Brown Sugar Cafe Bistro
FW in her quest to eat a light meal, ordered a Pan Roasted Salmon Fillet with Steamed Baby Vegetables & Lemon Beurre-Blanc ($23). I'm not a huge fan of cooked salmon as I prefer to eat salmon sashimi or sushi, however the grilled salmon skin looked tantalising. FW loves grilled salmon skin and as she wasn't up to eating much that day, I didn't prey on her salmon skin. I did try a little of the salmon though. It was not overly done, so the flesh was smooth and the sweetness of the fish went perfectly well with the tangy richness of the lemon beurre-blanc sauce. FW loved the grilled potatoes that accompanied it too.
I had ordered one of the specials, which was Wagyu Beef ($28, I could barely believe my eyes!). It arrived on a long plate flanked by sides of yam crisps and Arugula salad. I'm not much of a chips or crackers person, so I hardly ate the crisps. I love arugula and so I enjoyed it thoroughly. The serving was rather generous considering that its just a side if only there was a little more balsamic vinegar in the dressing. The Wagyu Beef wasn't served in the form of a steak like I was hoping it would be. I should have read the menu more carefully, no wonder the pricing was so much cheaper. There were 2 slices of Wagyu beef atop toasted bread, which was spread with aioli (Provencal garlic mayonnaise). I guess this is meant to be more of a brunch menu. The beef slices were not as rare as I would have like them but then again, its hard not to slightly overcook beef slices. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the beef because they were juicy and sweet though I felt that the caramelised onions was a little overpowering. FW felt that the beef could have been a little tastier. I think I would have been happier if there was just a little more salt on the beef but its pretty good for a sandwich as the aioli enhanced the flavour.
FW ordered the Chocolate Fondant with Raspberry Coulis, Toasted Almonds & Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream ($12). So much for eating light. This was decadently rich with the luxurious flavour of dark Valrhona chocolate. The vanilla bean ice cream was a sweet accompaniment to the exquisitely strong taste of the chocolate and the sweetish-tartness of the raspberry coulis helped to intensify the flavours. I liked the presentation too because with my vivid imagination, I saw the vanilla ice cream on a raspberry coulis path towards the chocolate fondant.
I had the Sticky Date Pudding with Brown Sugar Butterscotch, Walnuts & Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream ($9). As with all sticky date puddings, this is sweet stuff! I liked it for its rich flavours and the beautiful presentation. It looked like a star burst to me with a little mountain of sweet divinity in the middle. My friend, SS, who tried this on Sunday, told me that she loved this dessert because it reminded her of the sticky date pudding at Marmalade Pantry. I however, still prefer the one served by PS Cafe because it comes with a topping of chopped pistachios and is a little more moist.
By the end of the meal, I was feeling terribly sleepy and had to get a cup of Latte to wake me up. How does FW stay so wide awake after such a substantial meal and the Moscato d'Asti?
Brown Sugar Cafe Bistro
277 River Valley Road
#01-04 Stardus Clubhouse
Singapore 238318
(between Kim Yam Rd & Mohd Sultan Rd)
Tel: 6333-6612
Ambience: 3.5 out of 5
Food: 4.5 out of 5
This article was published by AsiaOne Wine, Dine & Unwind on 5 December 2006.