As a bistro, Vineyard at HortPark plays it safe, but maybe a little too safe. The kitchen’s decidedly European fare is mostly well executed and the effort and intent are palpable.
For a restaurant that calls itself Vineyard, with a cellar touted to house about a hundred wines from various regions, it’s baffling that a menu of wines by the glass is virtually non-existent. But while this incongruence does not sit well, we’re happy to say that the food does.
Vineyard’s menu may be decidedly European, but there’s no single voice to the cooking here. The first thing to hit the table is a dish of mackerel fish cakes with mango salad and sweet chilli sauce. Like the opening scene of a movie, it sets the theme that is to follow — simple, honest European classics, some revisited with Thai and Southeast Asian flavours. Braised Burgundy escargots with garlic herb butter arrive next, which come with their shells replaced by brown mushrooms. It tastes, appropriately enough, of the very fresh, earthy gardens that Vineyard looks out to.
Here, a traditional red tom yum goong is equally at home as a Provencal seafood bouillabaisse with saffron aioli and garlic croutons, although the latter misses the mark with its dry, mealy mussels and prawns.
Next up is a faultless duck confit, resting gently on a bed of French beans and potato mousseline — it’s as classic as French classics get, except with the addition of a few bits of crisp bacon and sundried tomatoes. There’s also a rich, comforting, but unfortunately a tad overcooked, risotto with asparagus, gilded with a slice of perfectly cooked foie gras. But because portion sizes are quite generous, that could quickly turn out to be too much of a good thing.
A dessert of sticky date pudding sees it drenched in gula Melaka, which makes for a remarkable alternative to butterscotch sauce. But a refreshing, zesty lemon lava cake quickly overshadows it. A quenelle of crème Chantilly on the side lends its airy texture and nuanced sweetness to the bright, citrusy flavours of the cake, resulting in a smoother texture and softer flavours.
As a bistro, Vineyard plays it safe, but maybe a little too safe. Ideas are mostly well executed and the effort and intent are palpable. We hope the upcoming menu revamp sees bolder approaches and flavours. And, perchance, more offerings of wines by the glass, please?
#02-02, HortPark, 33 Hyderabad Road. Tel: 6479 7977