Table Manners

Table Manners
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
#01-69 Changi City Point

https://www.facebook.com/Tablemanners.sg


Good Table Manners Included

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $35 per person.


.....


An example of good table manners: "It is impolite to text at the dinner table... unless you are sharing Table Manners' food on facebook." This, along with other quotable quotes, are strewn about the walls of the Table Manners cafe. I find it rather unique that this cafe, which serves modern Western comfort food, has "Table Manners" as a concept.

Decor at Table Manners is casual and simple, but functional. Though the actual floor space is somewhat small, they've managed to fit ample seating in without making it too cramped, thanks to a creative layout. They also have a small sheltered patio next to the pond for outdoor dining. I love their creative pictures, which use various cutlery to form shapes of people dressed in various types of clothes. I noted that Table Manners is rather well ventilated despite the small enclosed area, so the smell of food doesn't stick to your clothes.

Service at Table Manners is quite good, although the younger servers are a little inexperienced. Staff will greet you upon entering, and are able to advise you on meal options. Food is served quickly even during peak periods. The younger servers aren't so focused though, and may forget little things, though they make up for it with enthusiasm.

Table Manners serves comfort western style food, with British and French influences. Fortunately, when taken in individual components, each part of the dish is pretty good. This works in Table Manners favour, because their lunch menu simply takes each component of the dishes on the dinner menu, and combines it in a different way. There is quite a good standard of quality here, I've yet to be served a dish that is terrible, though there are some minor flaws with seasoning.

Table Manners is also well known for their variety of cocktails and coffee. Be sure to try at least one when dining here!


.....


I love the cute pictures hanging on the walls, and the quotable quotes around the cafe!

Table Manners Interior

The Table Manners Placemat also doubles as an informative guide to fine dining... Now you know which cutlery to use first! Also, tips on knowing your date!

Table Manners Placemat

Know Your Date 01

Know Your Date 02

Mary's Little Lamb features a tender, bone-in lamb shank. The meat is well cooked and soft, comes off the bone easily (A sign of slow cooking), and isn't too gamey. The truffle fries are addictive... couldn't stop eating the fragrant and crispy fries! The accompanying salad was just average though.

Mary's Little Lamb

The Jambalaya consists of prawns, squid, mussles, sliced chicken and pork sausage in a rich tomato broth. While not a traditional Jambalaya, it's still pretty tasty and flavourful. One thing I disliked was that I got chips of a mussel shell in my dish... the chef should have taken it out before serving. Just be careful if you order this! The Pilaf Rice is nicely spiced and fragrant, and the grains are easy to separate. Goes well with the rich sauce of the Jambalaya.

Jambalaya

Pilaf Rice

Jambalaya And Pilaf Rice

The Angus Ribeye Steak was perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. It was a little thin though... I would have preferred a slightly thicker cut of beef. While the accompanying salad was just average, the buttered mash potato was smooth and creamy and just lovely. I could probably eat a whole bowl of the buttered mash potato!

Angus Ribeye Steak

Because each individual component here is done well, the lunch menu is a sort of deconstructed tasting menu of their dinner menu. Basically, each dish on the dinner menu is separated into their individual components, and each component is offered as a part of a 'choose-your-own' combination during lunch.

Table Manners Menu Create Your Own Set Meal

I went with the Big Platter - Spicy Spaghetti Aglio Olio, Breaded Pork Cutlet With Garlic Aioli, Mussels In White Wine Cream Sauce, Caesar Salad. The Spicy Spaghetti Aglio Olio was cooked well and still had some bite, and I liked the heat from the chili, although it was slightly oily. The Breaded Pork Cutlet With Garlic Aioli was a thick cut of pork belly, battered and deep fried. While still juicy and not dry, I didn't like the huge slab of fat that came with it. The Mussels In White Wine Cream Sauce featured fresh, juicy mussels, and the sauce was savoury and not too thick or thin... Just the right consistency. The Caesar Salad had fresh, crunchy vegetables and crisp croutons, really good!

Big Platter - Spicy Spaghetti Aglio Olio, Breaded Pork Cutlet With Garlic Aioli, Mussels In White Wine Cream Sauce, Caesar Salad 01

Big Platter - Spicy Spaghetti Aglio Olio, Breaded Pork Cutlet With Garlic Aioli, Mussels In White Wine Cream Sauce, Caesar Salad 02

Another time, I went for the Usual Suspects - Herbed Roasted Chicken, Grilled Asparagus With Bacon, Potato Wedges. The Herbed Roasted Chicken is rather inconsistent, as sometimes it's cooked perfectly, and other times, it's slightly undercooked. On average, it usually is moist and juicy, however, it's somewhat overseasoned with salt. The Grilled Asparagus With Bacon was rather underwhelming too, with only 4 small sticks of asparagus, and the bacon didn't add a lot of depth or flavour either. The Potato Wedges were average at best... Skip this and go for something else instead.

Usual Suspects - Herbed Roasted Chicken, Grilled Asparagus With Bacon, Potato Wedges 01

Usual Suspects - Herbed Roasted Chicken, Grilled Asparagus With Bacon, Potato Wedges 02

A standard Ice Lemon Tea, nothing too special. Complimentary as part of the set lunch.

Ice Lemon Tea

Cocktails are a speciality here, and there are 4 catergories of cocktails. The Honeydew Basil Saketini is a sweet cocktail, a fruity, honeydew melon flavoured concoction that is both refreshing and thirst quenching. The basil added a breath of fresh herbs. Great for a hot day!

Honeydew Basil Saketini

This is, hands down, the absolute strongest Lemonade I've ever had. Extremely face meltingly sour, my first sip of this made my scrunch my face, gasp, and exclaim out loud. It gets better and slightly more drinkable once the ice has melted and diluted it a bit.

Lemonade 01

Lemonade 02

The coffee here is pretty good, as they are supplied by a reputable brand known for their quality of coffee. The Latte was excellent... Really among one of the best I've had! They've managed to maintain the high quality the brand is known for!

Latte

Update Oct-2015: Table Manners is still doing well after 3 years, and still drawing in the crowds, especially for their value for money set lunch meals. The Cauliflower Soup has a nice, savoury, light flavour of cauliflower, with a grainy texture and chunks of cauliflower. You can tell it's made in-house, not from a can.

Cauliflower Soup

Update Oct-2015: The Breaded Pork Cutlet With Garlic Aioli, Charred Broccoli With Garlic Crisps, Spaghetti Pomodoro features a breaded pork cutlet which is thick, moist, and just as good as the last time I had it. Thumbs up for consistency! There's much less fat on the meat now. The broccoli is fresh and crunchy, with a floral, fragrant aroma from the fried garlic. The spaghetti pomodoro pasta has a semi-thick tomato sauce which is nicely balanced in tangy and sweet, with a bit of chili heat which makes it even more tasty!

Breaded Pork Cutlet With Garlic Aioli, Charred Broccoli With Garlic Crisps, Spaghetti Pomodoro 01

Breaded Pork Cutlet With Garlic Aioli, Charred Broccoli With Garlic Crisps, Spaghetti Pomodoro 02

Reserve a table now @ Table Manners

.....