C says:
I'm pretty disillusioned with beef at the moment. From the somewhat lacklustre burger that we had at Morton's recently, to a surprisingly flavourless Florentine steak at Bistecca, it all seems to lack a beefy flavour, or any flavour really, that sets it apart from any other meat.
Bistecca is known for its Florentine steak - a T-bone cut that comprises the striploin on one end and the tenderloin on the other. For 2 persons a single cut will suffice. We were there with W and M so we shared a double cut Florentine.
The Flintstonian-sized behemoth definitely made an impact when they presented it to us. Sizzling and almost black, we eagerly awaited its return while they took it away for slicing.
Unfortunately, because it was so thick, the ratio of the outside char to the rare steak was disproportionate. Once you get past the admittedly yummy charred exterior, the meat itself tasted oddly of nothing much. Just almost raw meat without much flavour at all. It was only saved by fairly aggressively salting the meat at the table.
W and M, who've had the single cut on previous occasions, assure me that it's usually much better. I assume that the double cut is simply too thick to get the balance right, especially when the meat itself doesn't have much flavour on its own. A better option would probably be to order 2 single cuts next time, the Florentine and a bone-in ribeye to share. We'll reserve judgment till we do.
A says:
It's pretty good, but even considering that the price is pretty standard for good steak places, I don't think it's worth it.
Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse
25 Mohamed Sultan Road
Tel: 6735-6739
Open Tues to Sun
Lunch : 12 - 2pm
Dinner : 6 - 10pm
www.bistecca.com.sg
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Madam Kwan's
C says:
Madam Kwan's, a popular Malaysian nasi lemak chain, has opened its first overseas outlet in Vivocity. We ended up there because the queue outside Jamie's Italian was too long, even on a Monday night. We had read a number of reviews of Madam Kwan's, mainly in respect of how overpriced the Singapore outpost is compared to its equivalent in Malaysia, but we decided to see for ourselves.
The restaurant is pretty huge, and acoustics are terrible. Forget about trying to conduct any sort of conversation with your dining companion - you have to yell to hear and be heard over the incredible din. Despite many waiters running around, they are far from a well-oiled machine. I think it took us over 5 minutes just to catch someone's attention to take our order.
The nasi lemak was passable, though the rice wasn't coconutty enough for A. The otak was very good though, and the additional chicken curry that we ordered had a very tasty gravy; pity that the chicken itself was really dry and overcooked.
I decided to try the fried fish noodle soup. This was ok, but at twice the price of the one at Central and not nearly as good, definitely not something I'll order again.
Unfortunately all the reviews are spot-on. The food here is way overpriced given the quality. Service is almost non-existent, and they have the gall to charge $1 for water. Given the plethora of dining options available in Vivo, I'll be surprised if they last more than 2 years (I'd say a year but I assume most leases are for 2 years...).
A says:
Blah. Totally overrated.
Madam Kwan's
1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-152/154, Vivocity
Tel: 6271-9989
Open daily: 10 am - 10 pm
Madam Kwan's, a popular Malaysian nasi lemak chain, has opened its first overseas outlet in Vivocity. We ended up there because the queue outside Jamie's Italian was too long, even on a Monday night. We had read a number of reviews of Madam Kwan's, mainly in respect of how overpriced the Singapore outpost is compared to its equivalent in Malaysia, but we decided to see for ourselves.
The restaurant is pretty huge, and acoustics are terrible. Forget about trying to conduct any sort of conversation with your dining companion - you have to yell to hear and be heard over the incredible din. Despite many waiters running around, they are far from a well-oiled machine. I think it took us over 5 minutes just to catch someone's attention to take our order.
The nasi lemak was passable, though the rice wasn't coconutty enough for A. The otak was very good though, and the additional chicken curry that we ordered had a very tasty gravy; pity that the chicken itself was really dry and overcooked.
I decided to try the fried fish noodle soup. This was ok, but at twice the price of the one at Central and not nearly as good, definitely not something I'll order again.
Unfortunately all the reviews are spot-on. The food here is way overpriced given the quality. Service is almost non-existent, and they have the gall to charge $1 for water. Given the plethora of dining options available in Vivo, I'll be surprised if they last more than 2 years (I'd say a year but I assume most leases are for 2 years...).
A says:
Blah. Totally overrated.
Madam Kwan's
1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-152/154, Vivocity
Tel: 6271-9989
Open daily: 10 am - 10 pm
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Central Hong Kong Cafe
C says:
We have a new default choice at Star Vista - Central, a cha chan teng that also has/had branches at Vivocity and Ngee Ann City. For some reason, I think the turnover is pretty high; we've never had to wait in line for more than 5 minutes.
The menu is quite comprehensive, though some of the items may not be very well described. A side of Swiss chicken wings, for example, turned out to be soya sauce braised wings, rather than something Western/with cheese, like the name suggests.
Their noodle dishes are very good; better than the rice ones. Over a few visits we've tried their Hong Kong noodles with beef, ginger and scallions, and the fried instant noodles with beef and XO sauce. Both were surprisingly full of flavour, with the noodles absorbing lots of flavour from the respective sauces.
The instant noodle soup with luncheon meat and egg was a bit more ordinary in comparison, as was the rice with fried chicken (which replaced the crispy duck which they ran out of). Still quite decent but paled in comparison to the noodles.
My favourite dish by far, though, is the sliced fish noodle soup. For $7.50, you get a huge bowl with lots of salted vegetables, bee hoon and generous slices of perfectly cooked fish in a tasty milky broth. I've always loved this dish, and the version here is one of my new favourites.
One major reason we're coming here more often is that their drinks are way, way better than both Papparich and Owl Cafe.
A says:
Cheap and good (for the price). I approve.
Central Hong Kong Cafe
1 Vista Exchange Green
#B1-07/41 The Star Vista
Tel: 6268-9628
We have a new default choice at Star Vista - Central, a cha chan teng that also has/had branches at Vivocity and Ngee Ann City. For some reason, I think the turnover is pretty high; we've never had to wait in line for more than 5 minutes.
The menu is quite comprehensive, though some of the items may not be very well described. A side of Swiss chicken wings, for example, turned out to be soya sauce braised wings, rather than something Western/with cheese, like the name suggests.
Their noodle dishes are very good; better than the rice ones. Over a few visits we've tried their Hong Kong noodles with beef, ginger and scallions, and the fried instant noodles with beef and XO sauce. Both were surprisingly full of flavour, with the noodles absorbing lots of flavour from the respective sauces.
The instant noodle soup with luncheon meat and egg was a bit more ordinary in comparison, as was the rice with fried chicken (which replaced the crispy duck which they ran out of). Still quite decent but paled in comparison to the noodles.
My favourite dish by far, though, is the sliced fish noodle soup. For $7.50, you get a huge bowl with lots of salted vegetables, bee hoon and generous slices of perfectly cooked fish in a tasty milky broth. I've always loved this dish, and the version here is one of my new favourites.
One major reason we're coming here more often is that their drinks are way, way better than both Papparich and Owl Cafe.
A says:
Cheap and good (for the price). I approve.
Central Hong Kong Cafe
1 Vista Exchange Green
#B1-07/41 The Star Vista
Tel: 6268-9628
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Supper at The Naked Finn
C says:
We finally made it to Naked Finn one Saturday night for their supper menu - namely, their gourmet version of prawn noodle soup. Tip: If you come maybe 5 to 10 minutes before supper service, you may be able to snag last orders off the regular menu too, hence the best of both worlds.
A had a serving of the chilled beehoon, which was as good as we remembered, but the star was definitely the prawn noodle soup. Prices start at $28 for a bowl of bee hoon soup with kang kong, slices of charred Iberico secreto, and 3 grilled banana prawns. Prices increase if you opt for giant tiger prawns or other exotic prawn varieties. I was mainly there for the soup rather than the accompanying prawns, so I went with the basic banana prawns.
You can read in detail how they painstakingly prepare their prawn noodle soup here - in summary, fried prawns are simmered in a pork stock for seven hours to form the broth, with no sugar, salt or MSG added. It is then served unseasoned, with an array of condiments (chilli powder, rock salt, a sweet onion sambal and Iberico pork lard) for each diner to adjust to their own preference.
This was, without question, the richest, most intensely flavourful bowl of prawn noodle soup I've ever had. Granted, at $28 it was also the most decadent and luxurious, but if you equate this to a prawn/lobster bisque soup rather than a hawker centre-style prawn noodle (the soup certainly resembles the former rather than the latter, in its flavour as well as consistency), it's not as astronomical as it initially appears.
The grilled prawns, which to me are almost secondary, had a very complex, almost blue cheese flavour, particularly around the head/brains. If the basic banana prawns were this good, I wonder how the higher end prawns will be.
This is officially the best late night comfort food ever. If I'm ever having a particularly bad day, a bowl of this will certainly cheer me up in no time.
A says:
Awesomeness.
After recently hitting a series of meals which were pricey for what you got and totally not worth it, this place has bucked the trend.
Yes, it's expensive. But yes, it's totally worth it.
We finally made it to Naked Finn one Saturday night for their supper menu - namely, their gourmet version of prawn noodle soup. Tip: If you come maybe 5 to 10 minutes before supper service, you may be able to snag last orders off the regular menu too, hence the best of both worlds.
A had a serving of the chilled beehoon, which was as good as we remembered, but the star was definitely the prawn noodle soup. Prices start at $28 for a bowl of bee hoon soup with kang kong, slices of charred Iberico secreto, and 3 grilled banana prawns. Prices increase if you opt for giant tiger prawns or other exotic prawn varieties. I was mainly there for the soup rather than the accompanying prawns, so I went with the basic banana prawns.
You can read in detail how they painstakingly prepare their prawn noodle soup here - in summary, fried prawns are simmered in a pork stock for seven hours to form the broth, with no sugar, salt or MSG added. It is then served unseasoned, with an array of condiments (chilli powder, rock salt, a sweet onion sambal and Iberico pork lard) for each diner to adjust to their own preference.
This was, without question, the richest, most intensely flavourful bowl of prawn noodle soup I've ever had. Granted, at $28 it was also the most decadent and luxurious, but if you equate this to a prawn/lobster bisque soup rather than a hawker centre-style prawn noodle (the soup certainly resembles the former rather than the latter, in its flavour as well as consistency), it's not as astronomical as it initially appears.
The grilled prawns, which to me are almost secondary, had a very complex, almost blue cheese flavour, particularly around the head/brains. If the basic banana prawns were this good, I wonder how the higher end prawns will be.
This is officially the best late night comfort food ever. If I'm ever having a particularly bad day, a bowl of this will certainly cheer me up in no time.
A says:
Awesomeness.
After recently hitting a series of meals which were pricey for what you got and totally not worth it, this place has bucked the trend.
Yes, it's expensive. But yes, it's totally worth it.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Il Lido
C says:
A belated birthday dinner with the gang saw us going back to Il Lido in Sentosa after a few years (I think our last visit was for a Restaurant Week lunch a few years back). Having never been for dinner before, I was quite taken aback by the prices - appetizers started at $30, their pastas ranged from $38 to $65, and their mains were $58 to $88.
Given the fairly scanty menu and the prices, everyone decided to just go with the degustation menu - still by no means cheap at $158, but it still seemed the most sensible. Service was a bit strange - they were very polite, but when we asked for bread, they said it was still being baked, and when the bread finally arrived it was lukewarm/room temperature?!
After a couple of amuse bouches to tide ourselves over - some kind of crab meat with tomato sauce, and a risotto ball with black truffle, the first course was a salmon roll filled with snow crab and caviar.
Next on the menu was the foie course. They kindly acceded to W and A's requests to switch the foie to something else, so they got an elaborate scallop dish that unfortunately looked better than it tasted. The scallops were overcooked and hence a bit rubbery.
A had the spaghetti with uni that was on the menu, while I asked for them to prepare the risotto with frog's legs and asparagus instead. The latter was extremely disappointing - the risotto didn't have a very good texture or consistency, and the frog's legs turned out to be hard, dry cubes of meat that could have been any mystery meat. I tasted a bit of the uni spaghetti and that seemed to fare much better.
I must say that they executed the wagyu beef main course really well, though. Possibly simply due to the quality of the product, but the beef was insanely flavourful, and cooked really well too.
Dessert was pretty generic - a hazelnut fondant cake with chocolate gelato.
I think the meal was saved somewhat by the very tasty beef, but I don't think I'll travel all the way to Sentosa for this for no reason, especially given the prices.
A says:
Pretty good. Also pretty expensive. In terms of quality and price, it's somewhere in between Osia and Joel Robuchon's places at RWS. So maybe you could consider it if you're stuck in Sentosa and want a fancy meal.
Il Lido
Sentosa Golf Club
27 Bukit Manis Road
Tel: 6866-1977
Open daily: 12 noon - 2.30 pm; 6.30 pm - 10.30 pm
A belated birthday dinner with the gang saw us going back to Il Lido in Sentosa after a few years (I think our last visit was for a Restaurant Week lunch a few years back). Having never been for dinner before, I was quite taken aback by the prices - appetizers started at $30, their pastas ranged from $38 to $65, and their mains were $58 to $88.
Given the fairly scanty menu and the prices, everyone decided to just go with the degustation menu - still by no means cheap at $158, but it still seemed the most sensible. Service was a bit strange - they were very polite, but when we asked for bread, they said it was still being baked, and when the bread finally arrived it was lukewarm/room temperature?!
After a couple of amuse bouches to tide ourselves over - some kind of crab meat with tomato sauce, and a risotto ball with black truffle, the first course was a salmon roll filled with snow crab and caviar.
Next on the menu was the foie course. They kindly acceded to W and A's requests to switch the foie to something else, so they got an elaborate scallop dish that unfortunately looked better than it tasted. The scallops were overcooked and hence a bit rubbery.
A had the spaghetti with uni that was on the menu, while I asked for them to prepare the risotto with frog's legs and asparagus instead. The latter was extremely disappointing - the risotto didn't have a very good texture or consistency, and the frog's legs turned out to be hard, dry cubes of meat that could have been any mystery meat. I tasted a bit of the uni spaghetti and that seemed to fare much better.
I must say that they executed the wagyu beef main course really well, though. Possibly simply due to the quality of the product, but the beef was insanely flavourful, and cooked really well too.
Dessert was pretty generic - a hazelnut fondant cake with chocolate gelato.
I think the meal was saved somewhat by the very tasty beef, but I don't think I'll travel all the way to Sentosa for this for no reason, especially given the prices.
A says:
Pretty good. Also pretty expensive. In terms of quality and price, it's somewhere in between Osia and Joel Robuchon's places at RWS. So maybe you could consider it if you're stuck in Sentosa and want a fancy meal.
Il Lido
Sentosa Golf Club
27 Bukit Manis Road
Tel: 6866-1977
Open daily: 12 noon - 2.30 pm; 6.30 pm - 10.30 pm
Tuesday, August 06, 2013
Jewel
C says:
I recently discovered to my absolute horror that Jewel Coffee in Shenton Way no longer serves their chicken wings with kicap manis dip! When I asked the owner the reason for this travesty, he claimed that besides me, not many other people ordered, let alone obsessed about, the wings. He said we could try the wings at the Jewel Cafe outlet at Rangoon instead.
Alas, they're just not the same. The wings at Shenton were marinated in a gingery/Shaoshing wine marinade, and the best part, only the mid joints were used. At Rangoon, they're more typical deep fried wings - not bad, but not distinctive. Rangoon's default dip for their wings is a chicken rice chilli. I asked for kicap manis instead, but that too fell short of the one they used to serve at Shenton, which had chilli padi to liven things up.
All is not lost though. The OMG burger at Rangoon is pretty damn good - beef patty with sunny side up egg, crispy bacon and a slice of luncheon meat. Sounds a bit overkill but it's a stellar combination. The patty was more medium than we would have preferred, but apparently we can specify medium rare when ordering.
I'm still pretty distraught that my favourite wings are no more, though. The quest
continues...
A says:
Er, this post is mostly C's chicken wing rant so I have nothing to add.
I recently discovered to my absolute horror that Jewel Coffee in Shenton Way no longer serves their chicken wings with kicap manis dip! When I asked the owner the reason for this travesty, he claimed that besides me, not many other people ordered, let alone obsessed about, the wings. He said we could try the wings at the Jewel Cafe outlet at Rangoon instead.
Alas, they're just not the same. The wings at Shenton were marinated in a gingery/Shaoshing wine marinade, and the best part, only the mid joints were used. At Rangoon, they're more typical deep fried wings - not bad, but not distinctive. Rangoon's default dip for their wings is a chicken rice chilli. I asked for kicap manis instead, but that too fell short of the one they used to serve at Shenton, which had chilli padi to liven things up.
All is not lost though. The OMG burger at Rangoon is pretty damn good - beef patty with sunny side up egg, crispy bacon and a slice of luncheon meat. Sounds a bit overkill but it's a stellar combination. The patty was more medium than we would have preferred, but apparently we can specify medium rare when ordering.
I'm still pretty distraught that my favourite wings are no more, though. The quest
continues...
A says:
Er, this post is mostly C's chicken wing rant so I have nothing to add.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Brill
C says:
Brill took over the space at TripleOne Somerset that was previously occupied by Black coffee house. It usually looks forlornly empty, but something on their chalkboard menu - Pig Parts Don, made me mildly curious enough to try it one day.
As luck would have it, the pulled pork and pig intestine don wasn't available that day. I ended up ordering the Roast Beef Don instead. Strangely enough, they also had Gado Gado on the menu, and A, having had a satay gravy craving for a while, got that.
The beef don completely underwhelming. Slices of bland roast beef were placed on top of regular (I.e. not short grain Japanese) rice, with a strange onion gravy/puree. There were a few slices of pickled daikon and carrot, and some Chinese spinach that tasted like it was on the verge of going off.
The Gado Gado was deconstructed, and at best very ordinary. Just tasteless boiled vegetables for dipping into a bowl of satay gravy.
The only thing that was worth eating was their version of soft boiled eggs on toast, which they termed Onsen Tamago Toast. It was served in a soy dashi broth with a few drops of spicy sesame oil. The eggs were cooked well and the Japanese twist was quite pleasant.
Overall though, I simply don't know what they're trying to be. Japanese-named foods but with basic local element, and some Indonesian thrown into the mix. The menu and concept are confused, and it shows in the end result.
A says:
Meh. It's okay. A bit pricey. And there and many other places around the area I'd rather eat at.
Brill took over the space at TripleOne Somerset that was previously occupied by Black coffee house. It usually looks forlornly empty, but something on their chalkboard menu - Pig Parts Don, made me mildly curious enough to try it one day.
As luck would have it, the pulled pork and pig intestine don wasn't available that day. I ended up ordering the Roast Beef Don instead. Strangely enough, they also had Gado Gado on the menu, and A, having had a satay gravy craving for a while, got that.
The beef don completely underwhelming. Slices of bland roast beef were placed on top of regular (I.e. not short grain Japanese) rice, with a strange onion gravy/puree. There were a few slices of pickled daikon and carrot, and some Chinese spinach that tasted like it was on the verge of going off.
The Gado Gado was deconstructed, and at best very ordinary. Just tasteless boiled vegetables for dipping into a bowl of satay gravy.
The only thing that was worth eating was their version of soft boiled eggs on toast, which they termed Onsen Tamago Toast. It was served in a soy dashi broth with a few drops of spicy sesame oil. The eggs were cooked well and the Japanese twist was quite pleasant.
Overall though, I simply don't know what they're trying to be. Japanese-named foods but with basic local element, and some Indonesian thrown into the mix. The menu and concept are confused, and it shows in the end result.
A says:
Meh. It's okay. A bit pricey. And there and many other places around the area I'd rather eat at.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
The Rabbit Stash
C says:
From humble beginnings as a private chef and later setting up shop at Pandan Valley condominium, Chef Matthew has now moved The Rabbit Stash to a cosy new home at Alexis condominium at Queensway, just down the road from Anchorpoint. We went there for dinner one evening with W, and had a very enjoyable meal.
They generally do multi-course tasting menus, ranging from 5, 7 and 9 courses, but you can also order off their a la carte menu. We went for the 7 course, which was $98.
We started with a simple salad followed by a lobster broth. The salad was somewhat forgettable, but the lobster broth with crab meat was very tasty - clean and flavourful without being too rich.
Next was foie gras with jamon. The foie didn't have as crisp an exterior as I would have liked, but I liked the pairing with the jamon that gave it a lot of depth.
The next two dishes were right up my alley - fried prawns with an assam sauce, and a glazed chicken wing. It helped that both had hints of Asian flavours, and were executed very well.
Apparently Chef Matthew is known for his meats, and that definitely showed in the main courses. A had the lamb rack and I had the ribeye. Both were outstanding - cooked perfectly with a dark charred crust and a perfect medium rare interior, and very flavourful and well seasoned. Based on the portion sizes of the earlier dishes we assumed that the main would be equally petite, but these were proper main course sizes.
After palate cleansing sorbets (or, herbal jelly for me), dessert was either a donut for me, or chocolate fondant for A. The fondant was delightfully oozy, but I still preferred my donut.
I like the atmosphere here - not too fancy or posh, it feels almost like a private dinner at someone's house. Given the generous portions of the meat main courses and the quality, the price tag is actually pretty reasonable for a 7 course dinner. All in all, a very understatedly pleasant dining experience.
A says:
They do the meats here perfectly. Everything else ranges from average to good. So my recommendation is that you definitely come here to have a 2- or 3-course meal.
The Rabbit Stash
354 Alexandra Road
#01-07 The Alexis
Tel: 9858-8607
From humble beginnings as a private chef and later setting up shop at Pandan Valley condominium, Chef Matthew has now moved The Rabbit Stash to a cosy new home at Alexis condominium at Queensway, just down the road from Anchorpoint. We went there for dinner one evening with W, and had a very enjoyable meal.
They generally do multi-course tasting menus, ranging from 5, 7 and 9 courses, but you can also order off their a la carte menu. We went for the 7 course, which was $98.
We started with a simple salad followed by a lobster broth. The salad was somewhat forgettable, but the lobster broth with crab meat was very tasty - clean and flavourful without being too rich.
Next was foie gras with jamon. The foie didn't have as crisp an exterior as I would have liked, but I liked the pairing with the jamon that gave it a lot of depth.
The next two dishes were right up my alley - fried prawns with an assam sauce, and a glazed chicken wing. It helped that both had hints of Asian flavours, and were executed very well.
Apparently Chef Matthew is known for his meats, and that definitely showed in the main courses. A had the lamb rack and I had the ribeye. Both were outstanding - cooked perfectly with a dark charred crust and a perfect medium rare interior, and very flavourful and well seasoned. Based on the portion sizes of the earlier dishes we assumed that the main would be equally petite, but these were proper main course sizes.
After palate cleansing sorbets (or, herbal jelly for me), dessert was either a donut for me, or chocolate fondant for A. The fondant was delightfully oozy, but I still preferred my donut.
I like the atmosphere here - not too fancy or posh, it feels almost like a private dinner at someone's house. Given the generous portions of the meat main courses and the quality, the price tag is actually pretty reasonable for a 7 course dinner. All in all, a very understatedly pleasant dining experience.
A says:
They do the meats here perfectly. Everything else ranges from average to good. So my recommendation is that you definitely come here to have a 2- or 3-course meal.
The Rabbit Stash
354 Alexandra Road
#01-07 The Alexis
Tel: 9858-8607
Sunday, July 21, 2013
PasarBella - Le Patio and Huber's Deli
C says:
Our second trip to PasarBella, at lunchtime on a Sunday, fared much better than our first. We got there as Le Patio was finishing the crust on its massive paella, so I put in an order and waited about 10 minutes for it to be done.
For a pan that massive (about 1 metre in diameter), I’m impressed that they managed to attain a great consistency to the rice, and a good crust as well. The mussels were a bit small but the prawn was fresh and the chicken pieces were tender and succulent.
A’s hot dog from Huber’s Deli – a pork dog with sauerkraut and mustard, was a surprising hit. The sausage had quite a nice snap and on its own was quite salty, but was perfect once you had it with the sauerkraut and other condiments.
La Patio also makes dessert crepes – Nutella, salt caramel and lemon & sugar. A had the Nutella and I made a beeline for the salt caramel. A’s was predictably good, but my salt caramel was divine. The crepes were light and thin, they were pretty generous with the sauces, and most important of all, the salt caramel was a proper one with no shortage of salt.
I reiterate that I’m generally quite pleased with how PasarBella has turned out. I’m sure that the tenant mix will change and evolve in time. It remains to be seen how a buffet hotpot place like Maru Shabu will fare in a “farmers” market, but so far I’m quite happy with what they’ve put together.
A says:
Superb hot dog. Definitely my go-to choice here.
Our second trip to PasarBella, at lunchtime on a Sunday, fared much better than our first. We got there as Le Patio was finishing the crust on its massive paella, so I put in an order and waited about 10 minutes for it to be done.
For a pan that massive (about 1 metre in diameter), I’m impressed that they managed to attain a great consistency to the rice, and a good crust as well. The mussels were a bit small but the prawn was fresh and the chicken pieces were tender and succulent.
A’s hot dog from Huber’s Deli – a pork dog with sauerkraut and mustard, was a surprising hit. The sausage had quite a nice snap and on its own was quite salty, but was perfect once you had it with the sauerkraut and other condiments.
La Patio also makes dessert crepes – Nutella, salt caramel and lemon & sugar. A had the Nutella and I made a beeline for the salt caramel. A’s was predictably good, but my salt caramel was divine. The crepes were light and thin, they were pretty generous with the sauces, and most important of all, the salt caramel was a proper one with no shortage of salt.
I reiterate that I’m generally quite pleased with how PasarBella has turned out. I’m sure that the tenant mix will change and evolve in time. It remains to be seen how a buffet hotpot place like Maru Shabu will fare in a “farmers” market, but so far I’m quite happy with what they’ve put together.
A says:
Superb hot dog. Definitely my go-to choice here.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Tatsuya
C says:
After our experience at Brooklyn Fare, we wondered whether, if we were willing to shell out the same amount of money, we would get as good or similar experience at a top Japanese restaurant, like Tatsuya? We decided to treat ourselves on a special occasion, and went for the omakase at Tatsuya for my birthday.
We started with a selection of cold items - the ones that stood out were a cube of smoked goose, and incredibly tender cooked abalone.
Then the whole uni topped with caviar arrived. This was truly decadence in every mouthful. As if the uni wasn't already flavourful enough, the dollops of caviar made it even more luxurious and intense.
The sashimi course was next. We had a few slices of kanpachi topped with some flavoured oil and chives, a few pieces of ark shell, flounder, prawn and a chunk of toro. The kanpachi was really good; the rest were a bit lacklustre.
The next dish was a braised one - eggplant and balls of yam with a couple of pieces of eel. I daresay, best eel I've ever had; perfectly cooked and completely boneless.
Next up was a grilled belt fish, in a butter sauce. This was quite subtle and needed the squeeze of lemon, but the fatty fish completely melted in your mouth. Simply delicious.
They must have had a shipment of uni recently, because the next course was an uni chawanmushi. As with the previous uni course, this was proof that eggs of all kinds are the best foods, and even better when paired together.
The highlight of the meal was the sushi course. 5 pieces of expertly constructed aburi sushi. The 2 killer standouts were a scallop and foie gras one, and a prawn with mentaiko. The flavours of those are still haunting us now. Insanely good.
We cleansed our palate with a tuna belly soup. However, before dessert, the sushi chef noticed that we still looked a bit hungry (trust me, portions were quite small), and asked if he could make us another couple of bites of sushi. No pics of these because they were meant to be handheld and eaten at one go - a nigiri sushi topped with negitoro and uni (again), and a temaki with mentaiko and chopped salmon skin.
Finally satiated, we ended with fruit and, as a bonus request, ice cream. The fruit was apricots and insanely honey-sweet musk melon, and the ice cream that we couldn't refuse was a vanilla caramel one from Hokkaido.
The damage was pretty bad, but this was an excellent meal. Definitely too steep to come here except for a special occasion, or if we've been particularly austere for a while. Maybe next time, instead of a full omakase including the cooked items, we may go with just the sashimi and sushi, since those are what they're apparently so good at.
A says:
Amazingly good meal for an amazingly high price. Probably the best prawn sushi I've ever had though. Same with the scallop and foie gras one. I would definitely recommend this place if you have bucketloads of money to spend on food.
Tatsuya
22 Scotts Road
Goodwood Park Hotel
Tel: 6887-4598
Open daily: 12 noon - 3pm; 6.30 pm - 11 pm
After our experience at Brooklyn Fare, we wondered whether, if we were willing to shell out the same amount of money, we would get as good or similar experience at a top Japanese restaurant, like Tatsuya? We decided to treat ourselves on a special occasion, and went for the omakase at Tatsuya for my birthday.
We started with a selection of cold items - the ones that stood out were a cube of smoked goose, and incredibly tender cooked abalone.
Then the whole uni topped with caviar arrived. This was truly decadence in every mouthful. As if the uni wasn't already flavourful enough, the dollops of caviar made it even more luxurious and intense.
The sashimi course was next. We had a few slices of kanpachi topped with some flavoured oil and chives, a few pieces of ark shell, flounder, prawn and a chunk of toro. The kanpachi was really good; the rest were a bit lacklustre.
The next dish was a braised one - eggplant and balls of yam with a couple of pieces of eel. I daresay, best eel I've ever had; perfectly cooked and completely boneless.
Next up was a grilled belt fish, in a butter sauce. This was quite subtle and needed the squeeze of lemon, but the fatty fish completely melted in your mouth. Simply delicious.
They must have had a shipment of uni recently, because the next course was an uni chawanmushi. As with the previous uni course, this was proof that eggs of all kinds are the best foods, and even better when paired together.
The highlight of the meal was the sushi course. 5 pieces of expertly constructed aburi sushi. The 2 killer standouts were a scallop and foie gras one, and a prawn with mentaiko. The flavours of those are still haunting us now. Insanely good.
We cleansed our palate with a tuna belly soup. However, before dessert, the sushi chef noticed that we still looked a bit hungry (trust me, portions were quite small), and asked if he could make us another couple of bites of sushi. No pics of these because they were meant to be handheld and eaten at one go - a nigiri sushi topped with negitoro and uni (again), and a temaki with mentaiko and chopped salmon skin.
Finally satiated, we ended with fruit and, as a bonus request, ice cream. The fruit was apricots and insanely honey-sweet musk melon, and the ice cream that we couldn't refuse was a vanilla caramel one from Hokkaido.
The damage was pretty bad, but this was an excellent meal. Definitely too steep to come here except for a special occasion, or if we've been particularly austere for a while. Maybe next time, instead of a full omakase including the cooked items, we may go with just the sashimi and sushi, since those are what they're apparently so good at.
A says:
Amazingly good meal for an amazingly high price. Probably the best prawn sushi I've ever had though. Same with the scallop and foie gras one. I would definitely recommend this place if you have bucketloads of money to spend on food.
Tatsuya
22 Scotts Road
Goodwood Park Hotel
Tel: 6887-4598
Open daily: 12 noon - 3pm; 6.30 pm - 11 pm
Friday, July 05, 2013
More treats from Lek Lim
C says:
We went back to Lek Lim Nonya Kueh recently, to satisfy a craving for some of the items that really made an impact on us the last time, namely the chicken curry puffs, glutinous rice and steamed yam cake. The glutinous rice and yam cake were as good as I recall. While I still like the thin crisp skin and the flavour of the chicken curry puffs, they've had their chilli level toned down, following feedback that they were too spicy. I find that slightly disappointing, since the spiciness really set them apart from other curry puffs, but I appreciate that my spice tolerance is higher than the average Joe's.
Together with a host of other local food vendors, Lek Lim will be at the SFF Village (booth number 2) for the Singapore Food Festival, in a bid to introduce their kuehs to a new generation of fans. They will be selling some of their signature kuehs, as well as their pineapple tarts and almond cookies, that are usually only sold over the Chinese New Year period.
Both were delicious. The pineapple tart pastry was buttery without being too crumbly, and the pineapple filling was nicely balanced – not too sweet nor too tart. The almond cookies looked as though they would be filled with almond paste or similar, but they were actually just buttery cookies with chopped almond bits baked into them. These were really fragrant and light, with a tender crumb. I love that both are bite-sized – they’re really addictive and great for snacking, but disastrous for my diet.
I’m definitely ordering these come Chinese New Year, but in the meantime you can try them at the SFF Village, which will be held from 12 to 21 July. I’m not very sure about the details, so check out http://singaporefavouritefood.com/2013/sffvillage.html for more info.
A says:
Very delicious. I like.
We went back to Lek Lim Nonya Kueh recently, to satisfy a craving for some of the items that really made an impact on us the last time, namely the chicken curry puffs, glutinous rice and steamed yam cake. The glutinous rice and yam cake were as good as I recall. While I still like the thin crisp skin and the flavour of the chicken curry puffs, they've had their chilli level toned down, following feedback that they were too spicy. I find that slightly disappointing, since the spiciness really set them apart from other curry puffs, but I appreciate that my spice tolerance is higher than the average Joe's.
Together with a host of other local food vendors, Lek Lim will be at the SFF Village (booth number 2) for the Singapore Food Festival, in a bid to introduce their kuehs to a new generation of fans. They will be selling some of their signature kuehs, as well as their pineapple tarts and almond cookies, that are usually only sold over the Chinese New Year period.
Both were delicious. The pineapple tart pastry was buttery without being too crumbly, and the pineapple filling was nicely balanced – not too sweet nor too tart. The almond cookies looked as though they would be filled with almond paste or similar, but they were actually just buttery cookies with chopped almond bits baked into them. These were really fragrant and light, with a tender crumb. I love that both are bite-sized – they’re really addictive and great for snacking, but disastrous for my diet.
I’m definitely ordering these come Chinese New Year, but in the meantime you can try them at the SFF Village, which will be held from 12 to 21 July. I’m not very sure about the details, so check out http://singaporefavouritefood.com/2013/sffvillage.html for more info.
A says:
Very delicious. I like.
Thursday, July 04, 2013
The Naked Finn
C says:
We've tried to make last minute dinner reservations on a Friday and Saturday here for quite some time now, to no avail. When we finally came here on a hazy Thursday evening, we realised why. It's located in a little standalone building of its own, and indoor seating is minimal, with only a few small tables and limited bar seating.
It's both a bar and a seafood restaurant, so they specialise in simply prepared seafood as well as sorbet-based cocktails. They have a few sampler platters for 2 and 4 persons, but we opted to order a la carte to try more things.
I personally think their Chilled Piquant Vermicelli is reason enough to plan a trip here. I honestly don't know what they put into it because it looks so plain and bland, but trust me - it's packed full of tart flavour and is truly addictive. Next time I swear we're having one plate each.
The chilled kangkong was pretty good too. Definitely the first time I've tried kangkong prepared this way - lightly blanched and served as a salad with a tart dressing and topped with fried shallots.
The littleneck clams came in a clear barramundi broth. The clams were meaty and fresh, and the broth was light but flavourful. Still, it was a bit too subtle for A.
It got increasingly more aggressive after that, though. The grilled baby squid packed a ton of smoky flavour, although A found the tiny spines still inside the squid just a tad disconcerting.
The grilled prawns with white wine and butter were the highlight of the meal for me (together with the vermicelli). The prawns were super fresh, were full of delicious head juice, and seasoned just perfectly to enhance but not detract from the prawny goodness.
The grilled diver scallop was also a winner. Possibly the sweetest and meatiest cooked scallop I've ever had, and again cooked and seasoned perfectly.
We shared a portion of the African lobster, which was again very fresh and well cooked, but seeing that I'm not a huge lobster fan, I'll gladly trade this for more bee hoon next time.
They're known for their sorbet-based cocktails - so created so that the drink can stay cold without the dilution caused by ice cubes. We had 2 delicious cocktails, one honeydew-based and one pear-based. For dessert, we had a homemade coconut sorbet that was the very essence of coconut - milk, flesh and water all rolled into one.
Because they're also a bar, they apparently serve supper after 10 pm. Currently it's a prawn noodle soup that looks absolutely to die for. Like all places that are in the running for our Best Of list, we're already planning our return visits for both dinner and supper.
A says:
Beehoon is awesome. Will be back for that. The only problem with this place is that it's so small, it's hard to get reservations. Parties of 2 should book at least a week in advance for Fri or Sat.
The Naked Finn
41 Malan Road, Gillman Barracks
Tel: 6694-0807
Dining:
Monday - Thursday : 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Friday - Saturday & eves of PH : 6:00pm - 10:30pm
Supper & Cocktails:
Monday - Thursday : 10:00pm - 12:00mn
Friday - Saturday & eves of PH : 10:30pm - 2:00am
Sunday : Closed
www.nakedfinn.com
We've tried to make last minute dinner reservations on a Friday and Saturday here for quite some time now, to no avail. When we finally came here on a hazy Thursday evening, we realised why. It's located in a little standalone building of its own, and indoor seating is minimal, with only a few small tables and limited bar seating.
It's both a bar and a seafood restaurant, so they specialise in simply prepared seafood as well as sorbet-based cocktails. They have a few sampler platters for 2 and 4 persons, but we opted to order a la carte to try more things.
I personally think their Chilled Piquant Vermicelli is reason enough to plan a trip here. I honestly don't know what they put into it because it looks so plain and bland, but trust me - it's packed full of tart flavour and is truly addictive. Next time I swear we're having one plate each.
The chilled kangkong was pretty good too. Definitely the first time I've tried kangkong prepared this way - lightly blanched and served as a salad with a tart dressing and topped with fried shallots.
The littleneck clams came in a clear barramundi broth. The clams were meaty and fresh, and the broth was light but flavourful. Still, it was a bit too subtle for A.
It got increasingly more aggressive after that, though. The grilled baby squid packed a ton of smoky flavour, although A found the tiny spines still inside the squid just a tad disconcerting.
The grilled prawns with white wine and butter were the highlight of the meal for me (together with the vermicelli). The prawns were super fresh, were full of delicious head juice, and seasoned just perfectly to enhance but not detract from the prawny goodness.
The grilled diver scallop was also a winner. Possibly the sweetest and meatiest cooked scallop I've ever had, and again cooked and seasoned perfectly.
We shared a portion of the African lobster, which was again very fresh and well cooked, but seeing that I'm not a huge lobster fan, I'll gladly trade this for more bee hoon next time.
They're known for their sorbet-based cocktails - so created so that the drink can stay cold without the dilution caused by ice cubes. We had 2 delicious cocktails, one honeydew-based and one pear-based. For dessert, we had a homemade coconut sorbet that was the very essence of coconut - milk, flesh and water all rolled into one.
Because they're also a bar, they apparently serve supper after 10 pm. Currently it's a prawn noodle soup that looks absolutely to die for. Like all places that are in the running for our Best Of list, we're already planning our return visits for both dinner and supper.
A says:
Beehoon is awesome. Will be back for that. The only problem with this place is that it's so small, it's hard to get reservations. Parties of 2 should book at least a week in advance for Fri or Sat.
The Naked Finn
41 Malan Road, Gillman Barracks
Tel: 6694-0807
Dining:
Monday - Thursday : 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Friday - Saturday & eves of PH : 6:00pm - 10:30pm
Supper & Cocktails:
Monday - Thursday : 10:00pm - 12:00mn
Friday - Saturday & eves of PH : 10:30pm - 2:00am
Sunday : Closed
www.nakedfinn.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)