Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt
OCF is actually the name of Sir Stamford's (lesser known) first wife. For the folks who don't live in Singapore or have no idea about history of this city-state, read more about Sir Stamford Raffles here. :)
If the weather is nice, do opt for a nice short stroll before dinner. I guarantee you pretty good night views hurhur.
In all honesty, I don't think it's an easy place to find.. One of the key factors was probably a lack of proper signage besides the one in the photo above that directs you before a turn towards The Arts House. The restaurant actually sits on the second floor of the Annex Building so do continue walking until you see Barbershop by Timbre Group. And tada, you got the right building :)
Go into the building and black carpet leads the way up to the restaurant. You will know it's a pretty exclusive place once you reach the end of the staircase - a lady in black flowing cheongsum will ask for your reservation (if any) and lead you to your table.
The OCF is pretty small so it feels very intimate. It will probably sit around 50 people. My table was the ONLY occupied table that night (minus a couple who joined us at around 9 plus pm) so it really felt like we booked the entire restaurant. I'm not sure is it because of lesser patrons to take care of that night, but the service staff were really attentive and patient in explaining the menu. They change their menu every 3 months to cater to seasonal changes so don't expect to see the same things all the time.
I'm clearly not a frequent patron of fine dining because the first thing I asked was which main course had the most carbohydrates. Hahaha. And so Paella it was ;)
This was the pre-starter dish courtesy of the chef. I cannot remember the name but I remembered it tasted a little like flower petals (in a good way).
Starter: Scallops that was grilled to perfection. I love how the exterior was a little crisp but yet so tender and fresh on the inside. The sauce was good, except that it was a little salty.
My carbo loaded main dish. The seafood servings were generous (better be given it's price) but similarly it was a little on the salty side.
Midway through our food, the jazz singer appeared :) She was really good!
Then came the dessert: Sweet corn souffle and popcorn ice cream. I gotta say I was very surprised how good it is. Especially for the souffle. This is the only dessert the requires 30 min of preparation so do order in advance.
We ended the session with a hot cup of coffee and additional desserts courtesy of the Chef. The white/yellow rectangular slices were mango mousse (so smooth!). There was also dark chocolate crunch which was coated in white chocolate. I have no idea what's the red jelly like thing but it tasted really sweet with a slight chilli aftertaste. We were supposed to guess it but we didn't get them right. If anyone knows the answer, do tell me! Hahaha.
Overall, I think OCF gives a good dining experience. I guess mainly because there were few diners when we were there and it felt really private. The dishes were done well (besides being slightly salty) and thoroughly explained. The only gripe I have is the price tag. The total bill was around $150 per head and we didn't even order any alcohol! Madness.
Btw, the receipt came in a little envelope and I honestly thought it was so cute (yes that's why I took it home)
Will I go back again? Maybe. But it will definitely only be for very special occasions :)
Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt
The Arts House
1 Old Parliament Lane
#02-02
Singapore 179429
Tel: +65 6333 9312
Website: http://ocf-singapore.com/
Lunch: 12 to 2.30pm
Dinner: 6 to 10.30pm
Restaurant is opened Mondays to Saturdays, closed for Saturday lunch and Sundays.
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