Portico Prime Review: Making a Classy Entrance at Dempsey Hill

PUBLISHED February 12th, 2016 07:00 am | UPDATED June 3rd, 2020 05:08 pm

In the past year, we’ve witnessed restaurants like Open Farm Community and La Ventana liven up the dining enclave of Dempsey, and its culinary rejuvenation continues in the form of Portico Prime.

Taking the place of defunct steakhouse The Prime Society, Portico Prime’s second establishment is a more upscale version of their maiden outlet in Alexandra. While the interiors have largely been left alone – meaning it can be categorised as modernistic blah – we do appreciate the high ceilings and luxury of space.

Head Chef Nixon Low is the brains behind Portico Prime’s dining philosophy, which consists of procuring freshly-sourced ingredients and ensuring that their natural qualities shine through whatever Portico dishes out. Discover culinary ingenuity in Low’s version of the classic Collection of Heirloom Tomatoes ($24). Featuring jamon serrano slices, organic quinoa, marinated hijiki seaweed and frozen honey melon dressing along with tomatoes, it’s a great starter to get your appetite going.

Rich, creamy and exploding with its sweet and fragrant aroma, the Caramelised Leek and Potato Soup ($22) is a decent option if you want something hot to line your stomach before the main courses arrive.

Those looking to be impressed, the Pan Seared Pulau Ubin Barramundi ($38) arrives accompanied by servings of roasted ratte potatoes with semi-dried tomato, carrot ginger puree, and doused with a blanket of trout roe buerre blanc sauce. As the name goes, the fish comes straight from the North-Eastern waters of Singapore.

The memory of Portico’s Tochigi Perfecture Wagyu A4 Ribcap ($58/100g) is enough to make our mouth salivate. Imagine a succulent slab of Japanese beef slathered in truffle beef sauce, matched with roasted ratte potatoes and vine cherry tomatoes – simply outstanding!

A medley of valrhona dark chocolate mousse, edible hazelnut soil, cherry coulis and caramel ice cream, the sweet and sinful Deconstructed Blackforest ($17) has to be our go-to dessert at Portico Prime. It easily gave us the perfect ending to our meal.

That being said, Portico Prime is a good (but more expensive) alternative to its Alexandra Road cousin. Prices for food may be at a premium over here, but there’s still that certainty of you walking away with a full stomach and broad smile on your face.

Portico Prime is located at 10 Dempsey Road #01-20, Singapore 247700, p. 6474 7427. Open Tue-Sun 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-10.30pm (weekdays), 6pm-11.30pm (weekends). Closed on Mon. 

Click here to visit their website.