British Gastropub At Duxton Hill

If you are hankering for a little spot of Ye Olde England in Singapore, potter over to the The Jackson Plan, teetering on the slope-edge of Duxton Hill in Tanjong Pagar. You enter by the broad wooden terrace rather than from the front of the pre-war shophouse unit, like I tried to do on my first visit recently for lunch.

 

Hot under the blazing sun, I guess only mad dogs and Englishmen will sit al fresco for lunch; but in the evening under the spread of the large tree (we can pretend it’s an ancient yew), it can be a very comfortable place to knock back a pint or Pimms. Rest assured for polished girls, this place is not rough, boisterous and ‘pubby’ even though The Jackson Place gets its inspiration from the gastrobars of London. It’s ambience is relaxed but refined…kinda like The Red Lion Meets Jane Austen with a hint of institutional university hall ambience. (Those who have studied in the UK will know what I mean.) Interestingly however, The Jackson Plan’s pedigree is Italian, being another Beppe de Vito production.

 

I like the dining room – mismatched wooden chairs and tables edged in chintz heaved back from antique markets of London, against walls painted a particular shade of green that I associate with one Castle Hill Hospital in Yorkshire where I was incarcerated for a week years ago, and the industrial-sized kitchen of Thwaite Hall, Hull. Both places not particularly glamorous, but quietly infused with an oblique sense of blue-rinsed benevolence. Towards the entrance is a sunny bar area in bright pastel colours which hints of New England….no irony intended.

 

I started off with a glass of Pimms No. 1 ($10.50), nicely chilled but sadly watered down.; then to a range of starters – potted smoked mackerel with rye toast ($13.50) which was all nice, moist and buttery, definitely a safe bet; and a more challenging pig tails  with white pudding and home baked beans ($11.50). Not for the fussy or faint hearted, this does take some getting used to, with the blatant use of pig fat juxtaposed with the coarse texture of oatmeal in the pudding. The taste was a tad gamey but I enjoyed it. The Scotch duck egg, which brought back memories of home economics lessons using an out-of-date post colonial cookbook, and was pleasant but unexciting. The chicken livers with port and bacon ($11.50) were highly recommended but had run out when we were there….so it must be good.

 

Many interesting mains on the list, but with their hearty portions, we could only extend ourselves to three dishes.  The saltmarsh lamb ($28) was rich, unctuous and tender – heavy, comfort food with lovely flavours but fairly predictable – and the fisherman’s pie ($25.50) is lovely in its creamy white sauce and nicely golden baked piped potato top. That would fill two hungry girls no doubt, and would be the dish of choice if you brought kids along. They can all share. The scallops and black pudding with smoked cheese ($28) however is a polarising dish – you either like it or you don’t. I didn’t. The black pudding overwhelmed the delicate flavour of the scallops and in its entirety the texture of the dish was a monotonous mushiness. Having said that, it is a very popular dish among those who like it…but sorry, count me out of the party! Prepared by Scottish chef Christopher Dougan, fare here include other traditional British dishes like Lancashire Hotpot, burnt custard with toffee caramel, cured ox tongue and ploughman’s lunch.

What’s a typical British meal without pudding? The eccles cake ($10.50) was luxed up with rum and raisin ice cream: a little chewy if you like it, decent flavours and a refreshing ice cream to give it a touch of lightness, but sadly the ice cream was a little weak in flavour. Couldn’t taste the rum. I really liked the Farquhar’s Mess ($11.50) though, which is a rather unBritish creation by the chef. Named after the colonial administrator who did all the work while Raffles pottered off after putting his name on Singapore’s founding, this delightful dessert is a messy, trifle-like pudding of gula Melaka and mango. Exceedingly lovely!

 

All the cocktails here are made with fresh fruits and fresh fruit juices, and I do hope that the other cocktails are not as dilute as my Pimms. A few that caught my eye were an intoxicating Coolie’s Cup which includes absinth and rum in its mix; and Jackson Punch with gin, strawberries, orange and lambrusco (definitely for the ladies). They have a range of ciders, perry, ales and vintage beers in 500 ml bottles (from $10.70- $18.50) and selected beer on tap.

 

There’s a fun little menu of bar bites with names that would only entice those in the know…battered black pudding chunks with brown sauce ($8.50), Mix Scratchings with spiced salt and lamb faggots with marrowfat peas. Lovely. A nice spot for lunch or dinner with a difference…but not quite a pub, thank you.

40 Duxton Hill
Tel: 68661988