Portico (Prime) Dempsey: Returns Strongly With Brand New Menu, New Team & New Direction

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Portico (Prime) Dempsey...

Gone were the days when people have to fork out huge amount of money to dine at Prime Society, a very expensive fine dining restaurant. Portico Prime has now occupied the space that once belonged to Prime Society and is much more affordable than anyone could have imagined. Under the new management team, Portico Prime has recently revamped their menu, adding new dishes into the list. Also, they have re-adjusted their price so that it will be less taxing on their guests.

Located in a hidden corner at Dempsey, Portico Prime is a boutique home-grown F&B that serves modern European cuisine at a really affordable price. All the dishes have gone through long hours of experimentation by the chefs and are carefully-curated so as to leave a lasting impression on the guests. Not only will you remember their food, their top-notch service is also one of the reason why they have a huge pool of regulars. So, if you haven’t tried the food at Portico Prime yet, you should head there soon because I promised that you will be stoked by their brand new menu. It’s definitely worth the travel!

In frame, the mains from Portico Prime, featuring the Portico Signature Burger, Roasted Chicken Leg & Baked Cod Fish.

Roma Tomato Salad // $18

Jamon serrano slices, pued quinoa, marinated Hijiki seaweed and melon dressing

I am always amazed by how the chef can create such a spectacular dish just by using something so simple, which in this case – tomatoes. I have a love-hate relationship with tomatoes, and it always fall under the two extreme spectrum (either I like it or I hate it). It really has to depend on the taste and texture of the tomatoes. I hate raw, soggy and sour tomatoes. These are a no-go for me. I was particularly in-awe when I pop one of the tomatoes into my mouth. It was very sweet and rich! The texture of the tomatoes were really good – not too crunchy or soggy. It goes very well with the Jamon serrano slices and the scattered quinoa further adds a refreshing and crunchy element into the entire salad.

Seared Hokkaido Scallop // $24

Cos lettuce, sous vide 63 degree egg, dehydrated bacon, brown anchovy mayo, freshly shaved Percorino cheese

They are very generous in the amount of scallops they served. The scallops are relatively big and very sweet. I really liked the texture of the scallop when I chew it in my mouth. They are not very grainy and it was very flavourful. I could taste the spices used to marinate the scallops.

Japan Kagoshima A5 Sirloin // $98

No wonder it is so expensive! My expectation for Japan grade steak is very high. Ok, I’m a bit spoilt after trying all the expensive beef in Japan. But using expensive or high-grade beef doesn’t really mean it will turn out good, it ultimately depends on how the chef uses it. The process is really very important. First, the beef wasn’t too overpowering (I don’t know if you get what I mean but I hate it when the beef flavour is too strong). It was very aromatic, especially the flavour. The beef wasn’t too meaty or fatty – the proportion was just nice. The sauce was a good complement for the beef but I still prefer eating the beef on its own. I was really impressed with the quality of the beef. Every inch of it was well-taken care of.

Live Scotland Blue-Lipped Mussels (Limited Portion) // $18

Fresh mussels stirred in cont garlic, white wine and Italian parsley

Don’t say I never warn you! Order this before it is sold out. The sauce or broth was the one that caught my attention. It was refreshing and rich. The white wine wasn’t as strong as what I thought it was going to be. It was relatively subtle and it retains the freshness of the mussels even after swallowing it. The mussels were chewy and sweet. It also has a very familiar Chinese taste which I still can’t seem to figure out but it was good.

Pan-Seared Foie Gras // $28

Light seared to crisp juicy foie gras side with caramelised banana, beetroot puree and mixed berries

I was and am never a fan of Foie Gras because the Foie Gras that I’ve come across are too strong for my liking. In short, there’s this undescribed raw-ness which I never liked. The Foie Gras here was not too bad. It wasn’t very strong and I could still take it. The chef used a type of herb (Chef’s secret) to neutralise the raw-ness of the Foie Gras. It was not as jelat as what I have expected.

Chilled Truffle-Scented Angel Hair Pasta // $30

Avruga cavair, kawa ebi shrimps, dehydrated konbu shio

This was hands down my favourite dish at Portico Prime. The truffle smell was strong and alluring. My saliva was legit forming when the truffle smell hits my nose. The pasta was freaking good, cold and addictive. Trust me, once you start, you can’t stop! And it’s so beautiful. I’m giving a full marks for this!

Baked Cod Fish // $38

Cauliower puree, hazelnut macha crust and yuzu foam

This cod fish is a measurement of how fine a chef is, how he cares about every single details of the fish. The cod fish was flavourful, not too oily and has a good texture. The hazelnut matcha crust was the bomb. Bitter and crunchy which enhances the entire cod fish. All in all, a very carefully-curated dish worth trying!

Portico's Signature Burger // $32

Grilled beef patty, sunny side up, gruyere cheese, onion marmalade served with shoestrings fries

The burger was not too bad, relatively big but not intimidating. I loved the brioche bun which was buttered just nicely. It was also crispy after grilling it. The beef patty wasn’t that bad, it was tender and juicy. The fries were good as well.

Roasted Chicken leg // $30

Roasted chicken jus, chilli navy beans, purple cabbage and carrot slaw

The chicken was well-marinated and aromatic. It was tender and juicy. The purple cabbage and carrot slaw was amazing. It was sweet, refreshing and tasty.

Pollenation Seasonal Honey & Thyme Creme Brulee // $12

Coconut kisses, fresh grapefruit, cranberry and walnut biscotti

The caramelised layer of the crème brulee was so delicious. Crispy and soft, that definitely perks me up after a long day of work. The additional toppings on the crème brulee brings out the whole flavour. I’m happy now!

Strawberry, Lychee & Cream // $12

Vanilla chantilly cream, elderower compressed watermelon, strawberry compote, vanilla sugared crisp and lychee sorbet

Served in an ice bowl, my favourite sorbet has to be the lychee flavoured one. It was light, refreshing and sweet. All the sorbet are made in-house.

Deconstructed Black Forest // $18

Max Felchin 70% dark chocolate mousse, edible hazelnut soil, cherry coulis and caramel ice cream

This was the highlight of the day! Not only was it very Instagram-worthy, it was delightful to the tastebuds. I could taste the different ingredients used to create a black forest. It was more concentrated and the flavour was strong.

It’s hard to find a restaurant with high ceiling in Singapore nowadays. The interior of Portico is grand, rustic and gives off a very comfortable vibe. The prices are now very affordable as compared to the past.

Nearest Mrt Station: Holland Village

Location: 10 Dempsey Road #01-20

What To Order: Angel Hair Pasta, Scallops, Sirloin and Deconstructed Black Forest

Restaurant Ratings: 4.5/5

Food Ratings: 8.5/10

Written by: Yong Wei Kai (Follow me on Instagram @yongweikai or @sgcafehopping)

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