Pictures of these tiny pots of gold have been making their rounds on social media. People say that it's to die for, and I've been dying to try it. I've heard that it's not easy securing a reservation at this popular restaurant along Ann Siang Road. My awesome friends took me here for dinner on my birthday and it was such a treat!
Step into Lolla and make your way down the stairs. Be awed by the cool "basement" that is home to a long wooden table and hanging rustic bulbs.
We had some Toasted Sourdough($4) to start. You can pair the bread with either Kombu Butter ($7) or Tomato Puree ($9). We went for the butter. When the bread and butter arrived at our table, we wasted no time, and jumped into the classic pairing. Little did we know that the butter will change our lives. I mean, I love bread and butter, and I eat too much of them, but I've never come across such phenomenal butter. It's really tasty, and appetite-whetting, and beats all my favourite French butter hands down. Everyone was raving about the butter, and we ordered a second serving - it was that good.
The most anticipated dish of the evening is, of course, the Sea Urchin Pudding (Half/$23, Full/$43). We were all rubbing our hands in glee when we saw the server walking towards us with two tiny pots (full portion). The pots were really small and $43 is definitely steep, but we thought that it was well worth every penny. The squid ink pudding might look a little scary, but it was so smooth and rich. Having a spoonful of dense pudding and luscious uni melt slowly in your mouth is disarmingly gratifying. The pudding made quite a formidable pair with the fresh and creamy uni, and while this might be designed for sharing, I can easily polish one off on my own.
I'm not big on Grilled Octopus ($28) but my friends wanted to give it a go. Here we have beautifully-grilled tentacles sliced up into bite-sized pieces. I'm not a big fan of charred edges and bits in general, because they're always so bitter, but my dining partners loved it. A quick squeeze of lime actually elevated the flavour of the charred bits!
The Tuna Belly Chutoro Tartare ($42) was a winner. It looks simple, but was delish. My friend, who doesn't even take tuna, fell in love with it. I liked that the tuna came in relatively big chunks and they were juicy and sweet. Each piece had a great bite and we would have definitely gone for seconds if it was a little more wallet-friendly.
Topped with paper-thin green apple slices, the Iberico Pork Collar ($29) was, perhaps, the least outstanding of all the dishes that we had. While it was tender, and well executed, the overall flavour wasn't mindblowing. It was not bad, for sure, but not a must-order, in our opinion.
Last, but certainly not least, we had the Grass-fed Ribeye Steak (300g/$60) The steak goes for $20 per 100g so there isn't a difference in the price whether you get 100g or 300g. I enjoyed the steak because it was just lightly dressed, and minimally flavoured, so you can taste the natural flavours of the beef. The slices are of a good thickness, and they were tender, and moist. This dish isn't gonna sweep you off your feet but it won't disappoint either.
We had a Steamed Dark Chocolate Pudding ($15), with a birthday candle in it no less, to round off the meal. The decadent dessert wasn't too sweet, nor overwhelmingly rich. It was quite the perfect end to a pretty fantastic meal. Service was great - the staff was welcoming and helpful. Lolla isn't a restaurant that I'll dine at on any random day, even though I loved the food, mainly because of the price point. However, if you're celebrating a special occasion, or having dinner with a big group of friends, Lolla is pretty much a faultless option, or venue.
22 Ann Siang Road
Singapore 069702
Lunch : 12pm - 230pm
Dinner : 6pm - 11pm
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Love, K
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