A Country Get Away

Marmalade Pantry - Fairway Drive ('Country Side of Singapore')

To have a relatively important occasion would suffice to dine at Marmalade Pantry for the average Singaporean, would be my comment if anyone were to ask me of my experience.
The 'Oh' so popular tree.

Getting There

We went there on a Tuesday evening for dinner. Leaving Clementi before the rush hour to avoid any jams along Bukit Timah Road. Arriving just before 6pm, it allowed us to walk around the vicinity of the restaurant, which also houses Rider's Cafe and the stable itself. One would either have to take a cab in or drive into this place for it is about a km from the main road, Eng Neo Road.
Interior, facing the al fresco dining area.
Their signature flower, found on every table.
After walking around and taking photos for about half an hour, we headed into the restaurant and to found that we were the second customers. Deciding to sit indoors, so as to cool off in the air-conditioning, but was tempted to sit outside facing the greener and carpark in the relatively fresh air of the 'country side' (excepts for occasional whiffs of horse .....).
One of the many to be found.
This being my first time, I did some research and had already decided on the Spaghetti Carbonara, intrigued by the poached egg which makes it so much more interesting than the regular ones you get outside. As for my girlfriend, this being her 3rd time at Marmlade Pantry (although not at the Fairway Drive outlet), she was adamant on having her usual, Crabmeat Linguine, not that I mind.
Our Main Courses

Spaghetti Carbonara

It took about 15 minutes for our food arrived, and while waiting, another couple entered and sat outdoors, where we were tempted to sit at. Back to the food: overly enthusiastic about the food but not forgetting to document our visit, I quickly snapped away. I began by first slicing the poached egg so that the runny yolk can ooze into the creamy Carbonara sauce and make it that much more richer and fuller bodied. I love cream sauces and this one was wonderful, nice and rich, I didn't request for more parmesan cheese, which I would usually do it the sauce was disappointing (not thick and creamy enough), but this was different in a good way which the addition of cheese cannot simply work. Priced at $24.
Spaghetti Carbonara

Crabmeat Linguine 

As for the Crabmeat Linguine ($24), it came as a huge portion, almost twice of the Carbonara, with a very generous serving of the tomato based sauce, sautéed with garlic, chilli, pine nuts and of course crab meat. However I felt that there was too little linguine to accompany the sauce and other ingredients, the balance was not there. It left me feeling as if I was merely eating chilli in tomato paste. I still preferred my Carbonara, some hint of biasedness here though.
Crabmeat Linguine

Granny Smith and Stem Ginger Pudding

As for desert, we choose the recommended Granny Smith and Stem Ginger Pudding with Salted Caramel Ice Cream ($13) and the Lemon Brulee Tart ($14). The ginger pudding had a nice caramelised taste to it (similar to the Lotus brand of biscuits), paired well by the cold salty yet sweet ice-cream. If your wondering what is Granny Smith, its a type of apple which is commonly used in apple pastries like apple pie, as it gives a nice rich apple taste and holds its structure well even after a long process of cooking. Anyway it can be tasted in the pudding, but only slightly. I just like the taste and sensation of the combination of warm and cold in a desert, just like a brownie and ice cream pair; just perfect. The ginger on top of the tart was not too overpowering and so complimented the pudding well. However, it lacked a richness to it and left me with a That's all?" moment, something which you get after a brownie and ice cream combo.

Granny Smith & Stem Ginger Pudding

Lemon Brulee Tart

For the Lemon Brulee Tart, a firm pastry holds the lemon pudding (more like lemon sauce), topped off with a layer of caramelised sugar, therefore the brulee in the name. It was fun and exciting as I carefully sliced through the crust and found the rich lemon pudding ooze out. I felt that the brulee was over done, as it was a bit too bitter, equals to burnt (second photo shows a better true colour). As for the lemon pudding, the texture was slightly too runny and I would like it to have been more viscous. Taste wise, it was a little too sour, my girlfriend facial express tells it all. But the cream at the side not only nicely decorates the plate but also helps in suppressing the sour taste on your tongue. Not an excellent desert but a very refreshing.

Lemon Brulee Tart

Peach Bellini

We added a drink to make the meal more complete. I was thinking of something alcoholic and yet slightly sweet, to accompany the deserts. Thus the Peach Bellini ($18). Well mainly for the lady. The Bellini is an alcoholic drink invented in Venice, by the founder of Harry's bar and is made with Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine, but if I'm not wrong they used Chardonnay at Marmalade. They offer many other fruity Bellini there but I choose the peach as it was closes to the original.  Nice and light, what a refreshing drink. Might try their other versions in future. 
Peach Bellini

Overall

This place is not a bad dining option, with a quaint British feel (horses trotting around and style of the buildings) and away from the hustle and bustle of the city-life might attract occasional enclave hunters or more affluent people. But from the lack of customers, only 2 other couples came in, I wonder if the place will be able to last for long? Maybe weekends bring in more returns, which means crowd, equals to not encouraged to go, but still better than any other shopping centres out there.
An eerily end, while waiting for a cab.
After allowing the experience to ferment in my mind for a week, I would not say that it was really great. Maybe because when you hear good reviews about the place you have higher expectations, but if you have lower expectations, the potential to be wondered and awed is so much greater. Not for the fact that the place was empty, we were the only customers there for an extended period of time, making it seem as if I booked the entire place just for the two of us, making it so much better to share the moment with that significant other. :)

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