Chic Casual Dining In The City

Aerin's touts itself as offering 'chic yet casual dining in the city'.  Situated around a fountain in the more recently-developed part of the Raffles City basement, it makes an idyllic dining location for yuppies after a hard day's work or for tai-tais on a break from shopping.

In the 3 times I've visited (on weekday evenings) the restaurant appeared to be enjoying a relatively brisk business; still, no problems getting seated and served. (On an amusing note, one time I ordered the Sacher Cake just to observe the waiter stumble over the pronunciation - we decided in the end he'd said 'Seh-sher').

In general, Aerin's helpings tend to be high in quality, not quantity (they do however fill up the average skinny Singaporean girl;  just don't expect her boyfriend to share). 

For the health-conscious, it offers a variety of wholesome sandwiches and pastas. From the main entrees,  I love the Chicken Cacciatore, stewed with tomatoes and other earthy vegetables until tender and fragrant. One time my dining companion ordered the Grilled Lamb which had a delish marinade but poor sides (a lone baby carrot and what appeared to be a sad imitation of saeurkraut).

Aerin's also serves a decent selection of beverages and spirits, which are frequently on one-for-one offers. The Banana and Wolfberry Shake is decidedly a fusion experiment gone awry and while it tastes very nutritious, I would not recommended it to the unadventurous.

A must-try  is Aerin's signature dessert, the Apple and Rhubarb Pie. The 15-minute wait culminates with the arrival of a spectacular-looking dish, which is equally spectacular to taste. The pastry is piping hot from the oven, the vanilla bean ice cream rich and not artificial. Upon digging into the bowl you are gratified with generous chunks of fruit stewing in sweet, aromatic spices. This combination of hot and cold desserts is oh-so-good and makes that extra gym session absolutely worth it.

In a thoughtful move, Aerin's also has a takeout counter offering little gift of baked treats such as raspberry sables (incredibly buttery and melt-in-your-mouth good) and biscotti (replete with pieces of dried fruit, pistachios and almonds) that make wonderful gifts (if you can resist the urge to eat them all yourself).

With the growing slew of chic yet casual dining establishments, what makes Aerin's stand out are it's accessibility and stronghold in sweet treats. Those two factors are what keep me returning for more.