Mingles La Brassarie

Located at the rejuvenated Big Splash next to the likes of Starbucks, Old Town White coffee, Carl's Junior and 1twentysix, Mingles has somehow managed to differentiate itself from being overly casual nor being hinged on the fine dining bandwagon. What you do get, is a no frills dining area with a cosy atmosphere, excellent service and also value for money.

Location: 902 East Coast Parkway #01-11/12 Playground @ Big Splash

Contact: 63463055

Price Range: $25-30 per head (Lunch)

A fine sunny day

Executive lunch offers and wine promotions

Interiors

Interiors again

The interiors were well lit by the afternoon sun and strategically placed lighting for a cosy and appealing atmosphere. Air conditioning was optimal as it kept the heat out but didn't cool the food too quickly. Seating capacity looked to be somewhere between 50 to 60 people on cushioned chairs with a strong wooden back.

Pumpkin Soup

We ordered the set meal which basically consisted of a soup, a main course, ice cream and a choice of coffee, tea or soft drink. The cream of pumpkin soup came first and it tasted surprising to me. First of all, its sweet and creamy as pumpkin soup goes but there's also a rather strange hint of indian curry spices in the soup. As it turns out, it tastes like a cross between indian curry and pumpkin soup which is not unpleasant to me but too sweet for FZ.

Crispy Salmon with Couscous ($23.90)

The salmon came atop a bed of couscous which is basically coarsely ground wheat coated in wheat flour and steamed before serving. The salmon itself is well prepared and pan fried till its skin is fragrant and crispy. Its also worth noting that there is minimal fishy taste which is common in salmon as a whole while the meat was sweet with a rather nice layer of fats and juices left behind. Paired with sweet and slightly sourish mango sabayon and the salmon is a light treat for all lunch goers. The zucchini is basically done via steaming but has retained its crunchy nature for good chewy texture while lacking much taste. Overall, i'd still say the salmon was a good dish.

Crispy Chicken With Yogurt ($19.90)

FZ's order was the pan seared crispy chicken with mashed potatoes, cilantro yogurt and fennel salad. I didn't get to try the chicken so i'll just leave you with the picture with the closing comments that FZ did not finish the dish as he said the yogurt and mashed potato combination did not suit his tastes. The chicken he did finish however but he said it was average.

Lime Sorbet with Chocolate Indulgence

My ice cream was the lime sorbet and the chocolate indulgence ice cream. The lime sorbet was extremely sour, to the point that i had to cringe with each taste. The chocolate indulgence was pretty good and had a good balance of bitterness and sweetness in its creamy texture. Incidentally, they were using New Zealand ice cream here as well. Which is leagues better then the ones served on my visit to Miss U cafe.

Strawberry + Cookies and Cream Ice cream

I didn't get to try this as well but it was all finished by the end of the conversation so i'll take it that is was acceptable at least.

Bill

Total bill for 2 people came up to $48.18 for a 3 course lunch. And there was no gst involved at all! Always a plus in my books.

Overall Score: 7/10

Last Word:
Good service accompanied by a laid back atmosphere and a quiet indulging lunch definitely gives me strength to continue my journey foward in my work. The one thing about this place is that for a rather budget price during lunch, the food is surprisingly good (to me at least). I honestly wouldn't mind returning for lunch again sometime. A good place to visit.