eat

A weekend fling
a la francaise
THE French dominance on elegance
and style truly extends from
fashion to food as well. While I can
ill afford the couture threads of,
say, Louis Vuitton, a treat of haute
cuisine at Aria at a smaller price
was feasible.
Formerly known as Les Saisons
at Central Mall, Mackie Chee’s
restaurant has merged with Aria,
the bistro and wine bar at Esplanade.
Little did I guess that a
small indulgence at the weekend
would grow into a budding love affair.
The carpaccio of yellowtail
hamachi ($16) was succulent and
lusciously oily. The thinly-sliced fish
was already a good looker on the appetiser
plate — its gleaming lustre
texturised with grain mustard from
Meaux, a French town.
The gourmet mustard was apparently
first served to the French
kings in the 17th century , and the
current guardians of the secret
recipe still stick to storing it — as
in old times — in corked stone
crocks.
Drizzled over the velvety fish,
the royal dressing’s rich and nutty
flavour deserves sterling points
for fleshing out the taste of the
dish so well.
The lobster bisque ($15) is, literally,
a one-night stand affair as
that is how long it is heated over the
fire at Aria.
The creamy vermillion soup
was served frothy like cappuccino
and, like a really good brew, the
soup contains such intense lobster
flavours that its heartiness reaches
right to the back of your throat.
Though it was a tad too salty,
I suspect that was just the result of
reaping the essence from the crustacean
shell overnight.
My initiation continued with
the appetiser, pan-fried foie gras
($23), which drew love-hate emotions.
I don’t eat sharks fin because
of cruelty issues, and stories of
force-fed geese raised for their fatty
livers are horrific enough to put
me off the delicacy.
Yet, like a sun-tanned lover, this
one was irresistible. Crisp on the
outside, and tender on the inside,
the foie gras was buttery, rich and
smooth. I was literally flushed with
guilty pleasure.
Love blossomed when the
braised veal cheek in red wine ($31)
was served.
It had been tenderly braised in
red wine for at least four hours, according
to Chee, nursing the meat
to an achingly soft, melt-in-themouth
texture. Alongside it were
sauteed asparagus and fork-crushed
potato. It must have been some
fork that crushed the potato; it was
so creamy and soothing that made
the perfect lip-locking companion
for the meat.
Dessert was warm, bitter chocolate
fondant with passion fruit icecream
($15).
The ice-cream is made in the
house; typically, non-commercial
ice-cream melts faster, so lap this
up while it lasts. It was subtle and
light on the palate, a delightful contrast
to the heavy-going chocolate
fondant. With a touch of my prying
fork, melted chocolate cream oozed
out of the fondant, its bittersweet
taste reminiscent of a lingering
farewell hug.
The end was nigh and I hadn’t
had a single glass of French wine,
so it was a sober farewell. But I will
be back for more, if subsequent
French fare were to be as beautiful
as my first experience.
WHERE: ARIA, ESPLANADE MALL,
8 RAFFLES AVENUE #01-09
TELEPHONE: 6334 6166
OPENING HOURS: NOON TO 12.30PM
(LUNCH) FROM MONDAYS TO
FRIDAYS; 6PM TO 10.30PM (DINNER)
FROM MONDAYS TO SUNDAYS
By TODAY