Farrer Horse, which opened on 2 September 2022, is an original dining concept that brings back the exuberant merrymaking that defined Farrer Park Racecourse, Singapore’s first horse-racing venue in the 1840s.
Sharing the same space as The Sultan Hotel in a well-preserved shophouse located at Kampong Glam, the gastro-cocktail spot spanning two stories serves up playful Asian creations and progressive libations inspired by thoroughbred horses that graced the track and derbies around the world.
In the first-floor Dining Room, guests are invited to celebrate the joyous gathering of Singapore’s multi-ethnic society at the former racecourse through a diverse mix of Asian dishes, with 10 appetisers, six mains, and three desserts.
Start your feast with the addictive Papad & Dips, featuring a basket of crispy pappadams dotted with fenugreek and cumin, served alongside three house-made dips: zingy Raita with sliced grapes; a minty green chutney, and spicy bloody Mary salsa.
Heavily doused in Peranakan-styled sambal belacan and calamansi dressing is the Top Shell Kerabu, which comes with sliced cucumbers and onions to balance the punchy heat.
Presented DIY-style, the Nyonya Pie Tee features a fragrant filling of braised turnip, carrots and shiitake mushrooms, juicy prawns, and a picante garlic ginger chilli dip to enhance the flavours.
Mains are refined recreations of familiar favourites, such as the Otah Ravioli. The otah is painstakingly made from scratch, where mackerel and prawns are hand-chopped with galangal, chillies, and lemongrass, before being wrapped ravioli-style in silky dumpling skin and doused in piquant gravy.
A re-imagination of famous Burmese salad laphet is the Salad & Tea. Served with a side of multi-grain and cauliflower rice, the colourful and crunchy salad is beautifully presented with a plate full of ingredients, ranging from purple cabbage to pomegranate, garlic chips, chopped tomatoes, broad bean lentils and an array of nuts, all dressed in a spice-heavy fermented tea sauce.
Diners preferring a more homely feast will enjoy the Kapitan with Nets, where the chicken bone is simmered in a fiery chicken kaffir lime curry over low heat till the meat is fork tender. Traditional lace crepes are served on the side to mop up the curry.
A highlight on the dessert menu is the Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta made with Madagascan vanilla beans. Here, velvety creamy panna cotta is elegantly plated with a side of raspberry coulis, berries, and ginger flower sand and is the perfect light dessert to round up the meal.
Next, head to Stable and discover an elevated drink programme designed by The Compound Collective.
The launch menu presents six novel horse-themed cocktails, each priced at $22++ and named after famous racehorses such as the Secretariat, which draws inspiration from Kentucky Derby’s official cocktail Mint Julep and a horses’ staple diet. The honeyed spirit-forward cocktail uses a hay-infused bourbon, shaken with apple and maple, then garnished with fresh mint.
Another tipple featuring ingredients from a horse’s diet is Kelso, highlighted by Japanese barley shochu stirred with house-made cucumber cordial, an acid blend, and a touch of tonic. The grass tracks of the old racecourse inspired this green cocktail, which leaves a refreshing cleanness and herbaceous tang on the palate.
Based on the wordplay on horses, the Rocket Man is an umami cocktail comprising sugar syrup made with horseradish and small-batched grape brandy produced in the Ica Valley of Perú. The zingy pungency of horseradish is balanced with a citrusy combination of fresh pineapple juice, lime, and lemon, making this progressive and ingenious tipple equal parts sweet, salty, and sour.
Cocktail connoisseurs seeking a subtle twist will appreciate the well-balanced Man o’ War – an Old Fashion made with Tennessee whiskey that has been sous-vide with coriander, fennel, and cumin seeds for two hours, giving whispers of warm, earthy aroma in every sip.
Meanwhile, Eclipse will interest Tequila lovers with its unique concoction of Tequila, Fino sherry, lime, pomegranate, celery, and coriander. Inferno also features peach flavours, this time in the form of an iced peach and passionfruit tea. The candied tea fragrance removes the bold aroma of the Plantation Original Dark Rum, making the pink drink unsuspectingly boozy.
Decked in equestrian green and tangerine, Farrer Horse transports you back to a time when Farrer Park Racecourse was a highly reputable recreational hub built for the affluent with its regal old-world interior. Plush velvety and leather sofas are juxtaposed against elegant canework chairs, while a grandiose bar highlighted by gold and timbre trimmings commands your attention at The Dining Room and Stable. On the walls are illustrations and paintings of horses and archival photos of Farrer Park Racecourse during its golden era.
The second-generation owner of Muthu’s Curry Ayyakannu Srinivasan (Srini) is the brainchild behind Farrer Horse. He shares the success of Farrer Horse with his wife Malarvizhi, who has been an integral part of the creative journey. Farrer Horse is an ode to Srini’s childhood home along Racecourse Road, where Farrer Park Racecourse used to stand.
For booking enquiries, please contact +65 8139 8109 or email [email protected]. For more information, visit http://www.farrerhorse.com/.
