The Grumpy Bear @ SAFRA Jurong - Serving Signature Chicken Chops With A Local Twist

The Grumpy Bear specialises in western cuisine and is known for its chicken chops that come with a variety of choices. It operates a few outlets in Singapore, with its latest opening at SAFRA Jurong. This new outlet has incorporated local flavours into its menu, alongside with its own range of ice creams.

Nasi Lemak Chicken 3.5/5

On the menu, you will find 2 interesting dishes with a local twist - Nasi Lemak Chicken ($18.90) and Grumpy Chicken Rendang ($18.90). Served with herb rice, fried egg and a dollop of sambal chilli, the oven-baked Lemak Chicken Chop was aptly flavoured with spices, tender and succulent. The quintessential sambal chilli was on the sweeter side, but it still very much brought out the full Nasi Lemak experience. In place of the usual fragrant coconut milk rice is herb rice that was aromatic with Italian herbs, and equally enjoyable. The fried egg can definitely be better.

Chicken Rendang 4/5

The Oven Baked Grumpy Chicken Rendang is made using herb rice topped with hearty chunks of Chicken baked and baked in special Rendang sauce. The rendang sauce was heady and robust with spices, and I love how the slices of tomatoes released bursts of tangy juiciness into the rich sauce. The rice was in distinct grains, which worked well with the rich chicken rendang.

Creamy Pasta with Prawns 3/5

There is also a variety of pasta. We tried Creamy Pasta with Prawns ($16.90). It was decent, but it wasn't satiable at all.

Mushroom Soup 2/5

As for sides such as Mushroom Soup, I suggest giving them a miss and just head for their chicken dishes and desserts. Mine had a strong taste of flour, and the croutons were simply stale bread crumbs.

Waffle with Ice Cream 3.8/5

The Grumpy Bear can also be the place of consideration for waffles and ice creams. The Grumpy Bear has its own range of ice cream, ranging from classic to premium. We tried Red Velvet Waffle with Pistachio and Blueberry Yogurt ice creams. The waffle was pretty fluffy with a crisp exterior, and the ice creams were light and not cloying.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Grumpy Bear
SAFRA Jurong
333 Boon Lay Way
#2B-02
Singapore 649848
Tel: +65 82996261
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Boon Lay (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 11am - 930pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Boon Lay MRT station. Take Exit C, D and E and walk to Boon Lay Bus Interchange (Stop ID 22009). Take bus number 251. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey about 10 minutes. [Map]

La Dame de Pic @ Raffles Hotel Singapore - Re-opens After The Circuit Breaker With A New Summer Menu

I have the pleasure of dining at La Dame de Pic by Chef Anne-Sophie Pic when it first opened at Raffles Hotel Singapore. Unfortunately with the COVID-19 pandemic and the circuit breaker measure taken by the government, the restaurant was temporarily closed for dining. Great news for diners looking forward to dining in one of the world's top female chefs' restaurant, having a total of seven Michelin stars under her belt, you will be glad to know that La Dame de Pic has reopened!

Before commencing on our dinner, we receive a number of amuse bouche to kick start our dinner. We have the Olive-green Chocolate Truffle infused with yuzu. You get an explosion of flavour when you bite into it.

Then there is the Marshmellow coated with Peanut which tastes like our local muah chee. There is also the Honeycomb Cracker with a delightfully crispy texture.

Last but not least, the Corn Taco and Milk Yoghurt to round up the amuse bouche surprises. We already have 5 dishes before starting on the courses.

I have to warn that you need to control yourself in eating too much of the freshly baked bread. It is so good that my dining companions had 3 servings. You probably do not want to get yourself full before even starting on the courses.

Tomato Myriad

Starting the 5-course meal is the refreshing Tomato Myriad paired with a scoop of burrata ice cream. The sweetness of the colourful tomatoes is lifted with the tomato consomme lightly infused with elderflower, tasting of summer with each bite of the sweet and tangy fruit.

Berlingots 4.5/5

An iconic dish in every Anne-Sophie Pic restaurant is the Berlingots which incorporates local elements. In Singapore, the restaurant has infused the broth with the herb of grace, a local ingredient used in Chinese medicine and cooking. The flavour of the pasta parcel also changes with seasons. In my previous visit, I had green Matcha pasta parcel filled with French cheese fondue. This time it is beet pasta parcel filled with French cheese fondue.

Turbot from Brittany 4/5

Next is the Fish dish - Turbot from Brittany. The fish is cooked elegantly with a delicate, lightly sweet flavour. Simple but yet will get you craving for more.

The Pigeon from Bresse 4.2/5

Saga Wagyu Beef 4.2/5

For the mains, the diner can choose between the Saga Wagyu Beef and The Pigeon. As I have already tried the Saga Wagyu Beef in my earlier visit, I decided to go for The Pigeon. The bird was beautifully roasted on its chest, complemented by the lightly smoked broth infused with Madagascan vanilla, roasted barley, Phu Quoc pepper and kumquat.

Brie de Meaux Cheese with Vanilla 4/5

The Brie de Meaux Cheese with Vanilla is a pre-dessert which is like have a bowl of cheese soup with a thin cracker film.

White Mille-feuille

For dessert, diners have 3 choices. If you are dining here for the first, I would highly recommend you to go for the White Mille-feuille. This is another iconic dish that they have kept it in their new menu.

Alpaco Chocolate

Gariguette Strawberry

The other 2 desserts on the menu are the Alpaco Chocolate and Gariguette Strawberry. They are the new dessert creations for the new summer menu. I had the Alpaco Chocolate which comes with Hojicha and cubeb pepper light mousse paired with beeswax honey ice cream. It is rich but yet not heavy to wrap up the dinner.

Last but at least the whole dinner experience is wrapped up with the Petite Four. The menu I had is the 5-course Experience Menu at $238 per pax with an additional $158 for wine and sake pairing. I realised the restaurant has increased its price since my visit last year. Maybe it has to do with the increased ingredients' price due to the significant reduction in overseas freight flights in the aviation market.

Note: this is an invited tasting.


La Dame de Pic
Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: +65 63371886
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line), Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat: 12pm - 2pm, 7pm - 930pm
(Closed on Sun and Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit F. Walk to the junction of Beach Road and Bras Basah Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time is about 3 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Junction of North Bridge Road and Bras Basah Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]