Summer Hill – Rustic & Charming French Fare in an HDB Estate!

Summer Hill is a quaint bistro helmed by the former head chef of Cocotte, Anthony Yeoh. I like the large alfresco dining area, and soft French tunes playing in the background. Although the bistro is located in an HDB estate, the price point for the dishes here are still on the steep side — almost like what you’ll pay for a meal in town. However, I think it’s justifiable as the portions are generous and the dishes are pretty delicious.

Summer Hill takes pride in using hormone and antibiotic-free chickens for their Signature Roast Chicken ($23/half, $45/whole). 

The meat is tender and juicy, and isn’t tough or stringy. The chicken must have been marinated for many hours, as the meat is perfumed with the fragrances of thyme and rosemary. Some may find the aroma of the rosemary to be a little overpowering. The chicken is served with two seasonal sides, and a generous serving of gravy. On the day of our visit, we had roasted baby potatoes, green peas and haricot verts, all coated with a nice, buttery glaze.

I was taken aback by how good the peas were. I, like many others, hate peas. I’ll always make an effort to take them out from my fried rice before diving into it. However, the peas at Summer Hill might just change the way you look at them. The sweet peas were not mushy at all, and even had a good bite!

We also tried the Croque Monsieur ($17.50), a classic French sandwich. I’m thankful that the Swiss cheese used doesn’t melt or stretch as much as mozzarella, which makes this a very easy to eat sandwich. Furthermore, it isn’t as strongly flavoured as other cheeses, which allowed for the creaminess of the béchamel sauce and smokiness of ham to shine through. If things get a little jelak along the way, take a bite of the gherkins between mouthfuls to refresh your tastebuds. 

The bistro also has interesting desserts such as the Citrus & Rosemary Olive Oil Cake ($3) which is served with fresh cream, as well as the Dark Chocolate Tart ($8) and Salted Caramel Banana Bread ($6.50).

Cooking is tedious and time consuming. One has to plan, shop, prepare, serve and clean up. Summer Hills is offering to relieve you of such chores with a private meal service where diners can order a complete meal package and be left with ‘just enough to do’. You can now enjoy a hearty home-prepared meal without having to lift a finger!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.