Sponsored Review
I've heard so many good reviews about The Marmalade Pantry that I was hoping to go try one of the days. It so happened that FoodNews contacted me for a food-tasting session, and it was going to be at their new location - Bukit Timah Saddle Club, so I readily agreed! =)
Check out the surroundings. It was so beautiful and peaceful. This place is a good getaway from hectic city life, but that also means you can't get to this place without a car or taxi. It's almost impossible to walk in from the main road.
The Marmalade Pantry @ Stables is elegantly set in this place full of greeneries. In fact, the moment I stepped into this place, I felt like I was on a vacation of some sort. It was so relaxing.
The interior of the restaurant is elegant and minimalist in mainly blacks and whites. I love the high ceilings - the place reminded me of old cathedrals.
There is also an alfresco dining area, but I think it could be quite warm in the afternoons. Evenings at this place should be romantic though. =)
To be frank, the first things that got my attention were these cupcakes. They were so delicate, colourful and pretty! Like a piece of art.
Too pretty to be eaten, no?
Marmalade Pantry is known for their yummy sweet items. I seriously can't wait to try them.
I chose a cold drink off the menu (super a lot of choices!) - Pomegranate & Apple Soda. It was oh so refreshing.
I like the simplistic table settings of the restaurant which makes you feel so comfortable in it, so it's definitely a good place to enjoy some nice snacks and drinks with good friends. That afternoon, my companions for the food-tasting session were two lovely ladies - Sandra (my friend!) and Janice (FoodNews). During the course of the meal, we had so much to talk and laugh about and towards the end, even realised that we were all from the same Secondary School! The world's too small. =)
We were there to try the Father's Day Special Menu as well as the hi-tea set (yays!). Seriously, the food was SO GOOD. You should see the expression on my face as I savoured the food.
The Father's Day Special Menu costs $49++ and available only during 12 June - 17 June 2012 (6pm-1030pm). The set dinner menu includes a starter, main choice and a dessert.
The starter dish is Crab Cake. This deep-fried dish is dry and not oily, and each patty is fully encrusted with real crab meat!!!! Oh.my.gosh. So good.
Just look at this. I've eaten many crab cakes before, but most added flour to make the majority of the patty with bits of crabmeat at most. This one contains solely crabmeat. Very, very luxurious. It's served on a bed of sour & appetizing salad that helps to balance the taste.
For the main course, you can choose between Pan Seared Skirt Steak or Linguini Aglio Olio with Crispy Pork Belly. Since steak is a rather common dish, we tried the Aglio Olio instead. I was elated! I LOVE Aglio Olio!! And when it came, I was immediately overwhelmed by the awesome aroma of garlic! This is seriously one of the best Aglio Olio I've ever eaten. Those crispy bits on top are crispy parmesan cheese. Too good.
The crispy pork belly was superbly good. There was a nice crisp, and I even ate it together with the thin layer of fats. The whole dish blended so well together. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately messaged my hubby that I was going to bring him back for the Father's Day dinner. =P
Then we were presented with the Hi-Tea set for Two. At Marmalade Pantry, they serve up hi-tea sets for two persons ($20/person & available between 3pm to 6pm) and it comes with the following:
- Selection of egg and cress, beef and horseradish and green land shrimp finger sandwiches
- Buttermilk scones, strawberry preserves and clotted cream
- Your choice of cupcake
- Your choice of Gryphon teas
Look how pretty the hi-tea set is! Served in a three-tier tray!!! So girly, don't you think? =)
The scones were mini in size and comes in different flavours. The strawberry jam and clotted cream were so good! Everything was served warm and nice. And they went so well with the Earl Grey Gryphon Tea I had. =D
We also chose our cupcakes that came along with the set. This was the Apple Cobbler Cupcake (May Special) at $4.80 each. This has a tinge of cinnamon and is very refreshing with the slightly tangy crushed apples at the top!
And this was the Red Velvet at $4.50 each. The coconut shavings at the top were such a nice touch to the cupcake! I also like it that it was not too sweet.
I had such a wonderful dining experience at The Marmalade Pantry that I would strongly recommend you to go try it! For parents, you would be happy to know that they also have a separate kids' menu for your little ones as well.
I might have discovered my new favourite restaurant. =D
