SIRI HOUSE at Dempsey has carved out a niche with its cuisine that can best be described as Modern Asian. Its creative East-Meets-West dishes can be intriguing yet comforting, such as the Unagi Risotto above. Head Chef Leo Pang, who was formerly from Le Benardin (by Eric Ripert in New York City) has put together a menu that calls up comfort food memories. Sharing plates let you try a little bit of everything while bonding with the people you eat with.
The decor itself has always seemed over-the-top but with its playfully inspired dishes, SIRI HOUSE is stripping away the formality often associated with refined dining.
Post circuit breaker, SIRI HOUSE is back with a refreshed menu, cocktails and spaces. Besides the restaurant, there is an Art Space and Collective Market retail store.
Thai Luxury Property Developer, Sansiri, is the owner/founder of SIRI HOUSE. Their Sales Gallery now doubles up as The Bar at SIRI HOUSE where guests can enjoy pre and post dinner aperitifs, digestifs and bar snacks in a replica luxury Sansiri apartment.
The Bar replicates the luxury and eclectic style of a Sansiri apartment complete with plush sofas and private dining area. Mustard yellow, coral and green hues set off beautifully the handwoven Jim Thompson silks, Deco jacquard motifs
and Chinoiseries. It feels like you're really in someone's (opulent) home.
There are product showcases of various brands, including new and upcoming Thai designers. All the items are also on sale at Collective Market online.
But back to the main highlight - the food and libations. We started with a drink.
Grape Expectations (S$16)
A super easy to drink aperitif of Cocchi Vermouth Amaro and Osmanthus distillate (made inhouse using Osmanthus dried flowers distilled in vodka through their own rota evaporator machine) blended with white grape fizz.
Biscuit 2.0 ($12)
The original Chicken fat cookie, elevated with a curry spiced cream, crispy chicken skin and turmeric mushroom dust. Certainly a rich start to the meal.
Papadum ($10):
Inspired by the flavours of Roti Prata and Fish Curry, this snack features papadums served with Madras infused Crema and topped with a smoked fish chilli. The cream is a little heavy and missing the acidity of fish curry but the smoked fish chili is just divine.
Scallop ($29): Wild caught Hokkaido scallops, yuzu kosho, dashi jelly, smoked ikura, sea grapes.
These are wild hand dived Hokkaido scallops and a cut above commercial varieties found on the market. They are dressed with ikura (cold smoked with hickory wood chips for 15-20 minutes for an added smoky flavour and smell), an intense Dashi jelly and umi budou (sea grapes). I absolutely love sea grapes and wished there were more!The team has also amazingly created Hamachi Bacon (Hamachi that is cured in sugar and salt for a day, deep fried and coated in lobster dust) as a final adornment. So many textures and strong flavours in this dish!
Chicken oysters (S$19): Szechuan marinated chicken oysters, egg yolk tare sauce
These juicy medallions are the best part of the chicken. The chef marinates them with Szechuan peppercorns, chilli flakes, dried chilli, garlic, soy and sugar before before grilling them on bincho-tan. They are so good, and then you get to transform the taste once more with the egg yolk tare sauce.
Bikini (S$18)
I heard this was the dish that customers refused to let the restaurant take off the menu, and I can see, or rather taste, why. This three-layered sandwich has different kinds of cured meat (coppa ham and salami), a trio of cheeses (including fresh mozzarella and emmental and gouda), a homemade truffle tomato sauce and pickled mustard seeds. Pan-fried with butter until crisp on the outside, it's like grilled cheese on steroids.
Unagi Risotto (S$32)
This is probably my favourite of all the dishes we tried. Every mouthful is an epiphany. The rice is infused with a mixture of burnt onion dashi and a delicate clear tomato consomme. It's mixed with mushrooms lightly sauteed with garlic butter and topped with grilled unagi glazed with sweet soy, pickled radish and sprinkled with kizami kombu (the kombu from the dashi is dried, fried and dusted with wasabi salt). A party of flavours never tasted so comforting.
Got Milk? (S$22)
Time for a second drink and we were totally stunned by this. A clarified milk punch? It's amazing how they managed to clarify a blend of black tea, milk, sherry, rum and lemon juice. It's deservingly served with a housemade ghee biscuit .
Barramundi (S$32)
The Kulhbarra Barramundi is simply pan-seared and served atop a laksa- anchovy emulsion. What gives this a smoky kick are the Australian leeks (they are sweeter than the local varieties) which have been charcoal-grilled on binchotan and blended with salt and oil. Cremini and enoki mushrooms add bite to the dish.
Duck (S$32)
Five spice marinated duck breast, fried yam, goji berry sauce
What a gorgeous looking dish. Chef Leo’s favourite Duck and Yam Paste Dish gets reinterpreted into a tender, succulent duck marinated for a full day in a five spice and ginger mix, and pan-seared just before serving. The duck is a Peking duck breed too. Goji berry sauce adds sweetness while crushed cashews add crunch. The hand-sliced fried yam may have been shaved a little too fine; it gets soft too easily.
Tropical “Tau Huay” (S$15)
This dessert of coconut cream set with gelatin is more panna cotta than tau huay but it's fun to eat in the same way, with a retro cockerel-themed spoon. The topping of passionfruit granita and diced mango macerated in a chilli and lime dressing is meant to evoke memories of ice jelly.
If you have time to look around, check out the other end of the restaurant from The Bar, and you may find unusual pop-ups at The Art Gallery. The artwork of @mojokoworld helped launch the room with quirky flair.
I'm loving the juxtaposition of retro Asian poster and advertising themes with modern pop culture.
Drama for your walls. The Mojokoworld exhibit has ended but a new atelier showcase has taken over as of 22 Oct 2020. It's entitled Frame of Reference and is a concept by Nicolas Laville Couture and Deboneire.
If you prefer the outdoors, you can choose to chill at the 40- seater deck known as The Terrace. Soak in the view of the fresh, lush greenery of Dempsey Hill as you relax at the dining tables and on rustic wooden crate furniture farther out.
SIRI HOUSE
Blk 8D, #01-02 Dempsey Hill,
Dempsey Road, Singapore 249672.
For reservations, please contact +65 9487 1552-or book online at https://bit.ly/reserve-sh
RESTAURANT OPENING HOURS:
Tues - Thurs: 11.30 - 14.30 & 18.00 - 22.00
Fri - Sat: 11.30 - 14.30 & 18.00 - 23.00
Sun: 11.30 - 16.00
Mon: Closed
Many thanks to SIRI HOUSE for the invitation and hospitality.
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