Fab Fries Aside, Don Ho Serves Hit-Or-Miss Mod Australian Plates

“How’s our greedy couple doing?” asks the perky hostess. It was cute the first two times, but not so much on the fourth. Especially since said couple is presently in the middle of an intense discussion. Okay, argument. It’s not entirely her fault. While chatting earlier, she'd asked us how come we knew so much about food, and since we were trying to review this month-old restaurant incognito, our partner blurts, “oh, we’re just greedy”. And so we were henceforth known as The Greedy Couple.

poke place called Loloku next door. Never mind that the food at Don Ho isn’t remotely island-like.

THE FOOD: The menu here is Australian fusion, peppered with Middle-Eastern influences. Plates are meant to be shared and come in regular or larger portions. "What are the dishes cooked in the wood-fired oven?", we ask our helpful server (who unlike her colleague, is savvier about giving customers service when necessary, and privacy when they silently crave it). "The breads", such as the pillowy ones used in the Pork Cheek Char Siu Sliders ($20 for two), she tells us. While the buns are good, and the sweet-tart kimchi and chilli mayo moreish, the pork is unfathomably tough, like overcooked kong bak that was forgotten and left to dry out on a countertop overnight.

Meanwhile, the Beef Short Rib ($44/600g) is perfectly tender, our knife slicing through its yielding flesh with little resistance. Pity it tastes under-seasoned despite its swarthy spice rub of coriander seeds, mustard seeds and fennel.

VERDICT: 3/5 Lovely setting and on the ball service — even though some of the staff here don’t seem to know the meaning of personal space. But if you ask us what our favourite dish here is, we’d have to say the fries. And we’re not sure if that’s a good thing. $$-$$$

1 Keong Saik Rd, The Working Capitol Building, S089109. Tel: 6223-5001. Open daily 6pm­–midnight. Last orders 10pm (food); at closing (drinks). www.don-ho.com