{wearing: dress from Bugis, skirt from southaven, heels from people are people}
As if dressing up for a date isn’t hard enough, imagine it’s your anniversary and your boyfriend has seen pretty much your entire wardrobe coz you’ve spent literally 340 out of the 365 days together in the past year. How to impress your date, huh?! Hahaha! If you can’t shop for a new outfit, might as well shop your own closet and put together something special with items you already have. I’ve always liked the combination black and gold (seen my blog? :p) so I chose this dress-used-as-top and this puffy skirt for my celebratory outfit. I was aiming to balance the festive sparkles with classic, ladylike black so as not to look like I came straight from a 70s disco which can be cool too, but just not for our evening plans.
Instead of trying out a new resto or going some place fancy, we went to our favorite – Artichoke. It was actually our first time to have dinner there as we’re usually there for brunch but oh my god, Artichoke is the only place in Singapore that serves food that makes me sing. Take note, not make me want to, it actually made me sing. You make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven..♬ The food never disappoints! Their take on middle eastern is fun and packed with taste. Not surprising coz they recently updated their Facebook as MIDDLE EASTERN x DUDE FOOD x RECKLESS COOKING. I’ll let you in on our food later, but first, notice how the vibe completely changed in the evening?
It’s still very relaxed and casual but the ambient lighting (it’s bright and sunny during brunch) gives it a touch of intimacy that is absolutely perfect for date nights.
I love how Artichoke encourages sharing because I myself have trouble ordering sometimes coz there’s so much I want to try. Communal plates allow a little bit of everything and unlike other “communal dining places” that serve their sharing dishes in small portions (I’ve experienced it and I hated it! What a rip off!), Artichoke is quite generous with their serving. Round up your friends coz this place isn’t just for dates.
A peek at their dinner menu. Was real happy to see the mezze section coz I’m a big big fan of their mezze platter for brunch (I know it’s supposed to be for sharing but I can finish one whole order, nomnomnom!) The menu doesn’t spoil you with unnecessary choices. It does, however, spoil you with flavor and portions making their not so cheap prices very reasonable.
red wine sangria. Most sangrias have fruits floating around but for this one, the fruit was much more incorporated to the drink. Not sure if it was blended together or it was just crushed and thrown inside, but the mixture was thicker and fruitier than your usual.
Mezze time! We ordered 3 sides (ebiko taramasalata, smoked anchovies, hummus) and a serving of pita.
a closer look at our sides. By the way, it was the smoked anchovy that made me belt out the Bruno Mars tune. I’m a huge fan of anchovies to begin with but this cherry tomato & seaweed caviar combo just elevates it to yummy paradise levels.
lamb intercostals. charcoal bbq skewers, cucumber salad, kewpie yogurt. The lamb was tender and although the topping was packed with flavor, it surprisingly didn’t overpower the meat.
hot skillet prawns. green chilli harissa cream, fried onions, coriander. Props goes to Ronnie, the manger, for recommending this one. My concern was that it would be too spicy (I’m not Singaporean lahhh), he said it was a little bit but biting into the prawn will release a sweetness to cut of the heat. He was right. Loved the juiciness of the prawn
rock melon with lime and basil sorbet. The perfect ending to our meal – light, refreshing, and not your usual homemade sorbet. It’s so good! I can’t wait to come back and try a different flavor. ♥︎
Other than the fantastic food, Artichoke has impeccable service. Everyone is welcoming and approachable and this really adds to the total dining experience. Above is a photo with Ronnie, the manager, who we got to chat with for a little bit. We were raving to him about how much we loved Artichoke and he said that it was their aim. They try to recreate the experience you have when dining in a friend’s house, a feat they’ve done successfully if I may say. 🙂
Of course, no dinner date would be perfect without great company. I have this guy to thank for that. 🙂
all smiles 🙂 I can’t wait to come back!!
Artichoke is located at 161 Middle Road, Singapore 188978.
xx
you look very nice together 🙂