Located at a corner where Cecil Street meets Marina Boulevard,
The Black Swan
resides in an 1930s building which used to be a bank. Running with the
Art Deco theme, the Lo & Behold Group transformed it into
The Black Swan, which serves classic cuisine that borders on being French-Americano.
Upon
entering the restaurant, you are greeted by the unique bar and the high
ceiling. The writing on the bar reads, "Here's to the Rose Coloured
Glasses Of Life". La vie en rose. Well...less American since they still
spelt Coloured the British way *wink*.
 |
| Panoramic view of The Black Swan |
Go
for their Set Lunch (2 courses @ S$38++, 3 courses @ S$44++) because it
just makes things a lot simpler although the whole bunch of us still
racked our brains to choose because everything looked enticing! Good
thing for you is that there were 5 of us so we ordered quite a variety
of starters, mains and desserts to review.
Above
is the Farmer's Salad, so it's just a mix of rocket, apple, celery,
arugula and tossed with a vinaigrette. Nothing too special about this.
Add
S$4++ to order their Crab Salad which has sunflower seeds, avocado,
mango, grapefruit and a citrus vinaigrette. Needless to say, this was a
little more interesting than the Farmer's Salad.
For
an additional S$6++, go for the Foie Gras which is pan fried perfectly
and comes with a toast on a yuzu marmalade. Not a fault in this dish
except maybe not enough of foie gras?
For
those who are feeling 'safe', go for the Duck Confit (+S$4++) which was
very crispy on the outside and still tender on the inside. It rests on a
bed of bacon potatoes and a mustard sauce. Judging from how 2 of my
colleagues ate their duck, it was good on the first few bites but in
true Duck Confit style, it does a get a bit much.
Another
main course was the Seafood Linguine. It's good and it wasn't wow. Just
tasted like how it should be. This is one of the few dishes that were
not French-based but Italian but I guess if you're going with an
American theme, both cuisines go.
If
you like fish, they have the Pan Seared Red Snapper with an egg sauce
and with leek done two ways. The skin of the fish was crispy and the
sauce creamy. However, it tasted exactly how a pan fried fish should
taste like.
Yours truly went for the Mangalica Pork Collar (+S$6++) which came with pickled red cabbage and apple sauce...
It
looks like a piece of steak and cuts a little like a piece of steak but
beef it is not. This piece of pork was succulent and very well
seasoned. It was simple but yet you know that you cannot replicate this
dish with your home kitchen unless you're a very skilled chef with a
good grill pan. I gave everyone a morsel of this porcine goodness, which
spoilt their tastebuds and their mains don't taste as good as it did
before. Oops. Needless to say, everyone on my table recommends the pork!
For
dessert, I went for the Sticky Date Toffee Pudding (above) which tasted
absolutely divine! The cold vanilla ice cream went really well with the
sweet, warm pudding which could've been too sweet if it wasn't for the
slices of banana and ice cream. Absolutely divine.
If
you like dark chocolate, go for the Chocolate Dome. Inside that dome
casing of rich, dark chocolate is a vanilla creme mousse and it's paired
with strawberries and blueberries. Very classic.
Finish it off with a cup of coffee or tea and you're good.
That
about sums up our whole experience in The Black Swan. Everything was
classic and slightly laid back and it would be quite a romantic
throwback to the 1930s, sitting at the bar and enjoying a glass of
martini or whisky. I'm sure if you dine here at night, you might even
let your imagination run a little wild and think that you're in a scene
from The Great Gatsby. It helps that the restaurant has a Mezzanine
floor which houses their 'Powder Room' - an intimate bar for craft
cocktails and whiskies. If they played jazz music, I'm sold. I'll find
as many excuses as possible to be treated to meals here.
It's
not the cheapest place to dine for lunch though. You'll need to be
prepared to spend around S$65/pax if you're ordering the 3 course meal
with all the add-ons. Nonetheless, it is a place that is worth visiting
at least once!
The Black Swan
19 Cecil Street
Singapore 049704
Tel: +65 8181 3305
Website:
www.theblackswan.com.sg
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