Many of us are familiar with O Comptoir as it is one of those few creperies where we go to get our fix on French crepes in Singapore. Yes traditional Brittany crepes, not the Japanese or bastardised versions we find in most malls or night markets. At O Comptoir they also have a dedicated team of Frenchmen running the day to day operation, making sure there are little compromises to their quality, how the food is handled and keeping our dining experience as French as it gets.
Singaporean diners are a pretty hard-to-please crowd. We want authenticity yet we seem to be perpetually in search of novelty. F&B outlets are torn, especially if they came from overseas. At O Comptoir they are out to please both camps. One part of the menu is reserved for purists while the other for the “hoppers”. I am one of those from the latter spectrum so I went for the Chili Crab Galette ($21). Eating chili crab can be a messy affair, so I was glad this was fuss-free. The Galette was essentially an intricately crafted piece of buckwheat crepe wrapped over a savoury filling. This particular one I had was with fresh crab meat cooked in a spicy-tangy chili sauce with a semi-cooked egg atop. Each bite was accompanied by a piquant punch, with a faint lemongrass-coriander aftertaste permeating the crab meat. The buckwheat Galette skin felt very versatile in this instance. I thought I made the right choice, and with this sheer size, it would easily feed two person. The dollop of caviar also elevated the entire composition to a luxurious state and this simple touch made it the more memorable for me.
Besides Galettes and Crepes, O Comptoir is also well known for their French Ciders. We had both the Dry ($7) and Rose ($8). I preferred the sweeter Rose which has a prominent fruity body.
The Maki Galettes are O Comptoir most recent creations. They already have a dessert version of this Makis, so I guessed this is just an extension. The savoury Makis come in 6 variations –
1. Masala Chicken with Chili Sauce ($14)
2. Goat Cheese Tartar with Beetroot Sauce ($14)
3. Crab Avocado with Cider Sauce ($16)
4. Duck Confit with Mashed Potatoes ($16)
5. Ham & Cheese with Quail Egg ($14)
6. Smoked Salmon with Wasabi Sauce ($18).
Apart from pleasing to the eyes, the canapé size Makis aims to revolutionise the eating style of Galettes since it meant sharing can be a possibility, like Sushis or Dim Sums, without the ugly spillover. We had the Crab Avocado with Cider Sauce ($16), Duck Confit with Mashed Potatoes ($16) and Smoked Salmon with Wasabi Sauce ($18) to share. They were all pretty good but if we were to pick a favourite, the tried-and-tested crab avocado combination was probably the best we have had. Regardless, I think they were ideal to be shared over evening drinks*.
*Maki Galettes only available after 5pm
As we finished up our savoury items, we had the Normandy Landing ($8) and Coco Chanel ($11), two sweet crepes from the extensive dessert menu to complete a French culinary tradition. The Normandy Landing came with homemade salted caramel sauce while the Coco Chanel was more decadent with pear, chocolate, Chantilly and almond bits. They were both excellent although the Normandy Landing lingered in my heart (and tongue) a little longer, unusual for someone who disdain other salted caramel sauce.
O Comptoir is on Chope, make your table reservation here.
The above article is written by @ramenking2017. You can find him on instagram where he shares his love for food and travel.
O Comptoir
79 Circular Road, Singapore 049433
Operating Hours: 11am-12am (Mon-Tue)
11am-1am (Wed -Sat)
10am-10pm (Sun)
Tel: +65 6534 7645
Email: info@ocomptoir.sg
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