Indochine has been around in Singapore for a long time and with their unique mixed offering of Thai, Vietnamese and Asian dishes, the restaurant chain is usually an agreeable compromise amongst diners with different palates. Their Waterfront restaurant at Boat Quay is the most popular one being sold out for dinner on most days. Offering scenic views of the Singapore skyline and river front, the restaurant is much sought after for its outdoor dining experience. In my opinion the restaurant is a let down but I'll save that for another review. A short walk down the river stands another Indochine restaurant by the Clarke Quay waterfront within a complex called 'Forbidden City.' Clarke Quay is short on quality dining options so it was with friends I headed somewhat listlessly to Indochine on a Friday evening.
Given Singapore's sultry May weather, there were few takers for the outdoor seats but we gladly settled into the ones directly under fans. Deciding to skip appetizers we went straight for the main course. First came the chicken in basil sauce which is always a sure winner here. Perfectly done and difficult to do better. Next to come was the crispy seabass fillet. Though tasty, the dish did leave me flummoxed. The menu specifically states this to be a fillet and I double checked with the waiter if this was indeed the case as we had members in our party who did not relish the sight of a full fish with head, tail etc. And voila - what appeared on our table was precisely that ! A full fish with cuts made in the main body to ease the scooping process but a full fish nonetheless. I was exasperated with the menu description and with the waiter's misleading communication regarding the same. The fish was tasty but due to its presentation, I was practically the only person having it. What injustice to what could have been a good dish. Accompanying our meats was a portion of Lad Na - stir fried noodles with chicken, eggs and prawns. Lip smacking and again, always a hit on the table. Did I mention we had also ordered Chilli Tiger Prawns with Mango Sauce which came when our entire meal was over? We had a full mind to return it but knowing they would charge us anyways, decided to give it a try. Big mistake. The mashed prawns were cold, rubbery and totally skippable.
As for drinks, friends were having Yamazaki and ordered it on the rocks with water on the side. Not only did the whisky come without ice or water, but it took the waiter a good 20 minutes to get them. Couple of Erdingers that were ordered were warm and flat. Clarke Quay thrives on F&B and more on the 'B' part of it. How a place in a party district can get beverages so wrong is beyond me. Guess it all boils down to poor service and lackadaisical attitude. You have to look around for waiters to come and serve you. And every round is served by a new face making it all the more difficult to pin down one waiter responsible for your table. The only thing that came promptly and efficiently was the bill. Big waste of money when you fork out SGD200+ for the above.
Walk into Indochine Clarke Quay at your own risk. You cannot say you haven't been sufficiently warned. And yes, now I know why they call it the Forbidden City.
Given Singapore's sultry May weather, there were few takers for the outdoor seats but we gladly settled into the ones directly under fans. Deciding to skip appetizers we went straight for the main course. First came the chicken in basil sauce which is always a sure winner here. Perfectly done and difficult to do better. Next to come was the crispy seabass fillet. Though tasty, the dish did leave me flummoxed. The menu specifically states this to be a fillet and I double checked with the waiter if this was indeed the case as we had members in our party who did not relish the sight of a full fish with head, tail etc. And voila - what appeared on our table was precisely that ! A full fish with cuts made in the main body to ease the scooping process but a full fish nonetheless. I was exasperated with the menu description and with the waiter's misleading communication regarding the same. The fish was tasty but due to its presentation, I was practically the only person having it. What injustice to what could have been a good dish. Accompanying our meats was a portion of Lad Na - stir fried noodles with chicken, eggs and prawns. Lip smacking and again, always a hit on the table. Did I mention we had also ordered Chilli Tiger Prawns with Mango Sauce which came when our entire meal was over? We had a full mind to return it but knowing they would charge us anyways, decided to give it a try. Big mistake. The mashed prawns were cold, rubbery and totally skippable.
As for drinks, friends were having Yamazaki and ordered it on the rocks with water on the side. Not only did the whisky come without ice or water, but it took the waiter a good 20 minutes to get them. Couple of Erdingers that were ordered were warm and flat. Clarke Quay thrives on F&B and more on the 'B' part of it. How a place in a party district can get beverages so wrong is beyond me. Guess it all boils down to poor service and lackadaisical attitude. You have to look around for waiters to come and serve you. And every round is served by a new face making it all the more difficult to pin down one waiter responsible for your table. The only thing that came promptly and efficiently was the bill. Big waste of money when you fork out SGD200+ for the above.
Walk into Indochine Clarke Quay at your own risk. You cannot say you haven't been sufficiently warned. And yes, now I know why they call it the Forbidden City.
hi, i agree with you. the management and the design sucks to the core. as what i heard from the staff in there, most of them were not happy with the way this company works. work like dog, everything is purely budget. all thanks to the director. if this carry on, i think their business will be affected etc.
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