Check Out Bistro Burger's Shy New Sibling

Like a shy sibling, WINO Bar & Cellar has been quietly sitting beside Bistro Burger for a couple of months since their soft opening, but it seems like they're finally ready to make some noise. Helmed by the same team - and even the same kitchen - behind the neighboring burger joint, WINO is your friendly and cozy neighborhood wine bar serving up a range of fresh delicacies for you to enjoy.

The space is small and dimly lit, with some rather eccentric household items decorating the otherwise neutral-toned environment. 

Dotted throughout are items that will make you double take, such as the gigantic, bright red lamp that seems to work as a separator of sorts between the front and back portions of the restaurant.

Stepping through the doors, we were first greeted by the smell of black truffle wafting through the air. But what stood out most on arrival was the huge back wall that was filled with an array of wines from France, Australia and more to suit your choice of meal.

Foodwise, WINO focuses a lot of their menu on seafood - where an generous menu boasts different types of oysters - Fine de Claire N3 (RMB 138 / 6 pieces), New Zealand Mona L (RMB 198 / 6 pieces) and Gillardeau N1 (RMB 238 / 6 pieces) - cheeses such as French Brie (RMB 78, 100g) and Manchego (RMB 78, 100g) as well as large mains for you to dive right in to. You might want to bring a friend to help you eat.

We started with a plate of finely cut 5J Ham (RMB 198, 50g) which was cured to perfection in its salty state - just watching them delicately slice the meat was enough to make us drool in anticipation.

If you're looking for more nibbles to share with friends, the Tiger Prawn Shot (RMB 48) was fresh, flavorful and filled with small chunks of tiger prawn surrounded by a thick and creamy prawn-cocktail sauce.

Following with a Beef Carpaccio (RMB 58), we were really getting our fill of cold dishes to cool us down for the evening. Three scrumptious looking parcels arrived topped with a shaving of black truffle and held a secret pocket of guacamole in its middle - though this entire bite could have done with a little more seasoning.

One item we didn't expect to see was tacos, especially Duck Tacos (RMB 48), but boy were we glad that we tried these. Fulfilling our never-ending craving for Mexican food, these tacos were just the right size to help keep those hunger pangs at bay as we waited for our mains to arrive. The duck inside was incredible; tender and juicy with a welcomed kick of spice that we didn't weren't anticipating. It was like eating Peking Duck with all the spice, sauces and flavors rolled into one delicious bite, Latino style.

If you're heading over for a full-blown dinner here, be sure to bring either an exceptionally empty belly or a friend - we found the portions here super generous (although perhaps we overindulged a little too much on the starters)!

Picking a few out to try and share between us, we opted for the Beef Wellington (RMB 198) with sauteed baby carrot, asparagus and mushroom sauce which caught our eye first. We were eager to see WINO's take on one of Britain's beloved dishes.

The beef inside was cooked well and slathered by a layer of mustard that sat between the meat and pastry. While typically slathered with a mushroom or foie gras mixture, we were glad that WINO chose mustard instead as it provided a much lighter finish to the overall dish and an added layer of spice to flavor the beef.

Feel like chicken? Then the Roasted Chicken 1/2 (RMB 98) would make a great choice with garlic mash potato, baby carrot and a glistening brown gravy. First cooked sous vide and placed in a hot water bath before finally being grilled, the chicken was juicy and moreish with a slick layer of a rich and flavorful beef stock gravy.

Finally the Tiger Prawn (RMB 258 - add RMB 88 for set). But not just any old Tiger Prawn, a JUMBO Tiger Prawn. These babies were huge and were smothered in a smokey BBQ sauce and mixed green salad that we couldn't get enough of. While a little messy to eat (if you try to use your hands like us to strip away the outer shell), you really notice how good the quality of the prawn is by how fresh it tastes.

Of course, no dinner is complete without dessert. The sweet treat options are limited to three choices, but after such a hefty main course you may not even have room to spare - you'll have to plan ahead to ensure you try one of these though.

The Poached Pear with Merlot (RMB 78) was not only a delight to eat, but a delight to look at with the slick, spiral-shaped pear sitting pretty next to sliced strawberries. The taste of the Merlot was not too overpowering, so the fruity taste of the pear could still shine through.

We also decided to indulge on the Apple Tartine (RMB 68) which was heaven on a plate. The pastry was crispy and flaky, the apples perfectly sweet without overdoing the sugarload and a scoop of vanilla ice cream (imported) to top it all off.

While they're not trying to compete with your high-end Michelin-starred restaurants, WINO are certainly putting in a lot of effort to ensure that customers understand the thought and care that goes into offering quality food. While we wouldn't come on a regular basis, we can certainly see it making a nice little date spot to splurge on every so often.

WINO Bar & Cellar

Address: 291 Fumin Lu, Wujing Century Tower, near Changle Lu

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11am-1am