Feb 15, 2009
Shared sensations
7atenine at the Esplanade may be touted as a drinking place with tapas for sharing, but the food is good enough to be a draw on its own
By Wong Ah Yoke
You know that old saying about not judging a book by its cover? That may be true but the fact is, a good cover never hurts.
The wisdom of good packaging has been embraced by most industries, and the restaurant business is no different. Here is an example of how important appearances are.
Last week, I went to The Esplanade, planning to dine at a particular restaurant. But when I got there and saw the gloomy and empty interiors, it looked so dismal that I did not feel like going in.
Then I saw the two-month-old 7atenine, a hip-looking, brightly lit bar-cum-restaurant. It was empty too, but that did not matter. I was drawn like a moth to a flame.
It was all white and beige with lots of glass and chrome sparkling under the lights, which made it appear cheerful, and that appealed to me.
But as book lovers will have you know, while attractive covers may draw one's attention, it is the contents that determine its worth. So too with restaurants: The food is still paramount.
7atenine is a concept from Kuala Lumpur owned by Ms Michele Kwok. Here, she works in partnership with her sister Monique. The name is a play on the numbers seven, eight and nine.
More important for the diner, however, is the fact that Chef Emmanuel Stroobant from St Pierre restaurant is the consultant for the food here.
His concept for 7atenine is to have tapas meant for sharing, but the menu was tweaked more than a week ago to include a list of main courses for those who like their food in bigger servings.
But the bulk is still a mix of bar and restaurant food in appetiser portions instead of bite-sized morsels.
So if you are planning on ordering a main course, get an extra tapas per head to share. I ordered four tapas and two main courses for two persons and we were stuffed. If you prefer tapas to share, six plus two desserts should be enough for two.
But for a good deal, go for lunch, when you can have unlimited portions of more than 20 items for just $37 a person. The price includes juices, coffee and tea, and the offer is available daily.
You won't know what items are on offer though, as there is no menu and the food is delivered to the table dim sum-style until you say stop. For dinner, however, you have to order a la carte.
The items are both familiar and original, with traditional dishes such as deep-fried calamari ($10) given a twist by being encrusted with squid ink and bread crumbs.
Much of the presentation has an element of fun. The calamari rings, for example, are stacked up like hoops on two little plastic stands.
There is thinking behind the quirkiness too. The soya sauce for the sashimi of maguro and green tea smoked salmon ($20), for instance, comes in a plastic pipette that allows you to easily control the amount to squirt on the fish after you smear some wasabi on it.
And the sizzling wings ($14) have wooden clothes pegs clamped on the bone of the drumlets so you can pick them up without getting your fingers oily.
Judging from my two visits for lunch and dinner, the food tastes as good as it looks. From the savoury selection, only the calamari did not make an impression. But lots of other dishes did.
My favourite was the saffron seafood risotto ($20), where the rice was cooked just right. I loved how the sweetness of the seafood stock was enriched by the distinctive flavour of the saffron.
Other dishes to order include the crab ceviche ($16), a light starter of sweet crabmeat marinated with Spanish onions and served in a glass with diced momotaro tomato and crispy croutons.
The ebi bisque ($18) is good too, although it is a bit tough to share this one, since there is only one prawn in the soup.
Both the lamb cutlet ($18) and seared wagyu rump ($20) are handled well, with the meat juicy and well flavoured. If you like steak tartare, try the organic beef sashimi ($14), a delicious combination of paper-thin raw beef served with shavings of Spanish onions and manchego cheese with a hint of chilli powder.
At dinner, I tried the main courses of chilli corn carne ($22) and the crispy pork belly ($28). The chilli is made with wagyu beef, and the quality showed in the delicious richness which was tempered by pearls of edamame seeds stirred into the minced meat.
The crispy pork belly had slices of kurobuta pork wrapped with onions, grilled corn and Iberico cheese in a tortilla, which was lightly toasted. It was like a fajita, or a big fat popiah with slices of fat pork.
What I did not like were the two desserts I tried. The tequila cafe cake ($12) was too sweet, and the chocolate brownie ($8) was more like a firm mousse cake.
So until the dessert chef gets his act together, save your calorie quota for the savoury dishes.
7ATENINE
8 Raffles Avenue, 01-10/12 Esplanade Mall, tel: 6338-0789
Open: Noon to 3pm (Mondays to Fridays), 5pm to midnight (Mondays to Thursdays), 5pm to 2am (Fridays), Noon to 2am (Saturdays), Noon to midnight (Sundays)
Food: ****
Service: *** 1/2
Ambience: *** 1/2
Price: $37++ per person for the unlimited lunch offer from noon to 2.30pm daily. For a la carte, budget $70 a person without drinks
MUST TRY
ORGANIC BEEF SASHIMI ($14)
A delicious version of steak tartare that will easily make converts of those eating raw meat for the first time.
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