Steamroom with The Pillar and Stones (SRPS) is a new concept restaurant/lifestyle space/retail outlet that lets you do a little bit of everything.
If you’re thinking the name sounds a little zen, you’re completely right. SRPS made me feel like I was in a spa that isn’t in Singapore. With lanterns that look like the moon and atmospheric music that is sure to calm you, SRPS is a unique gem of a restaurant.
Not only can you get great meals here, you can also have tea made in a ‘steampunk’ machine, browse a collection of apparel, and sign up for various craft workshops.
Streamroom with The Pillar and Stones also has a huge green wall that features an array of herbs that are used in the dishes.
SRPS aims to have a fully functioning farm to table concept in the near future, when there are enough plants to supply sufficient organic ingredients. As SRPS is still really new (it opened in early May 2017), the concept is still being tinkered with.
We started our experience at SRPS with a pot of tea. As I wanted something light, I chose the Green Jade Spring (Bi Luo Chun) ($7.50), which was made in a ‘steampunk’ machine.
Though the machine doesn’t allude to the artistic style of steampunk, it literally uses steam and water to brew the tea to perfection.
We were pretty impressed by the intricacies of this type of tea making. Water is pulsed into a canister of tea leaves and drained into another compartment before being emptied into a kettle.
Each type of tea has its own specific temperature and number of pulses that are required to brew it optimally.
The taste and temperature of the tea were truly perfect, warming us up (literally) for the food to come. The first dish we had was the Burrata Cheese Salad ($15).
The burrata had a modern twist to it. Rather than being served as a ball of cheese, it was served chopped up with a generous portion of crispy quinoa.
The flavour was enhanced with aromatic basil oil; olive oil caviar; and pieces of sun-dried tomato, which tasted especially delicious with the burrata and I found myself wishing there was more of it to go around.
Next, we had the Spanner Crab Salad ($15) that was served with slices of dehydrated apple, biscotti, onion paper, apple puree, and wasabi mayo. The crab was very meaty and was perfectly complemented by the wasabi mayo.
The biscotti was a great accompaniment to the crab. Though I felt that the dehydrated apple slices did not go well with the crab, I enjoyed eating it on its own, as its unique texture made it disintegrate in seconds when consumed.
The Salmon Ochazuke ($24) was a highlight of our meal. Ochazuke is a simple Japanese meal that is made by pouring hot dashi (vegetable broth) over cooked rice.
The dish was served with thick slices of torched sashimi, ikura (salmon roe), edamame (unripe soybeans), and bonito flakes. The dashi was not salty at all, so the addition of bonito flakes were a welcome.
The rice was cooked perfectly, but I found the edamame slightly more unripe than what I’m used to. Still, I enjoyed the contrast of its solid texture to the softer textures of salmon and rice.
The best main we had at SRPS was the Lobster Fregola Sarda Pasta ($28). Served in a lobster bisque with strips of parmesan cheese and an onsen egg, this pasta was very hearty and tasty.
The taste and aroma of lobster were very strong, and the bisque was mildly spicy, leaving a light tingling sensation in my mouth long after eating it.
Finally, we had the Gateau and Mandarin Orange Sorbet ($15). Orange and chocolate is a pairing that works naturally and this was further accentuated by the juicy mandarin orange and icy sorbet that complemented the rich and indulgent gateau.
Most gateaus I’ve tried are soft and airy, but this one was dense and indulgent, with a biscuit crust and Valrhona chocolate. The dark chocolate flakes were unexpectedly crunchy and did not melt in my mouth easily. It sounds like a bad thing, but it was actually very enjoyable. Go try it for yourself!
Steamroom with The Pillar and Stones offers an eclectic experience that is different from the restaurants and cafes you are used to, with its unique fusion food, budding farm-to-table concept, and a curated retail experience.
With prices that are pretty decent for its prime location in town, you should definitely consider visiting it at least once.
Expected damage: $15 – $30 per person
