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| Quentin's | 139 Ceylon Rd, Level 1 Eurasian Heritage Gallery, Singapore 429744 ☏ 9008 3804 ⏰ 11:30 am - 2:30 pm | 5:30pm - 9:30 pm (Mon off) |
I had long wanted to visit the renowned Quentin's Eurasian restaurant again, so when Milton organised a meet up here, I was eager to join. It's a good chance to get reacquainted with a unique cuisine - a historic culinary fusion of Asia meets Europe here in the Malay archipelago.
Owner-chef Quentin Pereira is popularly known as "The Skinny Chef" for obvious reasons 🤭
Chef learned the art of Eurasian cooking from his grandparents and parents. At Quentin's, we are enjoying the Pereira family's heirloom recipes.
Quentin's has been anchored here at the Eurasian Heritage Gallery at Ceylon Road since 2007 but will be relocating as its lease is ending this year (2025).
Quentin's has a nostalgic vibe of the 1980s when I was just starting out in life. This indoor "al fresco" section has live band performances on Friday and Saturday evenings (check Quentin's Facebook for schedule).
The air con section is dubbed Eddie's Place in honour of E.W. Barker, Singapore's first law minister, who was a "patron and very dear friend".
Fish crackers with two types of sambal while waiting for all the guests to arrive.
Meaty Cutlets.
Corned beef and potatoes flavoured with parsley, cilantro, and fried dried onion, hand formed into balls which were fried to a well browned crisp outside.
The tender meaty inside was beefy and full of flavour from the aromatics.
Ambilla kacang (beef with long beans).
Chunks of tender beef and lots of soft crunchy long beans stewed in a curry of herbs, spices and tamarind.
Fried aubergines.
Soft pulpy fleshy fried halved eggplants served with herbs, spices and aromatics in a spicy sweet curry sauce.
Prawn Bostador (green chili sambal prawns).
Succulent shelled prawns in a thick rich curry of creamy coconut milk and luscious onion flavoured with herbs, mild spices, and green chili.
Bostador means "slap" in Kristang (Portuguese creole) but don't worry. The spicy heat is actually mild in this curry.
It's Milton's birthday, so we had Serani Birthday Mee served with sambal and acar nanas.
Homely familiar taste of warm soft yellow noodles, moist eggy, savoury sweet flavours. I like it for its homely simplicity actually, though others found the flavours quite mild and a little flat - I didn't notice pork belly, squid, taucheo (fermented soy bean).
Chatting, drinking, eating, having a great time, I forgot to taste this acar nanas 🙇 It looks delicious though. Need to go back to Quentin for this 😄
Finally, the legendary Curry Debal. Debal is Portuguese creole for "leftovers" as this dish is made on Boxing Day with Christmas dinner leftovers. As the curry was very spicy for some folks, debal became "devil" alluding to its fiery taste, hence this dish is often referred to as Devil's Curry.
Quentin's rendition is based on chef's grandmother's recipe. Chicken, chicken cocktail sausages, cabbage and potatoes in a thick creamy curry of chili, onion, mustard seed, and spices. Spicy hot but well within comfort zone for most local folks.
Feng curry.
Diced pork, liver and heart stewed in stock and spices such as coriander and cumin.
Ikan Chuan Chuan (fried barramundi). Filleted sea bass marinated in herbs and spices, seared till the outside is crisped, served with sweet sour spicy sauce dressed with ginger, onion and chili pepper.
Pang Susie (spongy fluffy sweet potato meat bun).
Sugee cake for dessert.
One of my favourite cakes made with semolina, almond chips, eggs, butter and brandy - all of my favourite things. I love the cake's nutty texture and taste plus butteriness. The not too sweet cake is capped with icing.
We had a good time! Learned about Eurasian cuisine which is a unique part of Singapore food culture and history which deserve our continued support so that the precious heritage can thrive into the future.
Restaurant name: Quentin's the Eurasian Restaurant
Address: 139 Ceylon Rd, Level 1 Eurasian Heritage Gallery, Singapore 429744
Nearest MRT: 15 minute walk from Marine Parade station
Tel: 9008 3804
Hours: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm | 5:30pm - 9:30 pm (Mon off)
Written by Tony Boey on 6 May 2025
The dishes look very tasty and the owner, Quentin, looks like a very kind and compassionate person.
ReplyDeleteeurasian food looks v heavy ! not for daily eating yah ?
ReplyDeleteI can smellllll the flavours! They look so good 🥹🥹🥹
ReplyDelete