Harding Road is the cab driver's nightmare. To get the new Au Petit Salut, we had to drive through a mini labyrinth, that was thinly disguised by lush greenery, antique shops and so-that's-where-xxx-is restaurants. Beware, some cab drivers might not be very willing to drive all the way in.
On our way in, I kept combing the tip of my tongue against the back of my teeth, hoping to rid itself of the persistent gnawing feeling. My tongue felt battered and parched from last night's nightout at Post Bar Fullerton, where they had these seriously-addictive-darn-good sweet & saltish chips- it wasn't totally my fault, they kept replenishing the chips bowls...
Stupid stupid stupid M.E
Note: With the Harding Road outlet as their main restaurant, their 'sister' branch at Chip Bee Gardens has been relegated to "bistro" status.
The menu at Harding Road differs faintly from the former Chip Bee menu. Regular favourites ("onglet" and souffle) are still around but the new additions (denoted by ***) are a force to be reckoned with.
This being my second time at Au Petit Salut, I was determined to veer away from the usual suspects. I knew what I wanted but I also knew what OTHERS should order. After a less than subtle orchestrate of what everyone else should order (I'm a Leo, sorry it's in
Baked Burgundy snails
Our sole hot entrée for the meal was the escargot, Burgundy snails baked in tomato and garlic butter splendour. The commonplace white baguette suddenly morphed into a gizmo, perfect for swapping those nooks in the plate clean. MMM oh yea
Salmon tartare (I was so taken with this picture, it actually inspired me to re-colour the dotted lines on my blog peach to match the green background.)
I love the fresh burst of Japanese sashimi flavour and the salmon tartare, served with mixed green salad, proved incredibly satisfying. The diced raw salmon, dressed in lemon and olive oil, was luscious and light (read: abused-tongue-friendly). How I would love to serve this at future dinner parties!
Vitello Tonato
Mum ordered the Vitello Tonato*** , thin sliced roasted veal with light tuna sauce. I winced at the uneasy alliance of veal and tuna but any misgivings I had vanished on first bite. The distinct veal and subtle tuna aroma conquered my doubts and made the dish an unexpected winner. One of the rare occasions where I don't mind being proven wrong...
Onto our main courses:
Pan-seared "Onglet" beef
One of our mains included the pan-seared "Onglet" beef, served with confit shallots and french fries. Hmmm, meat and potatoes. Like how hard can it be?
Well, overdone steak, boring splash of roughly chopped onions, unforgivable cold French fries- I could think of so many ways to screw up this dish. However, the chefs at Au Petit ensured proper delivery- the thinnish steak was tender and the lightweight crisp French fries were fantastic, as usual. The French have an incredible knack for making Meat & Potatoes look un-peasantry.
Crispy duck leg confit
The crispy duck leg confit with lentils stew and green salad, is a tricky dish to evalute as this is perhaps my third time trying it. Moist and flavourful, the kitchen brought out the best in the meaty duck leg; the bitter taste of lentils however was too jarring for my liking.
Duck Undone
Beek Cheeks
I have a hard time passing up beef cheeks when I see it as everything else on the menu fades into oblivion. Braised in Red wine, the beef cheeks were served with carrots, mushrooms and parsley potato. Inspired by the Argentineans and their pride of cutting steak with a spoon, I incorporated my very own Fork Test. Using the blunt end of my fork, I gently pressed into the flesh, only to witness first-hand le disintegration of le cheek.
I didn't chew on my beef cheek.
I didn't need to.
Cheekology
The cheek yielded on a gentle tongue/jaw massage, requiring minimal mastication. I felt incredibly spoilt. By the time I was done, I was ONE HAPPY DINER.
En route to Desserts:
With the soufflé and Crème brulée firmly on mon Petit resume, I opted for the mint-infused fresh fruit salad and lemon verbena sorbet.
Fresh fruit salad with sorbet
A dessert designed for summer, it was zesty, light and refreshing. The downside was that the sorbet was a shade too sour, against the milieu of green apples, watermelons and melons.
Choux buns
On entirely different tone, the choux buns, filled with vanilla ice cream, drenched in warm chocolate sauce and sliced almonds, would have you standing on the junction of Sin Avenue and Pleasure Lane.
Fruit Crumble ***
The fruit crumble, filled with apples and pineappple, striked a good balance between rich and light. Undoing the string was like unraveling a delectable parcel. As I love the deadly concoction of bananas and butter, I thought the crumble could have been more buttery.
Barely a week old, I was prepared to give the restaurant some leeway for error but that was unnecessary- the service was welcoming and smooth, food was excellent and ambience unbeatable; though there was a minor problem with the powerful central air conditioning. Despite the inaccessibility and lack of media attentions, this place was almost full at lunchtime.
Au petit secret, I doubt it.
The significance of Vesak lies with the Buddha and his universal peace message to mankind, and the after a thoroughly enjoyable lunch at Au Petit Salut, I was beginning to feel I-T.
1 comment:
I like me some tasty cheeks too. There's a nifty place across the street from my office building that serves cheek tacos.
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