Artichoke

We visited “Artichoke” for brunch today and were seriously bowled over by their recently-launched pizzas.
I am a fan of Neapolitan-style pizzas (go watch David Chang’s “Ugly Delicious” on Netflix if you wanna learn more about them) and Chef-owner Bjorn Shen has done a lot of R&D to come up with a version he is happy with.
Measuring between 9 and 11 inches across, it is made with dough that has undergone slow fermentation for 96 hours. As with the classic, it is then baked at 500 degrees for less than 90 seconds to achieve that addictive smoky chewiness. By the way, don’t worry about the random black spots - they are the charred marks of a properly done Neapolitan style pizza and they actually contribute to the overall deliciousness.
Instead of simply smothering the base with cheese and typical toppings, trust Bjorn to get creative in this department. And judging from the three types of pizzas we ate, it’s definitely not a case of concept superseding taste. We found them ranging from good to fantastic with the “fantastic” title going to the “Chinatown Special” pictured above.
We think it’s ingenious of him to take the signature slab of bacon chop “Artichoke” is famous for, cut it into chunks, marinate those with a kickass Sichuan/Szechuan seasoning before throwing them on the base with eggplant, mozzarella, parmesan. A good shake of sesame seeds completes this ensemble.

If you wake up famished on a weekend and are ready to surrender to some audacious flavours, the “Bacon & Crab Toas” here could just be the very thing you need.
It is a textbook case of not knowing when to say “when” but hey, I don’t see a problem here, do you?
Not only does the rye sourdough sandwich come with a titillating spiced crab pate but the other LEGO bricks of this over-the-top creation are a beautiful sunny-side-up egg and an entire slab of Artichoke’s signature maple-glazed bacon chop. Oh, and I read in the menu that there’s nori harissa and red cabbage included as well.

Bacon and crab toast - maple glazed bacon chop, spiced crab pate, fried egg, nori harissa a s red cabbage. I cannot express how much I love the maple bacon chops at Artichoke, and to have that on a piece of toast with some amazing spiced crab pate is just heaven. This place never disappoints. #burpple #artichokesg

This is an evolution of a creation by Chef Jolene at one of Artichoke's "Young Guns Brunch Takeover" event that took place many months ago. It's all "grown up" now to become a streamlined, elegant thing but still packing that in-your-face flavour combination.
Renamed the "Bacon & Crab Sandwich", this has a slab of the infamous Artichoke maple-glazed bacon and a heap of spicily-seasoned crab pate on a slice of rye sourdough. Bonding these smoky-sweet and savoury elements nicely together are a sunny-side-up fried egg, some refreshing, crunchy cabbage and a fusion form of harissa (which is a Tunisian chilli pepper paste).
If you are seeking something bold for your weekend brunch, this sandwich should do the trick.

Maple glazed bacon chop FTW. wouldn't have it any other way. #artichokesg #burpple

.
|
One last post for from our last Saturday brunch. Maple glazed in house smoked bacon. Need I explain more??? 😋😋😋

If one is having brunch at Artichoke with a predominantly carnivorous crowd, never ever miss this dish. Available as an extra, it's a slab of thickly sliced meat that carries a ham-like texture and flavour glazed in maple syrup — perfect ratio of saltiness to sweetness. It's not part of any main, but I would go to say that it's just as, or even more satisfying than any main especially if you are a meat-lover!

Thick slices of maple glazed bacon chops, with roasted pumpkin, a poached egg and dusted with pistachio dukka. It is my personal opinion that scrambled eggs would complete this dish much better than a poached egg - I tried that combination once because they ran out of poached eggs for the day so I speak from experience. Go get your fix this weekend at @artichoke_sg!

#burpple #artichokesg

The selection of brunch items are rather limited to two small handfuls, but catering to everyone's liking and keeping it simple at the same time. This is definitely not the usual sight of bacon cuts, having on with maple glazed and accompanied with poached eggs, pickled red cabbage, roasted pumpkin & pistachio dukka.

Given its name, hands down to @artichoke_sg for this satisfying meal we had last weekend!

#burpple #artichokecafe #artichokesg #bacon #weekendbrunch #cafehoppingsg #cafehopping #sgcafe #instafoodsg