Diandin Leluk, the well known budget Thai restaurant at Golden Mile and owner of the Tuk Tuk Thai Kitchen chain, recently opened up a new upmarket branch around my area so thought it would be good to give it a shot.
Taking over the space vacated by a chicken rice stall just next to Sushi Tei, Diandin boasts two levels of seating in a brightly lighted comfortable looking interior with heavy wooden chairs and tables. Nice place for casual family dinners or gatherings.
Pork Beancurd Soup - I quite fancied this soup as it came across as light yet tasty from the addition of tong cai. There were balls of prawn paste peppered with bits of meat and steamed egg tofu in it. Very traditional Teochew styled soup.
Pandan Chicken - This was one of the better pandan chickens that I've eaten as it wasn't too oily or cloyingly sweet. The meat was tender and fibrous and of quite a sizeable chunk.
Stir Fried Broccoli with Scallops - A very simple dish and decently executed one at that. The broccoli wasn't overcooked while the thin silvers of scallop didn't carry the fishy aftertaste. However, I thought that the gravy was a little too bland for my liking. But on the upside, at least it wasn't too starchy.
Pineapple Fried Rice - A most mundane rendition of this Thai favourite. There were lots of meat floss, a few slices of shrimp, dried sausages and raisins but lacked the pineapple twang as well as the fragrance. Decent but I've definitely had better.
Phad Thai - The phad thai was of the dryer variant which I personally prefer and the noodles had a nice springy texture. It didn't come across as overly sweet as well and you had a choice of drowning the noodles in grounded peanuts, which I did. Pity about the small portions.
Durian Glutinous Rice - This dessert looked different from others that I've eaten elsewhere. The rice was seperated from the durian (which was real durian meat, not puree) and looked a total mess. Aesthetics aside, the durian was sweet while the glutinous rice wasn't overwhelmed by coconut milk. I did think that the rice was a little undercooked though because it came across as a little hard.
If 7atenine was the best meal I had so far, then Au Petit Salut would be its equal.
I was the passerby in your colourful life, we never seem to meet, until now. Our encounter is but an absence and a providence: now that we’ve met, I hold you dear. The place of eternal memories; Au Petit Salut.
Lush, lush, lush and green. It seems so near, yet so far. Right in the middle, but not in the middle; I had to admit - I was wrong. Overrated, you are not, there’s just something special about you. I wished we’ve met earlier, but like they say, it’s better to be late than never.
It was all we need to get started with, a piece of bread, and a stick of butter. We threw envious glares at the seemingly-softer white-looking bread at the table adjacent to us; it was just, human nature.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do - and in a French restaurant, eat snails as the French does. This was my second time eating the slimy-looking creature, and as much as I thought it looked similar to cockle; I love the strong butter and garlic smell. Half dozen baked Burgundy snails with tomato and garlic butter, way to go!
I’m-a-carnivore! And the only appetiser on the menu which seemed to satisfy the meat-eater in me was the Pork terrine and mesclun salad, shallots, gherkins and capers vinaigrette. I took a bite, chew-chew-swallow-swallow, and I took another bite. A piece of pork with really extraordinary subtlety and texture. And my dear, this was where the meal just began.
Words are powerful stuff, they can make you happy, sad, angry or nervous. In this case, I was excited by the mere-presence of the word, beef cheeks.
What part, you asked again?
Beef cheeks. Pardon me, but I have never eaten somebody’s cheek before.
Red wine braised beef cheeks, carrots, mushrooms and parsley potatoes. I realised I couldn’t really tell the difference between the different parts of the cow, but did it really mattered? The braised beef cheeks were tenderly-done, and there was the potatoes which were a-part-of-it.
I had to agree that braised beef tasted better than lamb shank, or maybe I haven’t tried one that is worthy, yet.
If the beef cheek were tenderly-done, then the Pan seared onglet beef was done exactly the way I love it! And just exactly what was Onglet, I know it’s a prime cut of beef, but past that I’m beyond caring. Don’t talk to me about the different grade, the marbling of the meat, there ain’t no need to discuss the cooking technique, I-just-liked-this!
With a tinge of pink, the medium-rare meat was per-fect! And I love the confit shallots which spreaded over the top of the beef, like the sky covered over the land. The presence of the French fries were puzzling, I decided I was going to ignore its guest appearance on the plate and focused on the beef instead.
The lemon tart was fabulous - how can something so simple. be so, absolutely wonderful. The texture of the lemon curd was done just right, and paired with the subtle ice cream with a hint of lavender-honey, I’m a happy boy.
I had a quickie with the Crème brulée; I took the first taste, stunned for a moment, and took my second. This continued until I finished the whole dessert. Beneath the nicely-touched caramelised sugar, was the smoothest yet firm, custard, infused with vanilla beans.
Total bill was $70 for two set lunches. I, had an awesome time! Which left me with this question, why didn’t I go there earlier! Au petit Salut has one of the most reasonable set lunches at $30 , comparing with most of the restaurants which are doing theirs at $38 , I thought it is a steal. Of course, there are certainly better restaurants out there, but I love the place as a whole. See you there!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
After the shocking mother's day lunch at Si Chuan Dou Hua the previous year, it was decided to head somewhere more low key and down to earth this year. May I just make it known that I still think occasions like mothers day/fathers day etc are just ploys by unscrupulous merchants to jack up their prices and serve you substandard food. But here we were, at Wo Peng, for a mother's day dinner. Apparently the chef, Hong Kong born Julian Tam, used to preside over the kitchen at Furama Palace at Furama Hotel and left to work in Guangzhou for a couple of months before returning to Singapore to open up his own restaurant.
The place is easy to miss, occupying just 2 units along Macpherson Road, where parking is a nightmare. The restaurant itself isn't big, probably squeezing in 50 pax or so and everything is kept no frills, from the tables and chairs to the ornaments that decorate the walls.
Shark's Fin Soup - If you are a fan of adding vinegar with your shark's fin soup, the staff at Wo Peng will advise you not to because according to them, the soup is naturally flavoured by herbs and don't require any addition of vinegar. I must conceed that they are absolutely right. The soup had cordyceps, ginseng and other unidentifiable (by me) herbs that made it light yet tasty with a mild herbal connotation. The fins weren't exactly of superior quality but acceptable nonetheless.
Smoked Duck - I simply love this dish. It has got to be one of the best duck dishes I've eaten since the start of 2009. The skin was crisp while the meat was smoked to a reddish hue and came across as very smooth and tender. There wasn't an overly generous salt content as well and tasted a little like ham. Nice!
Stir Fried Red Garoupa with Sweet Pea - This dish was rather normal though the fish was rather fresh and served up with dried mustard greens (梅菜), which gave it a salty tinge. I did like the sweet peas though, which were sweet (duh!), crunchy and not overly cooked.
Steamed Garoupa - This was actually a continuation of the the first fish dish, where the fish head was chopped up and steamed with pork slices, black fungus and red dates. Personally I preferred to the former as the whole dish was actually more savoury. But being only fish head, the meat was limited.
Peng Cai - This dish is usually sold and eaten only during the Chinese New Year period. But here at Wo Peng, its available throughout the year but only with an advance order of course. There were the usual suspects - dried oyster, prawns, mushrooms, broccoli, goose web, scallops, dried abalone, sea cucumber and surprisingly, radish, which is said to be found only in authentic HK peng cais. Although I am no fan of peng cai, I thought that this one was quite well done as the whole thing was stewed long enough for the flavours to permeate through to the various ingredients. And may I add that portions were huge for 5 people. 6-7 would have been a more manageable number.
Fried Noodles - The noodles were a thicker variant of mee suah and came across as soft but not too soggy. It was tasty and came loaded with lots of seafood but it got really nauseating after a while and I gave up after my 2nd bowl. This is the first time I'm feeling so overwhelmed by the amount of seafood thus far.
Roast Chicken - Finally a white meat dish and I thought that it was actually quite good. The meat was tender while retaining its flavours and moisture. The skin was a nice homogeneous golden brown but a pity it wasn't crisp.
Hasma - Also known as the poor men's bird nest, the Hasma came with dried longans and dates and tasted like hot cheng ting. To be honest, I am absolutely terrified of this dessert as it is made from dried fallopian tubes of frogs and somehow, ingesting an organ that plays a pivotal role in reproduction doesn't exactly settle well with me.
A satisfying, if not button bursting dinner cost the 5 of us to the tune of $350, which works out to be roughly $70 a head. Reasonable if you ask me, especially for the quality and quantity of food. Moreover, ingredients like shark's fin, abalone, sea cucumber etc don't come cheap. Service was great and even more commendable in the absence of any service charge.
Tucked in the corner of Serene Centre lies La Petite Cuisine, an eatery that serves simple French fare with a delicate touch. For a no-frills, tiny establishment estimated not more than 20 tables (they have since expanded outside just next to the pavement), their menu is pretty extensive.
Although one needs to make their way to the cashier to place their orders, the good news is they do not charge GST. Also do not expect fanciful plateware and cutlery set as the complimentary bread came serve in plastic plate. Bread was warm but otherwise nothing extraordinary.
The Ravioli of Prawns Foie Gras in Light Lemon Crème ($14.00) was pretty interesting – the ingredients within the ravioli was generous, and the sauce was nice, but despondently, one could see the foie gras but not taste it – the prawns simply overwhelmed the former. In fact, it tasted more like prawn dumplings served French style.
The Foie Gras Panfried with Orange Confit Served with Salad ($17.00) was of decent portion. At such a size, HFB thought it was pretty good value for money. Nicely panfried on the surface, yet quiver when cut, it was done pleasingly. The orange sauce that came along with it goes really well also. Love it!
You must definitely give the Confit de Canard with Gratin ($15.00) a try if you pay them a visit. The duck skin is slow-cooked to a perfect crisp, and fully flavoured. The mash that came with it was smooth and delightful too. This dish was way better than the lousy version served at The French Stall along Serangoon Road.
The dessert though was very disappointing – HFB could understand the 20 minutes wait for a hot dessert, but the Tarte Tatin, or Apple Tarte ($6.50) was just unpleasant in many ways. Serving was measly, and the whole puff pastry stacked above two slices of apple arrangement just failed miserably. HFB end up eating the puff pastry separately from the apples, which was still slightly unyielding for consumption.
He reckon one would be better off having ice cream at Island Creamery next door!
I’m of the opinion that Korean food in Singapore is not as established as their Japanese counterparts. It’s easy to name some good Japanese restaurants, but Korean ones?
The Kdrama wave had created a huge impact and let the world know more about South Korea, I’m one of those who stick to the big screen watching new dramas like Boys before flowers, and Ja Myung. Naturally, I’m intrigued by the food as well after watching so many kdramas.
The-one-most-associated-with-Korean-food. Miss kimchi was a tad salty for my liking, I’m not sure how the authentic one should taste like, but this wasn’t my favourite among the four free appetisers that we were served with.
The beansprouts, or more commonly known to us as the dou-ya; were big (compared to the normal beansprouts), and crunchy. Very nice indeed.
Do they called this Anchovy? No matters, the tiny fish was fried to crisp-cross, I could almost hear the sound when I took a bite - crunch, crunch.
I liked this one! With a sweet and sour consistency, the cucumber reminded me of our local achar. There’s nothing better than something sour-sweet to start the palate going.
We had the cold noodle ($10) next. A couple of beef slices, with a egg, the cold noodle was well, like the name, cold, with a springy and bouncy texture, which slurped down my throat easily. The difficult part was getting accustomed to using the extremely-thin Korean chopsticks to get the noodles.
And the other choice was the Dol Sot Bibim Bap ($11.50), well if you couldn’t read Korean like me, it’s pretty obvious from the photo; Hot stone bowl rice with choice of chicken, pork, beef or vegetarian toppings. We mixed everything up nicely, and the chili was fantastic. It wasn’t too spicy, and I just kept adding and adding more. The best part of eating in the hot stone bowl? Everything remained pipping hot!
* * *
Total bill was $25 for the two dishes we got, the four appetisers came free with any dishes ordered and they could be refill. I’m not very sure whether I’m a kimchi-person, maybe a few more tries will do the job. There you go, my first Korean food experience! And Fusionpolis isn’t exactly that ulu, it’s only three bus stops from Buona Vista station.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
I have a friend, his name is Jones. He is a grocer, and he ain’t a normal grocer. Gourmet products, that’s right. All the customers would drop by and waved, “Hello Jones!”. And the kids would peeked around curiously, and oh yes, they had a song which goes something like this;
Jones the grocer, Can we eat it? Jones the grocer, Yes we can!
Jones the grocer, I want some food! Jones the grocer, Come and get it!
My latest breakfast-brunch crave brought me to Jones the grocer, because they are one of the few that serves brunch during weekdays (the other few being Prive, Rider’s, and Casa Verde).
Much as I liked having brunch on a lazy Sunday morning, but the idea of having it during a WEEKDAY enthrals me even more! Well the rest of the world rushed off to work, I’m slowly sipping a cup of coffee, having my favourite eggs, and reading the newspaper. You get the idea?
I want breakfast. I want eggs. I want pancakes.
Pancakes we wanted, and Coconut pancakes ($12.5) we got! Sour mango wasn’t exactly what we expected, but it presented a contrast with the syrup, well they called it the palm sugar syrup here. Whatever, all the syrup tasted the same to me, sweet and sweet!
And did you see what I saw? Vanilla beans! Tiny speaks of vanilla beans! I’m not going to go into the story of how excited I’ll become when I saw the beans, but, I’m excited! It was nice having vanilla beans with pancakes, but we did felt that it would be better to have it with butter and syrup for breakfast at least. And oh ya, the pancakes here are one of the thickest-I-ever-came-across.
Jones english breakfast ($20). I’ll like to call it the best-of-everything. Poached eggs, grilled bacon, pork sausages, sautéed mushroom, and even slow roasted tomato for some nutritional balance! What is there not to like?
I can never resist the golden-yellow egg yolk flowing out of the pure egg white: striptease - stop playing with me or I’ll eat you up! I put the poached eggs, bacon, and mushroom on top of the sourdough (the sausage was too huge to fit in on top), and I tried to put everything in one bite.
Well I failed of course, but that’s obviously what I intended to; in this way I could repeat and repeat the same full-mouth-process until I finished the whole thing, and wanting more.
Total bill was $35.75 for the brunch, they had 10% service charge but the 7% GST was already included in the bill. Was it expensive? No, for the mere thought that I was having my breakfast while the rest of the world were busy slogging it out in the office, that’s something priceless.
But for weekday brunch, I’ll prefer Rider’s and Prive if you have your own transport, not that it is easy to get to dempsey either.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
53 - the newly opened dining collaboration between lawyer turned chef, Michael Han and the Les Amis group. Chef Han, who trained at the prestigious Fat Duck in England, brought along Fat Duck's 2nd pastry chef, Leoandro, to helm 53's pastry department. What makes this restaurant stand out is that there is no ala carte menu, which means the chef decides, to a certain extent, what you eat.
Aptly located at 53 Armenian Street, the restaurant is situated in a double story shophouse with the private dining room and kitchen located on the first level and the main dining hall and wine cellar on the second. The place is tiny and sparsely furnished with simple tables and chairs and the main dining area can probably only accommodate about 5 tables for a total capacity of 20. Hence reservations are of utmost importance. Try making them at least 2 weeks in advance.
I thought that the sky juice (no still or sparkling nonsense) deserved a mention because the serving jug has a piece of charcoal in it, which is said to remove the harmful particles in water and allow good minerals that are essential to the body to pass through. Reminds me of charcoal tablets.
Potato Crisps - A most interesting appetiser, the potato crisps were served on a charcoal holding stand and dusted with vinegar. The crisps were, well, crisp and not too dry with a light sourish hint of vinegar. Great way to start off.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary buckwheat (from Manitoba, Canada) bread came served in a sack that promised to keep the bread warm for 20 minutes. The secret lies at the bottom of the sack, which contains pebbles that are heated before the bread is served and dissipates heat to keep the bread warm. Ingenious! The bread looked like a muffin but outside was hard while inside was rather spongy. Served alongside was a dish of buttermilk butter that was sprinkled with buckwheat. Very nice!
Air Cured Wagyu and Hibiscus, Beetroot and Apple - I thought the pairing of cured wagyu and beetroot was rather interesting, if outlandish. 53 proved me wrong though. The wagyu had a nice salty tinge to it while the beetroot gave it a mild sweetness. Nice subtle contrast. The beetroot sorbet added an almost surreal chilling dimension to the dish. Mind boggling!
Scallop and Buckwheat, Chicken "Oysters" ( $10) - I'm guessing the chicken pieces look like oyster hence the name? And they were probably the best chicken pieces I've eaten in a long long time. They were extremely tender and tasty but the less then generous portions kept my cravings in check. The scallops were seared to perfection with the right texture and came across as very flavourful as well.
Beef Cheeks and Onion, Pearl Barley and Watercress - This dish was a little of a let down. I couldn't quite make out any inherent beefy taste and the beef cheek was all shredded and almost pulp like. It was just salty with a little sweetness, probably from the barley. A nausea inducing dish.
Barramundi, Blackberries and Green Beans - The fish was freshly sweet with the skin nicely crisp but a tad salty. I am guessing the extra salt is useful and delightful in contrasting the sweetness from the blackberry and pear jam thats smeared alongside. And the whole dish was topped with a slice of amazingly thin Ciabatta that rendered me speechless.
Szechuan Peppercorn Ice Cream, Roasted Figs and Olive Puree -
I've never been a fan of figs but this one was surprisingly acceptable to me (I only managed to finish 1 slice though). What was interesting was the ice cream, which came across as very "perfumy" so to speak with a mild numbing sensation from the szechuan peppercorn. The little black speckles atop were actually olive sprinkles that gave it a light savoury taste. Very interesting combination.
Chocolate Caramel, Enoki and Raspberries - Another interesting piece of dessert. The chocolate caramel was gooey and came with enoki mushrooms which surprisingly accentuated the taste of the caramel. Dried raspberry cubes by the side complemented the dash of peanut butter very well and was almost reminiscent of the peanuts in a peanut butter spread. And to top everything off, there was the raspberry sorbet for a sourish and chilled finish.
Apple Risotto and Rosemary - Tiny cubes of apple cooked the risotto way, with constant adding of apple juice - that's how this dessert was made. I thought that it was nice and mildly sweet with a subtle lingering taste of ginger. The risotto texture was crunchy and the rosemary foam was light as air and hinted of rosemary. Interesting to say the least.
Petit Fours - The perfect Gin and Tonic sweet is what 53 calls its petit fours and rightly so. How the sweet works is this. You place it on your tongue and let it slowly dissolve to release the gin tonic taste. When you decide that its too strong for you, just wash it away with water. Quite a novelty I must say.
It was without a doubt, a most excellent lunch that definitely warrants revisits, especially for dinner. But prices are steep, with lunch costing the 2 of us just over $140 and that's with 2 pots of complimentary tea that would have gone for $12 a pot from the menu. Quality of food is top notch and so is service. And there is an air of exclusivity around it as tables are limited.
Cassia is a tree that is related to Cinnamon and from which the spice, cassiabark, is derived from. It also happens to be the name of the newly opened Chinese restaurant at Capella Singapore, which offers traditional Chinese cuisine blended with haute Cantonese techniques. In short, modern Chinese cuisine. The place is helmed by Executive Chef Ooi Soon Lock, who had stints in HK, Malaysia and Ritz Carlton Singapore.
Located at the upmarket Capella Hotel at Sentosa (where rooms start at $650/night), Cassia sits on the 3rd story of this stunning colonial style hotel complete with a sprawling driveway. The restaurant in itself is another work of art, with its lime stone lined entrance and intricately cut black lamp shades that provide a nice warm glow to the place. Seats are comfortable with plush cushions and the cutlery reads Narumi and Christofle - really expensive stuff.
Amuse Bouche - Served chilled, the amuse bouche of dragonfruit, pork belly and mango was quite a novel way to start off. The pork was surprisingly firm with a mild hint of barbecue sauce but the fruits didn't quite feature in the overall taste.
Steamed Milk Custard Bun with Salted Egg Yolk - The custard bun didn't come in the customary bun shape but in a oblong dumpling shape. It was evidently hand made from the nips in the skin. The custard filling was smooth with traces of egg yolk sediment but reminded me uncomfortably of kaya(coconut jam). There was an overload of flour as well.
Deep Fried Spring Roll with Prawn, Garlic and Mozzarella Cheese - I thought this dish was quite decent, with the spring rolls crisp without coming across as too oily. The prawns were crunchy but I couldn't quite make out the taste of cheese though. Nice as a finger food.
Pan Fried Bean Curd Skin Rolls with Chicken and French Foie Gras - Foie gras is the key here but sadly, I couldn't quite make out any in the rolls. The beancurd skin was limp and not the least bit crisp but at least the prawns were evident and crunchy. Now where's my foie gras?
Wok Fried Carrot Cake with Crisp Garlic in Pi Fong Tang Style - Honestly, I have no idea what constitutes Pi Fong Tang Style but I do know this. The carrot cake was too soft and mashy. And honestly, it could really do with a little more flavour. On the upside, it wasn't excessively oily and deep fried garlic is always nice, albeit irritating as it tends to stick to your teeth when chewing.
Steamed Barbecued US Berkshire Pork Buns - I must admit that I enjoyed the pork buns aka char siew bao. The char siew filling wasn't cloyingly sweet and the meat pieces were plump and juicy. The skin was soft and moist too, just that there was a little too much flour.
Crispy Prawn Dumplings with Wasabi Mayo - Comfort food to say the very least, the crispy prawn dumplings weren't out of the ordinary but competent enough to warrant a decent grade. The wanton skin was crackling crispy and the prawn huge and sweet. It was served on a cucumber spread with a thick layer of wasabi mayo that didn't threaten to overwhelm.
Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumplings with Bamboo Shoot and Celery - The quintessential dim sum dish - har gao. The skin was thin and slightly elastic while the whole prawn was fresh and crunchy. The addition of bamboo shoots and celery gave it an extra crunch but thats about it.
Deep Fried Thai Papaya Puff - This is actually quite interesting stuff and I must admit that its the first time I'm having something like that. The pastry was flaky and inside was mashed papaya that came across as mildly sweet. Would probably be more suitable as a dessert in my humble opinion.
Pan Fried Australian Minced Wagyu Beef Bun with Truffle and Water Chestnut - I have mentioned this countless times and I shall say this again. Mincing wagyu beef is a blatant and shameful waste of good beef. And this was no exception. The bun was speckled with sesame seeds and then pan fried till the seeds turned golden brown. There was no inherent beefy taste and in its place, a strong taste of spring onion. The water chestnut gave it a nice crunchy texture though. In case you are questioning where the truffle went to, I have that same question in mind.
Steamed Sui Mai Dumplings, topped with Norwegian Salmon Roe - The filling in the siew mai was probably part pork, part prawn paste, hence the noticeable absence of the porky taste. However, the salmon roe proved to be a little too fishy for me and this dish in general. I wonder if the roe could have been better utilised?
Baked Farm Egg Tart - I thought that the egg tarts were quite decent, albeit rather smallish in size. The crust wasn't too flaky and had a oat aftertaste (oat flour?) while the custard was quivery and not too sweet. Nice, but not that nice.
An uninspiring and partially filling dim sum session set the 3 of us back by about $72, which isn't alot of money. Food hovers around average to slightly above average but with the quality and quantity, I'll be hard pressed to find a reason to return. Maybe only for the ambience and exclusivity? And even if I do, I'll probably just stick to the dim sum. I mean, with prices like $12/pax for tea or $5/bowl of rice, one would be either have to be obnoxiously rich or simply deranged to actually do dinner.
I love that look, as I loved the look on your face when you grazed upon the slab of peanut butter chocolate, the same look on my face when I slurped down a cup of hot chocolate, the slice of rich chocolate truffle cake. It’s a gaze of wonder: the same look you see on children’s faces when they are given chocolate, and it is always a joy to see the happy smiles. Down memory lane one ninety one, one of the finest there is, Laurent Bernard Chocolatier.
The problem with eating good food means that after you tried the best, there’s no way you can accept something inferior. Tiny specks of real vanilla seeds imparted a fragrance that no artificial flavouring can match. I loved vanilla bean ice cream ($4.50 one scoop), and what am I going to do with those King’s ice cream in the fridge?
We eyed the Chocolate tart ($7.80 ). After some hasty shots, I gave up in my attempts to take a perfect shot. The thinly pastry crust, the layer of hazelnut praline above it, the rich and sweet chocolate - what’s there not to like? It would be perfect if the whipped cream is replaced with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
The density of the chocolate. I just kept going and going, I don’t want to share this with anyone else. So simple, yet so, so good. Chocolate truffle ($6.80 ).
It was unfortunate that we did not get to try the highly acclaimed Chocolate soufflé - the very one that prompted our visit to Laurent’s. And even though I only tried two of their desserts, I must say the array of chocolate desserts look very tempting, and I will certainly come back to try some of the other cakes.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
It was a long time coming and I finally made a trip to try out Eden Sanctuary, the younger sibling of Eden Cafe at Club Street, which has since ceased operations. Like its sibling, Eden Sanctuary promises simple healthy cuisine with floral and herbal influences.
Wedged right at the end of the upmarket Rochester Park, Eden shares the compound with Body with Soul, a health care centre that offers physiotherapy treatment, nutrition advice and the likes. So in a certain sense, both outfits complement each other. Eden comprises mostly al fresco seating with probably about 3 -4 tables indoor. The entire place exudes laid back comfort amidst the shadow of the HDB flat towering behind, a small oasis next to the urban jungle.
Creamless Mushroom Soup - This has got to be the healthiest mushroom soup that I've ever drank. Its essentially 4 types of mushroom and chicken stock blended together and served with 2 small strips of wholemeal bread. Not that it tasted bad. In fact, I found it very satisfying with chunks of mushroom and the pure unadulterated mushroom taste sans the creaminess.
Pear Rocket Salad - The salad was huge and could have passed off as a main for a relatively moderate eater. Its a simple salad with slices of pear, orange, arugula, feta cheese and drizzled with a calamansi, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and honey concoction. The sauce was noticeably light and all in all the salad was a good way to start off.
Ginger Leek Peanut Butter Fish - To be honest, the fish didn't look the least bit appetising. However, it was actually quite good even though I really hate ginger to the core. At least the ginger wasn't too prominent in the peanut butter sauce. Whats interesting is that the sauce is coated onto the butter fish and baked, leaving a semi solid paste that hinted of ginger and peanut butter.
Tarragon Garlic Chicken - Tarragon is actually a relative of the sunflower family and carries a somewhat bitter anise flavour to it. This was not very evident in the chicken and I couldn't quite make out any garlic as well. But to give credit where its due, the chicken was deboned thigh meat that came across as very tender and juicy. Great execution but probably a little too light for my preference.
Tofu Cheesecake - The sour cream in this cheesecake is replaced by tofu, which gives it an interesting tofu taste and ups the health factor. Throw in a base made solely from digestive biscuits and you have a light yet tasty cheesecake that wouldn't pose too much of a problem to your health.
Chocolate Banana Oreo Cheesecake - As sinful as this dessert sounds, its actually not that rich. On the contrary, it was rather light on the palate even with the bananas and chocolate. You get the nice soft texture of banana coupled with a mild chocolaty sweetness amidst layers of foamy light cheesecake. Very good!
With a 10% discount, the bill came up to almost $109 for a soup, a salad, 2 mains and 3 desserts, which is a little on the high side but take away the cost of the teas and the price drops to a more manageable $90. Food quality is decent and I can forsee future visits when my health conscious side appeals to me.
1=SGD 0.0587
Diandin Leluk, the well known budget Thai restaurant at Golden Mile and owner of the Tuk Tuk Thai Kitchen chain, recently opened up a new upmarket branch around my area so thought it would be good to give it a shot.
Taking over the space vacated by a chicken rice stall just next to Sushi Tei, Diandin boasts two levels of seating in a brightly lighted comfortable looking interior with heavy wooden chairs and tables. Nice place for casual family dinners or gatherings.
Pork Beancurd Soup - I quite fancied this soup as it came across as light yet tasty from the addition of tong cai. There were balls of prawn paste peppered with bits of meat and steamed egg tofu in it. Very traditional Teochew styled soup.
Pandan Chicken -
This was one of the better pandan chickens that I've eaten as it wasn't too oily or cloyingly sweet. The meat was tender and fibrous and of quite a sizeable chunk.
Stir Fried Broccoli with Scallops - A very simple dish and decently executed one at that. The broccoli wasn't overcooked while the thin silvers of scallop didn't carry the fishy aftertaste. However, I thought that the gravy was a little too bland for my liking. But on the upside, at least it wasn't too starchy.
Pineapple Fried Rice - A most mundane rendition of this Thai favourite. There were lots of meat floss, a few slices of shrimp, dried sausages and raisins but lacked the pineapple twang as well as the fragrance. Decent but I've definitely had better.
Phad Thai - The phad thai was of the dryer variant which I personally prefer and the noodles had a nice springy texture. It didn't come across as overly sweet as well and you had a choice of drowning the noodles in grounded peanuts, which I did. Pity about the small portions.
Durian Glutinous Rice - This dessert looked different from others that I've eaten elsewhere. The rice was seperated from the durian (which was real durian meat, not puree) and looked a total mess. Aesthetics aside, the durian was sweet while the glutinous rice wasn't overwhelmed by coconut milk. I did think that the rice was a little undercooked though because it came across as a little hard.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
If 7atenine was the best meal I had so far, then Au Petit Salut would be its equal.
I was the passerby in your colourful life, we never seem to meet, until now. Our encounter is but an absence and a providence: now that we’ve met, I hold you dear. The place of eternal memories; Au Petit Salut.
Lush, lush, lush and green. It seems so near, yet so far. Right in the middle, but not in the middle; I had to admit - I was wrong. Overrated, you are not, there’s just something special about you. I wished we’ve met earlier, but like they say, it’s better to be late than never.
It was all we need to get started with, a piece of bread, and a stick of butter. We threw envious glares at the seemingly-softer white-looking bread at the table adjacent to us; it was just, human nature.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do - and in a French restaurant, eat snails as the French does. This was my second time eating the slimy-looking creature, and as much as I thought it looked similar to cockle; I love the strong butter and garlic smell. Half dozen baked Burgundy snails with tomato and garlic butter, way to go!
I’m-a-carnivore! And the only appetiser on the menu which seemed to satisfy the meat-eater in me was the Pork terrine and mesclun salad, shallots, gherkins and capers vinaigrette. I took a bite, chew-chew-swallow-swallow, and I took another bite. A piece of pork with really extraordinary subtlety and texture. And my dear, this was where the meal just began.
Words are powerful stuff, they can make you happy, sad, angry or nervous. In this case, I was excited by the mere-presence of the word, beef cheeks.
What part, you asked again?
Beef cheeks. Pardon me, but I have never eaten somebody’s cheek before.
Red wine braised beef cheeks, carrots, mushrooms and parsley potatoes. I realised I couldn’t really tell the difference between the different parts of the cow, but did it really mattered? The braised beef cheeks were tenderly-done, and there was the potatoes which were a-part-of-it.
I had to agree that braised beef tasted better than lamb shank, or maybe I haven’t tried one that is worthy, yet.
If the beef cheek were tenderly-done, then the Pan seared onglet beef was done exactly the way I love it! And just exactly what was Onglet, I know it’s a prime cut of beef, but past that I’m beyond caring. Don’t talk to me about the different grade, the marbling of the meat, there ain’t no need to discuss the cooking technique, I-just-liked-this!
With a tinge of pink, the medium-rare meat was per-fect! And I love the confit shallots which spreaded over the top of the beef, like the sky covered over the land. The presence of the French fries were puzzling, I decided I was going to ignore its guest appearance on the plate and focused on the beef instead.
The lemon tart was fabulous - how can something so simple. be so, absolutely wonderful. The texture of the lemon curd was done just right, and paired with the subtle ice cream with a hint of lavender-honey, I’m a happy boy.
I had a quickie with the Crème brulée; I took the first taste, stunned for a moment, and took my second. This continued until I finished the whole dessert. Beneath the nicely-touched caramelised sugar, was the smoothest yet firm, custard, infused with vanilla beans.
Total bill was $70 for two set lunches. I, had an awesome time! Which left me with this question, why didn’t I go there earlier! Au petit Salut has one of the most reasonable set lunches at $30 , comparing with most of the restaurants which are doing theirs at $38 , I thought it is a steal. Of course, there are certainly better restaurants out there, but I love the place as a whole. See you there!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
After the shocking mother's day lunch at Si Chuan Dou Hua the previous year, it was decided to head somewhere more low key and down to earth this year. May I just make it known that I still think occasions like mothers day/fathers day etc are just ploys by unscrupulous merchants to jack up their prices and serve you substandard food. But here we were, at Wo Peng, for a mother's day dinner. Apparently the chef, Hong Kong born Julian Tam, used to preside over the kitchen at Furama Palace at Furama Hotel and left to work in Guangzhou for a couple of months before returning to Singapore to open up his own restaurant.
The place is easy to miss, occupying just 2 units along Macpherson Road, where parking is a nightmare. The restaurant itself isn't big, probably squeezing in 50 pax or so and everything is kept no frills, from the tables and chairs to the ornaments that decorate the walls.
Shark's Fin Soup - If you are a fan of adding vinegar with your shark's fin soup, the staff at Wo Peng will advise you not to because according to them, the soup is naturally flavoured by herbs and don't require any addition of vinegar. I must conceed that they are absolutely right. The soup had cordyceps, ginseng and other unidentifiable (by me) herbs that made it light yet tasty with a mild herbal connotation. The fins weren't exactly of superior quality but acceptable nonetheless.
Smoked Duck - I simply love this dish. It has got to be one of the best duck dishes I've eaten since the start of 2009. The skin was crisp while the meat was smoked to a reddish hue and came across as very smooth and tender. There wasn't an overly generous salt content as well and tasted a little like ham. Nice!
Stir Fried Red Garoupa with Sweet Pea - This dish was rather normal though the fish was rather fresh and served up with dried mustard greens (梅菜), which gave it a salty tinge. I did like the sweet peas though, which were sweet (duh!), crunchy and not overly cooked.
Steamed Garoupa - This was actually a continuation of the the first fish dish, where the fish head was chopped up and steamed with pork slices, black fungus and red dates. Personally I preferred to the former as the whole dish was actually more savoury. But being only fish head, the meat was limited.
Peng Cai - This dish is usually sold and eaten only during the Chinese New Year period. But here at Wo Peng, its available throughout the year but only with an advance order of course. There were the usual suspects - dried oyster, prawns, mushrooms, broccoli, goose web, scallops, dried abalone, sea cucumber and surprisingly, radish, which is said to be found only in authentic HK peng cais. Although I am no fan of peng cai, I thought that this one was quite well done as the whole thing was stewed long enough for the flavours to permeate through to the various ingredients. And may I add that portions were huge for 5 people. 6-7 would have been a more manageable number.
Fried Noodles - The noodles were a thicker variant of mee suah and came across as soft but not too soggy. It was tasty and came loaded with lots of seafood but it got really nauseating after a while and I gave up after my 2nd bowl. This is the first time I'm feeling so overwhelmed by the amount of seafood thus far.
Roast Chicken - Finally a white meat dish and I thought that it was actually quite good. The meat was tender while retaining its flavours and moisture. The skin was a nice homogeneous golden brown but a pity it wasn't crisp.
Hasma - Also known as the poor men's bird nest, the Hasma came with dried longans and dates and tasted like hot cheng ting. To be honest, I am absolutely terrified of this dessert as it is made from dried fallopian tubes of frogs and somehow, ingesting an organ that plays a pivotal role in reproduction doesn't exactly settle well with me.
A satisfying, if not button bursting dinner cost the 5 of us to the tune of $350, which works out to be roughly $70 a head. Reasonable if you ask me, especially for the quality and quantity of food. Moreover, ingredients like shark's fin, abalone, sea cucumber etc don't come cheap. Service was great and even more commendable in the absence of any service charge.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Tucked in the corner of Serene Centre lies La Petite Cuisine, an eatery that serves simple French fare with a delicate touch. For a no-frills, tiny establishment estimated not more than 20 tables (they have since expanded outside just next to the pavement), their menu is pretty extensive.
Although one needs to make their way to the cashier to place their orders, the good news is they do not charge GST. Also do not expect fanciful plateware and cutlery set as the complimentary bread came serve in plastic plate. Bread was warm but otherwise nothing extraordinary.
The Ravioli of Prawns Foie Gras in Light Lemon Crème ($14.00) was pretty interesting – the ingredients within the ravioli was generous, and the sauce was nice, but despondently, one could see the foie gras but not taste it – the prawns simply overwhelmed the former. In fact, it tasted more like prawn dumplings served French style.
The Foie Gras Panfried with Orange Confit Served with Salad ($17.00) was of decent portion. At such a size, HFB thought it was pretty good value for money. Nicely panfried on the surface, yet quiver when cut, it was done pleasingly. The orange sauce that came along with it goes really well also. Love it!
You must definitely give the Confit de Canard with Gratin ($15.00) a try if you pay them a visit. The duck skin is slow-cooked to a perfect crisp, and fully flavoured. The mash that came with it was smooth and delightful too. This dish was way better than the lousy version served at The French Stall along Serangoon Road.
The dessert though was very disappointing – HFB could understand the 20 minutes wait for a hot dessert, but the Tarte Tatin, or Apple Tarte ($6.50) was just unpleasant in many ways. Serving was measly, and the whole puff pastry stacked above two slices of apple arrangement just failed miserably. HFB end up eating the puff pastry separately from the apples, which was still slightly unyielding for consumption.
He reckon one would be better off having ice cream at Island Creamery next door!
You can view all the photos here.
Rating given:
I’m of the opinion that Korean food in Singapore is not as established as their Japanese counterparts. It’s easy to name some good Japanese restaurants, but Korean ones?
The Kdrama wave had created a huge impact and let the world know more about South Korea, I’m one of those who stick to the big screen watching new dramas like Boys before flowers, and Ja Myung. Naturally, I’m intrigued by the food as well after watching so many kdramas.
The-one-most-associated-with-Korean-food. Miss kimchi was a tad salty for my liking, I’m not sure how the authentic one should taste like, but this wasn’t my favourite among the four free appetisers that we were served with.
The beansprouts, or more commonly known to us as the dou-ya; were big (compared to the normal beansprouts), and crunchy. Very nice indeed.
Do they called this Anchovy? No matters, the tiny fish was fried to crisp-cross, I could almost hear the sound when I took a bite - crunch, crunch.
I liked this one! With a sweet and sour consistency, the cucumber reminded me of our local achar. There’s nothing better than something sour-sweet to start the palate going.
We had the cold noodle ($10) next. A couple of beef slices, with a egg, the cold noodle was well, like the name, cold, with a springy and bouncy texture, which slurped down my throat easily. The difficult part was getting accustomed to using the extremely-thin Korean chopsticks to get the noodles.
And the other choice was the Dol Sot Bibim Bap ($11.50), well if you couldn’t read Korean like me, it’s pretty obvious from the photo; Hot stone bowl rice with choice of chicken, pork, beef or vegetarian toppings. We mixed everything up nicely, and the chili was fantastic. It wasn’t too spicy, and I just kept adding and adding more. The best part of eating in the hot stone bowl? Everything remained pipping hot!
* * *
Total bill was $25 for the two dishes we got, the four appetisers came free with any dishes ordered and they could be refill. I’m not very sure whether I’m a kimchi-person, maybe a few more tries will do the job. There you go, my first Korean food experience! And Fusionpolis isn’t exactly that ulu, it’s only three bus stops from Buona Vista station.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
I have a friend, his name is Jones. He is a grocer, and he ain’t a normal grocer. Gourmet products, that’s right. All the customers would drop by and waved, “Hello Jones!”. And the kids would peeked around curiously, and oh yes, they had a song which goes something like this;
Jones the grocer, Can we eat it?
Jones the grocer, Yes we can!
Jones the grocer, I want some food!
Jones the grocer, Come and get it!
My latest breakfast-brunch crave brought me to Jones the grocer, because they are one of the few that serves brunch during weekdays (the other few being Prive, Rider’s, and Casa Verde).
Much as I liked having brunch on a lazy Sunday morning, but the idea of having it during a WEEKDAY enthrals me even more! Well the rest of the world rushed off to work, I’m slowly sipping a cup of coffee, having my favourite eggs, and reading the newspaper. You get the idea?
I want breakfast. I want eggs. I want pancakes.
Pancakes we wanted, and Coconut pancakes ($12.5) we got! Sour mango wasn’t exactly what we expected, but it presented a contrast with the syrup, well they called it the palm sugar syrup here. Whatever, all the syrup tasted the same to me, sweet and sweet!
And did you see what I saw? Vanilla beans! Tiny speaks of vanilla beans! I’m not going to go into the story of how excited I’ll become when I saw the beans, but, I’m excited! It was nice having vanilla beans with pancakes, but we did felt that it would be better to have it with butter and syrup for breakfast at least. And oh ya, the pancakes here are one of the thickest-I-ever-came-across.
Jones english breakfast ($20). I’ll like to call it the best-of-everything. Poached eggs, grilled bacon, pork sausages, sautéed mushroom, and even slow roasted tomato for some nutritional balance! What is there not to like?
I can never resist the golden-yellow egg yolk flowing out of the pure egg white: striptease - stop playing with me or I’ll eat you up! I put the poached eggs, bacon, and mushroom on top of the sourdough (the sausage was too huge to fit in on top), and I tried to put everything in one bite.
Well I failed of course, but that’s obviously what I intended to; in this way I could repeat and repeat the same full-mouth-process until I finished the whole thing, and wanting more.
Total bill was $35.75 for the brunch, they had 10% service charge but the 7% GST was already included in the bill. Was it expensive? No, for the mere thought that I was having my breakfast while the rest of the world were busy slogging it out in the office, that’s something priceless.
But for weekday brunch, I’ll prefer Rider’s and Prive if you have your own transport, not that it is easy to get to dempsey either.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
53 - the newly opened dining collaboration between lawyer turned chef, Michael Han and the Les Amis group. Chef Han, who trained at the prestigious Fat Duck in England, brought along Fat Duck's 2nd pastry chef, Leoandro, to helm 53's pastry department. What makes this restaurant stand out is that there is no ala carte menu, which means the chef decides, to a certain extent, what you eat.
Aptly located at 53 Armenian Street, the restaurant is situated in a double story shophouse with the private dining room and kitchen located on the first level and the main dining hall and wine cellar on the second. The place is tiny and sparsely furnished with simple tables and chairs and the main dining area can probably only accommodate about 5 tables for a total capacity of 20. Hence reservations are of utmost importance. Try making them at least 2 weeks in advance.
I thought that the sky juice (no still or sparkling nonsense) deserved a mention because the serving jug has a piece of charcoal in it, which is said to remove the harmful particles in water and allow good minerals that are essential to the body to pass through. Reminds me of charcoal tablets.
Potato Crisps - A most interesting appetiser, the potato crisps were served on a charcoal holding stand and dusted with vinegar. The crisps were, well, crisp and not too dry with a light sourish hint of vinegar. Great way to start off.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary buckwheat (from Manitoba, Canada) bread came served in a sack that promised to keep the bread warm for 20 minutes. The secret lies at the bottom of the sack, which contains pebbles that are heated before the bread is served and dissipates heat to keep the bread warm. Ingenious! The bread looked like a muffin but outside was hard while inside was rather spongy. Served alongside was a dish of buttermilk butter that was sprinkled with buckwheat. Very nice!
Air Cured Wagyu and Hibiscus, Beetroot and Apple - I thought the pairing of cured wagyu and beetroot was rather interesting, if outlandish. 53 proved me wrong though. The wagyu had a nice salty tinge to it while the beetroot gave it a mild sweetness. Nice subtle contrast. The beetroot sorbet added an almost surreal chilling dimension to the dish. Mind boggling!
Scallop and Buckwheat, Chicken "Oysters" ( $10) - I'm guessing the chicken pieces look like oyster hence the name? And they were probably the best chicken pieces I've eaten in a long long time. They were extremely tender and tasty but the less then generous portions kept my cravings in check. The scallops were seared to perfection with the right texture and came across as very flavourful as well.
Beef Cheeks and Onion, Pearl Barley and Watercress - This dish was a little of a let down. I couldn't quite make out any inherent beefy taste and the beef cheek was all shredded and almost pulp like. It was just salty with a little sweetness, probably from the barley. A nausea inducing dish.
Barramundi, Blackberries and Green Beans - The fish was freshly sweet with the skin nicely crisp but a tad salty. I am guessing the extra salt is useful and delightful in contrasting the sweetness from the blackberry and pear jam thats smeared alongside. And the whole dish was topped with a slice of amazingly thin Ciabatta that rendered me speechless.
Szechuan Peppercorn Ice Cream, Roasted Figs and Olive Puree -
I've never been a fan of figs but this one was surprisingly acceptable to me (I only managed to finish 1 slice though). What was interesting was the ice cream, which came across as very "perfumy" so to speak with a mild numbing sensation from the szechuan peppercorn. The little black speckles atop were actually olive sprinkles that gave it a light savoury taste. Very interesting combination.
Chocolate Caramel, Enoki and Raspberries - Another interesting piece of dessert. The chocolate caramel was gooey and came with enoki mushrooms which surprisingly accentuated the taste of the caramel. Dried raspberry cubes by the side complemented the dash of peanut butter very well and was almost reminiscent of the peanuts in a peanut butter spread. And to top everything off, there was the raspberry sorbet for a sourish and chilled finish.
Apple Risotto and Rosemary - Tiny cubes of apple cooked the risotto way, with constant adding of apple juice - that's how this dessert was made. I thought that it was nice and mildly sweet with a subtle lingering taste of ginger. The risotto texture was crunchy and the rosemary foam was light as air and hinted of rosemary. Interesting to say the least.
Petit Fours - The perfect Gin and Tonic sweet is what 53 calls its petit fours and rightly so. How the sweet works is this. You place it on your tongue and let it slowly dissolve to release the gin tonic taste. When you decide that its too strong for you, just wash it away with water. Quite a novelty I must say.
It was without a doubt, a most excellent lunch that definitely warrants revisits, especially for dinner. But prices are steep, with lunch costing the 2 of us just over $140 and that's with 2 pots of complimentary tea that would have gone for $12 a pot from the menu. Quality of food is top notch and so is service. And there is an air of exclusivity around it as tables are limited.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Cassia is a tree that is related to Cinnamon and from which the spice, cassiabark, is derived from. It also happens to be the name of the newly opened Chinese restaurant at Capella Singapore, which offers traditional Chinese cuisine blended with haute Cantonese techniques. In short, modern Chinese cuisine. The place is helmed by Executive Chef Ooi Soon Lock, who had stints in HK, Malaysia and Ritz Carlton Singapore.
Located at the upmarket Capella Hotel at Sentosa (where rooms start at $650/night), Cassia sits on the 3rd story of this stunning colonial style hotel complete with a sprawling driveway. The restaurant in itself is another work of art, with its lime stone lined entrance and intricately cut black lamp shades that provide a nice warm glow to the place. Seats are comfortable with plush cushions and the cutlery reads Narumi and Christofle - really expensive stuff.
Amuse Bouche - Served chilled, the amuse bouche of dragonfruit, pork belly and mango was quite a novel way to start off. The pork was surprisingly firm with a mild hint of barbecue sauce but the fruits didn't quite feature in the overall taste.
Steamed Milk Custard Bun with Salted Egg Yolk - The custard bun didn't come in the customary bun shape but in a oblong dumpling shape. It was evidently hand made from the nips in the skin. The custard filling was smooth with traces of egg yolk sediment but reminded me uncomfortably of kaya(coconut jam). There was an overload of flour as well.
Deep Fried Spring Roll with Prawn, Garlic and Mozzarella Cheese - I thought this dish was quite decent, with the spring rolls crisp without coming across as too oily. The prawns were crunchy but I couldn't quite make out the taste of cheese though. Nice as a finger food.
Pan Fried Bean Curd Skin Rolls with Chicken and French Foie Gras - Foie gras is the key here but sadly, I couldn't quite make out any in the rolls. The beancurd skin was limp and not the least bit crisp but at least the prawns were evident and crunchy. Now where's my foie gras?
Wok Fried Carrot Cake with Crisp Garlic in Pi Fong Tang Style - Honestly, I have no idea what constitutes Pi Fong Tang Style but I do know this. The carrot cake was too soft and mashy. And honestly, it could really do with a little more flavour. On the upside, it wasn't excessively oily and deep fried garlic is always nice, albeit irritating as it tends to stick to your teeth when chewing.
Steamed Barbecued US Berkshire Pork Buns - I must admit that I enjoyed the pork buns aka char siew bao. The char siew filling wasn't cloyingly sweet and the meat pieces were plump and juicy. The skin was soft and moist too, just that there was a little too much flour.
Crispy Prawn Dumplings with Wasabi Mayo - Comfort food to say the very least, the crispy prawn dumplings weren't out of the ordinary but competent enough to warrant a decent grade. The wanton skin was crackling crispy and the prawn huge and sweet. It was served on a cucumber spread with a thick layer of wasabi mayo that didn't threaten to overwhelm.
Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumplings with Bamboo Shoot and Celery - The quintessential dim sum dish - har gao. The skin was thin and slightly elastic while the whole prawn was fresh and crunchy. The addition of bamboo shoots and celery gave it an extra crunch but thats about it.
Deep Fried Thai Papaya Puff - This is actually quite interesting stuff and I must admit that its the first time I'm having something like that. The pastry was flaky and inside was mashed papaya that came across as mildly sweet. Would probably be more suitable as a dessert in my humble opinion.
Pan Fried Australian Minced Wagyu Beef Bun with Truffle and Water Chestnut - I have mentioned this countless times and I shall say this again. Mincing wagyu beef is a blatant and shameful waste of good beef. And this was no exception. The bun was speckled with sesame seeds and then pan fried till the seeds turned golden brown. There was no inherent beefy taste and in its place, a strong taste of spring onion. The water chestnut gave it a nice crunchy texture though. In case you are questioning where the truffle went to, I have that same question in mind.
Steamed Sui Mai Dumplings, topped with Norwegian Salmon Roe - The filling in the siew mai was probably part pork, part prawn paste, hence the noticeable absence of the porky taste. However, the salmon roe proved to be a little too fishy for me and this dish in general. I wonder if the roe could have been better utilised?
Baked Farm Egg Tart - I thought that the egg tarts were quite decent, albeit rather smallish in size. The crust wasn't too flaky and had a oat aftertaste (oat flour?) while the custard was quivery and not too sweet. Nice, but not that nice.
An uninspiring and partially filling dim sum session set the 3 of us back by about $72, which isn't alot of money. Food hovers around average to slightly above average but with the quality and quantity, I'll be hard pressed to find a reason to return. Maybe only for the ambience and exclusivity? And even if I do, I'll probably just stick to the dim sum. I mean, with prices like $12/pax for tea or $5/bowl of rice, one would be either have to be obnoxiously rich or simply deranged to actually do dinner.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
I love that look, as I loved the look on your face when you grazed upon the slab of peanut butter chocolate, the same look on my face when I slurped down a cup of hot chocolate, the slice of rich chocolate truffle cake. It’s a gaze of wonder: the same look you see on children’s faces when they are given chocolate, and it is always a joy to see the happy smiles. Down memory lane one ninety one, one of the finest there is, Laurent Bernard Chocolatier.
The problem with eating good food means that after you tried the best, there’s no way you can accept something inferior. Tiny specks of real vanilla seeds imparted a fragrance that no artificial flavouring can match. I loved vanilla bean ice cream ($4.50 one scoop), and what am I going to do with those King’s ice cream in the fridge?
We eyed the Chocolate tart ($7.80 ). After some hasty shots, I gave up in my attempts to take a perfect shot. The thinly pastry crust, the layer of hazelnut praline above it, the rich and sweet chocolate - what’s there not to like? It would be perfect if the whipped cream is replaced with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
The density of the chocolate. I just kept going and going, I don’t want to share this with anyone else. So simple, yet so, so good. Chocolate truffle ($6.80 ).
It was unfortunate that we did not get to try the highly acclaimed Chocolate soufflé - the very one that prompted our visit to Laurent’s. And even though I only tried two of their desserts, I must say the array of chocolate desserts look very tempting, and I will certainly come back to try some of the other cakes.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
It was a long time coming and I finally made a trip to try out Eden Sanctuary, the younger sibling of Eden Cafe at Club Street, which has since ceased operations. Like its sibling, Eden Sanctuary promises simple healthy cuisine with floral and herbal influences.
Wedged right at the end of the upmarket Rochester Park, Eden shares the compound with Body with Soul, a health care centre that offers physiotherapy treatment, nutrition advice and the likes. So in a certain sense, both outfits complement each other. Eden comprises mostly al fresco seating with probably about 3 -4 tables indoor. The entire place exudes laid back comfort amidst the shadow of the HDB flat towering behind, a small oasis next to the urban jungle.
Creamless Mushroom Soup - This has got to be the healthiest mushroom soup that I've ever drank. Its essentially 4 types of mushroom and chicken stock blended together and served with 2 small strips of wholemeal bread. Not that it tasted bad. In fact, I found it very satisfying with chunks of mushroom and the pure unadulterated mushroom taste sans the creaminess.
Pear Rocket Salad - The salad was huge and could have passed off as a main for a relatively moderate eater. Its a simple salad with slices of pear, orange, arugula, feta cheese and drizzled with a calamansi, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and honey concoction. The sauce was noticeably light and all in all the salad was a good way to start off.
Ginger Leek Peanut Butter Fish - To be honest, the fish didn't look the least bit appetising. However, it was actually quite good even though I really hate ginger to the core. At least the ginger wasn't too prominent in the peanut butter sauce. Whats interesting is that the sauce is coated onto the butter fish and baked, leaving a semi solid paste that hinted of ginger and peanut butter.
Tarragon Garlic Chicken - Tarragon is actually a relative of the sunflower family and carries a somewhat bitter anise flavour to it. This was not very evident in the chicken and I couldn't quite make out any garlic as well. But to give credit where its due, the chicken was deboned thigh meat that came across as very tender and juicy. Great execution but probably a little too light for my preference.
Tofu Cheesecake - The sour cream in this cheesecake is replaced by tofu, which gives it an interesting tofu taste and ups the health factor. Throw in a base made solely from digestive biscuits and you have a light yet tasty cheesecake that wouldn't pose too much of a problem to your health.
Chocolate Banana Oreo Cheesecake - As sinful as this dessert sounds, its actually not that rich. On the contrary, it was rather light on the palate even with the bananas and chocolate. You get the nice soft texture of banana coupled with a mild chocolaty sweetness amidst layers of foamy light cheesecake. Very good!
With a 10% discount, the bill came up to almost $109 for a soup, a salad, 2 mains and 3 desserts, which is a little on the high side but take away the cost of the teas and the price drops to a more manageable $90. Food quality is decent and I can forsee future visits when my health conscious side appeals to me.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given: