Word on the street is that everyone’s favourite French brasserie has swapped the confits and crèmes brûlées for Southern American spices and savoury Indian staples. So Honeycombers HQ hot-footed it down to Meat Smith @ Cocotte to find out what this wild new concept is all about
Southern American cuisine with an Indian flair. Don’t worry, we thought it was a typo, too. But this surprisingly harmonious fusion is the genius collaboration of two of Singapore’s biggest culinary players: Cocotte (previously a funky French brasserie) and Meat Smith, a modern Southern American-style smokehouse.
Led by Head Chef Andrew Baldus of Meat Smith SG together with Dave Pynt, Consultant Head Chef of the legendary Burnt Ends, Meat Smith @ Cocotte is a three month pop-up restaurant where Southern American barbecued bites are breaking all the rules with added Indian flair. Think baskets of oh-so crunchy Onion Bhajis served with a pot of house-smoked yoghurt to dunk (so finger-licking delicious, we’re never eating plain-old natural yogurt again) and good old fashioned Pork Ribs that are big, tender and impossibly juicy, but with a subtle madras spice that’s been barbecued through the meat.
And “subtle” is the key word here, because no dish is served with the signature powerful flavours of these two contrasting cuisines. Instead, the flavours been balanced and adjusted to taste. The Crab and Uni Biriyani is the perfect example – there’s no heavily-spiced rice in sight, instead, just a few delicate sprinkles of wispy puffed rice, resting atop a velvety mound of sea urchin slivers and a perfectly poached quail’s egg that bursts into a bright orange lava-like yolk at the touch of a spoon.
And just to totally flip our ideas of Indian food and Southern American staples on their head, the pièce de résistance is the Tandoori Chicken and Cauliflower Pilaf. Served whole, cooked until slightly crispy, and stuffed with rice-like crumbles of lightly barbecued cauliflower – this is a fusion unlike any we’ve feasted on before, and we have to admit, we really, really like it.
The Meat Smith @ Cocotte pop-up is only going to be around for three months, so make sure you head on down before it’s over. And spend the time to speak with the bartender, general manager or chef about what’s on your plate and in your highball, because there are unspoken tips and tricks being used here that we can’t get enough of, like chargrilled lime chunks in the G&Ts for an extra Southern American kick.
Bon appetit, or as they say in Hindi, बॉन एपेतीत!
Meat Smith @ Cocotte, Wanderlust Hotel, No. 2 Dickson Road, Singapore 209494. p. 6298 1188 Open daily 7am-11pm.