Bummed that dining has been restricted back to 2 pax from 5, just one week after the restrictions were lifted? Well, you're not the only one! However, I'm still thankful that dining out for 2 pax are allowed because I did honestly fall into a bad funk when it was just takeaway-only. That's why we were so glad when dining in opened up and me and a good friend Ling got to go to Siri House at Dempsey Hill once again this time to try their new Weekend Brunch menu! Readers of this blog might know that I'm a fan of SIRI House and Head Chef Leo Pang's dishes, having been back a couple of times with friends after tasting! As usual, the restaurant amidst the lush greenery of Dempsey was just a joy to be in.
It did feel a tad awkward without any music though, not gonna lie. But restaurants are not allowed to play music. One day in the far future, we will look back at these strange times. For now though, it really wasn't funny.
Ling, my weekend brunch buddy, was telling me how musicians are prolly one of the most affected groups with this recent spate of heightened alert measures, and that's just really unfortunate. Support local, more than just your hawkers!
Anyway, we sat outside (kinda the wrong/warm choice from noon to 1pm - it got better from 1-2.30pm). Here's the food and cocktail menu. I like how there are once again sharing plates and mains to choose from, and the one-pager was a limited but good enough list (I don't enjoy flipping through pages and pages of food). I also really enjoyed their cocktails from dinner so was glad brunch was a boozy one!
We started off with the affordably priced $12 summer cocktails - the Summertime Madness (S$12) was my pick since I love a good aperol spritz in the perpetual summer we live in. There's calamansi with Seedlip Garden, and aperol with soda water. Sooo good - it was light and slightly sourish, perfect to start off a meal with. Ling ordered the Ayurveda (S$12) which had curry leaf infused vermouth, blended with rum, cucumber juice and lime soda. More sour than mine but you could definitely taste the curry leaf notes. Super intriguing!
We started with a small(er) plate of Crab Toast ($24 for full size) just for fun and this was amazing with just how rich and appetising it was. There was a generous amount of crab mayonnaise and crab fat on soft fluffy bread topped with refreshing apple citrus salsa and shio kombu crumbs. As an additional touch, Chef Leo added a generous shaving of black truffle on top, which I 100% enjoyed very much. 4.5/5
Next, brunch proper should always involve eggs of some kind. The Lobster Scramble (S$21) would be one of the best ways to do it. Chunky bits of Boston lobster was folded into the soft and silky scrambled eggs and served with a Za’atar infused sour cream. I liked how simple the dish was, yet with just the right touch of elevation through the seafood. 4/5
But if the Lobster Scramble were to do battel with the Arancini (S$21), this will win. I think we both agree that this was the best dish of the day. It's basically Italian takopachi. Dashi-infused Japanese rice was mixed with chorizo paste and steamed fremantle octopus and seasoned before being coated with panko and deep fried. This served as the delicious casing for some mozzarella inside, and topped with bonito flakes and furikake. A delicious jaew mayo dip (Tamarind-based sauce with fish sauce, garlic, shallots and Kewpie mayo) was there too but wow. This was just. Wow. 5/5
Look at the amazing insides.
Then we had a main, which to be honest was kind of a let down after the amazing arancini. It was the Katsu Burger (S$29). The patty's made of Iberico Pork ribeye that is marinated with shirodashi and sous vide cooked for 4 hours before being crumbed and fried. The patty was unfortunately not juicy inside, even though you could literally see the juice running out here from the wooden platter! I've given feedback though - hopefully this will be improved. You could also go with the tried-and-test house mains like the famous Papadelle and Mushroom or Unagi Risotto or pick the Cheeseburger (which I think will be aweomse). 2/5
Now we needed a mid-food break so what's better than more drinks? But we were weak sauces and requested for mocktails (S$14 each) instead and was pleasantly surprised by the result. The Seedlip Spice (S$14) was blended with SIRI House's own pineapple infused verjus, housemade sage syrup and topped up with soda. Again super refreshing to the point where alcohol's really not necessary! It was also quite light. 3/5
I'll recommend the Seedlip Grove (S$14) instead. It's kombucha made with fermented rooisbos tea with fresh ginger flower, a dash of lime and honey plus Seedlip Grove. It's also garnished with a weird-looking strawberry which was pickled in brine (sugar, vinegar and water) and fermented for 2 weeks. 4/5
Now that we've had palate cleanser drinks, we finally ended the brunch with two delightful desserts. SIRI House desserts are ALWAYS awesome, by the way. The Bombolinis (S$16) were a mix of Italian doughnuts stuffed with cashew nut butter, mixed with chocolate ganache and ones with house-made mixed berry jam cream. The jam is finished with lime juice and lime zest. Tell me if you can't imagine the flavour explosion! 4/5
Last but not the least of them all - the Cherry Sundae ($16). Featuring seasonal stone fruits in a beautiful terrarium glass! There was black cherries compote slathered with yoghurt ice cream which gave it a creamy tartness together with crunchy honey balsamic glazed figs and dark chocolate feuilletine. All the elements of a good dessert have been ticked. 4.5/5
By the way, there's also ongoing exhibitions at SIRI House featuring local designers and artists which is very worth supporting!
Here's us with the youthful Chef Leo Pang.
Overall, I think SIRI House's weekend brunch did not disappoint with its unique blend of comfort food and surprising twists. It's not your typical eggs-ben and waffle type brunch, but one that's more sophisticated yet easy to enjoy. I'd highly recommend anyone looking for a weekend brunch cafe in Singapore to come by SIRI House instead!
🙅 Thank you, next
🤷 Try if nearby
💁 Bookmark this ✔️
SIRI House
Weekend brunch Saturday/Sundays 11.30am to 2.30pm
(all day till end of July).
Closed on Mondays
94871552
Reserve on Chope.co
Thanks Natasha and SIRI House for the kind invite!
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