Tucked on the 12th floor of Orchard Central is Joie, a restaurant that prides itself on bringing diners a modern meatless menu with Japanese-European elements. It shares the top floor with one other restaurant and the mall's rooftop garden, with views overlooking the bustling Orchard Road.
Joie offers a 4 or 5-Course set for lunch and a 6-Course for dinner. The prices are as follows:
4-Course Lunch
$38++ on Mondays to Fridays, except Eve of Public Holidays and Public Holidays
5 Course Lunch
$50++ Daily
6-Course Dinner
$78++ on Mondays to Thursdays
$88++ on Friday to Sunday, Eve of Public Holidays and Public Holidays
For this visit, we had two sets of the 6-Course Dinner and hence could sample more dishes as indicated individually below. Beverages are not included, but Joie offers quite a comprehensive list of alcoholic drinks and a more straightforward non-alcoholic list containing mocktails, coffee, tea and soft drinks.
Complimentary Snack - Spaghetti Sticks
We were first served with a complimentary crunchy snack of Spaghetti Sticks in two flavours, spiced and non-spiced.
Palate Cleanser - Passionfruit Sorbet
After that, we were treated to Passionfruit Sorbet, which was intended to cleanse our palates before beginning the course properly. However, it could have been less icy and a lot less sweet to provide a lighter and more refreshing start.
Starter - Chef’s Selection of Assorted Platter 3/5
However, we were uncertain if it was intentional, but the capsicum kebab was made with a mix of vegetables in their raw form, and the raspberry sphere was overly sweet with a flat burst of flavour.
However, we were uncertain if it was intentional, but the capsicum kebab seemed to be just made with a mix of vegetables in their raw form, and the raspberry sphere was overly sweet with a flat burst of flavour.
Side Dish - Bailing Mushroom on Paper Hot Pot 2.8/5
Our first side dish was the Bailing Mushroom on Paper Hot Pot. We appreciated the chunky yet soft-texted mushrooms here, but the accompanying soup was overly sweet, making it challenging to savour fully. A more balanced base would have enhanced the overall enjoyment.
Side Dish - Gratinated Champignon with Mozzarella 2.8/5
For our second side dish, we had the Gratinated Champignon with Mozzarella. I looked forward to it when I saw the copious amount of cheese and golden-brown crust, but I was disappointed with the meagre portion of button mushrooms. The bread meant to pair with the Belgian endives was, unfortunately, a bit stale.
Cold Dish - Tuna Cold Steak 1/5
We ordered the Tuna Cold Steak as our first cold dish, which had marinated watermelon with dill mustard dressing and a topping of pine nuts. The texture of the 'steak' was soft, but flavour-wise, it was cloyingly sweet.
Cold Dish - Vegetable Sashimi On Ice with Oyster-Leaf Shooter Glass 2/5
We've had vegetarian sashimi a couple of times before this and were excited to try Joie's carefully plated rendition - Vegetable Sashimi On Ice with Oyster-Leaf Shooter Glass.
Instead of the usual konjac for the sashimi, they've ventured to use other elements, such as coconut, huai shan and aloe vera. The platter featured 'salmon, octopus, jellyfish and abalone', arranged from left to right. It was served with soy sauce and an oyster-leaf shooter glass. Unfortunately, like the previous dishes, most of these items leaned towards the sweeter side. We would have preferred a better balance with more savoury elements.
Soup - Japanese Kunbu Broth with Hand Carved Tofu 1/5
Our first choice of soup was the Japanese Kunbu Broth with Hand Carved Tofu. We understand from the menu that it was meant to be a double-boiled Japanese seaweed consomme, but what we had was regrettably bland.
Soup - Infusion of Cepes & Truffle 3/5
The Infusion of Cepes & Truffle was a better bowl. The mushroom soup here had delightful bits of mushroom and carried a mild truffle fragrance.
Main - Truffle Risotto 2.8/5
There are 5 mains to choose from for the dinner course. The Truffle Risotto with a croquette on top, mascarpone cream, greens, and black truffle didn't quite meet our expectations. The risotto had a thick porridge-like texture, lacking the desirable al dente bite. Additionally, we would have appreciated the croquette more if it had been served hotter and crunchier to provide better textural contrast.
Main - Grilled Summer Mushroom Steak on "Pu Ye" Hot Stone 3/5
Our second main, the Grilled Summer Mushroom Steak on "Pu Ye" Hot Stone, fared better. Beyond the visual presentation, the "Pu Ye" hot stone was intended to keep the dish hot. The mushroom steak here highlights a well-grilled monkey head mushroom with a mild smokiness. While the deep-fried spaghetti was too oily, I would have liked more of the truffle mashed potato as it was smooth and carried a good amount of flavour.
Dessert - Yoghurt Pudding 2.5/5
The Yogurt Pudding dessert had a watery texture, lacked the expected tangy yoghurt notes and leaned towards the sweeter side.
Dessert - Homemade Cheesecake with Oreo 2.8/5
Our last dessert was their Homemade Cheesecake with Oreo. It was average, with a decent amount of cheese flavour.
Unfortunately, our visit to Joie fell short of expectations. While we valued the warm service, the food quality needed to align with what we anticipated from a casual fine dining establishment. Many dishes lacked flavour or erred on the side of excessive sweetness. We hope this was an isolated occurrence and hope to experience better in the future.
Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.
Joie
Orchard Central
#12-01
181 Orchard Road
Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 9663 0901
Website
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)
Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm
Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit C or D. Walk to Orchard Central. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]
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