British food, to me, is synonymous with pub grub, where the usual outlets that serve them are pubs.
It also reminds me of old thick carpets smell of spilled beers, wet rainy days in the UK, football games, and beers. In Asia, it’s a kind of a “holiday food”, that it’s something to eat when you aren’t counting calories, certainly not a cuisine that makes it into a mid-week dinner cookbook.
Vinyl covers of tunes you can expect to hear in Carnaby [Photo: Kim Choong]
I occasionally ache for fish and chips, just so that I can have the “fat chips” with salt and vinegar, sometimes the crunchy batter, but never the fish. When I had a piece of Beer Battered Fish & Chips (S$36), a golden brown craggy fritter served in the newly open Carnaby, the fish became the top item instead.
The batter is a thick but crunchy dough deep fried in tallow that gives a rich yet crispy texture as a result of IPA and vodka. It’s said that the beer’s carbonation contributes to the crispiness and lower evaporation point of the spirit creates a drier batter. It’s the locally-sourced red snapper from Pulau Ubin delivered to the restaurant daily that makes a difference. It is meatier and chunkier, leaving little space between the flash and the batter.
From top left: The Bridgerton ($24), Carnaby Burger, and Chicken Liver Parfait
From bottom left: Fish & Chips, Twiggy ($24), inspired by its namesake 60s fashion supermodel, and Ox Tomato Salad [Photos: Kim Choong]
Carnaby keeps up with food sustainability practices. We were given the leftover fish head and tail from the fish and chips to try. It’s baked to the right toastiness on the topside with flesh remains juicy underneath, generously coated with homemade watermelon hot sauce butter (that is not hot so don’t worry). If you like fish eye balls, a delicacy, you could see the freshness through them! The dish will hopefully make its way into the menu soon because this is the star of the show for me.
Other than the fish and chips, Chicken Liver Parfait (S$19) incorporates alcohol as well, which makes its entrance through the scent from the truffle oil. The creamy pâté infused with port and brandy rich oakiness, is served on sourdough bread spread with caramelised onion jam, is balanced with the tang of pickled red shallots.
The Ox Tomato Salad (S$21) is the most intriguing. The large marinated Italian tomatoes, loveage and shallots are topped with 18-month aged Rockstar cave cheddar from Welsh slate mines, a cheese that melts in your mouth.
Behind these dishes is the team led by Chef Adam Penney, a Dubliner who grew up in London and has been making burgers for many years. Naturally, one must try Chef Penney’s Carnaby Burger (S$36), a signature on the menu with a secret sauce. The juicy (slightly red) patty is a blend of barley-fed Aussie Chuk and British Longhorn Rip Cab, sandwiched between Wookey Hole Cheddar and homemade watermelon relish, drizzled with house ketchup and served with a side of coleslaw.
Chef Adam Penney posing next to a photo of himself as a baby [Photo: Kim Choong]
Another dish deserving a mention is the Steak & Guinness Pie (S$35) which uses beef tendons, adapting to the Asian love for its texture and collagen, among chunks of Aussie Chuck, simmered in the Irish stout (and cinnamon among other spices) encased in flaky pastry.
When it comes to desserts, classic British options are rare but Carnaby offers a few and does them well. Satisfying my berry craving is Eton Is A Mess (S$18), a layered ice cream with strawberries and jam, whipped cream and orange custard, topped with meringue and tequila. There’s also the “Allo Treacle” Tart (S$16) with caramel sauce for the love of sticky citrus pudding, Trifle IPA Curd & Jelly (S$19) with amaretto-soaked fingers that holds up the raspberry compote, hoppy punk IPA jelly and dark chocolate and a local take on Sticky Toffee Date Pudding (S$16) that uses Gula Melaka and coconut.
Named after the Carnaby Street in London, the Robertson Quay-side British diner’s take on an elevated British classic cuisine is a reflection of the contemporary and diverse culture landscape in Britain. Complemented by a laudable playlist of classic and top of the chart pops, rocks, dance and tunes that get you sing along, makes one feel truly immersed in a British vibe, enhanced by the Singapore’s better weather.
Carnaby is the latest addition to food truck innovators and burger upstarts The Goodburger. It took over the previously Three Buns at 60 Robertson Quay, #01-01, 238252 Singapore.
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