Was excited to check out Brasserie Astoria when I first came across it online. Concepted by Frantzén Group who is also the team behind Restaurant Zen, Brasserie Astoria speaks grandeur with flambé trolleys, dessert carts and dark finishing. In short, the restaurant was just beautiful

And I thought the location of it at Victoria Concert Hall was just fitting

The restaurant was packed but yet there was still space and room for intimate conversations. There was even a private gathering going on with drinks at the bar, followed by a proper dinner at their terrace seating

Oh, valet parking is available too

I started with a glass, cos #signsofageing

I found out the colleague had visited here recently and I asked for recommendations. She told me to come here for the bread and desserts. And I was fairly amused

Garlic bread à la Astoria $10

Sourdough Baguette, Browned Butter, Shiro Miso, Parmesan, Yuzu, Roasted Garlic & Herbs

I listened. The garlic bread was different, yet tasty. You could taste the slight sourness of the sourdough, the softness of the baguette, and the fragrance of the herbs and butter

Toast Astoria $32

Prawns, Norwegian King Crab, Trout Roe & Ikura, Butter Fried Toast, Wasabi Aioli & Pickled Red Onion

More bread. This was really good. My eyes lit up when I took a bite of it. I loved the sweetness of the crab and prawns with a slight saltiness of the roe alongside a buttery toast. I thought, this was even better than the garlic bread

Buri Carpaccio $23

Astoria Hot Sauce, Vendace Roe, Lemon Smetana, Dashi Vinaigrette & Sago Chips

The staff recommended the carpaccio which was served with some chips that reminded me of a lighter version of keropok. I liked you could taste the freshness of the fish that was balanced well with the vinaigrette and finished off with some crispness of the chips. It was surprisingly delicious

Linguine a la Astoria $56

Clams, Bafun Uni, Fine Herbs, Parmesan & Melted Garlic

I thought it was smart to place the uni on the clams so when you eat it both together, you could taste the umami of the clams and the sweetness of the uni. Mixed it with some linguine and the flavours worked wonderfully. The cousin thought the linguine was a little on the sour side but I thought the overall favour was pretty good

Grilled Spring Chicken Buffalo Style (Serves 2) $90

Macaroni Pudding, Corn Velouté, Astoria Hot Sauce, Salad Verte with Yuzunette & Grilled Lemon

Cos the colleague also recommended the chicken. The cousin really liked it that she ate this non-stop. I thought the chicken was decent and well-exectuted

What impressed me was this macaroni pudding. It was something I had not tasted before. You need to give this a try

Moules à la Crème $42

Mussel Beurre Blanc, Jalapeño Aioli, Spring Onion oil & Pommes Frites

Cos we spied the next table having this and we wanted to give this a try. I liked their version of Beurre Blanc that was a little creamy with a slight touch of acidity. It was good

Though we definitely couldn’t’ finish this bowl of fries

We were so full, we couldn’t even have desserts. Well, I guess that gave me an excuse to go back again. lol

The cuisine was familiar yet somewhat different. It was classic brasserie fare, yet with a touch of Nordic influences. We did have a good time here, so much that the cousin already planned the next visit. If you don’t want to fork out an arm and a leg to dine at restaurant Zen, perhaps you could give this place a try. It’s definitely a place you could impress your companion with its service, ambience and cuisine 

Brasserie Astoria

11 Empress Place, Singapore 179558