Oomphatico’s

C says:

This place definitely wins an award for having the worse name ever. Provided you can even remember it, when you do you’re almost too embarrassed to actually say it out loud. Instead of “let’s meet at Oomphatico’s” I’ll probably just say “let’s meet at that mad hatter place in Tanglin Mall.

The interior decor here is supposed to be like a mad hatter’s tea party, with all manner of floral wallpaper, coloured chandeliers and chintz sofas. I’d actually recommend sitting in the outdoor seating area located in the covered walkway between Tanglin Mall and Trader’s Hotel. You may not have much of a view because you’re essentially looking into the Trader’s Hotel coffee house, but it’s very pleasant and breezy.


The menu is quite comprehensive, but at the same time doesn't try too hard. They have breakfast till 11, as well as pizzas, some pastas, sandwiches, and regular mains. A had the rib-eye sandwich on ciabatta, and I had the duo of beef – a seared fillet steak and a braised short rib with red wine sauce.


A’s sandwich was pretty disappointing – too much bread and not enough steak, which was sliced so thinly that it should’ve been called a roast beef sandwich instead. My beef dish was mixed. The fillet steak was really good – perfectly cooked and the meat was tender and sweet. The short rib was just so-so; it was braised till fork-tender, but it still had a rather strong beefy aroma, which for once wasn’t a good thing.


Surprisingly, my favourite was the side order of rocket salad with parmesan that I ordered. The balsamic and olive oil evenly coated every single rocket leaf, and they were very generous with the shaved parmesan as well.


We shared a couple of desserts – the bread and butter pudding was pretty good, but do not order the masala chai creme brulee. It comes with apple and coriander sorbet (*shudder*), which we changed to honeydew, but even for a fan of chai tea, this was way too spicy for my liking.

All in all, this is a very pleasant weekend lunch/brunch place, and I’d like to try some of their other menu offerings.

A says:

The food’s good but not great. What is great is the service and the setting. And this is probably one of the few places where I’d recommend sitting outdoors. The corridor effect makes it really cool and breezy.

As far as things go, I’d probably recommend this place for a lazy Sunday brunch. Just don’t look too sloppy. The clientele there isn’t exactly your local kopitiam sort.

Oomphatico’s
163 Tanglin Road
#01-03 & 01-35/36 Tanglin Mall
Tel: 6733-9088
Open daily: 8 am – 11 pm