Platypus Kitchen (Bugis Junction)

Platypus Test Kitchen welcomes a new member to the Platypus group of restaurants — Platypus Kitchen at Bugis Junction, replacing the gloomy V8 Cafe that’s been around since my school days.

The expanded menu has a great selection of appetisers, hand-made pastas, gourmet risottos, main courses, and a range of beer cocktails and carafes of speciality drinks. Unless you have something against pasta, I’d be very very surprised if you find nothing carb-worthy catching your fancy here.

If I have to formulate my own 3-course dinner, I’d go for the generously stuffed crab cakes, interesting spicy diablo tagliolini and for a thirst quencher, any of the refreshing beer cocktails. When I was there during the soft launch, there’s no sweets on offer yet so the default dessert was a rich and thick Italian hot chocolate.

Well-priced bistro fare, good location, fresh produce, seasonal ingredients.. I have a feeling that Platypus Kitchen is going to be a hit!

Pomegranate Beer ($9.90++)
larger beer with a dash of grenadine, garnished with pomegranate arils and lemon slices (2.9% ABV)

Smith’s Ale ($9.90++)
larger beer infused with green apples and lemons, garnished with fresh apples, lemon and passion fruit (2.9% ABV)

Wild Mushroom Soup ($3.90++), Roasted Pumpkin Soup ($3.90++)

Risotto Balls ($8.90++)
mozzarella-stuffed balls of risotto, breaded in panko, deep fried and served over rich pumpkin puree

Crab Cakes ($12.90++)
potato fritters stuffed with large chunks of crab claw meat, deep fried and served with lemon

Garlic Shrimp ($8.50++)
prawns sautéed in olive oil and garlic, finished with fresh parsley

Black & White, Scallop & Crab ($17.50++)
interwoven egg and squid-ink tagliolini with crabs and scallops in white wine consomme

Spicy ‘Diablo’ Crab & Prawn ($18.50++)
egg tagliolini with prawns and crab claw tossed in a spicy egg sauce

Shaved Truffle Risotto ($17.90++, additional $3.50++ for truffle overload)
shaved summer truffles and parmigiano-reggiano over garlic-butter risotto

Seafood Bouillabaisse ($21.90++)
seafood medley of grilled prawns, bay scallops, clams, mussels, squid, and chunks of salmon in tomato garlic seafood broth, served with bread

Italian Hot Chocolate ($8.80++)
full cream milk, cream, 54% dark chocolate

My thanks to Nicholas for the invitation, and sincere apologies for the tardy post!

Platypus Kitchen
#03-29, Bugis Junction
200 Victoria Street
6333 4434

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Esmirada @ Orchard

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

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Artichoke Cafe & Bar, Back for Brunch

Artichoke Cafe & Bar is a mighty popular place for brunch. I’ve been there once for dinner and this time round, I was a happy brunch-goer!

The menu is rather limited but what they serve, they do it pretty well. Worth a consideration if you are looking for a brunch spot this weekend : )

I ate crap that day. C.R.A.P. sandwich ($18+), that is.

Harissa spiced crab pate, romaine lettuce, white anchoives, piquillo peppers, sourdough bread.

No brunch is complete without eggs.

Soft scrambled eggs, local organic mushrooms, blistered grape tomatoes, rocket, toast ($16+).

For the carnivores.

Soft scrambles, maple glazed bacon chop, tomatoes, rocket, toast ($20+).

Artichoke Cafe & Bar
161 Middle Road
6336 6949

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