Ash & Elm Restaurant, InterContinental SG

From the woody, rustic exterior of the restaurant, I never could’ve anticipated how the interior would look like. Think eclectic colours and avant-garde metallic panels, as well as a tall ceiling adorned with snazzy chandeliers and tinted with neon hues. Service-wise, some staff were more welcoming than others. I distinctly remember one of the lady staff who gave us a knowledgeable rundown of what went into our bread upon our request and personally checked in on us to see how we were doing during the meal. Two thumbs up (: The food here was fantastic! The complimentary starter completely blew my tastebuds away as I was not expecting much from bread and butter. It was a sophisticated dish in itself (as explained by that lady staff) – one half was made with sun-dried tomatoes while the other half with mixed herbs. The bread had a thin crusty layer on top and fluffy softness below, with the fragrant ingredients, creamy President butter and salty tapenade melding exceptionally well together. Truly deserving of a whole paragraph dedicated to its praise. I ordered a main of Norwegian salmon, which had a mild fishy taste on its own but became less apparent once it was dipped in the sauce. Nonetheless, the fish was well-cooked and its skin seared to crispy perfection. I thought the sauce was a tad too salty, but that was the only minor fault I found with this dish. My husband’s main was the French yellow coquelet that was absolutely delicious, although the portion was on the small side. The chicken retained much of its moisture, even the breast meat was more juicy than what you’d typically get. It came with tasty brown sauce, which my husband likened to the IKEA meatball sauce but BETTER. My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #exploresgtogether #momentssg #tripmoments #restaurant #westerncuisine #asiancuisine #singapore