LeVeL33: Saturday Lunch with a View

LeVeL33 - penthouse dining with the world's highest urban craft brewery at your disposal - makes a great first impression. Design-wise, the attention to detail is marvellous, with a personalised lift that takes you from the ground floor of the Marine Bay Financial Centre Tower 1 in a jiffy (no time for hanky panky in there!), walk past the cushioned sofa area past a broad semi-open kitchen, shiny marble counters which houses the bar and an epic view of the city skyline on your left side, all while gliding thru the rest of the natural lit space. It's a gorgeous place to while away a weekend afternoon over craft beer, vino or even a spicy Bloody Mary.

The newly launched Saturday brunch menu served from 11 30am to 3 30pm rolls out a globally inspired lunch for patrons looking to enjoy the high life. Spearheaded by L33's Executive Chef Tegerdine, don't expect to be finding bacon and egg rolls or the generic eggs benedict here.

Instead, the same care of presentation and ambiance extends to the food. Handmade roti ($12) bearing a slight semblance to a puff pastry cracker with just the right bit of yeastiness entwined is served on one of those wooden boards alongside curry packed with a robust chicken flavor. 

L: Roti with Curry, puffed rice, toasted coconut and almond flakes

L: Confit Salmon, R: Grilled Artichoke Ceviche

These were followed by a pile of vibrant looking Confit Salmon ($15) - like the usual avocado and smoked salmon configuration reinvented. Poached salmon is shredded and dismembered and served with sliced avocado, avocado puree, squid ink cracker and aioli to die for. No need for carbs with this since this tasty bugger pretty much satisfies on all levels though a dash of ground black pepper would be nice.

L:Bloody Mary, R: Soft Shell Crab

Also notable is the Soft Shell Crab and Thai Mango Salad ($18). The bed of Thai mango salad topped with shards of pork belly that took on a more sinful pork lard persona. Packed with a fiery hit soothed with a tangy edge, the salad was enormously flavorful and made for the perfect tapas offering to be shared amongst friends.

Beef Tataki

The menu at LeVeL33 is speckled with European and Asian influences, accompanied by seasonal choices and eccentric beer-pairing options. One of my favourite weekend pick-me-ups is the Beef Tataki ($24) Argentinian tenderloin served rare with pickled mustard seeds. To start, tender slices of rare beef with a nice circular sear. The accompanying sauce is dashi, pickled mustard seeds and bonito flakes all at once, so mouth-watering that one would just have to dredge the cucumber balls through the umamified pool at the end.

Top L: Tiger Prawns, Top R: Bacon "Man-Cakes";
Bottom: Pork Belly

Bold in flavor but equally bold in presentation is the Bacon "Man-cakes" ($15) which conveniently lumps banana pancakes in a beer mug layered with clotted cream, fruit, berries, more bananas and bacon. Drizzle in the A-grade Maple syrup with gusto! and you've got a parfait of sorts.

This said, LeVel33 is by no means perfect. The Pork Belly ($13.50) for one may look charming but the mainstay problem about having pork crackling cooked way past its prime into a sort of hide that attempts to dismantle your teeth when bitten into isn't my idea of a charming weekend snack.

L: Southern Style Chicken; R: Fried Rice

Even more of a let-down was the Fried Rice ($14.50), overcooked poached egg, check; overly sweetened rice (probably from the braised beef brisket jus), check. This had some potential to be a great filler but failed on all accounts to be anything more than a flower pot.

The Southern Style Chicken ($44 for 2 - 3 pax) is beautiful - bold in flavor and flanked by tasty purple cabbage slaw. The side dips of ranch, hot sauce and porter BBQ Sauce immediately relaxing the overly indulgent fried profile and you'll be polishing up the plate not before long. Besides, weekend calories don't count, don't they?

L: Rockford Alicante Bouchet; R: Mirrored Doughnut & Strawberry Pot

The experience continues into dessert where I would implore you to reach for a glass of Rockford Alicante Bouchet,  it's sweet and sour edges providing the perfect finishing palate to the sky-high luncheon experience. Otherwise, the Mirrored Doughnut ($8) and Strawberry Pot ($8) fit the bill as well; the former stuffed with cinnamon creme and tangy berry jam has a yeasted dough personality that carries a bit of heft. The Strawberry Pot on the other hand may look innocent but underneath those large reds lie luscious folds of vanilla mousse with devilicious brownie cubes that would set you up for an afternoon siesta for sure.

LeVel33

8 Marina Boulevard

#33-01

Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1

S(018981)

Operating Hours:

Mon - Wed: 11 30am - 12am

Thurs -Sat: 11 30am - 2am

Sun: 12pm - 12am