Mention ‘French cuisine’ and the stereotypical image of dining in romantic settings come to mind. Enter Napoleon Food and Wine Bar. Literally named after Napoleon Bonaparte, a major force in France’s post revolutionary modernization, the food here is exactly as the name suggests: French at heart with a modern twist.
The husband, three-year-old child, and myself came here to celebrate my birthday in late March. Bonus: Thanks to the AMEX Platinum Charge card, we dined here at 50% off with the American Express Love Dining programme.
Napoleon Food & Wine Bar
If there was one place that fits the description of ‘Romantic Bar’, this would be it.
With the dim lighting all around in an intimate setting, I joked with the husband. “No wonder it’s a great place for dates. Dim enough to hide imperfections and bright enough to see your partner.”
Husband, “In that line of logic, complete darkness would hide all ugliness…”
Folks, this is why all romantic restaurants have dim lighting, haha!
Jokes aside, Napoleon Food & Wine Bar has a seating capacity of 12 (outdoors), and 42 (indoors). The restaurant is also a popular choice for corporate and private events.
One of the highlights of this restaurant is their wine collection, imported directly from France.
The display showcases a selection of 32 French wines, available on Enomatic wine dispensers.
I loved these little descriptors – they tell you the signature taste of the wine, along with the price for a sampler, half glass, and full glass!
Menu
Sitting down to order, I was impressed at the ‘Napoleon’ printed on their napkins and menu. Little touches like these add to the character of a restaurant’s set up.
Featuring the Dinner Menu (we did come for dinner). Click on the Menu’s images to enlarge the Menu’s pages. Images courtesy of Napoleon Food and Wine Bar website.
Starters, Salad, Pasta and Risotto
Mains and Sides
Desserts and Soft drinks
Alternatively, check out their full Menu here.
Bread Basket and Foie Gras
While waiting for our food, the server brought us a complimentary bread basket. Served with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and butter on the side, my three-year-old child loved the bread and couldn’t stop munching on it. Plus the dipping just makes it all the more fun.
We didn’t have to wait for long before our starter arrived: Foie Gras. Yay to fatty goose liver!
Pan Seared Foie Gras. Brandied Cherry Sauce. Apricot Compote, Mesclun Salad
I do love a good Foie Gras. It’s one of my favourite savory sinful indulgences. In particular, I love it when the richness of Foie Gras is paired with a constrasting sweet flavour. Here, the brandied cherry sauce bits balances out its creaminess.
In my humble opinion, it’s as good as the one I’ve had at Lawry’s the Prime rib, and better than the one served at Skai (Swissotel the Stamford).
Cross Section of Foie Gras. So. Very. Rich.
Mains
We were definitely excited when the main dishes arrived.
My favourite item of the day – Iberico Pork.
Pan Roasted Iberico Pork Rack. Braised Lentils Ragout, Truffle Madeira Sauce
This dish was pure succulent pork goodness.
The meat was well-cooked and so flavourful, but it wasn’t tough at all. Easy even for a small child to chew, the soft meat oozed flavours with each bite. I definitely would recommend this dish for first timers – it is just so unique; i haven’t seen it anywhere else.
So what makes Iberico pork so special? It’s from a pig species found only on the Iberian penisular (Spain and Portugal region), is not the same as regular pork. Raw Iberico pork looks like beef – red instead of white. But what gives this meat its unique softness is the unique pig diet…. acorns. The pigs’ muscles are rich in fat which makes it soft and juicy. However, this pig fat is the unsaturated oleic fat type – similar to those in olive oils!
The next item is a Fish main dish.
Pan Seared Seabass. Butter Roasted Pearl Onions and Green Peas, Sauce Gribiche
Yup, that’s the Seabass
Overall, the fish was fresh and taste great, and this dish is definitely the most healthy of our three mains. However, after tasting the heaven of Iberico pork, this dish suddenly felt more ordinary in contrast. It was not bad, and was tasty – literally a fancy edition of fish with vegetables and butter.
Finally I tried the main carb-intensive dish of the day: Wild Mushroom Risotto.
Wild Mushroom Risotto. Ceps, Giralles, St George’s Mushrooms, Yellow Boletus, Carnaroli Rice, Black Truffle Oil, Parmigiano Reggiano
While we didn’t understand half the ingredients that went into the preparation of this dish, we sure loved it. The rice had absorbed all the flavourful goodnes of the dish’s ingredients. Slightly salty, but the taste of mushrooms and truffle oil was distinctive. The cheese topping of Parmigiano Reggiano just adds on a layer of complexity; so risotto lovers will find this a delight.
Usually, I prefer seafood-based risotto. An example would be the Saffron Risotto I’ve had at La Nonna – an Italian dining establishment instead of a French one. However, the risotto here is really something – definitely worth a try.
Dessert
No birthday celebration meal is complete without a dessert platter. Being unable to choose just ONE specific dessert, the server recommended a platter with pretty much everything on it.
Dessert Platter (for two). Chocolate Ganache, Sea Salt Caramel Macaron, Sea Salt Caramel Gelato, Lemon Tartlet Brulee and Lemon Tartlet Meringue
At $21 – this is a steal, even without a discount. You get a variety of VERY GOOD quality desserts here and the amount of work needed to make everything and put this together… it isn’t something I can do at home.
There was Chocolate Ganache. Rich and creamy chocolate, on a chocolate base…
A lemon tartlet (mini tart), brulee on the top (caramelized sugar layer). This gave it a sweet topping and a sour filling…
And a mini meringue version of the lemon tartlet…
Ending off with the sweet-and-salty sea salt caramel macaron…
I literally am unable to choose which part of the dessert was my favourite. Every item was unique and different in its’ own right. Everything too, went well with the Sea Salt Caramel Gelato – it just gives extra texture to each dessert piece.
Earlier I said that the Iberico pork was my favourite (main) dish. This dessert platter beats it, hands down.
Overall thoughts
We loved everything at Napoleon Food & Wine Bar. Each dish was lovely, satisfying, and it’s really a pure joy just to dine in. 100% would recommend this place for dates, friends’ gatherings, marriage proposals, special occassions, and to book for fancy private/corporate events.
While this time we did not take any alcohol (I know, I know, it’s a bar…), most other patrons did indulge in a drink (or a few… or many). The staff here ARE very friendly and we did ask about drink pairings, to which they readily gave suggestions. Even though we declined the wine pairings in the end, they were really professional about it and did not look impatient or upset. A note that this place can get very busy, so reservations are highly recommended.
However, this place ultimately, is a BAR. For those who aren’t into the Bar type of restaurants, another place with good French food would be Brasserie Les Saveurs at St Regis, Singapore. I have tried both their Epicurean Set Lunch, and the Seafood Buffet Dinner, and both are wonderful. It’s another romantic alternative that’s inside a hotel, so there’s a touch of luxury added on there.
AMEX love dining benefits (50% off, complimentary wine voucher)
With the American Express Platinum Reserve card, one of the card’s benefits is that card holders are given a set to vouchers to use every year (provided the card’s annual fee is paid). I had a Complimentary Wine voucher (either a red or wine white) for Napoleon Food and Wine Bar and redeemed a Red Wine (Merlot) from France.
Do note that you can choose to either bring home the wine, or have it on the spot when dining.
As an holder of the American Express Platinum Reserve Card and/or AMEX Platinum Charge Card, under the Love Dining Benefits, I received the following dining discounts at Napoleon Food & Wine Bar:
- Pan Seared Goose Foie Gras – $24.00
- Pan Roasted Iberico Pork Rack – $32.00
- Wild Mushroom Risotto – $26.00
- Pan Seared Seabass – $29.00
- Dessert Platter for Two – $21.00
- Cappucino – $6.00 (No discount on drinks)
– Original Sub Total: $138.00
– Price after AMEX 50% discount: $72.00 (on Food only)
– 7% GST: $5.54
– 10% Service Charge: $7.20
– Total cost: $84.74 for two adults (and one 3-year-old child)
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