Bistro One Zero Three

Always wanted to try out this place after reading a couple of reviews here....but time wasn't on my side today, as I was just rushing back from an earlier errant ! Only have 30 mins before closing time and 15 mins before last order...so called their number and spoke to a very courteous and helpful gentleman by the name Eric. Asked him quickly what is good for " ta pau " and he recommended the following :

1) Crab meat and salmon pasta with red pesto sauce.

2) Beef strogganof with rice

I was at Bukit Timah and told Eric I will rush down before their closing time. After ending the call, I called again to tell Eric to get them to prepare the food just before their last call for last order. Eric said he'd highlighted to his chef about this and this is a plus point for someone who cares for your takeaway order...well done Eric : )

When I reached there after driving like Michael Schumacher....the place was still packed on a weekday ! Mind you...this is not your typical crowd from Pasir Panjang ! The diners are typical CBD Shenton Way folks ! So it seems this place is quite popular despite being slightly out of the way.

My order was already waiting for me....just less than 2 mins upon my arrival...as promised by Eric...and piping hot....however, being the "kiasu" fella...I asked Eric whether I can have some extra red pesto sauce just in case it's too dry when I'm home.He gladly got his chef to prepare some for me with a smiling face all the way : )

FYI I'm never fond of " ta pau " food as the taste will be alittle "off" as compared when served on the spot. So reached home again like piloting an F1 car.....ha...lucky me the food still piping hot...first tried the pasta....hmm...not bad...like many comments from other reviewers...lot's of fresh crab meat....and a generous portion of salmon as well !

Next...tried the beed stroganoff....tasted alittle like chinese dish...it's not bad really....but just reminded me of beef on hotplate...as there's some chinese "wok" taste...and not forgetting the generous amount of mushrooms...and the delicious rice provided....This is really one of the better...or shall I say best western food along Pasir Panjang....yup...even beating some CBD eateries !

I have this feeling the place will be packed on weekends due to their great service and tasty dishes...not forgetting...affordable and good value for money. And if u ever need to "ta pau" like me, fear not...the food still taste as good as you are eating there. It's really worth your trip there.

After reading all the good reviews here and since we moved not too long ago near this place, we decided to try it out for a dinner on Saturday night.

We were there relatively early and there was ample space to sit. We chose a table in the "back-room" which seemed a bit cosier than the main bistro.

The service throughout the night was very good, friendly, efficient and not intrusive.

When asked for the house specialities, the lady serving us was explaining which ones the most popular dishes on the (not very extensive) menus are. We chose to go for a salad with warm balsamico mushrooms (yummi!) and the bruschetta for starters.

Main course was the pork neck for me and the Cajun Chicken for my wife, both done very nicely, although the chicken was a bit on the oily side.

When we asked for the winelist, we were informed that we can just chose the bottle by selecting one from the display. I settled for 2 glasses of the house wine, a very drinkable Chilenean Cabernet Sauvignon, which goes for 35 SGD per bottle.

The overall atmosphere was very casual, the decor and interior is definitely nothing to write home about, but if you want to have a good meal for a reasonable price with friendly service, this is the place to go.

     Located on the grittier south side of Pasir Panjang Road, this eatery was a bit of a surprise. It's too brightly lit to call it intimate, and jeans or even shorts may be more comfortable than something a bit more formal, but the food and menu were interesting enough to make it worth considering a second try in the not too distant future (how can you ignore a menu with confit duck and beverages such as A&W root beer and added ice cream for a root beer float?). Think of it as a bistro for beginners, I guess.

  We started with the bruschetta and escargot in a white sauce, both of which were quite forgettable, though the focaccia was just right. Next time we'll head straight for the mains or just ask for the bread.

Entrees

1) Spaghetti with crab and salmon in tomato sauce. An interesting dish with a stronger than expected fishy taste. We had thought the salmon would be crumbled into the fish but it came on top in a thin fillet. The pasta was a bit overcooked, and I couldn't help wondering if penne may be a better choice. Overall, it's a pretty big portion. Other options are for cream sauce or red pesto sauce. We had thought the latter may overpower the crab. Cost around $15-16.

Rating 7/10

2) Kurobuta pork neck steaks. Two nicely grilled and seasoned steaks on a bed of greens (Mesclun?) and fries. I knew this would be a fattier and more muscled cut but was a bit disappointed nevertheless. I had hoped the fat in the Kurobuta pigs would be a bit more like marbling as opposed to bigger chunks of  fat dominating the meat. The best part was the juices soaking into the fries. It's a lot of food. However, at nearly $27 I did think it a bit pricy.

Rating 7/10

  The service was friendly but a bit slow, no doubt due to a large table of perhaps 12-14 people in the back of the room. They did remember to give my wife a free piece of cheesecake for her birthday (thank you). We did not order a dessert but the warm chocolate brownie with ice cream looked worth a try.  As for ambience, the back room did look a bit cozier than the front. Perhaps they could consider dimming the lights in future in the front area, or painting the main dining area a slightly less industrial looking colour.

My wife thought this place did offer strong value for money. A lot of other places in town are charging around $20 for far simpler pasta. I wasn't quite sure, so we've decided to give it another look in future and bring some friends. Corkage was cheap at $5 but their house wine and beer prices look very reasonable by the bottle or glass.

Note, Manhill restaurant just down the block looked totally packed on a rainy Saturday night. Worth checking those reviews elsewhere on this site.

 

 

Bistro 103, as the name suggest…. the address is indeed 103 PaSir Panjang Road. This bistro had been there for 4 years and upteen times passing it, I haven’t got the chance to try their food. Finally a PH today( Good Friday), i decided to pay them a visit. Bistro 103 is a small and cosy retaurant ran by both husband and wife. The interior is quite small but it is great for small gathering and intimate dinner . The restuarant is very quiet during Public Holidays, sat and sun lunch but they are very busy during weekdays (lunch time). Majority of their customers come from the nearby working executives. While at night, families would occasionally have their dinner here. The menu is simple and easy to read. There are a few starters, pasta dishes , limited mains and desserts( not on the menu). For the starters, the escagots in white wine sauce is highly recommended by many people. Try the salmon and crab meat pasta for the pasta dishes and lamb rack or pork neck for the mains. Do leave some space for their warm chocolate brownie too. It has been a longggg time since I had pork (about 5 years). I stopped eating pork due to personal and health reasons. I am strongly biased against chicken meat and salmon while beef, is out for me (religious reason). Due to the limited dishes on the menu, I decided to try the Pork Neck Steak with mesclun and fries. I’m glad I ordered this and it was really good. Pork Neck Steak ($26.90) I was taken aback by the huge portion that they served. 2 huge pieces of pork neck steak appeared in front of my eyes…oh gosh! How am I going to finish it??? Anway, the 2 pock neck steaks were marinated with some black peppercorns and bbq till it is tender and juicy on the inside and a little charred on the outside. It taste something like a beef steak with a little reddish in some parts. There were some lean and fatty parts in the pork neck steak and I must admit that the fatty portion taste much better. Some parts were a little tough tough but u can request them to make it a little rare for you. The pork neck steaks are served with mesclun salad, tomato salsa and a lemon wedge to cut the greasiness. The caramelised onion jam that goes with the pork neck steak is so addictive! It was sweet and taste so delicious. The pork neck steak is great for those carnivores that has a huge appetite. Grilled pear flavoured with Amaretto, Rum & raisin ice-cream ($8++) How can I resist desserts with liquor? I seemed to fall in love with desserts recently(but no chocolate pls!) There were several desserts being offered: Lemon sorbet, panna cotta and this grilled pear with amaretto. After some serious consideration (a little full after the mains), I decided to order this grilled pear. The pear is grilled till a little charred on the outside, cut in 1/2 & marinate it with amaretto. A scoop of rum & raisin ice-cream is served alongside. They are quite generous with the amaretto liquor and I can taste the sweet and fragrant liquor lingering in my tongue… (felt high).The pear was soft but not soggy and taste good with the liquor. Rum & raisin ice-cream were good, with lots of raisins but i picked out the raisins as I do not like raisins. The service here is friendly and I had a chat with the lady boss there after my lunch. We shared and exchanged information about ”food” in Singapore. It seems like we have sort of become a ”food directory”. Anyway, it was a wonderful dining experience here.

Nearby my house and abit hard to be seen. As everyone will know that for the Business park or on the way to West Coast Park. Usually the crowd will head to Manhill Restaurant and their chinese was great as i use to be a regular there. Ok my wife and i use to go to Manhill restaurant Sunday Evening dinner but its was pack with people. surprising its lots of japanese crowd pack with chinese too. So decided to go to next door serving western cuisine. Bistro 103 a unique. As i know its was know under their address. Simple and easy

My wife and i sat at the restaurant and the amibence was fine and simple. More for family outing, after work and Simple dinner. Not really for any romantic or anniversary dinner. Ok Wife was having the Eggplant salsa with toast. And i'm having the escargot with white wine and cream for our Starters. My wife dish was fine and good, tasty and eggplant doesn't mash at all. Usually eggplant will mash easily but i was wrong. My escargot was great never expected to good and soft and doesn't have any fishy smell. Good work i should. I have ever tried escargot as hard as a rubber.

Our Main Course my wife is having a Salmon with Crab meat Pasta with Red pesto FYI: you choose 3 sauces to go with the pasta Tomato, Cream & Red Pesto. And i'm having the Kurabuta Pork Neck. Ok for my wife's pasta was good, not salty as red pesto could be salty at times but its just nice. I would recommend to smash some tabasco with it and make it spicy and taste even good. Haha. For my Pork its good and its not tough at all. And i change my mash potato to Steak fries but i was surprise for the fries its as thick as mos burger fries. I LOVE IT as i'm a fries lover. Overall the Pork is good.

Go Ahead and give it a tried. Will write my review for Manhill restaurant.

Cheers & have a great day everyone

Decided to check out this place as the ratings and reviews seem good. Glad to say that the long drive from my place was worth it!

The service is good and the food..wow! Had the crab pasta thingy, lamb thingy, as well as one other item which I cannot recall for the life of me.. all were fantastic! Recommended this place to 2 other friends who went there separately with their group of friends and the feedback fro all of them is again...WOW!

The decor is not fantastic or I might even say 'dated' so if you are looking to impress a date with peripherals like appearance, then forget it! However, if you are looking to impress with good food at reasonable prices, then go for it, boy!

One thing about the location: it's along this stretch of very old shophouses and one can miss it if you have not been there before. The public carpark is behind and is accessible by this slip road BEFORE the shophouses. One then walk for say.. 3-5 mins (??) from the carpark. Generally speaking, I think this place is more suited for folks who drive though I am sure there are buses that ply along that section of Pasir Panjang Road.

Think I found a really good place to eat, and I hope they remain in business for long as it was really quiet with few diners though I was there on a Saturday evening.

I've been here many times for lunch and once for dinner.

The service is excellent; the staff are attentive and they always ask for feedback on the food.
They are also open to special orders not on the menu. I often prefer my pasta done with olive oil instead of in a tomato base and they always allow me to change that except once when the chef injured his wrist.

Lunch sets are a steal with free soup and a drink for the price of a main.

The food is good for the price, and they often change the items meaning there is always a new dish to try.

Selection is limited to a few mains and pastas, but they are open to special orders like i mentioned previously.

I rate the ambience and setting poorly on the fact that the place is out of the way and difficult to get to unless driving. The carpark nearby also has limited lots so that compounds the problem.

Otherwise this is a wonderful place to eat and chat with friends, and I'll definitely keep going back.

Our visit was a few weeks ago so unfortunately I cannot recall everything we ate and how each item tasted but just to say that, overall, we really enjoyed the food very much and will return for sure.

We decided to try Bistro One Zero Three on the recommendation of my better half as she had her eye on it for quite some time and so we finally made a reservation and brought our daughter along.

The ambience is, as I like to put it 'old-world dining', the types of restaurants I used to go to with my parents when I was growing up. The concept/ theme of this restaurant, is that there is no concept (thankfully). I've reached a point in my life where I am just tired of restaurants that seem to spend more effort on the design of the interiors and uniforms than they do on the service and the food while continuing to play mindless, interchangable chill-out music. Clearly not a huge amount of money was spent on the renovation of this restaurant and the Bistro is even more charming because of it. It's easy and comforting to the eyes.

In relation to service, I was pleasantly surprised to be asked if we wanted cold or warm water upon being seated. This is such a rare occurrence nowadays. Sadly, what is viewed as normal practice is to offer 'still or sparkling' water which many sheepishly feel obliged to order or are told they do not serve 'free' water at all. Sorry. The reason I have heard and read for this practice time and again is stop people from sitting around all day in an establishment while not spending any money.

Now, I can appreciate this argument as a business needs to make money to operate, pay staff and make a profit. But in my own experience I have been told I cannot have a glass of water even though we are clearly there for dinner: we have a table filled with appetisers and main courses, some have already ordered drinks and yet we are not given a glass of water because it is 'our policy'. Do we really look like we are there to sit around all night and mooch off the restaurant? This could work effectively in some types of establishments (cafes / coffee houses on street level) but in a restaurant that accepts reservations it's offensive.

So full marks to Bistro One Zero Three for this simple and civilised practice. Less than a minute after sitting down I already liked the place. And they continued to keep our glasses filled throughout the evening without having to be prompted.

The team working the floor also looked really tight i.e.they enjoyed working there and with each other. I don't know if they are related or if it's a family business but their energy and passion to create a positive experience was evident.

As I said, I don't recall all the dishes we ate. We did order the escargots which were superb and the bread that came with them was addictive with the dip provided; we had to order another basket. I had the spaghetti with meatballs and this is my only point of contention. The meat in the meatballs was grounded so finely that there was no real texture to them, they literally collapsed in your mouth. I would suggest not making the meat so fine that its feels like paste. However, they did taste very good. My better half and little 'un also enjoyed the food a great deal.

Please keep up the excellent food and service, we will definitely come again.

Wanted to pen this down right after makan so that I wouldn't forget the experience.. I am not a food critic, but I know what's really bad if it's really bad... and this, is definitely not bad! :)

'Uncle-Frank', that's what we like to call him... brought us to Bistro 103 for a hang-out and what a pleasant experience it was. He made a reservation for 14 of us, adults and kids, and we had a private corner. Came at 6pm and the place was perfect for a gathering of such!

Right to the food (pardon me, I cannot remember the names, a lil too much alcohol):
1) Smoked duck
2) Ribs
3) Lamb
4) Spaghetti
5) Bistro house salad
6) fried squid
7) escargot
8) sorbet
9) Panacotta
10) lots of wines

let me get to the easy ones first..
ambience was good, as i mentioned, we were in a pretty secluded place, as long as you make a reservation, it'll be great. tables were evenly spread out and spacious. It's not cramped and definitely not noisy.

Service was great.. just that refill of water was a little slow. clearing of plates were pretty quick, and everyone greeted us with a smile. The manager took the opportunity to explain details of wine and food to us, and I certainly appreciate it. Something lacking would be like in any Asian restaurant, we aren't made to feel really-really special. We're customers..important, but not that 'special-special'. But hey, we have a close family-friend of the manager, so we were treated really well!

Value was decent. Portion was great! I shared a main course with my fiancee, and we were just-right... anything more and we would have commited debauchery! I wouldn't say it's a cheap-dining and economical one, but it's not too expensive that we cannot bring our parents, families, loved ones to have a nice gastronomical evening!

aha! the food!
I didn't get to try the duck, but 2-3 people who had the duck commented that it was excellently done. All said that they're grand-parents would definitely enjoy the duck.

Ribs-ribs.. This was highly recommended by many reviewers and I had the priv of eating a piece. It's tasty, but not too much.. meat is tender, well marinated. Quite worthwhile for SGD 25. Fries are served Steak-Fries, but it'll be better if we would have taken mashed potatoes with it.

lamb... This is GREAT! April and I had this and we both liked it. Unlike usual lamb-chops where it has a strong smell, this didn't. Very well marinated and eating it with mint-sauce was delightful! the portion was great! we almost couldn't finish it! (i came with pretty full stomach lah). Meat was really tender and fats were... hmm, really not much!

the kids had spaghetti and they loved it! it was gone before the adults main-course arrived. I tried a little of the creamy spaghetti and it was great! not too 'jelat' as we would've called it..

House-salad was great! it had a fun-and-colorful variety *nuts, raisin, wildrocket, much-more and I enjoyed it. I am a salad-person and i like it blend. I forgot to mention to put the dressing on the side but the salad came out pretty fine. It was a little sweet for my liking but 5 other people agreed that it was decent. At SGD 6.95, it to me can be half a main-course.. Portion was decent and taste was excellent!

For appetizers, we had fried-squid... Gosh, the meat was tender! it wasn't even rubbery like most squids! It's like... chicken? I have to warn you though, it's real-hot! as in it scalded my mouth! oh, you must try this deep-fried thing with the sauce.. it makes all the difference!

Escagot was... excellent! It didn't have the rubbery feeling to my taste. April loved it. I liked it too! It has given me fresh-perspective of what an Escargot dish should be. this is served with cheese.. no shell, so for those faint-hearted people who can't stand slimy creatures, this is no-problemo!

sorbet was like... hmm.. it's as though you're drinking a lychee drink, just that it's in iced-shavings. It's really yummy, but a little too sweet for me to say 'the best'... nevertheless, it's good, and people liked it!

now.. for the champion of the night.... Panacotta..
my gosh.. this...IS HEAVENLY! hard-to-describe. it's like a pudding.. but when it's in your lips.. it...melts! oh... and the after-taste... hmm... UNFORGETTABLE!!! I don't know how to describe but i have never had anything better as a dessert than this... you ought to try it to believe it!

Oh yes, the wines are great! the starter Rose was really-really appetizing!
we had other drinks too, of course complimentary of our friend uncle-frank! :)
Thank God for such wonderful friends like him... ha! I definitely will put on many KGs if I hang-out with him often!

Saw the countless reviews on this place and decided to give it a try.Actually drove past the restaurant without noticing it haha...luckily my gf is a quite road savvy and manage to spot it.

The restaurant is some cosy place located next to a dingy motorcar repair workshop, totally out of line. Ordered the escargots,kurogata pork neck steak and duck drumstick. The escargots were dripped in warm cheese fondue,and the meat was springy and tasty. First time having a pork neck steak,meat was reasonably tasty together with the accompanying sauce. The roasted duck drumstick was quite good too, with the skin crisp and the meat was tender and didn't have that strong duck smell.

The only thing was the the staff was quite blur, actually didn't accord me the discount for my Citibank credit card when he was the one who told me abt it haha....had to key in the amount twice. Other than that, the staff were friendly and responsive.Oh yah remember to try the tartar sauce too,its self made and has veggies inside. Cool.

I took a sudden liking to escargots and hubby started searching on HGW for places that serve decent ones =)

Chanced upon Bistro103 and was really eager to give them a try after so many good reviews on their escargots!

Finally the day came. So excited! It was a Fri night and the place was almost full at dinner time. Considering its rather-out-of-the-way location I would say its no mean feat.

Was immediately impressed (and repeatedly so throughtout the meal till the moment i leave) by the service staff. The Best. Thumbs up & keep up the great work guys! =)

Hubby had ribs which he enjoyed, portion was good too. I had mushroom & escargots pasta with red pesto cream sauce. Yum!

The only only less-than-perfect item was the soup, which was a tad watery and somewhat tastes like Campbelle =( but the garlic bread that came with it was yet another winner! super good, toasted just right, not too oily but flavourful! =)

all in all, i would definitely come back. defintely.