As if we needed another excuse to visit sustainable food hero Open Farm Community. Right now, until 3 December, this lush little restaurant and urban farm in Dempsey is getting the Paris Popup treatment with a divine menu that shows just how exciting local ingredients can be.
For three weeks, the OFC kitchen will enjoy a takeover by the Paris Popup dream team: chef Harry Cummins, sommelier Laura Vidal (who met while working at Frenchie restaurant in Paris) and mastermind Julia Mitton. The three travel the world, guest starring at restaurants and creating tasting menus that let local produce shine – high five to OFC founder Cynthia Chua for bringing them over to SG to do their thing for us.
For Kampong French at OFC, Paris Popup dreamed up a spectacular spread of 12 tasting dishes: it’s a playful menu (surprise: frog legs!) that’s at once comforting and unexpected, with ingredients you know and love mingling with lesser-known local botanicals, grown and harvested by urban faming experts Edible Garden City.
Standouts include the wing beans in a sesame sauce, aubergine with xo sauce, the flat bread with chai poh, potatoes and spring onion, bbq spring chicken in tamarind chili paste, big head green mussels with nuoc cham (pictured up top) and a mud crab tagliolini with bisque that’s do die for. Wash it all down with natural wines handpicked by Laura Vidal from France, Spain and Australia. It’s all part of OFC’s evolution– the restaurant is committing to a wine list of 100% natural vinos. Vidal’s pairings are incredibly clean, leaning towards a mineral character for the whites – perfect for the spread, and perhaps too drinkable if you know what I mean.
Trust us, we tried the entire offering with matching wines and this is one amazing experience you don’t want to miss. Squeeze Kampong French into your schedule before the Christmas craziness kicks in, and leave room for dessert.
OFC will be serving an all-day dining menu and “feed me” menu available for lunch and dinner seven days a week for Kampong French. For reservations, email [email protected] or call 6471 0306.
Open Farm Community, 130E Minden Road, Singapore 248819
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