DB Bistro Moderne (Marina Bay Sands)

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I decided to try out db Bistro Moderne after hearing many good things about the restaurant. Arriving at 4 in the afternoon, the restaurant was only 15% filled with diners, probably due to brunch hours. The bistro looks elegant, dressed up in stylish hanging globes across the ceiling.

Since it was brunch hours, the selection comes from the specific menu handed to us. (I tried to ask for dishes that's available in other meal times but was not successful, guess the kitchen was busy preparing for Sat's dinner)

Had Fried Eggs Lyonnaise & Coq Au Vin for mains but special request for a side; Garlic Pommes Frites. To polish off the brunch, I ordered for Madeleines and assorted ice-creams; Cherry Blossom & Honey-Buttermilk sorbet. I opted out from the famous db burger as I read quite mixed reviews from many sources and thought I would skip this for my 1st attempt. Coq Au Vin arrived first and alongside with a bowl of  späetzle. The gravy was the highlight of the dish and you definitely need to drizzle those thickened sauce on the egg noodles to finish up wholly. However, I find the chicken a bit tough that day. It didn't cooked to real tender, a pity.

Fried eggs lyonnaise, on the other hand, fared better than the renowned coq au vin! The duck confit was so well done that it was so soft and delicate (the fact that the duck meat was even tender than coq au vin's chicken drumsticks, makes me felt worst over it) and the caramelized onions add an extra sweetness to the meat. It was not gamey at all! The cubed potatoes embedded underneath the layer of cheese were equally delicious.  

The garlic pommes frites were ordinary and not garlicky. They were unevenly salted as well.

Not to be missed, you must try db's desserts! Warm Madeleines were to die-for! The 20 petit cakes wrapped in linen for warmth, appeared ballooning and lip-smacking....

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To be very very extremely honest, I wasn't blown away by the almighty Original db Burger. Yeah, that one. The one with the sirloin, short rib and foie gras patty.

Is my credibility shot to s***?

Ah whatever. Everyone's entitled to an opinion. I need not rave over this Burger of Burgers just because everybody is, right?

First let me rave about the fries. The fries are perfect. Stayed crispy till the end, even when cooled. Delicately crispy, evenly and well salted, fluffy on the inside. Frytopia.

For the Original db Burger, the patty is huge; like carnivores'-wet-dream huge. The parmesan bun is almost perfunctory; what you are eating is essentially a huge hamburg steak; y'know, minced beef steak-patty. What I didn't like the most was the texture of the short ribs...they were grainy and rather tough. It just made the texture of the patty rather uneven. And I did not feel it increased the beefiness to any extent. Would have been happy with just the minced sirloin and the foie gras.

See my little scribble site Screaming Gastrogasms (www.eberdz.weebly.com) for more commentaries of the food and other food scratchings.

 

Wife and I got a pair of free tickets to watch the Broadway Musical WICKED at Marina Bay Sands last Saturday. Show time was 730pm and we arrived at MBS at 630pm looking for a quick dinner ahead of the show.

We ended up at db Bistro Moderne by celebrity chef Daniel Boulud. With exactly an hour to spare, we opted for the Prix Fixe Menu which is available only from 1730 – 1900hrs. My guess - this must be specially created for the theater-goers.

Service was attentive and the serving pace just nice. The staff knew that we were going for the musical and advised us to just go for the 2-course menu instead of complete 3-course version with dessert. I thought that was very thoughtful of her.

The complimentary bread basket served before the starters was fresh and very delicious. Wife had the Celery Soup and Seafood Risotto while I opted for the Country Duck Terrine and Sauteed Striploin Forestiere.

The cream based soup was refreshingly light and the crunchy roasted apples gave the soup a different dimension. The duck terrine, served with pickles, orleans mustard and toast, was delicious but rather standard.

Good portion for the mains with proportional serving of vegetable, protein and starch. The smoked paprika based risotto was tasty but I realized the seafood weas cooked separately. I personally prefer the rice to be cooked together with the ingredient – the rice will swell and absorb the seafood juice for a complete flavor and texture.

The grilled beef striploin, finished with mushroom and fine beans, was served over top of mashed potatoes. Meat was slightly too cooked for my liking but overall a very good and balanced dish.

For S$58 per person, the 2-course menu comes with a glass of white/red wine or fruit punch. No prizes for guessing our choices.

Considering the location, service and food quality, I personally think that this is good value for money and will definitely be back again. This time, for the famous original DB burger.

Chef and Sommelier

DB Bistro is one of my favorite restaurants in Singapore. I've gone a number of times for both lunch and dinner and never left disappointed--or hungry. 

On my last visit, we had the ASSIETTE LYONNAISE and it was and outstanding plateful of house made charcuterie. We also had the TARTE FLAMBEE, another delicious appetizer.

For our mains, we shared the night's two specials: a whole fish and a kobe steak. Both were excellent.

To close the meal, we had the warm madelines. I wish I could eat those every day. Perfect.

For lunch, try the famous burgers or, for lighter fare, one of the salads.

Click HERE for photos!

We arranged to meet here for Sunday branch and to be honest, this visit came tagged with many high expectations and much excitement.

The plan was to order a few mains and leave some room for dessert so we settled on the FRIED EGGS LYONNAISES $21 which was simply the star of the afternoon. The combination of the duck confit, mushrooms and bite sized potatoes was to die for. For starters, the duck confit was beautifully prepared and well-browned. The meat was moist and not overly salty, it was simply delightful. Potatoes were evenly cut and cooked to perfection that it was neither too hard or soft to the point of becoming mushy. Throw in a fried sunny side-up on the top, you’ve got yourself a winner.

Next to arrive was the TARTE FLAMBÉE $18 which was not actually on the brunch menu but on the dinner menu instead. We found out about this dish because we got curious as to what the person at the next table was having so we asked the waiter who kindly explained to us that it was not a brunch item but if we wanted, they could arrange to have it prepared for us. Gold star for initiative and service.

This modest looking flat bread was hardly eye catching but it was deceivingly oh so good. Bacon, onion and Fromage Blanc (creamy soft cheese) on dough was crisp, soft, salty and sweet all at the same time. The subtlety of the flavours were the perfect marriage and it was hard to believe that something so simple and flat could be so three dimensional in taste.

And of course, one cannot dine at db Bistro Moderne without trying THE ORIGINAL db BURGER $38. Yes we were initially very hesitant about paying $38 for a burger but this is no ordinary burger. The Sirloin patty is stuffed with Braised Short Ribs and Foie Gras served between Parmesan buns. We had the patty done ‘Medium’ and it was tender and delicious. I loved the patty to bread ratio and how the patty retained its juices and texture.

The fries were also perfect- not too oily and not too salty and went well with the trio of dips the bistro readily provided for us upon request.

After that satisfying experience with our mains, we proceeded to ordering our desserts.

We decided on the CLAFOUTIS TOUT CHOCOLAT $15- the classic warm flourless chocolate cake which did not quite flow as readily as the usual lava cake would but nonetheless delightful and somewhat melt-in-your-mouth good. The Vanilla ice-cream and Chocolate sorbet served with the cake was a generous and pretty contribution to the plate but unfortunately the sorbet did not quite match the texture of the cake.

The PROFITEROLES $15 came highly recommended and it did not disappoint one bit. The server poured the hot chocolate sauce for us when the plate reached our table and the round chocolate piece atop the three profiteroles simply melted with the heat of the sauce and formed a beautiful chocolate ‘cap’ over the profiteroles.

We got the ice-cream changed from the original Coffee Rocky to Malted Milk and these profiteroles are possibly the best I have ever tasted. The chocolate sauce was rich and full of cocoa, it did not taste like regular chocolate sauce used by fast food chains with the synthetic aftertaste while the cream puffs held its own against the sweetness of the Malted Milk ice-cream.

This was so amazing we were quite tempted to order a second plate…

Overall, I certainly do not think that db Bistro Moderne is overrated as some believe it to be. Executive Chef Stephane Istel who currently helms the Singapore branch has displayed his passion for his craft through his dishes and it is definitely a delight to enjoy food that is being prepared with such skill and talent. Chef Daniel Boulud need not be worried about this branch if such standards continue to be maintained. I look forward to returning and trying more of their mains and having another round of those delicious Profiteroles.

I feel like DB Bistro might have been a forerunner in the US for dishes like the gourmet burger and the warm chocolate cake, but arriving in Singapore years later, it’s been eclipsed by later imitators. Not that these dishes are bad, but I couldn’t help thinking that I’d tasted better versions elsewhere. And really-the standard of food and service is generally solid, and it’s a great place for a pre-dinner meal, being located just across from the MBS theatre. Would I come back again? Probably not, as I’d be more interested in trying out the other MBS restaurants. But I’d certainly recommend it to people in the area.

Food is good. Service is not bad.

Minus point - You cannot bring yhour own bottle. You HAVE to order their drinks. hehehe

Love the Carpaccio! Love the mixed platter appetiser! Love the steak!

No impression of the service.

Abit pricey but its worh it.

Located in the prestigious Marina Bay Sand, Daniel Boulu's restaurant is classy in the French bistro way; the table's disposition offers a certain intimacy to the customers who can seat down on red leather banquettes. The decoration is polished in the baroque style and the dishes proposed are simple and refined.

I had the Tarte Fine Provencale at $20 as starter and it has a real taste of France. The Provence is an area in France where we can find special aromatic herbs simply called "Provencal herbs". These herbs go well with tomatoes and meat; it is largely put on pizzas and this Tarte Fine Provencale offered exactly what we expect.

Concerning the main course, I had the Homemade Potato Gnochi at $34 at first when I went there. Well, if you want to try honest Italian food, don't go to a French restaurant! My Gnochi were huge and unshaped what was not appetizing. Anyway, to be sure to not make any mistakes, I had the db burger on my second visit and it was completely satisfying. I really had the feeling to eat an authentic freshly made burger and it was a heavy meal.

As a dessert, we shared the Warm Madeleines with our coffee. It was really soft and tasty with a hint of vanilla. Madeleines are small cakes with a shell shape. A woman named Madeleine would have distributed those cakes to pilgrims on their way to St Jacques de Compostelle. She baked these cakes in a scallop, what is the pilgrim's emblem and gave this special shape to the Madeleines. 

The service was faultless, the staff refills your basket of bread as many time as you wish, what is really appreciated in a French restaurant!

To conclude, The Bistro Moderne offers an ambiance that is representative of the traditional French bistro in a refined way.

To read more French restaurant reviews, visit my blog: http://frenchcuisinesingapore.blogspot.com/

Nice ambiance and looks expensive. Makes you wait for no reason with lots of empty tables and tables were not reserved. Had the steak and foie gras. I highly recommend the foie gras.

Pictures/ Full Review Here

The warm and friendly service staff promptly guided us to our tables, while giving some recommendations, as an extensive but extremely delightful bread basket shortly made its way over. I particularly love the rustic decor of the restaurant, as it somewhat reminded me of an upscale American diner fused with a quintessential Parisian charm, showcasing the traditions of Lyon-New York at its very best probably. 

db Bread Basket

The bread selection included sourdough, ciabatta and mini brioche’s which were all extremely delightful. Served warm, along with the herbed butter, the crusty and moist bread was sufficient to satiate our hunger pangs while our orders were being taken. My favorite was definitely the brioche which possessed a rich butter flavor, made decadent by its fluffiness as well. Complimentary Mushroom Choux Pastries were also served, probably as the Amuse Bouche which somehow lacked a distinct mushroom flavor in my opinion.

Country Duck Terrine ($22++)

A generous slab of duck terrine came with some frisee salad that was rather refreshing from the aged balsamic dressing. I had initially hoped the Duck Terrine would have a similar melt in your mouth texture to the chicken liver pate @ Le Bistrot Du Sommelier but the texture of it somewhat reminded me of Spam/Ham. Nonetheless the terrine was rather enjoyable with its distinct meaty flavor complemented by the toasted country bread and pickled gherkins served alongside to give the overall experience some kick.

Traditional Coq Au Vin ($34++)

Basically Coq Au Vin is chicken braised in burgundy wine with mushrooms, onions, garlic and bacon which is essentially a very traditional french way of cooking a red wine chicken stew. The chicken which came in a generous portion of two thigh pieces and one drumstick were braised to perfection as they were fall off the bone tender. The tender and succulent meat possessed a distinct pinot noir flavor, along with the thick hearty gravy that made it extremely tantalizing. The bacon chops and pearl onions were wonderful condiments in the stew. I was rather pleased  to see a serving of spatzle served alongside the Coq au vin in a cast iron pot. The spatzle was cooked perfectly as the pasty was chewy but not overly soggy and complemented excellently by the thick red wine stew.

Seafood Risotto ($36++)

If there was one dish that failed to live up to expectations that night, it would definitely have been the seafood risotto. Cooked upon order, the arborio rice was a little hard for my liking as I felt that it was overall a little undercooked. Other than that, the distinct crustacean flavor the risotto possessed made it rather delightful, along with generous portions of seafood including crystal bay prawns, ocean trout, monk fish, mussels and scallops that were very fresh and cooked properly. The Parmesan foam somewhat failed to make an impression as it was strongly lacking in flavor, where shavings of fresh Parmesan cheese would have probably elevated the dish to another level.

The Original db Burger ($38++)

A sirloin patty filled with braised short ribs and a slab of Foie Gras between Parmesan buns definitely makes the db Burger one hell of a burger. Grilled to perfection, the sirloin patty was overflowing with juices along with the fork tender braised short ribs as I could really make out the natural flavors and quality of the meat used in this burger! The slab of foie gras in the middle had an extremely smooth texture, which overall elevated the flavor and decadence of the patty. All three components certainly made a winning combination for the perfect burger, as the humongous patty somewhat dwarfed the Parmesan buns that were competent. The fries served alongside were alright, as three dips, tangy mustard, ketchup and mayo were made available to go along with it. Overall probably the best burger I have ever had in my life, but the star of the night in my opinion would be the Traditional Coq Au Vin, as this would come in a close second. $38 may seem a little steep for a burger, but rest assured that the original db Burger is definitely worth every penny you pay, especially with the quality of ingredients used!

db Hot Chocolate ($15++)

The generous portions for entrees somewhat left the entire table stuffed, leaving hardly any room for dessert. Initially wanting to sample the Souffle, the service staff recommended the dessert du jour which was essential a deconstructed version of a hot chocolate. Three generous scoops of baileys ice cream were encompassed in chocolate discs along with whipped cream, cocoa powder and hot chocolate that was poured into the bowl table side. It’s hard for a chocolate dessert to go wrong, but also just as easy to be outstanding, where the restaurant certainly delivered a simple but great dessert!

Complimentary Madeline’s 

My mom had casually mentioned that they were celebrating my birthday, but the Matree-d Jason Tan took the initiative to offer a complimentary basket of madeleines that were excellent. Moist on the inside and infused with a distinct apricot flavor, i couldn’t stop popping these small cakes into my mouth. The madeleines were so good to the extent my mom had an additional order for takeaway ($8++) which was pretty worthwhile considering a basket of it could be shared among 5 people easily, making the perfect mignardes to go with some Earl Grey Tea after the meal ($8++)