Located walking distance away from Telok Ayer MRT is Henri, a French bakery-bistro concept offering classics in a chic interior. They have launched a selection of new items that infuse Asian flavours into familiar French cuisine!
Henri Menu
They offer a full selection of brunch, lunch and dinner sets. The highlight offering would be their weekly lunch menus, at only $29 for a 2-course and $35 for 3-course meal! Dishes include Boeuf Bourguignon and Travers De Porc (French Spare Ribs), or premium options like Confit De Carnard (Duck Confit) with a top-up of $6.
Their Set Dinner ($48/pax) offers 3 courses with dishes like Saint Jacques (Hokkaido Scallops), Crab Linguine and Panna Cotta for dessert. This is on top of their extensive a la carte selection including Steak ($48), Duck Rilette ($20), Escargot ($15/6 pcs, or $28/12 pcs) and more!
There’s also a breakfast menu with classics including a Croque Madame ($18) and Pain Perdu (French Toast, $16). Henri also operates as a bakery which sells housemade sourdough and pastries!
Beef Tartare
The Beef Tartare ($26) came with a quail egg on the side and crispy crackers. This was well-seasoned with a savoury bite from capers, pairing well with the richness of the egg yolk!
Salmon Tartare
If you don’t fancy beef, the Salmon Tartare ($20) is an alternative. The bed of avocado provided the perfect creamy contrast, complemented by a fragrant and slightly citrusy dressing.
Duck Rillette
Duck Rillette ($20) is shredded duck confit, and Henri cleverly serves it with fried mantou! The duck was tender and not gamey at all, infused with the fragrance of olive oil.
If you get this, you must have it with the provided mustard and pickles that cut through the fat!
French Grill Platter “Plateau de Grillades”
The French Grill Platter “Plateau de Grillades” ($108) comes with 4 meats: a whole spring chicken, French spare ribs, lamb and pork sausages.
You can top up $20 for a combination of sides including a salad, Mentaiko fries, mashed potatoes and two sauces (red wine and pepper). The mashed potatoes and sauces elevated the experience so we think its worth the top-up!
Our favourite were the lamb chops. Despite the pinkish appearance, the meat did not have any gameiness at all and was tender. The red wine sauce paired perfectly with this, adding a rich umami to the meat!
Their French spare ribs had a sweet glaze similar to char siew. It was very fatty (with some parts being only fat) so it did get a bit jelak, but the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender.
Confit De Canard “Duck Confit”
A classic French dish, the Confit De Canard “Duck Confit” ($35) at Henri uses the Mulard duck. This is the prized species that is farmed for foie gras, boasting more flavorful meat.
The duck had a crisp skin and fork tender meat, perfumed with the fragrance of garlic and olive oil. It’s also quite sizeable and can fill you up! We also liked the accompanying poached pear, which added a sweet contrast to the savoury meat.
Bonus: Mussels in Cream Sauce
This dish isn’t on the menu, but we highly recommend you ask the staff if it’s available! The mussels were fresh and plump despite their smaller size, but the star really is the sauce.
It was rich but not cloying, seasoned with garlic and umami from the shellfish. If you can, ask for their housemade bread for dipping.
Creme Brulee
The Creme Brulee ($15) was one of the more memorable ones we’ve had in Singapore. The vanilla custard had a rich smokey flavour as the sugar used is first caramelised! It added a unique toffee flavour, complimenting the sweet vanilla.
French Restaurant In Telok Ayer
Henri provides a comfortable introduction to French cuisine with dishes that are well-executed without being too cloying. The lunch and dinner sets are very worth it for the quality of food being served and for the Telok Ayer area. We think it’s the perfect place for a special occasion!
Henri
48 Pekin Street S048778
Mon to Sat, 8am – 10pm | Sun 8am – 4pm (Lunch 12pm – 3pm | Dinner 6pm – 10pm)
Henri Bakery: Daily, 8am – 5.30pm
*This article is based on a media-tasting event, but all opinions expressed about the food are entirely our own.
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