Prego @ Fairmont Hotel

Recently, KopiKosongGirl and I have been revisiting places we have not gone for a long time. We both used to have the Feed at Raffles card, but now since we are one, we only need one! (sounds cheesy eh?)

We used to come here often before we got married. We suddenly thought of this place, so we are back!

The deco seems to have changed, this place has become more "wooden contemporary", if there's such a term. No more white table cloth, it's now unvarnished table. Near the entrance there's also an antipasti bar. We remember when the restaurant used to be packed, we sat there at the counter.

Oh the menu seems to have shrunk too! Just a single sheet now. Simple.



The previous big round bread they had with the tomato-ish dip is gone too!
They now served this bagel like herb bread that's a nice replacement too. The bread's no longer warm like it was previously, but it was addictive though. It's probably the salty crust that makes you want to eat all of it up.



I think the bread's good on its own, but if you like, you can spread this aubergine like pesto with cream cheese on it.


It reminded us of the breakfast youghurt jars at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong!




We ordered 2 antipasti from the antipasti bar near the entrance. They are $4 each.

We saw these mushroom and could not resist them. If you like mushroom, try this. Cold, garlic taste, almost like pickled mushrooms.

KopiKosongGirl can eat a whole lot of this, I think because it's cold, I stopped at 3. Though I like it, the brain tells me to stop. Do you have that kind of feeling sometimes?



We also had the seafood salad. This was even nicer than the mushrooms. It's oily, but does not give you a 'jelak' feel to it. It's probably because of the citrus juice in it. It's cold too. The prawns were crunchy too.




I had the pizza. This is the Prego. ($35)
The toppings are Prosciutto di Parma, Buffalo Mozzarella, Arugula and Tomato Sauce.

Creature of habit, I am still ordering the same thing. Still loving it.




KopiKosongGirl had the Beef Lasagna. $35.
She said it's one of the best lasagna she had for a long time. I kind of agree with her.

Doesn't lasagna remind you of an Italian 'gao teng kuay'. Layer after layer of pasta sheets, meat and tomato paste. No, we did not peel each layer to eat. I want to try out the best way to make the tomato paste. Should start researching about them ;-)

It was a nice dinner. Still glad we kept a Feed for Raffles privileges, there's 50% off the bill.

There was a nice surprise too. Halfway through dinner, the next table next to us was a friend that we have not met for a long time. He left Singapore to study at the Royal College of Music and is now back! He is a composer, and if you probably have heard his compositions on film without knowing it! If you want to listen to his sample music, visit http://www.johncgh.com/

Prego Fairmont Singapore Level 1 80 Bras Basah Road Singapore 189560 Tel: +65 6431 6156 http://www.prego.com.sg

Scan QR code for Address Details

Alfero Artisan Gelato @ Marina Square

This was such an interesting discovery! I love ice cream, and KopiKosongGirl love coffee and also ice cream too! We are happy we 'bumped' into this place.

We celebrated a friend's birthday at a restaurant at Marina Square and after dinner we decided to have tea. We walked past Alfero Artisan Gelato and we saw a sign "Hand Made Italian Gelato"... even the Godfather loves it!



I 'instagram' it and when I got home, I realized many instagram buddies know about this place and said which flavours we should try!




The moment you walk into this shop, you will be wondering if you have just walked into a gelato shop. You don't see a whole range of colourful array of gelato on display. All you see are metal containers. 

The gelato are all inside these "Pozzetto". ( I googled and found that pozzetto means little wells in Italian).

Had a short chat with Chef Marco Alfero. He said the gelato are stored inside these containers so that it is not exposed to light and air. This will preserve the gelato the way it was when it was made.

Also when you get into the shop, they will insist you try the different flavour. The customer service here was really good!



Father in law tried the 'durian' flavour and he said it was good. We did not get that because her KopiKosongGirl does not take durian. LOL

The flavour we had above was the "Nocciola" (Hazelnut) and Marroni (Chestnut).

When you try the hazelnut, you will immediately think of Kinder Bueno! I said Kinder Bueno and Marco said yes, they import the same hazelnut from Italy! I like this flavour.

Chestnut was a bit sweet, that's all I can remember.



These were the Cioccolato (Chocolate) and Vaniglia (Vanilla) flavours.
The chocolate was I remember chocolate with high cocoa content and it was nice.

I always try Vanilla to test how they fare. The Vanilla was nice. Vanilla pods can be seen and it goes well with the chocolate.

Don't dilly dally, the gelato melts rather quickly. Hurry and eat it!
Medium (2 Flavour) in a cup costs $6.50.




The macchiato ($4).
KopiKosongGirl said it was normal.



The Cappucino ($5).
In the words of KopiKosongGirl, nicer than Starbucks, proportion of froth, coffee and milk was good.

The Long Black ($4) was more intense and deeper in fragrance and stronger in taste.

An interesting place for gelato and their gelato is quite good too.
Reminds me of gelato I had in Rome. I am suddenly thinking of the little gelato stall just outside the Vatican City walls!

Alfero Artisan Gelato 6 Raffles Boulevard #02-226A/B Marina Square,  Singapore 039594

db Bistro Moderne @ Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Daniel Boulud. We have all watched him on television. One of those few that's so calm, gentle and does not spew 'you know what' on television. The wife and I have wanted to dine at his restaurant here in Singapore but have not found the time to do it.

He was in town recently and came an email invite from Marina Bay Sands about an opportunity to have a meal cooked by the Chef himself. How could I decline? I applied for 1 day leave from work and had such an enjoyable lunch. It was even better when I later found out that Justin and Camemberu and I were sitting on the same table. Good food and friends make a meal extra delicious.



This is the man himself. Chef Daniel Boulud, the celebrity chef that has gained fame for "Daniel", his Michelin 3-Star restaurant in New York City.

Chef Daniel was in town last week and will be back in town together with other celebrity chefs for the Singapore Grand Prix. Hint: If you book your meals now at the restaurants in Marina Bay Sands, you might get to meet them when you dine at their restaurants.

We were at db Bistro Moderne to try out dishes from Boulud Sud in New York. They were Mediterranean themed dishes that Chef Daniel came out with when he went for a vacation. These dishes that we tried will be introduced in db Bistro Moderne as special add-ons to the main menu. Just ask the service staff when you dine there.

Talking about service staff, their staff here knows exactly what was being served. Try asking them how it is prepared and what's inside each dish. We were quite impressed.

Appetizers

A range of Mediterranean tapas like appetizers that we had. I kind of like what he has created. It's definitely nicer than what I had in Spain's Mediterranean Andalusia region. It's probably the ingredients he used here ;-)
 



Vitello Tonnato.
DB's version of the Italian cold dish. The sliced veal served medium rare with the creamy sauce is such a wonderful delight. A summer time Italian dish, it's just right for forever summer Singapore!





Chickpea & Eggplant
An elegant platter of Herb Falafel, Fresh Hummus, Babaganoush, Lavash.
I have to admit that falafel is not my favourite kind of food. But Catherine raves about it. She loves it.



But I love these Lavash (flat bread) that goes with the fresh hummus (chickpeas) and babaanoush (eggplant mash).  Look at the lavash, are you tempted?




Cured Anchovies.
On a nice kidney shaped platter, Shaved Fennel, Tomato and Crispy Socca was served. My favourite of all the shared dishes. Probably because I love cured anchovies. If you are an anchovies person, order this. The socca (thin unleavened crepe), tomato goes well with the salty anchovies.





Grilled Octopus
This ensemble of marcona almonds with grilled octopus topped arugula and Jerez Vinegar (Spanish Sherry Vinegar) was rather captivating as well. It had a strong smoky flavour to it. It's something I want others to prepare for me and not do it in my own kitchen.





Seared Spanish Mackerel.
A slightly charred mackerel that's served with Piquillo (Spanish chilli) Vinaigrette. 





Spiced Duck Kataifi
Duck wrapped in Kataifi (phyllo sheets that has been shredded till vermicelli like) and deep fried. So crispy and yet not that oily. With date chutney that's savoury and sweet to go with it, it's an enjoyment munching on the crispiness.

Mains

Daurade a la Plancha
This beautifully plated dish is a grilled bream looks a little petite. It was packed with flavour through and through. I took this photo because I like that plate!



I like how Chef Daniel will explains how he cooks the dish and a little history about it. It makes you appreciate the food so much more.

The Daurade (bream) was only seared on one side and it is left to cook through. The co-star was the Romesco Sauce. It's a sauce that originated from Catalonia Spain that made from different nuts, roasted tomatoes and red pepper. The sauce was really nice! I wonder how much time was used to make it! 



It's just so beautifully visually isn't it? It tasted gorgeous too.
The fish was crispy on the top and the bottom was a combination of softness and firm.


(Note: Just got to know that this dish is now available for the lunch menu if you visit them now)




Chef Daniel did cook for us!
Halfway through lunch then did I realise I was sitting in front of the semi frosted glass with the kitchen behind me. We started to 'peep' at the chefs in the kitchen. That's Chef Daniel cooking our next dish!




Tuscan Style Dry-Aged Ribeye
The last 'main' meal before desserts for us. The medium rare dry-aged ribeye was ooooo yummy!
As you expect from dry-aged meat, the flavour of the meat is concentrated. After aging, the natural enzymes break down and we have very tender meat.



I like the salsa verde on top of the meat and the stir fried crushed fava beans below. I was delighted with that anchovy on top! The whole dish just blends nicely.

Desserts

Grapefruit Givre
So pretty! That was what all of us said when this was served! Givre means frozen.

Chef Daniel when the dessert was served came out to introduce the dessert, told us that this was a creation by his pastry chef Ghaya Oliveria who hails from Tunisia.



How to eat it? Break the Sesame Halva top! Inside you will taste Rose Loukoum and Grapefruit Sorbet. You just got to try it!

I was just told it's now on permanently on the Lunch and Dinner menu.

Thanks to Justin, he found online a video showing how this is made.



Also served with the grapefruit, Moroccan Mint Tea to be served with the following Turkish Delight.



From Italy: Panforte Di Siena – A Italian fruit cake lookalike, made with Dark Chocolate Paste, Roasted Almonds, Ginger, Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Cinnamon, Black Pepper.

I like the taste of this! It's an acquired taste, but I like it!




From Italy: Torrone. Italian meringue (what we usually call nougat) with roasted hazelnut.




From Greece: Bakiava – Phyllo layers with a mixture of green pistachios served with thick syrup.
It was so so sweet! I know you want to try it too right, despite it being so sweet. Greek desserts are usually very sweet!



If you have realised, I like serving plates etc. I saw the platter that the Turkish Delight was served on and since we were dining in Marina Bay Sands, I got naughty, and lined them up on 3 glasses. Familiar?




For the meal, these wine were paired with the dishes.
Cuvee Daniel Champagne
Chateau la Rouvière Bandol Rosé 2007
Bodegas Naia, Naiades, Rueda 2007
Querciabella, Chianti Classico, Tuscany 2007




db Bistro Moderne
Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Galleria Level, B1-60
2 Bayfront Avenue,
Singapore 018956

Tel: +65 6688 8525
Hours:
Weekday Lunch: 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM (Mon-Fri)
Weekend Brunch: 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM (Sat, Sun)
Dinner 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM (Sun, Mon), 10:30 PM (Tue-Sat)

Tom's Palette @ Shaw Leisure Gallery

This was ice cream that Momo and I had a few weeks ago, on a super hot and sunny afternoon.
We wanted something sweet, cold, creamy and perhaps refreshing.

We thought of ice cream, and the nearest ice cream place where we were was Tom's Palette.
It's another one of the many ice cream places in Singapore that makes ice cream from scratch. They also have ice cream making classes if you are interested.

Tom's Palette has quite unique flavours.

The flavours we had below was a combination of Granny's favourite, Chocolate Stout, something like Kokutu which is Japanese brown sugar and a flavour we forgot.




We had like 7 minutes of bliss.
Enjoying air bubbles that has been covered by the milk proteins and flavours.



When we are done, we left, so that some one waiting for the precious seats have a chance to savour the incredible ice cream here too.


Tom’s Palette
100 Beach Road
#01-25
Shaw Leisure Gallery (Shaw Towers)
Singapore 189702

Tel: +65 6296 5239 / 9070 7701

Keisuke Tokyo @ Parco Marina Bay

Momo and I both took weekday leave to go 'walk walk' around town last week. Momo still had loads of leave to clear and I was taking my Labour Day replacement leave. We realise walking around can be quite tiring!

It was around dinner time and since we were picking up some things at Marina so we thought we would eat nearby. Momo, Aromacookery and Camemberu tried the Ramen here before but I have not, so we decided to pay Keisuke Tokyo a visit. They are famous for their Ebi Ramen (prawn ramen) which stock is made out of 3000 Ama Ebi (sweet prawns) daily.

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If you love crabs, you might want to try their Kani Ramen (Crab Ramen) ($15.80) that they only prepare about 50-60 bowls a day. When you are seated you will see a different menu telling you about it. It's seasonal, so if you are a crab fan, try it while it lasts.

The broth is like having a mix of consomme and bisque (it's hard for me to describe it!), thick and very flavourful.  The oil on it gives it a fragrance that really charms your nose. You see the egg there because I was tempted when they ask if I wanted to add the Ajitsuke Tamago, I said yes. ($2 extra).

The texture of the ramen was just nice for me, not soft and not super al-dante, springy.

As the broth it's very thick and 'seafood' (ok, some people will say it is fishy) taste, they serve some grated ginger on the sides. You can add it in the broth to mute the 'seafood-ness'. But I appreciate that the broth was not very crabby in taste and smell, it's not too overwhelming.

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Momo had the Spicy Ebimiso Ramen Special ($20). It was served in an unique bowl, it is as if the contents might flow out soon! The broth is a different from the one I had. This taste more 'prawny'. (obviously. haha)

So why is there a 'special' in the name of the dish? Special means I want all the toppings, the works! There's fish cake, wontons, pickles, etc...

Momo said the texture of the ramen served is to her liking this time. The previous time she was here it was a bit too soft. 

Also, when they say spicy, they really mean it. You really break out in sweat. It's a double whammy too, with heat coming from both the soup and the chilli. Woo hoo!




The "special" also includes a side dish that has Ajitsuke Tamago, pickled lettuce stems (which I love), and some really tasty cold chicken that taste similar to the usual 'white chicken' in Singapore Chicken Rice.



Just in case you want to see the chicken pieces. Looking at the smooth sides of soy stained egg, I feel like having one now!

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We enjoyed our ramen, away from the usual miso, soya, shio, shio butter or tonkotsu based broth. Some say it taste like a glorified hae-mee (prawn noodles). Well, Ebi Ramen literally means Prawn Noodles. You should probably try it and see if you like it.


Keisuke Tokyo
9 Raffles Boulevard
#P3-02 Parco Marina Bay (Millenia Walk)
Singapore 039596

Tel: 6337 7919
Hours: Weekdays - 11.30 to 22.00, Weekends and Public Holidays - 11.00 to 22.00

Marvelous Cream @ CityLink Mall

We walked past Marvelous Cream a few days ago and saw there was empty places to sit. It is usually packed with the younger crowd and it is almost impossible to remain sane with the noise and crowd.
It shows I am getting old!

I must be outdated because I did not know that:
 1. It was Japanese chain of ice cream shops! I thought it was some French related ice cream place because it says French Sweets Parfait. It was only when we were greeted in Japanese as we stepped in then I realised it was Japanese.

2. They have the 'teppanyaki' style ice cream. (ie, they mix the ice cream over a cold slab like Cold Rock or Raffles Creamery) I only noticed it when I heard loud clanging sound! I thought they dropped something.

But their ice cream is not bad though.

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The "Dark Choc New Yorker" ice cream combo I had. It was a mixture of Parfait, Brownie, Cocoa Powder and Chocolate Chips.

I like all things chocolate, so I enjoyed this.

***

This was the Macaron Rouge Framboise.
It was a mixture of Parfait, Raspberry, Raspberry macaron and Fresh Cream. We had it on Chocolate Waffle Bowl.

I particularly like the Chocolate Waffle Bowl! The waffle tasted good and the chocolate on it makes it better.

For this mix, it taste fruity and it's a combination of a little sourness with sweetness. Definitely a ladies kind of dessert.

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Some of you always ask for the price. I remember to snap a photo of it with my phone this time.

***

When we were sitting down enjoying our ice cream, we noticed many people coming in to buy the waffle sandwich. Maybe I should try that the next time.



Marvelous Cream
Citylink Mall
1 Raffles Link
#B1-04
Singapore 039393

Tel: 6238 1683

BaliThai @ Suntec City

Last nite, if you read by other blog you would have read that I met up with Kaa & Hubby from Vantaa DP. We ate at BaliThai.

These are the things we ordered.
Pandan Chicken



The starter platter.



That consists of Satay.



Fish cakes, spring rolls



and rice crackers.



This is the pineapple rice.



Phad Thai



Green Chicken Curry. I like green curry. hehe..



Stir fried Kailan.



This is so so deceiving.... When we sat down, we were asked if we wanted drinks. We said water, the lady said still or sparking. We thought still would be good. We thought that it is one of those places that do not serve plain old water.

At the end of the meal, we realise that all the tables beside us had the normal water and someone refilling water. Hey! We got cheated! We asked for water and they tricked us by asking for still or sparking. We paid $12 before taxes for water! haha....

The food is not bad. We just had a 'bad' impression left by the water. LOL...