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house of robert timms

February 27, 2012
Brunch, Mid - Range ($15 - $30), Orchard Road, Western
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brunch time at orchard road!

robert timms was an accidental brunch choice for a lazy saturday morning. accidental meaning that mandarin gallery’s antoinette and wild honey were both completely swamped, with waiting times of 30 – 45 minutes whilst robert timms @ orchard shopping center looked distinctly empty besides one of two tables and hence we settled on that.

not that it was a bad choice.

i like the fact that it wasn’t crowded and the place had an airy, cheery atmosphere that really encouraged much talking/sharing and just chilling out. furnishings are nothing much to talk about, its just a simple restaurant layout with some slight australian accents (like the koala). and its not too expensive — something like a cross between a cafeteria styled fast food place and a more sophisticated cafe like environment. let’s talk food.

big bang  ($18.00) – sausages, turkey ham, beef patty, baked beans and bacon

to be honest, its a little of a meat overload, and it was semi-comical trying to see my friend trying to slowly work through the entire portion. definitely satisfies meat lovers though my friend didn’t particularly like the beef patty, but otherwise its not a smart choice for a light brunch option. girls, you can share this amongst three i suspect.

three way toasts ($13.50) – sauteed mixed mushrooms, bratwurst sausage, poached egg with turkey ham on multigrain toasts 

i got this which was pretty decent, what with three distinct flavors topped onto some multigrain toasts. poached egg with turkey was good, with the egg being nicely soft-boiled, oozing upon being poked at. the sauteed mixed mushrooms could have benefited from a little more flavor and perhaps a little of pepper and herbs because it was pretty bland. the bratwurst sausage slices were pleasant and reminded me of chorizo – they were slightly spicy (like the korean bean paste style spicy). overall, a decent choice with variety and a balance of flavors. i mean, i’m not expecting top notch quality food here and neither am i paying for such, so its all good. 

couldn’t end the meal without a decent cafe latte ($5.80), since coffees were apparently the draw of this place (help me, i’m turning ang-moh with the need for coffee). its aromatic and decent (honestly cant comment much about coffee) and made for a good after-meal drink. to be honest, i like the place because its simple, not too crowded, serves hearty decent brunch food at a sensible price, and is a nice place to just chat and chill with friends. mission accomplished. 6.75/10

house of robert timms | 321 Orchard Road, #01-01/02, Orchard Shopping Centre, singapore 238866 | brunch, australian, contemporary

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chalk

January 29, 2012
Bugis | Little India, Contemporary, Desserts, Pricey ($30 - $70), Western
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clearing the backlog.

the problem with food blogging is that whilst some restaurants really compel me to blog about the fantastic tastes and the artful decor (say, jaan), others simply can’t excite me to summon much enthusiasm to write about. so let me try to complete this whilst i have so time to spare.

chalk is the very definition of hidden find, tucked up above mount sophia at old school, where timbre is also sited. its a chillax, artsy environment what with the semi-industrial, minimalistic designs (seemingly with the swedish design aesthetic) along with tasteful paintings and furniture. getting here can be quite a pain if you don’t have a car, as it means climbing up quite a few sequences of steps from plaza singapura. but that gives it the secluded charm i suppose.

my first impression of chalk was hugely positive – nice ambience along with good wine and company, and the restaurant gave the sense of a cosy after-work chill out spot for wine and food lovers and artsy bohemian spirits alike. often quite packed and requiring reservations, the restaurant had the air of a crowded yet still sufficiently private feel of a popular dining club, if you know what i mean. food-wise, the first experience proved pretty good, what with a decent carbonara serving, nice desserts and at a price point that wasn’t too expensive.

so it was with these high expectations that i headed back to chalk to celebrate my birthday (now you know how backlogged this post is.. lol). and with high expectations came a high crash i suppose. what stunned me initially was the prices of the food as i stared at the menu – simple pastas were going at high 20s to 30s (the range of fine dining establishments), appetizers going at 20s to 40s (for iberico ham) and with flatbreads (some variant of a pizza) fetching at least 30 bucks. its was seriously pricey and i was kinda shocked at the menu and really even wondering what to order. lets not even talk about the drinks menu.

i mean, let’s be honest about prices. people head to restaurants with a certain expectation after looking at the ambience, the clientele and just the general hype, classify them as a certain type of restaurant (cheap/value, cafe-style/brunch, mid-range, pricey, fine-dining). to me, chalk fell nicely in between the cafe/mid-range zone, where i would have expected pastas at around low 20s and mains at high 20s – 30s.. hmm, i dunno, the shock really took away alot of the initial goodwill i had of the place. and of course, with such prices, you become just that much demanding of what you get served with.

let’s talk service next. i would call it inattentive at best. there weren’t that many tables being served at that time, like 3 – 4.. which was surprisingly empty actually (maybe it was a sign). service was slow and it was difficult to get the waiter’s attention it seemed. furthermore, there was a distinct sense that some of the waiters (or perhaps owner?) of the place was fixated on serving this ang-moh family that were seated later than us and pointedly ignored us. and that’s annoying.

and then let’s talk food. surprisingly, the menu didn’t seem to have the well-acclaimed carbonara anymore, and the selections seemed to have thinned out. let’s see:-

(sorry if the dish name/price is inaccurate.. im trying to remember the ballpark figure)

seafood aglio olio, $32

to be honest, the dish didn’t look too bad or taste too bad, but i seriously don’t know how the restaurant would justify a pricepoint of 30-ish bucks. The ingredients don’t look particularly spectacular or expensive and neither does the execution seem to require some major expensive equipment. so why?

Coca De Matanza – Garlic Saffron Bread with Lean Pork Belly Meat, Fried Chorizo, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Garlic and Smoked Idiabazal Cheese ($36?)

i’ve said my piece about the price so i’m not repeating. taken on its own, this dish is actually a decent variation of your common pizza, with the caramelized onions, fried chorizo and pork belly meat blending well to create a flat bread that was both sweet and savory and tasted good. it’s a decent dish.

chocolate fondant, vanilla ice cream and sesame snap

sticky date pudding with brandy butterscotch sauce and ginger ice cream

vanilla pannacotta with berry compote

desserts was where chalk won back some points. the desserts felt inspired and the vanilla pannacotta is really something to die. for. light, but bursting with immense vanilla flavor and paired spectacularly with the berry compote, this dessert seriously left you wanting for me. haven’t seen another pannacotta that is as good as this to be honest. try this if you are here.

hmm. all in all? a disappointment, more from an overpriced standpoint. dishes were well-executed and tasty but the price left a bitter taste in the mouth. service didn’t help either. i liked their spanish flatbread, but found their others mains (didn’t really include them, but it included dishes like half a spring chicken and barramundi fish) to be too simplistic and uninspired to fetch such a high price. desserts were good. its sad to say this, but i doubt i would revisit chalk unless i hear sufficient good hype again. the competition out there is just too stiff. 5.0/10

chalk restaurant | 11 mount sophia, #01-03, singapore | desserts, western, contemporary

old empire gastrobar

November 13, 2011
Drinks, Mid - Range ($15 - $30), Other Locations, Western
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bittersweet memories.

you know, after blogging and reviewing so much about food, there’s a certain realization that food memories are hugely influenced by the people we eat the food with, the conversation we hold with them throughout the meal, and the emotions felt. in this case, it was a bittersweet meal, with the realization that chillin’ with my sis was going to be something that would be quite rare come next month onwards, considering that she would be flying off to spain for goodness knows how long. ah well.. it has been nice and a great support, and its really cool to grow up and see our siblings become our close friends.

anyways.. old empire gastrobar is this unpretentious pub/bar located in the sleepy shopping centre of valley point near river valley. (yes, spize is nearby, and dozo and la noce are in the same building.. if you need a reference). the sense i get from the bar is that it is an unpretentious watering hole, with lively 90s music, simple bar furnishings — a place that would completely blend into its surroundings had it been plonked into a irish/uk/us town. with such an environment, you would understand why foreigners flock to this place for drinks on a lazy, rainy friday night to just unwind, chillax and chat with friends. i was wondering why Singaporeans didn’t seem to buy into such a culture in general, then i remembered the coffee shops littered with old uncles watching football and realized the parallel there. different strokes for different folks eh?

and as an aside, using the word “gastrobar” really does raise the atas-ness of a restaurant by several notches eh? i mean, upon reading about this gastrobar on HGW, i was imagining some cool, chic, hip, well-designed bar serving pricey fusion bar food with an assortment of beer. well my impression couldn’t be more way off, considering this place was simply an unpretentious pub with well.. simple pubby food like fish & chips, burgers, chicken wings and the likes. but hey.. this shows.. using these “atas” words like gastro really does work sometimes eh? i’m chope-ing the word “gastroculture” or something like that for my future restaurant eh? lol..

trappistes rochefort 6

ok.. beer wise, they do have a real decent, long selection of beers, and with a happy hour till 8pm, you can get some relatively decently priced beers to accompany your meal. i got the trappistes rochefort 6 ($11), some belgian ale which had a malty sweet taste that appealed to my sweet-tooth sensibilities, whereas my sis got a girly koppaberg strawberry-lime beer ($8). both were pretty decent selections imo (but i still prefer wine of course =))

        smoked duck breast, $18

this is a surprisingly well plated dish for simple bar grub and the duck breast was all sorts of delicious, tasting almost somewhat like ham — well grilled, flavorful and really kinda addictive to be honest. the drawback of this dish would be the fact that it was kinda really oily, meaning that the health-conscious sensibilities of mine were kinda protesting at the dish. but its worth a try to be honest.

empire burger, $18

my sis ordered an empire burger, which was another surprise as well, this one not as pleasant. to be honest, the notion of burgers at a pub conjured up images of huge slabs of patty and bun in my mind, so it was kinda underwhelming to see such a small burger being served up, along with a decent potion of potato wedges. the burger was alrite, but nothing too special. this doesn’t really warrant an $18 to be honest..

hmm.. all in all, this place is nice to hang out and have some beer while catching up with friends. furthermore, there’s a 15% discount with standard chartered to sweeten the deal. food-wise, its kinda unexpected if you’re expecting common bar grub. there’s some level of sophistication but it needs some tweaking in my opinion. hold on the food-front until more reviews emerge praising their cuisine — otherwise, come for somewhat more delicious bar grub then. 6.5/10

old empire gastrobar |  491 River Valley Road, #01-16 Valley Point | bar grub, beers

open door policy

November 6, 2011
Contemporary, Pricey ($30 - $70), Tiong Bahru, Western
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tiong bahru chic

tiong bahru’s seriously becoming chic you guys, what with popular cafes and restaurants like forty hands and open door policy sprouting up, along with curio shops like strangelets (that sold popaganda!) and cool bakeries like drips. mark my words, tiong bahru’s your next duxton/ann siang. already, i noticed an increasing number of foreigners and well-dressed singaporeans strolling around roads with names like tiong poh road and such, so its a matter of time. anyways, ODP is sited along yong siak street, directly across forty hands. its not exactly easy to get there — you’d have to walk for about 10 minutes to get into the old estate area from tiong bahru MRT, but i guess that’s what gives it its tranquil charms. the place is still relatively under-developed and primarily an old residential estate, so when night falls, there’s a certain tranquility that settles within the area. parking isn’t an issue because there’s a relatively big open air carpark within the estate.

the interior of ODP gives off a very industrial, sleekly designed feel that feels like some up and coming restaurant in NYC, say within the meat packing district. you do get the feeling of being transported to another world, one where tired executives head to artsy restaurants like these to unwind from the days work alongside well-dressed socialites quietly sharing the latest gossips with each other. one must mention the furniture within the restaurant, which has largely adopted the “olden days” theme, with tables converted from old classroom desks, and many chairs being those old, rusty metallic chairs in classrooms. the furniture, whilst fitting with the theme, wasn’t exactly too comfortable as the chairs were kind of hard and my mom stared at the rust worried she would get tetanus (lol.. kidding). ok food talk.

steak tartare with truffle mayo and potato chips, $19

yummy! i recently commented to a friend that i found truffle fries to be the next big overhyped dish of singaporean cafes but these truffle potato chips made me literally swoon upon first bite — crispy and amazingly flavored with truffle sauce. i could order an entire bowl to finish if I had the chance. =) the steak tartare was well made and paired well the toasted bread. i suspect we were supposed to eat the chips with the tartare, but the chips were too good to need any further flavor inject. mind you, for people who don’t know, tartare refers to raw meat, usually used for spreads for toast. (this is essentially the thing mr bean ordered and hated, and proceeded to try hiding chunks of them in the most ridiculous places ever. but don’t worry this tastes good.) so yeah, if you get squeamish about eating raw stuff, then don’t order this — though to be honest, it tasted really great and had no such slimy/raw feel to it.

48 hour cooked braised beef cheek with mochi potatoes, carrot puree, and snow pea lendrils , $29

didn’t exactly like the snow pea lendrils, but besides that this dish was perfect — something that can literally send you to gastronomie heaven. the beef cheek is so soft that it really melts in your mouth as you savour it. the sauce for it is well balanced, and the carrot puree formed a perfect complement to the beef cheeks. mochi potatoes was something new to me and they likewise went really really well with the dish, and made me actually hanker for more of such carbs. my only other complain would be that the sauce wasn’t enough and I ended up eating a little portion of the beef cheeks without the sauce. but besides that, seriously guys, go try this rendition of beef cheeks. yummz.

pork belly with parsnip puree, braised quinoa and celery, $29

tried some portions of this — the crisps stacked on top of the pork belly were really good and the pork belly was one slab of crispy goodness as well. my companions who ate this gave quite high reviews as well, besides for the fact that it was slightly small.

i didn’t try the desserts. why? to be honest, I realised just how expensive some of the dishes were – desserts were roughly $15 each, which is kind of exorbitant. and likewise, a quick calculation in my mind made me realise that we had already spent upwards of 30+ for a shared appetizer and mains each. haha.. i’m quite the calculative cheapskate nowadays perhaps, but i think the atas food trips is taking a tolling on my wallet. =(

overall? a really cool place with an exciting menu and food that has some serious flavor and goodness in time. it’s more pricey that your usual cafes (a spaghetti bolognaise went for $22) but in return, you get good ambience, interesting food arrangements (there was a tendency to use chopping boards and stone pots for various dishes) and good, solid food. come at least once to try it out, then take a stroll round the estate to discover this part of singapore, eh? 8.0/10

open door policy | 19 yong siak street | contemporary, western

second thoughts, little part 1 cafe

October 26, 2011
Mid - Range ($15 - $30), Upper Thomson | Novena, Western
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de ja vu.

ya’know, i rarely head back to the same restaurant, and especially in such a short duration. but considering its close proximity to my house, and that my elder sis had suggesting bringing kayla there for lunch, i begrudgingly decided to revisit the place, albeit reminding myself not to order the desserts. read about the previous meal here.

and boy, i did quite a 180. this time we ordered the chicken schnitzel yet again, but also shepherd’s pie ($16.90), as well as the bratwurst brat ($18.90). the dishes really gave off a homey, warm feeling, which went well with the fact it was pouring like crazy outside. the bratwurst was deliciously juicy, bursting in our mouths as we bit into it (i compared it to squeezing a pimple to which both my sister’s reeled back in disgust. lol). i found the pairing of the bratwurst with the accompanying honey mustard sauce really nice, the sweetness complementing the juicy flavor of the meat. the shepherd’s pie was well made/baked, with the top crust nicely browned and crisp and the proportion of beef stew and potato was just nice such that the starchiness of the potato did not overwhelm the dish.

and hey it’s kids friendly! (there’s only one baby chair though, so book in advance) we fed kaykayla the mashed potatoes with corn along with the shepherd’s pie and she approved of it by finishing the entire bowl. haha.. she’s really the most critical reviewer actually.

and mind you, the ambience of the place was distinctly different from the sparse, empty feel the first time i went, as the restaurant was merrily packed with patrons, lending a cheery, laid back atmosphere to the place. the service was also much more prompt and faster than the first, perhaps because the owner of the restaurant was around this time.

desserts time! i read on HGW that the apple crumble with ice cream ($6) was decent, so i was willing to give the desserts a second shot since the mains proved to be a delightful improvement as well. and boy.. the apple crumble is really quite good, the crust is nicely baked and crisp and the ice cream really went well with the apple pie. we also ordered a chocolate truffle cake that was pleasantly delicious as well.

 all in all? little part 1 cafe deserves a raise in scoring — choose wisely and you get a really pleasant, decent meal – avoid the brownies and go for the apple crumble for dessert as well. and oh.. come when the owner is around to get the best experience i suppose. =) 6.5/10

ittle part 1 cafe | 15 jasmine road, adelphi park estate | german, beers, cafe, desserts

little part 1 cafe

October 23, 2011
Drinks, Mid - Range ($15 - $30), Upper Thomson | Novena, Western
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german trick or treat

little part 1 cafe is the very definition of hidden find - tucked away at a small road after thomson plaza and sited at a row of smallish shops supporting a cosy neighborhood, its a place you would easily miss unless you knew what you were looking for. the interior is quite cosily decorated, typical of those cafes you would find at a street side in munich.. i say munich because the cafe reminds me distinctly of Germany, what with the paulaner brauhaus beers and a menu featuring food like chicken schnitzel. i particularly like the photo frame wall feature in the cafe, which lends a certain eccentric haphazard charm to the place. i went with my sis on a lazy thursday afternoon where there were a few patrons just chillin’ and whiling afternoon away. quaint.

this being said, the service was tad slow, considering that you really had a slow, linear chain of customers coming in. the dishes took quite a few to come, especially for the dessert. let’s talk about food then.

chicken schnitzel – $18.90

this place isn’t exactly cheap, but the chicken schnitzel was really quite good, especially compared to a the chicken meuniere served at nearby swensens @ thomson plaza. the breaded chicken was crispy and juicy and didn’t feel any bit fattening or oily (unlike say KFC) and the accompanying white wine sauce was an interesting complement to the dish. i was delighted to find that the mashed potatoes had corn in them, which added a nice flavor to what can be quite mundane normally. the salad also was infused with a kind of citrusy vinaigrette which made for a very pleasant meal in general. mind you, this dish is big, so bring an appetite here.

four cheese crepe – $16.90

my sis got the four cheese crepe, which was pretty decent. surprisingly, i don’t see that many restaurants doing much crepes, when its actually a very simple and very common dish in europe.

brownie with vanilla ice cream – $6.50

sadly, the dessert was a disappointing disaster. i suspect the brownie was over-microwaved and hence it was dry, flaky and had a slight plasticky taste, which was kinda sad since i was hoping for something chewy and delicious. the ice cream felt like it was ladled out of a cheap walls ice cream tub and tasted cheap and not at all artisanal (haha i love that word). to be honest, i think a cafe should serve desserts of a certain standard, so its kinda disappointing.

all in all, a decent chill out spot for some German-influenced food. the chicken schnitzel is worth a try, perhaps shared along with some buffalo wings. it’s a little pricey to be honest and the desserts are an abject disappointment. so-so place for me. oh.. but plus points for not having any service charge… maybe that explains for the slower than usual service. 5.5/10

little part 1 cafe | 15 jasmine road, adelphi park estate | german, beers, cafe

arbite

October 9, 2011
Contemporary, Mid - Range ($15 - $30), Other Locations, Western
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simple playspace.

saturday mornings have become lazy, brunch-hunting mornings where I hunt down new cafes and establishments to soak in the atmosphere, comment about the ambience, enjoy a good meal and chat with good friends. =) that’s a pretty chill life, eh? so this time round, lik sin and i got down to exploring arbite @ serangoon gardens. after having watched michelle chong’s inspired portrayal of a serangoon gardener, i decided to go explore this area abit.

so arbite took the place of what used to be a chinese dessert stall that used to sell durian desserts which contributed to an overall pungent environment to its cosy confines. me no life. arbite has taken the space and has decorated it in a sleek, white minimalist theme, using swedish-style furniture to create a tasteful cosy area for people to escape the midday heat. the decorative elements are lego blocks that have been stuck onto cracks in the wall, and there are also jars of lego for little kids to play with. nice concept. location wise, arbite manages to achieve that hidden gem feel owing to the fact that it resides of the second floor above guardian pharmacy, but is actually really convenient, considering it faces serangoon circus and can be seen once u get off the board that leads into the area. let’s talk food then.

pappardelle with mushrooms and parma ham – button mushrooms, spinach, parma ham and cream sauce drizzled in truffle oil ($19.90)

yay for home-made pappardelle! it’s been awhile since i’ve managed to taste home-made pappardelle — those i tasted in florence really set an incredibly high standard with an amazing crunchiness and lightness to the taste of the pasta. mind you, there really is a difference when stuff is home made and made well. makes me really want to head back to florence again. FYI, the restaurant you MUST go to in florence for their pasta and wine tasting is Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina. anyways,the parppadelle here can’t compare to that found in florence, but stands pretty well on its own. there is a certain level of crunchiness and the ingredients really worked well together, the cream sauce balancing out the savoriness of the parma ham and the mushrooms. good stuff.

pork schnitzel, $17.90

lik sin got the pork schnitzel, which was a smart choice i suppose, since arbite is a pun for the german/danish word for work. anyways, he liked it alot, especially with the gratuitous dollop of blue cheese at the side.

my wife’s chocolate cake, served with a scoop of movenpick’s vanilla ice cream, $8.00

the dessert is kinda huge and should be shared. its delicious mind you but imo, too much chocolate makes on jelak very easily. anyways, i appreciated the fact that the movenpick ice cream used real vanilla pods because you could see the black grains in the ice cream. (the cheaper and much easier method would be to use vanilla essence) the ice cream went really well with the chocolate cake, which had a thick layer of chocolate ganache on top of the chocolate cake that swirled well with the ice cream. the cake itself was pretty light but still held its own flavors together with the ganache and ice cream. yummy.

all in all, i’m definitely coming back here, what with other delicious things on the menu, from brunch breakfasts to lamb shanks. nice chill ambience and a cool environment. 7.5/10

arbite | 66a serangoon gardens way | cafe, contemporary, desserts

db bistro moderne, rolland collection wine dinner

September 9, 2011
Contemporary, Fine Dining ($70 above), Raffles City | Marina Bay, Western
1 Comment

magickal night

daniel boulud was in town on monday to visit, and it coincided with the rolland family collection wine dinner so what better time to visit db bistro moderne for a night of fine wine, dining and celebrity-chef spottin’! the menu wasn’t the normal db bistro moderne fare, but rather, food from daniel’s recently opened (in NYC) bouludsud which has garnered good reviews so far and has a reservation waitlist of 2 months. count me impressed.

anyways, db bistro moderne is sited along the celebrity restaurant stretch in mbs, right next to mario batali’s mozza and across wolfgang puck’s cut. it exudes a classy, luxurious, afterwork chillout kind of ambience with the dim lighting, parisien-esque furnishings, and smartly dressed waiters and servers alike. (with that, i mean that the servers could be mistaken as patrons of the restaurant.) i particular like the translucent, semi-frosted glass window along the interior wall of the restaurant, that allows patrons a hazy glimpse of the bustle in the kitchen that looks every bit like those from hell’s kitchen. let’s get to the food.

mediterranean dishes to share, paired with mariflor sauvignon blanc 2008 valle de uco, mendoza 

from front to back: spiced duck kataifi with date chutney, vitello tonnato with celery, anchovy and capers, and grilled octopus with marcona almonds, arugula and jerez vinegar

this was really a lesson of wine and food pairings for me. the sauvignon blanc was golden yellow in color, hinting towards late-harvest version of the wine, with a strong, rich flavor profile that really went well with the various dishes. and honestly, victoria and i were being superbly academic with the wine/food pairings, with victoria annotating down her wine comments across her menu and me just attempting to use all the taste buds on my tongue to identify the nuances in the wine. perhaps i’m getting a bit better at understanding the logic of pairings with food and wine, and it seemed like the dinner was pairing predominantly on the idea of matching qualities of the wine with complementary tastes in the food. with the duck and date chutney, the wine’s late harvest sweetness came through and enhanced the sweetness of the date chutney and duck whereas with the vitello tonnato (cold sliced veal), the herbaceous notes of the wine accentuated the refreshing tastes of the celery and capers. i didn’t quite like the grilled octopus combination of flavors, because i felt like the marcona almonds and jerez vinegar gave a very pasty aftertaste that wasn’t too appetizing.

the mediterranean dips included (from front to back): fresh hummus, herb falafel, babaganoush, to be dipped with lavash (not shown)

mind you, for people who have not tried much mediterranean food due to its relative new-ness to the singapore market, i recommend a trip to artichoke for dinner. methinks hummus, falafel and babaganoush (eggplant mash) are really delicious tapas style food that bars can consider serving as an alternative to the normal wings, fries, nachos and the likes. i felt that the savory flavors of the dips formed a perfect counterpoint with the crispness of the sauvignon blanc. the lavash bread was baked perfectly as well. yummy.

red spanish prawns carabineros, with pistou and summer vegetables

my, my.. what alot of foreign terms. pistou refers to the green vegetable sauce that is artfully drizzled across the dish to provide a refreshing sauce to the prawns. no idea what carabineros means but essentially the dish is of grilled prawns and vegetables done perfectly. the prawn is replete with complex flavors whilst the vegetables form a perfect complement for the savory flavors of the seafood. this was paired with chateau la grande clotte 2008 AOC bordeaux blanc, essentially a bordeaux white blend that is predominantly sauvignon blanc, with semillon and muscadelle as the other constituents. the wine alone tastes kind of rubbery/petroleum-ish (somewhat like riesling), with hints of sweetness from the semillon/muscadelle, as well as the herbaceous flavor for the sauvignon blanc. whilst paired with the wine, the vegetables and pistou brought out the herbaceous notes in the wine more prominently to mask away the petroleum-ish taste and complemented the prawns well. still felt like there was a rubbery aftertaste to the wine, but overall, this was a good combination, with the white wine strong enough to stand up to the complex flavors of the prawns and grilled vegetables.

daurade a la plancha, with romesco sauce and arugula paired with meriflor pinot noir 2007, valle de uco, mendoza

 let’s talk about the dish by itself first. the tomato base went very well with the grilled flavors of the fish and the arugula threw in fresh vegetal notes to balance out the entire dish. the wine itself was a pinot noir, with a predominant red cherry flavor along with quite an intense oakiness. in paper, the pairing made sense — the red cherry would accent the tomato base of the dish whilst the oakiness would complement the grill flavors of the fish. however, i felt that when wine was paired with the food, the oakiness dominated my palette and the combination did not work well. methinks this dish might have benefited from a lighter, red wine, maybe a beaujolais.

tuscan style dry-aged ribeye with wild mushrooms, taggiasca olives and crushed fava beans, paired with chateau le bon pasteur 2008 & 2001 AOC pomerol

so glad to have been able to taste Pomerol wines (one of the better wine-making regions in Bordeaux). the 2008 rendition was more tannic and herbaceous whereas the 2001 rendition gave a rounder, less tannic taste with hints of red cherry that tasted really nice. problem again for me is, the wine didn’t seem to go too well with the dish. the dry-aged ribeye was delicious and the fava beans gave a nice crunchiness and mash-like base to the dish. however, methinks the fava beans had an enduring aftertaste that lasted longer than the beef, meaning that when tasting with wine, the beans dominated the dish and was the main component in attempting to match with the wine. to me, fava beans and a red Bordeaux didn’t really work out. in fact, when i tasted just the ribeye with the wine, it was much better.

grapefruit givre, with sesame halva, rose loukoum and grapefruit sorbet

 mmm.. one really refreshing and tasty dessert that fully utilizes the natural wonders of the grapefruit. the dish is presented as a whole grapefruit on a bed of ice, with the grapefruit topped by a wafer (sesame halva) and the fruit hollowed to place in the rose loukoum and the grapefruit sorbet. DELICIOUS. the grapefruit sorbet is utterly refreshing with tangy accents and the rose loukoum adds a secondary sweetness to the proceedings.

for petit fours, we had nougat, baklava and some other cake-like thing. sigh, the baklava brings back fond memories of my grad trip to turkey, egypt and greece, and tasting the most delicious and freshly baked baklavas at a roadside cafe in Izmir. the baklava would ooze with honey when one bit on it, giving great satisfaction to the eater. sighh

all in all, a perfect dinner that really constitutes quite an educational experience. we all need to pamper ourselves sometimes eh?

db bistro moderne | 10 bayfront avenue, #b1-48, marina bay sands

bouludsud | 20 W. 64th St., New York, NY 10023

for reviews of bouludsud, go to NY times or NYMag. sigh.. really missing NYC now..

prive

August 31, 2011
Contemporary, Fine Dining ($70 above), Other Locations, Western
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otherwise titled: the camera-envy post

so we went to prive for dinner to celebrate joshie’s birthday, and in fine style i must say. prive is perched on this off-shore island that’s accessible via a bridge connected to mainland near vivocity. now if that’s not creating a distinct and unique ambience, i don’t know what is. and to be honest, the surroundings do little to remind you of the bustle that is singapore — tranquil surroundings amidst tidy rows of gleaming white yachts bobbing silently up and down the harbor create a picturesque and calming ambience unlike no other. it’s the very definition of upper class luxury and decadence. in some sense, it reminds me of the one time i went to one degree 15 @ sentosa cove and stared mutely at the ‘singapore dream’ materializing in my eyes. its really another world out there.

anyways, the experience there was also one that caused immense envy to me, but for an entirely different reason – because i discovered how pathetic (sorry g1o) my camera stood in comparison to my dear friend ian’s canon dslr. there was no comparison. it was like me hauling out a pea shooter to fight a war only to be facing a bazooka point blank for lack of a less crude description. and yes, whilst i gamely tried to take my food pictures using my g10, it became painfully obvious how good the quality of the shots were from ian’s camera, so i gave in and used his camera for the remaining shots. so here goes.

view from prive, shot from ian’s camera, using his flash apparatus. im seriously impressed. no touch up needed here.

amuse-bouche – essentially a single, bite-sized hors d’oeuvre that differs from an appetizer because amuse-bouches are done so based on a chef’s decision and not chosen by the diner (read: COMPLIMENTARY). it translates directly from french as “mouth amuser”. in this case, we had a curry samosa, with some drizzle of sauce that i couldn’t figure out. it was decent, but tbh not much to write about as it is almost a kop-out because curry being curry, is such a dominating flavor that it masks imperfections of any other thing.

just for comparison, this is my g10 shot, which i later touched-up slightly as well. *sad face*. i lack that amazing depth of field.

bread was really delicious, smelling and tasting as though they came directly from the oven. one type tasted overly salty at the sides though but the raisin baked bread with butter was a heavenly combination, mixing that sweet and savory tastes together for a light satisfying pre-meal food. hmm at this point it might be good to point out the service level here – i’m not too impressed, especially comparing with St Pierre (to be reviewed very soon) because the servers, while professional, were largely absent from our dining experience, neither assuming the position to explain to us the popular or better dishes, nor going out to explain what kinds of bread was presented and what sort of butter of was etc (compared to St Pierre of course). that being said, major points for actually supplying butter that was nicely melted such that one did not have to dig with their spoon furiously to carve out their butter.

oh hello, g10! we meet again! lol. i ordered the rack of kurobuta pork from their josper grill menu which was priced at a disgustingly high price of $52. like.. wow. the rationale? apparently this josper grill is some legendary culinary equipment that has revolutionized kitchens across Michelin starred restaurants. i kid you not. listen to their description of the grill -

“the josper grill is the latest professional tool that has taken the international culinary world by storm, with lauded chefs such as Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and Jason Atherton creating Josper-centric menus in their current establishments. The Spanish hybrid indoor barbeque grill/oven powered by Bincho-tan ‘white’ hardwood oak charcoal is well known for being able to grill meat, fish and vegetables swiftly, and more importantly, perfectly.”

haha. guys, i dunno whether sometimes we lap up such hype so easily because we want to be impressed, or at least, to a certain extent, feel more privileged than others who lack the chance to try out the josper grill food. to be honest, i don’t understand how utilizing this one equipment justifies literally doubling the price of a main dish, but well, i decided to give it a shot since it is probably the only time i would venture out to this keppel island and try such food. hehe, and yes, i paid for bragging rights to say “i ate josper-grilled food“. lol. and just drifting off even more, marketing people need to learn from prive on how to phrase their menus in a way that can justify the insane prices of their meals. learn quick, my padawan:

“the (insert name of kitchen equipment) is the latest darling of chefs worldwide, having inspired notable celebrity chefs such as (insert either Daniel Boulud/Mario Batali/Gordon Ramsay/the naked chef.. you get my drift) to create customized menus in their fine establishments. This (insert European “cheem” sounding name) apparatus combines state-of-the-art technology developed in (insert US laboratory name) with the age-old natural properties of (insert Asian/Oriental exotic sounding herb name) to masterfully churn out perfect renditions of (insert your favorite dish that you intend to price exorbitantly).”

voila!

ok back to the food. ahh.. the rack of kurobuta (japanese translation: black pig) tasted AMAZING. for all my teasing, this josper grill really does work magic in infusing all the natural goodness, sweetness and juiciness of the meat within the meat such that every piece tastes equally good – a taste evolution of the sweetness from the glace and sauce to the savoriness of the meat and inherent flavor. amazing stuff that had me abandoning my manners and attacking the bone itself.

my friends tried other selections in the josper grill menu, like the premium black angus tenderloin ($58) which tasted good as well, but i felt mine was really unique, with a really elevated flavor profile compared to your typical pork dish. and yes, the picture is a beaut.

we shared a few sides including sauteed mushrooms and a potato gratin, but again, it wasn’t really much to write about. pleasant, good food but nothing out of the ordinary i’m afraid.

ahh.. desserts. this time round i chose the varlhona chocolate mille feuille, $16, essentially layers of hazelnut praline crisp & varlhona chocolate layers, served with morello cherry compote. DELICIOUS. i mean, wow.. i didn’t know mille feuille could taste so good. the exquisite combination of the nuttiness of the hazelnut praline crisp mixed with the semi-sweet varlhona chocolate made for an immensely satisfying and addictive dessert. serious. i couldn’t stop grinning whilst eating this dessert. it was that good.

fresh lychee granite and seasonal fruits, $12

lemon meringue tart, $12

my friends ordered other desserts, but to be honest, mine was so good i couldn’t keep my eyes (or hands) off the mille feuille. though i tasted the lychee granite and felt it was refreshing and well-suited for a hot summer’s day. ahh, whatevs, just. get. the. mille. feuille.

so all in all, a really enjoyable experience, except of course the paying part of the meal. superb chillout ambience coupled with fine foods (if wisely selected) at a premium price. come here for your once-in-a-decade celebration and be prepared to spend, then head home and have good memories of the nice food here.  8.0/10

prive | no.2 keppel bay vista, marina at keppel bay, s098382 | contemporary, western, fine dining, desserts

oriole cafe + bar

August 30, 2011
Drinks, Mid - Range ($15 - $30), Orchard Road, Western
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chillin’ at somerset

oriole cafe + bar is some place that I’ve come across several times whilst walking briskly across the courtyard between 313 and pan pac service suites so well, after a failed attempt to call up spruce for brunch, i decided to bring my sis + parents to oriole cafe and bar, since it seemed like a decent, chill-out spot amidst a slightly drizzly, slow, Saturday afternoon.

the place has a certain industrial contemporary design feel, matching steel furnishings with glass windows to give a modern chill-out ambience that does relax you in a certain way. it indeed serves as a nice chill-out spot amidst the bustling orchard crowds, where you escape within the cool refines of the restaurant and choose to either plop yourself down at the cafe area or at the sleekly designed bar area. ok lets get to the food.

[warm portobello mushroom salad, $13 - paired with pinenuts, arugula, parmesan, tomato salsa]

well i had a prive dinner waiting for me at night, so i wasn’t gonna indulge in anything much so i went for a salad. the portobello was well grilled (though honestly i don’t know much about mushrooms since i normally shrink away from them in disgust. lol) and went well with the argula/pinenut/parmesan combo. i mean honestly, with salads, you really can’t go that wrong (unless ingredients are not fresh) once you know the combination of ingredients they put in (which thankfully they put in the menu) - arugula and pinenuts is a sure-win combo so yeah. and is it me, or am i seeing a growing predominance of arugula being used in restaurants? overall, a decent, satisfying and refreshing salad – just what i wanted.

[beef tagliatelle,  $17, red wine and citrus braised beef cheek, mushroom, shallot oil]

my dad ordered this and he really didn’t like it. beats me, but he felt that the beef had a weird taste to it – which i suppose was due him being unfamiliar with beef cheeks so I sampled it and well, it tasted alright to me, though not as fantastic as what I would have assumed beef cheeks to be. see, the notion of beef cheeks is that, considering cows chew grass aplenty, the cheeks turn out to be the most used muscle in the cow and hence needs a much long time to cook – preferably slow braised in wine till the point its tender and falls into bits when you prod at it. i do agree this tasted somewhat hmm.. plasticky? almost as though someone used a microwave to attempt to speed up the process. hmm, not too impressed. wasn’t impressed with the tagliatelle as well, because it lacked the light and chewy texture that common homemade pastas in italy (like tagliatelle) commonly have.   all in all, kinda a big miss with this dish, which is sad, because this dish, when rendered well, can really be quite the gastronomic experience. i saw this blog for information of beef cheeks and was salivating from the pictures of the beef cheek ragu.

[bangers + mash, $16]

ehh this cafe has gotten me slightly confused. why the inclusion of bar grub suddenly in a menu that was predominantly italian in nature? i looked further down the menu and saw fish & chips (england), st louis pork ribs(US), Jamaican jerk chicken(Jamaica), duck leg confit (france) and moroccan fish tagine (morocco) and well.. decided that this restaurant suffered from the typical Singaporean-grown enterprises of the confused identity. trying to serve too many styles of cuisines at once, which, well to me.. doesn’t seem like too smart an idea. ah well, to each his own. bar grubs cannot really be commented upon since really.. they are just meant to fill you up before your next tankard of ale and lack the nuance of other dishes. felt like this was just alright.

[chilli chocholate mocha, $6 - double ristretto, fresh chilli juice, chocolate, steamed milk]

i read reviews noting that this place was good for their coffee and so i ventured to try one from the competition coffee selection. errr… disappointed. i mean, i really am no expect on coffee as mentioned before, but this felt appealing with the infusion of chilli and the chocolate, a cool combination that is sometimes used for chocolates cakes to give it a tangy, spicy flavor. but this drink just somewhat overpowered by the ristretto. i googled ristretto and learnt that it refers to a very “short” shot of espresso coffee, where the water comes into contact with the coffee grinds for a much shorter time and hence the ratio of caffeine to coffee oils flavor is reduced, giving a bolder, fuller and less bitter coffee. well, i dunno. i didn’t taste much of anything besides a distinct bitterness. so there.

[sticky pudding, $9 - rum, raisins, treacle pudding, vanilla ice cream]

ohh this was good. well, the treacle pudding was good and went really well with what i suspect is a treacle+honeycomb sauce that was heavenly on its own. didn’t really detect the rum and i avoided the raisins (sorry, personal pref) but the vanilla+pudding+sauce was really delicious. this restored some happiness that kinda evaporated whilst i was having my coffee and sampling my dad’s mains. lol

so, a mixed bag overall. oriole cafe + bar is a nice chill out spot after an afternoon/evening of frenetic shopping or something along orchard road. pop by for some desserts, salads or some coffee or mint chocolate and spent a lazy afternoon there chillin’ with friends. but the mains ain’t much to go to town about, and well, the price is kinda elevated, considering you are in the heart of orchard road, so i guess its still acceptable. 6/10

oriole cafe + bar | 96 Somerset Road #01-01 Pan Pacific Serviced Suites | contemporary, coffee, desserts, chillout