It’s a tall order opening a place down on Bukit Pasoh. The competition’s stiff, with French gastro temple Restaurant ANDRE and lauded Chinese establishment Majestic Restaurant on the same stretch. To set itself apart, this fusion eatery seems to have gone a different route. It offers good value (almost) haute cuisine.

There’s really only one option on the menu, the chef’s table set. $42.80 buys you a lunch of five courses and dinner ($62.80) gets you an additional cold dish. The food’s decent: the starter of a salmon mousse cone and pan-seared scallop with truffle asparagus, as well as the side dish of foie gras chawanmushi, would be difficult to fault on execution. And it’s plentiful too. Generous mains, such as spiced braised lamb shank and 48-hour beef short ribs on lava stone, satisfy the belly in a way most fine dining meals can’t. 

The staff are also adept at what they do. That is, provide a sort of cheery, downto- earth service for a clientele rarely seen at highfalutin joints (families and middle-aged “aunties” and “uncles”, often celebrating birthdays).

Admittedly, the place is far from perfect. There’s no music (strange to say the least) making for an all-too-static atmosphere. Everything from the tableware to the furnishings is of questionable construction (for lack of a better word, cheap). Plus, not everything on the menu is a hit (avoid the too-firm triple espresso crème brûlée that doesn’t provide half the caffeine promised).

This is not the destination if you’re snobby about details like that. But we’ll definitely keep The Clan Restaurant on the radar for those days when we want an affordable filling meal that feels like a treat for a special occasion.