Tablescape @ City Hall

Princess and I had the sudden urge to eat pork chops – nice thick cut of pork loin grilled on open fire for that Milliard effect, yet juicy when you bite into them. After a long search, we settled on Tablescape.

The hotel restaurant Tablescape has not been on our radar as the hotel was under the impression that it was always renovating 😉 Helmed by Executive Chef Armando Aristarco with joined them since 2019 after the latest renovation, it started serving familiar flavours with a presentation that will transport you back to an unhurried era, with old-school push trolleys. Then came Covid, the whole presentation has been reinvented and more casual.

Born in Naples, Italy, Chef Armando found his passion for cooking as a child in his mother’s kitchen, then later at the age of 14 beside his father, a chef with a luxury cruise company. He has worked extensively in respected kitchens throughout Italy, including Restaurant Vun at Park Hyatt Milan under Chef Andrea Aprea; Primavera, Trattoria Moderna at The Ritz Carlton, Bahrain under Chef Oliver Glowig. In 2015 Chef Armando arrived in Singapore as Chef de Cuisine at LaBrezza at the St. Regis.  And today, Armando brings his past experiences in craft, dedication, and leadership to his role as Executive Chef at Tablescape.

Artisanal Bread

Onion bread, brioche, mini baguette and multi-grain bread with fresh house churned butter

The four types of artisanal bread came warm, fluffy and absolutely delicious. They hit the spot especially with the fresh house churned butter. Princess especially loved the onion bread. We could have made an entire meal with the bread. They were so good that they were confident enough to charge you for an additional serving.

Botanic Garden

Seasonal Vegetables (Raw and Cooked), Fruits, Herbs and Flowers

Very pretty presentation that you would find in fine dining, the Botanic Garden came with boiled and roasted vegetables like zucchini and eggplant, coupled with raw vegetables like beetroot and salad. The waiter explained the sequence of eating this – as is, with the special dressing and with a sip of the Lapsang Souchong tea. Yes, the flowers were not just decorative and were edible.

Served with Lapsang Souchong Tea and Secret Dressing

Lapsang Souchong is a Black Tea from China 正山小種 famous for it’s super smoky aroma and flavour. This tea has been dried over cedar wood fires and that is what gives it it’s intense smokey flavour. It is a popular tea today, but is definitely an acquired taste. The vegetables gained that smoky flavour that I really liked, and Princess really heated. Yes, Lapsang Souchong is an acquired taste.

Octopus Salad 

Mediterranean Octopus, Potato, Celery and Black Olives

The octopus has been smoked in the Josper and was abs fab. Soft and not chewy, with the Millard effect on the tentacles. Served with a tangy sauce with chopped olives and finely sliced potato and celery.

Gnocchi

Potato Dumpling, Mussels, Broccoli and Wasabi

Princess thought it was like ravioli, but the sauce made with mussels and broccoli made up her disappointment. The dash based sauce was spiced up with black pepper and wasabi and thickens with a fine creamy foam.

Josper Grill Iberico Pork

Iberico Pork Rack, Capsicum, Cappers and Parsley

A Josper is an elegant combination of a grill and oven that brings out the best flavour and texture of the meat and fish.

The pork chop was what we wanted – Princess and I had been talking about a proper pork chop and that how we found Tablescape. This was proper loin cut on the bone, well smoked in the Josper. It could be a bit more juicy or with slightly more sauce, I believed it has been rested for a bit too long.

Edamame Beans with Bacon

This was the only dish we didn’t like, the bacon was apple-smoked I believe and did not go well with the edamame.

Afterwards

Set to be City Hall’s latest dining destination, Tablescape is located on level 3 of the hotel. Guests can expect a contemporary, upscale restaurant and bar serving modern European classics which I would called fine dining, but the restaurant was part of a corridor. But for the price I paid for the meal, I could live with it.

Service was very good, and the food was Michelin-quality, even though they were not given the accolade. The current menu was priced to be affordable for all. I urged everyone to quickly come and try, it would not be long before they will get that mention, and the price would become crazy.

Tablescape Restaurant & Bar
10 Coleman St, Level 3, Singapore 179809
Tel : 6432 5566

Date Visited : Mar 2021