“Great, unpretentious western cuisine”
The brainchild of Chef Eddy Wan, this humble family establishment gives one a sense of warm welcome, in the midst of the bustling city district along China Street.
With a burning passion for modern inspired western cuisine, Chef Eddy brings to us The Rustic Bistro, and with it, all their many years of diverse culinary expertise in various hotels and chain restaurants.
Paying close attention to all the different aspects of his delectable creations, it is no wonder that Chef Eddy is able to churn out dish after dish of unique western fare, albeit with a local twist. All at very affordable prices too!
With its unassuming exterior, one might glance past Rustic Bistro on first sight, especially with the throngs of food outlets over at China Street. In all honesty, I didn’t expect much from this humble bistro when I first entered, hoping for only decent fare.
However, Rustic Bistro completely turned the tables, and surprised me with so much more. Their top notch, high calibre fare is alike those of many sought after western restaurants, albeit at an affordable price with a cozy, relaxed atmosphere (Personally, their playlist just clinched the deal for me).
Rustic Bistro is definitely worth a visit, with its unpretentious yet innovative fare, coupled with a homely vibe.
Starting off with the Beetroot Duck Salad ($8.90), a pleasant entree, paired with a generous serving of well-roasted and juicy duck meat to boot. Interestingly, beetroot was a excellent choice in this dish.
The beetroot slices complemented the otherwise rather average salad pretty well, adding another unique dimension with its dominant sweetness, yet not overpowering the salad.
Topped off with a roasted sesame dressing, this innovative salad brings the humble starter to a whole new level, and made us all the more excited about what Rustic Bistro had to offer next.
One of the cheapest Truffle Fries ($7) I have come across, those found at Rustic Bistro can definitely compete with its arrogantly, more expensive counterparts. Their fries are not too oily, and lightly salted with a hint of truffle oil. Served piping hot and topped off with Parmesan cheese, the truffle fries here were pretty well-received by my taste buds.
Not forgetting the Spaghetti Laksa ($15.90), which will definitely allow Laksa lovers all over Singapore to rejoice. Placed in front of me, I felt really skeptical about how the dish would taste. I mean, laksa and spaghetti? Originally not a huge fan of the local delight, I was duly surprised at this innovative dish of Chef Eddy.
He has managed to intricately fuse these two popular dishes into something that was complimenting on one’s palate, without compromising the individual uniqueness of the two completely different cuisines.
The Laksa gravy was creamy and thick enough to be a spaghetti base, yet flavourful enough to still represent the local trademark laksa taste that Singaporeans covet after. I really enjoyed Chef Eddy’s innovative take on this dish, and would strongly recommend it for all, especially if you’re feeling a little adventurous.
We also had the opportunity to try the Braised Beef Cheek ($16.90). Sitting atop a dollop of mashed potato and served with seasonal vegetables, do not belittle this modest little delight. Braised for over a 16-hour period, the beef cheek is tender yet firm enough at the same time, coated with just a thin layer of jellied fatty goodness. You’ll certainly need to try it for yourself.
Even after stuffing ourselves silly with all the good food going around, we still could not say no to dessert, especially after witnessing Rustic Bistro’s amazing culinary skills. Above is the Warm Sticky Date Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream ($9.90).
Again, I was fooled into thinking that it was average fare, the usual overly-sweet caramel induced nightmare that I seeked to avoid.
However, yet again, I was completely won over by just this small cake and ice cream combo. The cake was spongy and fluffy, yet dense enough to give one a satisfying mouthful.
Drizzled over with salted caramel sauce, we could taste the flavourful dates paired with sea salt, the right blend of sweet hinging on savoury. Pairing the warm cake with a subtle, light vanilla bean ice cream, this is a dessert you shouldn’t miss out on.
Overall, Kudos to Chef Eddy and Team! We really enjoyed the different items on their menu, and given the satisfied faces of customers in their restaurant, I can tell that their other items on the menu are equally spectacular. This is a place you definitely want to mark down as ‘must-try’. What more, there’s no service charge and GST!
Expected Damage: $14- $25 per pax
