Crave: Comforting Bistro Fare At This Intimate Wine Bar
Sponsored by Crave
Crave is a café and wine bar
on Xinle Lu. It’s a cozy space with an enviable patio for al fresco
eating and drinking. They’ve recently added a dinner menu, serving some
crave-able small plates and simple yet comforting bistro fare.
Keep reading for Nomfluence Readers Deals.
Crave opened in April last year, a
project conceived by power couple/co-owners chef Holly Lian and
sommelier Yaniki De Brouwer.
During the day, it’s a bustling café with
folks stopping in for quick bite or a coffee and pastries. In the
evening, it’s warm and inviting with an excellent vibe set to the
soundtrack of an upbeat indie playlist. Tables are intimately spaced and
accommodate up to only four people. It's small, but that's a big part of its charm. And when
the weather is right, you’ll be hard pressed to find a seat on the
terrace.
The Food
Bistro Bites & Comforting Plates
When Crave opened, the highlights were limited to
fantastic pastries, sandwiches, and wines. (The mini Kouign Amanns are
to die for.) For dinner, chef Holly has added some comforting
bistro-esque dishes, including crave-able small plates like the roasted
duck puff pastries and a satisfying bavette steak.
Here’s what to order for dinner:
Foie
Gras Jam Toast with Nuts (¥78) – Foie gras mousse with a touch of port
studded with nuts and raisins, served on house-baked toast. It’s tasty,
but a petit portion.
Beef Tartare (¥88) – An excellent beef
tartare with capers, finely diced shallots and a hint of Asian flavors,
served atop a fried potato cake. The spices are subtle, and it tastes
closer to a traditional beef tartare to me, which I prefer.
Endive Salad (¥68) with slices of apple and pear, walnuts, crispy bacon, croutons, and grated parmesan.
Roasted
Duck Puff Pastries (¥68/four) – Absolutely love these. Holly’s pastry
craft and French cooking background shines through with these dainty
bites. The pastry is thin, crispy, and light, encasing a moreish roasted
duck filling.
Pan-Fried Squid (¥98) with pea purée and plump shrimp
croquettes. Excellent. The squid is perfectly tender with a slight char
and lightly glazed in sweet Thai chili sauce.
Spicy Tomato Cream
Gnocchi (¥128) with onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and peas. Pillowy
gnocchi drenched in a spicy tomato cream sauce. Substantial, comforting,
easy to share.
Seafood Pasta (¥168) -
Pasta with garlic oil fried capers, olives, and cherry tomatoes
finished in fish stock, topped with pan-fried prawns, clams, and squid.
Pan-Fried
Snapper (¥158) with red pepper cream sauce, gigantic onion rings, lemon
butter sauce, and a salad of watercress and radish. Snapper pan-fried
to a crispy finish—simple and lets the quality of the fish shine. Would
order again.
Roasted M9 Bavette 250g (¥328) – One of my favorite
steaks. Bavette, also known as the butcher's cut, is a highly flavored
cut of beef. Here, it’s cooked perfectly medium rare. Served with
sautéed mushrooms, kimchi (unusual accompaniment but it helps cut the
rich flavors), and a potato pavé.
Seasonal Tarts (¥68) – Currently there’s a lemon tart and an apple tart. I love lemon tarts, and this one makes it onto my list. Zesty lemon curd topped with meringue and lime zest in crispy tart shell. Straightforward, classic.
Apple tart with vanilla chantilly.
There are also wine bar requisites of cheese and cold cuts, as well as fresh oysters.
When it comes to wine, it's mostly a natural wine selection with a few conventional gems. Wines by the glass start from ¥60, bottles from ¥300.
As house somm, Yaniki also does a monthly wine "Craving Selection," a house choice of wines with stories and a touch of education. It’s
selection of about six wines, which are available as tasters (8cl),
glass (12.5cl), or by the bottle, at a slightly reduced price than per
usual. You can also get a flight of four from the Craving Selection for ¥220.
The dinnertime atmosphere at
Crave is electric, intimate, and convivial. It’s also a place where
you’re likely to run into someone you know, by which time you’d have
gravitated towards the bar (or joined tabled) to share a bottle of wine.
Deals
Nomfluence Readers Deals
The deal below is valid from now until March 31, 2022 for Nomfluence readers. Scan the QR Code to book!
20% your food bill.
Deal is only applicable on Sundays to Thursdays for dinner, 5:30pm to 10:30pm.
Crave Cafe & Wine Bar
Address: 208-1 Xinle Lu, near Donghu Lu 新乐路208-1号, 近东湖路
Tel: 18964622405
Hours: 9am-11:30pm, dinner last order 10:30pm.
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