Open Door Policy, your favourite Tiong Bahru cafe will make your fall in love with its offerings yet again with their recent rustic makeover of its 100 percent gluten-free and dairy-free (GFDF) menu. Assistant Head Chef Freddy Ang is out to impress with 15 new dishes to the a la carte menu in the latest revamp. Each of these dishes pays careful to ODP’s inclination for hearty, wholesome cooking that aims to evoke a sense of nostalgia by imparting familiar flavours with a GFDF twist.
“These dishes may seem simple at first, but there is a good deal of unique execution, substitute ingredients, and months of research on alternative food sources that went into ensuring that we continue to do the GFDF movement justice,” shares Freddy, who has been working tirelessly with his team on his first foray into developing a brand new menu.
Priming the palate
Perfect for sharing, the new starters whet the appetite with bold, deliberate flavours that prime the palate for what’s to come. Tummy-warming goodness comes in the form of two new soups – a Warm Wasabi Greenpea Scallop Soup (S$23++) that wraps a duet of lightly-seared Hokkaido scallops in a luscious, wasabi-tinged green pea broth; and a velvety Watercress Soup (S$18++) that flaunts flavours seemingly more grown-up in comparison, served with a sous-vide egg and pops of sweet wolfberries.
The Vitel Toné (S$25++), Chef Freddy’s take on the elegant summertime antipasto, features cold-cuts of buttery sous vide veal loin, accompanied with creamy tuna mayonnaise and pickled purple cabbage. All these delivered on the perfect vessel of GFDF fried bread.
Sharing a similar density is the zesty Avocado Jumbo Rump Crab Salad (S$25++) and its crunchy counterparts – crispy green kale, sweet corn kernels, salted egg yolk crumble, and fried charcoal bread.
Rustic renditions
Firmly anchored in the bistro’s signature style of comfort cooking, the mains demonstrate Chef Freddy’s knack for serving up familiar flavours in rustic renditions. Seemingly simple, the Spaghetti Alle Vongole (S$28++) is tossed in a white miso sauce that is as dreamy as it is creamy. A remake of a dish from the previous menu, the Braised Veal Ossobucco (S$32++) makes a fork-tender encore on a bed of green pea risotto; its richness tamed with drizzles of preserved lemon and pickled purple baby carrots.
Ocean-fresh flavours rise to the occasion with a Pan-seared Threadfin (S$32++), its buttery flesh juxtaposed with a sweet and spicy Thai mango salad that’s tossed with cashew nuts and crunchy Sakura shrimps;
and a Sous-vide Salmon (S$32++) soaked in a light yet flavourful miso chilli broth that echoes throughout the dish.
Satiate your meat hankering with a Roasted Pork Rack (S$38++) that’s steeped in a five-spice marinate, making for the perfect roast. A spicy pineapple sauce glazes the pork with a rounded tartness, while baked purple sweet potatoes and blanched broccolini lend a well-deserved crunch to the dish.
Sweet redemptions
End your meal on a zesty zing with the Calamansi Chocolate Tart (S$16++), a classic citrus meringue encased in a crusty no-bake cocoa shell;
or a velvety Cashew Nut Milk Custard (S$16++) coupled with fruity bursts of kiwi compote.
Old-timers will find a familiar favourite in the Dairy-Free Apple Crumble (S$16++), revived from its former eight-spiced glory with a crunchy oat-based crumble, lathered in a blanket of cashew milk crème anglaise.
Reserve your seats to sample this brand new menu today!
