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Food & Beverage
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1=SGD 0.0587
Popped by &Made by Bruno Menard for brunch one late Saturday morning since we were in the area. Read pretty good reviews about it and coupled with the fact that it is 3 Michelin Starred Chef Bruno Menard's (owner of the now defunct 3 star L'Osier in Tokyo) first restaurant in Singapore under his own name, we were pretty psyched about dining there.
&Made occupies one corner of the ground floor at Pacific Plaza and has a rather quirky (a cross between a typical 80's video game and Alice in wonderland) feel to it. Seating capacity isn't extensive, probably about 60 pax or so and the best pick seems to be that of the booth seats if you have no more than 4 pax. Interestingly, with all the hype surrounding the restaurant, it was practically empty, save for 2 tables.
The 'B' Burger - The 'B' Burger was a tad tinier than expected whilst the patty, though done a perfect medium well, came across as tender but a little dry. The onion confit atop also proved a little overwhelming and I could hardly make out any beefy taste from the patty. I did like the bread though, soft and lightly toasted. For sides, the truffle fries ( $3) was definitely a good choice, lightly salted with the strong fragrance of truffle oil. Overall still a pretty decent burger.
Viking Toastoo - It's the first time I'm seeing a Toastoo on a menu and apparently it is a new generation sandwich made with French buckwheat crepes (according to the menu). The viking version spotted smoked salmon, cream cheese, curry and broccoli, which sounded really interesting. Alas, it was nothing out of the ordinary. The sandwich had a crisp exterior with a stuffing of salmon (couldn't taste the smokiness unfortunately) and broccoli. The curry taste was hardly existent and honestly, the whole sandwich tasted healthily (probably due to all the broccoli) normal.
Lollipop Waffle - One of the rather quirky desserts on offer at &Made, the lollipop waffle. In actual fact, it is nothing more than a waffle cooked in a huge lollipop mold and served on a stick with 3 cylindrical containers of white, dark chocolate and caramel sauce respectively. But I did appreciate the visual creativity and the dessert looked almost too good to be eaten. However, the waffle did seem a little limp but credit goes to the consistency in cooking and the crisp edges. Not something I would personally order again for dessert though.
Hot Caramel Lava Cake - This, in my humble opinion, is the star of the entire evening, the pièce de résistance, if you may. Warm, not cloyingly sweet caramel oozing out of a fissure in the soft shell and served with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream coated with crispy flakes. Simply decadent! If you like your chocolate fondants, you should definitely try this.
The both of us literally stuffed ourselves and even had 2 smoothies to round up the meal, all at a cost of about $95. Cheap? Definitely not. The prices of individual items aren't really expensive per se but add everything up and the bill can be a tad alarming. After all, food quality is only slightly above average at best, save for the caramel lava cake. Service wasn't quite up to scratch with periods of inattentiveness.
To sum up, I think &Made offers a decent meal proposition in a nice setting but lacks actual finesse in its food (bar desserts) and service can definitely be improved.
See my pictures here.
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The idea was to do a comparison between our long time favourite steak house, Morton's, and the relatively new entrant to Singapore's F&B scene, Ruth's Chris. And so one Saturday evening saw the both of us dropping by Ruth's Chris for dinner.
Located where Restaurant Bologna used to be at Marina Mandarin Singapore, the interior hasn't changed much since the days of Bologna - crisp table clothes coupled with leather backed seats and wooden panels adorned with art. The window seats offer you a view of a huge water feature wall and of course the warmth of natural sunlight (if you arrive early enough). This place is decidedly more "upclass" and stifling than Mortons, which I personally like for its casual, convivial atmosphere.To be fair, the place was pretty much empty save for another 2 tables besides ours. So that could be a contributing factor to the "over attention" from the wait staff.
Complimentary Bread - Just your regular soft baguette served warm, nothing like the onion loaf from Mortons. But still something decent to keep your hunger pangs at bay whilst you await your orders. Morton's 1, RC 0.
Sizzlin Blue Crab Cakes - A little dry on the outside but moist within, the crab cake was chock full of crab meat and topped with capsicum, which gave it a nice contrasting flavour and texture. Personally I thought it was nice just that the crab taste was a little lacking. I'll rate this as a tie with Morton's as I really liked the use of capsicum here. Morton's 1, RC 0.
Petit Filet Oscar Style - The petit filet was 210g, which was a decent size considering I ordered it "Oscar Style", which simply meant an addition of asparagus and a lump of crab cake smothered in Bearnaise sauce (all for a mere $15 extra). Now if only Morton's had such an option. That aside, the steak boasted tender, juicy meat that was a little crisp along the edges and well seasoned with salt. Very good! I'm gonna have to go with RC on this one as the filet marginally edges out the filet mignon from Morton's. And it definitely helps that RC has the option of an add on at a reasonable price. Morton's 1, RC 1.
Barbecued Shrimp - The BBQ shrimp were crunchy and decent sized but still a little smaller than what Morton's serves up (even after the downgrade in size). But what it lacks in size, it makes up in quantity (10 shrimps vs 6 from Morton's). The sauce reminds me of a creamy, garlicky concoction that has a mild burning sensation towards the end probably due to the copious amounts of garlic. In short, either you love it or you hate. And we loved it. But as Morton's Shrimp Alexander is vastly different, I am hard pressed to determine which dish has the edge. Morton's 1, RC 1.
Crème Brûlée - This is apparently a signature of Ruth's Chris. Though good, it wasn't anything I would go out of my way to order again. The vanilla bean custard base came across as creamily smooth whilst the caramel top was nicely and evenly torched. Portions are good for 2.
Warm Apple Crumb Tart - Huge, nicely sweet yet tart Granny Smith apple slices encrusted by a moist, fragrant tart shell and topped with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. Only minor gripes I had was that the tart was a little too soft for my liking and that the apple slices were a little too big for comfort. Having said that, this was still an excellent dessert and we preferred this over Morton's Upside Down Apple Pie. Morton's 1, RC 2.
Portions are a bit smaller at Ruth's Chris but prices are slightly cheaper, as compared to Morton's. Even so, dinner for the both of us (without any drinks) cost to the tune of $285. Food wise, based on the dishes we tried, Ruth's Chris has a slight edge. However, factor in the more casual, laid back ambience and service of Morton's and its a tie. But maybe you think otherwise?
See all my pictures here.
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I went on a Saturday afternoon and was glad to see the café not packed like the rest of the Orchard Road. The first impression of the place was nice and quiet. It is part of the book store so it does make sense to have a café there where people can read and relax over a cup of coffee. The decoration pretty much used books to decorate; you can see books on the wall and above the light bulbs. This should enable people to get into a reading mood fast.
Next to the food, since it is our first time there, we decided to go for the chef recommendations. Below was our order: Soup of the Day (Cream of Mushroom), Norwegian Smoked Salmon Sandwich Ultimate Beef Meatball Pasta, Cappuccino and Iced Lemon Tea.
Soup of the day (Cream of Mushroom): The accompanying bread was cold and hard. Personally I prefer them to be warm and soft. Although the soup was supposed to be cream of mushroom, but it tasted more of potato and celery soup to me. Nothing out of extraordinary.
Norwegian Smoked Salmon Sandwich: This came in a generous portion and looks good in presentation as well. One bite into it, it makes me want to eat more. The bread is warm and soft, with the thick smoked salmon slices, lettuce and mayo makes a prefect combination. I would recommend this to everyone.
Ultimate Beef Meatball Pasta: With such a name, I was disappointed when the dish was served, three small meatballs on a small serving of pasta. I do wish the meatballs do come in a larger portion since its name has Ultimate in it. The meatballs are a bit dry for my liking even thought they are quite flavorful. The sauce and pasta tasted like any normal pasta. Nothing wow about this dish.
Overall the food can be pretty much hit and miss, of course there are other mains and desserts which I have yet to taste. I might be back to try some other mains. However, I would remember this place if I need a quiet place to relax and read a book, with food and drink to accompany me through an afternoon. After all, where can you find such a peaceful place to read in Orchard Road.
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Brunch on a busy Saturday at Wild Honey's Scotts Square outlet as we didn't fancy standing in line for a table at the Mandarin Gallery store.
Thankfully this outlet takes reservations but do book early as I overheard a wait staff informing a dejected walk in customer that 1 week advance reservations are recommended. And the full house, coupled with a 90 minute per table dining window proves her point.
The place isn't big and certain tables are placed quite close to each other (go for those at the side if possible), which makes for hush conversation. Oh wait, I forgot. The whole place is so noisy that I probably wouldn't be able to hear myself shout. Okay, that's an exaggeration but by golly, it sounded like a marketplace! You can basically throw any notion of a peaceful and relaxing brunch out of the window!
Scandinavian - I'm no big fan of salmon and this dish wasn't about to convert me. The grilled fish was pedestrian, if I may say. And the hollandaise sauce atop was just too mild to be of much use. I did like the bed of crisp rosti though.
English - I didn't quite take to this dish either as I thought that the scrambled eggs could have been milkier and the bacon, a little less charred at the corner. The potato cubes could have also been a little more crisp instead of coming across as limp and soggy. And the signature brioche left me sorely disappointed. I had envisioned something along the lines of Guy Savoy's Brioche Feuilletée aux Champignons et Truffes but this was just a dense block of bread which I certainly couldn't appreciate.
Caribbean - Greedy us had the "Caribbean" for afters as it seemed like the only dish that qualified as dessert on the menu. As much as I hate to say it, it would have been a pleasant ending to the meal if only there weren't consistency issues. For example, some of the waffles were noticeably darker than the others and some mango slices made me cringe with their sourness. To be fair, I loved the passion fruit syrup/cream and the idea of combining fresh mangoes and bananas with crispy edged waffles. Now if only they worked on their consistency...
I don't know about you, but $82 for a 2 pax brunch in a less than soothing setting coupled with average quality food, does seem quite over the top. I seriously fail to understand the hype. Herd mentality at work, maybe?
See all my pictures here.
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I came across a couple of strong recommendations about the burgers at 2 Blur Guys so with an unintentionally free Saturday morning, we decided to give it a shot. Apparently the place is helmed by Chef Jimmy Chok, who used to be from Bistro Soori.
The shop occupies a tiny unit along the fringe of Orchid Hotel and is easy to miss because of its unassuming decor. So keep a look out for it. Seats are a premium at the place and you are looking at probably 5-6 two person tables tops. That's about 12-15 people. Talk about uncomfortable dining.
Prime Beef Hamburger - The highly raved about prime beef burger. To be be honest, I thought it was average at best. The patty had plenty of fluids but the meat was chopped way too fine (machine perhaps?), which resulted in a dry, unsatisfying texture. To compound matters, the patty was seriously lacking in brovine flavour - a definite must for a good beef burger in my humble opinion. Don't even get me started on the buns, which were insipid and tasted like off the shelf stuff. However, I did like the gruyère cheese and truffle mayo, though I did think that they could be a little more generous with the truffle mayo. Oh and did I mention that the burger was small aka fillet o fish size?
Grilled Spice Chicken Burger - I didn't quite take to this burger as well as the thigh meat was a little too oily for my liking. I could make out some form of asian/indian spice (special spice mix according to their website) which didn't quite sit well with the curry mayo sauce in my humble opinion. It made the whole burger feel extremely greasy and I felt uneasy after finishing it.
What can I say? $23 nett for 2 burgers isn't really that expensive if you take it quantitatively. But quality was average at best and portions weren't exactly generous. I don't know about you but sorry, I definitely won't be back.
See all my pictures here.
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We dropped by Hyang To Gol one Sunday evening and the place was packed with Koreans and a couple of Singaporeans. Initial service was great but started to go downhill after we placed our orders. Iced water was not refilled, the wait staff had a sour expression on their faces (most of them at least) and alot of them had difficulty understanding what we were saying. It even took a long time for the bill to come. Food wise was decent and reasonably priced. Just that portions can be a little underwhelming so chow down on the plentiful side dishes or simply order more.
If the service can be improved, I'll definitely be happy to go back.
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Popped by Chinois by Susur Lee one Saturday afternoon for a quick dim sum fix since we had errands to run in the vicinity. Honestly, I've heard so much about Chinois while it was at Orchard Parade Hotel but never really got down to trying it. And now with the move to Resorts World Sentosa, Chinois has tied up with famed Canadian chef, Susur Lee, to up its offering a notch. What I find ironic (and hilarious) is that I've lived in Toronto for quite a few years but have never tried Susur lee's famed restaurant, Lee. And yet, I'm doing so in Singapore. Duh!
Chinois is hidden in a scheduled corner of Hotel Michel, past the concierge and just after the washrooms. There, a life sized decal of Chef Susur Lee greets you from the huge glass panel that fronts the restaurant. Decked out mainly in black with a few window tables that allow you a view of the activities outside, Chinois exudes an understated elegance that is common place in quite a fair bit of modern Chinese restaurants nowadays.
Cheese Burger Spring Roll - I had heard so much about the Cheese Burger Spring Rolls and it was imperative that i tried it. Interestingly, the spring rolls tasted exactly like a normal cheeseburger that you would get in a fast food joint, albeit with a crisp exterior instead of fluffy buns. For a more "authentic" taste, don't forget the mustard! Be sure to share though as the oil does get to you after the second roll.
Duo BBQ Pork Bun - As the name suggests, you get 2 variants of BBQ pork bun - 1 steamed and 1 deep fried. I personally preferred the greasier version as the bun had a soft and almost smooth texture coupled with a nice crisp exterior. The BBQ pork didn't come across as cloyingly sweet as well. Ditto for the steamed version, which boasted a nice fluffy but marginally thicker bun.
Steamed Beancurd Skin Rolls with Crab Roe - Although I am not exactly a fan of steamed beancurd skin (I prefer the deep fried ones), this was honestly quite decent with a tinge of spiciness, presumably from the crab roe sauce. And the skin had bits of crispiness along the edges with fresh pieces of shrimp stuffed within.
Kurobuta Pork Rib with Vinaigrette - This is definitely not the best roasted pork I've had but it's still pretty good. Crackling crisp skin belying a nice fat to pork ratio. Only minor gripes I had were that the skin was a little too thick for my liking and the meat wasn't salty enough. Best eaten with the accompanying plum sauce.
Baby Abalone Siew Mai - The baby abalones didn't quite feature in the overall taste of the siew mai, which was a little too salty for my liking. Well at least the usage of fatty meat was kept to a minimal which helped keep the nausea at bay.
Homemade Beancurd with Monkey Head Mushrooms - As much as I love beancurd, I would be hard pressed to rate this dish anything more than slightly above average. Don't get me wrong. This dish isn't bad. In fact, it is technically very sound and checks most of the boxes. However the beancurd, though silky smooth, lacked the savoury taste that I personally use to differentiate between good and excellent. Also, it is the first time I've trying out monkey head mushrooms and honestly, I didn't quite take to the somewhat limp texture. So it all boils down to personal preference I guess.
Pan Fried Carrot Cakes with Preserved Meat - Now this was interesting. At first glance, each individual piece of carrot cake looked like a piece of roast pork sitting on it's head. However pop one into your mouth and be pleasantly surprised by its smooth texture and that of the crisp preserved meat which acted as a nice contrasting counterbalance.
The total bill (without discount) for 2 came up to about $89, which is by no means cheap but hey, it's at Resorts World Sentosa and food quality is decidedly above average overall. Throw in good service and a 50% discount and I'll definitely be dining at Chinois again.
See all my pictures here.
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An opportunity to try out Cocotte's (which is actually a small casserole used in French cooking) newly launched brunch menu came by way of an invitation to dine there one Sunday afternoon. At the helm of this one and a half year old French restaurant is Chef Anthony Yeoh, who used to one half of the "Funky Chefs" cooking duo that offered private chef services.
Holed up on the ground level of Wanderlust Hotel along Dickson Road, Cocotte takes quite an effort to get to if you are driving. There are major constructions going around in that area and some streets are no through road or one way. Parking is a nightmare as street lots are limited and the unofficial extension of the Sungei Road flea market spills over.
The restaurant itself isn't big (probably 40 - 50 diners tops) and has a strange welcoming feel to it. I wouldn't describe it as homely but it had this certain appeal to make you want to just sit back and enjoy your meal in a very measured sort of way. Guess they don't want you to get too comfortable and hog the tables haha.
Croissants ($9) & Pain Au Chocolat ($10) - I can't begin expressing how good the croissants and pain au chocolat were. Served up warm, both pastries boasted a crusty exterior with puffy layers of soft, chewy goodness. Although I love chocolate, I personally preferred the croissant as it had a nice buttery finish to it. If you prefer it a little sweet, help yourself to the bottles of Alain Milliat jam that comes alongside. And I kid you not. It's probably one of the best I've had in Singapore so far. The secret behind it? The pastries are imported directly from France and baked to perfection in Cocotte's ovens.
Nicoise Salad ($18) - Fresh crunchy greens with a generous topping of tuna chunks and a smattering of anchovies, olives and hard boiled eggs - the answer to the problem of kids refusing to eat their greens. The anchovies were a little too salty though so make sure you eat them together with the greens.
Roast Herb Potatoes ($6) & Slow Roasted Vine Tomatoes and Garlic ($8) - Both of these were sides and although I didn't quite take to the tomatoes, I have to admit that they were pretty good - sweet yet mildly tart. My gf loves them though; that and the herb potatoes, which were infused with a slight herb taste and didn't come across as too soft.
Toulouse Sausages ($10) - Coming across as relatively thick, the sausages were a mixture of chicken and pork. Very flavourful and rather juicy. Only downside is that it's really quite oily and consuming too much will not only make you nauseous but send your cholesterol levels soaring.
Scrambled Eggs ($5) - Simplicity at its best. The eggs were nice with a hint of milkiness sans the wateriness. Now if only I had kept some of the croissant to go with it.
Creamed Leeks and Scallops Crepe ($22) - Honestly I'm not a big fan of the savoury crepes, being more partial towards it's sweet cousin. So this didn't quite work for me though I liked the huge piece of seared scallop atop.
Croque Madame ($18) - The croque madame ranked a close second to the croissants in my list of favourite dishes that afternoon. Crisp brioche heavy on the buttery goodness and topped with ham and a runny egg. Simply decadent! And not to mention unhealthy. But hey, for something so good, health concerns can always take a back seat for the moment ;)
See all my pictures here.
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We decided to drop by Turf City one Sunday evening and have dinner at one of the seafood restaurants. How we ended up at Ah Yat, I have no idea, especially when my last dinner at the Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim outlet turned out to be a disaster. To be fair, that was quite a few years ago so things might have improved?
The interior of the restaurant was a stark contrast to its surroundings. Soothing but a little gaudy versus partially smashed bare concrete, displaced steel wires/nails and loud drilling noises. Yes, the entire Turf City is under renovation and only a handful of units remain open ( I counted 3 - Owen Seafood, Ah Yat & Giant).
Shark's Fin Soup - Decently sized with slivers of shark's fin and crab meat, the broth was a little too starchy and salty for my liking. Thankfully the serving of fried, albeit overly oily bean sprouts helped to alleviate this dish by introducing water content as well as a wonderful crunch to it. It's interesting how sometimes the humblest of produce can help turn a dish around.
Oyster with Garlic - For our set, we had a choice of Bamboo Clam or Oyster and I chose the latter. And honestly, I couldn't quite make out any taste other than garlic because it was just so overwhelming.
Braised Abalone with Sea Cucumber - I am usually not a big fan of abalone and Ah Yat's well known dish just wasn't about to convert me. The abalone was of decent size (6 head) and a little chewy, though I did find it a little on the salty side. The accompanying sea cucumber and mushroom were decent but failed to leave much of an impression.
Peking Duck - The peking duck was an additional order we craved meat. And it didn't turn out to be a very wise decision. Though the skin was crisp, both the meat and crepe were too dry. Felt very much like eating roast duck - nothing special.
Fried Rice - Although the lack of ingredients was apparent (there was only egg yolk and dried scallop slivers), this dish had a nice wok hei to it and each individual grain was evenly coated and didn't come across as too oily. Be warned that the dried scallops should be eaten together with the rice as the salt content is rather high and might prove unbearable if eaten alone.
Overall the meal wasn't fantastic and even the more expensive ingredients didn't quite justify the price, at about $210 for 3 pax. Service was decent but I highly doubt I will ever return.
See all my pictures here.
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Had dinner at Tung Lok Seafood @ Arena Country Club, a rather obscure club (if you even call it a club) just opposite SAFTI MI. Strangely enough, the same stretch of low rise buildings also host a go karting track and a huge burger king outlet.
The place is quite a size and can easily fit up to 200 people. However, the interior is a little dated but still presentable nonetheless. Definitely more suited to family dining than business meals.
Homemade Beancurd with Spinach - Sitting on a bed of spinach and topped with mushrooms, this dish lacked consistency. Some pieces of beancurd had a nice savoury taste but some were just outright bland. Pity really.
Sweet and Sour Pork - While I will admit that the sweet and sour pork had a nice smoky taste to it, the meat to flour proportion was greatly skewed in favour of the flour, which was a real bummer. Not to mention that portions were tiny for $18 .
Stir Fried Kailan - Drenched in light, mildly salty gravy without being overcooked. Very decent.
Roast Chicken - Served with the de facto crackers, the roast chicken boasted razor thin crisp skin coupled with tender flesh and a generous splashing of salt. Only gripe I had was that the meat could have been juicier. Still good though but nothing compared to what I had at Lung King Heen of course.
Deep Fried Prawns with Wasabi Mayo Sauce - Apparently Tung Lok came up with this dish many years ago. I am not sure how accurate this piece of information is but the prawns were really quite good. Huge, crunchy and coated in a thin layer of flour with a mild tolerable level of wasabi. But it's $52 for a large serving for 9 pax.
Horfun with Prawns - Although each of us managed to snag a huge prawn each, the hor fun itself lacked wok hei but I did like the not too starchy gravy with generous amounts of egg. But at $40 for such a small portion, I'm inclined to think that it's quite overpriced.
Total bill for the 9 of us stood at $238 with a 20% discount. Sure, we were all stuffed at the end of it (courtesy of the ever reliable bowls of rice) and food quality was generally above average, but I wouldn't term it value for money. Portions were less than generous and honestly, none of the ingredients in our dishes were anywhere near expensive. But still, if a family dinner is at hand and you would like an "established" brand name with decent food and prices that won't break your bank, Tung Lok Seafood may just appeal to you. See all my pictures here.
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