Siri House at Dempsey was one of those restaurants that I thought of tenderly during the Circuit Breaker when I was considering which restaurant to go as a treat to myself (revenge dining?) once restrictions for dining in were lifted. So I was not surprised to find that since reopening during Phase 2, the restaurant (owned by a Thai property developer) had managed to hold out and was almost a full (Siri) House during weekends and some weekday nights! They have revamped their menu for both food, drinks and even the space was optimised and expanded so who's to say that its all doom and gloom during this pandemic?
The adjoining "showroom" compartment has now turned into a functional bar area for drinks and chilling out to be had in a homely yet up-class setting. I'd imagine a quiet hen's night or friends gathering to be quite the fit here!
There's also an exhibition art gallery/space with Mojoko pieces (lots of them already sold). I really like this aesthetic and wish I had a funkier home to hang some of them!
Here's the drinks menu to start, because with a place like this, drinks is what will be fun. You can even go to the sitting room for drinks and carry the conversations forward!
I've tried Fleeting Flowers (S$16) pictured below, which was very light and refreshing without being as girly as it looked. The alcohol is quite subdued but makes sure you know it is there. A very good way to start a big meal.
My personal favourite was Got Milk (S$22) made with rum, darjeeling tea and px sherry, alongside yes, milk, that wrapped up the meal. Not as strange as you'd imagine! I'd also tried the Elderflower Fizz (S$20) from their Elevated Classics selection yesterday and it reminded me of a less full-bodied Pisco Sour from the use of the acid, which I am guessing is from some sort of citrus fruit.
Here's their food menu, spearheaded by head chef Leo Pang (formerly from Le Benardin) who shared with us many of the behind-the-scenes work that went into the dishes.
What remained from their previous menu's the crowd pleaser, the Biscuit 2.0 (S$12)! It's a chicken fat cookie that had lots interesting textures and flavours. Here there's just 2, but I think if you order it normally there will be 4 pieces. My only complaint of this "snack" dish is that the price point is a tad high (but a lot of work!) for what you will get. 3.5/5
Compared to the salty sweet Beef Fat Popcorn (S$4) which I tried in a subsequent recent visit, this was a much better choice. The popcorn's super moreish with the beefy aftertaste, and great with the drinks we had! 4/5
I re-ordered the Papadum (S$10) to share though. Despite it really just being papadum, the spiced crema dip was the star and just helps to wake up your tastebuds. I really enjoyed the salty crunch and funk. 4/5
Moving on to sharing appetisers, I ordered the Bikini (S$16) last night as well to try since the cheese and ham combo can never go wrong, and it didn't! It was a bit on the salty side with the truffle taste pulling through - but it was overall a very 'shiok' feeling to bite into the sandwich! 4/5
For those with more refined palates (or just being a pescatarian), try their wild caught Hokkaido scallops (S$29) mixed with yuzu kosho, dashi jelly, smoked ikura, sea grapes and Hamachi "bacon". That's in air quotes because the bacon is actually dried fish hamachi that had undergone a super arduous process to become the crispy bits. I liked that no part of the fish was wasted since the hamachi was another dish on itself! Again for an appetiser I find the pricing a bit steep but then again its all the work that went in. I honestly think they could cut out 1/3 the ingredients though and just let the pure ingredient shine through more. 3.5/5
Next, the Chicken Oysters (S$19) - they are not actually oysters BTW! I had these before and am glad they were retained on the new menu. Oysters here refer to that very tender, dark two-pc per chicken part near the thigh. This more intense part of the chicken was tempered by the Szechuan marinate (peppercorn spice, but not too spicy!) with a pasteurised egg yolk (sous vide at 57 degrees for 3 hours) with tare sauce reduction to dip in. It was delicious with the yolk sauce to tone down the fierceness a little. 4.5/5
Another hit for me during the tasting was this Duck (S$32) dish where the breast meat's marinated with five-spice, and then grilled before being paired with some fried yam strips and goji berry sauce. It was quite funny cos I tried to hide by bending down slightly when the dish was presented, because chef said, "duck." Hur hurh. Jokes aside though, this was an excellent rendition of the very Chinese-style duck that I like. I highly recommend this! 5/5
For seafood fans, there's also the Unagi Risotto (S$32) where the grilled eel's served on top of some really comforting tasting Japanese rice cooked as a risotto style with those flavoursome chanterelle mushrooms and topped with bits of pickled daikon. This was a very FULLfilling dish so order to share, maybe! For me, while it was good, I wasn't an unagi fan so I'd pass. But can't deny the taste! 4/5
On my repeat visit there with 4 other friends, we also tried the Steak (S$68 - suitable for 2) which had some really tender and sliced prime beef ribeye (˜300g) alongside piping hot kombu butter potatoes, Thai asparagus and Thai chilli Jaew sauce. I really love that Thai touch - not too much to bother with the star of the show but added a nice contrast. No complaints on the beef and how it was a combination of fatty chewy sides (but not tough) and beefy meatiness. 4.5/5
We then move on to the desserts! By the time I reached this point of the blog entry it has taken me 2 days. Haha. Also I realised I've tasted the entire dessert menu on my two trips! So I can tell you honestly which ones to order among all 5. To start off, we have the most 'palate-cleansing' one for if you feel very full and couldn't take another bite. The Tropical 'Tau Huay' (S$15) with macerated mango with chilli, coconut panna cotta and passionfruit granita will be the right one then. The sweet, spicy, creamy, sour flavours will attempt CPR on your brain. I particularly liked how the mango had that cheeky chilli hidden within. 4/5
There's also the Sesame (S$14) dessert comprising of black sesame mousse, peanut sesame brittle (my fav!) and azuki red bean ice cream. Over here the star was the brittle - I felt that the ice cream got drowned out by the sesame's presence, everywhere. Good if you are a nuts about sesame or peanut, but otherwise, can be skipped. 4/5
Then, something for chocolate fans (oops, not me). The Orange & Chocolate (S$16) with preserved orange peel chocolate mousse, candlenut ice cream, cocoa nibs and chocolate tuile sounds and looked quite dainty but the chocolate mousse packed an intense, albeit smooth punch. I'd say this is for those craving that sort of experience. But it was a bit too much for me at that point. Time for another drink! 3/5
What I had really enjoyed, and we enjoyed again, was this Jam & Toast (S$16) with kaya cremeux, brown butter crumbs, cured egg yolk paired with a toasted milk ice cream. A reinterpretation of the quintessential Singapore-Malaysia breakfast of coconut & egg (aka kaya) jam and butter on toast, this was the unanimous hit among my friends and I. The kaya slab was super rich and flavourful, and the toasted milk ice cream was the perfect foil. And wow just hearing about the process to make that ice cream from scratch was enough for me to think they are undercharging here. Haha. Regardless, this is a MUST-TRY. 5/5
Lastly, the Pulut Hitam (S$14) with purple sweet potato parfait and chips, maple pecan crunch and coconut cream. This actually felt most like the original of sorts sans the purple sweet potato. I wasn't too hot about that, though I still liked the black glutinous rice with the coconut cream. Such a nostalgic throwback. 4/5
Here's me with my dining partner for the tasting, the ever lovely Stooffi! May we dine together soon :)
And my friends from our second visit, looking very full after the meal - and masked - when we went to the sitting room to have a look-see.
Wow, I feel full actually, thinking back to all the delicious food from Siri House at 8D Dempsey Road. I couldn't recommend this place more - and suggest you to check out the Chicken Oysters starter, Duck and the Jam and Toast dessert. They've been busy since reopening (congrats!) even on a weekday night, so be sure to make a reservation ahead of time! Also Fridays/Saturdays will feature more interesting specials, which now that I know, will entice me back..
Siri House
8D Dempsey Road, Singapore 249672
11.30am to 2.30pm (lunch, until 3pm Sundays); 6-10pm (11pm on Fri/Sat, no dinner on Sundays)
Closed on Mondays
Reserve on Restaurants.sg or call +659487 1552 or contact.sg@sirihouse.com
Thanks to Natasha and Siri House for the invite and generous hospitality once again!
