PUBLISHED December 10th, 2016 06:00 am
The new Plentyfull at Millenia Walk is the kind of restaurant where you won’t find a single can opener, because nearly everything here – from the hummus to the bacon – is made from scratch in-house with the freshest seasonal produce. Whatever they can’t make, they source from local grocery outfit Little Farms, which also has a little deli section in the Millenia Walk space peddling organic vegetables, meats, sauces, and other grocery items.
The establishment is expansive, beautifully decked out in modern industrial-chic decor with sporadic bursts of green plants. At the front, a long bar-style counter that also serves as a bar at night; and spread around the space are large communal tables with comfy booth seats by the side.
Head down in the day and you’ll find a market-style luncheon spread where customers – mostly office workers with the occasional tourist – mix and match hearty meals from a base, a protein, and two sides for $17 (or three sides for $19). Plentyfull considers themselves an establishment for restorative eating, which means every morsel of food is preservative-free and stays as delicious as possible without veering to the point of unhealthiness, great for those of us watching our diets.
The lunch menu changes on a regular basis – at the moment the base offerings include grain dishes like Broken Wheat with Laurel Leaves while the protein selection of five features meat such as Chilli Lemongrass Smoked Salmon and crowd-favourite Thai Roasted Half Chicken with Garlic & Cilantro, along with vegetarian options like Gratinated Miso Cauliflower. On the side, go for the Plum Salted Tomato or Maple & Bacon Brussel Sprouts.
When the sun goes down, Plentyfull transforms into a full-service brasserie, offering an ala carte menu focused around seasonal produce. The dinner menu sees a beautiful Pan-fried Farmed Barramundi ($26) quicked-braised and served with seasonal greens in a yuzu wasabi glaze. We also love the Pumpkin Pillow Gnocchi ($24) – small pumpkin dumplings pan-fried together with pecorino cheese in a savoury brown butter and sage sauce.
All the dishes at Plentyfull manage to be hearty and filling without piling on the calories, even the vegetables. The Little Farms’ Vegetable Dip ($16) is a delightful plate of roasted seasonal vegetables, hand-selected from the market and served with sweet carrot, hummus, and artichoke dipping sauces. In fact, the dish is so tasty we could almost be having chicken and fries.
But if you want the real thing, go for the humble Plentyfull Fries ($12), shaved in strips before being stacked, steamed, and lightly fried – definitely one of the more unique fries you’ve had in Singapore. The Tempeh & Tofu Fries ($10), or fermented soybean fritters, do pretty well in our books too. Paired with the accompanying sambal belachan, this side packs a real punch and is mostly worth the red lips.
Finish off with the rich and decadent Devil’s Food Cake ($9), a light chocolate sponge layered with sinful Valrhona dark chocolate ganache, or the Dulcey Hazelnut Tart ($8) – ganache with a crunchy hazelnut feuillitine-based chocolate tart. Though for us, nothing beats the Choux Puff ($6), lavishly filled with a light sweet cream.
As we previously mentioned, Plentyfull serves excellent alcoholic beverages, including a rendition of the classic Bloody Mary ($18) – St. George green chilli vodka, lemon juice, and tomato juice. For the teetotallers, try the Passionate Smith ($7), a sour mix of passionfruit, apple and lime.
Plentyfull is a welcome addition to the Millenia Walk F&B directory, considering the lack of dining establishments previously. We find the prices here a little steep for regular lunch affairs, but the occasional visit will afford a satisfying and heart meal. The dinner options certainly impresses, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the culinary team does in the next menu refresh. Till then.
Plentyfull is located at #01-79/80 Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Blvd, Singapore 039596, p. +65 6493 2997. Open daily 11.30am – 10.30pm.