The Place A three-storey restaurant which opened early this year in Ann Siang Road, the name of Persea (pronounced per-say-ah) stems from Avocado and the contemporary restaurant focuses on low-carb dishes. It is a lovely shophouse space where I was greeted by the deep green spiral staircase and an avocado-shaped mirror at its entrance.

Level one is where the chef’s table is located, the best seats for a visual treat. Moving to level two, the bar area is the centrepiece and the best tables are those by the window. Level three is a more intimate and private setting if you want to have a quieter dining experience.

The Food The menu at Persea revolves around low-carb dishes, which is great for me as I am conscious of how much carbs I have. With small plates and mains, the menu also changes periodically and the restaurant’s first menu series which I had features flavours from the Mediterranean.

For a start, I had some snacks like the Chicharrones (S$6), Spiced Olives (S$8), Cauli-Hummus (S$10) and the Eggs Muhammara (S$14). It is great that each dish has the carb value in grams right beside it.

The Chicharrones or puffed pork skins is crispy and addictive! Have it along with the delicious Cauli-Hummus or the Eggs Muhammara!

The next series of dishes are fat bombs per the menu, starting with the Butter Of The Day (S$8), a small butter ball bite.

The Bone Marrow (S$24) has parsley, red onions and almonds, a sinful and fatty treat.

The Greek-Style Burratina (S$24) is a nice break from the heavy flavours so far, a mix of various vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and oranges.

Do not miss out on the Foie Gras (S$28) as well, where the flavours are elevated by elements like the curry leaves, Turkish yellow spice, hazelnuts and well-balanced by the pomegranate.

From the seafood section, there are options like Prawn (S$20), Calamari (S$24) and Barramundi (S$28). My favourite of the lot is the prawn, a huge black Tiger prawn well-flavoured with sumac creme fraiche.

The calamari is a close tie with the prawn, as the texture of the squid is just right and that combination of zhug, coriander and chorizo fat is just amazing.

The barramundi served with flower clams is a safe choice, though the saffron beurre blanc was way too buttery for me. It can definitely be toned down.

Some vegetables to balance the meal thus far, I had the Brussels Sprout (S$16) with chorizo sabayon, burnt peppers, mint and sausage crumbs; and the Asparagus (S$18) with minted goat cheese and spiced almonds.

For meats, go for the Pork Belly (S$24), which spots a melt-in-the-mouth texture. It is also rich in flavour from the Moroccan curry and black cardamom.

Beef lovers will rejoice in the Ribeye (S$34), a grass-fed beef cut presented with herb smoke. You get that smoky aroma on the succulent beef.

Other meat options are the Lamb Rump (S$28), and the Shish Taouk (S$24) which is essentially free-range chicken with garlic yogurt and cauliflower tabbouleh.

For desserts, there are the likes of the Yogurt Parfait (S$14) and the Rosemary Basque Cheesecake (S$16). The latter is very strong in blue cheese flavour, other than having cream cheese and camembert as well. It is quite pungent in taste, be warned.

Persea’s cocktail menu is specially crafted to exclude sugar from our favourite alcoholic beverages. The Pina Colada is one such drink. The filtration process takes away all the sugar, leaving behind the essence of the flavours. Another must-try is the ChrysanTonic, a chrysanthemum infused gin and tonic with a low- caloric tonic exclusive to Persea.

Rants Not a place for you if you can’t live without rice or pasta.

Will I Return Again? Reasonable prices for the portions and execution of the dishes and a lovely space, Persea is one relatively less guilty dining option in town for the carb-conscious folks like me. This restaurant is one I will return, hopefully for brunch soon. 

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

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

Persea
23 Ann Siang Road
Singapore 069703
Tel: +65 8138 3217

Opening Hours
Tuesday to Saturday: 5:30pm to 10:30pm

Weekend Brunch
Saturday: 11am to 2:30pm
Sunday: 11am to 3:30pm

Ranted by The Ranter