Contemporary European cuisine gets a Sprigs awakening
PUBLISHED May 15th, 2014 01:00 am | UPDATED April 18th, 2016 05:51 pm
With a visually arresting brick feature wall, set against an industrial floor, Sprigs looks minimalist chic, but plate-wise, it could not be more different. At a recent tasting session at the two-month old contemporary bistro, the plates were hearty tapestries of colours in the form of sprigs of herbs and greens artistically strewn around. The menu, crafted by Chef Shubri (formerly from French restaurant, Gunther’s – which is a few doors down), is herb-heavy, which aims to enhance the flavour of food.
The 44-seater oozes with a sleek contemporary charm; the décor boasts a strong play of lines, from the accordion-shaped celling, hexagonal tiles, and three 1.8m postmodern artwork depicting different takes on everyday objects from a fork, fusilli, and yarn and scissors.
The epicurean journey opened with a chilled bowl of Green Pea Soup ($15). Recommended for veggie fans, as the soup has a marshy-and-milky flavour. The green pool forms a moat around a mound of blue swimmer crabmeat salad. The fresh crab morsels are drizzled with Ardoino olive oil, which seemed to be overshadowed by the pea flavour.
My favourite, the Honey Spiced Margret Duck Breast ($26) was beautifully burnished bird buried underneath a colourful patch of roasted carrots and chard. The supple slices of duck breast were velvety and moist – a result of being sous-vide for four hours and pan seared au jus. The white beans gave the maroon-pink duck a creamy touch and a more enjoyable bite. My only grouse was that the red wine reduction could have been richer, other than that, it deserved the passionate gnaws.
The grilled Australian Pork Tenderloin ($28) came in three stubby roulades, which were sous vide to fork-tenderness. The voluptuous meat rolls were nestled amidst a lush vegetation of chard and rocket leaves. The still-pink meat falls off with slight slicing, and is chewy succulent. The unadulterated meatiness was perked up by stewed apples crescents. It pitted the salty combo of meat and grain mustard sauce, against the sweetness of the apples – a timeless, wondrous pairing.
For a seafood switch, the Baked Cod with Saffron Broth ($33) is soul-calming and palate cleansing, almost like immersing in a zen-like state after all the meat craziness. The broth, which is more tangy tomato in taste, is the perfect accompaniment to the elegant white slab of cod with its natural sweetness inherent in every sliver of its plump flesh.
The French-imported Grilled Langoustine ($26) is also worth a try, with the slight crunch of its crisp orange-brown shells sinking into the firm sweetness of the flesh. The crustacean was bathed in a piquant reduced lobster bisque, which was easily mopped up by accompanying baguette slices.
A suitably stunning curtain call to the meal came in the form of an undeniably divine Crispy Chocolate & Caramel Crumble ($12). The trio of flavours meld impeccably with the saltiness of the sea salt hazelnut mousse cutting across the delicate chocolate toffee, and the dessert is studded with crunchy crumble and tart berries for some textural excitement.
The dishes at Sprigs are a dime a dozen in other European restaurants, however, it is the finer details, from the herb-filled marinades to the spritely garnish of herbs and spices that makes it stands out as one of the more promising new restaurants in town.
Written by Kenney Lornie
On this occasion the meal and photos are compliments of Sprigs
