Shashlik Restaurant

I've wanted to try Shashlik Restaurant for the longest time. Since we were headed to Orchard for some shopping, the sis (younger one) and I, I suggested we try this out.

The Shashlik is a Russian restaurant and is known for its Baked Alaska. It was in danger of being closed down at one point, but it was revived with new ownership. I'm glad I had a chance to go try it out. The other thing the restaurant is known for is the impeccable old-school service by the wait staff of Hainanese "Ah Kor". We were glad to hear a smattering of Hainanese when we were in the restaurant.

We started the meal with dinner rolls and butter. The roll was warm and pillowy soft. I wish they had given us a basket of rolls, or better yet different types of bread, instead of just one each. We skipped the soups and appetizers as we were hoping to keep the cost down. The mains were not cheap and neither the Baked Alaska. It turned out to be a good choice as we were pretty full after the meal. The two mains we chose were the popular Oxtail Stew ($46) and Grilled Chicken Chop ($26). The Baked Alaska was $20 for 1-2 pax.

The pineapple in the Grill Chicken Chop was a surprising addition and reminds me of the pineapple sauce we have when we have Hainanese satay. The crispy chicken skin was another surprising addition. The mashed potatoes that the chicken sits on were made of real potatoes and not the fake mixture kind like in a fast food joint. The pickled cucumbers were a simple and refreshing side to the chicken. The oxtail stew deserves the hype it has been given. There were 2 big pieces of oxtail so it was a good thing that we were sharing the dish. They were cooked well so the meat fell off the bones. The gravy was tasty and the pieces of toast were good for soaking up every last drop of it.

The Baked Alaska was lots of fun. We ordered the smaller version and it was a good ending to a satisfying meal. The waitress was kind enough to ensure that we were ready with our cameras before she started flambé-ing the cake.

The Baked Alaska is actually an ice-cream and sponge cake covered with meringue. The flambé-ing is done typically with rum and is supposed to turn the meringue brown, but ours got a bit burnt although still edible.

Overall, the meal was as expected. The service was good and the food was excellent, albeit a little expensive. This gets 4.5 Aunty Karens.