Description:
Market restaurant concept with a good mix of food, and hints of local cuisines. Self-service restaurant.

Reviews:
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Everything seems to scream 'Marche' but everything is NOT
I went to the Heeren branch for supper last night, and was disappointed on all counts.

First of all, even though the food items are probably 99% the same as Marche, the quality is not. we ordered rosti and crepes with maple walnut ice-cream. the items looked similar to Marche's but upon eating it, we realise that the taste is still similar but still inferior nevertheless.

The rosti is soggy, oily, and all squashed up. The taste is not as good though cooking methods seem the same. So we gathered the only possibility lies with having inferior ingredients, especially the potato.

The crepe on other hand is plain without the nice fragrance at Marche. It is not as obvious though if you eat it together with the ice cream. The ice-cream remains the same standard, as Movenpick ice cream is still used. Caramel in the crepe turns up like blotches and is patchy so you get very uneven spread. But the most obvious is still the crepe. Again it should be due to having more inferior ingredients.

The food is inferior, but the price is actually higher than Marche. Most items are between a few cents to a couple of dollars extra. Further more there are taxes charged which I recalled Marche did not. (sorry I'm normally not the one paying though I was a regular at Marche).

Service is bad too. Counter staff are disinterested (some even almost rude) and saw some other staff milling with each other, shouting friendly banter a meter apart, shoving each other and chit-chatting and having fun with guests who were obviously their personal friends there for a drink.

Will I go again? Bad food, higher prices, bad service... will you?

Oh, and, the environment factor... there is almost no change in the whole place except the area towards the end (near the usual kiddy theme area of Marche). It is now boarded up with white board and looks really undone.

All in all, truly unprofessional management in for a copycat quick buck. If as rumours they are indeed the same company as Marche, I'll take it that it is just trying to cut corners, raise prices with a name change only.    [21 Aug 2006 07:33:39]
Food: Service: Ambiance: Overall:
Recommended Dishes: None
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