Merle & Co

Much has been said about the opening of Lentor Modern mall that is situated just right above Exit 1 of Lentor MRT Station along the Thomson-East Coast Line as well as the many new eateries that had opened its doors within the mall — Merle & Co is one of the new names that has appeared in the local F&B scene with the opening of Lentor Modern. Situated around the perimeters of the mall, Merle & Co is accessible only from the outside of the mall and can be found beside the outlet of Tim Horton’s there. Two (2) things noteworthy about Merle & Co would be how the cafe is a pet-friendly one where pets can be brought within its premises with a section of the menu being entirely dedicated to pets; the establishment also serves up an entirely plant-based menu as well. The menu at Merle & Co is segregated into categories dedicated to Morning Bowls, Bisques, All Day Brunch, Mains, Fresh Pasta, 10” Handstretched Pizzas, Small Plates and Desserts.

The Brown Butter Butternut from the Fresh Pasta section of the menu had caught our attention fairly early on whilst skimming through the menu at Merle & Co considering how we had always like such a combination of elements especially for filled pasta — that being said, the Brown Butter Butternut at Merle & Co is served with a choice of either Rigatonj or Fettuccine only, which we opted for the former. The dish did look somewhat back and plain on first sight with a rather basic aesthetic which didn’t quite set the initial impression right, though we were glad that it was a hit with our tastebuds. It does seem that the Rigatoni for the Brown Butter Butternut was actually “pan-fried” a little with the brown butter after being cooked using the conventional methods — whilst it comes with an al-dente consistency, there was a also a little bit of toasty crisp on the pasta itself; al that whilst coming with an evident fragrance coming from the brown butter itself. The added sage does provide a little bit of a bite with a herb-y note that was something extra to compliment the brown butter, while the diced butternut comes with a soft texture with a bit of sweetness that rounds everything off pretty nicely.