South Union Park

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There are quite a number of eateries situated in the East, especially near the Kembangan area where Changi Road runs. South Union Park, however, is hidden at the opposite end of where the known eateries of Kembangan are found within the private housing estate. Decked out with white walls and wood furniture; some with black leather upholstery, South Union Park gives off a rather relaxed vibe that seemed to be a little Scandinavian-inspired with an open kitchen concept tucked at the right side of the bistro. The interior fittings are minimalistic with a good amount of natural lighting shining in, but not seemingly cliche compared to one of a hipster cafe; instead, feeling modern, chic and homely at the same time. Serving up mainly western fare, South Union Park serves a couple of pasta dishes and two mains for those who are looking for something more substantial, while there is also an extensive dessert menu for the sweet-tooth. On the drinks menu, they do serve coffee, tea, sodas and a small selection of alcohol, which makes for a good pairing with their menu of sides and snacks.I am usually one who rarely orders Pasta, and especially more for the case for Agnolotti for they are usually very filling for me. Their Butternut Agnolotti ($17) was, however, a delight to have, so much so that I completely enjoyed the dish and found no difficulty at all to finish the entire plate clean. According to what I was told, the Agnolotti here is made in-house. The chef here roasts the Butternut Squash before mashing it into a puree and stuff them into the pasta sheets. The result is an Agnolotti which came in the right thickness; not too thin that it breaks easily, but also not too thick to the extent that it feels too doughy. A single bite, and you would find the Butternut Squash puree eagerly bursting out of the Agnolotti, revealing a roasty sweetness that was pretty intriguing. The Agnolotti went well with the bouncy mushrooms which gave the pasta an earthy flavour to balance things out and the savoury flavours of cheese and garlicky herb crumbs sprinkled over the top. Towards the bottom, the dish felt a little bit on the oily side, but given how awesome it tasted, I would say that this is just a small issue that is not really much of a problem anyway.Towards the end of the meal, I was presented with the Apple Crumble ($10) with compliments from the chef. This is one of the desserts available on their Plated Desserts section of the menu. Unlike other Apple Crumbles out there, this variant is unique for how they have decided to not serve the Apple Crumble as a pie, but more in the form that is closer to a plated dessert. Coming with Vanilla Ice-Cream drizzled with Salted Caramel sauce, Crumbles, Greek Yogurt and an entire stewed apple, this was surprisingly not overwhelmingly sweet for the stewed apple was not cooked in caramel, thus tasting of its own natural sweetness and carried a rather soft texture similar to a poached pear. Greek Yogurt is rarely found in an Apple Crumble, but in this variant it seemed to have worked and integrated well with the entire dish, especially when combined with the crumbles for it seemed to replicate the textures and flavours of Muesli subtly. Vanilla Ice-Cream was speckled with vanilla beans all over and was incredibly aromatic and creamy. Combine all the ingredients into one spoonful, and it does replicate the flavours of a classic Apple Crumble Pie without that unnecessary sugar rush for how balanced it felt.Throughout these couple of months, I have visited quite a number of newly-opened places but there is not quite one that left me such a deep impression in the bistro scene as much as South Union Park does. During the course of the entire meal, I was pretty impressed with how every single dish came; not only they were a hit, but they just had that flavour and quality that strikes on your taste buds and gives that gleam in your eyes, and sure I did leave the place a happy man with a really satiated stomach. Service was more than decent, with attentive staff who seemed to be quite automatic in giving recommendations once you have seated and promptly coming over to check if everything is alright and clearing plates when you are done (though there were just two tables occupied at the time I have visited, you could feel the sincerity behind). Definitely did not regret my decision on heading straight over after school from the west side of the island to the east when I spotted them over on Instagram; this is one place I would do another revisit soon for I am pretty sure that I would develop cravings for their food, and also to try out the other items on the menu such as the Souffle as well!For more photos and the full review, head to jiaksimipng by clicking on the link below:https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/south-union-park-jalan-kembangan/ continue reading

Original Review at http://www.nahmj.com/2016/04/25/south-union-park-kembangan-singaporeSouth Union Park is nestled among a landed private property estate in the East of Singapore with Kembangan MRT station some distance away. It is walkable distance though many would choice otherwise.As it is surrounded by private residence, the area is tranquil and serene. It makes a great get away from the usual bustling shopping mall or crowded area for a peaceful meal with friends or family.It is easy to spot South Union Park as its name is printed in black and it is against a white facade, a good contrast. Most importantly, it is huge enough to be spotted from a distance.As we pushed opened the glass door, we were welcomed by a homely feel from the interior design of the cafe. The design seems to resemble Scandinavian theme.South Union Park offered a single paged menu with 1 soup - Chicken Noodle Soup ($8), 1 Snack - Pork Crackling ($5), 5 Starters, 2 Mains, 3 Homemade Pasta and 3 Plated Desserts.Among the starter choice of Roasted Veg Salad ($10), Butter Lettuce Salad ($8/12), Fried Chicken ($9), Poutine ($12) and Crabcakes ($12), we chose the last item. I didn't imagine the crabcakes to be in a mini balls that is good bite size. It came as a pleasant surprise. The crabcakes has visible crab seen and it has a distinctive herb taste. Depending on whether do you like the herb flavour. We were neutral to this herb taste though. At least, the strong seafood fragrance was absent.3 pasta offered, Short Rib Ragu ($22), Duck Confit Pasta ($19) and Butternut ($17), we chose the 2nd option with no regret. It was amazing. We could savour the duck flavour laced on the surface on the tagliatelle. The hazelnut cream unique and it complemented all the ingredients well. And some sauteed spinach with abundant shredded duck confit were throughout the dish.Among the 2 Mains, Cheeseburger ($22) and Poached Salmon ($20), the former is more intriguing but we chose the latter as one diner doesn't consume beef.Looking at the pale salmon steak with raisin abundantly in the couscous, I was skeptical about its taste. Since both isn't my preferred ingredient. I have a change of impression after trying it.3 Plated Desserts choices of Brownie ($9), Souffle of the day($13) and Apple Crumble ($10) which was our choice of dessert for the meal. On the plate was an entire baked granny smith, a scoop of vanilla ice cream with butterscotch sauce drizzled sat on butter crumble. Apple remains crunchy. As it has a core in it, making it difficult for consumption. It would be perfect if the core could be removed before baking or serving it.It is interesting that all of us ordered the same drink, the Cappuccino ($4.50). And among the drinks, one of which has a variegated look. It has a distinctive layer of milk, coffee and foam. Not sure what went wrong while brewing the coffee. The cuppa was low body, low acidity with nutty note. We find it decent.I thought well of South Union Park. All the food served were above average at a reasonable pricing. My friends and I enjoyed our meal at South Union Park.More reviews on http://www.nahmj.com/ continue reading