PUBLISHED October 21st, 2013 01:12 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:33 pm
What was formerly La Luna Rossa, now stands as Arossa Wine & Grill Bar. The revamp took place silently in May 2013, and the new establishment has yet to get up to speed in the marketing and media arena. Even before it had its own website or a well-maintained Facebook page, Arossa seemed to be holding up well on its own.
The new Arossa is a wine bar with a heavy grill theme, serving meats and seafood from Australia and New Zealand to go with the offerings from their 120-label stocked cellar. Though new head chef Watanabe Chiaki is Japanese, she has honed her culinary skills in several Italian restaurants, which explains the largely Italian menu.
Ambience is cozy and classy, which makes it a pretty good spot for after-work drinks over a shared Charcuterie Platter ($32). Pate de Champagne (chicken liver and minced pork pate), grilled homemade bacon, foie gras pate and prosciutto – every element unfaultable.
The view over the busy shopping street of Orchard from full-length glass windows also makes for a romantic candlelit dinner. The open kitchen fascinates with its hustle and bustle, but once the grills are fired up, it could get a little smoky which may be slightly off-putting. But if that bothers you, Arossa also has private rooms for couples or large groups.
Although the grills are meant to be the stars on the menu, my Grilled King Prawn ($23/pc) and 100% Grain-Fed Australian Ribeye ($40) were lamentably tough. The beef was thin, which will be prone to overcooking if care was not taken to control the heat on the grill. But the meat had a nice char and was well seasoned; the accompanying truffle Yukon mash is also good enough satisfy your potato cravings.
Surprisingly, desserts are their trump card. The Tiramisu’s ($14) thick mascarpone over rum-packed sponge screams decadence, while the dark Chocolate Fondant ($16) is devilishly rich, and as gooey and oozy as it should be.
With a new management, new chef and new concept, the new Arossa seems promising. Perhaps I’ll be back to try their famous T-bone steak which apparently needs prior reservation.
Written by M.