The Place A new hotspot has opened in Tanjong Pagar. Located at Mondrian Singapore Duxton, Temper is a 4,000 sqft wine room and cocktail lounge by Ebb & Flow Group. The interior design of Temper takes on raw materials, sculptural geometry, and the ambience is softened by moody light.

There are two main parts to the space – a sweeping arched portal and layered terrace cove ceiling separates the intimate wine room above and the buzzier cocktail lounge below. 

The wine room features a custom-built cellar housing over 1,200 labels and 2,100 bottles from more than 30 countries—with 250 available by the glass. 

The Food Executive Chef Nicolas Tam of three-time one-Michelin-starred Willow and Head Chef Ronald Sim (previously from Burnt Ends and Candlenut) curated the food menu. The wine programme is led by Wine Director Roberto Duran (formerly of 67 Pall Mall), anchored by a cellar of over 2,100 bottles from more than 30 countries.

The cocktail menu on the other hand is created by renowned consulting bartender June Baek (previously Madame Fan and MO Bar) and Head Bartender Kishan Kumar to complement a genre-spanning music programme of vinyl deep-dives, live jazz, rare soul, funk and R&B curated by nightlife and culture veteran, Joshua Pillai. 

For starters, I had their seafood starters like the Crab Roll (S$18/2 pieces) which comes with toasted soft rolls topped with tender crab claw meat. 

If you love Oysters, there are varieties like Normandy and Brittany (S$7.50/each) which are plump and fresh to say the least. It comes with condiments like lemon and green hot sauce.

I also tried their Red Shrimp Carpaccio (S$32) which features flattened Argentinean shrimp with a shrimp head emulsion drizzle. 

From the small plates section, I just had to try the namesake Temper Burger (S$35) where the wagyu-blend burger is loaded with molten cheddar cheese and Chef’s special housemade sauce.  Served with a side of french fries, the aioli sauce which accompanies the fries is so good.

The beef patty, on the other hand, is very juicy and flavourful.

I also couldn’t resist ordering the Crispy Chicken Drumsticks (S$18/2 pieces) dusted with chilli-lime powder. 

For large plates, I went for the Turbot (S$95/900g) – a whole 900g Turbot in a luscious pil-pil collagen sauce along with crisp skin of the fish. The fish spots a slightly fatty taste profile which makes it quite an enjoyable one to share, especially with the fried garlic chips.

On to desserts, I had both the Chocoflan (S$15) and Pastel De Nata (S$6).

The former is a rich chocolate cake layer topped with custard pudding.

I love Pastel De Nata after my Portugal trip last year and as Portugal’s beloved custard tart, this version arrives warm with a dusting of cinnamon on the side. 

Rants The circular communal table at the wine room section could come across as a little awkward as diners are seated quite close to one another.

Will I Return Again? It is a very smart design of the duplex space to create a wine room and cocktail lounge and Temper does the dining vibes very well. The food complements the drinks menu well and the dishes I had are all competent in its own way. This is a great spot to check out in town if you are looking to unwind.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5  

Temper 
Mondrian Singapore Duxton 
83 Neil Road, #01-07 
Singapore 089813 
Tel: +65 9722 1253 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Wednesday: 5pm to 1am 
Thursday to Saturday: 12pm to 1am 
Closed on Sunday 

Ranted by The Ranter