Bellwethers is a relatively new bar & bistro having opened at the end of 2012 by two friends. In our chat with these two daytime traders, we learned they came up with this concept while traveling in Europe.
They explained how they loved that the hip bistros and good food in Paris were juxtaposed against the red light district. And the locals there took to it well. It was this interesting edgy dynamic they hoped to capture and bring to Singapore.
If a reader goes to Bellwethers and says they are "from thesmartlocal", they get a free Lychee Martini per person. No strings attached. This offer is valid till 30 Oct.
Bellwethers serves up European fare with an emphasis on communal dining. As such, its menu items usually cater to 2-3 people so don’t be alarmed by the prices and divide them accordingly. Its a place best visited by groups of friends where you can share a hearty meal together with alcohol and grub grilled on an outdoor BBQ.
I find the most fascinating thing about this restaurant to be its location. It shares the same back alley with a very infamous stretch along Desker Road. After dinner we just had to take a walk down to see Singapore’s oldest red light district for ourselves!
Originally serving finger food, they recently introduced a revamped food menu devised by Chef Warren Poh who has been mostly influenced by Spanish cuisine. Warren had previously worked in the fine kitchens of Fullerton Hotel, Halia and Cataunya. He pays plenty of attention in the details of his creations and lucky for us, he was more than happy to share with us some of his recipes!
We started the night with the cutely named Alley Breeze, a gin based cucumber cocktail which kinda reminds you that, yes you’re having dinner in an Alley right now. I found it refreshing but not everyone enjoyed it, it would depend on how you feel about its main ingredient, cucumber. I personally found it to have just the right amount and not be too overpowering.
Bellwethers has to be one of the few restaurants in Singapore where you can dine under Singapore’s city streetlamps and tuck in while watching the world literally go (or cycle) by. They have an indoor seating area as well but if you’re here you really need to sit outside for the full experience.
Chef Warren explains:“The seabass are bought fresh straight from the wet market everyday. It’s cooked with garlic, chilli, parsley, olive oil and white wine. The trick to the dish is that we use the olive oil to create an light emulsion with the white wine thus a light creamy spicy sauce and topped it up with roasted garlic parsley oil.”
This was one of my favourite dishes. The freshness was apparent and i loved the hint of spiciness in the seabass which you don’t get to experience often.
Chef Warren: “The racked is cooked as a whole and rested well to make sure its juicy. A layer of fat is kept on the lamb so that the fragrance of the lamb will come through as it grills making sure it’s moist. It is dressed with raspberry mint sauce.”
Chef Warren: “The Pork collar is dipped into a quick marinated that consist of soya sauce, thyme, garlic, balsamic vinegar and hot oil. The oil hot creates an emulsion and thus enhancing the fragrance of the marinate and with this method we don’t have to marinate the pork for too long and also gives a better caramelization to the pork.“
This was my favourite dish of the night. The marinade was amazing and I highly recommend this. The pork was served with sauce made from roasted pork bones and chicken boiled with mirepoix and red wine vinegar to add a light acidity.
Chef Warren: “Dry aged 300 days grain fed ranger valley’s wagyu beef is used for this dish. The beef is dry aged for at least 40 days and we further dry aged it more ourselves to further enhance the flavours of the beef.
The mash is cook with homemade roasted garlic butter and served rustically to suit the communal dining.”
Like the steak at SKIRT, the dry aging definitely plays a big part in bringing out the flavour of the meat. This was our final dish and icing on the cake.
This bistro’s location makes it a truly one of a kind in Singapore. Apart from the unique ambience, I’ve found Chef Warren’s creations and their new revamped menu to very tastefully done and reasonably priced. Expect to spend $40-60 pp.
The downside is its not so easy to get to by public transport but hey that’s always the case with hidden gems, that how they earn their namesake. Is it worth the trip down? Most definitely.
For those who are familiar with Swee Choon Tim Sum, its just a 2 minutes walk away. Also check out Mutsueki’s blog for another perspective!
If a reader goes to Bellwethers and says they are “from thesmartlocal”, they get a free Lychee Martini per person. No strings attached. This offer is valid till 30 Oct.
6297 9066
120 Desker Road 209639
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park
Buses: 23, 64, 65, 66, 67, 130, 139, 147, 857
Also check them out on facebook here!
You go Seth!
Disclosure: Media Invitation
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