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2014-03-13
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"John Stockton dishes out a pitch perfect long pass to Malone, and Malone takes it down the lane, BOOOOM and finishes with a huge TOMAHAWK!" Forgive me for not having any tasteful British flair, but honestly, that was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard the name Stockton. Those who grew up during the Jordan era will understand me. However, to clarify, Stockton Bar and Restaurant was nothing like a vulgar sports bar, at all. In fact, it was quite the gentlemanly gastrobar, more accu
The entrance of the venue was quite a sly one, tucked away in an alley at the edge of Wyndham street (Are alleyways the new marketing strategy for Maximal Concepts following the success of Brickhouse?). Excuse the quality of my photo, but the shades and darkness all add to the mystique. If you manage to find the alleyway, walk to the end and then up the stairs, you will not be greeted by a large banner or signboard; rather, you will be face-to-face with a closed door and a keypad. Just as the James Bond in you attempts to conjure up a password for the door, a tall slim lady with a gracious smile walks out as if expecting your arrival all this time and guides you into this secretive lounge.
Under the candle lights and dim brass lights, you can observe the old English furnishing of the interior - with darkwood furniture, brick walls and Chesterfield sofas, reminiscent of the age where men wore top hats and preferred scotch over beer. Oh and of course, what better to add some flair to the place than some animal specimens and deer mantles.
As worthy as it was describing the decor and atmosphere, let's get to the meat of this review (no pun intended). Our first two starters were Country Terrine ($120) and Cracked Mud Crab ($180). The Country Terrine was served with piccalilli. The piccalli was comparable to a chilled minestrone soup, which offered a lovely refreshing contrast to the meaty, nutty flavour of the terrine. The mud crab was paired with charred avocado and came with leaves to wrap it in. Although I didn't noticed how the avocado was charred, the texture went smoothly with the crab meat, contributing to the creamy body of texture with the crab meat.
It's always fascinating how brilliant ideas can magically transform the simplest ingredient into a decadence. The Scotch Egg ($80) was wrapped around a meaty outer-layer which was further held by a crispy outershell. But the genius was in the creamy, butter, spicy sauce, which tied all the ingredients together into a meal on its own.
There is no better way to clear your palate with some intricately designed cocktails. The Ribston Apple ($130) was smooth, almost like a juice. Apple served a good base flavour with the rum in addition to tanginess from grapes and finished with cinnamon overtones. Brass Monkey ($150), I was told by the waitress, was similar to a whiskey sour. And indeed it seemed like the same drink, which was not entirely a bad thing.
The drinks menu, bound by leather and written intricately (with stories behind their cocktails) was definitely a lot more comprehensive than the food menu, which is something I will be back to explore, whether in moderation or (most likely) not.
The epitome of English food - Fish and Chips ($260), was served with pickled tartare sauce and thick cut fries. The dish was well executed: fries were crispy on the edges and flaky inside; the soda batter worked well on the Rock Cod, which had firmer meat than usual sole fillet. It was good, undeniable, but I do not think the price tag can justify something as common as this. As a final note, I have yet to try their signature dish - Ultimate Whole Lobster Salad, and I will definitely re-visit as I feel that I have not fully experienced all the details on offer here.
::||Good For||::
Those with a taste for the tipple or those gentlemen and ladies with a tongue for some Victorian dedadence.
Other Info. :
Smoking is allowed after 11pm
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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