[Review] Shabestan’s $38 Silk Road Caravan Brunch Takes Diners on a Persian Food Journey

If your idea of brunch goes beyond eggs, toast and pancakes, Shabestan has introduced a new Sunday option that takes diners on a very different culinary journey. The Persian restaurant at Robertson Quay has launched its Silk Road Caravan Brunch, a Sunday dining experience inspired by the ancient trade routes that connected Persia with different parts of the Middle East and surrounding regions.

The brunch is available every Sunday from 11.30am and is priced at S$38 per person.

The concept fits naturally with Shabestan, which has been serving Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine in Singapore since 2013. The restaurant is known for its selection of kebabs, Persian rice dishes, stews and mezze, with its riverside Robertson Quay location adding to the relaxed setting.

For the Silk Road Caravan Brunch, diners get free flow of mezze, freshly made bread, rice and ice cream, while choosing any two dishes from the brunch menu per person. It makes the format more casual and approachable than ordering several individual dishes from the regular menu.

We started with the mezze, which comes with a selection of dips alongside bread and pita bites.

The assortment provides a good introduction to the flavours used throughout the meal, with creamy, savoury and herbaceous elements that work particularly well when scooped up with the freshly made bread. The bread is especially useful here as a vehicle for the dips, allowing you to mix and match flavours between bites.

For our two main selections each, we went for the Gahlieh Mahi, Halabi Kebab, Shish Taouk and Halim Bademjan.

Gahlieh Mahi is a tangy fish stew simmered with coriander, garlic and tamarind. It was one of the more distinctive dishes of the meal, with the tamarind giving the stew a pronounced sourness that was balanced by the aromatic coriander and garlic.

Rather than being heavy or creamy, the stew has a sharper, more fragrant profile that makes it a good contrast to the grilled meats. The fish also gives the dish a lighter character compared with some of the richer lamb based options.

The Halabi Kebab takes a different direction. Made with minced lamb and chopped parsley, the skewer is named after Aleppo, the historic crossroads city in Syria. The lamb was nicely seasoned, with the parsley adding freshness to the meat.

It has the familiar appeal of a grilled minced meat skewer, but the herbs help keep the flavour from becoming overly rich. Shabestan has long had a strong focus on kebabs, with more than 30 varieties featured across its menu, so this is a fitting choice for anyone who wants to sample the restaurant’s grilled meat offerings.

We also tried the Shish Taouk, featuring tender chicken breast marinated with saffron water and light herbs before being grilled on a skewer.

The chicken had a gentle aromatic quality rather than an aggressive spice profile. The saffron was subtle, allowing the natural flavour of the chicken to remain prominent, while grilling added a pleasant charred edge.

The Halim Bademjan arrived last. It combines braised lamb, green lentils and eggplant, gently mashed together and finished with fresh mint and kashk curd. The result is thick, hearty and layered, with the soft eggplant and lentils providing a substantial base for the tender lamb.

To finish, we had both the saffron and vanilla ice creams. The saffron ice cream is the more distinctive of the two, carrying the floral aroma associated with the spice while remaining pleasantly creamy. The vanilla is more familiar and works as a straightforward, cooling finish after the savoury dishes. Since both are included in the free flow offering, diners can return for more if they still have room.

At S$38 per person, the Silk Road Caravan Brunch offers a relatively accessible way to sample several styles of Persian and Middle Eastern cooking without committing to a full a la carte meal. The combination of free flow mezze, bread, rice and ice cream with two selected dishes also makes it suitable for sharing and leisurely Sunday dining.

The brunch is particularly worth considering for diners who are new to Persian food. Rather than relying on one large main course, the format encourages you to try different flavours, from tangy fish stew and herb-laced lamb kebab to saffron chicken and rich eggplant with lamb. It also gives regular Shabestan customers a reason to return and explore dishes beyond the restaurant’s familiar kebab offerings.

Shabestan’s Silk Road Caravan Brunch is available every Sunday from 11.30am. The restaurant’s website lists its regular opening hours as 12pm to 10pm daily, with the brunch beginning earlier on Sundays.

Shabestan Restaurant

Address:
80 Mohamed Sultan Road, #01-13,
The Pier @ Robertson, Singapore 239013

Opening Hours:
Monday to Sunday, 12pm to 10pm.

Silk Road Caravan Brunch is available every Sunday from 11.30am.

Contact:
+65 6836 1270 / WhatsApp +65 9397 6562

[Review] Shabestan: Enjoy Exotic and authentic Persian Flavors in Singapore