Showing posts with label expensive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label expensive. Show all posts
Bacchanalia goes the Seasonal route with their New Menus
There isn't any fancy pleasures more profound than a good slice of sourdough in the affable company of room temperature butter. The new Bacchanalia and I, got off to a good start with the impressionable introduction that involved one, too many bubbly slices christened with a firm crispy crust, singing a resounding sour note to the salty harmony of seaweed butter. And this was no ordinary seaweed butter, it's textural landscape undulating with pops of umami, as if with the hum of sea grapes. If you're one to judge a fine-dining establishment by its complimentary bread, Bacchanalia will you make you very very happy.
Alma by Juan Amador sprouts from a series of cosmic events
Labels:
expensive,
goodwood park hotel,
hidden finds,
michelin starred,
restaurants,
special occasion,
wines
·
Publications company owned? The Birds of America reprints on the walls? Chef Haikal who previously helmed the Water Library in Bangkok? The first ever four-hand kitchen collaboration with Chef Dan Barker of Upstairs at Mikkeller? Wait. How does three-Michelin-starred German chef Juan Amador even come into the picture?
Dining at Alma was as much a palate titillating experience as it was enlightening - the stories that unfolded over lunch extending to all facets of business. And despite the mind boggling series of cosmic events that have resulted in this manifestation of this Michelin-starred restaurant located with direct access to the car park of Goodwood Park Hotel (a bonus when hosting VVIPs ), I was intent on displacing the romanticism of the stories overheard and focusing on the food itself.
Morton's of Chicago unveils new Spring menu
Labels:
date night,
expensive,
hotel,
mandarin oriental,
special occasion,
steak,
wines
·
It's old school extravaganza at Morton's of Chicago, the moment you walk through those doors its drab carpeted floors, heavy red velvet curtain partitions and conservative hard-backed chairs. Honestly, it can be interpreted two ways by different schools of thought - stale and conservative or nostalgic, old-school steakhouse. This one is going to make many people, very cross, but to be honest, I, unfortunately was not too taken by the dated decor. The tired staff, trained to the same mundane standards of cruise ship waiters, adding to the sense of 'tradition'.
Dining with a View [Part 4]: CÉ LA VI introduces New Executive Chef Joey Sergentakis
Labels:
cityviews,
expensive,
may not return,
restaurants,
seafood,
special occasion
·
Most tourists to Singapore would be familiar with CE LA VI as a go-to destination for a quick sunset tipple and killer views of the harbor area. Not necessarily dubbed as spot to put Singapore's culinary scene on the map, I always felt that its stellar "high-off-the-ground" location to be such a waste. Hence imagine my interest piqued at the mention of a new Executive Chef taking over the reigns! Chef Joey Sergentakis who previously ran the kitchen floors of Mr and Mrs Fox in Hong Kong and propelled it to Hong Kong Tatler's Best New Restaurant 2016 position; is the best news I've heard from the joint in a while. I gathered my skirts in eager anticipation of the refreshed menu featured.
Dining with a view [Part 2]: Me@OUE has a brand new Executive Chef
Labels:
cityviews,
expensive,
fusion,
hidden finds,
japanese,
must go,
raffles place,
romantic,
special occasion,
wagyu
·
Quickly scanning through the brief introduction sent across via email, my eyes hitched upon "The 33-year old Penang native, now helms the restaurant and oversees the Japanese, French and Chinese kitchens." Almost immediately, the universe began sending me messages. Don't. However, if the story were to progress in that imminent direction, you wouldn't be reading this meritorious review I'm about to expound.
One highlight of the meal being Kumamoto Wagyu A4 which isn't much of an off-script move but resulted in a chimera of narratives, which in actual fact happened in cosmic silence, implementing only audible sighs at the table, as the two of us polished off the charcoal grilled striploin sitting cosily in pumpkin puree. That's a romantic tale I would avouch for again later.
Dining with a view [Part 1]: Stellar at 1-Altitude presents their special Tajima Wagyu program
Labels:
beef,
cityviews,
degustation,
expensive,
hidden finds,
must go,
romantic,
set lunch,
set menu,
wagyu,
will return
·
Clearing my throat and attempting to get rid the ear barotrauma that had developed from the swift elevator ride up to 62nd floor of One Raffles Place Building; the cool gust of air that greets me at the tip of the spacious natural light awashed dining room worked wonders in refreshing the senses instantaneously.
The purpose of my visit, to explore Chef Christopher Millar's brand new nip tuck culinary program featuring Tajima Wagyu which the restaurant now painstakingly sources and wait for it... rears their own cattle at Australia's premium Wagyu farm Tiana Park (NSW). Talk about dedication to curating the best produce! This process devising a canny way of getting back in the media again. We're talking the opportunity to feature a myriad of cuts (both secondary and premium) in mixed fashion and with the added flexibility of dry-aging at your own will; Chef Christopher Millar has definitely got it all figured out.
Monti Festino @ Monti: Longest Sunday Brunch by the Bay
Labels:
bayfront,
buffets,
champagne,
cityviews,
cocktails,
expensive,
fullerton bay hotel,
special occasion,
sunday brunch,
waterfront
·
Mundane and serene our lives had been, Monday to Saturday that is, every hour garlanded with chain emails and accompanying politics. Sundays don't have to be about that. Just saying.
Cocoon yourself within Monti's cool, natural light draped interiors without the interruption from the bustle of the city outside (apart from the occasional sampan that wanders a little too close for comfort near the glass walls). Monti Festino is a spruced up version of the usual champagne brunch varietal, this bad boy continuing from the brunch table to the roof top for spun-beats till sundown then persevering to Sunday soiree mode with the jazz crew taking you all the way til the stroke of midnight.
FOO'D by Davide Oldani: Worthy of an encore?
Labels:
expensive,
hidden finds,
romantic,
special occasion,
will not return
·
Beyond question, the new FOO'D by Davide Oldani is a place whereby shorts and slippers are frowned upon, or even banned. The opulence and prudery of the venue experiencing a odd stickler with the large television screens spanned across the lofty heights of the space - screening live sports? Now, that comes across a bit out of place. The restaurant located in Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall is the perfect spot for a light pre-theatre dinner or where you would sojourn for drinks after being serenaded to. The brainchild of Chef Davide Oldani, who also owns Michelin-starred restaurant D'O in Cornaredo, Italy; the joint sees waiting lists with intimidating interim of up to eight months at a stretch. With this in mind, you know your palate is in for a treat, especially when the maestro makes a personal guest appearance on opening day.
[NEW] The Wall: pairs sumiyaki with wall to wall of Whisky
Labels:
bar,
expensive,
hidden finds,
must go,
romantic,
whisky,
will return
·
'They packed up in here wall to wall' - now, that would be an understatement.
The newest kid on the Tanjong Pagar road, The Wall, expounds its beliefs in breaking down 'walls' and pre-notions to the the concept of whisky drinking in Singapore.
You enter the warmly lit bar and walk through what is suddenly a stunning juxtaposition of conservation shophouse brickwall on one side, and a striking floor-to-ceiling collection of whiskys on the other. It's a gorgeous room and all you'll want to do is sink into an armchair with a solidly built dram in your hand. Unfortunately, you won't find that here, the elimination of clichéd scenes of whisky drinkers wrapped in mists of cigar smoke in private rooms presents the opposite truth here -The Wall hosts a typical bar set-up with high stools and a rather excellent bartender behind the counter, willing to transform your choice of whisky into a quintessentially urban imbibe experience that most regular whisky lounges don't provide.
Pollen @ Gardens by the Bay: New Year, New Chef
Since it's the start of a new year, I decided that it was timely that I disclosed one of my favourite eats of year 2016. That being the profound modesty of Chef Steve Allen and the new culinary direction he has Pollen embarked on.
Novelty is a major lure for me and this is enhanced by a personalised buggy ride service from the arrival plaza to the restaurant, through lush foliage and scenic views of the Marina Bay waterfront. Sights targeted at calming the senses and whetting the appetite. To top it all off, you'll get to wander into the Flower Dome too! free of charge. Yes, they weren't kidding when they said POLLEN experience.
Sen of Japan: walk the talk
Labels:
expensive,
fusion,
japanese,
large groups,
marina bay sands,
modern,
must go,
will go
·
Described as a casual dining Japanese restaurant and bar with intimate settings and then further elaborated to have its menu inspired by Chef Nakano, previously of NOBU at Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas's fame; Sen of Japan hits the nail on the head. Casual? - not so much for the everyday user; but for a high-roller who have just been dealt a lucky hand at Baccarat; this my friends, is what you would call fast-food; the retracing of steps back to the table fast and furious following a quick refuel.
Sen dishes out modernist Japanese cuisine, the kitschy influence of American culture on the menu highly evident and most enjoyable (if I must say so) at most times.
Le Binchotan: French-Japanese tapas with a mean cocktail bar @ Amoy Street
Perched behind closed doors... Yes... that seems to be the trend nowadays. The presence of open-air brasseries with doors flung wide open, a thing of ancient history. Yet another dining concept to join the ranks is Le Binchotan, BurgerJointsg's not-so-simple girl next door. Here, Chef Atsuhiko Hagiwara from Ginza Tokyo restaurant En.Terrible together with Singapore Head Chef Jeremmy Chiam churn out a sophisticated bar menu with a Japanese touch and a special homage paid to the technique of smoking meats and seafood over bincho-tan (white charcoal).
By lunch, the dark den offers a much-needed respite from the hard-knocked life awaiting most executives on the outside. Lunch sets range from $38+ for 3 courses to an affordable $48+ for 4 courses with the added luxury of having one of the city's more talented bartenders Sugar Ray Ruban (previously of Cufflink Club and Vasco) mix you a stiff one to while away the remaining dreary afternoon.
Bar and Billiard Room @ Raffles Hotel: Sunday Champagne Brunch
Labels:
champagne,
cityhall,
expensive,
hotel,
must go,
raffles hotel,
special occasion,
sunday brunch,
will return
·
This one tops it all.
I've had the good fortune of patronising a couple of Sunday champagne brunches over the past year, mildly impressed by some, chuffed that I couldn't stomach any more at others; BUT, it is my most recent endeavor at Bar and Billiard Room that takes the cake.
There's just something about dining in the age-old institution complete with grand chandeliers hanging down from high ceilings and navigating your way around a stand alone saloon-style bar right smack in the middle of the dining room, that makes the experience so charming. Despite the buzz in the room generated from the the popping of champagne bottles, the Bar and Billiard room feels like a quiet harbor away from the eddies and currents of commuters outside. Almost like stepping into a time portal that transports you to experience the hospitality of the colonial period.
Mikuni's Summer Unagi Festival "Doya No Ushi No Hi"
Labels:
cityhall,
expensive,
fairmont hotel,
food festival,
hotel,
japanese,
must go,
unagi,
will return
·
Running for a limited time only - " Doya No Ushi No Hi" hits the town running once more at Mikuni in Fairmont Hotel Singapore.
From the 19th July to 6th August'2016, guests will be granted the opportunity (of a lifetime) to sample the special 6-course summer lunch menu highlighting unagi, or eel from Aichi in Nagoya prefecture. I, for one, did not know that unagi was traditionally consumed for its vitality boosting properties; Chef Moon Kyung Soo's masterful breakdown of the Chinese character "鳗" emphasizing that point.
UsQuBa: Scottish Restaurant & Bar at One Fullerton, where the bar is the real deal
Labels:
cocktails,
drinks,
expensive,
modern,
onefullerton,
raffles place,
scottish,
special occasion,
whisky
·
I did mean to talk first about the expansive selection of whiskies and various collectors spirits procured by dark horse of a bar manager Fong Chan Teng (previously from La Maison Du Whisky) - behind the bar; there's just about something great for everyone. A lesson we learn first-handedly by introducing UsQuBa's refreshing Gin & Tonic into the adolescent encyclopedia of our greenhorn tastemaker seated at our table. He loved it. And so did we love our classic Negronis, stirred up using award-winning London Dry Gin, NB Gin and a rather intriguing bottle of sweet white vermouth del Professore from Piedmont, Italy.
I digress. Because, what you're really here for is the food. The menu at UsQuBa (pronounced as us-kew-bah) offers a little for everybody, especially the person curious for fresh insights into New Scottish cuisine. A very detailed food map in the front of the menu depicting the various local produce and zones in and about Scotland; building anticipation for diners as they browse the premium ingredients featured. Chef Guven who helms the kitchen is the enabler in this extraordinary enlightenment process - his portrayal of Scottish ingredients with unique creativity stemming from his tour of Claridge's kitchen, Maze Restaurant and Newport Room, under the mentorship of Thomas Keller.
Edge @ Pan Pacific Hotel - Theatrical Sunday Champagne Buffets
Labels:
buffets,
expensive,
hotel,
marina square,
might return,
pan pacific hotel,
promenade,
special occasion
·
Hailed to be the longest brunch, I arrived at the grounds in search of a elongated magic carpet of sorts festooned with delicacies representing lands of unimaginable outreach only to be met with death glares when the reality of "long" being represented by its 4 hours duration dawned upon me. Pardon my ignorance but I don't deal well with buffet lines and my failure to even surpass 2 hours in an overindulging session makes me the worst kind of companion for sessions such as these.
The newly revamped Edge Buffet at Pan Pacific does however pique my interest solely based on the upbeat music drifting out for the make-shift area right smack in the middle of the buffet grounds with a live band stationed within. "Let's lose our minds and go f****** crazy. I-I-I-I-I-I keep on hoping we'll eat cake by the ocean." warbled vigorous voices without so much of a strain.
And that's exactly what I did.
Sakurazaka: Traditional shabu-shabu with refined European flair
Labels:
expensive,
greenwood avenue,
hidden finds,
japanese,
must go,
romantic,
shabu shabu,
will return
·
It's hard to fault an establishment when the starter blazes a trail in its path. The meal begins on an all time high with the Ishiyaki and Onsen Tamago leaving me tongue tied. Depending on the set that you've ordered (Pork Set - 95++, Bouillabaisse Set - $108++, Beef shabu shabu set ($128++), Sukiyaki Set ($150++); slices of Iberico pork, Japanese wagyu beef or seafood is served alongside a searing hot stone heated till 140 degrees in the oven so that your thin slices of protein get cooked with a quick swish in under 15 seconds. Proceed to dip your loot into the bowl of onsen egg mixed with spring onion and sukiyaki sauce - and after that is done, smash the rest of the egg mixture in one elegant swoop.
Sakurazaka, an upscale shabu-shabu-sukiyaki-kakigori joint has got a lot of things going for it. Bringing to life several menu items that are just a tad unusual for the run-of-the-mill 'eat-all-you-can' shabu shabu establishments targeted at feeding the young and ravenous. Debuted at the kitsch little neighbourhood of Greenwood avenue, the team, mostly consisting of consultant chef, Masashi Horiuchi of Shelter in the Woods and Verre fame; are well known for injecting modern European flair into his heartwarming Japanese upbringing led cuisine. Needless to say, Sakurazaka, with the backing of wine merchant, Wine Culture, curates an exquisite choice of wines, sake and Japanese craft beers.
Mikuni Special: Hina Matsuri or Dolls' Festival
Labels:
cityhall,
expensive,
fairmont hotel,
japanese,
must go,
romantic,
setlunch,
special occasion
·
Hina Matsuri, otherwise known as Doll's Day or Girls' Day is a Japanese festival that allows for a rather strange patronage to dolls. Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display sets of collectors ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period. From what I gathered from the very animated Chef Moon Kyung Soo of Mikuni (whose excellent culinary antics I was exposed to earlier last year), Doll's day traditionally celebrated on the 3rd March is a day for parents to bestow their well wishes for their daughters coming of age. Starting with a glass of shirozake, a cloudy non-alcoholic sake made from fermented rice... the notion of blessings accompanied, very apt and likewise, very sweet.
Available from the 1 to 10 March, Chef Moon's specially curated lunch bento (priced at $120++) will be available only for lunch service. A deceivingly tiny trio of drawers hiding treasures in every layer, flanked by an entire platter of light-as-air tempura. One can't help but wonder if the meal sets out to challenge ones ability to eat daintily. The pre-requisite skills of nimble chopstick handling crucial in preventing wastage of even the tiniest grain.
Sumiya @ Suntec City: of sake dispensers and table-cooked rice
Labels:
ala carte,
dinner,
expensive,
japanese,
large groups,
lunch,
restaurants,
romantic,
sake,
seafood,
sunteccity,
will return,
wines
·
I remember the first time I visited the Suntec City branch of Sumiya (read my previous post here) - all eyes lit up when we spotted the gleaming elephant in the room. A spotless temperature controlled Sake dispenser that taps 16 different varieties of Japanese fermented rice wines from taps at the command of a key card - a seemingly illustrious process up til the bill shows its associated tabs afterwards. But for now, let's dine with no care for consequence, shall we?
[CNY'16] Ce La Vi: Modern Asian CNY Menu and the most 'HUAT' Yu Sheng.
Labels:
chinese food,
cityviews,
CNY,
cocktails,
expensive,
fusion,
marina bay sands,
modern,
special occasion,
wines,
yusheng
·
CE LA VI. The ostentatious establishment that occupies the 57th floor of the iconic Marina Bay Sands, was where I partook in a lo hei that I deem the most 'HUAT' of the year. Mainly because, you can't get any higher than that in terms of elevation. The seemingly transparent act of tossing yu sheng from a vantage point garnering enough luck to power me for the whole year, or so I hope.
The iconic rooftop location houses a energetic club that promotes the pursuit of pleasures as well as a fine dining establishment on the other side, sporting floor to ceiling window panels for some unparalleled views of the city skyline. This Lunar New Year, CE LA VI rolls out a lavish Asian inspired meal with the over-indulgent option of wine pairing; a somewhat mandatory choice when exposed to peer pressure from the opulent settings.
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