My husband and I chanced upon this new restaurant while searching for lunch options after checking into InterContinental Hotel (read more about our stay here). It was a weekend so there was a pretty substantial queue, resulting in a 15-minute wait.
The interior didn’t stick to any particular style but was generally modern, accented with wood elements and greenery. I liked the clean, open look of the space. Service was great too – the staff who ushered us to our seats thanked us for waiting, gave us some recommendations of their bestsellers and helped me place my bag on an empty seat. Later on, this same staff came to ask us about our meal and wished us a good day ahead. Such initiative! Ziploc bags for masks were also conveniently provided, always an appreciated gesture. Although it was crowded, it was less noisy than expected, which was awesome.
We were served a complimentary bread and butter starter. It whetted our appetite as the bread was warm, soft and fluffy (my favourite kind of bread), and we were raring to go for the next dish. Unfortunately, this was where the magic ended. The onion rings were rather tasteless and greasy, you definitely want to be dousing it with the mildly spiced sauce it comes with to have some sort of flavour. My husband got sick of the oily rings after a while.
I ordered the char-grill chicken chop with mushroom cream sauce. The chicken was incredibly tough, like it had lost its moisture. It was to the point where I had difficulty pulling my fork out of the meat after cutting it. The mac and cheese was average, but was just the right amount of cheesy for me (I don’t prefer strong cheeses). As for the mushroom sauce, despite it being more on the watery side, the flavours present were on-point. Overall, the chicken portion was a tad small, but given the workout it was imposing on my jaw, I was glad it was over in a jiffy. My husband ordered the chicken truffle alfredo pasta that had a nice, tasty sauce but the chicken chunks in it were as solid as my chicken chop. A chronic issue with their chicken dishes, it seems.
Last but not least, dessert in the form of mango milk pudding! This dish really rescued us from the predicament with our mains and was the highlight of our lunch. It was smooth, creamy and milky with subtle hints of sweetness. We savoured every spoonful of it, a must-try when you dine here (:
My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars. It was a comfortable space to dine in, made even more inviting by the wonderful staff who attended to us. The other staff who served up our dishes were also friendly and polite. Foodwise, some elements worked well while others didn’t. The main ingredient that wasn’t really palatable was the chicken, which is a major issue because it is the supposed star of our dishes. Also, the onion rings were dismal both in flavour and texture. Everything else we ate was enjoyable, especially the mango milk pudding! Despite the not-so-good aspects of our experience, I foresee that we will be back again if we’re in the area because the prices here are super affordable 😀 It was truly value for money for such western fare in the heart of town. Maybe… we just won’t order chicken the next time, heh.
Dania Experiences 