Showing posts with label western food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label western food. Show all posts
Nom La La by Bakerzin: 360 Degree Dining Concept @ Punggol
Labels:
affordable,
cakes,
family friendly,
fusion,
hidden finds,
punggol,
western food
·
Nom La La by Bakerzin is a homegrown enterprise oriented on a 360 degree dining concept. If I could sum up the experience here in a few words, it would be that there's truly something for everyone at Nom La La.
Located at the newly opened SAFRA at Punggol Waterfront, Nom La La is a perfect location for a good family meal for its diversity of choice and pocket-friendliness. The cafe serves up different cuisines for every palate, from Asian to Western; different courses for any time of day, from breakfast to dessert and even snacks to go; different styles of cooking for all ages, from traditional to fusion.
Nom La La operates on a self-service concept, a fuss free order-pay-collect system much like Ikea. This is intentionally done to differentiate themselves from parent brand - Bakerzin. As the Head Chef said, "with less distraction for service, all the heart can go into the food!". We say, yay!
Osia: Belly full of Surprises
Labels:
contemporary,
dinner,
modern,
resort worlds sentosa,
western food
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It had never crossed my mind to visit Osia Restaurant ever. Situated just a stone's throw away from Joel Robuchon at Resorts World Sentosa, saving up the funds seems like an obvious choice. Helmed by Chef Douglas Tay, a seemingly young act in the scene given his sub-30 age; it may be a tough act on anyone's part to entrust a gourmet feast to such a young gun; but trust me, if you do, you're in for a treat.
For starters, we were treated to the restaurant's signature Stone Hearth Flatbreads served with Spiced Garbanzo paste that had been so cleverly contained in a toothpaste thing a ma jig. Points for novelty factor right there. The bread resembled a naan in its chewy composition and slightly stodgy center, not a winner amongst those who love a bit more aeration in their carbs.
The next course won me over with its stunning presentation. A conjugal bliss of Jamón Ibérico De Bellota, Air Dried Wagyu Beef Brisket, Burratina Artigiana served with vine tomatoes, rucola leaves and brioche. Up to your own liberty, mix and match the various fresh ingredients to create punchy flavors that perform a sweet dance on your palate. The Burrata cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar was deliciously rich and creamy; the salty iberico ham, a perfect foil for the cheese. A slight tangle of peppery rucola leaves helping to keep everything in check and cutting through the fat.
Lychee Martini Oyster - served complimentary from the Chef; I assumed this was to be a palate cleanser of sorts. The fruitiness and bubbly nature of the cool cocktail livening up the plump oyster. I could do with another half dozen of these.
The Mushroom Soup can't be faulted as well. It's flavors underscored by a sense of rich, woody, earthy spice.
Then it took me to the Pièce de résistance of the night. Polenta crusted foie gras with beetroot, rhubarb and riberry spiced compote. I'm lost for words. What worked was the mealy crust on the foie gras that added texture whilst the perky bright compote of ruby red substances imparting a dash of acidity and mild sweetness to the fat laden dish. This is a MUST-HAVE.
Moving on to main course, my friends has the Razor Clam, Atlantic Halibut, Hokkaido Scallop ($70). An intricate dish providing the diner an assortment of expertly executed seafood dishes. Complimented by several other flavors including black garlic paste, green onion puree, potato foam, iberican Chorizo and artichoke barigoule.
My Sea Perch with sesame ratte potato, soy milk curd and shiromiso glaze was another stellar dish which looked deceptively simple on the large platters but delivered hugely on flavor and execution. Slightly firm in texture, the fish itself had a beautiful fat content that melded well with the salty soy milk curd cubes perched on top. The sesame ratte potatoes were smashing, buttery with tattered edges that allowed the sesame spices to adhere with much endearment to its side. The pea tendrils that accompanied the dish, beautifully seasoned and a joy to eat even on its own.
Last but not least, my friend dived gregariously into his Bryon Bay Berkshire Pork Chop. This was the full works, a 300g bone in pork chop that had arrived freshly off the grill. Not for the faint hearted, the protein had a superior marbling stature and was deliciously juicy. Definitely for those with heartier appetites and more carnivorous preferences.
While the kitchen smokes and smolders, the dining room is a perfect scene of tranquillity, littered with lovebirds and rowdy parties. Yet the kitchen works its magic in churning out stellar dishes with an elegant, meticulous touch. Adventurous taste buds with food-geek tendencies should indeed give Osia a shot.
Osia
Resorts World Sentosa
#02-140
26 Sentosa Gateway
Singapore 098139
Tel: +65 6577 6560
Website: http://www.osiarestaurant.com/home/
The Black Swan: Mary Mary quite Contrary
Labels:
bar,
beer,
burgers,
CBD,
cocktails,
hidden finds,
oustanding service,
raffles place,
restaurants,
western food
·
The good folks at Lo & Behold (responsible for the Loof, The White Rabbit, Tanjong Beach Club) have done it again... this time, launching a 1930s-style joint in the heart of the CBD. Hardly strangers with fact that the conceptual designs to these projects would be stellar, I was blown away by the decor at The Black Swan. Cool spherical lights draped from the ceilings, frosty and muted, creating a tone of nonchalance in the room. The fabulously narrow U-shaped bar staged in the middle, with its entirely granite counter tops and high shelves of old-fashioned liquors evoke a strong representation of the period.
Barely a month old, the Black Swan has garnered a lot of media attention to itself; seemingly so since the dining room was packed with reserved tables on a normally lackadaisical Tuesday evening. That being said, service was top notch, directions were provided to a rather flustered me over the phone; and a special mention goes out to a kind lady Mary who stood by the table patiently engaging in relevant conversation as I took on the mammoth task of waiting an hour for my companion to arrive sans the 'drinking myself silly' part. "So, this is the guy who's going to pay for the entire meal?", she teases as my friend finally made his way to the table. Hilarious.
For a whole hour, I nursed this drink. The Golden Parachute ($19), a smooth 15 year old single malt whisky stirred with fragrant vanilla bean, pure maple syrup and livened with mandarin zest. This potent potion a perfect example of the cohesiveness of the cocktails list with the style of the establishment.
The menu features mostly American classics with a contemporary twist, a concept fortified by the consultation of Chef Sebastian Ng of Restaurant Ember. We started of with the Char-Grilled Beef Tartare ($26), perfectly comforting stack of freshly chopped USDA 365 days grain fed beef seasoned to perfection resting on a bed of sweet sauteed nashi pears. The balance in the dish impeccable. moreish.
The Black Swan Burger ($26) features a patty made of seasoned chuck with a slender slice of melted mature cheddar plastered overhead. The sunny side up egg was a tad overcooked for my liking, my hopes for a natural yolk sauce, dashed. The buns made in-house were rather good; could have used a tad more wrist work to develop a bit more elasticity in the dough, but then again, butter works its magic. What really stupefies me on this dish are the streaky bacon slices that are served on the side. WHY? as if totally redundant. On the whole, a pretty good burger based on the doneness and juiciness of the patty alone. The fries... meh... they should consider adopting the Parmesan and rosemary haystack fries from Overeasy.
My partner's Duck Leg Confit ($36)- 36 hour sous-vide, bacon potatoes, fresh thyme,mustard sauce
Nothing goes better with a burger than a beer, shy away from the chi-chi cocktail and wine driven crowds with a cool Poleeko Californian Pale Ale ($14), a dry medium bodied ale with a hint of grapefruit and citrus notes.
The Black Swan is definitely pulling out all the stops with its recent launch of its set lunch menu ($28++ for 2 courses and $34++ for 3 courses). I reckon with the sensibilities of the company at helm, the new chapter for the Black Swan is looking to be a very long and exciting one.
19 Cecil Street, The Quadrant
Singapore 049704
Reservations: (SMS) +65 8181 3305
The Fat Cat Bistro: It's a sticky situation
Labels:
beer,
food tasting,
hawker,
hidden finds,
Indian food,
jalan riang,
western food
·
The night at Fat Cat Bistro unfolded in usual fashion, starting with a pint of Stella Artois draft for me. The proceedings of the nights' food tasting bearing its optimistic light on my fairly empty stomach and growing hunger pangs.
throughout the night, drinks flowed freely as did the light-hearted conversations around the table. With settings similar to that of a coffee shop albeit with the mojitos, draft beers and other cocktails doing it's merry rounds, this encouraged a communal and very intimate setting. Very suitable for small group gatherings or even family meals. Just be mindful that the place is open-air meaning that things can get a little sticky around here so dress appropriately for the occasion, dress light. Guys, don't bring your dates here should she be decked out in a thick sheath of make-up unless you're hoping to end the night with a big fight of sorts. Don't say I didn't warn you.
From the start, service was efficient, friendly; and given that our food was coming from 3 separate kitchens, the dishes soon piled up at our table. No amount of speedy eating could have dealt with the problem. Starters consisted of Crispy Pork Ribs ($12 for 5 pieces) and Thai Mango Salad ($10) from the Thai kitchen; the former was very well received by the group of us, crispy yet deliciously juicy on the inside, this was a delight to eat even sans the chili dressing. The mango salad on the other hand was average, the balance of sour, sweet, salty and spicy could have been better fine tuned.
The Goat's Cheese Salad ($10), representative of the Western kitchen (The French Onion) was a surprising winner as well with it's generous serving of lightly grilled cheese with mixed leaves tossed in a light coating of french dressing.
But the clear winner in the starters category were the Mantra Wings ($8 for 6 pieces) from Masala Mantra. Fried to perfection, these golden wings were perfect snacks to go along with the multitude of drinks available at the bar. The light use of Indian spices in the marination adding a bit of kick to the overall addictive experience. Note, the many pairs of eyes around the table that trailed the disappearance of the wings at lightning speeds. *sweats*
With respect to mains, I honestly lost track at some point of time with the flurry of dishes greeting our tables. Gaping mouths and gregarious laughter filling the empty spaces between the endless feastings. A few of my personal favourites were the Saag Paneer ($12) and the Mutton Vindaloo Curry ($12), pity that the naans we used to mop up the curries lacked fluffiness and the authenticity of those that have come out straight from the tandoor. Constraints of a coffee shop kitchen.. Another would be the green curry (perhaps which was still passable), my take on the Thai food served from Thai Yai (the thai food stall) seemed to lean more on the sweet side, a strange trend that spreads across all its representative items for the night.
Offerings from the Western kitchen that night included the Australian Tenderloin and Seas Bass. Not too suitable for sharing, I was a tad biased against these dishes for that reason alone. That aside, flavors were faultless and portion sizes were decently priced. However, I just didn't find the surroundings suitable for the service of such foods.
The desserts made their mini parades soon after everyone made a declaration to have been stuffed to the brim. I chose the Mango Sticky Rice over the rest since that again seemed to be the most suitable for sharing. Served with dried shards of coconut, that added a refreshing sweet bite to the otherwise monotonous dish with only soft and chewy left to describe it. This rendition was well executed with the glutinous rice cooked to a nice doneness and that sweetened coconut milk drizzled generously over. The Chocolate lava cake possessed a very unnatural sweet flavor probably hailing from the use of cheap compound chocolate within but I'm sure the less finicky would happily settle for this dish.
The Fat Cat is definitely a hidden find, a casual bistro set up in the tranquil settings of the Jalan Riang stretch. Winged by a throng of great eateries of diverse representations, The Fat Cat does serve its purpose of delivering food to groups of people with conflicting needs at decent prices. Not bad indeed for a gathering of indecisive people.
15 Jalan Riang
Tel: 62855178
Website: http://www.thefatcat.com.sg/
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