Restaurant Review: Po at The Warehouse Hotel, 320 Havelock Rd, Singapore 169628
February 13, 2018"Where do I go if I have an immense craving for popiah and don't mind spending more on them, to share with some friends/family?" The answer, my dear reader, is Po at The Warehouse Hotel at Clarke Quay area. Over at this boutique hotel restaurant, their signature item is the popiah. The Lo & Behold Group restaurant is helmed by the established Chef Willin Low of Wild Rocket at Mount Emily, so you know the standard is up to scratch.
Well, the Popiah Set for 4 goes for $28 (without prawns) but I find the entire experience to be quite worth the price. Items are served in dainty baskets and the main star of the show, the "pang kuan" aka turnip filling is served in a claypot. They are rather generous with it!
Here's my popiah, after reading the instruction manual on how to assemble them. Doesn't it look good? It was tasty and surprisingly filling for lunch. 4/5
There are also other small bites and large plates to share. Here's the menu (they also have an extensive drinks list).
Since we had the popiah, we opted for the Truffle & Duck Pie Tee (5 for $19) which was delightful with its mix of textures and flavours, despite its slightly hefty price of almost $4 each! 4/5
We also tried the Charcoal-grilled iberico satay (S$21 for 2), which was a sight to behold when the fats of the pork skewers dripped down onto the charcoal and made a sizzling smoke. The satay was so juicy without being too fatty. Shows that our local food can also be upscaled! 3.5/5
The star of the lunch though was this Kurobuta char siew (S$19), which stole the limelight from the popiah and everything else. This was so perfectly executed, one can't help but to give it a slow clap of appreciation in one's mind after placing one of these on the tongue. So friggin' good. 4.5/5
We also had Hokkien Mee! Yes, a double take. In fact, the was the Carabinero prawns & konbu mee (S$32) on the menu, but when it arrived it smelled and looked exactly like hokkien mee if you can pretend those dark red prawns are the regular variety. There were little shrimp in the noodles too, contributing to a rich, seafood flavour. However, I could not justify it against the price point. I'll rather skip the two exotic prawns and have it with half of the price? 3.5/5
For desserts, we tried the Teh Halia Panna Cotta (S$14) which came in a cute jar topped with ginger cubes and vanilla ice cream. Too much ginger for me that the tea taste of the panna cotta was not that perceptible! 3/5
For a bit of fun, I'll suggest the modern Goreng Pisang (special of the day, price unsure) instead. Balls of banana rolled with rice krispies and fried makes for an awesome take on the classic. 4/5
We left the lunch with our hearts full and bellies even more so. It was a great experience to see and taste local food elevated beyond their usual humble selves and stand against Western or Japanese cuisine. For that we have to give Po the support it should have.PO
The Warehouse Hotel, 320 Havelock Road, Singapore 169628
+65 68280007
Daily 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
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