It is situated in the once-dodgy Desker Road which has now turned relatively sterile. Bellwethers Bistro is a side alley bar and bistro perfect for intimate gatherings and chats without noise because it is open air (sound doesn't bounce off walls), crowds or just any sort of disturbances. Being under the stars means you can also enjoy the breeze, and smell what's cooking. Why? Because Bellwethers specializes in grilled meats of all sorts done at the side of the alley, barbeque style. So you know its fresh. The smoke from the grill will not really get to you unless you sit very near, so that's good too.
This place is really perfect for late night dinners. Everything about it.
I really like their green lightbulb-ed mirror at the bar. Has a very indie feel to it.
The back alley. You could see Swee Choon Dim Sum if you turn your head the other way. They are that near to each other. You can see the grill there, manned by a few people, including head Chef, Warren Poh.
Here are the two pages of menu from Mitsueki Blog! Note that quite a few of the dishes are meant for communal sharing, hence the price. Don't be shocked. Generally, dishes are slightly on the pricey side though.
We had the Alley Breeze ($16) cocktail to whet our appetite, though I requested for the mocktail version. Made with gin, cucumber, calamansi and Sprite, it is not every day that you see cucumber used as a mocktail ingredient. Crunchy bits of refreshing cucumber and sweet sprite mixed with zesty lime makes for one cool (as a cucumber) drink!
Out of the tapas items we tried, the Teriyaki Iberian Pork Collar Salad ($13) was the one that stood out the most. Highly recommended if you are looking for something meaty to kickstart your meals, or you can just have 3 tapas between two people. The meat was soft and juicy - with the right amount of grill on it.
Pan-fried prawns and eggs ($10) was a good idea. You're supposed to break the egg and then swirl the prawns around them for a bit. I thought it might be a beeeeeet too ex for 4 prawns and two eggs though. At least you don't have to peel the prawns though.
Then on to the mains! There are 5 of them, so bear with me. First, the Seabass in White Wine ($32, serves 2). It was excellent because the seabass was flippin' fresh. Yup. You don't really have to do much when the fish is fresh. Just don't ruin the taste, and serve it hot and fast. Chef Poh has managed to do that!
Next, the Grilled Herb Infused Chicken ($30), serves 3. Rather average sounding. The dip was chicken port sauce and romesco sauce (a blend of almonds, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil), but might be a bit too diluted for me to taste everything. The texture of the chicken was commendable though. Super tender and solid (not like oily slivers from chicken rice). Apparently the secret lies in soaking the chicken in brine first!
Next. forgive the colors in the pic but I was using my iPhone that night. The Beef Prime Rib ($130/kg, serves 4-5 pax) was not too bad for red meat, but I felt that they were slightly tough to chew on despite being so lightly grilled. Might be just personal preference, but I find that you could skip this...
Because you HAVE to have the Iberian Presa ($70, serves 3-4 pax). It was just heavenly. Look at that! The pork just melted in my mouth, with the fats, meat and skin. If you have a hankering for a good piece of pork, here's the place to have it. Highlight of the evening, this was!
The Whole Lamb Rack ($60, serves 3-4 pax) was excellent as well. It was a pity there wasn't mint jam nearby, but each shank was really easy to eat off from. The lamb taste was there, but only slightly.
FYI Bellwethers is having a special Ladies Promotion - get a free glass of Sangria with every main course ordered! Great deal because their Sangria is really drinkable - light and fruity, with some bubbles and ice.
Also,
FREE LYCHEE MARTINI!
For everyone, just quote "I'm from Alexis Cheong's Blog" for your drink!
No strings attached, no need to buy anything, 1 per person
Till 30 October 2013.
Bellwethers Bistro Bar
120 Desker Road, Singapore 209639
+65 62979066
Mondays to Saturdays from 5pm – 1am
Closed on Sundays
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