Dinner at Fika Swedish Cafe & Bistro

Fika Swedish Cafe & Bistro should be relatively new; having passed by it a few times, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to succumb. See, I enjoy trying different cuisines, and so far have not had the chance to get a taste of Swedish food. I wondered about the authenticity and quality as well, but reviews from a couple of personal friends made me cave in, and okay, Fika, shall be my next dining destination then.

Located at a rather distinctive spot near Bugis Junction, Fika's exact address is 258 Beach Road, Singapore 199539. The number to punch is 6396 9096.

The stark whiteness of the restaurant stood out amongst the darker stretch at night like a beacon in the dimness (the entire stretch is filled with pubs and smaller cafes / restaurants). Pushing open the door I was rather surprised at the simple elegance of the place- I was expecting it to be rather tacky for some reason. There were mock-candle chandeliers and tasteful paintings adorning the walls, and a mirrored panel that I appreciated.

The wait staff were not very attentive though, so it took us some time to get their attention.

Charmaine* had the Aloe Vera Addiction tea and I had the Swedish Strawberry Cream tea to start with, on this cool night. It was going to be lovely night of girly catching up, so some lovely hot tea was rather befitting. My tea was a tad sour though. Charmaine's* tea was gently sweet and soothing.

I was debating between two items when I was browing the menu - the Swedish meatballs and Pannbiff - heard that these two were "must-trys" for Swedish fare. 

Eventually I settled for the latter - Pannbiff, which meant Swedish homemade beef patties served with homemade cream sauce, mashed potatoes, sauteed onions and lingonberry jam. The portion was larger than I had expected, so I did not manage to finish. Don't be mistaken- the taste was good. The beef patties were tender enough, and fabulously flavored. I let the flavors play around on my tongue - the raw taste of good minced beef and sweetish complement of the lingonberry sauce. My only complaints were the few pieces of fatty meats in the patties, and even though I requested for "no onions" , I found onions, still.

Charmaine* had the Seafood Pasta, which came with very generous portions of seafood - mussels, squids, Tiger prawns and dory fish slices, in tomato base. The pasta itself was very well-cooked, just the right amount of springy-ness. The flavor was not heavy at all, unlike some tomato-based pasta I'd tried before (too strong and sour) - this was done nicely with hints of tomato sauce, just enough to touch base with the ingredients in the pasta dish, but not obliterating their natural flavors. Tasty!

We managed to squeeze in dessert of Swedish Pancakes that were served with fresh strawberries, fresh cream, jam, chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. The "pancakes" were thin and lightly-sweetish, in fact they tasted very much like crepes. Nonetheless, they were good so we finished every bite.

It was, overall, a rather satisfying dinner. The ambience is perfect for an evening out with friends or loved ones, enjoying a simple but exotic cuisine devoid of fuss. The damage was about SGD$40.00 per person.