A SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS WEBSITE
by Cheryl Lim
Singapore, January 30, 2011
Bobby’s @ Cuppage Terrace
25 - 27 Cuppage Road
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MATURE foodies would remember Bobby Rubino’s.
Along with other eateries of its time, it kept a former convent humming and the crowds streaming in after the building was transformed into a food and beverage lifestyle hub known as Chijmes in 1996.
Popular for its baby back ribs, Bobby Rubino’s quickly became popular, thanks to its hearty American fare.
In 2006, the restaurant found itself new owners, who went on to drop “Rubino’s” in favour of just “Bobby’s”.
Apart from the Chijmes outlet, another outlet at Cuppage Terrace opened in April 2008.
The menu was revised last November but the food still remains largely American-diner influenced.
The original owners were inspired by similar restaurants in London.
The chief operating officer of Bobby’s, Mr Murugan Kumar, 34, said: “Our desire at Bobby’s is to bring an experience you might find in an American restaurant, complete with a selection of wines and beer on tap.
“We want our customers to enjoy hearty American cuisine in a very comfortable environment and at friendly prices.”
What we liked
Bobby’s sampler ($28), a combination of appetisers including stuffed jalapeno peppers and onion rings, was a good preview of things to come.
The onion rings were crispy and the accompanying blue cheese sauce was “delicious”, said Dr Lim.
Everyone agreed that the prawn and bacon aglio olio pasta ($24) was a good rendition of an old favourite, mainly because it was cooked al dente.
This means the pasta retains a certain level of firmness and isn’t overcooked.
The panel also enjoyed Bobby’s signature pork ribs ($38), praising the aromatic BBQ sauce that was slathered over the baby back ribs, and how the meat “peeled off the bones”, pointed out Ms Khoo.
Dr Lim added that the ribs were “tender” and “not too sweet”.
Both Dr Lim and Ms Khoo praised the gravy accompanying the ribs to be “just right and not too salty”.
The chargrilled tenderloin ($39) also got the thumbs up from Dr Lim, who said it was served at “just the right temperature”. He enjoyed both the choices of mushroom sauce and red wine sauce.
The doneness was also right for our panel, who asked for medium.
Both the desserts sampled fared fairly well, even though I felt they weren’t outstanding.
The apple crumble ($12.50), which is served with a scoop of either chocolate or vanilla ice cream, is a tried-and-tested mainstay in menus here and Ms Khoo found it had “crunch and hardness”.
Chocolate volcano ($13), a home-made brownie served with vanilla ice cream on the side on a massive pile of chocolate mousse, also drew raves.
“Good presentation,” commented Ms Khoo.
Although the brownie “wasn’t gooey enough”, the dessert redeemed itself with the rich ice cream and accompanying whipped cream, said Dr Lim.
The panel also pointed out that the menu has an extensive list of cocktails that includes mojitos, caipirinhas and martinis.
What we didn’t
Although it wasn’t dismal, the chicken caesar salad ($18) with romaine lettuce, bacon bits and parmesan cheese was voted as the most disappointing dish.
Ms Quek suggested that the dressing could be more flavourful.
The baked miso cod ($36), which was marinated with a home-made miso paste, was served with sides of snow peas and potatoes. The panel felt that although the texture was just right, the cod was a bit salty.
Table For 4 dined at the invitation of the restaurant.
THE PANEL
DR MICHAEL LIM, LATE 40S, DENTIST
CALLIE QUEK, 44, PROPERTY SALESPERSON
KHOO AI KIM, 53, PIANO TEACHER
Bobby’s @ Cuppage Terrace
25 - 27 Cuppage Road
Cuppage Terrace
Singapore 229454
See more pictures of Bobby's @ Cuppage Terrace dishes
