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WINE&DINE
196
April15
Her bal Inspiration
Tucked along hip Tras Street, new modern European
eatery
Violet Herbs
uses fresh, home-grown
ingredients – including, of course, plenty of herbs –
in its extensive menu of colourful seafood, meat and
vegetarian dishes, thoughtfully prepared and beautifully
presented by Chef Edward Hoe (formerly at Restaurant
Ember and The American Club). The atmosphere
is charming; we loved the bright violet and lavender
dining room, and the earth-toned second floor that’s
just waiting to be rented out for your next party.
After kicking things off with a signature “herb
cocktail” – the gin-based
Lillet Basil Cocktail
($19.90)
is lovely, with basil, cucumber and a cinnamon stick
– we opted for a starter of
Lobster Cappuccino
($14) – a lobster soup topped with juniper foam (hence
“cappuccino”) and succulent Boston lobster meat.
Among the mains you’ll find
Sous Vide “48 Hours”
Wagyu Beef Cheek
($32) with zucchini spheres,
and the signature
Marinated Red Miso Cod
($33),
deliciously prepared to perfection with a sweet-but-not-
too-sweet glaze, and accompanied by pumpkin puree,
almond-crusted eggplant and herbs. The
Homemade
Beetroot Ravioli
($29) is also delectable, stuffed with
mushrooms, zucchini and semi-dried tomatoes, and
covered in truffle foam. For dessert, try the
Frozen
Nougat
($14) served with raspberry sauce and super-
refreshing lychee sorbet.
In addition to an à la carte menu, Violet Herbs offers
a three-course set lunch ($29.50) and a four-course set
dinner ($42), as well as degustation menus (six to eight
courses at $98 and $128, respectively). 81 Tras Street.
violetherbs.com.sg
REAL DEAL
PORTUGUESE
Until a few months ago, the closest thing that
Singapore had to Portuguese food was egg
tarts and Nando’s (neither of which claim to
be authentically Portuguese). That all changed
with the opening of
Boca
, a new restaurant in
lower Chinatown that impresses with its
bife à
café
($48), an
organic Australian tenderloin
flambéed in Cognac
and topped with a rich
coffee cream sauce. The
chorizo
($36) is also
on fire. It’s served flaming on a layer of brandy;
when the blaze dies down, you dive in for the
meat and sop up the drippings with a side of
homemade bread.
It’s said that Portugal has 365 ways to
prepare
bacalhau
, the salted cod that is
the crowning jewel of the nation’s cuisine.
We ordered it here as a
fritter mixed with
potatoes, onions and parsley
($15); it’s
also available in a
hearty porridge sautéed
with bread, shrimp stock and coriander
($28) among other variations. Desserts, like
the
vanilla custard with egg white “clouds”
and spun sugar “nest”
($15) and the almond
cake with homemade
Port sorbet
($16), are
beautifully plated.
EL
tip: Get a front-row seat
to the plating action from the bar that runs the
length of the restaurant. From there you can
nudge the chefs and restaurant manager for
ordering suggestions – they’re all from Portugal
and are more approachable than most.
The Singaporean sommelier may recommend
you start the meal with a glass of
vinho verde
,
Portugal’s slightly effervescent “green” wine.
We did. Just be sure to end it with an
egg tart
,
which the menu makes clear is the real deal.
Creamier and less eggy, it’s worlds away from
the versions you get in Singapore or Macau. 6
Bukit Pasoh.
boca-restaurant.sg