Rustica (Lavendar)

One of the places that we have been hearing a lot during the week that had went into soft launch recently was Rustica; the establishment had finally went into its official opening phase on the weekend following their soft launch. For those whom might be a little bit more in the know, Rustica is an establishment that was re-branded from The Rustica Cooks; they had once been involved with a pop-up event that saw them serving up food at the now-defunct LUCID that was situated at Hamilton Road. Rustica is the first time that the folks of The Rustica Cooks having ventured into full-service operations; their premises being located at Blk 462 Crawford Lane, being neighbours with Tolido’s Espresso Nook. Rustica keeps a fairly clean look for its location at Crawford Lane; the space being decked in a fairly clean but rustic, almost cottage-style look with the use of wooden tables and white-coloured furniture and fittings — there is also some use of plants to inject a little bit of life into the space. Rustica is an establishment that prides itself as a farm-to-table concept; they have proudly listed the names of the local farms that they had sourced their produce from in the menu — all of them being farms located in Singapore with familiar names like Kim lYan Mushroom Farm and Toh Thye San, just to name a few. The menu is segregated into categories such as First Bite, Second Munch and Lastly Sweets, with a variety of Daily Bakes and Tarts and Cakes which are stocked up in their display case at the counter. Rustica also serves up a prix-fixe Express Lunch Set meant for individual diners, while beverages available at Rustica includes espresso-based specialty coffee brewed from beans roasted by Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee, tea from The 1872 Clipper Tea Company, as well as coconut water, still / sparkling water, canned drinks and beer.

The Green Blanket is one of the few items on the menu at Rustica that is being marked as a Vegetarian dish. Being an item that is listed on the “Second Munch” section of the menu which is dedicated to larger sharing plates, the menu describes the Green Blanket to come with elements such as XL Mee Hoon kueh, charred kai lan, rocket leaves pesto (the rocket leaves being sourced from Greenloop Farm at Gambas Crescent) and walnut crunch. It seems that the item got its name from how it is being plated; the XL Mee Hoon Kueh can be described as the blanket and the rocket leaves pesto can be said as the element that provides the green colour element in the namesake of the dish — the dish here seemingly being a mix of fusion elements considering how Mee Hoon Kueh is viewed as a dish of local influence, while the execution of the other elements take on a more westernised approach similar to the elements that one can find in a ravioli dish. The XL Mee Hoon Kueh seems to be folded; the texture coming with a little bit of bite but otherwise pretty slippery and smooth — not too doughy nor thick. Much of the dish’s flavour can be attributed to the rocket leaves pesto; these delivered a really umami note with a creamy texture somewhat brings all of the elements together — the walnuts giving a nutty note to cut through the umami-ness brought by the pesto and a slight crunch for some texture.
Meanwhile, the charred kai lan provided a crispness and a slight saltishness that gave the dish a bit of a flavour boost — a dish that really attempted to hit a well-rounded experience especially in terms of texture.

During our visit, we had also given the Nonya Spicy “Kuehs” a go; the item is being described on the menu to come with elements such as 100% barramundi (sourced from ACE Fish Market) and otah paste, and comes with a rather interesting aesthetic that replicates that of an Ang Ku Kueh. A rather creative presentation on first sight, the dish also answers to the preferences of how some may prefer their Otah to be; the item showcasing how it is entirely possible to serve up an Otah dish with the use of 100% fish rather than fish paste to create that flaky texture with a bite all with the familiar notes of rempah spices that runs along with it. To ensure that the barramundi sticks to the banana leaf which lines the dish at the bottom just like how Ang Ku Kueh is usually presented, a layer of what seems to be guacamole has been spread which provides some balance to the flavours of the fish itself. The Apom Berkuah is also equally worth the mention; features rice flour pancake, hot banana and coconut cream, the pancake provides a firm bite and a good vehicle to mop up all of that caramalised banana that seems to be simmered with Gula Melaka for a balanced rich, earthy and sweet note — all of that with the perfect consistency being slightly runny, while the coconut cream provided a hint of fragrance that added to the caramalised banana, ending the meal on a perfect note.

Rustica is a spot that places a lot of emphasis in their food; the dishes which they serve up feels like they have been through quite an extensive process of development — bringing the best out of the local produce that they are able to source and to bring a gastronomical experience while doing so at a decent price point. While some may note how some dishes can go upwards of $20; a little hefty for a cafe that some may call them (we would think they are more of a bistro), we did find that their creations are really all-rounded and well-executed — very worth the money that one is paying for especially considering how the more pricier items also feature a larger serving size as well. Considering so, it is needless to say that Rustica is definitely worth making the visit for — one that showcases local produce well whilst also brings western and Asian recipes into a good harmony. We do look forward to visiting Rustica again some time soon; the Laksa Puffs and Cereal Fish being items that we really look forward to trying as well as the Jambu Tart — the Jambh quite a rare element to be found at F&B establishments around the island in general, and that the tart was also unavailable during the day of our visit there. We would like to congratulate the folks behind Rustica on the opening of their new space, and wishing them all the best in what is to come!