Skyve Elemetary Bistro & Bar

Skype Elementary Bistro & Bar:An interesting evolution of Table 66. Much larger, airier and more chic decor. They are now a full day dining with Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Tea and Dinner. However, the menus for each are mutually exclusive. Came down for the Brekky/Brunch. The sous-vide eggs benedict was good; came with a portobello mushroom, bread, corn and tomatoes. Quite good, price-compatible, but still lose out to Hediard's egg Benedictine. The mini beef burger was passable as was the Croque Madame. The pizza looks good though. A carafe of bubbly berries was refreshingly cool and apt for brekky. Unfortunately, no desserts for brekky/brunch (see above) and no oysters except for dinner (6-10pm)  or unless pre-ordered. Bar snacks starts at 5pm and is at a separate corner. I can accept the house rules, but the lack of all day desserts is disappointing. Freshness of desserts is easily maintained throughout the day; perhaps they need a dedicated dessert chef.  There is an entire potential market to tap on with desserts especially since they are now a whole day dining establishment with an idyllic urban setting.

Verdict: Will come back again, cos I really did like Table 66, but the house rules kinda suck and the brekky/brunch is not fabulous.


Skyve Elementary Bistro & Bar
10 Winstedt Road
Block E, #01-17

Contact: 6225 6690; email: enquiry@skyve.sg

Breakfast: from 8.30am; Dinner: 6-10pm
Most days open till midnight except Sunday till 11pm.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Guy Ritchie's sequel is gonna make money. It's an entertaining albeit slightly draggy romp with Robert Downey Jr as his usual charismatic self that is getting repetitive. They overplayed the autistic savant bit too much, me thinks. He and Jude Law has a brotastic chemistry, but what a waste of Noomi Rapace! What a step down from Lisbeth this is for her. Though at least there was the dependently funny Stephen Fry in this. Guy Ritchie does action choreography really well and his fight scenes are really entertaining, particularly the German gun fight sequence in the forest. Well-shot! Hans Zimmer's score was appropriate  but not terribly memorable. BBC's "Sherlock" is a more highly recommended viewing!

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol [IMAX]

Better than 2, not as good as 1 or 3. Tom Cruise is again his charismatic self and carries the movie successfully on his shoulder; I don't see Jeremy Renner taking over this Franchise. Brad Bird did a great job directing and his action choreography was outstanding, particularly the Dubai sequence (from start to end) and the carpark sequence. Paula Patton in a green dress coming out of a BMW is no (NO) match for Maggie Q in a red dress blowing up a Lamborghini. 2 standouts: Simon Pegg and Michael Giacchino; the former has a wickedly brilliant comic touch and the latter composed a brilliantly wicked soundtrack. The IMAX shot footages was gorgeous! If only the whole movie was in IMAX!! Abrams continue to cast his ex-stars in a minor but pivotal role, but Josh Holloway, like Keri Russel before him, had limited screen time. But also like Felicity, Sawyer nails it! And...wtf?!?! where's my "The Dark Knight Rises" prologue...grrr!!! IMAX not really necessary.

Crazy Christmas 2011

What a sad shade of the original Dim Sum Dollies (R) (yes, they are copyrighted now). Unfunny, unoriginal and uninspired, and forgettable songs (from Glee's play book that's way way too poor). Laughs were thin and forced, with poor directing and bad lighting. A slight glimpse of their former glory was during the bunny skit, but sadly they missed the chance to segue into a rabbit-dragon joke. Instead, we got a hokkien Santa. Sigh. Even Kumar seemed embarrassed to be in this show. Granted, perhaps the lack of energy is partially due to tragic loss of RJ Rosales and the unfortunate relapse for Emma Yong (will next year's in memoriam be for her? let's hope not...). Anybody else caught the sold-out-ness of it all? Underneath the sly governmental snarkiness is a production that reeks of propaganda. Pity...

New Year's Eve

This must have been loose change for many of the major league Oscar winners and nominees in the movie, which is more chocked-ful of TV actors than movie starts. Unfortunately, the star power in this show is unable to lift it out of its dreary story-telling and run-of-the-mill plotting. It's sad when the funniest thing(s) in the show are the blooper reel at the end and actors re-enacting their funnier TV characters. The only part that really stood-out was a good piece of misdirection involving Josh Duhamel's character. Even the music by Jon Bon Jovi and Lea Michele is as uninspiring as the love life of their characters. Though one thing for sure, NYC still seems like the place to be for NYE! Maybe it's time to re-visit New York.

L’Artiste (The Artist) @ Alliance Francaise

As part of: Société Générale Private Banking First Rendezvous With French Cinema

What a stunning, beautiful film. Michel Hazanavicius has created a magnificent hommage to the silent era that is sure to be nominated for all the major awards come Oscar 2012! Not a surprise, since this movie grabs you from the beginning as you observe the fall of the silent era, as embodied by the wonderful Jean Dujardin, and the rise of the talkies, as emblazoned by gorgeous Berenice Bejo. Dujardin is undoubtedly the star of the show (other than Uggy!), and is so deserving of the accolades thus far; to me, he is now definitely the front runner for Best Actor. Bejo was luminesce and should also be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The American actors were also great in their roles and were definitely good fit in this silent flick, where either exaggerated characterizations and large movements, or stoic types with strong features, are to be expected. As said, this film will get nominated for a slew of awards, but other than Best Actor, I don't see it getting Big Prize. Hazanavicius is visionary, but let's take a look at the other contestants first shall we? Maybe it will be one of those rare occurrences where Best Picture and Best Director are not from the same movie. Lastly, if only this movie was played with a live orchestra, what an experience it would have had been! The score is, like Uggy, the unsung actor that lifts this picture up to greatness.

The Muppets [Digital]

What a winner!!! Well done Jason Segal! A nostalgic comedy that is chockful of laughers. Literally every 5 mins was a laugh out loud moment. The plot was simple,  impropable, irreverent, tongue-in-cheek and meta. Amy Adams was a delight in a role reminiscence of her breakout Enchanted. The slew of cameos were  hilarious and the guest stars absolutely inspired!!! Particularly Miss Piggy's assistant and Walter's human ego. Perfect!! For anybody who knew the muppets just vaguely or intimately, this show is great entertainment. Did not even feel long! Btw, love the Toy Story short too!! But seriously, shameless Disney plugging throughout man!! 

Brawn Steakhouse

What a bad experience!! Firstly, the reservation was booked four days ago...this will be important later on. Upon arrival at 7.30pm on a Sat, the restaurant was quite empty. Okie, granted it's in the CBD, so perhaps its main bulk of business is during the weekdays. There were only three servers (including the ?manager). We were seated promptly, but no menu was given until 5 mins after the water was served. Menu given with no explanation whatsoever - come on! What about some description of the the famed Black Cherry Wood grill, etc. How to distinguish itself as an upmarket place? Anyways, guess what? There was no stock of the much-ballyhooed  21-days aged dried ribeye/sirloin!!! Sheesh...a) they could not have told us that upon reservation? Speaking of which, no one called to confirm seating; b) they should have at least mentioned that during the menu-presentation. Sigh. The bread was hard and stale. Escargot was bland and tasted like it was boiled in water before serving (drizzled with oil and garlic); the mushroom soup was acceptable just a tad salty; the roasted bone marrow was not too bad, but the marrow could have been just a bit more "roasted". The wait for the beef was another 15-20mins. During which, the restaurant was playing Top 40s!?!?! My 220g fillet mignon arrived. And 2-3mins later...its sauce sauntered along, together with the sautee mushroom sides and gratin. Now, at least the beef was good. The Black Cherry Wood was deserving of its praise. The juice and flavour was all sealed within the beef, with a hint of sweetness/charred-ness on the outside. By itself, the beef was perhaps 6.5/10. I had the red wine reduction and duck liver sauce which cost more (the sauces are not gratis), and that elevated the beef to perhaps 7.5/10. The mushroom was normal, and the gratin was too hard, and not creamy enough. Then came dessert. Poor service in taking orders for the desserts too, and again they failed to mention which were not available until after the guest has ordered. Sigh. A least this time round, the 15mins wait for the Tarte Fine (apple tarte a la mode) was worth it. Easily the best dish of the night. Oh!!! There's no wine list here!!! Sacrilegious! Something to do with the meat being halal etc etc!! Can you imagine??!?! The wine list came from the Japanese Restaurant next door...

Verdict: Won't be coming back here again, unless someone is buying me the age-dried ribeye.

Brawn Steakhouse
8A Marina Boulevard
#01-01 Marina Bay Link Mall
Singapore 018984

tel: 6634 8060

Opening Hours
Mon - Sat: 12 - 2.30pm; 6 - 10pm

Restless

Gus van Sant's latest is not a blockbuster or oscar-bait, and really not even particularly even or good, but it manages to be sweet without being sappy or overwrought. The main fault must lie in the clunky script by Jason Lew which is hamfisted and all over the place , which is essentially, I feel, all about how do deal with grief and death; how do you say goodbye if the person had already left you. The saving grace of the show lies in the amazing and quirky chemistry between the 2 young stars. Henry Hopper and Mia Wasikowska are amazing together. Both are innately charming, charismatic and they imbue the stereotypical characters with an easy likability that connects with the audience. The music by Danny Elfman was folksy and whimsical which suits the overall mood of this show.

District 10

I have heard about this place since it was at Winstedt Drive, however, never did had the opportunity to try it there then. Anyways, so now it has moved to a more posh, and more visible, location at UE-square, which should mean that business can't be all that bad right? Unfortunately, that again taught me that assuming just makes an ass out of you and me...(or mainly me). I had the fried calamari and the Hoegaarden battered fish and chips. The calamari came really quickly, but, oh boy, it was so bland. Not even lemon and the wasabi/mayo (which was too thick) could save it; and at $14 the portion was way too small. The fish and chips took a while to serve, and on first impression, it indeed looked yummy. Big portion - 2 pieces of fish - with a golden brown batter. A pity that it tastes flat. Boring. The fish was bland and mushy; I got bored after 3/4 of the first piece, felt "full" on starting the 2nd one, and just dug out the meat for the last half. It's sad when the chips are waaaay better than the main dish. At $18, the portion is definitely worth the money, but not the palette. Aesthetically, the place looks like it will be a nice place to chill out after work. The quest for fish and chips and continues...

Verdict: Will not come again to eat unless someone invites me there.

District 10
81 Clemenceau Avenue
#01-15/16/17 UE Square Shopping Mall
Singapore 239917

Tel: 6738 4788; e-mail: contact@district10.com.sg

Opening Hours
very complicated! (who's gonna remember??)...essentially, opens everyday from 11.30am to 12am (11am on Sat, Sun and PH; 11pm on weekdays and Sun). Only bar food at 3pm-6pm, except for Sun and PH.

Puss in Boots [Digital]

A watchable, mildly entertaining child-friendly animation pic that unfortunately, lacks the bite and wit of its parent franchise - Shrek. Early on there was some potential and sparks, but as the movie dragged on it is evident that the storyline is thin. There was just too little of the trademark Dreamworks Animation irreverence; liked the sly nods to Lost and Cloverfield, but most of the show is spent waiting for the other boot to drop - which never did. Antonio Banderas is funny in small amount, but here, his Español accent cannot sustain the whole length; Amy Sedaris was a delight as always though. Really, not much to add for this...perhaps 3D may be more fun?

Immortals [Digital]

A tedious movie that serves best as an introductory vehicle for Henry Cavill - the next Superman. Thus far, signs are encouraging that he will make a better Son of Krypton than Brandon Routh. Anyways, back to the movie...comparisons with "300" is inevitable, and unfortunately the latter is more entertaining and more well-paced. "Immortals" took itself too seriously, and lacked the grandiose self-absorption of "300" which made it more entertaining. The movie is clearly shot for 3D with many scenes that serve to "pop" out, but the hyper-realistic palette is already darkly toned, so I cannot imagine the screen being clearer with the 3D lenses on. The fight scenes are brief and lack the vigour and maso-violence of "300". The scenes and settings are beautifully rendered, unfortunately Tarsem lacked the grandeur vision of Snyder and most are just postcard pretty and not used effectively. Lastly, my biggest beef with the movie is the wasted utilisation of the Greek Gods. For a movie that seemed to sell itself on Greek Mythology, the gods are kinda useless and lame. Even the penultimate fight scene was such a let down. I seriously doubt the self-indulgent hope-for-a-sequel ending will come true. It is a sad day when "Clash of the Titans" may be a better Greek god showcase. But, hey, the saving grace here is Henry Cavil, and I hope big things happen for this charismatic guy once Superman is out.

Richard III (The Bridge Project)

Another world-class production comes to Singapore! The Bridge Project's last installment was an astounding success. Richard III was a powerful and exciting production led by a stellar Kevin Spacey and directed by Sam Mendes. Spacey's Richard III was a triumphant portrayal of a snarky, anti-hero who schemes, plots and intrigues his way to the Crown, but yet manage to invoke a sense of pity in the audience at the next to last scene. The stage was beautifully set-up, with excellent lighting and direction, and accompanied by a mini-live band that serves to dramatise and underscore the emotional impact wrought forth from the stage. The Elizabethan English was challenging at times, and especially so during brief portions where the actors, Spacey especially, speaks at rocket speed. Similarly, some of the actors were a tad softer, and that too made understanding the intricacies of the Bard's dialogue just that much harder. All in all, Spacey deservedly receive a double standing ovation, as do the rest of the cast and crew. Who knew the Bard could be so snarky and still oh-so relevant (and accurate about human nature) almost 450 years later?!

The Adventures of Tintin [IMAX 3D]

[Disclaimer: I am a Tintin fan! Tintin was the first comic book I read and I have got all them!]

Blistering blue barnacles!! This is a must-watch for true blue Tintin fans! A non-stop, rollicking treasure-mystery adventure with Spielberg back to his early Indiana Jones brilliance. A new franchise is potentially born. The slightly British-leaning plot (written in part by Steven Moffat - Dr Who! Coupling!, Edgar Wright - Shaun of the Dead! Hot Fuzz!, and Joe Cornish - the recent Attack the Block!) is a portmanteau of "The Crab with the Golden Claws", "The Secret of The Unicorn" and "Red Rackham's Treasure" interspersed with amazing, immersive 3D action sequences, classic Tintin-isms and comic relief from Haddock and the pitch-perfect Thompson & Thomson (Simon Pegg! Nick Frost!). Now, only if they found a way to include Snowy's speech bubbles...heh! The gorgeous opening credits, a la "Catch Me If You Can", was accompanied with a score by John Williams, and aims to help any naive audience settle into the role/identity of the iconic Tintin. The movie may start off a bit slow getting into the crux of the mystery, but once the action starts, Spielberg and Jackson just keeps piling it on. One fantastical action sequence after another. Unfortunately, the animation itself was a double-edged sword for this show; flawless and amazing animation/action sequences are burdened by an emotional detachment from the soulless eyes of the motion-capture characters. How do you care for an "actor" that "can't die"? Nonetheless, one cannot help cheering on the intrepid boy-reporter throughout the show, hope for the redemption of Captain Haddock, and applaud the ingenuity and brilliance of Snowy! All of it was strung along with a fitting/swelling score by Williams; lots of violins and very high adventure sounding (again, similar to the great old Indiana Jones soundtrack). Definitely should be watched in 3D and added bonus in IMAX!

The Lion King 3D

A timeless classic re-visited!!! One of the best films ever made for my generation. The opening scene was gorgeous in 3D as were any scenes that were big on landscaping and scenery, otherwise not much added value. Though it's great to hear Hans Zimmer score and Elton John/Tim Rice songs in Dolby 7.1 Digital!! From the opening notes of "Circle of Life", to the colourful "I Just Wanna Be King", riotous "Hakuna Matata" and the romantic "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", it's like relieving my childhood!! As passé and cliche as the plot is, it's a fabulous feel-good movie. And for once, it's great to hear children laughing in the cinema!

The Ides of March

An aptly titled and very timely political drama that reflect the current American situation. However, it was filled with too much lazy "pop" politics on what's wrong with America now. George Clooney's direction was a tad too amateurish and gimmicky. Lucky for him, he had the, yet again, amazing Ryan Gosling, and  paired him with a brilliant cast of actors: Philip Seymout Hoffman, Paul Giammati, Marisa Tomei and the beautiful, underrated Evan Rachel Wood (they all gotta be Demoncrats, or at least non-Republics, right?). Gosling, and all, lifted this show just slightly above average. Also, a very different kinda score from his usual by Alexandre Desplat that doesn't really distract from the show. More relevant to peeps who are interested in politics or Americans.

Drive [Digital]

A f***ing, bloody, brilliant, dark, modern day noir thriller. Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling are an amazing pair! The former directed a tight, tense and riveting piece of film (gorgeously shot and lighted; stylish and retro), that is headlined aptly and beautifully subtly by the intense Gosling as the anti-hero that you cannot help rooting for. Narrative is first and foremost before brainless action. The first ten minutes were intense and nicely bookended with the last ten minutes (that were also beautiful depicted). The minimal dialogue is bolstered by the retro soundtrack and all-round ace acting by all!! Carey Mulligan again illuminates the screen with her ingenue charms, and she and Gosling have great chemistry. Gosling continues to impress; it's sure been a long way since "The Notebook"!

Faye Wong Concert 2011 王菲巡迴演唱會2011

[disclaimer: I actually watched her comeback concert back in Nov 2010 over at Shanghai, where it was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena which seats 18,000 people]

WOW! She is undisputedly the Queen of Mando/Canto-pop! And this concert does not disappoint!! The much smaller Singapore Indoor Stadium (?8-9000) was filled with fans of all ages. Unlike in Shanghai, she sang a couple of cantonese songs and 1 English song (Sinead O'Connor's "A Perfect Indian"). Her dresses were prettier and less theatrical which is either a good or bad thing depending on your taste. Her earlier initial comeback concerts in China set the iconic looks for her promotional items, but I guess, similar to how she changed the songlist for this local concert, she got bored (though I can't decide whether I liked her Alexander McQueen Amish/Mormon dress at the end)! Speaking of which, the songlist here were at least 50% different from the one in Shanghai, which makes it very much worth it to have watched it again! Unfortunately, the song system in Singapore sucks, and the sound engineer had to spend the first 2 songs tweaking the settings until we got it right. That ended up producing a very pitchy and screechy first 2 songs, before finally Faye managed to belt her a signature yodel/scat singing. Otherwise, this was a fantastically great concert! Since I went to her Shanghai one, I already expected the ending and lack of audience interaction, though she did speak two times more than in Shanghai!! (5 "谢谢" and 1 "多谢" in canto!!)...ahhahahha....

Antoinette (Mandarin Gallery)

Tucked away at the 2nd level of Mandarin Gallery, this little Parisian patisserie and salon du the is charming in its appearance. Very European in design with armchairs, picture frames adoring the walls and gold-gilded furnishings; there's even a settee out at the waiting area for you to park whilst waiting in line. Helmed by award winning pastry chef Pang Kok Keong, this place serves, possibly the best macaroons in Singapore, thus far. They have the right balance of airy-ness and melt-in-the-mouth-ness. His famous "Antoinette" macaroons (milk chocolate mousse infused with earl grey team, chocolate biscuit, raspberry coulis, and earl grey tea crumble) are really superb, the sesame and grand yuzu were great too, however, the strawberry was blah. And this about all the praise I have for this place...oh, one more! Good service too! Unfortunately, they should have stucked to being purely patisserie/dessert-only, instead of diversifying like Pang's previous employer - Canele. The Antoinette breakfast was disappointing. The three viennoiseries were average at best, only the brioche was near great. The chocolate crossiant can't compare to the absolutely perfect ones at Hediard; the "normal" croissant was also not spectacular. Similarly, the hot chocolate, though well-made, simply pales in comparison to Hediard's mouth-watering ones, or even the real ones you can get in Paris. The breakfast itself was sad, especially if the best thing on the plate was the roasted tomatoes: the eggs were bland, the bacons need to be crispier, and the sausage was just blah. There was even salt on my salad, which was a bit strange, unless that's the way the dear Queen liked hers. Lastly, was the strawberry shortcake. It was much better than your average ones available, however, it is definitely not the best. The sponge and cream was very well done, and the strawberries slightly soaked in kirsch which gave it a bit of cake, but at the price I'd rather eat K-Ki's!

Verdict: Will definitely come back for the macaroons, and just sit back and chill. May come and try their crepes or blinis (french pancakes).

Antoinette
333A Orchard Road
#02-33/34 Mandarin Gallery
Singapore 238897

tel: 6836 9209

Opening Hours
Everyday: 9am - 10pm (last order 9.30pm)

Smiths: Authentic British Fish and Chips

This new fish and chippys place at Balmoral is not really a new kid in town, with 2 other branches already in Boat Quay and Tanjong Katong. Firstly, the price is a bit on the high side, and that will definitely set expectations up. Unfortunately, the Haddock (served on triple-layer oil-absorbent paper...man! it sure needs the oil absorbing!) that I had was a tad too fishy and overcooked. The batter was good, and not overly doughy/floury, and I really liked the whole vinegar and salt topping(very brit), however, the fish needed some tartar sauce and/or chilli sauce to make it more palatable. At $17, this is not really what I would expect. (much cheaper and more worth your buck to just takeaway from Greenwood). The chips, on the other hand, was good: irregularly chunky and just the right thickness; great with the vinegar/salt.

Verdict: May go back to give the cod a second chance; but the price is a deterrence in making it a regular fish & chips joint.

Smiths
271 Bukit Timah Road
#01-02 Balmoral Plaza
Singapore 259708

tel: 67637 9313

Opening Hours
Everyday: 12noon - 11pm

The Help

Another long delayed movie has finally reached our shore. The Oscar buzz has been steadily building for this little sleeper hit in the States and it is totally well deserved!! This is a slow burning hit that rewards its patient audience. Once you get past the southern accent, this is a touching, funny, serious and serious current and reflective movie. The background may be obscure to local audience, but the theme is universal. It is not only a film about racism, but also of pure and simple bigotry and bullying (feminism, elitism, chauvinism all makes appearance). Bullying has not lines, no boundaries; bullying is for the weak. A powerful, emotional performance by Viola Davis will surely gain her another well-deserved Oscar nomination; Octavia Spencer is also equally riveting as the sassy Minny! Emma Stone is a starlet in the making (hope she doesn't pull a Lohan!); Jessica Chastain...wow!...this girl is a STAR! Exciting, illuminating, and arresting!! Can't wait to catch her next 2 flicks! The hilarious Sissy Spacek, uncharacteristically un-glam Allison Janney and even bitchy Bryce Dallas Howard round out the excellent oestrogen-filled cast. This movie also aptly reflects the current Singapore situation and the way where I see many kinfolks treat their help - as archaic as it was back then; our kiddies are undoubtedly gonna start (or many have already!!) loving their "aunties" more than their own mothers!! Can't wait to start on the book!

Table 66

I have heard good things about this modern French/European restaurant, and I finally get to taste it (shout out to my boss! THANKS!). Lucky for it, the expectations were met. The place itself was not impressive. The bar looked cozy (and appropriately dimmed), but the dining area itself was unfortunately a bit hard/cheap looking. Service was excellent! Sally was an excellent host, friendly and vivacious without being overly intrusively. On paper the set lunch looked reasonable. Let's talk about food. The oysters were excellent. 2nd best oysters I had in Singapore (1st being those found at The Cliff): fresh, juicy and succulent. We had 3 kinds: au naturel (very good); cucumber granita with mint (refreshing); hollandaise (a bit overpowering). I had a taste of the foie gras (I can't believe California is banning it!!), and the bite that I had showed promise. Next up was one of their signature dish: poached egg with herb-cured salmon. The egg was impressive, with a very good texture. The herb-cured salmon on the other hand was not spectacular. Starters was followed by duck leg confit. I started on that with a bit of trepidation (see previous entry on ODP), and boy, am I glad to say that this duck got standard! Crispy with still a layer of fat beneath, and the meat was tender. It would have been better if the duck was cured longer, and baked/roasted rather than fried to get the skin crispy. Dessert was coffee swiss roll, at least it wasn't too sweet or creamy, hence easy on the palette after the heavy 2 courses. Coffee did not come with petit fours (boo!). This was the last week of business for them. They will be relocating to 10 Winstedt Drive (taking over the old District 10) and business will commence there on 11 Nov 2011.


Verdict: Will definitely visit them again.

Update (Dec 2011): They are now called Skyve Elementary Bar & Bistro

Table 66
66 Tras Street
Singapore 079005

Open Door Policy

New place down at Yong Siak Street, Tiong Bahru, sister restaurant of the Forty Hands cafe across the road. This area is shaping up to be a quaint little neighbourhood, with cafes and bookshops and bric-a-brac-wannabe shops. Sadly, ODP is like 40-hands, interesting but not Wow-ing. The decor is unique with a mix of old-school (ala Col Bar) furniture with modern furnishings (reminds me a lot of the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego). The food is an interesting mesh of genres/varieties, with a limited menu. Starters, Meat, Fish, Vegetables and Dessert (with just about 5 items per section). I would say this was more a modern European bistro kinda food. The Halloumi cheese with anchovies was good, just a tad too oily; would have preferred it if they cut down on the oil after searing the cheese, though was a great fit with the salty tang of the achovies. The duck leg confit served on lentils was average at best. The meat was not cured enough and the skin not crispy enough. However, the meat was soft and tender. The addition of bacon on top was a mis-step in my opinion (not every thing taste better with bacon...the pork fat adulterated the taste of the duck). Dessert was a disaster!!! The pistachio and chocolate souffle with creme anglaise was too artificial in taste and texture was too sloppy; the lime panna cotta was too "skinny", it had absolutely no taste, and what with the sago?? (suggest adding gula melaka or the mollasse sugar from the coffee); the "award-winning ice cream" was homemade vanilla ice-cream with chocolate brownie and peanut butter crunch...let's just say the nicest thing was the peanut butter crunch. Coffee (the ODP blend) was average too.

Verdict: Too ex for the quality of food. May go again after they have established themselves a bit more just to see if they have improved.

Open Door Policy
19 Yong Siak Street (opposite Fourty Hands)
Singapore 168650

tel: 6221 9307; email: enquiries@odpsingapore.com

Opening Hours:
Lunch: 12 - 4pm (last order 3.30pm)
Dinner: 6.30pm - 11pm (last order 10.30pm)
Closed on Tuesdays; Wednesday only open for dinner