MERCI MARCEL ORCHARD — Restaurant in Singapore

Merci Marcel caught my attention when I passed by Palai Renaissance on a weekend morning and saw a long queue beside a glass wall illuminated with yellow lights and lined with wine bottles. Wondering about the hype, I decide to dine here on a weekday afternoon, where the crowd is more manageable. It is still almost full house actually, but I manage to snag a nice cosy spot to enjoy an idyllic afternoon.

The food is mainly consisted of nice, yummy brunch items with some extra twists that make dining here worthwhile and a unique experience.

Another worthwhile factor of dining here is the ambience. Yes, it is a large highlight here. At one of sides, there are soft yellow lights with wine bottles filling up the entire walls, giving that romantic and classy vibe. Another side is the full panel windows that have the artistic Clay Murals of Voco Hotel on the opposite of the road as backdrop. The third side is right beside the lush beautiful lawn of Thai Embassy and with a window that stretches across the entire length of the wall, one feels like dining by the garden there. With idyllic setting, beautiful scenery, soothing French music playing in the background and beige canvas plush sofa, I really feel like I'm dining in a hip cool café in Paris.

Now I can see why this place is so popular.

Ravioles de Royans is cute dainty French dumpling pasta filled with cheese & spinach, soaked in foie gras emulsion and sprinkled with hazelnuts. I love the rich earthy flavours from the cheese, foie gras and hazelnuts that add dimension to the taste of the dumplings. I also love the foamy emulsion for that unique touch.

Duck confit shredded is one luxurious salad with foie gras, mesclun, chestnuts, baby potatoes, croutons. Actually, this can be main course by itself because it is filled with lots of shredded duck meat, which is I thoroughly appreciate, of course. Foie gras adds the extra umami and depth to the taste. I do wish there is a version with less raw vegetables though since I'm actually not that into salads (but I want to try this dish due to duck confit and foie gras).

Homemade Crème brulée shakes things up with salted caramel cookie. I like the hints of saltiness incoporated into into sweet dessert. The pudding part is runnier than the usual, but juxtaposes very well with the crunchiness of the crystallised burnt sugar on top.

Thoughts: Enjoying...

Nice play to chill!!!

I have known this place for a long time, on my way to work. That's why I chose it as a meeting place with my girl after ending my shift - around 9pm.

First impressions: nice decoration both indoor - outdoor and friendly staff. We chose indoor since it was a little bit hot outside (but they do have ceiling fans)

It is better to make the reservation in advance. You can call to Merci Marcel directly, but it will be an automatic voice mail - leading you to a reservation website. It is a friendly using website so don't worry.

My orders include: 02 glasses of cocktail (one is the promotion of the day - cannot remember the name as it is out of normal menu. My friend ordered the Aphrodite). Both of them are quite good. 01 Breaded chicken breast tempura - crispy from the outside, yet, the chicken breast inside is still moisture, not dry at all, pair with tomato and pineapple sauce. Nice seasoning. 01 Homemade fries with truffle mayonnaise. If you are looking for extremely crispy fries - this dish is not for you. For me it is quite alright as I love the tenderness of the fries. Don't expect to have a strong truffle smell in the mayonnaise guys. It's just enough for us to notify the appearance of truffle there. You can order Merci Marcel Sparkling water as well. It is not expensive at all.

In conclusion: I will comeback, definitely, since Merci Marcel still has many dishes and drinks to explore. Decoration is nice, creating a cozy atmosphere, especially the wine shelves right at the entrance. Staff is exceptionally friendly. Ordering directly with staff, but settlement can be done via QR code at the table.

P/S: the last picture is a milk chocolate that goes together with coffee. I did not order coffee, I just saw it and asked the staff what is it, cause I like the cover picture. Then she gave me one...

t was our first time at Merci Mercal, and the moment you step in, you notice the beautifully designed interior with light music playing in the background, creating a homey and cozy atmosphere. We sat at the bar, and our barista, Abiel, took great care of us, being very attentive throughout our visit.

The restaurant offers free-flow sparkling water for just $1, which is a great deal! We ordered a Matcha Latte and an Espresso for drinks, both of which tasted excellent and felt of very high quality, using Colombian beans.

For food, we had the Beef Carpaccio, #4 Pizza, and the Barramundi fish. The Beef Carpaccio was a generous portion of high-quality beef, paired with crispy sweet potato, which added a nice textural contrast. However, I found it slightly under-salted for my taste, but it would be perfect for meat lovers.

The next dish was the pizza with braised duck, onions, and grapes. For me, it was the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory, with a wonderfully crisp and fresh dough. You could tell it was baked to order.

The highlight of the meal was the Barramundi. Both my wife and I were wowed by it. The fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned, served atop slow-cooked bell peppers with cumin. The combination of flavors was just spot on.

After enjoying such great food, Abiel suggested we try dessert, and of course, we couldn’t resist. We ordered the Crème Brûlée, and it was huge! The perfect caramelized crust with a hint of salted caramel created a delightful mix of sweet and salty in every bite. It was simply delicious.

I feel the prices were reasonable for a café, and after tasting their thoughtfully crafted dishes, it was even more worth it. I’ll definitely recommend Merci Mercal to my friends. A big thank you to the accommodating staff, especially Abiel, and the chefs for such a fantastic...