As a westie (someone who stays in the west part of Singapore), I am always hunting for food around the west area as most of the time I am simply too lazy to travel to the east. Lol. So whenever I know of any new F&B outlets in the West, I will be super looking forward to visit it at least once. Hence, when Upper Place, a new bistro nestled in Tiong Bahru, opened its door at WANGZ Hotel roof top, I was excited! Especially when Upper Place is serving European small plates with Asian influences at prices starting from S$8, how can I miss it, right?
Once I stepped out of the lift, it is not difficult to spot cute and artsy art pieces around the restaurant.
Besides indoor seatings, there are alfresco seatings as well. If time permits, I would recommend anyone to go Upper Place during the day time or early evening, just before the sunset, to admire the city view or the natural lighting.
When Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare Tart ($14) was served, I can hear myself exclaimed in awe with the presentation. To be frank, I was not expecting the presentation to be so exquisite. While my dining partners felt that it looked like a garden, I thought I was looking at a galaxy. I like how the combination of tuna chunks, truffle onions, tobiko and guacamole sitting on top of a flaky pastry base simply exploded in my mouth with different layers of texture and taste. Definitely a level up compared to the normal tuna tartare that I usually have.
Lobster Kueh Pie Tee (S$10) is another beautiful dish that I swear that my dining partners and I were taking more pictures than usual. However the bite-sized golden shell remains crispy after we bite into it revealing the tomato chipotles and lobster on top of the mango espuma. Quite a delightful starter to the meal!
Next up, we have a Thai-inspired mainstay, Slow Cooked Pork Belly Tacos(S$10). The diced pork belly is wrapped around the homemade Taco and garnished with purple lettuce and coriander. I would suggest to have it with a drop or two of lime juice to give it a zesty touch. Eating it might be slightly messy but the flavours were balanced and I like how I do not feel “jelak” (sick of eating it) after having it.
One of the dish that really took me by surprise was the Short Ribs Congee, Veal Sweetbreads (S$17). Never had I thought of ordering congee in a bistro and me, being skeptical, was quite apprehensive about it. But believe it or not, this congee is one of the better ones that I had outside home. The cocooned short ribs within a nest of fried vermicelli provides a crunchy bite to the rich and flavourful congee. Break the poached egg and mixed well. Voilà! You have a hearty and comforting Ang moh (western) congee.
If you like laksa and always wonder how would Laksa Risotta tastes, look no further as Upper Place is serving Reconstructed Laksa Risotto(S$27)! The dish showcases an tempting myriad of seafood (scallop, lobster and shrimp) with coconut foam and sambal at the side to enliven the flavours in the dish.
We ended our luncheon on a sweet note with the Matcha Parfait (S$8). It is rather rare to see everyone around the table polished the dessert clean. And this is so the case for this Matcha parfait. My Japanese dining partner was raving about it. Well, that says a lot coming from a foodie who is from the land of Matcha, right? I like the layering of taste from the stewed red beans, matcha cream, black sesame coulis and Vietnamese paper tuile. Definitely a must order for me!
Other than good food, Upper Place also serves a good variety of tea that are curated from all over the world. So do give the teas a try. With such a charming rooftop view, overlooking the cityscape of Outram Park, this 76 seater restaurant is one of the hidden gem that I will not hesitate to recommend to anyone who wants to enjoy a good time with families or friends.
Upper Place @ WANGZ Hotel,
Rooftop, 231 Outram Road, Singapore 169040
Telephone: +65 9643 4366
Opening Hours: 0700 to 1030 (Hotel breakfast) 1200 to 1430 (Last order 1400) 1800 to 2230 (Last order 2130)
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