Noa Lounge is a concept restaurant by the Olivia Group that specializes in Mediterranean cuisine. My best friend had been wanting to try out this restaurant after walking past it umpteen times, and since we had two birthday boys in our group that needed celebrating, we took the opportunity to dine here for the occasion.
- Our order:
- Pita bread selection ($16++)
- Mediterranean mezze platter ($75++)
- Marinated olives ($9++)
- Noa “bomba” crispy meatballs with harissa and “allioli” ($20++)
- Roasted eggplant with Idiazabal cheese, harissa and tahini ($24++)
- Barbecue scampi rice ($65++)
- Angus beef tenderloin with potato purée ($58++)
- Dover sole with lemon and butter sauce ($168++)
- Creamy rigatoni with crispy pork belly and egg yolk ($72++ for 2 portions)
- Ombre wine ($110++)
- Spent: SGD$733
Walking inside, it’s hard not to be awestruck by the gorgeous contemporary interiors with chandeliers hanging atop and a dazzling centrepiece of a bar. Different spaces in the restaurant were actually specially curated to reflect the various regions in the Mediterranean, and this was done via the use of distinct colour palettes and materials.
The service here was pretty good but alas, not as polished as the venue had primed me to expect. Staff were friendly and always ready to help, but as the evening went on, their incessant, overt hovering over our table got a tad disconcerting. I started losing track of how many times we had to pause our conversations for them to clear our plates and refill our glasses, their hands brashly cutting in front of our faces each time, which honestly bordered on invasive. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated them changing out our used crockery and ensuring we always had something to drink, but I felt it could’ve been done with much more finesse.
With a table full of starters, we dove straight into the Mediterranean mezze platter and pita bread selection. These were so good that I’d be perfectly satisfied just eating this on its own. My favourite spread was the one made with red peppers! Another plus point was that the pita bread seemed to be free-flow as we ended up having two rounds of it.
Next were the marinated olives and “bomba” crispy meatballs. I was rather taken aback by the price tag for a handful of olives but well, the birthday boy had a craving. As for the meatballs, a portion comprised just two regular-sized ones with a crispy-battered exterior and succulent ground meat inside. We felt that this dish scored slightly above average.
Then came the roasted eggplant with Idiazabal cheese. The cheese was much too strong for my liking. The eggplant itself didn’t taste well-marinated and was a little bland.
Our group’s unanimous vote for the best dish that night was the barbecue scampi rice. The rice tasted like it had been simmering in a gloriously hearty and flavourful broth, with shrimp that were perfectly cooked as well.
Simultaneously, we also had the angus beef tenderloin with potato purée. I thought this was very nicely executed – tender, succulent and wonderfully seasoned. My husband was excitedly asking everyone to try cutting the tenderloin for themselves as he couldn’t believe just how easily the knife sliced through it.
A special off-menu item they had that day was the dover sole with lemon and butter sauce. Despite the uninspiring presentation, the fish itself flaked away beautifully and tasted yummy with the sauce.
Last but not least, we had the rigatoni with crispy pork belly and egg yolk. This was a close second in the vote for our favourite dish of the night. It was super delicious, so much so that we ordered another portion after tasting the first! This dish was finished off table-side, where a wait staff poured and mixed the egg yolk in before presenting it to us. It was incredibly smooth and creamy with bursts of saltiness when you bite into the pork belly.
My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars. All six of us agreed that the ambience here was absolutely captivating, exuding an air of class and luxury but in a casual, relatable fashion. The concept of having distinct spaces within the restaurant representing different Mediterranean regions was something quite unique too. When it came to the food, majority of the dishes we ordered were delicious and exceptional in taste and texture as well! Unfortunately, the main point of contention for us was the portion sizes. I’m not a big eater to begin with but even I felt that one main wouldn’t be enough as a meal. Also, the staff were really on the ball but there was nothing discreet about the way they carried out their duties, often disrupting our interactions and intruding on our personal space. Given the prices here, I can’t exactly say it’s value for money – it’s probably more of a fancy treat for a special occasion once in a while.
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