Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Your choice of restaurants and drinks at the Tanglin Club: the Tavern, the Churchill, the tea lounge

 In the main house of the Tanglin Club you have a choice of five restaurants. On the ground floor you have the popular tavern and the tea lounge on your right, the grander, larger Churchill Room on your left. 

1 The Tea Room lounge

You can sit longest, and spend least, in the lounge. If you just want a coffee and cake or snack, especially in between the main eating hours, the lounge is bright and airy. You can see many of the pies and snacks in the glass-fronted cabinets. 

I eyed them with interest.

Cakes: chocolate banana. Black Forest cake.


You can sit in a secluded corner overlooking the pool. Or by the counters to catch the eye of the servers. Or by the walk-through passage to hail friends or beckon latecomers. 

Walk-in Wine Bottle Browsing Room

A recent addition is the walk-in air-conditioned wine bottle room. My husband was shocked at the price of over 200 Singaporean dollars for a magnum of rose. But he said some of the other bottles were better value. 

The advantage of buying here is that you can sit down and check prices and histories or wine makers and online. No rush like in a shop.

You might google the critics such as www.RoberParker.com  to read Wine Advocate. Or check the ratings of Jancis Robinson, who gives marks out of 20, and halves.

Scones

My family ended up buying scones to take home. They came with individual sachets of jam. We supplemented these at home with Bonne Maman, and squirted on cream. You can freeze scones. If you leave them too long in the fridge and they go dry, you can revive them with water. We have a small bottle filled with water to squirt on food.



What if you are not a member of the Tanglin Club?

A colleague or neighbour or boss might be a member. You might be a member of another club overseas, which has reciprocal membership, in Australia, the UK, all over the world. In London, England there are 17 reciprocal clubs, including the Athenaeum, The Cavalry and Guards Club, the RAC club, the Army and Navy club, and the Royal Air Force club. 

You might save time by asking for a letter of introduction before you leave your home country and checking out the restaurants of a club in the country you are visiting. Also, if you are an ex-pat getting an overseas posting, you might consider staying in a club rather than a hotel. Or asking for club membership as part of a deal when taking up an overseas posting or long-stay visit.

2 The Tavern

Next door to the Tea Lounge is the Tavern where you can sit at the bar drinking before a meal, as well as seats where you can have lunch or dinner. (No reservations except for special bookable dinners such as New Year's Eve.)

The Tavern. Photo by Angela Lansbury


3 The Wheelhouse


The Wheelhouse. Photo by Angela Lansbury

Wheelhouse restaurant seating and decor, at the Tanglin Club, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury

4 Tangles

For a really informal setting, in the Sports Hall you can visit Tangles after 11.30 a.m. for a light breakfast or breakfast grill, avocado and lox (smoked salmon) bagel. Tangles also offers, and a different choice, an Asian dish of the day on a rotating basis, such as chicken rice or laksa (which contains prawns so watch out for the ingredients if you are allergic to shellfish). All about ten Singapore dollars. Also fresh fruit juice is listed. Once I was disappointed because it was not available so I would check before sitting down if that is important.

5 The Churchill Room

For special occasions, I choose the Churchill room. Best if you want to dress up.


If you want to see food cooked beside the table choose: Caesar salad for starters, steak tartare for the main course, crepes Suzette for dessert.




Crepes Suzette. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Churchill Room. Tablecloths and fabric napkins.


bone china milk jug


That unusual shaped milk jug. Isn't that cute! 

I also love the napkins with the button hole. I forgot to wear a blouse with a button. Note to myself and you. Remember to wear a blouse with a button.

I took a Chinese friend to the Churchill Room for a treat. She was not excited. Too much Western food. She wanted Chinese food.

6 Tang Yun

Upstairs is a Chinese Restaurant. Tang Yun. They also do take away, as do the other restaurants, most days of the week.

Useful Websites

Tanglin club

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/dining.html

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/dining/tangles.html

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/reciprocal-clubs/reciprocal-clubs.html

www.RoberParker.com

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