my secret garden

Ssshhhh...
a visit to my secret garden

another restuarant swiped off the list of must-goes on my side bar. this time, i had the honor of going to my secret garden, a well hidden gem set amidst the hustle and bustle of middle road. Though strategically situated, i had never really took notice of the eatery before. But having heard of it, i was anxious to check the place out. and so i called out the big lady boss and her spoilt brat of a son to join me for dinner...

The ambience of the restaurant were chilled and laid-back. The lovely intimate settings of the courtyard beckoned to its patrons to perhaps order a glass of wine and enjoy it under the cosy lightings. The cobbled pavement, stark wooden benches and hanging willows added to the magical touch of the place. it was indeed wat u would describe as a secret garden amidst the chaos of the streets outside.

as we were ushered in quickly, i noticed that the inside of the resturant held a different feel to it. Packed, it made do with whatever space was available, often squeezing tables close together. Hence not too good for intimate dates as close-by table conversations could be overheard easily. the eceletic choice of art pieces on the wall created an arty feel and a wonderful atmosphere for light-hearted conversation which tend to get a bit loud with the addition of a bit of wine into the chemical formulae.

The appetisers were good, however, the smoked salmon was a bit disappointing as it wasn't served cold enough and held a bit of fishy aroma as a result. the portabello mushroom on the other hand were gorgeous and i savoured every bit of its earthy taste with lust. special mentions goes out to my bro's (a.k.a the spoilt son's) orders of thai chicken wings. a large appetising serving of chicken drumlets and wings fried to crisp perfection accompanied by a bowl of wonderfully tangy sweet thai chilli sauce. Great way to start off the meal.

The mains were served in just about the right timing with an interval to allow for a free flow of conversation and sharing. I had the cilantro chicken which was essentially chicken thigh served with a a sauce on top which i recognised to be a mixture of sour cream, cheese and a generous sprinkling of cilantro, all this served on a bed of mashed potatos and grilled vegetables. the tangy flavour of the sauce complimented the juicy chicken thigh really well and i enjoyed every bite as it lasted. the other courses as ordered by my dinner companions were delightful as well, served in generous portions, I must admit it was value for money.

from the top left hand (clockwise): smoked salmon, beef burger, mysg sandwich, cilantro chicken
then it was moving on to dessert time! i was quick to come to a decision tt i was going for the hot date ( hot sticky date pudding) but to my dismay, it was sold out. I frowned and the restaurant owner was quick to shoot back "i'm sorry but we don't have the hot date at the moment, perhaps he's sitting in front of you." i looked straight ahead of me and went 'BAH!' haha. But nonetheless, dessert is a MUST for me hence i went ahead and ordered the apple crumble instead which was DIVINE! *yumz*... warm apples served in a crisp tart shell topped with buttery crumbs. what more could i ask for...

Mum's berry-in-love which was a wonderful blend of mascarpone cream and fresh berry puree topped off with more lucious berries. definitely a teaser on the taste-buds...

my apple pie... yummy! served with a generous heap of chunky blueberry puree on the side. looked gorgeous..tasted even better...
All gone... *burp*

My Secret Garden
161 Middle Road, Singapore 188978
tel no: 6334-8334

1 comment:

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