Along Singapore River ~ Dallas Restaurant & Bar

Along Singapore River ~ Dallas Restaurant & Bar

Nowadays when I pen down a review for a restaurant, it is definitely more than just food. The ambience, the service and the overall experience count it all in my rating and this place has impressed me in a way or another. Walking along Boat Quay has given people an impression that it is all about drinking and seafood and a peep at the ground level of Dallas didn't leave much of an impression.




Being a non-drinker, walking down Boat Quay at night dread me. With the lingering cigarette smoke and the humid weather Singapore has, I would never imagine myself dining at Boat Quay but little did I know what Dallas offers is more than I can imagine.


Having a bar on the ground floor with alfresco seating that overlooks Singapore Asian Civilisations Museum and the other landmarks of City Hall, allows one to enjoy the Singapore nightlife along the waters.


Up to the second level brings a different perspective of the place, a restaurant serving American fare on the second floor. Having lunch with a view of Boat Quay in air-conditioned comfort is something which I enjoyed through the meal.


A 'Den' on its third level with a decent selection of wines and beer, one will be surprised by the other dimension Dallas provides.






The use of red and black provides a touch of class, the mysterious feel presented by surrounding tinted mirrors and the muted lighting provide a relaxing feel for one to unwind after work.


The use of artworks allow diners to take things slow and observe the decor the owner has put up and it is no surprise why this place is getting popular for functions and gatherings.


And who can resist the view offers at the balcony at level 3.


Thank you for LIC's effort to organize a wonderful food tasting session at Dallas. I am definitely going back for their 50% off promotion on Dallas' fiery or regular baby back pork ribs on Monday and Tuesday Nights (from 5.30pm to 10.30pm till 19 Jun 2009).

Dallas Restaurant & Bar
31 Boat Quay,
Singapore 049820
Tel: 6532 2131
http://www.dallas.sg/

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Dallas - LIC's Outing

Dallas - LIC's Outing

This was a food tasting session organized by LIC. As usual we were treated to a variety of great food and Dallas was kind to give us sample size for 9 dishes. As Dallas’s core business is a pub, the dishes are naturally finger food which you can go with liquor. Of course, they do have a restaurant menu but I guess the entry wouldn't be useful apart from the ribs.

Dish 1: Salt and pepper calamari


Dish 2: Chicken and cheese quesadillas


Dish 3: Shredded Pork Tacos


Dish 4: Baby Back Pork Ribs


Dish 5: Tempura Barranmundi


Dish 6: Dallas Wings


Dish 7: Corn and Crab Fritter


Dish 8: Beef Fajitas


Dish 9: Breaded Mushrooms


Being overwhelmed by the varied taste of food, I think it would only be fair to give an overall opinion of this food sampling season. I would say that the selection would be great for a gathering and for munching as you chat. There was nothing fanciful or extraordinary about the food except that it was well fried and mildly seasoned.

I would like to highlight the baby back pork ribs which is served in 3 flavors – Fiery, Alabama and Smoked Hickory BBQ. It’s lightly seasoned to retain the pork taste, tender and slightly sweet.

Overall too much fried food for this selection but I guess if you order one or two dishes to coup with your liquor, the finger food at Dallas probably won’t disappoint.
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Fen's comments

My second participation to LIC's outing and I must say it was a good meet-up. From my previous experience, in the event of food tasting, it would be fairer to the restaurant to give an overall experience and like Yuan, I shall just highlight a few of my favourite dishes.

I must say it was nice of Jason to introduce the style of cooking, the type of ingredients and the sauce Dallas' chefs has whipped up. Although the staff were alittle shorthanded but it was still a good experience to feel the ambience of the place and what the restuarant get to offer.

Kicking up the 9-dish food tasting, it was good that Dallas started with their signature dish, Salt & Pepper Calamari. Unlike the conventional squid rings, the squid were huge, tender and juicy but alittle oily. Quesadillas has always been my favourite and this did meet my expectation. The proportion of cheese goes pretty well with the flour tortillas and turn out to be the best among the wraps (i.e. Chicken Tacos and Beef Fajitas).

Having ate ribs from Tony Roma's, Bobby Rubino's and Dan Ryans, I must say that the flavours Dallas offer is impressive. Before touching on any flavours, the baby back ribs was tender and moist to my liking. Fiery adopts a sweeter and more ketchup-y taste (close to Tony Roma's), Alabama with a smokier BBQ sauce (similar to Dan Ryans) and Smoked Hickory in between. Being a fan of Bobby Rubino's ribs, my choice is the Alabama.

I realized the bulk of the food served were bar food and thus was cloying towards the 5th dish but apart from the mentioned 3 dishes, the Breaded Mushrooms with Cheese & Garlic Mayonnaise and Corn & Crab Fritters with Chilli Glaze were worth a try. Although Bobby Rubino has a better version of breaded mushrooms, Dallas does it nicely with melted cheese in the centre. Corn & Crab Fritters, breaded potato cakes were light and not-as-oily as the other fried food.

Overall, I have enjoyed myself and it was nice to meet FatPig (Timeless facade), Elaine (Divine Essentials), Caterine (Camemberu), Keropokman (Singapura Daily Makan Photos) and good old buddies, Evan, Elaine (Simply Etel), Weili, Brad and Sihan.
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Some of the other coverage of this outing,
LadyIronChef - Dallas Restaurant & Bar: LIC food outing
Camemberu - Dallas Restaurant and Bar
AromaCookery - Dallas Restaurant & Bar
Singapura Daily Makan Photo - Dallas Restaurant & Bar at Boat Quay
Timeless Facade - Dallas Restaurant and Bar
Jaime-La-Nourriture - Dallas Restaurant & Bar

Dallas Restaurant & Bar
31 Boat Quay,
Singapore 049820
Tel: 6532 2131
http://www.dallas.sg/

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