In anticipation of the holiday season, Oriole Coffee at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites in Orchard has come up with a few trufflelicious dishes and delightful festive drinks! The reasonably-priced festive highlights are available from now till 28 February. And, if you're a self-proclaimed truffle lover, you should most definitely schedule a visit!
I have been going to Oriole Coffee since 2008. I remember always getting their beef cheek tagliatelle or fish and cheeks! Their Taisho cold brew is my go-to whenever I need a caffeine fix in town. 13 years old, and still going strong, that must say something about this joint that withstood the test of time.
A little boozy treat never hurt anybody, right? The Santa Shake ($10.50), which is inspired by mulled wine, is a unique concoction of merlot, vodka and vanilla ice cream. As odd as the mix might sound, it worked surprisingly well and I couldn't stop myself from finishing it (after gobbling up all the luscious whipped cream with a handsome sprinkling of ground cinnamon of course). A Merry Cocktail($12.50) made with cranberry juice, apple sours, vodka, and a housemade bourbon-vanilla syrup, will be right up the alley of those seeking a potent Christmas-sy drink. Known for their award-winning coffee, Oriole Coffee has rolled out D'leche($12.50) which comprises two shots of coffee espresso, warm frothed milk, and Oriole's housemade dulce de leche that's simmered for three hours. Reminiscent of toffee, the comforting drink might be a tad too sweet for some, but it's perfect for me!
We kicked off a dinner filled with truffle-infused dishes with a necessary bowl of piping hot truffle fries (duh!)
The Truffle Scrambled Egg & Cheese Burger($16) promises fluffy scrambled eggs cooked with a splash of truffle oil, and crispy bacon sandwiched between two buttery brioche buns. The dish is served with regular French fries and a salad. Diners can upgrade the regular fries to sweet potato fries or truffle fries for an extra $3. It's nothing fancy, but it makes a satisfying brunch option!
At first glance, the Ravioli with Porcini Mushrooms in Truffle Cream Sauce($25) looked sinfully rich and indulgent. The truffle cream sauce which was lighter than expected is crafted with copious amounts of truffle butter, and a touch of gorgonzola to add a hint of sharpness to keep the sauce from getting too jelak. The al dente ravioli was stuffed quite generously with porcini mushrooms, and went hand in hand with the savoury cream sauce. We had the dish to share and the portion was just fine for 3 of us. However, I reckon that the dish might be too heavy if it was finished by one person. If you happen to be especially fond of creamy pastas, you probably can polish the entire dish off on your own, though!
My favourite dish of the night has to be the Truffle Mushroom Pizza ($22)! Slathered with an addictive aioli sauce made with truffle paste and mozzarella cheese, the crispy thin crush pizza dough is piled with chunks of button mushrooms that have been sauteed in truffle oil, and arugula leaves. The ensemble is drizzled with more truffle oil before it's served. Sufficiently doughy, yet crisp, the pizza was executed well. The truffle fragrance was strong, but never overpowering, and the flavours of all the components came together beautifully to make this pizza exceedingly easy to wolf down. 
Now now, we can't leave without having desserts, can we? We had a hard time deciding what to get so we ordered 3 desserts to share — Sticky Date Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream($13), Banana Cake with Butterscotch Sauce ($14), and Fresh Baked Frangipane Pear Tart with Toasted Almond Flakes ($12). My fave of the lot was the warm banana cake which was moist, and flavourful! Everyone had a different favourite but I have always had a soft spot for banana cake and butterscotch, so I might be a tad biased here!
If you're thinking of having a Christmas meal in town that won't break the bank, you know where to go!
No comments:
Post a Comment