The latest baby of the St. James group is located where Crazy Horse used to be. Yet, it’s the restaurant upstairs that’s truly a hidden gem. Take the lift or climb a flight of stairs to reach it. With a dimly‑lit, intimate interior boasting glitzy mirrors, a shiny piano, lush velvety furnishings and soft chairs, B. looked suitably impressive and glamorous when we dropped by for dinner one weekend. It’s obvious the wait staff have been trained, as they answered our questions well, made excellent recommendations and were friendly and polite. B. also boasts the talent of Jeffrie Siew, the ex‑chef of the now defunct Corduroy & Finch. Furthermore, its modern European menu is also good value, considering the good quality of the food and the luxurious ambiance. We launched our meal with a starter of tomato tart with quail egg, truffle and foie gras, which we loved—simply because the truffle complemented the richness of the foie gras perfectly—with the flavors and textures blending beautifully. For our mains, we had the chargrilled rib eye with fries, done medium rare. We got what we wanted—the rib eye arrived as a large slab of tender, juicy goodness with a delicious smoky flavor and maddeningly addictive fries. The crayfish cannelloni with shitake mushrooms, and the ultra‑fresh, delicate “today’s catch” (grilled sea bass with shitake mushrooms) mains were similarly pleasing to the palate. We liked a few of the desserts, and the staff obligingly asked the chef if a dessert sampler could be whipped up. Comprising a plethora of wonderful desserts like pannacotta, a divine chocolate chili tart plus other goodies, this was undoubtedly the highlight of our evening. With such good food, reasonable prices and excellent service, B. deserves to do well.
