Tiong Bahru’s favourite brunch place has a globetrotting new menu to match their freshly revamped bistro interior for all your lunch and dinner needs. Headed by Head Chef Daniele Sperindio and Chef/Owner Ryan Clift, Open Door Policy’s latest creations draws inspiration from all over Asia, Latin America and Europe and re-represented to food lovers in a bold, adventurous yet refined dishes.
Daniele melds all these different flavours, ideas and local preferences together with an Italian finesses and the bistro’s signature style of contemporary comfort cooking. He combines premium artisanal ingredients (say hello to Kangaroos and Belgium Brussel sprouts in just a bit), with well-executed culinary skills and a flair for presentation – giving food lovers a feast in every sense.
Starters
Starting with what I would call the star of the menu; the Lobster Veloute had everyone at the table going “Wow.” This is a must-try for lovers of increasingly popular Boston Lobster. The creamy bisque gets a rich, velvety texture upgrade with the French veloute thickening with cream and butter. If only they had some sourdough, wouldn’t you agree?
Healthy eating may not be on our minds when we head out for a meal this rich, but it definitely is the focus of Daniele. He brings on the power food known as Kale and presents it with watercress in a thick green broth. Scoop up a spoonful of everything and you would be amazed at the attention to detail. Crispy kale, smoked quail eggs and popping caviar balls of extra virgin olive oil all makes for a party of texture and flavours. Moving on, the slow poached Warm Octopus Terrine may put you off, but hold on. First brined, confit in olive oil and rolled to give it its cross-sectional disc-like presentation, Daniele has managed to make one of the most unappetizing seafoods into a visual art. Neither fishy nor downplayed in its distinct ocean flavour, it makes for a great starter with the sweet cherry tomatoes and shallots.
Crab cakes are a classic. Here, Daniele takes it a little further. Besides the draw of fresh jumbo lump crab meat, the hard worker of this dish is actually the sauce gribiche – a refreshing blend of pickled cucumbers and fresh herbs in mayonnaise. It has the winning combination of the crispy outer with the mayonnaise, and the sweet crab meat with the slightly tart pickles.
Sides
Rabbit food can be just as delicious, especially one that shoes how much effort ODP puts into procuring the best ingredients. Take the Holland butterhead lettuce poached in sour basil or French tomatoes so sweet I could eat alone as examples. They remain the star of the dish despite the strong flavours going on in the background. I kind of wished that they would serve those spiced olives on its own. The marinade kicks in a bit of spice and it’s not too salty – perfect for happy hours.
Mains
If you are still stuck on the Lobster Veloute from earlier, you can get the best of both worlds in the Seafood Risotto. Cooked in the same stock topped with the garlicky saffron rouille, it gets loaded up with prawns, mussels and a Hokkaido scallop to send seafood lovers straight to heaven.
Again, there is no need to cut down on flavour for healthier options. The 40OC cooked Akaroa Salmon from New Zealand gets tangy accompaniment in the form of blood orange jelly cubes while the roasted, then pan-seared Barramundi is served Japanese style with a sweet ichiban dashi. Carnivores can rejoice with their Kangaroo tenderloin fillet. This lean meat with practically no fat was neither gamey nor tough. Not only does it taste great with the vinegar jus and sweet Belgium Brussel Sprouts, it is also an option for those with a strict no beef diet.
Those looking for fresh, handmade pasta can look forward to their Taglierni. Made and hand cut in-house, it is topped with a homely tomato-y lamb ragout and percorino cheese – a rustic dish that reminded me of the grandmamma I met in a Bed&Breakfast during my travels. Their Plin Ravioli of watercress and macadamia are also made in-house. These soft pockets of satisfaction fills you up but keeps your appetite going thanks to the refreshing sauce of cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and pickled pearl onions.
So soft, so tender. This Australian Braised Beef Cheek falls apart nicely to be taken in a big mouthful with the velvety truffle-infused mash and earthy shimeji mushrooms. This is all thanks to the 48 hours Daniele spent cooking it sous-vide to ensure its tenderness while keeping the flavours intact.
Desserts
Coffee addicts can now get a dose of their daily cuppa in style with their Espresso Espuma. This soft, foamy dessert gets a crunchy pairing with chocolate buckwheat cookies you wished they would give you more of. Other noteworthy deserts are the fluffy Chocolate Pistachio Souffle and Passion Fruit and Chocolate Tart with a popping candy surprise.
Cocktails and Natural Wines
Start your dinner off with some of their lovely cocktails such as their Gin and Tea (perfect for the ladies) or get right into with their Kentucky Whiskey presented with a stick of crispy bacon. Strong, flavourful and definitely packing a punch in spice, the latter is a must try out of their three Bloody Mary cocktails.
They also carry arrange of natural wines, made from organic production with unique flavour profiles. From natural white, red to orange, Daniele has paired them with some of his new dishes. Like the orange Domain Viret Dolia Paradis Ambre 2010 from the Rhone wine region in Southern France with the Akaroa Salmon or the red Dirty & Rowdy 2013 California Familiar Mourvedre from California with the Kangaroo fillet.
Of ODP
No matter the meal, ODP seems to have it covered. The prices are steep, perhaps due to the ingredients and what nots. But, their new lunch/dinner menu and interior makes for a perfect choice for times when you are looking for a spot to hang out with your besties for tea or a couple of cocktails, a dinner date or when you simply want to indulge.
About the Writer
Jessica is a young lady of many obsessions. She gets herself into everything ranging from the latest in the monochrome fashion world (she only wears black, and sometimes, white) to convincing the masses that Community is the best TV series ever made.
Currently, she enjoys looking like Sailor Mercury had a baby with Wednesday Addams.
