Over the weekend, not too sure where to have our dinner... We choose Sakae SuShi.
We order 2 Green tea as our drinks, 1 Sashimi Salad, 1 Chicken Shiogayaki Don and 5 colour plate sushi.
1 Sashimi Salad with salad sauce - $7.99
It has lots of greens at the bottom, few slice of salmon, swordfish, cutter fish, ebi and fish roe. We pour half of the sauce into the salad. Not sure what it make of for the sauce but I can taste there is lemon juice and there is some seasme seeds. It taste sweet and sour.
1 Chicken Shiogayaki Don with miso soup - $9.99
Fried Chicken cube with some mayonise cabbage and carrot slice on top of the rice. I can taste there is some ginger taste on the chicken. It goes ok with the rice without any sauce of sides to go with the rice is dry and bland. For the price, the portion is abit small.
1 Inari Cheese(2 pcs) - $2.29
It has salmon, egg, cucumber and floss. The egg crep is bland, can't really taste the cheese. It taste sweet when you bite together.
1 Sun Maki(2 pcs) - $2.29
On top has abit of crab mayonise, avocado. Around the maki there is lots of fish roe. Inside of the of maki there is crab stick and cucumber.
1 Maki(2 pcs) - $2.29
Inside the maki there is cucumber, egg and floss. It wrap with seaweed and rice at the outside. The maki looks big as there is lots of rice.
2 Fried Tofu(4 pcs) - $4.58
Sping onion with sauce on top of the tofu. The outer layer of the tofu is hot and crispy. The tofu is soft. It goes well with the sauce.
Total Bill: $33.28 (10% card discount) (Including Tea, 10% Service charge & 7% GST) (U.P:$$36.70)
Sun Moulin is located just beside the Isetan Japanese Supermarket at Lido. My food partner and i went there after our lunch at Tetsu. I believe those who frequent the supermarket will need no introduction to this delightful bakery.
There are quite a wide range of breads, pastries, and cakes around, with prices ranging from 1 to 2 bucks, quite similar to your more commonly found Breadtalk and Four Leaves.
I was so full from the lunch at Tetsu, but my food partner is amazing, she brought quite a few home!
She has tried almost all the bread and pastries at Sun Moulin, so below are some of the ones which she highly recommended.
Soft An-pan ($2) The soft An-pan is actually more familiar to most of us as the red bean paste bun. But at Sun Moulin, they use Hawaiian Bread dough. Soft and fluffy!
Belgian Waffle ($1.30) The Belgian Waffle caught my attention first because i’m a sucker for good waffles. And at $1.30 its definitely worth a try, even though the waffle might be a little small in size. It will be excellent if you managed to get them hot off the pan.
Zebra Mini Croissant There are a few selections of Croissant here, with $0.65 for one, $1.80 for 3, and $2.70 for 5. Naturally the more you get the cheaper it is.
Petit Sesame Croissant Crispy layer of dough, with black and white sesame.
Mini croissant Mini-size croissant, try the original taste!
Mini Choc Croissant Your mini croissant now comes in chocolate flavour!
Double Taste Bun ($2) Enjoy 2 kind of home-made taste, chocolate and custard cream inside.
My food partner got the double taste bun for me, and boy the bread is really good! Peeling off part of the bread, fills my nose with aroma of the warm chocolate and custard cream.
The bread is super soft, and its delicious even eaten on its own!
Total bill for 5 items were $9.10. I only tried one of the bread, and i’m already thinking of going back to Sun Moulin for more! My plan is to go there on an empty stomach, then order a lot of different bread to have them for lunch!
Sun Moulin’s bread are definitely better than your typical bakeries (you-know-what), and the prices are also in about the same range with the most expensive bread at 2 bucks.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or biasness. Feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
I, a fan of desserts and Yami Yoghurt, was more than excited when we walked past Yoguru. The prices are all in Feizhu's review and they seem right. So you can refer to that.
I was a teeny bit sad when there were only two flavours to choose from. But the lady at the counter mentioned that Original flavour was a little sweeter whereas the YoguBliss one was more sourish so I picked Original.
There were about 14 toppings to choose from and I took some time with that. So maybe the lack of flavours is a blessing in disguise.I picked out Oreo Crumbs and Cornflakes for $1.80. I think that it was a nice combination in terms of taste as it adds texture to the yoghurt.
But it was quite messy to eat as the cup overflowed. If you pick one topping it was ok, but two toppings was a little too much and you would risk having it all over yourself when you were done.
I'd have to agree that Yoguru is sweeter and softer than Yami (although I don't find Yami TOO sourish) and I like how Yoguru is fatfree too. But it really is quite expensive. A regular cup of Yami one topping is $3.75. But I paid $5.10 for my yoguru with two toppings. Note that the price diff between one topping and two isn't very much.
I would give it 3 and a half stars really... take away half for being more expensive for a slightly smaller serving.
The yoghurt craze is catching on in Singapore with the opening of yoghurt outlets like Frolick and Yoguru. The former currently has 3 outlets in Singapore whereas the latter only has one.
Located in the still sleepy Kallang Leisure Park, Yoguru has a steady following of fans who swear by the brand's fat free yoghurt which comes in 2 varieties - original and YoguBliss, with the latter comprising of dragonfruit and pomegranate in the mixture. Prices start at $3.30 for a regular cup of original yoghurt to $7.90 for a jumbo take home container. Prices for the YoguBliss are slightly higher, at $3.80 for a regular and $9.30 for a jumbo. Toppings start at $1.20 each. Definitely not cheap.
Not being a fan of dragonfruit or pomegranate, I had a go at the original with toppings of diced strawberries. To be honest, I'm never liked yoghurt because my tolerance for sour stuff is minimal so it came as quite a surprise that I could actually finish up a whole cup of Yoguru's yoghurt by myself. The yoghurt is much sweeter than any of the other brands of yoghurt that I've tried and the smooth creamy texture reminds me more of ice cream, which is totally different from what you can get from NTUC or Frolick for that matter.
I like the idea of fat free pseudo ice cream with a sourish tinge enough to continue my patronage.
For the aficionados of Lucky Plaza’s Famous Ayam Penyet Ria, or Indonesian-styled Smashed Fried Chicken, you would be thrilled to know that they have a latest outlet hidden somewhere in the corner of Novena Square 2. Located at basement one next to Harvey Norman, one may access it via the escalator hidden behind SK Jewellery.
To be honest, this is the first time I have eaten Ayam Penyet, as I am more a convert of Ayam Bakar. To order, one gets a slip from counter, look at menu and fill in your orders. Proceed to the counter to pay and food will be served to your table when ready. However, service was found wanting as food was served first to the table next to us even though we arrived much earlier.
It was only a good wait of 20 minutes and two reminders later did our food finally arrived. Nevertheless, all was forgotten as soon as we tucked into the Ayam Penyet Set ($6.50) that consist of the Rice, Fried Chicken, Fried Beancurd, Tempeh (or a popular Javanese Fermented Soybeans in Cake Form), and some serving of boiled Kang Kong along with Sambal Chilli on a Slice of Cucumber. The serving of the chicken thigh is of reasonable size and it’s well fried – the meat ain’t too dry and the skin is crisp.
The sambal chilli is spicily appetising and those that aren’t into zesty stuff however be forewarned – it is HIGHLY SPICED. Therefore, what better way to cool down your palate than to order a personal favourite of energising & sugar-high Happy Soda ($1.80) – a beverage consisting of Cherry-flavoured Soda with Condense Milk.
Fans of Teh Botol Sosro may also grab a bottle for the same price as well.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
After almost 3 years at the charming Robertson Walk, Sage, The Restaurant is now located at one of the conservation shophouses along Mohamed Sultan Road.
Established in May 2005, it is the brainchild of husband and wife team of Jusman So and Kimberly Chew.
To ensure the consistent standards of food quality and service, the restaurant only hosts a maximum of 38 seating an evening and avoids multiple turnovers in an evening and tries to keep to just one seating a night.
One thing that impressed me particularly that evening is the unpretentious and simplistic décor of Sage that comes with a hint of contemporary modish atmosphere. Ambient lighting coupled with candlelight is perfectly made for a romantic night out (but regrettably bad for photo-taking).
The restaurants’ open-kitchen concept has also been applied to their new premises, so diners can have better view of the chefs at work. To add the icing on the cake, Chef Jusman So also walked away with the title of Rising Chef of the Year 2008 at this year’s World Gourmet Summit.
Opting for the 6 courses Menu Degustation priced at $118 , the dinner was set in motion by the complimentary Bread and Butter, which I think was nothing to shout about – but do leave some for mopping up the gravy of the other dishes later.
The complimentary Amuse Bouche, a shotglass full of finely what tasted like tangy Tomato Puree with Avocado topped with Caviar, and a hint of Tobasco in it was refreshing. Served cold with a sourish-spicy taste, this was a perfect starter to open up my one’s palate.
The Beechwood Smoked Duck Breast with Granny Smith Apple Puree, Sorbet of Red Beets and Aged Balsamic Reduction was the first of the six courses that night. The smoked duck breast meat was very flavoursome, but salty to consume on its own – that’s what the sorbet was for, although personally I do not like the taste of beetroot.
Pan-seared Duck Foie Gras on Pear and Walnut Chutney, Muscat Poached Fig with Spiced Port Wine Glaze was one of the highlights of the night. Having heard rave reviews of this dish, my expectations were high and it was indeed worth the buzz – the outside was seared perfectly to a crisp and the inside creamy smooth. Surprisingly, one also does not get the oily aftertaste. The pairing of the walnut furthermore gave it a delightful extra bite – perfectly executed!
A personal favourite of Kimberly, the Seared Hokkaido Scallop on Belgium Endive Au Gratin with Avruga Caviar, Sauce Normandy and Parmigiano Reggiano Lace was also well seared. The thick scallop was fresh and succulently sweet and goes well with the Normandy sauce - and if you heed my advice about the complimentary bread, this is the sauce where remnant bread dips in.
Pan Roasted Swordfish Belly topped with Garlic Sabayon, Fork Crushed Potatoes and Essence of Wild Mushrooms was another excellent dish. The flesh of the fish is firm yet smooth and retains the “flavour of the sea” without hint of fishiness taste. This dish contains another gravy for one to mop up with the bread.
Kimberly was kind enough to accede to our request of replacing the Veal with the Beef Cheek. Another one of their acclaimed dish, the Caramelized Black Angus Beef Cheek coupled with Mousseline of Butternut Pumpkin and Natural Jus was fabulously bravura! The intense flavour of the beef was nicely captured in this dish and the beef cheek was amazingly well simmered until tender rendering one speechless.
Kudos to Kimberly for also recommending the perfect red wine ($12/glass) to go with it, although I didn’t manage to get the name for it.
To end of the night, we had the Chocolate Soufflé with Amaretto Ice Cream and Vanilla Bean Custard. This is one of the best versions of soufflé I have ever tried, far exceeding Bakerzin’s. What’s more, the ice cream that came with it was excellent and truly satisfying. However, the soufflé was slightly burnt towards the end, which was a pity.
Although we chalked up a pricey $306.00 for 2 pax, the service and the culinary excellence more than made up for it. This dinner was truly satisfying and I would definitely be back for more!
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Mind you, in my job we tend to get lots of backaches and stiff necks so a massage once in a while is absolutely necessary. Thank goodness I have some of these nearby. Don't be fooled by places of similiar names! This is one of the early ones boasting of traditional Javanese massage from ages ago.
I like to get the full body massage Ginger treatment. After a good massage the therapist would cover my body with ginger bits. I'd feel very very very hot and sometimes it even stings. I'd be covered with towels like a wrap, and it will be kept like that for 15-20 minutes. Trust me, it can be quite torturous... But after that your skin will be silky smooth. I have very sensitive skin and my skin was a wreck after my trip to China. It was covered with rash and dried bits all over but after the GInger treatment it was obviously much better! I think with another treatment next week it'll totally clear. Not only that my tummy will seem flatter after the treatment.
The staff is always polite and they don't make you feel uncomfortable. Also I've yet to meet anyone unskilled there. The prices start from $40 for non-members. Lifetime Membership is $150 and is transferable... Members can also sign two guests in and the guests are entitled to the same discounts.
Attended a wedding tasting lunch at Hilton courtesy of my friend who will be tying the knot later this year.
Well not much can be said about the interior because it was held in one of the function rooms which are named after countries, with this particular one being Singapore.
Complimentary Bread - It was a unanimous decision. The bread was good. Served up warm, it exuded a mild fragrance together with a nice crackling sound when I broke off a piece to savour. The soft yet fluffy dough complemented with a thin layer of salted butter was enough to make us request for seconds. And for the record, I had 5 buns, which is definitely a first for me in such situations.
Gazpacho - I'm honestly not a fan of tomato soup, even more so chilled tomato soup, so I didn't quite take to it. And neither did anyone else around the table. But I personally felt that it could have been stronger on the taste as it did seem a little runny to me.
Madras Long Grain Rice with Raisin and Almond - The good thing about long grain rice is that the grains stay seperate and fluffy after cooking, which was the case in this dish. When eaten with the almond slices and raisins, it made for a nice and light (healthy as well!) rice dish. A pity there weren't enough almonds or raisins to go around so there was quite a bit of rice leftover.
Roasted Stuffed Duck on Sauteed Sweet Cabbage with Mustad Cream - Ironically, the star of this dish wasn't the duck but the cabbage, which was sauteed to the right softness and flavourful. The duck on the other hand, wasn't exactly duck per se. According to the chef, a mixture of minced chicken, walnut and spinach were used to make the stuffing which was then rolled with a layer of fatty duck skin with some duck meat attached. The result? A highly chewy duck skin which was almost impossible to cut through, probably due to the amount of fats under the skin. The stuffing was still decent though but the skin really spoilt the whole dish.
Sea Bream with Roots Vegetables in Saffron Cream - The aesthetics of this dish proved to be the sole consolation for this dish, which is sad really. Huge portions aside, the fish meat was seriously tough and I was left wondering if it was really fish because the texture said otherwise. The saffron cream sauce was also a tad weak and it didn't help that the fish itself was rather bland.
Smoked Chicken Breast with Fresh Poached Prawn & Spicy Mango Salsa - I'm sorry but wheres the spice? The diced mangoes were sinfully sweet and had nary a taste of spice. As for the chicken breast, it had but an ever so faint trace of smokiness, which I would definitely have missed if I had eaten it with the mangoes. A longer smoking time would definitely be appreciated.
Hilton's Famous Cheesecake - Hilton has every right to be proud of its cheesecake because its really in a class of its own. Lightly moist and extremely cheesy, this classic American cheesecake is good enough to make me throw any diet plans out of the window. If you prefer the lighter chiffon variant, I would suggest you steer clear of Hilton's offering and head down to Cheesecake Cafe instead.
A good start and a good ending. Hilton just needs to fill up the hollow center. Thanks for the invite!
My mum has never tried pedicure before, hence I decided to bring her for a pedicure session on Mother's day. I've passed by Scratch many times and always wanted to try their service. Called them few days before mother's day and managed to get an appointment set for Mum and myself in the evening of Mother's day.
The salon is very big and spacious. Brightly lighted by the natural light coming from outside. The place is kept clean and to the minimum. And the furnitures used are from Ikea. Another thing that's close to my heart.
The lady who attended to me is very outspoken and friendly. She's the supervisor of the place. If I'm not wrong, her name is Claire. She's very detail during the pedicure process. And she'll share tips on keeping our feet nice and healthy. The entire process was enjoyable and filled with giggles and laughter. She sure knows how to make her customers happy. And the final outcome of my feet was smooth and the nail coating on my toes were perfectly flawless! It looks like a new coat even after more than 2 weeks!
As it was Mum's first time doing a pedicure after more than 40yrs. And with her daily standing and soaking of feet in water, her feet has always been hard, peeling and dry. She has got very bad cracks on her leg too. After the pedicure and a spa wrap (in white chocolate!!), her feet is as smooth as baby's feet! She loved it so much, she couldn't stop feeling and touching her own feet after the session!
We were both very satisfied with their service and has signed up for their 6-sessions of pedicure. Looking forward to going back again soon.
This is one place we frequent when we dine at Ang Mo Kio. This outlet of Ramen Ten has been around for many years, and they've been constant with their food standard and service all these while.
Everytime I go, I'll order the same dish, the same drink and almost 90% of the time, I'll be sitting at the same table too! Ha!
My favorite from the menu is the Super Spicy Ramen that's served with minced chicken and lots of chili padi! When I'm hungry, I'll add $2 to get the big bowl (extra noodles). I'm a fan of spicy food and this one gives me the kick everytime I eat it! And to cool off the spiciness, I'll drink their homemade barley (cold).
Nice place with reasonable pricing and friendly service staff. Of course, I'll be going back again whenever I've got cravings for spicy ramen! :)
1=SGD 0.0587
Over the weekend, not too sure where to have our dinner... We choose Sakae SuShi.
We order 2 Green tea as our drinks, 1 Sashimi Salad, 1 Chicken Shiogayaki Don and 5 colour plate sushi.
1 Sashimi Salad with salad sauce - $7.99
It has lots of greens at the bottom, few slice of salmon, swordfish, cutter fish, ebi and fish roe. We pour half of the sauce into the salad. Not sure what it make of for the sauce but I can taste there is lemon juice and there is some seasme seeds. It taste sweet and sour.
1 Chicken Shiogayaki Don with miso soup - $9.99
Fried Chicken cube with some mayonise cabbage and carrot slice on top of the rice. I can taste there is some ginger taste on the chicken. It goes ok with the rice without any sauce of sides to go with the rice is dry and bland. For the price, the portion is abit small.
1 Inari Cheese(2 pcs) - $2.29
It has salmon, egg, cucumber and floss. The egg crep is bland, can't really taste the cheese. It taste sweet when you bite together.
1 Sun Maki(2 pcs) - $2.29
On top has abit of crab mayonise, avocado. Around the maki there is lots of fish roe. Inside of the of maki there is crab stick and cucumber.
1 Maki(2 pcs) - $2.29
Inside the maki there is cucumber, egg and floss. It wrap with seaweed and rice at the outside. The maki looks big as there is lots of rice.
2 Fried Tofu(4 pcs) - $4.58
Sping onion with sauce on top of the tofu. The outer layer of the tofu is hot and crispy. The tofu is soft. It goes well with the sauce.
Total Bill: $33.28 (10% card discount) (Including Tea, 10% Service charge & 7% GST) (U.P:$$36.70)
Rating given:
Sun Moulin is located just beside the Isetan Japanese Supermarket at Lido. My food partner and i went there after our lunch at Tetsu. I believe those who frequent the supermarket will need no introduction to this delightful bakery.
There are quite a wide range of breads, pastries, and cakes around, with prices ranging from 1 to 2 bucks, quite similar to your more commonly found Breadtalk and Four Leaves.
I was so full from the lunch at Tetsu, but my food partner is amazing, she brought quite a few home!
She has tried almost all the bread and pastries at Sun Moulin, so below are some of the ones which she highly recommended.
Soft An-pan ($2)
The soft An-pan is actually more familiar to most of us as the red bean paste bun. But at Sun Moulin, they use Hawaiian Bread dough. Soft and fluffy!
Belgian Waffle ($1.30)
The Belgian Waffle caught my attention first because i’m a sucker for good waffles. And at $1.30 its definitely worth a try, even though the waffle might be a little small in size. It will be excellent if you managed to get them hot off the pan.
Zebra Mini Croissant
There are a few selections of Croissant here, with $0.65 for one, $1.80 for 3, and $2.70 for 5. Naturally the more you get the cheaper it is.
Petit Sesame Croissant
Crispy layer of dough, with black and white sesame.
Mini croissant
Mini-size croissant, try the original taste!
Mini Choc Croissant
Your mini croissant now comes in chocolate flavour!
Double Taste Bun ($2)
Enjoy 2 kind of home-made taste, chocolate and custard cream inside.
My food partner got the double taste bun for me, and boy the bread is really good! Peeling off part of the bread, fills my nose with aroma of the warm chocolate and custard cream.
The bread is super soft, and its delicious even eaten on its own!
Total bill for 5 items were $9.10. I only tried one of the bread, and i’m already thinking of going back to Sun Moulin for more! My plan is to go there on an empty stomach, then order a lot of different bread to have them for lunch!
Sun Moulin’s bread are definitely better than your typical bakeries (you-know-what), and the prices are also in about the same range with the most expensive bread at 2 bucks.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words that may be subjected to my personal distortion or biasness. Feel free to furnish me with comments, may it be positive or negative : )
” My new favourite bakery “
Rating given:
I, a fan of desserts and Yami Yoghurt, was more than excited when we walked past Yoguru. The prices are all in Feizhu's review and they seem right. So you can refer to that.
I was a teeny bit sad when there were only two flavours to choose from. But the lady at the counter mentioned that Original flavour was a little sweeter whereas the YoguBliss one was more sourish so I picked Original.
There were about 14 toppings to choose from and I took some time with that. So maybe the lack of flavours is a blessing in disguise.I picked out Oreo Crumbs and Cornflakes for $1.80. I think that it was a nice combination in terms of taste as it adds texture to the yoghurt.
But it was quite messy to eat as the cup overflowed. If you pick one topping it was ok, but two toppings was a little too much and you would risk having it all over yourself when you were done.
I'd have to agree that Yoguru is sweeter and softer than Yami (although I don't find Yami TOO sourish) and I like how Yoguru is fatfree too. But it really is quite expensive. A regular cup of Yami one topping is $3.75. But I paid $5.10 for my yoguru with two toppings. Note that the price diff between one topping and two isn't very much.
I would give it 3 and a half stars really... take away half for being more expensive for a slightly smaller serving.
Rating given:
The yoghurt craze is catching on in Singapore with the opening of yoghurt outlets like Frolick and Yoguru. The former currently has 3 outlets in Singapore whereas the latter only has one.
Located in the still sleepy Kallang Leisure Park, Yoguru has a steady following of fans who swear by the brand's fat free yoghurt which comes in 2 varieties - original and YoguBliss, with the latter comprising of dragonfruit and pomegranate in the mixture. Prices start at $3.30 for a regular cup of original yoghurt to $7.90 for a jumbo take home container. Prices for the YoguBliss are slightly higher, at $3.80 for a regular and $9.30 for a jumbo. Toppings start at $1.20 each. Definitely not cheap.
Not being a fan of dragonfruit or pomegranate, I had a go at the original with toppings of diced strawberries. To be honest, I'm never liked yoghurt because my tolerance for sour stuff is minimal so it came as quite a surprise that I could actually finish up a whole cup of Yoguru's yoghurt by myself. The yoghurt is much sweeter than any of the other brands of yoghurt that I've tried and the smooth creamy texture reminds me more of ice cream, which is totally different from what you can get from NTUC or Frolick for that matter.
I like the idea of fat free pseudo ice cream with a sourish tinge enough to continue my patronage.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
For the aficionados of Lucky Plaza’s Famous Ayam Penyet Ria, or Indonesian-styled Smashed Fried Chicken, you would be thrilled to know that they have a latest outlet hidden somewhere in the corner of Novena Square 2. Located at basement one next to Harvey Norman, one may access it via the escalator hidden behind SK Jewellery.
To be honest, this is the first time I have eaten Ayam Penyet, as I am more a convert of Ayam Bakar. To order, one gets a slip from counter, look at menu and fill in your orders. Proceed to the counter to pay and food will be served to your table when ready. However, service was found wanting as food was served first to the table next to us even though we arrived much earlier.
It was only a good wait of 20 minutes and two reminders later did our food finally arrived. Nevertheless, all was forgotten as soon as we tucked into the Ayam Penyet Set ($6.50) that consist of the Rice, Fried Chicken, Fried Beancurd, Tempeh (or a popular Javanese Fermented Soybeans in Cake Form), and some serving of boiled Kang Kong along with Sambal Chilli on a Slice of Cucumber. The serving of the chicken thigh is of reasonable size and it’s well fried – the meat ain’t too dry and the skin is crisp.
The sambal chilli is spicily appetising and those that aren’t into zesty stuff however be forewarned – it is HIGHLY SPICED. Therefore, what better way to cool down your palate than to order a personal favourite of energising & sugar-high Happy Soda ($1.80) – a beverage consisting of Cherry-flavoured Soda with Condense Milk.
Fans of Teh Botol Sosro may also grab a bottle for the same price as well.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Rating given:
After almost 3 years at the charming Robertson Walk, Sage, The Restaurant is now located at one of the conservation shophouses along Mohamed Sultan Road.
Established in May 2005, it is the brainchild of husband and wife team of Jusman So and Kimberly Chew.
To ensure the consistent standards of food quality and service, the restaurant only hosts a maximum of 38 seating an evening and avoids multiple turnovers in an evening and tries to keep to just one seating a night.
One thing that impressed me particularly that evening is the unpretentious and simplistic décor of Sage that comes with a hint of contemporary modish atmosphere. Ambient lighting coupled with candlelight is perfectly made for a romantic night out (but regrettably bad for photo-taking).
The restaurants’ open-kitchen concept has also been applied to their new premises, so diners can have better view of the chefs at work. To add the icing on the cake, Chef Jusman So also walked away with the title of Rising Chef of the Year 2008 at this year’s World Gourmet Summit.
Opting for the 6 courses Menu Degustation priced at $118 , the dinner was set in motion by the complimentary Bread and Butter, which I think was nothing to shout about – but do leave some for mopping up the gravy of the other dishes later.
The complimentary Amuse Bouche, a shotglass full of finely what tasted like tangy Tomato Puree with Avocado topped with Caviar, and a hint of Tobasco in it was refreshing. Served cold with a sourish-spicy taste, this was a perfect starter to open up my one’s palate.
The Beechwood Smoked Duck Breast with Granny Smith Apple Puree, Sorbet of Red Beets and Aged Balsamic Reduction was the first of the six courses that night. The smoked duck breast meat was very flavoursome, but salty to consume on its own – that’s what the sorbet was for, although personally I do not like the taste of beetroot.
Pan-seared Duck Foie Gras on Pear and Walnut Chutney, Muscat Poached Fig with Spiced Port Wine Glaze was one of the highlights of the night. Having heard rave reviews of this dish, my expectations were high and it was indeed worth the buzz – the outside was seared perfectly to a crisp and the inside creamy smooth. Surprisingly, one also does not get the oily aftertaste. The pairing of the walnut furthermore gave it a delightful extra bite – perfectly executed!
A personal favourite of Kimberly, the Seared Hokkaido Scallop on Belgium Endive Au Gratin with Avruga Caviar, Sauce Normandy and Parmigiano Reggiano Lace was also well seared. The thick scallop was fresh and succulently sweet and goes well with the Normandy sauce - and if you heed my advice about the complimentary bread, this is the sauce where remnant bread dips in.
Pan Roasted Swordfish Belly topped with Garlic Sabayon, Fork Crushed Potatoes and Essence of Wild Mushrooms was another excellent dish. The flesh of the fish is firm yet smooth and retains the “flavour of the sea” without hint of fishiness taste. This dish contains another gravy for one to mop up with the bread.
Kimberly was kind enough to accede to our request of replacing the Veal with the Beef Cheek. Another one of their acclaimed dish, the Caramelized Black Angus Beef Cheek coupled with Mousseline of Butternut Pumpkin and Natural Jus was fabulously bravura! The intense flavour of the beef was nicely captured in this dish and the beef cheek was amazingly well simmered until tender rendering one speechless.
Kudos to Kimberly for also recommending the perfect red wine ($12/glass) to go with it, although I didn’t manage to get the name for it.
To end of the night, we had the Chocolate Soufflé with Amaretto Ice Cream and Vanilla Bean Custard. This is one of the best versions of soufflé I have ever tried, far exceeding Bakerzin’s. What’s more, the ice cream that came with it was excellent and truly satisfying. However, the soufflé was slightly burnt towards the end, which was a pity.
Although we chalked up a pricey $306.00 for 2 pax, the service and the culinary excellence more than made up for it. This dinner was truly satisfying and I would definitely be back for more!
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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I've been to this outlet a few times.
Mind you, in my job we tend to get lots of backaches and stiff necks so a massage once in a while is absolutely necessary. Thank goodness I have some of these nearby. Don't be fooled by places of similiar names! This is one of the early ones boasting of traditional Javanese massage from ages ago.
I like to get the full body massage Ginger treatment. After a good massage the therapist would cover my body with ginger bits. I'd feel very very very hot and sometimes it even stings. I'd be covered with towels like a wrap, and it will be kept like that for 15-20 minutes. Trust me, it can be quite torturous... But after that your skin will be silky smooth. I have very sensitive skin and my skin was a wreck after my trip to China. It was covered with rash and dried bits all over but after the GInger treatment it was obviously much better! I think with another treatment next week it'll totally clear. Not only that my tummy will seem flatter after the treatment.
The staff is always polite and they don't make you feel uncomfortable. Also I've yet to meet anyone unskilled there. The prices start from $40 for non-members. Lifetime Membership is $150 and is transferable... Members can also sign two guests in and the guests are entitled to the same discounts.
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Attended a wedding tasting lunch at Hilton courtesy of my friend who will be tying the knot later this year.
Well not much can be said about the interior because it was held in one of the function rooms which are named after countries, with this particular one being Singapore.
Complimentary Bread - It was a unanimous decision. The bread was good. Served up warm, it exuded a mild fragrance together with a nice crackling sound when I broke off a piece to savour. The soft yet fluffy dough complemented with a thin layer of salted butter was enough to make us request for seconds. And for the record, I had 5 buns, which is definitely a first for me in such situations.
Gazpacho - I'm honestly not a fan of tomato soup, even more so chilled tomato soup, so I didn't quite take to it. And neither did anyone else around the table. But I personally felt that it could have been stronger on the taste as it did seem a little runny to me.
Madras Long Grain Rice with Raisin and Almond -
The good thing about long grain rice is that the grains stay seperate and fluffy after cooking, which was the case in this dish. When eaten with the almond slices and raisins, it made for a nice and light (healthy as well!) rice dish. A pity there weren't enough almonds or raisins to go around so there was quite a bit of rice leftover.
Roasted Stuffed Duck on Sauteed Sweet Cabbage with Mustad Cream - Ironically, the star of this dish wasn't the duck but the cabbage, which was sauteed to the right softness and flavourful. The duck on the other hand, wasn't exactly duck per se. According to the chef, a mixture of minced chicken, walnut and spinach were used to make the stuffing which was then rolled with a layer of fatty duck skin with some duck meat attached. The result? A highly chewy duck skin which was almost impossible to cut through, probably due to the amount of fats under the skin. The stuffing was still decent though but the skin really spoilt the whole dish.
Sea Bream with Roots Vegetables in Saffron Cream - The aesthetics of this dish proved to be the sole consolation for this dish, which is sad really. Huge portions aside, the fish meat was seriously tough and I was left wondering if it was really fish because the texture said otherwise. The saffron cream sauce was also a tad weak and it didn't help that the fish itself was rather bland.
Smoked Chicken Breast with Fresh Poached Prawn & Spicy Mango Salsa - I'm sorry but wheres the spice? The diced mangoes were sinfully sweet and had nary a taste of spice. As for the chicken breast, it had but an ever so faint trace of smokiness, which I would definitely have missed if I had eaten it with the mangoes. A longer smoking time would definitely be appreciated.
Hilton's Famous Cheesecake - Hilton has every right to be proud of its cheesecake because its really in a class of its own. Lightly moist and extremely cheesy, this classic American cheesecake is good enough to make me throw any diet plans out of the window. If you prefer the lighter chiffon variant, I would suggest you steer clear of Hilton's offering and head down to Cheesecake Cafe instead.
A good start and a good ending. Hilton just needs to fill up the hollow center. Thanks for the invite!
See all my pictures here.
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Friendly staff, great service, lasting colors!
My mum has never tried pedicure before, hence I decided to bring her for a pedicure session on Mother's day. I've passed by Scratch many times and always wanted to try their service. Called them few days before mother's day and managed to get an appointment set for Mum and myself in the evening of Mother's day.
The salon is very big and spacious. Brightly lighted by the natural light coming from outside. The place is kept clean and to the minimum. And the furnitures used are from Ikea. Another thing that's close to my heart.
The lady who attended to me is very outspoken and friendly. She's the supervisor of the place. If I'm not wrong, her name is Claire. She's very detail during the pedicure process. And she'll share tips on keeping our feet nice and healthy. The entire process was enjoyable and filled with giggles and laughter. She sure knows how to make her customers happy. And the final outcome of my feet was smooth and the nail coating on my toes were perfectly flawless! It looks like a new coat even after more than 2 weeks!
As it was Mum's first time doing a pedicure after more than 40yrs. And with her daily standing and soaking of feet in water, her feet has always been hard, peeling and dry. She has got very bad cracks on her leg too. After the pedicure and a spa wrap (in white chocolate!!), her feet is as smooth as baby's feet! She loved it so much, she couldn't stop feeling and touching her own feet after the session!
We were both very satisfied with their service and has signed up for their 6-sessions of pedicure. Looking forward to going back again soon.
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This is one place we frequent when we dine at Ang Mo Kio. This outlet of Ramen Ten has been around for many years, and they've been constant with their food standard and service all these while.
Everytime I go, I'll order the same dish, the same drink and almost 90% of the time, I'll be sitting at the same table too! Ha!
My favorite from the menu is the Super Spicy Ramen that's served with minced chicken and lots of chili padi! When I'm hungry, I'll add $2 to get the big bowl (extra noodles). I'm a fan of spicy food and this one gives me the kick everytime I eat it! And to cool off the spiciness, I'll drink their homemade barley (cold).
Nice place with reasonable pricing and friendly service staff. Of course, I'll be going back again whenever I've got cravings for spicy ramen! :)
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