The Disgruntled Chef's Summer Awakening

Crackling Suckling Pig

With a quirky name like The Disgruntled Chef, one might wonder what kind of food this swanky yet homely restaurant located at the heart of Dempsey Hill, serves. Fret not, Head Chef and Founder Daniel Sia is far from disgruntled. In fact, the name of his restaurant is loosely inspired by British gastro-pubs.

Seared Scallop Carpaccio

Opened in 2010 by Daniel Sia and his partners, The Disgruntled Chef has slowly built up its repertoire in the culinary ranks here in Singapore. Serving modern reinterpretations of European cuisine, the beautifully furnished restaurant is gaining popularity amongst foodies all over. With their newly revamped menu, dishes are split up into ‘small’ and ‘big’ plates, a slightly different concept as opposed to the traditional ‘appetizers’ and ‘mains’. The Seared Scallop Carpaccio ($18) is a small plate dish not to be missed. Perfectly seared scallops sliced to the right thickness, cooked with soy brown butter, and topped with fresh Ikura, Japanese Konbu and also lime. You’ll definitely gobble up more than just one serving of this.

Norvegienne Brunch Tartine

For a lighter option, opt for their Brunch Tartines (available from 12-4pm), which come with a small tossed green salad or baby potato salad on the side. The Norvegienne ($25) is a tasty tartine, topped with beet-cured salmon and poached quail egg smeared with a home-made Hollandaise sauce. Earning our stamp of approval is the restaurant's signature dish -- the Crackling Suckling Pig ($68). A whole leg of pig cooked for 8 hours until its skin is crispy and the meat is still juicy and tender. This dish includes a whole pork leg cut into equal pieces and served on top of a tasty sauerkraut puree and pickled mustard seeds.

Gin & Tonic

The Disgruntled Chef also offers an extensive cocktail list with favourites such as their Mr Murasaki and Sea Salt & Chilli Margarita ($18 each). The Sea Salt & Chilli Margarita is a unique twist to the usual cocktail. Surprisingly, all the flavours work well together without any of them being overpowering. Cocktails are also reasonably priced at $20 and below. For a perfect evening of delicious food and drinks, head on down to Dempsey tonight but do not forget to make a reservation first to secure your seats. The Disgruntled Chef, 26B Dempsey Road, Singapore 247693 Text by Cheryl Ann Chong See Also: Bars and lounges worth checking out Check out these places for a good Western meal