In the first of YWCA Cafe Lodge’s guest chef series, Chef Ratha (formerly from The Black Sheep Café in Sin Ming) serves up a delightful 3-course meal ($48++ per pax) of his classic French-inspired food.

Being able to have quality French-inspired food in a comfortable, non-pretentious environment is the selling point for me. Service was attentive & friendly as well, & I had a great time.

This pop-up is for a limited time only – until 15 May 2022, & only available on Saturdays for dinner & Sundays for lunch. So call to make a reservation & head down while you can!

I cautiously took a first sip of the complimentary San Sirra Mocktail, as I tend to favour cocktails/alcoholic beverages over non-alcoholic ones that tend to overcompensate with saccharine sweetness. This might be the first mocktail that I willingly finish & dare I say, even craved for more.

I loved how this non-alcoholic merlot (U.P. $8++ per glass) didn’t have any of that artificial syrupy flavour at all. & packed with sliced fruits, this reminded me somewhat of a sangria – pleasant & fun to drink.

We started off our night with appetizers:
🔸 Baked Brie in Pistachio Crust, Pomelo Citrus Salad
🔸 French Onion Soup with Cheese Crouton

When asked to choose from the polarizing duo of soup vs. salad, my choice was clear… SOUP ALL THE WAY BABY.

The onion soup was a winner, with the right level of sweetness from the caramelized onions & purity of a good broth. I could drink it on its own, but it was even better topped with oozy cheese & crusty French bread that soaked up the warm & comforting broth. I’d love to have this again.

Having said that, the salad is pretty bomb too. Brie is a palatable cheese – one of my favourites, actually, & the fresh tartness of the fruits go well with the crisp salad leaves. While the presentation could be improved on, I’m glad that I enjoyed this more than I expected.

To me, the highlight of a 3-course meal is the main course, & I was baffled by my struggle to choose a favourite out of the 3 options.. Because they were all just excellent:

🔸 Wagyu Beef Cheeks in Truffle Scented Red Wine Sauce, Gratin Potato
🔸 Duck Confit on Apple Roesti & Tangy Mango Relish
🔸 Braised Lamb Shank in Red Wine & Apricots, Mashed Potato & Seasonal Vegetables

Execution was on point, as the meats were tender & fall off the bone. The pairing of accompaniments were complementary too. Loved how the duck confit was Actually Delicious & not overly salty as I tend to find with the others I’ve had elsewhere. The lamb shank was good as well, didn’t have the gamey taste or small that most find off-putting.

Ultimately, though, I think my favourite by a narrow margin is the beef cheeks. They were seriously melt-in-your-mouth, & bonus points for the heavenly gratin potato with creamy sauce that came with it.

We wrapped up our night with a classic pairing of dark chocolate cake & vanilla bean ice cream.. With a slight twist: The cake is flourless. To be honest, when I first ate this from the outside in, I initially found this a little dry on the edges. However, when I got to the center, it was moist & delectable.

The ice cream wasn’t too sweet either (yay), & plus points to the drizzle of raspberry coulis on top that gave it nice acidity & Berry Good Flavour.

Thanks Cheryl for the invite & YWCA Cafe Lodge for the hospitality! 💕