Open Farm Community – the new restaurant at Dempsey

Open Farm Community is a restaurant that just opened at the Dempsey dining area. When we read that the Spa Esprit Group had taken up 35,000 square feet of space to spearhead a local farming and dining concept, we were naturally quite excited. A farming concept, fresh local produce and a nice restaurant within walking distance from Orchard Road sounded like an unbeatable combination.

The restaurant area of the Open Farm Community, or OFC, is housed in a squarish one-storey glasshouse. There is a large timber deck area which holds the alfresco seating and a fun area with parasols and a table tennis table.

 Where was the farm?  It appeared to be further back, behind an outdoor sculpture garden and the restaurant.

The interior of the restaurant was bright and colourful. The full glass walls on the sides ensured a good supply of natural lighting. It is an Instagramer’s paradise because the bright indirect light provided ideal conditions to take photographs of the food. The chairs were attractive but not very comfortable.  The bar counter and an open concept kitchen completed the scene.

The menu at OFC was quite extensive and we ordered a random selection from the brunch and regular menus.  Here are some pages from the menu. The full menu is on the website, the link to which is at the bottom of this post.

Our first dish was the strozzapreti with 48 hour Barolo braised oxtail, parmesan wafers & wild thyme ($26). It was a dish of unusual twisted pasta with a braised meat sauce. The pasta had a nice chewy texture. There were traces of meat, presumably the oxtail. The sauce was pleasant and light but we expected a more robust taste from a 48 hour barolo braised meat sauce.

The roasted baby chicken with braised leeks with hazelnut butter & wild watercress salad ($28) was a better choice. The chicken had some slightly burnt edges that adds a nice charred taste. The chicken was slightly dry but was well complemented by the butter and watercress.

The next two dishes were from the brunch menu. The potato rosti with scrambled eggs, sliced pork sausages, crème fraîche & red onion brown jus ($28) tasted like a usual brunch dish with eggs, potato and sausages.

The truffle scrambled organic egg, oyster, shimeji & Portobello mushrooms, baby spinach & sourdough ($24) was the better brunch menu choice, proving once again that the combination of organic egg and truffles is a winning taste formula.

We ended our meal at the Open Farm Community with mixed feelings. The food was good although not exceptional, the service was courteous and the restaurant and decor was beautiful. But we were drawn to this new restaurant because of the farm concept. We had expected more farm and less main-stream restaurant in the dining experience.

Ratings:
Food: 3
Service: 3
Value: 2
Atmosphere: 4
Overall Rating: 3 TOPs   

Open Farm Community
130E Minden Road
Singapore 248819

Tel:  Reservations: +65 6471 0306  Enquiries: +65 6264 7960

Opening Hours:

Restaurant:
Mon – Thurs: 12nn – 4pm & 6pm – 11pm
last order: 2.30pm & 9.30pm

Friday: 12nn – 4pm & 6pm–12mn
Last order: 2.30pm & 10.30pm

Sat & PH: 11am – 5pm & 6pm-12mn
Last order: 3.30pm & 10.30pm

Sunday: 11am – 5pm & 6pm – 11pm
Last Order: 3.30pm & 9.30pm

Cafe:
Mon – Sun: 8am – 9pm

Website

The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog