MARCHÉ RIGHT IN. SWISS DINING.
December 21, 2007 by Jan Shim
Many thanks to Chon Chat, a weekend photographer, who goes by his nick VIRGO on Clubsnap.com, his wife and two lovely girls whom I met for the first time yesterday took me and my kids to a new dining concept at Vivo City. We had planned on an outing at the Singapore Zoo (link to our 2006 gallery) but despite our two days of good fortune having visited Senstosa and Science Centre earlier, yesterday’s weather was not to be. Staying on the 10th floor of the Park Hotel Orchard (previously called Crown Hotel and before that, Crown Prince and who knows what it’s called before that … taxi driver shared my sentiments about these name changes), the weather went from “oh!” to “uh-oh!” to “UH-OH!” as dark clouds began dominating the skyline. Instead of the zoo, we detoured to Vivo City and like most things left to fate, it turned out better than expected.
Introducing MARCHÉ RESTAURANT, a dining concept that’s new and interesting to me (and the kids). Just when I thought I had dined in most popular restaurants in my trips abroad only to be proven wrong time and again just how much more there is to experience. I’ll go more into this when I have more time but suffice to say, greeted by “no photography allowed at the counters” got my photojournalistic instincts going and got these to share. Having shot restaurants commercially such as Vintage Rose and other restaurants in Brunei, I can spend an entire day @ Marche Restaurant–there is just that much photo opportunity inside this heavenly venue. The images below barely scratch the many other interesting subjects I could see but could not shoot. I decided to behave to avoid a likely outcome, “sir, you’ll have to surrender your flash card before you can leave!” 
Coming back to the new dining concept I wrote about earlier, what intrigued me was both the way patrons go about ordering their food and how they are charged for their orders as they move along with their orders. You see, Marche Restaurant lays out different food areas such as PASTA, SALADS, SOUP, DRINKS, MEAT much akin to a fresh market. At each “stall” your order is freshly prepared and charged to your MARCHE™ GUEST CARD. You would go on accumulating charges where you settle at the payment counter as you leave. On the day we dined, it was a public holiday and for some MARCHE logic, spaghetti isn’t served on public holidays and weekends. I find this rather odd considering how I’ve had spaghetti bolognese anytime I wanted anywhere else. But it’s OK, the kids weren’t disappointed as they enjoyed the exploding cheese sausages too much!
All images © Jan Shim Photography
I think the beauty in marche is choice. Its good to go there when you’re in a big group and everyone just says “anything” when asked about their meal preferences.
Cheers!
geraldtay
wow… nice place….. food looks good thou…..
Great photos !
Going to Korea this Feb, hope to take as many nice pictures as possible.
I missed Marche. I missed the sausages there, the pizza, the dessert, etc. So hungry now recalling how tasty the food can e there. One of my favourite restaurant beside Fish and Co.
Great shots! I love them all, not because I had a part to play in your pics, but you really have an eye for good photos.
I’ve enjoyed myself very much on that day with you and our loved ones, and I hope you do feel the same too.
Regards
Chon Chat
Many thanks Chon Chat,
We owed it to a timely public holiday on Dec 20th that brought our kids together. It was also interesting to discover just how much we have in common and it got me thinking just how many more photographers out there are presently in IT and how many professional photogs today switched from IT.
[...] the usual palette includes Japanese, Chinese, Italian on rotation with one exception being Swiss (Marche Restaurant in Singapore) and Vietnamese Beef Noodles, my kids said YES to Italian @ Fratini in Kuala Belait. It was going [...]
[...] the usual palette includes Japanese, Chinese, Italian on rotation with one exception being Swiss (Marche Restaurant in Singapore) and Vietnamese Beef Noodles, my kids said YES to Italian @ Fratini in Kuala Belait. It was going [...]
Jan, i am sorry to break shocking news to you again on the updates for Marche…
Apparently, the outlet that is in Orchard, Heeren shopping centre (opposite Meritus Mandarin Hotel) has ceased operations and the last operating day was at the end of 2007. Shocking…
I know i brought you news on the Meritus Mandarin Espirit outlet has been relocated and now this… But just to let you know so tat you won’t be shocked when you see that it has been replaced when u come back in SG!
Hi Jaslyn, thks for the update! That’s no loss to me as I’ve never been to that outlet. The pictures you see here were taken at the Vivo City outlet where it should be. I cannot see how Swiss Dining and Orchard Road would make a good combo, it’s like two cultures collide and it has! The next time I return to SG, I hope Marche @ Vivo remains operational. The dining experience is unique more so when you dine there once in a very blue moon.
That Esprit@Mandarin outlet having relocated was a news worthy heartbeaker. Although there are many Esprit outlets big and small scattered all over the island, it’s different when you’ve shopped there all these years and so conveniently located “right across our hotel.” Nonetheless, I did say life is about embracing change and I hope the change is for the better of their business!
p.s. It’s 5.30am and I’m having please-wake-me-up coffee and so-that-my-legs-can-move butter toast and have to leave the house by 6am to get to the Empire Hotel for a bank event I’m shooting. My partner who is handling video lives in the capital and he’s probably still sound asleep this minute!
i love rosti and i always eat it when going there! and i am so sad that Vilage had closed down. i miss the food there.
[...] These sausages aren’t nearly as tasty or exciting as the exploding Chicken Cheese ones at Marché Restaurant. It’s particularly hard to tell your little one that she cannot have eggs when she is [...]