Relax Bistro @ Somerset 313 [Closed]

Written by Xin Li

My talk-cock friend was back from China.

So we met up for dinner. We had two choices, Oriole Café and Bar or Relax Bistro at Somerset 313. Victor opted for the Relax Bistro and we got a table of 5 consisting of our star guest, Victor and friends, Aw Yong, Alvin, Sean and me.

According to the website of Relax Bistro, it was actually catered more for ladies rather than people in general (but gents are welcomed too). The portions, the aesthetics are catered for ladies.

I agree, the place is rather feminine and Alvin noted that all of the songs played are female songs. But I am here for the food and give Victor a farewell and welcome dinner. He is flying away this Saturday again.

The place is like what Aw Yong described, a posh boutique. One corner there are the semi-circle cushioned seats. Nearer to the entrance, a giant framed mirror creates an illusion of space. The floors are tiled floors with repeated patterns consisting of beige and grey tiles. Environment wise, it is quite nice especially if you get the cushioned seats at the back of the bistro. However, I wasn’t at ease with a giant mirror in front of me and the maitre’d and waitresses are rather uptight but friendly. Nonetheless, they should be commended for their coolness despite some of jarring remarks made out of jest by Victor. The place is very quiet and our group was the loudest (with Victor around, this was always the case).

For the food, the prices are around the Swensens range. It was around $10 - $30++ for most of the items. I had the plain and simple Spaghetti Aglio Olio tossed with Olive Oil, Garlic, Chilli and Basil Pesto ($12.80). When executed properly, this rather simple pasta can be a real delight. Unfortunately, Relax Bistro did not hit right notes with this pasta. It was too spicy for me, overpowering the olive oil and pesto. I hope the garlic could be cooked a little bit longer. The pasta was slightly tough (perhaps undercooked or over-fried?)

Sean had the Linguine with Creamy Mushroom and Ham Sauce ($13.80). In his words, it was “really good” and filling.

Aw Yong and Victor had the Grilled Chicken – Grilled boneless chicken thigh glazed with honey apricot mustard jam, and pumpkin puree ($15.80). This was rather good. Both of them enjoyed it but weren’t satisfied with the portions. The chicken meat was tender and flavourful throughout. The sauce was slightly sweet and tangy.

The star for today was the Classic Burger ($13.80). It was accompanied by some French Frites and Green Salad. The burger itself consisted of a beef patty with lettuce, sautéed onions and fresh tomatoes. The burger used a crispy bun (toasted perhaps) and it has a garlic flavour according to Alvin. The beef patty was good too with a bit of pink inside. However, the patty is a little dry. Other than that, the burger was quite good.

Alvin and I thought the salad was fresh and we enjoyed the dressing which made the salad addictive to eat.

The fries looked normal but they are really good. Crispy on the onside, with a bit of flavour and it wasn’t oily. The five of us enjoyed the French Fries a lot.

There is 1-for-1 pasta promotion which you can redeem with a coupon in the 2nd April newspapers and they also offer set lunch. Overall, it is a nice place to dine and relax especially for ladies. Oh, the water is strawberry flavoured with real strawberries, refreshing and it was being refilled frequently (attentive!).

Address
313 Orchard Road
#02-38 313 @ Somerset

Tel: +65 6341 9978

Opening hours
Daily
10am – 10pm

Relax Bistro