Resorts World Sentosa Food Affair Safari

The Food Affair by RWS is an interesting concept where the Resorts World Sentosa's existing collaboration with celebrity chefs is leveraged to bring gourmands a new and interesting treat. On-going from September 14-22, this amazing food fair covers six offerings from the chefs.

I went for a food safari, where we tasted a 5 course set dinner wich is tasted in 4 different participating restaurants, bringing us a very interesting and unique experience.

We started the tasting at the famous L'Atelier by Joel Robuchon...the chef who, collectively through his restaurants around the world has amassed the largest number of Michelin stars.

Set in the beautiful restaurant, we were entertained to a coupe of Champagne, and starters. But first a picture of the beautiful house bread...some of the nicer breads I have eaten for a long while...

The starter was a cold appetizer Robuchon calls Le Crabe

seasonal alaskan king crabs, beautifully cooked and served in on thin layers of turnip (daikon) with a sweet and sour vinaigrette, created by Chef Lorenz Hoja. Very sweet crab meat, and a real treat to the palate, and was marvellous with the tingling of the champagne.

We made our way just across to Osia

Another beautiful restaurant...here we sampled the foie gras

Quite beautifully presented. Encrusted in cornmeal to provide a nice crunch, the foie gras was wonderfully rich, with a light slightly nutty aroma, very smooth on the palate. Magnificent.

We then were ferried by buggy across the RWS to Forest

Not to be out done, the interior was beautiful, and immaculate.

And we tasted the steamed New Zealand cod, with yuzu mushroom sauce

The cod was steamed to perfection, done just right, so the oily fish did not taste oily at all, but smooth, creamy, and very nice...faultless. I found the yuzu had lifted the taste quite nicely, but the soy sauce as a base was a tad saltish for my taste.

We then walked across the car park over to Cat Cora's Ocean restaurant...right inside the Sentosa Oceanearium...one wall of the restaurant is the glass of the aquarium, and as one dined, one can view the fishes swim by. Magnificent, and a great treat.

We had the mains of a kurobuta pork belly, braised and seared, with fried octopus, sauerkraut puree, cabbage roll and green mustard.

I found the pork to be very tender, but a bit too heavy in fat. The green mustard helped somewhat, but in my final analysis, the cut of pork I was served was a bit too rich. Otherwise, the light crispiness was quite beautiful on the eyes and palate giving way to the very tender pork as one bites into the pork. The octopus provided a contrast to the tender pork...providing some crunch and resillience to the palate.

We also had dessert there.

The yuzu mango cremeux, gula melaka streusel, and milky lemongrass sorbet was quite a delight. Flavours were contrasty, but managed to be deliciously support each other. The ingredients all were distinct, and yet went well together.

We also had a chocholate to end the magnificent meal...

Hot chocholate and a lolipop of chocholate. Very nice.

A wonderful tasting. Many thanks to RWS's Zhi Juan and Weber Shandwick's Matt for the invitation and wonderful hospitality. I would highly recommend readers to try the Food Affair, running in RWS from 14-22 September.

Resorts World Sentosa Celebrity Restaurants
L'Altelier de Joel Robuchon
Osia
Forest
Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora

Gastronomy in Paris: Le Grande Cafe Capucines

Sometimes a favourite restaurant has nothing to do with the restaurant boasting of Gault Millau, or Michelin Star. Sometimes, it is just the right combination of service, ambience, and food which suits one's taste. The Grande Cafe Capucines is one such restaurant for me. Undecorated, but a firm favourite.

Right next to the Paris Opera, on Boulevard Capucines, is the Grande Cafe. I discovered this some 20 years ago, on a business trip...we were hungry, tired, and it was drizzling in Paris. My colleague and I saw this magnificent cafe, looking regal and like it stepped right out of the 1920s belle epoch. We immediately went in.

This is a typical art deco style Parisian restaurant. The tables are set very close to each other...it is impossible not to hear what the table beside is discussing...of course, if its French, their discussion remains private to us.

I love this restaurant. The service is always efficient, which is more than what can be said of many Parisian restaurants...though truth be told, they have improved over the years. These days, they attempt to speak English...and often quite good English when in the old days, even if the waiters do speak English, they pretend not to, and spoke only French. And more nowadays, they do not turn a nose if you just order carafe eau, instead of sparkling or still water.

And they were serving divine French oysters. One of the few in the 1se Arr which have a oyster booth outside the restaurant.

These were fine de Claire no 3 I think, or perhaps no 5. They were delicious. Succulent, fresh, smooth and rather fat. Wonderful with just a touch of lemon or a dash of tabasco. Marvellous.

For starters we also had some foie gras

I rather usually prefer pan fried foie gras, but they didn't have that. So we had the pate. This was a rather large serving. Quite nice foie gras...as usual, fat, satisfying...slight greasy, but immensely aromatic as only foie gras can be, and tasted very nice.

For our mains, Edward had the baby chicken in a pot

Nicely done. The chicken, though described as a baby chicken was rather large...perhaps the size of our regular kampung chicken. The meat was nicely done, very succulent, tasty. The skin is almost crisp, though not quite. A little braising liquid sat in the pot. Very tasty.

Kin had the veal chop

This was divine. Beautiful cut of veal. Nice, decent serving size. Perfectly grilled...slightly crisp on the outside with beautiful maillard. And very tender within. The accompanying jus was also savoury and very tasty, as were the morelle mushrooms. This was a winner dish. One to come back for more. Excellent.

I had the lamb shank

It was roasted perfectly. Very tender, very moist within. But the sauce, in my view was a tad too sweet...perhaps the reduction was allowed to caramalize a bit too much for my taste. The carrots and radish supporting the lamb was very nicely done. This is still a very good dish, but I did find the sauce a bit too sweet.

The portions were rather large, so for dessert, we only ordered one...a combination of sorbet and ice cream

The pear and lemon sorbet was right up my alley. The ice crystals were very small, almost undetectable...well, actually not detectable on the palate, and the fruit confit used to make the ice sorbet superb. Powerful flavours of pear and lemon. The sole scoop of chocolate ice cream was good too, but de rigeur. The scoops were mixed with very rich full cream and drops of French pastry which tasted very good...super sweet to be sure, but had a hard texture, which gave way to a slightly sticky and overpowering sweet melange. Nice.

I almost always eat at this restaurant everytime I am in Paris. We loved the package so much, we ate there twice on this 7 day trip. So for me, my conclusion is absolutely recommended.

Le Grand Cafe Capucines
4 Boulevard des Capucines
75009 Paris, France
+33 1 43 12 19 00
http://www.legrandcafe.com/

Chinese New Year treats at Park Palace, Grand Park Hotel

Its almost Chinese New Year...or at least, each year, the celebrations start earlier and earlier. Media tastings have begun, and I have already attended quite a few. Today's post is on an interesting one...tradition with a twist...offered by Grand Park Hotel's Park Palace Restaurant.

Tucked in the second floor of the Grand Park Hotel, this restuarant looks newly renovated and spiffy. Nice interiors.

I was invited for a media tasting, and the table setting is also indicative of the festive atmosphere, with splashes of traditional colours - orange representing gold, gold leaf, red.

As is traditional for the season, the meal began with yusheng...

A bit special...with gold leaf on the shredded radish and croutons. The raw fish was also interesting as sashimi grade yellowtail is offered. The fish tasted excellent. The croutons were less obvious than cheaper alternatives, and offered a nice crunch. The sauce was also a bit more restrained, allowing the fresh ingredients to shine.

Next, an utterly traditional roast suckling pig

But served in an untraditional twist...the skin was removed and served on a piece of steamed bread coin with a dark, sweet sauce reminiscent of those used in Peking Duck, complete with sprigs of spring onion.

Superb suckling pig. The skin was an ultra crisp crackling, expertly carved such that there was hardly any fat lingering on the underside. The taste was superb...light, yet robust. The sauce and spring onion added two additional dimensions, one pushing towards a richer taste, and the other cutting the richness...wonderfully balanced by the neutral palate offered by the bread. Excellent dish, one of the best suckling pig skins I have eaten.

The rest of the pig was whisked away and to be returned as a second course later.

A beautifully presented deep fried garoupa was next

The presentation is excellent, and deserves a double plus. The meat, already filleted and deep fried was nicely cooked...crisp outside, juicy within. A sweet and sour sauce is prescribed and went well. In this august company of dishes presented that afternoon, the fish was my least favourite...but having said that, in another restaurant or another time, this quality of fish at this level of cooking would be very appreciated.

The piece de resistance for a CNY dish has to be the pen cai

With 18 ingredients, this huge pot of treasure is truly a sight to behold...the ingredient list are as follows: Sliced Abalone, Sea Cucumber, Scallops, Prawns, Whole Conpoy, Roast Pork, Roast Duck, Soya Chicken, Tien Shin Cabbage, Lotus Root, Black Mushroom, Bai Ling Zhi Mushroom, Nameko Mushroom, Broccoli, Wood Fungus, Gingko Nuts, Duck Webs, Beancurd Sheet, White Radish, Sliced Sea Perch Fillet, and Sea Moss. Phew, what a mouthful...indeed there was sufficient to feed 10 with at least 3 servings, each with a different set of ingredients as they are laid on the pot as layers.

And to add to the spectacle, the chef flambes the pot by your table, with Henensey VSOP.

Tastewise, this dish cannot be faulted. The premium ingredients shone, and the briasing liquid was superbly crafted...each ingredient adding its own wonderful flavour, aroma and taste to the dish. The radish, simple, humble vegetable as it is, truly shone in the dish...absorbing all the intensity and releasing it with each bite. Truly an excellent dish, and certainly one of the best pen cai I have eaten.

Then the second serving of the suckling pig was presented...

The rest of the pig, sans part of the skin is then oven baked with lemongrass. The meat was tasty, tender with a rather strong lemongrass flavour.

The rice dish was next

Billed as the "Auspicious glutinous rice with foie gras and preserved meat", the twist is in the use of a typically French ingredient in a rather traditional Chinese dish. I must say I am impressed. The glutinous rice is made into a cupcake like shape and pan fried till the outside is crisp, the inner still moist and sticky. Within the insides are stuffed the preserved meats traditional for the season, and atop sits a slice of foie gras. Nice twist, and taste good.

And finally the desserts in the form of steamed mini pumpkin dumpling with green bean paste

The dish looks amazing. Beautiful, looking like little pumpkins. The skin is similar to ang ku kueh, though a bit tougher. This is the style of modern desserts...not so sweet, just a touch to clean the palate after a rich meal.

Nice Chinese New Year banquet style presentation. Great dishes.

This is an invited tasting. Thanks to Jean Ng for the invitation and hospitality.

Blog Promotion: Complimentary bottle of house red wine per table of minimum 10 pax. Please provide promotion code: "Ho Chiak blog" when you call to make your reservation to enjoy this speical.

Also available is an Early Bird Special: Book now and dine-in from 21st Jan to 7th Feb to enjoy 20%off to Lunar New Year Set Menus or A’la Carte.

Park Palace Restaurant
Grand Park Hotel
10 Coleman Street

Museum cuisine? Try Novus at the National Museum

I often dismiss restaurants in museums. Often, these are convenience eateries targeted at tourists. For one, I would take a walk and eat at one of the many restaurants nearby the Louvre than dine within. But Singapore is a bit different...I think. Within the walls of the National Museum are two restaurants - Novus, my feature here today, and Chef Chan's (which, BTW is closing or closed). There has been rumours for months, that Damian DaSilva (formerly of Big D's Grill) will reopen his Soul Kitchen there, but so far nothing.

Anyway, back to Novus. Set as a modern European style dining establishment, the premises are smartly decorated...tasteful with clean lines, and nice and bright.

Here is a 180 degree panorama. Panoramas are multiple images stitched in the computer to provide a wide view of the surrounding. This means the picture needs to be displayed wide, in this case 1920 pixels across.

I opted for the set menu, at An amuse bouche starts the Executive Set Lunch. 3 courses at S$38++.The Amuse bouche is a kind of whipped, foamed soup.



A bit underwhelming...and quite forgettable.

I started with the foie gras parfait, with fig, grape, vanilla, mesculun leaves. This was an additional supplement of S$8 to the set price.



Unlike the usual pan fried foie gras, or even a cold pate of foie gras, the foie gras was whipped into a light parfait, and served on a slate plate with the vegetables and fruits. The foie gras was smooth, creamy with a light taste of the liver.

I had the beef cheeks as my mains:



This dish is spectacular! Described in the menu as hickory smoked black angus beef cheek, it was served with baby beets, spring onion, mushroom creme and triple cooked french fries.

The cheeks were literally melt in your mouth. The taste was rich, savoury, and very, very mild beefiness. I loved the mouthfeel as it gently disintegrates, leaving a hint of aftertaste. Lovely!



For dessert, rum infused pineapple:



Rum infused, the pineapple was soft, tender, and sweet with only the slightest hint of rum. Served with mascarpone ice cream, chocolate and caramel, it was very good. The acidity and slight tartness of the pineapple balancing well with the richness of the ice cream, and the chocolate and caramel rounding up the body quite nicely.

Service was quite good and reasonably attentive, but the food took a long time to be served...this on a Thursday afternoon, where there were only 2 other tables besides ours.

Overall, I think the food to be rather good, though given the alternative offerings available these days, a tad pricey.

The fries tasted like they were sweet potato, but very nice and mushy inside, slight crispy crust on the outside.


Address: 93 Stamford Road #01-02 National Museum of Singapore Singapore
6336 8770
Mon–Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Bar: 11.30am – 2am

Flutes at the Fort: Fire Chief's Residence turned restaurant

with Eddie, Prof Massi, SJX

Flutes at The Ford is an interesting restaurant. With almost no visible frontage at all, it is tucked between the buildings at Fort Canning...to be exact, right behind the Singapore Philatelic Museum. It used to be the residence of the Chief Fire Marshall of Singapore, and indeed, is connected by a walkway through a set of stairs to the Central Fire Station.

The restaurant is housed in a very residential looking, black and white bungalow. Seating can be either outside on the verandah, or in the air-conditioned space within.



The decor is quite nice, I must say...with huge paintings depicting a somewhat colonial environment. The food, is decidedly modern Australian, I guess...with emphasis on fresh ingredients, simple cooking but fortified by sometimes strong sauces.

We had the set lunches...two sets are described...one in somewhat more detailed as I ate it, and the other I show pictures and offer my eating companion's views.

First off...the bread...typically I don't mention the bread unless it is exceptional for one reason or another. And this bread is freshly baked, warm when served, and excellent.



Nice, soft, fluffy. Goes perfect with the extra virgin olive oil.

I started with a pan fried foie gras, with pineapple and chocholate:



I found the foie gras to be a bit on the small side...especially when it commands a $8 supplement over the set lunch price. And the liver itself to be slightly overcooked...not to the extent of being rubbery, but the consistency within was a bit less than, shall I say, melt in your mouth smooth creaminess. The pineapple was a grilled affair on which the foie gras sat on. And I must say the pairing of a light chocholate sauce is quite brilliant. Nice complement.

The other starter, also a $8 additional cost item, was the seared Hokkaido Scallops with cauliflower, curry and celery.



This was rather interesting. The top of the scallops looked like they were charred over hot coals...indeed this was the case, though the scallops were coated in a sauce or condiment before searing. The dark, seared parts were well done to a crispy consistency, but the insides remained soft and succulent. I tried one scallop offered to me by Eddie...and it is a sweet, delicious one!

I went for the duck confit...being a sucker for this dish...heck the fat, cholesterol and calories:



Confit du Canard is a deceptively difficult dish to pull off successfully. Not only must the duck be rendered perfectly with its own fat, but it also must not be too salty, and the final cooking before serving must make the skin super crispy. The best example I have eaten, bar none is found at Chez Dumonet Josephine in Paris. But in Singapore, the best I can remember and still serving is at Black Sheep Cafe. Chef Ratha gets it almost right.

At Flutes, they almost get it right too...but a bit further along the continuum than Ratha. The meat was a bit too salty, and the skin not crispy enough. Not disappointing, for it was still quite nice to eat...though a touch too salty, but nowhere near where the masters of the confit can make it.

The other set was grilled fillet of cod.



I didn't try it, but Eddie offered that it was excellent. The fish looked cooked nicely.

OVerall, Flutes was a good place to bring a business associate for a quiet lunch to discuss business. It has tremendous ambience, quiet, and very good service...and it is within the CBD without being overcrowded with office lunch crowd. The food was good, but not at the level to command multiple returns for me...the ambience might make me want to return to entertain clients, but the menu is not inspiring enough.



Flutes at the Fort
21 Lewin Terrace
179290
6338 8770
Open Mon-Sat 12pm-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm

Baa, baa, black sheep: French cuisine by an Indian chef?

with Prof. Horolographer, Prof. Massi, Dr. Mycroft and SJX

A fellow makan kaki - mien3 once told me that there was a little French place, tucked deep in Serangoon area, and helmed by an Indian chef...with mindblowingly good food. Coming from mien3, that was indeed a compliment.

I went with my friends to seek out the place. An email reservation was promptly and politely confirmed by chef Ratha himself. It was raining heavily that morning when we had made reservations to do luncheon there, and the entire (rather small) restaurant was completely deserted when I arrived. Throughout our meal, we were the only guests. The place was simply decorated, with a few "black sheep" photographs.

The menu was simple as well...three starters, plus a soup of the day (was Mushroom soup), three main courses, and two desserts. Ratha explained his fixed prix menu for déjeneur at S$25, and included any combination of two courses, but excluding the pan fried foie gras.

We had to have the foie gras, so amongst the 5 of us, we shared two portions.



The serving size of the duck foie gras was about the thickness of two slices Gardenia bread, and possibly about 3/4 the size of a slice was $22. It was cooked to perfection...just a bit medium-rare on the inside, and slightly charred and crisp on the outside. I remarked that I am quite amazed by quality control of duck livers used in foie gras these days. Almost all were good, only very few had veins, and in most in recent memory, the fat was distributed evenly, and the texture smooth and spotless. Contrast this with 10 years ago, when foie gras was more a novelty than a standard offering. In those bad old days, a good restaurant would serve something sublime, but if anyone dared to attempt a budget foie gras, it would mostly be difficult - veins, uneven fat distribution, lumps, et al.

The Black Sheep version was excellent. Horolographer thought it particularly suitable to his disposition, as did Mycroft. The foie gras accompanied by crisp toasts and a bed of greens, and the usual fig. The dish was enjoyed by all. I can imagine a dry champagne, perhaps Duetz might be a good accompaniment.

We also had the Ceasar's Salad.



The romaine lettuce used was reasonably fresh, and the dressing was freshly made. Some lightly stir fried garlic prawns and slices of hard boiled eggs were thrown in with bits of toasted bacon and crisp croutons into the salad, and provided a very nice taste contrast to the lettuce. The portion was sufficient, and the salad was tasty. .

We had 4 orders of the confit du canard.



I am a big fan of confit du canard, after one fateful dinner at Chez Dumonet-Josephine in Paris one evening years ago. This restaurant, famed for its confit and old world charm is a monument of the French bistro. Charming interior, excellent cooking. In Singapore, the standard is, um, lower, but I could always satisfy cravings for confit du canard at the now defunct Sebastian's at Hillcrest. Not quite as good as Chez Dumonet, but more accessable.

Confit refers to the French method of cooking where usually a whole leg of duck or goose is preserved, typically by slow cooking in its own rendered fat, cooled, and stored in jars together with the fat. The leg is removed for cooking to develop the wonderful crust, and the fat can be reused for more confit. This was the way meats were preserved before refrigeration. The typical recipe is simple enough, rub salt, garlic, and chefs would have you believe some secret herbs and spices, to the leg of duck, cook in a pot deep enough to contain the whole leg in its own rendered fat (actually fat from several ducks, often several liters are needed). Cooking can take as little as two hours or as long as 10. When done right, it is meltingly tender, fall of the bone meat, not too salty, and a deep, crisp wonderful crust encapsulating the leg.



Chef Ratha's version was reasonably close, but no cigars. My memory of Sabastien's confit was superior to Black Sheep's in terms of overall taste, especially in the all important crust and the restrained and near-subtle salt of the meat. Sabastien's had a hang-together quality...no one flavour overpowering the other.

Ratha's confit was tender, fall off the bone, but the meat was a tad salty. Horolographer thought it very salty, and the duck did not quite agree with his sensitive palate. The crust, though looked lovely, was also not as crispy as it should be. I suspect the provenance of the duck used is also different. Overall, not a bad effort, but not one to assume the crown for Singapore's best confit du canard, now left vacant with the demise of Sebastian's. Needless to say, I should restrain myself from comparing to Chez Dumonet's.

JX had the lamb shank in red wine reduction.



Red wine reduction is a typical French style of cooking where sometimes up to a whole bottle of red wine, often of good vintage and from a good house (cook with only what you would drink on the table), reduced so that most of the alcohol evaporates, and the wine is very concentrated. As I understand it, the wine actually reacts with the proteins in the meat, and acts as a tenderiser and flavour enhancer.

I didn't taste it, but it looked wonderful, and JX seemed happy with his choice.

A bottle of nice, full bodied red, like St. Emillion would have complemented both duck and lamb nicely, but this was a working day lunch, so we chose not to imbibe in any alcohol.

Then 4 of us went for the souffle. Horolographer decided to watch his diet, and received a scoop of ice cream.



It looked wonderful...the creme patissiere was excellent, overflowing the cup, and pushing itself up and out, creating the super light souffle. The baking caused a thin, slightly elastic, almost crisp crust to develop on the outside. The patissiere was Kalua flavoured, and was served with a scoop of dark chocholate ice cream with a few almond slices thrown on top. I found the pastry a bit too sweet, but it went well with the ice cream.

Total bill for 2 orders of foie gras, 4 Ceasar's salad, 4 confit du canard, 1 lamb shank, 4 Kalua souffle, 4 espressos and 1 cafe latte came up to $180.


The Black Sheep Cafe
35 Mayo Street
Singapore 208316
92721842 or 6292 5772
blacksheepcafe@gmail.com
http://www.freewebs.com/blacksheepcafe/

Tateru Yoshino - Tokyo, Japan

One of the newly minted Michelin rated restaurants in Japan, Tateru Yoshino is a gem within the busy Shiodome area. Perched atop level 25, at the looby level of Park Hotel at the Shiodome Media Tower, this is a very small eatery - only 22 seats. Chef Yoshino prefers to keep his restaurants small to ensure high quality of cooking and service. The restaurant was brightly lit, with sunlight streaming in from the large windows.

This restaurant is one of two which were awarded the coveted Michelin 1 star belonging to gifted chef Yoshino. Co-incidentally, Shiodome Park Hotel also features another 1 star Michelin restaurant within the same premises.

As I usually stay at the Park Hotel, I took the opportunity to visit and have lunch with my wife on 21 April 2008. The set lunch was very reasonably priced at Y3675 for a 4 course meal comprising of Amuse-bouche, soup, main course, petite dessert, coffee/tea.

The Amuse-bouche was a breaded deep fried quail's egg, and tuna. Despite being deep fried, the egg had a light, crunchy crust, and the insides still soft.

The soup of the day was pumpkin soup. Very fine, subtle taste. As is typical of Michelin style restaurants, the soup featured a fine foam, with a sprinking of thinly sliced parma ham.

Kin had the duck breast, which was stuffed with foie gras. A magnificiently piece of duck was roasted, and then pan fried, and served with a stuffing of the some very good goose foie gras.

The skin was perfectly seared, crispy, and the thin layer of fat just below the skin would burst into a wonderful flavour in the mouth as one bites on the morsel. The foie gras was tender, creamy, and extremely rich. Tasty!

I had the veal, seasoned only with Japanese sea salt and pepper. The veal was done just right, with a hint of red within, and perfectly seared on the outside. The meat was tender, juicy with no hint of fat.

Dessert and petite fours was next. Dessert was a wonderful sorbet of raspberry, and a small slice of mango flavoured cake.

Petite Fours was a good selection of various sweets. We had one of each. The macarons are a speciality of Chef Yoshino...3 different types were offered.

Interesting meal. A typical one star Michelin meal in Europe would cost at least Euro80 per head, even for lunch, so Y3675 (which converts to approx US$36.75 at time of the meal, or S$49) is pretty good value for this very high level of cooking and very attentive service.

gastronomie francais tateru yoshino
Park Hotel
Shiodome Media Center
Tokyo

http://www.tateruyoshino.com/english/top.html