Bistro 103 (Closed)

https://thechosenglutton.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/103s-bistro-one-zero-three/Smartly named after the road name, 103 Pasir Panjang, Bistro One Zero Three is located by the roadside. Be warned though, the store front looks like one that has been there through rain and storm, and hasn’t got enough to do a full scale renovation. But looks are almost always deceiving, aren’t theyThe menu’s considerably large for a relatively small / medium-sized cafe located in this area. Pasta and main dishes are what fills up the page of main courses for the dining place. And yes, allow me to touch on the feel upon entering the cafe / restaurant. Allow me, to share with you how homely I felt with their service. We were immediately greeted and led to a table upon entering the then-quarter filled cafe. When issuing the menu, the waitperson asked if we’d like some iced water – I simply, love how honest she is. I mean, people would go asking, ‘any drinks to start first’, but no, she asked if we’d like to have some water first. It’s a very, ‘you read my mind and didn’t make us feel bad / awkward / guilty for not ordering drinks’ kind of feeling, and it’s just the start of the good service.It might not have the nicest ambience, it might not have the nicest decor, but it sure make you feel cozy, comfy and secured. With the whole set up and the service, it gives me a very strong ‘bed & breakfast’ feeling, where food is served, and you are well taken care of, like how you are dead sure that whatever happens, someone will be there to take care of you. Like said earlier, they have quite a wide selection of food (including salad / appetizers / main courses). We decided to get our taste buds going with some Mushroom Soup, the aromatic Garlic Bread and some Escargots as appetizers.Soup of the Day (Mushroom Soup) ($4.50++) :: Even though it might seem like it’s very worthwhile, what with it being served in a big bowl accompanied with garlic bread, it actually, isn’t really. The mushroom soup, in my opinion, didn’t really have much of the mushroom taste / smell. It’s very average-tasting.Escargots in White Wine Sauce ($8.90++) :: I’ve always been a fan of escargots, and well, shells in general. Even though the escargots may not be as chewy as some I’ve tasted (I personally like it chewy), the cheesy sauce made it up. Cheese is good. Escargot’s good. So all is good. The garlic bread goes well with the sauce too (we thought it’s better than the mushroom soup).We kind of had a garlic bread overload, because we didn’t know that the escargots and mushroom soup each comes with garlic bread too. Hah. Fortunately, the bread’s really ‘balmy’ and tasty.Bacon & Ham Pasta ($16.90++) :: First try and I blurted out, ‘PastaMania can do better’. Do keep in mind though, I’m one who has always been alright with PastaMania – I know a lot of people out there who are quite anti-PastaMania, so. But really, it isn’t creamy / cheesy enough for me, and the taste is somewhere in between bland and distinctive.Salmon & Crab Meat Pasta ($16.90++) :: When we first saw the menu, we were questioning internally if the crab meat is the real crab, crab meat or the crabstick crab meat. In the end, we decided to check it out with the approachable staff and to our relief, it’s the real crab meat. I thought the portion of the salmon is pretty generous, considering it was given as a whole piece or not shreds like what one would usually get in pastas. The red pesto sauce made the pasta doesn’t taste like the normal, organic pasta – which may or may not be a bad thing. For me, it’s alright, but I got bored with it real quick.Crispy Duck Leg ($24.90++) :: At first glance, it might look unworthy putting the portion and the cost of the dish side by side and comparing, but after the dinner, I’d safely say that I’ll choose this over the pastas any day. We agreed in unison that the crispy duck skin is really really good, plus, the duck meat isn’t those that will get stuck between your teeth, and it’s soft. Matched with a reasonable portion of mashed potato, this dish is quite a balanced one.Chocolate Walnut Brownie with French Vanilla Ice Cream ($6.00++) :: Even though we were already filled up to our throat, we still went ahead with the dessert. Like they always say, ‘there is always space for desserts’. Couldn’t agree more, hah. We decided on this because we’ve read quite some raving reviews on this particular dessert of theirs. The brownie didn’t look appealing when it’s presented to us – it looked rather dry and hard. This is when ‘looks are deceiving’ comes into play – it’s actually soft and tasty – just right. This is up to your liking, but the vanilla ice cream isn’t your ordinary vanilla ice cream – it’s french’s, thus some custard flavor.Essentially, this is quite a find in my opinion. To reiterate the earlier point – this place is very homely, with excellent excellent warm service. Thus it gets 3 stars (✰✰✰).—> Note #1: It’s very hard to get to, so if you’re not driving, maybe not.—> Note #2: Lunch’s from 1130 – 1500 and dinner’s from 1800 – 2130, so don’t go in between and get locked out.—> Note #3: There -is- a (clean) restroom in the restaurant itself, even though it looks like this deserted place most probably won’t. continue reading

Finally found a chance to check out Bistro 103 with my colleagues! Yay!! As we were celebrating a nice close to a crazy year, we went a little crazy with the ordering of: 1) Onion Soup - this was their soup of the day with any order of mains. I liked the soup and my colleague who doesn't fancy onion soup found it very nice. 2) Warm Mushroom Salad $7.80 - this was nice with their tiny bits of raw onions for that extra kick. yumz!! 3) Hummus Dip $6.50 - the dip came with slices of bread that you could just spread generous amount of hummus on. Very yummy and healthy too. 4) Salmon & Crab meat Pasta $16.90 - This pasta was very tasty with the generous amount of salmon chunks and crab meat in lovely pink sauce. I'm beginning to love pink sauce, it's the best of the two world - tomato sauce and cream sauce!! 5) Norwegian Salmon Steak $20.90 - the salmon steak was nice, not as good as EWF's King Salmon. 6) Mushroom Spaghetti with Red Pesto sauce $16.90 - My vegetarian friend specially requested for this version and it was great!! I know I should not be stealing from her but it was good tasting. 7) BBQ Baby Ribs $26.90 - Tender and tasty chunks of pork ribs that's better than (I dare say) Tony Roma's. 8) Lamb Shoulder Rack $29.90 - this is easier the best dish of the meal. The lamb was tender and not gamey in taste at all. Very very nice. 9) Pinna Cotta $6 - this is nice. 10) Brownie $6 - warm brownie with ice cream... Very nice. 11) Blueberry Cheesecake $6 - If you like blueberry, this is the one for you! Sweet topping and cheesy cake. Awesome combi!The shop front really looks ordinary and if not for the good reviews, I would NEVER go in but I am so glad I did! continue reading

It was my first visit to this European style restaurant located along Pasir Panjang road. Right here, you can have a wide selection of wines to pair with your food. Me and Bf got ourselves a glass of house wine. For my main, I ordered Succulent & Juicy Marinated Lamb Shoulder Rack served with lime butter and some mushrooms & cucumbers. I finished most of the lamb without the lime butter cuz i find that the lime taste is overpowering the lamb. Anyway, i must say that the lamb is tender, succulent and tasty! We also ordered steak fries for our side dish. It was served hot and crispy! Dipping the fries with cheesy sauce makes it even better. That's the unique point about this bistro. Even the simplest dish is prepared with thoughts. Don't miss ordering the 'soup of the day' that comes with garlic breads. The breads are fluffy and soft within. Desserts are not listed on the menu, but don't miss ordering it directly from the waiter. We had a whooping hot brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Simply sweet and delicious! continue reading