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NEW PLACES
195
July14
MUST-TRY DISH:
King crab rillettes
Bécasse
01-21, 10 Dempsey Block 10,
Dempsey Road
6479 8119
Dempsey just got a little more sophisticated, a bit
more elegant, rather more, how do you say... French!
Bécasse (owned by Jones the Grocer) may be
familiar to you because of its bakery in IONOrchard,
but in the new Dempsey branch has taken things
up a notch. The result is part bakery, where they
make fresh sourdough, fougasse, croissants and
pain au chocolates daily; part patisserie, where the
counter heaves with lovely little tarts and cakes; part
European restaurant, and part cold seafood bar.
It’s open all day, so it would be rude not to start
with a breakfast of
sticky
date pancakes
($13),
croque-monsieur
($14), or the
Bécasse big
breakfast
($22) complete with Toulouse sausage,
crispy bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomato, hash
brown and spinach on wonderfully tasty sourdough
toast.
If you linger a bit, you could nibble on small
plates of
king crab rillettes
($15), a dainty pot
of king crab and herbs paired with apple and
fennel seed compote with brioche toast. Or plump
for a lunch of
hand-cut steak tartare
($18),
seared scallops
with broad bean puree ($22) or
entrecote and frites
($28).
With black-and-white décor from the floor tiles
to the marble-top counters, Bécasse has a classy
atmosphere that’s family-friendly too. The food is
of high quality, and there’s enough variety on the
menu to keep you coming back for more, be it for
breakfast, lunch, dinner or high tea (3pm to 6pm
daily, from a reasonable $15). What’s not to like?
Beate Baldry
Le Comptoir
79 Circular Road
6534 7645 | facebook.com/lecomptoir
First impressions:
Cute corner Parisian spot with an
airy, industrial-chic vibe.
The Chosen One:
Traditional French Breton cider is Le
Comptoir’s thing, and the Poiré Bouché brut, Cidrerie de
la Brique ($8) is a dry pear cider that’s like a swankier
version of a Somersby – served in a wine glass.
The Cheapskate:
A glass of cider is $8 regularly, but
grab a pitcher for $16 to $18.
Bite on this:
There’s a crêpe to match every cider on
the list, from classic cheese and ham ($12) to fusion
crêpes like the Khao San Road ($20) – pan-fried prawns,
tomatoes, garlic, mango chutney and mint – and the
salted butter and caramel Normandy Landing crêpe ($8).
Last but not least:
The dry Cidre Brut Rosé ($8) and
sweet Cidre Doux ($6) are brand new to Singapore; you’ll
find them only here.
Amy Greenburg
Outpost Bar & Bistro
#01-11 St James Power Station, 3 Sentosa Gateway
outpostbar.sg
First impressions:
Unpretentious, cosy and a bit rough
around the edges – but in a good way.
The Chosen One:
The Ladies’ Mojito ($18) or, if you’re
daring enough, the Outpost Ice & Fire ($20).
The Cheapskate:
Tiger beer at $11 for a half-pint.
Bite on this:
The signature seafood pizza ($22) with
calamari and prawns is tasty and great to share; another
must-try is the truffle-sautéed button mushrooms ($15).
Last but not least:
The bar promotes home-grown
artists, and has weekly entertainment that will have you
singing along to crowd requests. Our favourite is local
singer Juni Goh, who has a set on Friday nights.
Susannah Jaffer