Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar

Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar
200 Middle Road

https://www.hotelgsingapore.com/dining/ginett

La Côte De Boeuf Bone-In Prime Rib (SGD $120)

Good French Restaurant With Extensive Wine List

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $50 per person.

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Opening its doors in February 2017, Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar is a contemporary French restaurant and wine bar, located at the ground floor of Hotel G Singapore along Middle Road. Helmed by the acclaimed Chef Sylvain Royer, Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar offers delicious gourmet dishes in a chic, comfortable setting, with wallet-friendly wines to match.

Ambience at Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar is modern chic. The intimately lit, high ceiling restaurant is comfortably spaced with modern furnishings in a variety of styles. Choose from high communal tables, swanky mirrored booths, cozy casual seating, or a view over the sleek marble-topped bar. Floor to ceiling faux greenery and artwork adorn the walls, while the raised mezzanine area and private rooms allow for functions. The most eye-catching feature is the multitude of wine glasses hung over the bar counter, gleaming in the light.

Service at Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar is good, but could be better. Staff are polite and welcoming, but the open concept means guests can wander in without being spotted. I like that they clear away empty / dirty plates after each course, and perform quick turn over for tables when diners depart. They politely acceded to requests, even difficult or unusual ones. However, their product knowledge could be improved, they only have brief knowledge on dishes. Particularly glaring is wine-pairing knowledge, they seem unsure which wines would pair well with dishes, but I suppose this would improve soon.

Food at Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar is classic French plates, with a small focus on rotisserie / grilled dishes and desserts. Fresh, wholesome ingredients feature here, and dishes are rustic and hearty, crafted so that clean flavours shine through. Generally delicious, however, execution still seems inconsistent at this point, perhaps because they just opened. Portions are large and filling. Prices are surprisingly affordable and reasonable, budget about SGD $50 per person for a full meal with a few glasses of wine here.

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Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar Signage

Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar Counter

Seating

Seating

Seating

Seating

Seating

Seating

Menu Appetizers & Mains

Menu Desserts & Drinks

Menu Wine

Forecast: Wine

Retro Video Camera

Artwork

Faux Greenery

The Wine Château Martinat Côtes De Bourg 2012 (SGD $55) is a red wine, produced by the Château Martinat winery in the Bordeaux area of Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. It's made from a blend of 60% Merlot grapes, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and 20% Malbec grapes. It has a deep purple black colour, with aromas of blackcurrants, cherries, tobacco, and eucalyptus. A medium body that is smooth, rounded, juicy, succulent, with tastes of liquorice, chocolate, raspberries, and blackberries. Fine, velvety tannins, with a long, elegant finish that carries a hint of minerals. Really good!

Wine Château Martinat Côtes De Bourg 2012 (SGD $55)

Wine Château Martinat Côtes De Bourg 2012

Felt the Bread Baguette ($Complimentary) was below average. While I liked the crisp crust, the bread was served cold, and the airy, doughy texture feels dry. Would be better if it was more firm and crusty, and served warm.

Bread Baguette ($Complimentary)

The Pâté En Croûte (SGD $19) is a luxurious appetizer, a blend of French black pork and foie gras in a crisp, flaky puff pastry, studded with pistachio nuts. Served chilled, the clean-tasting, sweet savoury pork, and creamy earthy foie gras, contrast well with the crunchy texture of the pistachios. Taste wasn't as intensely flavourful as I expected though, being rather delicate instead. Decent.

Pâté En Croûte (SGD $19)

Pâté En Croûte

The La Joue De Boeuf (SGD $32) is an example of inconsistent execution. The tender slices of meaty wagyu beef cheek, braised for 12 hours, is plated with tender juicy, earthy sauteed wild button mushrooms, and served with creamy smooth, sweet Mashed Potatoes / Pomme Purée on the side. While the ingredients were great, the meat sauce it's served in wasn't... on a visit, it was well-balanced and savoury salty, very nice. But on another visit, it was overly salty and too intense, making the overall dish difficult to eat.

La Joue De Boeuf (SGD $32)

La Joue De Boeuf

Mashed Potatoes / Pomme Purée

The Le Coquelet De Ferme Rôti Aux Herbes De Provence (SGD $34) features a whole baby chicken, roasted with Provençal herbs, and served with a creamy smooth, earthy Truffle Mashed Potatoes / La Truffe Pomme Purée on the side. The chicken is carved tableside right in front of you, an interesting experience. I like that the chicken meat is tender, sweet savoury, with a light moist texture through most of it, only getting slightly dry near the breast meat. The skin is wonderfully tasty, slightly crisp with a light salty savoury flavour. Good!

Le Coquelet De Ferme Rôti Aux Herbes De Provence (SGD $34)

Le Coquelet De Ferme Rôti Aux Herbes De Provence

Le Coquelet De Ferme Rôti Aux Herbes De Provence

Truffle Mashed Potatoes / La Truffe Pomme Purée

Carving

The La Quenelle De Brochet Gratinée (SGD $28) is a rustic French countryside dish that is rather uncommon here. A creamy smooth, poached pike fish dumpling is wrapped with egg, served over an grainy wild button mushroom and chardonnay gratinée sauce. The light spongy texture has a nice chew, with a delicate flavour of the fish and cream, contrasted by the earthy notes of the sauce. A light sprinkling of toasted breadcrumbs lends a crunchy contrast for texture. Overall, a well thought-out and executed dish. Highly recommended!

La Quenelle De Brochet Gratinée (SGD $28)

La Quenelle De Brochet Gratinée

La Quenelle De Brochet Gratinée

The Kurobuta Pork Chop (SGD $32) arrived with a fragrant smoky aroma, looking so beautiful in the light. Cutting in, we realised the texture is a little too firm and dry, though the good amount of fats helped lend moisture to the sweet savoury meat. The side of Ratatouille has bright, fresh notes from the tomatoes, onions, zucchini, button mushrooms, and bell pepper / capsicum, with a bold sweet savoury vegetal flavour. While some of us felt the stew was just right, with soft but not mushy texture, others felt the vegetables should have been more firm. Personally, I liked it. The Potato Wedges were lovely as well, thick and solid with good flavour.

Kurobuta Pork Chop (SGD $32)

Kurobuta Pork Chop

Kurobuta Pork Chop

Ratatouille

Potato Wedges

The highlight of our meal was the La Côte De Boeuf Bone-In Prime Rib (SGD $120), a large, 1kg slab of tender, moist beef prime rib, carved from the bone. Nicely grilled till medium rare, meaty with a nice chew to texture. The light sprinkling of crystal rock salt lends bursts of delicious savoury salty flavour. The side of Mushroom Fricassée, featuring tender earthy straw mushrooms and juicy cherry tomatoes, pairs well with the beef. Of the trio of Sauces - Pepper, Béarnaise, Blue Cheese, my favourite was the blue cheese, with its sharp pungent flavour.

La Côte De Boeuf Bone-In Prime Rib (SGD $120)

La Côte De Boeuf Bone-In Prime Rib

La Côte De Boeuf Bone-In Prime Rib

Sliced Beef Prime Rib, Salt Crystals

Mushroom Fricassée

Sauces - Pepper, Béarnaise, Blue Cheese

Loved the Crème Brûlée (SGD $8), done classic, straightforward French style. Wobbly soft, creamy rich custard, sweet with infused Madagascar vanilla, topped with a light, crisp caramelised crust. Cracks beautifully when pressed. Pure comfort dessert. Good!

Crème Brûlée (SGD $8)

Crème Brûlée

The Mille-Feuille (SGD $13) threw us off, as it was simultaneously good and bad at the same time. The bad; the puff pastry crust was too thick, and tasted like it had been exposed to air for too long, as it was limp in texture. The good; the floral sweet Madagascar vanilla cream was rich and tasty, with a light, airy texture that is heavenly. Needs to improve on the texture of the pastry, then it'll be a fantastic dessert.

Mille-Feuille (SGD $13)

Mille-Feuille

The best dessert we tried here was the Profiteroles (SGD $13). The choux pastry shells are properly chewy in texture, with a light bread sweetness. The rich vanilla ice cream is nicely sweet, with a light airy texture. Finished with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, this tasty dessert was utterly delightful. Highly recommended!

Profiteroles (SGD $13)

Profiteroles

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Update Aug-2018: Returned to Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar after more than 1 year, for a wine night with friends. Am glad to say the ambience, service, and food quality remain consistent, with little improvement, but also no lowering of their standards. However, prices have increased slightly, by about SGD $2 - $5 or so per dish. Enjoyed the dining experience here on this repeat visit, the highlight would be the engaging and knowledgeable staff who is also the resident cheese expert, quite amusing talking with him; as well as being able to sample new wines.

Menu Food

Menu Wine List

Menu Seasonal Showcase Aug-2018

The Wine Domaine De La Seigneurie Des Tourelles Saumur Blanc 2014 (SGD $40) is a white wine, made from 100% Chenin Blanc grapes, by the Joseph Verdier winery in Saumur commune, Maine-Et-Loire department, Pays De La Loire region, France. It has a bright, attractive, golden yellow colour, with aromas of grapefruit, pear, grass, and quince. The body is medium full bodied, smooth, and voluptuous, with tastes of green apple, lime, chalk, and honeydew melon. Has a zesty, fresh, fruity sweet flavour, with a lively acidity, light minerality, and a dry finish.

Wine Domaine De La Seigneurie Des Tourelles Saumur Blanc 2014 (SGD $40)

The Wine Domaine Des Hautes Troglodytes Saumur Champigny 2016 (SGD $40) is a red wine, made from 100% Cabernet Franc grapes, by the Hautes Troglodytes winery in Saumur commune, Maine-Et-Loire department, Pays De La Loire region, France. It has a deep, pleasing, ruby purple colour, with aromas of blackcurrant, cherry, cinnamon, and redcurrant. The body is medium light bodied, smooth, and clean, with tastes of plum, blackberry, pepper, and cranberry. Has a sweet bitter herbal spicy smoky flavour, with light acidity, firm tannins, and a dry finish.

Wine Domaine Des Hautes Troglodytes Saumur Champigny 2016 (SGD $40)

The Bread Baguette & Parisian Butter ($Complimentary) is now served at room temperature, though I still would prefer it served warm.

Bread Baguette & Parisian Butter ($Complimentary)

Bread Baguette

Parisian Butter

We enjoyed the G-Board (SGD $33), having requested that Chef pick 3 cold cuts and 3 cheeses that would pair well with a white wine. We had the soft brillat savarin cheese with prosciutto / parma ham, cauliflower, and walnuts, which has a bold salty milky nutty flavour. The hard livarot cheese with chorizo sausage, pickled gherkins, and honey, has a delicate floral sweet savoury sour spicy flavour. And the semi-soft camembert cheese with mortadella, pickled carrot, and apricot, has a layered fruity sweet savoury sour nutty milky flavour. Good!

G-Board (SGD $33)

G-Board - Brillat Savarin, Prosciutto, Cauliflower, Walnuts

G-Board - Livarot, Chorizo, Pickled Gherkins, Honey

G-Board - Camembert, Mortadella, Pickled Carrot, Apricots

The Burgundy Snails (SGD $19) feature these shell-in snails, with a bouncy chewy texture, coated in a fragrant, earthy herbal sweet garlic and parsley butter sauce, served with a slice of toasted bread baguette on the side. Delicious morsels, quite addictive. Highly recommended!

Burgundy Snails (SGD $19)

They seem to have corrected the issue with the La Joue De Boeuf (SGD $35) from my last visit, the flavour profiles are more balanced now. This still makes it a straightforward, unremarkable tasting dish, not memorable at all. Price of this has also increased slightly. The Mashed Potatoes / Pomme Purée served on the side is still as good as before, with a creamy smooth texture and rich potato flavour.

La Joue De Boeuf (SGD $35)

Mashed Potatoes / Pomme Purée

La Joue De Boeuf

The Roasted Bresse Chicken With Black Truffle (SGD $42) was our favourite dish of this visit. The roasted French chicken breast is tender and juicy, the natural sweet savoury flavour complementing the rich, savoury salty chicken au jus, stewed plum, and red wine gravy. The crispy skin is beautiful. By contrast, the roasted French chicken thigh lollipop is more delicate in flavour, allowing you to appreciate the natural flavours of the chicken itself. Served with soft boiled, crunchy ratte potato medallions, earthy black truffle butter which is so luxurious, black truffle shavings, a single fruity sweet stewed plum, and a juicy savoury salty tender chicken meat ball coated in a crisp, crumb batter. Good value for money, medium large portion size is filling for an individual, though we decided to share this. Highly recommended!

Roasted Bresse Chicken With Black Truffle (SGD $42)

Roasted Bresse Chicken With Black Truffle

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Update Feb-2019: Returned to Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar to catch up with an old friend, and hear her pour out her heart. It was a good bonding conversation, and I hope in some small way, that my words reached her.

Had the usual Bread Baguette & Parisian Butter ($Complimentary) served at the beginning of our meal.

Bread Baguette & Parisian Butter ($Complimentary)

The Wine Domaine Raimbault Sancerre 2016 (SGD $12) is a white wine, made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes, by the Domaine Raimbault-Pineau winery in Sury-En-Vaux commune, Cher department, Centre-Val De Loire / Centre-Loire Valley region, France. It has a delicate, pale, yellow green colour, with aromas of pear, nettle, grass, and pebble. The body is light, fresh, and sharp, with tastes of green apple, gooseberry, lemon, and limestone. Has a fruity sweet zesty sour flavour, with a bracing acidity, light minerality, and a short finish.

Wine Domaine Raimbault Sancerre 2016 (SGD $12)

The Wine Chateau Canteloup Medoc 2014 (SGD $12) is a red wine, made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and 50% Cabernet Franc grapes, by the Château Canteloup winery in Fours commune, Nièvre department, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, France. It has a medium, shimmering, velvet ruby colour, with aromas of blackcurrant, cherry, tobacco, and oak. The body is pronounced, smoky, and clean, with tastes of plum, vanilla, pepper, and liquorice. Has a fruity sweet spicy smoky flavour, with light acidity, light tannins, and a quick finish.

Wine Chateau Canteloup Medoc 2014 (SGD $12)

The Kurobuta Pork Chop (SGD $34) has risen slightly in price since I last had it. Chose a Mashed Potatoes / Pomme Purée for the side dish, this is still creamy smooth in texture, but less sweet and more savoury cheesy than before. The Kurobuta Pork Chop is better executed this time, and was delicious. The sprig of thyme lent a herbal freshness to the savoury salty smoky flavour of the kurobuta pork chop, and the tender, juicy, succulent texture is an improvement over my prior experience. I got black pepper sauce to pair with this, but found it too watery and delicate for my liking. Luckily, the pork chop is tasty enough on its own.