atout

I found out about Atout, one of the few grocers who carries Kampot Pepper, and so I'm off to check out this place.

Smoked Salmon Rilette with Mixed Greens & Pickles is full of colours and flavours. The tanginess of zucchini and carrot refreshes the palates while the greens is crunchy and full of flavours due to zesty seasoning oil drizzled over it. I'm not exactly a salad person but this salad wins me over. Salmon rilette has that subtle distinctive flavour of cooked salmon, and this subtlety is exactly how I like it. The pink peppercorns sprinkled over this spices things up. A well-executed dish.

One of the perks of dining here is that bread and French butter are included in the set lunch because the warm bread with soft fluffy interior is delicious. I can actually finish the whole lot of them, whether with butter or on its own. What is even better is that the French Conviette butter given is oh so amazingly good. Within the buttery, super creamy goodness, there is a very light hint of citrus, which refreshes the whole taste of the bread. This is so good that it is totally worth it to come to this restaurant to dine just for this butter.

And extra information: this butter is certified AOP (Appellation D'Origine Protégée), meaning that it is a unique quality product produced with au naturale ingredients, strict standards and specific methods.

US Kurobuta Pork Cheek braised in Red Wine, Carrots, Mushrooms and Potatoes is such a hearty treat. Generous portions of tender, gamey meat and potatoes will delight Braised Meat fans. The pork is so tender that I can use a spoon to lightly scoop out a chunk of pork. Unbelievable. Obviously, lots of effort is put into making of this dish to make the meat so tender.

I love Valrhona Dark Chocolate 'Nougat Glacé, Almond Tuile because not only it is good, full of the intensity of quality dark chocolate, and the texture is so unique. It is slightly sticky and chewy, just like chocolate nougat. I'm surprised by how good chocolate can be when in chewy form. To make it even better, after a few chews of the chocolate, it melts into chocolatey goodness in the mouth. This change in texture is interesting and for practical purposes, it does not leave chewy bits in the teeth. Almond Tuile is a nice complement to the chocolate to add the crunchiness texture and nutty flavour to it. This creation is another one of those desserts that I think deserves a special trip down to try out.

The place is of stylish interior with dark wood framing the full length windows overlooking the lush greenery outside. This is perfect for an idyllic day out for families, couples, friends. The service is very good and attentive, without my prompting, they automatically come up to clear the plates, fill up my glass with still water and even clean up the water spilled by me immediately. Extra compliments to two young service staffs: an Indian guy and a Chinese gal, I didn't get their names though. All of them are very friendly, and the dining experience here ends on a good note with the guy at door bidding farewell.

I like this restaurant a lot. In fact, I prefer this place over another one of similar concept (dining + grocer) due to the extensive menu, unique creations, the value-for-money set lunch and good service. This is a great place to recommend for gatherings and yes, even for solo outing to just enjoy nature with the good food.

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Seasonal French Burlat Cherry & Pistachio Tart with Pistachio Ice cream ($28++) 🍒 7.5/10
Well executed and yummy but nothing to shout about. The tart filling itself had a smooth consistency and the pistachio flavour was prominent in both it and the ice cream. Cherries were fresh and tart too.

Chocolate Pot ($8++) 8/10
Rich and indulgent, this one is a dark chocolate lover’s dream. 🍫

Orange & Grand Marnier Souffle ($26++) 8.5/10
This souffle for 2 is just one of the many demonstrations of Chef Patrick’s culinary skill. Look at that height! 😮 Super light and airy, soft and fluffy. ☁️

💎 Profiteroles ($24++) 9/10
Our favorite dessert of the night, the choux pastry was light and crisp. We absolutely loved the deep dark chocolate sauce and the vanilla ice cream that finished the dish.

Crab & Saffron Linguine Pasta ($38++) 8.5/10
Another seasonal special, this pasta was light on the palate and filled with chunks of crab meat. 🥰 The saffron rich sauce coated each strand of al dente pasta, this was a real treat to eat.

💎 1kg Oven Roasted Angus Beef Prime Rib ($160++) 9.5/10
The cote du boeuf came with shallots & garlic confit. We ordered ours medium rare and it was gloriously carved tableside to reveal its perfect temperature.🤭 Tender but still with some bite, this prime rib never disappoints.

💎 Beef Tartare ($45++) 9/10
One of the best tartares I’ve ever eaten, perfectly balanced with spice, acid, fat, salt and texture. A much needed redemption after our fail at LBF. Just so good. Please try. 😤

Steamed French Bouchot Mussels ($52++) 8.5/10
We had our mussels with saffron cream sauce, also an option for white wine sauce. The bouchot mussels are just in season and hence, the mussels are smaller than what they will be later on in the season. Despite the size, the mussels packed a punch in terms of its flavor and its plumpness. Will be back to try them again when they're bigger!

Pan Seared Foie Gras ($45++) 8.5/10
The foie is paired with apple puree & almond crumble. An indulgent treat with great luxurious mouthfeel, we love the crispness of the hard sear and the soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior. 🤤

🦪 ½ Dozen Normandy Oysters ‘Mermaid’ France ($38++) 8.5/10
Served with Homemade Lime Vinaigrette
A taste of the ocean! Creamy, succulent and fresh, the oysters are especially plump around this time. Now these are what good oysters look like!😍

💎 Sauteed Frog Legs ($30++) 9/10
The French and their frog legs. Perfectly pan fried, these juicy frog legs were doused in the most flavorsome garlicky parsley sauce. We mopped the sauce up with some bread after we devoured the frog legs. 🤭

Lamb Merguez Sausage ($24++) 8/10
The nicely spiced and flavourful sausage we ordered came with heirloom tomatoes salad. Thought we’d try something new here but I’d say get the toulouse sausage instead!

Oven Baked Reblochon Cheese ($40++) 8/10
This cheese dish was cooked with bacon, potatoes and onions. Indulgent and creamy, this is best shared with others and dipped with Atout’s fluffy bread that is crispy on the outside! 👌

Went with their seasonal special Christmas log cakes over tea/coffee or cheese options. We preferred the 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐤𝐞 with its dark (68%) and smooth chocolate mousse paired with fresh and light cream atop crunchy feuilletine. The 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐧𝐮𝐭 & 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐤𝐞 had distinct chestnut flavour but was a tad sweet. Felt that more pear (over the tiny middle square) would have helped add a refreshing tartness.

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