Cuisine: Western / American
Address: 101 Jln Kembangan, Singapore 419139
Nearest MRT: Kembangan station (East-West line)

It is an understated restaurant with a laid-back vibe focusing on burgers, pasta & desserts. This gem of a bistro is a slight walk from Kembangan MRT. Imagine a chic, new-American style restaurant right off the streets of swish New York, except tucked away in a quiet residential neighbourhood in the East. Here, they grow their own herbs, make their own pasta, and build from scratch practically everything else that goes onto your plate. Kick off with their signature Chicken Noodle Soup, a deli classic here made with a super-rich chicken stock, shredded chicken breast, little chunks of fresh vegetables, and pasta noodles. Other appetisers include their stellar Poutine, easily one of the best on the island, featuring freshly-made fries slathered with a meaty duck-stock gravy, and melty cheese curd sauce.

For starters, we had the Deep-fried chicken wings ($12). The pieces of meat were chunky and battered with a crispy texture. The wings were already tasty, so I did not need the mayonnaise dip.

Deep fried baby squid skewers ($14), made of squid which was lightly fried and served with a tartare sauce. It is a good snack to be shared among others while waiting for our main course to arrive.

The bacon tomato pasta ($24) contains bacon, spinach, tomato sauce, parmesan & parsley. It is a simple dish made using aglio olio ingredients. While it was not a ‘wow’ dish, but overall it was decent and among the three pasta that we had ordered, this dish did not come with too much soup.

This is the Vongole pasta ($27). It is served with fresh clams, sliced garlic, cherry tomatoes, and parsley. While I enjoyed the sauce, I felt that the chef could have added more white wine sauce to give it a stronger taste. The portion of fresh clams was generous and the linguine pasta was done al dente. Again, too much soup in this pasta dish, perhaps it was the chef preparing it on that day and added too much water during the cooking process.

The duck confit tagliatelle ($26) is one of the signature items on the menu. Seared duck confit shreds tossed in a creamy sherry sauce and garnished with hazelnut bits for added texture. I was surprised to see that it had so much stock, such that it felt like we were having a Chinese noodle soup instead of an Italian dish. On top of the pasta, there were some chopped hazelnuts which complements the nutty and creamy pasta base. The dish was great, but if only the pasta was cooked with less sauce.

We also enjoyed the wagyu cheeseburger served with fries on the side ($28). The beef was cooked medium without having too much tendon. With the melted cheese, it made it even yummier.

Wagyu beef patty, in house brioche bun, sweet onions, aioli & sharp cheddar

Overall, we had an enjoyable meal at South Union Park. The cafe is usually packed on weekends and at night, so do make a reservation in advance. They also have discounts together with Entertainer or Burple, making it more worth it to come here with friends to share various dishes. It is definitely one of the hidden gems in the East and only a short walk from Kembangan MRT station. If you drive, do note that there are limited parking spaces outside the cafe.