Food Review: Drunker Farmer At Stanley Street | Unwind With Natural Wine & A Sourdough-Focused Menu

Posted on June 25, 2021 by theRantingPanda in Food

The Place A new concept by the Spa Esprit Group along Stanley Street, Drunker Farmer is a wine bar and bistro that takes over the space of Common Man Stan on every Tuesday to Saturday from evenings. It is an interesting way to transform the café space to a chill-lax spot for the CBD folks as dusk sets in, and you can imagine neon lights as you enter the space through the Japanese noren curtains. There is even a projection of vintage silent cinema splash across the dining room.

The Food The wine bar concept is big here at Drunker Farmer, as there are over 80 natural, organic, biodynamic and sustainably-farmed labels sourced straight from winemakers from France, Italy, Chileand Spain—some of which exclusively imported by DrunkenFarmer.

That said, the food menu is not shabby even if you aren’t a heavy wine drinker. It is a sourdough-focused menu with each dish handcrafted with slow-fermented ingredients sourced from close to home and made entirely from scratch by chef de cuisine Paul Albert.

I started with the Sourdough “Couvert” (S$12), a basket of naturally-leavened sourdough loaves made using a 159-year-old starter, along with house churned butter, pickles fermented from scratch and smoked Maldon salt.

You can have your wine with salad with the Drunken Farmer’s Salad (S$15), with fresh leaves harvested from the farm based on seasonality, pickled vegetables and reduced apple dressing.

One of my favourite dish which you must order is the Sourdough Karaage (S$20). This addictive snack features slow-marinated crispy chicken thigh where its batter is made using sourdough discard. It is served with a side of kimchi mayonnaise made from house-fermented kimchi, which I polished off shamelessly as it complements the fried chicken perfectly.

It may not be the most insta-worthy dish, but the Squid Ink Crackers (S$13) scores for me with its creamy prawn-infused dip made from the Heads and shells of prawn that goes into another dish on the menu, the Blue Prawn Roll (S$22). It is also topped with soy marinated sago pearls to mimic the texture of caviar.

Moving on to one of the highlights on the menu – the sourdough pizzas. It takes about 30 hours of fermentation to bring about its chewy and airy crust. I enjoyed the Anchovy & Pesto (S$23), a tomato base pizza with house-made temple stracciatella, basil-pistachio pesto and creamy balsamic vinegar. It is a delicious option which strikes a nice balance between the pistachio pesto and anchovy flavours.

For something slightly cheesier, go for the Shrooms & Goat Cheese (S$22), a tomato base pizza with house-made light goat cheese, roasted shiitake, kale, pancetta and light chili honey.

For desserts, there is the Sourdough Waffles (S$12/small) topped with 100% raw banana ice-cream, gula jawa salted caramel, flaxseed tuille and passionfruit marigold.

Alternatively, I much prefer the Dark Chocolate Mousse (S$14) with 70% guanaja chocolate, extra virgin olive oil, orange zest and Maldon sea salt. This is all I need to balance my palate after the rounds of savoury dishes.

Rants Neon lights and projector on screens mean some extent of flickering lights going on in your dining room which not everyone may appreciate.

Will I Return Again? A forward-thinking concept by the Spa Esprit Group, Drunken Farmer redefines food and natural wine pairing with an accessible menu. Head here to chill after work, or it also works as a casual date spot for some winey conversations.

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

Make your reservations instantly at Drunken Farmer here.

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