The Dempsey Cookhouse & Bar

Upon entering The Dempsey Cookhouse & Bar, I was immediately mesmerized by the chic monochromatic interior. Exuding chic romantic vibes, it’s the place to go whether for a romantic date or a casual business lunch.

Other than the affordable 3-course set lunch available, there’s also quite a selection on their a la carte menu. Go for the wood fired tiger prawns from the entrees as you will be served 4 jumbo tiger prawns grilled till just right, exhibiting a delectable smokiness on the hot plate. The prawns had been de-shelled so you can simply enjoy them without dirtying your hands conveniently. The pairing chili butter was, in fact, sweet and slightly creamy, somewhat like a Thai chili base. Topped with some shoestring potatoes akin to potato sticks, but they were slightly soggy upon serving. Recommended to pair with some sides such as vegetables, potato purée or French fries.

By its name on the menu, I initially thought that the Crispy Salmon Sushi ($20++) would be an aburi sushi, but served was an interesting plate of raw salmon over crispy rice (somehow looking like a rectangular potato croquettes). Temp of the salmon was a bit (just if you let it sit long lol) affected by the temp of the rice (maybe you’ll only notice too if you’re very particular with the rawness of the fish). But (!!) the texture of the salmon and rice is very good. It’s also paired with chipotle mayo & touch of soya glaze which is a really great combi. It was a crowd fave that we intended to get seconds 😋

A brunch item menu that contains a lot inspiration from Thai cuisine. It reminds me a lot of thai green mango salad that is spicy and tangy. The burst of citrus from the grapefruit enhance the main sour and spicy flavours of this dish. It's the equivalent of having the usual garden salad with Real chunks of crab in the Tartine in a European style brunch. The portion is not really huge and costs $26. Feels more like a starters than a main dish.

For our mains, we had the 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑭𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒔𝒆 ($36). I love the thin crust cheesy truffle pizza. It is made from scratch and baked in a wood-fired oven for extra smokiness.

This is the crispy salmon sushi that came with a layer of coquette as the base. It totally altered the temperature of the fish and thus it could be an abomination to purist. However, it’s still an interesting starter for $18

Chic modern décor. The food is good, but nothing to scream about. Worse, the short menu has not changed for well over a year. Two out of four meat main dishes are deep fried. Service is friendly and polite, but mechanical. This is not a place where you can engage in a conversation with the staff. At $100-120 per pax, you are overpaying for the brand and the décor. I am not returning until the menu changes. For French/western at Dempsey, atout is much more satisfying, and there are many other options too.