Ma Maison Restaurant (The Central)

Bf and i went to Ma Maison for my birthday dinner (Dec 2007)!


We wanted a window seat, but they were all taken up~ Thankfully they offered us a 4-seater nestled in a cozy corner~ YAY to more privacy! ^_^

I love the ambience in there; dark and intimate!

The table lamp~
The sugar~
The condiments~
The tea light candle on every table~

That's our Root Beer Float ($6.50)! The ice-cream was a tad too soft; it melted into the root beer within minutes~


Those are the condiments they served before my Tonkatsu Set arrived! I especially love the one on the left; i reckon it's some garlic sauce~


Their brown sauce (which tasted like BBQ sauce) came in a little honeypot-like container~


My Tonkatsu set ($19.50)! The one i had at Waraku was of a larger portion and was cheaper even, but Ma Maison's version's not that shabby either~

Their miso soup was chockful of ingredients!

The fried pork~

Bf's Omurice ($14.80)! Positively yummy! We were afraid that the ketchup-soaked rice wrapped inside the omelette would be too jerlat like what some places have, but we're really glad that Ma Maison's version was absolutely divine~ No jerlat-ness at all! ^_^

The insides~

Our Assorted Sausages ($11.80)! I think it's suffice to say that both of us loved this dish so much! ^_^


We shared a brownie ($5.50) for our dessert~ Warm, moist brownie paired with cold vanilla ice-cream; the perfect complement for each other!


This black sesame ice-cream came along with my Tonkatsu Set~ All i can say that it's an acquired taste haha~


We took this huge golden keys to the counter to make our payment!

Besides the good food and cozy ambience, they deserve plus points for their attentive and polite staff as well!

I’ll have to start by elaborating on what drew us (me and my galfriend) into this restaurant – one of its specialties on the menu; squid ink spaghetti (S$15.90).

“What about it?” you’d ask. Well, not a lot actually. Or perhaps, quite a lot (if you read on).

People have commented that the enjoyment of squid ink pasta is an acquired taste. I tend to agree. Many are put off by the mere presentation of the dish – it comes in a black mass. (Or should I say mess? Well, maybe that too.) Beware of the stains on your teeth and lips. DO NOT attempt to talk while chewing your squid pasta, DO NOT smile, and DO NOT order this dish on your first date! (Unless it’s the kind you’re dying to end in a bad way!)

But wait! We’re not here to share tricks on how to dump your first date, or how to eat your black pasta. Rather, we’re here to talk about the ‘squid ink spaghetti’ sold at this Ma Maison branch. And before I continue, allow me to ask, “What came to YOUR mind when I first mentioned the ‘squid ink spaghetti’?”

Did you say ‘spaghetti made with squid ink’? Yes, that was what we thought too! But alas, that was not what was served. Although the cosy restaurant was dimly lit (with a small side lamp at each table), we could distinctly tell it was normal yellowish wheat spaghetti cooked in some kind of black sauce. I furrowed my brows.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but there is a difference between ‘spaghetti made with squid ink’ and ‘spaghetti cooked in squid ink’ – it not only looks different but tastes differently too. As discerning diners, we knew our order had turned out unexpectedly to be the latter. I wouldn’t say the restaurant is wrong to call this run-of-the-mill dish ‘squid ink spaghetti’, but I would’ve called it ‘spaghetti in squid ink sauce’ instead. So, adventurous diners, be warned of the difference! And to fellow squid pasta lovers, do not be misguided!

Moving on, I will have to raise both hands in favour of the cha soba salad (S$7); yet another specialty of the restaurant. The portion was surprisingly larger than a usual entrée and made two comfortable servings – we were happy to share it. The taste was extremely refreshing, considering the simplicity of the ingredients – cold cha soba, kizami nori (shredded seaweed), ham strips, shredded eggs, fresh tomato wedges, chopped iceberg lettuce and a few dollops of Japanese mayonnaise. There was also a tinge of saltiness and sourness in the mix that we couldn’t quite place but overall, it was a lethal combination which heightened all our senses! What made the dish stand out even more were the side plates, given to us for sharing the dish – they were CHILLED!!! This small detail allowed us to enjoy the salad even more and had us licking our lips for more!

We also tried the escargots (S$9.50 for half a dozen). The taste varied with each morsel. My galfriend enjoyed the dish very much while I, on the other hand, found the dish pleasant but not fantastic. I like the buttery sauce the snails were served in, but one of them tasted rather chewy (perhaps a little overdone). I also thought the sprinkle of breadcrumbs on the escargots tasted a little ‘stale’.

Overall, it was still a pleasant meal. Pity it was not Monday – 20% off for lady diners. But well, we were contented with the 10% discount from my galfriend’s JCB credit card. And to top it off, we applied for the free ‘Ma Maison’ membership cards (both lunch & dinner cards given together with your application). The perks? Here comes the tooth-aching sweet treats: completion of the lunch card (10 stamps) entitles you to a free set lunch; and completion of the dinner card (also 10 stamps) gets you a S$100 complimentary voucher! Now bear this in mind: ALL DINERS at the same table are allowed to obtain a stamp each (as long as they present their membership card at the payment point)! The rule of thumb is “per visit” and not by counts of bills or minimum expenditure. What a jolly deal!

The place is really a gem in the Clarke Quay area. I waited outside from 1730hrs and found that a lot of Japanese families strolled by enquiring what time the restaurant opened. Needless to say, the restaurant was promptly full of Jap families by about 1815hrs.

My group ordered a Tonkatsu set, squid ink pasta, seafood paella, gratin and some others..

Since it's been quite a while since I relished Ma Maison's food, this review won't specifically state down the exact details.

Tonkatsu set - The meat was tender, juicy and quite a delight. The portion was decent and it really made my mouth water when I took the first bite. The set comes with really cute sauce containers (and a salt grinder) which really boosts the atmosphere. Still I found that the variety in the set itself was quite lacking, having only garnishing, rice, soup and the pork itself. The black sesame ice-cream was quite good though!

Paella - I wasn't the one who tried it, but I was told that it was really a gem. "Awesome" as my pal put it. Still, after he finished the entire plate, he mentioned that the salt in the dish got a bit overwhelming after some time.

Gratin - Was good, except the taste was very strong and may not suit some tastebuds.

Squid Ink Pasta - I ate this after the tonkatsu set, so this naturally wasn't as appetising as it would have been should I have started on it first. Still, with some compensation, I'd say this dish isn't the best the restaurant has to offer.

Ambience - Really fantastic, but I gave a 9/10 because the place is a bit crammed. I must say, however, that the decorations are REALLY elaborate.

Service - Their service staff all speak with weird accents, but they're all REALLY polite and delightful!