db Bistro Moderne, Marina Bay Sands

I had been wanting to visit the celebrity chef restaurants at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) ever since they first opened, but for one reason or other, the visit never materialised until two weeks ago, when i was galvanised into action by the news of Santi's impending closure (more on Santi in a later post).

When you have a toddler in tow, dining out becomes severely curtailed by several considerations - does the restaurant open in time for him to have an early lunch? does it welcome tolerate unpredictable toddler moods and noises? is child-friendly food available? etc etc. It was thus a relief to find out that yes, db Bistro Moderne has high chairs available and opens its doors for an early lunch at 1130am.

An American take on the much loved Parisian bistro, the ambience and atmosphere at db Bistro Moderne was convivial and casual(ish), with all the typical bistro accoutrements and fittings (red velvet and dark wood).

I plumped for the famous original db burger ($38) (sirloin burger with braised short ribs and foie gras). The minced beef patty was beautifully cooked to a medium rosy pink and the middle was stuffed with a generous heap of the braised short ribs and a small lobe of foie gras. Unfortunately I wasn't able to tell how the entire concoction melded together in gastronomic decadence because I was only allowed to eat the beef patty. All the good stuff landed on ...

mummee, stop taking photographs and feed me that yummy stuff quickly!

.... yup, Ethan's plate. He finished it all (and half the bread basket) but only had a taste of the foie gras before deciding he didn't like it. Check out his special fine dining bib!

This is what my mangled original db burger looked like, post-Ethan. It tasted pretty ordinary, the beef wasn't all that tasty and I was expecting a lot more at this price point. To be fair, I guess it would have been a lot better with the addition of the short ribs and foie gras (although, how does one manage the logistical feat of eating such a towering burger without deconstructing all its parts?). Servings were huge - we couldn't finish the admittedly very delish and somewhat salty fries, more's the pity. I loved the Piper Heidseick champagne though (thanks UOB) and had two glasses all to myself - was kinda hoping that the champagne fumes would send Ethan into an early nap stupor but no such luck.



db Bistro Moderne
B1-48, Galleria Level
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands