Summer Hill

Probably the most representative of french food with no frills. Brine for 24 hours, the chicken is marinated in buttermilk before being deep-fried and drenched in herb, garlic, lemon and honey. These decadent fried pieces were flavourfully tasty, moist and fork tender with every bite. Definitely standing out as their signature dish to have.

A timeless classic. The beef brisket soaked in the deep rich flavour of the red wine sauce and was meltingly tender and tore apart easily. Served over a bed of pappardelle pasta, this dish was hearty and very satisfying.

Thinly sliced potatoes are confit in duck fat before being deep-fried until crisp. Each brick was perfectly layered and had a nice delightful crunch to it. Simple yet delicious though I would suggest they cut back on the salt.

Summer Hill had been one of the few places which we have been wanting to make a revisit thus far; we were really impressed with what they had to offer when we had visited during the opening of their now-defunct space at Sunset Way previously. Having been through the different safety management measures imposed due to the pandemic, Summer Hill operated as a delivery-only establishment for a short while, but they had since returned the dining scene in the form of a dine-in establishment yet again. Occupying a shop unit at Claymore Connect several units away from the now-defunct The Peranakan, Summer Hill has transformed the spot into one that is of its own. For those whom have visited Summer Hill’s former premises at Sunset Way, the space at Claymore Connect is now bigger and brighter — the use of white and grey elements in its interior is a departure from the dark and mysterious look they had in the past. That being said, there are attempts to recreate those vibes at Sunset Way in its new location at Claymore Connect — those furnishings with wooden accents do give the spot somewhat of a nordic vibe that was somewhat present in the previous location as well. The menu served at their current location is pretty reminiscent of what has been served at Sunset Way previously — think various sandwiches, pasta and main courses as well — the dessert menu still comprises of items like the Valrhona Dark Chocolate Tart that we previously had. The drinks menu had grown quite a fair bit from the past — apart from non-alcoholic options such as soft drinks, coffee and tea from The 1872 Clipper Tea Co., Summer Hill also serves up cocktails, beer, spirits and wines as well.

The prices of the dishes served at Summer Hill varies quite a fair bit, but the Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich is something worth considering for those who are into something more towards the $20 zone. Priced at $23+, the Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich comprises of elements such as buttermilk fried chicken thigh, housemade hot sauce, Hokkaido milk bread and aioli. Salad comes accompanying the sandwich by default, and the addition of Duck Fat Fries will be an extra $5+. The Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich is essentially Summer Hill’s answer to the Southern Fried Chicken in a burger form — and one that is pretty well-executed. Sinking our teeth into the bun, the top bun comes buttered and grilled; provides a firm but soft bite with a slightly crusty underside that provides a good texture. Sliced pickles sits in between the top bun and the fried chicken thigh here — cuts through all those carbs and meatiness with its zing; the chicken coming in a huge slab with a crisp and light batter whilst smothered in their housemade hot sauce. Liked how the batter still managed to maintain a light crisp despite how it was being doused in sauce; the flesh within being juicy and tender without being greasy — the hot sauce lending a slight kick of spiciness that tickles the tastebuds especially for those who have lower tolerance to spiciness with undertones similar to that of a tomato-based sauce with herbs such as rosemary. Beneath all of that would be a layer of rockets and the aioli for a creamy touch, while the bottom bun was not soaked in juice nor sauce despite all of that weight and stuff above it. The accompanying salad was delicious too; a mix of greens with plump wedges of tomato that provides a refreshing burst of tanginess to reset the tastebuds — provides a good break in between slices of the sandwich.

Summer Hill has been consistently good in terms of the food they are putting out. Sure, prices may be a little bit on the steep side depending on what one has ordered, but we have always felt that the produce used and the execution had always fit the price point that they are charging. Perhaps they are still getting used to the operations here however — there are quite a few things which we felt they could further refine on for a better experience once they move from soft launch phase into being officially opened. Apart from the slight confusion in the service, we felt that they could have someone to be at the counter to be more aware of people who happen to walk in due to the way the entrance is designed. Food also does require some waiting time as well; we waited close to 45mins for the Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich — a little long since there were only two other tables around, though they did offer us a complimentary glass of rosé mid-way (not that we have voiced out about the waiting time to the staff). Kudos to them on that. That being said, Summer Hill’s return to being a dine-in establishment is probably a long-awaited comeback for most — would love to return another time to give their other dishes a go!

Dishes here are extremely overpriced. Food-wise, it's quite enjoyable but for these prices, there are restaurants with better ambience elsewhere because it's located in some HDB complex next to a Springleaf prata 😒. The restaurant only has 1 indoor table and the alfresco dining feels like a cozy backyard but I it didn't feel classy to me. This gimmick seems to work for the expats though, who make up Summer Hill's main crowd.

The duck confit itself wasn't really that tender. Though the duck confit here took a backseat, it allowed the accompanying foie gras ravioli, mushroom sauce, and mousseline to shine through. The mousseline was divinely velvety and went so well with the strong mushroom sauce.

Very enjoyable! The mussels were full off flavour despite the very liquid sauce. The sauce itself was absolutely bursting with savoury flavour that I couldn't stop dipping my bread in.