The Disgruntled Brasserie: Communal Dining at The Club Hotel
PUBLISHED April 4th, 2017 12:52 pm | UPDATED May 23rd, 2017 04:32 pm
Before it was The Disgruntled Brasserie, the all-day dining destination was the younger twin of The Disgruntled Chef at Dempsey. It was casually relaunched as The Disgruntled Brasserie when founding chef Daniel Sia left Harry’s International, which owns both restaurants and The Club Hotel, in which The Disgruntled Brasserie is located.
Joining the group early this year, the new Chef de Cuisine of Harry’s International is 32-year old Desmond Goh, whose performance prompted his previous employer Kitchen Language to sponsor his studies at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Quite the young rising star, he brought a breath of fresh air to bistro classics through The Disgruntled Brasserie’s new menu.
Divided simply into small and big plates, the restaurant also embraces communal dining with comfortable Venetian leather banquette and booth seats – great for intimate gatherings, we reckon. We started with the Foie Gras & Peanut Butter Miso ($18) and the Salt-Baked Beetroot & Smoked Burrata ($16) from the small plates section of the menu. Served on brioche with blackcurrant gel and poached grapes, the foie gras and miso enhances the PBJ combination with a punch of savoury and an extra creamy texture. If you dislike beetroot, by all means avoid the latter because the earthiness of the root vegetable is quite strong, even with the tempering from the lovely smoked burrata, cinnamon raisin puree, and candied almonds.
Our favourite of the small plates, however, has to be the Gruyere Cheese Soufflé ($16). It’s not as light or airy as how you’d expect a dessert soufflé to be, but the accompanying caramelized onions and chardonnay fondue made this dish a joy to eat. For a heartier sort of starter, you can’t go wrong with the Escargot Tarte Flambée ($16). The flatbread pairs snails with lardon, onions, and creme fraiche – a combination that’s really hard to turn down.
Moving on to the big plates, the carbohydrates were surprisingly impressive. Nicely spiced with chili, the Homemade Squid Ink Pasta ($28) was spot on with the flavours and execution, sporting generous chunks of crabmeat and shrimp. For an extra indulgent plate of Carbonara Taglierini ($24), Chef Desmond included three types of cured meat – streaky back bacon, famer’s smoked bacon, and kurobuta ham – as well as a parmigiano reggiano crusted egg.
For something more protein-centric, the Iberico Pork Collar ($32) arrived juicy with the right amount of fat in a tasty star anise jus. This textural dish also features scrumptious greens like the caraway milk poached caramelised cabbage, Jerusalem artichoke puree, and grilled scallions. Another failsafe option would be the Pan-Roasted Barramundi ($24) with a side of grilled asparagus. Topped with a warm tartare sauce, the well-cooked fish sits on an incredibly moreish cured seaweed potato hash.
If you’re stuffed and still want something sweet, I highly suggest the tangy Lemon Curd ($16). Paired with a refreshing shisho leaf ice cream, berries, biscuits and vanilla Chantilly cream round up the dessert. On the other hand, chocolate heads won’t be disappointed by the Chocolate Fondant ($18) that comes with crème anglaise (a light custard) and nutty pistachio ice cream.
The Disgruntled Brasserie is located at The Club, 28 Ann Siang Road, Singapore 069708, p. +65 6808 2184. Open daily 7am-11.30am for breakfast, 11.30am-2.30pm for lunch, 3.30pm- 5.30pm for high tea, and 6.30pm-10.30pm for dinner.
Top Image: Gruyere Cheese Soufflé
