Les Bouchons: Husky French Dishes

This is our first time stepping into a French restaurant, but it was a far cry from what we always pictured French cuisine to be like - those dainty artsy unfilling dishes. I won't use the word 'unauthentic' to describe, as Les Bouchons specializes in grilled meat, largely steak, so do expect hearty portions.

The restaurant gave a very homely feel, with interesting posters filling up every cosy corner.

Burgundy Escargots with Garlic Herb Butter (9 pieces),   S$16++,   

We finally plucked up the courage to eat these "snails" and we like it pretty well! I don't know much about Escargots but the Garlic Herb Butter made a good combination.


We were given a condiment platter consisting of wholegrain mustard, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, horseradish, and Maille's Bearnaise Sauce. Three out of five tasted unfamiliar, but we had fun smacking blobs of everything onto whatever that entered our mouths. (Yes! That's how 'lup sup' we are.)

Salad (Part of Any Entrée),   S$32.80++,   

With every order of an Entrée, comes a bowl of chilled salad. Pleasantly refreshing and a tad on the sour side, there was a mix of salad greens, tomato slices and walnuts, dressed in some tangy vinaigrette.

Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Vigneron Butter,   S$32.80++,   

The restaurant is known for its steak and this did not let us down. We happened to get a slightly fattier piece, but despite its thickness, the steak was not tough nor difficult to chew. The Vigneron Butter added to the flavour and juiciness of the steak.

Each Entrée also came with unlimited servings of homemade French Fries, and I heard they are cooked twice (parboiled then fried) for its own kind of uniqueness - soft and crispy, neither oily nor soggy, and with light saltiness. No wonder they're called French Fries!

Grilled Fillet of Salmon,   S$32.80++,   

The steakhouse did surprisingly well for fish. I cut through the whole Salmon Fillet to unveil slabs after slabs of fresh pink meat. Yummy.

VERDICT
Les Bouchons sells food on the mid-high range, but you would enjoy the unpretentious nature of it, that inclusive of their ambience and service.

Les Bouchons
7 Ann Siang Road, S(069689)
(+65) 6423 0737
Mon - Fri: 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Sat: 7p.m. - 10 p.m.

Food:
Ambience:
Value:
Service:

Riders Cafe: Hidden Find

We were doing some online research for makan places around Bukit Timah area when we stumbled across this restaurant - Riders Cafe.

Secluded in a secluded Bukit Timah Saddle Club, it was an instant urban getaway with long winding roads and overlooking greeneries welcoming you from everywhere.

With wooden finishings and unshut windows, one can totally loosen up in such an environment. What's most awesome about this restaurant which offers a different dining experience from others is that you could actually spot horses trotting by while savouring your meals!

Buffalo Wingers (Half a Dozen),   S$8.95++,   

These Buffalo Wingers came in as a sweet tasting surprise - they weren't spicy at all! (At least to us.) But despite missing out on the usual fiery kick, these wingers still carried off their unique sweetness well. If the thick sauce coating didn't seem enough, dip them into the special mayonnaise for a even sweeter smack.

Mushroom Chorizo Pasta,   S$15.95++,   

In a bed of healthy looking Linguine, you could find thin shreds of cheese, slices of button mushrooms and also Chorizo (a mixture of several types of pork sausages). We thought that the pasta appeared too dry-looking for Aglio Olio style, but upon trying, the humble strands proved us wrong with their spring and flavour - everything nice and delicious in much less oil.

Ribeye,   S$28++,   

Man, this was definitely one good Ribeye! The grill, the tenderness, the succulence, the cut, the sauce, the presentation gets your cutleries and gastric juices running in full swing. Even the sides like asparagus, carrots, and roasted potatoes were not taken lightly of.

Death-By-Chocolate-Cake,   S$11.95++,   

Love on first bite, sick after fifth bite, hate at tenth bite. Chocolate cake with warm runny chocolate sauce is no doubt yummy, but when it's an overwhelming portion, errr... Our advice - share it!

VERDICT
We were in love with every little bit of Riders Cafe from the moment we stepped foot in until we left. Delectable dishes enjoyed over luscious sceneries with greens and horses - how often do you chance upon places like this in our lion city?

Riders Cafe
Bukit Timah Saddle Club
51 Fairways Drive, S(286965)
(+65) 6466 9819
Tue - Sun: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Mon: Closed
http://www.riderscafe.sg

Food:
Ambience:
Value:
Service:

Azabu Sabo: Hokkaido Ice Cream Aside

I'm sure many of you have seen plentiful Azabu Sabo Hokkaido Ice Cream kiosks located in town shopping areas, and most of those who have tried usually go for their signature Green Tea flavour. However, the strong taste of Green Tea could be very subjective. You either love it or hate it. Thus another flavour which we find is the best among competitors so far is the Rum and Raisin one. This is a strong recommendation (and not an advertisement!) from us - just get a scoop to convince yourself.

Anyway, so much so for their ice cream. Azabu Sabo also serve Japanese cuisine at several restaurant branches, and we decided to give it a go.

The restaurant offers two dining sections, one inside the shop itself, and the other outside at the 'open area'. We were given the latter and it was pretty okay if you don't mind occasional stares from people at the higher stories or escalators.

Green Tea Milk Shake,   S$7.80++,   

A wonderful thick milky shake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. This should suit the general liking because the green tea flavour was strong enough to taste, yet at the same time, subtle enough to not overpower.

Sabo Style Teriyaki Chicken Bento,   S$11.80++,   

The portion was seemingly decent than what we would expect from a S$11.80 bento. There were generous slabs of Teriyaki Chicken, a mass of sweet minced (?) egg, shreds of seaweed covering the rice, some pickles and salad as sides, plus a bowl of clear miso soup.

Grilled Premium Rib-Eye Beef Steak with
Wasabi Butter Sauce,   S$19.80++,   

This, although one of the slightly higher priced menu item, with lots of (cheap) pickles and vegetables to 'fill in the space', the rib-eye steak was worth it all. Bite-sized premium beef cubes tenderly grilled to relish tasty juices inside your mouth. And for something different, it was served with plum rice and matching Wasabi Butter Sauce.

Caramelized Sweet Potato and Japananese Rice Cake
with Matcha Ice Cream,   S$8.80++,   

We wanted an atypical dessert rather than those bowls of soft serve sundaes with sauces and lots of toppings which people usually order. Wrong choice, because the Caramelized Sweet Potato and Japananese Rice Cake turned out very disappointing. They were hard and tough to chew on, and we struggled our way through to finish it. Lesson learnt - just stick to the popular choices.

VERDICT
For a brand which specializes mainly in desserts, the food fared reasonably well enough. We might be dropping by again for some after-meal-desserts, and when that time comes, we'll be be choosing the popular ones.

Azabu Sabo - The Central
#01-68/69, The Central ©
6 Eu Tong En Street, S(059817)
(+65) 6410 9578
Sun - Thur: 11.30 a.m. - 9.30 p.m.
Fri - Sat: 11.30 a.m. - 10.30 p.m.
http://www.azabusabo.com.sg

Food:
Ambience:
Value:
Service:

Changing Appetites: Just Your Luck

When we first tried out this restaurant in 2006 (yah, very long ago), they branded themselves as a Western and Japanese fusion, and we kinda liked it back then. But it seemed that since early 2007, the restaurant had revamped its tag line to "The All American and Dessert Cafe", which is not also exactly precise due to the infusion of Mexican influenced items.

Funky decor with bright colours and big vibrant wall murals were that something which stood out from the rest of other generic food joints like Carl's Junior, The Cafe' Cartel, and Swensen's along the same stretch at Marina Square.

Bonless Shanghai Chicken,   S$8.90++,   

As common as this dish may sound, it was too quick to prove me wrong. Deep fried crispy chicken tossed with sweet and spicy pineapple-citrus sauce and topped with sesame seeds, it was a delightful tangy twist when eaten together with the wasabi mayo dip.

Bacon Chicken Fajita in BBQ-style,   S$17.90++,   

Disappointment fell the moment this was served to our table - so much less enticing than what described and pictured in the menu.

Basically, it came in a hot plate filled with bacon basted in BBQ sauce and smothered with mixed grated cheese, laid in a bed of lettuce and topped with pico de gallo (a fresh condiment made from chopped tomatoes, onions, and chiles - typically jalapeños or capsicums).


And this is what you do with your hot plate ingredients. Wrap them up into the flour tortillas served alongside, add some sour cream, and munch it up! However, the result was extremely dry and the bacon was too rigid. We got sick after a while and we left it unfinished.

Classic Cajun-style Fajita (Chicken),   S$15.90++,   

Not much difference from the previous Bacon Chicken Fajita, just a little more moisture from the cajun marinated chicken and added cheese sauce. Still, not a recommended dish.

Cheese the Chicken,   S$14.90++,   

An all-time favourite in this restaurant. Just look at the layers of delicious nachos, tender grilled chicken, mango slices, and drizzled with cheese and CA's special mango sauce. Not a neat presentation, but it's this same mess that blow you off. The only complaint was that the cheese sauce seemed a little too cold and solidified when served.

CA Honey BBQ Steak,   S$18.90++,   

BIG was our immediate reactions when we saw the 200g stirlon steak, but too large a size became a bad thing when the steak turned out unpleasant. The meat was a piece of boring rubber, and really tough to chew on. Thankfully there were other sides like the cheese nachos and baked potatoes to balance it off, and a slice of grilled pineapple to punch in some scanty juices.

VERDICT
Fusion restaurants always whip up some unique / weird combinations (whichever you call it), and it's either a bingo or a miss. For those who don't mind risking your taste buds, you could try your luck at Changing Appetites. Food is not entirely bad, but they all have one thing in common - the significant lack of moisture.

Changing Appetites
#01-204, Marina Square
6 Raffles Boulevard, S(039594)
(+65) 6339 7670
Mon - Fri: 11.30 a.m. - 9.30 p.m.
Sat - Sun: 11.30 a.m. - 11.30 p.m.

Food:
Ambience:
Value:
Service: