Was rather intrigued by the name, "The Sleeping Rhino", so decided to drop by one evening with the missus for dinner. It definitely helped that there was a 50% discount courtesy of my palate card.
Located on the ground floor of Klapsons The Boutique Hotel at Tanjong Pagar, The Sleeping Rhino offers a view of the surrounding pedestrian walkway and vehicular roads through towering floor to ceiling windows. For a little more privacy, opt for the booth seats furthest away from the windows.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread roll came a little crusty and warm. Together with a small container of store bought butter, it made for a nice and simple way to start off.
Pomodoro Penne with Cajun Smoked Chicken - Al dente penne tossed in a mildly tart pomodoro sauce and topped with chunks of savoury cajun chicken - simple yet satisfying. The only gripe I had was the lack of smokiness in the chicken.
Wagyu Beef Burger - The beef patty was done up to medium well but seemed a little drier than expected. Flavours were decent and I liked the addition of the runny yolk sunny side up atop, which gave the burger an overall smooth and rich finish. Unfortunately the bun was crisp but dry and tasteless.
Tiramisu - Circular in shape, the tiramisu's portion was rather small with the sponge fingers a little too soaked in kahlua. The mascarpone cheese seemed a little diluted which definitely didn't help matters. All in all a very average rendition of this Italian classic dessert.
Dinner for 2 pax came to almost $38 with a 50% discount ($75.33 without). Overall food quality hovered around the average mark and prices were honestly on the high side for the corresponding quality. Service was good though but that could be due to the fact that we were the only table that evening (although another couple did come in when we were just about to leave).
This was a dinner choice for a casual night with some friends and I'm glad I made the decision to book prior - was surprised there was a wait for table on a weekday evening!
The usual Ambush styple for deco but slightly different from its Plaza Sing outlet - casual vibes and wooden furnitutre.
German style potato pancake (rosti) ($7.50) - I liked this as its plain and simple but some commented that it was too thin.
Mini sausage platter ($8.80) - grilled mini chicken garlic and chicken cheese sausage with mustard and brown sauce dip - Good for sharing (and with some beer!) - the sausages were nicely warm from the grilling and goes very well with the mild mustard.
Baby scallop and flying fish roe - squid ink sauce ($14.80) - My main course which I struggled to finish. Plenty of fresh scallops with a heap of linguini which was just nicely al dente for me. Squid ink itself doesnt have any taste but I choose to believe it was healthy - which I read somewhere...but not a good dish for a date!
Crispy chicken and seaweed - alio olio ambush style ($13) - Very good - so much so I wish I had ordered this. The ambush style alio olio was very tasty with mild spicy seasoning, the chicken was not oily and the seaweed sprinkled over the top added a nice taste to the whole dish. Big porton too.
Paella seafood ($14.80) - Slightly disappointing after the excellent pasta dishes. While the seafood was fresh and quite a generous portion, the rice was too soggy for my liking and the tomato sauce tasted just medicore.
Cauliflower soup & ice tea ($5.50) - You can add this to any main course, but I'll advise against it if you get Cauliflower soup like us. No hint of the veg at all - basically we can only tell it's a cream soup, that's all.
Service was quite prompt despite us sitting in a corner. Wil definitley return for their mussels next time!
I've always wanted to try The Kitchen Table but never had a chance to until I found out that they have a 1-4-1 buffet dinner promotion for SPG members. So my and 3 other frens trotted all the way in - the promotion is only valid for more than 1pair if you have more than 1 SPG membership.
The place was smaller than I thought - seafood, sushi, cold cuts / salads / appetizers, indian, western / pasta, and chinese noodle / soup. And it being a weekday it was not as empty as I thought it would be.
Seafood - a smallish almost hidden counter but fresh seafood. Usual suspects like oysters, prawns, mussels, clams, lobsters were all good.
Cold cuts / appetizers - The salads didnt leave a very big impression on me as they were quite medicore eg tuna, mushrooms salads. But they had about 3 variety of cold cuts including parma ham which were quite nice.
Indian - made to order naans, chicke tikka, curries and lentils etc which were all good.
Pasta - I headed straight for the made to order pastas instead of the handful of western buffet choices - you can basially take your pick of ingredients eg veg, sausages, and type of pasta, then choose the type of sauce you want. Very nice!
Chinese - Soups and noodles available but I only had the soup - Pork rib and winter melon soup which was superb.
Desserts - Very prettily arranged like a showcase of 3 'cabinets' and had rather good variety but quality wise was just okay. Strangely enough, the tiramisu had almost no sponge fingers nor any cocoa powder on top.
Coffee - the buffet comes with coffee / latte / cap / tea - the cap was quite nice and did not taste like it came out of a Nestle machine.
Honestly, I would not have recommended this place without the SPG promotion as I think $65 per pax is too ex for the variety and quality. But paying $33 with the promo is definitely worth it!
And note that their shuttle only allows in-house guests staying with them - dining guests like us will have to find our own way in. You can tak the shuttle out but the last shuttle leaves the hote for Vivo at 9:55pm which seems a bit early.
A new steakhouse, Bull & Butcher, recently opened up in town and I had the opportunity to drop by to sample a couple of its signature dishes, courtesy of the restaurant. The eatery attempts to differentiate itself from the other steakhouses by offering diners a view of the butchers in the kitchen (dressed in traditional chain mail aprons, no less) slicing up their choice of meat. And in case you are wondering if it is in the same league as the big boys (Morton's, Ruth Chris etc), no it definitely isn't. Price wise at least.
Occupying a rather prominent unit just next to the main entrance of Plaza Singapura along Orchard Road, Bull & Butcher doesn't come across as very big but there is an outdoor alfresco area if you prefer Singapore's humidity and heat (not to mention cigarette smoke). Inside, tables are spaced decently apart which makes for relaxing conversation but the overall design isn't much to rave about - very much like your typical western restaurant.
Prawn Cocktail ($14) - Dinner kick started with a prawn cocktail, which featured huge, crunchy prawns amidst an avalanche of thousand island sauce. Decent.
Roast Whole Garlic ($8) - This was actually a side and although I do like garlic, I don't quite relish the experience of eating it whole with skin and all. But that's just a personal preference.
Crab Cake, Sundried Tomato Sauce ($16) - The crab cake had a generous amount of crab meat but the breaded coating probably wasn't the best way to encapsulate the crab meat due to the absorption of oil. And the sundried tomato sauce failed to capture the intense burst of tangy, mildly sweet flavour that I had hoped for. Instead, it had a mild curry tinge to it for an Asian slant. Fusion maybe? Personally I still prefer the renditions from Morton's and Ruth's Chris.
Australian Wagyu Bolognaise Pasta ($26) - I'm of the humble opinion that good beef should never be minced because it would affect the texture and taste of the beef. And this pasta dish wasn't about to change my mind. Minced beef coupled with a rather mild tomato based sauce and less than al dente tagliatelle made for an average, carbohydrate laden dish.
Braised Australian Wagyu Beef Cheek ($38) - Melt in the mouth tender beef cheek sitting on a bed of charmingly smooth mashed potato and a stock that's not overwhelmingly sweet - what's not to like? Well maybe the price to portion ratio. But that aside, this was easily one of the best dishes of the evening in my humble opinion.
Petit Tender - The petit tender or "beef shoulder tender" is a small centre cut beef tenderloin which lies below the flat iron steak and is known to be of similar quality to the filet mignon. This cut isn't used much as it apparently requires a certain level of skill to extract. And it is currently exclusive to Bull & Butcher (off the menu though!).
First looks, the medallion shaped piece of meat was of reasonable thickness and done up medium rare. Natural flavours were drool worthy and accentuated through the use of a little salt seasoning. The only gripe I had was that the meat came across as a tad too dry for my liking.
Pear and Chocolate Crumble, Vanilla Ice Cream ($12) - And for desserts, pear and chocolate crumble served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The crust lacked the oven baked taste whilst the chocolate came across as a little underwhelming. But on the bright side, I loved the little wayward chunks of crumble.
I had the opportunity to eat breakfast here during my staycation and I have to concur and say it is truly the most expansive (and expensive!) hotel buffet breakfast I have ever tried.
I started eating at 830am for 2 whole hours and yet did not manage to try everything - and I doubt anyone can. The selection is huge - Chinese, western, indian, korean, Japanese, local, breads, waffles & pancakes, fresh juices, cuppucinos & lattes etc. It is mind boggling how much food is there and how must goes to waste after that. Almost everything was of above average quality.
I'm just not sure if it is worth just going there to eat unless you're an in-house guest and your room includes breakfast, as it costs $46 ($56 after ) per pax on its own. Its almost too luxurious for breakfast.
It was time to re-visit Pan Pacific Singapore again after their refurbishment so I took the opportunity to have a staycation here with 2 friends - their Singapore Staycation package (only applicable for Singaporeans, PR) was a very good deal at $218 per night for a deluxe room which complete with breakfast for 2, $40 dining credit, late check out til 3pm, and complimentary parking.
CHECK IN - Arrived at 12noon (had informed the hotel prior) and was pleased that we could check in immediately. The hotel also kindly upgraded me to a Panoramic room after learning it was a special occasion. Check in was smooth and I was pleasantly surprised that offered a welcome drink complimentary.
ROOM - my room 2724 was nicely appointed but didnt feel as big as I thought it was, probably because the bathroom took up some space too. It was all very zen-ish with everything built in, including the wine glasses. The 2 single beds were very comfortable too. I wished there was a day bed instead of the resort looking chair which looked out of place. Coffee / tea sachets were available, and there was a Nespresso machine in the room which was very welcomed. Was also given some fruits and chocolates as a welcome amenity. Cleanliness was not a problem, and plenty of powerpoints for use. The good thing about having a Panoramic room that you access it using the external elevator which gives you a view everytime you go up and down (rooms at level 21 and below uses the internal lift).
SERVICE - Service in general throughout my stay was okay, except for one time where housekeeping forgot my request for an ice bucket. But otherwise nothing to complain about.
DINING - I had drinks at The Atrium in the early evening and found the place adequately staffed although the area was vast. Service was pleasant too. Breakfast at The Edge was crazy amounts of food and variety - all of rather high standards - thumbs up! I ate there for 2 whole hours and didnt even manage to try everything. Just not sure if its worth it to have breakfast here if your package doesnt include breakfast as it costs $56 per pax after taxes otherwise. I also spotted the staff at the coffee machine using expired milk to make a cappuccino and using bare hands to handle fruits meant for juicing so watch out.
LOCATION - the hotel is connected to Millennia Walk and Marina Square which in turn leds to Suntec City and further away, City Link, Esplanade, and finally Raffles City where City Hall MRT station is - everything is sheltered so no problem at exploring these places even if it rains.
CHECK OUT - Check out at 3pm was really slow. They have a system whereby you queue at a central queue and directed to an available counter once a slot opens up, much like a bank system. My check out took 15mins which I thought was a tad slow especially when I was rushing for my next appointment.
It was a great staycation nonetheless but this will be a great place for tourist wanting to do abit of shopping yet stay out of the blazing Singapore sun.
I had the opportunity to be entitled to their facebook promotion - buy main course and get free dessert plus unlimited wine (after 6pm daily except Tue and Fri) - what's not to like! So 3 of us made our way down on a Saturday evening expecting a crowd because of the promotion but were surprised.
Casserole is on level 3 and the lobby is on level 5 - take note. The name Cassrole actually doesnt quite hint of its morrocan / indian / Med cuisine but doesnt matter - we were there for the food.
The menu is not big, with most mains hovering around $30 - $45 which was unexpectedly affordable for a Shangri-La. We had 3 mains:
Crabmeat Masala ($30) - this was interesting combi of crabmeat - and it is really a huge dome of densely packed crabmeat - and some morrocan spices. The cashew nuts mixed into the meat provided a very nice crunch to the dish. It wasnt as savory as I expected it to be though. I would think this makes a a terrific paste on plain bread and toasted.
Curry chicken ($30) - obviously this is not the actual name on the menu: I forgot what is was so I had to randomly give a layman name. It came in a big pan of about 8 large pieces of chicken (de-boned), sitting in a pool of thick curry. For some reason, the dish is more sweet than savory but nonetheless the chicken was tender and very more-ish.
Morrocan baked fish ($30) - The smallest portion of the lot but the fish was super fresh. The accompanying sliced veg was crunchy, and the slightly tangy broth was very re-freshing.
Garden salad - this is served at all tables complimentary. I thought it was rather nice of them to make a proper salad than giving you the usual garden greens in thousand island - this had carrot, olives, rocket leaves, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, spinach, all tossed in a vinegrette sauce. And they make this on a side bar so you know where your salad comes from.
Dessert - the promo was supposed to come with dessert too but the chef apparently couldnt decide what to serve us so we were simply asked to help ourselves at the Silver Shells Cafe dessert buffet spread next door which worked for us.
Wines - they do really live up to the promo, although there was an initial confusion if we were entitled to wine at all. But there were no problem after all and they keep piling us with wine, both white and red. The wine was not the best I've had but with the promo, I'm not complaining.
It was a evening well spent, and each of us had at least the equivalent of 1 bottle of wine each. All in all, the bill was $101 for 3 of us - a deal you'd never ever get anywhere. Oh, and they have ice plastic to chill the wines instead of an ice bucket - very cute touch.
Popped by Bistro Du Vin's original outlet one sunny weekday afternoon for lunch with a couple of my colleagues. Promising to serve up honest to goodness classical French food, the restaurant is one of the many brand names under the Les Amis umbrella.
Located on the 2nd floor of Shaw Centre, Bistro Du Vin plays neighbour to a Vietnamese Restaurant and of course it's upmarket sibling, Les Amis. The interior is reminiscent of a typical French brasserie, from the red walls right down to the tiled floor. However, tables are spaced a little too close for comfort which makes normal conversations a tad difficult. Proper sound proofing is also lacking and the entire place sounds like a market when running at full capacity.
Complimentary Bread - The bread was a simple and simple crusty baguette served with orange butter. Pretty nice and a great way to stave off the hunger pangs.
White Asparagus Velouté - I honestly didn't quite take to the white asparagus veloute, which was a little too runny for my liking. There was also a bitter aftertaste to it - something which I certainly didn't appreciate.
Char Grilled Australian Angus Ribeye - This required a top up of $10 to the price of the set lunch but it was well worth it in my humble opinion. Done up medium as per my request, the meat was flavourful and juicy with hints of smokiness from the char grilling. The accompanying truffle mash ( $3 ) was smooth and fragrant as well and the truffle honestly helped elevate what would have been a boring, bland side of mash.
However, in a subsequent visit, I had the exact same thing and it was still good, just that the salt content was a little too high for my liking.
Walnut Tart - And for desserts I had a pretty good walnut tart - solid tart base with walnuts set amidst rich chocolate and caramel filling. Between this and the Pink Tiramisu which I had on my subsequent visit, I honestly preferred this (though the pink tiramisu was something different). Served up with a scoop of real vanilla bean ice cream.
The standard lunch set is a reasonable $30 but it is the top ups that really "upsize" the bill. Still, food quality is pretty decent and I especially like their steaks. Service is rather clinical and lacks warmth though - an area that the restaurant might want to look into.
I first discovered this palce via a e-mailer from Les Amis and have since recommended other friends to go there too. This place has such a nice chill-out vibe which makes going with friends or otherwise very condusive!
The address is misleading as it says level 2 but if you know the area well enough, its actullay on ground level on the slope leading from the Scotts taxi stand.
The draw of this place is its Happy Hour which is from 5-8pm with house wines at $8nett. Selected bar bites are also on promotion from 6:30pm-8pm at $8 nett. The wines are always nice, and the bites although portions a little small, nonetheless tasty.
The only drawback is that the space is really small and fills up quite quickly - so go early or call to book a table. For those who are looking for more than just bites, you can also order from the neighbouring Bistro Du Vin but orders take some time to arrive.
This is going to be my new hangout haunt for quite some time!
Twas the weekend before Mother's day so we decided to beat the crowds (not to mention the ridiculously priced menus) and celebrate beforehand. A decision was made to try out Majestic Restaurant this year and honestly, my expectations were high as many people have raved about it.
The place wasn't big and the interior leaned towards western influences rather than Chinese, with a huge open kitchen and booth seats. We had a corner booth to ourselves which was pretty nice and cosy although I must say that the air conditioning that evening was underwhelming.
Wasabi Chips - Things got off to a good start with the wasabi chips - lightly salted, thin and crisp chips with a mild wasabi kick. Pretty addictive.
Pan Seared Foie Gras - Served up on a slice of watermelon, the foie gras's crisp, well seared exterior belied a soft quivery composition whose sweetness was complemented by that of the watermelon. One of the best foie gras dishes I've ever eaten in a Chinese restaurant.
Double Boiled Sea Treasures with Superior Shark's Fin and Black Truffle - I thought that the soup was deliciously sweet yet light. It definitely helped that there was a plethora of ingredients, from baby abalone to sea cucumber, fish maw, dried scallops, chicken etc. I'm usually not much of a soup person but this was one soup that had me yearning for more. One question though, where is the truffle taste?
Deep Fried Brinjal with Pork Floss - I actually dislike brinjal but this dish was surprisingly quite palatable, with a crisp coating of flour and pork floss, very much like tempura. What I didn't quite take to was the oil content though.
Scallops Wrapped with Bacon - Looks can be deceiving and the scallops wrapped with bacon was one prime example of that. The scallops were huge and the bacon looked like it had nice charred bits along the edges. Alas, the scallops weren't sweet and had a flour like texture whilst the bacon came across as soft and limp. Seriously seriously disappointing.
Salted Egg Yolk Prawn - A seemingly common dish in most Chinese restaurants these days, Majestic's variation came with slices of watermelon and chopped mango. The prawns were quite a size but I couldn't make out any taste or texture of egg yolk. Decent but there are probably loads of restaurants that do this dish better.
Zhejiang Spare Ribs - This was another disappointing dish, with the meat coming across as too hard. But at least the zhejiang vinegar was nicely tart with a hint of sweetness.
Signature Stewed Mee Sua with Baby Abalone - As much as I would like to understand the hype behind this signature dish, I am afraid I fail to comprehend. For starters, the baby abalone was, well, tiny and the soup base wasn't flavourful enough nor was the Mee Sua (面线) silky enough. Overall, a rather average dish in my humble opinion.
Signature Claypot Chicken Rice - Another signature dish from Majestic - the Claypot Chicken Rice. I can't say that I was wowed by it as it was evidently high class chicken rice. Sure, the rice was more fragrant than usual and less oily while the chicken was tender and reasonably plentiful. But seriously?
Durian Paste - We opted for the Mao Shan Wang (猫山王) durian paste to end off our meal and whilst rich, it didn't taste any different from eating straight out of the fruit as the gula melaka taste was non existent. Maybe I should have gone for the fried durian ice cream instead.
One word. Overrated. Dinner was a case of more misses than hits and wasn't cheap by any yardstick, standing at about $577 for 6 pax ($96/pax). Service was very good but I don't think that justifies the high price tag and less than stellar quality of food. I am pretty sure with $96/pax, I can get seriously better food elsewhere. Also, the choice of music played in the restaurant is pretty weird. Why would you play English pop music in a Chinese restaurant?
1=SGD 0.0587
Was rather intrigued by the name, "The Sleeping Rhino", so decided to drop by one evening with the missus for dinner. It definitely helped that there was a 50% discount courtesy of my palate card.
Located on the ground floor of Klapsons The Boutique Hotel at Tanjong Pagar, The Sleeping Rhino offers a view of the surrounding pedestrian walkway and vehicular roads through towering floor to ceiling windows. For a little more privacy, opt for the booth seats furthest away from the windows.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread roll came a little crusty and warm. Together with a small container of store bought butter, it made for a nice and simple way to start off.
Pomodoro Penne with Cajun Smoked Chicken - Al dente penne tossed in a mildly tart pomodoro sauce and topped with chunks of savoury cajun chicken - simple yet satisfying. The only gripe I had was the lack of smokiness in the chicken.
Wagyu Beef Burger - The beef patty was done up to medium well but seemed a little drier than expected. Flavours were decent and I liked the addition of the runny yolk sunny side up atop, which gave the burger an overall smooth and rich finish. Unfortunately the bun was crisp but dry and tasteless.
Tiramisu - Circular in shape, the tiramisu's portion was rather small with the sponge fingers a little too soaked in kahlua. The mascarpone cheese seemed a little diluted which definitely didn't help matters. All in all a very average rendition of this Italian classic dessert.
Dinner for 2 pax came to almost $38 with a 50% discount ($75.33 without). Overall food quality hovered around the average mark and prices were honestly on the high side for the corresponding quality. Service was good though but that could be due to the fact that we were the only table that evening (although another couple did come in when we were just about to leave).
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
This was a dinner choice for a casual night with some friends and I'm glad I made the decision to book prior - was surprised there was a wait for table on a weekday evening!
The usual Ambush styple for deco but slightly different from its Plaza Sing outlet - casual vibes and wooden furnitutre.
German style potato pancake (rosti) ($7.50) - I liked this as its plain and simple but some commented that it was too thin.
Mini sausage platter ($8.80) - grilled mini chicken garlic and chicken cheese sausage with mustard and brown sauce dip - Good for sharing (and with some beer!) - the sausages were nicely warm from the grilling and goes very well with the mild mustard.
Baby scallop and flying fish roe - squid ink sauce ($14.80) - My main course which I struggled to finish. Plenty of fresh scallops with a heap of linguini which was just nicely al dente for me. Squid ink itself doesnt have any taste but I choose to believe it was healthy - which I read somewhere...but not a good dish for a date!
Crispy chicken and seaweed - alio olio ambush style ($13) - Very good - so much so I wish I had ordered this. The ambush style alio olio was very tasty with mild spicy seasoning, the chicken was not oily and the seaweed sprinkled over the top added a nice taste to the whole dish. Big porton too.
Paella seafood ($14.80) - Slightly disappointing after the excellent pasta dishes. While the seafood was fresh and quite a generous portion, the rice was too soggy for my liking and the tomato sauce tasted just medicore.
Cauliflower soup & ice tea ($5.50) - You can add this to any main course, but I'll advise against it if you get Cauliflower soup like us. No hint of the veg at all - basically we can only tell it's a cream soup, that's all.
Service was quite prompt despite us sitting in a corner. Wil definitley return for their mussels next time!
Rating given:
I've always wanted to try The Kitchen Table but never had a chance to until I found out that they have a 1-4-1 buffet dinner promotion for SPG members. So my and 3 other frens trotted all the way in - the promotion is only valid for more than 1pair if you have more than 1 SPG membership.
The place was smaller than I thought - seafood, sushi, cold cuts / salads / appetizers, indian, western / pasta, and chinese noodle / soup. And it being a weekday it was not as empty as I thought it would be.
Seafood - a smallish almost hidden counter but fresh seafood. Usual suspects like oysters, prawns, mussels, clams, lobsters were all good.
Cold cuts / appetizers - The salads didnt leave a very big impression on me as they were quite medicore eg tuna, mushrooms salads. But they had about 3 variety of cold cuts including parma ham which were quite nice.
Indian - made to order naans, chicke tikka, curries and lentils etc which were all good.
Pasta - I headed straight for the made to order pastas instead of the handful of western buffet choices - you can basially take your pick of ingredients eg veg, sausages, and type of pasta, then choose the type of sauce you want. Very nice!
Chinese - Soups and noodles available but I only had the soup - Pork rib and winter melon soup which was superb.
Desserts - Very prettily arranged like a showcase of 3 'cabinets' and had rather good variety but quality wise was just okay. Strangely enough, the tiramisu had almost no sponge fingers nor any cocoa powder on top.
Coffee - the buffet comes with coffee / latte / cap / tea - the cap was quite nice and did not taste like it came out of a Nestle machine.
Honestly, I would not have recommended this place without the SPG promotion as I think $65 per pax is too ex for the variety and quality. But paying $33 with the promo is definitely worth it!
And note that their shuttle only allows in-house guests staying with them - dining guests like us will have to find our own way in. You can tak the shuttle out but the last shuttle leaves the hote for Vivo at 9:55pm which seems a bit early.
Rating given:
A new steakhouse, Bull & Butcher, recently opened up in town and I had the opportunity to drop by to sample a couple of its signature dishes, courtesy of the restaurant. The eatery attempts to differentiate itself from the other steakhouses by offering diners a view of the butchers in the kitchen (dressed in traditional chain mail aprons, no less) slicing up their choice of meat. And in case you are wondering if it is in the same league as the big boys (Morton's, Ruth Chris etc), no it definitely isn't. Price wise at least.
Occupying a rather prominent unit just next to the main entrance of Plaza Singapura along Orchard Road, Bull & Butcher doesn't come across as very big but there is an outdoor alfresco area if you prefer Singapore's humidity and heat (not to mention cigarette smoke). Inside, tables are spaced decently apart which makes for relaxing conversation but the overall design isn't much to rave about - very much like your typical western restaurant.
Prawn Cocktail ($14) - Dinner kick started with a prawn cocktail, which featured huge, crunchy prawns amidst an avalanche of thousand island sauce. Decent.
Roast Whole Garlic ($8) - This was actually a side and although I do like garlic, I don't quite relish the experience of eating it whole with skin and all. But that's just a personal preference.
Crab Cake, Sundried Tomato Sauce ($16) - The crab cake had a generous amount of crab meat but the breaded coating probably wasn't the best way to encapsulate the crab meat due to the absorption of oil. And the sundried tomato sauce failed to capture the intense burst of tangy, mildly sweet flavour that I had hoped for. Instead, it had a mild curry tinge to it for an Asian slant. Fusion maybe? Personally I still prefer the renditions from Morton's and Ruth's Chris.
Australian Wagyu Bolognaise Pasta ($26) - I'm of the humble opinion that good beef should never be minced because it would affect the texture and taste of the beef. And this pasta dish wasn't about to change my mind. Minced beef coupled with a rather mild tomato based sauce and less than al dente tagliatelle made for an average, carbohydrate laden dish.
Braised Australian Wagyu Beef Cheek ($38) - Melt in the mouth tender beef cheek sitting on a bed of charmingly smooth mashed potato and a stock that's not overwhelmingly sweet - what's not to like? Well maybe the price to portion ratio. But that aside, this was easily one of the best dishes of the evening in my humble opinion.
Petit Tender - The petit tender or "beef shoulder tender" is a small centre cut beef tenderloin which lies below the flat iron steak and is known to be of similar quality to the filet mignon. This cut isn't used much as it apparently requires a certain level of skill to extract. And it is currently exclusive to Bull & Butcher (off the menu though!).
First looks, the medallion shaped piece of meat was of reasonable thickness and done up medium rare. Natural flavours were drool worthy and accentuated through the use of a little salt seasoning. The only gripe I had was that the meat came across as a tad too dry for my liking.
Pear and Chocolate Crumble, Vanilla Ice Cream ($12) - And for desserts, pear and chocolate crumble served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The crust lacked the oven baked taste whilst the chocolate came across as a little underwhelming. But on the bright side, I loved the little wayward chunks of crumble.
Thanks to Bull & Butcher for the invite!
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
I had the opportunity to eat breakfast here during my staycation and I have to concur and say it is truly the most expansive (and expensive!) hotel buffet breakfast I have ever tried.
I started eating at 830am for 2 whole hours and yet did not manage to try everything - and I doubt anyone can. The selection is huge - Chinese, western, indian, korean, Japanese, local, breads, waffles & pancakes, fresh juices, cuppucinos & lattes etc. It is mind boggling how much food is there and how must goes to waste after that. Almost everything was of above average quality.
I'm just not sure if it is worth just going there to eat unless you're an in-house guest and your room includes breakfast, as it costs $46 ($56 after ) per pax on its own. Its almost too luxurious for breakfast.
Rating given:
It was time to re-visit Pan Pacific Singapore again after their refurbishment so I took the opportunity to have a staycation here with 2 friends - their Singapore Staycation package (only applicable for Singaporeans, PR) was a very good deal at $218 per night for a deluxe room which complete with breakfast for 2, $40 dining credit, late check out til 3pm, and complimentary parking.
CHECK IN - Arrived at 12noon (had informed the hotel prior) and was pleased that we could check in immediately. The hotel also kindly upgraded me to a Panoramic room after learning it was a special occasion. Check in was smooth and I was pleasantly surprised that offered a welcome drink complimentary.
ROOM - my room 2724 was nicely appointed but didnt feel as big as I thought it was, probably because the bathroom took up some space too. It was all very zen-ish with everything built in, including the wine glasses. The 2 single beds were very comfortable too. I wished there was a day bed instead of the resort looking chair which looked out of place. Coffee / tea sachets were available, and there was a Nespresso machine in the room which was very welcomed. Was also given some fruits and chocolates as a welcome amenity. Cleanliness was not a problem, and plenty of powerpoints for use. The good thing about having a Panoramic room that you access it using the external elevator which gives you a view everytime you go up and down (rooms at level 21 and below uses the internal lift).
SERVICE - Service in general throughout my stay was okay, except for one time where housekeeping forgot my request for an ice bucket. But otherwise nothing to complain about.
DINING - I had drinks at The Atrium in the early evening and found the place adequately staffed although the area was vast. Service was pleasant too. Breakfast at The Edge was crazy amounts of food and variety - all of rather high standards - thumbs up! I ate there for 2 whole hours and didnt even manage to try everything. Just not sure if its worth it to have breakfast here if your package doesnt include breakfast as it costs $56 per pax after taxes otherwise. I also spotted the staff at the coffee machine using expired milk to make a cappuccino and using bare hands to handle fruits meant for juicing so watch out.
LOCATION - the hotel is connected to Millennia Walk and Marina Square which in turn leds to Suntec City and further away, City Link, Esplanade, and finally Raffles City where City Hall MRT station is - everything is sheltered so no problem at exploring these places even if it rains.
CHECK OUT - Check out at 3pm was really slow. They have a system whereby you queue at a central queue and directed to an available counter once a slot opens up, much like a bank system. My check out took 15mins which I thought was a tad slow especially when I was rushing for my next appointment.
It was a great staycation nonetheless but this will be a great place for tourist wanting to do abit of shopping yet stay out of the blazing Singapore sun.
Rating given:
I had the opportunity to be entitled to their facebook promotion - buy main course and get free dessert plus unlimited wine (after 6pm daily except Tue and Fri) - what's not to like! So 3 of us made our way down on a Saturday evening expecting a crowd because of the promotion but were surprised.
Casserole is on level 3 and the lobby is on level 5 - take note. The name Cassrole actually doesnt quite hint of its morrocan / indian / Med cuisine but doesnt matter - we were there for the food.
The menu is not big, with most mains hovering around $30 - $45 which was unexpectedly affordable for a Shangri-La. We had 3 mains:
Crabmeat Masala ($30) - this was interesting combi of crabmeat - and it is really a huge dome of densely packed crabmeat - and some morrocan spices. The cashew nuts mixed into the meat provided a very nice crunch to the dish. It wasnt as savory as I expected it to be though. I would think this makes a a terrific paste on plain bread and toasted.
Curry chicken ($30) - obviously this is not the actual name on the menu: I forgot what is was so I had to randomly give a layman name. It came in a big pan of about 8 large pieces of chicken (de-boned), sitting in a pool of thick curry. For some reason, the dish is more sweet than savory but nonetheless the chicken was tender and very more-ish.
Morrocan baked fish ($30) - The smallest portion of the lot but the fish was super fresh. The accompanying sliced veg was crunchy, and the slightly tangy broth was very re-freshing.
Garden salad - this is served at all tables complimentary. I thought it was rather nice of them to make a proper salad than giving you the usual garden greens in thousand island - this had carrot, olives, rocket leaves, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, spinach, all tossed in a vinegrette sauce. And they make this on a side bar so you know where your salad comes from.
Dessert - the promo was supposed to come with dessert too but the chef apparently couldnt decide what to serve us so we were simply asked to help ourselves at the Silver Shells Cafe dessert buffet spread next door which worked for us.
Wines - they do really live up to the promo, although there was an initial confusion if we were entitled to wine at all. But there were no problem after all and they keep piling us with wine, both white and red. The wine was not the best I've had but with the promo, I'm not complaining.
It was a evening well spent, and each of us had at least the equivalent of 1 bottle of wine each. All in all, the bill was $101 for 3 of us - a deal you'd never ever get anywhere. Oh, and they have ice plastic to chill the wines instead of an ice bucket - very cute touch.
Rating given:
Popped by Bistro Du Vin's original outlet one sunny weekday afternoon for lunch with a couple of my colleagues. Promising to serve up honest to goodness classical French food, the restaurant is one of the many brand names under the Les Amis umbrella.
Located on the 2nd floor of Shaw Centre, Bistro Du Vin plays neighbour to a Vietnamese Restaurant and of course it's upmarket sibling, Les Amis. The interior is reminiscent of a typical French brasserie, from the red walls right down to the tiled floor. However, tables are spaced a little too close for comfort which makes normal conversations a tad difficult. Proper sound proofing is also lacking and the entire place sounds like a market when running at full capacity.
Complimentary Bread - The bread was a simple and simple crusty baguette served with orange butter. Pretty nice and a great way to stave off the hunger pangs.
White Asparagus Velouté - I honestly didn't quite take to the white asparagus veloute, which was a little too runny for my liking. There was also a bitter aftertaste to it - something which I certainly didn't appreciate.
Char Grilled Australian Angus Ribeye - This required a top up of $10 to the price of the set lunch but it was well worth it in my humble opinion. Done up medium as per my request, the meat was flavourful and juicy with hints of smokiness from the char grilling. The accompanying truffle mash ( $3 ) was smooth and fragrant as well and the truffle honestly helped elevate what would have been a boring, bland side of mash.
However, in a subsequent visit, I had the exact same thing and it was still good, just that the salt content was a little too high for my liking.
Walnut Tart - And for desserts I had a pretty good walnut tart - solid tart base with walnuts set amidst rich chocolate and caramel filling. Between this and the Pink Tiramisu which I had on my subsequent visit, I honestly preferred this (though the pink tiramisu was something different). Served up with a scoop of real vanilla bean ice cream.
The standard lunch set is a reasonable $30 but it is the top ups that really "upsize" the bill. Still, food quality is pretty decent and I especially like their steaks. Service is rather clinical and lacks warmth though - an area that the restaurant might want to look into.
See my pictures here.
Rating given:
I first discovered this palce via a e-mailer from Les Amis and have since recommended other friends to go there too. This place has such a nice chill-out vibe which makes going with friends or otherwise very condusive!
The address is misleading as it says level 2 but if you know the area well enough, its actullay on ground level on the slope leading from the Scotts taxi stand.
The draw of this place is its Happy Hour which is from 5-8pm with house wines at $8nett. Selected bar bites are also on promotion from 6:30pm-8pm at $8 nett. The wines are always nice, and the bites although portions a little small, nonetheless tasty.
The only drawback is that the space is really small and fills up quite quickly - so go early or call to book a table. For those who are looking for more than just bites, you can also order from the neighbouring Bistro Du Vin but orders take some time to arrive.
This is going to be my new hangout haunt for quite some time!
Rating given:
Twas the weekend before Mother's day so we decided to beat the crowds (not to mention the ridiculously priced menus) and celebrate beforehand. A decision was made to try out Majestic Restaurant this year and honestly, my expectations were high as many people have raved about it.
The place wasn't big and the interior leaned towards western influences rather than Chinese, with a huge open kitchen and booth seats. We had a corner booth to ourselves which was pretty nice and cosy although I must say that the air conditioning that evening was underwhelming.
Wasabi Chips - Things got off to a good start with the wasabi chips - lightly salted, thin and crisp chips with a mild wasabi kick. Pretty addictive.
Pan Seared Foie Gras - Served up on a slice of watermelon, the foie gras's crisp, well seared exterior belied a soft quivery composition whose sweetness was complemented by that of the watermelon. One of the best foie gras dishes I've ever eaten in a Chinese restaurant.
Double Boiled Sea Treasures with Superior Shark's Fin and Black Truffle - I thought that the soup was deliciously sweet yet light. It definitely helped that there was a plethora of ingredients, from baby abalone to sea cucumber, fish maw, dried scallops, chicken etc. I'm usually not much of a soup person but this was one soup that had me yearning for more. One question though, where is the truffle taste?
Deep Fried Brinjal with Pork Floss - I actually dislike brinjal but this dish was surprisingly quite palatable, with a crisp coating of flour and pork floss, very much like tempura. What I didn't quite take to was the oil content though.
Scallops Wrapped with Bacon - Looks can be deceiving and the scallops wrapped with bacon was one prime example of that. The scallops were huge and the bacon looked like it had nice charred bits along the edges. Alas, the scallops weren't sweet and had a flour like texture whilst the bacon came across as soft and limp. Seriously seriously disappointing.
Salted Egg Yolk Prawn - A seemingly common dish in most Chinese restaurants these days, Majestic's variation came with slices of watermelon and chopped mango. The prawns were quite a size but I couldn't make out any taste or texture of egg yolk. Decent but there are probably loads of restaurants that do this dish better.
Zhejiang Spare Ribs - This was another disappointing dish, with the meat coming across as too hard. But at least the zhejiang vinegar was nicely tart with a hint of sweetness.
Signature Stewed Mee Sua with Baby Abalone - As much as I would like to understand the hype behind this signature dish, I am afraid I fail to comprehend. For starters, the baby abalone was, well, tiny and the soup base wasn't flavourful enough nor was the Mee Sua (面线) silky enough. Overall, a rather average dish in my humble opinion.
Signature Claypot Chicken Rice - Another signature dish from Majestic - the Claypot Chicken Rice. I can't say that I was wowed by it as it was evidently high class chicken rice. Sure, the rice was more fragrant than usual and less oily while the chicken was tender and reasonably plentiful. But seriously?
Durian Paste - We opted for the Mao Shan Wang (猫山王) durian paste to end off our meal and whilst rich, it didn't taste any different from eating straight out of the fruit as the gula melaka taste was non existent. Maybe I should have gone for the fried durian ice cream instead.
One word. Overrated. Dinner was a case of more misses than hits and wasn't cheap by any yardstick, standing at about $577 for 6 pax ($96/pax). Service was very good but I don't think that justifies the high price tag and less than stellar quality of food. I am pretty sure with $96/pax, I can get seriously better food elsewhere. Also, the choice of music played in the restaurant is pretty weird. Why would you play English pop music in a Chinese restaurant?
See my entire review here.
Rating given: