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Review: Return to Perle Noire
By estar | August 14, 2007
(Daniel’s brother David loving his pasta in the previous visit)
A few days after our last experience at Perle Noire, Daniel was already talking about going back there. So when his birthday came around, it was on top of our list. Would it get the thumbs-up like it did in our previous visit?
Daniel and I arrived first. It was pretty quiet for a Sunday night, only 2 other tables being occupied. Despite having made a reservation for 4, the wait staff cleared 2 of the 4 sets of cutlery from our table without asking until we told them we were still waiting for 2. Hmm…minus points. My sister Karen and her husband Jeremy arrived later and were shown to our table right next to the live fish tanks (note: wait staff also failed to ask if we minded being seated so close to the tanks).
Being Chinese with no qualms about devouring seafood in front of its live counterparts, Daniel was very much tempted to order the Seafood Platter, but I have no liking for seafood that is simply boiled. If so I’d rather head down to Tekka market at 6am, get the freshest seafood I can find, and plunge it into a pot of boiling water.
I’m not sure if it was because of our proximity to the live fish tanks, but all 4 of us chose land creatures for our main courses. For starters, however, I couldn’t resist ordering the New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussels in a spicy wine sauce again while my sister chose the Mushroom Soup. After placing our orders, we waited in anticipation for the fresh-from-the-oven bread rolls with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs that we had been served in our previous visit.
Our starters were promptly served, but to our disappointment, the anticipated bread rolls didn’t appear.
We thought they had merely forgotten it, and so asked for some bread to mop up the sauce and soup. Ordinary slices of French loaf were served instead…and they were cold. The starters were good - the mussels were as fresh as ever, and the soup was rich and flavourful, but the experience would definitely have been improved with warm bread rolls. (Yes. I am very sore about the bread.)
Karen’s Surf & Turf, a combination of ribeye and tiger prawns arrived first.
Presentation was lovely as expected, but being my sister (nitpicking is genetic), she surreptitiously asked “Does my beef look medium to you? Medium is less cooked than this right?”. I agreed that her ribeye was just a tad more overdone than she had asked for. She also complained that the chef had been too heavy-handed with the salt.
My Ribeye Steak was, fortunately, done perfectly.
Although thinner than I had expected, the combination of slightly charred edges and a juicy centre was a winning one. My only gripe was that the ‘potato rosti’ looked more like a large begadel, and while it didn’t taste bad, it was a very mediocre potato side.
Daniel’s modestly-sized Lamb Rack arrived soon after.
The 3 pieces of lamb were thin, and after carving the meat away from the bone, there was little left for me to pick off his plate. Recommended for small eaters only. But what it lacked in portion, it made up for in taste. Perfectly medium and juicy, with no overwhelming seasoning to destroy the natural flavours of the lamb, the freshness of the meat took centerstage. The potato mash was also memorable, tasting liked a baked potato except in mash form, with hints of sour cream and bacon bits.
Compared to the Lamb Rack, the size of Jeremy’s Lamb Shank looked mighty impressive.
The shank, served with mashed potatoes, had the stamp of approval from Mr Unadventurous (when it comes to food). Nothing fancy. Just a chunk of flavoursome meat braised until it falls apart when forked. Simple and good, reminiscent of a home-cooked country meal.
Having previously tried the unspectacular chocolate fondue, we decided to skip the desserts and hop over to the Cheesecake Cafe next door instead. Calling for the bill presented some problems though - it was difficult getting the attention of the wait staff chatting away at the counter.
While the dinner wasn’t bad, I was definitely not blown away this time round. Small touches - warm bread, attentive wait staff - are what separate the ordinary from the ‘I’ll be back’ experiences. And unfortunately, this visit fell into the former category.
Perle Noire, I have just 1 word for you: consistency.
Topics: Restaurant, Reviews, Western |