The Prince @ Tanjong Pagar

They dropped the word “Fat”, but the slimmed down Prince was still delivering great mezzes and Middle Eastern food.

Fat Prince, the trendy Middle Eastern outfit along Peck Seah Street has recently been given a facelift. In its place now stands The Prince, showcasing the finest of Arabian hospitality and warmth.

Step into a space inspired by the enigmatic Arabian Desert. The interiors manage to balance a sense of homeliness along with mystical elements of a desert – think dimmed lights, rustic furniture, sandstone walls and rugs, and of course, Arabesque motifs. Even with the sun shine brightly outside, the interior was quite dark around the bar and entrance area.

Middle Eastern cuisine with a contemporary twist is the focus here, and the food is an homage to the time-honoured concept of ‘karam’ or generosity in Arabic culture. The karam menu is like a degustation menu based on the number of people, with a selection of starters, mains and desserts at the discretion of the chef. We opted for the ala carte dinner menu instead.

Pumpkin walnut baba ganouj, walnut, pomegranate

This was not my impression of a baba ganouj, the aubergine is traditionally baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste. You could not find the eggplant in this version, but the blended pumpkin and eggplant was a great dip for the bread basket came next.

Fire bread basket

The bread basket ($7++) was not free, and you can see why with the very high quality pita (which had the same crispiness as roti prata) and Turkish flatbread baked to soft, fluffy perfection.

Cauliflower, olive, lemon

Beautifully cooked over charcoal grill, lovely combination with the spices, onion and little pieces of pomegranate, the grilled cauliflower was a crowd pleaser.

Baby squid, ras el hanout, cauliflower

Literally translated as “head of shop,” the Arabic phrase ras el hanout really means “top shelf.” This earthy mix of eight spices (plus salt) including cinnamon, cumin, coriander, allspice, black pepper, and ginger; it gave the lightly floured deep fried baby squid the flavours and aromatics. Balanced with pickled cauliflower to cut the greasiness of the deep fried squid.

Cashew Hummus, sukkah, paprika

I couldn’t stop myself from mopping up every last bit of this super creamy hummus with the flatbread—it was that good.

Arabic braided bread, sweet potato dough, fig butter

Called a shoreek, these Arabic braided bread made from a sweet potato dough was the fluffiest sweet potato bread in town. These rolls dotted with sesame are traditionally served for Egyptian Orthodox Easter, but they can be enjoyed anytime of the year.  The shoreek was generously slathered with delectable fig brown butter, offering a delightful fusion of sweet and savoury flavours.

Lamb loin, apricot, chilli

This dish, veiled in simplicity, beckons with an allure that’s both ancient and undiscovered. Despite its bold flavours, the lamb loin skewer was remarkably tender and not gamey at all, a testament to the quality of the meat and the expert skill of the chefs.  But it lacked pizazz and was quite dry if not for the minty dip it came with.

Fattoush salad, baby romaine, pomegranate

Lebanese fattoush salad is a Mediterranean salad made with mint, parsley, chopped lettuce, tomatoes, sumac, pomegranate, and pita chips (not in this one). Refreshing with the main courses that followed.

Baby chicken, rose, harissa, lemon

A sultry spice paste with incredible depth of flavour made with a complex blend of spices and dried rose petals. Rose harissa has a slow burning chilli heart perfect for virtually any dish. The chicken was grilled over charcoal to give it a smokey taste. And the caramelised dressing made it a very good eat.

24 Hour beef cheek, jerusalem artichoke, persian jus

Slow-cooked beef can be very divisive, if you have not done it properly you end up with a piece of leather. This Persian-style beef cheek was done perfectly, the meat was tender and juicy, but not so overcooked that it would disintegrate with the fork. The au jus sauce was a must dip, even though it came with a creamy Jerusalem artichoke mash.

Overall, the chicken was not bad, but the beef was a must order. The lamb was so-so IMHO.

Kunafe, pistachio cream, rose syrup

A traditional kunafe dessert is served as a sweet ending to the meal, presented in a not-so traditional fashion stuffed with pistachio cream and drizzled with rose syrup. This was not on the ala carte menu, and they made a concession by giving up a portion from the karam (their degustation) menu. Kunafe always hit the spot for me and this was a very well executed kunafe.

A number of things stand out in the Fat Prince. The friendly service. Modern takes on classics such as tabbouleh (using quinoa instead of bulgur). Tastefully charming decor. The lovely variety of the coffee & tea menu. All these seemed to be no more.

The waitress that was serving our table was so adamant that we dined in the dark at the front of the shop when the main dining hall was not full. I had to get the manager to move me inside to have a proper meal. We were the first table for the Sunday dinner service, and we seemed to have caught them off guard. The drinks menu is now heavy with cocktails, and the selection of tea and coffee is gone. The food had to remain this good for us to return.

The Prince Modern Arabic Dining
48 Peck Seah St, Singapore 079317
Tel : +65 3129 7547

Visited Apr 2024