Showing posts with label harborfront. Show all posts
Showing posts with label harborfront. Show all posts
The Chophouse (Vivocity): where the Pork Chop reigns supreme.
Labels:
alfresco,
beer,
family friendly,
happy hour,
harborfront,
large groups,
must go,
pork chop,
restaurants,
steak,
wines
·
Drenched in natural light, open spaces and a gorgeous long table on the al-fresco patio, you can get a sense that communal dining is encouraged here. The notion of feasting, boosted by a plethora of meaty delights and impending gluttony, highly likely under such jovial circumstance. Casual and unpretentious, you might just want to get a pint of Paulaner Weisse ($11) to start, the generous folks at The Chophouse runs happy hour all day long, so that's definitely worth a mention.
Get started on the Fillet Mignon Salad ($17) only because you're probably gunning for the pork chop upon entrance yet still want to make a move on the beef, so here's your best bet for satiety on both protein fronts. Pan-fried fillet mignon, plump and red in the middle is plonked down on a cushy bed of argula, romanie lettuce, shredded fennel, baby spinach, roasted peppers and cherry tomatoes salad, dressed in a luscious coat of aioli to ensure you dive into your daily dose of greens. I would recommend you wash it down with a glass of their house-wine, the Malbec ($12) from Alamos, Argentina is a mild-mannered spiced up red that will kick-start the palate for what will eventually spiral into an afternoon of debauchery.
Yunnan Bridge Crossing Rice Noodles: Vivocity Food Republic's latest addition
Labels:
chinese food,
family friendly,
food court,
harborfront,
hawker,
vivocity
·
The air-conditioning was blasting with immense ferocity causing an involuntary shiver to travel down my spine; my squishy footsteps accompanied by the periodic drippings of my pitiful looking umbrella which had taken a beating from the looming storm outdoors; were all that one could hear as I paced through the grounds.
It was 11 00am and the crowds were nowhere to be seen in the usually packed Food Republic in VivoCity. Brushing past the various stores, each one peddling their goods in aromas and sweat over furrowed brows - the anticipation for a good lunch crowd is real and the vibe in the room, a contained sort of electrifying.
All things [NEW] at Earle Swensen's, Steam Box and Eat @ 7
Labels:
affordable,
circle line,
food news,
harborfront,
japanese,
korean,
new openings,
promenade,
ramen,
serangoon,
steamboat,
vivocity
·
2016 has passed by in a flash, hasn't it? It seems like it was just yesterday that we are toasting to a new year, and now we find it already half over. But hey, look at it a different way and its half yet to begin. There's no better time than now to celebrate all things new, and no better way to do it than with food indeed! Here are some of the freshest pickings from eateries islandwide.
STREET 50 Restaurant and Bar: Celebrate National Day with MORE FOOD
Labels:
bay hotel,
buffets,
dinner,
family,
family friendly,
harborfront,
national day,
special occasion,
telok blangah,
vivocity
·
When I was younger, National Day holidays for me would mean family congregations over a hodgepodge of familiar Singaporean classic dishes like chili crab, bee hoon, curry chicken and spicy pig stomach soup. After a massive feast, the cousins and I would crowd around our humbly sized television sets, placing our fists to our chest and saying the pledge with gusto and conviction; the world at our feet and our little minds soaring as high as the chinooks bearing the Singapore flag.
With the National Day long weekend (for the fortunate few) looming around the corner, many will be contemplating finding a spot for lunch/dinner with family and friends. Should you be stumped, look no further than STREET 50 Restaurant and Bar located at Bay Hotel Singapore just opposite Vivocity. This coming National Day, 9th Aug 2014, STREET 50 will be launching a one day exclusive National Day Buffet Dinner (from 6 30pm to 10pm) priced at $49++ per adult. And get this, with every 3 paying adults, the 4th adult gets to enjoy the buffet at just $4.90++. What a shocker!
And what better way to commend the occasion then with a tantalising spread of national foods and classic local favourites such as Bak Ku Teh, Rojak, Teochew Braised Duck, Steamed Hainanese Chicken with Breaded Rice Ball and Yam paste with coconut cream and Gingko Nuts?
Starting with the Tiger Prawns with warm ginger sauce, we were treated to some finger licking steamed crustaceans marinated with ginger juice. A good way to kick start the meal without the filling one's stomach with too much starch.
The next dish, throws a curve with the traditional rice balls that accompany the local favourite Steamed Hainanese Chicken, coated with a layer of Japanese breadcrumb and fried to a smoking hot golden brown. Instead of the usual chili sauce, Chef Ricky has paired the dish with a special tomato chutney which borders on spicy just enough to highlight the smooth silkiness of the chicken. Though some may be unconvinced by the outcome of the breaded rice balls, I personally enjoyed it as it gives that crunchy texture around the soft grains of garlic infused rice.
The Chilli Crab Penne (to be prepared a la minute to avoid the potential distressing circumstance of stodgy pasta in a buffet line) combines al-dente pasta with fragrant crab meat and a killer homemade chilli crab gravy. Aggressively spicy yet strangely sweet at the same time, this dish is likely to haunt your breathe for the better part of the week. Unless adjustments to seasonings be done, you might consider giving this dish a miss. unless, deep fried mantous are present of course.
The Paper wrapped Chicken Risotto is one of the few dishes in which STREET 50 pushes so hard against the original cuisine that it breaks through the other side. Here, the Chinese and the Italians are at loggerheads with one another as traditional paper wrapped chicken is stuffed with risotto, marinated with a blend of Chinese herbs and spices before being deep fried to perfection. Harmonious marriage? I beg to differ. The uneven cooking on the arborio rice mares the entire dish, some portions, delicious and slightly firm whilst other reduced to a mush more reminiscent of rice pudding. The deboned chicken needs no distractions with its labor intensive showing of flavors, yet the kitchen's choice to bring new interpretations to a classic threatens to undermine it's potential.
Another of my favourites
A fresh coat of cheer arrived in the form of desserts. The Yam Paste with Coconut Cream and Gingko Nut was gobsmackingly good. Cooked with a little bit of lard and drizzled with luscious coconut milk, it was kissed with just a pinch of salt that gave this version an edge. This would definitely have seen me eating way more than I should if I had a buffet line's worth in my sight.
The Durian Pengat appealed to me with a thin layer of crepe enveloping a generous chunk of pure durian flesh then christianed with gula melaka sauce. I would have like to see the sauce a little bit thicker; but that was just a small issue. A fantastic sweet ending for the durian fanatics out there.
Chef Ricky has created a National Day menu to reflect everyone around here. For sure he casts a wide net with his selection of perennial local favourites. The variety sounds like a lot for one kitchen to master, and the truth is STREET 50 counts weak lines in its repertoire. Still, for a one night only event, STREET 50 does offer up quite a bargain for National day dinner, so wrap up your folks and family and head on down! Reservations are open now.
Disclaimer: Fundamentally-flawed dined as a guest of STREET 50.
STREET 50 Restaurant and Bar
Bay Hotel Singapore,
50 Telok Blangah Road
Singapore 098828
Tel: 6818 6681
On The Table: Cafe on the Circle
It was a dime in a dozen. The dim light-bulbs straddling the wires knotted over the ceilings, representing the slight glimmer of hope in the eyes of an owner anticipating raging queues and long coffee ticket orders on a weekend morning. Despite it's lack of individualism, it was instant infatuation for me.
Reasons being its space, unclustered tables with roomy spaces for manevuering around (without the awkward shifting and kicking of chair legs involved); simplicity - a stripped down garage look is adopted here with grey walls and concrete floors which prove condusive for a bit of the weekend wind-down.
On The Table comes by way of the successful folks of Lola's cafe in Kovan who have decided to spread their feathers out just a little further to the sleepy neighborhood of Pasir Panjang. With little, or rather no direct competitors within a 1km radius, the cafe sets out to create a storm (evident from the larger than life space indented) and pack in the crowds who are itching for that hit of caffeine.
Things are kept simple here. Coffee from Dutch Colony is supported by a short and sweet cafe menu with your usual suspects and few surprising finds here and there. The more substantial mains like the Swimmer Crab Linguine ($16) and the Confit of Duck Leg ($18) catches my attention but my Aussie depraved soul cried out for a bit of brunch fare.
But first, coffee for the soul. My Latte ($5) arrives at the table with picture perfect intention. Finally an outstanding female barista who didn't have to resort to putting heart lattes in my cup to win my favor. *giggles*. However, the coffee recieved lukewarm responses around the table, everyone claiming to lean towards the nuttier, robust roasts over the higher acidity content normally found in Dutch Colony's stash. It's all subjective of course.
The food can't be faulted though. The Big One ($16.00) pulling its weight in quantity yet not compromising on quality as well. Pork sausage, honey glazed bacon, ham, baked portabello, mixed salad and scrambled eggs and toasted brioche. It might sound like a bit of work to get though, but the melange of fresh textures and excellent produce ensures that it all gets polished down rather easily. All in sync with the melodic croonings in the background and the lively chatter of good weekend companionship.
My Ultimte Croissant ($13.00) was yet again a usual calorie suspect done right and was highly culpable this time without signs of cloying richness in the overall composition.. Below its crispy half croissant cap grilled with some sort of herb butter spread, sits honey glazed bacon, ham, mayo, honey, scrambled eggs and melted cheddar cheese.... they don't call it "ultimate' for nothing... Laced with a dash of furikake for the slight savoury crunch, this was a thorough joy to work though and I took to it like a fat kid to cake.
And then, there were waffles. Deftly executed with a not so dainty scoop of Salted Caramel Ice Cream over the top ($8.00), the crisp honeycombed indented pastry flaunts a texture that is neither cloyingly thick and gummy nor too brittle and crisp and has the right level of egginess. The homemade ice cream building a flutter of anticipation with its smoky note of caramelization, yet beckons to be pushed a little more in the savoury spectrum. Still, a reasonably priced waffle combination with approachable portion sizes that doesn't make one feel piggish prior to placing the orders.
Feeling up for a little game of origami? (or amazing engineering feat as my cousin claims it to be), try folding their paper napkins into heart shapes.
Lesson of the day: "Start what you love"
Nothing quite like a bit of inspiration for the weekends.
On the table is a cafe that offers up a treat of hidden gems. Definitely my new go-to cafe in the region.
[Note: OTT doesn't charge service charge nor GST so do go generous on your tips!]
On the Table
118 Pasir Panjang Road
Singapore 118541
Opening Hours:
Tues - Fri: 11am - 10pm
Sat - Sun: 10am -10pm
(last orders for kitchen is at 9pm, and for bar (drinks and waffles) will be 9 30pm)
Mon: Closed
Food Tasting: Street 50 @ Bay Hotel
Labels:
food tasting,
harborfront,
lamb shank,
rendang,
restaurants
·
First of all, I would like to thank Dennis from Craft Communications for the invitation to Street 50. Long overdue post alert but apparently it's never too late when food is concerned because memorable foods (be it good or bad) leaves deep imprints on the mind. So a good month after the food tasting, I attempt to put pen to paper, food descriptions a blur, the lingering aroma of certain dishes fixated in my mind. We'll see how this pans out.
Forest Mushroom ($9): veloute of wild mushrooms, cream, chives and garlic croutons.
Don't remember anything about this apart from the strong lingering flavors of chicken stock.
a conventional salad done right with lovely and intensely sweet vineyard tomatoes complimenting the indulgent creaminess of the buffalo mozzarella.
slow baked burgundy snails stuffed with hazelnut butter and flambed with brandy
a spectacular show to watch in all honesty but the over dosage of liquor made the hazelnut flavors within the dish almost negligible. Loved how the slow baking process resulted in a firmer texture of the escargot flesh. A real conversation starter for how Gordon Ramsey translated an escargot dish from his garden snails...
an example of the few fusion dishes that are well executed by Street 50. The tom yum flavors could have been turned up a notch but then again, with the addition of cream toning down it's acidic pungent qualities, it's finicky business.
grilled half lobster with piri piri butter served with pilaf rice and vegetables
ordered by my dining companion, I found the portion sizes a little stingy given it's hefty price tag.
prawns, squid, mussels, mozzarella and grated lemon zest
not exactly my favourite item either as I've never been a fan of seafood pizzas. Despite the thin crust,it was a tad pale and doughy in the center. It's failure to cook evenly demonstrated by the flopping motion when held up as a single piece.
my only word of advice when dining in at Street 50. You can give everything the dismissive look but NEVER shun away from the lamb rendang. Done upscale with a whole lamb shank braised in rendang paste in a claypot, this dish was the highlight of the evening. Robust flavors tying in with the tenderness of the lamb shank that fell apart from the slightest touch. I dived into this dish repeatedly till the pool of gravy dried up like one of those African river beds in summer.
For those with a sweet tooth, do give the Durian pengat ($8) a go at the end of the meal. Fresh durian pulp cocooned in crepes, served with a drizzle of gula melaka sauce over the top, this dish may just seal the deal with a promise of sweet dreams.
Located opposite Vivocity, Street 50 provides diners with a quieter respite as compared to the dining options bursting at its seams in the shopping centers. With a menu that boost an extensive array of global fare and multi-cultural flavors, visitors will be spoilt for choice. However, that being said, the situation where the kitchen becomes a jack of all trades but a master of none is clearly evident. Word of caution, do make your choices wisely lest you be disappointed.
50 Telok Blangah Road,
Singapore 098828
Tel: +65 6818 6681
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