Esmirada at Orchard seems to be one of those stalwart Mediterranean restaurants that’s been existing forever ages.
Start your meal with a tall order, the famous Esmirada garlic bread, served whole and piping hot from the oven. Break off a chunk, savour the crusty bread on its own or dunk it into Kakavia, a traditional Greek fisherman soup generously loaded with seafood (what else, duh). For a stronger garlic breath, get the sizzling garlic chilli shrimps on hot plate, a ho-hum but no-fail choice. Both the grilled lemon sole and seafood Paella come in huge portions, best to share! Though the tiramisu is award winning, I much prefer melting moments, essentially molten chocolate cakes with maple walnut ice cream (which tasted suspiciously like Movenpick) and juicy cherries.
Esmirada shares the same bartender as neighbour Amuse, so Austrian Klaus Leopold’s imaginative cocktails such as Hugo and Amber Bowl are available. Just for the record, my favourite is still P for Passion, Hugo second!
Top left, anti-clockwise:
Hugo ($12++);
sparkling wine, elderflower syrup, club soda, fresh mint, lime
Charcoal Grilled Angus Rib-Eye Skewer ($38++);
served on an iron frame
Garlic Bread ($7.50++);
Amber Bowl ($18++);
Rhum Vieux du Père Labat, apple juice, homemade vanilla and cinnamon syrup, Fee Brothers Orange Bitters, ice ball
Kakavia ($12++)
Greek fisherman soup, seafood, tomatoes, vegetables, herbs
Sizzling Garlic Chilli Shrimp on Hot Plate ($19++)
toasted bread
Paella Valenciana ($35++)
chicken, seafood, chorizo
Lemon Sole Grilled from the Josper Oven ($31++)
potatoes, caper-lime salsa
Tiramisu ($12++)
Esmirada’s award winning recipe with Kahlua
Melting Moments ($15++)
freshly baked chocolate tartlets, maple walnut ice cream, cherries
A smashing good time is guaranteed at Esmirada, literally! At 9pm every night, plates are distributed to all diners to participate in ‘Zorba’, an ancient Greek custom of smashing plates for good luck!
P.S. Remember to play safe though! I think I may be the first guest to get cut by a random flying shred of glass and caused the PR to freak out, haha.
Special thanks to Chenyze from Sixth Sense Communications for inviting and hosting!
Esmirada @ Orchard
442 Orchard Road
#01-00 Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade
6735 3476
