The Place Located in the new wing of Marina Square, Redpan restaurant is a collaboration between local architecture firm DP Architects and local F&B brand GRUB, which only opened last month. The concept and design of the relatively open concept restaurant is a fun one, at least from the modern and sleek furnishings, to its menu which endeavours to redefine modern cuisines with a local touch.

The Food Think Prawn & ‘Hae Bi Hiam’ Pasta ($16) and Char Siew Chilli Fries ($7), you get the drift. I was surprised that nothing on the menu is above $20, if I didn’t remember wrongly, which probably explains why the restaurant was packed on a Friday evening when I visited.

We started with the Chicken Cheese Arabiki Sausages ($8) with sambal mayo. For the price, the portion is huge and you will get that explosion of cheese in your mouth when you bite into the sausage.

The Char Siew Chilli Fries ($7) is a good break from the usual truffle fries, served with housemade char siew ragout, sour cream and jalapeño salsa. All I can say is that the char siew ragout was very addictive, and we couldn’t stop dipping the whole fries into it.

On the mains, I knew I have to try the Prawn & ‘Hae Bi Hiam’ Pasta ($16), tagliatelle tossed with housemade spicy shrimp paste, sakura ebi and sauteed prawns. We heard from the staff that this dish is one of the best sellers, and I do fancy the idea of infusing our local ‘Hae Bi Hiam’ into what is traditionally an Italian dish. The result is a al dente pasta with a strong shrimp paste aroma.

One of the more disappointing dishes we had is the Hainanese Pork Cutlet ($13). I was excited when I saw this local delight on the menu, but I found that the pork cutlet was not tender enough for me. The gravy didn’t value add to the dish as well. I will have Scissors Cut Hainanese Curry Rice over this anytime.

For desserts, we tried the Banana Donuts “Milo Dinosaur” ($7) with milo crumb, condensed milk and hazelnuts, and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream ($3.50). I rather just have the vanilla ice-cream. This is not my favourite kind of dessert, but mum liked it.

Rants I requested for a normal table when I called to reserve, but was given a tall table instead and the reason given was that the restaurant was fully booked (which I can understand) and they give priority for the normal tables to families with kids and pregnant ladies, which is totally legit. However, this was clearly not the case when I saw the group of diners occupying the normal tables when the other diners were ushered in. It’s not a big issue, but it sure doesn’t make for a pleasant dining experience, especially when 1) restaurants do not know how to manage customers’ requests/expectations and, 2) service staff provide excuses to fend off customers’ requests.

Will I Return Again? With its reasonably priced menu, Redpan counts as one of those restaurants to come to mind if you are looking for good food without breaking the bank. I wouldn’t say the food and experience is over the top, but for the price point and quality, it is one of the better new restaurants to open in a shopping mall, at a convenient location.

Make your reservation instantly at Redpan here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3/5
Hole in the pocket: 3/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 3/5

Redpan
6, Raffles Boulevard #02-03/04
Marina Square
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 6255 5850

Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 9am to 10pm
Saturday to Sunday:  11am to 10pm

Ranted by The Ranter