From The Straits Times    |

Name of restaurant: Pantry at the Stables

Type of cuisine: Western

The Marmalade Pantry has established itself on the fourth floor of ION Orchard as a contemporary casual bistro, where diners can rest their feet after a hectic day’s shopping and watch the world go by. And while this Pantry in the City (as it is now called), is a must-stop for weary shoppers looking for a delightful meal or just a round of afternoon tea, its stark, ultra-modern decor doesn’t encourage prolonged conversations or dilly-dallying of any sort.

Food Review: The Marmalade Pantry at the Stables

Which is where the newest addition to the Marmalade Pantry family, the Pantry at the Stables, comes in. Situated in a hidden corner of Bukit Timah on Fairways Drive, the Pantry at the Stables is the Jekyll to the Pantry in the City’s Hyde.

Here, one almost feels transported to another universe – mares trot by languidly, occasionally, tugged on by bright-eyed children decked out in equestrian gear, and the entire area is hemmed in on all sides by nature at its best.

Pantry at the Stables is quite obviously setting itself up to be the main attraction of the Marmalade Pantry repertoire, as it offers all-day weekend brunch menus, an open bakery, afternoon tea sets on weekdays and the dinner a la carte menu. Kids’ menus are also available, with plans in the pipeline to build a children’s play area, boosting the family-friendly nature of the restaurant.

Ambience:
The whole place gives off two distinct moods, depending on the time of the day.

Sit indoors during the day if you don’t want to face the tropical heat, but don’t worry about missing out on any of the sunshine. Large French windows line the vaulted walls on both sides of the restaurant, letting in plenty of natural sunlight that adds to the welcoming vibe given off by the mostly white-washed timber interiors.

There is a sense of communal dining as a long table sits right in the center of it all, so the mood is decidedly carefree and relaxed. To add to the cosy, convivial atmosphere, the marble island at the front of the room holds The Marmalade Pantry’s famous cupcakes and desserts, all arranged daintily on cake stands.

Food Review: The Marmalade Pantry at the Stables

Dine alfresco at night, and the mood swiftly changes to that of a secret hideout that only a select few are privy to, far from the distractions of daily living.

Canvas deck chairs that face out into the distance on the patio, are by night, ideal for those who want a few pre-dinner drinks. Romantic, dimly-lit and serene, it is just the place for those who want to feel like they’ve stumbled onto a private dining verandah.

Must-tries/specialties:
We tucked in to the Mexican Chicken Salad ($22) for starters, which was more like a deconstructed taco than a salad per se. The comfortingly warm dish came with slim crescents of crispy tortilla shell topped with fresh salsa bits, chickpeas, spiced corn and chunks of melt-in-your-mouth avocado. One bite yielded a curious sensation of textures and flavours, that was at first satisfyingly munchable, and which eventually ended on a faintly tangy note.

Food Review: The Marmalade Pantry at the Stables
Mexican Chicken Salad

Then came the Spaghetti Carbonara ($24), which at first seemed like plain old comfort food you’d find at your average diner (indeed, Spaghetti Bolognaise has been dethroned) but we were then informed that, under the competent hands of executive sous chef Eddie Goh, this one’s slightly different.  

Instead of tossing in the eggs with the cheese and cream as is the usual practice when it comes to making spaghetti carbonara, the eggs are instead poached to runny perfection and left to wobble precariously on top of the mound of spaghetti lightly coated in the cream sauce.

Food Review: The Marmalade Pantry at the Stables

The best part of this alternative way of cooking spaghetti carbonara is that it makes the cream sauce a lot less heavy; so that tenth mouthful and beyond is much more manageable. Together with the al dente pasta and bits of bacon, it makes for a suitably tummy-satisfying meal.

Try the Steak and Eggs ($38) from the weekend brunch menu if you’re feeling ravenous, the substantial portion of steak and two sunny-side up eggs came piping hot on a skillet, served with a side of smashed peas with truffle oil.

Food Review: The Marmalade Pantry at the Stables

My dining companion and steak connoisseur found the steak to be sufficiently tender, juicy and cooked expertly (we ordered the notoriously hard to get right level of done-ness – medium rare) even though the smashed peas stole some of its glory by being so compulsively tasty that we couldn’t stop ourselves from reaching for more.

Even if you’re stuffed, the Lemon Brulee Tart ($14) will act as a wonderful ending to your meal. The zesty cream custard rounded off the plethora of flavours that we encountered and like a very good ice cream sorbet, you almost felt you could plunge into more food yet again.

Food Review: The Marmalade Pantry at the Stables
Lemon Brulee Tart

The Granny Smith and Stem Ginger Pudding with salted caramel ice cream ($13), a new variation on their Sticky Date and Toffee Pudding with vanilla ice cream ($12), is worth a try if you’re looking for something different; though really nothing beats the well-loved original.

Price:
Mains range from $22 for their signature crabmeat linguini to $32 for the grain-fed beef cheeks on the dinner a la carte menu, while a slice of cake goes for $8. The weekend brunch menu starts from $16 for hotcakes.  

Verdict:

Food review rating: 4 out of 5

 

 

High points go to the absolutely charming ambience and the inventive tweaks and additions to the menu that helps Pantry at the Stables rise above the typical casual bistros out there. Never mind their signature dishes; it stands out for making a classic pasta dish even better than the original.

Pantry at the Stables is located at 55 Fairways Drive, Singapore 286846. Tel: 6467 9328. For reservations, call 6467 7748. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 3pm to 11pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 11pm. Closed on Monday.