feizhu's Reviews
1=SGD 0.058729 Yebbers Online!
Double Yebber Dollar Category for April:
Arts & Entertainment
Click here for future month
WELCOME TO YEBBER
You can use your Facebook Account to register in Yebber and start reviewing your favourite or least favourite businesses
Please click the login button below and proceed to create a new Yebber ID at the next step.
Located at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites in Somerset Road, Oriole is owned by the same owner of Aerin's, Bedrock Grill & Bar (next door to Oriole) and Whitebait & Kale and boasts Singapore's number 1 and number 3 baristas, which makes their coffee a must try! The interior of the place is rather cafeish with dim lighting and floor to ceilings windows. Currently the area surrounding Oriole is undergoing construction so there isn't much of a view to speak of.
Coffee Crust Cod Fish ($25.50++)- This was a daily special so the $15/dish cap didn't apply, which was rather regrettable really. The fish was smooth but a wee bit fishy and lacked sweetness. There was the problem of the missing coffee taste as well.
Prawn Spaghetti ($15++) - The pasta was tossed in olive oil and came across as a little too soft. I counted 5 crystal prawns to that were crunchy albeit a little small. But at least the whole dish was still palatable, though probably not something that I would order again.
Honey Crumble Affogato ($7++) - This dessert came with a shot of espresso and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which unfortunately had ice chips in it. I didn't quite take to the honeycomb crunch as bits of it got stuck onto my teeth. Overall this dessert was nothing too fancy or fantastic in my humble opinion.
Chocolate Fudge Cake ($5.50++) - Apparently one of Oriole's popular desserts, the chocolate fudge cake was quite decent in my humble opinion. Warm with pockets of molten chocolate within, it came across as rich and decadent - a sure fire recipe for nausea in the likely event of over consumption. Pity about the lack of ice cream though.
The total bill came up to $62.40 for 2 mains and 2 desserts, which would put Oriole in the Swensens, NYDC etc price range. Food quality is average but the lack of crowds in the middle of Orchard road is definitely a plus. Service was decent to boot.
See all my pictures here.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
Any hopes of an awesome aerial view slowly dissipates when you step into the restaurant. The windows are not floor to ceiling windows and offer a very limited view of the surroundings. However, any disappointment is soon placated by the sombre wood themed interior with its indulgent setting and classy finish. But do not write off those windows just yet. Peer through them and you get a magnificent view of the area, complete with shimmering lights of the city below. Its just a little more troublesome thats all.
Now Si Chuan Dou Hua is famous for its artful method of tea pouring. There will be a guy and a lady who will be dressed in traditional martial arts attire and armed with a kettle/teapot that has a very long snout. Water from this kettle/teapot will be skillfully poured into your tea cup containing the ingredients for the Eight Treasures Tea. Just a little background on this Eight Treasures Tea because I'm a huge fan of it. It consists of Red Dates, Wolf Berries, Dried Logans, Chrysanthemum, Rock Sugar, Dried Lily Buds, Jasmine Tea Leaves and Mai Dong, which is believed to reduce cholesterol, stimulate blood circulation and increase immunity. On a sidenote, we had the executive set dinner menu at $78.80 for 2 pax.
Two Delicacies Combination - The two delicacies in this dish refers to a serving of Dried Tau Kwa with Cashew Nuts and a serving of sliced pork with what tasted and looked like Belachan. This dish really whetted our appetites although it was way too spicy for us and we had to resort to downing glasses and glasses of iced water just polish it off. The meat was thinly sliced and had a slightly rubbery texture, which made chewing a pleasure. I did find the Dried Tau Kwa a little too hard though.
Eight Treasure Shark's Fin and Seafood Soup - This didn't really fit the bill of traditional shark's fin soup. It was almost greenish for starters due to the excessive amount of an unknown type of vegetable sprinkled on top (I couldn't really taste what kind of vegetable it was though) and the soup tasted more like tofu soup with seafood. But don't get me wrong, it was actually very tasty while not coming across as too heavy at the same time, probably due to the less starchy texture. There was a sprinkling of shark's fin but they weren't of superior quality. Then again, no complaints for the price.
Silver Cod Fish in Sweet Wine Sauce - I personally fancied this dish pretty much. The fish was fresh, sweet and nicely fried with an almost crispy exterior. Drizzle the sweet wine sauce on it and you get a burst of sweetness from the sauce melding with the natural sweetness of the fish. A simple but delightful dish to say the least.
Fried Rice with Crab Meat - How many times have you ordered crab meat fried rice only to find miniscule portions of crab meat hidden within? Si Chuan Dou Hua's version has large chunks of crab meat embedded within throughly fried grains of rice which have a distinctive Wok Hei aura. Eating too much of it also doesn't render one nauseous, which is a refreshing change from the usual MSG laden ones.
Stir Fried French Bean with Minced Meat - This is a rather uncommon dish in Singapore and many places that I've patronised don't serve it(maybe I'm just unlucky). Naturally I was excited to see that this dish came along with the set menu. Alas, excitement turned to disappointment when I had my first taste of it. The french bean was way too soft and soggy, probably a result of frying for too long. The minced meat topping was rather salty and tasted like dried shrimps actually, but it was the only thing that gave flavour to this dish.
With a name like Si Chuan Dou Hua, it isn't hard to guess what they are famous for - their Dou Hua. I'm not kidding, the Dou Hua is really a cut above the rest. Extremely smooth and quivery, the Dou Hua literally slitters down your throat with every spoonful. The syrup isn't too sweet, but sweet enough to carry the Dou Hua.
The bill came up to $103.50($83.50 after the usage of my $20 voucher), which does push the meaning of reasonable a little, but for the experience, it is still justifiable. Service is reasonably good as well, so it all adds up to a rather pleasant dining experience.
See all my pictures here.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
Ambience
Not much to speak of as L'Espresso is actually a lobby lounge that's located just next to the deli where crowds form to buy its signature durian desserts. But on the upside, it offers a view of the charming pool through full length glass windows and there's the pianist too, if you are lucky. Did I mention that Goodwood Park itself exudes a certain colonial charm that is priceless?
Variety
The variety was quite an eyeful. Scones, sandwiches, tarts and other sweets formed the bulk of the food. I didn't do an exact count but you are probably looking at about 20 odd different items. Would have liked some savoury stuff but overall thought the spread was good for an English high tea. You get 2 pots of tea with your buffet as well.
Quality
I must say that I'm quite impressed with the overall quality of the buffet. Everything was daintily and intricately presented, very much like what you would find in more upscale high tea sessions which serve their items on a 3 tier stand. Make a beeline for the scones, which I personally like quite a fair bit, especially with a huge dollop of jam. You might want to skip the foie gras pate sandwiches though as I honestly thought that pate was just gross. But that's just me.
Service
Professional but a little stiff. They did seem a little short handed as well but to give the place credit, our plates were cleared promptly.
Value for money
At 33 (about $39 after tax) per pax, I am most inclined to recommend this place to anyone in search of a nice place to chill out with friends for a couple of hours on a weekend or public holiday with great finger food and desserts to boot. This is honestly one of the very few buffets that I can actually revisit. In short, I loved it.
See all my pictures here.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
We were really spoilt for choice with regard to the menu. Everything just seemed great and we actually relied on the friendly waitress's recommendations for our order. We had appetizers of Pan Seared Scallops with Parma Ham, Orange and Tarragon Vinaigrette, Tuna Tempura with Goma Wakame, Mustard Dressing and Pan Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Apple and Clove Port and Raspberry Glaze. Mains included Pan Seared Chilean Seabass with Mushroom and Smoked Bacon Ragout, Truffle-Yuzu Butter Sauce, 2 sets of Char Grilled Angus Beef Ribeye with Fava Beans, Braised Stockyard Beef Cheek with Merlot, Seasonal Vegetables and Slow Roasted Rack of Lamb with Tamarind Reduction. Apple Tart Tartin with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Flavoured Panna Cotta with Chilled Mango Soup, Warm Banana Tart with Homemade Lavender Ice Cream and Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream rounded up our dinner.
A small serving of complimentary bread(refillable) started us off on the right track. The bread was warm and fluffy with a tinge of cheesy aftertaste and went very well with the accompanying butter. Appetizers followed suit soon after.
The Pan Seared Scallops with Parma Ham, Orange and Tarragon Vinaigrette came with huge scallops wrapped with Parma ham. And I mean really HUGE. For one, I've never seen such a huge scallop in my life. Serious. A pity about the taste though. It lacked the sweetness in good scallops and was way too soft in the middle portion. Scallops are supposed to be crunchy, not soft! The accompanying veggies were plain normal, which makes you wonder about the fancy name. On to the next appetizer, the Tuna Tempura with Goma Wakame, Mustard Dressing. I had a good experience with something similar at Sage so I kind of upped my expectations a little. I personally found the tempura batter a little too overwhelming. It masked the taste of the middle raw Tuna a little too much. I could only detect a slight tinge of the Tuna after chewing for some time. Although I appreciate the apparent lack of fishiness, but it kinda defeats the purpose of eating Tuna if there is hardly any Tuna taste. The Pan Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Apple and Clove Port and Raspberry Glaze probably takes the cake in the appetizer segment. Soft and quivery, it literally melts in your mouth with no distinct and overpowering aftertaste. The caramelized apples added quite a twist to the dish by infusing a certain sweetness into the Foie Gras.
Mains were a mixture of average and above average, with none even closing in on spectacular. The Pan Seared Chilean Seabass with Mushroom and Smoked Bacon Ragout was one of the above average dish. Sweet flesh with a slightly crispy exterior and buttery texture made for a pleasant dish. However, too much butter makes you queasy after a while and that was what my friend experienced.
Getting a steak done right requires a lot of skill. The Char Grilled Angus Beef Ribeye with Fava Beans fell flat in this aspect. Prepared with just salt and pepper, it was supposed to showcase the quality of the cut and the skill of the chef. Neither happened. The taste of the meat was rather flat with no full bodied texture, which is very important for good steaks for that extra oomph. Ok its not as bad I as make it out to be. Its still decent and can probably give a few steakhouses a run for their money. The dubious honour of "worst dish of the day" went to the Braised Stockyard Beef Cheek with Merlot, Seasonal Vegetables. Someone please tell me why this dish is worth the $40 I paid for it because I honestly can't think of any. The beef cheek was so soft that it because gross after a while. Taste wise was merely average with no evident presence of Merlot.
Oh and before I forget, the Slow Roasted Rack of Lamb with Tamarind Reduction was one of the highlights of the mains. It didn't reek strongly of lamb, so that was a relieve for me for I simply abhor the lamb aftertaste. The side of mashed sweet potato was an interesting variation of the more common mashed potato. Smooth, sweet and starchy. Nice! On a sidenote, I am not a lamb person, so I may not be the best person to give you an opinion on this dish.
We had ordered our desserts together with the appetizers and mains as many of them required quite a bit of lead time (About 20-30mins). With such a long advance period, we were expecting some really stupendous and out of this world desserts. That was when reality hit us real bad. In all honesty, none of the desserts were exceptional.
The Apple Tart Tartin with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream was probably the best dessert. Creatively shaped into a pie like structure, the apples were not too sweet, but the base was a let down with its soft pastry. The Flavoured Panna Cotta with Chilled Mango Soup was supposed to be a dish where east meets west. Sadly, the west never quite made it. The mango soup, which was essentially mango with sago and pomelo pudding, overpowered the taste of the Panna Cotta. Total whitewash.
I have always wondered how lavender ice cream would taste like and I found out yesterday. It was plain weird and really tasted like lavender scented shampoo or soap, not that I've tried either. Its just that the smell and the taste are the same! So imagine the countless images of shampoo and soap running through my mind while I was eating the Warm Banana Tart with Homemade Lavender Ice Cream. Maybe lavender ice cream just isn't my cup of tea. The banana tart was alright though. It tasted like pastry with banana.
Doesn't Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream sound really good? Imagine breaking into the crust of the chocolate cake and warm chocolate oozing out. Sure the chocolate did ooze out, but the taste was just not up to expectations. The cake tasted too floury, if there's such a word. Too much flour if there isn't. The oozing chocolate was pathetic as compared to the one I had at Morton's of Chicago. The only credit I can think of is the vanilla bean ice cream, which was smooth with a fine texture.
Dinner for 5 cost about $320/-. Terribly expensive if you ask me. Maybe I just have higher expectations about the quality of food than what was given. But wouldn't most people be the same considering the premium price tag? Price aside, I personally found the food at Ember very decent, but not decent enough to warrant another visit with the relatively high prices. Credit goes to the service crew though, who really go the extra mile to make you feel welcomed.
See my pictures here
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
The whole place isn't big actually, even more so the private dining room, which was slated to accomodate 24 of us. And because it was a long table, there wasn't much room to manoeuvre around which made it quite cramp (for me at least). Decor came across as simple and minimalist with dark wall tones and carefully placed spotlights - not so much the romantic ambience, but more for business.
Amuse Bouche - I didn't quite take to the amuse bouche, which was a slice of tomato drizzled with a vanilla bean foam served with fava beans and a slice of ciabatta. The foam and vanilla beans seemed more for decoration then anything else and the tomato taste overwhelmed.
Cold Angel Hair Pasta, Oscietra Caviar - One of Gunther's signature dishes, this was quite tasty but I would have preferred my pasta to be more al dente. The chopped chives and truffle oil gave it a smooth savoury taste coupled with a fragrant truffle aroma while the chilliness of the pasta contributed a nice refreshing sensation. Apparently this dish goes for $60 in the ala carte menu, but portions are definitely much much bigger.
Poached White Asparagus, Bouchot Mussels - White asparagus is essentially asparagus that comes from the process of etiolation, which is the deprivation of light. No chlorophyll can be produced without sunlight hence there is no green colouring in the plant. As such, it is slightly milder in flavour and a little more tender then normal green asparagus. I thought that Gunther's rendition of this vegetable was a little lacking. The single stalk of asparagus was poached until it became overly soft and mashy. The accompanying sauce was excellent though, with a hint of cinammon that went very well with the tiny morsels of seafood.
Grilled Cote de Boeuf, Japanese sweet-corn, sauce Bordelaise - The beef was done to a perfect medium rare with a nice slightly charred exterior that hinted strongly of salt. There was one small fault though. The red wine/vinegar reduction seemed a little too rushed, resulting in a lightly sour note as you chew on the meat. I liked the grilled sweet corn that came alongside. It provided a sweet refreshing punctuation in between intakes of beef.
Roasted Black Pig from Spain (Pata Negra) -
The pork was a substitute for the Grilled Cote de Boeuf in case anyone didn't take beef. But that's not to say that this dish was lacklustre in comparison. On the contrary, this was one quality piece of meat from the Black Iberian Pig, which is known for its ability to accumulate fat under its skin and between the muscular fibres. Read. Exorbitant prices. Execution wise, I thought that the pork was evenly roasted to produce a tender yet succulent piece of meat that literally left me wanting for more. The only complaint I had was that the meat was overly salty.
Fine Apple Tart a la Dragées, Havana Rum Raisin Ice Cream - Apparently Gunther's signature dessert, the apple tart's crust reminded me of the crust found in the Chinese red bean paste pancake, save for the toppings of nuts on top. The stuffing of apple chunks weren't too soft but lacked the sourish aftertaste in my humble opinion. The rum and raisin ice cream was interesting but somehow I don't remember rum and raisin tasting anything like this, or am I just a die hard alcoholic?
As this was a special arrangement by Gunther's for this particular event, we were fortunate to have been able to try out so many dishes for $45 nett/pax. I would like to end off with a thank you to the organisers for the invite. Cheers.
See all my pictures here.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!