The Place The Marmalade Pantry is no new name to the dining scene in Singapore, but not many have realised that the brand has recently opened its third bistro outlet at Novena two months ago. Located on level one of Oasia Hotel just beside Novena Square, I love the spacious dining area of this outlet, cosy and warm, perfect for an intimate gathering with friends or family. To be consistent with the other Marmalade Pantry outlets at Ion Orchard and the Stables, the food menu is largely the same, with some new introductions to offer its diners a greater choice.
The Food The menu is largely divided into Brunch (Weekends and Public Holidays only), Sandwiches, Meat & Fish and Pasta & Risotto. In terms of options, there is simply so much to choose from. We like to try new dishes at restaurants typically, as it often allows me to find out more about the latest trends or ingredients used in the F&B industry.

The Miso Lobster ($34) is one newest item being recommended to try, which contains chunks of lobster meat in tobiko and miso mayo with cucumber and red radish on sesame bun. It is quite a Japanese inspired dish, I though. I will definitely call this the new version of lobster roll, which is quite passé for now in my opinion. Beneath the lobster sandwich is a huge load of addictive Paprika shoestring fries.
For risotto, we had the newly introduced Lobster Barley Risotto ($32), which is quite life-changing for me as I will never look at risotto the same way ever again. Prepared with rich lobster broth, the use of the healthier barley grains is such an ingenious substitution for rice. The fresh lobster meat is also cooked with flavors such as f butternut, carrots, onion, garlic flower, parmesan, sour cream and tarragon.
If you fancy something simpler and light, go for the Salmon ($28), also new on the menu at Marmalade Pantry. The fresh salmon is pan-seared then topped on chilled sweet potato noodles with sesame, cucumber and yuzu dressing. There is nothing not to love here for me, which reminds me of how the Japanese will prepare this dish as well. The sweet potato noodles is really refreshing and different, going so well with the citrusy yuzu sauce.
For only weekends and public holidays, the brunch menu selection is quite varied, including notable items such as Eggs Benedict ($18), French Toast ($18) and Pancakes ($18). We tried one of the new dishes on the brunch menu, the Smoked Salmon Hash ($22). I was first drawn to the molecular-like truffle emulsion, which topped the smoked salmon, served with slow cooked egg, potato and butternut hash. This is surely one dish which requires fine cooking techniques to bring out the best in each components.
What is a visit to Marmalade Pantry without trying some of its desserts? I highly recommend all dessert lovers to try the classic Sticky Date and Toffee Pudding ($14) with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream, one of the signatures at Marmalade Pantry. The soft texture of the pudding and the rich vanilla ice cream, I do not need to describe much for this, it is simply so good!
The equally good Lemon Brulee Tart ($14) with chantilly cream warms my heart as well, with its crispy crust and rich lemon flavour.
Rants If any, the coffee here ain’t gonna have any coffee art like that of your usual cafes. Prices are also a premium compared to most neighbourhood cafes, but quality does come with a price.

Will I return again? It beats going to Orchard, definitely. Didn’t quite like the crowd at the Ion outlet, this Oasia Marmalade Pantry calls for an awesome place to catch-up with friends over the weekends in peace (that’s if this place remains as undiscovered as during our visit).

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

The Marmalade Pantry
Oasia Hotel, 8 Sinaran Drive #01-02/04
Singapore 307470
Tel: +65 6664 0348

Opening Hours
Buffet breakfast: Daily, 6.30am – 10.30am
All-Day Dining: Daily, 10.30am – 10.30pm

Ranted by The Ranter