Aerin's-Finally, a becoming visit

Previously, I wrote about how a meal is “incomplete unless it ends on a sweet note”. Well, here's another penny for thought: A meal is SUBLIME if it STARTS on a sweet note.


Baked Apple & Rhubarb Pie

We had no qualms about our choice of dessert: BRING ON THE PIE! Due to the 15mins waiting time, we wasted no time with our dessert order, ordering it within two minutes of getting seated, even before we flipped open the menu.

“Served before or after the meal?” asked our waiter.

“Before, please”

That was how badly we wanted it.



Oh thank you thank you thank you!

A puff pastry cap roofs over the ramekin pot, which houses chunks of granny smiths’, rhubarb and raisins. This article of beauty was served with vanilla bean ice cream- not just any store-bought vanilla ice cream due to the fetching vanilla bean essence.

Thumbs-&-Big-Toes Up for the light easily-shredable puff pastry. Although the rhubarb is everyone's favourite crumble filling, it resembled and tasted like a celery with rouge on. I guess we won't be seeing more of each other... It's not you, it's me. Oh yes, a note first-timers: the size is a stunner, which may leave you mouth-gapping long enough to realize the ice cream is melting and sinking into the pie fast! What are you waiting for?



I am willing to bet the folks at Aerin’s have a certificate ready for lone rangers, undaunted by the calorie-fest.

Ink still warm from the printers:

“I survived Aerin’s Baked Apple and Rhubarb Pie!” -In BOLD. And in fine print: “H-E-L-P, I can’t get out of my seat”


Pumpkin Soup

We also tried the fresh butternut pumpkin puree, sprinkled with freshly grated nutmeg. It was an irony for just opposite stood a Soup Spoon branch and to me, Soup Spoon’s caramelized pumpkin soup remains unrivaled.

Perhaps it was a good thing the soup was served before our dessert, as it lay largely forgotten soon after... evanescently also due to the direct air-conditioning, which left the soup reeling in chilling disadvantage.


Mezze Platter

The Mezze Platter: grilled olive-oil-drizzled pita and baguette, served with yoghurt cucumber tzatziki, chickpea hummus & sun-dried tomato cream cheese, sounded better than it looked. Taste-wise, it seesawed in favour of the dips and spreads but against the insipid baguette.

The sun-dried cream cheese didn’t come as a relavation. It tasted mostly exactly like plain cream cheese as the sun-dried tomatoes contributed just color and nothing else to the flavor.

Although just as asthetically-challenged, the chickpea hummus tilted the taste-scales in the dish’s favour. I like that it wasn’t ground-paste-smooth and the well-mantained graininess was enough to make me “smear it, it, dip it and stash it”. I vaguely remember an unopened pack of hummus lying in my fridge- looks like it’s not going to last till next week.

An unbearable lightness of yoghurt cucumber tzatziki descended upon us as I tucked into the light refreshing dip, imbued with shredded cucumber bits. I feel like I’m doing an advert for a new toothpaste range, “It’s cool, It’s refreshing.. It’s tzatziki! Introducing the new “yogurt cucumber” flavour.. Get yours today from major pharmacies!”


Steak Sandwich

For our main course, we chose the steak sandwich: grilled beef strips with mushrooms & onions in toasted pita bread, served with shoestring fries and Aerin’s piccadilly sauce.

Grilled beef strips were done the way we wanted- medium rare and there was minimal pre-marinate to mask the strong beef smell. Note to Aerin's: I didn’t know what Piccadilly sauce was and I still have no idea what Piccadilly sauce is.

Someone left the pita in the toaster for too long.

I’m not pointing finger at anyone but SOMEONE left the pita in the toaster, probably to prepare the steak, share a couple of laughs with his sous chef, toss the potato side in herb and garlic, before attending to the hence-charred pita.

To Jimmy, the charred marks must have resembled hieroglyphs warning us of a potential carcinogenic attack as he determinedly stayed away from them. Yes, he who thinks nothing having of Soup Kaming for supper, embraces 24hrs food delivery services like a father would to prodigal son AND considers a dozen satay sticks pre-dinner snack, afraid of unassuming black sketches?!

Go figure.

To me, it wasn’t THAT bad and he could hardly conceal the look of disbelief as I, stomach made of steel, munched through pita slices.

Although this time round, the main course didn't live up to our expections (which heightened by the mushroom tagliatalle and roasted lamb), I still enjoyed lunch tremendously, thanks to impeccable service and great company.

Aerin's
252 North Bridge Road (S) 179103
B1-11/12, Raffles City Shopping Centre
(S) 179103
Tel: 6337 2231
Open: 11 am - 10 pm daily