Saveur @ Purvis Street

Saveur has been well known for their cheap and good French food - and for the long queues that form outside (they don't accept reservations). I went there today with my gf at 540pm, before they opened at 6pm. We were the first ones there, but within a few minutes, there were already more than 20 people queuing behind us.

They shifted to Purvis Street in March this year, and even more recently, expanded to the unit beside. This should alleviate the long queues somewhat, I guess.

Mushroom Cappuccino, $4.90

Compared to their other dishes, I thought this was relatively expensive, though at $4.90 it was still a good deal. This was really good - the soup was so rich and delicious that we ordered one more. This was their soup of the day though, so it may not be available every time.

Angel Hair Pasta with Tiger Prawn and Lumpfish Caviar , $6.90

The angel hair pasta was swirled beautifully, with pieces of prawns and lumpfish caviar placed carefully on top. It was a delight as the slightly bland pasta was nicely matched by the salty caviar. The prawns were also quite fresh though a tad tough.

Pan Fried Foie Gras with Apple Infused Port Wine & Vanilla, $9.90

Pan Fried Foie Gras with Lentils and Pickled Onion, $7.90

The first thing I noticed when both foie gras came together was - the one with lentils was much larger than the one with poached apple! (Can't really see from the picture) I am sure that wasn't their intention, though. Despite its price, this was pan-fried nicely and disintegrated in my mouth. Between the two dishes, I preferred the one with poached apple; the lightly sweet taste of the apple seemed to complement the oily foie gras better compared to the lentils. I was tempted to order one more, but that's enough cholesterol for the day... I mean, week. 

Confit of Duck with Orange Segment and Saute Shitake, $9.90

The duck confit was pan-fried rather well, such that the skin was brown and crispy and yet the insides were tender and not dry. Compared to The Tastings Room, this was so much better and only costs a fraction. Oranges are commonly used as an accompaniment for duck confit, and in this dish, it provided a good balance with the meat. 

Crispy Pork Belly with Poached Egg and diced Vegetables, $10.90

The pork belly was good, but the skin was not as crispy as I hoped. While I love poached eggs, I thought the egg yolk made the dish a bit too 'heavy'.

Overall, the food here was good, albeit not fantastic. But at their prices, they probably give you the best value you will ever get. Why pay three to five times more for just arguably twice the quality elsewhere?