Cafe Indulge at Cathay

Situated at the basement of Cathay mall, we wandered into this interesting bistro one time after a movie, and found a very value for money eatery here.

The main attraction here is really the price, which is really surprising, considering that this is quite a pricey location, rental wise. But the bistro seems to fetch a very healthy young crowd.

The other key thing here is the somewhat fusion of oriental flavors with classic bistro fare, things you are not likely to see in places like Astons and Jack's Place.

The menu itself comes with your standard appetizers and entrees, and again, with a top up of 3 dollars, you get a set that comes with a soup of the day, a main course, a beverage and a simple dessert. Considering most of the entrees cost about $15 or less, you are likely to end up with a bill of less than 20 per head.

Vegetable Soup of the Day

When they served our soup of the day, I was kind of expecting the worst, especially looking at the presentation as seen in the photo. But surprisingly, it was quite light and refreshing, and not as heavy as the visual suggested. It certainly could do with some light simple garnishing on top for some color.

Wine Infused Lamb Shanks

I had a go at the lamb shanks, and it was certainly a very generous portion. The wine infusion certainly did give the meat a very rich aroma, and the meat was very well cooked, very easily falling off the bone. But it was far too huge for one person, and I really had an issue finishing it.

For every entree, there is a choice of 2 sides from about 8 or so selections on the menu. I had the long beans and potato salad, which were ok, but accompanying the lamb was a nice herb butter which really helped to curb the lamb smell somewhat. For under $15, this is great value for money.

Beef Ribeye in Braised Mushroom Sauce

Pauline elected for the beef dish, and again, there were a range of sauces to go with it. She chose the braised mushroom sauce which was light and flavorsome, and had a strong Chinese soy taste to it. It was certainly different from your usual MSG laden pepper sauce in most steakhouses.

I also noticed they pan fried the steak, rather than grilling it which was also a nice change. Pauline asked for medium and though slightly overdone, the ribeye was still good to the bite. And for the price, the steak served was generously thick and juicy.

Ice Cream Dessert

The meal was concluded with a simple ice cream dessert and some chocolate sauce topping. Nothing fancy here, but I hope they will think of a more creative dessert to go with the food before it.

I understand the set is only avail on weekends, so be mindful if you are going on weekdays looking for the set. But even without the set menu, the prices there should attract anyone in town looking for above average bistro fare.

I am not so sure about the Oriental fusion part though, but I do see there is a conscious effort to try some interesting twists here. This is not fine dining by any stretch, but for a casual and relaxing meal with great value, Cafe Indulge seems like a good place to try.

Cafe Indulge
2 Handy Road, B1-25/26
The Cathay, 229233