Pricey but remarkably so

Novus is located in the newly renovated National Museum. With its high ceiling tastefully adorned with some chic and modern chandeliers, and its neo-classical windows, Novus certainly has one of the most refined dining rooms in town. And, for those who prefer al-fresco dining, Novus also has a stylish and charming little terrace (that comes together with the state-of-the-art EMU chairs). 

One of the few problems I have with its interior design is the location of the toilet! Most probably due to the design of the museum, customers would have to cross a little corridor into Novus's sister reastaurant – an equally chic Wa Café – to use the bathroom. I can't imagine the trouble one has to go through in times of wet weather.

While the prices of its dishes are slightly on the steep side, Novus's food is elegant and well executed by its Australian Executive Chef Dan Masters, German Executive Sous chef Phillip Meisel and their kitche crew.

For ther starter, my partner and I, who are both trying to watch our ever-increasing waistlines, shared the Pan Fried Foie Gras with Blackberries, Prosciutto and Brioche ($22). I was particularly impressed when the wait staff served the dish in two separate portions, even without any prompting. I love the crunchy toasted prosiutto that went very well with the soft and fluffy brioche, and the tangy fresh blackberries puree.

The pan fried foie gras, which was of a fairly generous serving (especially considering that I was only eating half of a normal portion), was, however, not exceptionally impressive. It was a tad too crispy on the outside, and did not have the melt-in-the-mouth effect that I was expecting.

Nonetheless, the main courses more than made up of the somewhat disappointing foie gras. I had the Crisp Skinned Sea Bass with Star Anise Infused Bisque, Saffron Angel Hair and Rouellie ($28). The sea bass had an enjoyable crispy skin, and was very tender and fresh.

Besides the scrumptious fish, I was extremely impressed by the pasta. It was, in my opinion, one of the best pastas I had in Singapore. The pasta was cooked to perfection; together with the aromatic and flavorsome bisque, they were a match made in heaven.

My partner had the Slow Roasted Veal Cutlet with Poached Slipper Lobster, Potato Gratin and Asparagus ($42). Like the sea bass, the slipper lobster was very fresh and juicy. The veal, however, was not as tender as we would have liked it. While it was an enjoyable dish, it was a tad too pricey, and not an item that we would re-order in the near future.

We ended our meal with the Caramel Custard with Mandarin Oranges and White Cinnamon Ice-cream ($14). It was certainly a great way to end our night. The citrus-y and tangy custard, and the refreshing but not-overpowering cinnamon ice-cream was indeed a divine combination.

To sum up, we had a great dining experience at the Novus. The service was near-impeccable – the wait staff did take a longer time to refill our water when the restaurant started to get crowded; but the ambience was fabulous; and the food was mostly remarkable. It is certainly one of our top choices for a relaxing Friday dinner, especially since one can get a free tour of the museum (free admission on Friday night after 7pm) before the meal. -PY