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2014-09-30
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When he heard about PasarBella - The Farmer's Market @ The Grandstand, Le Patio founder Sean Lai seized the opportunity to set up his stall. The Geneva-born, Swiss-Chinese Sean had been longing for a farmer's market, like those he grew up with. At Le Patio, he's decided to serve paella and crepes which are as close to authentic as possible.Le Patio doesn't have any dedicated seating area, so all food orders are packed for takeaway. This is a problem if the common tables are crowded. The store fr
Le Patio doesn't have any dedicated seating area, so all food orders are packed for takeaway. This is a problem if the common tables are crowded. The store front is rather plain, with colour themes of black and white. But the glass display behind which lies their 2 large paella cooking pans is eye-catching, you won't be able to pass by without sparing a glance! Also a great sales strategy... after all, once it's caught your gaze, it's difficult to tear yourself away!
The service at Le Patio is friendly, and the rather young staff here are chirpy and upbeat. They will greet you, and orders are packed and fulfilled quickly. Because Le Patio is takeaway / self-service, you'll have to queue, place your orders, and make payment at the counter. There is no orderly queue system, so when they have a crowd, you'll have that awkward moment of not knowing where to stand while waiting.
Le Patio has a very focused menu, with only 2 main items. The first is their excellent Spanish style seafood paella, which is loaded with fresh seafood. The second is a small selection of sweet or savoury French style crepes, which is cooked to order. The also do a pretty decent cup of coffee, with their Kees Van Der Westen Speedster espresso machine. Portions are large for 1 person, and relatively affordable for the quality, budget about SGD $17 per person for a meal here.The recipe for the crepe batter has been tweaked over 80 times, the achieve the most authentic texture and consistency as those in France. The Ham, Egg & Cheese Crepe (SGD $9.50) is large, with a generous serving of sliced ham, melted cheese, and a farm fresh egg, cooked till just under and runny. Savoury, filling, and so good!
The Mixed Seafood Paella (SGD $13.50) stays relatively true to its Valencia roots. Although it has garlic cloves and cherry tomatoes, 2 untraditional ingredients, the overall dish is packed with flavour, with loads of fresh seafood, such as calamari squid, mussels, prawn, bell peppers / capsicum, chicken chunks, and octopus, on a savoury, delicious bed of paella rice, garnished with a slice of lemon.This punchy dish is intense, but the combination of ingredients doesn't overwhelm. While I loved the bright and juicy seafood, the chicken chunks were slightly dry. But the rice, heavy with seafood gravy, is heavenly. Highly recommended!
Full Le Patio review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2014/09/le-patio.htmlPost
