Fancy some European fare with a bold touch of Asian influence? Bistro 793 promises the jaded diner an unconventional European meal in their brand new premise at Bukit Timah Road. The bistro is such a rebel with their menu, sporting Asian condiments like lime and ginger in the same dish as truly European delicacies like crème brulee. Witness their sheer ingenuity through the outrageous East-West fusions and well-deliberated wine pairings.

• The Vibe
  There is nothing elaborate about the interior décor; solid colours complete the clean, minimalist look without compromising on the chic factor, all thanks to the play of muted colours. Besides the mandatory minimalist shade of white, Bistro 793 adds a touch of modern luxury with black, red and brown, clothing the bistro with an unmistakable Asian influence amidst the silvery tableware and gleaming wineglasses.

• The Food
  Bistro 793 has a knack for working Asian ingredients into a Western concept. Take for instance their Ribbon of Sashimi Maguro ($15), which fuses strips of premium Japanese raw tuna with South-East Asian spices, ginger and coriander. The pretty jumble of dark pink maguro is laid atop a characteristically European frisée salad and avocado cubes tossed with a nutty soy dressing. Ginger and coriander lends the otherwise bland strips of maguro a tinge of savoury aroma, resulting in a beautiful contrast against the fresh frisée salad and refreshingly sweet avocado cubes.

  There are even more East-West surprises within the deluge of main courses available. Have a New Zealand Eye Fillet of Beef ($30) to witness another audacious fusion of typically Western beef steak with all-time local favourite, pulot hitam (black glutinous rice). I am an ardent fan of pulot hitam but pairing it with the New Zealand beef turns out less desirable as expected, despite the beef's tender texture. The grainy sweetness and fragrance of black glutinous rice was unfortunately overwhelmed by the beef and red-wine jus. It is, no doubt, a disappointment after the wonderful maguro appetizer but not to the extent of being unpalatable. Their effort in experimenting with Asian-Western fusions is indeed commendable.

  The Ravioli of Duck Rillette ($29) saved the day with an unexpectedly tasty rendition of wanton-skin ravioli. The ravioli at Bistro 793 is made of 2 pieces of Chinese wanton skin, instead of the conventional pasta dough, and is stuffed with a rillette of smoked duck breast. The only fault I noted with their ravioli is the rather sticky and fragile wanton skin. With each scoop from the mini pyramid of ravioli, the wanton skin tore and duck rillette spilled out. Thankfully, the dish had a sweetly crunchy side of wilted baby spinach in a port dressing to make up for the frustrating Pick-That-Ravioli-Up experience.

  By the time dessert rolled around, the restaurant has already earned a well-deserved repute of being one of the most creative and brazen restaurants to dabble with Asian-influenced European cuisine. Their Lime & Ginger Crème Brulee ($12) gave the final stamp of approval with its sharply flavoured crème brulee, sour chilled apple compote and sweet lychee granita, a tropical spin-off of the popular Sicilian ice dessert. The slightly warm crème brulee is an absolute delight with the icy granita, both of which are successful examples of Asian-European desserts.

• The Service
  Business is still trickling in slowly as the restaurant is barely weeks old, so patrons are guaranteed to be showered with attention. The chef emerges from his kitchen ever so often to check on his diners, gathering feedback and offering wine pairings for his dishes. One can be assured of a cozy, friendly service here at Bistro 793.

The SD Food Advisor's Take on Bistro 793
The menu may look all topsy-turvy with the Asian-European experiments but some of the dishes are truly well-crafted fusions, especially their Ravioli of Duck Rillette. Their ability to step out of the conventional boundaries is indeed good news for the local dining scene, so go on and head down to Bistro 793 to decide if you are as unconventional a diner as they are a restaurant.