Helio Cafe Again

It's been awhile since I last went to Helio Cafe and I heard that "Chocolate Theme" week was going on so inevitably I was here again for lunch.

We started off with a salad that had watermelon, crumbled fetta and chrysanthemum petals. Quite unique really but I was never a salad person (with the exception of a good Caesar - a true man's salad) so it did not leave that strong an impression on me.

Since I had some guests who have not been here before, I thought it wise to play it safe and order the baked salmon with the saffron cream sauce which was done extremely well the last time. This variant didn't have the pastry but it was still very delectable indeed. The soft and succulent portobello mushrooms complemented the tender flaky salmon perfectly.

"Pastry Wrap Seedless Grapes Chicken with Lemon" was up next. The chook is basically encased in a very hard pastry which allows it to be steamed in its own juices. This creates an extremely tender and juicy bird. The flavors from the grapes and lemon are imparted to the chook elevating its already strong aroma to a higher fragrance.

Now that the mains were out of the way, it was time to indulge in some desserts! Don't get me wrong, the mains are very good indeed but you know a place has good sweets if your largest course is your dessert haha. The Chocolate Almond Orange Cake tasted exactly like how it's described, crunchy almond bits and a light citrus tang, the rick dark chocolate used in this shone through creating a really nice balanced taste.

Chocolate De Pot with Chocolate Biscotti, think of this as Nutella on steroids. Dipping the crisp biscotti into the de pot made this dish as fun to play with as it was good to eat.

A nice twist to the molten chocolate cakes that are getting so common right now. This molten white chocolate cake came topped with apricots which were soaked in rum and red wine for two months. A generous dash of rum which was infused into the cake made this even more enjoyable.

Well, many would have heard and tried baked Alaskas but at Helio, they serve a torched Alaska instead. This allows the meringue to be extremely light and fluffy because it is not required to be subjected to the heat of an oven over a period of time. This is the Chocolate torched Alaska with rum and brownie base.

I'm the trouble starter, punkin' instigator

I'm the fear addicted, danger illustrated

I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter
You're the firestarter, twisted firestarter
I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter

Drizzle over some rich dark chocolate.

In contrast to the immaculately soft and light meringue is a sinful and rich brownie infused with dark Jamaican rum. Clement took the liberty to add a little more rum than normal into this. A gesture I most appreciated. Encased in an innocent looking fluffy exterior but with a core so indulgent and decadent, this was like the not-so-innocent girl next door haha!

No trip to Helio Cafe is really complete without their cheesecake right? Pre-sliced to serve our table of four, this fridge-set cheesecake sure hit the right spot.

All of this good stuff washed down with a very light alcoholic white wine tea. Although it may sound rather unconventional to mix tea and alcohol, it has been done. Remember Long Island Tea? All in all, Helio Cafe provided a very satisfying luncheon for four at about 170SGD.

D