Empire State @ ILUMA (Victoria Street / Bugis) #04-03

Looking for a place in town with superb dessert? Read on!

Empire State is a new casual dining restaurant in town, located at Level 4 of the new ILUMA mall just across the road from Bugis Junction. I have always been attracted by its bright color theme and wondered how is the quality of the food. A friend told me good things about the food as well. Since I had only one hour to grab dinner before my movie at ILUMA, I thought I should give Empire State a try.

One of the reasons why I like the theme of the restaurant - Their monkey mascot. Yes, I was born in the year of the monkey. That explains my affinity with the mascot ay?

I really like the high ceiling at Empire State. Makes the restaurant look really massive!

The place looked a little short of floor staff, as I saw the few staff rushing from table to table non stop. But still, it didn't take long for our food to be served. 

First up, Mushroom Soup ($5.90)

To be honest, I usually don't think much of the quality of mushroom soup at casual dining restaurants. My partner wanted some soup though. Since the staff recommended the mushroom soup, we decided to give it a go.

It was surprisingly good! Thick and flavorful. The price is a little steep for a small bowl of soup. But if you must have any soup for your meal, go for the mushroom soup.

Next up, my main course Herb Roasted Maple Glazed Chicken ($11.90)

Truth to be told, I chose this main dish because of the following reasons:

First, I wanted something filling (I was famished!) and value for money. Besides, I wasn't willing to blow 15 bucks on just a burger.

Second, a friend told me that he had this same dish before and he liked it.

A lot of times, the roasted chickens at casual dining restaurants disappointed me as they were often overcooked until the meat turned all dry and tough. Overcooking effectively kills off all the juice that should be in every good roasted chicken. Hence, I had to try to keep an open mind for this one.

As I took my first stab into the bird with my knife, I instantly knew that my doubts were unfounded. The meat was tender and juicy! The sauce complimented the meat well too. The fries were rather blend, so I dipped them in the sauce for the chicken. That made the fries more edible. I thought that they should at least add a pinch of salt to the fries to give it some flavor though.

Quite a filling main, I must say. Definitely satisfied my hunger.

Author's note:

I got home and read some reviews describing the burgers as mediocre tasting. So try their burgers at your own risk!

This time round, we saved some stomach space for dessert.

Empire State Sizzling Boston Brownie ($8.90)

The brownie was served on a sizzling hotplate. That was a first for me. Very interesting.

See all the dark and gooey stuff underneath the brownie? That stuff is actually chocolate sauce. Yes, a whole lot of it, together with more generous amount of chocolate sauce coating the top of the brownie. It looked soooooo sinful, but we couldn't wait to taste it!

Ever had a piece of heaven? I reckon this is about as close you can get to that, in terms of dessert. I kid you not. The brownie was delectable. Heavenly. The mix of chocolate sauce on the walnut brownie, couple that with the vanilla ice-cream, you've got a winner. I dare say that this is easily the BEST brownie I have ever tasted so far.

$8.90 for piece of heaven? I say it's worth every single cent!

Wouldn't the ice-cream melt really quickly on the hot plate, you ask? They placed a small piece of wafer underneath the ice-cream as heat cushion. Genius.

Word of advice though. Have plenty of water to drink or share it with someone, if you are eating this delectable brownie dessert. You might risk having sore throat if you don't. It's THAT sinful!

The Empire State Sizzling Boston Brownie is a must try for all dessert lovers. I am pretty darn sure that you will love it! If you don't, then save some for me. I would gladly finish it all up for you! Hah!