Quentin’s Bar And Restaurant: Authentic Chicken Curry Debal & More Eurasian Dishes At Sentosa

Eurasian cuisine isn’t something you typically see in Singapore. When I chanced upon Quentin’s Bar and Restaurant at Gunner Lane, I immediately knew I had to give it a try. As one of the dining options at Sentosa’s Mess Hall, Quentin’s Bar and Restaurant sits atop a small hill near Imbiah Station.

Walking in, I was welcomed by friendly staff and a classy ambience. I remember feeling pleasantly surprised at how posh the joint was, with its minimalistic colour scheme and decorations. Beside the VIP Room was the indoor bar, which was lined with bottles of various alcohol. It was refreshing to be able to watch Mr Quentin himself prepare my food through the blue translucent panel in the VIP Room—I felt like it amplified my excitement!

I began my course with the starter platter that included the Pastéis De Bacalhau, which was beautifully plated between two slices of Pork Belly. Coming straight from the kitchen, I could see that it was piping hot, with steam wafting through the air above it.

The Pork Belly (S$16.80) slices were garnished with little bean sprouts, which added a refreshing green flavour to the saltiness of the pork belly. The meat was doused with gravy made from the juices of the pork when it was baked.

I felt that the meat was a little tough for my liking, because I typically prefer a more tender pork belly. Even so, the crispiness of the golden brown skin was perfection.

If you don’t know what heaven tastes like, this might be it. The Pastéis De Bacalhau (S$16.80) may sound very upscale if you’re just an average Singaporean like me, but this was my personal favourite.

This dish is often served in Portugal, hence the Portuguese name. What’s amazing about this dish is that it includes cod fillet ground with light, fluffy potatoes, bringing the fishy and starchy taste to a blissful harmony.

I loved how crispy it was on the outside but remained soft on the inside. It was topped with Quentin’s home-made Salted Cod Fish Pickle which is also sold by the jar at S$9. The Salted Fish Pickle reminded me of sambal belacan, and I didn’t mind it at all because I love anything related to sambal.

One of the most known Eurasian dishes is the Chicken Curry Debal (S$28.80). Having spoken to Mr Quentin, I came to learn many things about Eurasian cuisine.

Also known as Kari Debal, the dish was dubbed “Devil’s Curry” due to its spiciness and the pronunciation. This is also a traditional Eurasian curry and its origin is fascinating. As explained by Mr Quentin, the Portuguese often gather the leftover meats on Boxing Day to create Kari Debal.

This dish contained chicken breast, bacon, potatoes, cabbage and curry sauce. I felt like the curry wasn’t as thick as I expected it to be, but that just gave it a lighter and runnier texture.

The bacon and potatoes were not submerged into the curry—unlike the way we enjoy Indian curry—to maintain their texture before consumption. The chicken was slightly dry, but it was chicken breast so I figured that it wouldn’t be as tender as the thigh anyway. I felt the curry could use a little more spice and I really enjoyed the potatoes. Overall, the dish was a  bit sour—from the vinegar—and tasted like peppers.

The Baked Fish (S$28.80) was up next, wrapped in a banana leaf to enhance its flavour. Served alongside hon shimeji mushroom, kaffir lime and short-grain rice, the fish was drizzled with rempah, adding the intense flavours of spices into the dish.

After squeezing the lime to neutralise the fishy taste from the red snapper fillet, I felt the rempah was overpowered by the sourness of the lime.

The fish wasn’t as tender as I wanted it to be, and lacked just a pinch of salt. Thankfully, the mushrooms were chewy and tasted extremely earthy.

My personal preference with food is usually more intense and the bolder the flavours, the better, so the light and subtle taste in this dish just didn’t cut it for me.

For dessert, I decided to try the Sugee Cake (S$12.80) because it is a traditional Eurasian dish. It’s made out of Semolina, butter and almonds. Mr Quentin mentioned that sugee cake was a Eurasian staple at all celebrations, which made me absolutely intrigued as to how it tasted.

In comparison to the ice cream, the cake was nutty and grainy. The texture was a refreshing change from the spongy cakes I’m used to. This was definitely a new experience for me, and I was pretty impressed with it. Quentin’s also sells Sugee Cake by the loaf on their website, if you’re ever in need of a quick Eurasian dessert fix!

The Sago Gula Melaka Lava Cake (S$12.80) truly took me by surprise. At first glance, it looks pretty mediocre—something you see in those random waffle ice cream shops. But no, this was so much more.

Of course, we have to end it off with a bang. This was by far one of the best desserts I have ever eaten in my life. I kid you not, you have to give this a try. On the first bite, I could already taste the sweetness of gula melaka.

Mixed with the French vanilla ice cream, it was paradise on a plate. My only bone to pick with this dessert was that I didn’t really see the relevance of the sago. I didn’t realise it was part of the dish until the end when everything had melted. Even so, I was extremely impressed with this.

Don’t forget to look out for Quentin’s Eurasian Restaurant and Bar’s Valentine’s Day Menu which is coming out soon. They will also be providing floral bouquets upon request for your special someone. I recommend coming here if you want to have a romantic, intimate evening with your partner.

All in all, I think that Eurasian cuisine isn’t really understood in Singapore and Quentin’s is doing a great job at keeping it authentic and alive. I really appreciated this experience with them and I completely fell in love with the Pastéis De Bacalhau and the Sago Gula Melaka Lava Cake.

If you’re in Sentosa and looking to have a cuisine change, you should totally try out Quentin’s Eurasian Bar and Restaurant. I think that it is an invigorating switch from our daily local food and it’s worth giving it a shot.

Expected Damage: S$60 per pax