Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt (OCF) – Old-world French Elegance and Romance

About OCF

I don’t know much about the first wife of Sir Stamford Raffles – but now I at least know her name. Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt was the inspiration behind the eponymous French fine diner. Known simply as OCF, the restaurant is located  on the second floor of The Arts House right behind the Sir Stamford Raffles statue at Boat Quay. Their affinity with Singapore’s founder and his French-Irish first wife starts there. 

Helmed by French-trained chef Jonathan Koh and sommelier Novalan Dorasamy – the latter an alumnus of Joel Robuchon Restaurant – OCF is a cosy yet elegant place for a proper sit-down dinner date. If you prefer watching the chefs in action, sit at the counter for an unobstructed view of the kitchen. 

I found the restaurant’s carte blanche concept interesting. Carte blanche – French for blank card – puts your dining experience entirely in the hands of the chef. This means the menu changes every time you return, according to seasonal offerings. A five course set dinner goes at $88++ while the set lunch goes at a reasonable $38++.

The Food

Our first course was Buratta with sea urchin and capsicum coulis. The soft buffalo cheese was creamy yet light on the palate. Accented by the tang of capsicum sauce, I found this dish a pleasant starter for our dinner. The star of the dish had to be the buttery uni, which melted upon contact with my tongue. It was a rich accompaniment to the comparatively muted creaminess of the cheese. 

Midway through our meal, we were surprised by a complimentary dish of Grilled cebette onions, scallops and chorizo. While the scallops were succulent and fresh, the star of the dish really was the cebette onions. I have two greatest fears, the first being lizards and the second being onions, and the overpowering pungency of onion never fails to make me gag.

I have to admit, though, that Chef Jonathan’s lightly grilled new onions were surprisingly sweet, with a juicy rather than crunchy texture. 

My favourite dish of the night was King prawns, acquerello risotto and sauce Americaine. I liked that the risotto was coated in a rich savoury sauce, accented with the distinct sweetness of prawns. It is difficult to balance sweet with savoury but this dish marries both harmoniously.

The sauce may be a little on the salty side for those who prefer their food light. There was no dispute, though, that the king prawns were the crown jewel of this item. Succulent and grilled perfectly with a hint of smokiness – these prawns left me hungry for more. 

We enjoyed our prawns with head sommelier Nova’s wine pairing of a Bergerie de L’Hortus Sauvignon Blanc. It was dry and fresh, and went down well with the stronger flavours of our food.  

We had a main course of Guinea fowl, giroles mushrooms and roasting jus. Guinea fowl tastes similar to robust chicken meat. The meat was succulent and accented with the fragrant aroma of fungi but this dish was unmemorable compared to the earlier line-up. The bed of sauteed vegetables was too salty, overpowering the taste of the roasted fowl. 

Dessert, on the other hand, was an absolute delight. The refreshing plate of Poached cherries, salted caramel and yogurt sorbet married a host of unexpected flavours beautifully. The fresh sweetness of the cherries were balanced by salty-sweet dollops of caramel – small amounts, but just enough to create texture.

I also appreciate that the yogurt sorbet was not overwhelmingly tart, with a nice creaminess that complemented the two other elements. 

Verdict

I enjoyed Chef Jonathan’s execution of both surprising and familiar tastes. What stood out to me was the freshness of the seafood and the thought that went into combining different flavours.  Service was also friendly and prompt. My glass was never left unfilled and my napkin was always neatly folded upon my return to the table.

OCF is not for a casual night out, and deserves the proper treatment of a sophisticated lady. I would suggest heading down with a special someone on a Friday or Saturday, when live jazz music sets a laidback atmosphere for the entire dining experience. 

Getting to OCF

Address: The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, #02-02, Singapore 179429
Hours: 12pm – 2.30pm (Lunch), 6pm – 10.30pm (Dinner), Monday to Saturday
Phone: 65 6333 9312
Website: OCF-Singapore.com

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This post was brought to you by OCF Singapore.