Showing posts with label british. Show all posts
Showing posts with label british. Show all posts
Murphy's: Not your regular Fish & Chips monger in the heartlands
Labels:
affordable,
ang mo kio,
british,
cafe,
cakes,
family friendly,
fish&chips,
hidden finds,
might return
·
Murphy's follows the route of your classic cafe settings albeit caught in a past era, the kitschy paper advertisements stuck to glass walls, small little book corner constructed for book swaps tucked into the corner and unorthodox kitchen specialities yielding a stronger voice. It's a grand narration of what the joint was meant to deliver - British styled Fish & Chips with a side of Victorian charm; yet these notions have been seemingly watered down by expectations and survival instincts. Cakes, all-day-breakfast and salted egg yolk calamari occupy the menu for a more wholesome family approach.
Oxwell and Co presents The Ladies Dining Society: seasonal 3-course menu for $50++
Labels:
affordable,
ann siang,
british,
champagne,
cocktails,
comfortfoods,
desserts,
drinks,
gastropub,
ladies,
set menu,
will return
·
Remember the bohemian space, like a dingy pub gone rogue that once churned out the darnedest Christmas menu I've ever laid eyes on? (read about it here) They've returned with an equally lunatic deal for the satisfaction of the fairer sex whilst their other half does the usual pub-crawl to placate the dog-tired humpday spirit.
Every Wednesday from 8th June 2016 onwards, ladies get to enjoy a glass of Perrier Jouet champagne followed by an exclusive three-course dinner menu specially crafted by the deft Head Chef Nick Scorpion, finished with a chaser of sweet nothings in the form of a dessert cocktail pairing. Read, cocktail and dessert inclusive, for a tight package of just $50++. OH...Oxwell and Co; you've got other business owners wagging their droopy tails in bewilderment. But then again, being on the receiving end, you'll come to realise that this deal is indisputably worthwhile.
Oxwell & Co.: Christmas Fabulous Feast
Labels:
affordable,
ala carte,
big groups,
british,
christmas,
cocktails,
gastropub,
hidden finds,
may return,
roast,
set menu,
special occasion
·
Christmas kind of snuck its way into our calenders once again, the entire year passing us by like a whirlwind affair. Now, its time to line your stomachs with traditional Christmas roasts and prepare for the assault of one, too many alcoholic beverages in the course of merry-making. Naughty or nice, I'm sure Santa's too busy overworking his minions to tell.
So, moving on, Oxwell and Co.; the British inspired gastro-pubs rolls out its festive menu in true English style, with traditional roasts and pork crackling to foster the spirit of sharing and caring with a convivial communal dining practice.
Oxwell & Co. resides in this over-trodden neighborhood of Ann Siang Hill being knocked around mercilessly by the well-heeled crowd, bar-crawling their way through the vicinity and punishing their livers in the midst. Walk in the front door and you're in a wood sheathed interior with minimalistic walls decorated with twisted piping, similarly defiant lamp shadings bouncing off the walls in a free spirited disarray. It's a bohemian space, like a dingy pub gone rogue; and the food here is equally manic.
The Royal Mail: New Menu Offerings
Labels:
ala carte,
british,
desserts,
expensive,
hidden finds,
may not return,
raffles place,
romantic,
seafood,
special occasion
·
Modern British Restaurant The Royal Mail Restaurant has always been occupied a spot on my 'to-do'' list for the longest time. Hearing the high praises for the Roast Prime Rib escape the lips of many who have made their pilgrimage to the restaurant; I was ecstatic to be able to try the unveiling of the new menu in conjunction with their 3rd Anniversary. So get this, there will be a 20% off at dinner until the 30th May, so perhaps this place would be a good spot to bring the royal highness to for dinner on Mothers Day. Better still, intoxicate her with a complimentary bottle of wine if you spend a minimum of $200; so get on it and round up the siblings!
The Ascot: Breaking in the new dishes
Labels:
Bread and Butter Pudding,
british,
bukit timah,
desserts,
Grandstand,
hidden finds,
pubfood,
restaurants
·
Never have I wrote so many repeated reviews for the same establishment in such a short span of time; however with such a friendly pending invitation from owner, Sylvester of The Ascot, I couldn't resist the urge of returning once more to the grounds where I would be tasting some of the new offerings on the menu. Reinvention never sounded sweeter.
In the unadorned, almost austere interiors of The Ascot, the diner's attention is wholly focused on his company (Thank goodness for the mine) and the salubrious combination of addictive liquid diet and culinary subsistence.
We started off with the Cold Cut Platter ($20.50), featuring 3 types of cold cuts served with silver onions, gherkins, scotch egg & homemade ciabatta bread. A staple on the menu at The Ascot, this star quality dish proves that some of the finest things in life don't have to be complicated. The highlight of the dish being the scotch eggs, these crumbed balls of sausage meat hide a delicately "poached" egg in the center that sees a crisp on its exterior, while the creamy yolk ties in the entire mouthful like a blissful sigh.
While you're at it, try the Strawberry spinach salad with crumbled blue cheese, pistachios, bacon & avocado ($19). Before you decide that such a combination is way too weird for you, hear me out; this works. At the end of the day, you have a surprisingly delightful bowl of rainbow colours that is sweet, acidic, savoury and nutty all at once. The sweet slices of strawberry, natural bitterness of the spinach leaves, sour raspberry vinaigrette, creamy, ever so pungent blue cheese all comes together to render an eclectic mix of tastes and textures that I promise will have you rethinking you skepticism at the start.
Wash down the meal with a Pint of Dead Pony Club's Pale Ale($16); yet another brilliant offering of BrewDog Brewery.
Comfort foods such as the Fisherman's Pie keeps things snugly familiar here at the Ascot, break through the warm crust of mash to uncover a heartwarming mix of poached salmon, smoked haddock and hake all enrobed in a delicious white sauce. Despite it's unassuming facade, this dish would certainly have you breaking out the diet.
Another new dish on the menu is the Lamb rack served with asparagus and potato lyonnaise with mint sauce ($32.50); not your typical British fare, this did not tie in so well with the whole British soiree theme. However, that being said, any desperate carnivore would be satisfied with this meaty course. The rack, neatly trimmed, were cooked to perfection, it's pink flesh humming with the romance of that rendered down mint infused pan juices.
For some sweet endings to the night, order the Classic Bread & Butter Pudding ($10.50). I adored the crumbly cubes of brioche, sticking out from the saccharine rubble; that had browned so beautifully in the oven. Warm and comforting, every spoonful draped with the richness of cream, milk and butter.
The Deep-fried Mars Bars in batter($10.50) not so good for your waistline was heaven on the lips for a brief moment. The melted innards of the mars bars creating an amalgam of emotions when combined with the fried batter.
Last but not least, the Eton Mess ($8.50), macerated strawberries, fresh cream and crisp meringue create a riot of colors. It's general make-up giving off a balanced tone of sweetness and muted acidity. To be honest, I much preferred the Bread and Butter pudding; but then again, any women would be drawn to this sunny homemade dessert that flaunts the humble fresh cream.
Read my other reviews on The Ascot here and here.
A major thanks once again to Sylvester for hosting the dinner!
The Grandstand
200 Turf Club Road
#01-16
Singapore 287994
Tel: +65 64620881
The Ascot Revisited
Labels:
beer,
british,
bukit timah,
burgers,
fish&chips,
Grandstand,
pubfood,
restaurants
·
The seed had been planted. The shameless facebook burger porn activity luring me into its webs. It was not long after my previous visit that I found myself once again threading light-footedly into it's comfy realms.
This time round, accompanied by my family, we savoured a whole round of new dishes. The BLT Sandwich ($14.00) with additional chicken ($4.00) was honest and simple comfort food. With sizable portions, generous portions of succulent grilled chicken, silvers of beautifully fried bacon together with crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes; this was a joy to eat.
Despite the major lovin' that I was showing for The Ascot, cracks did appear, to my dismay. The Fish and Chips ($20) was disappointing, slightly fishy in flavor, the beautifully battered sticks had too uniform a shape that made the whole affair seem a little to.. structured. Perhaps a different choice of fish would have fared better, something with a slightly flakier texture like skate. Despite it's momentary failure to please the hungry diners, the accompaniments of mushy peas and double fried fries were sure winners. The former, well seasoned and thank goodness mint was left out of the equation; the double fried thick cut steak fries combined the best of both worlds, a crispy exterior with fluffy starchy goodness encapsulated within.
But one would have to agree that the showstopper of the night had to be the Ascot Burger with fries ($18.00/ $25 with a pint of Stella Artois). The soft buns a perfect platform for the alchemy of bacon grease, creamy guacamole and sweet mayonnaise. The patty itself, a 160g carnivorous treat that could have used a little more help in the seasoning department, also, the mince could have been grounded down a little finer to aid the texture of the patty. Aside from that, I was a happy camper enjoying riotous mouthful after mouthful of salty, sweet, creamy and soft goodness, all at once.
My second visit to The Ascot gets the thumbs up again. Slowly but surely, I've set my mind on eating my way thru this menu, so feel free to join me!
The Grandstand
200 Turf Club Road
#01-16
Singapore 287994
Tel: +65 64620881
The Ascot: Cures for a hangover
Labels:
beer,
british,
bukit timah,
Grandstand,
pubfood,
restaurants,
sausages
·
It's the long weekend, parties and copious amounts of drinking seems inevitable to most.
Suffering from a hangover? Hydrate first and then follow a couple of recommended moves from the honeycombers blog. As for me, here's what I suggest... drink some more, and you'll actually trick your body into thinking it's narrowly escaped a hangover despite the stellar action the night before. Over at The Ascot @ The Grandstand, that's exactly what I did over the past weekend. Here's a toast to deluded quick exits from the realm of bad hangovers.
The Ascot is the newest kid on the block over at the Grandstand, opening its doors to the public mid way through February this year. Decked out in clean swept varnished floors and rustic furnishings, things have been kept simple and almost barren to mimic the unique English pub experience. I reckon that bit more empty standing space should serve its purpose with rowdy and extremely drunk English gentlemen to stagger around without breaking anything valuable in close vicinity. Owner, Sylvester, touted to always be decked out in his fedora hat stands behind the bar counter, looking extremely at ease amidst the slowly growing volume of customers packing the dining room, all in time for weekend lunch. After a quick chat, he steered me towards Badger's England's Own beer, perhaps it was the peculiar head-spinning motion, but I was easily sold on the notion that MORE beer would do me better after a hard nights' worth of drinking. One sip and the sentiment was set in stone, floral, with nuances of elderflower and white grape, this went down smoothly, easing me furthermore into the sinful weekend. With an enthusiastic reaffirmation of his choice, Sylvester turned to me with somewhat of a triumphant smirk and chugged the remaining golden elixir in his chilled pint. Boy was I not surprised.
the view from the bar-counters where we plonked ourselves quietly in anticipation for our meal. Apparently, not too many people settle on the high stools but I do think the communal settings encourage a bit more interaction, something quintessential to an English pub. This was clearly evident given our mini-conversations with the father and daughter team at the end of the bar and the two blokes who marveled at the sight of the Yorkshire pudding when it got served
Back to the food, we had the Sunday Roast ($28.00) and A Bunch of Bangers ($20.00). The former was sure a sight for sore eyes and my stomach growled in envious contention. The immaculately glazed ribs were the star of the dish, fall of the bone and extremely rich in flavor, this went down perfectly well with the Yorkshire pudding. The latter dish, my dish, or Bangers and mash was a considerably above average version, comprising of 3 different sausages, namely veal, pork and Garlic and thyme, these were salty, yes, but oh-so-good for that indulging in hand with a cold pint of beer. The pool of onion gravy that had gathered beneath, melded perfectly with the perfumed mash (perfect texture in my opinion) and the glorious bubble and squeak served on the side. I'm not too ashamed to say that I lapped up all that brown goodness with the help of a hefty knife and a healthy appetite.
Perhaps it was just me and my spot-on cravings for pub grub that very day but in all honesty, I'm sold. The Ascot stealing my heart and unearthing some very raw genuine affection. Scoring highly on my cards for it's traditional British cuisine served in a unpretentious and warm environment, I would certainly be back for more.
The Grandstand
200 Turf Club Road
#01-16
Singapore 287994
Tel: +65 64620881
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