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WINE&DINE
172
February15
THE JOY OF
MEATLESSNESS
Located in Orchard Central’s rooftop garden, new
vegetarian eatery
Joie
(pronounced “joy”) offers
beautifully plated, Japanese-inspired European fare
in a contemporary-chic setting (think plush velvet
armchairs and dark grey damask-print walls) with
great views.
The restaurant’s set-menu-only concept sure
makes things easy, and allows for sampling lots of
innovative dishes – try the six-course lunch ($38.80)
or the seven-course dinner ($68.80), choosing from
four or five options per course. Each meal starts
with a palate cleanser – a refreshing passionfruit
sorbet smoothie when we visited – followed by the
first appetiser course. The highlight of these was
the
gratinated champignon with mozzarella
:
garlic-sautéed button mushrooms covered in a crisp
mozzarella layer and served in an escargot plate.
Second- and third-course standouts include the
zucchini tower
, stuffed with cream cheese and
truffle mayo, atop a medallion of puff pastry with
shaved Parmesan, and the
tomato and garbanzo
soup
with orzo pasta and a spinach dumpling.
Don’t miss the
polenta castle
, a main course
of pan-seared polenta cake, tempura-crusted tofu,
tomato, broccolini and eggplant ratatouille – delish!
Your “sweet ending” is left to the discretion of
executive chef Sherwin Sim, but will most likely
include a selection of mini-macarons, tiramisu and
Black Forest cake from the table-side cart. Last
but not least in this delicious (and filling!) meal is
your choice of one of seven “potions”, including
iced rose lemon tea
,
hot lavender tea
, a bright
purple-hued iced fruity refresher and the
mocktail
of love
, a sugary cranberry, orange and pineapple
concoction. Pure joy, indeed. 181 Orchard Road,
#12-01 Orchard Central.
joierestaurant.com.sg
Finger-l icking Good
A clever name like
The Prawn Star
is a not-so-subtle hint
about the food on offer at this Duxton Hill newcomer, the
brainchild of Chris Chong of Dempsey’s The Disgruntled
Chef fame. Here, seafood reigns, with crustaceans
and molluscs dominating the menu and smoky
tze
char
overtures courtesy of the charcoal-grill. Lose your
inhibitions at the door. The menu is about sharing – and
finger-licking! – with
grilled king prawns in kimchi-
miso butter
($26) and more-ish, spicy-sweet
sriracha
caramel popcorn
($8) leading the charge. The
bánh
mì shoestring fries topped with barbecued pork and
jalapenos
($12) is irresistible, and you definitely won’t
want to share your
Moreton Bay bugs in black pepper
($24). Ask the friendly staff about the daily specials, which
include whole grilled fish. The girls make a mean cocktail,
too, so try the refreshing
Island Romp
($15) or a craft
US beer from Lost Coast and Modern Times. Whether
you sit outside under the trees or inside the shophouse –
decorated in an industrial chic-style with a twist of grunge
– you’re in for a good time. 21 Duxton Hill. 6323 3353