Brasserie Gavroche, Tras Street

This would be the first time in a long while that I've been brought to a place where I knew almost nothing about. That had almost resurrected in me the appeal of mystery in a food place since I had usually made it a point to understand or at least know what I am getting myself into. Brasserie Gavroche, (66 Tras Street, tel : +65 6225 8266) as one might surmise from name, serves French food.

Before I get on to the food, I must not neglect to mention that the restaurant serves a very tasty cheese choux puff for befores.

One of the starters we had was sautéed bamboo clams with jamon Iberico. The flavour and presentation did well away with theatrics. Each ingredient stood on it's own being individually identifiable even when put together. The bamboo clams were fresh tasting with it's mild sweet chewiness, the sharp garlic in the lightly tart tomato base, spicy bitter rockets and the bodied nutty ham were all together yet apart. If that makes any sense.

Then there was also a rich and creamy terrine of Périgord duck liver which we polished off with extra servings of hot bread that tasted like it just came off the oven.

The bone marrow on Poilane bread wasn't what I had imagined. For one, there was a lot less bone marrow than I had expected out of something that was called bone marrow on menu. But the flavour from the marrow was surprisingly robust for the measly portions. They paired off well with the garlic confit that both enhanced and detracted from the flavour of the marrow. Confusing? I thought so too.

Stepping off my usual beaten and bovine path, I opted for a fish quenelle with crayfish sauce. What was that you ask? Oven baked fish mousse in a broth that tasted very much like lobster bisque. Pretty good stuff there.

Disappointment came in the form of the rum baba. It was bready rather than cake like. Came with too little cream and too diluted portions of rum. Should've stuck with profiteroles.