Archive for the ‘European’ Category
SUR | Nuevo Latino Kitchen
Nuevo Latino is used to describe a new type of cuisine that blends ingredients from Latin America, Europe and the United States to create an exciting and original fusion. Sounds interesting, and off to SUR we went!
Arepitas – Rumbera and Reina Pepiada
For our mini Arepitas, we chose the Rumbera (Pork Loin and Gouda Cheese) and the Reina Pepiada (Avocado and Chicken Salad). The corn arepita wasn’t too dense, was still rather light in terms of texture. Though we suspect that the corn cake had been deep fried, it wasn’t too oily to turn us off. In fact, we enjoyed the slight crisp to it and the taste of corn was well-balanced. The avocado and chicken salad was cold and refreshing with the tender chicken chunks and the mushy avocado. The pork loin was very tender and the semi-melted gouda cheese tied the entire arepita together, providing that additional gooey goodness and cheesiness.
Torta de Maiz
The Torta de Maiz was a mushroom ragout, with twice-baked corn souffle and queso fresco. The corn souffle was very heavy in texture, it was more like a muffin and less of a souffle. The souffle exuded a subtle sweetness and fragrance. There was a generous serving of mushrooms! Earthly, savoury and well-seasoned – we enjoyed the mushroom ragout. The queso fresco, a traditional Mexican cheese, provided that extra kick in saltiness.
SUR|Nuevo Latino Kitchen
#01-01, 13 North Canal Road
Dozo Restaurant
Dozo Restaurant has always been famous for its affordable degustation menu which offers courses of French, Japanese and European heritage.
Complimentary starter drinks
Dozo’s 6-course lunch degustation meal started with a complimentary starter drink , meant to cleanse and awaken our taste buds. The drink was very icy and refreshing, a slight tinge of sourness just sufficient to tickle our taste buds.
Chef’s Selection of Assorted Platter
The Chef’s Selection of Assorted Platter consisted of 3 starters – foie gras on bread, scallop and smoked salmon. The foie gras was rich, fatty and easily disintegrated in our mouths. The bread was a good vehicle to soak up the savoury sauce. The scallop had a nice charred crust to it. It wasn’t over-cooked, still retaining a tender inner core. The smoked salmon, with its subtle characteristic saltiness, marked a good finish to the trio of starters.
Steam Fresh Bamboo Clam
Foie Gras Chawanmushi topped with Soil Garden
Gratinated Escargots baked with Yuzu Butter
The Steam Fresh Bamboo Clams were very fresh, with a bouncy bite to it. It came with a sauce reminiscent of the soya sauce based gravy in Chinese cuisine.
The Foie Gras Chawanmushi topped with Soil Garden was heavier and saltier compared to the typical chawanmushi, probably due to the addition of foie gras. The foie gras taste wasn’t outstanding, it came out more as a subtle savouriness in the background of the chawanmushi.
The Gratinated Escargots baked with Yuzu Butter was cheesy and buttery – perfect for the cheese lovers. The escargots were well-cooked, retaining the juiciness and bouncy texture.
Infusion of Cepes Mushroom
Bacon infused Pumpkin Veloute
The Infusion of Cepes Mushroom with Truffle wasn’t as thick and viscous as we had hoped. In terms of taste, the earthly fragrance and taste of mushrooms stood out strongly and wasn’t all too milky. The little piece of black truffle was a little bland though.
One thing bad about the Bacon infused Pumpkin Veloute was that it turned cold too quickly due to the larger exposed surface area. Otherwise, the pumpkin veloute was rich and thick, packed of pumpkin goodness. Not overly milky nor salty, just a very straightfoward and rustic pumpkin soup.
Seafood Platter in Saffron Sauce
Duck Confit with Orange Grain Mustard Sauce
Chef’s Selection of Sushi Platter on Wasabi Mayo
Seafood Platter in Saffron Sauce – every seafood lover’s favourite! The saffron gravy was packed with seafood flavours and it was just an absolute joy slurping every drop. The seafood platter consisted of mussels, clams, squid, scallop and baby lobster. The clams were a little fishy and seemingly not as fresh compared to the rest of the seafood. The baby lobster had a more chewy texture like crayfish and less of lobsters.
The Duck Confit with Orange Grain Mustard Sauce was very tender and the duck meat easily fell off the bone. The duck was a star on its own, with its succulent and juicy texture.
Chef’s Selection of Sushi Platter on Wasabi Mayo was probably the biggest disappointment of the meal. There wasn’t any wow factor in the sushi. Neither the vinaigrette rice nor toppings stood out. There wasn’t any outstanding and commendable flavours or textures and could easily pass of as a mediocre sushi dish from any Japanese restaurants.
Dozo’s Freshly Baked Warm Chocolate Cake served with Ice Cream
Milk Jelly with Black Sesame Ice Cream and Red Bean
Japanese-style Red Bean Puff with Vanilla Ice Cream
Dozo’s Freshly Baked Warm Chocolate Cake served with Ice Cream was definitely the best dessert to go for! It was a warm chocolate cake with little to fault, with the only downside being its petite size which left us craving for more. The chocolate casing wasn’t overly thick nor starchy – just light enough for us to break open to unveil the molten goodness.
Milk Jelly with Black Sesame Ice Cream and Red Bean – The milk jelly was like a replica of almond jelly. It was smooth, light and refreshing, without being overly milky. It was a good complement to the strong tasting black sesame ice cream.
The Japanese-style Red Bean Puff with Vanilla Ice Cream would probably not be too popular with those who dislike deep fried items. The red bean puff was deep fried and hence slightly oily. Biting into the puff revealed a semi-solid red bean filling. The red bean filling wasn’t as viscous as we had expected and was more towards being too fluid-like.
Dozo Restaurant
#02-02/03, Valley Point
491 River Valley Point
Pasar Bella – A Farmers’ Market
Pasar Bella
After months of anticipation, Pasar Bella has finally opened at The Grandstand! Spanning a total indoor area of around 30000 square feet, with more than 30 permanent and weekend traders, Pasar Bella is Singapore’s answer to the concept of farmers’ market found commonly in Europe and USA.
The most important to remember before heading to Pasar Bella is to go with an empty stomach, as 90% of the stalls sells food, drinks or fresh produce.
Le Patio
Le Patio
Nutella Crepe
We were enticed by the enormous tube of Nutella on the counters of Le Patio and promptly ordered the Nutella Crepe ($3.50). We were slightly disappointed with the crepe. The crepe itself was bland and seemingly just a doughy mixture. The Nutella wasn’t sufficient enough to satisfy us. On the whole, the Nutella crepe was pretty amateurish and underwhelming.
Nibbles by Rabbit Carrot Gun
Scone
Our next stop was Nibbles by Rabbit Carrot Gun. Touted to be the stall that sells authentic British snacks, Nibbles sells quiches, pies, cakes and most importantly, scones! Priced at $4.50 each, the scone was pretty expensive. Unfortunately, the standard didn’t match up to the price. The scone was tasteless, floury and lacking in aroma. The inner core was clumpy and a little damp – making the scone pretty heavy and hard to swallow.
Huber’s Deli
Huber’s Deli
Chicken Cheese
Perhaps one of the more popular stalls was Huber’s Deli, evident from the number of people carrying the Huber’s Deli takeaway boxes. Coupled with the fact that Huber Deli’s hotdogs were grilled on the spot, it is no wonder many visitors were enthralled by the aroma and looks of the hotdogs. We ordered the Chicken Cheese ($7.80), with pickles, gruyere cheese, parsley, spices and sauce. The cheese was slightly charred; though the cheese wasn’t particularly salty or strong in flavours, the spices atop the cheese did add some extra flavour to it. We felt that the cheese could have been a little more melted, which would then provide this extra gooeyness. There was also cheese inside the hotdog, which was like the extra burst of surprise. The hotdog was, as usual, of high standards from Huber’s Deli. Authentically meaty and juicy! In addition, the bread had been toasted and hence exuded a fragrance crisp. Thankfully, Huber’s Deli didn’t disappoint!
Dutch Colony Coffee Co.
Seasalt Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
Our final conquer of the day was the Seasalt Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake ($5.50) from Frootkeyk, which is sold at the Dutch Colony Coffee Co. We especially enjoyed the peanut butter as it provided that salty, nutty fragrance to the cake. The peanut butter also increased the moistness of the cake. The combination of peanut butter and chocolate can never go wrong.
Pasar Bella
200 Turf Club Road
Bukit Timah
Morsels
Morsels
Morsels literally means a small piece of food, reflecting on the owners’ style of offering small sharing dishes to be shared with friends. Everything at Morsels is painstakingly made from scratch. There’s no particular well-defined cuisine, thus allowing the owners to fully exhibit their creativity.
Morsels
Like many other new bistros, Morsels adopted an open kitchen concept. We were seated at the bar stools by the hot open kitchen, and was really witnessing the entire cooking and serving process.
Hokkaido scallop ceviche, plums, tobiko, cilantro, red onion, homemade tortilla chips
Hokkaido scallop ceviche, plums, tobiko, cilantro, red onion, homemade tortilla chips ($17) – This was our first attempt trying ceviche. Ceviche is essentially a seafood dish consisting of thin slices of raw fish/prawns/scallops marinated in acidic citrus juices. The citrus acid cooks the seafood, altering the structure of the proteins, making it more opaque and firmer, almost like it has been cooked with heat. We didn’t quite appreciate the ceviche. No doubt there were multi layers of taste (sour tomatoes, tangy plums and the sweet red onions) and the tobiko with its characteristics exploding bursts, we couldn’t quite accept that queer raw taste of scallops. We have definitely tried scallop sashimi before, but the scallop ceviche exuded a lingering raw seafood taste which didn’t go well with us. Instead, we preferred the tortilla chips – crispy, fragrant, without being overly oily.
Grilled octopus, squid ink risotto, salted egg yolk sauce, tobiko, wasabi sprouts
We did however enjoy the Grilled octopus, squid ink risotto, salted egg yolk sauce, tobiko, wasabi sprouts ($26). The texture of the risotto was well grasped. Individual rice grains had a slight crunch, with the risotto coming together as a sticky, thick concoction. There wasn’t an overpowering taste of squid ink though. We found the addition of the salted egg yolk sauce creative, but the effects weren’t as strong as we imagined. The egg yolk sauce was grainy, with the taste of butter/milk somehow overshadowing the savouriness from the salted egg yolk. The grilled slices of octopus were the stars of this dish. It had a smoky taste, while still retaining the sweetness. While the outer parts of the squid were slightly charred, the octopus itself was towards the soft side, almost losing the typical chewiness of octopus.
Morsels
35 Mayo Street
Carpenter and Cook
Carpenter and Cook
Carpenter and Cook, as the name goes, is a vintage home store and artisan bakery cafe. That would mean while you savour your high tea delights, you are also welcomed to purchase any of the antique home accessories in the cafe!
Carpenter and Cook
Carpenter and Cook
We were blown away by the wide variety of cakes and pastries! We were spoilt for choice as everything looked appetizingly tempting. But we finally settled for a savoury and a sweet treat.
Caramel Walnut Cheesecake
The Caramel Walnut Cheesecake ($7) was sticky, mushy and moist. The cheese taste was on the mild side, not all that evident. The walnuts were fresh and crunchy, no doubt slightly bitter. The gooey and sticky caramel was an additional twist to the otherwise mediocre cheesecake.
Cook’s Amazing Quiche
The Cook’s Amazing Quiche ($7) consisted mainly of mushrooms and red pepper. The mushrooms exuded the taste and aroma of earthly freshness. The red peppers provided that extra spicy tinge and the entire quiche was held together by the egg custard. We also enjoyed the crunchy pastry crust of the quiche. On the whole, this has got to be one of the better quiches we have tried.
Carpenter and Cook
#01-06, 19 Lorong Kilat
The Lawn Grill and Salad Cafe – Meat your Greens!
Riding on the notion of healthier eating habits, salad cafes and bars have been popping out all over Singapore, particularly in the region with the highest density of office workers – with the aim of targeting the busy lunch crowd where office workers are more than happy to grab a simple quick lunch, not to mention a healthier and less palate-heavy alternative.
The Lawn
Nestled in the research town of Singapore aka Biopolis, is 15-months-old The Lawn. The Lawn prides itself on its unique and home-made from scratch using fresh ingredients dressings. In addition, to cater to the meat lovers while still advocating a green diet, The Lawn combines their fresh mesclun with tantalizing premium grills!
The Lawn
The Lawn currently offers only 1 serving size at $9.90, consisting of the basic mesclun salad (Romaine lettuce, arugula, cabbage and spinach), 5 toppings, 1 grill item and salad dressing of your choice.
Toppings
The selection of 20+ toppings included nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts, crushed peanuts), cheese (parmesan and cheddar), raisins, corns, olives, fusilli pasta and other vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, celery and alfafa sprouts. Once you have made your 5 choices, you move on to the grill!
The Grill!
At the grill, you can choose your protein selection – prawns, chicken, fish, duck, beef or mushrooms, marinated in different ways. And finally, you get to decide on your salad dressing!
Salad Dressings (left to right, from top left corner: wasahonie, beachy peachy, manly mango, red island, me so spicy, citrus, maple peanut, honey ball and sesame ginger)
9 different salad dressings! All concocted from scratch using fresh ingredients! Unique flavours for everyone! And finally, we have our customized salad bowl!
Customized Salad Bowl!
Our 5 toppings consisted of almonds, cashews, cheddar, raisins and croutons. The nuts and croutons provided the extra crunch and fragrance. The raisins were pockets of sweetness and the cheddar cheese added that lingering savouriness to the salad. As this was an invited food review, we had the opportunity to try all 9 different sauces.
Our top favourites were the me so spicy, wasahonie, maple peanut, honey ball and citrus. Our number one choice was the me so spicy. The dressing won us over with its spicy and sour tom-yum like flavour. It was also comparatively more viscous than the rest of the dressings. Thick, rich and savoury – it added considerable flavours to the otherwise bland mesclun. The wasahonie was a fusion between wasabi, honey and a tinge of mayo. The honey brought down the pungent spiciness from the wasabi, making it more acceptable to the palate. We enjoyed that little swing between sweetness and the characteristic spicy kick from wasabi. The maple peanut and honey ball were suitable for those with the sweet tooth. The maple peanut, in particular, exuded the fragrance and saltiness evident of peanut butter – a definite hit for nut lovers. On the other hand, the citrus was a lighter and more refreshing dressing, with a sour and mouth watering flavour.
Typically, each salad bowl came with 1 grill serving. But we had the lucky opportunity to try 5 of their grill offerings!
MOJO Chicken
Portobello Mushroom
Grilled Chicken breast with Maple infusion
Char-grilled Garlic Prawns
Butter Seared Pacific Dory with Parsley Rub
*Note: As this was an invited food review, the portions of the grilled items may differ slightly from typical orders.
The MOJO Chicken was marinated with Italian herbs and cumin powder, exuding a faint herb fragrance. The chicken meat was tender and succulent, nicely grilled. The Grilled Chicken breast with Maple infusion was slightly sweeter. Both grilled chicken items weren’t overly impressive, but were still decently prepared to satisfaction.
The Char-grilled Garlic Prawns was the one that won us over! The prawns were fresh, juicy, crunchy and very thoroughly seasoned. It was the most flavourful and savoury grilled item that we tried. The strong tasting prawns were simply addictive.
The Butter Seared Pacific Dory with Parsley Rub was very fresh and flaky. The grilling created the slightly charred and crispy outer crust on the fish, which was a good contrast to the inner soft and flaky fillet. Nicely rubbed with black pepper and parsley, this fillet was also another of our favourites.
Finally, the non-meat grilled item was the Portobello Mushrooms. The juicy mushrooms were stuffed with minced garlic, which kinda covered up the earthly taste of the mushrooms. This would definitely hit a sweet spot with garlic lovers as the taste of garlic was quite overwhelmingly rich.
Cream of Mushroom
Besides salads, The Lawn offers soups as well. And the Friday soup of the day was the Cream of Mushroom. The Cream of Mushroom was very rich, thick and had a grainy texture that we enjoyed. It was a slight downside as we felt that the milky taste was a tad too much. But it was still a decent Cream of Mushroom – fresh and not from the can!
On the whole, we were quite impressed with The Lawn’s offerings, in particular the freshly made dressings and the grilled items. The serving size was also very value for money. Who says salads are only for herbivores? The Lawn’s unique pairing of grill and salad is just the right thing for the carnivore in you.
*Note this is an invited food review.
The Lawn Grill and Salad Cafe
#01-07, Nanos
31 Biopolis Way
Rider’s Cafe
Located deep in the lush greenery in the deep ends of Bukit Timah is Rider’s Cafe.
Death by Chocolate Cake
The Death by Chocolate Cake could not have a better name. We were blown away when the cake was placed in front of us. The generous and overwhelming serving of thick chocolate sauce made the entire cake moist and chocolately. The sponge portions were dense and rich. There were also layers of fudge covering the sponge. The fudge was sticky and gooey, full of chocolate goodness. Taste wise, the cake wasn’t overly sweet, retaining a slightly bitter sweetness. As the vanilla ice cream melted into the bed of chocolate sauce, every mouthful of cake was really death by chocolate.
Rider’s Cafe
51 Fairways Drive
Dean and Deluca
Dean and Deluca
Founded in 1977 in New York, Dean and Deluca has finally opened its pioneer outlet in Singapore. Considering its similar concept with Jones the Grocer, we can expect to see some competition between these 2 entities.
Mac n Cheese
Considering that Dean and Deluca hails from the United States, we had high hopes for their Mac n Cheese. Sadly, we were utterly disappointed. The Mac n Cheese arrived in a haphazard mess, accompanied by miserable and unappetizing greens. It was 99.9% macaroni and 0.1% cheese – a total turn off. Where is the cheese?! The macaroni was stale and tasteless. There wasn’t much taste in the charred regions as well. In fact, the Mac n Cheese was so unappetizing that we had to request for additional parmesan cheese, just to add flavour to this miserable dish. A poor rendition of the American classic – Dean and Deluca is far from being good.
Sticky Bun
What we enjoyed more from Dean and Deluca turned out to be their “outsourced” items. Dean and Deluca offers a variety of pastries, breads and cakes from other shops like Baker & Cook, Bread Project, Maison Kayser. The Sticky Bun is Bread Project’s signature bun, which turned out to be rather average. It was pretty hard and slightly stale, not fresh and fragrant. There was a lack of the gooey sauce and nuts as well. While it didn’t really impress us, at the very least, the Sticky Bun was still acceptable.
Our first visit to Dean and Deluca was let down by poor quality food as well as lousy service. The cashier had a black face and showed no hospitality to customers. The young waitress was easily freaked out and rattled, which in turn, freaked us out too. Inexperienced waiting staff, coupled with the unappealing food, Dean and Deluca is definitely not in our list of restaurants to return to.
Dean and Deluca
#04-23/24, Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
Antoinette
Nougatine
Nougatine ($16) – Our newly crowned favourite dessert at Antoinette goes to the Nougatine crepe! The nutella, salty caramel, caramelized filo and nougatine ice cream came together in perfect symphony. A thin soft chewy crepe uniformly coated with bittersweet and nutty Nutella, and finished off with a salted caramel drizzle. The caramelized crispy filo wasn’t that sweet, and tended to be on the buttery side. The nougatine ice cream was sticky and chewy, with bits of crunchy, nutty and fragrant nougatine embedded within. A spectrum of flavours and a multitude of textures – the Nougatine was a prefect balance of sweet/salty and crispy/crunchy/sticky/chewy. Generous dollops of rich cream are usually served in this dessert but we have asked for them to be excluded.
Chocolicieux
Chocolicieux ($16) – Warm chocolate sauce, dark chocolate 66% ice cream, chocolate pieces and vanilla creme Chantilly. Compared to the Nougatine, the Chocolicieux was disappointing. There were no fillings within the crepe. There wasn’t much surprise nor was it overwhelming with chocolate. The dark chocolate ice cream was rich and bittersweet. There was nothing special about the square chocolate cookies or the chocolate pieces. At the end of the day, our votes go to the Nougatine.
Antoinette
#01-02/03, Scarlet Hotel
33 Erskine Road
Medzs
With its widespread variety of food, ranging from Turkish, French, Italian to Moroccan, at wallet-friendly prices, Medzs has been drawing a steadily increasing crowd. After the opening of its first branch in Orchard Central last year, the food junction venture has expanded to a second location in millenia walk.
Duck Leg Confit
Duck Leg Confit ($16.90) – The skin of the duck confit was very crispy, while the duck meat beneath was tender, not overly chewy, with a thin soft layer of fats. The duck confit tended to be a little on the salty side. There was a tinge of mild spiciness, and coupled with the saltiness, reminded us of cured meat. The accompanying potatoes were a little on the bland side, they could do with a bit more marinating and roasting, to achieve a more flavourful and robust texture and flavour. The characteristic earthy taste of mushrooms wasn’t too overpowering, the taste was just adequate, making it a rather addictive side dish. On the whole, while we can’t say that the Duck Leg Confit was very impressive, it did meet the minimum standards and would definitely appeal to the general public.
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Mousse ($5) – Atop the chocolate mousse sat a few chocolate butter biscuits which were brittle and hard. There was more of a butter taste, compared to chocolate, nothing too fantastic. The mousse itself was pretty hard as well, almost akin to fudge. Strangely, in the middle of the mousse, we found traces of sponge. Taste wise, the chocolate did not stand out and the mousse seemed rather diluted. The quality of chocolate was mediocre as well. This is definitely not in our list of good chocolate mousses.
Oreo Cheesecake
Oreo Cheesecake ($6.50) – Seems like Medzs doesn’t do a good job for desserts as we were once again let down by mediocrity. The cheesecake was too crumbly, not sticky and dense. The oreo was also too crumbly and powdery. The oreo taste was somehow pretty faint, but then again, the cheesecake wasn’t rich enough. The entire cake was just too subtle and mild.
Medzs
#01-46/47/55/56, Millenia Walk
9 Raffles Boulevard
Open Door Policy
Open Door Policy
The sleepy neighbourhood of Tiong Bahru has been awoken by the influx of many eateries and concept stores. Our first stop at Tiong Bahru – Open Door Policy.
Prawn, pumpkin and saffron risotto with rocket pesto
Prawn, pumpkin and saffron risotto with rocket pesto ($24) – The risotto arrived before us, bringing along a whiff of savoury cheesy aroma. The risotto was very dense, sticky and creamy, with the rice grains being chewy and not overly mushy. There were tiny bits of pumpkin and cubes of prawns mixed within the risotto, providing the additional crunch to the overall texture. The chef did not stinge on the amount of prawns as we could find them in every mouthful of risotto. Besides the rocket pesto leaves, there was also the pesto puree which added this tangy vegetable taste to reduce the richness of the creamy risotto. On the whole, this has got to be one of the better risottos we have tried.
The ice cream ‘why just sunday’
The ice cream ‘why just sunday’ ($14) – Rather than ask ourselves ‘why just sunday’, the more appropriate question from us was ‘why order this’. The ice cream was a haphazard slipshod merger of brownie crumbs and ice cream. There was totally no harmony between the individual components and what made things worse was that the respective components did not taste good. First was the ice cream. We weren’t even sure if it was chocolate or vanilla ice cream as the taste was too faint and bland. We were also speculating if it really was ice cream as it was simply too soft and thin, not one bit like ice cream. The chocolate brownie was dry and crumbly. The caramel sauce was almost hastily-like drizzled on the concoction, adding no value to the dessert. With the bulk of the dessert being so disappointing, the only saving grace was the crunchy peanut butter biscuits crumbs amongst the brownie.
While the main course shone with strong flavours and textures, the desserts were disappointing and unimpressive.
Open Door Policy
19 Yong Siak Street
Laurent Bernard Chocolatier
To celebrate Easter, Laurent Bernard Chocolatier is introducing a Chocolate Menu Set, made available from 15th March to 10th April. This $50 three course meal pushes the creative culinary boundaries and infuses chocolate into savoury delights. We were invited for a food tasting sessions, complimentary of the owner/chocolate artisan Laurent Bernard and his hospitable crew.
Owner/Chocolate Artisan Laurent Bernard
Owner/Chocolate Artisan Laurent Bernard took time off to explain the origin of his artisan chocolates and educate us on the way to differentiate good praline and ganache from ordinary ones. Laurent Bernard Chocolatier emphasizes on the use of only the best quality produce, mostly imported from France, which explains why some of the chocolates and ice cream flavours here are seasonal and produced only in small batches.
Seared Scallop with Cocoa Nibs, Fennel Foam
The three course meal kicked start with the appetizer – Seared Scallop with Cocoa Nibs, Fennel Foam. The scallops were slightly smaller than expected, but nevertheless fresh and seared to perfection with a chewy mouthful texture. The cocoa and pistachio bits sprinkled on top of the scallops exuded a bitter, nutty fragrance and complemented the seared scallop very well. The foam tasted like vigorously beaten hot chocolate or milo which had transformed into a bubbly airy form. This appetizer is best consumed fast before the foam loses its form and becomes a soupy sauce.
Peruvian Chicken
Peruvian Chicken – Chicken thigh in a chocolate mole sauce, served with mashed potatoes and French beans. There is a Mexican take to this dish with the use of the mole sauce. The mole sauce was very chunky and thick, likened to a concentrated red bean paste. The infusion of chocolate added some bitter sweetness to the tangy bean paste. The mole sauce also left a mild spicy aftertaste. The complex flavours of the mole sauce were well coordinated and it went especially well with the smooth mashed potatoes which was light with no suggestion of butter or salt. Chicken thigh was used in this dish. It had either been grilled or oven baked to give the skin with a slight crisp. The juices were retained within the chicken meat and it was very tender. The flavours from the spices added during the preparation process were locked within the chicken meat, making them tasty on their own even without the mole sauce. We were very pleased with the generous and satisfying serving of Peruvian Chicken presented to us. Also available as a main course is the Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Cocoa Orange Sauce.
Banana and Chocolate Cake
Banana and Chocolate Cake – The name sounds simple and straightforward, but on first glance and subsequent tasting, we knew that there was much greater depth in this dessert. The layers are as follows – starting with a meringue sponge based, hazelnut feuilletine, caramelized bananas with passion fruit juice, ginger flavoured whipped ganache and finished with a top glaze made up of milk chocolate with chopped nuts. The meringue gave the sponge base an added airiness and crunch. It felt like a macaroon base. The hazelnut feuilletine was made from scratch in house. The sour passion fruit juice, though not obvious to the taste buds, had been added to soften the sweetness of the caramelized bananas. The whipped ganache tasted much softer, smoother and had a melt in the mouth texture. The ginger flavours were not apparent though. Coupled with the layer of milk chocolate, these two layers formed the bulk of the chocolate flavours, which we wished could have been stronger. Nevertheless, we were very satisfied with this sinful, heavenly chocolate treat, which spelled of a gradual transition of texture from the soft and smooth chocolate layers, chunky and mouthful caramelized bananas, crunchy and crispy feuilletine to the airy meringue sponge base. If only some peanut butter saltiness could be added to the feuilletine layer, it would complete the spectrum of flavours. The banana chocolate cake and chocolate tart would definitely keep us going back to Laurent for a good chocolatey treat.
Laurent Bernard Chocolates
Laurent Bernard Chocolates
Laurent Bernard Chocolatier generously offered each of us a door gift of his very own artisan creation. Each piece of praline had a slightly harder chocolate coating followed by ganache which tasted smooth in the mouth. These fine sweet treats left a long lasting cocoa taste.
Laurent Bernard Chocolatier
#01-02, 5B Portsdown Road
Equinox Restaurant
Located on the 70th floor of Swissotel is Equinox – famed for its breathtaking view of the city area and its exquisite European cuisine. We kicked off the first Restaurant Week in 2012 with dinner at Equinox.
Bread
We were offered a choice of three kinds of breads – plain, multigrain and baguette. In general, the breads were of a hard and chewy form. The baguette did not have a crispy crust either. However, when served warm, the inner loaf tasted softer and lighter. The multigrain bread was the most impressive. The sesame seeds, wheat and oats added much fragrance to the otherwise plain bread. The breads were free flow and the waitress was prompt in offering more every time a new batch of freshly baked bread arrived.
Tomato Gazpacho
Before the appetizers were served, we were each offered a shot glass of Tomato Gazpacho to cleanse our palate. The Gazpacho was refreshingly cold and immediately awoke our taste buds. It was very thick, more towards that of a salsa dip and less of soup. There was a very strong taste and smell of raw vegetables, which could be a turn off for non-vegetable lovers.
Poached and Smoked Salmon Rillette with Beetroot Carpaccio and Pink Grapefruit
Poached and Smoked Salmon Rillette with Beetroot Carpaccio and Pink Grapefruit. A dish of carpaccio is usually made up of thinly sliced raw meat. Here at Equinox, beetroots are used in place of the raw meat to give a vegetarian carpaccio. The thin slices of beetroot were soft, breaking into smaller pieces easily when we attempted to lift them up. However, they were juicy and slightly sweet and went down well with the rillette which was slightly more bland. The rillette was garnished with a few pieces of smoked salmon, which left a slightly fishy aftertaste. However, contrary to the description of the dish, the rillette tasted more of tuna which had been chopped and poached, instead of the smoked salmon rillette we were expected.
Classic French Onion Soup with Gruyère Cheese Crouton
The Classic French Onion Soup with Gruyère Cheese Crouton was unlike other French onion soups. It was more unique in that the soup base was thick with a sourish vinegar punch. There was abundance of softened mushy onion slices but these did not turn out too overpowering. However, the chewy thick cheese which we were looking out for was nowhere to be seen. A very negligible layer of gruyere cheese was spread on the crouton bread and there was somewhat an equally strong taste of butter present.
Salad of Marinated Baby Artichokes, Frisée Lettuce, Shallots, Green Beans,
Hazelnuts with Round Radish and Truffle Dressing
Salad of Marinated Baby Artichokes, Frisée Lettuce, Shallots, Green Beans, Hazelnuts with Round Radish and Truffle Dressing. There was nothing to rave about for the salad and we thought we should have given this up for either of the other two appetizers on the menu.
Confit of Duck Leg, White Bean and Smoked Pancetta Cassoulet with Thyme Jus
Confit of Duck Leg, White Bean and Smoked Pancetta Cassoulet with Thyme Jus. The duck confit was well prepared, with a very good balance of juicy tenderness and the amount of fats and oil in the meat. The duck skin had a slight crisp but did not taste overly oily. In fact, it felt more pan-fried than deep-fried. Equally appetizing was the side dish of beans in tomato sauce. The taste resembled that of canned baked beans, only that these tasted much fresher with the beans being harder and less soggy.
Pan-Seared Barramundi, Saffron Confit Potatoes, Baby Spinach,
Dried Cherry Tomatoes with Lemon and Herb Dressing
Pan-Seared Barramundi, Saffron Confit Potatoes, Baby Spinach, Dried Cherry Tomatoes with Lemon and Herb Dressing. There was nothing to pick on for this dish either. The Barramundi was soft and tender. The skin had a slightly salty crisp. The sliced potatoes were uniquely prepared. They tasted sourish, but there was no suggestion of saffron. On hindsight, it was likely that the potatoes had absorbed some of the dressing. The baby spinach was broiled and served bland. These felt healthy but we found them a little over cooked and soft. The dried cherry tomatoes were a combination of sweetness and sourness. The texture was somewhere near that of fried peeled potato skin, which we had almost mistaken them for.
Tagliatelle Pasta, Wild Mushrooms, Spinach with Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese Sauce
Tagliatelle Pasta, Wild Mushrooms, Spinach with Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese Sauce. This dish would have been better if the cheese wasn’t goat cheese. The cheese sauce was creamy and not overly salty. However, it was way too heavy on the palate due to the sharp overpowering characteristic goat cheese taste, which we found it hard to swallow. We had difficulty finishing this dish.
Seasonal Crème Brûlee
The Seasonal Crème Brûlee has got to be the most impressive dish of the night. In fact, it would be the best non-flavoured creme brulee we have tried thus far. The custard base was very rich, creamy and milky. It was of the right level of sweetness and softness. The curd like textured custard disintegrated and went down smoothly in our mouths. The creme brulee was studded with some chewy sweet prune, giving the dessert an additional dimension of texture, on top of the contrasting layer of burnt caramel.
Pineapple Carpaccio, Lime, Chilli Syrup and Coconut Sorbet
Pineapple Carpaccio, Lime, Chilli Syrup and Coconut Sorbet. The use of thinly sliced pineapple in place of meat proved to be another revamp of the conventional carpacccio to a dessert dish. However taste wise, there was nothing too unique. There was barely any hint of lime and chilli syrup too. Dried coconut shavings were laid across the plate as extra garnishes. Not fans of coconut, this healthy fruity dessert did not really appeal to us.
Selection of Seasonal Exotic Fruit Sorbet and ‘Langues-De-Chat’
Selection of Seasonal Exotic Fruit Sorbet and ‘Langues-De-Chat’. The wild berry sorbet and pineapple sorbets were refreshing. The coconut sorbet, also found in the other pineapple carpaccio dessert, was thankfully not too overpowering in the coconut milk taste.
Chocolates
The meal ended off with complimentary confectionery of dark chocolate coated orange peel sticks and chocolate pebbles. We especially liked the chocolate coated nuts. They tasted like M&Ms and the hazelnuts encased within were very fresh and crunchy.
Equinox Restaurant
70F, Swissotel The Stamford
2 Stamford Road
PS. Cafe
Green Garden Lasagne
Green Garden Lasagne – Garden vegetables tossed with mozzarella cheese, bechamel and portobello mushroom duxelle, layered with herb ricotta and spinach pasta, baked till bubbling and served with shaved fennel and almond salad. A vegetable based lasagne is hard to come by, let alone a good one. We were glad to spot it here at PS. Cafe. The baked lasagne was served on a plate instead of the typical clay porcelain ware. The green spinach pasta was light on the palate and was soft and tender when piping hot. The delectable flavours came mainly from the vegetables fillings, which included long beans, peas and brocolli, well spread within a generous sea of creamy and rich ricotta cheese. While the ricotta cheese within the pasta sheets were soft and creamy, we particularly enjoyed the slightly charred and crisp ricotta cheese on the top of the lasagne which had come under the direct exposure of the baking process. Sitting atop the lasagne was the garden salad, which burst of more flavours. Vinaigrette added over the salad gave off an aromatic bitter sourness. At the same time, we thought we tasted a fair bit of Italian dressing. There a was burst of saltiness which came from the sea salt randomly scattered over the garden salad. The shaved parmasen cheese and fresh crispy sliced almonds provided a nice finish to the salad. The Green Garden Lasagne at PS. Cafe is another ideal savory dish, other than the Triple Cheese Penne, which can whet your appetite for the desserts to come.
PS. Cafe
#03-41/44, The Paragon
290 Orchard Road
Ph.Ds of FOOD 