&Made by Bruno Ménard Revisited

After a thumbs-up experience at &Made by Bruno Ménard last month, I said I would be back to try other items on the menu. Happened to be at Pacific Plaza on a Saturday afternoon and was deciding between The 3 Little Pigs and Lollipop Waffle. The former seemed too much as dinner would probably be in another two hours or so, but the latter too little as my light breakfast was more than four hours ago. In the end, I settled for The 3 Little Pigs. The place was bustling with many people waiting for seats during lunch time but by the time I was there, the crowd had eased. Not to say it was empty but there were a few available tables for two.

I decided against using my hands to grab the handmade burger, and opening my mouth as wide as possible to stuff it in (as I did with DD). Instead, I cut the burger and patty into equal parts and evenly distributed the shitake mushrooms, shredded cabbage and pickles so I could taste how the ingredients come together in every bite. The patty was juicy and tender, not fat, from the pork filet with an aroma of bacon and chorizo. Its sweetness, the succulent mushrooms and Japanese cabbage were well-balanced with just the right amount of tartness from the yuzu-kosho mayonnaise and Shibazuke pickles.

Though 3-Michelin starred chef Bruno Ménard was nowhere in sight, the soft fluffy burger and lightly-salted French fries were as good as I remember them to be. Similarly for the irresistibly tangy and yummy &made BBQ sauce reminiscent of baked beans. And still the same friendly service by cheerful staff. In fact, the food was so delicious and finger-licking good that I was back the following week to try its Lollipop Waffle. Again, I did not see the chef around. He was probably busy with the soft opening of French restaurant La Cantine, which officially opens on 18 Sep.

With a heavenly aroma that made me want to tuck in immediately (but resisted to take a few photos) as it arrived on my table, I could not stop eating until I finished it. Sweet and slightly damp with a tinge of saltiness on the inside, crispy on the outside that some might find a tad bitter but I just love it with the icing sugar atop. If the combination is still too bitter, the caramel and white chocolate sauce should do the trick. Preferred mine with the rich bitter-sweet dark chocolate sauce though. Yummy!

Update: The bistro has moved to Robinsons Orchard.