Morsels of Délice: The Prince - Modern Cuisine of Mystique and Spices

Sunday, March 31, 2024

The Prince - Modern Cuisine of Mystique and Spices

I got interested in Middle Eastern cuisine many years ago since I kind of linked it to Indian cuisine, which I love. The association comes from the fact that both cuisines use lots of spices. But I didn’t get around to try it due to various personal reasons. So when I came to know about The Prince, I immediately jumped onto it to make a reservation. So goal finally met and I’m happy with it! By the way, the name "The Prince" reminds me of "Prince of Persia", which is very fitting for an Arabian restaurant.

The food here is delicious and so full of flavours. As mentioned above, there are lots of spices used in Middle Eastern food. In fact, the spices used here are very distinctive in flavours, being totally different from Indian spices. I love it nonetheless. And the food here has just the right amount of spices added to have the exotic tastes teasing the palates without overwhelming the tastebuds. I'm loving Middle Eastern cuisine already.

The interior of the restaurant is split into two areas. The one in front that is modern, stylish with a bar and subtle Arabian influences due to the florid Arabian patterns on the ceiling and murals, large dome-shaped ceiling lamps, dark wooden furniture and bronze trimmings on the tables. I can imagine how mystifying the restaurant will look at night when the candles lit up in the floor lamps placed around the restaurant. While the area hidden at the back is more formal and has this Middle Eastern Mystique due to the tapestry with Arabian calligraphy.

The service here is great, being responsive and friendly, making awesome recommendations since I have no idea what to order. I really enjoy dining here.

The House Baked Bread here is like flatbread with super fluffy interior that has slight chewy texture while being easy to tear. I love the texture and taste. The Cashew Hummus dip is so amazing in taste, featuring the harmonious concoction of savoury sweetness, nutty richness, creaminess, spiciness and exotic pungency. This is a must-try here.

Baby Squids sprinkled with ras el handout, an Arabian spice mix of cumin, peppercorn, ginger, tumeric and more, is so tender in texture and has this light briny sweetness made exciting by the spices. Another awesome thing about this dish is that each squid rind is coated with a paper thin crispy tasty batter for a nice crunch with the squid still in the spotlight. The pickled cauliflower makes for refreshing bites between savouring the deep fried squid rings. The special chilli sauce is a star also. It is so flavourful and is like no other chilli sauce.

Soft Shell Crab Benedict topped with eggs covered with harissa hollandaise is a very hearty treat. The bread slices beneath the huge whole soft shell crab are so soft, making it very easy to finish when paired with the perfectly cooked egg with runny yolk and jelly-like white, crispy soft shell crab with soufflé interior, and the special spicy cilantro sauce.

Rhubarb Berries Cobbler packed with cinnamon and warm, smooth pudding and crumbly strusel is so flavourful. The vanilla ice-cream adds the creaminess and moisture to this exotic, lovely dessert.