SIN: Mr Punch Public House

Salmon main course that packed a punch!

Have you heard of Punch and Judy, a traditional British puppet show? Taking its name from one of the main characters of the show, the cosy and quirky Mr Punch Public House is housed inside MINT Museum of Toys. At the point of writing, however, both the museum and the gastrobar are closed for upgrading.

I visited the gastrobar before the COVID-19 pandemic kicked in.

Canadian Half-Shell Scallops S$12.00

Taste: 6.5/10

Sitting on a bit of coarse rock salt and herbs, the three Canadian half-shell scallops were flambéed with garlic aioli that was creamy enough with an adequate amount of the chopped bulb. The shell meat was acceptably fresh, although I was hoping that it'd contain more natural sweetness and be bouncier, texture wise.

Chicken Diavolo S$20.00

Taste: 7.5/10

According to the menu, the gastrobar concocts its own chili oil by lightly frying bird's eye chili, chili powder, chili flakes and garlic with olive oil for an hour. I was expecting more of the chicken breast that was sous vide in the said chili oil before pan-seared, but I won't deny that it was adequately tender and succulent. The explosion of flavours was somewhat missing there.

Norwegian Salmon S$22.00

Taste: 8.5/10

The highlight of the dinner was the pan-fried Norwegian salmon fillet with such a crispy skin that made me kept wanting for more. Furthemore, the flesh was delightfully moist and flaky. Sitting underneath was a mix of baby spinach and shimeji mushrooms, as well as sweet corn mash that was nicely creamy.

Innocence Mocktail (Glass) S$10.00

Taste: 7.5/10

Even though I was in a gastropub, I decided to go for a non-alcoholic drink. Of the two mocktails available, I chose the iced tea brewed with honey, cinnamon and mint. Topped with dried citrus wheels and mint leaves, it was quite a refreshing drink to quench my thirst. While it wasn't overly sweet, I was hoping for a stronger aroma of cinnamon. Pika's advice: Consider getting a jar, priced at S$55.00, when you're in a larger group. Jars are also available for cocktails.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7.5/10

Ambience: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Overall: 7.5/10

Once it's operating again, I certainly won't mind going back for the salmon main course. 

Mr Punch Public House

26 Seah Street

MINT Museum of Toys

Singapore

(Mon-Thu: 3.00pm - 11.30pm;

Fri: 3.00pm - 1.00am;

Sat: 12 noon - 11.30pm)

https://mrpunch.com/

*Prices quoted are subject to 10% service charge and 7% GST.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)