There’s no doubting Poppi’s chic factor. A favorite haunt among tai-tais and trendy professionals, this restaurant on top of the hill at Fort Canning is the place to be for a quick lunch or a quiet dinner, although we prefer the latter. The menu, created by the team of Christopher Millar and Mark Richards, is mostly Australian-inspired and is adventurous with its flavors. While there are no set menus here, it’s the quality of its individual meals that make this place a star. The starter of warm tiger prawn and crab salad with oyster mushroom and crispy red wine pork belly is one of the main draws here. Effort has been obviously put into the dish, which is a cacophony of tastes featuring fresh vegetables and seafood, and a dash of bacon simmered in red wine, and a substantial portion to boot. Our mains of lobster and grilled scallop with cappelini pasta, chili, shallots and tempura zucchini flower and crispy confit of magret duck with a gratin of celeriac, apple, potato, and truffle jus, were also highly commendable. The latter, in particular, was superb for its tender duck meat and yummy truffle jus that complemented the dish perfectly. This is a great place to hang out for a fun tete-a-tete with close friends or, simply, to have a great meal.
