Private Affairs – A Raffles Place Gem

3 01 2013

Despite being relatively quiet on the online scene, I found myself back at the highly underrated Private Affairs on 20th December 2012 for a final round of hedonistic pleasure, just in case the world really came to an end the next day. Currently, Private Affairs is run by Chef Kelvin Lee of the now defunct Le Figue @ Camden Medical Centre, but he has stuck to the concept of his predecessor, serving up quality Modern European food at relatively affordable prices.

I went for the 4-Course Festive Set Lunch ($46++), which included 2 appetizers, a main, dessert and a glass of Astoria Prosecco, an Italian sparkling white wine to add to the festive cheer. Their usual set lunches are priced at $36++/$40++ for 3 or 4 course set lunches, which comes without the prosecco.

The setting of the restaurant is chic, catering mainly to the corporate crowd around the Raffles Place area.

Appetizers were the stars of the show. The Bamboo Clams with Mantako Sauce were extremely tender compared to the ones I have had at Chinese restaurants, tasting very much like sweet tender squid bathed in a briny sauce made from pollock roe.

One of the anchor dishes that hardly goes wrong at Private Affairs is their Pan Seared Foie Gras, Caramelized Cinnamon Apple with Calvado Sauce (Calvados is a type of Apple Brandy). The foie gras was seared well, leaving a gorgeous thin crisp outer shell. The sweet salty combination doesn’t get old either.

The Hokkaido Scallop & Baby Octopus, Coco Bean with Truffle Ponzu Emulsion was well executed too, much to the delight of the scallop lover in me. The Truffle Ponzu emulsion was a savory cream-based sauce that enhanced the sweetness of the scallops further. I found the side of coco beans unnecessary though, as upon chewing, its powdery rough texture didn’t complement the smoothness of the scallop.

Feeling a little heaty, I ordered the Atlantic Cod Fish, Fennel & Zucchini with Saffron Porridge as my main. While most of us might be more familiar with Black Cod, which goes by the name of 鳕鱼 in Chinese restaurants or Gindara in Japanese restaurants, the Atlantic Cod is slightly different, whose texture is more lean and less buttery, though still a relatively fatty fish. The flavours of this dish were rather subtle, with the porridge tasting of lobster bisque with fragrant seafood flavours, and not masking the refreshing nature of the fish.

I was rather impressed by the Crispy Duck Leg Confit, Honey Onion Marmalade, Bacon & Poached Egg, mainly because of the consistency in the moistness of the duck. The duck was also not overly salty, which is an issue frequently encountered at numerous restaurants. The poached egg felt a little out of place though.

For desserts, R and myself both had the Baileys Banana Trifle, made using Vanilla Ice Cream, Raisins and Chocolate Cake. Awfully delicious.

Thus concluded another memorable meal at Private Affairs, with no regrets if the world had ended.

Private Affairs

25 Boon Tat Street

Tel: +65 6220 2005

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[Hong Kong] Caprice – A Michelin 3-Star French Luncheon

3 08 2012

Located at The Four Seasons Hotel, Caprice is one of the 2 French restaurants in Hong Kong that have been awarded the prestigious Michelin 3-stars (the other being Atelier de Joel Robuchon).

Few can dispute that Caprice is undeserving of such an honour, not after setting foot into the restaurant. Greeted by a team that is attentive and well versed with the restaurant’s offerings, one is led into opulent settings where Swarovski chandeliers hang overhead. As one enters the restaurant, the first thing that catches the eye is the open kitchen with the chefs all hard at work and as you look around towards the windows, you catch a gorgeous view of the Victoria Harbour. It does seem that Caprice spares no expense in ensuring that the ambience is right for that special occasion.

If one should decide to dress up for a meal, this would be the time to do so. Nothing is going to be much fancier than this.

Given the posh setting and accolades, it is no surprise that meals here don’t come cheap. The more “affordable” set lunches are priced at 460/520 HKD for 2 or 3-course meals respectively while dinners can work up to easily 3 times that price without wine.

We were served an “Anchovy Cake” as our amuse bouche, which tasted much like warm fish keropok. It’s tasty but I expected something a little more sophisticated.

Of the 4 varieties of bread (from top left anti-clockwise – Olive, Baguette, Sourdough and Sesame), it was clear that the Sesame was our favourite. It’s done very much like a croissant, just much airier. Not wanting to stuff myself prematurely, I was the only one on my table who had the discipline to stop at 1, while my counterparts were so taken by this that they downed an average of 5 each!

We were also given Bordier Butter (salted and unsalted) to go with our bread, a premium French hand-churned butter that is considered by many to be the finest in the world.

My friends Joyce and Randall had the Rockfish Consomme, Saffron Infusion & Fish Rillette for appetizer. The taste of the broth seems so surreal to me now as I merely sampled a mouthful of its umami goodness. I was distraught after I tasted it, realizing that my appetizer didn’t even come close in terms of execution and flavour. The Fish Rillette was just so-so compared to the consomme, tasting like a crabcake mash.

Kenneth had the Marinated Salmon, Avruga & Lime Caviar, Tarama, Bottarga & Salmon Roe. Personally, I thought it was just an over-glorified piece of Cured Salmon that was no doubt tasty but overly simplistic.

I had the Paimpol White Bean Veloute & Duck Foie Gras Tartine. The word veloute stems from the french adjective velour, which means “velvety” but this white bean veloute was far too heavy and starchy to be described as such. Served on the side was the Duck Foie Gras Tartine, comprising mainly of white beans with slivers of foie gras terrine on a thin toast. While it had an appetizing sourish zing to it, I couldn’t appreciate its pairing with the veloute.

While there were 7 choices of mains to choose from, it so happened that all 4 of us chose the Free-ranged Quail Stuffed with Foie Gras, Mushrooms & Spinach in Civet Sauce, which sounded the most authentically french and hardest to replicate amongst the other choices. It was a good call indeed as this turned out to be the star of the meal.

I have had bad experiences with foie gras stuffings, such as the DB Burger from DB Bistro Moderne where the foie gras stuffing turned out tasteless and dry but the stuffing for the quail wasn’t like this at all. There was no pungent aftertaste and its flavours managed to infuse into the tender juicy quail meat that had been cooked perfectly to a light pink hue. The civet sauce tasted similar to a red wine sauce you would get off a coq au vin, but perhaps been thickened slightly with the addition of blood.

For wine, we requested a bottle of semi-dry red to go along with our quail and the sommelier suggested the Chateau Rollan de By, 2006 (780 HKD). It’s from Medoc, a wine growing region in Bordeaux and made up of a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc, and 10% Petit Verdot. I found it very drinkable with a medium fruity body which indeed complemented the quail.

For desserts, I had the Saint Honore of Chocolate Trio & Cinnamon in Spiced Mexican Sauce, comprising 3 chocolate profiteroles & varying degrees of chocolate mousses on a filo pastry which is then finished with an extra layer of chocolate sauce. So much chocolate must have made this dessert cloying right? Wrong, the chocolate mousses were really light and there was sufficient pastry to soak up all the chocolate sauce.

Joyce and Randall both got the Cherry Marmalade & Sandalwood Cream with Griotte Sorbet, very much a sandalwood panna cotta topped with Cherry Sorbet and Marmalade.

Kenneth had the Caprice Cheese Cellar, a very generous platter of 4 types of cheese. I wasn’t paying much attention when the server was going through the cheeses as I was desperately trying to take some quick snaps of the other desserts that had meltable features but 1 cheese did catch my attention – giraffe cheese. It wasn’t my cup of tea though, as I prefer milder cheeses.

We ended off the meal with coffee, tea and petite fours (Strawberry Macaroon, Banana Chocolate, Irish Dark Chocolate) at 4pm. Time had whisked by so quickly but the staff didn’t seem annoyed that we had unknowingly stayed past lunch hour.

Good food, chichi settings and superb service. If there’s only 1 thing more I could ask for, it’s probably a little more creativity.

Caprice

8 Finance Street, Central, Four Seasons Hotel

Tel: +852 3196 8888


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Le Saint Julien – French at its Finest

23 03 2012

We all have meal spending thresholds. Most people will try to stick within the range of $5-$10 for daily routine meals, $10-$25 for gathering-type meals and perhaps $25-$40 for celebratory occasions. This is probably the reason why I have trouble sometimes finding lunch kakis’ when I want to go out for a nice lunch out of the blue.

I guess it’s because of this blog and my routine uploads of food pictures on facebook that leave many people assuming that my meal spending threshold is non-existent but sadly, that is purely a myth. That is why Restaurant Week is so important to me. While not every participating restaurant offers a huge discount off their usual set meal prices, some do take the effort to cater to the humbler than usual crowd and Le Saint Julien is one of the latter.

Before today, I would never dream of dining at Le Saint Julien without a reason to celebrate. An ala carte meal without wine would probably set you back $150-$200! Prices of their 3-Course Set Lunches and 6-Course Set Dinners are slightly more palatable at $46++ and $168++, though I would still think think twice if it were just a regular meal to catch up with friends. After lunch today however, I have to admit my propensity to spend at Saint Julien has been elevated somewhat.

There’s a nice lounge and bar area to have an aperitif should you arrive ahead of your guests. I was browsing through Saint Julien’s website when I came across their wine outlook, where I saw the phrase “$60 for 750ml”. At the back of my mind, I was like “Wa, that’s super reasonable for a fine dining restaurant!”. Then reality struck, it was the corkage charges…

Walking into the main dining area, what you see is sleek furnishings and a high ceiling. This is important so that it doesn’t get too noisy as the crowd starts streaming in. Ms Edith Lai, wife of Chef Julien Bompard, whizzes around the restaurant ensuring everything is in order. She has after all been in the hospitality industry for much of her career and given the level of professionalism and training of her wait staff, we know we are in good hands.

Diners aren’t given much flexibility for the Restaurant Week 3-Course Set Lunch Menu. Appetizers and Desserts are fixed, while there are 2 choices for Mains. An extra course can be ordered at an additional price of $26-$32++, depending on which additional course (Foie Gras, Lobster Bisque or Escargot) is chosen. I decided against it as I have already overkilled my dining budget for this and next week.

We started off the meal with the Slow Cooked Egg with Foie Gras Emulsion, Mushrooms and Black Truffle Oil. Initially, I thought the Foie Gras Emulsion was the white liquid in the cup but it was actually the thin layer of brown paste coating the brioche and it totally blew me away. The white liquid is actually just the whites of the Slow Cooked Egg. I wasn’t paying attention when the wait staff explained it to us, but I’m certain this is no normal soft boiled egg as the yolk is semi-solid while the whites are extremely delicate and runny. Typically for soft boiled eggs, it would be the reverse. I could definitely detect the traces of truffle oil in the egg cup as well, which is an added treat.

We are lucky that Aries chose the Roasted Daurade Fish with “Arbois” Wine and Avruga Caviar Sauce as her main, as it makes for a lovely picture. Daurade is more commonly known as Sea Bream or Tai, a mild tasting fish. I would say that on its own, it is unspectacular, but with the creamy gravy, we swooned. This just highlights the importance of synergizing different elements of a dish. Just fyi, Arbois is a type of white grape found in France and is considered one of the less acidic grape types. I haven’t really heard of it before because it’s a minor grape, compared to the ubiquitous Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.

For the rest of us, we opted for the Braised Pork Belly with Sauerkraut in Filo Pastry, served with Apple Calvados Sauce instead. We all wondered how Chef Julien managed to transfer the pork filled filo pastry onto the plate, as the pastry crust was paper thin, shattering upon light proding. The pork belly was savoury and flavourful, balanced well by the sour zing from the Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) at the base of the pastry, as well as the mildly sweet apple brandy sauce.

The Parfait with Banana, Chocolate and Pralines came with slightly disjointed elements, especially the Chocolate Almond flavoured (for want of a better word I shall just use) biscuit, whose presence I thought was totally unnecessary. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the Parfait which was banana flavoured. The caramelized banana was nice, tasted more alcoholic than sweet (perhaps soaked in alcohol before caramelizing?), but still just an accessory adorning the main attraction (the parfait).

Despite being a discounted Restaurant Week lunch, this experience was definitely memorable enough to justify adding Le Saint Julien to my list of favourite restaurants. After all, if $47 bucks got me all this, just think what a $168 set dinner will get me?

Le Saint Julien

3 Fullerton Road, The Fullerton Water Boat House

Tel: +65 6534 5947


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Antoinette (Mandarin Gallery) – Of Surprises and Letdowns

1 02 2012

Despite being open for business for less than a year, Antoinette has already proven its mettle. Its marketing strategy has worked in its favour, having a classy name and luxurious store layout with a moderated price tag on its food has definitely drawn in the crowd. It does help that the man behind this venture is none other than award-winning ex-Canele pastry chef Chef Pang Kok Keong.

I popped by Antoinette about a week back for a meetup between my clique of Secondary 1-2 friends, as D was flying off to Spain for his exchange program the next week and its been really almost a year since our last gathering. As it was an early Saturday afternoon, no surprise that we had to wait about 45 minutes before we could snag a table, especially since Antoinette functions primarily as a tea lounge rather than restaurant, where customers come in to have their nice little tete a tete sessions over an all day breakfast and dessert. Something interesting we noticed was the severe disproportion of guys to girls ratio here. There were only 2 other guys in the entire filled restaurant! So we might have seemed a little out of place coming as a group of 5 guys (we came from an all-boys secondary school booyah!).

Anyways, with no complaints about the gender distribution of clientele,  we proceeded to order our mains. My personal favourite was the Gnocchi Carbonara ($18.50++), “Parisan Gnocchi sauteed with Caramelized Bacon, White Wine Cream Sauce, served with Poached Egg and Aged Parmesan Cheese”. Gnocchi is typically a small dumpling shaped pasta made with flour and potatoes, but from what I have read online, the ones served here does away with the potatoes but includes gruyere cheese to get that awesome taste and texture. A light pan frying after blanching secures its crisp outer layer and mildly chewy interior. The cream sauce resembles that of Canele’s Carbonara to me, which I find quite delightful because it doesn’t coagulate quickly but still manages to retain its flavourfulness. Something I also like about this carbonara is that the bacon is not the least bit salty to me, so you get to savour the meaty juicy goodness without overwhelming the mild cream base.

If cream is just not your thing, you can try the Gnocchi Forestiere ($18.50++), “Parisan Gnocchi sauteed with onions and an assortment of Field Mushrooms in a Pink Tomato Sauce with Italian Parsley and Aged Parmesan Cheese” instead. The tomato base doesn’t complement the gnocchi as well though and it’s a little too overpowering as well, blocking off the delectable morsels of gnocchi.

The crepes are done decently here, which I find it better than what is available at Canele. There’s 5 savoury crepes to choose from here, of which we tried the Nordic Crepe ($16.50++), made with Smoked Salmon, Capers, Red Onion and Dill Cream Cheese.

It definitely wasn’t my idea to order the Burger Royale ($18++), “Pan Fried Beef Patty on Brioche Bread, Mayonnaise, Home-made Tomato Relish, Lettuce, Red Onions, Mustard, Aged Cheddar Cheese, Chips and Petit Salad with House Dressing”. After all, who orders a burger in a french tea lounge?! That said, this Beef Burger exceeded expectations with a nice juicy and flavourful patty though I would have preferred the usual burger buns to the brioche used.

We had very mixed reviews on the Wild Mushroom Risotto ($24++), “Creamy Arborio Rice simmered with exotic Field Mushrooms & White Wine, garnished with crispy Serrano Ham”. For myself and H, it was probably our least favourite main of the meal, but to my other friends S, D and YQ, it was their favourite. The reasons why it didn’t suit me was because the risotto was rather one-dimensional and too mild in taste for my liking. I’d prefer a cheesier oomph!

We love to pamper ourselves once in a while, and there’s no better way than to have feast on dainty little desserts.

The issue with cakes coated fully in a chocolate mousse is that they are an enigma, you never know what you are going to find as you dig your fork deeper into its core. The signature Antoinette ($9++) is one such cake. Having not researched on Antoinette prior to this meal, I was going in blind on this one. I grazed my fork against the velvety milk chocolate lining the cake for a taste test. Nothing unusual, I thought to myself, the chocolate’s texture is just a little too thin. A deeper prodding of my fork this time, where is that bitter taste coming from? My doubts were confirmed when YQ mentioned it was earl grey. The ball-shaped protrusion is actually raspberry coulis (a thick french sauce made from fruits). I find too many things going on in this cake which leaves me slightly confused. Somehow the mix of sweet chocolate mousse, bitter earl grey and sour raspberry doesn’t work for me.

I’m more a fan of the Strawberry Shortcake ($8++). The sponge is light and the use of strawberries generous. However, still not as good as the orgasmic one from One Caramel.

There have been some mixed reviews about the Macaroons here. I managed to try 5 different types (Antoinette, Chloe, Passionfruit, Pistachio and one more I can’t recall), of which the Antoinette (tastes of white chocolate) is my favourite.

 

Mont Blanc is a common French Dessert made using pureed chestnuts and cream. I’m not sure if its the case of the Mont Blanc ($8.50++) here being too average, or the one at Flor Patisserie by Chef Yamashita being too good. Might be a little of both or the fact that I might seriously be pampered too much.

Overall, I like Antoinette. The gnocchi carbonara is reason enough to come back, not to mention the nice semi-atas vibes you get here. Sadly, I expected more from their desserts which failed to shine through today.

Bon Appetit!

Antoinette

333A Orchard Road, #02-33/34 Mandarin Gallery

Tel: +65 6836 9527


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Categories : All YumYums in my TumTum, Brunch, Cuisine Type YumYums, Desserts, French, Location of YumYum, Somerset, Yummy!

Restaurant Ember II – My Favourite Set Lunch

19 08 2011

There’s no better way to kick off the first week of school with luncheon at my favourite restaurant in Singapore, Restaurant Ember at Hotel 1929, a boutique hotel in Outram.

Priced at $39.50++ (excluding the additional supplements for certain options such as Foie Gras), Ember’s 3-course set lunch perfectly illustrates the difference between what it means to be “affordable” and what it means to be “value for money”. I’m sure no one would call a $50 lunch affordable, but given that the set menu features dishes that are way more premium, and choices way more extensive than the usual set lunches found elsewhere, I believe Ember’s set lunch is one of the most “value for money” in Singapore.

While it caters predominantly to the older working crowd, my young friends and I were still accorded with attentive service which I gratefully appreciate. I think this is where the absence of a tipping culture in Singapore comes into play, allowing everyone to be treated more or less equally and without bias in restaurant settings.

Friend Melvin had the Pan-roasted Scallops with Parma Ham, Citrus and Tarragon Vinaigrette. During my summer break over the past 3 months, I took the opportunity to travel to Europe and the States and feasted on really jumbo fresh scallops which were probably caught on the day itself, and that has given me a whole new perspective on how scallops should taste like. Compared to those, the ones at Ember are seared well but slightly petite and not as sweet but Melvin did mention he liked the accompanying citrus sauce.

The Roasted and Poached Foie Gras with Mirin, Shoyu and Shiitake (supplemet $6) is actually the main reason why I decided to come back and will continue to do so in the future. Perhaps it’s the result of the combination poaching and roasting which makes it all the more melt-in-you-mouth than the usual pan seared foie gras. And in my opinion, the savoury shoyu and mirin complements it surprisingly better than the renditions of caramelized apple sauce, citrus sauce, raisin sauce, prune compote etc that I have tried elsewhere.

Ember also has one of the best duck confits around. The duck skin here is the most crisp from all duck confits I have tried, crackling like a keropok when chewed. The duck meat is moist and supple and the gravy, rich and sinfully heavy. Heart attack on a plate…but so very worth it.

While I’m very fond of the Marinated Cod with Black Miso, Sweet Peas & Herbed Potatoes, Samuel found its sweetness slightly too gelat, especially after eating the very savoury mirin foie gras.

Having tried the Miso Cod on my last visit, I decided to order the Pan-seared Chilean Seabass with Mushroom and Smoked Bacon Ragout, and Truffle Yuzu Butter Sauce. The fatty flesh flakes off easily and goes well with the creamy base and earthly mushrooms.  It’s hard to say which fish dish I love better though, given their stark contrast between sweet vs creamy savoury but the Chilean Seabass does make for a better picture.

I do note that ever so often, people tend to mix up Chilean Seabass (aka Antarctic Cod though less commonly used) with Sablefish (Black Cod which was used in the Miso Cod dish) and it isn’t surprising, given that both are white fatty fishes that carry a similar awesome taste. Adding on to the confusion are some restaurants that simply label their dish cod but serve Chilean Seabass. While there’s no litmus test to tell the difference between the two, I do find that Black Cod tends to be more fatty and its flesh tears apart more easily than the Chilean Seabass. At the moment, the Chilean Seabass is fast becoming extinct, so I have come across some restaurants that advocate a no Chilean Seabass policy and switching to use Black Cod instead.

My personal favourite dessert here so far is the Crispy Caramelized Pear Tart with Homemade Bailey’s Ice Cream. The layers of Filo pastry are paper thin yet not made soggy one bit from the caramelized pears, maintaining its crispiness well. Perfect even without the ice cream but who’s complaining?

For the more risk averse, play safe by ordering the Warm Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It’s really one of the best around.

I was having a slight cough so I ordered the less heaty Homemade Fig Cake with Grand Marnier Ice Cream. I think this replaced the Sticky Date Pudding that was previously available here, and tastes rather similar to it anyways. It’s decent, but falls short to the previous 2 desserts.

Tea (choice of several types) or Coffee is also included within the set meal :)

While good restaurants tend to get most dishes right, I have hardly encountered any that gets everything right. Ember is one of those rare gems and that’s why it’s my favourite restaurant, serving my favourite set lunch.

Bon Appetit!

RESTAURANT EMBER

50 KEONG SAIK ROAD, HOTEL 1929

TEL: +65 6347 1928


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[London] Orrery – A Falling Star & the difference between Sparkling Wine, Prosecco and Champagne

26 05 2011

Everytime my brother has friends fly over to visit him in London, he never fails to bring them to Orrery, an ex-Michelin star French Restaurant. Similarly during my visit, he made a booking for one of their 3-Course Set Dinners via Toptable, priced at 28.50GBP.

We were first treated to a glass of Grand Cru, a type of French Wine. I’m a noob when it comes to wine and don’t know the difference between prosecco, sparkling wine or champagne. Well, I’m sure many that many of us are in similar predicaments so I shall quickly list out the main differences based on my inference of what all-knowing Google says.

Sparkling Wine is the generic term for all kinds of bubbly. Champagne and Prosecco are all subsets of Sparkling Wine. For Champagne, it must be made from mainly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes that are grown in the region of Champagne, France while similarly for Prosecco, it must be produced in Prosecco, Italy with the grapes grown there. For simplicity’s sake, all other types of bubbly not produced in these regions will just be simply known as Sparkling Wine (I’m pretty sure there’s some other exceptions and subsets of Sparkling Wine apart from Champagne and Prosecco but those types of bubbly aren’t as well known by the layman). So apart from the region in which it is produced, both Prosecco and Champagne are also fermented using different methods, with Prosecco meant to be consumed young and fresh, taking only 4-6 weeks to produce a bottle while a bottle of Champagne typically takes up to a year on average to produce. Given the exclusivity of Champagne in terms of its production duration and area, it is usually popped only during special occasions while Prosecco is for day to day drinking. I guess this more or less sums up the differences between them. I’m sure this tidbit of information will be useful in helping you impress your friends the next time they ever decide to pop open a bottle of bubbly :D

According to my brother, Orrery always serves a complimentary starter and pre-dessert. The hors d’oeuvres today was Tomato soup topped with Basil foam which I felt lacked synergy and was too tangy for my liking. Regardless, it was free.

Usually I prefer my foie gras unadulterated, pan-seared and lightly seasoned but a few recent encounters with its terrine/pate versions have left me thinking. Easily the best dish of the night, the Foie Gras Parfait here trumps over the one I had at Novus, with the caramelized apples doing well to contrast against the smooth appetizing parfait.

The Orrery Fish Cake with Tatare Sauce was a simple Fried Salmon Ball. It tastes fine but I was expecting something a little more sophisticated and elegant given the restaurant.

The Salmon Gravadlax with Beetroot & Coriander is something I’d normally avoid due to its simplicity in preparation but then again, it’s also something that hardly ever goes terribly wrong.

For my main, I ordered the Braised Shoulder of Lamb a la Bordelaise with Mashed Potatoes. By the mere fact that I can’t recall much of it ever since eating it last week, I dare say its forgettable, literally.

Given that Orrery specializes in French cuisine, I was quite surprised that a traditional French dish; Confit Duck Facon Grand Mere, Jus Gras, turned out rather soggy.

Even the safest of choices, the Cod Fillet with Potato Cresse & Mussel Veloute was underwhelming and rather petite in size.

The Roasted Sea Bass with Barigoule, Coriander & Citrus was probably the only decent main that evening, with some decent crackling of the fish skin.

For our complimentary pre-dessert, we were each given Rhubarb topped with Lemon Sorbet and Crumble.

For Dessert, most of us sticked to the popular Chocolate Fondant with Blood Orange Sorbet. I tried to capture a pic exhibiting the choc lava flow but given that the molten chocolate was far too little and way too dense, such a feat was impossible. We did enjoy the sorbet though it’s probably the fastest melting sorbet I have seen.

The Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream too fell short of expectations. Its saving grace was really the Ice Cream with its evident fragrant black specks of vanilla beans.

Complimentary chocolates to end off the meal.

While service and ambience are worthy of Michelin-class, I’m guessing Orrery was probably dropped from the “star-studded” list due to inconsistency in their food.

Bon Appetit!

Orrery

55-57 Marylebone High Street

City of London, London W1U 5RB, United Kingdom

020 7616 8000


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[London] Rhodes W1 – A Modern Take on French

22 05 2011

I was quite pleased with myself when I managed to secure an online booking for lunch at Rhodes W1, especially when it was a 5-Course Spring Tasting Menu at just 25.50GBP. I can’t remember which website I used to make the reservation but I discovered that one of the more dominant reservations sites within the UK would be Toptable. It’s a restaruant booking website (very much like diningcity) which frequently offers diners specially priced set menus, and 50% off restaurant bill deals for diners who choose to make their reservations via toptable for selected restaurants. Why doesn’t Singapore have such a website?!

Awarded 1 Michelin star, Rhodes W1 came across to me as being excessively posh, with a chandelier overhanging each and every table and Molten Brown liquid soap & hand lotion and nicely folded cloth towels in the toilet! (and yes, in case you are wondering, I did what normal kiasu Singaporeans would do and spammed some hand lotion before leaving). Despite being labelled a contemporary French eatery, I believe that much of what Rhodes W1 conjures up derive influences from an eclectic mix of different cuisines.

I’m more of a focaccia person that a ciabatta.

Courgette (Zucchini) Mousse, Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Balsamic Jelly. I liked how the palate cleansing balsamic blended well with the creamy mousse.

Braised Octopus Carpaccio, Chorizo Croquette, Fennel and Lemon. Nothing mind-blowing about the octopus but I did like the Croquette which was well fried though I couldn’t really discern the taste of chorizo from the potato.

As G doesn’t take Octopus, the chef obligingly replaced it with a Pigeon Pate, which ironically I found more tasty and substantial.

I just had a Guinea Fowl Confit at Bistro Du Vinlast week which wasn’t exactly spectacular and concluded that Guinea Fowl is just a lesser poultry, short on taste and texture compared to duck or chicken. However I was proved wrong after tasting the Slowed Cooked Guinea Fowl, Baby Leeks, St George’s Mushrooms & Foie Gras Emulsion today. The cylindrical pieces of meat came from the breast and was stuffed with what I gathered was egg, sunflower seeds and some other ingredients. As for the rectangular piece, it consisted of the thigh portions. Both were succulent and juicy.

Pina Colada. Coconut mousse atop pineapple sorbet.

Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Ice Cream. A sweet ending to the stellar meal.

The bill arrived in an envelope labelled “The Damage”. Very cutesey…I like.

Bon Appetit!

Marble Arch
London W1H 7DL, United Kingdom
Tel: 020 7616 5930


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Categories : All YumYums in my TumTum, Chichi, Cuisine Type YumYums, England, French, Fusion, LEGEN...wait for it..DARY!, Location of YumYum, London

Bistro Du Vin II – 2nd Time’s the Charm

12 05 2011

One of Les Amis’s staff came across my previous lunch post on Bistro Du Vin, and left a comment saying that they would  look into the aspects of the set lunch I felt could be improved upon. This definitely sets the gold standard for customer service; addressing customer’s feedback outside of their restaurant setting. And it is restaurants like this that deserves a revisit should the 1st visit prove unsatisfactory or have fallen short of expectations.

I like the setting of Bistro Du Vin. It exudes a Parisian feel that is uncharacteristic of Singapore. Well-heeled tai tais were scarce today, with the crowd consisting mainly of middle-aged women in their casual tank tops. After all, this isn’t fine dining but traditional french fare, where sharing of foods is to be encouraged rather than frowned upon. As usual, service was attentive and the staff seemed rather happy going about their business.

The complimentary bread came toasty and warm and stood well with me but my bread-discerning friend C commented that the pores of the bread wasn’t large and airy enough. But it’s free bread so 免费多吃!

The 3-Course Set Lunches are priced at $30++, though do expect to pay closer to $40++ if you intend to choose some of the more popular course options.

The Salmon Trout Gravadlax with Dill, Citrus & Radish was just a fancy name for smoked salmon. Not as salty as pre-packed supermarket versions and so, there wasn’t any problems eating it straight up.

French Garlic Sausage & Celeraic Remoulade on Toast. 

Pan-Fried Foie Gras with Prune Compote (supplement of $6). It came as a really large slab, probably the largest I have come across in any set lunch. However, it was throughly drenched in oil, similar in fashion as my previous visit. The problem with the residual oil is that it sticks to the throat which is really irritating. I also felt that the searing could have been executed better. Personally, I think that Ember’s Mirin Foie Gras is the benchmark to beat right now, and rumour has it that Gunther’s Candied Almond Foie Gras ($40) is something to watch out for as well, but at $40 (when Gunther’s set lunch is $38), it’s quite a hard pill to swallow.

Pan-Fried Red Snapper with Lentils Vinaigrette. I have had quite a few bad experiences with Red Snapper as unlike Cod , it’s a pretty lean fish and so, there’s a lot of room for error, especially if the flesh isn’t seasoned well or overcooked. But the Red Snapper here deserves commendation. The fish is fresh and the fish skin is fried to a nice crisp.

Braised Pork Belly with Lingot Bean Stew. I liked the succulent belly pork with its hearty bean and carrot stew. Normally, I would suggest sharing a pot of pork belly but surprisingly, it wasn’t cloying as I had expected it to be and I could have easily polished it off on my own.

French Duck Leg Confit served with Croucroute (supplement of $3, but chef waived it because he deemed the size of the duck leg smaller than usual. A pleasant surprise when the bill came). The duck confit was well done, with the meat left juicy and moist.

Guinea Fowl Confit served with Choucroute. While it looks similar to the duck confit, I much prefer the duck. Guinea Fowl tastes much like chicken, though with a drier and less fatty texture which I find less delectable.

Profiteroles (supplement of $3) are definitely crowd pleasers. I find the ones here adequate, though a notch down from the ones at Au Petit Salut.

The Lemon Meringue Tart was a little too sour for my palate and the tart base could definitely be improved upon.

The Banana Crumble with Coconut Ice Cream is an interesting dessert. The caramelized bananas being a suitable companion to the coconut ice cream.

Creme Brulee was pretty average.

I had a much more enjoyable meal compared to my first visit. Hopefully the 3rd one proves even more so.

Bon Appetit!

BISTRO DU VIN

1 SCOTTS ROAD, #02-12 SHAW CENTRE

TEL: +65 6733 7763


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Categories : All YumYums in my TumTum, Cuisine Type YumYums, French, Location of YumYum, Orchard, Yummy!

Cocotte – Cuisine Bourgeoise, A French Affair

25 04 2011

The use of interesting wordplay by eateries are becoming ever so prevalent nowadays. From the likes of Thai eatery Porn’s, Joo Chiat’s fine dining restaurant Private Affairs, and now Cocotte. Few people actually know what it means, but Cocotte has 2 meanings attached to it. First, it could mean “a small fireproof dish in which individual portions of food are cooked and served”. Alternatively, it also means “a prostitute or promiscuous woman”, apt wordplay given its location at the Wanderlust Hotel, a boutique hotel off Bugis and Little India.

Cocotte offers rather traditional French fare which I feel embodies the principles of cuisine bourgeoise, a style of french cooking associated with the middle class, as opposed to haute cuisine which places large emphasis on many small courses of elaborate preparations and presentations. Many of the dishes here such as the signature Poulet Roti (Organic Roast Chicken) are simple displays of French country cooking that is meant for communal sharing, and it really allows me to envision the scene of a tight knitted french family eating together and chatting loudly, where the platters of food are being passed around and across the dining table.

French dining is no hurried affair, with meals typically taking up to 2 to 3 hours from what I hear. Sadly, such a dining tradition is gradually being eroded here in Singapore and families are finding it a tall order nowadays just to have short dinners together, often opting to eat out instead of spending quality dining time with family given our busy schedules.

Cocotte offers a variety of set lunches. There’s a 3-Course Set Lunches for 1 pax @ $29++/pax, Set Lunches for 2 pax @ $35++/pax  and Set lunches for 4 pax @ $33++/pax. I would highly recommend going for the set lunches for 2 or 4 pax because they offer more choices with regards to the dishes available and also fits in with Cocotte’s concept of communal dining.

I didn’t like the warm complimentary bread here because it was hard as a stone.

I had no trouble seeing why the Fried Tripe is one of Cocotte’s signature appetizers. Coated with breadcrumbs and served with a tomato salsa, I throughly enjoyed the chewy yet tender texture of the tripe. Although we normally find cow’s stomach in our chinese-styled beef noodles, it’s really quite rare to find it in Singapore served otherwise. I remember eating an unforgettable spicy boiled tripe in Italy (sold at roadside stalls) and I’d imagine that fried tripe would taste awesome in hotdog buns as well!

The Rosette (cured Pork Sausage) was served in a platter with Olives, Salad and Mustard. It’s really not my cup of tea as the sausage and olives were too salty, though I do know that this is how it’s supposed to be.

I much preferred the Tomato & Pickled Anchovy Salad, with the salty anchovies and sweet peaches.

Pan-seared Chicken with Pine Nut, Mushroom & Port Cream, served with crushed Potatoes & Haricot Vert (a type of Green Bean). While the chicken was fabulous on its own, I had some problems with the sauce. It’s probably because of the Port which made the cream base slightly sweet, which I found hard getting used to. The sauce did complement the potatoes though.

Personally, I’d suggest going for the Beef Bourguignon, “Grass fed beef braised in red wine, served with sauteed mushrooms, pearl onions & roasted baby potatoes” as a main. It’s a classic french dish and Cocotte executed it perfectly, scoring higher points than the one I had at Bistro du Vin. If only there was some creamy mash or nice bread to mop up all the gravy.

For desserts, we had a Passionfruit Raspberry Cream Tart, which I found much too tart and overwhelming for my meek tastebuds.

Since it was Easter Weekend, Cocotte also had a special dessert consisting of an Almond Basket Biscuit with Chocolate Truffles & Marshmellows.

The Creme Brulee here is decent and infused with a nice coffee flavour. The custard might have been a tad too dense but still very enjoyable.

A couple of hits and misses but on the whole, the execution of the cooking was very competent. It does justice to traditional French cooking and I definitely wouldn’t mind returning soon to try out more of it’s signatures.

Bon Appetit!

COCOTTE

2 DICKSON ROAD, THE WANDERLUST HOTEL

TEL: +65 6298 1188


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Categories : All YumYums in my TumTum, Bugis, Cuisine Type YumYums, French, Location of YumYum, Yummy!

Restaurant Ember – The exception to “hara hachi bu”

22 04 2011

I came across the japanese term “hara hachi bu” recently. It’s an Okinawan tradition which means to eat only till 80% full. While it’s a good strategy for avoiding obesity and living a healthy lifestyle, I find it useful and relevant in the art of food appreciation as well. I find that the most memorable meals are the ones where hara hachi bu comes into play, where you leave a restaurant only partially full and left wanting for more. Ever so often are we guilty of attending a buffet and gorging ourselves to get our money’s worth, only to be left unsatisfied and empty at the end of the meal.

However, Restaurant Ember proves to be an exception. Filled to 110% of my bodily capacity, I still found it to be one of my most memorable meals ever.

Despite being situated in what I’d consider to be the most competitive dining environment (the Tanjong Pagar and Outram area) to be found locally, Restaurant Ember still manages to keep up a fully booked reservation list on a day to day basis, which says a lot for an eatery that has already been around for the past 8 years.

At Ember, you can rest assure that there’s no hocus pocus, smoke or pyrotechnics used to impress diners. It’s a place where ambience and service is kept to a respectful minimum, and the the focus is really on the food. I reaffirmed this fact when I received a call confirming my reservation by a staff member who had an uncouth singlish accent, a far cry from the usual dignified “ang mor” accent we are so used to hearing from western eateries.

A warm toasty focaccia kick started our meal.

We were also given a complimentary mocktail each, a promotion for patrons paying with DBS/POSB cards.

3-Course Set Lunches here are priced at $39.50++, though some dish choices (like the foie gras) do require slight additional top-ups.

Pan Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Apples & Clove, Port & Raspberry Glaze (additional $6 supplement). Me, I’m just a sucker for foie gras. This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, with the classic light tinge of sour acidity from the malic and ascorbic acid from the apples to help provide some balance for the fatty goose liver. Pity it was slightly overcooked.

Roasted and Poached Foie Gras with Mirin, Shoyu & Shitake (additional $6 supplement). One of my most enjoyable foie gras dishes ever! As opposed to the sweet-sour combi with the previous foie gras dish, this dish was pure savoury goodness.

Marinated Cod with Black Miso, Sweet Peas & Herbed Potatoes. Unlike the previous Miso Cod I had at Greenwood Fish Market, I preferred Ember’s rendition which has a cleaner and lighter taste.

Crispy Duck Leg Confit with new Potatoes, Caramelized Onion & Thyme Jus. Very impressive duck confit they conjured up here, one of the best I have had. The skin is really crisp and somehow devoid of any excess frying oil, the duck meat is moist and supple, and the gravy heavy probably from the duck fat residue but flavourful nonetheless.

Homemade Sticky Date Pudding with Grand Marnier Ice Cream. For the longest time, Sticky Date Pudding has been my favourite dessert but I think I’m starting to tire of it. The Date Pudding here oddly resembles a fruitcake in terms of taste and texture. Personally, I’d prefer it more moist and I think it would have paired better with just a plain old Vanilla Bean Ice Cream instead of the yoghurt tasting Grand Marnier Ice Cream.

Warm Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. I’m sure this would be a hit amongst dark chocolate lovers. The Vanilla Ice Cream is also to die for.

As you can see, Ember just puts a smile on my face. It just might be is my new favourite restaurant. Bon Appetit!

RESTAURANT EMBER

50 KEONG SAIK ROAD, HOTEL 1929

TEL: +65 6347 1928


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Categories : All YumYums in my TumTum, Cuisine Type YumYums, French, Fusion, LEGEN...wait for it..DARY!, Location of YumYum, Tanjong Pagar / Outram, Western

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