BreadTalk Group has done it again with a new dining concept called Palette Restaurant & Bar that housed together 10 different brands from Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The new restaurant borrows a mixture of dining concepts of a food court, marche and a full service restaurant. Stepping into the dining hall, diner is handed an ipad where they can order from the ten brands at their comfort from their table and the food will be served to them when it is ready. Payment is at the cashier before exiting the dining hall.
BBQ Chicken Wings 4.2/5
Dinner at Palette started with some light bites from Huat Huat BBQ Chicken Wings ($12 for half a dozen/ $21 for one dozen), a brand for 14 years. The chicken wings are grilled to a nice exterior crispiness with a subtle sweetness. Most important the pairing chilli sauce goes very well with the chicken wings and very addictive.
Sate Ayam Madura 3.5/5
I am glad to find one of my favourite Indonesian restaurants, IndoChilli at Palette. From IndoChilli, we tried both the Sate Ayam Madura ($8.80 for 5pc) and Tahu Telor ($9.80). The sate was tender but lacked the charred aroma. I suspected is due to the used of electric grill instead of charcoal grill. Nevertheless the creamy nutty sauce for the sate consistency is there and good.
Tahu Telor 4/5
The Tahu Telor ($9.80) as far as I can remember, it still taste as good as I had the last time. I am delighted to see that IndoChilli still add those white beansprout head to the dish giving the sauce a hint of spiciness and crunch.
Fish Cake 4.2/5
Ah Koong Restaurant from Johor Bahru, Malaysia has an impressive story. Started in 1987 with only 5 men, it has expanded to 5 restaurants and a manufacturing facility with over 100 workers. This is their sixth outlet and also their first outlet outside Malaysia. Their preservative free fishballs and fishcake are handmade from ikan parang fish paste.
Fishball Noodle Dry 3.5/5
Beside the Fish Cake ($4.90), Ah Koong also sells Fishball Noodle ($7.90) and I got to try the dry version tossed in a black sauce which complement quite well with the thick yellow noodles. The bowl of noodle comes with bouncy fishballs sliced fishcake, minced pork and fried shallots.
Fried Hokkien Crayfish Mee 2.8/5
The luxury Fried Hokkien Crayfish Mee ($15) from Yong Xin Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle was a disappointment for me. Unfortunately the noodles did not get to absorb the flavour of the beautiful stock. It felt like the person behind the wok did not do a good job. Diners can also find Char Kway Tiao ($9) and Oyster Omelette ($11) on their menu.
Noodles with Abalone 4/5
Ah Yat Seafood Kitchen is another brand at Palette that most Singaporean will be familiar with. With a huge selection from wholesome set meats, roast meats, dim sum, congee, noodles, rice dishes and live seafood, Ah Yat offers something for everyone. I tried the Noodles with Abalone ($18) using Ah Yat's proprietary abalone sauce, a top secret recipe that was created over 40 years ago. The sauce not only complement the plump and juicy abalone but the noodles too.
Premium Pork Ribs Soup 3.5/5
While Balestier in Singapore does house a couple of popular Bak Kut Teh restaurants, I doubt I have heard of Balestier Bak Kut Teh. Nevertheless, it is still good to have a bowl of Premium Pork Ribs Soup ($9.50) in the air conditioned mall with its hot and peppery soup base warming the body.
Braised Beef Brisket Noodles Dry 3.5/5
Hok Kee Authentic Hong Kong Noodle & Congee is a Hong Kong brand with over 60 years of heritage starting from a mobile food vendor in Yuen Long, Hong Kong. While the sauce and noodles of the Braised Beef Brisket Noodles Dry ($9) tasted average, the melted in the mouth beef brisket itself was good.
Wonton Soup 4/5
Hok Kee also specializes in wonton. The Wonton Soup ($8) comes with silky smooth wonton stuffed with bite sized parcel of fresh shrimp, lean pork, pork fat and flat fish.
Champagne Pork Ribs 4/5
Little Nanyang at Palette is a new brand in the Singapore scene debuting in Food Republic Hong Kong in March 2013 servicing Southeast Asian cuisine. In Singapore, it will be enticing Singaporean's palate with a selection of zi char dishes such as the Champagne Pork Ribs ($10.80). Actually I could not really taste any champagne but the pork coated in a sweet sauce is cooked to fork tender.
Hainanese Chicken Rice Set 3.8/5
Chandi Murg Tikka 3/5
Being a cultural melting pot, Palette has Delhi 6 offering North-West Indian cuisine to cater for the rest of the community. Due to some restriction in the kitchen, they can only use electric tandoors which may explain why the Chandi Murg Tikka ($13) ensconced in a garlic and cashew nut cream sauce is not as good as some that I have tried elsewhere.
Sunset Gula Melaka Banana Parfait & Butterscotch 4/5
Golden Chilled Mango Soup with Mango & Citrus Fruits 4.2/5
Dinner is not complete without some drinks and/or desserts from 90 Gastro Bar. Besides the extensive range of wines, beers and hard liquor, 90 Gastro Bar also offers a twist to some old school desserts such as the Sunset Gula Melaka Banana Parfait & Butterscotch ($8) and Golden Chilled Mango Soup with Mango & Citrus Fruits ($8). The golden chilled mango soup with mango and citrus fruits stood out for me with the blend of mango ice cream, mango puree and coconut milk, giving it a airier and frothier texture than the traditional version.
Overall I find that the new concept has its hits and misses. The new concept reminds me about a group of foodies who feels that hawker food needs to be priced more expensive and also have air conditioning to preserve the hawker heritage. Palette Restaurant & Bar seems to fit their idea. We will see whether the new concept by BreadTalk Group is the direction to go.
Palette Restaurant & Bar
Capitol Piazza
13 Stamford Road
#B1-20/27
Singapore 178905
Tel: +65 63843359
Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)
Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 1030pm
Direction:
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]
