We are but 13 days away from the international day of celebratory love, demonstrated by exorbitantly priced flowers, heart-shaped chocolates, and gaudy cards professing eternal affection. Let me be honest, as my boyfriend and I are due to celebrate seven years of mutual nonsense tolerance, Valentine’s Day has lost it’s appeal. Besides, I’ve never really understood the need of a specific day to be extra special to your loved one. But us girls can be envious bitches with serious cases of FOMO, and constantly browsing Instagram doesn’t help assuage a green-eyed situation.
I can however–appreciate good food–Valentine’s day or not. Last Friday, I was fortunate to have a pre-Valentine’s dinner courtesy of Saveur Art with my boyfriend. This was my second time at Saveur Art (read about my first here), and I’m already planning my third.
Canapés came in the form of Mini Crab Cakes with bits of parsley and topped with red pepper purée and Compressed Watermelon with a blob of mustard. The Mini Crab Cakes were fresh and absolutely delightful, fried to perfection with a crisp shell. The Compressed Watermelon makes me want to start eating watermelon exclusively with a mustard dip, because some how the mildly tangy mustard brings out the natural sweetness of the watermelon. Both are without a doubt appetite-whetting!
Appetizers
- Potage of Oyster Champagne (Brittany Langoustine, Mussels, Clams, Seaweed Toast)
- Black Cod Rossini (Foie Gras, Ratte Potato, Winter Black Truffle, Madeira Jus)
Mains
- Hay-roasted French Pigeon (Confit of Leg, Winter Root Vegetables, Liver Vinaigrette)
- Slow-cooked Norwegian Salmon (Asparagus, Green Pea Mousseline, Wild Mushrooms Cep Sabayon)
Desserts
- Cherry & Coffee (Muscovado Cake, Marinated Cherries, Coffee Soil, Pedro Ximenez, Cherry Sorbet)
- Petit Fours (Bailey’s Liquor Truffles, Popped Cornflakes)
The Potage of Oyster Champagne featured a medley of molluscs and shellfish in a sea of light, yet creamy broth. The steaming broth, made from raw vegetables, oyster liquid, and champagne is poured over the seafood table-side. It’s just the perfect amount of saltiness and doesn’t overpower the delicate taste of the seafood. The edible flowers and beet leaves lend a slightly herby aftertaste. Please savour every last drop of that delicious soup.
The Black Cod Rossini came next. A French dish created for the musician Gioachino Rossini, Rossini is traditionally consists of a pan-fried filet mignon on a crouton, a slice of foie gras pan-fried à la minute, served with a Madeira demi-glace and garnished with shaved slices of black truffles. Saveur Art presents a lighter version, replacing the beef with black cod, which sweet and smooth texture echoes that of the foie gras. I love how a scattering of roasted hazelnuts complements the nutty taste of the ratte potatoes. I really enjoyed this dish!
Presented on the cross-section of a tree trunk, the Hay-roasted French Pigeon came fiercely guarded by two baby carrots. It’s not easy cooking small, lean birds like pigeon because they overcook fairly easily, leaving the meat tough and dry. I was really impressed because the pigeon leg boasted a crispy skin, yet still retained it’s moistness and was still slightly pink inside, testament to the Chef Andy’s skill! I don’t usually like liver or it’s powdery texture, but the liver vinaigrette serves to enhances the pigeon’s flavor. This is a mainstay on Saveur Art’s original menu, so you can still enjoy this even after the Valentine’s Day promotion is over.
Our other main, Slow-cooked Salmon was not any less disappointing. Again, the doneness of the salmon fillet was impeccable. Mushroom lovers will probably favor this dish because of how extensively mushrooms are used in this dish. The salmon sits in a wild mushroom cep sabayon bath, garnished with asparagus, sautéed and candied mushrooms (made in-house). I highly recommend taking a little bit of each of the constituents from the dish on your fork for a mind-blowing taste. It tastes exactly like a chocolate dessert! I am impressed with how the different elements work so well both apart and together. However, even though I love salmon and mushrooms–this dish was a little too sweet for me–probably because of the candied mushrooms and green pea mousseline. It sat well with my boyfriend though.
Our last and final dish of the night, Cherry & Coffee was a pleasing balance of sweet, bitter, tart, and sour flavors, as well as a combination of textures. Perfect for people like myself who don’t have a sweet tooth. Overly sweet desserts at the end of a good meal only make me feel sick! Crumbly Muscovado cake mixed with coffee soil (breadcrumbs ground with coffee powder) covered a rich, white chocolate and cherry purée treasure. A deletable scoop of cherry sorbet graced the top of the dessert, while Kirsch-marinated cherries mirrored the Earth’s cardinal points. Pedro Ximenez jellies and beet leaves complete the garnish. I absolutely loved this dish! Proceed with caution though. I feel socially responsible to warn you of potential embarrassing dining faux pas when you eat this dessert. But isn’t true love helping to pick coffee grit out of each other’s teeth?
Complimentary Petit Fours consisted of a Bailey’s Liquor Truffles and Popped Cornflakes resting atop a bed of cacao nibs. Because I count Marks & Spencers Chocolate Cornflake Mini Bites as one of my favorite snacks, I prefer the Popped Cornflakes. Expect a surprise when you pop one of these into your mouth! Combine Willy Wonka’s tongue-crackling-candy genius with chocolate cornflakes and you’ll relieve childhood’s simple pleasures again.
In conclusion, I really liked the light menu (four courses for SGD79) which left me comfortably full and very satisfied. The inclusion of seafood in almost every dish appeals to the #seafoodie in me. Upp the fancy factor with SGD30 for two glasses of Pol Roger Champagne, or a whole bottle for an additional SGD79. And if I were you, I’d call them up to make a booking ASAP, because Saveur Art’s Valentine’s Day dinner service is already 3/4 booked!
Saveur Art is located at:
2 Orchard Turn
ION Orchard, #04-11
Singapore 238801
Tel: (65) 6634 1141
Disclosure: Compensation was not provided by Saveur. The opinions expressed herein are those mine and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Saveur.
