Tippling Club - Same Old Brand New

When Tippling Club joined the ranks of Miele Asia’s Top 20 Restaurants alongside legendary names like Les Amis and Restaurant Andre, it went right on my bucket list. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal when they were located at Dempsey Hill; and my recent visit to its new venue at Tanjong Pagar Road was pleasant walk down memory lane.

The new Tippling Club is certainly more inviting in décor, with a fashion that reflects Chef Ryan’s eccentric and avant-garde approach to food. Open kitchens are a common feature of restaurants these days as it creates a more intimate affair between chef and diner, and Chef Ryan and his team do put up quite the performance.

Tippling Club may have taken on a brand new façade, but Chef Ryan stayed true to his unique culinary style. Choosing from the menu is made easy with 2 choices – the Classic Menu ($160++) that features 6 courses, or the Gourmand Menu ($265++) with 12 courses for the bigger eaters.

Chef Ryan’s deconstruction of the Singapore Curry was a great way to start the meal. The curry-infused mousse gave our accustomed curry a lighter weight on the palate, and allowed the rice crispy sprinkled on top to retain its crunch and flavour. Other exciting entrees included the Puffed black pepper wagyu beef tendon that would make an avid potato chips lover swear off any future bags of Kettle.

Some dishes, I confess, may have borderline pretentiousness in an attempt to impress. While I applaud Chef Ryan for constantly pushing boundaries, over dazzling may appear contrived. The foie gras puree was delectably sinful, but the side of dried apple, apple drip and fresh slices of apple gave the impression that the dinner had moved on to desserts.

At times, simplicity can be equally as elegant. The slice of wayu may have possibly been one of the best I have had. Chef Ryan may have found the perfect meat to fat ratio. It may have been a meager slice, but had I known I gladly trade my other 11 courses for a bigger portion.

Desserts were a flow of small bite creations, akin to picking out from a Valentine’s Day chocolate box. While pleasant, spanning a dinner over the course of 3 hours was as taxing on the diner as on the chef. Tippling Club had a few well executed dishes, but the pursuit of being in the frontline of modern gastronomy is bound to laid with a couple of setbacks.

Tippling Club 38 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore 088461

Tel: +65 6473 2217

Opening Hours: Dinner: Mon – Sat: 6pm – 11pm