Old boys deserve a mention too. I remember Indochine from their early days at Wisma Atria. My regular dinner haunt after a day of shopping, and they never disappointed. That was many yonks ago. They’re now 5-branches strong and it was with true schoolgirl excitement when we decided to lunch at their exclusive SuperTree location at the beautiful Gardens by The Bay. The circular restaurant 50 meters above ground is lavishly decked out in lush purples and reds and crisp white linen. Comfy sofa seats line the windows so you’re guaranteed a view anywhere you’re seated. The service staff were polite, friendly and efficient. The restaurant boasts an east meets west fusion menu. I am never too excited about fusion food as they sometimes get a little too wild. Indochine’s managed to keep their cuisine grounded despite fusing 2 worlds together. My lunch was beyond what I had expected… and in a good way!!We started Vietnamese Rice Paper Roll with Tiger Prawn. Fresh Rice paper rolls are my must order at any Vietnamese joint!  Snugly wrapped with vermicelli, shredded carrots, lettuce and prawn, then cut into 8 pieces. I must admit it was a very standard rice roll and nothing too extraordinary. Neither was it unusual in terms of taste or looks, but it was a good roll. The prawn was firm and fresh… so were the other fillings. And the rice paper wrap wasn’t dry (read- freshly wrapped). And it did not give way from the drowning of the addictive sauce! A refreshing appetizer, as always! We decided to also go with the special of the day, Crabs & Greens. Although the soup arrived lukewarm and had to be sent back to the kitchen for a reheat, it came back without compromise in taste and flavor. We enjoyed a rich broth filled with shredded crab meat and lean tender pork ribs. I added a twist of lemon, which gave the soup a lovely zing! The fried soft shell crab was meaty (haven’t you had one of those skinny starving crabs?) grease-less and crunchy. Did not even need a sauce or dip, whatsoever. Pomelo and Tiger Prawn Salad. State how spicy you’d like your salad. Our mild version had barely a hint of chili, not that I’m complaining! The prawns were big, fresh and firm. A subtle umami dried shrimp flavor in the background, and generous chunks of sweet juicy pomelo balanced out the savory fish sauce lime dressing which was totally refreshing and appetizing!Hot plate Kurobuta … tender slices of succulent pork loin cooked (finished) on a hot plate. Infused in a garlicky,peppery, herbal, minty seasoning that’s unique and super delicious! The meat was excellent.. so tender and flavorful! Steamed Seafood with Coconut cream in Banana Leaf appeared like nothing I had envisioned! But in a good way! Instead of a stew/curry as I had expected… it was a big ball of mildly spicy coconut mousse cake filled with chunks of seafood from prawns to fish to scallops to squid! This was truly amazing. The flavor, texture and presentation were spot on! You can’t imagine how they could squeeze all that seafood in there but they did and it was absolutely marvelous! Just a teeny bit of the accompanying coconut cream takes the edge off the spiciness of the soft creamy mousse! It goes so well with plain rice, had me gorging down my carbs in true superhuman power! No room for dessert unfortunately or I would have loved some Reconstructed Mango Sticky Rice on Chocolate Ice Cream or the Vietnamese Coffee Creme Brûlée!

I’m so glad to rediscover Indochine. And even though I only tried a handful of dishes, I got a feeling the rest will rock too! Can’t wait to check’em out. And next time, I’ll be sure to leave some room for dessert!

Clockwise from top left- Crabs & Greens; Paper Rice Roll; Steamed Seafood in Coconut Curry; Special of the Day; Hot Plate Kurobuta.

SuperTree by IndoChine @ 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Gardens by the Bay, #03-01 Singapore 018953 Phone +65 6694 8489

Disclaimer- This is not a sponsored post.