Communal: Diner. Bar. New American Restaurant

Think American food and images of burgers and milkshakes come to mind. Never mind that we all secretly love fast-food, but it's a bit of a stretch to call it American "gourmet cuisine". 

After my visit to Communal, I am still not convinced (haha) but hey, it was a fab meal in a nice ambiance which didn't burn a hole in the pocket so call it whatever, Communal is a great new addition to the Singapore restaurant scene. 

B is away in Geneva for work but here's the guys sending him their love from Singapore.

Yes we all missed you on this Friday night!

Well until they served the lobster mac and cheese ($22) anyway. Look at this. Food is the best distraction ever *grin*

I know some prefer their mac and cheese really cheesy but I much prefer Communal's version. Lighter on the palate but still flavorful. The lobster was fresh and sweet. Nice touch, the crispy bread crumbs. Good call, ordering not one but two portions to share among the 7 of us. 

Then came our mains. 4 of the gang all ordered the signature Communal Diner Bar (CBD) burger ($25) - with onion, bacon and eggs. I agreed to share AL's burger and also ordered the Braised beef cheeks ($26) on mashed potatoes to share with her. Ling had the Fried chicken ($18). Argh I just realized I was so busy taking pics of everyone else's food I forgot to take a pic of mine!

Fresh and juicy double beef patties simply done without too much frills on soft burger buns - yums. Only slight complaint was that the medium rare the guys ordered came a tad too bloody. AL and my medium patties were perfect!

The fried chicken was good too, though Jill's "as good as KFC" didn't do much to elevate the gourmet status of the dish haha. 

We really enjoyed the cozy yet industrial chic decor of the restaurant. Nice open concept kitchen, rustic brick walls, black leather seats and wooden tables. Conversation (and wine) flowed freely. Ryan the chef came by to chat with us and I was suitably impressed by how personable he was. Very earnest in asking for feedback - excellent attitude.

We got a complimentary lemon tart for dessert. It was alright. What impressed me more was the Monkey Bread - mmmm I've been thinking about it. So good. Sweet, sticky, gooey chunks of dense bread with cinnamon.  Match made in heaven with vanilla ice cream.

Verdict - Perfect pit stop to fuel up before heading up to Mad Men for our fave live band.  Great food and very reasonable prices - we paid $70 per pax for 2 macs and cheeses, 4 burgers, 1 fried chicken, 1 braised cheek, 1 monkey bread, 1 oreo cheesecake and 1 ice-cream sundae (catch breath), 2 bottles of red wine, a martini and 2 beers! B - let's go check out the $15 set lunch soon.