{Update: February 25, 2019}
For someone who doesn’t have too many “regular” haunts, eschewing such loyal behaviour for the flightiness of a food hunter, Ginett has surprisingly seen my face more times than I can remember. My original post was written two years back when they first opened, and they had some teething problems with the service, but clearly those days are in the past now.
Whether it’s for post-work oysters and bubbly or a hearty French dinner with the hubby, I’ve been there often enough. But not for brunch. Till now that is.
Here’s a quick review on the offerings. You will see various forms of poached eggs, but the menu features mostly All-Day favourites, from sandwiches and salads to grilled meats including those from its Mibrasa oven.
Aside from the All-Day Menu, there are also brunch sets over the weekend: 2-course at $28 and 3-course at $38.
As always, wine rules at Ginett and you will fine a great selection of well-priced by the glass options for a nice weekend brunch/lunch.
Now, I will say that if you had to choose when to dine at Ginett, I’d still go for a nice dinner instead. I’ve not been disappointed so far, and if you go, the Fish Quenelles are to die for!
{Original Post: March 5, 2017}
So, is Ginett worth spending a night with?
You’ll need a whole lot of patience to spend a night with Ginett.
She’s distracted, unsure and leaves you waiting throughout the night.
But clearly that hasn’t stopped her many newfound admirers from calling on her.
Ginett, a restaurant and wine bar located at the newly opened Hotel G Singapore on Middle Road, was bustling when I dropped by last Friday night.
I had made reservations, so a table was ready for me, but I saw queues forming as the night went on.
Ginett definitely has all the trimmings of a sassy one – her façade très enchanting with the streetside bar front and centre, drawing you in with its thousand (I’m exaggerating) inverted wine glasses hanging from the top of the bar.
Those many wine glasses are definitely needed because Ginett has amazing wine prices. Starting from S$6 a glass, and not just during happy hours, there’s a good range of house wines to select from.
I would have loved to try the 1-Metre Board (S$54), comprising 5 cold cuts, 5 cheeses and a pâté to go with my many glasses of Cote Du Rhone red, but seeing as how it was just the two of us, we dove straight into mains.
(Our appetites aren’t what they used to be).
One of the lesser known, or perhaps I should say, lesser tried French dishes is the Quenelle of Fish (S$28) dumplings. But this classic Lyonnaise dish is one of my favourites (try the one at Brasserie Gavroche, it’s delicious) and very happy to report that the version at Ginett hits the spot for me.
Creamed pike fish, light as mousse, in a chardonnay-spiked creamy sauce with a little surprise as you dig in – a rich mushroom puree! Absolutely delicious, especially since the chef added in a citrusy element to help cut through the overall richness of the dish.
We also shared the Beef Cheek (S$32) and were rewarded with fork-tender, wine-imbued wagyu beef that had been braised for at least 12 hours. The smooth as silk puréed potatoes it came with was heavenly too.
Dessert was a toss-up between the Apple tart (S$12) and the Chocolate tart (S$8) and no prizes for guessing which one I chose. Well, I suppose the fact that the menu listed pecan ice cream as an accompaniment to the chocolate tart swung me in its favour – the apple tart’s description didn’t include the “à la mode” component.
Anyway, back to the chocolate. 70% dark and smooth, it was lovely but the pecan ice cream was not rich enough for me. Yes, as if I hadn’t had enough rich dishes through the night! I must say though, for the price, really good value.
So while Ginett delivered the goods, there’s much room for improvement in the actual delivery process though. My hubby waited far too long for his beer – sacrilegious on a Friday night, after a long week of work and all you want is that first glass of ice cold beer.
A few times throughout the night, the service staff appeared unsure or would forget requests, so I’m hoping these are just teething problems – after all, the crowd certainly looked like they were having a ball, so go with an easy mindset, and enjoy the cheap wines and good food!
Ginett Restaurant and Wine Bar:
Address: 200 Middle Road, Singapore 188980
Contact: +65 6809 7989 or ginettSG@randblab.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ginettsingapore/
Opening Hours:
Mondays to Sundays: 7am to 11pm.