This bar has closed.
At Fordham & Grand, we have a bar that’s relaxed, unpretentious and serves comfort food. What was once a garish-red Chinese zi char takeout place now pays homage to 1920s Prohibition era speakeasies with its dark wood, black leather settings and discreet front. There’s also a well-pitched soundtrack of hip lounge tunes that play softly in the background – if you’re wondering what song is playing, just ask any one of the friendly and well-polished wait staff.
Fordham & Grand stays open till 3am. Accordingly, there are two menus for the food: a dinner version comprising of starters, mains, sides and desserts is available till 10.30pm; after that, a pared-down supper menu is offered until closing (last order is at 2am), which features sharing-friendly options like the minute steak with fries ($20) and kurobuta pork sausages and mortar potato ($18).
Cuisine-wise, there’s solid Western-style bistro fare on the menu. Choice picks for dinner starters are the seared cuttlefish, seasoned with paprika, alongside edamame and onions ($16) and the grilled portobello with egg confit, ham and arugula ($18) – or go for the tasting plate of starters ($30) for a bit of everything if you can’t make up your mind.
For mains, the lobster linguini ($28) was perfectly seasoned with ample chunks of sweet lobster meat and a claw, while the smoked duck breast with spiced raisins and caramelised raisins was disappointing – the meat which came in thick wedge-like strips, was a tad tough to chew. But desserts – and the inspired recommendations from our server – quickly restored the faith. The tart and refreshing orange martini ($15), served in a glass with orange granite and jelly, and French toast with dark rum sabayon ($15) were excellent choices to round off our meal.
Also impressive is the eleven-page drinks menu. A list of 100 wines – all under $100 – ensures there won’t be a credit card meltdown when it’s time to foot the bill, while the range of traditional cocktails holds several surprises – a lychee cocktail is given a glam makeover in the form of litchi champagne ($30), with frozen lychees coated in elderflower liquer, while the Italian classic of pamplemousse negroni ($18) came with ice cubes of grapefruit juice.
Fordham & Grand’s raw appeal lies in its ability to make you lose yourself in its elegant, intimate surroundings. We’ll certainly be back for plenty of late night escapes.