[SG] Bistro Du Vin
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Tucked in a small corner of Shaw Centre, this was a great find that was surprisingly packed on a weekday evening. In a rather hidden place near the carpark, it's easy to miss it in the alley. Stepping in was as though going into a different world. A transition from the busy hustle bustle outside with cars and impatient taxis honking away, to a dimly-lit cosy restaurant playing soft instrumental music at the background.
Its whole setting helped create a very relaxed state of mind, that you can slowly savour your food over a good conversation.
This was a complementing dish with the beef cheeks but we topped up to change the mash to truffle mash. It was undoubtedly the best choice ever! Being a potato and truffle lover, it was just heavenly for me. Every mouthful was filled with the rich flavour of truffle, yet it wasn't overpowering that it got jelat after awhile. In fact, every mouthful just got us more and more addicted. A must-order for all truffle fans!
Its whole setting helped create a very relaxed state of mind, that you can slowly savour your food over a good conversation.
Complimentary baguette loaf that's refillable upon request
My friend remembers Bistro Du Vin for this, showing how dedicated they are, perfecting even the complimentary starter dish. It was served at room temperature initially and it just felt like normal baguette with good skin. A dissatisfied customer, who brought me here as she was thinking of the bread, my friend brought it up to their service staff and immediately, they apologised for it and whisked it away. Asking us to wait for a few minutes, it didn't fail to live up to expectations. Served warm from the oven, the skin was just crisp and had warm fluffy insides. I like it 'cos it had a slightly thicker skin that gave it an extra chewiness.
Braised Beef Cheek ($33.80)
A pot of goodness contained in it, this would be my version of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Extremely soft and tenderly braised meat, it really melts in your mouth. Too tender that you actually have to spend some effort cutting it, in order to prevent a mess with its softness. The flavour of this dish is abit strong initially, but its definitely great for beef fans! Once your taste buds have settled down from the heightened senses, it was just great from then.
The gravy was just awesome. Rich and perhaps there was a little red wine in it to lift the flavour of the dish. It's the kind of gravy where you can just dip anything into it and it'll make the dish significantly better. Needless to say, we've tried dipping our subsequent dishes into this 'universal gravy'!
Nom Factor: 8.5/10
Truffle Mash (+ $3)
This was a complementing dish with the beef cheeks but we topped up to change the mash to truffle mash. It was undoubtedly the best choice ever! Being a potato and truffle lover, it was just heavenly for me. Every mouthful was filled with the rich flavour of truffle, yet it wasn't overpowering that it got jelat after awhile. In fact, every mouthful just got us more and more addicted. A must-order for all truffle fans!
Nom Factor: 9.5/10
Berkshire Pork Chop ($28)
This reminded me of the Yorkshire Pork that was just so heavenly at Colwyn Bay in UK. It was of acceptable standards comparing to that, but I guess the whole travelling experience just made the one at UK much better. To be very fair, I found this dish done pretty well. The portion of meat chosen was extremely tender and you can see that it wasn't laden with fats. Yet every bite was springy and tender, and never once did I have to chew very hard. The caramelied onions served on top gave a very good complement as it added on to the sweetness of the meat, with a slight natural salted taste from the pork. It was a little dry though, and would have been great if there was gravy served at the side. Of course, we loved it with the beef cheeks gravy.
Nom Factor: 8.0/10
Truffle Fries ($6)
This was the only disappointing dish out of all that we've ordered. Perhaps having high expectations after our heavenly experience with the truffle mash, this totally paled in comparison. There wasn't much truffle taste in it and it just tasted like normal fries. Would have been better if it were shoestring fries to better encapsulate the truffle taste and of course, have more truffle in it!
Nom Factor: 5.0/10
A very familiar setting as with quite a bit of UK restaurants, making me nostalgic already.
It seemed deceptively empty at 7pm but by 7.30pm, I understood why there was a need to make reservations. Even on an unassuming weekday evening, it was packed to the brim. Definitely a great place to chill with your girlfriends or even on a date. A little pricey, but a great shot if you're feeling like you need some indulgent food to cheer up your day. Service was also great as you can sense their genuineness when serving you. They might not be able to attend to you very promptly though with their brisk business, but I was satisfied just seeing how they've been trying their best.
Overall Nom Factor: 8.5/10
1 Scotts Road #02-12
Shaw Centre
Singapore 228208
For reservations, call 6733-7763
0 comments