In 2020, I went off meat. Largely, as an experiment (and nothing to do with the pandemic) since I came back from my Japan and Bali holiday where we feasted on fantastic beef. I thought I would just try and see what happens if I don't eat any 2 to 4 legged animals for a while, and it lasted successfully for a whole year. But in 2021 I went back to meat again since I knew I could do it now; but I don't want to. And 2022 kicked off with an epicurean bang with the lunch I had this weekend at the newish Club Street Wine Room. Opened in Q3 2021 by Chef Andrew Walsh of CURE, Butcher Boy and Catfish fame with a wine list curated by head sommelier Amir Solay, the space was a gorgeous, airy, light and comfortable shophouse for long convivial dining and drinking. 

On to the food, there's also quite a large list of very classic U.K. cuisine (if I have to guess?) which of course is not surprising since Chef hails from Ireland. 

Funny story, I never had a proper Sunday roast before, until I went to London in Nov 2019 and tried the entire set (by myself) for the first time just to know what the entire experience tastes like with the Yorkshire pudding and the gravy. I've not had it again since I came back, until now. It's in the epic Weekend Roast Trolley (S$58 pp), available on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm-3pm.

But first, some snacks and sides! We got 2 sets of the Weekend Roast Trolley Mixed Platter (S$68x2) to share amongst the 4 of us, and 4 sides from the ala carte menu. The snacks were complimentary and I wished we had larger stomachs for they were super appetising! And it went well with the bubbly we had.

One of the best potatoes I had recently though had to be this Hasselback potato (S$9/pc) with a black garlic and parmesan dip. Look at the layers and that golden brown colour signifying the crispy texture that's still a bit soft inside. Ungggggh. 5/5

This Wood fired scallop & prawn vol au vent thermidor (S$16/pc) was also brilliant on the soft pastry base. It's like dining on Ariel and Sebastian's friends! No but seriously.. how they managed to pack such a seafood-y punch in one bite is beyond me. I am there to appreciate it. 5/5

We also tried this Chickpea panisse (S$14/2pcs) with whipped burrata & salsa verde, that turned out surprisingly good. Almost like a cornbread, the thick pancake's balanced out with the cheesy top and green bottom (LOL!). It's my first time trying a panisse, but I liked it though it can be quite filling for a starter 4/5

Not all's great though. Our last starter, the Beef tartare & scallop toast (S$16/2pc) unfortunately was quite the dud. We were to mix the egg yolk up and drizzle it over the raw minced beef but overall we felt like there's just too much toast and the tartare was lost. 3/5

But on to the actual event, the Weekend Roast Trolley! After we were done with the starters and had our pours of red wine (Russian, and Spanish!) it was time. One of the chefs rolled it out with aplomb and he carved out the meat while we.. took videos and photos of course. What a treat.

And our wines were beautiful as well, and I can now say I've tried a Russian wine. It was a very interesting experience - the wine was velvety soft, with rich complex flavours.

And here's platter with the accompaniment. The woodfire grilled leg of lamb, woodfire French yellow chicken and prime beef short rib with some grilled asparagus, roast duck fat potatoes, roasted baby carrots with honey miso and of course, some Yorkshire pudding.  An assortment of sauces too - the Apple mustard jam, horseradish cream, whole grain mustard and Bordelaise sauce. The amount of words here almost match the amount of food we had on the table, but surprisingly we did quite well to finish most of it! The chicken to me was the most surprising of all for how tender and flavourful it was, while the beef short rib was the most normal. What a meal~ We were so stuffed there wasn't any room for dessert!

And that's how a Weekend Roast Trolley lunch at Club Street Wine Room went - lots of good food, meat and wine. I'll definitely endeavour to come back again either for dinner or to try their afternoon high tea because I can't get enough of the space nor the food.

🙅 Thank you, next 

🤷 Try if nearby 

💁 Bookmark this ✔️

Club Street Wine Room

87 Club Street, Singapore 069455

Tuesdays to Wednesdays 4pm-10.30pm, Thurs-Sat 12pm-10.30pm, Sun 12-8.30pm

Closed on Mondays

Reservations on Chope

It was indeed the State of Affairs that saw another new cafe pop up in the Upper Thomson area. This time, the cafe is actually named State of Affairs and opened by ex-Penny University barista Fahmi Zailani, which is why we managed to snag a cuppa on Day Two of CNY this year during their soft opening. I like that the cafe is a short walk away from the noisier and more crowded Upper Thomson stretch, but near enough for me to get there quickly. 

This cafe is first and foremost all about coffee, so we had to try them. I love a good long black brew - you can really taste all the notes when made properly and consumed that way (I had a disastrous homemade drip black coffee just the day before that I wanted to forget). They took their time too to brew my coffee - there's definitely skill and patience involved!

This is their coffee menu during soft launch week. They are open from 6am on Saturdays and Sundays, which is mad early, and 9am on weekdays. 

And from their Instagram, I see they also serve up small plates from 9am. TBH the cauliflower steak definitely caught my eye so I'll have to go back and try it!

Coffee-wise, I did enjoy my brew. Fruity and light, it was just the right balance. 

I'll be back to try their small plates, and perhaps have another one of their delicious coffees when I am looking for a mid-week break!

🙅 Thank you, next

🤷 Try if nearby ✔️

💁 Bookmark this 

State of Affairs

183 Upper Thomson Rd, Singapore 574332

6am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays; 9am on Fridays, Mondays-Weds

Closed on Thursdays

No reservations required