Enjoy authentic Vietnamese cuisine in the heart of Dempsey at Red Sparrow

Red Sparrow is not just a terrible movie starring Jennifer Lawrence; it is an atmospheric Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of Dempsey Village.

An Expat Enclave

Dempsey Village, sandwiched between Tanglin and Holland Village, is a popular haunt for expats.  It consists of a cluster of one-storey black and white buildings which used to be British officer’s quarters.  That’s right.  Dempsey Village harks back to colonial times.  One word of caution though: parking is very limited so you might want to think about coming in a Grab car.

An Escape To Vietnam

Singapore has welcomed Vietnamese short-term visitors from Vietnam in the age of Coronavirus but the arrangement is not reciprocal.  In the meantime, locals can escape to Red Sparrow for an imagined escape to Vietnam. 

Upon stepping in, one is immediately drawn to the lantern centrepiece handing from the ceiling.  It is ethnic, exotic and colourful.  On your right, you will see a wall of Vietnamese hats.  On the rest of the walls are murals depicting Vietnamese everyday life.  Art and cuisine —- a favourite combination of mine.

Authentic Cuisine

The chef of Red Sparrow, Chef Jeff, has mastered the art of Vietnamese cooking from the very source — the Vietnamese themselves.  He studied countless recipes and learned from street hawkers to whom it is imperative their food is delicious so as to ensure a livelihood.  The result?  Red Sparrow’s cuisine is that authentic and delicious.

Lady Saigon $15

Vodka, lychee liqueur, cranberry juice, fresh fruit.

Red Sparrow has a list of signature cocktails.  They all sound incredibly interesting.

This, Lady Saigon, is quite an interesting “stealth” drink.  The lovely pink should appeal to ladies.  It is indeed fruity and you can taste the lychee and cranberry respectively.  The mint in my drink adds further dimension and a very mild zing to it.  It is stealthy because vodka is relatively tasteless and odourless – you feel like you are drinking a harmless mocktail but the vodka definitely works its way to your head.  I like this drink – I can fool myself I’m not drinking so much and I feel less guilty.

Sergio Soju $16

Soju, Vietnamese yoghurt, lime, soda, mint.

This is quite sour.  I highly recommend this as a palate cleanser.

I have to say, the cocktails are quite affordably-priced, considering that this is Dempsey.

Goi Cuon $15

Fresh roll carefully stuffed with braised pork, tiger prawns, mixed greens, fresh Vietnamese herbs, rice vermicelli and a black and yellow bean sauce

The roll was quite light.  The herbs were quite zesty.  Overall, this was quite a good appetizer.

Mien Cua $24

Wok fried cellophane noodles with mud crab meat, cabbage, spring onions, Vietnamese coriander and soy sauce

This dish arrived spectacularly in a claypot topped with a gigantic soft-shell crab.

Asian cooking often requires a hot wok. The wok these noodles have been fried in must super-hot (correctly so).  When they arrived, you can still feel the heat reverberating off it.  They didn’t neglect the details too — the claypot was heated up too.

The slightly peppery cellophane noodles were ok.

Goi Du Du $17

Shredded green papaya, grilled tiger prawns, braised pork, pickled carrots, tomatoes, fresh herbs, chilli and roasted peanuts with a sweet fish sauce dressing.

This was another standout.  First of all, Red Sparrow seems very good at grilled items.  The prawns were beautifully grilled and had a lovely char smell.  I wish I had ordered more grilled items.  The flavours of the salad itself were amazing —- sweet, salty, sour, very mild spiciness.  With the added crunch of the peanuts, the salad was complex and excellent overall.

Bo Luc Lac $35

Wok fried beef tenderloin cubes with bell peppers, onions, spring onions and soy sauce beef jus

This was amazing.  The tenderloin was of course very tender.  The tenderness contrasted nicely with the carroty things on top.  Most importantly, the beef jus was rich, velvety, heavenly!

So Diep Nuong Mo Hanh $25

Pan-seared king scallops with pickled carrots, spring onions and roasted peanuts with chilli lime dressing.

The scallops were large, firm and fresh.  They have beautifully seared a crust on one side of the scallops and the added texture just adds so much interest to this dish. 

Che Chuoi $14

Battered bananas, black glutinous rice, coconut sago cream topped with vanilla ice cream.

This was the best dish of the day.  The cacophony of different textures and varying levels of sweetness from the various components made this dessert the most exciting of the dishes tasted.

Ca Phe Nong $6

Hot Vietnamese drip coffee (black)

What’s a visit to a Vietnamese restaurant without a classic Vietnamese cuppa to round it off?

Red Sparrow

11 Dempsey Road #01-18 Singapore

Tel: +65 6776 6118

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