[SG] Au Chocolat
Friday, November 02, 2012
A french sounding place with very appealing visuals, it's no wonder that Au Chocolat is pretty packed soon after its opening. I was quite surprised to actually find that this is a Singapore restaurant and I must say the publicity and branding efforts have been done really well! Upon stepping into its retail arm, I was tempted to buy their merchandises and the desserts in the display fridge. And after hearing so much about their fine chocolate, of course, I couldn't wait to try their main dishes with chocolate infused in it - a rather interesting twist of flavours I guess.
Even their coasters can look so pretty
Au Chocolat Benedict ($18)
I suppose when you name the eggs ben after your restaurant, it's got to be one of your signature dishes right? Reading the description of having their own rendition of hollandaise sauce mixed with red wine and dark chocolate, I drooled just a little. Indeed, it didn't disappoint me at all. It might be an acquired taste for some, but I liked the special twist of flavour. It was rich, yet not overpowering. It had the slight aroma of the red wine and a little sweetness of the dark chocolate. The flavours were well-complemented in my opinion but just as the description went, it's not for the faint-hearted. Try it if you're looking for a more adventurous eggs ben. I liked how the eggs were very well poached and the bright orange egg yolk simply flowed out and blended in well with the sauce, and the salted bacon. It would have been better if the bacon was more tender with a slight crisp toast to it.
Nom Factor: 8.0/10
Croque Madame ($16)
This ordinary looking dish surprised us with just how good it could get! We were kinda skeptical intially as it seemed like just ham, cheese, egg and toast. Such simple ingredients put together, some magic happened and poof! A charming rendition with thick melted cheese in between, fresh slices of slightly salted ham and sweetened thick toast. Simple pleasures of life. One thing we found out though, there was little QC of the fries as this batch was extremely salty that I cringed with every bite, while another burger dish my friend ordered had minimal salt sprinkled onto it. Nonetheless, I thought this was a good simple dish of contentment.
Nom Factor: 8.5/10
Complimentary chocolate samples
We thought this wasn't very much special. It was a tad too sweet for my liking but well, I've never been a chocolate fan. It would have worked better if this dish was properly explained to us i.e. what type of chocolate this is and if there's anything unique about it so we can actually get it if we're interested and makes us more excited to try it.
Au Chocolat Tower Cake ($18)
This was highly recommended by their exceptionally friendly staff. It was pretty huge and I must say the desserts were pretty disappointing given the standards set by the main courses we've had. This wasn't anything special. I found it too sweet for my liking, and as it was too chocolate-y, it got too jelat for us after a while and we were struggling with almost half the slice. It was also quite a shock when we found ice bits in the ice-cream, not exactly the smooth and rich kind we were expecting.
Nom Factor: 6.0/10
Mixed Berry Yoghurt Crumble
Different layers of yoghurt, berries compote and crumble
Perhaps I'm too much of a critic for desserts, this failed to impress me as well. The first bite I took, it was just too sweet with the yoghurt and the crumbly bits just lost that extra crunch to it. It seemed to have been packed for pretty long, hence the crumble having absorbed the moisture from within and it was just a dull chew. The berries compote were a tad too sour and well, it probably gave a little 'feel good' factor thinking that you're digesting what you've just ate with yoghurt and sour berries.
Nom Factor: 6.5/10
Spot the choo-choo train running on top!
A great place to chill over dinner with great ambience and awesome service. It's a pretty spacious place that's very vibrant, good for gatherings and a rather satisfying dinner. Good to give it a shot if you're in the mood for some adventurous eggs ben. I wouldn't recommend for the desserts though as it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
Overall Nom Factor: 7.5/10
The Shoppes, Marina Bay Sands
Bay Level #01-03
P.S. we're always on the lookout for new/exciting/good food places. Let us know your recommendations or any places you've been wanting to try! :D
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