Absolute Haven Café: Absolute Craving

Reviewed by : Deyana

Absolute Haven Cafe is a place made of dreams, where you are immersed in an environment of diverse times and cultures. Here along Prinsep Street, you are surrounded by old local shophouses and yet find yourself sitting in a chic restaurant serving delicious Modern European food. Relaxing yet bustling, the cafe provides your senses with a wealth of colours and atmospheres.

Entering Absolute Haven is akin to entering a house because of its front gate and an exterior of chairs made of woven wood. Its interior, on the other hand, transports you to the arena of modern dining; great care has been taken to achieve a sophisticated yet casual look. From its yellow leather sofa to the contrasting black and white tables, this café makes colours come alive in a tasteful manner. There are sparks of patterned designs as well, such as the black and white wallpaper with floral motifs, adorning the innermost ends of the café. Absolute Haven also incorporates your need to just relax with a cup of coffee – lounge on one of the brown leather sofas that are cordoned off from the rest of the café.

When it comes to the food in Absolute Haven, you are spoilt for choice. Everything here is a rare find, such as the Bruschetta Platter ($8), a dish of mini-bites comprising 5 slices of baguette . Each slice has a different vegetable topping, either of warm mushrooms and onions, cheese and tomatoes, or pickles. Thin and crispy, this platter is ideal for vegetable lovers but is perhaps a little unsuitable for people with carnivorous tendencies.

The soups at Absolute Haven are exquisite. Although the soup menu is limited, offering only Mushroom Soup ($4.90) and Soup of the Day (price varies), the quality of the soup is unquestionable. The Mushroom Soup, which is actually a puree of shitake, portabello and button mushrooms, strays from the traditional blended cream of mushroom soup. Instead of cream, this soup is made up of thick and chunky mushroom bits with a dilute base.

For your main course, try the highly recommended Premium Tenderloin Steak ($28), a very thick slab of steak grilled with Henessy VSOP to exude a tantalizing aroma. The Henessy also makes the steak sauce much richer and sweeter than the ordinary brown sauce. Extremely soft, the huge steak is easy to cut. There are enough carbohydrates in this dish, too – beneath the steak is a cake of potato gratin, a lasagna-style, layered chunk made of potatoes, sweet potatoes and cheese. Delicious and very filling, the potato gratin contained a little too much cheese, which made it too salty.

Another of Absolute Haven's signature dishes is the Seafood Spaghetti ($18), damp pasta cooked in pesto sauce. Aesthetically, this dish is a little startling because it is completely green! It tastes much better than it looks, with the king prawns, scallops and squids adding sweetness to the pesto. However, the dish could do with a little less pesto, since it is a little overwhelming in taste and aroma.

The Pan-seared Seabass ($16) is a must-try at Absolute Haven. A fusion dish with a combination of European, Japanese and Mediterranean flavours, eating this makes you believe that the world is your oyster, or seabass! The fresh seabass is accompanied by Miso braised root vegetables, poached egg and Moroccan kuskus, or tiny rice grains. Also, sample the Chicken Roulade ($17) – crispy, oily chicken stuffed with soft bacon and spinach. Add flavour to the chicken by dipping it in the cream sauce it comes with – thick, slightly sweet and slightly pungent. Another must-try!

Desserts at Absolute Haven are not to be missed. The Crepes Haven ($10.90) is absolutely fascinating, with thin and soft crepes accompanied by wild berry sauce, vanilla ice cream and strawberries. It comes with cherry brandy, too, which is set on fired while pouring it over the crepe, to form a flaming dessert! This dessert would have been a little too sweet if not for the alcohol. The Tira Mi Su ($8.50) is just as exquisite in presentation and taste. Served in a champagne glass, this soft and sweet dessert has generous doses of coffee, mascarpone cheese and alcohol.

Service is warm, friendly and homely. Water is regularly topped up, and with a twist! Absolute Haven puts fresh strawberries in their iced water, creating a unique flavour to the excellent service.

The food is good and prices are reasonable, especially since portions are sizeable. The ambience, too, is something to gush about – neat, creative, casual and is perfect for a setting like Prinsep Street . Absolute Haven is also ideal for any occasion – lunch with friends, romantic dinners or just to chill out with a cup of coffee or a pint of beer.

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