Lunch at Gunthers Modern French Restaurant

36 Purvis Street #01-03 Singapore 188613

Tel: 9010 3075

Website: http://www.gunthers.com.sg

This is another restaurant week review, and a catching up session with another long-time-no-see friend *Dan. Gunthers French Restaurant is also another restaurant I have been wanting to visit for a while.

This sophisticated and spacious restaurant rests at swanky Purvis Street, and indulges in soft, dim lightings. The decor is inspired by Art Nouveau, complete with tasteful branded furniture, combining art with affability and modern with vintage.

We both ordered the Restaurant Week set lunches - priced at SGD$40++ per pax.

The classic baguette starter was brought to the table after we ordered. It was very crunchy, surprisingly. The butter was just right - not too salty, complimenting the bread roll perfectly.

My appetiser was the Crispy Egg with Pumpkin Coulis and Grilled Alsace Bacon. The bacon strip was tender but taste was bland.

If I had wondered what a "crispy egg" was , this was it. The trims were crispy to a certain extent. The overall flavor of the dish was light, sweet and "breakfasty" in description. To be frank, rather nondescript.

*Dan had the Gazpacho of Japanese Tomato, Burrata Cheese and Spanish Ham  for his starter. It was basically a soup - he did not like it because he likened the flavor of the soup to "cod liver oil" which was something I felt I could have appreciated more - I should have chosen this.

For my mains, I had the Roasted Carabinero Gambas with black ink rice and onion tempura. Basically, a very large deep-sea shrimp with sweet, bouncy meat served on a small bed of squid ink rice - tasty and redolent of seafood's scrumptious saccharine flavor. I had thought of skipping the onion tempuras - but it was sweet, crispy and devoid of the strong onion odor that put me off usually. I enjoyed my main - even the chewy, grainy black rice.

*Dan had for his entree, the Charcoal Grilled Wagyu Steak, medium rare, served with sweetcorn and potato wedges on the side. His verdict was very good - tender, tasty, with everything done right. Well, it did look succulent anyhow.

Dessert was Chocolate Mousse - creamy, silky and a little too sweet in my opinion. Nonetheless, it was a velvety rich delight for chocolate and dessert lovers - flowing down the throat like cream dream.  The chocolate flavor was distinctive and one could safely deduce that quality chocolate was being used.

I also had an English Breakfast tea in lieu of the usual wine or cocktail, since it was daytime and hence, a workday.

They served some Petit Fours to go with our coffee and tea, so we lingered over them while chattering away. The biscuits, fig tarts and chocolates were all good - a little hard, but delicious to nibble on over hot tea.

Overall, the food here was not bad, and the ambience was elegance in an understated manner. Service was quite efficient, I'd be back to try the usual ala carte menu for sure.