It was only a matter of time before Daniel Sia parlayed the success of his Dempsey Road restaurant Disgruntled Chef into a second outlet.
However, in a food-obsessed country like Singapore, where prime lots for restaurant spaces are increasingly hard to find, finding the right spot was never going to be easy.
Happily, the renovation of The Club hotel this year provided the perfect opening for Sia and his crew to move in. Local outfit Rockett Studio swathed the basement restaurant with a palette of rich hues, textured layers of fabric and hard furnishings, and quirky touches, all effortlessly channeled into a contemporary plantation theme – think sinuous green armchairs with brass-tipped legs, Venetian leather banquettes, long lengths of mirrors painted with botanicals by Ruth Parker, and silk walk panels by Fromental.
Equally gratifying is the fact that the setting never overshadows the mod, lightly Asian-inflected menu. Toast the night with a Tom Collins or Mai Tai at the black, white-veined marble topped bar before settling into suckling pig served with purple potato puree, a delicate trout confit with black truffle salsa, or a slab of Welsh lamb accented with saffron tomato soubise, leaving room for a Roquefort ice-cream with candied violets.
