Palette: BreadTalk Group’s Newest Dining Venture

Brightly lit with a casual-chic Euro-Peranakan interior, Palette Restaurant & Bar has a concept similar to that of Food Republic (both under BreadTalk Group). The difference? Palette comes with a more restaurant-like setting, its ordering of food is via an iPad, and food is served right to your table. Palette’s main aim is to bring together local gourmet delicacies and street food from all around the region to a single location at Capitol Piazza. For the convenience of its customers, all 400 over items from the ten specialty food brands in the establishment are also placed into a single e-menu. Two of 10 stalls are exclusive to the dining concept – Ah Koong Restaurant; a Johor Bahru noodle joint renowned since 1987 for its handmade fishcake and fishballs, and Hok Kee Authentic Hong Kong Noodle & Congee; a Hong Kong-based wanton and beef noodle specialist with over 60 years of heritage. The 90 Gastro Bar is also set to be one of Palette’s highlights – the first ever bar in such a dining setting, where unique renditions of Singapore-inspired drinks and modernised local desserts can be enjoyed with savoury fare.

From Indochili I enjoyed the Sate Ayam Madura ($8.80, for 5 pieces; pictured), largely due to the smoky scent of the barbequed meat, which was nicely complemented by a homemade peanut sauce, kecap manis, and fried shallots. You’ll be fighting to finish the last bit of sauce left – that homemade peanut sauce really packs the punch.

From Indochili For someone interested in culture and people, my ears perked up as I was introduced the Nasi Tumpeng Mini ($9.50, pictured), an Indonesian dish that has remained highly symbolic through countless generations. The cone-shaped rice resembles the mountains and volcanoes as the dwelling of the gods, while the yellow colour is attributed to the use of turmeric, purposefully representing gold or abundance. The best thing was that everything in this well-loved traditional dish – the bergedil (potato patty), grated coconut, keropok, achar (pickled veegetables), tempe (fermented soyabeans) and the ayam bumbu rujak (Indonesian spicy chicken) – not only tasted well on its own, but came together nicely as a dish. I liked the ayam bumbu rujak the most, which was tender, very well-marinated and had a sweet coconut taste to it.

From Delhi 6 Personally, I’m not a fan of mutton, so when the Lahori Boti Kebab ($16, pictured) was served, I didn’t think much about it. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of a gamey taste, most likely because the boneless mutton pieces were marinated for three to four days with green mango, and papaya, then tandoori-grilled with masala spices. Each bite gave my taste buds a treat with the burst of delicious, fresh flavours.

From 90 Gastro Bar No points for guessing that many would look down upon this nondescript bowl of mango dessert. However, the Golden Chilled Mango Soup with Mango & Citrus Fruits ($8, pictured) – ordinary-looking as it is – was a delectable cold treat, that had an airier and frothier texture than the traditional version, made with a blend of mango ice cream, mango puree and coconut milk. All in all, Palette serves up pretty decent food, but I doubt that many – especially locals – would be impressed by the overpriced Asian dishes as hawker centres, which are equally capable of this culinary standard (or better), would give Palette a run for its money. Palette Restaurant & Bar, Capitol Piazza, 13 Stamford Road, #B1-20/27, Singapore 178905 See also: Popular restaurants in Singapore Best restaurants at City Hall

Written by Eunice Tang