Singapore’s restaurant scene is unique in that ‘location, location, location’ appears to bear no relevance. In fact, it often seems that the best places to eat are purposely hidden to avoid any chance of passing trade interrupting the meals of regulars. Brown Sugar, within the Stardus Clubhouse tucked away on River Valley Road, is one such example.

The gaudy exterior of the parent building is fortunately far removed from the neutral tones and modern interior of this new bistro café from Yuan Oeij, executive chef and, as it says on his business cards, ‘sugar daddy’. White walls and pale (slightly too deep) velvety banquettes welcome diners, and a vast blackboard of menu items highlights the importance of quality ingredients over fancy cooking techniques.

From the outset, service was friendly, efficient and knowledgeable – reason enough in Singapore to make a new restaurant stand out from the crowd. After enthusiastic advice from our waiter, we opted for starters of soft-shell crab and a signature salad with a lychee dressing. Often the simplest-sounding dishes can be the hardest to pull off but both hit the spot. The former offering succulent bodies of crab meat surrounded by a tasty batter; the latter – a perfectly dressed plate of mixed lettuce with juicy segments of orange and grapefruit nestled alongside cherry tomatoes and almond flakes. Only complaint: The lychee flavour was a tad underwhelming.

Mains included a range of modern classics such as roasted cod and beef tenderloin, which the stylish crowd around us seemed to be enjoying. Stifling a yawn at the increasingly common wagyu beef burger, I settled on spaghetti aglio olio with sun-dried tomatoes, chili, pine nuts and tiger prawns. Surprisingly each strand was a flavourful al dente bite.

Desserts follow the same line of modern favourites, including a warm tarte tartin of pears with fig-and-honey ice cream. Succulent fruit hugged a crisp flaky pastry base and, as with the whole experience, left a damned good taste in the mouth.

277 River Valley Road (6333 6612). Tue-Sat noon-2.30pm, 6:30pm-11pm; Sunday brunch 10am-4pm. Average main course $18 .