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“A taste of France”
Famous French patisserie Angelina has come our sunny island with its fleet of teas and desserts in tow!
Three things come to mind when I think of Paris: Honeymoon destination, the Eiffel Tower and the Parisian cuisine. The state is known for these three things, and now you will be able to enjoy the third at one of Paris’ most iconic institutions right here in Singapore.
Established in 1903, Angelina is a place where even the likes of Marcel Proust and Coco Chanel have visited in the past. So do not be surprised by its sophisticated and grand décor when you visit it; even the waiters and waitresses who serve are dressed to the nines!
Despite its grandeur, being located in the “outdoor” area of Capitol Piazza where sunlight streams through the glass really makes Angelina very relaxing and casual to dine at.
While famous for desserts, Angelina also has savoury dishes to offer. We started with the Semi-cooked duck foie gras terrine ($28), a rendition cooked slightly differently from what is served locally.
Their foie gras is cooked at extremely low temperatures – 70 to 80 degrees Celsius, in order to preserve its taste. It is much creamier than the usual pan seared version, but do not worry about feeling overbearing or jelat. The fig chutney on the side counters it with a sweet, tart pairing – perfectly.
Their Traditional crusted onion soup ($17) is, to sum up, comfort in a bowl. Full of onions, warm and just slightly rich; I wish I could have it with me on under the duvet-hiding, rainy days. Their croutons are topped with gruyere cheese and soaks up the hearty soupy goodness wonderfully.
Truffle flavoured foods are still in vogue these days in Singapore so you will be glad to hear of their Truffle ravioli ($29). The dish really radiates a strong truffle aroma, which made my mouth water. While I am generally not a fan of ravioli, I loved the truffle slices and the sauce, which was velvety, yet light, and of course, with the lingering taste of Parmesan and cream.
My favourite of the meal is the Pan fried scallops ($29). Scallops come across as relatively simple to me, especially if you just pan sear it. That is true for this dish as well, but the combination with the other components really surprised me.
The black rice has a taste reminiscent to our local dessert, the Pulut Hitam and eaten together with the shellfish cream and scallops? Amazing. The cream gave off a pleasant smell of seafood, and contributes as the savoury part of this main.
Angelina rolls up their chicken fillet, which makes for interesting presentation. The Chicken supreme ($23), is a roasted chicken with carrots, endives and here is the twist – chestnut puree. The chicken was tasty and moist, and the puree just a little sweet, not too shocking or overwhelming.
After all that we final moved on to the most anticipated part of the meal. Desserts! We had their Old-fashioned hot chocolate “L’Africain” ($12), their famous hot chocolate. Smooth and rich, this is definitely not for the faint hearted.
The portion comes in an entire jug, good for sharing among two to three people, but is served in smaller cups because it is so cocoa-rich. The whipped cream does lighten it, but you are advised to drink it with a little of it at a time so you can enjoy the drink’s original taste.
Their trademark classic French pastry, the Le Mont-Blanc ($13.50), consists of chestnut paste vermicelli on top and whipped cream and meringue at the bottom. I found the paste to be thick and sticky, but quite liked the bits of meringue which added texture to the dessert.
Chocolate fanatics must try the Choc Africain ($13). Yes, I say fanatics because this is chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. It has a nice balance of sweetness and dark bitterness.
Try the Tentation ($13), and intriguing combination of sour raspberry, passion fruit and caramel. The raspberry’s tangy flavour really cut through the caramel, which oozed out of the tart.
The Paris-New York ($13), a choux pastry with praline components is airy and soft. I love that the praline cream had a crunch to it. The flavours for this one is lighter compared to the others, so you can give this a go if you are not accustomed to the rich, French cuisine.
Of course I left the best for the last – My personal favourite was the Opéra ($13), which was looked intimidating at first. The deep browns and dark layers made it look really thick and cloying, and I was already so full from the meal.
When I dug in however, it was rich in chocolate, crunchy and slightly sweet. The layered almond and praline biscuits and coffee flavour really alleviate the richness of the cake and made a huge difference for me.
Besides desserts, Angelina serves pretty good savoury food as well. They have brunch menu, and are also working on a high tea menu, which will be unveiled soon. Prices may seem a little high, but you do get to have taste of what this age-old renown patisserie has to offer.
Also drop by their retail store right next to the restaurant, where they sell teas, their hot chocolate in various forms, pastries, and many more. I will definitely be back to try out some of their other fine offerings.
Expected Damage: $30 – $50 per pax
