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2013-10-05
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When &MADE first opened in July this year, it became the talk of the town. Throngs of people flocked to this casual dining restaurant helmed by Chef Bruno Ménard. It was exciting because this establishment was opened by the first ever Michelin-starred chef that was to be based in Singapore permanently. The concept was a winning recipe- a well accredited chef with a convenient and accessible location, serving up comfort foods of gourmet burgers, fries, toastoos and interesting desserts. This burg
When &MADE first opened in July this year, it became the talk of the town. Throngs of people flocked to this casual dining restaurant helmed by Chef Bruno Ménard. It was exciting because this establishment was opened by the first ever Michelin-starred chef that was to be based in Singapore permanently. The concept was a winning recipe- a well accredited chef with a convenient and accessible location, serving up comfort foods of gourmet burgers, fries, toastoos and interesting desserts. This burger bistro soon found its fans who raved over the amazing beef patties and detractors who thought it was overrated. 6 months later after all the excitement had died down, I decided to make a trip down myself to see what the fuss was all about.
The design of the place was charming and whimsical. I immediately warmed up to the low-hanging light bulbs, graffiti sticker-ed glass windows and bold colours of blacks and reds used to spruce up the decor. The feel was inviting, casual and relaxed with a chorus of 'Welcome!' by the chefs in the open concept kitchen each time a new customer walked in.
The 3 Little Pigs $23The burgers come served in a platter with fries and homemade &MADE BBQ sauce dip. Top up an additional $3 for truffle fries which we both could not resist doing so.
Layers of shitake mushrooms, Japanese cabbage, Shibazuke pickles with a thick patty of bacon, pork filet and chorizo that was amazingly moist and tender, this burger had some great flavours going for it. And bringing it to the next level was the yuzu-kosho mayo dressing that tied it all together. Loved the toasted buns that was fluffy and crisp all at the same time. Truly memorable.
DD $22Unaccustomed to not seeing my duck leg confit not in the form of a duck leg, this burger initially did not look too enticing especially since it appeared quite flat compared to The 3 Little Pigs. Nonetheless, I took a bite and was quite impressed. The red cabbage pickles were so crunchy and fresh, sweet shredded green apples, the citrusy green pepper lime mayo and of course that tender saltiness of the duck confit. Very interesting blend of textures. Very unique.
White Chocolate $12The trick to eating this sundae is to use the tall spoon provided to dig right to the bottom of the cup. Much like a trifle, you need to get a bit of all the layers for that complete sugar rush sensation. A clever use of sweet and sour, the white chocolate sauce was paired off with a passion fruit coulis that tapered off so well that even those who may find white chocolate a tad too sweet, can and will finish this sundae. Topped with the caramelized coconut shavings, this dessert had a nice Hawaiian feel to it.
Hot Caramel Lava Cake $15
The menu states that this lava cake will take 15 min to prepare. But dont let that deter you even if you were in a rush. Just order it when you are almost done with your burger and it should arrive as you are about to begin digesting your food.
Coupled with a little theatrics, the waiter will cut the cake for you at your table so that you can watch that thick caramel sauce ooze out. And after you try it, chocolate lava cakes would have become a thing of the past because this hot caramel lava cake just changes the whole game. The cloyingly sweet caramel sauce was still warm and I ended up eating my nougatine ice-cream with it because it was just so good. I did find the cake to be a little too dense though and you are definitely better off sharing this one or it might be too much towards the end.
Overall, &MADE certainly exceeded my expectations. The service was flawless, with regular changes of serviettes and cutlery between courses and checks to make sure we were happy with the food. A feel good place with comfort food and great service- I am definitely sold.Post
