Petals & Leaves Bistro

During my course of work, I came across a place in ulu Lim Chu Kang where there would be a Valentine's Day dinner. So curious me decided to just try it out. Besides the traveling required, both the girlfriend and I were pleasantly surprised by this place called Petals and Leaves at Gardenasia.

For Valentine's Day, a number of partners and sponsors collaborated to make this event at Petals and Leaves possible, notably Eternally Yours by Vernetta Lopez (ironically divorced from Mark Richmond) which did up the decor for the angelic theme for the night. The wait staff even put on cupid wings. The girlfriend and I liked the details of white feathers, curtains and hearts which ushered the patrons to the seat. We also liked the spaciousness between the tables unlike restaurants in more accessible areas where couples have to be crammed so close together, you can hear the other couple's secrets. Plus there was no need to rush as they were open from 7pm till 11pm for that evening. On top of that, we also got to do some "area inspection" of the venue. With plenty of greenery and tranquil quietness, it was our kind of a nice place.

The dinner we had 4 courses with the mains of either fish, chicken or lobster to choose from. We took the fish and chicken with suspicions that the portion of lobster would be minuscule.

The food served is pretty decent, with the only grouse being the temperature which was rather cold, probably due to mass production. The pace at which the courses were served was also quite thoughtful, with the attentive wait staff making their rounds to ensure the plates are cleared.

In between the courses, the girlfriend and I inspected our goodie bags and were quite pleased with sample vials of fragrances, Godiva chocolates, audio CDs, red packets (it was during Chinese New Year) tissue packs, discount vouchers and massage vouchers (which can only be redeemed from Mondays to Thursdays in Horsecity, i.e. somewhat pointless)

The live band was also a wonderful mood setter as they belted out numerous sentimental songs and jazz standards. Unfortunately, the vocalist also had a rather morbid and graphic sense of humor that can can only be better appreciated in a pub lounge setting. Though I must commend her for being able to take in ground requests and singing even without knowing the lyrics to the whole song, letting good showmanship take over.

Overall, it is a lovely little paradise to spend Valentine's Day. Just remember to plan for the transportation and bring along a bit of insect repellent.

Additional Photos available here.

Had the opportunity to indulge in a food tasting session at Petals & Leaves Bistro one grey Saturday afternoon, courtesy of the bistro's management, which runs Garden Asia, an event management cum landscaping company.

The place proves quite a hassle to get to, hidden deep within the wilderness of Kranji. Housed within the premises of Garden Asia, Petals & Leaves is the epitome of idyllic-ness. A large sheltered al fresco dining area flanked by a pond amidst lush flora and fauna, with only the light patter of raindrops breaking the tranquility - the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The Works Platter - We started off with The Works Platter, which consisted of sausages, chicken wings and cheese sticks - typical pub grub which I personally fancy quite a bit. Nothing came across as particularly outstanding though. The sausages were alright but a little on the bland side. The cheese sticks didn't have the gooey cheese oozing out of the sticks and the taste of deep fried flour threatened to overwhelm the already faint taste of the cheese. As for the wings, I personally felt that they lacked marination and chomping on one was akin to chewing on flour.

Chicken - The piece of chicken thigh looked really well grilled and most appetising. However its appearance belied the fact that marination was lacking and the texture tended more towards the rubbery side. The sauce did seem a little weak as well.

The Bull's Eye - A slab of beautifully grilled medium rare ribeye, topped with red wine pepper sauce and apparently a signature dish of the eatery. A pity it was rather lacklustre, coming across as a little too tough sans the inherent sweetness of the beef. What I thought was mildy interesting was the side of sliced potatos which were coated with potato flour then deep fried, giving rise to something that tasted a little similar to potato tempura.

Oreo Tiramisu - I 've always been a fan of oreos and tiramisu. Put this two elements together and I would expect something explosive, if not decent at least. The truth be told, it wasn't fantastic but at least it was palatable. The sponge fingers had little icicles in it probably due to water being present during the freezing stage of the tiramisu and that affected the overall texture. Apparently there was Baileys in it but I couldn't make any out probably due to my alcohol desensitized taste buds. Last but not least, the mascarpone cheese leaned towards the heavy side - a little too much egg yolk maybe? The oreos didn't make much of a difference to the dessert in my humble opinion.

Well, I wouldn't say that the food was totally bad but it certainly has lots of room for improvement. I like the ambience of the place though, charmingly serene and tranquil - perfect for whiling the morning/afternoon away with a nice cup of tea/coffee in hand. Please allow me to end off by thanking Petals & Leaves for kindly extending their invitation to me. Thank you.

See all my pictures here.

I've actually eaten here quite a few times. On this particular occasion there was a special archipelago beer event with a fixed price 48++ per person.

The event was from my perspective very unique and enjoyable. 4 courses of food were served long with free flow samplers of 3 of archipelago brewery's beers. What made it unique was for each course the chef and archipelago brew-master would come around to every table and explain how intricate beer flavours could match with food, which was a foreign concept to me.

Everyone thinks of beer as an unsophistiated beverage, so it was very interesting to hear how complicated it is to craft a well balanced beer flavoured with spices, Archipelago in particular with their focus on local flavors such as their Samui beer crafted with Lime and Pandan.

The proof was in the tasting. The 3 samplers were continually being topped up as we sampled each with the different flavous of food. No better was the idea of beer pairing made so evident to me than with the appetizer of Balsamic soaked apple salad. It paired wonderfully with the samui, creating a perfect harmony of sweet and sour flavours. It tasted absolutely aweful with the gingery malty flavoured of their ale which intesified the bitterness of the dark leaves in the salad and made it almost inedible.

When it came to the main course the opposite ensued with the maltyness of the ale really bringing out the flavour of the grilled beef dish that I had chosen.

There couldn't have been a better setting for such an event. Although a bit of a drive for most, theres no better ambience than a nice al-fresco experiene in a beatiful natural setting. Service was prompt and friendly.

The event will be running again this friday, 29/08/09, and is by RSVP.

As i said before I eat here regularly and the food and service is generally excellent during a normal dinner service as well.

Usually i'd take more photos but after free flow of beer I'd forgotten about photos past the appetiser.