Praelum Wine Bistro

This new place has a Enoteca wine machine that allows the wine to keep fresh for a longer period of time.

Enoteca Wine Machine

We were given a card upon arrival to use this machine. Using the card, we could chose different wines  in amounts 25ml, 75ml and 150ml and be billed for it. However, it was quite expensive so we ended up ordering a bottle of Pinot Noir from Burgundy instead. The bottle was about $90.

The wine was recommended by the sommelier.  We requested for a wine that was between $50-$100 to drink. All of us have different wine palates but settled for the Pinot Noir.

The Pinot Noir tasted of dry leaves and sour cherries on first taste. It was drinkable but not complex. We left it out for a few minutes more to see if it would evolve. Leaving it out did not improve its complexity, instead it actually dulled the wine. This is really disappointing for a wine recommended by the sommelier.

The food was extremely ordinary.

Pizza with shrimp, squid and tamarind sauce

 I like the pizza at Magma better. This wasn't bad though

Brie covered with nuts and garlic

I liked this. The garlic was tasty with the brie.

Mushroom with blue cheese

The blue cheese was far too strong for me. A friend of mine who does not like blue cheese kept covering her nose. I think the smell is pungent even for blue cheese.

Foie Gras with pineapple and candied walnut

This is in my opinion wrong. Foie Gras is prized for its rich texture that melts in the mouth. The pineapple breaksdown that richness and defeats the purpose of having foie gras.

Scallops

This is just cooked scallops to me...

Fried Chicken

This was ok but not for the price. My husband said that it reminded him of Old Chang Kee.

Gnocchi with seafood about $24

The gnocchi was ok but it lacked the spring. Also, the sauce tasted Asian and didn't go well with the gnocchi. I think the pieces of capsicum reminded me of a stir fry. Also, presentation was messy and we eat with our eyes. The pieces of bread were a bit redundant.

Steak with Bearnaise Sauce about $30

The steak may have looked pink but it was dry. The juices have run out of the steak as it was not well rested. Also, the steak was tasteless. I have to give credit to the manager who asked us for feedback. 4 people on our table had steak and all said it was tasteless. I said maybe it was the supplier and the cooking method. The manager said it was NZ angus beef. Can I say that even Macdonalds has Angus beef. This is a very common breed and does not ensure quality. For beef, it is as important to know how the cow is bred- What does the cow eat, is it grain or grass, is the beef aged. Breed does matter but it is not the sole element to good meat.

The manager apologised for the food and gave us a 10% discount for the beef. 

Service here is good and attentive. Even though I did not like the wine recommended by the sommelier, he spent time asking about our needs and explaining the wine. This is much better than most places in Singapore. However, the quality of food and wine is not good enough for me to come back. Well, perhaps if I just want a small drink pre dinner.

Website: http://praelum.com.sg/?page_id=2

Location: 4 Duxton Hill

Pricing: We spent about $75 per person (1 bottle of wine, 7 appeitizers, 6 mains)

Contact Number: 62385287