Sunday brunch at the Verve
Labels:
food,
restaurants
·
If you think that I could live the rest of my life devouring meal after meal packed full of brunch treats; then you are absolutely right! Another cross off the brunch marathon list, Verve Bar and Bistro situated at the picturesque (and might I add rather deserted) Gillman Village. Rudely stopped in our tracks by a sign that read 'Closed for Private Event' placed at the entrance above an ungainly flight of stairs leading down to the restaurant; my aunt to give a call to resolve the questionable issue.
A mistake of course since the sign was a remnant of the party previously. The lethargic, inattentive service staff, prime evidence of the busy night before.
Nonetheless,the world-weary surroundings with its laidback decor unperturbed by the hustle and bustle of the fast paced world proved to be a major draw factor for most of the diners. Despite the lack of air-conditioning, it was still rather cooling given the relentless spinning of the ceiling-mounted fans above head. One wouldn't doubt that the air was fresh just looking out the glass doors at the luscious foliage outside.
The menu was a simple affair featuring the likes of classic salads, sandwiches, pastas and mains; mostly safe combinations with a few chef's specials speckled across the board. We made our choices swiftly before settling down to luxuriate in the beauty of our surroundings.
I love complimentary bread bowls and the foccacia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar offered at Verve was excellent. Toasted to a rather peculiar stage of its life, the bread withheld a chewy texture within, in wild contrast to its crisp sides. I could have more if I wasn't bothered by my ensuing order of Verve's signature pasta, Crab in light tomato cream sauce.
My order of Pasta turned out excellent with the piquancy of the tomato toned down with the addition of cream. A lovely aroma contributed by the use of crab broth. Not to mention, the extreme generosity of the chef with the topping of crab meat. I smiled while slurping down the utter goodness of pasta, with occasional thoughts shifting to the toasted pine nuts on my order of crabmeat linguine previously at Marmalade Pantry. Pardon my infidelity.
My brother's order of Carbonara with linguine was apparently a good choice too; the sight of an empty and perhaps thoroughly licked bowl being the best testimonial of its standards. p.s. my brother is a picky eater.
The Prawn and Arugula pasta on the other hand was a major let down with the first order of linguine pasta being slightly undercooked. I wouldn't blame the kitchen given the fact that Arugula was namely stated on the main title, it should be served as a rather substantial amount. And sure enough, it was a platter fit for a cow king. After taste-testing a forkful of my rich and creamy pasta, this dish paled in comparison on so many different dimensions and as a result, made my mum one unhappy diner. At least the freshly brewed cappuccino was a consolation. *shrugs*
Our next order of Verve's signature pizza, Santino (pepperoni, spanish chorizo with baby spinach, jalapeno and fresh red chili) was a sure winner with a crust of suitable thickness, have I mentioned my strong dislike for biscuit like crusts?, and a thick crown of melted cheese with spicy chorizo discs as exclamation marks. I shall try the Enzo (peking duck pizza) on my next visit!
Finally, with desserts on my agenda, I sampled the lemon tart with ginger ice cream much to the dismay of my stuffed companions. But hey, they each had a mouthful and instantly fell in love with the tartness of the lemon filling combined with the flaky pastry encasing it. The ginger ice cream came as a real surprise to me as I would normally have shunned it but upon the unavailability of vanilla ice cream, I approached the choice of ginger with much animosity only to be rewarded in leaps and bounds. The lovely punch of heat and spice by the ginger clearing the palate for every incoming forkful of lemon pastry.
In a nutshell, Verve bar and bistro serves up an excellent selection of foods and wines perfect for an evening of romance or a lovely weekend brunch. Watch the time fly by as you kick back your heels and chill in the unworldly atmosphere of Verve. Be sure to order the pizzas too!
Block 7, Lock Road
Gillman Village
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment