Amanda FooJolly Frog Gourmet Bistro Bar used to be a Filipino and Chinese restaurant. However, ever since a new management team took over and re-launched it on Halloween night last year, the bistro has been going from strength to strength and its new menu will be yet another.
When you first enter the bistro, you are greeted by a small open space surrounded by walls. Despite how claustrophobic that sounds, the space promises a breath of fresh air and a sense of sanctuary.
The eatery is casual in its design, clean, warm and sophisticated. The tables are unique as they are essentially giant benches pressed against each other so you have to move the entire table to slot into the banquettes. It’s a bit of a chore to do so, but the wait staff are so attentive that you don’t have to move from your seat at all.
The UrbanWire tried 3 dishes selected by their chef, Izad, from Jolly Frog’s new seamless fusion menu, which includes French, Italian and Australian elements. It is also explained to us that the menu has been expanded by around 80 percent.
The first was an appetizer, the Breaded Mushrooms ($8.90), a dish of white button mushrooms battered and tossed in breadcrumbs before being deep-fried. The fungi are also served with wasabi mayonnaise. They are utterly satisfying.
When biting into the little fried treats, the resulting crunch reverberates through your bones, music to anyone’s ears. The mushrooms are juicy, soft and flavorsome. The earthiness that can sometimes overpower a mushroom dish isn’t there and it’s almost refreshing despite this being a deep-fried dish.
It’s even better when eaten with the wasabi mayonnaise as the mayo provides a creaminess that rounds up the dish nicely. The wasabi, however, isn’t immediately noticeable which is a little underwhelming.
The second dish sampled was Grilled Cod Wrapped In Bacon ($19.90), served with asparagus and a mango mayonnaise. The last element was the odd one out in the dish As the sauce was almost sweet, which was at odds with the savory bacon wrapped around the cod. The mango mayonnaise also overpowered what has always been a delicate fish. This was a double sin, considering that the cod had been grilled to perfection in this case.
The asparagus also lost out to the mango mayonnaise and it could only provide texture in the dish instead of any real taste. The spears very tender, though, a joy even for people who shy away from this particular vegetable.
We ended with Lime Pana Cotta ($8).
The strawberry puree that it was served with will oddly enough, remind you of Willy Wonka’s Grape and Strawberry Nerds, as it tastes a little synthetic. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it did come as a bit of a shock.
The panna cotta, however, is an absolute triumph. Soft, luscious and delicate, it doesn’t need the puree on top. The quiet tones of lime in the dessert don’t fight with the creaminess in the panna cotta, in fact, it helps it to strike a delicate balance that keeps it light, despite its density and keeps you coming back for more.
Kaffir lime leaves are part of the garnish, however, when crushed slightly with your fingertips, the fragrance they emit is a wonderful partner to the chilled.
A cappuccino ($4.50) finished the meal. The coffee art on it is exquisite, but you get the feeling that the thickness of the foam is sacrificed as a result. The coffee is mild enough to be taken without sugar and the slight bitterness makes for a good palate cleanser.
Some hardcore coffee drinkers may complain that it’s a tad too weak, but if drunk as part of a dinner, the coffee does find its place.
While this eatery is already a hit with expats and some of the more adventurous locals. The prices do mean that only working professionals can regularly enjoy a meal there, it is still a place that the rest of us can save for a special occasion.
Jolly Frog Gourmet Bistro Bar is a cosy little bistro chock-full with ambience and even though the new menu isn’t as outstanding as it could be, given enough time, Jolly Frog will grow into its potential.
Address:
81B Neil Road
Singapore 088905
Telephone No.:
6222 9224
Opening Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 0800 – 2300
Friday: 0800 – 0100
Saturday: 0900 – 0100
Sunday: 0900 – 2300
All photos taken by Jasmine Chong from Klix Photography.