Arterial

Having gotten bored of the typical food offerings available, I recently became more keen to explore cafes that offer something different. So when we wanted a little celebration for my friend, Arterial came to my mind. I was choosing between Arterial and another extremely popular cafe, but the other one seemed to have few well-favoured signatures. Based on other online reviews raving about the hunter's beef stew, arterial handmade wanton, and mocha cake with coffee glaze, we very quickly placed our orders for them. And I was pretty impressed by their speed of service. Our shared "pre-dessert" (what Arterial calls their mains) soon arrived to comfort my dear friend's hungry tummy. True to the description Arterial had on her menu, the beef and tripe were tender, while the accompanying crusty bread was fragrantly crispy and light. My friend does not usually visit cafes, but she commented that she will return for this stew. I loved how flavourful the wanton was, both the meat within and with the house-made balsamic vinaigrette, which added a different layer of umami to the smooth wanton skin. If you are sort who would ask for extra extra vinegar (note the repeat is not a typo) in your bakchormee (which I do), you might be a little disappointed that the vinaigrette base was not as sour as you would typically want it. Nevertheless, I savoured every bite of each wanton with extra sauce. Eighty percent through our first 2 dishes, I asked my friend if she wanted another dish before we had our cake, and we decided on the chicken wing fries. Do not be misled by the mention of "fries" in the name. As clearly described in the menu, these are 14 chicken wing midjoints, not starchy fries. Being someone who doesn't really fancy deep-fried food, this is one dish that I would sacrifice my health-consciousness for. I remember these tasty winglets from my first visit here when the cafe first started and was still firming up their menu, and this time it felt just as exquisitely freshly fried as it did then. I always prefer sharing my food with others, and the servings at Arterial meet exactly this criteria, with multiple pieces for each dish, delightfully ready for you and your friends to each take a piece without having to perform the division yourself. The mocha cake with coffee glaze will please any chocolate lover, with the luxe valrhona chocolate deeply infusing your senses as you chew each bite. I could not really identify the espresso though it might have caused my waking up at 4 am the next day :s Many cakes these days are either too sweet or too dense, but I like how rich this one tasted without being all that sinful, maybe 78% sinful :P Arterial offers craft beers to satisfy the desires of some who enjoy alcohol-destress too. If you are looking for a quiet chillout near the MRT station, this would be one! (They open from 11:00 to 22:00 though)