Was looking for a good but casual dining Italian restaurant, and decided to try out Bistro One Zero Three along Pasir Panjang Road. The place got pretty good reviews online, and although its a little far away, we usually don't have a problem taking a little drive in the search of good food.
The place is just along the main road, there's a small public carpark followed by a few shophouses and eateries just before Currency House. The Bistro is right at the end of the row. although the outside looks pretty dodgy, the inside of the restaurant looks newly renovated and is a pretty friendly homely atmosphere.
We made a mistake when it came to ordering. Instead of just asking the waiter what they recommend, we followed what others online had recommended, without checking. That worked ok with the starters, but not so well with the mains.
First starter was the bruschetta. I liked the light toasted italian bread and the chopped tomatoes with onions and garlic which strangely enough, avoided being too "sharp" or "tangy" like other bruschettas are sometimes. Would have prefered the bread to be slightly warmer though. *Shinta felt that they hadn't used sweet enough tomatoes, and said that the temperature of the bread was fine... Could be that by the time I finished taking photos, the bread had cooled especially since I eat so slowly?
We made a mistake when it came to ordering. Instead of just asking the waiter what they recommend, we followed what others online had recommended, without checking. That worked ok with the starters, but not so well with the mains.
First starter was the bruschetta. I liked the light toasted italian bread and the chopped tomatoes with onions and garlic which strangely enough, avoided being too "sharp" or "tangy" like other bruschettas are sometimes. Would have prefered the bread to be slightly warmer though. *Shinta felt that they hadn't used sweet enough tomatoes, and said that the temperature of the bread was fine... Could be that by the time I finished taking photos, the bread had cooled especially since I eat so slowly?
Next starter was the salt and pepper squid with chilli mayo. As a general rule, when it comes to eating seafood, *Shinta and I prefer lighter batter which doesn't drown the taste of the seafood with flour and oil. Unfortunately the batter used here was the heavier breaded kind (think Burger King onion rings with less oil). The squid was still not too bad, and they managed to avoid making the squid too tough.
The first main was the salmon and crab pasta. They didn't offer us a choice of pasta type, but just came with spaghetti. *Shinta described the sauce as "wet and too sweet", and the spaghetti as a little too overcooked (ie soft the way most other Singaporeans like it). I agreed that the spaghetti could afford to be a little more al dente, but felt that rather than being "wet" => watery / diluted, the sauce was adequately rich and generous. I liked the sweet taste more than the tangy / sour flavour some tomato sauces are. When we asked about the sauce, the lady explained that the chef would fry some onions in the tomato sauce, hence the sweet flavour.
Second main was the kurobuta port neck steak. The only kurobuta I've eaten before is the japanese breaded katsu, or the thinly sliced ramen, and in general I avoid large pork steaks which are too strong in flavour. After the dish had arrived, when we asked the restaurant about it, the lady explained that kurobuta is generally eaten by people who really love pork, and the neck part is particularly strong in taste! If only we had asked earlier... I couldn't eat more than one or two bites, although *Shinta managed to finish the entire dish without much problem.
The Bistro has been open for about 2 years now, and while in a not very convenient location, its likely that they have their own set of regulars from those who work / live nearby. While not very extensive, the menu changes every 2 months or so, which is a good incentive for their regulars to go back.
Despite *Shinta's and my conflicting views on some of the dishes, this is probably a restaurant we would pop by again if we're in the area. In fact, if this place were nearer where we stayed, we would probably frequent it more often, and ask for their recommendations next time. Wouldn't mind introducing it to friends too, but only those who drive!
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Bistro One Zero Three
103 Pasir Panjang Road, S(118531)
Tel: 64766373
Hours: Tue-Sun 6pm-9.30pm Tue-Fri 11.30am-3pm, Sun 10.30am-3pm
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The first main was the salmon and crab pasta. They didn't offer us a choice of pasta type, but just came with spaghetti. *Shinta described the sauce as "wet and too sweet", and the spaghetti as a little too overcooked (ie soft the way most other Singaporeans like it). I agreed that the spaghetti could afford to be a little more al dente, but felt that rather than being "wet" => watery / diluted, the sauce was adequately rich and generous. I liked the sweet taste more than the tangy / sour flavour some tomato sauces are. When we asked about the sauce, the lady explained that the chef would fry some onions in the tomato sauce, hence the sweet flavour.
Second main was the kurobuta port neck steak. The only kurobuta I've eaten before is the japanese breaded katsu, or the thinly sliced ramen, and in general I avoid large pork steaks which are too strong in flavour. After the dish had arrived, when we asked the restaurant about it, the lady explained that kurobuta is generally eaten by people who really love pork, and the neck part is particularly strong in taste! If only we had asked earlier... I couldn't eat more than one or two bites, although *Shinta managed to finish the entire dish without much problem.The Bistro has been open for about 2 years now, and while in a not very convenient location, its likely that they have their own set of regulars from those who work / live nearby. While not very extensive, the menu changes every 2 months or so, which is a good incentive for their regulars to go back.
Despite *Shinta's and my conflicting views on some of the dishes, this is probably a restaurant we would pop by again if we're in the area. In fact, if this place were nearer where we stayed, we would probably frequent it more often, and ask for their recommendations next time. Wouldn't mind introducing it to friends too, but only those who drive!
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Bistro One Zero Three
103 Pasir Panjang Road, S(118531)
Tel: 64766373
Hours: Tue-Sun 6pm-9.30pm Tue-Fri 11.30am-3pm, Sun 10.30am-3pm
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