SINGAPORE: THE BLACK SWAN

I was having such a hard time deciding on a place to take Nick on his birthday last month. With new restaurants popping up almost every week in Singapore, its almost impossible for anybody to keep up. And it's even worse for people like us, who are away from Singapore more than 3/4 of the year.

The black swan was an incidental finding for me. I was walking along Ann Siang with a friend early December, he refused to send me home because I live in the East and he's at bukit timah , so I had to get a cab and I was filled with all this pent up anger, thank God the taxi uncle drove past The Black Swan and diverted my attention.

 The Black Swan immediately struck a chord with me. I enjoyed the movie so much, I secretly wish people would invite me to a "movie" themed party instead of specifics like "Alice in Wonderland" and " The Great Gatsby" because if anything, I want to be the one and only Alice or Daisy!

The interior of  Black Swan certainly did not disappoint. Dimly lit, with a gatsby inspired ambience - the bar coincidentally quotes "Here's to alcohol, the rose coloured glasses of life."  Seductive yet glamourous.

They were still having their champagne and oyster happy hour (Monday to Friday 5-8pm) when we got there. For $21, Nick got himself a pair of shucked oysters and a glass of champagne. I had a glass of Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscoto $17.

I suppose I got my eating habits from my mom, preferring to try small portions of different items, so I made Nick forgo ordering his lobster main (sorry birthday boy!) for more small plates.

Truffled egg & bacon confit $14

I definitely have some obsession with truffled eggs recently. Yummy as with most other truffled egg dishes. I just wish the toast was more crispy and less charred. 

 Baked bone marrow, chilli, kombu $18

Similarly, wish the toast was less charred. Also, i had some difficulties spreading it on the toast and it felt more like I was eating pieces of fat. I'm also really sensitive when it comes to smell, and this dish, really smelt like an animal. 

Char grilled beef tartare (USDA 365 days grain fed beef, nashi pear, toasted sesame) $26

I'm a sucker for all beef tartares so... its a definite must order on my list! Except, I wasn't really used to beef tartares having a tinge of smokiness. Perhaps this dish is to serve as a stepping stone for diners who are unused to the idea of raw beef. Thumbs up to them for incoporating the nashi pear, giving this dish a refreshing aftertaste. 

French onion soup $19

 I have tasted better *cough* db Bistro *cough*. I probably would trade this dish for something else.

 Crab salad (handpicked crab, avocado, mango, orange, grapefruit, toasted sunflower seeds, citrus vinaigrette) $21

Crispy calamari $18

 I've always had reflux problems, and one of the ways to ease my discomfort is cutting down on oily food.  I was sick of this dish after a few calamaris and felt so sick and bloated the whole night. Even kaffir lime sauce could not do anything to negate the oiliness of this dish.

Truffled cut fries $14

Loved how the truffle taste was so well infused into the fries! 

Duck Leg Confit $36

 We had this 18 hours sous vide duck for mains. I love this ! The duck was moist on the inside yet super cripsy on the outside. Definitely on my order list! So glad I stood my grounds and didn't give this duck up for Nick's choice of the lobster main.

I made a booking thru chope.sg and wrote a remark saying that it was Nick birthday. I was pleasantly surprised when our dessert came out with the words " Happy Birthday Nicholas"
Thank you Black Swan for this personal touch !

Dark chocolate dome (varlhona guanaja, vanilla creme, seasonal berries) $16

We shared this yummy chocolate dome because we were seriously stuffed. Really wished I had more space for desserts, I would have definitely wanted to try the coconut creme caramel. Ahhh, will just have to try it the next time I'm back again!

The Black Swan
19 Cecil Street, The Quadrant
Singapore 049704

Reservations: www.chope.sg
Website: http://www.theblackswan.com.sg/

Operating hours:
Closed Sundays
Lunch – Mon-Fri: 11.30am-3pm
Dinner – Mon-Sat: 5pm-11pm
Supper – Mon-Thurs: 10.pm-1am, Fri-Sat: 10.30pm-2pm