Provisions (Dempsey Rd)

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Drawing inspirations from the founders' childhood, Singapore's first skewers & claypot rice cocktail bar called itself Provisions. Executive Chef / Co-Owner Justin Foo is in charge of the cuisine which revolves around the comfort food that he enjoyed; while Head Bartender / Co-Owner KC Rahmat curated the bespoke cocktails and mocktails.

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Provisions is set in a charming industrial-chic space of metal and wooden fixtures that brought back the nostalgic feel of the yesteryears. The experience is enhanced further with the availability of the old school snacks and toys for the patrons to enjoy while waiting for the food to come.

It is best to describe the food here as small bites/tapas. While you can definitely savour it individually, it just seems to taste better when you share it with someone else.

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Pig Ear Fritters ($12). Deep fried sliced pig ears marinated with five spice, chilli and pepper. Can easily be mistaken for fried calamari, but the difference will be obvious when you bite into it. It has a crispy exterior followed with crunchy and gelatinous texture internally. The flavouring almost similar to the Taiwan jumbo fried chicken and it is a good nibble to go with any drinks.

KFC ($10), Korean Fried Cauliflower. Something for the herbivore. The deep fried Cauliflower almost like the stack of Korean Fried Chicken. It is then tossed with sweet sauce together with dried chilli and spring onion. A pleasant combination of sweet and spice in this dish.

KFC - Korean Fried Cauliflower

The skewers are the Provisions version of Yakitori. They offer good selections between sweet and savoury. The beef sirloin ($10) is one of the closest flavour to yakitori. The meaty and succulent sirloin cubes are glazed with kecap manis, while the flavours of oolong and burnt leek intensify the smoky aroma of it. Served with fried shallots and spring onions, it is just YUM!!

Pork Liver & Beef Sirloin

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Pork Liver ($5). I am a big fan of pork liver, and personally think that this ingredient is a test of the chef's skill. The result is crisp external liver and juicy internally. Don't expect those bloody version like in your Bak Chor Mee or Bak Kut Teh as it is grilled on charcoal. The glaze of ginger, scallion and hua tiao wine helps to remove any gaminess in the liver.

Chicken Heart ($4). One of those chicken parts that I like. Springy, crunchy and addictive. The simple seasoning of chilli, cumin and garlic, reminiscence the flavour of BBQ cumin lamb in China.

From the charcoal to the deep fryer. Sotong ($8). Deep fried calamari, topped with salted egg, five spice and chilli. Crispy with a bit of heat plus a jolt of familiar salty and creamy taste from the salted egg.

While the small bites are good, I will also prefer something fulfilling. In Provisions, it comes in Claypot Rice. I sample the Mixed Pork Rice ($15) and Oyster Omelette Rice ($18). Sticking to the traditional claypot rice recipe, the rice is cooked from the grain form. The rice is slightly crisp, with a good smokey aroma and some nice crust on the below.

Mixed Pork Claypot Rice

For the mixed pork rice, the pork is tender and well seasoned and the intestines are springy. The liver is juicy, cooked just right. The fried garlic, fried shallots and cucumber added more sweet and aromatic flavour to this dish. Do not expect a burnt rice crust like the traditional claypot rice, instead expect a more refined version of it.

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The oyster omelette claypot rice is a combination between claypot rice and Or Luah (Oyster Omelette). The rice taste is the same as the pork version, while the Or Luah feels distant in this dish. More like eating claypot rice with Or Luah as a side dish.

Oyster Omelette Claypot Rice

I always find that combination of hot and cold elements in a dessert is winning formula. Milo Pisang Dinosaur ($7) is Provision's fusion between Pisang Goreng (Banana Fritter) with Milo Dinosaur named. It has banana fritter, vanilla ice cream plus the toppings of solid dose of milo powder, crush peanuts and chocolate syrup. Who can say no to this.

For my drink, I give KC a taste profile similar to Lemon Lime and Bitters, but not too sweet and non-alcoholic. He curated a mocktail with blueberry and vanilla. It was light, fruity and refreshing. Two thumbs up for the effort!

Overall, it was definitely an exciting experience. I like the concept of skewers and claypot rice cocktail bar. It has all the ingredients for a place that you want to hang out and enjoy food and drinks. So if you are looking for a place to chill or looking for a good grub in Dempsey area, check out Provisions. Cheers!!

Thank you very much to Womcomm and Provisions team for the tasting invitation.

Provisions (Closed)