The White Rabbit @ Dempsey Hill

A genre-defining restaurant & bar spread over 40,000 square feet of space housed in an awe-inspiring, beautifully restored old chapel just off the Dempsey area in Singapore. Serving a fresh take on both classic European comfort food and cocktails, the menu culminates in a unique food proposition that reflects the owners’ quest for timelessness, simplicity and love of great ingredients.

The White Rabbit’s interiors are, indeed, lovely. The lofty space is framed by beautiful wrought-iron grills, a stained-glass window, original floor tiles, discreet timber wall panels, polygonal lamps and a new deck area at the rear. Sage-green banquettes line both sides of the church while a drum chandelier hangs over the bar. Ex-Marmalade head chef Daniel Sia helms the kitchen, while the front of house is headed by the freakishly good Shireen Sheikh, another Marmalade alumnus.

Entrée: Brochette of Roasted Sea Scallops and Crispy Pork Belly – served with wakame salad and a sesame soy dressing. This was was my favourite dish of the night. The pork belly was crispy and tender at the same time, melting in the mouth yet giving you the enjoyment of some texture. The scallops were nicely seared and natural (the way I like it).

Entrée: Escargot Ravioli – served with breaded frog’s legs, parsley coulis and a light fennel emulsion. The ravioli was delicious, creamy and cheesy.  Escargot was flavourful but it seemed a little on the small side - perhaps each snail was cut in two before plating. The breaded frog’s legs was bland and I tasted more flour than legs – not a highlight of the dish.

Entrée: Salad Printemps – fresh mesclun with mango, avocado, asparagus and black truffle, topped with our house dressing. The salad was was fresh and flavours of mango and avocado made it different and unique. The dressing was intersting and wetted our appetites for the mains.

Mum and I – quite happy with our Entrées. We thought that the Entrées were really good and were pleased when they were all served at the same time. We are all rather small eaters and shared the 3 Entrées among the 4 of us.

Main course: Scallop Linguine – pan seared scallops served with al dente linguine, tossed with garlic, chilli and fresh herbs. The linguine aglio olio was al dente with chilli flakes and garlic. The scallops were huge and came nicely seared. The dish was above average but does not seem overly special for an establishment like The White Rabbit.

Main course: Pan Fried Plaice – served with salad and baby potatoes. The fish was nicely done and well seasoned. The salad was rather plain and the potatoes tasted like they were simply boiled. The dressing for the veggies and potatoes left a slightly bitter aftertaste, somewhat like it had burned in the pan.

Main course: 48-hour Braised – Short Ribs lightly crisped and served sans bone with mashed potatoes and a rich Burgundy-style red wine sauce made with bacon and mushrooms. The Ribs came apart easily and melted in the mouth. The gravy complemented the meat very well and portion size was just right.

Main course: Pan Roasted Salmon – served with confit of fennel and citrus ginger beurre blanc. The fish was nicely done and flaky, but a little bland flavour wise. We would have been happier with more veggies on the side.

Service was attentive, but they could do with a little more training on the intracies of the dishes as they had to check a few things with the manger/chef when asked questions. Overall, I felt that their Entrées were better than their mains. Food there is rather pricey and I had expected more from the food to match the fantastic ambiance and prices.

My ratings – Food: 8/10. Service: 8/10. Ambience: 9/10. Value for money: 6/10. The bill came up to about $275 for the 4 of us with the above dishes and beverages. We didn’t do desert though. More about The white Rabbit at www.thewhiterabbit.com.sg.