There’s a new kid on Amoy street. California Republic opens its doors to the CBD crowd, serving a blend of Southern Californian and Italian cuisine. To be honest, I was attracted by the chic interior I saw online, hence made my way down for dinner one day. The place is dimly lit, and we were seated in one of the booths for total privacy. I didn’t get to see the rest of the place since we just wanted to get down to dinner

King Crab Legs w Lemon Beurre Noisette $45

We thought the crab leg was pretty good. The amount of crab meat was huge and generous, sweet and fresh too and we love the pairing with the lemon butter sauce

Shigoku Oysters $19

The oysters were plump and juicy, though there was nothing else to rave about it. Fair to say, it was pretty fresh as well

West Coast Garlic Mops $18

Cast Iron Garlic Bread, Grana Padano

Probably one of the must-order. The fragrance of the garlic, the slight crisp of the outer texture and the softness of the bun was a delight to have. They recommend you to eat this together with the sauces of the dishes you ordered but I reckon you probably finish the garlic mops even before that

Sweet Corn Arancini w Black Olive Aioli $24

The least memorable item I would say. It was rather underwhelming

Grilled Calamari, Romesco, Hazelnut Crumb $34

The calamari has a nice texture, and I thought the whole dish was decent. I enjoyed the sauce that came with some hazelnut crunch and the grilled flavours of the calamari infused in it

Cavatelli w Pork Sausage, Brussel Sprouts, Black Truffles $32

I thought the pasta was average. The flavours worked and the sauce was pretty appetizing and robust but I felt like the pasta was missing a little something

Whole Grilled Branzino, Californian Olive Oil, Lemon Herbs (for 2 pax) $68

Probably our favourite of the night. The fish was really good. The meat was sweet, fresh and it was huge enough to share. I probably recommend you to give this a try as well

We skipped desserts cos we wanted to go somewhere else. But we got Apéritif on the house. The friends didn’t like it though. They said it tasted like medicine

Overall, I thought their food was slightly above average. It’s one of those you don’t mind going to for dinner if you want somewhere nearby, but not raved about to specially go down for it. I’m not sure if it’s the fusion or the cuisine, but they probably need a little bit more sparkle in their food

California Republic

88 Amoy Street, Singapore 069907