Rogues Bar & Bistro

Managed to book myself in for a special dessert tasting session at Rogues one weekday evening all thanks to its pastry chef, Gerard. During my previous visit to Rogues when it first opened a year and a half back, only lunch was served and come nightfall, the place transformed into a watering hole. However I'm pleased to note that such an arrangement has since changed and Rogues now serves food in the evening as well. The interior was as I remembered it, opulent with plush sofas and floor to ceiling windows. A nice place to chill out after a day's work if I may say.

Starter - Warm Granny Smith Crumble, Chilled Cream of Mango Sago, Lychee Air, Cranberry Reduction - I liked the apple crumble quite a bit. Very crusty without being too hard or too sweet and filled with cubes of delicious Granny Smith apples. I didn't quite appreciate the lychee air though, tasteless and probably present solely for aesthetic purposes. Most places do a very thick rendition of the cream of mango sago so it came as a mild surprise that this one was relatively smooth and a little runny, harbouring a tinge of sweetness within. However it will still render you nauseous if you take too much of it. Hence the shot glass serving.

Entree - Satin Pistachio Praline Mousse, Home Made Zabayone Gelato, Liquorise Orange Candy Shot, Summer Berry Coulis - I've never really been a fan of pistachio so the praline mousse didn't exactly wow me although I must admit that it was quite good. Creamily smooth with a heart of crunchy pistachio which had a texture similar to biscuit wafer. Alcoholics would like the Liquorise Orange Candy but personally, I found the alcohol taste in the jelly too strong for my liking. The zabayone gelato was a little tiny but rather pleasing with a sweet undertone. Just for the record, zabayone is a custard made by whipping egg whites with muscato and finishing it with a little cointreau.

Curtains - Warm Cuban Chocolate Cake, Heart of Hot Hazelnut Lava, Home Made Chocolate Mint Gelato, Hazelnut Truffle - Interestingly, Cuban chocolate was used to make the cake. Not that I could taste any difference from the usual valrhona ones though. The crust was a tad too dry but I liked the hazelnut lava, which came across as savoury instead of sweet - a deviation from the norm. The mint gelato came served in a nice cubic glass and wasn't too strong on the mint taste. Appetising yet reserved. Not too shabby and that's coming from someone who has a moderate dislike for mint. The hazelnut truffle came served atop a shot glass of sesame seeds with a slice of hardened candy acting as a divider. Honestly, the truffle looked and tasted like a piece of Ferraro Rocher chocolate, which was obviously nothing too spectacular.

In case you were wondering. No, the dessert tasting wasn't free. It came at a price. $50 for 2 pax to be exact, which might seem a tad too expensive for only 3 desserts and a drink. However I must point out that the desserts are of reasonably good quality and do not feature on the menu, which in some way, gives it a novelty status.

ps: I'm still thinking of the Chocolate Paradise I had during my first visit.

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