GUNTHER’S -Modern French Cuisine

This was my first time to Gunther’s although they have been around for a while.  Tonight was supposed to celebrate my hubby’s birthday and to avoid disappointment, I brought a good bottle of wine from the Barossa Valley.  Luckily I did so, and although the corkage charge was already S$50 per bottle, their wine prices were exorbitant.  Even though I have to say that their wine list was comprehensive.

We both decided to go with their degustation menu.  It was a 6-course menu, excluding the free flow of bread and the tempura prawn for tasting.

The bread was crusty and the butter was creamy.

Well, most restaurants like to serve a free tasting dish before the served you the food you ordered, and this was the free tasting dish.

1) Cold angel hair pasta, Oscietra caviar

This was Gunther’s famous dish and it did not disappoint.

2) Scallop, tomato paste, and pilaf

This was rather an average dish as the taste of the scallop was totally killed by the seasoning.

3) Egg fondant, grilled seasonal mushrooms, Spanish ham

The Spanish ham, as always, was good.  I thought the egg fondant was kind of rich.

4) Grilled lamb rack, natural juices

The lamb was tender and the taste was not that strong.

5) Fine apple tart “la dragées”, Havana rum & raisin ice-cream

The apple tart was very well-done, not too sweet and with a good balance of cinnamon.

6) Coffee

Coffee was strong and full-bodied, good!

If it was 5 years’ back, I would say that the food here was of high quality and I would definitely come back.  Today, high end restaurants like the Gunther’s are opening far too many and thus becoming very competitive.  Hence, I am not sure when will be my next patron to this place.

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36 Purvis Street
#01-03 Singapore 188613
Tel: (65) 6338-8955

The White Rabbit

The White Rabbit serves classic European comfort food, located at the Dempsey, and is occupying a restored chapel.  With the really high ceiling, even though the tables are quite close to each other, there is still a sense of spaciousness and privacy.  In terms of ambience, it’s admirable.

The bread was soft.  I liked it as it didn’t have the sour yeast taste (other people might think it’s tasteless).  The bread was free flow and the waiting staff were very diligent in making sure that you have enough of their bread.

 

The Appetisers:

Steak Tartar with Fries (S$23)

This was a great steak tartar!  It was very well-seasoned and the steak was tender.  The 2 quail eggs were cooked to perfection, soft and yet the yolks were not too runny.  The fries were excellent too.

 

Escargot Ravioli served with Breaded Frog Legs (S$19)

The ravioli together with the fennel emulsion went well.  Escargots were appealing without the earthy taste but the parsley coulis was a little salty.  The breaded frog legs were dry, rather bland, and the batter were too thick.  On the whole, this was a good dish (minus the frog legs).

Side Dish:

Creamed Spinach (S$9)

Not for the health conscious diners.

The Pastas:

The White Rabbit Mac and Cheese (S$28)

Nice presentation for Mac and Cheese, with a generous slice of black truffle on top.  Yes, it’s Mac and Cheese alright.

Scallop Linguine (S$28)

Scallops are fresh and pan seared.
Linguine cooked al dente and tossed with garlic, chilli, parsley, and some herbs.  Because of the way it was prepared, the pasta dish felt like a ‘Chinese stir-fry’ (to me).  Not the way I would like my pasta to be made, sorry.

I only ordered a glass of red wine as I find the wine prices here were on the high side.

In general, the food here was decent but prices were on the high side (balancing value and quality of food).  I might come back again only after trying out all the other new places in town.

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The White Rabbit
39C Harding Road
S(249541)
Tel: 6473 9965