Ginett - 1st Mar 2020
We were strolling along
Middle Road, expecting to find a hotel lobby entrance that will lead us to our
dinner destination. To my surprise, we were instead greeted by an impressive
entrance to a posh-looking, intimately-lit and high-ceilinged restaurant right
at the ground floor itself.
The menu was extensive.
It took us a while to pore
through and finally select our dinner items.
Old World Country Pâté. A fine blend of Bresse poultry (a.k.a volaille de Bresse) and black pork
flavoured with cognac.
That was the first item that
caught my eye.
The pâté was scrumptious. Perhaps
because it was chilled when it first hit my taste buds, I initially thought it a little bland. But the umami flavours started kicking in and gradually gained momentum, and the dish eventually grew on my taste buds.
Their La Joue de Bœuf (that’s
French for beef cheeks) was equally toothsome.
The Wagyu beef cheeks were slow
braised for 12 hours in red wine, and the result was a plate of tender and fragrant
beef cheeks. A bite into the beef cheeks and I could immediately taste the beefy
flavours and the red wine. The blend of flavours was likely what evoked warmth and
connected with me emotionally. Even just recalling the flavours while writing
this is making my mouth water!
While the first two dishes
were beyond expectations, the baby (farm) chicken roasted with Provençal herbs
fell short. To be fair, it was roasted well. Just nothing too mind-blowing.
It was the truffled mashed
potatoes that stole the show. With some other truffled items I have tried, the
truffle flavours were either too faint or too strong. The one here at Ginett got
their truffle dose right on the money. It enhanced the flavours of the mashed
potatoes which tasted rather plain on its own. C’était absolument délicieux.
There was also a special menu
for March – and it was a lobster party.
With a Maine lobster
medallion, lobster bisque and a Maine lobster-stuffed ravioli, it was ripples
upon ripples of that delightful deep-sea sweetness hitting our tastebuds. The ravioli
was the surprise. Every mouthful is an explosion of flavoured luxurious
lobster-y bliss and I could not get enough of it.
I personally liked the dough
of the ravioli too. It had a tender, silky texture and it was springy but not too
chewy. The thickness of the dough that pulled over the fillings was just right
for me as well – too thin and I would taste only the lobster and barely the
dough. I hope this well-kneaded dough was made in-house as that would be a big
plus point for me!
The last dish to bring this
review to a close is the “Charcoal Grill 4-6 Weeks Dry-Aged Australian Black Angus
MB3+”.
It was a glorious 250g slab
of ribeye.
While it was not mind-blowing
per se, it is one of my favourites here. Dry-ageing kicks the flavours of your
steak up a few notches – it gives richer, beefier flavours that are also
slightly funky/minerally. And the steak here was grilled to the right level to bring
out the umami just right. The beef was also succulent and the slight charcoal aroma
infused adds yet another layer that complemented the dry-ageing flavours.
There were three options for
the sauce: béarnaise, pepper or blue cheese. I made a bold choice and went for
the blue cheese sauce!
I had expected a very strong
pungent smell, given what blue cheese is known for, and was worried that it
might overwhelm my taste buds. But it didn’t! It matched
the beef well too, albeit the sauce masked some of the dry-ageing flavours instead
of accentuating them. It does taste good either way, whether you decide
to eat the steak on its own or with the blue cheese sauce. It is really a
matter of personal preference. My friend preferred it with the blue cheese
sauce, while for me I decided after a while that it is best to enjoy the steak
half on its own and half with the blue cheese sauce. (A pure) 250g of intense,
complex dry-ageing flavours proved to be a little “jelak” (overwhelmingly
rich) for me.
The accompanying side dish,
ratatouille, was a fun dish too. Ratatouille is a classic French Provencal
stewed vegetable dish and the funky tomato base here was both fragrant and rich.
Overall, I find the menu
here staid and solid. Not the eye-grabbing fashionista but that stylish person
with an understated fashion style.
With its long communal tables and plush semi-private
dining booths, it is a great place for hanging out in big groups. The semi-alfresco
setting (high ceilings with air-conditioning), intimate lighting and the stylish interior
design also combine to make the place a rather sexy place for weeknight dates (okay,
weekend dates too). I am definitely coming back here someday, again, to try the
other items on their extensive menu.
Catch me if you can!
~ Cheyenne
Marketing Manager
