Take a good look at the wall art in Artichoke – there’s a high chance it’s AI art created by chef-owner Bjorn Shen himself. Artichoke at New Bahru screams with his colourful personality, even featuring a small retail section with printed shirts, patterned mugs, and more stuff you “may or may not need”. There’s an eclectic vibe here, a nice setting for Artichoke’s stellar Middle Eastern fare. The menu retains favourites like roasted cauliflower and harissa prawns, plus a “FEED ME” chef’s selection ($68) if you don’t want to think too much. Tucked in a corner is also Small’s, chef Bjorn’s “restaurant in a restaurant” – a tiny 8-seater test kitchen that churns out experimental pizzas (like ones topped with sea urchin and bi-coloured corn).
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Original review by Nicole Marie Ng, 2018
Nine years on Artichoke is #stillnotdead – real feat in Singapore’s take-no-prisoners food and beverage scene. After all this time, you probably have heard of the restaurant’s proprietor: Bjorn Shen, the cheeky, zany, opinionated chef who has poured his heart into this homey space with mismatched furniture and a breezy outdoor space littered with picnic benches.
Artichoke prides itself on serving the least authentic Middle Eastern food in town – a concept we can enthusiastically get behind because it’s still fricking delicious. Start yourself off with a series of meze, best scooped up with warm triangles of toasted Turkish bread. We adore the beetroot borani ($12), roasted beetroot blended with cream cheese and served with a three-nut dukkah. You also won’t go wrong with the hummus and Iraqi spiced mushrooms ($14) and the crunchy sea asparagus ($12) served with a side of Greek yoghurt.
For mains, steak and potatoes get an Artichoke makeover. Order the smoked black angus rump cap ($45), which comes with two sauces: zhug, a spicy Middle Eastern parsley and cilantro pesto, as well as toum, a Lebanese garlic sauce. Pair the glistening hunk of beef with a side of housemade hashbrown ($14), a hefty deep-fried potato cake that’s topped with sour cream and za’atar.
Still have some unfinished bread on your plate? Good. Artichoke’s green harissa prawns ($38) have stayed on the menu since day one, and for good reason. Large tiger prawns are grilled on both sides, imparting a subtle smokiness but the secret is in the sauce. Rocket, mint, parsley, coriander, spring onion and green chillies are blended together and combined with cream in a pan to create a vibrant dip that you want to mop up with leftover bread or bottle up and bring home.