PUBLISHED September 27th, 2021 06:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 01:58 pm
There’s a Mandarin proverb that goes ‘good things come in pairs’, and it couldn’t be more true for Chef Andrew Walsh and his Cure Concepts. Earlier this month, the group’s fine dining restaurant Cure was awarded one Michelin star on the same day as the official launch of their new concept Club Street Wine Room – talk about a celebratory mood.
Deliberately moving away from the aesthetics of traditional wine bar, the 45-seater space on Club Street shophouse is designed to be inviting, whether you’re dropping in for a glass of wine and nibbles or stay for a full meal. Boasting a large skylight over the communal bar seating, there’s a sense of airy openness when we visited for Sunday brunch.
Club Street Wine Room is the first in Singapore to offer free flowing Pétillant naturel wine for the occasion. For the unfamiliar, pet nats are sparkling wines made through an ancient fermentation technique inside the bottle. Hailing from Kremstal in Austria, the Kalkspitz Pet-Nat NV ($78++ per person, two hours) is light with smooth bubbles. The natural wine’s refreshing acidity with notes of orchard and citrus fruits is perfect for daytime imbibing, and a great palate cleanser between all the flavourful plates the kitchen serves up for brunch.
We started with a highly raved about appetiser from the a la carte menu, and Beef Tartare & Scallop Toast (S$16, two pieces) is as delicious as they say, sporting George Bank Scallop mousse sandwiched between toast points. We’d recommend going easy with the accompanying confit egg yolk in ponzu though, as too much can blanket over the beefiness of the wasabi-mayo dressed tartare.
The Smoked Haddock Cheese & Chive Omelette (S$24), alongside a few other breakfast staples, is available exclusively during weekend brunch. As opposed to the foldover omelette we’re used too, it arrives piping hot in a cast iron pan topped with croutons to contrast with the fluffy, creamy eggs. Richy flavoured with smoked haddock, parmesan cheese and mornay sauce, this is egg dish made for sharing.
Then, it’s time to move to the main affair, Club Street Wine Room’s Weekend Roast & Toast Set (S$58++ per person). From our experience, the most holistic (and value-for-money) experience the bar is offering as it comes with downsized portions of dishes from the a la carte menu. All you have to do is pick your main between the apple Woodfired Guinea Fowl & Pithivier Pie served with black pepper chicken jus or Organic Pork Sausage Toad in the Hole and let the food arrive.
Since the set already included Beef Fat Yorkshire Pudding, we opted for the flame kissed game bird. Carved up in the kitchen before serving, break up bites of the juicy, tender meat with the refreshing vegetable sides of Endive & Cashel Blue Cheese Waldorf Salad (S$24 a la carte) and crunchy Woodfired Asparagus & Lemon.
The set also includes a piece of Scallop & Prawn Vol au Vent Thermidor (S$14 a la carte), featuring plump seafood nestled in a buttery shell and topped with ikura, as well as their signature Woodfired Potato Flatbread (S$8 a la carte) with bone marrow bacon. It wraps up with the dessert of the day, which was the Sticky Toffee Pudding (S$12). We’re no experts when it comes to sweets, but Club Street Wine Room’s is one of the best. There’s a good pudding to cream ratio, and the ginger chantilly cream balances out the richness of the caramel.
We can’t leave without a shoutout to Head Sommelier and Operations Director Amir Solay, the man behind the bar’s progressive beverage programme. Spanning old world to new, his by-the-glass list is ripe for exploration.
Highlights include a dry Koerner Watervale 2020 Riesling (S$20) that transports one to Clare Valley in Australia with flavours of green apple and lemon alongside slight earthy notes and medium acidity. There’s also an amphora-aged Lebanese Chateau Kefraya Collection Amphora 2018 (S$29) blend. Pouring a dark cherry red, the interesting full bodied wine has a complex bouquet of leather, spices, and vegetation that goes with an elegant palate including black cherries, almonds, and cinnamon.
Club Street Wine Room is located at 87 Club Street, Singapore 069455, p. +65 6970 0190. Open Tue-Wed 4pm-10.30pm, Thu-Sat 12pm-10.30pm, Sun 12pm-8.30pm.
Top image: Woodfired Guinea Fowl Weekend Roast & Toast Set. All food and drink images courtesy of Sylvester Fedor.