Entree Kibbles: 5 Senses Bistro @ Funan Mall [Singapore]

Funan Mall, in its previous incarnation, held a special place in the hearts of those who remember it as a classier version of Sim Lim Square. The old building had since been demolished but the new structure was even better in its commercial offerings!

My objective was to have my late brunch at Ajumma's but it was closed for an hour. My stomach couldn't endure an hour wait and it's an urgent crusade to find another dining establishment within the same shopping centre. Issue: there were too many options and we decided to try our luck with 5 Senses Bistro.

Bright interior and it did seem cluttered with all the tables and chairs but safe distancing was enforced via the sticker that crossed out certain seats. There were actually two groups of diners when we came in; the above photo was taken after they left.

Prefer a view of a historical building that was built in 1908? You can regale in the sights of the still operational Central Fire Station by opting for outdoor seating at 5 Senses Bistro. Pampered me always prefer air-conditioning, where possible.

Complimentary glass of water; badly needed in the insanely hot weather we are facing recently. Seriously, the government should make it illegal for dining establishments that don't provide free, plain water given our climate.

And you know what? There's a lunchtime promotion from Mondays to Thursdays, from 11.00 am till 3.00 pm! "Free mushroom soup & iced lemon tea with purchase of any main course or pasta"! Such promos make me very happy!

Ice Lemon Tea - not diluted like many places that dispensed the beverage as part of a set meal. Good touch to have the slice of lemon; it gave the drink a certain level of authenticity.

Mushroom soup and garlic bread. I actually got a free bowl of mushroom soup given the order of a main but Alex wanted one too. Garlic bread is an obvious, perfect companion. What I didn't expect was the portion.

Garlic Bread - substantially generous and served piping hot with a much desired crunch that was perfumed with garlic butter; to say Alex was satisfied would be an understatement! For me, I would prefer each slice to be thinner and spread with more garlic butter!

What do you look forward to in mushroom soups? For me, it has be roughly blended with a thick consistently so that I can continue to feel the texture from bits of mushroom. This bowl of Mushroom Soup didn't disappoint but I was hoping for an intense burst of flavor that would have made it spectacular.

Nevertheless, still good!

Confit French Duck Leg - it's been a while since my last duck confit and the craving spiked when I saw it on the menu. My first duck confit was at La Petite Cuisine (Serene Centre) and it was lip smacking good.

With any main, you can choose two sides from a list comprising of garlic rice, green salad with honey mustard dressing (my choice), fried garlic mashed potato, home made potato salad, sea salt creamed corn, butter glazed broccoli and cauliflower (my choice), bacon brussels sprouts and cheddar macaronic cheese. You can also top up S$2 each for sautéed mushrooms and kale with crushed hazelnuts.

It was a large duck leg with a lot of meat hidden underneath the layer of fats that had been rendered to a crispness favored by some (like me). The meat was a tad tough, with a light gamey taste that cut down the satisfaction towards the main.

Warm Apple Crumble - I was expecting a small serving of dessert and this was beyond my expectation. Served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream (top-up of S$4.90), the crumble smelt heavenly of cinnamon but stopped short of being addictively crumbly.

The pile of thinly sliced apples appealed to us as it wasn't heavily sweetened and you still get that wholesome apple taste that could only be described as homely; one that gives you a nice and warm fuzzy feeling.

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Frankly, it was a satisfying meal with generous portions. I can't wait to be back to try out the rest of the dishes on their menu; for example, the char siew chicken thigh, buttermilk waffle etc.