From The Straits Times    |

I open the menu and two words jump out at me: Bacon Tempura ($10).

As if salty, unctuous fried bacon wasn’t already a treat on its own, Babette takes it up a notch in gastro-orgasmic pleasure with a thin jacket of light tempura batter. I love that back bacon is used because it gives a meaty bite, not just fat and grease, under its crunchy exterior.

Also divine is the Roasted Avocado ($12) with chunks of half-grilled salmon and diced tomatoes embedded in its buttery, mashed-up body. It’s quite a tummy-filler, so I recommend sharing even though it’s so delicious that I may not take my own advice.

The mains, comprising four donburi (rice bowls) and a soba number, left me a little underwhelmed. The beef in the Steak & Foie Gras Donburi ($28), for example, had an odd, spongy bite that I didn’t like.

Thankfully, I found saving grace in the Duck Confit Donburi ($28), which showcases a meaty duck leg with just the right amount of fat left under a skin crisped to golden-brown perfection – so blindingly good that I’ll overlook its bed of too-wet and too-soft steamed Japanese rice (a conscious decision as per the preference of restaurant owner, radio DJ Darren Wee).

Be sure to end your meal on a high as I did with the Matcha Lava Cake ($12), a puddle of green tea and white chocolate trapped in a moist, emerald-hued shell. Every bite was a delightful balance of bitter and sweet, further enhanced by the contrast of vanilla ice cream and red bean sauce on the side.

Babette Restaurant & Bar
165 Tyrwhitt Road
#01-03 Parc Sovereign Hotel
Singapore 207569
Tel: +65 6341 7727