Domiciled in the precinct that was once home to the Singapore Turf Club, Marmalade Pantry at the Stables finds itself surrounded by lush foliage in the wild environs of Fairways Drive.
Without having to leave on a jet plane, here you can bask in the unmitigated charms of a serene oasis and watch horses trotting by, while assuaging your hunger pangs with contemporary bistro fare.
Since my previous visit to the Marmalade Pantry at the Stables, a few innovative dishes have been added to the menu.
Apart from trying new dishes, we also did a few repeat orders on old favourites.
Haloumi Salad ($21)
With roma tomatoes and watercress herb salad
Mexican Chicken Salad ($22)
The Mexican Chicken Salad was as good as I remembered it being; it intrigued me back then with its artistic plating and contrasting textures. Comprising crispy tortilla, avocado, spiced corn and salsa and tossed in a honey, cumin and lime dressing, this salad is bound to whet one’s appetite.
Sweet Red Pepper and Tomato Soup ($10)
Field Mushroom Soup with truffled croutons ($10)
Lemon Sole a la Meuniere ($42)
Studded with capers and parsley, the Lemon Sole a la Meuniere is spiffed up with a light thyme beurre blanc (a hot emulsified butter sauce). Steeply priced, this portion will not satiate the appetite of a ravening hyena. It is, however, a delight to savour –especially with a cocktail alongside.
I wished there was some form of carbohydrate to accompany this dish.
Pan Roasted Snapper ($28)
With parsley herb crust, ratatouille and shaved fennel
Hazelnut King Prawn ($32)
King-sized prawns, awash with a subtle hazelnut flavour, arrive on a bed of crisp potato rosti, with an accompanying sweet chilli jam that gives this dish a piquant perspective.
Hand cut Spinach Pasta ($24)
With fava beans, snap peas and fine asparagus
For something that looks so uninvitingly healthy, it is done to a turn and is surprisingly palatable. Straying significantly from the usual pastas where a rich sauce coats each strand of pasta, the spinach-infused pasta is lightly seasoned to bring out the freshness of the rest of the ingredients.
Crabmeat Linguini ($24)
With pine nuts, tomatoes and chilli
Here, linguini is escorted by a substantial amount of crabmeat and chaperoned by pine nuts, tomatoes and chilli. Linguini is my least favourite type of pasta, but biasness aside, this dish faired average at best –there’s nothing particularly outstanding about it.
Fried Lamb Chops ($45)
With polenta, pesto potatoes, reduced balsamic and rosemary sauce
Confirmed carnivores might consider the Fried Lamb Chops. Lamb may have taken up permanent residence on the menus at countless bistros, but this rendition is anything but typical. The breading is light and crisp, and the reduced balsamic and rosemary sauce is perfect for enthusiastic dabbing.
Fresh Strawberry Shake ($9)
The drinks menu is extensive. While cocktails and alcoholic libations take up a significant spot on the list, the smoothies and milkshakes are what I would usually go for.
Cookies & Cream Shake ($9)
Previously thought of as “simply divine, smooth and sufficiently rich” and “you can’t go wrong with milkshakes”, the standard has plunged this time round. The perfect milkshake should not contain ice crystals; unfortunately this time round it did, and it wasn’t as smooth and rich as compared to the last time I had it.
Geisha Cupcake ($4.50)
For dessert, you can choose from a wide range of baked goods from home-style cakes to dainty cupcakes to tarts.
The bakery is open from Tuesdays to Fridays, 3pm to 11pm, Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 11pm (closed on Mondays).
The Geisha Cupcake will please green tea lovers. There’s just about the right amount of smooth matcha-flavoured frosting with every bite of cake.
Foreground: Red Velvet Cupcake ($4.50), Background: Elvis Cupcake ($4.50)
The Red Velvet Cupcake comes with a coconut cream cheese frosting (wouldn’t consider this as one of the best red velvet cupcakes). The Elvis Cupcake is more towards my liking –it is a composition of chocolate banana cake with peanut butter frosting.
Smores Cupcake ($4.80)
Graham cookies lined chocolate cupcake finished with toasted marshmallow and chocolate shards
While its fanciful façade hoaxed me into ordering this, the overall taste was lacklustre. The marshmallow could’ve been more caramelised, while the cake could’ve been moister.
Camomile Cupcake (Cupcake of the month) ($4.80)
Gotta love the generous amount of frosting. Mildly infused with the soothing scent of camomile, this has got to be my favourite cupcake of that day.
Lemon Brulee Tart ($14)
Sticky Date Pudding ($14)
The Sticky Date Pudding is a must for devotees of sweet desserts. I didn’t want to share this!
The ambience may be a big drawing card, but its location does pose an inconvenience for those who do not drive. The journey, however, is worthwhile.
PANTRY AT THE STABLES
Tel:
Fax:
Reservations:
Website: http://www.themarmaladepantry.com.sg/