Stateland Cafe launches a new rice series and one of the new menu item is this Herbal Duck Confit Risotto ($25 with a drink of your choice). Expect a deep savoury herbal based sauce over a bed of risotto and a generous duck leg contrasted with some crunchy naibai. I thought the herbal taste can be stronger (they're perfecting the recipe!) but we didn't have a problem polishing off the entire plate. Deviating from the usual cafe fare, Stateland always deliver new creations that is bound to satisfy all our tastebuds!
The iconic Great Meat Feast at The Carvery (Park Hotel Alexandra) returns with a bang this year, with not just a good selection of beef but also 2 different types of pork! All these in addition to the standard buffet line filled with an amazing selection of sides to go with the meat.
After tasting all the different cuts, I loved the Black Angus (USA) Prime Rib the most. This grain-fed breed is very tender and flavorful, and comes with a good amount of melt-in-your-mouth fats to balance it out. Extra brownie points goes to the charred crust that is achieved by finishing it over charcoal fire. After savouring it on its own, I had mine withred wine sauce and truffle butter (the bomb!) and I would highly recommend having it this manner too!
The Great Meat Feast is available from now till 22 October 2017, daily from 6.30pm to 10pm. It is priced at $78++ for adults from Mon-Thurs and $88++ from Fri-Sun.
This month's soft serve at @brotherbirdsg is the Durian (pictured) and Lotus Soft Serve. I'm a fan of durian-anything and while the durian flavor wasn't that strong in the soft serve itself, be sure to pay attention to the D24 pulp that is laced around the rims with the coconut crunch.
I don't take oysters but I still like fried oysters omelette for that eggy mix that is stir fried together. Hock Kee's mix has a generous amount of eggs (yay!) with a gooey cornstarch layer that isn't too sticky or oily. Parts of it are pan fried until crispy that is super satisfying, especially when you dip it with that tangy spicy chilli sauce by he side. #BurppleBestofSerangoonGarden
The star of Ah Seng Braised Duck Rice ($3.5 for 1 pax) for me would be that dark braised sauce. It is salty and savoury with a slight hint of herbal taste that is perfectly soaked up by the duck meat. The lean meat is tender and not dry at all, with a thin layer of fats running through the top. With an excellent braising sauce, it's definitely worthwhile to add on other ingredients like the taupok, taugwa and egg ($1.6). #BurppleBestofSerangoonGarden
The Mango Tian is an excellent way to end the meal — white chocolate yoghurt layered with mango gelee, topped with fresh fruits and crumbles. This dessert in a cup won my heart with its contrasting tastes and textures that complemented well with one another.
I thought the starters fared way better than the mains that I've tried at iO Osteria, other than this Homemade Tagliolini that was beaming with crustacean flavors and sprinkled with aromatic breadcrumbs. The pasta had great texture with very fresh ingredients — prawns, tomatoes and asparagus. It's a dish that keeps you wanting for more!
Sticky Wings opened its door to the public today, specializing in fried chicken in three flavors — Naked, Sticky Kecap Manis and Spicy Flamin' (prices start from $7.9 for 1 drumstick and 2 two-joint wings). My favorite was the Kecap Manis with the thick sweet and savoury sauce slathered on the large pieces of chicken, which was perfect with the juicy chicken under that crispy fried skin when you bite into it. I liked the Spicy Flamin' too as there was enough heat going on!
Also on the menu is the traditional Portuguese Donuts ($1.8) that is made with yeast, eggs, butter and evaporated milk. While it was quite plain tasting, I liked the texture of the fluffy bread and would go well with the heavier tasting wings!
Porchetta, Baked Pork Belly, Wild Fennel is a great choice for sharing on the table. The stuffed boneless pork roast has a crackling skin which I liked! The centre was slightly on the dry side but it's easily solved by dipping it with a little mustard sauce, which introduces a tangy and spicy flavor that eases that dryness.
Northern Thai style tomyum that I throughly enjoyed with just about the right amount of spiciness, sourness and creamy-ness without a thick layer of oil over it. My favorite ingredient is the fried fish with a super fragrant skin that is perfect after soaking up the soup, but also not forgetting the other fresh ingredients such as sliced fish, prawns and tofu.
Northern Thai is open on Monday to Saturday from 1030am till sold out.
A whole huge and thick slab of foie gras over sushi rice is pure satisfaction — the foie gras is glazed with a sweet sauce on the outside, creamy and smooth on the inside which melts perfectly in your mouth.
Vineyard at HortPark officially re-opens today after a facelift to transform into a more casual restaurant with ample natural light during day time. The new menu focuses on farm-to-table concept with their own herb garden beside the restaurant and using locally sourced ingredients.
The Local Farmed Poulet was very well marinated with tender thigh meat under the golden brown skin. It is drenched with a vegetables and shimeji mushroom ragout in a savoury poultry jus, which introduced different textures — some crunchy and chewy bite to it. This well flavored and substantial sized dish will definitely be a good choice!
