– Tasting Invite –

Wotcha chewys! Sometime back, misterchewy and I dropped by The Ascot at The Grandstand, formally known as Turf City. It was our first time at The Grandstand but we had been to quite a few of the seafood restaurants with our families when this place was still called Turf City. The change is quite huge and the place is livened up with many eateries and large crowds. Really glad to see that! 🙂

Owner Sylvester Fedor Thang chatted with us for a bit and asked if we know what The Ascot is all about. He previously spent two years studying in the UK and wanted to recreate the very best of the quintessential English pub experience right here in Singapore. Lovingly referred to as a British ‘gastrogrub’ by Sylvester, he wanted to serve authentic British cuisine and Singaporeans would be exposed to a whole lot more than just the usual Fish & Chips.

The Ascot at The Grandstand is named after the Ascot Racecourse, which is located in Berkshire. It seems that Sylvester is determined to share a piece of what he had experienced in UK with his fellow Singaporeans. Not surprisingly, The Ascot is very popular among expats as the food reminds them of home.

I had always wanted to try Toffee Apple Cider because I had such a hard time finding it at various supermarkets. It tasted really sweet and a little bitter. I think I still prefer beer 😛 The husband had a bottle of Pear Cider which was less sweet and more refreshing.

I was initially kinda skeptical of the Strawberry spinach salad with crumbled blue cheese, pistachios, bacon & avocado ($18) but the crazy unusual combination worked surprisingly well! The blue cheese was undoubtedly pungent and had a sharp acidic flavor but the sweetness derived from the strawberry slices and raspberry vinaigrette countered this well.

The husband and I were both surprised by how unique this bowl of Smoked tomato soup ($8) tasted, very full-bodied with a slightly smoked flavor to it. At the same time, it was rich, tangy, and a little sweet tasting. This certainly whetted our appetite for the remaining dishes to come!

The Cold Cut Platter ($18), featuring 3 types of cold cuts served with silver onions, gherkins, scotch egg & homemade bread, is a must order at The Ascot. Obviously, the scotch egg stole the show. It is essentially hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in bread crumbs and baked or deep-fried. Perhaps I should try this in my own kitchen next time!

A bunch of bangers ($20) would definitely serve as a perfect pub grub, or gastro grub in this context. Have I ever told you that misterchewy and I loveeee sausages? I think we would have been on cloud nine if we had ordered beer instead of cider. Sausages + Beer = Heaven. We had two broiled sausages (instead of three because we don’t eat beef) on bubble and squeak drizzled with onion gravy. Bubble and squeak is a British dish made with shallow-fried leftover vegetables. Very interesting and we loved it.

Since this The Ascot is a British gastrogrub, we did not expect the Chicken Tikka Masala ($18) to come into the picture. Tender pieces of chicken were marinated in yoghurt and spices. Bathed in creamy and spicy curry sauce, this dish was very addictive and we couldn’t help dipping pieces of naan into the gravy even though we were quite full by then.

The Roasted chicken served with vegetables & potato lyonnais ($24) was even more tender than the chicken tikka masala. The first few bites were not bad but I soon found that the BBQ-like marination was too thick and sweet for my liking.

The husband and I felt that the desserts wrapped things up really nicely and we were very satisfied. Served warm, the Classic Bread & Butter Pudding ($9) and the vanilla ice cream were a match made in heaven. Moist, fluffy and slightly spongy, we enjoyed this dessert thoroughly!

We saved the best for last, and true enough, the Deep-fried Mars Bars in batter ($8) tasted as awesome as it sounds. Thick, gooey, caramelized goodness enveloped in a light, crispy and savory batter. This was a real sweet treat!

If you have not popped by The Grandstand, The Ascot gives you every reason to do so now! The place is made accessible with free shuttle services from Newton, Botanical Gardens and Toa Payoh mrt stations.
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The Ascot @ The Grandstand
200 Turf Club Road
#01-16
Singapore 287994
Tel: 6462 0881

Opening Hours:
Tue
3pm – 11pm
Wed & Thu
12pm – 11pm
Fri
12pm – 1am
Sat
10.30am – 1am
Sun
10.30am – 11pm