Feel good stodge at District 10

PUBLISHED February 12th, 2012 09:45 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:34 pm

There are times when the order of the day is some feel good stodge – you know, simple, satisfying foods in laid back surrounds that would make you want to curl up in front of the fire afterwards were we not all living in a sweat-bowl. That time certainly came after the frenzy of Chinese New Year, and so off we pootled to District 10 in Roberston Quay.

Many of you will know District 10 from its days in the charming former schoolhouse setting, over in….well, District 10 in the nook that is Novena.  Not that long ago, it hopped along to District 9 to the quays, sitting alongside a gaggle of other restaurants around Unity Street under the towers of UE Square.

I have to admit, I’d only ever been to the previous location for drinks not food so am unable to say whether it has changed, so this is going be a straight up account of what you can expect NOW – not about whether it differs.

So here’s what the new District 10 looks like…..It’s got a nice feel and pretty laid back vibe so snobs leave your pretensions at the door please.

Now on to the food. District 10 offers up a range of light bites which can be used to line the stomachs with few drinks, or if you’re feeling the need to eat a lot of food, can double up as starters.So of course that’s what we did.

I’d actually eaten here when the new site first opened and had tried the Parmesan cheese and foie gras croquettes ($16). Yes Parmesan and foie gras coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried is probably a recipe for a heart attack, but in the name of comfort food  I wasn’t in the mood for caring. There is something so wrong yet right about this dish, finished off with béchamel sauce.

The Homemade Duck Spring Rolls ($14) were pretty decent with a nice spice blend coming through in the duck and vegetable filling but nothing to particularly write home about.

Moving along to the mains now. Now last time I came here, I ate something which was actually primarily the reason for my return. I was in need of a comfort food fix, and knew just what would do the trick. Yes the thing that hooked me in was the Wagyu Meatballs ($19).

There is something very satisfying about these little bundles of this increasingly popular type of beef. And so popular it is now that it’s used in meatballs. Well I never! Handmade with wagyu mince and covered with a creamy gravy all I needed next was my smoking pipe and slippers.

District 10 does a pretty tasty Tenderloin steak ($28 for 180g). It comes with a choice of bernaise, mushroom, black pepper or mustard sauce. We opted for the black pepper sauce which excusing the obvious statement was exceedingly peppery!

But the best bit about the meal at District 10? Well you won’t believe it but it was actually the Traditional Shepherds Pie ($18). Though actually quite a simple dish to make, it’s actually hard to get right – or so it seems from some I’ve tasted. A lot of the time it’s too watery, or too bland. No not this one! It was oozing full of flavour and had the right rich consistency which makes a stellar shepherds pie. Yes sir, this is one simple dish done well.

Well my first love at District 10 might have been the wagyu meatballs, but next time I am hankering over a good old comforting shepherds pie, I know where I’ll be heading. Because it’s in my neighbourhood, District 10 is a nice place to grab some drinks or some simple nosh because I can just stumble home on a fully belly. But district 10 peeps….we want to know….will you be following District 10 over to it’s new home in District 9?

For other great venues in Robertson Quay, check out this dining guide.