MERCI MARCEL CLUB STREET — Restaurant in Singapore

Been to their original outlet in Tiong Bahru a while back and was thrilled by their small plates and cheese and an excellant St Emillion bottle of wine that i gulped down in no time flat. With that very vivid image i had in my mind,i told the missus to leave straight for club street to try out this outlet..hmmmmm. They ran outta st emillion wine at this outlet..ah well,nevermind,we opted for an alsace riesling instead.. Oh boi,i couldnt finish the bottle fast enough,this time being that it was tart and very acidic to the tastebuds. Oh well.🤷‍♂️ Ordered their duck rillette to share as we remembered it to be really very good, and 1 main each,their Duck Confit and Pork Tenderloin. If you would take a look at the pictures posted,one would probably understand my confusion when the dishes were presented. 1st off,the duck rillette wasnt the usual spread presented with pieces of bread,but rather already slathered onto the toasted bread. The taste wasnt bad at all,just that it was a little too sweet for my liking,with the added pear slice on top.I would've much preferred the creamy-savoury traditional way duck rillette is normally prepared,but maybe thats just me. Now as for the duck confit however,it was totally not what i wouldve expected. The duck meat was not savory nor was it salty in the very least,& it was already all shredded and piled in a round heap,on top of what i refer to as Rosti-like shredded potatos..try as i might,i couldnt find any crispy duck skin at all,which one would take as the highlight of any duck confit meal. Maybe their modern take on the traditional duck confit is beyond my plebian grasp of fine culinary food,I would'nt begin to know. Now down to their Pork Tenderloin..the texture was done really well,i give them that. However,the meat had a strangely orangey-citrusy-zesty taste to it that was very conflicting to my tastebuds.The small little chunks of Feta cheese in this dish was a very nice touch..however,if you look at the photo closely, you can probably see popcorn scattered rather generously all over the dish. Really,popcorn?? Again,I just dun geddit..🤔 Dun get me wrong,the service staff were excellant,they went outta their way to make a feel comfortable,especially the Female manager,whose name I forgot,my bad. She noticed that we were not really enjoying our food in the lest and kept asking us what was wrong with it. However,she looked very puzzled when we finally gave her feedback on the food taste etc,like the duck confit being rather bland and told us that nobody has ever said anything untoward abt the dish. Ah well,again maybe my pedestrian taste-buds couldnt really grasp the concept of modern gastronomic food. My Rating: Service: 8.5/10 Ambience/Spacing: 4/10 (just a little too cramped between tables) Food: 5/10 (just not my cuppa) Value For Money: 4/10 (just doesnt cut it for the price point paid) Overall...

Established since January 2014, Merci Marcel is reowned for its casual modern bohemian vibe and refined French plates. With 3 outlets across Singapore, each with its own distinct stylish ambience and food menus, Merci Marcel regularly draws a queue. . Ambience at Merci Marcel is casual, with a mix of modern and bohemian. The concrete walls and tiled floors are decked in light pastel colours against grey, while cushioned wooden and rattan furnishings are warmly illuminated by decorative lights overhead. Upcycled decor, wall painted murals, and a touch of gleaming metal finishes lend a sophisticated, opulent feel. . Service at Merci Marcel is friendly yet professional, making diners feel welcome. Staff accord each table personalised attention, each interaction an opportunity to make guests feel comfortable. They display good product knowledge on the food and drinks, and proactively offer to top up drinks or clear finished plates. I note they clean up quickly when diners leave. . Food at Merci Marcel is distinctly French cuisine, with each of their 3 outlets having a slightly different menu. The kitchen serves consistently executed, good quality dishes that are tasty and uncomplicated, using fresh premium ingredients. The focus here is on social dining and sharing plates. Portions are large for individuals, and may be shared. Prices are comparable to premium restaurants, budget about SGD $48 per person for a regular meal at...

Merci Marcel boasts a beautiful interior with both outdoor (facing the street) and indoor dining. Impressive service. Waiters and waitresses were proactive in refilling water, introducing menu items, checking in on our food, and topping up the bread for our hummus. The four of us managed to get full on 4 starters and 1 main.

On starters: We throughly enjoyed the tiong bahru tarte flambee (they nailed the thin crust) and the ravioles de royans (very creamy and cheesy, I would say this is a must try). Sautéed baby potatoes with shredded duck was alright but the flavour was a little flat for me and the duck was a little dry. We least enjoyed the hummus as we felt that the consistency was too thin and that the passionfruit flavour they were going for did not come together well. Was not a fan of the taste of the flat bread that came with the hummus (but the extra baguette they gave us to finish the rest of our hummus was a lot better).

Main: The grain-fed angus beef was a good choice of protein to balance all the carbs we had. However, we asked for medium rare and the steak came a little too rare. Nevertheless, the flavours were good and the wedges that came with were still hot and crispy.

Overall, experience was extremely pleasant, menu items were a hit and miss for me, but I’ll be happy to revisit to try...