“Lively atmosphere, open kitchen”
Was in the Tiong Bahru area and decided to check out Open Door Policy at about 1.30pm. Was quite worried there would be no seats, but surprisingly managed to snag a counter table in front of the open display kitchen. The other patrons behind us unfortunately couldn’t get a table as the reservation list was pretty packed.
Even though located at an old neighbourhood stretch like Tiong Bahru, that doesn’t seem to stop many foreigners from frequenting this place. This place gets a good mix of locals and expats alike. A profoundly bustling and lively atmosphere.
If you’re at Open Door Policy, opt for the kitchen counter seat to view the open plan kitchen and the chefs working inside. You’re here for the open door concept right? Pretty interesting entertainment while you wait for your food as you see them make and measure every dish. Tried to stare at the dessert chef to add pressure, but he seemed immune and wouldn’t fumble. Very professional indeed.
Open Door Policy has a unique “FEED US” option for $47++/head, where they whip up a recommendation of dishes akin to a Japanese style Omakase お任せ. Definitely not something you see everyday at a western bistro, but we went for the a la carte option instead because it was our first time here.
We started with the Parsley Crusted Mussels with Parmesan and Ratatouille ($21), garnished with rocket leaves. The dish looked so… green, which was enchanting to stare at. Looking so lushly grassy, one would expect it to taste heavily of the parsley, but the cheese and tomato ratatouille were the dominant flavours instead. The parsley flavour could have been increased a little more to balance out the dish, rather than tasting like mussels marinara. Nice crusted cheese finish though, providing good texture variance.
One of the widely recommended items online is the 48 hour Braised Beef Cheek with Mochi Potatoes, Carrot Puree & Pea Tendrils ($29). I love beef cheeks. That’s what makes me so cheeky… … … Anyway, I had to order this dish to try. Served with rocket leaves again, the beef was very tender, no doubt from being braised for 48 hours. The meat just breaks apart easily in strands. However, the meat still had a beefy gamey flavour to it, not a nice clean palate. I personally prefer Pollen‘s beef cheeks hands down, which I tried at Savour 2013. The carrot puree was smooth and sweet, while the mochi potato had a touch too much gelatine/starchy aftertaste, making it seem artificial. I think using unprocessed baked baby potatoes would have sufficed.
My lunch partner got the Roast Chicken with Chickpea Cassoulet and Wet Polenta ($26), which took a really long time to bake. More rocket for garnish – seems like a pattern here. Even though it’s ‘Roast’ chicken, you can see they actually cook it in a combi-oven, not an actual spit-roast. Oh the pitfalls of letting me look at the kitchen. The chicken meat was slightly rubbery to the bite and probably not baked evenly, as the kitchen only had ONE oven, and every time a new order is placed, they have to open the oven to put in a new dish. This disrupts the oven temperature inside and food doesn’t cook evenly. The polenta cassoulet wasn’t like the traditional slow-cooked cassoulet stew, having little stew and polenta porridge. I don’t think they named this dish descriptively correct. The polenta was also a bit bland, which should have been more flavourful as the roast chicken was already not heavily seasoned. Not a dish I would recommend.
For dessert we had Apple Crumble with Vanilla Custard ($15). Even though it comes in a hot stone pot, it’s purely for aesthetics and the stone pot isn’t heated. The Apple Crumble is probably what I liked most about Open Door Policy. Hot and crusty, the vanilla custard adds a smoothness and takes away the dryness of the buttery crumble. The apple filling was also not overly sweet, or at least neutralized by the fragrant vanilla custard sauce poured in. Excellent home-made dessert.
With a glass of red wine, the price is pretty reasonable at Open Door Policy Bistro. The service staff can also joke around and are very chirpy. However, the gourmet doesn’t really stun me even though the ambience is very brisk and lively. I do so enjoy looking at chefs cook.
Damage: $30-$40/pax
Open Door Policy: 19 Yong Siak Street, Singapore 168650 | Website
*Recommend Reservations
