Showing posts with label european. Show all posts
Showing posts with label european. Show all posts
Botanico: Bon viveurs, we've got a game-changer on our hands
Labels:
botanic gardens,
date night,
european,
fusion,
hidden finds,
modern,
restaurants,
special occasion,
wine pairing,
winebar
·
Wine-lusters looking to up their game when it comes to food and wine pairings can now look to Botanico's revised wine program for sure-win epicurean dreams. Not that there's anything wrong with a medley of cheeses and cold cuts, but when occasion calls for a little bit of spice, Botanico steps up to the plate; literally, with Chef Sujatha Asokan visiting the spice pots often in an effort to match up to the burgeoning vino activities in the lush space.
Upper Place hosts a clever menu, perfect for those looking to escape the noise
Labels:
asian inspired,
date night,
european,
fusion,
hidden finds,
hotel,
tiong bahru
·
Set on the highest floor of WANGZ hotel is Upper Place, a humble dining place that dishes out ambitious plates congealing Asian influences with European techniques.
Here's what our writer, Belinda has to say after a delectable multi-course meal at the Upper Place.
Halia celebrates its Halal certification with a new menu
Labels:
botanic gardens,
date night,
european,
halal,
large groups,
restaurants,
special occasion
·
Tucked in the lush foliage of the Ginger Garden, Halia at Singapore Botanic Gardens was established in 2001 and has served over a million customers with its modern European cuisine with Asian influences. In June 2017, Halia marked another significant milestone in its 16-year history and has attained Halal certification. To celebrate the Halal certification, Executive Chef Ciaran Armstrong, has introduced new additions to the menu.
Sprigs: European Restaurant ventures out of the box with its New Menu
Labels:
affordable,
bugis,
cityhall,
dinner,
european,
fusion,
hidden finds,
may return,
mediterranean food,
romantic,
special occasion
·
It seems as if Sprigs had gained enlightenment; its bid to strike off heavier European flavors in favor of a newer and more adventurous stance, littered with the pungency of Asian flair; manifesting itself in the form of a revamped menu
While the previous menu sported a more rustic images, Titus Tiong, one of the founders of Sprigs was quite to notice the change of trends in the dining scene and made the mandatory call to overhaul the menu. Focusing on driving a more contemporary direction with more emphasis on the visual appeal of the dish. I hear you, sir.. with so many camera touting hipsters around, you might just want to work on making your dishes just a little prettier.
The meal kicks into gear with most dishes pushed out at a comfortable pace. The Friday night crowd just a little less intimidating than expected. Roasted Veal Carpaccio ($22) and the Baby Squid 'A la' Plancha ($22) whets the appetite - the seemingly popular Northern Italian dish combines veal with a mayonnaise like sauce flavored with tuna. Sounds like a stretch, but the oddball configuration actually works out perfectly, the sluice of broken egg yolk flooding the slightly chaotic plate with more juices than desired. I would strongly recommend the baby squid instead, presented in a cast iron pan, this Spanish inspired dish with tender baby squid served over a sunny side up egg and decorated with lomo iberico, panzanella (a Tuscan bread salad) and a sprinkle of freshly chopped chili was a top notch dish that could have seen a flawless transition into breakfast form with the addition of chorizo.
{The Entertainer App}: Roundhouse Pizza, Bar & Grill
Labels:
all-day-breakfast,
brunch,
bukit timah,
european,
family,
family friendly,
Grandstand,
hidden finds,
lunch,
must go,
pizza,
restaurants,
the entertainer app,
turf city,
will return
·
Roundhouse marks the next step in local celebrity Vernetta Lopez's (best known for starring as the amicable Denise in local sitcom 'Under One Roof') relentless pursuit of being an all rounder. With accolades of radio DJ, actress and wedding planner under her belt, she now seeks to delve into the cut-throat food and beverage business with her life partner Wayne Gladwin. The result, Roundhouse, a sprawling 250 seater eatery in the laid back location of the former turf club stables. At this homey establishment, lots of warm wood furnishings and plenty of natural lighting makes this space immediately inviting (avoid sitting indoors as it gets a bit dodgy with the lighting circumstance); kids run around the concrete enclaves, spilling giggles and bits of their uninhibited happiness in their path.
The menu at the Roundhouse runs on a slightly boring tangent, offering up safe options spanning from pizzas to pasta and then larger mains such as whole sea bass and lamb shank. With a lack of identity, it's hard to place a finger on a certain item to order; clue, look out for their specials for a helping hand. Take for example the Sunday Roast that sees their premium Angus Roast Ribeye with sides and a free flow of salad bar ($49++ for free flow of soft drinks and juices/ $99++ with free flow sparkling wine, draught beer, bloody mary). Talk about good deals...
Our party of 8 settled for a good mix of starters, brunch items as well as pizzas to share. We started off with the Spicy Grilled Beef Salad ($17) and the Grilled Portobello Mushroom ($18) with silken tofu, tomato concasse and salad. The interesting sounding grilled beef salad produced a large shallow spread of tender, chargrilled beef slices slathered with a marinade capturing the essence of good ole' days in the sun in Thailand, lying seductively on a bed of mixed greens. The latter is another recommended dish for the ladies who want something a little healthier but still with a substantial body of flavor. What ultimately differentiate the Roundhouse from the competition is the smokiness and perfect execution of its grilled items, turn to this category of dishes for the win.
The Angus Beef Bolognese Spaghetti ($17) is a hearty bowl of pasta with a whopping lathering of bolognese sauce, the juicy and flavorful beef pleasing the picky taste buds around the table.
Another bang for buck item on the brunch menu is the Roundhouse Breakfast ($18) featuring 2 sunny side up eggs, back bacon, cumberland sausage, roast potatoes, tomato confit, sauteed mushrooms, baked beans and toast. Definitely a one-plate filler for the ravenous.
I recommend the Wild Mushroom Soup ($12) scented with herb oil, this dish does not skimp on ingredients, delivering largely on flavor and texture with the kitchen's generous use of wild mushrooms, enriched only by the slightest touch of cream. No truffle oil here... thank goodness.
Then, there were pizzas.
You do not want to miss these.
From a tight menu of 12 pizzas, we chose the Loco Lopez ($24) and the Carnivore ($24), both which hit the pizza 'G-spot' with such force that I was bewildered and very much left a Roundhouse ambassador afterwards. The feisty Loco Lopez was all crisp edged, studded with melted cheddar, capers, beef salami,jalapeno and smoking hot chilli padi, addictive and so worth stabbing your cousins for over the last piece. The Carnivore consisting of bacon, salami, honey baked ham and pepperoni would be your classic meatlovers except that the Roundhouse went the extra mile and did something novel and delicious with it.
Some of the best pizzas I've had in Singapore thus far. And what's better than being able to use the Entertainer 1-for-1 main here? We ended up being able to pocket $60 from the savings. Hurray.
--------------------------------
Well, if you haven't heard, I've got a special promotion for my readers where you can now purchase the Entertainer 1 month app for just $15 (U.P. $19) if you simply use my promo code 'fundamentallyflawed' with your purchase through the app store or at http://www.theentertainerme.com/trysgfor19/ . Read more details over here!
What are you waiting for?
RoundHouse - Pizza, Bar & Grill
100 Turf Club Road
Singapore 287992
Tel: 6466 0966
Website: http://www.roundhouse.com.sg/
Spathe Public House: #Savour2014 throwbacks
Labels:
american,
burgers,
dinner,
european,
mohammed sultan,
river valley,
special occasion,
waffles
·
#savour2014 was pretty much the most frequently used hashtag in the month of March. A relentless stream of posts on my instagram feed that I treated like a monkey on my back. Mainly because of the fact that I couldn't be there. A gourmet food festival featuring the likes of Michelin starred chefs and other illustrious restaurants in Singapore all convening in one single convivial location. I was sore.
Hence, when I chanced upon Savour recap of festival favourites, I jumped aboard eagerly. For 2 weeks, a specially created SAVOUR inspired menu had been crafted at a few bespoke establishments around the island for those meaning to "keep the savour buzz going". I was one of the fortunate few who was able to squeeze it into her visiting schedule.
SPATHE PUBLIC HOUSE was my choice, drawn to its innovative 5 course menu and copious amounts of good reviews to its savour offerings.
At first glance, my breathe was stolen by the sight of a fleet of low sofas and mismatched chairs. The brick walls jazzed up by a fresh coat of paint in bold colors and brave artistic prints. Self professed to be serving "European" fare, the menu featured a few playful injections of local influences that steered it towards the "fusion" side of cuisine, a potential dangerous casting as it is rare for a restaurant to come swirling out of the chaos; when most of the time, this choice of direction coughs up half-formed and unconvincing places.
Our first two courses came out swiftly, Charcoal Smoke Tomato Soup with crispy St Maure goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil & Sous Vide Spanish Octopus Salad with baby spinach, orange, garlic soil, honey, wholegrain mustard vinaigrette. With the former dish, its all about the details in the fabric; the slight char on the tomatoes, the crispy bits of ooey gooey goats cheese. It was a fabulous tomato soup, one that spoke maturity in terms of balance and seasoning. The Octopus salad was stellar as well, the sweet tart tension of the honey wholegrain mustard vinaigrette pulling the dish together; the orange segments introducing fresher and brighter flavor; the octopus, however possessed a rather incomprehensible texture, almost like chicken but underscored with a sense of rich, sea-slicked spice. Intriguing.
The menu steers off-course towards a more whimsical approach with the next offering, Belgian Waffles & Fried Chicken with Mornay Sauce. A fluffy lattice of conjugal bliss of flour, milk, sugar and salt creates the hinterland of your food fantasy, the cracks and crevices forming pockets for the nappage of that sweet sweet cheese sauce to rest in. The crisp fried chicken perfumed with spices and paprika cumulating in a smack down when the triad convenes in one mouthful.
Sambal, triple cheese, bacon, crispy chicken Truffle Melt. You know I love my burgers but this unfortunately didn't quite float my boat with its inharmonious flight of flavors, the piquancy of the sambal failing to sing in unison with the overdose of truffle oil.
Desserts arrived in a true Aussie fashion (the long wait now understandable), a bold brick of Sticky Toffee Pudding with Hokey Pokey Ice Cream. Laced with a rim of butterscotch sauce, my preoccupation with digging into the dessert was not one shared by my partner. That's alright, more for me. More dates could have been employed in the pudding, the excess of sultanas thrown into the mix, quite a turn-off for me; the hokey pokey ice cream studded with crunchy bits of honeycomb toffee was a perfect match to the warm pudding. A beguiling slice of dessert that I greedily polished off.
Spathe is a perfect backdrop for creative fine dining menu with a languish chilled vibe. Coupled with earnest, civilized and unhurried service, it isn't difficult to see myself back here for another meal in the near future.
SPATHE PUBLIC HOUSE
8 Mohamed Sultan Road
#01-01
Singapore 238958
+65 67351035
Website: http://www.spathepublichouse.com
Bistro Soori: The Silent Treatment
Labels:
chinatown singapore,
desserts,
duck confit,
european,
hidden finds,
may return,
restaurants,
setlunch,
tanjong pagar
·
I was sore and defeated. "It's not going to happen" were the cataclysmic words that escaped her lips, with that, we shy-ed away from the doors of Burnt Ends; frowning in resentment at our failure to snag a coveted seat at the tiny eatery.
Bistro Soori was just a few doors down. My stomach called the shots with it's undignified rumblings and we quickly made a scoot for the bar seats that offered an unobstructed view of the open kitchen.
On a weekday basis, Bistro Soori offers up a 3 course set lunch for an unparallelled price of $39.90. A real steal in my opinion. Further inspection revealed a menu that aims to please as many palates as possible; the starters, mains and desserts section each extending over 7 choices each.
I started with the Sauteed Garlic Prawns, Mixed Greens, Red Wine Vinaigrette. Coming to appreciate it's smaller portions and hefty anchoring of greens only later in the meal when the three courses started to weigh me down. The sweet and bitter mix of greens together with the vinaigrette giving the dish unexpected depth of flavor. The prawns - politely seasoned with a wonderful sear on it's exterior.
The kitchen revs into its own gear. A bustle of service with the occasional awkward clang of plates thrown into the cavernous sink. There was one shortfall: the lack of showmanship you would expect from an open kitchen. There was neither the casual interaction between chef and diner nor the heated exchanges between fellow chefs. All that existed was a heat-load of bodies moving gracefully around each other, no words exchanged, a well-oiled machine. Befitting of it's pristine, cool and chic surroundings perhaps; but I would have loved to see a little bit of life injected.
An espresso cup of Tomato soup followed soon after the starters were cleared. Perfumed with absolutely no spices whatsoever; I gently nudged away the bowl of piping hot soup (burnt the roof of my mouth a little). Yes, there were the clean flavors of the tomatoes predominantly but the kitchen put zero effort into it's flavor profile. I might as well be biting into a tomato straight up.
His: Roasted Pork Belly, Spicy Sausage, Corn Relish, Mustard Cream Sauce
This was received well apart from the corn relish that bordered on the overly sweet side. The pork belly could have used just a tad more time roasting as well.
My Duck confit was perfectly cooked, sided by a Asian influenced spinach and mushroom salad dressed to the nines in a Balsamic Reduction. I tasted a hint of Chinese rice wine amidst the dressing that added a considerable layer of flavor complexity. And one could also comment on the slightly overwhelming splash of dressing, but in the grand scheme of things and the dish's near perfect execution, that would be tantamount to splitting hairs.
Lately, I haven't had much luck with desserts at restaurants. Always stumbling on dishes that look the part, but taste as though it was the after thought of a mad chef's crummy menu planning. Bistro Soori made an addition to that list.
Pandan Soufflé, Cookie, Strawberry Compote. This created stirs around the table every time a perfectly puffed version gets summoned from the heated enclaves of the oven. Yet what we got was a wet mess of eggy flavoured innards underneath that green sheath that suggested either an improper incorporation of the creme patisserie with the eggs whites or egg whites that were beaten way past their prime. My Caramelized Banana Puff, Rum Syrup, Vanilla Ice Cream didn't fare much better with over macerated bananas that looked clumpy and unappetising. (I spied rather whole looking banana slices on my neighbours table previously.. CONSISTENCY.. they probably scraped the bottom of the barrel on this order). To make matters worse, my puff pastry was raw. A slight tearing apart of the layers revealing a pastry chef's worse nightmare.
I could have done without the desserts.
That being said. Bistro Soori charms by straddling Modern European culinary borders, reminiscing Asian inspired flavors and serving them up to their diners on a constantly rotating menu. Like an experimental kitchen, there are bound to be hits and misses which I've fully come to accept. The next time I return, I'll make a beeline for that Wagyu Beef Burger.
Bistro Soori
No. 2 Teck Lim Road
Singapore 088385
Tel: 6438 3802
e: info@bistrosoori.com
Esquina: I concur
Labels:
chinatown singapore,
european,
hidden finds,
paella,
restaurants,
spanish,
tanjong pagar,
tapas
·
Esquina which means "the corner" in spanish sure has taken Singaporean foodies on a whirlwind journey with its raging publicity actions and the multiple accolades shrouding this hole-in-the-wall tapas joint. With the kitchen run by Jason Atherton, protege to Michelin starred chef Gordon Ramsey working together with acclaimed hotelier and restauranteur Loh Lik Peng (who directs New Majestic Hotel and Wanderlust); it's no wonder the place has managed to receive a massive overnight success.
Facts aside, Esquina does impress first-timers and regulars alike with it's funky,coveted and underground vibes. Steel bar stools fashioned from manhole covers and a gorgeous long open kitchen that surprisingly had the voice controls tightly modulated leave diners feeling exclusive, special for just being part of the dinner service. Littered with people from a particular walk of life, namely the high-fliers with their gorgeously tailored dresses and IWC Schaffhausen watches peeping out from the cuffs of their casual after-work wear; one can't help but feel a little intimidated. Still, the drifting smells arising from amidst the vigour in the kitchens worked wonders in heightening my anticipation for the works of art that lay ahead.
Ordered the Sangria ($13.50) as my first stop to the start of an indulgent meal. I was surprised by its innovative presentation. Wine with the berry foam siphoned on the top instead of the conventional cubes of fruits stirred in. A little too swanky for my liking in all honesty.
After perusing and scrutinising our panoply of choices off the menus, we decided on a few dishes that the both of us leaned towards. Squid, Gamabas and Chorizo Paella, Gremolata ($23), delicious in all its rights with the plump grains of rice laden full of savoury goodness from the stock it was cooked in, the pieces of seafood cooked to perfection; only spoiler had to be the proclamation from my dining companion that the paella from Bomba was much better (we'll leave that to another time).
Next up, the Roasted beef short rib, cauliflower and cumin cous cous, burnt cauliflower puree ($27) which apparently was a wrong order that got served up to our table. Note that service can be quite stodgy at Esquina, apart from the fantastic maitre'd that hosted us upon arrival; the rest of it can be a bit interspersed. Think repeated orders for a glass of chardonnay and 10 minute waits for menus... Returning back to the dish, this was technically a champion of a delivery. Fall off the bone short rib, the light dusting of dehydrated cauliflower and powdered cous cous providing a contrasting crunch to each tender bite. One of my favourites of the night. And despite the silent miscommunication of a blunder that occurred; we were not billed for the item nor approached by any of the staff regarding it. Not that I have any complaints about it...
Roast pork belly, bacon and onion dashi broth, coriander and prawn dumplings, seaweed salad ($26), a mediocre dish that combined the likes of one of favourite cuts of meat with the spring likeness of its broth. Love the smokiness of the bacon in the dashi broth, however I felt that the construction of the dish could have dealt better with a different choice of protein.
Salt & Pepper Squid with Black Ink Aioli ($17), from first looks, a pretty impressive staple to have at the Esquina, they've got the frying techniques down, however, the black ink aioli tasted pretty much like any regular aioli except for the mysterious black that had muddled it's creamy core. Not a dish I would go for since I feel it's regularity is not worth the exquisite price tag. A dish I would recommend however is the elusive Spanish breakfast ($16), slow cooked egg, bravas sauce tossed with crisp potatoes and a shard of crispy iberico ham. the amalgam of flavors and textures with contrasting serving temperatures made for one orgasmic experience and I was left speechless and preciously concurred towards the success of the Esquina solely based on the performance of its food after this dish.
We left the establishment a $150.35 poorer after the meal. I suppose a poor pastry chef like me can't afford dining experiences like this very often but still, once in a while won't hurt.
16 Jiak Chuan Lane
(No Reservations)
website: http://esquina.com.sg/
Weekdays: 12pm - 3pm | 6pm - 11pm
Sat: 6pm - 11pm
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