Sketches Brasserie

I always wondered why some cafes choose to call themselves "brasseries". After all, that word kind of conjures up something else in my mind. Later on, I realise that the word "brasserie" is French for "brewery" or "a type of restaurant with a relaxed, upscale setting, which serves single dishes and other meals." It can have service staff and printed menus, opens every day of the week and serves the same menu all day.

We were at Sketches Brasserie next to Hotel Intercontinental last Saturday. The last time I was there was a few years back when I had a gathering with some former co-workers. I remember the pizza was pretty good.

However, this time round, I was not happy with their service. The service staff seems quite confused over the menu. Perhaps because the menu is hand-written, and one has to state the preference on what kind of pasta we like.

The standard of the food has dropped a lot too. The pasta is tasteless, the soup is normal Campbells soup, and the garlic bread is not well-toasted. The interior decoration is cosy with a nice ambience, but it is hard to look beyond physical appearance when the food is not up to par.

In short, I would rate it only one out of five for food, three for ambience, and one for price (it is not that expensive, but not worth the price for the kind of food!) This is one place I am not going back if I can help it!

Interior of the restaurant

The bar counter

The table setting
(I kind of like the wooden table, gives a rather quaint feel)

The menu (see how confusing the menu can get?)

The garlic bread

Mushroom soup

My spaghetti with onions, bolognaise sauce and bacon

His spaghetti with mushrooms, bacon and ham

There was actually some confusion over his order. He does not eat onions and he wants mushrooms, but when my spaghetti came, his came with the same ingredients. Turned out the poor girl was confused over our orders in the menu slip.

So we had to explain that this plate consisted of mushrooms, bacon, ham, bolognaise sauce and NO onions. But at least she was kind enough to bring it back and the chef gave us a new order. Hence three stars for service!

Dessert - Creme Brulee with tea

This was the worst creme brulee I have ever tasted! Firstly, the texture was so hard that I could hardly put my spoon in! Creme brulee may look hard on the outside, but once you dip your spoon inside, the texture is as soft as custard. The hardness is only the top layer, where the sugar coating is. Creme brulee should best be eaten in an authentic French restaurant!