The latest addition to Sunset Way’s cluster of F&B outlets is Summer Hill, a casual French dining bistro that took over the premises of The Tiny Roaster.

Helmed by Chefs Anthony Yeoh and Christopher Soh who used to work for the now-defunct Cocotte at Wanderlust Hotel, you can expect a straightforward menu that focuses on home-style dishes and comforting recipes when you are dining there. Special items and sides are on a weekly rotational basis to keep things exciting so you always have an excuse to go back for more.

For hearty and unpretentious French cuisine that will not break the bank, Summer Hill is indeed an up-and-coming dining destination that is worth checking out.

Boasting an open kitchen concept where you can watch the chefs whip up your meals, Summer Hill is an intimate bistro where diners do not have to pay for service or GST charges. The indoor seating is rather limited as the space is used for displaying their delectable range of French bakes.

The menu features quality French-inspired dishes but the crowd-pleaser is their Signature Roast Chicken (Half – S$23, Whole – S$45). Using only hormone and antibiotic-free birds, the chickens are marinated in creamy herb butter to produce a pronounced flavour which made it brilliant on its own.

The herb butter keeps the meat extremely moist and juicy while crisping the chicken skin to a lovely shade of golden brown. Brown gravy that is made from the chicken bones is given as an accompaniment for the roast chicken to boost the overall flavour.

Another favourite at the bistro is the Croque Monsieur (S$17.50).

What appears to be an ordinary plate of toast is actually grilled sourdough bread that is jazzed up with ham, swiss cheese, bechamel sauce and dijon mustard. The combination of savoury ingredients and tangy mustard worked beautifully together and one bite was all it took for us to sing praises of the chef’s expert culinary skills.

Fans of cheese will enjoy the generous portion of mild-tasting melted swiss cheese atop the grilled sandwich. This hearty dish is perfect for fast lunches or dinner on a busy night.

Other options on their menu include Freshly Baked Croissants (S$1.90 each), Quiche a la Christina (S$8), Dark Chocolate Tart (S$8) and a neat range of premium craft beers brewed by Rye and Pint and locally-made cocktails by Sunday Punch.

The French bistro also offers private meal services soon that can cater from two to 12 pax so you can host dinner parties at home without the mess.

Summer Hill
106 Clementi Street 12
#01-62
Singapore 120106
Tel: +65 6251 5337
Daily: 11.30am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Clementi

Au Chocolat, opened by the folks behind Ku De Ta and Catalunya, occupies a huge space at a corner of Marina Bay Sands. It is divided into two sections: a retail confectionery store where you can find all sorts of delicious snacks – such as slice cakes, cupcakes, gelato, truffle – and fun merchandise. The other half is the bistro which has an all-day dining menu.

We have been to Au Chocolat many times, and tried quite a few items from the bistro and confectionery. Here are some of the highlights.

The menu is huge, running from handmade crepes ($16-20), to breakfast food ($15-22), finger food and snacks ($12-18), soup and salad ($11-20), burgers and sandwiches ($16-25), pasta ($23-25), entrees ($22-32) and desserts ($16-18).

We started with their Truffle Fries ($15), a generous serving of crispy fries drizzled with fragrant white truffle oil and seasoned with truffle sea salt. The Mushroom Bite ($14), next to arrive on the table, was rather run-of-the-mill. For the price, we would rather get another portion of the truffle fries.

We have heard a lot about Au Chocolat’s Ultimate Benedict ($22), so we knew we had to give it a try. Pancakes formed the base of the dish, and it was topped with spinach, tomatoes, crispy bacon, roasted ribeye steak, roasted chicken and two poached eggs. It has a generous drizzling of red wine and dark chocolate infused hollandaise sauce.

Each of the ingredient was good on its own, but when you put everything together, it became too overwhelming. Simply put, we were not too impressed.

Our favourite entree is the crispy Duck Confit ($27), which comes with potato mash, white wine poached pear and topped off with a tangy chocolate orange sauce. It was one of the best duck confits that I have had in recent times. Definitely one of the must-order dishes when you are dining at Au Chocolat.

A commendable dish is the Steak Frites ($35). I was not expecting much of the pan-seared ribeye steak, if only because many places tend to serve mediocre steaks, so I was pleasantly to find that this was really good. It was a perfectly cooked steak which was juicy, tender and well seasoned. Plus, it was accompanied by tasty truffle fries and red wine sauce on the side.

Other enticing options on the entrees menu include a delicious corn-fed Roasted Chicken ($24) and the rich and flavourful Boeuf Bourguignon ($26).

We also had their Stuffed French Toast ($18). Two slices of brioche bread filled with berries and mascarpone cheese. There is nothing wrong with this dish, but other than the pretty appearance, there is little about it that stands out.

Dessert lovers will surely go crazy at Au Chocolat here. Among the six options under the dessert section, we had the Au Chocolat Tower Cake ($18), a huge six layers of moist chocolate cake served with a vanilla gelato; and the Caramel Apple Skillet ($17) – which was a baked caramel pecan cake drizzled with salted caramel sauce. If you have been on a hunt to find the best chocolate cake in Singapore, you must try Au Chocolat’s rendition.

Besides that, we have also tried many different desserts from Au Chocolat’s pastry counter over several visits. The noteworthy ones include the Chocolate Tart, Red Velvet Cheesecake, Kalamansi Cake and Peanut Butter Cheesecake.

What makes Au Chocolat a place you can return to again and again is that its all-day menu provides plenty of options for everyone. Furthermore, it opens till late everyday, making it a great venue for dinner, or to hangout for desserts with a group of friends.

Au Chocolat
2 Bayfront Avenue
#01-03 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 7227
Sun to Thu: 10am – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 10am – 12 midnight
Note: This was an invited media tasting.