A possible reason why most diners are constantly on their phones at a fine dining restaurant could be that once the pleasantries and small talk run out, the seemingly oppressive uppityness of the surroundings causes them to retreat internally. These four restaurants go against the grain by boasting the highs of fine dining but keep it low with their need for proper decorum – shorts and slippers are discouraged, but the sharing of meals and light-hearted conversations are not.
Pictured Above: BBR BY ALAIN DUCASSE
Alain Ducasse is a modern Renaissance man – the house wine is his own private label’s Champagne, and he has an iPhone app bearing his name. These then make his first Mediterranean sharing-and-grill concept joint in Southeast Asia even more exciting; it took over the space vacated by the historic Raffles Bar & Billiard Room at Raffles Hotel.
A large open kitchen sits at the heart of the restaurant where diners are transported to the Mediterranean, courtesy of lights, tastes, and smells of the region (the kitchen sits below a sculpture of a giant fish). The latter two comes through the dishes: Pulpo a la Gallega – tender grilled octopus dressed with paprika and olive oil – and Catalan de Marisco – Carabinero shrimp and shellfish stew.
Harking back to the concepts of Duchasse’s other restaurants, the biggest catch of BBR by Alain Ducasse would be the lively bar with its carefully curated list of spirits, cocktails, beers, and wines.
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CLOUDSTREET
The cuisine of Cloudstreet is at odds with its décor, which might not be a bad thing – the former is Sri Lanka-inspired thanks to chef Rishi Naleendra’s roots (he is the first Sri Lanka-born chef to earn a Michelin star) while the latter is an imaginative Art Deco sanctum.
This east-meets-west concept extends to the food at Cloudstreet – Grilled Australian Freshwater Crayfish laid atop a mound of Sri Lankan yellow curry millet and Roasted Lamb Saddle accompanied by baby jackfruit curry wrapped in radicchio leaf, green onion sambal, and chilli chutney.
Once satiated, take some time to admire the private dining room and pour through its collection of gastronomical volumes, vintage liquor bottles, and an array of ancient Sri Lankan scripts.
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TXA PINTXO BAR
The Alkaff Mansion used to be where the local high society rubbed shoulders. Today, it houses Singapore’s first pintxo (pronounced “pin-cho”) bar that serves Basque gastronomy with doses of San Sebastian – mosaic tiles, lush greenery, and rattan furniture.
Every dish is encouraged to be shared amongst friends, and they are served hot in taste and heat – Bonquerones Con Pipperada is European anchovy and sautéed peppers on bread; Pimiento Del Padròn is a serving of fried Padron pepper with a sprinkle of sea salt; and Carrillera Estofada Al Vino Tinto Con Espuma De Patata is beef cheek stewed in red wine that is subsequently immersed in potato foam.
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MÌMÌ
Mìmì is the Chinese phonetics for secret, and unfiltered conversations are one of the things chef Sam Chong and executive culinary director Daniel Koh wants diners to share besides the 40 different sharing plates served on the restaurant’s long communal dining tables.
The tables are flanked by opulent oriental décor ala Zhang Yi Mou’s Shanghai Triad. If one has to narrow down dishes from the broad spread, highlights include Crispy Beef Jerky coated in peppercorn and chilli powder marinade and Trufflin’ Dumplings with squid ink wrapping and kurobuta pork stuffing.
For Chinese cuisine traditionalists, mains include Salted Egg Fried Rice, “Wok Hei” Angus Beef Pasta, and the Saucy Crab & Egg Affair – spicy chilli crab and a briny soup of egg whites with fresh crab meat served in a ring of fried buns.
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