COCONUTS HOT SPOT — There are plenty of good eats with great vibes hidden among lush foliage at Rochester Park, but one name usually comes to mind when you think rustic and romantic: Nosh. The restaurant in a historic black-and-white house has stuck around for a couple of years now, but it’s been quietly making changes to keep things new and fresh for customers. Take last year’s launch of its casual bistro Noshery, for example. The eclectic eatery with to-die-for brunch dishes brought cafe-hoppers to the area in droves.
Now, Nosh has revamped its menu at the al fresco main dining area — otherwise (aptly) known as the Greenhouse. Nestled on a colonial verandah and blanketed with the sounds of nature, the cosy space lights up under the starry sky after the sun sets, offering guests a peaceful, intimate dining experience.
But as quiet as the surroundings are, the new menu is anything but bland or boring. Inspired (rather vaguely) by global cuisines, the dishes pack a punch with flavours that range from rich and vibrant to bold and spicy.
Start off with a plate of creamy thyme ricotta ($10), which comes with lemon confit, pomegranate bits, crushed hazelnuts and crunchy crostini chips. We wiped out the zesty dish in a matter of minutes, and turned our attention to the tender Ibérico jowl slices glistening with sticky stout glaze on a bed of pickled kimchi apple ($17). Both servings proved to be thoroughly satisfying, though not as intriguing as the Japanese-meets-Indian dish of tempura soft shell crab atop popped wild rice and red coconut curry ($18).
When it comes to mains, you can’t go wrong with the light yet flavourful locally-sourced pan-roasted barramundi served with coconut tamarind velouté and crispy (read: addictive) taro chips ($30). This dish may have been our favourite of the lot, but the grilled pork rack drenched in a chipotle apricot sauce with a side of fried brussel sprouts and quinoa ($28) came a close second. Sadly, the humongous portion of lamb shank méchoui with sweet potato ragout, pearl couscous and spiced pistachio dukkah ($29) — that we really wanted to love — came on a tad too strong with the salt assault on our taste buds.
If you’re there for a meal to unwind after a long day (or week) at work, check out the updated cocktail menu with new additions like the Lanai ($19) — a twist on the Mai Tai, it blends apricot- and vanilla-infused rum with pistachio orgeat and lime — or No. 9 ($19), a concoction of bourbon, rye, port, black tea syrup, fresh muddled blueberries and pineapple.
The Greenhouse at Nosh is at 9 Rochester Park. Operating house from Feb 28 onwards: Wed, Thurs & Sun 6pm-10.30pm, Fri & Sat 6pm-11pm, Sat & Sun 10.30am-3pm.
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