Friend: “Where are you headed to?”
Me: “The Spot.”
Friend: “Huh, what spot?”
Every conversation varies along the lines of the above exchange whenever I’m sharing about The Spot, which is actually the name of the multi-concept restaurant that recently opened up at Marina One. I’m not exactly sure they made a great choice with their name, but I have to admit it is quite memorable.
The all-day dining venue has everything you could possible need because it is The Spot (pun intended). I’ll even call it the Room Of Requirement of restaurants because it’s everything you could need from a venue – it’s a cafe, bar, cigar lounge, breakfast spot, event space and even a bottle and wine shop.
The kitchen where all the food is made
Starting from 7.30am, The Spot has grab-and-go breakfasts – house-made granola, sandwiches, fresh juices and coffee – for those rushing to work. The lunch menu is just a smaller selection of their dinner menu, with set lunch options. If you’re looking for a place to chill in the afternoon, The Spot also has free wifi and plenty of comfy seats where you can get some work done whilst you’re hopping in between engagements, or you can even hold lunch meetings here too.
The bar
The kitchen is headed by Chef Lee Boon Seng who mixes his European training background with his East Asian flavours of his childhood for a menu full of fusion dishes. You’ll be able to spot many traditional mainstays like laksa leaves, chrysanthemum blossoms, Java peppers, and even a stingray dish! Every dish was designed in a way where all the various elements marry in your mouth for a harmonious celebration of flavours.
For starters, the Roasted Carrot Soup is a good choice. The soup is creamy and tangy with little bits of crunchy chorizo, and is very comforting to the tummy. Unlike other carrot soups which tend to be very diluted, this soup will be good on a rainy day or when you have an upset tummy.
ROASTED CARROT SOUP ($18)
GLAZED LOCAL DUCK BREAST ($28)
Moving onto the mains. The Glazed Local Duck Breast and Beef Short Ribs are red meat dishes that go well with a cup of wine. The Beef Short Ribs are really tender and has a more spicy taste thanks to the Java long pepper sauce , while the Glazed Local Duck Breast is a saccharine dish that’s glazed with a chrysanthemum honey sauce.
If the head sommelier is hanging around the bar, you can ask him for drink recommendations. I tried the Sexy Beast (which I admit that I only ordered for the name), which turned out to be a pretty robust wine that goes well with the red meats.
SEXY BEASTS
BEEF SHORT RIBS ($40)
Some people might be feeling like fish and white wine. I highly recommend the Local Skate, which is deep-fried stingray swimming in a rich coriander broth and topped with ikura pearls for a bursts of umami. Oh and the fish sits on top of a bed of risotto rice and kind of tasted like a risotto porridge. I was surprised to hear that this dish nearly didn’t make the menu because some people thought the fish was slightly too tough.
LOCAL SKATE ($25)
The other fish dish to try is the Pan Fried Red Snapper that comes served in a green curry that’s kind of similar to the Thai Green curry. The only thing that we would have changed about this dish was serving it with a bowl of rice.
PAN FRIED RED SNAPPER ($28)
Naturally you would want to finish your meal with a dessert before you start on your drinks. The Sea Coconut Brulee is a silky smooth sea coconut custard topped with sour cream and kaffir lime puree. It was like an explosion of sweet and sour to really curb any remaining cravings. Alternatively, you can also go for the Licorice Root Ice Cream that does not overpowering with the licorice taste.
SEA COCONUT BRULEE ($14)
LICORICE ROOT ICE CREAM ($15)
Staying through to their “all-day venue”, the restaurant turns into a bar at night where you can share a couple of drinks, or even a few cigars. Even their cocktails are also given a little twist. Sweet cocktails are too basic, so try out this sweet and savoury cocktail for a twist – Curry Oh.
CURRY OH ($20)
With a Japanese single malt whiskey as a base, the cocktail comes with curry and cherry bitters, gula melaka and kaffir lime for an interestingly spicy drink. You can also choose to have the Curry Oh with a Macallan Double Cask as the base. For something more spicy, get the Lorong 214, a tequila based cocktail that has chili and ginger blended in. Sweet-tooths will like the Halo-Halo, a chocolate-y and fruity cocktail.
While you’re there, you might as well try their bar snack menu. Skip the usual cheeses and go for their Deep Fried Pork Ears. The pig ears are marinated in salty-sweet batter before being deep fried to crispy perfection. Each bite is melt-in-your-mouth, and I found myself nibbling on the addicting ears throughout the entire night.
DEEP FRIED PORK EARS ($14)
There’s also an eclair sandwich filled with smoked salmon, mentaiko and salted egg yolk sauce.
ECLAIR SANDWICH ($18)
Right next to The Spot is 1855 Bottle Shop and Southeast Asia’s first ever Macallan Boutique, where you can buy spirits and rare bottles to take home since you’re already in the mood for some alcohol.
They’ve also got a cigar menu so you don’t have to bring your own!
There’s also a hidden cigar lounge that doesn’t require any membership whatsoever. You’ve got to ask access to the room, as it’s hidden behind an obscure wall of alcohol bottle. You can bring your own cigars, but there is also a menu of carefully curated cigars that you can purchase on the spot (pun intended).
THE SPOT
#01-26/27, 5 Straits View, Marina One, S018935
(65) 6284 2637
Opening hours: (Mon & Tues) 7.30am – 11pm, (Wed to Fri) 7.30am – 12am, (Sat) 5pm- 12am, Closed on Sundays
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