For those that grew up along Racecourse Road during the heyday of the eponymous Farrer Park Racecourse, stepping into the old-world charm of Farrer Horse would certainly trigger some nostalgia. That is exactly what Ayyakannu Srinivasan – or Srini as everyone calls him – dreamt of when he was inspired by his childhood home. Srini himself is the second-generation owner of Muthu’s Curry and together with his wife Malarvizhi, they’ve found an iconic home in the finely-preserved Sultan Hotel for Farrer Horse.
The 120-seater two-storey space is filled with equestrian green and tangerine colours, where the grandiosity of the former racecourse is relived with archival pictures and modern illustrations of the golden era. In the first-storey dining room, you’d find tasteful cane work chairs contrasted against cosy velvet and leather sofas while the Stable above hides an alluring bar that is decked with gold and timbre trimmings. There is even an eye-catching feature wall that is decorated with formerly used equipment – saddles, leather stirrups, blinkers – by thoroughbred horses from all over the world.
At the restaurant, an unpretentious feast of playful Asian creations awaits – good for sharing. To start, there’s a platter of three types of crispy papad with three different housemade dips ($14): zingy raita, mint chutney, and a feisty bloody mary salsa. Then, a crisp Nyonya pie tee ($16) makes a surprise appearance with a rojak-like Picante garlic ginger chilli dressing that goes perfectly with the sweet-savoury braised turnips.
But if you have a small appetite, go straight for the crispy succulent chicken kaarage ($16). It's showered with savoury furikake and paired with a moreish togarashi mayo. It was proper addictive – we wiped out a bowl in mere minutes, and flirted with the idea of ordering another helping.
Before we went overboard with the kaarage, the mains arrived just in the nick of time. Think delicate prawn and mackerel otah ravioli ($28) made from scratch, bursting with galangal, chillies, and lemongrass in a silky dumpling skin. A Kapitan chicken curry ($26) stars a fork-tender chicken leg, with gravy potently laced with the flavours of fiery chillies and makrut lime leaves with golden nets of roti jala. Once you’re done licking the plates clean, head upstairs to the Stable for a nightcap. The loft bar shakes up cocktails inspired by famous racehorses such as the darling Secretariat and the famed Rocket Man.