Dinner at Artichoke, a Moorish delight

Meat platter - an assortment of freshness

I mentioned last week I would be checking out Artichoke, a contemporary and chic Middle Eastern restaurant located at Sculpture Square, and one of few courtyards left in Singapore. I had the rare opportunity to observe the kitchen and taste some interesting ingredients commonly found in the Middle East but foreign here. Seeing so much heart and soul in every plate that was pushed out to the dining hall, I decided I had to eat there. I pulled about 10 more friends to come along. I will spare you the ME jokes we shared (bad taste! Pun intended!) and focus on the wonderful glorious food that was presented to us.

Be inspired by the Meditteranean feel of the Sculpture Square and the museum next door

Creamy humuus dip with juicy pomegranates.
Great combination of taste and texture, and easy for me to copy at home!

Roasted carrot dip with dukkah (combination of nuts and seeds dry-roasted to fragrant).
I tried this at home too - easy, delicious, healthy, and my guests liked it too.

Yoghurt-cucumber mix with Za'atar - yummilicious with freshly-baked pita bread

Sauteed onions with pomegranates and a sprinkling of assorted spices

Practising food photography

This one stole my heart for the night. It doesn't even have a name yet. It's a new salad dish to be introduced to the menu
next week and Chef gave us a sneak preview. Everyone seemed intrigued by this new shining star. I invited Chef
to join us at the table and introduce his food - it makes such a difference talking to the person who prepared your food.

Not my personal favourite but I would love to be able to serve up a dish like this for meat lovers. I had the rare
opportunity to see how this whole dish was thoughtfully spiced and that made it so much more meaningful
by the time it reached the table.

A definite must-visit for those who have not been there. Check out Artichoke at Sculpture Square (junction of Waterloo Street and Middle Road).