Video Credit: Our Food Channel
Red Sparrow in Dempsey is decorated with brightly coloured lanterns, a trishaw in the corner of the restaurant and a mural of Vietnamese city street life on the back wall.
A section of the menu is dedicated to BBQ dishes from Marinated Berkshire Pork Shoulder ($23) to Salt Pepper Beef Rib ($25) served with homemade sauces, pickles and lettuce to wrap.
Try the Che Chuoi ($11) homemade Vietnamese coffee doughnuts with coffee glaze ($12) to go with their hot of Vietnamese drip coffee.
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Red Sparrow in Dempsey is decorated with brightly coloured lanterns, a trishaw in the corner of the restaurant and a mural of Vietnamese city street life on the back wall.
I had walked past the Red Sparrow at Dempsey Hill on many occasions and never had the time to step in. Intrigued by the colourful lanterns that adorn the ceiling it was like Hoi An by night.
I made a mental note to try this restaurant out one day. That day came and I met Chef Jeff who sits at the helm of Red Sparrow and sister company La Salsa next door.
His specially curated menu stems from years of street food experience as he backpacked around Asia. From the very beginning his deep interest lay in street food not restaurants.
Loving to get down to the hawkers who served authentic fare, Chef Jeff of Red Sparrow would volunteer to chop vegetables and help prepare meals for these hawkers.
Intrigued by the realness of the food they churned out he became friends with them. They of course readily shared their recipes with him.
And so today we have the convenience of Vietnamese food right on our doorstep without the inconvenience of flying to Vietnam. All made possible by Chef Jeff who hails from Singapore and loves what he does!
Waiting on the Vietnamese fresh spring rolls that were about to arrive my mouth was watering at the thought of these tantalising starters. I love the sauces that go with these rolls and was introduced to some new ones at Red Sparrow.
Pork and prawn rolls dipped in the usual sweet brown sauce with peanuts that most of us are accustomed to and expect when we eat spring rolls, were one of three in a mixed platter.
Vietnamese are famous for their ham and sausage products and so the second variety was a sausage spring roll dipped in a fish sauce. Very tasty!
The third roll was different. Grilled fish dipped in a pineapple sauce. Delicious. The snapper had just been grilled so the roll was warm. As I was devouring this last roll the famous egg omelette arrived.
Filled with bean sprouts, chives, prawns and some grilled pork, these had condiments of salad and pickles on the side. Up to you to add as much or as little as you like.
I know friends who eat this omelette as a main meal. Others are happy to share. All up, it is something I always look forward to at a Vietnamese restaurant and am happy to have to myself. Like a Wafu salad in a Japanese restaurant. Step aside please!
When you walk in to Red Sparrow prepare yourself for the wonderful aroma of grilled meat which pervades the entire restaurant. A large oven obvious to the eye is used to bake Vietnamese rolls.
Needed for Banh Mi, one of my favourite on-the-go lunches when I lived in Sydney, I encouraged Chef Jeff to consider a takeaway option on the weekends.
If I knew I could order on the phone and pick up my Banh Mi to go, I would be there every weekend. Stuffed with grilled pork and a variety of sausage/ham slices plus salad and pickles with a touch of chilli this would be an awesome weekend meal.
As famous as Vietnamese are for rolls they have also made a name in the world of soup. Not wanting to try the usual Pho I ordered something different - Bun Oc.
Rice noodles in a light tomato, pork and escargot broth topped with Tiger prawns, Vietnamese escargot and fried tofu. There were yummy vegetables of morning glory, banana blossom and spring onions too.
This soup was amazing and I can imagine why. The soup base was made from freshwater crab and prawn paste so no wonder the rich flavour of seafood. The prawn was so fresh and full of taste and I had never had such meaty escargots that screamed with flavour before!
The dish that I had been waiting for all night arrived. Thit Lon Nurong - chargrilled marinated Berkshire pork with egg & pork terrine, roasted greens and pickled carrots.
While the grilled pork was succulent and absolutely delicious I was kind of expecting it and it hit the spot. The terrine however was a lovely unexpected surprise.
Likened to Japanese egg omelette Tamagoyaki, this was made with minced pork. The flavour of this terrine added to the whole dish of baby kai lan and pickled carrots wonderfully. This is a must try when you are next at Red Sparrow. Divine!
By the way, I also discovered that Dalat situated in the highlands of Vietnam, produce red and white wines with French wine making technology. I only tried the white which was light and great for this sort of Vietnamese food.
It was a great move on the part of Chef Jeff to drop out of school at 15 and listen to his intuitive voice that steered him in the direction of his love for cooking. Doing life the hard way from dishwashing and waiting in hotels his diligence paid off.
Today as a co-owner of both restaurants, he looks back at what he created with pride. A great believer of experience as opposed to paper qualifications Chef Jeff has brought authentic Vietnamese cuisine back to his homeland of Singapore.
The only difference with what you will have in the streets of Vietnam is the quality of meat used at the Red Sparrow is better. Even ingredients like fresh edible flowers, pepper and some seafood are imported.
So when you feel like an authentic Vietnamese meal you’ll know where to go!
I made a mental note to try this restaurant out one day. That day came and I met Chef Jeff who sits at the helm of Red Sparrow and sister company La Salsa next door.
His specially curated menu stems from years of street food experience as he backpacked around Asia. From the very beginning his deep interest lay in street food not restaurants.
Loving to get down to the hawkers who served authentic fare, Chef Jeff of Red Sparrow would volunteer to chop vegetables and help prepare meals for these hawkers.
Intrigued by the realness of the food they churned out he became friends with them. They of course readily shared their recipes with him.
And so today we have the convenience of Vietnamese food right on our doorstep without the inconvenience of flying to Vietnam. All made possible by Chef Jeff who hails from Singapore and loves what he does!
Waiting on the Vietnamese fresh spring rolls that were about to arrive my mouth was watering at the thought of these tantalising starters. I love the sauces that go with these rolls and was introduced to some new ones at Red Sparrow.
Pork and prawn rolls dipped in the usual sweet brown sauce with peanuts that most of us are accustomed to and expect when we eat spring rolls, were one of three in a mixed platter.
Vietnamese are famous for their ham and sausage products and so the second variety was a sausage spring roll dipped in a fish sauce. Very tasty!
The third roll was different. Grilled fish dipped in a pineapple sauce. Delicious. The snapper had just been grilled so the roll was warm. As I was devouring this last roll the famous egg omelette arrived.
Filled with bean sprouts, chives, prawns and some grilled pork, these had condiments of salad and pickles on the side. Up to you to add as much or as little as you like.
I know friends who eat this omelette as a main meal. Others are happy to share. All up, it is something I always look forward to at a Vietnamese restaurant and am happy to have to myself. Like a Wafu salad in a Japanese restaurant. Step aside please!
When you walk in to Red Sparrow prepare yourself for the wonderful aroma of grilled meat which pervades the entire restaurant. A large oven obvious to the eye is used to bake Vietnamese rolls.
Needed for Banh Mi, one of my favourite on-the-go lunches when I lived in Sydney, I encouraged Chef Jeff to consider a takeaway option on the weekends.
If I knew I could order on the phone and pick up my Banh Mi to go, I would be there every weekend. Stuffed with grilled pork and a variety of sausage/ham slices plus salad and pickles with a touch of chilli this would be an awesome weekend meal.
As famous as Vietnamese are for rolls they have also made a name in the world of soup. Not wanting to try the usual Pho I ordered something different - Bun Oc.
Rice noodles in a light tomato, pork and escargot broth topped with Tiger prawns, Vietnamese escargot and fried tofu. There were yummy vegetables of morning glory, banana blossom and spring onions too.
This soup was amazing and I can imagine why. The soup base was made from freshwater crab and prawn paste so no wonder the rich flavour of seafood. The prawn was so fresh and full of taste and I had never had such meaty escargots that screamed with flavour before!
The dish that I had been waiting for all night arrived. Thit Lon Nurong - chargrilled marinated Berkshire pork with egg & pork terrine, roasted greens and pickled carrots.
While the grilled pork was succulent and absolutely delicious I was kind of expecting it and it hit the spot. The terrine however was a lovely unexpected surprise.
Likened to Japanese egg omelette Tamagoyaki, this was made with minced pork. The flavour of this terrine added to the whole dish of baby kai lan and pickled carrots wonderfully. This is a must try when you are next at Red Sparrow. Divine!
By the way, I also discovered that Dalat situated in the highlands of Vietnam, produce red and white wines with French wine making technology. I only tried the white which was light and great for this sort of Vietnamese food.
It was a great move on the part of Chef Jeff to drop out of school at 15 and listen to his intuitive voice that steered him in the direction of his love for cooking. Doing life the hard way from dishwashing and waiting in hotels his diligence paid off.
Today as a co-owner of both restaurants, he looks back at what he created with pride. A great believer of experience as opposed to paper qualifications Chef Jeff has brought authentic Vietnamese cuisine back to his homeland of Singapore.
The only difference with what you will have in the streets of Vietnam is the quality of meat used at the Red Sparrow is better. Even ingredients like fresh edible flowers, pepper and some seafood are imported.
So when you feel like an authentic Vietnamese meal you’ll know where to go!
The support for this post both on social media and on our network at http://www.expatchoice.asia has been fabulous. This is a true outstanding "re-visit" for the expat community. Although Red Sparrow SG https://www.expatchoice.asia/eat-drink/restaurants-casual/red-sparrow has offered guests exceptional food and drinks for two years, we must never forget the richness of the quality of the menu being served. Chef Jeff has lived in Vietnam for years and felt the pulse of the streets and learnt from the best of the best. where the food is created and the flavours have emerged. The street life of Vietnam emerges in the gorgeous tastes and textures of each and every dish _ Love this restaurant and I am so pleased I got to meet the man himself - Chef Jeff - the extraordinary man at the helm of this delightful establishment...
Dempsey Hill has a long history in Singapore, and has been home to some great and not so great restaurants, bars and shops over the years.
The area is going through quite a change with new additions to the block, but it is the golden oldies that are attracting the crowds and no wonder why, they are providing good old fashion hospitality at a fraction of the cost of their counterparts in the area. Red Sparrow is one such establishment.
Red Sparrow is Dempsey Hill’s only Vietnamese restaurant. It was opened in July 2018, and it's proven to be a top spot for pho. A clutch of colourful lanterns hangs from the ceiling, while the walls are jazzed up with murals by local artists depicting scenes of Vietnamese culture.
The whole set-up is inspired by chef/proprietor Jeff Koh’s stint in Ho Chi Minh City, where he perfected his Vietnamese cooking skills.
Signature dishes include banh xeo (savoury rice flour crepe filled with mushrooms, tiger prawns and braised pork) and barbecue hai san tam (assorted fresh seafood) and the ga nuong (charcoal grilled half chicken in sweet and spicy sauce),
The menu also covers classics - goi cuon (pork and prawn summer rolls), classic beef pho, and banh tran tron (shredded green mango salad with quail eggs).
The area is going through quite a change with new additions to the block, but it is the golden oldies that are attracting the crowds and no wonder why, they are providing good old fashion hospitality at a fraction of the cost of their counterparts in the area. Red Sparrow is one such establishment.
Red Sparrow is Dempsey Hill’s only Vietnamese restaurant. It was opened in July 2018, and it's proven to be a top spot for pho. A clutch of colourful lanterns hangs from the ceiling, while the walls are jazzed up with murals by local artists depicting scenes of Vietnamese culture.
The whole set-up is inspired by chef/proprietor Jeff Koh’s stint in Ho Chi Minh City, where he perfected his Vietnamese cooking skills.
Signature dishes include banh xeo (savoury rice flour crepe filled with mushrooms, tiger prawns and braised pork) and barbecue hai san tam (assorted fresh seafood) and the ga nuong (charcoal grilled half chicken in sweet and spicy sauce),
The menu also covers classics - goi cuon (pork and prawn summer rolls), classic beef pho, and banh tran tron (shredded green mango salad with quail eggs).
The menu shows off a range of Vietnamese dishes from the staples of fresh rice paper rolls with prawns ($12) to green papaya salad with grilled tiger prawns ($16) and a variety of Banh Xeo dishes ($14-16) – the traditional rice flour crepe with various fillings all crackly edged and begging to be dipped into the accompanying chilli dressing. *prices correct at time of publication
