Oosh

 

My next lunch appointment was at Oosh. I love this name – very memorable sound. This stylish resto-bar and lounge is at Dempsey hill and comprises of several sections and enclaves, each has a theme and character of its own and you can blend into any of it. Oosh is housed in an old huge building and therefore has a lovely courtyard, lush tropical garden and a wonderful man-made waterfall. It is modern, yet has that rustic charm. A lot of thought has gone into the architecture, design, and décor, it is really very well coordinated. Since we went during lunch time, I felt it was a waste as during dinner I am sure it would be become a nightlife hub with lively music and people and I am sure it is a romantic place for couples to dine as there are some private huts that render some pleasant intimacy.

 

Oosh’s head chef is Chef Zulkarnaini Dahlan who has undergone training by 2 Michelin Starred Chefs - Eric Guilbert from La Tour d' Argent and Gilles Marx from Taillevent, Paris. He brings with him his unpretentious savories, delicious yet easy on the pocket that makes you wonder. There is also an in-house dessert and pastry chef.

 

We started with a selection of rolls served with home-made herb butter. It was so nice we had to ask for more. For appetizers we had Seared Frog Legs – seared live frog legs in garlic butter on bed of fennel and onion ragout and finished with parsley shampoo. It was well marinated and tender and tasted like chicken pieces spread with garlic butter! The Tomato & Beetroot Salad – Roma tomatoes and beetroot tossed with honey lemon vinaigrette and goma shoyu dressing and topped with Mesclun salad and enoki tempura, sprinkled with Nanami Togarashi was interesting as it had fried tempura to give the balance in texture. The honey lemon vinaigrette got rid of the natural earthy taste of the beetroot.

 

 

 

The grilled Norwegian salmon with pomme sarladaise, apple compote and dill sauce was interestingly rich especially the pomme sarladaise. The apple compote helped balance the rich flavor. The chef did an excellent job with the salmon which remained soft and juicy despite being grilled. The Grilled Tenderloin – about 180 g of grilled Australia tenderloin with steamed asaparagus, mashed potato and Cajun marination was tender and simple. We also tried the Scallops risotto. The medium sized scallops were seared in XO sauce and perfectly cooked. However, the taste of the risotto was not appealing to me. One of Oosh’s best sellers is the barbecued pork ribs. And we all knew why as soon as we had a taste of the superb almost melt in the mouth, finger licking good pork ribs!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dessert, we tried the Granny Smith Apple Panacotta – light panacotta with apple flavor served with crème anglaise and chocolate cigar. There are few things better than a good apple eaten out of hand whether the flesh is mild and sweet or tart and winey, when you bite into it, a fresh-picked apple will make a crisp cracking sound and you'll get a spurt of juice. The panacotta at Oosh gave me a similar feeling except that the apple was diced and was still crunchy in the pannacotta.

 

The Banana soufflé took about 20 minutes to make but became an anti-climax. I like how the soufflé looked - very cute, fluffy, and pretty but the taste was not appealing to me. Perhaps the banana was not the right type. I liked the crusty exterior though.

 

On the whole, I would go back to Oosh with friends to have drinks and finger foods. The ambience is simply great for a laid back evening.