Sunday, March 30, 2014

The Tippling Club - A Medley of Surprises

Sunday, March 30, 2014
Tippling Club
The Tippling Club

Wow, lunch at the Tippling Club was a real treat. I never really thought about lunch here, mainly because $57 for 3 courses didn't sound like much. Boy, was I wrong. The entire experience, from the chic ambience down to the inventive dishes and string of surprise amuse bouches, was one serious feast for the sight and senses.

Tippling Club
Tippling Club
Quirky table setting

Expect quirky table settings. A knife and fork rest made of airtight packs of olive oil and herbs (using sous-vide machines?) And of course, tiny napkins that expand soon as the wait staff pours a little water.

Singaporean Curry, Tippling Club
Tippling Club
Singaporean Curry, Tomato Water sipped through Basil Oil

The amuse bouches were fun and completely delicious. The Singaporean Curry was a curry-flavoured mousse served with rice crispies and deep-fried curry leaves. The flavours were done completely right - it really was Singaporean curry. The test tube of Tomato Water sipped through Basil Oil was pleasantly refreshing, like a breath of fresh air.

Charred Bell Pepper, Tippling Club
Charred Bell Pepper, Tippling Club
Charred Bell Peppers with Soy and Wasabi

My favourite amuse bouche was the Charred Bell Peppers with Soy and Wasabi. All of us had expected the crust to taste somewhat burnt and bitter, only to realise that it was nothing but a light as air tempura batter infused with either squid ink or charcoal. Together with the miso dip, this was almost too delicious for words.

Kingfish Carpaccio, Tippling Club
Tippling Club
Kingfish Carpaccio

The set lunch menus over here change every month, so there's always an illogical reason (or logical excuse) to return. The Kingfish Carpaccio, one of the starters, was plated so beautifully we could barely bear to eat it. At first glance, there was a lot going on, including a few pieces of crisp nori, avocado purée and apple slices, but the flavours all came together very well.

Scallop and Corn Soup, Tippling Club
Scallop and Corn Soup, Tippling Club
Scallop Ceviche and Corn Soup

The Scallop Ceviche and Corn Soup was a real delight, with sweet scallops and scattered popcorns adorning the hearty soup.

Tippling Club
Tippling Club
Venison with Onion Nettle, Trout with Beetroot Quinoa

The tender and flavourful Venison with Onion Nettle was small but satisfying. The real surprise was the onion nettle, a re-invented onion ring that tasted exactly like those at your usual fast food joints except without none of the annoyingly tough strings. The Trout with Beetroot was simple but very good. The dish came across as a little plain, but the skin was perfectly crisp with the meat remaining moist, juicy and delicious.

Tippling Club
Tippling Club
Dessert and Coffee

The desserts were a lot of fun. What looked like a toast in the chocolate dessert really was an insanely airy coffee flavoured pastry. The coffee was probably the most ordinary part of the entire meal.

Tippling Club
Tippling Club
Caramelised Pear

The caramelised pear looked just like a candied pear, except it was really caramel sorbet on a bed of filo pastry flakes. It looked so real!

Tippling Club
Tippling Club
Sweets and Chocolate

The meal ended with a few pieces of chocolates and sweets, which tasted pretty incredible (especially the one with the matcha filling). Lunch at the Tippling Club was all hits and no misses, maybe a little on the steep side, but definitely one of my most memorable meals this year. Fully recommended.


The Tippling Club
38 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088461
Tel: +65 6475 2217
Website



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