I must confessed that I was grubby when I had to queue at 5.30pm sharp when the restaurant officially opens for dinner.People had been queuing before the door opens. The no-reservation policy can be a frustration for people who travel far to this park for the food. If I had not lived nearby, I would skip my 45-min wait and head nearby for roti prata.
So here's our dinner: The Chilli con Carne ($8) was a simple appetizer of corn chips served with a stew of grass-fed beef chuck meat and beans. Served with sour cream and homemade green chimichurri, the blend of spices is weak and won't set your tongue ablaze. Main courses range from mediocre to good. The Smoked Pork Belly ($15) was the first to be delivered to our tables. On a bed of smooth mash potato, mango sauce and cherry tomatoes, the orange block of meat is like a body-builder with a gentle soul. With a right ratio of fats to meat, it neither overwhelms with grease nor engage the teeth in a laborious sawing job.On the other hand, the Pan Fried Salmon $15 seemed like reinventing the wheel with a different protein. Old friends like the mash potato (replaced the unavailable risotto) and the green chimichurri (from the Chilli Con Carne appetizer) met again to greet the salmon.Yet, another fish was terrific. The Crispy Fish Burger $12 was constructed with a perfectly deep-fried golden monkfish served on a bright, tart remoulade sauce. Fish varies daily so you may get cod or hake.
Being a supporter of Hugh's Fish Fight, I was happy to learn that the place uses sustainable fish.
Besides, it was a courteous gesture of the staff to inform us about the tough texture of the monkfish to us during order even though the fish did not turn out that way. Fries were excellent too--crunchy with intense potato flavour. We tried nearly everything on the dessert menu: Churros ($9) did not excite with any cinnamon aroma. The amount of sugar coating could have decreased, unlike those described in earlier online reviews. But the chocolate sauce was served cold, resulting in a rather glumpy, odd taste. Though the Belgian waffles ($8) are not the crunchiest ones but at least, it had a sturdy structure with some slight browned edges and fluffy interior. Thankfully, the hazelnut ice cream came in a generous scoop to pair with the unsweetened dough.The Panna Cotta $6.50 is so slippery that it becomes a skill to deliver substantial amount into the mouth. Very milky but too sweet. My threshold for chocolate was put to the test by the chocolate pot $8 (see top pic). It would be mission impossible to wipe off the extremely dense bittersweet ganache without the spicy cashew praline crumbles.
The food here are normal western food which can be found outside a park so patience is the key if one really wants to dine in here. So the next time if I return for brunch, I would be dressed in my sports attire and go jogging to kill the time. (table availability is notified to you via an automated phone call)
Food service is quite fast and the staff were not grubby at all; they wear a nice smile.
GRUB510, Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 (Bishan Park 1)Singapore 569983
http://grub.com.sg/Tue - Fri: 5:30 pm - 10:30 pmSat - Sun: 9:00 am - 2:30 pm, 5:30 pm - 10:30 pmFor more restaurant-in-the-park post, read Wild Oats @ Punggol ParkAdd me on facebook, instagram or twitter for the latest updates---->
Comments
Hi dairycream, thanks for visiting GRUB and we read your review with interest. Glad to note that you enjoyed some of our dishes as well as our service.
ReplyDeleteAt GRUB, we are particular about the ingredients used in our dishes, using only good quality sustainable ingredients and we work hard to balance this and keep the prices of our dishes affordable. Just 1 point of correction that we do not ever use Dory in our crispy fish burgers, despite the cost being much lower. We only use Hake, monkfish or cod as options for the burgers as these are sustainable fish that deliver a good taste experience.
We look forward to serving you at GRUB for brunch. In fact, many of our regulars do as you mentioned, leave their names on the waitlist and go for a jog or bring their kids to the playground. It makes for quite a lovely weekend morning. Hope to see you again soon.
Hi Grub Team,
DeleteThank you for reading my post and pointing out the inaccuracy. I have made the changes in the paragraph. It is great to hear that the place uses sustainable fish and I hope that Grub can keep up with this practice!
Please let me know if you have any new menu or other F&B openings in future :)
Cheers