Ma Maison - 16 March 2006

*Click on pictures to enlarge*

It has been several years since I last ate at Ma Maison. I didn't have much of an impression of it then. All I remembered was the dark interior, and the food was not that memorable. I do remember it was a mix of Japanese and French styled food. Neither here nor there.

Last year I read raves about Ma Maison on a forum and I was intrigued and surprised. I finally had the chance to try the food again yesterday. As the name suggests, the restaurant gives a very homey cosy feel to it. It creates the impression that you are seated right in the heart of the kitchen, and it has been said that the kitchen is the "soul" of the house.

The kitchen is an open concept, you can see the chefs slaving over the hot stoves. Rows of copper pots and pans are hung across one wall, I love that. Floral printed tablecloth is draped over the wooden table, with a retro-looking lamp (reminiscence of Swensens in the '80s) on it. Kudos to the service staff. Young, energetic and polite. They are also able to give good recommendations on the dishes.

In the end, Celest and I shared the starter of escargots drenched in garlic butter, mains of a beef rice with brown sauce (their specialty sauce) and tuna au gratin, as well as dessert of brownie a la mode. The escargots are not bad, though some are a bit salty but others are fine. The garlic butter flavor is subtle, not overpowering.It is interesting to see the ring of fire around it. Not sure what purpose it served.










I love this dish - tuna au gratin. Essentially pasta with tuna and corn in a cream sauce (the sauce is really yummy!) topped with the egg and cheese (can't taste the cheese though) and ketchup. This is very similar to my Tuna Noodle Casserole, maybe that is why I like it.










Beef rice - This is supposed to be a popular dish, but I find it is alright. The egg is really good, very eggy. The rice is flavored (but I couldn't tell what it is) and topped with the egg and surrounded by pieces of beef in their specialty brown sauce.










The homey feel of a kitchen, with pots and pans and dishes all laid out.













Retro lamp










Brownie with vanilla ice cream. The brownie is soft, not hard and is not bad. The chocolate used is good.













The key to "check out"

Another cool concept is the use of a key to indicate your table number. It is like being in a hotel or B&B. You will bring the key to the cashier to "check out" once you are ready to leave. Neat idea!

Contact:
Ma Maison Restaurant
Parco Bugis Junction #02-51
Tel: +65 6338 4819