Ma Maison (The Central)

For my birthday last Saturday, I cooked a simple vegetarian meal for Ricky and my mom. Guess I've reached the age where:
(a) birthdays are not just about me;
(b) or big presents and lavish meals, for that matter;
(c) what matters most is time spent with loved ones; and
(d) I try to gain karmic points by being eco- and animal-friendly.

Cha soba salad (S$7.00)

The last point being especially true as we had to redeem ourselves following a lovely omnivorous meal at Ma Maison, the charming Japanese restaurant masquerading as a French one.

Being a Friday night, the tiny 50ish-seater restaurant was already packed by the time I got there at 7:10pm. It was only ONE hour later that we got our table. In the meantime, there was a continual stream of fans who also tried their luck at getting a table. In the same building, Waraku, Pasta de Waraku, Marutama Ramen, and Ramen Santouka also had snaking queues.

After the long wait, we were ushered to our table with profuse apologies. Iced water was promptly served, and the food came quickly.

To start, the refreshing cha soba salad was superb. Although unusual, the addition of the creamy Japanese mayonnaise to the noodles worked very well. I liked that the ingredients were fresh and properly chilled. Even the side plates that came were well-chilled. Trust the Japanese to pay such attention to fine details.

Hamburger steak, large ($19.80)

We went along with the menu recommendations and  weren't disappointed. Their much-touted brown sauce was one-of-its-kind, really rich and delish. So was the flavorful and juicy hamburger steak. The hubby was very satisfied with his beef, and the fried egg was perfectly done to his liking.

Omu rice (S$14.80)

There were a few variations of the omu rice, even one with beef stroganoff, but I opted for the simple, classic version.

Tomato-ey rice

Yums! I love the omelette. Truly divine! It was set but still runny (I can never get my omelette to turn out like this!), and the ketchup rice was, hmm, how shall I put it? Sticky, but not icky. Yeah, it was sticky in a nice way, and wasn't as satiating as like it looked. Still, it might not be everyone's cuppa tea.

The portions here are sufficient for the small eater, so it's a good idea to order the starters to share. The desserts menu was limited, besides Ricky and I were already full, so we skipped the sweets.

The tiny interior

No wonder this place was packed. It's much smaller than the Bugis Junction outlet. And it's easy to see why people would want to linger. The cosy interior, which is modelled after a French country home (Ma Maison = my home), is homey and furnished with paraphernalia you can gawk at.

            
            Quaint touches

Ma Maison is also popular with the young because it's romantic but affordable.

The key to a good meal is...

When you're ready to go, you just bring this brass key to the counter and make payment.

Btw, notice the fine print on the napkin. It says, "Ma Maison. Simple Square Rest."

What in the world is "simple square restaurant"??

Total bill after 10% service charge and 7% GST was S$48.95.

Ma Maison Restaurant
6 Eu Tong Sen St.
The Central
#03-96
Singapore 059817
Tel: (65) 63278122
URL (in Jap.): www.ma-maison.co.jp

Comments

[Mama BoK]

Happy belated birthday..!