After a long week of meetings, emails and conference calls, one can feel drained and just want to find some peace and quiet. How about some Wine as well? Oh; and throw in some wonderful cold cuts and some cheese. Yes; now we're talking. How about we go to Orchard Road? Not the first place you think of right? But you're about to be surprised.
For many of us we all know that Orchard is full of hustle and bustle. It is after all one of the busiest shopping areas in Singapore and is famous for being crowded. However on a Friday night, we braved the chaos in search of the promised land that is KUVO.
KUVO is a lifestyle dining concept opened by the good folks behind TCC (The Coffee Connoisseur). KUVO is located inside Orchard Shopping Mall and the entrance can be found on the street side of the building. As we walked up we weren't sure if we were in the right place as it isn't obvious that there is a lifestyle concept there. But don't worry, there is a menu board outside and a waiter is usually at the front; like a treasure map, they're the X which marks the spot.
KUVO is a lifestyle dining concept opened by the good folks behind TCC (The Coffee Connoisseur). KUVO is located inside Orchard Shopping Mall and the entrance can be found on the street side of the building. As we walked up we weren't sure if we were in the right place as it isn't obvious that there is a lifestyle concept there. But don't worry, there is a menu board outside and a waiter is usually at the front; like a treasure map, they're the X which marks the spot.
We were led inside and came to the main landing area which had some escalators to take you up to KUVO.
The space in KUVO is well designed and instantly you feel relaxed because it has soft lighting in the lounge areas and comfortable chairs for you to sink into, to enjoy a chat, a sip of wine and some food to nibble on. It was Friday after all so this was a very welcome sight.
The space in KUVO is well designed and instantly you feel relaxed because it has soft lighting in the lounge areas and comfortable chairs for you to sink into, to enjoy a chat, a sip of wine and some food to nibble on. It was Friday after all so this was a very welcome sight.
As mentioned it is a big space so after a quick tour of the restaurant and bespoke cocktail bar area, we were led through to the Vine Lounge. This was to be the site of our adventure.
The flow for the night; excuse the pun, was that we'll get to try a few wines and this would be accompanied by their special Deluxe Charcuterie and Cheese Platter. The Vine Lounge was very comfortable so we just sat back and enjoyed the pace set by the team.
We enjoyed 6 wines; a combination of Whites and Reds, and each one from a different region.
The 6 wines were:
- Antica Fratta Brut
- J.Hofsttater Pinot Bianco
- Markowisch Pinot Noir
- Pierre Jean Merlot
- Pierre Jean Chardonnay
- Arlequin GSM
It was a journey around the world as we journeyed around the world via wine; from France to Germany, Austria, Chile and Australia. The Whites were light and refreshing to compliment the thin slices of meats whilst the Reds were a touch heavier and had more hints of dark fruits to enhance the flavours of the Cheeses. The Whites were also great with the pickled items, enough to prolong the pickled flavour but cleansing the palate a bit at the finish.
We did start the night with a sparkling White though and this was a perfect way to ease into a Friday night.
The Wines were thoughtfully chosen. It is free flow too for a limited promotional period, but onto that a bit later.
The Wines were thoughtfully chosen. It is free flow too for a limited promotional period, but onto that a bit later.
The Deluxe Charcuterie and Cheese Platter was very generous.
It consisted of:
- Cold Cut (Pork Salami and Prosciutto Ham)
- Cheese (Taleggio, Bleu de Bresse)
- Olives (House marinated, Sun-dried tomatoes)
- Dried fruits, prune and apricot marmalade
- Toasted walnut and table wafers
The Pork Salami and Prosciutto Ham were perfect, not too salty and you've gotta love the wonderful bits of fattiness to the meats. It adds another level of flavour to the slices and keeps it nice and moist.
The Cheeses were Taleggio and Bleu de Bresse. Both were very subtle including the Bleu. When it is first served, let the Cheeses sit for about 10 - 15 minutes so that they approach room temperature and run a bit. By then it's at its best.
The Taleggio was very mild in taste and actually goes well with both the Whites and Reds in terms of wine. If you prefer to bring out the fruitiness of the Cheese then the Reds actually went very well as the dark fruit flavours bought out a bit more sweetness with the savouriness of the Cheese.
For a blue Cheese the Bleu de Bresse was very mild, quite nutty in taste and went really well with the Whites as the lightness of the wines gave the Bleu a nice fresh taste and reminds you of sitting on the veranda and chilling out on a hot evening.
It was great having some Wafer Crackers and Apricot Marmalade to go with the Cheese for that extra contrast between sweet and savoury, and the Olives, Pickles, dried fruits and Walnuts were good for waking up the taste buds and cleansing the palate a bit.
It was great having some Wafer Crackers and Apricot Marmalade to go with the Cheese for that extra contrast between sweet and savoury, and the Olives, Pickles, dried fruits and Walnuts were good for waking up the taste buds and cleansing the palate a bit.
The combination of everything made for a very enjoyable night.
Now is a great time to visit KUVO and their Vine Lounge as they're running their "Charcuturie, Cheese and Wine Unlimited" promotion until the 31st of May 2015. The promotion is available every Friday and Saturday night between 9pm - Midnight; for $78++ per person, for unlimited servings (freeflow) of Charcuturie, Cheese and Wine. It's a great way to have good wine and nibbles to your heart's content as you finish off the working week and head into the weekend. If it sounds like a great plan to you then head to KUVO to take advantage of the promotion.
All up; it was a very relaxing and quiet evening. The Vine Lounge at KUVO is a hidden oasis away from the chaos of Orchard Road. The wines we tasted were all fantastic and when paired with the Deluxe Charcuturie and Cheese board it made for quite a taste experience. Everything was top quality. The chilled out vibe of the venue was great. Each of the tables were spaced nicely to give a little bit of privacy but it was nice hearing the murmur of chatter from other patrons.
All up; it was a very relaxing and quiet evening. The Vine Lounge at KUVO is a hidden oasis away from the chaos of Orchard Road. The wines we tasted were all fantastic and when paired with the Deluxe Charcuturie and Cheese board it made for quite a taste experience. Everything was top quality. The chilled out vibe of the venue was great. Each of the tables were spaced nicely to give a little bit of privacy but it was nice hearing the murmur of chatter from other patrons.
KUVO is definitely on our list to visit again; oh by the way, did we mention that there is also a bespoke bar in KUVO as well? We'll definitely try that out on our next visit :)
What are some of your favourite wine bars around the world?
KUVO is located at:
#02-01, 321 Orchard Road
Orchard Shopping Centre
Singapore 238866
For reservations telephone: (65) 6733 8272
Email: [email protected]
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KUVOSingapore
Opening Times
The Vine Lounge and Elixir Bar (tapas and wine)
Sunday - Thursday - 12noon - 1am; last order: 12.30am
Friday - Saturday and Eve of Public Holidays: 12noon–2am; last order: 1:30am
Elixir Bar (Cocktails)
Sunday - Thursday: 5pm–1am
Friday - Saturday and Eve of Public Holidays: 5pm–2am
Ambrosia
12noon–11pm, daily; last order: 10.30pm
This blog resulted from an invitation and represents the thoughts and opinions of Expat Kiwis. All information on this blog is provided "as is", with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy or timeliness and the writer will not be liable for any losses, injuries or damages from the display or use of this information. All text and photos on this blog are the original works of the writer unless stated otherwise.
Thank you to Food News PR and KUVO for the kind invitation.
