Potatoes roasted with garlic, thyme & smoked paprika and aioli dip
I was lucky enough to score some drinking time with my friend C, and as I was around Suntec, we decided to go to Oenotheque by Wine Universe, a modern French and Swiss wine bar/restaurant. Part-owned by Mag of Mag’s Wine Kitchen on Circular Road, I had the pleasure of attending their opening in 2009, and D and I have eaten there a few times, but it has been a while since I’ve been, so it was good to know that it’s still as stellar as I remembered it to be.
We started with an Alsace Pinot Gris which was suspiciously rosé coloured and came in a frosted riesling bottle – which screamed sweet and sticky to us, but it was a lovely refreshingly light and crisp wine that went down a treat in the heat of the evening. We then moved on to a Pinot Blanc, although I have to admit that by that stage I didn’t pay much attention to the label or where it was from 🙂
We ordered from the snack menu (although it’s referred to as tapas menu, which I thought confusing as to the type of cuisine you get there) and all the recommendations from the friendly staff made C and I ‘exclaim’ a lot about just how yummy they were.
The three dishes we snacked on were potatoes roasted with garlic, thyme and smoked paprika that was served with a mild aioli dip, parma-ham wrapped asparagus and enoki, and tiger prawns baked with spinach and raclette cheese.
Unfortunately the photos that I took from my iPhone in the dim lighting didn’t do the food any justice at all, which is a shame, because the asparagus and prawns were both outstanding. Asparagus, mushrooms and ham are a great combination and they were cooked to perfect crunchiness (for the asparagus), squishy juiciness (for the enoki) and salty crispiness (for the parma-ham). The prawns were served four on a plate with spinach, and with four squares of raclette cheese grilled on top (so that the plate was searingly hot). The melted cheese made them look almost like translucent ravioli on the plate and the delicate flavours of the spinach and prawns complemented the strong raclette cheese.
Wine Universe is located at Millenia Walk, and although it’s a large restaurant on a corner, it’s understated decor means it’s easy to miss – although I am sure it gets tons of business from the Suntec area. Which is fab because we want it to stick around for as long as Mag’s !
Oneotheque byWine Universe
9 Raffles Boulevard #01-109, Millenia Walk
Tel: 63380717