Tiny Bites: MAD – Modern Asia Diner

Dick Lee’s face is everywhere you look in this cavernous Turf City (sorry, we mean “The Grandstand”) restaurant. Billing itself as a tapas bar, dim sum joint, bakery and general jack-of-all-trades, MAD is a confusing mix of cuisines that somehow works perfectly as a great family brunching destination. Why?

Well, firstly, there’s the ordering system – via iPads placed on your table. Normally I’m the ultimate eye-roller about new-fangled gadgets that waiters normally start off by apologizing for, but in this case the online menu has been well-designed, with clear, appetizing pictures of each dish. You click through the extensive selection to choose what you’d like to try, then just touch a button to send your order straight to the kitchen – winner! It’s amazing how much time this saves when you’ve got hungry little ones on your hands.

Secondly, the strange mix of different foods means picky eaters cannot fail to find something to try, and let’s face it — dim sum is always popular with little ones! We can’t say we were absolutely wowed by the dim sum (their rice paper rolls in particular were thick and stodgy rather than melt-in-your-mouth delicate), but in general the quality is decent and nothing felt too fatty or greasy. We especially liked the baked barbeque pork buns, which were pleasantly fluffy and sweet with a flaky topping. Yum.

Lastly, MAD are very prepared for the family crowd – they’ve got highchairs, plastic plates and cutlery and service is super-speedy. If you’ve got kiddos with ants in their pants you’re going to appreciate MAD’s little boutique area with its eclectic mix of collectable toys and knick-knacks for fun browsing.

Sassy Mama tip: If you want to sit in the main dining room rather than the downstairs bakery area, there are about 10 stairs to climb up/carry your stroller up, so be prepared for a bit of a workout!

Price range is about $35 pp (grown-up) for brunch or lunch.

MAD: Modern Asia Diner, 200 Turf Club Road (Old Turf City in Bukit Timah), #01-20/21 The Grandstand, Singapore 287994
Tel: (+65) 6486 3303

www.modernasiadiner.com

Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 10am-10.30pm
Friday – Saturday 9am-12am