very beautiful environment! i was so impressed with their design and specifically their ginger tea!
i went there for the late night treatment one night when i was feeling so desperate for a massage. the therapist was very polite and introduced me to all their rooms of different themes. and it seems like their customers there are 'more sophisticated' too. :P
i'd say that they are very thoughtful in terms of their designs of their rooms. they have nice jewellery boxes for you to put your accessories, they have individual bathroom in every room, and the toiletries they provided for you to bathe are their very own marlin & goetz. i so feel like taking one home haha.
even in their public toilet, they provide quality hand cream for customers' usage after washing of hands. but one negative point is, they are too costly.
well, maybe thats why they provide you with so many 'value added services'
Very nice and spacious rooms. Relaxing environment too. My therapist is very polite and helpful. she even tell me i need not do sucha expensive facial i was doing as my problems are not that serious :)
However, when i was paying for my treatment, there was another lady at the counter (not a therapist), who started hardselling. My boyfriend came to pick me up and guess what? he's the target. The lady was telling him if he loves me he ought to sign up for a package for me.
I had a phonecall from Spa Esprit & Strip Co-Ed asking me to be a 'model' for their trainees to perform brazilian waxing.
"They are all graduating so their skills are not a big concern. They just need to get used to serving new customers everyday that's why we need you"
Alright, no harm trying I thought.
They had to do it on a weekday evening. So I intentionally took a cab down during peak hour just to get my 'free brazillian waxing'.
Everyone in the office looked at me as if they didnt see someone doing a brazilian before. Feeling awkward, I went into their tiny room being scrutinized by 3 different ladies.
"Eh! Cannot la so short!", said one of them who refused to proceed further with the waxing. But I explained to them I already told the person I spoke to on the phone, and after consultation, she told me I can do it.
Rudely, they just kept all their tools and insist on telling me that I am 'not qualified' and they are sorry I made a wasted trip.
When I called back wanting to give a feedback to Strip, the person just told me "It's free one, what do you want??"
Some time back I visited this quaint little restaurant (less than 10 tables inside and 4 outside) in Bussorah Street which is within the Arab Street network for a friend's birthday dinner. The food was pretty decent and I liked the fact that the owners took effort to ask for the group's (10 of us) food order in advance so that they can handle the orders, as well as providing a non-public menu for our selection. Not too sure if this menu is now printed, so when you do go, ask the staff about it.
The food was served rather quickly thanks to good planning by the restaurant even for such a small group. These are what I managed to try.
Grilled Vegetables & Hummus Platter - $5 A very interesting starter. Deceptively simple in preparation. All the vegetables used were grilled just right for that soft mashable texture. Though some of the vegetables were quite badly charred, like the onion on the 9 o'clock position. But still worth the mention was its surprising sweetness and the absence of spiciness. The hummus in the middle was great with the default basket of bread. A colourful, cheerful, healthy appetiser. I do wish that the portion would be larger. But at $5, maybe I will order 2.
Water Melon, Feta Cheese & Rocket Salad - $5 I almost forgotten about photographing this! Nevertheless, I must say is is a wonderful salad that cleverly combined watermelon with feta cheese. The strong taste of the former was nicely complimented by the refreshing crunch and sweetness of the latter. Both together made the salad eating extra enjoyable and fun. Clearly another happy and comforting dish.
Braised lamb shank in wine sauce, mashed potato, sauteed vegetables - $20 What's this thing about braised lamb shank that every restaurant seems to be serving? Not that I am complaining, though. Anyway, the one here tasted pretty much like every other decent braised lamb shank with exception to the wine sauce which tasted sharper and might take a little getting used to. The fibres of meat could have been more tender and moist, but if the texture is your thing, it was done just right. I do wish the lamb shank had a little bit more of the tendons though.
Salmon papilote (oven baked in paper), vegetables, capers - $18 The salmon was nice, moist and flaky thanks to the way it was prepared. Unfortunately, zesty sauce used was not necessarily the best thing to go along with it, in my opinion. The saltiness from the pickled capers masked taste the fish by a bit too.
As for ambience, I like it for being small, quiet and personal. Perhaps the name, B Bakery also wanted to suggest its humility.
Lastly, the recommendation is to make reservations and order in advance as their inventory for dinner is quite limited. Also note that they are open for dinner from Thursdays to Saturdays, 6pm - 10pm only.
Never had a Japanese Restaurant that I have been to, warrant a 3rd visit from me within a space of two months, but this rule simply did not apply to En Japanese Dining Bar.
Introduced by my manager (whom is very particular about what she eats), I was pleasantly elated to find that not only was the food outstanding, the price is sound as well. Situated at UE Square, facing the now awfully hushed Mohammed Sultan Road, En Japanese Dining Bar is a also a fav among the diminutive but surely growing Japanese community, in the River Valley area.
Known for its little dishes of appetiser and starters rather than the main dishes, customers are spoilt for choice with the amount of dishes they can choose from the menu. While waiting for the rest to arrive, a friend and I had some Kawaebi (Deep Fried Small River Shrimps) to go with our Hakkaisan (Honjouzou) – Medium Dry, Well Balanced Sake.
Dinner then proceed with our first starter of the day – Beef Carpaccio, or Thinly Sliced Raw Beef and Sliced Onion with Sour Soya Sauce. Along with just a dash of lemon juice, the beef is juicy and melts the moment it touches your mouth (a result from the freshness of the meat), leaving you to crave for more when you are done with it.
Thankfully, the Sashimi did not disappoint us when it arrived. The Kanpachi (Yellow Tail), Mekajiki (Sword Fish) and Salmon Belly was just as fresh and the thickness of each slice – perfectly cut.
More Sashimi came along, but this time in the disguise of Imaiyu Salad, or the Fresh Sashimi Salad with Special Blended Vegetable Dressing. Cubes of raw meat act as a perfect complement to the vegetables, and along with the appetising salad dressing, this dish is a hit with both the carnivores and the herbivores.
And when the cooked food finally arrives, the Roasted Minced Chicken Balls on a Skewer Laced with Egg Yolk has a sweet aroma which lingers in the air even after that satisfying bite. However, one may find the texture of questionable due to the bits of tendons within the minced meat.
The only staple we had for the night was another perfectly executed Unagi Fried Rice, or Eel and Egg Fried Rice. The natural juices oozing out from the Grilled Eel somehow goes harmoniously well with the rice, making it enjoyable to consume and a perfect dish to share among a table of 4.
To round of the lovely night, we had Black Sesame Ice Cream and Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Bean Paste. Not a big fan of both flavours, I was somehow charmed to find that the Green Tea Ice Cream, with a hint of bitterness, goes astonishingly well with the Red Bean Paste.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Wood Restaurant & Bar, a newly opened upmarket restaurant that offers food cooked only by wood and charcoal - the old fashioned method before gas came about and certainly an interesting concept.
Hidden on the ground floor in one forsaken corner of Vivocity, Wood's chef is none other Jake Klein, whose stepfather, Steven Raichlen, is the creator of Barbecue University and known as America's grilling expert. From the facade to the interior, Wood oozes unadulterated class in itself. A short walk through the wooden tunnel from the entrance leads to a magnificent glass wine cellar and the sublimely chic seating area with its posh booth seats, floor to ceiling windows and the huge open concept kitchen. One gripe though. The windows don't face the sea directly, unlike most of the other restaurants at Vivocity.
Complimentary Bread - Its the first time I'm eating focaccia that comes in pizza slices and it was something different. It almost tasted like pizza sans the toppings except that the bread was a little burnt and dry. I still liked it enough with the olive oil though to gobble it all up and yearn for seconds, which unfortunately was never offered.
Smoked Chicken Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette and Toasted Peanut - Aesthetically pleasing, the salad portion was small, no doubt about it. What I liked about it was the lightly smoked chicken slivers which went well with the savoury Hoisin vinaigrette and toasted grounded peanuts. It helped that the vegetables were fresh as well.
Roasted Asparagus, Baby Greens and Poached Egg - I personally found this dish a little lacklustre as compared to the smoked chicken salad. But having said that, it was still quite good. For starters, this has got to be the biggest asparagus I've seen (not that I've been around much though) and it was well seasoned with salt and pepper. The poached egg wasn't anything special though but the greens were fresh and crunchy.
Wood Roasted Spring Chicken with Lemon, Garlic and Parsley - The chicken looked a tad charred when served. However it was very fragrant and juicy with a lingering herb taste in every bite. I did find it a little too salty at certain parts though, probably due to the heterogeneous seasoning distribution. But all in all a most delightful dish.
14 Days House Aged Ribeye, Rosemary, Garlic & Extra Virgin Olive Oil - I honestly can't taste the difference between a 14 days aged ribeye and a normal ribeye or a 90 days aged ribeye for that matter, so its just a name to me. The ribeye was done medium instead of the medium rare that I had requested, but it was still good. Succulent and juicy with a strong hint of herbs that didn't threaten to overpower the inherent beefy taste. Not the best I've tried, but certainly in a league of its own. Watch out for the small portions though. The beef is probably around 5-6 oz (just a rough guess).
Valhorna Chocolate Pudding with Lavender Croutons and Sea Salt - The chocolate pudding didn't come across as too sweet and very smooth with the dried lavender providing a nice floral complement to the chocolate. The croutons provided a nice crunchy texture to the whole dessert.
Thyme Roasted White Peach with Yogurt Ice Cream - I can't help but profess my liking for this dessert. A didn't taste like it was roasted piece of peach sitting atop chunks of biscuit crumbs with buttery overtones and topped with a nice creamy and sourish yogurt ice cream. Most delightful if you ask me.
An excellent lunch for 2 cost an almost princely sum of about $95 ($10 goes to the bottled water. They don't serve iced water by the way). Good things definitely don't come cheap and the 4 course set dinner starts from $75 per pax ($120 with wine pairing) with slightly bigger portions and a larger variety of dishes to choose from. Service is good as well and for those who prefer privacy, there are private rooms to cater to various group sizes. There's even a romantic private room for 2 complete with a private entrance, if you can afford/are willing to chalk up $300 in bills that is.
I'll definitely be back, but probably only for lunch. The small portions and steep prices for dinner are a little bit too much for me to swallow. For now.
Executive Chef Dennis Sim teamed up with Culinary Director Angelo Sanelli, of Michelangelo’s distinction, presented us with selections of original and contemporary Italian dishes balances with a well though out selection of conventional delights.
Zambuca happens to be a bar as well as a restaurant that features a magnificent wine cellar. Specially set to the temperature of 18°C and use mainly for wine dinners, this cellar is a definitely an enchantment for all wine enthusiasts.
Appetisers were soon served as we were still busy deciding on what read like mouth-watering dishes from the menu.
However, the pretty dreadful Bruschetta they serve as a complimentary were pretty stale toast and even staler toppings of Italian Sausage and Mushy Beef Spread or Egg Mayo with Caviar. Thankfully, the sampler starters were dished out in succession not long after and I have to say I am quite impressed. First up was the Carpaccio di Manzo, or Beef carpaccio with parmesan cheese and quail eggs, lightly drizzled with extra virgin oil.
The thinly sliced beef melts in your mouth and the parmesan adds zest to the otherwise bland dish. This was soon followed by Parma Ham with Rockmelon.
In terms of presentation, I thought this was one of the best that night. The chef was even generous enough to give us a huge chunk of the melon wrapped around with a wedge of ham. The Gamberi con Aglio Olio e Crema, or Tender tiger prawns with sliced garlic, finished with Devon cream and placed on a bed of shredded spinach served in a hot iron terrine, as put simply - Divine.
The prawns were gigantic and fresh, and the cream sauce was purely mouth-watering, so good that we were scooping the sauce straight from the iron bowl and gulping it. The Mussels topped with Tomato-based Sauce though were ordinary.
Although the flesh of the mussels was big and juicy, I suspect that they were cooked separately from the sauce as the mussels lacked taste and flavouring from the gravy. The gravy also was not the best I have tasted as compared to the many mussels dishes I have tried in Perth. However, the biggest disappointment of the night was that of the Calamari Fritti.
The Squid rings were too salty and the coating of the flour was done badly such that we end up eating the squid separately from the flour. Thankfully the last starter of the night, Foie Gras, or Seared duck liver served on toasted brioche topped with Granny Smith apple, peppered fig and port wine redeemed it all.
Consider one of the greatest delicacies in French Cuisine, the liver was juicy and the fatty oil that oozes out from it is simply blissful. It was simply so delicious that I decided to have more servings of duck for my main.
And thus it ensures that I also have a whole serving of Foie Gras to myself along with the breast of the duck – pretty sinful I must say, but for occasional indulgence, I reckon that it was all worth it. Known for their lamb dishes, I would also highly recommend the Agnello Marinato alla Griglia, or grilled and marinated rack of lamb served with asparagus and mushroom ragout, parsnip puree and drizzled with chili chocolate sauce - done in medium rare.
The tenderness of the meat along with an exotic sauce simply tops all the dishes for the night.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Ever since I have started working near Serangoon area, the temptation of sampling Indian food never stopped. From Roti Prata as morning breakfast to Nasi Biryani for lunch, I am surrounded by these delicious Indian cuisine (North or South Indian, Indian Muslim or what not) everyday. Finally, it took a nudge from my Indian colleague and there I was in front of an Authentic North Indian (Punjabi) Cuisine Restaurant in the heart of Little India. With so many dishes to choose from, we were spoilt for choice.
Finally, my colleague from India volunteered to choose a few dishes that she deemed to be her favourite and that begins my little food adventure for the day. We opted for the Butter Naan, or a type of bread made from dough and butter (almost similar to prata) instead of the usual rice for a change.
The Palak Paneer, or Spinach with Cottage Cheese was a tad too authentic though for me. Pretty bland and a bit too “greeny” for me, it was almost as good as eating a Broccoli raw! The Aloo Gobhi, or Potatoes with Cauliflower though was slightly better.
I love my potatoes and this dish had definitely more taste than the Spinach. This veggie is mushily good to go with the Naan, but however, if eaten with rice, I would think that it’s too starchy. Perhaps being a fellow potatoes lover, another dish she ordered was the Baked Potatoes with Capsicum.
This is the first time I have seen this combination and I must say I am pretty impressed with it. A hint of burnt flavour from the baking and the crunchy texture from the capsicum was a great complement. But the accolade truly belongs to the Butter Chicken that day.
The rich gravy made from yoghurt and cream, was a sinful yet delectable one, which I simply couldn’t resist dipping in my spoon again and again for another sip. The last time I had this dish was in Perth's Chutney Mary's and I never remembered it to be so delicious.
A pity though that the Mango Lassi was not as good as I thought it would be, as it was much too sweet for my taste bud.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Guys like me think Japanese are sweet and seductive, but just in case your mind start wandering to those kawaii Japanese schoolgirls, let me just share with you that I am talking about food (I am a foodie, what else can I be talking about!?), but more precisely, their dessert. Making quite a buzz since its opening in Marina Square in the month of June 2006, Azabu Sabo, follows an original teahouse philosophy and serves authentic Japanese desserts. Its selection of desserts and Hokkaido Ice Cream, available for the first time in Singapore, has made itself especially popular with female clientele.
It is said that they directly imports the main ingredients from Japan, such as the top grade red beans, produced from Hokkaido, which are not overly-sweet. However, I beg to differ. I ordered by far the most popular and highly recognised Matchazen, or Green Tea Ice-Cream in a Bowl of Dumplings & Red Bean Paste, and was overwhelmed by the sweetness of the mushy red bean paste.
Thank goodness the strong bitter after-taste of the ice cream was able to neutralise it. The dumpling though tasteless was soft in texture and chewy, unlike those you bought off the supermarkets. Unlike the immaculate service that is found everywhere in the humble land of the rising sun, the service standards of this outlet was found lacking. The service staffs that day were mostly foreigners who did not seemed to have a good grasp of English. They had problems trying to understand my questions when I tried to find out more about the desserts, and they were particularly non-existent when I tried to settle the bill. What a pity though, if only they could import the sweet Japanese service culture as well.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
1=SGD 0.0587
very beautiful environment! i was so impressed with their design and specifically their ginger tea!
i went there for the late night treatment one night when i was feeling so desperate for a massage. the therapist was very polite and introduced me to all their rooms of different themes. and it seems like their customers there are 'more sophisticated' too. :P
i'd say that they are very thoughtful in terms of their designs of their rooms. they have nice jewellery boxes for you to put your accessories, they have individual bathroom in every room, and the toiletries they provided for you to bathe are their very own marlin & goetz. i so feel like taking one home haha.
even in their public toilet, they provide quality hand cream for customers' usage after washing of hands. but one negative point is, they are too costly.
well, maybe thats why they provide you with so many 'value added services'
Rating given:
Very nice and spacious rooms. Relaxing environment too. My therapist is very polite and helpful. she even tell me i need not do sucha expensive facial i was doing as my problems are not that serious :)
However, when i was paying for my treatment, there was another lady at the counter (not a therapist), who started hardselling. My boyfriend came to pick me up and guess what? he's the target. The lady was telling him if he loves me he ought to sign up for a package for me.
-roll eyes-
Rating given:
Personally I think that their service is nice. People are polite and always carry a smile with them.
But result wise, I dont really think its worth the money.
Maybe someone else can share on their experience too? Im curious to know
Rating given:
I had a phonecall from Spa Esprit & Strip Co-Ed asking me to be a 'model' for their trainees to perform brazilian waxing.
"They are all graduating so their skills are not a big concern. They just need to get used to serving new customers everyday that's why we need you"
Alright, no harm trying I thought.
They had to do it on a weekday evening. So I intentionally took a cab down during peak hour just to get my 'free brazillian waxing'.
Everyone in the office looked at me as if they didnt see someone doing a brazilian before. Feeling awkward, I went into their tiny room being scrutinized by 3 different ladies.
"Eh! Cannot la so short!", said one of them who refused to proceed further with the waxing. But I explained to them I already told the person I spoke to on the phone, and after consultation, she told me I can do it.
Rudely, they just kept all their tools and insist on telling me that I am 'not qualified' and they are sorry I made a wasted trip.
When I called back wanting to give a feedback to Strip, the person just told me "It's free one, what do you want??"
I am never ever gonna step into Strip again.
Rating given:
A Quaint Little Find
Some time back I visited this quaint little restaurant (less than 10 tables inside and 4 outside) in Bussorah Street which is within the Arab Street network for a friend's birthday dinner. The food was pretty decent and I liked the fact that the owners took effort to ask for the group's (10 of us) food order in advance so that they can handle the orders, as well as providing a non-public menu for our selection. Not too sure if this menu is now printed, so when you do go, ask the staff about it.
The food was served rather quickly thanks to good planning by the restaurant even for such a small group. These are what I managed to try.
Grilled Vegetables & Hummus Platter - $5
A very interesting starter. Deceptively simple in preparation. All the vegetables used were grilled just right for that soft mashable texture. Though some of the vegetables were quite badly charred, like the onion on the 9 o'clock position. But still worth the mention was its surprising sweetness and the absence of spiciness. The hummus in the middle was great with the default basket of bread. A colourful, cheerful, healthy appetiser. I do wish that the portion would be larger. But at $5, maybe I will order 2.
Water Melon, Feta Cheese & Rocket Salad - $5
I almost forgotten about photographing this! Nevertheless, I must say is is a wonderful salad that cleverly combined watermelon with feta cheese. The strong taste of the former was nicely complimented by the refreshing crunch and sweetness of the latter. Both together made the salad eating extra enjoyable and fun. Clearly another happy and comforting dish.
Braised lamb shank in wine sauce, mashed potato, sauteed vegetables - $20
What's this thing about braised lamb shank that every restaurant seems to be serving? Not that I am complaining, though. Anyway, the one here tasted pretty much like every other decent braised lamb shank with exception to the wine sauce which tasted sharper and might take a little getting used to. The fibres of meat could have been more tender and moist, but if the texture is your thing, it was done just right. I do wish the lamb shank had a little bit more of the tendons though.
Salmon papilote (oven baked in paper), vegetables, capers - $18
The salmon was nice, moist and flaky thanks to the way it was prepared. Unfortunately, zesty sauce used was not necessarily the best thing to go along with it, in my opinion. The saltiness from the pickled capers masked taste the fish by a bit too.
As for ambience, I like it for being small, quiet and personal. Perhaps the name, B Bakery also wanted to suggest its humility.
Lastly, the recommendation is to make reservations and order in advance as their inventory for dinner is quite limited.
Also note that they are open for dinner from Thursdays to Saturdays, 6pm - 10pm only.
Rating given:
Never had a Japanese Restaurant that I have been to, warrant a 3rd visit from me within a space of two months, but this rule simply did not apply to En Japanese Dining Bar.
Introduced by my manager (whom is very particular about what she eats), I was pleasantly elated to find that not only was the food outstanding, the price is sound as well. Situated at UE Square, facing the now awfully hushed Mohammed Sultan Road, En Japanese Dining Bar is a also a fav among the diminutive but surely growing Japanese community, in the River Valley area.
Known for its little dishes of appetiser and starters rather than the main dishes, customers are spoilt for choice with the amount of dishes they can choose from the menu. While waiting for the rest to arrive, a friend and I had some Kawaebi (Deep Fried Small River Shrimps) to go with our Hakkaisan (Honjouzou) – Medium Dry, Well Balanced Sake.
Dinner then proceed with our first starter of the day – Beef Carpaccio, or Thinly Sliced Raw Beef and Sliced Onion with Sour Soya Sauce. Along with just a dash of lemon juice, the beef is juicy and melts the moment it touches your mouth (a result from the freshness of the meat), leaving you to crave for more when you are done with it.
Thankfully, the Sashimi did not disappoint us when it arrived. The Kanpachi (Yellow Tail), Mekajiki (Sword Fish) and Salmon Belly was just as fresh and the thickness of each slice – perfectly cut.
More Sashimi came along, but this time in the disguise of Imaiyu Salad, or the Fresh Sashimi Salad with Special Blended Vegetable Dressing. Cubes of raw meat act as a perfect complement to the vegetables, and along with the appetising salad dressing, this dish is a hit with both the carnivores and the herbivores.
And when the cooked food finally arrives, the Roasted Minced Chicken Balls on a Skewer Laced with Egg Yolk has a sweet aroma which lingers in the air even after that satisfying bite. However, one may find the texture of questionable due to the bits of tendons within the minced meat.
The only staple we had for the night was another perfectly executed Unagi Fried Rice, or Eel and Egg Fried Rice. The natural juices oozing out from the Grilled Eel somehow goes harmoniously well with the rice, making it enjoyable to consume and a perfect dish to share among a table of 4.
To round of the lovely night, we had Black Sesame Ice Cream and Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Bean Paste. Not a big fan of both flavours, I was somehow charmed to find that the Green Tea Ice Cream, with a hint of bitterness, goes astonishingly well with the Red Bean Paste.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
Wood Restaurant & Bar, a newly opened upmarket restaurant that offers food cooked only by wood and charcoal - the old fashioned method before gas came about and certainly an interesting concept.
Hidden on the ground floor in one forsaken corner of Vivocity, Wood's chef is none other Jake Klein, whose stepfather, Steven Raichlen, is the creator of Barbecue University and known as America's grilling expert. From the facade to the interior, Wood oozes unadulterated class in itself. A short walk through the wooden tunnel from the entrance leads to a magnificent glass wine cellar and the sublimely chic seating area with its posh booth seats, floor to ceiling windows and the huge open concept kitchen. One gripe though. The windows don't face the sea directly, unlike most of the other restaurants at Vivocity.
Complimentary Bread - Its the first time I'm eating focaccia that comes in pizza slices and it was something different. It almost tasted like pizza sans the toppings except that the bread was a little burnt and dry. I still liked it enough with the olive oil though to gobble it all up and yearn for seconds, which unfortunately was never offered.
Smoked Chicken Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette and Toasted Peanut - Aesthetically pleasing, the salad portion was small, no doubt about it. What I liked about it was the lightly smoked chicken slivers which went well with the savoury Hoisin vinaigrette and toasted grounded peanuts. It helped that the vegetables were fresh as well.
Roasted Asparagus, Baby Greens and Poached Egg - I personally found this dish a little lacklustre as compared to the smoked chicken salad. But having said that, it was still quite good. For starters, this has got to be the biggest asparagus I've seen (not that I've been around much though) and it was well seasoned with salt and pepper. The poached egg wasn't anything special though but the greens were fresh and crunchy.
Wood Roasted Spring Chicken with Lemon, Garlic and Parsley - The chicken looked a tad charred when served. However it was very fragrant and juicy with a lingering herb taste in every bite. I did find it a little too salty at certain parts though, probably due to the heterogeneous seasoning distribution. But all in all a most delightful dish.
14 Days House Aged Ribeye, Rosemary, Garlic & Extra Virgin Olive Oil - I honestly can't taste the difference between a 14 days aged ribeye and a normal ribeye or a 90 days aged ribeye for that matter, so its just a name to me. The ribeye was done medium instead of the medium rare that I had requested, but it was still good. Succulent and juicy with a strong hint of herbs that didn't threaten to overpower the inherent beefy taste. Not the best I've tried, but certainly in a league of its own. Watch out for the small portions though. The beef is probably around 5-6 oz (just a rough guess).
Valhorna Chocolate Pudding with Lavender Croutons and Sea Salt - The chocolate pudding didn't come across as too sweet and very smooth with the dried lavender providing a nice floral complement to the chocolate. The croutons provided a nice crunchy texture to the whole dessert.
Thyme Roasted White Peach with Yogurt Ice Cream - I can't help but profess my liking for this dessert. A didn't taste like it was roasted piece of peach sitting atop chunks of biscuit crumbs with buttery overtones and topped with a nice creamy and sourish yogurt ice cream. Most delightful if you ask me.
An excellent lunch for 2 cost an almost princely sum of about $95 ($10 goes to the bottled water. They don't serve iced water by the way). Good things definitely don't come cheap and the 4 course set dinner starts from $75 per pax ($120 with wine pairing) with slightly bigger portions and a larger variety of dishes to choose from. Service is good as well and for those who prefer privacy, there are private rooms to cater to various group sizes. There's even a romantic private room for 2 complete with a private entrance, if you can afford/are willing to chalk up $300 in bills that is.
I'll definitely be back, but probably only for lunch. The small portions and steep prices for dinner are a little bit too much for me to swallow. For now.
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Executive Chef Dennis Sim teamed up with Culinary Director Angelo Sanelli, of Michelangelo’s distinction, presented us with selections of original and contemporary Italian dishes balances with a well though out selection of conventional delights.
Zambuca happens to be a bar as well as a restaurant that features a magnificent wine cellar. Specially set to the temperature of 18°C and use mainly for wine dinners, this cellar is a definitely an enchantment for all wine enthusiasts.
Appetisers were soon served as we were still busy deciding on what read like mouth-watering dishes from the menu.
However, the pretty dreadful Bruschetta they serve as a complimentary were pretty stale toast and even staler toppings of Italian Sausage and Mushy Beef Spread or Egg Mayo with Caviar. Thankfully, the sampler starters were dished out in succession not long after and I have to say I am quite impressed. First up was the Carpaccio di Manzo, or Beef carpaccio with parmesan cheese and quail eggs, lightly drizzled with extra virgin oil.
The thinly sliced beef melts in your mouth and the parmesan adds zest to the otherwise bland dish. This was soon followed by Parma Ham with Rockmelon.
In terms of presentation, I thought this was one of the best that night. The chef was even generous enough to give us a huge chunk of the melon wrapped around with a wedge of ham. The Gamberi con Aglio Olio e Crema, or Tender tiger prawns with sliced garlic, finished with Devon cream and placed on a bed of shredded spinach served in a hot iron terrine, as put simply - Divine.
The prawns were gigantic and fresh, and the cream sauce was purely mouth-watering, so good that we were scooping the sauce straight from the iron bowl and gulping it. The Mussels topped with Tomato-based Sauce though were ordinary.
Although the flesh of the mussels was big and juicy, I suspect that they were cooked separately from the sauce as the mussels lacked taste and flavouring from the gravy. The gravy also was not the best I have tasted as compared to the many mussels dishes I have tried in Perth. However, the biggest disappointment of the night was that of the Calamari Fritti.
The Squid rings were too salty and the coating of the flour was done badly such that we end up eating the squid separately from the flour. Thankfully the last starter of the night, Foie Gras, or Seared duck liver served on toasted brioche topped with Granny Smith apple, peppered fig and port wine redeemed it all.
Consider one of the greatest delicacies in French Cuisine, the liver was juicy and the fatty oil that oozes out from it is simply blissful. It was simply so delicious that I decided to have more servings of duck for my main.
And thus it ensures that I also have a whole serving of Foie Gras to myself along with the breast of the duck – pretty sinful I must say, but for occasional indulgence, I reckon that it was all worth it. Known for their lamb dishes, I would also highly recommend the Agnello Marinato alla Griglia, or grilled and marinated rack of lamb served with asparagus and mushroom ragout, parsnip puree and drizzled with chili chocolate sauce - done in medium rare.
The tenderness of the meat along with an exotic sauce simply tops all the dishes for the night.
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Ever since I have started working near Serangoon area, the temptation of sampling Indian food never stopped. From Roti Prata as morning breakfast to Nasi Biryani for lunch, I am surrounded by these delicious Indian cuisine (North or South Indian, Indian Muslim or what not) everyday. Finally, it took a nudge from my Indian colleague and there I was in front of an Authentic North Indian (Punjabi) Cuisine Restaurant in the heart of Little India. With so many dishes to choose from, we were spoilt for choice.
Finally, my colleague from India volunteered to choose a few dishes that she deemed to be her favourite and that begins my little food adventure for the day. We opted for the Butter Naan, or a type of bread made from dough and butter (almost similar to prata) instead of the usual rice for a change.
The Palak Paneer, or Spinach with Cottage Cheese was a tad too authentic though for me. Pretty bland and a bit too “greeny” for me, it was almost as good as eating a Broccoli raw! The Aloo Gobhi, or Potatoes with Cauliflower though was slightly better.
I love my potatoes and this dish had definitely more taste than the Spinach. This veggie is mushily good to go with the Naan, but however, if eaten with rice, I would think that it’s too starchy. Perhaps being a fellow potatoes lover, another dish she ordered was the Baked Potatoes with Capsicum.
This is the first time I have seen this combination and I must say I am pretty impressed with it. A hint of burnt flavour from the baking and the crunchy texture from the capsicum was a great complement. But the accolade truly belongs to the Butter Chicken that day.
The rich gravy made from yoghurt and cream, was a sinful yet delectable one, which I simply couldn’t resist dipping in my spoon again and again for another sip. The last time I had this dish was in Perth's Chutney Mary's and I never remembered it to be so delicious.
A pity though that the Mango Lassi was not as good as I thought it would be, as it was much too sweet for my taste bud.
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Guys like me think Japanese are sweet and seductive, but just in case your mind start wandering to those kawaii Japanese schoolgirls, let me just share with you that I am talking about food (I am a foodie, what else can I be talking about!?), but more precisely, their dessert. Making quite a buzz since its opening in Marina Square in the month of June 2006, Azabu Sabo, follows an original teahouse philosophy and serves authentic Japanese desserts. Its selection of desserts and Hokkaido Ice Cream, available for the first time in Singapore, has made itself especially popular with female clientele.
It is said that they directly imports the main ingredients from Japan, such as the top grade red beans, produced from Hokkaido, which are not overly-sweet. However, I beg to differ. I ordered by far the most popular and highly recognised Matchazen, or Green Tea Ice-Cream in a Bowl of Dumplings & Red Bean Paste, and was overwhelmed by the sweetness of the mushy red bean paste.
Thank goodness the strong bitter after-taste of the ice cream was able to neutralise it. The dumpling though tasteless was soft in texture and chewy, unlike those you bought off the supermarkets. Unlike the immaculate service that is found everywhere in the humble land of the rising sun, the service standards of this outlet was found lacking. The service staffs that day were mostly foreigners who did not seemed to have a good grasp of English. They had problems trying to understand my questions when I tried to find out more about the desserts, and they were particularly non-existent when I tried to settle the bill. What a pity though, if only they could import the sweet Japanese service culture as well.
You can view more photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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