Review: Ante (new brunch menu)
When people ask me which restaurant I like to frequent the most I tend to reply, "Ante". Since its opening three years ago, Ante has changed its menu many times and each time, for the better. And as someone who has seen the menu grow into what it is today, I can only applaud the genius behind the increasingly creative menu.
Though most of its dishes now differ from the maiden menu, they have kept the best sellers like the carbonara (but still continuously improving the dish itself). This is what I call true dedication and passion and I believe this is what makes the establishment so successful.
Onto the review...
We started off brunch with a very appetising pumpkin soup, which can be very comforting because of its sweet and gentle flavour. I am normally not a big fan of pumpkin but this exceptionally good. Also vegetarian friendly!
But we were not at Ante for vegetarian dishes! So of course, we had to have some meat... We asked for not-too-fatty pork belly (what even) because we didn't want to get too full before the mains. We were glad we ordered it. Because it was just so worth it. One of the best appetisers at Ante for sure!
The deep fried poached egg is part of their previous brunch menu. And we were all very happy to see it carried forward into the new menu with a new twist. What was previously already an amazing dish was made even better with Ante's new house-smoked bacon (8 milimetres thick!!!!).
If you're not a huge fan of pork, then consider the house-cured salmon with scrambled eggs on toast.
Otherwise, for the big eaters, a hearty big breakfast is in order. The sausage, I quote my best friend, is so good! Paired with the bacon, sautéed mushrooms, house made guacamole, twin sunny side ups on sourdough, it's sure to satisfy anyone!
Or go minimalist with a beetroot carpaccio, bacon open-faced sandwich with guac on the side.
Beetroot seems to be a favourite ingredient in this version of their menu. Even their aglio pasta comes with beetroot, but served with a generous portion of bacon too!
And I have to admit, it was my first time trying gnudi, so I have little to benchmark it against but if my taste in pastas are anything to go by, this has got to be one of the best pastas I've tried hands down. It's creamy base is so smooth and each bite into the gnudi is a joyous experience on the tastebuds.
Beyond the brunch menu, the chicken fillet with eggplant ragout is a MUST try. The way the chicken has been cooked (sous vide), you can be sure to expect the juiciest and most tender cut of chicken breast (absolutely irreplicable unless you've got the right tools).
This is a bonus - you must try the apple crumble with ice cream. Unlike any other apple crumbles I've ever tried. It's truly the best way to end a meal.
Ante Kitchen & Bar
A2-G1-09 (facing the main road, next to Bestari's), Solaris Dutamas (Publika).
@antekitchenbar on Instagram