Brussels Sprouts - Closed
80 Mohamed Sultan Road
#01-12 The Pier @ Robertson Quay
902 East Coast Parkway
Block F #01-27 Big Splash
31 Ocean Way
#01-01 Quayside Isle
http://brusselssprouts.com.sg/
Classic Belgian Cuisine & So Many Beers
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 7
Value for Money: 6
Spent about SGD $42 per person.
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Celebrity chef Emmanuel Stroobant first opened Brussels Sprouts in December 2006, a casual, relaxing, and chic bistro bar serving the cuisine of Belgium. With an extensive menu of Belgian classic dishes, and over 180 different Belgian beers, Brussels Sprouts has grown in popularity over the last 9 years, expanding to 3 outlets across Singapore.
Ambience at Brussels Sprouts differs depending on location. The Robertson location offers a chill, relaxing vibe admist the nightlife, the Big Splash location is the most family friendly with views of the beach, while the Quayside Isle location has scenic views of the tranquil marina. I personally prefer the Quayside Isle outlet for its scenic views. Prevalent colours themes of black and yellow abound, with warm diffused lightings in all locations. Furniture ranges from the standard sit-down dinner sort, to the high bar benches, functional but not too comfortable for lingering meals.
Service at Brussels Sprouts is polite, efficient, but somewhat cold. Staff are quick to seat you and take orders, and are knowledgable enough to make recommendations, especially for selection of drinks from their extensive menu. Orders are also served quickly during peak periods, usually within 15 minutes. Staff are also quick at turning over empty / dirty tables, however, sauces are self-service. I think the service lacks the personal, friendly touches, the feel is rather hurried and mechanical in nature, with little engagement.
Food at Brussels Sprouts is largely Belgian cuisine, with a focus on seafood. The majority of dishes are directly inspired by dishes you'll commonly find in Belgium, which is heavily influenced by French, German, and Dutch cuisine. Generally, I find their seafood to be fresh, and I like the large portions it's served in, most dishes are suitable for sharing. Prices are slightly high, as befits fresh seafood and imported craft beers, budget about SGD $42 per person for a 2 course meal with drinks here.
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They actually hired a Balloon Guy to entertain the children on Sunday morning! But I'm not sure if he's around all Sunday / weekend, or just here for this 1 time only.
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| Balloon Guy |
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| Shell Bucket & Water Glass |
Lambic beer is traditionally associated with the Pajottenland region of Belgium, and fruit lambics are amongst the most popular. The fruit lambic beer produced by the Lindemans brand tends to be more fruity in taste, with a less sour note as compared to other fruit lambic beers. The Beer Lindemans Framboise (SGD $12) has a floral aroma, with a delicate taste of raspberries that is sparkling and clean. The Beer Lindemans Pecheresse (SGD $12) has a refreshing aroma, with lively taste of fresh peaches that is sparkling, crisp, and balanced. The reddish amber coloured Beer Hoegaarden Rosee (SGD $10) has a sweet fruity taste of raspberry, very refreshing with little bitterness, great summer ale, though I prefer the standard Beer Hoegaarden over this. The Beer La Trappe Tripel Trappist (SGD $18) has a full, rich flavour, slight malt and wheat aroma, and a light and dry aftertaste with a touch of bitterness. This unique Belgian brew is still brewed from a traditional recipe in the abby by monks. The Beer Leffe Brune (SGD $13.50) is a deep brown Belgian ale with a full, sweet, and fruity aroma, taste of caramel, coffee, and malt, with a light sourness.
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| Beer Lindemans Framboise |
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| Beer Lindemans Pecheresse |
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| Beer Hoegaarden Rosee |
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| Beer La Trappe Tripel Trappist |
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| Beer Leffe Brune |
The Stoemp Aux Carottes (SGD $6.50), which is essentially a dish of chunky mashed potatoes and carrots, is a classic Belgian side dish. This sturdy, uncomplicated dish is a speciality of Brussels, often served during winter, alongside pork chops or pork sausages. The version of Stoemp Aux Carottes here retains the signature chunky texture of the mashed potatoes and mashed carrots, garnished with thyme. Very tasty, I detect the signature creamy taste of butter, which I suspect was melted over the dish. Hearty and comforting, pretty good side dish!
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| Stoemp Aux Carottes |
Mussels steamed with onions and celery, and served with fries, is considered to be the national dish of Belgium. The Mussels Moules Vin Blanc (SGD $20) here features small but meaty mussels, in a clear sauce of onions, parsley, celery, leeks, white wine, and butter. Love how light and fragrant the sauce is, allowing the natural taste of the mussels to shine.
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| Mussels Moules Vin Blanc 01 |
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| Mussels Moules Vin Blanc 02 |
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| Mussels Moules Vin Blanc 03 |
Clams steamed with ham and mushrooms is a dish derived from Spain. The Clams Palourdes Jambon-Champignon (SGD $20) here features small but meaty clams, in a reddish-brown sauce of air-dried ham, fresh button mushrooms, parsley, veal stock, and butter. Love the salty, savoury taste of the sauce, which is nicely balanced, and imparts a smoky, meaty aroma to the clams.
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| Clams Palourdes Jambon-Champignon 01 |
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| Clams Palourdes Jambon-Champignon 02 |
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| Clams Palourdes Jambon-Champignon 03 |
Waterzooi is a traditional Belgian stew / soup with a cream base, usually made with fish or chicken, and a variety of vegetables. The Waterzooi A La Gantoise (SGD $38) here pays homage to its origins from the town of Ghent, in the region of East Flanders, Belgium, with its name, which means "Boiled Stew From Ghent". The portion is large, more than enough for one person, and sufficient for 2 people to share. I like the variety of fresh seafood and vegetables within the stew / soup, including mussels, clams, prawns, grey shrimp, carrots, potatoes, leeks, pearl onions, snow peas, and 2 whole fillets of salmon and cod (each). Served alongside crisp toast, the cream base stew / soup isn't too thick, and I feel it lacks a little seasoning, but allows the natural taste of the fresh seafood and fish to shine. Overall a pretty good dish, and worth ordering for those undecided, as this is the closest dish to a sampler platter here!
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| Waterzooi A La Gantoise 01 |
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| Waterzooi A La Gantoise 02 |
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| Waterzooi A La Gantoise 03 |
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| Waterzooi A La Gantoise 04 |
The Fries Frites Et Sauces here are complimentary free-flow with every order of mussels / clams. The fries are wide, flat, and thick cut, and as befits Belgian tradition, eaten with mayonnaise and ketchup.
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| Fries Frites Et Sauces |
The Clam Chowder (SGD $14) here is supposed to be good, because they're a seafood place after all. And while I like the generous portions of chunks of diced carrots, celery, potatoes, bacon, and shelled clams, in a thick, savoury cream soup / broth, the taste leaves a rather bitter aftertaste in the mouth. Order this only if you prefer quantity over quality.
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| Clam Chowder 01 |
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| Clam Chowder 02 |
The Bisque De La Mer Du Nord (SGD $16) is essentially a lobster bisque / shrimp bisque, and it's very good! The smooth, thick, creamy soup / broth is filled with good crustacean / lobster flavour, with a small amount of grey shrimp as garnish. Served with a side of emmental cheese, I find it enhances the taste if you dunk the cheese into the hot soup / broth, causing the cheese to melt in and flavour the bisque. Very good!
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| Bisque De La Mer Du Nord 01 |
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| Bisque De La Mer Du Nord 02 |
The Gauffre (SGD $12), correctly spelled as 'Gaufre', is the short name for 'Gaufres De Bruxelles', or Belgian Waffle / Brussels Waffle. Traditionally, it's prepared with an egg white leavened batter, or an ale yeast leavened batter, and are very light, crisp, and rectangular in shape, with large pockets. As a dessert, it's served topped with whipped cream, strawberries, castor sugar, or ice cream. The version here has it served with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, then covered in chantilly cream, and studded with strawberries. While the toppings are great, the waffle itself is dry, and not that tasty. Personally, I think it doesn't do justice to the 'Gaufres De Bruxelles' name. I would not order this again.
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| Gauffre |
Croquettes are a classic Belgian side dish / appetizer, but rather than the potato filled varieties in other countries, croquettes in Belgium are stuffed with either cheese, or grey shrimp. The version of Croquettes Au Parmesan (SGD $12) here are an appetizer with crisp outer shells filled with parmesan cheese, breaded, then fried and served on a tangy tomato coulis with fresh garden salad. The result is croquettes with semi-large pastry shell air pockets, but a gooey, creamy, stringy cheese center.
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| Croquettes Au Parmesan 01 |
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| Croquettes Au Parmesan 02 |
The Toast Aux Crevettes Grises (SGD $20), or grey shrimp mayonnaise on toast, features grey shrimp, cognac cocktail sauce, and "toast". More like bread really, the toast isn't crisp. I love the overall flavour, which is refreshing, but this appetizer is somewhat poor value for money. Skip this.
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| Toast Aux Crevettes Grises 01 |
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| Toast Aux Crevettes Grises 02 |
Rollmops are a common snack / appetizer in Belgium, consisting of a pickled herring fish fillet, rolled into a cylinder shape, and stuffed with a savoury / sour ingredient, such as onions, pickled gherkins, or pickled olives with pimento. The Rollmops (SGD $14) here are served as a salad, surrounded by the greenery of a typical garden salad, and are themselves a slight variation on the traditional. The pickled herring fish fillets are meaty and firm, not mushy and not stinky. But they're stuffed with a pickled beetroot instead. I like this version though, because the beetroot lends some juice and colour. There's also a base of a savoury cream sauce with onions, great for combining with each mouthful.
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| Rollmops 01 |
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| Rollmops 02 |
 Reserve a table now @ Brussels Sprouts - The Pier @ Robertson Quay |
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CONVERSATION