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2013-01-29
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Situated right next to Limehouse, Nightingale exuded the same vibes as its sister next door. I wouldn't be surprised if they were owned by the same owner but, it is just my guess. Loved the environment at both restos. There's still some construction going on right outside the resto so that killed the view a bit. Environment:This is a petit but airy resto, with a very high ceiling where our party of 5 sat. The tables were quite high though. I liked the dark wood decor which was quite calming, and
Environment:
This is a petit but airy resto, with a very high ceiling where our party of 5 sat. The tables were quite high though. I liked the dark wood decor which was quite calming, and the full-length shelf featured many interesting trinkets. Added a nice, personal touch to the resto, making it really homely. Service:
Good service. Efficient and attentive. They work really hard to make the guests feel at home, you can tell. The lunch menu is changed weekly.
Food:
$110 - $130 for (1) soup and rolls + (2) entree + (3) drink Mixed vegetable soup and rolls
The soup was watery and quite acidic (from the tomato). Plenty of veg (onion, courgettes, carrot) to fill one up. However, apart from the fact that it was nice and hot, this simple soup did not impress. It reminded me of the thin tinned soup people used to have at wars. Good thing it wasn't over seasoned. The rolls were a bitter disappointment - store bought, hard, tasteless and cold. Definitely not fresh, almost stale. Need to up the bread a bit - first impressions really count.
Grilled chicken with salad in lemon and mint dressing
I expected something like roasted chicken - dry, grilled, caramelized surface, a crisp, thin skin, tender meat in the center. A large chunk of breast or thigh would've been nice. Sadly we got pan fried chicken strips. There was waaay too much skin, which was very thick, fat, and soggy. Quite unpleasant. Chicken strips translates into cheap chicken. The bed of salad looked quite fresh though. Pan-fried garoupa fillet with ginger and soy reduction, served with couscous and beans
The sheer size of this dish was almost frightening. I've never seen such a thick, generous serving of fish fillet before. A's fillet was even thicker than mine @@. We suspected that it wouldn't be cooked through in the middle and we were right. We had to send the fish back to the kitchen for more time on the heat because the mid-section was too thick and quite raw. They should have butterflied the fillet before searing....to achieve even cooking. The fish itself was pleasantly moist and the meat flaked easily. But I couldn't finish it. The ginger and soy reduction was deliciously thick, intense but not overpowering. It was quite sweet. It went very well with both the fish and the couscous. Garouper is not a very strong-flavored fish unlike salmon and tuna, so the thick and intense glaze was necessary to flavour the fish. I stripped the skin off - soggy.
What I found tastiest though, was the bed of couscous and beans underneath. It was like comfort food, extremely moreish, and nicely seasoned. No excess butter at all. The bean sauce was thick and tasty. There were bits of bacon incorporated into the sauce, delicious. You can't see clearly from the photo but it was truly delicious. I finished every last scrap.
Shrimp (singular), mushroom and tom yum risotto
Notice how lonely the lone shrimp is perched on top of the risotto. True to its description, it was like eating pearl rice cooked in tom yum soup. It wasn't really risotto sadly, the grains being all too soft and I didn't find it to be the right consistency. It's also a brave twist on a classic dish. Kudos for trying it out but I prefer the classic risotto!
Iced chocolate
Recommended by my fellow diners. It was pretty alright. Sweet, not icy, not grainy, a little thicker than milk, sprinkled with a bit of chocolate dust. Normally I'd just get a hot lemon tea with honey but, I don't regret ordering the iced chocolate!
Conclusion
The food is not exceptional. Lunch sets are not exactly cheap. Nightingale is not a WOW resto but I quite like the ambiance. Good for catching up over a relaxing lunch in a stress-free atmosphere with old friends, at a convenient location. Looking forward to starter upgrades and more sophisticated entrees. Throw in a simple dessert too - that'd be the perfect ending to an enjoyable meal.
張貼
