March 02, 2017

PORTA @ Park Hotel Clarke Quay ~ Delicious Food At Affordable Prices! The PORTA Burger and Iberican Pork Secreto Are Must-Trys!



A hotel's anchor restaurant is usually about buffets to cater to the greater mass, but the trend seems to be heading towards a different direction now.

One such instance is PORTA Fine Food & Import Company located on the ground level of Park Hotel Clarke Quay which opened in January this year. The casual restaurant do serves buffet breakfast in the morning to accommodate hotel guests, but come 11am onwards, it presents a concise ala-carte menu that focus on quality, modern European cuisine.

Some standout dishes that we tried during our recent visit left us feeling rather impressed.


Some of you might remember Brizo, the now-defunct buffet place where PORTA currently is.

After a rather extensive overhaul, the restaurant space has been completely transformed. It is now divided into a main dining hall, cove seating area, coffee corner and private room.

I like the alfresco area with customized rattan sofas. So lovely in a laidback way.

There is also a retail area where you can pick up some gourmet products that are used in PORTA's dishes if you want to recreate the experience at home.


With a new concept and new look, PORTA receives its new chef as well.

Helming the kitchen is Executive Chef Michael Suyanto who has 12 years of culinary experience including international luxury 5-stars hotels, and the Les Amis group where he led the team in Bistro du Vin.

Keeping to his goal of establishing PORTA as the go-to place when anyones thinks of good quality and tasty food at affordable prices, his dishes feature premium ingredients such as Iberian pork shoulders, Spanish octopus, and Japanese Momotaro tomatoes which are prized for its sweetness.

Appetizers starts from $12 and mains are priced between $22 and $34. Set Lunch is only at $18 for 2-course and $22 for 3-course. This is one of the most reasonably-priced set lunch options around!


Chilled Angel Hair is one item that is exclusively available as part of the set lunch.

The pasta dish with avruga caviar, Japanese kombu seaweed and truffle oil held no surprise as a combination but was nevertheless refreshing as a start to the meal for some. I wished for it to be less tangy in taste and have a firmer bite though.

Read: BEST ANGEL HAIR PASTA In Singapore! Served Chilled Or Warm, Here Are 22 Places To Try!


The other pasta dish, Ravioles de Royans ($22) or mini cheese ravioli in tomato coulis and pesto Genovese was also a tad soft for my liking.


We all liked the Foie Gras ($24) which was well-executed to an ideal creamy texture on the inside and lovely crisp on the outer with crushed almond dragee for added crunch.

Portion is generous with two slices of approximately 50 grams. That's very worth it considering the amount one has to pay.

Other highlights from the menu includes Spanish Octopus ($18) that is grilled for a smoky flavor and served with slightly-spicy patatas bravas, as well as the Porta Burger ($23) comprising of Angus beef patty with caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, crispy smoked bacon on toasted brioche bun.


The dish that blown us all away was the Iberico Pork Secreto ($26)!

First sous-vide then roasted, the high-marbling piece of Iberican pork shoulder blade was perfection in all senses. It was juicy, tender yet retaining a slight bouncy crunch that was utterly pleasant.

A glaze of Pommery honey mustard gave the meat a gentle yet distinct touch of sweetness and flavor. The accompanying mash was an absolute delight too!

I will return to PORTA just to eat this again.


For desserts, the warm Valrhona Chocolate Fondant ($14) served with vanilla ice cream is quite a standard pairing.

My preference is for the Coconut Blancmange ($14) with smooth coconut-flavored custard topped with passion fruits coulis and crumbles. So light and invigorating, it was suitable as an ending to an overall satisfying meal.

PORTA no doubt faces a lot of competition from the neighboring F&B establishments in the Robertson Quay vicinity, but with their highly winsome burger and Iberian Pork Secreto, as well as affordable set lunch, the restaurant deserves our attention and visit.


PORTA
Address: Level 1, Park Hotel Clarke Quay, 1 Unity Street, Singapore 237983
Contact: +65 6593 8855
Website: http://www.parkhotelgroup.com/en/clarkequay/porta
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParkHotelClarkeQuay/
Opening Hours: Daily 11am-10.30pm

Prices are stated in Singapore dollars and subject to 10% service charge & 7% GST. Information is correct at point of published date.

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