Cafe Grub

Curious Palette elevates the local breakfast of kaya toast and kopi with an excellent rendition which sees rich gula melaka kaya and thick slabs of chilled butter between soft white bread. The kicker is that fantastic espresso shoyu – salty, sweet and infused with the essence of coffee. Drizzle it over the soft-boiled egg and dunk the toast into it for maximum shiokness.

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Taste: 3.5/5

Lavished in a punchy prawn and shallot oil butter sauce subtly spiced with belacan, the al-dente noodles eagerly soaked up the richness and proved to be freaking delicious. The smokily seductive grilled tiger prawns, dollop of mentaiko and sakura ebi only served to amp up the umami to heady levels.

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Taste: 3.5/5

Chef Desmond Shen of Magic Square fame has lent some magic to Curious Palette’s refreshed menu, chief among them being these absolutely addictive deep-fried battered cauliflower florets dusted in curry powder. Slicked in an umami fish sauce caramel and heaped onto a bed of tangy lemon emulsion which really lifted the dish, it was unanimously loved around the table.

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Taste: 4/5

Not short on flavour are the shortribs. Sous vide in soy sauce, mirin, burnt onions and apple juice then glazed in a thick sheen of burnt soy and brown butter reduction, the marinated meat was fall-apart tender, and possessed a depth of complexity not often found in cafe food. Eat it Korean ssam-style with the meat wrapped in the accompanying lettuce leaves.

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Taste: 3.5/5

Loving the new vegetable-driven dishes created by chef Desmond Shen for Curious Palette. The roasted sugarloaf cabbage smothered in toasted nuts, seeds, buckwheat, fried curry leaves and seaweed butter sees humble ingredients transformed into something truly delicious, an amalmagation of deep umami, spice and exciting textures coming together as a cohesive whole, further enhanced by the creamy richness of a wobbly poached egg.

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Taste: 3.5/5

Confited in herb oil, the vine ripened tomatoes were bursting with lush sweetness and were complemented beautifully by the piquant tamarind ponzu. An excellent representation of forward-thinking cafe food.

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Taste: 3.5/5

With more than 800 types of spirits(and not just whisky) in-store, there’s sure to be a tipple to suit anyone’s palate. Let the resident bartenders create a specially crafted bespoke cocktail according to your drinking preferences. My Old Fashioned was excellent. Made from premium Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon and bitters, each quaff was well-rounded with notes of citrus and orange peel.

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Taste: 3.5/5

These pocket rockets of pita stuffed with a moreish combination of tender steak, pickled jalapenos, mushrooms, tomato sauce, mozzarella and jalapeno mustard made for a super satisfying snack.

Taste: 3.5/5

Rich would be an understatement when describing this cast iron pan brimming with torched eggs swaddled in a gloriously creamy mess of creme fraiche and wholegrain mustard. Hidden like buried treasure underneath were chunks of what’s supposed to be barramundi, but in actual fact had the mouthfeel and taste of crab or lobster(not that I’m complaining). Full of flavour definitely, but gets cloyingly rich and tart(from the mustard or perhaps vinegar) after a few minutes.

Taste: 3.5/5

Easily the best dish of the meal – flaky and moist barramundi encased in a crisp squid ink batter on a bed of pistachio pesto. Tastes simultaneously healthy and delicious.

Taste: 3.5/5

Great crunch on the outside, but we weren’t expecting the mealy consistency within that was more akin to mushy peas compressed together. Flavourwise however, it delivered.

Taste: 3/5

Scorchingly hot, it was slightly unfortunate that by then the marrow had mostly melted into a garlic and breadcrumb topped oil slick. It still tasted fantastically unctuous, but I prefer my marrow to retain some semblance of texture and form.

Taste: 3/5