooms, cream, chives and garlic croutons.
Don't remember anything about this apart from the strong lingering flavors of chicken stock.
a conventional salad done right with lovely and intensely sweet vineyard tomatoes complimenting the indulgent creaminess of the buffalo mozzarella.
slow baked burgundy snails stuffed with hazelnut butter and flambed with brandy
a spectacular show to watch in all honesty but the over dosage of liquor made the hazelnut flavors within the dish almost negligible. Loved how the slow baking process resulted in a firmer texture of the escargot flesh. A real conversation starter for how Gordon Ramsey translated an escargot dish from his garden snails...
an example of the few fusion dishes that are well executed by Street 50. The tom yum flavors could have been turned up a notch but then again, with the addition of cream toning down it's acidic pungent qualities, it's finicky business.
grilled half lobster with piri piri butter served with pilaf rice and vegetables
ordered by my dining companion, I found the portion sizes a little stingy given it's hefty price tag.
prawns, squid, mussels, mozzarella and grated lemon zest
not exactly my favourite item either as I've never been a fan of seafood pizzas. Despite the thin crust,it was a tad pale and doughy in the center. It's failure to cook evenly demonstrated by the flopping motion when held up as a single piece.
my only word of advice when dining in at Street 50. You can give everything the dismissive look but NEVER shun away from the lamb rendang. Done upscale with a whole lamb shank braised in rendang paste in a claypot, this dish was the highlight of the evening. Robust flavors tying in with the tenderness of the lamb shank that fell apart from the slightest touch. I dived into this dish repeatedly till the pool of gravy dried up like one of those African river beds in summer.
For those with a sweet tooth, do give the Durian pengat ($8) a go at the end of the meal. Fresh durian pulp cocooned in crepes, served with a drizzle of gula melaka sauce over the top, this dish may just seal the deal with a promise of sweet dreams.
Located opposite Vivocity, Street 50 provides diners with a quieter respite as compared to the dining options bursting at its seams in the shopping centers. With a menu that boost an extensive array of global fare and multi-cultural flavors, visitors will be spoilt for choice. However, that being said, the situation where the kitchen becomes a jack of all trades but a master of none is clearly evident. Word of caution, do make your choices wisely lest you be disappointed.
50 Telok Blangah Road,
Singapore 098828
Tel: +65 6818 6681
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