I think this was my 4th visit??? Can’t remember the exact figures…

They offer valuable- pricing set lunch  ( $10.50 & 16.50 ) and the food attained a certain standard since the menu was created by Chef Daniel Koh himself. Sometimes I felt dining in high-class restaurants are a waste of money . We pay for the ambience and service but often the food was merely average and mediocre.I’m not referring to ALL Restaurants but IMO, I had experienced quite a number.

Hmm… was kinda lucky that I met Quan Yifeng, Patricia Mok, Belinda Lee & Kym Ng @ Chef Daniel’s Kitchen. They were a noisy crowd… could hear their noise in the restaurant and busy taking photos. Initially I wanted to walk over to request for photo-taking but felt a little awkward & shy … Mom said ‘‘ Celebrities also have a pair of eyes , a nose and a mouth , what’s so special about them ? Leave them alone lah ”. Mom had a point too … and thus I held back but my eyes stayed focused on them throughout the lunch .

Speciality of the Month (July)

The ‘‘wok charred salmon ” looked captivating  =)

House salad ($10++)

A simple mixed salad with sliced mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, pickled cucumber , sweet honey dew in honey mustard dressing.

Five spices Foie Gras ($14++)

I wonder why there were melon balls served alongside… anyway, the melons were really sweet but had a hint of spiciness.

The Foie gras was infused with very mild ”five spices” which is commonly used in Chinese Ngoh Hiang. I would prefer the foie gras to be slightly pan fried to create a crispy outer layer.  Sweet glutinous and wild black rice served underneath provides a chewy & nutty texture .

Wok Charred Salmon ($22++) 

The Wok charred salmon was an award-wining dish of Chef Daniel Koh. Indeed, the dish deserved to to be awarded. The salmon was served slightly charred on the outside but the inner was 80% cooked. Set atop a bed of braised leeks, tomatoes and lady’s finger. We enjoyed the mild-tasting salmon and the vegetables in the broth.

Grilled Tuna Steak ($22++)

The tuna steak was seasoned with cumin, coriander and white pepper but on top of that I felt that sichuan peppers were also added for extra spiciness. The dish smell fragrant, which reminded me of ”roti prata with curry” . The tuna dish was a fusion of Western and Indian cuisine where strong herbs and spices were used .

~A.W.E.S.O.M.E ~

RARE!

The outer layer was the blend of herbs and spices (cumin, coriander, white pepper & sichuan peppers) which provides a crisp texture while the inner was rare. I could literally taste the natural freshness and flavour of the tuna meat. The sauce was delicious but I couldn’t make out what exact ingredients were used…. perhaps a bit of miso ???

The green bean sambal had bits of crispy tau kwa , bits of long beans and stir fried in sambal chilli which reminded me of muslim food…Enjoyed it!

The grilled tomato , on the other hand, was redundant since the texture was so tough and was not juicy at all.

Verdict : Reservations are highly recommended as the place often experienced high human traffic ( full-house) during lunch & dinner hours. Most of the service staffs are from PRC and therefore there ”might” be miscommunication. However, the service was pretty friendly & efficient. Despite the inaccessibility, I felt it was worth the effort to get here to enjoy tantalizing food.

Chef Daniel’s Kitchen

L7 Bugis Iluma

Website : http://www.tornado-ent.com/facilities/chef-daniels-kitchen

Main dining area 

Cool & Classy

Menu

Senso undergone a revamp & to celebrate its 10th anniversary, the chef introduced several dishes such as the ”Duo of Risotti special Senso 10th anniversary” & Tiramisu Rivisto” . The must try – ‘‘Pan fried mozarella wrapped in Parma ham ” & Taglierini Boston Lobster” . 

Prices here were slightly in the high side but you can choose to order the 3 course set lunch menu priced at $36++.

Seasonal menu : Black truffles promotion 

Bread basket

Upon seated, the bread basket was served but unfortunately, the breads were cold and dry.

TOP: Pan fried mozarella wrapped parma ham & Scallop in shell with spinach

Scallop =)

Close up of the gratinated scallop 

The scallop was firm & slightly chewy. However, the sauteed spinach was over salted and the sun-dried tomato contributed an extra saltiness. Overall, the scallop was too salty I didn’t enjoy it.

Close up of the pan fried mozarella wrapped parma ham 

This is deliciously man! 

I had NEVER tried this unique blend of flavours b4 . The saltiness of the parma ham blended very well with the mild tasting mozzarella cheese , olive tapenade &  the ham was so crispy due to the streaks of fats .

I wished there were more ~~~~~~  ^_^ !

Lobster Lasagne ($28++)

Having read several reviews complimenting the Lobster Lasagne, I was slightly disappointed with the dish . The texture of the lobster chunks were too rough, perhaps due to the over-baking process. Lasagne sheets taste like chinese ” Mee Hoon Kuay” & the cheese was too heavy. It got ”jerlat’‘ after a few bites.

Pan seared seabass,sauteed veg,shaved black truffles, saffron espuma ($42++)

The pan seared seabass fillets were served under a bed of sauteed vegetables, saffron espuma & shaved black truffles. I kinda regret ordering the seabass with black truffles as truffles lacked in flavour & fragrance… In simple words ” taste like pieces of wood shreds” . 

Verdict: While the service were top-notch & perfect venue for dining, the food doesn’t really suit my personal likes/ preference. There are better options elsewhere ~

Senso Ristorante

21 Club Street

Website: www.senso.sg

Nestled in the rich  Paranakan heritage, Katong ( Joo Chiat Road & East Coast road) is the ”home” of Peranakan cuisine .

Katong, is a foodie haven. If you are a food lover, you would certainly heard of / a regular here . Different cuisines such as Thai , European, Italian, Filipino, Cantonese, Pernakan, Muslim…etc can be found in the whole stretch of Joo Chiat & East Coast Road.

The Loft ,a bistro offering European Seafood managed to attract my attention. Reason being- Fish & Seafood Lover! 

Chef’s Special

The Bistro interior was cosy, perhaps there were only 4 tables??? Not too sure whether there were additional tables at the back of the bistro.

Menu (Mains & Desserts )

The main courses ( Fish / Meat) allowed you to pick any 2 side dishes and a sauce of choice (Pica de gallo, Pesto, Hollandaise, Fruit Chutney & Henry Bain ) . They do offer a small selection of pasta but please enquire the availability.

Portions were rather huge and therefore you can share 2 main courses among 3 people ( if you are a small eater ).

Daily & Chef’s Specials 

The Daily & Chef’s Specials are not listed in the menu but are based on availability & Season. I was glad to see the prices listed without an extra +  =)

Monkfish Saltimboca ( $22+)

The Baked Monkfish (known as poorman’s lobster ) was baked with a slice of picnic ham in between and served with a generous serving of salad & olives vinaigrette.

The texture of the monkfish was slightly chewy and for those who prefer oily fish such as cod / salmon may not enjoy the light flavour of the monkfish. The picnic ham was … …  cos I generally prefer parma ham .

The bed of salad leaves had slices of gherkins , olives and corn which gave a tangy and refreshing finish.

Verdict: The prices were reasonable , portions were generous , service was friendly but the location was a little ”off ” for me  =( .

The Loft – Bistro Seafood Pasta

41 East Coast Road (opp Roxy Square )

Website :www.theloftcuisine.com

MEDZS, located at basement 2 of Orchard Central belonged to the Food Junction group. The concept was pretty much similar to that of Marche. Upon entry, a card was given and you could order anything ranging from French pastries, Turkish kebab, Paella, Seafood, French duck confit…etc .When you are done, foot the bill as you leave.

Well, after ordering the food, a ”digital alarm” would be given. The purpose was to remind/ inform you that your food is ready for collection. An interesting idea? No really… I thought it was rather confusing as there were many ” beeps” being heard in the noisy restaurant. I had to keep track and stared at the ”digital alarm” , waiting for it to beep and vibrate.

The queue for the kebab station was long and the collection area was also crowded. The atmosphere was kinda rush & noisy. For those who wished to enjoy your food in comfort, the restaurant may not be suitable.

Anyway, back to the food… I had a Shish Chicken Kebab ($6) , Grilled Seabream ($12) and a Strawberry Mille feuille ($4.20) .

Shish Chicken Kebab was good but nothing spectacular. 4 Chicken kebab was served with a dipping sauce and a bowl of barley rice? I felt that barley rice was served instead of the usual rice as it resembled the grain of the barley.

Grilled Seabream was awful. From the texture and the flavour, I knew that the frozen varieties were used. The meat was dry , flat and tasteless. The three dipping sauces ( Tartar, Pesto and Tzatziki) helped to ”mask” the tasteless fish fillet.

Strawberry Mille Feuille was good . Fresh strawberry ,peach slices and whipped cream were sandwiched between 2 flaky pastries. The queue for the dessert section was long as they have a wide variety of french pastries such as eclair, creme caramel, bread and butter pudding and crepes!

Verdict: The food served were at most average and a return…. I would think twice  @_@

DBS/POSB credit card enjoy 25% off. 

MEDZS 

B2-01-03 Orchard Central

Website : http://www.foodjunction.com/brands/restaurant/medzs/

The popular bangkok coffee chain , known as Coffee Beans by Dao is finally here @ Wisma Atria. I walked past the chic cafe upteen times since it’s opening but after quite some time , I finally dragged someone to accompany me to this cafe.

Wide array of cakes !

Since the cafe was an ”open-concept”, you would probably be subjected to the staring by onlookers. The wide array of cakes on display looked tempting … mille feuille, cheesecakes, swissrolls…etc. You would be spoiled for choices!

I must say that they offer a wide variety of foods…different cuisines such as Western, Italian and Thai. You could have a Tom Yam soup as a starter, a western main course/ Pad Thai and finished off by having a slice of lovely cake. The idea was to try as many food as possible.

Chicken & Shrimp coconut rillettes ($8.80++)

8 pieces of bite-sized rice crackers were served with a small serving of the rillettes. The rilletes were really fragrant and flavourful due to the addition coconut milk in it. There were small bits of shrimps and minced chicken meat blended in the rillette which reminded me of having curry chicken with shrimps. You can choose to dip the rice crackers in the rillettes or eat it plain just like me!

Green mango salad with shrimp and coconut floss ($12.80++)

I tried a little of this crunchy mango salad ,it was quite refreshing and the coconut floss added fragrance and texture to the salad. However, the salad was generously tossed with peanuts which I’m allergic too, I left the salad to my dining companion which she happily polished it off.

Tom Yam seabass soup ( clear) ( $5.80++)

We opted for the ”clear” version of the Tom Yam soup. The soup was very light and left a slight tangy flavour after each mouthful. The soup contained mushrooms ( quite a variety of them) & a few slices of seabass fillet which was a little tough. Nevertheless, the soup warmed up our stomach .

Grilled prawns balsamic dressing ( $14.80++)

Simple salad and dressing + crunchy prawns.

Steamed seabass with chilli and garlic ($12.80++)

The seabass fillets were lightly steamed and served in a ”ultra-sour” & spicy broth.Though the tom yam soup contained slices of seabass, it was slightly tough. I preferred this steamed version.

The broth was sour due to the lime. For those who can’t take the sour and the heat, avoid at all cost! My lips turned into a swollen sausage after having a few slices of the fish. However, the result was an adrenaline rush and SHIOK!

Verdict:  A return is highly possible as there were many dishes which I would lovvve to try. The service was friendly and efficient and one of the staff was a Thai and she greeted the the customers with a friendly smile and ” Sawadee Krap” !

Coffee Stars by Dao

#01-37Wisma Atria

Website : www.coffeestars.sg

Having read several reviews on Dallas, I finally made my way there.

Dallas was not a fine-dining restaurant but a Pub cum Restaurant. Majority of the customers were Caucasians working at the nearby offices. I kinda enjoy the hip and cool atmosphere here.

Finger foods are served here but they do offer a 2 or 3 course set lunch/dinner menu which changes monthly. 2 course set lunch priced at $20 ++ , offering a choice of main course from the 4 choices.

American food sizes are offered here thus most of the food are meant for sharing.

Honey mustard bacon salad

Offered as 1 of the starters, the honey mustard bacon salad was just enough for 1. Few strips of smoky bacon , salad leaves, avocado, wedges of tomatoes and topped with shavings of parmesan cheese .

Pan fried Barramundi with dill and lemon mayonnaise 

A thick slab of pan fried barramundi was served atop a bunch of steamed asparagus. For $20 ++, I felt that it was worth every cent paid since a generous piece of fish was offered alongside with a starter of choice.

The fish was fresh, soft and the skin was crisp. The lemon mayonnaise reminded me of the tartar sauce, with a tinge of tangy and creamy texture.

Dallas platter ($15++)

The dallas platter was meant for sharing , 2 pax @ $15 ++ & 4 pax @ $30 ++. The platter allowed you to enjoy 3 of their popular and signature bar snacks ( Salt & pepper calamari wings , Dallas wings & Chicken skewers).

Care-less about table etiquette  , I  dirty my fingers whilst enjoying the pipping hot salt & pepper calamari and dallas wings.

Salt and pepper calamari are best enjoyed hot from the deep-fryer . Squeeze a little lime juice over to add a tinge of lemony flavour & reduce the greasiness . The squids were large and juicy , batter was crispy and not soggy. However, it was  a little tad oily and cloying towards the last few pieces as it turned cold.

The Dallas wings were ordinary .It taste best when eaten warm and dip in the special chilli sauce ( hint of cracked black pepper can be tasted ).

The Chicken skewers reminded me of chicken satay. The thigh meat was used and they marinated it with a cajun seasoning . It goes pretty well with the coriander and mint sauce. A little let-down was that the chicken skewers were served lukewarm.

Verdict: Highly recommended for big eaters! The foods served here are American sizes and would definitely satisfy your hungry stomach. Generally I am satisfied with the food , service was prompt and efficient, short waiting time for the food to arrive and clearing , funky and cool place.

In summation, I love this place!.……. except … the cigarette smoke!

Dallas Restaurant & Pub

31 Boat Quay

Website: www.dallas.sg

Buy 1 main course and get the second FREE!

Prosciutto & grilled pineapple salad ( $15++)

Claimed to be the most popular salad at The House of Robert Timms . They were pretty generous with the prosciutto ham and the peppery rocket leaves. I would prefer fresh pineapples instead of those from cans where the sugar syrup was just too sweet. The best commination would be rock melon~ .

Herb crusted barramundi ($26++)

The main course was huge .

The chunky piece of barramundi was crusted with herb breadcrumbs and baked till golden brown. Sat atop was the tangy salsa with bits of black olives, gherkins and tomatoes which goes well with the fish.

Pumpkin Lasagne ($16.50++)

I realised that The House of Robert Timms offered a variety of vegetarian choices. They have Tofu patties, Portobello mushroom salad and the Pumpkin Lasagne was one of them.

The sweetness of the pumpkin and the melted cheese goes well. The cheese was not too overwhelming and cubes of pumpkin can be found between the layers.

Verdict: Do make a visit to The House of Robert Timms during the GSS period to enjoy the 1 for 1 offer!

The House of Robert Timms

Wheelock Place & Orchard Shopping Centre

First attempt in baking a chocolate lava cake , even though i search for recipes online, I made certain modifications to the cake.

Fortunately, it turned out pretty sucessful???

Actually the chocolate failed to ooze out  :/ which I assumed that I over-baked the cake. The recipe indicated 450 degrees preheated oven , 5 mins- 6 mins and I baked in a 250 degree preheated oven ( highest temp was 250 degree for my oven ) for 6-7 mins. I thought the baking time should be extended a little since the oven temperature was reduced.

Anyway, the inner of the cake was still soft and moist while the outer formed a crunchy crust. Mum suggested that I put a small bar of chocolate in the center before baking the cake … perhaps the chocolate bar would melt slightly and create the flow….. .

Worth trying …

Chocolate eclair ($8.50)

Chocolate eclair from Laurent Bernard Chocolatier … yums!

The choux pastry seemed to be a little hard which I’m not sure whether it should be the right texture. Personally, I would prefer soft choux pastry .

The inner

Instead of using cream / custard as fillings, the chocolate eclair was filled with chocolate with very minimal cream. The chocolate content was pretty intense and I want more more  & more pls!

The size is just too petite!

” Pure ” Chocolate Cake ($10.50) 

”Superb for chocolate lovers, made of criollo Venezuelan dark chocolate.” 

This is G.O.O.D ! 

The layers

The cake has many layers… I think around 7?

The chocolate mousse has a very intense chocolate flavour and I can taste a tinge of liquor added to the mousse but I’m not too sure whether it was rum/ kirsch ???

The chocolate sponge was a little coarse though but it was pretty much to my liking.

The chocolate base had a slight crispy texture which resembles a burnt chocolate shell…. I like it!

Even though the cake was relatively ex, it was well worth it!

We had…..

Dark Devotion ($11++)

10-15 Mins waiting time was required.

However, the cafe was quite busy at that time so we waited for about  20 mins I guess….

I’m not too sure whether the wait was worth it as the chocolate lava seemed to be watery and the texture of the molten lava cake seemed to be soggy and had a ”kueh-like” texture. It was slightly different when I had it in my previous visits ( at different TCC outlets). I didn’t really enjoy it  =/

The MESS!

Chocolate Confession ($6.50++) 

The are 4 distinct layers present in this chocolate fudge cake. 

The base is a thick layer of hazel praline which I felt was crispy and not too sweet. The chocolate sponge was alright, not too dry and was chocolatety. The chocolate fudge or ganache in between the sponge was cloying sweet and gets very jerlat after a few bites. I didn’t enjoy that as well :/

Raspberry Chocolate Cake ($6.50++) 

Again, 3 distinct layers were present in this chocolate mousse cake.

I would prefer this raspberry chocolate cake than the chocolate confession. The chocolate sponge layer was just alright but the dark chocolate mousse left a bitter and intense after taste which I enjoyed it lots. The thin layer of chocolate gloss was quite chocolatey as well and not sticky like those gelatin cakes.

Verdict: We enjoyed the Raspberry Chocolate Cake .