Quentins

I was recently treated to dinner by my aunt at a lovely little romantic place called Quentins in Katong near the junction of Telok Kurau Road and East Coast Road (note to early bird readers: I've corrected the location as a reader very helpfully pointed out my directions would lead you sadly astray). It's a unique little place because it serves Eurasian cuisine which in Singapore means it's a mix of British cooking with an Eastern flavour using many local ingredients, such as green chilli sambal prawns, and a bunch of rather more local dishes such as Chilli Kang Kong.

The dish I had that night that really stood out was the Beef Smore. The meat had a strong distinct and complex flavour which was delicious. It would be loved by meat lovers in general and those who like stews. The gravy was wonderfully flavoured and went nicely with the white rice.

What also charmed me about the place was that it was done up with nice touches such as old black and white photographs from the 1950s and 1960s of scenes typical of Eurasian life: a Eurasian wedding with the couple in the classic pose of the era; a shot of a bunch of altar boys in church preparing the incense burner; another picture of scenes of Katong of the time. It created a small window into the past that would definitely appeal to all the Eurasians and anyone who'd grown up in Katong in a slightly earlier time.

The rest of the restaurant had attentive little touches: darker wood furniture coupled with candles on the table and good linen and service staff who were helpful and unobstrusive. All in all a good dining experience which I would recommend as a mid-priced restaurant with food that you would only otherwise get if you were asked to dinner in a traditional Eurasian family.