The Place Dempsey has been undergoing a silent revamp, with some new openings at the hill since the start of the year. Provisions joined the opening of new concepts at the Dempsey Cookhouse, and we are excited to see local-inspired food options making its way to the area.

Small space with high tables and stools, Provisions puts local claypot rice and skewers as the highlight of the restaurant. As with the restaurant’s name, you can even buy snacks available at traditional provision shops here. On the weekends (Fridays and Saturdays), there will be live DJs to keep you entertained through the night.

The Food Asian-inspired, with many local selections too, Provisions gets you the hearty comforting dinner you been silently wishing will arrive in the hipster Dempsey enclave one day. Grab some skewers, with your choice of interesting local-inspired cocktail selections and complete the meal with a special rendition of the all-too-familiar claypot rice.

To start, the KFC (S$10) here is to-die-for. I have initially thought of this as some fried chicken option on the menu, but a careful look on the menu revealed that this is actually Korean Fried Cauliflower! Drizzled generously with a thick sweet sauce, the crisp outer crust and the crunchy cauliflower made this a must-order for us.

Another must-order is the Pig Ear Fritters (S$12), which is more of a finger-friendly snacker marinated with five spice, chilli and pepper. Once you start popping, you cannot stop!

Of course, the highlights at Provisions is the claypot rice. Prices are definitely higher than the usuals at hawker stores, however with the two renditions we tried here, they are well worth the higher prices. The first claypot we tried was the Seafood Rice (S$16), which already made a good first impression with its aroma. The seafood stock it was prepared with gave the rice a strong oomph, and every mouthful of it only made us crave for the next. Other ingredients include prawns, clams and liver sausage.

If you are a fan of Orh Lua, otherwise known as Fried Oyster Cake, the Oyster Omelette Rice (S$18) is a must try. The combination works perfect, and if you are looking for a second claypot to enjoy, this wouldn’t disappoint.

You can head over to Provisions for the late night snacks and bites too. Grilled Skewers are served here, with highlights such as Chicken thigh (S$5), Pork belly (S$7), Beef sirloin (S$10) or more exotic items like Chicken buzzards (S$4), Chicken hearts (S$4), Pork intestines (S$5) and Beef tongue (S$9). All done on point, with that nice char bites achieved on a few sticks.

To cap the night, we recommend going for the either the Cempedak & Coconut (S$8) and Pisang Sundae (S$8). Again inspirations from typical local food takes the main stage here. I am not a big fan of Jackfruit, so you can guess my preference for the night.

Managed to sip on a couple of cocktails during the course of our dinner, and was very excited to try them all as they are all locally inspired drinks. Our recommendations are the Bantai Bandung (S$14) and the Spiced Hot Teh Si (S$17) – both reasonably priced. The former being a concoction of rum, rose syrup, evaporated milk and gula melaka; while the latter being a mix of whisky, Indian spices and black tea.

Rants What’s wrong with standard height tables and chairs?

Will I Return Again? The food is comforting here, and very satisfying in fact. Environment is spot on for a Dempsey-style nights out. Definitely amongst my to-go at Dempsey now, but can we get some discounts on the skewers?

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

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

Provisions
7 Dempsey Road
Singapore 249671
Tel: +65 6250 7090

Opening Hours
Tuesday to Thursday: 4pm to 1am
Friday to Saturday: 4pm to 2am
Sunday: 10.30am to 3pm
Closed on Monday

Ranted by The Rantee