H O S T E D

Because of Chef-turned-Restaurateur Marco Pierre White who hosted us for lunch a few weeks ago at his iconic restaurant, I got to indulge not only in English classics but dishes that were inspired by certain flavours he has enjoyed in Singapore. Prepared by Head Chef Andrew Bennett and his team, I found the dishes of the latter undeniably delicious due to interesting twists.

The Quail Scotch Eggs ($5++ a piece) we began our meal with, are a mini version of the original. Wrapped in perfectly-seasoned housemade sausage meat and with the yolk still runny within, each was a joy to munch.

The moment I spotted Pressed Calf’s Tongue ($22++) on the menu, I couldn’t not have it. And was pleased as punch to learn the tender meat was every bit as good as I’d hoped.

The “Honey Roast Pork Belly Marco Polo”, one of the locally-inspired creations, thoroughly charmed me. Set against a backdrop of tasty dark sauce, the pork belly chunks melted in the mouth so beautifully while the airy-light pork skin crackers and silky “hor fun” noodles provided great textural contrast. It is available in two portion options of $42++ and $77++.

But the dish that had me sit up and go wow was the supremely appetising “Braised Short Rib with Singapore Spicy Tendon Sauce” ($40++). Head Chef Andrew revealed there’s chilli padi and soya sauce in there which explains the mouthwatering burn and obvious Asian flavour facet.

To accompany the meat, there was an assortment of sides that included buttered garden peas, beef fat chips, creamed spinach with horseradish and fresh pomme frites that saw our lunch companion Ghillie James, become quickly addicted to. And no wonder, the number of steps taken to make each piece of that delectable French fry is crazy, based on what Chef Andrew told us.

For dessert (each priced
at $16++), I chose the “Champagne-poached Strawberries with Vanilla Panna Cotta” and in a blink of an eye, made it history. Yums.