SPRIGS
12 Purvis Street, tel: 6338-5844. Open Mon-Sat, 12 noon-2.30pm and 6-10pm.
THE DECOR Cosy and relaxed, with forest green booth seats and adjustable lamps that hover over dark wooden tables. The three 1.8m-tall paintings on the pristine white walls are of everyday objects, from an extreme close-up – take a look when you’re there and tell us if you can guess what they depict!
THE FOOD Modern European with a little French influence, thanks to head chef Shubri Basere, formerly of fine-dining outfit Gunther’s. A lunch menu is served on weekday afternoons, while the a la carte menu items are available only during weekday dinner service and on Saturdays.
MUST-TRIES (FROM THE A LA CARTE MENU)
1 Chilled Pea Soup with Crab Salad ($15). This makes a delightful starter – the mild sweetness of the pea juice blotted with olive oil marrying perfectly with the topping of shredded blue swimmer crab meat.
2 Grilled Langoustine ($26). This crustacean is a rare find in local restaurants so it’s a treat to tuck into this dish, a winsome contrast of sweet, delicate flesh against the robust richness of reduced lobster bisque. And how thoughtful of them to include bread to mop up every last bit of that scrumptious sauce.
3 Honey Spiced Magret Duck Breast ($26). It’s easy to overcook duck, but this was so skilfully done that the meat remained tender, moist and pink in the middle, just the way we like it. Glazed with honey and soaked in red wine jus, this delivered a mouth-watering medley of sweet, salty and tangy flavours with every bite.
4 Crispy Chocolate & Caramel Crumble ($12). Silence ensued the moment we tucked into this pretty dessert – we were too busy savouring the pillows of chocolate and caramel mousse stacked on a chocolate biscuit-cake base and surrounded by buttery crumble. Our only request: a bigger portion, please?
TABLE BY RANG MAHAL
Naumi Hotel, 41 Seah Street, tel: 6403-6005. Open daily, 11am-11.30pm.
THE DECOR Bright and well-lit from the natural daylight streaming in through the nearby front door and window in the afternoon; dim and cosy when night falls. A communal dining table for large parties takes centrestage, with smaller tables for intimate gatherings scattered behind.
THE FOOD The menu here may be lower priced than the one at fine-dining sister restaurant at Pan Pacific, Rang Mahal, but the Indian chow, served in sharing plates and bowls, is just as stellar.
MUST-TRIES
1 Chilli Cheese Kulzza ($8). Like a pizza, but better, thanks to the generous stuffing of gooey cheddar that can’t help spilling out when you bite into it.
2 Tandoori Prawns ($22). Stained orange from its spiced yoghurt marinade, these sizeable tiger prawns are tinged with an irresistible smokiness from the tandoor, and offer so much bite with their meaty texture.
3 Garlic Naan ($5), Butter Chicken ($22), Patiala Aubergine ($18) & Cucumber Raita ($6). The fluffy discs of flat bread garnished with chopped garlic are the ideal vessel for curries and dips. The tender chunks of grilled chicken swimming in a rich tomato gravy are absolutely moreish, while the eggplant curry is addictive with its subtle tang. The creamy yoghurt dip with tiny cubes of cucumber acts as a palate cleanser and provides respite from all the spice.
4 Table’s Pop ($12). The perfect hot weather treat comes in the form of these cute, sugar-free popsicles studded with raspberries, chia seeds and bits of coconut.
Photos courtesy of Sprigs and Table by Rang Mahal