All-in-one supper clubs with cool new tipples and latenight nosh get the weekend in Singapore off to a sizzling start.
Start your
Friday
evening
early at
Monti
– and stay
through
the night.
Dinner at a restaurant, fol lowed by drinks at a bar, and grooving into the wee hours at a club – making the most of Friday nights invariably requires hopping from spot to spot, yes?
Not anymore, with these new party destinations that have each cleverly fused the three components into one multifaceted space. Harking back to supper clubs that thrived in the US during the ’50s, where people convened over food, drinks and live music and delighted in the company, these modern ones come with lavish interiors and an elegant ambience, way cooler than their predecessors.
You come, you see, and you stay – often late into the night.
I was more than halfway through dinner when I exclaimed, almost subconsciously: “I really love the food here!” Three impressive main courses in quick succession – a pancetta-wrapped monkfish, a crumbed and thinly pounded veal rack, and a stunning 1kg Sanchoku wagyu prime OP rib – left me exceedingly pleased.
It was tough not to have certain expectations before arriving at Monti. The latest addition to the One Rochester Group stable moved into the floating dome space vacated by Catalunya after it shuttered last June, describing itself as “a novel destination for more than simply dinner and drinks, [evolving] from an elegant dining experience into the perfect spot for late-night drinks with live DJ sets”.
So far, it was going way better than I’d expected. Despite the unmemorable welcome cocktail, Mr Monti, the food – and our table, perfectly positioned next to the full-length glass windows with an unobstructed view of Marina Bay – kicked the evening into high gear.
Dishes here are designed for sharing, convivial Italian-style, which means bigger-than-expected portions even for the starters, like the Superfood Salad ($24), a bountiful creation of seeds, nuts, peas and vegetables. Pastas are freshly made in-house and prepared with plenty of FInesse. A very satisfying Autunnale ($42), for example, presents perfectly al dente tagliatelle topped with a no-fuss combo of wild mushrooms and shaved black truffles. The signature Risotto Cacio e Pepe ($39) is FInished tableside in a giant slab of parmigiano reggiano, which coats the grains with rich, luscious cheese – the traditional way. Last order is at 10.30pm.
As the clock ticked towards 10pm, the low-decibel acid jazz soundtrack softly thumping in the background was swopped out for something more energetic. The lounge, which overlooked the lower-level dining area and had been fairly empty, was starting to fill up. It was my cue to adjourn to one of the plush leather lounge seats with a drink.
This time, my cocktail, the Monti Rita ($22), a smooth Italian margarita perfumed with a touch of amaretto – delicious and strong – went down much better. I couldn’t resist a bar snack: the Olive Ascolane ($12) – deep-fried juicy green olives filled with minced beef anchovy mayonnaise – was addictive.
A highlight from the
Antipasti Di Mare (antipasti
from the sea) section: the
La Signora Luciana, or baby
squid in cherry tomato broth
with olives, capers and basil.
From where I was seated, I could make out groups of well-heeled CBD types guzzling a few more rounds of nightcaps. They were still going strong, but I had to tap out. “I can’t believe it’s past midnight!” I commented in disbelief. “Well, that’s Monti’s intention – to make you feel that no time’s passed at all,” quipped the PR rep. Touche.
At the end of a long shift, when the lights are turned off and the doors are shut, where do chefs and bartenders go to unwind?
Matteo Arrigoni, bar manager at Tanjong Beach Club:
“I like to head to Coq & Balls at Tiong Bahru to enjoy a Makers Mark bourbon whisky. The laid- back ambience makes it a great place to unwind at.”
Tim RossWatson, chef-owner of Pyxiemoss:
“I personally don’t eat late at night, but if I want to wind down after a shift, I pop into Employees Only first for an ice-cold beer and then a good old Boulevardier cocktail to finish off .”
Philip Bischoff , bar manager at Manhattan Bar:
“It depends on my mood at the end of the shift, but I usually go for either a cold beer or a glass of whisky, with some local food like Singapore fried rice or black pepper beef to fill the stomach.”
Sam Chablani, head chef at Fat Lulu’s Asian BBQ and Desserts:
“I always head to McDonald’s for a McSpicy meal. It’s the one thing that’s always so consistently consistent. Plus, it is always open when I’m done with work.”
PHOTOGRAPHY FOR MONTI & VLV JASPER YU & WONG WEI LIANG / ART DIRECTION NONIE CHEN.
