House, Barracks and Camp

For full reviews and pictures of House, please head over to my little scribble site Screaming Gastrogasms (http://eberdz.weebly.com/house-dempsey-hill.html) and for other food scratchings.

Happened to have attended a work-related retreat at House, which has 4 function rooms for rent, and hence had the chance to sample the fare there. I felt the menu there was some potential; the menu items featured interesting Asian root vegetables (think yam, tempeh, sweet potato) featured as fries, and other interesting Asian flavours as well as combinations (think gooseberry-port sauce and peach-cranberry chutney) so that a fusion vibe is created. But based on what I sampled that day, the dishes aren't really coherent; the different ingredients don't come together, as a result, the dish isn't elevated.

I sampled the Moroccan spiced baby half chicken with sauteed fennel, bok choy, taro fries and tomato-berry chutney. Sounds fancy right? However the taro fries are tasteless; no strong yam taste nor any savouriness. Just like little twigs. The chicken is dry, and other things are just....there.

My choice was the Seared red snapper with New Zealand clams, chorizo with cha soba in saffron-parsley broth. The consistency of the fish was good, and the cha soba fun to slurp up with the broth. I could taste the brininess from the clams in the seafoody aftertaste, but sorry, no parsley not saffron flavours.

The strawberry cake was a washout, wet, heavy and tasteless

The truffle fries are what stands out for me. Crispy and redolent with truffle fragrance, they were the best thing I had that day.

 

I visited the place after a friend raved about it. I went in a company of 4.

Ambience - great setting though the accoustic was poor. We could just about hear ourselves as the place echos. But i have been to worse places so this not so bad that we could not carry on a conversation.  I went in the day time and looking out into the greenery did make the place absolutely beautiful on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Food - We ordered from both the brunch and the heavier lunch menu. we had just about 50% satisfaction. I order the free form eggs benedict. The chipolata sausages that came were over cooked and had shrinked. My friend ordered the prawn capellini it was so dry that he could not even mix it and had to ask for some olive oil to pour over it so that the pasta would not be in a clump. The other 2 meals were Beri Ahi (very interesting, a tad bit sweet for me but interesting) and American sliders which came with both truffle fries and taro fries.

Coffee and cakes to end the meal - the bitter chocoloate tart was very nice (chocolate lovers will like it), the pandan jelly sponger was interesting but a little odd for me as it tasted like cold kueh tutu.

I must say the service was trying too hard. We could hard catch the attention of the serving staff attending to our section when we needed her. She was moving from table to table just making sure everyone was ok. She was so busy giving everyone 2 minutes of her time that we didn't really get served but just words of "Is everything ok" and then fastre than a speeding bullet, zip she's gone.

Would I go back again? - probably not when there are so many other new places to visit.

Didn't make a reservation beforehand and therefore when me and my friend reach there at 3pm, the waitress,probably supervisor, informed us that we have to take a seat at the counter first and wait for around 15mins(to see if anyone will call to cancel their bookings). While waiting, a waitress offered us a glass of ice water, which I think it's great as the weather was extremely warm and we had to walk a long way in to find the House. For those who are planning to go for the first time, it's right behind Ben and Jerry's area, you can see a green building and it's located on the first level.

There were two Caucasian ladies waiting for seats too and after 15mins, the staff opened up the little glass room for us, which the supervisor mentioned that they had never done it before hahha. It was great, the glass room was cosy, with pots of plants around us, artificial grass carpets and direct sunlight, great environment for high tea!

And there was the buffet spread, the only point I notice was that the huge tea thermos was a not very easy to handle as you have to pour it out, resulting a puddle of tea on the floor/tables.

Huge varieties of sweet items, every item looked so delicious and delicate. The savoury items were great too, 4 different mini skinny pizzas, 4 types of artisan breads and condiments to go along with. The condiments were so good that I can eat it on it's own. Or perhaps I was too hungry.

Their service was pretty efficient too!

Would like to come back again to try their lunch/dinner menu sometime.

I don't know where to start with. The theme was a 'Vintage Tea Party' and it was just so suitable. There wasn't too many varieties to choose from but the I see an extreme amount of effort put in by the chefs to make every piece of cake so tempting and good! 

There are sweet and savoury items. I recommend everyone to begin with the savoury items before you fill your tummy with sugar and feel too full too quickly. The assorted skinny pizza was a delight. Every piece was generous with the topping and the crust was probably the best i've ever had, super thin and crispy. 

The sweet items were great. Just look at the pictures below and you will wanna be there to grab a piece now! I know that some buffet restaurants will put in alot of sugar and other ingredients to make their customers feel happy. Yes, desserts are suppose to be sweet treats. But House manage to keep their treats at a not too sweet level that we can enjoy and keep going back for seconds (unlike other restaurants where you will push your plate aside after one bite into a sugar field).

It cost only $22 pp + Gst ($23.54). Only available on Thursday and Fridays from 3-5.30pm. Highly recommend. i can't find a better alternative for this price.

For more pictures and complete review of the restaurant, please visit my blog:

http://gourmetfoodsteps.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/vintage-tea-part-at-housedempsey/

My sister got married recently and wanted to hold a small dinner party for her friends. I was the one who recommended Barracks to her because of the good reviews on blogs, but within the first 5 minutes of the dinner party we regretted our choice.

My sister had arranged for a private set menu with Barracks consisting of an appetizer (red pepper and tomato or crab corn), an entree (prawn linguine, red snapper or ribeye steak), an accompaniment (truffle fries), dessert (flourless chocolate cake) and wine. She agreed with Barracks that it would be in a private room.

When we got to the room, there was soft jazz playing in the background, which was a nice surprise because the music was suitable. In the room was a line of tables covered with white cloth, and chairs covered with white chair covers. One of the chair covers had an obvious tear-hole on its legs. There was also a round bar table on which wine glasses were placed and a grubby looking couch.

Two servers were assigned to our private room, both of whom did not seem to have any serving experience and could not understand simple English. We had difficulty communicating with them through the night, and everyone including our guests were frustrated. For example, my sister had informed Barracks that 14 people would be attending the party. At the venue, the table had only been set for 13 people. My sister tried to inform the servers, and it took so long for them to understand that they were short of one.

When I asked a server about the red pepper and tomato soup as to whether it contained wheat or thickeners, the server brought me the Barracks menu and said that the description does not say that there is wheat, so there isn't. I then asked whether the ribeye steak came with potatoes. He replied no, since the description does not include potatoes. Yet when we were served the steak, it came lying on top of a bed of mashed potatoes. I was and still am horrified!! The server didn't know what was being served at Barracks, and if he got the food in the entree wrong, he could have gotten the ingredients of the soup wrong. Did it or did it not contain wheat or thickeners? I am sensitive to these ingredients and guess I shall have to wait to see whether my body breaks out in rash! What if I was a celiac?!

As the guests arrived, the servers began pouring wine into glasses and giving it to them. But they poured wine into more glasses than there were people. Another server started taking orders while we were standing up waiting for some other guests to arrive - ridiculous! And when we were finally seated, the server continued taking orders but got the orders mixed up. That's the point of taking orders when people are seated and not standing up and moving around!

When I ordered a ribeye steak, the server did not ask me how I wanted it done, so I had to initiate that aspect and had to repeat "rare" three times before he understood.

The privately arranged set menu was printed out in black and white on sheets of paper. My sister's friend, who had helped my sister with a bit of design, commented that it should have been in colour because now it just looked like some corporate handout. Also, Barracks had provided my sister with the background on which the menu was to be printed, and I think it was supposed to look like some old paper. But in the black and white in which it was printed, it just looked like the printed was faulty and was spitting out black shapes.

Each sheet was placed on the table at each seat, and the servers placed the soup bowls on top of the sheets without first removing the sheets. My sister asked them to remove it first, and the servers removed it for some people but not others.

Right after the soup was placed at each seat, the servers brought in the truffle fries, which my sister had specified were to be served with the entree and not the appetizer! The servers also appeared with side plates on which there were blobs of ketchup or chilli sauce - the servers did not say. I could not help but be appalled because I thought that the condiments should have been served in a condiment bowl.... I had associated Barracks with "classy" and not "tacky".

When the entrees arrived, my steak came medium-rare, and I heard murmurs around the table about the steak being cooked to a higher degree than ordered. My sister's friend one seat away was annoyed at his steak being rare when he ordered medium, so we swapped.

Throughout the dinner, the servers were pouring wine into people's glasses without first asking whether they wanted more, and they were lax at refilling our water glasses. The servers kept wanting to remove people's plates whether they had finished or not, as if they were in a hurry to clean up, close shop and go home.

As for the dessert, I did not want to eat the cake so I asked a server to pack it for me. That server soon passed me a paper carrier with a box inside. Later on when I opened the box, I was shocked to see a mangled splattered slice of cake within. Only the edges were laid down. A massive chunk in the middle was missing and was set down on top of one of the edges of the cake. The cake was practically in crumbs. That was disgusting. The next morning my mother ate it up before I woke up (otherwise I would have taken a picture of it), and she said that she thought I had eaten part of the cake and left the rest for her because it was disintegrated and it seemed like some cake was gone.

Towards the end of the party when some people had left, and the rest of us were standing beside the table chatting, the servers started cleaning up. They poured all the remaining wine in the glasses into one glass without first asking whether we still wanted our wine! And my sister was annoyed because she had still wanted hers and it was good wine!

To describe the food really quickly, the red pepper and tomato soup seemed pureed and was a bit too sweet for my liking. My sister did not think that the truffle fries were anything special, and that they were not worth $11. The ribeye steak was served with mashed potatoes, a few stalks of broccolini and pieces of artichoke, and tasted average. My sister's husband thought that home-cooked steak from Whole Foods tasted much better. I did not hear any complaints about the linguine or red snapper. Some people thought that the flourless chocolate cake tasted more like carrot cake.

Even if the food was more a hit, that would not remedy the awful service. A wedding party is supposed to be special, and my sister had informed Barracks the purpose of the party, but my sister's party was marred by the absolutely atrocious service. She was angry and feddup through the dinner, and I was furious for her.

I am never returning, and am uncomfortable with even recommending Barracks for an ordinary meal.

High Tea Buffet is highly recommended. The ambience is just like an English high-tea setting. Menu includes tarts, chocolate and brownie cakes, mini pizza, cupcakes, and uniquely-flavored teas. The high tea buffet is only available every Thursday and Friday from 1500-1730hr. It is $22 per person which is very worth it in my opinion.

The sad thing is the restaurant had removed waffle ice cream and chocolate fountain from its buffet menu, which probably explains for the decreased price from the previous $25. 

This is a cheaper version of English high tea buffet at the Goodwood Park, which if you are a fan of, go ahead give it a try, you won't regret the trip :)

Personally i feel that the food at House is pretty normal & not to mention over price, however, the concept of the restaurant is really good. It gives me a laid back feeling & i love such vintage places.. 

From 1st July onwards, House Dempsey is serving what they called the “Vintage Tea Party” every Thursday and Friday afternoons from 3pm – 5.30pm. Surrounded by rich chintz fabrics, elegant wing back chairs and vintage furnishings, the picturesque of House Dempsey provides the ultimate, quintessential vintage afternoon tea experience.

For more photos, please click here.

I haven't got the chance to try the Skinny Pizza but the wide variety of assorted mini skinny pizzas made up for it. The pizza crust was really thin that it cracked and fell into pieces when you hold it. The squid ink pizza appears to be the winner. The pizza came with generous toppings of greens, I enjoyed the squid ink that went well with the super thin crust.

At House Dempsey, you can enjoy a wide range of assorted artisan breads such as ciabatta, raisin, baguette, walnut etc. If you are a cheese lover, don't forget the selection of Brie Cheese, Blue Cheese and Black Pepper Cheese. These delights are all served on vintage style cake stands and platters with decorative cups and flowers.

Meet the Banana Caramel Cake, which is my favourite cake in the high tea menu. It is a sweet-salty creation stacked with pieces of glazed bananas and popcorn, and nicely balanced by salted caramel and coffee soil, what more can I ask?

After a hearty high tea session, ladies can enjoy a express manicure at $10 as the girls from Strip bring you the a series of STRANGEBEAUTIFUL library of colors. It is available from now till end of October, during the High Tea Buffet. PERFECT!

There are many reviews about how great the place looked and the ambience is lovely. And when I was there with my besties, I found them all to be true!! 

We were celebrating my hubs' BDay with a nice brunch and we had: 

1) Cod Fish & Chips - high class fish and chips! The fries were nice and the kiddos ate them by the plates!! They didn't eat much of the fish so the mothers had to finish them. It's quite nice really. 

2) American Slider with Blue Cheese Bacon - birthday boy loved it. I had a bite and it's very savory and yummy. Value for money. 

3) Spinach Egg Skinny Pizza - their skinny pizza is liken to eating pizza topping on a big parpadum. It cracks when you cut and eating it was quite a messy affair! 

4) Mushroom Risotto - the flavours were intense with the mushroom alone but they also laced the rice with this duck sauce on the side. Didn't work out for me as I thought the taste of the mushroom and duck kinda clashed. Maybe it's just me. 

5) Flourless Choc Cake - at the end of the meal, we were already very stuffed and didn't wanna order too much cake. So we all only got a slice and the staff very happily surprised my hubby by singing the 'Happy Birthday' song really loudly!!! It was really sweet of them. 

I would return as the combination of great audience and good food is too good to forget.

for photos and more reviews, head to http://theendangeredsartorialist.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/house-barracks-and-camp/

the thing about establishments at dempsey is that their very surroundings conjures a certain relaxed colonial charm and sense of comfortable luxury. indeed, the whimsical contemporary decor (you had an oversized table placed over the actual dining table) amid the lush surroundings made for a really comfortable and enjoyable lunch location. ambience wise, the location, decor and clientele worked together to create a sense of a expensive, rustic retreat.

service-wise, im satisfied with this place. i've heard of pretty bad reviews from HGW regarding service, but perhaps that was due to the taxing demands of an oversubscribed brunch crowd. the service to us was sufficiently attentive and polite, and not at all intrusive/overly-enthusiastic to clear your plates type. let's get to the food.

truffle fries, $11

the aroma of the truffle oil is indeed inviting, and the oil does wonders to enhance the flavor profile of the shoe-string fries. nice stuff. not too oily, with sufficient flavor from the truffle oil to even pass off as an appetizer without the need for any dips.

squid ink crust pizza, $25

interesting selection that turned out good because of the generous amounts of fresh seafood littered on top of the squid ink crust. to be honest, i didn't really taste much of the squid ink within the crust because the crust was paper thin and crispy but it formed quite a nice carbs base for all the delicious fresh seafood. furthermore, such a pizza felt light and not at all jelak. good stuff.

macadamia crusted pumpkin salad, $16

oh this one's good. the combination of flavors from the sweet pumpkin and macadamia along with the semi-salty/bitter (tbh, what exactly is the taste of veggies??) taste of the greens paired well to give a balanced and refreshing salad dish. the pumpkin was baked just right, not too flaky and dry but with a certain level of crispiness. this is a good, creative dish.

warm banana salted caramel cake, $7

again, a nice combination of flavors from seemingly simple ingredients. i mean, the cake base is a simple sponge cake with coffee accents then infused with salted caramel in the middle, topped with glazed bananas and sprinkled with popcorns. this worked, because the somewhat similar sweet flavors from the glazed bananas to the salted caramel meshed well with the coffee sponge cake base and there was a sense of an evolution of flavor. i think its a worthwhile idea to try and create at one's own home!

i think overall, i really enjoyed barracks cafe also because i was in no hurry, and the glorious day just laid out in front of me. furthermore, with good conversation and such relaxed surroundings, one can hardly find fault with this place. might venture here for brunch one day.