I've always been a fan of Chef Edward Voon, ever since his days at Dolce Vita. Hence it was no surprise that I jumped at the chance to dine at Atlantic Dining Room, where he joined barely 3 months ago from the now defunct Aurum as Executive Chef. Chances like this are few and far, especially when the place where Atlantic Dining Room is located, Tower Club, is exclusively for members and their guests only. And to up the exclusivity factor, membership is by invitation only.
Perched right at the top of Republic Plaza on the 62nd - 64th story penthouse, Atlantic Dining Room boasts high ceilings coupled with a posh and luxe interior with elaborate finishing and plush chairs. One thing to take note of here, all cellular phones must be put to silent mode and there is a very strict smart casual dress code.
Complimentary Bread & Olive Oil Butter - There were 2 varieties of bread, french loaf with olives and focaccia. I didn't think too much of the french loaf but the focaccia was great. Soft with pockets of herbs and sundried tomatoes permeating through, resulting in a tasty and comforting slice of bread. And the best part was, it wasn't oily. The olive oil butter deserves a writeup all by itself, solely based on its uniqueness. The butter looked exactly like normal butter and sported a similar texture. However, it was made from olive oil, so imagine a butter with an olive oil taste. Very interesting! The butter was also a prelude to the other fascinating items to come in the menu.
Crab Salad with Wasabi Mayonnaise & Nitro - The interesting part about this dish was the black wrap covering the salad, which was a little gelatin like but bears no resemblance to anything that I know. The salad itself had lots of onions which gave it a nice crunch while the crab came across as light and savoury with the wasabi significantly mild.
Mock Caviar - This dish injected a little humour into our dinner. The cover wrote "Best Mock Caviar from Singapore. Produced and packed by Edward Voon." What was actually in the metal container was a jelly like substance that looked like salmon roe with a passion fruit and strawberry centre. There was a tinge of alcohol in the background as well.
Ocean Trout Confit with Liquefied Green Pea, Fruit Sorbet & Olive Oil powder - The trout looked really raw on the outside but slicing through it proved a piece of cake. The meat was smooth, firm and fresh without coming across as raw. A dollop of orange bits were placed on top to counter and fishiness that the trout might have. The fruit sorbet was sweet and had bits of unidentified crispy stuff below while the olive oil powder amazed me with its texture. A really interesting play of flavours!
Scallop in Laksa Sauce with Crispy Squid Ink - This has got to be one of the best scallops I've eaten in the past year or so. Well seared with a nice smooth texture sans the fishiness. The laksa sauce was frothy, almost like foam and the spiciness kicked only kicked in a few seconds after consumption.
Tempura Prawn & Mushrooms in Shitake Sauce - The highlight of this dish was probably the olive oil, which was injected from a syringe into the Shitake sauce. Lo and behold, it turned into a strand of noodle that was similar to ramen with an olive oil taste to boot! The prawn was huge and sweet but I thought that the batter could have been a little thinner.
Sardine with Risotto & Polenta - What was intriguing about this was the polenta (boiled maize), which came in thin silvery sheets atop the sardine, which incidentally, was a little too soft for my liking. I did like the risotto though - al dente and not too creamy with carrots providing an additional crunch.
Foie Gras with Kurobuta Pork Cheek & Apple Foam - The foie gras was pan seared till crisp on the outside. It certainly wasn't quivery nor near the best I've tried but I must say that it went very well with the apple foam. The pork cheeks were melt in the mouth tender and definitely a nice addition to this already sinfully rich dish.
BBQ Japanese Fish with Smoked Water - Another amazing dish, the fish (not too sure what fish is it) had a firm texture to go along with the nice BBQ taste. Topped with little silvery pearls that were in fact smoked water, I was rendered speechless. You might question how do you smoke water? In all honesty, I have no absolutely no clue. According to Chef Edward, the water is smoked and then solidified to form the pearls. Interestingly, the pearls had a slightly chewy texture with a strong smokey aftertaste.
Garoupa - I only tried a little of this dish but the fish did seem very well seasoned and flavourful. A pity the pasta didn't seem home made and came across as overly salty.
Wagyu Beef - No surprises here, just good old fashioned tender wagyu beef that was well marinated and done up medium rare. I did find it a little too salty though.
Passion Fruit Sorbet with Coconut Cream & Crushed Mint Ice - I'm not a fan of sour stuff so this dessert didn't do it for me. But the coconut cream was nice and light.
Chocolate & Chocolate - Catchy names aside, this dessert was yet another amazing dish. The first chocolate referred to the white chocolate cake while the second chocolate referred to the coarsely grounded bits of chocolate that reminded me of soil. Here's the marvelous part. The white chocolate cake had a moist center with a hint of egg and almond and ever so heart warming. To infuse some excitement, the grounded chocolate was done up to crackle incessantly when placed into your mouth, very much like the fizz pop candy for kids of yesteryear. Very nostalgic!
I've lost count of the number of times I've used the word amazing in this single blog post alone. The dishes are truly progressive and I'm pretty sure my photos and descriptions do it scant justice. The dollars and cents portion ($400 for 2 pax) is a little on the steep side but I feel that its money well thought and well spent. And I'll certainly be back, especially with one of my favourite chefs at the helm.
In my dreams, there is this beautiful place, with blue skies and clear sea. I dreamt of having my favourite brunch here with the one I like. We eat to our hearts content, and relax there while the hourglass freeze, just for us.
In my dreams, we have a cup of cappuccino. The aroma of the bean and the wonderful scenery of the place somehow makes the ordinary coffee taste better. And oh yes, there’s a cute cookie to go along with too.
In my dreams, I can never forget the taste of my beloved Eggs Royale ($14). The ever-favourite poached eggs, I just wish we can be together everyday. There is nothing more satisfying in life to have you by my side. O’ my dear, just the thought of you makes me sleep better.
In my dreams, I always envisage places where we will never run out of desserts. I have a sweet tooth you see. I dreamt of meeting the royal Sir-Deli’s, but it was a pleasant surprise with Privé Carrot cake ($6.80)
In my dreams, everything and anything can happen. There are bad dreams, and of course sweet ones like you. I’m glad I can still occasionally dream of you, that is enough. Enter my dreams, and give me a kiss.
***
Privé bakery café is a wonderful place to visit if you haven been there after i posted my previous entry. Well, I couldn’t afford the restaurant main course yet, that’s why you will probably see more of my post on their brunch and desserts, which are affordable and good. See you there!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
You know in life, there’s usually only one opportunity, and like they say, if you missed the train, it’s gonna be gone forever. That is why, gracious and forgiving, as cliché as it may sound, is important. Second chance.
Making the wrong choices once is bad enough, this time, we are going for the safe option. What better than their signature Le Royale ($7). If I’m to be a scientist, all the cures and breakthrough will never occur. But call me a mathematician, the cake had 64% of dark chocolate mousse. Of hazelnut feullitine and praline, I could never differentiate them apart. But I love them both, yes I do. So it doesn’t matter, anything with hazelnut & feullitine works for me. You know I love you, xoxo Le Royale.
Some of the female companions that I know, does not like to drink coffee. Yet they always frequent Starbucks, well just for their green tea frapp. Yes, call it irresistible, healthy, or whatever, our ladies love their macha. The lovely light shade of green tea mascarpone mousse was appealing. I’m no expert when it comes to green tea, but what I do know, the macha was very subtle. And the chestnut cremeuex was an interesting choice for the middle layer. Not that i’m a fan of chestnut. Oh yes, simply named, the macha ($7)
Oh dear, if looks can kill, so can Tarte Citron ($5.50). The beautifully burnt effects from the blow torch was a sight to behold. Italian meringue with lemon cream on almond tart. My, my. This really is a beauty. And if you think she is a bimbo, the taste was as good as the looks too.
I never know Canelé has good ice cream. Well, they are known for their cakes, and chocolates, but ice cream! I love surprises. And Nougatine ($8) is all about that. Praline ice cream with hazelnut nougatine was always my beloved. But it was the salty caramel dripped alongside the ice cream, which really made it so good.
Total bill was $33 for three cakes and one ice cream. Well I thought that the ice cream was pretty decent even at eight dollars per pop since it was more than the size of two scoops elsewhere. The raffles city branch is canelé restaurant instead of patisserie, since they offered main course as well. But I resisted putting the word restaurant on my title since we didn’t try any of their main course. That will be another time of course.
Usually opportunities only come knocking once, but I’m gonna knock on the door a few more times.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
A big man with a big reputation, Damian De Silva, formerly chef cum owner of Soul Kitchen at Purvis Street, relocated Big D’s Grill from Bedok South to Holland Drive. Located near the bus interchange at the same coffeeshop of the famous Fishhead Beehoon stall, chef Damian “western food stall” is well known for serving restaurant quality Black Angus Beef Steaks and Kurobuta Pork Chops, as well as his limited Peranakan Specialties e.g. Ayam Buah Keluak – think Astons, before he got his chain restaurants going, added to scale down version of Soul Kitchen.
Mr De Silva insisted on using fresh Snapper and not frozen Dory for his Beer-Battered Fish & Chips ($8.90). At that price, the serving was pretty value for money and the fish tasted fresh. One could also surely take pleasure in a hint of beer aftertaste from the exterior of the fish – seasoning was slightly uneven though with parts being overly salty. But snapper or not, there was hardly any taste to the flesh of the fish. HFB would prefer the fish meat to be lightly marinated. Homemade Chips were well fried and vastly addictive!
One of his signatured dishes, the dazzling Crabmeat Linguine ($10.90) was immensely under-priced and overly extravagant with Shredded Crabmeat. HFB would advise one to go for the spicy version, as crabmeat is pretty heavy for the palate and tanginess brings it down by a notch. The linguine was done al-dente and the ingredients harmonised perfectly – the sour from the tomato base sauce, spiciness from the chilli, and the sweetness from the crabmeat really complements each other very well. This coffeeshop adaptation triumphed convincingly against the supposedly fine-dining standard – dollar for value in HFB’s opinion. This is one dish HFB will return for it.
Weighed at least 200 grams, if not more, the US Kurabuta Pork Loin ($28.00) was something that HFB was looking forward to. Indeed seeing is believing, but tasting it truly convinced HFB that the fuss and the hearsay was spot on about how wickedly mouth-watering this piece of meat is. The glistening layer of fats gave the famed meat its luscious and moist consistency – the spurt of juicy goodness with every nibble testify to this. With the exterior charred grilled to perfection, the hint of pink in the centre also gave it a tender bite. Coupled with their homemade applesauce that is reasonably flavoursome, this dish is definitely a hearty no-no for the weak heart, but surely a treasured find for the brave!
After enjoying a wonderful plate of Escargots during my holiday, I've been wondering if it's actually possible to find reasonably-priced Escargots in Singapore. And when I saw Ma Maison, and how cheap the Escargots actually were, I couldn't wait to go there!
So when I got there, there was a rather short but slow-moving queue, so people: do remember to make reservations!
However, if you didn't mind sitting at the bar, they'd allow you to do that just so you don't have to wait too long. And that was what I did. Nothing unpleasant nor special about that experience.
I understand that the place is a French-Jap fusion restaurant, but I personally didn't quite like the decor of the place. The dark lightings and wooden furnishing gave it a french/ country-style indeed, perhaps that explains the "French" part. However, I thought everything you see didn't quite blend well with the atmosphere and cuisine (so to speak) served.
Service was not too bad there, people were rather friendly and prompt in bringing up your food. We didn't have to wait too long for our orders. Additional plates and appropriate utensils were also provided to make it easier to eat the Escargots and anything else we ordered. We were also given this giant brass key that we would need when making payment. It was a rather cool idea and it was so huge that you can't lose it. But that chunky thing was kinda in the way too, considering how bar-tops were not made for big plates.
I can't remember the exact name of the things I ordered, but I remember there being a plate of Escargots, some Mexican (or spanish?) seafood rice and a bowl of Omu rice.
The Escargots had a fairly strong garlic and butter taste, and was very oily. Did not taste very fresh to me either.
The seafood rice, too, had the similar garlic and butter taste. Makes me wonder if they use the exact same wok/pan to cook everything. I didn't like the appearance of the dish. It gave me the feeling of being full upon looking at it. But apart from the abovementioned, taste-wise, it was still fairly decent.
My favourite was probably the simple tomato sauce-based Omu rice. I would advise anyone who orders that to finish it while it's still hot and tasting good.
In general, I have one comment for almost everything I had: being the worse fan of garlic, everything in the food had to have such strong garlic taste! So I guess I didn't really enjoy everything.. Nonetheless, I am sure if you share the exact opposite sentiments as I do, this place could be a place worth trying! And if you're on some sort of a budget, try to limit yourself to just one dish per person because the bill can come up to quite abit, including the GST and all. We paid $90 for two, unfortunately.
It was the usual weekly dinner with my folks again and the venue of choice was The Chinese Restaurant at Raffles Town Club. Apparently this is a members only restaurant so I didn't harbour any hopes of a fantastic meal even though prices aren't exactly the cheapest around.
In the glossy pages of the club magazine, the restaurant looked like a blast. However reality is harsh and the interior turned out looking more dreary then glam. What was rather amusing was that the restaurant required us (the customers) to switch off our cell phones during our meal. Fortunately, it wasn't strictly enforced though.
Smoked Salmon with Passion Fruit & Vegetable Salad - There were only 2 slices of the smoked salmon, which was quite pathetic if you ask me. And the salmon was way too salty but I guess not having the overwhelmingly raw taste is a plus.
Braised Superior Shark's Fin with Bean Sprout - The broth was a tad too starchy but the fins were relatively generous, though of the mediocre variant. Adding to the woes was the overdose of salt, which made the soup rather heavy.
Braised Seasonal Vegetables with Bean Curd Stick & Conpoy in Chicken Stock - This dish was a major turn off. The spinach wasn't properly washed and I could hear the resounding crunch of sand/sediment with every bite. The bean curd stick tasted like flour but to give it credit, it was well deep fried and topped with shreds of deep fried dried scallops.
Sauteed Scallop & Fresh Prawn in Sichuan Sauce - This was probably the best dish of the evening as the scallops were crunchy and sweet while the prawns fresh but a tad small. The bed of broccoli wasn't over or undercooked but the sichuan sauce came across as mildly spicy and very normal.
Steamed Sea Perch with Chilli - I couldn't quite make out the chilli in this dish. What I could taste was black bean sauce. And lots of it. The meat was firm, a tad too firm actually, from being overcooked.
Braised Vermicelli & Mian Xian with Dried Seafood - This dish was well fried with a discernible wok hei taste and the noodles weren't too soggy. However too much of it rendered me nauseous.
I thought $215 for an unsatisfactory meal for 4 was expensive and if given a choice, I would never return, ever again. There is a strict dress code as well, which adds to the annoyance.
Four. I wasted three opportunities before I got to know you. On our brief initial encounter, we brushed past each other as I was going somewhere else. On the subsequent two occasions, I wasn’t fully prepared, not when I’m in running attire. Despite all that, I’m glad we finally met, this time prim and proper, Hello Riders, my name is Brad.
Here is the place where you can look at horsies galloping freely on the greens. Here is the place where you can escape from the hectic city life. Here is the place where you can have brunch at a tranquil and serene environment amidst the lush greeneries. Riders Cafe.
Nothing beats having morning pancakes ($10) to start off your day. There was berries compote, there was whipped cream, and there was maple syrup on the pancakes of course. Who can resist the smiley pancakes, certainly not me. Well, we should have asked for more butter!
In my dictionary, eggs and brunch are synonymous with each other. A hearty brunch won’t be completed without any Egg Benedicts ($12). Instead of the smoked salmon, we decided to have ham with eggs. And personally, I felt that hams complimented eggs better. I still loved the latter though. Poached eggs, with hams on a toasted muffins, and breakfast potatoes to go along with. This is brunch.
The Riders Breakfast ($13) was supposed to be very reasonable. But we heard the waitress wrongly, so we said we wanted smoked ham, bacon and sausage. All three of them, instead of just choosing one. The damage was $8 more for the two additional sides. Well it’s quite a heartache getting the bill in the aftermaths, to pay the money for 2 tiny sausages and 2 strip of bacons. The money would be more well-spend if we got another dish instead. But this was solely our own mistake, and there’s no denying the breakfast was excellent, all of my favourite. Scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, sausages, beans, potatoes and toast.
Total bill was $56 for three breakfast items, and 1 drink. Well it would be around ten bucks lesser if we had not added the extra sides, so I say brunch at Rider’s is really value and excellent for the superb ambience of the place. But, fairways drive is hardly a place where you will call accessible unless you got transport, or cab.
I will definitely come back again, for brunch, or even for lunch. Their lunch and diner menu looks very affordable too! But another thing to note, I went on a weekday morning, so it was relatively peaceful. If you were to go on a weekend for brunch, the result might not be the same. See you there!
ps: if you had noticed, I had also included my signature See you there! tag for my previous two post on Graze and Patisserie Glace as well. It just so happened I went to four fabulous place within this two weeks!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
HFB had the opportunity to dine and wine at Chen Fu Ji Sing’s Sensation, nested at the 2nd level of Riverside Point. For those who yet know, two sisters founded Chen Fu Ji 50 years ago and were dishing out their signatured $25.00 Fried Rice that came with Crab Meat in the 80s!! So it was with much expectancy when HFB arrived at the restuarant.
The complimentary Cod Fish snack was nothing fanciful – but it did keep HFB’s hands and mouth busy. It was pretty addictive.
The Seafood Doufu in Hot Plate ($18.00) came sizzling hot and rather generous with ingredients. However, with the sauce being rather starchy and salty on its own, a bowl of steam rice to complement it would be an ideal choice. Wow factor was sorely lacking though – HFB had tried many better ones elsewhere.
The Braised Japanese Shiitake with Seasonal Vegetables ($24.00 for medium serving) was much welcomed with its thick and juicy mushrooms. Vegetables were fresh and crunchy.
What’s a trip to Chen Fu Ji without sampling the legendary Imperial Fried Rice ($25.00 for medium serving)? Each grain of rice, believed to be selected for its size, texture and moisture content, was also said to be conditioned prior to frying. Nevertheless, what really distinct itself from the normal fried rice was the fusing of beaten eggs with each grain of rice that gave it a smooth texture, golden hue and aromatic fragrance. With a stack of freshly peeled Crab Meat and unique Egg Floss, the dish came with heighten expectations. It was good all right, with the non-greasy aftertaste and aromatic egg flavour, but it wasn’t great. There was a distinct lacked of ‘Wok Hei’ flavour that HFB would preferred in his fried rice though. Also the serving portion was only sufficient for a small bowl each.
Surprisingly, the best dish that night was the Peking Roast Duck ($35.00 for half portion). The roasted duck skin was deftly curved into thin slices and it was crunchy and full of taste.
The thick juicy duck meat, accompanied with condiments like scallions and cucumber, along with a coat of Hoisin Sauce wrapped with Chinese Pancake was also delightful.
The Angel on my right says she is innocent and pure. The Devil on the left rebuts, she is gullible and inexperience. A simple play of words, show the different perception of people. The same word could mean two totally different thing. Naive, is all about the absence of artificiality, in a good way.
Rather than a vegetarian restaurant, the owners of Naive know exactly how human perception is, most people tend to associate vegetarian with distasteful food, so lets just call them the first meatless restaurant.
Tofu is always a staple in the meatless cateogry, and it was no surprise we had it for the Golden Oats ($8.80). Essentially crispy deep fried soft golden tofu with oats and fragrant leaves. I didn’t get to try much of this, but it was a good rendition of the cereal prawn. The tofu was a fitting replacement with its crispy texture and soft interior going well with the oats.
Not the best in terms of the looks department, but the Penang Rendang ($9.80) was better than expected. Pan-fried mushroom on bed of greens. Red, hot, and spicy.
When red riding hood ($7.80) meets the big bad wolf. How apt. It was almost like the real deal. Imagine sweet and crispy,and instead of pork you get beancurd. Sweet & sour pork wannabe? This is even better than some of the ones I had before.
The ladies man. He have all sorts of tricks in his bag, and can please all of you. Battered organic oyster mushroom ($9.80). If you have been avoiding fried food for a while now, because of the double damage; unhealthy fried food and too much meat. This is the one for you.
Tangy and refreshing. The mango tofu cake ($12.80) was all about that. Slightly sweet, slightly sour. Crispy skin, soft body. Talk about contrast.
With a cheesy tag line like mega in taste, and mini in size, the Mega mini mushroom ($10.80). While I ain’t a big fan of Sze Chuan cuisine, one bite was enough to tell me the flavourful spicy szechuan sauce.
Enchanted forest ($12.80). Indeed, I was smitten by her charming ways, her strong perfume smell of wolfberry, her strong and wilful texture.
From the braise, you would certainly associate it with cooking for many hours. Yes, but somehow for monkeyhead mushrooms, it does not turn soft. We were expecting the meat-lookalike to be tender, but instead it was still rather tough in texture. Heartwarmer ($13.80)
I always love to order garlic rice when I frequent Japanese restaurants. They are so oh-so good! And I think the same could be for Naive, their Oliver twist ($3.80). Instead of the Japanese pearl rice, we have the fragrant Thai rice, with a olive twist. And I agreed, so good it can be eaten on its own.
Naive promises to offer healthy food without compromising on taste. And I will like to say they did it. I never knew vegetarian, or rather, meatless could taste so good. However, prices are rather steep given the small portions. And their main courses are all monkeyhead mushrooms.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Seems like many people have actually blogged about this up and coming patisserie hidden at the corner of the Notorious Keong Saik Road, Craig Road and Neil Road intersection within Chinatown Plaza - a rather dilapidated private apartment of sorts. Helmed by Master Chef Yamashita who hails from Nara, Japan, this tiny patisserie has been garnering rave reviews in the media and blogosphere alike.
Banana Mille-Feuille ($4.50) - I thought that the mille feuille was a great way to start off as it was light and crisp due to the layer of puff pastry thats sandwiched in between layers of chocolate mousse, sponge and bananas. The chocolate mousse itself was very well balanced and didn't threaten to overwhelm.
Strawberry Hill ($5.20) - Topped with sliced strawberries on layers of light and fluffy sponge sandwiching fresh cream on a wholesome oven baked tart base, the strawberry hill was sublimely good. What's interesting about this cake is that the name really suits it! The cake gets substantially more dense towards the bottom, very much like a hill, where the soil is looser at the top and gradually becomes more compact towards the bottom.
Strawberry Soufflé ($5.30) - The pièce de résistance. Dense yet light on the palate with a tinge of lemony zest and topped with strawberries. Its probably one of the best cheesecakes I've eaten in a long long while.
1=SGD 0.0587
I've always been a fan of Chef Edward Voon, ever since his days at Dolce Vita. Hence it was no surprise that I jumped at the chance to dine at Atlantic Dining Room, where he joined barely 3 months ago from the now defunct Aurum as Executive Chef. Chances like this are few and far, especially when the place where Atlantic Dining Room is located, Tower Club, is exclusively for members and their guests only. And to up the exclusivity factor, membership is by invitation only.
Perched right at the top of Republic Plaza on the 62nd - 64th story penthouse, Atlantic Dining Room boasts high ceilings coupled with a posh and luxe interior with elaborate finishing and plush chairs. One thing to take note of here, all cellular phones must be put to silent mode and there is a very strict smart casual dress code.
Complimentary Bread & Olive Oil Butter - There were 2 varieties of bread, french loaf with olives and focaccia. I didn't think too much of the french loaf but the focaccia was great. Soft with pockets of herbs and sundried tomatoes permeating through, resulting in a tasty and comforting slice of bread. And the best part was, it wasn't oily.
The olive oil butter deserves a writeup all by itself, solely based on its uniqueness. The butter looked exactly like normal butter and sported a similar texture. However, it was made from olive oil, so imagine a butter with an olive oil taste. Very interesting! The butter was also a prelude to the other fascinating items to come in the menu.
Crab Salad with Wasabi Mayonnaise & Nitro - The interesting part about this dish was the black wrap covering the salad, which was a little gelatin like but bears no resemblance to anything that I know. The salad itself had lots of onions which gave it a nice crunch while the crab came across as light and savoury with the wasabi significantly mild.
Mock Caviar - This dish injected a little humour into our dinner. The cover wrote "Best Mock Caviar from Singapore. Produced and packed by Edward Voon." What was actually in the metal container was a jelly like substance that looked like salmon roe with a passion fruit and strawberry centre. There was a tinge of alcohol in the background as well.
Ocean Trout Confit with Liquefied Green Pea, Fruit Sorbet & Olive Oil powder - The trout looked really raw on the outside but slicing through it proved a piece of cake. The meat was smooth, firm and fresh without coming across as raw. A dollop of orange bits were placed on top to counter and fishiness that the trout might have. The fruit sorbet was sweet and had bits of unidentified crispy stuff below while the olive oil powder amazed me with its texture.
A really interesting play of flavours!
Scallop in Laksa Sauce with Crispy Squid Ink - This has got to be one of the best scallops I've eaten in the past year or so. Well seared with a nice smooth texture sans the fishiness. The laksa sauce was frothy, almost like foam and the spiciness kicked only kicked in a few seconds after consumption.
Tempura Prawn & Mushrooms in Shitake Sauce - The highlight of this dish was probably the olive oil, which was injected from a syringe into the Shitake sauce. Lo and behold, it turned into a strand of noodle that was similar to ramen with an olive oil taste to boot! The prawn was huge and sweet but I thought that the batter could have been a little thinner.
Sardine with Risotto & Polenta - What was intriguing about this was the polenta (boiled maize), which came in thin silvery sheets atop the sardine, which incidentally, was a little too soft for my liking. I did like the risotto though - al dente and not too creamy with carrots providing an additional crunch.
Foie Gras with Kurobuta Pork Cheek & Apple Foam - The foie gras was pan seared till crisp on the outside. It certainly wasn't quivery nor near the best I've tried but I must say that it went very well with the apple foam. The pork cheeks were melt in the mouth tender and definitely a nice addition to this already sinfully rich dish.
BBQ Japanese Fish with Smoked Water - Another amazing dish, the fish (not too sure what fish is it) had a firm texture to go along with the nice BBQ taste. Topped with little silvery pearls that were in fact smoked water, I was rendered speechless. You might question how do you smoke water? In all honesty, I have no absolutely no clue. According to Chef Edward, the water is smoked and then solidified to form the pearls. Interestingly, the pearls had a slightly chewy texture with a strong smokey aftertaste.
Garoupa - I only tried a little of this dish but the fish did seem very well seasoned and flavourful. A pity the pasta didn't seem home made and came across as overly salty.
Wagyu Beef - No surprises here, just good old fashioned tender wagyu beef that was well marinated and done up medium rare. I did find it a little too salty though.
Passion Fruit Sorbet with Coconut Cream & Crushed Mint Ice - I'm not a fan of sour stuff so this dessert didn't do it for me. But the coconut cream was nice and light.
Chocolate & Chocolate - Catchy names aside, this dessert was yet another amazing dish. The first chocolate referred to the white chocolate cake while the second chocolate referred to the coarsely grounded bits of chocolate that reminded me of soil. Here's the marvelous part. The white chocolate cake had a moist center with a hint of egg and almond and ever so heart warming. To infuse some excitement, the grounded chocolate was done up to crackle incessantly when placed into your mouth, very much like the fizz pop candy for kids of yesteryear. Very nostalgic!
I've lost count of the number of times I've used the word amazing in this single blog post alone. The dishes are truly progressive and I'm pretty sure my photos and descriptions do it scant justice. The dollars and cents portion ($400 for 2 pax) is a little on the steep side but I feel that its money well thought and well spent. And I'll certainly be back, especially with one of my favourite chefs at the helm.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
In my dreams, there is this beautiful place, with blue skies and clear sea. I dreamt of having my favourite brunch here with the one I like. We eat to our hearts content, and relax there while the hourglass freeze, just for us.
In my dreams, we have a cup of cappuccino. The aroma of the bean and the wonderful scenery of the place somehow makes the ordinary coffee taste better. And oh yes, there’s a cute cookie to go along with too.
In my dreams, I can never forget the taste of my beloved Eggs Royale ($14). The ever-favourite poached eggs, I just wish we can be together everyday. There is nothing more satisfying in life to have you by my side. O’ my dear, just the thought of you makes me sleep better.
In my dreams, I always envisage places where we will never run out of desserts. I have a sweet tooth you see. I dreamt of meeting the royal Sir-Deli’s, but it was a pleasant surprise with Privé Carrot cake ($6.80)
In my dreams, everything and anything can happen. There are bad dreams, and of course sweet ones like you. I’m glad I can still occasionally dream of you, that is enough. Enter my dreams, and give me a kiss.
***
Privé bakery café is a wonderful place to visit if you haven been there after i posted my previous entry. Well, I couldn’t afford the restaurant main course yet, that’s why you will probably see more of my post on their brunch and desserts, which are affordable and good. See you there!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
You know in life, there’s usually only one opportunity, and like they say, if you missed the train, it’s gonna be gone forever. That is why, gracious and forgiving, as cliché as it may sound, is important. Second chance.
Making the wrong choices once is bad enough, this time, we are going for the safe option. What better than their signature Le Royale ($7). If I’m to be a scientist, all the cures and breakthrough will never occur. But call me a mathematician, the cake had 64% of dark chocolate mousse. Of hazelnut feullitine and praline, I could never differentiate them apart. But I love them both, yes I do. So it doesn’t matter, anything with hazelnut & feullitine works for me. You know I love you, xoxo Le Royale.
Some of the female companions that I know, does not like to drink coffee. Yet they always frequent Starbucks, well just for their green tea frapp. Yes, call it irresistible, healthy, or whatever, our ladies love their macha. The lovely light shade of green tea mascarpone mousse was appealing. I’m no expert when it comes to green tea, but what I do know, the macha was very subtle. And the chestnut cremeuex was an interesting choice for the middle layer. Not that i’m a fan of chestnut. Oh yes, simply named, the macha ($7)
Oh dear, if looks can kill, so can Tarte Citron ($5.50). The beautifully burnt effects from the blow torch was a sight to behold. Italian meringue with lemon cream on almond tart. My, my. This really is a beauty. And if you think she is a bimbo, the taste was as good as the looks too.
I never know Canelé has good ice cream. Well, they are known for their cakes, and chocolates, but ice cream! I love surprises. And Nougatine ($8) is all about that. Praline ice cream with hazelnut nougatine was always my beloved. But it was the salty caramel dripped alongside the ice cream, which really made it so good.
Total bill was $33 for three cakes and one ice cream. Well I thought that the ice cream was pretty decent even at eight dollars per pop since it was more than the size of two scoops elsewhere. The raffles city branch is canelé restaurant instead of patisserie, since they offered main course as well. But I resisted putting the word restaurant on my title since we didn’t try any of their main course. That will be another time of course.
Usually opportunities only come knocking once, but I’m gonna knock on the door a few more times.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
A big man with a big reputation, Damian De Silva, formerly chef cum owner of Soul Kitchen at Purvis Street, relocated Big D’s Grill from Bedok South to Holland Drive. Located near the bus interchange at the same coffeeshop of the famous Fishhead Beehoon stall, chef Damian “western food stall” is well known for serving restaurant quality Black Angus Beef Steaks and Kurobuta Pork Chops, as well as his limited Peranakan Specialties e.g. Ayam Buah Keluak – think Astons, before he got his chain restaurants going, added to scale down version of Soul Kitchen.
Mr De Silva insisted on using fresh Snapper and not frozen Dory for his Beer-Battered Fish & Chips ($8.90). At that price, the serving was pretty value for money and the fish tasted fresh. One could also surely take pleasure in a hint of beer aftertaste from the exterior of the fish – seasoning was slightly uneven though with parts being overly salty. But snapper or not, there was hardly any taste to the flesh of the fish. HFB would prefer the fish meat to be lightly marinated. Homemade Chips were well fried and vastly addictive!
One of his signatured dishes, the dazzling Crabmeat Linguine ($10.90) was immensely under-priced and overly extravagant with Shredded Crabmeat. HFB would advise one to go for the spicy version, as crabmeat is pretty heavy for the palate and tanginess brings it down by a notch. The linguine was done al-dente and the ingredients harmonised perfectly – the sour from the tomato base sauce, spiciness from the chilli, and the sweetness from the crabmeat really complements each other very well. This coffeeshop adaptation triumphed convincingly against the supposedly fine-dining standard – dollar for value in HFB’s opinion. This is one dish HFB will return for it.
Weighed at least 200 grams, if not more, the US Kurabuta Pork Loin ($28.00) was something that HFB was looking forward to. Indeed seeing is believing, but tasting it truly convinced HFB that the fuss and the hearsay was spot on about how wickedly mouth-watering this piece of meat is. The glistening layer of fats gave the famed meat its luscious and moist consistency – the spurt of juicy goodness with every nibble testify to this. With the exterior charred grilled to perfection, the hint of pink in the centre also gave it a tender bite. Coupled with their homemade applesauce that is reasonably flavoursome, this dish is definitely a hearty no-no for the weak heart, but surely a treasured find for the brave!
You can view all the photos here.
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After enjoying a wonderful plate of Escargots during my holiday, I've been wondering if it's actually possible to find reasonably-priced Escargots in Singapore. And when I saw Ma Maison, and how cheap the Escargots actually were, I couldn't wait to go there!
So when I got there, there was a rather short but slow-moving queue, so people: do remember to make reservations!
However, if you didn't mind sitting at the bar, they'd allow you to do that just so you don't have to wait too long. And that was what I did. Nothing unpleasant nor special about that experience.
I understand that the place is a French-Jap fusion restaurant, but I personally didn't quite like the decor of the place. The dark lightings and wooden furnishing gave it a french/ country-style indeed, perhaps that explains the "French" part. However, I thought everything you see didn't quite blend well with the atmosphere and cuisine (so to speak) served.
Service was not too bad there, people were rather friendly and prompt in bringing up your food. We didn't have to wait too long for our orders. Additional plates and appropriate utensils were also provided to make it easier to eat the Escargots and anything else we ordered. We were also given this giant brass key that we would need when making payment. It was a rather cool idea and it was so huge that you can't lose it. But that chunky thing was kinda in the way too, considering how bar-tops were not made for big plates.
I can't remember the exact name of the things I ordered, but I remember there being a plate of Escargots, some Mexican (or spanish?) seafood rice and a bowl of Omu rice.
The Escargots had a fairly strong garlic and butter taste, and was very oily. Did not taste very fresh to me either.
The seafood rice, too, had the similar garlic and butter taste. Makes me wonder if they use the exact same wok/pan to cook everything. I didn't like the appearance of the dish. It gave me the feeling of being full upon looking at it. But apart from the abovementioned, taste-wise, it was still fairly decent.
My favourite was probably the simple tomato sauce-based Omu rice. I would advise anyone who orders that to finish it while it's still hot and tasting good.
In general, I have one comment for almost everything I had: being the worse fan of garlic, everything in the food had to have such strong garlic taste! So I guess I didn't really enjoy everything.. Nonetheless, I am sure if you share the exact opposite sentiments as I do, this place could be a place worth trying! And if you're on some sort of a budget, try to limit yourself to just one dish per person because the bill can come up to quite abit, including the GST and all. We paid $90 for two, unfortunately.
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It was the usual weekly dinner with my folks again and the venue of choice was The Chinese Restaurant at Raffles Town Club. Apparently this is a members only restaurant so I didn't harbour any hopes of a fantastic meal even though prices aren't exactly the cheapest around.
In the glossy pages of the club magazine, the restaurant looked like a blast. However reality is harsh and the interior turned out looking more dreary then glam. What was rather amusing was that the restaurant required us (the customers) to switch off our cell phones during our meal. Fortunately, it wasn't strictly enforced though.
Smoked Salmon with Passion Fruit & Vegetable Salad - There were only 2 slices of the smoked salmon, which was quite pathetic if you ask me. And the salmon was way too salty but I guess not having the overwhelmingly raw taste is a plus.
Braised Superior Shark's Fin with Bean Sprout - The broth was a tad too starchy but the fins were relatively generous, though of the mediocre variant. Adding to the woes was the overdose of salt, which made the soup rather heavy.
Braised Seasonal Vegetables with Bean Curd Stick & Conpoy in Chicken Stock - This dish was a major turn off. The spinach wasn't properly washed and I could hear the resounding crunch of sand/sediment with every bite. The bean curd stick tasted like flour but to give it credit, it was well deep fried and topped with shreds of deep fried dried scallops.
Sauteed Scallop & Fresh Prawn in Sichuan Sauce - This was probably the best dish of the evening as the scallops were crunchy and sweet while the prawns fresh but a tad small. The bed of broccoli wasn't over or undercooked but the sichuan sauce came across as mildly spicy and very normal.
Steamed Sea Perch with Chilli - I couldn't quite make out the chilli in this dish. What I could taste was black bean sauce. And lots of it. The meat was firm, a tad too firm actually, from being overcooked.
Braised Vermicelli & Mian Xian with Dried Seafood -
This dish was well fried with a discernible wok hei taste and the noodles weren't too soggy. However too much of it rendered me nauseous.
I thought $215 for an unsatisfactory meal for 4 was expensive and if given a choice, I would never return, ever again. There is a strict dress code as well, which adds to the annoyance.
See all my pictures here.
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Four. I wasted three opportunities before I got to know you. On our brief initial encounter, we brushed past each other as I was going somewhere else. On the subsequent two occasions, I wasn’t fully prepared, not when I’m in running attire. Despite all that, I’m glad we finally met, this time prim and proper, Hello Riders, my name is Brad.
Here is the place where you can look at horsies galloping freely on the greens. Here is the place where you can escape from the hectic city life. Here is the place where you can have brunch at a tranquil and serene environment amidst the lush greeneries. Riders Cafe.
Nothing beats having morning pancakes ($10) to start off your day. There was berries compote, there was whipped cream, and there was maple syrup on the pancakes of course. Who can resist the smiley pancakes, certainly not me. Well, we should have asked for more butter!
In my dictionary, eggs and brunch are synonymous with each other. A hearty brunch won’t be completed without any Egg Benedicts ($12). Instead of the smoked salmon, we decided to have ham with eggs. And personally, I felt that hams complimented eggs better. I still loved the latter though. Poached eggs, with hams on a toasted muffins, and breakfast potatoes to go along with. This is brunch.
The Riders Breakfast ($13) was supposed to be very reasonable. But we heard the waitress wrongly, so we said we wanted smoked ham, bacon and sausage. All three of them, instead of just choosing one. The damage was $8 more for the two additional sides. Well it’s quite a heartache getting the bill in the aftermaths, to pay the money for 2 tiny sausages and 2 strip of bacons. The money would be more well-spend if we got another dish instead. But this was solely our own mistake, and there’s no denying the breakfast was excellent, all of my favourite. Scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, sausages, beans, potatoes and toast.
Total bill was $56 for three breakfast items, and 1 drink. Well it would be around ten bucks lesser if we had not added the extra sides, so I say brunch at Rider’s is really value and excellent for the superb ambience of the place. But, fairways drive is hardly a place where you will call accessible unless you got transport, or cab.
I will definitely come back again, for brunch, or even for lunch. Their lunch and diner menu looks very affordable too! But another thing to note, I went on a weekday morning, so it was relatively peaceful. If you were to go on a weekend for brunch, the result might not be the same. See you there!
ps: if you had noticed, I had also included my signature See you there! tag for my previous two post on Graze and Patisserie Glace as well. It just so happened I went to four fabulous place within this two weeks!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
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HFB had the opportunity to dine and wine at Chen Fu Ji Sing’s Sensation, nested at the 2nd level of Riverside Point. For those who yet know, two sisters founded Chen Fu Ji 50 years ago and were dishing out their signatured $25.00 Fried Rice that came with Crab Meat in the 80s!! So it was with much expectancy when HFB arrived at the restuarant.
The complimentary Cod Fish snack was nothing fanciful – but it did keep HFB’s hands and mouth busy. It was pretty addictive.
The Seafood Doufu in Hot Plate ($18.00) came sizzling hot and rather generous with ingredients. However, with the sauce being rather starchy and salty on its own, a bowl of steam rice to complement it would be an ideal choice. Wow factor was sorely lacking though – HFB had tried many better ones elsewhere.
The Braised Japanese Shiitake with Seasonal Vegetables ($24.00 for medium serving) was much welcomed with its thick and juicy mushrooms. Vegetables were fresh and crunchy.
What’s a trip to Chen Fu Ji without sampling the legendary Imperial Fried Rice ($25.00 for medium serving)? Each grain of rice, believed to be selected for its size, texture and moisture content, was also said to be conditioned prior to frying. Nevertheless, what really distinct itself from the normal fried rice was the fusing of beaten eggs with each grain of rice that gave it a smooth texture, golden hue and aromatic fragrance. With a stack of freshly peeled Crab Meat and unique Egg Floss, the dish came with heighten expectations. It was good all right, with the non-greasy aftertaste and aromatic egg flavour, but it wasn’t great. There was a distinct lacked of ‘Wok Hei’ flavour that HFB would preferred in his fried rice though. Also the serving portion was only sufficient for a small bowl each.
Surprisingly, the best dish that night was the Peking Roast Duck ($35.00 for half portion). The roasted duck skin was deftly curved into thin slices and it was crunchy and full of taste.
The thick juicy duck meat, accompanied with condiments like scallions and cucumber, along with a coat of Hoisin Sauce wrapped with Chinese Pancake was also delightful.
You can view all the photos here.
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The Angel on my right says she is innocent and pure. The Devil on the left rebuts, she is gullible and inexperience. A simple play of words, show the different perception of people. The same word could mean two totally different thing. Naive, is all about the absence of artificiality, in a good way.
Rather than a vegetarian restaurant, the owners of Naive know exactly how human perception is, most people tend to associate vegetarian with distasteful food, so lets just call them the first meatless restaurant.
Tofu is always a staple in the meatless cateogry, and it was no surprise we had it for the Golden Oats ($8.80). Essentially crispy deep fried soft golden tofu with oats and fragrant leaves. I didn’t get to try much of this, but it was a good rendition of the cereal prawn. The tofu was a fitting replacement with its crispy texture and soft interior going well with the oats.
Not the best in terms of the looks department, but the Penang Rendang ($9.80) was better than expected. Pan-fried mushroom on bed of greens. Red, hot, and spicy.
When red riding hood ($7.80) meets the big bad wolf. How apt. It was almost like the real deal. Imagine sweet and crispy,and instead of pork you get beancurd. Sweet & sour pork wannabe? This is even better than some of the ones I had before.
The ladies man. He have all sorts of tricks in his bag, and can please all of you. Battered organic oyster mushroom ($9.80). If you have been avoiding fried food for a while now, because of the double damage; unhealthy fried food and too much meat. This is the one for you.
Tangy and refreshing. The mango tofu cake ($12.80) was all about that. Slightly sweet, slightly sour. Crispy skin, soft body. Talk about contrast.
With a cheesy tag line like mega in taste, and mini in size, the Mega mini mushroom ($10.80). While I ain’t a big fan of Sze Chuan cuisine, one bite was enough to tell me the flavourful spicy szechuan sauce.
Enchanted forest ($12.80). Indeed, I was smitten by her charming ways, her strong perfume smell of wolfberry, her strong and wilful texture.
From the braise, you would certainly associate it with cooking for many hours. Yes, but somehow for monkeyhead mushrooms, it does not turn soft. We were expecting the meat-lookalike to be tender, but instead it was still rather tough in texture. Heartwarmer ($13.80)
I always love to order garlic rice when I frequent Japanese restaurants. They are so oh-so good! And I think the same could be for Naive, their Oliver twist ($3.80). Instead of the Japanese pearl rice, we have the fragrant Thai rice, with a olive twist. And I agreed, so good it can be eaten on its own.
Naive promises to offer healthy food without compromising on taste. And I will like to say they did it. I never knew vegetarian, or rather, meatless could taste so good. However, prices are rather steep given the small portions. And their main courses are all monkeyhead mushrooms.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
Seems like many people have actually blogged about this up and coming patisserie hidden at the corner of the Notorious Keong Saik Road, Craig Road and Neil Road intersection within Chinatown Plaza - a rather dilapidated private apartment of sorts. Helmed by Master Chef Yamashita who hails from Nara, Japan, this tiny patisserie has been garnering rave reviews in the media and blogosphere alike.
Banana Mille-Feuille ($4.50) - I thought that the mille feuille was a great way to start off as it was light and crisp due to the layer of puff pastry thats sandwiched in between layers of chocolate mousse, sponge and bananas. The chocolate mousse itself was very well balanced and didn't threaten to overwhelm.
Strawberry Hill ($5.20) - Topped with sliced strawberries on layers of light and fluffy sponge sandwiching fresh cream on a wholesome oven baked tart base, the strawberry hill was sublimely good. What's interesting about this cake is that the name really suits it! The cake gets substantially more dense towards the bottom, very much like a hill, where the soil is looser at the top and gradually becomes more compact towards the bottom.
Strawberry Soufflé ($5.30) - The pièce de résistance. Dense yet light on the palate with a tinge of lemony zest and topped with strawberries. Its probably one of the best cheesecakes I've eaten in a long long while.
See all my pictures here.
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