- The Shop
Bistro Petit Salut is typical of many French bistros, a place to go for quick and casual meal and is a sister restaurant of the high-end dining Au Petit Salut.The set Lunch was affordable and I am impressed by the options available. The 3-course set lunch at $28++ offers a selection of 6 choices from each course and
the executive set lunch at $38++ offers a selection of 2 choices from each course.

We ordered 2 sets of 3-Course Set Lunches with different choices.

- The Food
Grilled Marinated Baby Octopus Served with Couscous Salad, Basil DressingI like the rich marinated baby octopus, it is not overly sweet and is grilled to the right consistency. The basil dressing has a little sweetness and go really well with the Couscous Salad - very appetising indeed.

Half Dozen Baked Burgundy Snails with Tomatoes and Garlic ButterThe intense flavor of the hot garlic butter and tomatoes with escargots is delicious. This delicacy is served out of their shells in portions of six. If only there are more crushed garlic... It will be heaven!

"Minute" Onglet Beef with French Mustard Jus & Mashed PotatoOnglet (French) is also know as Hanger steak. It is the least expensive "cut" of steak, usually because it is made of lower grade meat. A beef cut which “hangs” from the diaphragm, below the ribs of the steer, which is essentially an extension of the tenderloin.

It a tempting main course even it's not a steak. It has the chewy tenderness finishes with a savory and subtle almost offal-like flavor.

Seafood Risotto with Light Cream Emulsion, Parmesan CheeseThis is my first time trying Risotto and I don't really know how to appreciate it. The cheesiness and viscosity of the cheese is a too strong for me although I don't dislike cheese.

Chocolate & Pear Mousse Cake, Crème AnglaiseThese are scrumptious, so perfect with the pear bites & crème anglaise (French for "English cream").

Choux Buns with Vanilla Ice Cream, Warm Chocolate Sauce and Sliced AlmondsIt's just choux buns filled with vanilla ice cream and drenched in chocolate sauce, it is nothing extraordinary.

- My Opinion
I must say they have good ambiance, fresh quality food, efficient and attentive service. But the portion may be small for some guys, you can always order a la carte dish if you are not full.

If you are just looking for no-frills authentic French food, Bistro Petit Salut would be a good choice and is friendlier on the wallet.

- The Shop
Located in the basement of Orchard Central, Covelli is a authentic Italian Cuisine with a new twist. They have a wide range of thin crust pizzas, pastas, meats, desserts and more.The casual chic bistro is decorated with white tables, stone walls, mood lighting and a cosy ambience that will definitely keep you unwind for a hearty meal.

- The Food
Querceto Chianti Docg 2009 @ $12/glass or $58/bottle (House wine - Red)
Brillant ruby red. A youthful wine with scents of ripe fruits. Medium body, vinous, lightly tannic. Good with Pasta and White meat.

The medium body wine taste pleasingly fruity with a graceful clean finish. It's not dry to the throat and has a nice delicate and appealing scents. Both Shela and I enjoy the wine.

Lychee Smash @ $12Lychee crushed with lime juice, mint leaves and ginger ale

Portobello Mushroom @ $14
Baked with fresh Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella and Basil topped with a small bouquet of Mesclum Mix Salad and Balsamic ReductionOh yeah, this is my favorite dish of the night! The juicy portabella mushroom is beefy and hearty. The balsamic reduction vinegar is intensely flavored, together with the mix greens it's absolutely scrumptious!

Prosciutto Rucola @ $18
Thin crust Pizza spread with homemade Tomato Sauce, Oregano, Basil and shredded Mozzarella topped with sliced Parma Ham & ArugulaWe love the dry-cured paper-thin prosciutto (Italian ham) thou its a little salty. The arugula has bold flavors - a little tangy zesty flavor, bitter and spicy (peppery taste) to some.

The pizza is ordinary to us. Maybe if the crust is thinner and with more tomato sauce will be better. I prefer the pizza at Skinny Plaza located at the basement of Raffles City.

Filetto di Manzo @ $32
Beef Tenderloin with Butternut Pumpkin puree and Vegetables with your choice of Gorgonzola or Black Pepper SauceGorgonzola (Italian blue cheese) or Black Pepper? The staff solve our agony by offering to have both sauce serve at the side. The black pepper sauce is tasty on its own but felt the overly strong pepper will kill the original flavor of the beef. Surprisingly the blue cheese is mild and do not smell downright awful. I love the Butternut pumpkin puree, its tastier than both the sauce given.

My girlfriends think the tenderloin is juicy and tender but I beg to differ. It taste dry and a little tough to me. Maybe because I am used to medium rare and we had ordered medium well.

Pasta al Frutti Di Mare @ $29
Italian pasta with Prawns, Scallops, Calamari, ½ Slipper Lobster, Fish, Mussels & Clams with your choice of Tomato Sauce / White Wine / Aglio Olio / Squid Ink (Pasta Choice: Linguine, Fettuccine, Penne, Spaghetti, Tagliatelle)We had linguine pairing white white. The seafood are fresh but nothing spectacular. Something is missing in the sauce and Shela thinks the presentation of the pasta can be better. Both of us prefer the pasta at Pasta Inc (another authentic flavors of Italian cuisine).

- My Opinion
Ask for inner seat as it is more enclosed and it's facing the outdoor water fountain which make the ambience more cosy. But the inner seat are more bright compare to the dimmer light outside.

They have interesting musics that kill the ambience. There were retro songs like Bananarama, Belinda Carlisle, Songs from Justin Bieber, Hip Hop... With the right music, it will make the place more awesome.

- The Shop
The Marmalade Pantry (ION Orchard) is a open concept café that has a pleasant ambience.

Beside main course, they also offer Afternoon High Tea set at $20 each which is available from 3pm to 6pm daily with a minimum order for 2pax.

- The Food
After Tea Set for 2 @ $20/pax = $40

The afternoon tea include choice of Gryphon tea, a selection of egg and cress, beef and horseradish and green land shrimp finger sandwiches, buttermilk scones serve with strawberry preserves and clotted cream, and your choice of cupcake.The buttermilk scones is yummilicious!! It's a MUST TRY!

Cappuccino @ $6.50

Limonata (tart lemon glazed cake) & Hazel (chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting)
The now legendary Marmalade cupcake is an icon in itself, having a secret family recipe to its name and a myriad of winning flavours such as Granny’s Apple, Elvis and Limonata to intrigue and delight.

The cupcakes are pretty but they are too sweet to me. Maybe because I don't have a sweet tooth. I've had better ones, in my opinion.

- My Opinion
I think it's a decent place for a lazy afternoon retreat from the heat and vigour of Orchard Road but I find the price a little high given the kind of choices they serve.

I heard their Sticky date toffee date pudding is a killer, probably I go back there to try this.

- The Shop
The bakery is separated from the dine-in restaurant and sell artisanal loaves which it's famous for their Flute Paul (French baguette made from dough that is fermented slowly), chocolate bread and croissant. They also have other savoury pastries, sandwiches and cakes.The 120 seater restaurant is all stylish French inspired decor with chandeliers and plush sofa chairs. They serve an all day dining menu, serving simple French café food such as sandwiches, soups, salad, quiches, and crepes. If you are lucky, you may get a table by the big windows overlooking Orchard Road.

- The Food
Special Iced Tea of The Moment - Raspberry @ $5.80Nothing extraordinary.

Salmon Sauce Vierge @ $23.90
Pan fried salmon fillet with olive sauce served with rice and Provencal vegetables (tomatoes, red and green peppers, onions cooked with spices and herbs).Connie felt the salmon is not flavorsome and overcooked. Even after adding a few dashes of salt it still didn't bring out the flavor. The sauteed vegetables was ok.

Paillasson Champignon @ $19.90
Sauteed mushrooms with gralic, shallots and parsley.Their traditional potato pancake is baked to perfection and has a nice crisp. The garniture is delicious and savory. This is the best and perfect dish, lucky Shareen.

Crepe Champignons $16.90Sauteed mushrooms with gralic, shallots and parsley.
The delicate thin pancakes in a French version can be softer and tastier. The sauteed mushroom is bland, stingy on the salad dressing for the salad and Provencal tomatoes. I am a mushroom lover and i am disappointed.

Tartine Poulet Marine $17.90Chicken marinated in lemon and tarragon, fresh tomatoes and cream. (served warm)
A delicious slice of freshly baked country bread but it's too hard that Shela had to use her hand to eat as the knife just couldn't cut it. The marinated chicken taste good but PAUL, Dubai is better. It's also served with a seasonal side salad.

- My Opinion
This French bakery-restaurant may have a big sitting capacity but its too cramp. Tables were so closed that only ONE person can bypass at a time. The crews seem to be a little confuse and everyone is rushing here and there.

Be prepared to queue if you are dining in during lunch/dinner without a reservation. We waited for almost 10-15min before we were given a seat even we are first in queue. All the staff were too busy serving and taking order that no one has the time to bring us in.

Mdm Soh, owner of the famous Cho Kee Wanton Noodles at Old Airport Road will be launching "coloured noodles", like carrot, seaweed and beetroot flavours, created especially for Food Republic 112 Katong for that unique spin-off.

Choices of Wanton NoodleChoo Kee Noodle has been serving their much-loved traditional wanton noodles to customers from all walks of life. To maintain the high level of food quality for an exquisite taste, noodles and ingredients like char siew, dumplings and chilli are now prepared in their central kitchen.

Dumpling Spinach Noodle @ S$7.00The sauce for the wanton noodle was tasty but I felt the noodle was not springy enough (perhaps we had left the noodle too long before consume as we were busy taking pictures of the food). The char siew was tender and decent, a stronger stock will make the wanton & dumpling soup more slurp-worthy.

Don't fancy soup dumpling? The fried dumpling will be a good choice, oyster vegetables is available for ordering too.