Cured Salmon Tartare The now-defunct House of AnLi Bistro is probably a name that may sound pretty familiar to those who have been following the ins and outs of the F&B scene over the years — tucked within House of AnLi; a store retailing furniture and homeware located on the third level of Tanglin Mall, the folks had since expanded and also brought us yet another F&B concept named Pano Kato Grill, Pizza and Deli on the second level of Tanglin Mall, which also shared a space within a House of AnLi store. The folks had recently shut House of AnLi Bistro for a while — the space belonging to the F&B concept had since been spruced up recently and is now re-branded as La Veranda instead. With the change in branding, there are a few notable in the interior of the dining establishment as well — whilst featuring a more black-and-white theme in the past, the interior of La Veranda features a big use of green elements; green furniture and fittings alongside wallpapers with motifs of greenery now take its place within the space; all that with loads of real and faux greenery in different corners of the establishment to bring it closer to nature. The layout of the interior largely still stays the same however; where the tables are placed and the counters are stays pretty much the same, though there is a end table being placed near the entrance that displays the cakes available for the day. The menu is split across sections dedicated to Breakfast (available daily from 9:00am to 12 noon), Entrees, Sandwiches & Burgers, Salads, Mains and Dessert, while the beverages listed includes specialty and dessert coffee brewed using beans roasted by Allpress Espresso, tea sourced from Mariage Frères from France, milkshakes, slow-pressed fresh juices, kombucha, fizzes and canned beverages, whilst also offering alcoholic options like wines, bubbles and cocktails as well.
There are several items listed on the menu at La Veranda that are seemingly items that were carried over from the menu of House of AnLi Bistro previously — this would include their Bouchot Mussles and Mimi’s Waffle; just to name a few. Seemingly one of the items that are newly-introduced as part of the launch of La Veranda, the Cured Salmon Tartare is said in the menu to feature elements such as salmon cured with orange blossom and gin, whilst being topped with wasabi mayonnaise, lemon pops, vegan wasabi caviar and a light citrus yuzu ponzu. Being an item listed on the entrees menu, the portion size of the Cured Salmon Tartare would be suitable for individuals whom are looking for a light bite without the carbs; somewhat of a salad if one may put it that way. Going through the many elements in the dish, one could easily tell the direction they were heading with this one — a dish that seemingly attempts to hit the different senses if terms of texture, one would get that slight chew from the cubes of cured salmon, while there are multiple elements here such as the lemon pops and vegan wasabi caviar that bursts of flavour as one chews upon them; the wasabi mayonnaise attempts to gel everything together with its creamy texture while the different vegetables helped to provide some form of crunch. They have also include nibs of charcoal salt at the bottom of the plate for a crisp texture as one chews on them; pretty much a party-in-the-mouth in terms of texture. Flavour-wise, it does seem that the elements that they decided for the dish would be to add a refreshing citrus-y note that compliments and cuts through the inherent flavours of the cured salmon — a classic move; all that whilst giving a bit of a hint of wasabi that runs in the back of the tongue for a refreshing note without being overwhelming, while the salt just gives it an extra “oomph” on the top.
House of AnLi Bistro had been pretty known for its slightly pricey point in the past, and it is no surprise that the prices for the food here at La Veranda can be said as pretty steep — while the breakfast items generally range between $16 to $36 before prevailing charges, the mains, sandwiches and burgers can vary a little with most of them falling between $22 to $48; leans closer to the bistro category which they are also somewhat in. That being said, much like its days as House of AnLi Bistro, the patrons of La Veranda does seem to be generally made up of the expat community — those whom also seem to be living around the immediate vicinity so it probably does not quite matter. We really liked how the environment is still pretty relaxed — something which we recall from their House of AnLi Bistro days; still a spot that definitely feels out of Singapore despite being in Singapore, all that while the service staff do take note of some intricacies right from the start and willing to engage into conversations so as to allow the patron to make informed choices on their order. Perhaps this is the exact reason why House of AnLi Bistro remains as a popular location with the expats despite its price point — that sort of level of attention to detail and hospitality that brings them apart from the usual cafe elsewhere. A spot that is likely to attract folks for its pretty environment and beautiful plates (of food), La Veranda is probably somewhere that we would splurge a little on cakes and coffee if we are looking for a relaxing spot unlike any other in Singapore away from the main shopping belt of Orchard Road whilst in town.
