SINGAPORE: Artichoke cafe + bar

I was never much of a lamb person to begin with but I have to say, this is lamb at its pinnacle.

What draws me to Artichoke is the genuineness of it's food. They have no fixed menu - it changes according to what's fresh in the market. As comforting as familiar dishes can be, new flavours, or even a quirky combination of old ones, can be just as satisfyingly delicious. 

Why stick to the same menu when you can experiment with all the different flavours of the season? That to me is what cooking is all about. Artichoke is, therefore, the very essence of what a restaurant should be: no fixed menu, just whatever the ingredients of the season inspire them to cook. 

Beetroot tzatziki: garden beets, homemade yoghurt cheese, pistachio dukka & garlic breadcrumbs, $15

smoked carrot and walnut dip

I love dips. Whether it's hummus or some kind of butternut squash puree, the subtle blend of natural sweetness and mouth-watering savouriness in a healthy dollop of creamy dip is pure joy to me. These dips were refreshingly different and went beautifully with the freshly oven-toasted bread.

Moorish dips with delicious, oven toasted breads imported from Australia 

Wagyu Beef - Persian mince meat skewer, grilled tomatoes, blistered pepper and dirty onions, 150 grams

As much as I try to resist it, I'm a dessert person through and through. Every mouthful of each one of the desserts below was a burst of sunshine on my taste buds.

their all-famous sticky date toffee pudding soaked in smoked milk custard and caramel

Definitely one of the best in Singapore, but my heart still belongs to the sticky date toffee pudding at Prive Bakery Cafe.

Freshly baked, luxuriously banana-ey banana cake 

One thing I never tire of baking is banana bread. If I could steal the recipe for this one, I would. 

Artichoke cafe + bar

161 Middle Road

Singapore 188978

Inside Sculpture Square