RedDot Brewhouse

RedDot Brewhouse
25A Dempsey Road

33 Boat Quay

http://www.reddotbrewhouse.com.sg/

Moo-sician (SGD $33)

Quirky Craft Beers, Average Modern Western Casual Dining

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 6
Value for Money: 5
Spent about SGD $58 per person.

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The 1st independent craft beer brewey in Singapore, RedDot Brewhouse was founded by brewmaster Ernest Ng Kah Hoe in November 2007. Situated in the historic Dempsey area, with a 2nd outlet in Boat Quay which opened in June 2010, RedDot Brewhouse is famed for their range of unfiltered, unpasteurised, flavourful premium craft beers. The idea for the brand was birthed while the owner-brewmaster was on a safari holiday at Kruger National Park, in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, where he was gifted home brewed beer.

Ambience at RedDot Brewhouse benefits from the lush greenery and colonial architecture, which lends a tranquil, elegant sophistication to the place. The largely open area is dimly and warmly lit, spaced with simple wooden and plastic furniture. Minimal shelter is provided by large table umbrellas, though wet weather can still be a pain here. Still, when it's cool and dry at night, the place is lovely, more so when the live band starts playing! The open grill where the chefs prepare your food is eye-catching, particularly when flames leap up.

Service at RedDot Brewhouse is polite, though it's hard to attract the attention of staff. It's all too possible to wander in without anyone greeting you at the entrance, due to the open concept. Staff are quick to take orders, and can provide basic descriptions of dishes, as well as accomodate special requests. Orders are fulfilled relatively quickly, even during peak periods. I like that staff check on your dining experience, and they're efficient at clearing away empty / dirty tables. The service is largely inconsistent here though, at times uninspired and confused.

Food at RedDot Brewhouse is meant to be paired with their craft beers, and feature a mix of Western / Modern European cuisines, including American, French, British, German, and Italian. Dishes are hearty but only average in taste at best, and I personally feel most of their dishes are underwhelming. Portion sizes are generally suitable for individuals. Prices are high, as befits a bistro / gastrobar, budget about SGD $58 per person for a meal with drinks here. The speciality here is their flavourful premium craft beers, served unfiltered, unpasteurised, and specially brewed to suit the warm climate.

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RedDot Brewhouse Signage

RedDot Brewhouse Exterior

RedDot Brewhouse Interior

Seating Outdoors

Seating Indoors

Seating Event

Decor

Table Light

Menu Craft Beer

Live Band Stage

Grill Man

Event Table Setting

Event Table Setting

The Beer Czech Pilsner (SGD $6.50 / $9 / $12) has a brilliantly clear straw golden colour, with aromas of grain, apple, and hay. Body is clean, crisp, and soft, with medium carbonation and tastes of bread, malt, and lemon citrus. Finish is short and smooth, with a low bitterness. Decent beverage, not as rich as a traditional Czech brew.

Beer Czech Pilsner (SGD $6.50 / $9 / $12)

Beer Czech Pilsner

The Beer Monster Green Lager (SGD $6.50 / $9 / $12) is a unique brew infused with spirulina, and has a brilliantly clear sparkling green colour, with aromas of fruit jello / jelly, pear, and malt. Body is light, thin, and clean, with low carbonation yet feels fizzy. Tastes of wheat, grass, and mint, slight herbal touch. Finish is smooth, but dry and metallic. I personally found this off-putting in taste.

Beer Monster Green Lager (SGD $6.50 / $9 / $12)

Beer Monster Green Lager

The Beer Lime Wheat (SGD $6.50 / $9 / $12) has a murky hazy straw golden colour, with aromas of banana, lemon, and hay. Body is fizzy, crisp, and thin, with low carbonation and tastes of wheat, marshmallow, and zesty lime. Finish is tart and artificial, with a low bitterness. Low level beginner's brew, may appeal to the masses.

Beer Lime Wheat (SGD $6.50 / $9 / $12)

Beer Lime Wheat

The Beer Kölsch (SGD $6.50 / $9 / $12) has a clear bright honey golden colour, with aromas of malt, cinnamon, and hay. Body is fizzy, soft, and smooth, with medium carbonation and a thick foam head, tastes of cereal, apples, and caramel. Finish is short and dry, with little bitterness. Very drinkable and chewy, but not as deep or intense as a traditional Cologne brew.

Beer Kölsch (SGD $6.50 / $9 / $12)

Beer Kölsch

The Beer Saison (SGD $6.50 / $9 / $12) is a seasonal brew, only available during the months of June and July every year. The Belgian style ale has a hazy red amber colour, with aromas of tangerines, strawberries, and elderflowers. Body is fizzy, smooth, and spicy, with light carbonation and tastes of cloves, pepper, orange zest, and straw. Finish is short and dry, with a slight fruity sweetness. Quite pleasant, will appeal to most.

Beer Saison (SGD $6.50 / $9 / $12)

Beer Saison

While staff were serving the Spicy Zing Wing & Drumlets (SGD $13), I realised they had spilled some of the chili sauce, but didn't do anything about it. The chicken drumlets and winglets resemble those frozen, pre-packaged versions you get in the supermarket, just deep-fried. At least the skin is crisp, and the meat comes off the bone easily, though it tastes like the factory processed version, rather underwhelming overall. The only good thing was the thick, spicy chili dipping sauce, slightly sweet with a decent amount of heat.

Spicy Zing Wing & Drumlets (SGD $13)

Spicy Zing Wing & Drumlets

Spicy Zing Wing & Drumlets

Loved the Bouillabaisse (SGD $28) here. Their take on the classic French fish stew features a hearty, home made tomato stew broth that has a floral sweet flavour. Filled with fresh chunks of meaty escolar fish, plump mussels in the shell, bouncy squid rings, sweet scallops, and fresh deshelled shrimp / prawns. Served with 2 slices of crisp, fragrant herb garlic baguette bread, which is just perfect for dunking into the tomato stew. An above average rendition of a bouillabaisse. Highly recommended!

Bouillabaisse (SGD $28)

Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse

The BBQ Pork Ribs (SGD $27) was disappointing. The pork ribs was firm, dry, and tough to cut from the bone. Lacking the low and slow cooking technique, the meat tastes gamey, and only the exterior, basted with barbecue sauce, was any good. The medley of grilled vegetables was nice (zucchini, carrot, bell peppers / capsicum, eggplant / aubergine, potatoes), having a smoky juicy flavour. The best thing about this dish was the tangy sweet barbecue / BBQ sauce served on the side, which at least made the terrible pork ribs more palatable. Wish I had more sauce though, I ran out of it before I finished, so I decided to stop eating. Not worth the money at all.

BBQ Pork Ribs (SGD $27)

BBQ Pork Ribs

BBQ Pork Ribs

The Moo-sician (SGD $33) features a 250g beef ribeye steak, marinated in salty savoury Japanese yakiniku soy sauce, and grilled perfectly. Served with a medley of grilled vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers / capsicum, eggplant / aubergine, potatoes), the beef is tender, moist, and yields easily when cut. Has good flavour, and closely resembles the American presentation style, where the meat bears criss-cross grill marks. However, the beef seems rather aged, not completely fresh, though the bold savoury salty taste of the sauce masks it. While the execution is flawless, I personally expected to have a better quality cut of meat, that is fresher, for the price I'm paying.

Moo-sician (SGD $33)

Moo-sician

Moo-sician

The Sticky Toffee Pudding (SGD $15) here resembles the classic British dessert in name, but is not as good. While the caramel sponge cake is moist and soft, studded with earthy sweet dates, it was let down by the weak toffee sauce, which isn't as sweet, thick, or warm as it should be. The vanilla ice cream and oreo cookie crumble on the side are decent though.