The new Culina Market Dempsey

The new Culina Market Dempsey has, together with the Culina Bistro, moved over from the original location at Block 8 to new premises in Block 15. We like the new Culina Market Dempsey for its new spacious layout and its good variety of fresh produce and wines.

The Bar

We think that the bar area is the nicest space in the new Culina Market and Bistro. It is situated right in the middle and acts as a divider separating the restaurant from the groceries. Order the wines from the list or pick a bottle from the retail and have it served here (with a $15 / $8 corkage fee for bottle / half bottle).

Here are some pictures of the new Culina Market Dempsey. Compared to the original store, there are more open spaces. The different departments are clearly marked out. The fish and meat items can be purchased for the Culina folks to prepare and serve at the bistro. A preparation fee ($15 to $25) applies. We usually do this with the steaks and the prep fee is $15. We think as it is a reasonable price to pay in return for not having to do the preparation, cooking up and cleaning up if the steak was done at home.

The pastries looked very familiar. We checked and they confirmed that yes, they are supplied by A Summer in Paris, a new patisserie that recently opened at VivoCity (read our post).

Fruits and Vegetable

Visiting the new Culina Dempsey made us feel like kids in a candy store. So many delicious and sometimes rare food items are available at the store. Here were some that caught our eyes.

The Wine Section

Visitors to the new Culina Market Dempsey will notice the large wine selection available. Buy them home or have them served at the bar or in the bistro (corkage fee applies). What we particularly like about this wine store is the wide range of half bottles. With the strict enforcement of drink driving these days as well as concerns about the state of our livers, half bottles are ideal when moderate drinking is preferred.

Our recommendation for visiting the new Culina Market Dempsey? Start your shopping with some wine and a selection of cheese from the cheese counter. Have them served at the bar as you survey the lay of the land. The preparation fee for cheese is $6, which is very reasonable.