The Great Mischief, National Arts Gallery: “As a spice lover, I’d give this as many awards as Taylor Swift has Grammys”

Researching for places to review during my free time has permanently altered my TikTok ‘For You Page’ to display a constant stream of recommendations and new openings. You won’t be hearing any complaints from me though, especially after I added the video of The Great Mischief to my favourites without a moment’s hesitation.

Another restaurant under my favourite Black Hole Group, The Great Mischief is a pastel-hued dreamland studded with subtle gold accents and adorned with cosy arches and terrazzo details. Paired with light rays of sunlight filtering in through massive windows, it’s almost as if you stepped right into a Wes Anderson film.

What I tried

We gave their Dinner Set Menu (S$59++) a shot during our visit, and spoiler alert, it impressed us enough to plan a revisit to try their brunch menu. Their dinner fare is hard to beat, but I’m keeping my expectations high.

They have an impressive variety of starters, though the Dinner Set Menu will allow you to pick four. The plate of Potato Tostones was scraped clean by the time we’d left; the potatoes were baked to golden, soft perfection, and there’s really nothing that’ll go wrong with a loaded mouthful of smoked cheese crema and pimentos to go with it, right? I’ll admit that this starter might get a bit cloying, especially with the dense texture of the cream cheese and starchy potatoes.

I don’t think I know enough English to accurately encapsulate how impressed I am with The Great Mischief’s Stuffed Creamy Pepper. It was lauded as a ‘must-try’ for spicy food lovers, and boy, that label is certainly well-deserved. The togarashi gives it that unrelenting kick of flavour, boosted by the cream cheese filling, and housed in a crispy fried pepper. It packs the biggest of sucker punches—as a spice lover, I’d give this as many awards as Taylor Swift has Grammys.

The spice did get a little overwhelming, which resulted in me substituting the crema in the Potato Tostones with that of the Stuffed Creamy Pepper. I could go on and on about how much I loved this dish, but I’ll keep it short and say that The Great Mischief might have a pastel-themed restaurant interior, but the flavours in their food were nothing short of vibrant techni-colour.

The Great Mischief yielded a perfect score on their starters, in which I had my hopes high for their Mains. Diners are allowed to pick one, though we gave both their Arròz Negro and Wagyu Rump (+S$25) a shot. I would recommend the former if you’ve got a voracious appetite, because this heaping platter is generously laden with squid ink paella and topped with seafood.

When it comes to prawns, I have two conditions—they need to be fresh, and they cannot be overcooked. Long story short, they were awesome. Tender, succulent, and juicy, this dish was a real catch, so much so that I didn’t even complain about having to peel them myself.

 The Wagyu Rump was significantly smaller in portion, but made up for it in tender medium rareness. Thinly sliced into convenient bite-sized pieces and served alongside confit shallot and smoked salt, this one was savoured slowly by the both of us, bit by glorious bit.

I found that the Wagyu Rump tasted the best when enjoyed alone; topping it with smoked salt felt a bit too overwhelming, though The Great Mischief did a pretty flawless job with the confit shallot. As much as the flavours are meant to complement each other, steak purists should definitely dig into the beef as is—smoky, savoury, and so sinful.

We’ve arrived at my favourite part of my meal, that whole day, and my review—dessert.

The last time I got this excited about Churros (+S$10), it was at Disneyland and queuing up for freshly fried churros. Dusted lightly with powdered sugar and served with melted dark chocolate, The Great Mischief has taken a staple and kept it simple with no frills and fuss. The absence of cinnamon was gratefully noted, allowing the slightly bitter, rich chocolate to shine with every bite.

The churro’s crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. They might not slap as hard as Disneyland churros, but for what it’s worth, these are well-made and utterly deserving.

The atmosphere at The Great Mischief is whimsical, lighthearted, and playful. It translated perfectly in their Sunny Side Up (+S$10)—with summery mango served with panna cotta in the shape of two fried eggs in a pan, complete with a runny ‘yolk’.

The slightly piquant flavour was a welcome break from the denseness of the chocolate-coated churros, though I felt like the panna cotta was a little too chewy for my liking. It falls on the opposite end of the spectrum of the churros; if you’re stuffed full from dinner, then this one will wrap up your evening nicely.

Final thoughts

It’s no surprise to anyone that I had a great time at The Great Mischief, just as I do with all of The Black Hole Group’s restaurants. Feast your eyes on the immaculate décor, before you let yourself be carried away by a whimsical feast of bright flavours and mellow vibes. The Stuffed Creamy Peppers were immaculate, and if you order the Arroz Negro, I can promise that you’ll have zero regrets. They both share the award for my top picks that day, and on my next visit, they’ll be my top picks again. 

Expected damage: S$59+ per pax

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