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The White Rabbit (Closed)

3.5

3.5

12 Reviews

Taste

Decor

Service

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Value

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124

Dempsey Rd

$31 - $50

European Steaks and Grills

10

0

2

jankliciouz

Level3

61

6

Last week, I visited The White Rabbit with some colleagues, wanting to have a nice set lunch to mark the start of the weekend. Set in an old chapel, the restaurant was a stunner, especially its backyard garden, which featured The Rabbit Hole, as well as lovely outdoor chairs.Accessibility: Not very convenient. Easier to go by taxi, if you do not drive.Waiting for the food to arrive, we took the chance to explore the place and had fun. Our appetiser was served to us just after our exploration, an

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Last week, I visited The White Rabbit with some colleagues, wanting to have a nice set lunch to mark the start of the weekend. Set in an old chapel, the restaurant was a stunner, especially its backyard garden, which featured The Rabbit Hole, as well as lovely outdoor chairs.

Accessibility:

Not very convenient. Easier to go by taxi, if you do not drive.

Waiting for the food to arrive, we took the chance to explore the place and had fun. Our appetiser was served to us just after our exploration, and the timing was just right.

Their set lunch offerings are considered a good variety. A 2 course set lunch costs $38++ and 3 course costs $42++.

Here are their recommendations:

Starters - Ranger's Valley Wagyu Carpaccio, Pan-Seared Foie Gras, Seared Bay Scallops

Mains - Sauteed Japanese Seabream (Fish), Alaskan King Crab Tagliatelle, 36-hour Brandt Shortribs

Desserts - Chocolate Fondant, Fresh Fruit Melange

Let's Eat!
They will serve bread and butter, which is slightly salted. The bread is freshly toasted and remains warm. Very good, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

What I ordered for my set:

Pan-Seared Foie Gras

Set on top of quince puree and roasted pear, the foie gras was pan-seared to salty. It was a little too salty for me. It was a good texture on the inside, but seemed a little charred on the outside.

36-Hour Brandt Shortribs

When I ordered this dish, I was told that they don't have shortribs, only the beef's rump cut. When it was served, it was saltier because of the truffle miso glaze. I also felt that the field mushrooms were salty, which I felt was unneccessary.

I did like the rump cut nevertheless (super meat lover talking), and the rump cut was pretty well cooked.

Chocolate Fondant

The presentation was lacking, but overlooking that, I went straight to cut into the chocolatey cake, which was supposed to contain a molten caramel core. Nope, nothing flowed out. In fact, the chocolate had been hardened, nothing flowed out except for some oil. It wasn't a pretty sight, and I was utterly disappointed. The banana and rum icecream was also without oomph. This dessert failed badly.

My colleague's orders:

Ranger's Valley Wagyu Carpaccio (Starters)

Topped with shaved parmesan, celery cress, balsamic pearls and thin truffle slices, the truffle slices was the winning factor for this dish, but I had wished the truffle flavour would have been more apparent.

Chicken Roulade (Mains)

This dish was not bad, set on barley and topped with (supposedly) crispy kale. The kale was not crispy, if it was, this dish would have been much better. By the time it was served, the kale had turned chewy. This was the failing factor for me.

Alaskan King Crab Tagliatelle (Mains - no photo, sorry!)

Salty. I tried the pasta as well, it wasn't as impressive as it sounds. Contains Alaskan King Crab meat, cooked in pork broth and kombu.

Sauteed Japanese Seabream (Mains - no photo, sorry!)

Tender fish meat, set on top of creamed leeks, smoked mussels. My colleague enjoyed his seabream.

Fresh Fruit Melange (Dessert)

The grapefruit shaved ice tasted like orange cordial, over shaved ice. Did I also mention the shaved ice was coarse shaved ice? It was served on top of a dark chocolate bowl.

Lemon Meringue Tart (Dessert)

While the lemon meringue, topped with fruit bits, had tasted nice, the chocolate pastry it was set on was very hard and not a pleasant combination. Also on the plate, bland tasting acacia honey ice-cream.

I waited at least 10 minutes per dish to be served, and it was clear that the kitchen and the floor servers had messed up the orders, making the wait very very long. We were quite unhappy as we were running out of time to go back to the office. Overall, it is not a place I would specially return to eat, especially with such a price, long waiting hours and a confused kitchen crew.

Low-Down
The best bit:The bread and butter, as well as the dining surroundings (well, this is pretty pathetic, isn't it?!)

The worse bit: The super long wait for the food. The average tasting food.

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Date of Visit

2015-09-01

Dining Method

Dine In

cptslowyeo

Level4

479

32

Located in Demsey is the White Rabbit. It has a rather decent sized parking lot which is free of charge for customers. The White Rabbit is more of an upscale fine dining place you would take someone to celebrate a special meal with. It is also a beautifully restored 1930s Ebenezer chapel.The White Rabbit resides in a restored old chapel along the stretch of Dempsey Hill. The historical establishment itself is very captivating in creating a unique ‘Alice in Wonderland’ concept of The White Rabbit

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Located in Demsey is the White Rabbit. It has a rather decent sized parking lot which is free of charge for customers. The White Rabbit is more of an upscale fine dining place you would take someone to celebrate a special meal with. It is also a beautifully restored 1930s Ebenezer chapel.

The White Rabbit resides in a restored old chapel along the stretch of Dempsey Hill. The historical establishment itself is very captivating in creating a unique ‘Alice in Wonderland’ concept of The White Rabbit, attempting to bring you to another world.

There's a very cute outdoor dining area lined with lounge chairs. The staff explained that they were setting up a wedding the next door. I can definitely see this place being used for weddings.

I am glad that they managed to preserve the stained glass from when this was a place of worship. The atmosphere in the chapel was peaceful and romantic with ceiling lights as well very powerful air conditioning systems. So much so, that they staff offered us ladies, scarves or even warm water instead of cold water.

1. Truffle Mac and Cheese with mushrooms $16++

Truffle Mac and Cheese with mushrooms

Though this is an appetizer portion. It had alot of mac and cheese and thus, became very filling quickly. The amount of truffle added to the mac and cheese was very significant and you could smell and taste it. They were generous with the mushrooms as well! The texture of the cheese was warm enough to enjoy and yet stick all the macaroni together.

There was also bread service. I picked tomato basil bread, and since the bread is all freshly baked in house. The bread was piping hot and extremely crisp to begin with. The provided butter melted immediately once I applied it into the bread.

2. Deconstructed Cheese Cake $18++

Deconstructed Cheese Cake

This was an interesting dessert. The wait staff asked me to mix up everything on the plate as there was graham crumble, blueberry sorbet and pop rocks all layered one on top of the other. The cream cheese wasn't too sweet or sour. The pop rock popped in your mouth in every mouthful. It was definitely a surprise for me. I enjoyed that the graham crackers were crumbles instead of a hard crust, that you would find in any typical cheesecake. This way, you could enjoy the graham crackers bit by bit.

3. Chocolate Fondant $16++

Chocolate Fondant

The chocolate fondant consisted of a caramel core lava cake with fruits and banana and rum ice cream. The lava cake wasn't moist on the exterior, but rather it was bread crust like. On the inside, was a small pocket of caramel that flowed out like liquid gold! The banana and rum ice cream was full of creamy goodness. I guess to compliment all the sweet stuff, all the fruits provided were sour?

All in all, a very beautiful place to spend time with your loved ones. The food and the ambience are both top notch!

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Date of Visit

2015-10-17

Dining Method

Dine In

Spending Per Head

$50

Recommended Dishes

chefquak

Level4

333

3

See my full reviews & photos at = http://chefquak.com/2015/09/30/good-value-set-lunch-the-white-rabbit-on-30sep2015/had lunch today with a long time business associate/friend at the white rabbit at harding road, dempsey on 30.9.2015. ^^this the first time i dined at the white rabbit. there is free parking & the ambience is nice. the restaurant occupied a nicely refurbished old chapel, bright & airy with high ceiling/columns & stained glass windows.there is a ongoing uob 1 for 1 set lunch promoti

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See my full reviews & photos at = http://chefquak.com/2015/09/30/good-value-set-lunch-the-white-rabbit-on-30sep2015/
had lunch today with a long time business associate/friend at the white rabbit at harding road, dempsey on 30.9.2015. ^^
this the first time i dined at the white rabbit. there is free parking & the ambience is nice. the restaurant occupied a nicely refurbished old chapel, bright & airy with high ceiling/columns & stained glass windows.
there is a ongoing uob 1 for 1 set lunch promotion till 31oct2015 (tues to fri).
the set lunch menu included the famous dishes like wagyu carpaccio, seared scallops, alaskan king crab tagliatelle, 60hr mangalica pork belly, 36hr short ribs etc.
we had a complimentary roll & butter to start. quite good. restaurant offered additional bread but we declined.
i had the wagyu carpaccio. it was very good, one of the better ones (or best) i had.
there was shaved parmesan & truffle cream, nice truffle fragrance, sweet, great texture.
my friend had the seared bay scallops.
it looked great & he said it was good.
friend also had the alaskan king crab tagliatelle.
i tried a little. pasta was perfect al dente of course. excellent flavours, nice crab sweetness with a bit of bisque veloute, not creamy. i liked the pasta.
i had the 60hrs pork belly. read one of the reviews about this special mangalica pork. for myself i don’t think it was naywhere near a good kurobuta in terms of the flavours & marbling.
pork was very tender from the slow braise, and the skin was crispy (but if it’s only about crispy skin i would prefer the chinese crackling roast pork over this anytime).
the pork overall quite nice though i not much into the white beans & miso broth. i made a tender tasty slow-braised miso belly pork myself so this dish not so wow for me.
friend had the chocolate fondant. came with macaron & ice cream.
i did not try it. friend said it was good. will try next time the molten caramel.
i had the lemon meringue tart.
also pretty ok, nothing special. but for the uob 1 for 1 promotion, the price difference between 2-course & 3-course was only S$2, so i took the dessert.

60hrs braised pork belly

chocolate fondant

alaskan king crab tagliatelle

seared bay scallops

wagyu carpaccio

lemon merigue tart

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Date of Visit

2015-09-30

Dining Method

Dine In

Spending Per Head

$25

TheArcticStar

Level4

606

10

The White Rabbit has always been name-dropped here and there as serving good food but I never had the chance to visit because of its (past?) infamous 2-weeks-in-advance reservations requirements. It is located in a beauitfully-restored old chapel building at Dempsey area, directly opposite Au Petit Salut. They maintained the stained glass windows and rustic doors, replacing the pews with comfortable booths or tables, transforming the place into a mysterious yet intimate dining haven.After browsi

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The White Rabbit has always been name-dropped here and there as serving good food but I never had the chance to visit because of its (past?) infamous 2-weeks-in-advance reservations requirements. It is located in a beauitfully-restored old chapel building at Dempsey area, directly opposite Au Petit Salut. They maintained the stained glass windows and rustic doors, replacing the pews with comfortable booths or tables, transforming the place into a mysterious yet intimate dining haven.

Seared Bay Scallops

After browsing through the menu, I decided to go for the Set Dinner (SGD$98.00++ for 4 course). For my set, I chose the Seared Bay Scallops as my starter, served with sweet shallot confit, white chocolate veloute and sevruga caviar. The white chocolate veloute (the foamy broth surrounding the scallops) was awesome, subtly sweet and complementing the bouncy fresh scallops perfectly.

Sauteed Foie Gras

Then I had the Sauteed Foie Gras for appetiser, served with quince puree, roasted pear and spiced sherry gastrique. The butter-like piece of foie gras disintegrated deliciously in the mouth upon contact, spreading over the palate thickly with its rich flavor. It was a superb starter.

36 Hours Brandt Short Ribs

My selected main course was the 36-Hour Brandt Shortribs, with truffle miso glaze, parsnip puree, field mushrooms and shaved truffles. The crispy exterior was easily torn apart to make way for contact with a succulent interior of fine red meat, so lean and tender. Mushrooms and truffles gave the bittersweet meat a lovely touch of enhancement; it was a beautiful concoction.

Finally, time for my dessert - for this, I had the Crepe Suzette, where there was a flambeed tableside performance the service crew prepared the dessert right in front of us. The warm crepes were drenched in an orangey sauce, so they were infused deliciously in a citrusy flavor; the texture was pulpy pieces of flour (good flour); when paired with the vanilla ice-cream it was incredible.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/04/dinner-at-white-rabbit-dempsey.html

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Date of Visit

2015-04-02

Dining Method

Dine In

Spending Per Head

$100 (Dinner)

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midas400

Level4

375

33

For full review & more photos - http://midas400.blogspot.sg/2014/04/birthday-dinner-at-white-rabbit.htmlI've been wanting to check this restaurant out since I stumbled upon pictures of its beautiful interiors on the web. I finally got my wish when my sistas asked where I wanna go for my birthday celebrations this year!The White Rabbit restaurant was a former military chapel, the name comes from the rabbit in the novel Alice in Wonderland, which was written in the 1860s, around the same time the

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For full review & more photos - http://midas400.blogspot.sg/2014/04/birthday-dinner-at-white-rabbit.html

I've been wanting to check this restaurant out since I stumbled upon pictures of its beautiful interiors on the web. I finally got my wish when my sistas asked where I wanna go for my birthday celebrations this year!

The White Rabbit restaurant was a former military chapel, the name comes from the rabbit in the novel Alice in Wonderland, which was written in the 1860s, around the same time the British Military took over Dempsey hill and built barracks to house their families there. This century old chapel has been beautifully restored and converted into a modern European diner.

We were blown away by the awesome and wonderfully preserved interiors. Majority of the original interior of the chapel was kept, with additions of modern touches such as aircon and furniture, the conversion of the former priest quarters into the kitchen, and the sacred altar into a chic bar counter.

They have a main Ala Carte menu, a Drinks menu with a long list of wines and other alcoholic drinks and a handful of non alcoholic beverages. For dinner, they also have a 4 course Prix Fixe menu priced at $98++, additional $58++ for wine pairing option.

Warm bread was served right after we were seated. Choice of regular mini baguette or the tomato roll. Check out the pretty looking chilled butter that comes with the bread!

I had the tomato roll and it has a soft and fluffy center with crackling crust...nice!
4 of my sistas chose the 4 course set dinner while I shared the Black Truffle Roast Free-range Chicken for two $76++ (min 30-40mins waiting time) with one of my sistas. Both of us also ordered sides to go with the chicken.

The serving staff presented the freshly roasted whole chicken to us first before whisking it away to the kitchen for carving and plating. The chicken was cooked just right, the meat was tender and moist and very well scented by the generous amount of black truffle mushrooms. The truffle infused natural jus that comes with the chicken was amazing as well...thumbs up!
For sides, I picked the English Peas w/ Crisp bacon $8++, while my sista had the Truffle Mac & Cheese $16++. My green peas were disappointingly dry and wrinkled, and bacon bits found in it weren't crispy at all. My sista was very happy with her Mac & Cheese though, and the dish looked fabulous too.

The 4 course set dinner consists of a Salad, Starter, Main & Dessert.
Salad Niçoise, an ensemble of tuna, french beans, soft boiled egg, potatoes & anchovy. My sista was fine with everything in this salad accept for the fishy anchovy.

Wagyu Carpaccio, sprinkled with shaved parmesan, celery cress, balsamic pearls and topped with truffle cream. This was suppose to be TWR's signature Starter dish but 2 out of 3 sistas found the dish too salty for their liking.

Another sista topped up $8++ for the premium Starter Foie Gras Duet. Done two ways, salt-cured with apple flan and pan seared with cherry compote. The seared liver was soft and creamy which she liked, but the salted version didn't impress her as much.

Seabass en Papillote, fish fillet steamed in a parcel made from baking parchment, infusing it with natural flavor of the assorted vegetables. The fish has a very light taste which goes well with the flavorful and aromatic broth.

36-hours Brandt Short Ribs (top up $8++) served with truffle miso glaze, parsnip purée and field mushrooms. The short ribs was very well marinated and tender but the portion was rather small though.

Dessert time. White Chocolate Soufflé $18++, made with Valrhona Opalys white chocolate and served with dark chocolate ice cream. The souffle was unusually tall and holds its shape really well, it didn't collapse even after a couple of minutes wait (while we're busy photographing other desserts). Its texture was super fluffy and light as air...this warm dessert pairs impeccably well with the icy cold ice cream. One of the best souffle we had!

My dessert choice, Crêpes Suzette with Grand Marnier, Flambéed tableside $18++. We were very excited about the live preparation of this dessert by our tableside. All of us turned into paparazzi for a couple of minutes!

After a 'fiery' performance by the restaurant staff, I was elated to see the special plating for my dessert! Beautifully written 'Happy Birthday' on my plate

The crepes were soft and fully infused with orange liquor aroma, it has a tangy aftertaste that goes well with the sweet vanilla ice cream...delish.
We ordered some drinks during dinner, and I had the French Rose tea $9++. Organic french rose buds was used here, and it was served with a cute little rabbit cookie by the cup.

The tea has a powerful rose fragrance and leaves a lovely aroma in my mouth every time I sipped it. A refreshing drink to have with rich tasting food.
Some of my sistas had cocktails and mocktails. I got mixed reviews from them in terms of taste, but all of us agreed on the eye-pleasing presentation.
Bettina $10++ with lime, orange, lychee, apple in soda, Isabella $10++, a fruity juice with Sarawak pineapple and seasonal grapes and And, Elderflower Grape Fruit Fizz $18++, a mixture of Gin, grapefruit juice, lime juice, elderflower syrup, egg white and club soda.

The White Rabbit is an utterly charming place to dine in, the ambiance is 100 marks! Service was excellent, and they do serve magnificent food...if you know what to order. I would say the Ala Carte dishes are more worthwhile than the set meals cos the salad and main courses' portions are kinda lacking (to justify the hefty price tag). I would gladly return to this 'wonderland' to try out their popular weekend brunch!

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Date of Visit

2014-04-08

Dining Method

Dine In

Spending Per Head

$135 (Dinner)

Celebration

Birthday

yumzfood

Level4

344

0

Absolutely loving The White Rabbit!! It’s a perfect place for fine dining, couples to celebrate their special occasion or just catching up with friends. They have excellent ambience and great service. They have this really romantic ambience which I really like it. Also, the staffs will constantly check with you if you are satisfied with the food that you have ordered. They are also very attentive and easy to approach.For my mains, I have ordered Rib eye steak (sgd $38++) with truffle sauce. The

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Absolutely loving The White Rabbit!! It’s a perfect place for fine dining, couples to celebrate their special occasion or just catching up with friends. They have excellent ambience and great service. They have this really romantic ambience which I really like it. Also, the staffs will constantly check with you if you are satisfied with the food that you have ordered. They are also very attentive and easy to approach.For my mains, I have ordered Rib eye steak (sgd $38++) with truffle sauce. The truffle sauce was so good and it blends so well with the tender meat of the beef. I had it in medium which was perfect to my liking. The portion is quite huge that I could not finish the entire dish. But I gotta say the quality of the beef is really good. Its thick and tasty!We have ordered mac and cheese as sides and that was rather an average dish. It is quite thick such that we feel sick after eating for awhile. Or mayb because we are too full from our mains already.Overall, I really like this place and would recommend you to come here with your partner to celebrate special occasion such as birthday or Valentine’s day. Do remember to make reservation before going to get a nice seating

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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yumzfood

Level4

344

0

Came to White Rabbit for my birthday celebration, and I gotta say when i step into this place, I love it already! It is so pretty. Heard that this place was actually a church previously. Look at their pretty interior.. i love the ambience too!2 menus for food and drinks respectively. We ordered Seared Foie Gras (SGD $29++) as our starter. Although it is quite pricey, the quality of it is worth it!! It consists of caramalised french toast with roasted apples. It taste so good together with raisin

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Came to White Rabbit for my birthday celebration, and I gotta say when i step into this place, I love it already! It is so pretty. Heard that this place was actually a church previously. Look at their pretty interior.. i love the ambience too!

2 menus for food and drinks respectively.

We ordered Seared Foie Gras (SGD $29++) as our starter. Although it is quite pricey, the quality of it is worth it!! It consists of caramalised french toast with roasted apples. It taste so good together with raisin sauce and petite mesclun! And I'm a big fan of Foie Gras. This dish totally didn't disappoint me. thumbs up!

My main dish! this dish taste really good. It is actually pigeon and it is also my first time eating pigeon. it has a very unique taste, a bit like duck meat to me, but it is nicer.

Also, the service is very good. the staffs were friendly and attentive. they will also take time to explain the stuffs in the menu that we don't understand.

Overall, i love this place a lot. Very suitable for birthday celebration in my opinion. i enjoyed myself a lot

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Abiteofeverything

Level4

814

2

Force my hubby to bring me to a new dining place and we came to the white rabbit. I had the Shallot tarte tain, buttery and crunchy tart pastry filled caramelized aromatic red wine shallots that goes great with the crisp green salad. Scallop linguine, cooked al dente pasta tossed in fragrant garlicy pesto sauce with moist and succulent pan seared sweet scallop. Ended the beautiful night with a glass of sweet dessert wine, Lovely !

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Force my hubby to bring me to a new dining place and we came to the white rabbit. I had the Shallot tarte tain, buttery and crunchy tart pastry filled caramelized aromatic red wine shallots that goes great with the crisp green salad. Scallop linguine, cooked al dente pasta tossed in fragrant garlicy pesto sauce with moist and succulent pan seared sweet scallop. Ended the beautiful night with a glass of sweet dessert wine, Lovely !

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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$50 (Dinner)

Bern

Level4

270

0

Read the full review at http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2012/12/the-white-rabbit.htmlI loved the truffle mac & cheese at TWR. So I was shocked that TWR would remove such a beloved and popular item off their revamped weekend brunch menu! While I get that restaurants regularly rehaul their menu to 'keep things fresh', I never understood why they would remove bestseller items off their menu. These popular dishes are precisely what set these restaurants apart and make repeat customers out of thei

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Read the full review at http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2012/12/the-white-rabbit.html

I loved the truffle mac & cheese at TWR. So I was shocked that TWR would remove such a beloved and popular item off their revamped weekend brunch menu!

While I get that restaurants regularly rehaul their menu to 'keep things fresh', I never understood why they would remove bestseller items off their menu. These popular dishes are precisely what set these restaurants apart and make repeat customers out of their diners. Take those away and you're bound to lose some of your customer base. I mean, the only reason why I go to TWR for brunch, instead of my favourite Wild Honey, is because of the truffle mac & cheese. The truffle mac & cheese is seriously the best thing about The White Rabbit's brunch menu. Now that there's no more truffle mac & cheese, I'm just gonna stick with Wild Honey for future brunches.

Apparently, we aren't the only ones who feel the pinch of losing the truffle mac & cheese. A quick chat with the manager revealed that many diners lament the loss as well.

If the management is reading this review, I implore you to bring the beloved truffle mac & cheese back!

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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claire_chua85

Level4

585

5

it is another sunday brunch again. drive up to dempsey hill. Food was good, we were all so hungry that had like 2 dishes each, I had the benedict's and some waffles as 'dessert' with a glass of bubbly, as I cannot call it brunch with no champagne! heavy brunch.Service kept going bad - even we were expending! - and the big moment came with the bill... we were 3 couples and 3 singles, we wanted to pay in 6 credit cards and they refused in a very rude way, after counting the cash -that none of us h

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it is another sunday brunch again. drive up to dempsey hill.

Food was good, we were all so hungry that had like 2 dishes each, I had the benedict's and some waffles as 'dessert' with a glass of bubbly, as I cannot call it brunch with no champagne! heavy brunch.

Service kept going bad - even we were expending! - and the big moment came with the bill... we were 3 couples and 3 singles, we wanted to pay in 6 credit cards and they refused in a very rude way, after counting the cash -that none of us had- one of my friend paid with one card and even thought the sourness in the staff face was not normal... a real shame because is such an amazing place but I don't want to expend any brunch served by unhappy people

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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Date of Visit

2011-03-27

Spending Per Head

$50

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RubbishEatRGrow

Level3

43

10

For more photos, please visit: http://rubbisheatrubbishgrow.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/white-rabbit-dempsey/Every Christmas eve, Chiobu and I gather a few friends to dine at a chichi restaurant to celebrate another year of friendship. When White Rabbit invited us to check out their festive menus starting from an affordable $48 (available throughout December, including Xmas Menu and New Year Menu), we jumped at the opportunity faster than 31 year-old Edison Chen pouncing on his next 16 year-old sch

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For more photos, please visit: http://rubbisheatrubbishgrow.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/white-rabbit-dempsey/

Every Christmas eve, Chiobu and I gather a few friends to dine at a chichi restaurant to celebrate another year of friendship. When White Rabbit invited us to check out their festive menus starting from an affordable $48 (available throughout December, including Xmas Menu and New Year Menu), we jumped at the opportunity faster than 31 year-old Edison Chen pouncing on his next 16 year-old school-uniformed girl.

We were knocked over by the gorgeous decor, an old church converted into a restaurant, retaining some of the ecclesial decor, such as the stained glass church windows and the pulpit is changed into a bar counter. There is a residue grandeur and reverence to the restaurant. Chiobu observed that unlike other chichi restaurants in Singapore which are usually small and exclusive, White Rabbit is more Gordon Ramsey style, huge open space. However, the booth chairs ensure a degree of privacy. This place is suitable for a group of friends or for lovers. The ambience was electrifying. I said to Chiobu, “Come on! This is such an amazing place to celebrate Christmas! Dining on Christmas in a church! And we can get to make new friends here in such an open space.”

ree: seared scallop; foie gras parfait on brioche; Iberico ham & fig.

I started with the fresh fig wrapped in ham with parmesan cheese and rocket. I said to Chiobu, “It’s a very smart combination lor.” Very smart because it had a bit of everything, sweet fig, salty ham, bitter rocket, and milky cheese. But I wondered if it was too glib and polished.

The scallop was seasoned in a very Chinese style, and was overly salty. So the right way to eat is to wrap the scallop with the salad (which had chrysanthemum petals), so the salad could lessen the salt and provide a textual contrast.

I tried the foie gras parfait on brioche last because I tried it at other restaurants before and at other restaurants, I thought it was disappointing, such a waste of foie gras. But Chiobu said, “WOW, you must try it!!! It’s so good!!” I rolled my eyes…how good can it be? OMG. It was happiness! Love at first bite! It didn’t have the iron-y taste of liver, it wasn’t smelly, it was dense and extremely smooth and creamy, which complimented the brioche–one of the best brioches I’ve tasted. The brioche tasted almost like a sweet but soft Khong Guan square cracker. This was the elusive WOW-ness I was searching for!

Second Course: Champagne Poached Seabass in Mushroom Broth. Chiobu said that this could have been perfect if the fish was fresher and less fishy. But I LOVE IT. This was again a very Chinese dish, almost like Chinese steamed fish at wedding dinner. There was a slight bitter aftertaste coming from the champagne and the broth had a herbal tinge, adding dimensions to the sweetness of the fish. My only complaint was why so little broth??? Chiobu and I can drink a whole pot of it! So yummy! We used the complimentary bread to soak up all the soup. Not a drop left on the bowl, drier than the Sahara desert. I wanted to lick my bowl.

Roulade of Turkey with stuffing of chestnut, smoked oyster, cornbread, sage and cranberry sauce. You’d think that the detailed description would include–I tasted this in the mix–bacon, which provided a slight saltiness.

Chichi restaurants don’t serve food hot because they don’t want to get into law suits of scalding the customers. Because the food isn’t hot, there usually isn’t fragrance coming from the food. Let it be said that this is the FIRST time that there was such a great scent. I almost forgot to take photo first!

Chiobu dislikes main courses to be sweet. Looking at the ingredients, you can tell they are most sweet: chestnut, cornbread, turkey, cranberry sauce. But after a while, she said, “The chestnut is very soft!”

I replied, “Mine is ok only. And my stuffing is a bit hard and dry.”

“No! Mine is so soft and moist!” So perhaps she got the good parts of the stuffing.

I ate a roulade–just meat rolled up–recently at Magma, and my preconceived notion was, “This is going to suck. Roulades are hard.” But when I sank my teeth into it, I felt like I was in one of those commercials: slow motion, zoom in on the sexy way a sexy woman bites into the food. I turned to Chiobu and said, “OMG, the turkey defies physics! It’s bouncy, like a grape, but when your teeth break into the meat, the meat is completely tender. We have to come here for Christmas!”

For the second time, even though the sticky date pudding wasn’t hot, there was such a delicious baked fragrance coming from it. Naturally, covered in caramel sauce, this dessert was saccharine sweet. Chiobu exclaimed, “OMG!!! This has to be the best dessert ever!”

“What do you mean ‘ever’? Like in the entire Singapore?”

“YES!!”

I do think the dessert was very, very outstanding. A scoop of the extremely rich vanilla ice cream with a bit of pudding and a piece of berry – quite divine. But Judging on its taste alone, it gets 9.5/10. Judging on creativity, the Dining Room @ Tanjong Beach Club wins.

Chiobu said that she felt so snug and intimate with the service. It felt like she was living in Singapore again, not China! Haha. The service was indeed top-notched. They always serve the ladies first. When Chiobu had tea, the waitress moved the milk jug so that the handle faced Chiobu, easier for her to take. Guests at other tables were in the bathroom, and the servers covered the food for them. Very considerate and efficient and polite.

Chiobu and I seldom agree on food. This is one of the rare instances that we actually like the place. I think we found our restaurant to host Xmas Eve dinner! (PS: if you need a copy of the Festive Menu and pricing, you can email me and I’ll forward you the Menu.)

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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In 1865, Lewis Carroll published the widely popular Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. To this date, this fictional story lives on in literature, movies and memorabilia. There is even a restaurant whose theme is based loosely on one of the memorable characters in the novel - The white rabbit, whom Alice follows down the rabbit hole.Hidden in the secluded enclave of Dempsey Village, The White Rabbit (TWR for short) is a restaurant *** watering hole that is housed in a beautifully restored church.

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In 1865, Lewis Carroll published the widely popular Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. To this date, this fictional story lives on in literature, movies and memorabilia. There is even a restaurant whose theme is based loosely on one of the memorable characters in the novel - The white rabbit, whom Alice follows down the rabbit hole.

Hidden in the secluded enclave of Dempsey Village, The White Rabbit (TWR for short) is a restaurant *** watering hole that is housed in a beautifully restored church. The interior is sparse yet cosy with booth seats lining the edges of the restaurant. Natural sunlight (if you go in the day) flitters in through the huge arched shaped windows and creates a relaxing, welcoming atmosphere. It definitely helped that the place wasn't operating at full capacity. As a matter of fact, it was probably only a quarter full on a Saturday morning.

Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread was served warm and served as a nice hunger management tool while we patiently waited for our orders.

Truffle Mac & Cheese - Apparently this is one of the signature dishes of TWR and I am most inclined to agree. The Mac & Cheese was probably one of the best I've had in ages. What stood out was the topmost layer of cheese, which was baked till a nice crisp, oozing a strong cheesy taste. This dish also featured bits of black truffle intermixed with the cheese and slivers of asparagus to combat any "over cheesiness". In short, excellent!

Wagyu Quarter Pounder - Although I've always reiterated that it is a terrible waste to use wagyu to make beef patties, somehow or rather, I am always tempted to prove my own perception wrong (which usually just ends up in more disappointment). TWR's wagyu patty straddled the fine line between proving me right or wrong. It didn't seem hand chopped because of its smooth texture but brought with it a certain tenderness and flavour, not to mention an overly generous salt influx (just a tad). The bun did seem a little too burnt but was unbelievably crispy with a tinge of sweetness. Nice! Chips were thinly sliced and deep fried with an adequate amount of salt. Another plus point.

Lobster Omelette - What's brunch without eggs? A relatively generous serving of lobster meat entrenched within the moist and smooth omelette that had hints of cheese. Simple yet decadent. Thumbs up to the chips as well.

Mars Bars Souffle - Here's when our brunch started sliding downwards, with the introduction of our first dessert, the Mars Bars Souffle. The souffle wasn't fluffy enough and the sugar residue clung on tightly to my teeth. There was the problem of a overly strong egg taste as well. I did like the ice cream though, which boasted a rich mars bars flavour with bits of mars bars stuffed in it for authenticity.

Profiteroles - The profiteroles continued the dismal slide by coming across as average at best. The pastry was too hard and the chocolate sauce, hardly sufficient. Sandwiched between was vanilla bean ice cream that did seem a little too creamy for my liking.

Belgian Waffles - I found the waffles rather dense and chewy, which wasn't exactly my cup of tea as I personally prefer lighter and crispier waffles. The maple syrup was a little runny as well.

At $155 for a 2 pax brunch, it certainly isn't cheap. Mains were of a certain standard but desserts didn't quite make the mark in my humble opinion. Throw in decent service, a great environment and chances are, I'll return for the food, minus the desserts of course.

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2010/10/white-rabbit.html

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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