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2013-08-19
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It has been a while since I noticed Arbite, located in Serangoon Garden-a place that I visit at least twice a week either for food or banking matters. To be exact, it is located on the second floor of Guardian pharmacy, beside Sushi Tei. Recently posting of positive food review online, make me decide to visit this bistro. This review is based on our observations (Little Devil and Chubby Botak Koala) from a few visits there. Some simple facts about Arbite, “It all began with a simple belief share
Some simple facts about Arbite, “It all began with a simple belief shared by three secondary school buddies, that good food should be affordable and accessible. And so good food is at the heart of it all because the best reward for an honest day's work is a hearty meal.” (Quoted from Arbite.com.sg)
Our first visit was for a quick brunch during our wedding anniversary. We had Foie Gras ($14.90), Gardener French Toast ($13.90) and Squid Ink Seafood Spaghettini ($24.90). When the Spaghettini arrived, it looks so appetizing. The giant-size seafood cover the top part of the plates. The squid ink pasta was handmade, cooked to al dente, springy and soak up the fresh seafood flavour with tomato base. This dish get our two thumbs up, super Yummyyy!! And we were saying to ourself, we need to come back more often.
Gardener French Toast & Foie Gras, shared a same basic ingredient, Brioche. The brioche has the perfect texture to pair with both dishes. For the French Toast, it is lightly coated with eggs and you can choose your dips of chocolate pot de crème, vanilla bean cream, berry compote and maple syrup. We like the cream berry compote and maple syrup. However the chocolate has a dense texture similar to nutella, I will like this dip if it is on melted chocolate form but LD being a nutella fan, simply loves the texture. The Foie Gras is pan fried to perfection, slightly crispy but melts in your mouth. It is a wonderful dish, although the generous apple & raisin compote can be a little to sweet for some people.
Our Second visit was for a quick desserts. Specials for the day. Sago Watermelon Creme Brulee ($8) and Chendol Panacotta ($8). These are the interpretations of modern desserts with Asian flavour. The brulee has a nice layer of crusted sugar on the top, the combination of sago, watermelon and crème, created a nice balance with the right sweetness and texture in this desserts.
Chendol Panacotta is a creative invention, but a little more difficult to palate. The panacotta is thick and has a good sweetness level in it. Texture is slightly condense but did not manage to hold the red bean and chendol in place. We have slight problem in accepting chendol flavour with cream and orange syrup, however have to give them brownie points for coming out with this desserts.
Third visit, Truffle Fries (S12.90), Pancakes ($14.90); and soup, salad, Braised Beef and Pork and Veal Sausage ($30 – UOB 1 for 1 promo). Truffle fries is house fries tossed with truffle sea salt, truffle oil and serve with truffle dip. The fries are nicely fried, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The truffle oil is fragrant but subtle, while the truffle dip accentuate the flavour in the fries. For the pancakes, the presentation is amazing however the sweetness is a little overwhelming. Although the pancake is fluffy, the caramelised banana actually make the texture quite dense and hard to swallow.
For UOB 1 for 1 promo, it come with mushroom soup is thick and flavourful. The salad with vinaigrette dressing, is simple yet refreshing. The braised beef is tender and well cook. Paired with their popular brioche to soak up the gravy from the beef is a nice comfort food. Meanwhile, Pork and Veal sausages dish quite disappointing. The pepper in the pork is to overpowering, the veal sausages are dry and the additional ingredients in the mash potatoes made it taste weird. So far, we find the ice lemon tea ($4) and ice passion fruit tea ($5) are quite refreshing.
Service has always been good. The service staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Decoration is simple. The wall on the staircase are decorated with lego bricks. The dining area is open and filled with natural lights during the day. Overall, Arbite provide a good quality food using fresh ingredients. They refresh their menu quite regularly. For example, the squid ink pasta was off the menu on our recent visit, and replace with a Tagliatelle with prawns. However, based on the dishes served, we can be sure it will be top notch. Looking forward to our next visit there. Cheers!!
For the more photos and complete Chubby Botak Koala dining experience at Arbite, click / copy the following link to your browser: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2013/08/arbite-fresh-simple-and-creative.html
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