Singapore F&B scene has been very exciting over the past few years. There is always a new place opening almost every week. There are so many new and cool restaurants that I find it hard to keep up. While I love checking out the latest hip place in town – it is, after all, my job to do that – sometimes, I just like to go somewhere familiar. One of my favourite restaurants in Singapore is House at Dempsey Hill.

House may already be very popular, but it is a shame that it remains as one of the most under-rated restaurants around. It is not easy to create a cosy ambience with vibes so chic. Yet, House managed to do it so effortlessly. Mismatched furnitures, spacious layout with low ceilings and sporadic partitions, dim lights complementing the sun rays that stream in from the ceiling-to-floor glass panels, soft jazz and lounge music looping while the coffee machine brews and the wine glasses clink intermittently; there is this unassuming comfort that makes sitting here all too indulging.

The folks at House have recently launched a new menu – its first major overhaul in six years. The food is still very much the same – simple comfort fare that you can eat on a regular basis. And now, we are in for more new additions.

We started with the Asparagus, Serrano Ham and Crumbed Egg $22. This classic combination never fails to please.

In addition to the legendary truffle fries ($11), Barracks Café has also introduced some new variations in the form of Pumpkin hazelnut fries ($12) – shoestring pumpkin fries with crunchy hazelnut, paprika and chilli powder; Truffle Taro Fries ($7) – straw cut yam fries with aromatic truffle oil; Curry Mustard Fries ($9) – shoestring fries topped with paprika, curry and a sprinkle of sea-salt; and Carrot Fennel Fries ($9) – straw cut sweet carrot fries with a sprinkle of fennel.

An old favourite that has its place standing firm on the menu is the Asian Sliders, also known as Kong Ba Bao. House’s rendition is easily one of the best around. Braised lean pork belly tucked in steaming hot buns, and complimented with crispy taro fries. In a word: perfection.

The Hanger Steak ($27) with croquettes and wild mushrooms was also a crowd-pleaser that afternoon. A perfectly seared steak so affordable, I would go back to House just for this.

If you are like me, a fan of risotto, you have to try the new Pumpkin Risotto with brown butter reduction and toasted pumpkin seeds.

The Roasted Chilean Cod Fish, with a refreshing apple and celery salad, was extremely fresh, but we did not fancy the sweet date sauce that came along with it. If you still have room, you should go for the Pork Ribs with Caramelised Pineapple ($27). While the meat was not off-the-fork-tender, it was still very flavourful and delicious.

House did not make any changes to the desserts menu, so you can still find the popular favourites such as their Warm Strawberry Shortcake ($9.50), Carrot Cake ($7), and Warm Chocolate Toffee Cake ($9.50).

The Bitter Chocolate Tart ($7.50) was amazing. Now, I hardly use the word ‘amazing’ to describe desserts, but House’s version completely won me over. It was bitter, sweet and done just right.

The Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake ($7.80) impressed, too, with its creamy and cheesy flavour, and the addictive biscuit base. The only dessert that I did not enjoy was the Warm Banana Salted Caramel Cake ($7). While the use of popcorn in a dessert was interesting, the cake was somewhat lacking in flavour and depth.

House
8D Dempsey Road
Tel: +65 6475 7787
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 6pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 4pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Note: This was an invited media tasting.

Jalan Besar looks set to be the next up and coming area, with hip places such as Antoinette Patisserie, Chye Seng Huat and Broadcast HQ.

Suprette, a modern restaurant which specialises in American-inspired food with a grown-up drinks list, is one of the newest addition to the area. The restaurant can be describe as being on the intimate side, the space is only big enough to accommodate slightly over twenty guests.

When we were there for dinner on a weekday night, the restaurant was almost full. We were surprised as the location was rather inaccessible. But after having a meal there, I can understand why Suprette is slowly gaining popularity. The food is delicious, hearty and unpretentious.

Like the restaurant, the menu itself is small. There is a breakfast menu (served daily from 7am to 11am, and 2.30pm on weekends) consisting of items such as Corned Beef Hash, Ricotta Pancakes and Western Omelette. For lunch and dinner, you can choose from five starters, five main courses and two desserts.

We started with the Seared Scallops ($16), which were very disappointing. Four tiny pieces atop a bunch of shaved leek… Let’s just say if I do visit Suprette again, I will steer clear from this dish.

The Crispy Pork Belly on Crostini ($14) fared slightly better. But considering that the main courses are only a few dollars more, I would probably just skip the starters and order more main courses to share.

We tried all the main courses except for the Vegetable Stack ($22), which was not available that day. I was especially enamoured of the Spicy Seafood Spaghetti ($25). The pasta was cooked right and it had generous seafood ingredients.

The Suprette Burger ($24), pictured above in the first photo, was superb. It came with a tasty beef patty topped with gruyere cheese in a nicely-toasted bun. There is the option of adding sides – such as bacon, mushroom, avocado, or foie gras – but the burger is so good on its own that you won’t need them.

Also good was the Hanger Steak & Marrow ($29). The beef was tender and flavourful. A very well-executed dish.

The Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast ($23) may sound a bit less glamorous than some of the dishes above, but don’t let the name fool you. In fact, this dish surprised all of us. I am not a fan of breast meat, but Suprette’s rendition completely won me over. This was easily one of the most tender chicken breast meat I have had.

Desserts are probably not Suprette’s strength, so I would suggest going somewhere else to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Our conclusion was that despite some rather lacklustre starters, the food was very good. Suprette fits the bill when I am looking for a spot to have a good meal and some drinks with friends.

Suprette
383 Jalan Besar
Kam Leng Hotel
Tel: +65 6298 8962
Daily: 7am – 12 midnight

You may be familiar with ribeye, tenderloin and sirloin, but have you heard of other relatively unknown cuts like skirt, flat iron and hanger steak? Here is a beginners guide to the different cuts of steak. Read on to find out which cut suits you best.

RIBEYE STEAK

The ribeye – also known as Scotch Fillet, Beauty Steak or Delmonico Steak – comes from the area near the rib, so it has good marbling with a nice amount of fat in the centre to give it the distinctive concentrated flavour. Suffice it to say, it is easy to understand why this is usually one of the top sellers in steakhouses.

TENDERLOIN STEAK

Tenderloin, or eye fillet, as it is known in certain parts of the world, is cut from the middle of a cow. As the muscle is less utilised, it is very lean and tender. Tenderloin is the crowd’s favourite because it is lean and does not contain too much fat. Also, it is a cut that is easy to cook and eat.

FILLET MIGNON

This cut is taken from the end of the tenderloin. It is extremely tender and has no fat as the muscle does not have to work. I am not a fan of Fillet Mignon as I prefer to have some fat in my steak. This cut, however, is perfect for
ladies.

SIRLOIN STEAK

Like the tenderloin, a sirloin steak is a cut from the loin section of a cow. While sirloin steaks are not as tender as the tenderloin steaks, they are popular as they are significantly less expensive than that from the short loin and rib section.

FLANK STEAK

The Flank is a beef steak cut from the underside of a cow. This part of the muscle is well-exercised, making it a naturally lean cut. Most people would probably be familiar with the flank steak as it is used for Fajitas and also as stir-fried beef in Asian cuisine.

T-BONE STEAK & PORTERHOUSE

The T-Bone steak, recognised by the distinctive T-shaped bone, is cut from the centre of the short loin and it comprises both the top loin and tenderloin. Porterhouse, on the other hand, is from the rear end of the short loin, thus has more of tenderloin steak. In general, they are expensive in steakhouses as they contain meat from two of the most prized cuts of beef. My favourite is the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, T-Bone steak prepared in Fiorentine style, an exceptional charcoal-grilled steak that is tasty and flavourful; it melts like butter in your mouth.

FLAT IRON STEAK

A relatively unknown cut, the Flat Iron Steak has been gaining popularity in recent years as restaurants start to offer this cut on the menu as a more affordable option. For instance, Prive Grill is serving a 200g Australian Flat Iron Steak for just S$38, while The Prime Society has a Black Angus Flat Iron for S$48.

HANGER STEAK

In an attempt to save on cost and to provide more variety, more restaurants are starting to offer alternative cuts instead of the more expensive cuts such as ribeye or strip. The hanger steak is one of them. It is inexpensive (usually you can get it for S$30), flavourful and rich. I have had several good hanger steaks recently. I would recommend going to Barracks Cafe, Osteria Mozza or Suprette at Kam Leng Hotel for their hanger steaks.

SKIRT STEAK

The skirt steak is a cow’s diaphragm muscle, located in the area just below the ribs on the cow. For what it lacks in tenderness, the skirt steak more than makes up for it with flavour. Most importantly, it is an inexpensive cut, and provides good value for money. The new Skirt at W Hotel Singapore serves the namesake Skirt Steak on its menu.