SIN: Brine

Ever had turkey breast with 'buah keluak'?

Sharing the same building with Hotel Clover in the Kampong Glam area, Brine is a small, cosy restaurant with an open kitchen concept. I reckon a number of dishes served at the restaurant, which celebrates contemporary cuisine, involve brining - a process of submerging food into a solution of salt.


Pumpkin Masala Tart S$4.00
Taste: 7.5/10

A dainty snack to have while waiting for the rest of the dishes to come to the table, the pumpkin masala tart topped with crunchy sunflower seeds was worth trying. The spice mix not only made the whole thing aromatic, but also accentuated the natural sweetness of the pumpkin. The tart could be more buttery though.


Tenderloin Tartare S$16.00
Taste: 8/10

For the small plate, I decided to try the Black Angus tenderloin tartare air-flown from Australia. Meant to be an appetiser, the plate wasn't actually small, but the portion certainly was. Nevertheless, the raw ground beef was fresh, made merrier by creamy hazelnut butter and tangy pickled red cabbages that whetted my appetite.


Turkey Breast S$31.00
Taste: 7/10

For the big plate, where the serving size could also be bigger for sure, I chose the turkey breast that came with a rather piquant sauce made of earthy buah keluak, which are black nuts native to the mangrove swamps of Southeast Asia. The two slabs of white meat sitting on curried mashed carrots were tender enough, but not extraordinary.


Smoked Hay Semifreddo S$8.00
Taste: 7.5/10

Semifreddo is a type of dessert primarily made of egg yolks, cream and sugar, having a texture akin to frozen mousse. The chef decided to hide it underneath lots of dark chocolate shards topped with gold dust. Pardon me that I forgot to take a photo of the unearthed semifreddo, but anyway, it was pretty rich without being cloying. It also lived up to its name by exuding a nicely smoky aroma.

Melon's Rating
Taste: 7.5/10
Ambience: 7.5/10
Service: 8/10
Overall: 7.5/10

The restaurant isn't Halal-certified, but it doesn't serve any pork or lard. Pika's advice: Even though I've listed the individual prices of the dishes above, you don't actually need to pay so much as every purchase of a big plate allows you to top up either S$18.00 for a 3-Course Meal (inclusive of one small plate and one dessert of choice) or S$24.00 for a 4-Course Meal (inclusive of two small plates and one dessert of choice).

Brine

775 North Bridge Road
Singapore
(Tue-Sun: 12 noon - 2.30pm, 6.00pm - 9.30pm)


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

Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)

Comments

Popular Posts

SIN: YOTEL Singapore [Breakfast]

KSA: Saudia [Business, International, Short-Haul]

CAN: St. Lawrence Market