At The Wine & Gourmet Friends, every hour is happy hour. Sort of.
Tucked away in a shop house on Bukit Pasoh Road — it’s close to Dorsett Singapore — the dimly-lit 56-seater is a cozy space, with half its grounds taken over by the open kitchen and the walk-in wine cellar, which is a haven for vino lovers.
Bringing in hundreds of labels from boutique wine producers across the globe, this new restaurant offers wines by the glass from $6 and bottles from $25. Pocket-friendly? Yes. Value-for-money? Definitely, considering most other places charge at least $10.
Side note: The most expensive wine goes for $1,888, but that’s ’cause it’s an enormous one equating to about 16 regular-sized bottles, and only three have been brought in so far. So if you’re still new to the grape stuff, try any one of the sparkling, white, red, rosé or sweet house-pours for $6 to figure out which you prefer.
Open since September this year, the bistro offers a menu of Asian-style tapas that its wine connoisseurs will happily help you pair with any of the 300 varieties from over 80 wineries. Best of all, about 80 percent of these labels can only be found here, so no, it’s not your average neighborhood Wine Connection.
But if you’re thinking it sounds like a similar concept to Wine & Chef, which is just on the next street, we heard the folks behind The Wine & Gourmet Friends reportedly used to work at the former joint.
Now on to the food. We particularly loved the hei zou ($12, a deep fried prawn roll similar to ngoh hiang), which was stuffed with generous amounts of minced pork belly and prawns, with turnip and cuttlefish paste, fried to a pleasing crisp. Achar is served on the side for a zesty break from the grease, and the restaurant recommends you complement this plate with the Bodegas Breton Loriñon Crianza Rioja DOCa ($35) from northern Spain.
The foie gras lotus leaf calrose rice ($18), on the other hand, sat on the bland side of the spectrum, even though the carbs were said to be tossed with ginger, garlic, sesame oil, shiitake mushrooms, and XO sausage. But the seared foie gras added a creamy touch, while lotus chips lent a nice crunch. And the light, herb notes of Farmer’s Market Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($35) from New Zealand paired well with the dish.
The roast pork belly plate ($24) is adorned with tender meat and crisp crackling, which can work well both on their own or with a dash of mustard and honey balsamic reduction. Munch on this with Snake + Herring “Dirty Boots” Cabernet Sauvignon ($49) from Margaret River in Western Australia for a full-bodied treat with notes of dried tea leaves and herbs.
For more meaty indulgence, order the lamb trio ($30) of lamb kofta, lamb rendang, and rosemary grilled lamb rack. The latter’s a tad gamey, but the former is flavorful with herbs and spices, and the dish doesn’t weigh you down with its light sides of quinoa salad and cucumber raita.
Inspired by the zi char classic, the black pepper crab noodle ($18) is made by frying up a soft shell crab and tossing it on a bed of chewy wholegrain noodles with blue swimmer crab meat, all doused in black pepper sauce.
No complaints about the flavor profile, but who needs wholegrain noods when you can have regular ones, unhealthy elements and all?
To finish, try the “goreng pisang” ($12), a dessert based on the fried banana snack. But don’t expect it to come out looking like something you’d find at a hawker center — this version is classy and well thought-out, with elements like a slab of moist banana kueh, crispy banana fritters, house-made dark chocolate ice cream, caramel sauce, and Pilsner gelée.
Alternatively, on the afternoon menu, you’ll find a line-up of burgers ($12-$35) like otah fish, Iberico pork chop, lamb rendang, and foie gras on beef patty. Three-course set lunches for $24 are also available, with choices such as seafood and tomato bisque or tomato salad, braised pork bolognese, grilled eggplant, or steak and potato (add $10), and gelato, coffee, or tea.
Ah, and keep in mind that the kitchen is closed on Sundays — but The Wine & Gourmet Friends remains open, and the bar staff even encourages would-be diners to come with their own food on days that the kitchen is closed. So, you can essentially make an indoor picnic out of your meal, with all cutlery and plates provided by the restaurant — you just have to order a bottle of wine (one to every four guests) to get a seat at a table.
Otherwise, the bistro usually offers daily promos, such as free-flow wines on Tuesdays ($38/person), bottomless beers on Wednesdays ($38/person), one-for-one house pours for ladies on Thursdays, and wine and spirit sharing sessions on Saturdays (4pm-5pm).
FIND IT:
The Wine & Gourmet Friends is at 48 Bukit Pasoh Rd.
6224-1982. Mon-Sat noon-11pm, Sun noon-9pm.
MRT: Outram Park
