All along, I thought that German food was all about pork knuckles, beer and sausages. While I was hiking at Katoomba, Blue Mountains, I met a German dude and I asked him what’s a normal German meal like? He mentioned that Germans are very big on bread, and contrary to popular belief, no – they do not have pork knuckle and sausages every meal. At least, that’s what he told me.

Coincidentally, I had my first German meal a few days later when I went back to Sydney from Katoomba. It was awesome, and I have been craving for German food ever since I came back to Singapore. Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant was one of the few places that came to mind when I wanted to plan for a German dinner. There’s currently three Brotzeit restaurant at Raffles City, 313 @ Somerset and Vivocity.

Needless to say, I was very excited. If you were there that night, you’d probably saw me from afar. Yes, the guy sitting near the entrance of the restaurant at Vivocity, with a big camera snapping away.

Anyway, German Pork Knuckles.

Yes, I wanted pork knuckles, and I wanted it immediately! It’s not exaggerating to say that pork knuckles are the representative of German Food for me. Extremely crispy, deep-fried but not dry, hearty but not heavy, I just love every bite of the Pork Knuckle ($36). It may not look very filling, but trust me, you need a few people to finish this.

The sausages platter Wustelpatte ($32.50) is a great way to try a little of everything. There’s spicy chicken sausages, Nurnberger pork bratwurst, mini pork cheese sausages, weisswurst sausage and garlic sausages. Half the time, I couldn’t tell which was which, but who cares? We finished every single one of them.

Somehow, the crackling pork knuckles reminded me of roasted pork, and when I saw the Schweinsbraten ($29.50) on the menu, I pleaded commanded my friends: lets get the roasted pork! But it was quite different from what I’ve imagined. I thought it’d be something like the roast pork that we’re so familiar with. Instead, Brotzeit’s rendition was roasted pork with gravy, alongside homemade red cabbage. Even though the robust gravy added flavor to the meat, but I still preferred the crispy roasted pork.

I was dazzled for a good twenty seconds the moment the Seafood platter, Fischplatte ($34.50) arrived on the table. Time seemed to slow as my senses fully captured everything on the plate; my eyes took in every single detail of the marination on the thick slices of tuna. The vibrant colors of the smoked salmon and bright-red marinated prawns also caught my attention. It was amazing to smell the white anchovies, and even more appealing to put it in my month, everything was so refreshing. Again, if you are with a good of friends, it’s more like a tasting platter since everyone only gets to try a little of everything.

* * *

Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant will definitely be one of the top choices when it comes to German Food in Singapore. Reservations are a must, especially when it’s dinner time. There was about 7-8 of us, and for the food that we had, it wasn’t particularly filling for the most of people. On hindsight, we should have order at least one more main dish to share. Anyway, I reckon the budget is about $30-40 per person if you want to get a decent filling meal, and at least in the $50s if beer is included.

It’s always easier to order food when there are more people, and this is particularly true for Brotzeit. There’s so many items on the menu and it was a challenge going through all of them. My advise? Get a group of friends and hit Brotzeit for the Pork Knuckle, German sausages and booze. Hurry up!

Where do you go for German food in Singapore? And what’s the one must-try item when you are having a German dinner?

Restaurant Review
Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant
1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-149/-151 VivoCity
Tel: +65 6272 8815

As a kid, I grew up having Pizza Hut’s Pan Pizzas. Before the invention of the thin crust pizza, I always thought that there’s only one type of pizza – the thick crust one – and I liked it a lot. Even after I came to discover the existence of the Thin pizza with crispy base, I still preferred the thick doughy ones.

I mean eating pizza is all about the thick crust. It doesn’t feel right to have a pizza, which has such a thin base, that it’s almost like just having the toppings. That’s why when it comes to Pizza; my family will always go to Pizza Hut.

Pizza Hut is all about family time. It is the time where the whole family gets to enjoy dining out together. It is also the time to call for pizza delivery to satisfy my brother’s craving, or when my mom is too tired to cook.

Sitting in the familiar environment, it felt like we were kids again. I can remember the excitement while anticipating for the pizza to come. When it comes to Pizza Hut, I’m sure many of you remember their popular Sweet ‘N’ Spicy Drumlets, as well as the garlic bread. Forget about everything else, I will exchange anything for all the Drumlets – just give it all to me.

I like my pizza to be crusty, and doughy and filling. Most importantly, it has to be cheesy – just like the one up there in the picture. The sight of the entangled cheese is always so alluring, evidently my tame effort to resist it always fails – but at least I tried. Now it’s time to have our pizza party!

All along, I’ve always thought that pizza hut was only about pizza, but during the tasting session, we were introduced to Pizza Hut’s Pasta Perfetto series. Pizza Hut currently has 12 selections on their pasta menu, which includes 8 classic and 4 specialty pastas.

The 8 Classic pastas are the following: Chicken Pomodoro, Creamy Porcini Mushroom, Pep ‘n’ Spice, Prawn Aglio Olio, Spicy Chicken Pomodoro, Traditional Bolognaise, Turkey Bacon Carbonara and Veggie Pomodoro.

As for the 4 specialty pastas, they are: Basil Crayfish (above picture), Fish in Tomato cream sauce, Peppery Ribs, and Seafood Vongole. The prices range from $5.90 for the classic selections to $12.90 for the specialty ones.

The latest addition to the menu is the Soft Shell Crabbiatta ($12.90). I am not very good with words, nor am I lyrical enough to describe how the Soft Shell Crabbiatta taste like.

But, I think it tasted like Chili Crabs.

Yes, Chili crabs. It was spicy yet sweet, tangy to the tongue and appealing to the palate. The sauce was a bright hue of orange-red, I know – it’s definitely not the most photogenic pasta out there. But then again, when is pasta ever photograph-able? Pastas are meant to be messy, and disorganized, but yet when they are tossed and mixed together – somehow, everything looks just right.

What aspects do you look out for in pasta? Do you like the rich and heavy cream base ones, or the sweet and mellow tomato base pasta? There are a lot people who like the meatball rendition, but personally I’d prefer seafood pasta. Having tried the Soft Shell Crabbiatta, it was actually quite decent. Deep-fried to a handsome shade of golden-brown, the soft shell crab was partially immersed in the sauce. The pasta would taste even better if they had added in chunks of crabmeat.

It’s inevitable that people will judge it against chilli crab, but it’s not even fair to compare it that way since it’s not even chili crab to begin with. Look, here’s a pasta that somewhat tasted like chilli crab; I’m not telling you if it’s good, go try it for yourself!

The Soft Shell Crabbiatta is available at all Pizza Hut restaurants from now till 30th April.

Join us for Food Tasting on Pizza Hut

Date: 18th March 2010
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Location: City Square Mall – Pizza Hut #01-19/21

If you are keen to try out some of the pastas (and of course pizza), Pizza Hut will like to invite you to join me for a second round of tasting. Send your full name & contact details to bradleyfk@gmail.com, we will choose 15 readers and be in contact with you shortly to confirm the dinner. The closing date for this will be 11th March.

You can check out their full range of pastas here.

I always wanted to visit The Wine Company as a friend mentioned that it’s pretty affordable to dine there, and they have two good locations in Dempsey Hill and Evans road. I went to the Dempsey road branch and the restaurant was located on the fringe of the more populated area of Dempsey Hill.

We went during the middle of the day for a quick bite. In my personal opinion, most of the items on the menu were more of finger food and drink snacks, not very appealing if you are looking for something substantial. We didn’t have any wine since it does not goes well with burgers, which was a pity as they had an extensive list of wine to choose from.

Even though it was off-peak period when we were there, it took slightly more than 40 minutes, for them to prepare three burgers, and when the burgers came – we were not impressed.

Small would be an understatement – they were tiny!

Given that it was just $10, I wasn’t really expecting much. But the fact that it took so long to come and we were really hungry; you could guess our feeling when we saw the burgers.

It wouldn’t be so bad if you had a full dinner, and the burger was just a snack to go along with drinks. The beef patty was competently done, but I didn’t like the buns. Fries were average, not the type that would make you finish the whole lot of it. Other than that, I liked the idea of having a slice of pineapple in the Chicken Burger ($10).

I wish I could say we loved this place – with the excellent location in Dempsey Hill, a long list of wine and the charming al fresco area. But at the end of the day, the main reason to come to The Wine Company is for drinks. To be fair, we only had two  different burgers so it’s not a good gauge of their food, but the main highlight of the restaurant is still the extensive and affordable wine list.

Restaurant Review
Wine Company
Block 14D Dempsey Road
Tanglin Village (Dempsey Road)
Tel: +65 6479 9341
Open till late

When I was in Sydney back in December, I met a lot of food bloggers there, and one of the best Sydney food blog is definitely A Table For Two. Billy is the genius behind ATFT, his food photographs are absolutely gorgeous. I was very fortunate to be able to witness first-hand, the cooking skill of Billy when he invited me to visit him in Terrigal, Central Coast.

Back then, he mentioned that he was working on a project to design food T-shirts and I didn’t ask much since everything was still in the pipeline. Two weeks ago, I got a nice surprise when he asked if I’m interested to be the featured food blogger for his March ATFT Food Tee and I agreed immediately!

Billy’s a great designer, and I love the previous two food T-Shirt designs he did for January and February. For this month “LadyIronChef” limited edition t-shirts, the idea came from my blog name of course. Did you get the meaning behind it?

Anyway, Billy did an interview with me and here’s an excerpt of it:

9. If I only have one day in Singapore, where would you take me to taste the best food in Singapore.

… Lets do a one-day food trail; we will start off by having Dim Sum at Yan Ting restaurant, St Regis. They have the best char siew sou ever, and I love the mini egg tarts too. Wonderfully light and buttery pastry, a smooth and not too sweet egg custard filling – it taste so good!

Even though I know Australia has much better brunch, I will like to bring you to Epicurious café at Robertson Quay, one of my all time favorite places for brunch. One of my favorite restaurants in Singapore is Sage the restaurant, at Mohamed Sultan road; Chef Jusman can wipe up a mean duck confit, and for someone who do not like mushroom soup, I love the one at Sage …

* * *

Check out A Table For Two to read the whole interview, and if you are interested to get the The “LadyIronChef” limited edition t-shirts, they are now available from the ATFT shop. Limited to 50 units only.

I’ve walked past Society Bar at One Fullerton a couple of times when I was dining in the waterfront restaurants there. I know it’s under the same management of The Prime Society at Dempsey, but for some reason I never visited.

Most of the restaurants at One Fullerton can be costly, that’s why the first thing that struck me when I saw Society Bar’s menu – was the affordability of the food.

Society Bar is a bistro version of The Prime Society. There’s no premium meats of course, most of the mains are priced below $20. The food is not spectacular, but I think it’s affordable considering the excellent location of the bistro bar at One Fullerton.

The Tunisian Braised Chicken Leg Pilaff With Brown Rice ($16.50) caught all of us by surprise. The chicken leg was very pleasant, in the sense that every bite was smooth and tender. It was one of our favorites among the main courses.

On paper, the proper definition of a burger is minced meat patty enveloped between two buns, with some tomato, lettuce, and if you are lucky, extra stuff like cheese and bacon to go along. Society Bar’s Beef Burger ($14.50) was pretty decent, not fantastic – but the hearty portion was enough to satisfy our meat cravings

We could smell the Tiger Beer Battered Fish & Chips from afar. Catherine enjoyed the fresh dory fish tremendously, but both Ju and I thought it was slightly too salty.

After having two excellent pasta the previous week, I was still itching for good homely spaghetti. It was either cream or tomato base, we went for the latter as tomato’s always less heavy than cream-base pasta. Well maybe I was pushing my luck too far, but the Spaghetti With Mediterranean Tomato Sauce, Olive Oil and Parmesan ($12.50) was slightly overcooked, and we couldn’t finish it.

I was hoping that there will be Vanilla bean ice cream when we ordered the Baked Apple Tartlet ($7.50). But it came with rum & raisin ice cream instead. Drizzled with toffee sauce, the combination of warm baked dessert with cold ice cream always work.

Looking through the dessert menu, the Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding ($8) caught our attention immediately. For a sticky pudding, it wasn’t sticky and moist enough. I’d probably like it If I didn’t know this was a sticky puddng. The hunt for the best sticky date pudding continues.

This is the fourth part of a series that I’m doing on the waterfront restaurants in One Fullerton. I’ll like to thank Fullerton Heritage, Society Bar and Marina Mathews of Crocmedia for hosting this dinner.

There’s really nothing much to say, if you want a romantic dinner at the swanky One Fullerton, yet somewhere easy-on-the-pocket; I’d say give Society Bar a try. But remember not to expect too much for the food, they are decent – but not wow. Otherwise, drop by for drinks after dinner to enjoy the stunning view overlooking the Marina Bay area.

Here’s the question: Is food more important or ambience?

Restaurant Review
Society Bar
1 Fullerton Road
#01-11 One Fullerton
Tel: +65 6423 9689
Daily: 10.30am – 10pm

A couple of years back, I went to Whampoo Hawker Centre with my dad, and we ordered a plate of rojak from Hoover’s rojak. I have no idea why I remember it so clearly, but deep down, I think I know why – this is the best rojak in Singapore, at least to me.

The problem with it, is that there is no clear definition of rojak. To one person, mentioning the word may means the Chinese intrepretation of Salad; a platter of fruits and vegetables with dark and sweet sauce, while to another, it’s the best beer snack after a long day at work.

You know what I think? To me. rojak is the best appetizer before a meal; good for satisfying my itchy teeth, and at the same time, it’s also the best after meal snack – light, and refreshing, not to mention all the fruits and vegetables in it.

Every rojak consist of: a good mixture of cucumber, beans sprout, pineapple, turnip, deep-fried tofu and youtiao (fried fritters). Drizzled with the most gorgeous sweet-tangy sauce, with sugar and peanut providing the additional crunch – we have a rojak. Each stall like to outdo the other by throwing in different ingredients like mangos, apples, shrimp paste, or some tiny crispy stuff, but you know what’s the best? A squeeze of lime does wonders to the rojak. It makes the whole thing taste so, so much better!

This is why I like Hoover’s Rojak. Their rendition of the popular local dish has a very distinct lime taste in the sauce. With the ever-crispy fried fritters, crunchy cucumber and pineapple – this is my favorite rojak in Singapore.

You are going to tell me where’s your best rojak in Singapore.

Hawker Food Review
Balestier road Hoover rojak
Block 90 Whampoo Drive
#01-06 Whampoo Drive food centre

I know it’s too early to ask, but what did you do for Christmas last year? I had an awesome impromptu party back in December with Monoxious, Dweam and Jayleif. When I say impromptu, I really mean impromptu since the whole party was planned in less than twenty-four hours.

It was a mad rush trying to find a nice restaurant for Christmas Eve dinner since most places were already packed. Rather than having traditional Christmas food like turkey, log-cake and ham, we decided to go for some exotic Vietnamese food instead.

Located at Orchard Central’s Sky Garden, NUOC is a relatively new Vietnamese restaurant in the Singapore food scene. It’s positioned as a semi-fine dining Vietnamese restaurant, and naturally prices are slightly steeper.

I always have problems when it comes to ordering. It was a hard decision trying to choose from the deep-fried and the Fresh Vietnamese Spring roll ($18 for 4 rolls), so we went for the easy way out and ordered both.

Fresh prawns, sliced pork, lettuce, Vietnamese herbs & vermicelli rolled with traditional Vietnamese rice paper. That’s what inside the spring roll. Or rather, that’s what the menu says. And there’s mint inside too. The mint was somewhat like the final touch to enhance the freshness of the rolls. Crisp, and sharp, every bite was delightful – unless you don’t like mint.

Which is better? The Fresh Spring roll or the Deep-fried Vietnamese Spring Roll ($12 for 8 pieces)? I’m a sucker for deep-fried food. As much as I know that deep-fried food is unhealthy, but it always makes the food taste so much better.

We also ordered the Egg plant ($12) and Stir-fried lemon grass and ginger chicken ($16). The former was mashy, and it kinds of resembled fish rather than egg plant, while the latter was mediocre.

When it comes to soup, I only like hot soup. Somehow I never like cold soup, I mean, soup should always be hot, otherwise it’s not soup right? At least, that’s my definition of soup. Even when it’s hot soup, I only like home-cooked Chinese soup. Which is why, you seldom see me ordering soup in restaurants. I’m not against soup, but I’d rather spend the money having another appetizer, or even better – an extra dessert. The intriguing name of Fresh Prawn in young coconut ($20 for 6 pieces) caught our attention, and the soup base was probably prepared for hours; it was rich, and intense and sweet.

* * *

NUOC is a very new restaurant, and they are still sorting out all the teething problems. When we went in December, the signature Vietnamese Pho (I remembered it as fur) was not even offered on the menu, I mean how can a Vietnamese restaurant not serve Pho right? Hopefully they should be serving Pho by now. Anyway, the view is gorgeous, if you want Vietnamese food in a nice ambience and do not mind paying more, NUOC might just be the place.

Now tell me, how did you celebrate Christmas last year?

Restaurant Review
NUOC Vietnamese Restaurant
181 Orchard Road
#12-01 Orchard Central
Tel: +65 6884 6808

* The Palm Beach Seafood Giveaway is now closed. The winners are Daniel (29), Chloe (18), HahazZ (57), Vivian (37). Thank you for participating, better luck next time! *

“My all time favorite is chili crab with deep-fried mantou, what’s yours?” I asked on twitter.

Everyone replied enthusiastically, the popular choices are pepper crab, chili crab, crab bee hoon, salted egg yoke crab and butter crab. Even though I just had chili crab and double baked cheese crab at Palm Beach Seafood recently, I find myself craving for  the thick, sweet-and-spicy gravy of the chili crab, with deep fried mantou of course.

While we are at the topic of crab, I realize people like to debate on which restaurant has the best crab in Singapore. Like what I always say: whichever place you like – has the best crab!

HOW TO ENTER THE PALM BEACH SEAFOOD CRAB GIVEAWAY

I totally understand how it feels to be on your end, looking at all the photos and yet cannot get to taste the food; so I’m happy to announce that Palm Beach Seafood has kindly agreed to giveaway $50 vouchers (no minimum spending required) to 4 lucky readers. If you want a chance to win, here is what to do:

1. Leave a comment on this post

Tell us what’s your favorite crab and why. I’m asking for your favorite style of cooking for the crab, it does not have to be from a particular restaurant. Just tell me what style do you like, and if you happen to like an exotic way of cooking crabs which can be anything for example, Double Baked Cheese Crab, let us know! (***updated***)

And ONE entry per person, you are encouraged to get your friends to join the contest but please play fair and do not post multiple comments under different names.

2. Use a valid & contactable email

Please use a valid & contactable email when you post the comment. I will email the winners shortly after the contest ended, remember to check your email on Monday.

3. And the Four lucky Winners . . .

The four lucky winners will be decided by a highly sophisticated method, and I reserve the right to re-pick if there’s any discrepancy or foul-play involved. I know there are folks from the States, Malaysia, Australia, and other countries reading my blog, but unfortunately this contest is only open to those currently residing in Singapore. But all of you are welcome to share your thoughts too!

The closing date for this giveaway is Sunday 28th of Feb 2359 hrs, and so you have exactly forty eight hours before it ends.

I hope you enjoy the little gift I have for everyone!

Brunch is the only reason for waking up early on a Sunday morning.

If you are the type that can never wake up on time for breakfast, luckily there’s always restaurants like Hatched and Wild Honey serving all day breakfast. I am always enthralled by the idea of having weekday brunch at Prive, or Jones the Grocer. The thought of enjoying my breakfast while everyone else is busy at work, I know it sounds wrong, but don’t you agree?

All Day Breakfast, All Day Brunch, Sunday Brunch, Breakfast Buffet, Weekday Brunch, Weekend Breakfast. Oops, but I just love typing that.

I am a big breakfast person. What’s there not to like to have different types of eggs, with bacon and sauteed mushrooms, followed by a pancake party and a cup of coffee on a lazy Sunday morning?

And I love making lists. I’d think all day long about all the possible places, call every single one of them to double-check they are indeed serving brunch and jot down all the information. There’s no need to fret the next time anyone ask me for recommendations of the best brunch places in Singapore.

“Lets have brunch everyday for a week to celebrate my birthday.” My good friend told me about this idea that she had. It may sounds crazy, but I was secretly thinking, why not? It’s a brilliant idea!

I hope this list of brunch places in Singapore will help on your hunt for the perfect breakfast. And just in case you are wondering, my all time favorite restaurants for brunch: Riders cafe, Epicurious and Prive.

Brasserie Les Saveurs
29 Tanglin Road
The St. Regis
Tel: +65 6506 6888
* Weekend Brunch: 11am – 4pm
88++ per pax (No alcohol)
198++ per pax (free flow champagne)

Brewerkz
30 Merchant Road
#01-05/06 Riverside Point
Tel: +65 6438 7438
Also available at Bukit Timah
* Sunday Brunch 11am – 4pm

Boomerang
60 Robertson Quay
#01-15 The Quayside
Tel: +65 6738 1077
* Weekend Brunch: 8am – 3 pm

Cafe Hacienda
13A Dempsey Road
Tel: +65 6476 2922
* Weekday Brunch: 10.30am – 5pm, Weekend Brunch: 8.30am – 5pm

Carousel
25 Scotts Road
GF Royal Plaza on Scotts
Tel: +65 6589 7799
* Daily Breakfast: 6.30am – 10am ($38++ per pax)

Checkers Deli
581 Orchard Road
Hilton Singapore Hotel
Tel: +65 6730 3392
* Sunday Brunch 12noon – 3pm
85++ per pax (no alcohol)
110++ per pax (free flow of wine)
160++ per pax (free flow champagne)

Choupinette
607 Bukit Timah road #01-01
Tel: 6466 0613
* Weekday Brunch 9am – 5pm, Weekend Brunch: 8am – 5pm

Epicurious
60 Robertson Quay
#01-02 The Quayside
Tel: +65 6734 7720
Also available at: Rail Mall
Weekend Brunch: 9am – 2 pm

Garibaldi Italian Restaurant
36 Purvis Street
#01-02 Talib Centre
Tel: +65 6837 1468
* Sunday Brunch: 12noon – 2.30pm ($48++ per pax)

Global Kitchen
Level 3, Pan Pacific Hotel
7 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square
Tel: +65 6826-8240
* Weekend Champagne Brunch Buffet
$98++ per adult (with Champagne, wines, cocktails, beers, juices and soft drinks)
$88++ per adult (with wines, cocktails, beers, juices and soft drinks)
$78++ per adult (with juices and soft drinks)

Graze
4 Rochester Park
Tel: +65 6775 9000
* Sunday Brunch: 9.30am – 4pm

Greenhouse
7 Raffles Avenue
3/F Ritz-Carlton Millenia
Tel: +65 6434 5288

Halia
1 Cluny Road
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Tel: +65 6476 6711
* Weekend Brunch: 9am – 3pm

Hatched
26 Evans Road
#01-06 Evans Lodge
Tel: +65 6735 0012
* All Day Brunch: 8am – 10pm (Closed on Mon)

Heart Bistro
390 Orchard Road
#B1-08 Palais Renaissance
Tel: +65 6737 2148
* Weekend Breakfast: 1030am – 1130am

Jones the grocer
9 Dempsey road
#01-12 Tanglin Village
Tel: 6476 1512
Also available at: #04-21/22/23 Mandarin Gallery
* Weekday Brunch: 8.30am – 12noon, Weekend Brunch: 8.30am – 3pm

KPO Cafe & Bar
1 Killiney road
Killney Post Office
Tel: 6733 3648
* All Day Breakfast: 10.30am – 11.00pm

Le Bistrot
2 Stadium Walk
#01-03 Singapore Indoor Stadium
Tel: +65 6447 0018
* Weekend Brunch: 10.30am – 12noon ($28++ per pax)

Marmalade Pantry
2 Orchard Turn
#03-22 ION Orchard
Tel: +65 6734 2700
* Weekend Brunch: 10am – 3pm

Magma German Wine Bistro
2 Bukit Pasoh Road
Tel: +65 6221 0634
* Weekend Brunch 11am – 3pm

Melt The World Cafe
5 Raffles Avenue
4F The Oriental Singapore
Tel: +65 6885 3082
* Weekend Champagne Brunch Buffet: 10.30am – 3pm
$88++ per adult (with free flow Champagne & wines)
$118++ per adult (with free flow fruit juices & drinks)

Mezza9
10 Scotts Road
2F Grand Hyatt
Tel: +65 6416 7189
* Sunday Brunch buffet: 11.30am – 2.30pm
$138++ per adult (with free flow Champagne)
$108++ per adult (with free flow fruit juices)

Mimolette Restaurant & Bar
55 Fairways Drive
Tel: +65 6467 7748
* Weekend Brunch 10am – 3pm

One Ninety
190 Orchard Boulevard
GF Four Seasons Hotel
Tel: +65 6734 1110
* Sunday Brunch Buffet: 11.45 – 2pm
$88++ per pax (No Alcohol)
$138++ per pax (free flow champagne & cocktail)

One Rochester
1 Rochester Park
Rochester Park
Tel: +65 6773 0070
* Sunday Brunch: 9am – 2.30pm

1TwentySix
902 East Coast Parkway
Blk E, #01-26 Playground @ Big Splash
Tel: +65 6348 2126
* Sunday Brunch: 11am – 3pm

Paulaner Brauhaus
9 Raffles Boulevard
#01-01 Millenia Walk
Tel: +65 6883 2572
* Sunday brunch buffet: 11.30am – 2.30pm
$35++ per pax (with free flow soft drinks)
$45++ (with free flow beer)

Picotin
100 Turf Club Road
Tel: +65 6877 1191
* All Day Breakfast: 8am – 11am

Pierside Kitchen & Bar
1 Fullerton Road
#01-01 One Fullerton
Tel: +65 6438 0400
* Sunday Brunch: 11am – 3pm

Privé bakery café
2 Keppel Bay Vista
GF Marina @ Keppel Bay
Tel: +65 6776 0777
* All Day Breakfast: 9.30am – 5pm

Relish
501 Bukit timah road
#02-01 Cluny court
Tel: 6763 1547

Riders Cafe
51 Fairways Drive
Bukit Timah Saddle Club
Tel: +65 6466 9819
* Weekend Brunch: 11am – 2pm

Senso Ristorante
21 Club street #01-01
Tel: +65 6224 3534
* Sunday Brunch 11.30 – 3.30
78++ per pax (free flow sparkling wine)

Spruce
320 Tanglin Road
Phoenix Park
Tel: +65 6836 5528
* Weekend Brunch: 8.30am – 2.30pm

The Bar & Billard Room
1 Beach Road
Raffles Hotel
Tel: +65 6412 1816
* Sunday Brunch Buffet: 11.30am – 3pm
148++ per pax (No Alcohol)
188++ per pax (free flow champagne)

The Tanglin Tree
56 Tanglin Road
#01-01 Tanglin Post Office
Tel: +65 6733 0992
* Weekend Brunch: 8.30am – 4 pm

The White Rabbit
39C Harding Road
Tel: +65 6473 9965
* Weekend Brunch: 11am – 2.30pm

Town Restaurant
1 Fullerton Square
GF Fullerton Hotel
Tel: +65 6877 8128
* Sunday Brunch: 12noon – 3.30pm
98++ per pax (free flow of juices)
148++ per pax (free flow of champagne)

Wasabi Bistro
5 Raffles Avenue
4F Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Tel: +65 6885 3091
* Weekend Brunch Buffet: 12noon – 2pm (58++ per pax)

Wild Honey
333A Orchard Road
#03-02 Mandarin Gallery
Tel: +65 6235 3900
* All Day Brunch 9.30am – 9.30pm

Wild Rocket at Mount Emily
10A Upper Wilkie road
GF Hangout @ Mount Emily
Tel: +65 6339 9448
* Sunday Brunch: 11.30am – 3pm

* * *

I will be adding this list to the top of my Delicious page page, if there’s any good places for brunch that I’ve missed out, feel free to let me know and I’ll add on to this list. Please call the restaurant to confirm a reservation before going down.

Your job is to check out all the brunch places and report back here every time you try a new restaurant for brunch. Are we clear on this? Good, get on with it.

Dear Awfully Chocolate,

I think I am in love. Having tried your one-and-only dark chocolate ice cream, I have to admit you are irresistible. Every spoonful reminds me of how a good ice cream should be like. Bitter sweet, and rich and chocolatey, you are every man’s dream.

It’s a pity that there’s no other chocolate flavors, but then again, this is precisely what makes it so special. Is this the best dark chocolate ice cream in Singapore? I have no idea, but I know it’s definitely a timeless favorite.

Give me ice cream, and I will smile for you.

I get over things easily, and sweet stuff always helps. Want to get into my good books? Get me a dessert – I can be easily bribed with a cake or ice cream.

The unique Awfully chocolate outlets never fails to catch my attention whenever I walk past it. Simple yet elegant, the all-white design is totally unlike the other cake shops in Singapore. After trying the dark chocolate ice cream, I’m wondering how the famous dark chocolate fudge cake will taste like. Promise me you will appear in my dreams tonight.

Restaurant Review
Awfully Chocolate
1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-156 VivoCity
Tel: +65 6410 9725
Daily: 10am – 10pm

Remember my suggestion to have Seafood for your Chinese New Year dinner?

Since there’s still a few more days before Chinese New Year ends, if you are still looking for a restaurant to toss Yu Sheng, Palm Beach Seafood restaurant at One Fullerton might just be the place. Instead of the typical salmon yusheng, we had the Alaskan King Crab Yu Sheng (S$58 or S$88).

My weekdays, by and large, are similar to the weekends of most people. I had a fabulous dinner on Monday night, attended my friend’s big night on Tuesday, and now we have a seafood feast on Wednesday. It’s probably going to be Japanese cuisine tomorrow, and Russian food on Friday. Okay, I am muttering to myself.

Anyway, a seafood feast sounds pretty good right? Chili crabs, sashimi, lobster, seafood platter. Have I got your attention? Good. Make yourself comfortable.

Lets try again: air-flown Hokkaido scallop, huge gleaming oysters, live poached prawns, fresh salmon sashimi, and the gigantic bamboo clam. That’s better. I could vaguely recall the oysters that I had, unprocessed and fresh. A wedge of lemon is all you need for the perfect oyster.

I don’t know about you, but I’d definitely order the Seafood Deluxe Combination ($23.00 per person) with a selection of five seafood items.

I don’t know if there’s anything special about Palm Beach’s signature Chili Crab ($4.50 per 100g), but I absolutely love it! My feelings for the Singapore famous dish very much depends on two things: a) thick and spicy-sweet chili gravy, and b) deep fried mantou.

The pincers were long gone by the time I was done with the deep fried buns. It’s easy to choose between crabs and mantou (with gravy) – I’d go for the latter anytime.

The award winning Double Baked Cheese Crab ($4.50 per 100g) reminded me of the baked cheese lobster that I’ve before, with its strong cheesy taste. Baked parmesan cheese and crab? Sounds like a winner! If you do not want to get your hands dirty, ask for help from the staff. Catherine got her crab de-shell the easy way.

I first had lobsters when I was a very young boy. Back then, I had no idea how much a lobster was worth. To me, it looked like a GIANT prawn. But what mattered then, was that it tasted good. As I grew up, I realized that lobsters are very expensive seafood, and they can be prepared in many different ways; baked, steamed, fried, sashimi, salad – whichever ways it pleases your palates.

The one that we had was very different from the ones I’ve before. Usually I’d go for either baked or salad lobsters, but we couldn’t miss out on Palm Beach’s awarding winning Coco Lobo – Australian Lobster with Vermicelli in Superior Stock ($16.80 per 100g). It came piping hot in individual claypot, with the lobster meat and vermicelli absorbing the essence of the flavorful stock.

Sweet and tangy, intense yet refreshing. It’s also not too spicy. The Honey Tangy Marble Goby ($7.50 per 100g) is fried till golden-brown: crispy and soft and appetizing, drizzled with just enough of the terrific sauce. Ju had the blissful look after she finished the dish – it was awesome!

* * *

This is the third part of a series that I’m doing on the waterfront restaurants in One Fullerton. I’ll like to thank Fullerton Heritage, Karin of Palm Beach Seafood and Gail for arranging and hosting this dinner.

From what we observed, most Singaporeans seem to dine in the comfort of the air-condition, while the tourists prefer the al fresco area with the waterfront view. Will you dine indoors or outside at the al fresco area?

Restaurant Review
Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant
1 Fullerton Road
#01-09 One Fullerton
Tel: +65 6227 2332

How far will you go for the best popiah? When cravings call, we do crazy stuff like going to Ang Mo Kio for crabs, or queuing up half an hour for the best char kway teow.

I wanted the perfect popiah. And I didn’t care if I had to go all way to Toa Payoh Lorong 7 – just in search for the ultimate popiah at Long House.

I have tried Long House popiah at Bukit Timah Hawker Centre before, but they say you need to go Toa Payoh for the best. For someone who likes to explore new places, I’m a tad lazy when it comes to traveling for food. I mean, it’s acceptable when I’m in the area. But it’s kind of silly when you go all the way to Toa Payoh just for the popiah.

Was it worth the while? Yes, definitely.

Now where do we start? Everyone knows the legendary Long House Popiah. Homemade popiah skin with fresh ingredients, and it’s incredibly crunchy. If you fancy a popiah party at home, Long House sells their skin and fillings for DIY popiah too.

I always envisage throwing a popiah party. It seems to be so much fun: from filling the popiah skin with lots of ingredients, to wrapping of the popiah, and admiring the piece of art, before gulping it down in a bite. What’s there not to like about popiah party?

Okay maybe less the wrapping part since I’m a lazy bum. I probably will go for the crispy Kuay Pie Tee instead. The same awesome fillings in the crispy shells. Happiness now comes in the form of a crispy cup.

Now tell me, where is your favorite place for popiah?

Restaurant Review
Blk 22 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh
#01-03 Toa Payoh Food Centre
Tel: +65 9171 7157
Closed: Mon & Tue

Dim Joy is one of the few places in Singapore that serves all day dim sum. Be it dim sum for lunch, or dim sum for dinner – Dim Joy offers the option till late night! Since most restaurants only serve dim sum during lunch time, I love the idea of being able to have dim sum whenever I want it. Convinced? Take down the address: Dim Joy 80 Neil Road.

The Char siew sous ($3.5 for 3) are baked to a handsome shade of golden brown. It is all about the balance: the crisp snappy pastry and the sweet luscious char siew fillings. This is what I call, the perfect dim sum.

My dining companions enjoyed the King Shrimp Har Gau ($4 for 4) thoroughly and we also had the Barbecued pork & celery in rice rolls ($5). Finely slice celery and thin bits of char siew in rice rolls that were unfortunately, slightly too thick.

Like all Siew Mai ($3.50 for 4), Dim Joy’s rendition was unassuming: an adequate portion of lean meat with chewy shrimp. But unlike the usual steamed pork dumpling, the one here was subtle in taste, to the border of being slightly bland.

I’m not sure if you are aware, but there’s a ritual to follow when it comes to eating Custard buns ($3 for 3). First use a pair of chopsticks, poke a hole at the top of the bun. Watch the golden custard flow out from the peak, like how lava erupts from the volcano. The way the searing custard touches the tip of the tongue – sensational.

Having the custard bun, is almost like a religious experience.

I remember the char siew bao at Dim Joy during my previous visit because of it’s name, Honey Syrup Char Siew Bao ($3 for 3). With such a sweet name, I’d expect nothing less than honey syrup.

The char siew bao seemed to be the same as before. The white fluffy bao was excellent, but the filling was lacking; with just tiny char siew bits and the honey syrup wasn’t as sweet as expected.

Crisp buttery flakes, with eggy custard fillings straight from the oven. I always know there’s two types of egg tarts; the hard crusty ones that always come in an elongated shape, and there’s the thin flaky egg tarts that will crumble all over your shirt.

I know I have a tendency to make an normal egg tart sound like one that has bird nest and gold foil, but trust me, I’m not exaggerating on the Lingnan Egg Tart ($3.50 for 4).

* * *

Compared to the other dim sum restaurants, the ones here are slightly lighter in flavor. Well if you are craving for dim sum during dinner, Dim Joy is definitely the place to go.

Restaurant Review
Dim Joy Restaurant
80 Neil Road
Tel: +65 6220 6986
Open till 10pm (Closed on Tue)

It’s really amazing what cravings can do.

What was supposed to be a light dim sum lunch to the newly renovated Lei Gardens, continued with desserts at B Bakery. I need cakes. No, I want cakes!

Nestled in a shop house on Bussorah street, B Bakery is a charming little patisserie, right in the middle of the Arab street area. Despite its tiny size, B Bakery has an impressive array of desserts. Besides the cakes and pastries, they also served salad, pasta and sandwiches at very reasonable prices.

The twin strawberry on the Passion fruit Cheesecake ($4.80) caught our eyes immediately. What do you call a cheesecake that does not taste like one? The texture wasn’t heavy at all. Instead it was airily light, and incredibly smooth – just like the perfect rendition of the Japanese cheesecake. With a subtle hint of sourish aftertaste from the passion fruit, for once, I actually like a passion fruit cake.

I always have this thing for lemon and lime. Call it a fetish if you want, but I like citrus fruits. There’s this tangy zest that always send a wave through me, and e Manjari Chocolate cake ($4.80). But unfortunately, the marriage of chocolate and lemon is an ill-advised one – they simply don’t work. On it’s own, the chocolate layer was a delight, but with the addition of the lemon component, everything tasted weird.

After having very good carrot cakes from Cedele and Prive, I was not having any high expectations when we ordered B Bakery’s Carrot Cake ($3.50). And surprisingly, it’s good! With a lightly fragrant cinnamon scent, the moisture was just right and the layer of cream cheese topping was not overly-sweet.

* * *

I will definitely be going back to B Bakery whenever I need some cake. Now, if only Arab street is more accessible. Anyway, walking there-and-back sounds like the perfect excuse to indulge and binge on all the cakes.

Cravings must always be satisfied, I want to eat cake.

Restaurant Review
B Bakery
15 Bussorah Street
Tel: +65 6293 9010

I love a good restaurant. But if there’s one thing I like even more, it’s having good company for dinner together. Dining in a fine-dining restaurant is very nice, but it really depends on the people around you to make it even better. Sometimes we get lucky, it’s an extra bonus when we are dining with nice people, and it happens to be a very romantic restaurant.

Many people always ask me to recommend a romantic restaurant in Singapore, I’d like to tell them: so long you are with your other half, everywhere is romantic. But I can’t possibly do that can I? You want to know a romantic place for your first date, a romantic restaurant for birthday parties, a romantic restaurant for that special occasion, and like today, a romantic restaurant for Valentine’s day; it’s all about the ambiance.

I’m very pleased to ’stumble upon’ Boathouse, a newly opened Modern European restaurant at Fullerton Water Boat House. Chic decorations that exudes a laid-back and homely feel, gorgeous view that overlooks the Marina Bay area, elegant and simple furniture, oh I love this place.

Fish Chowder Sea Bass Carpaccio ($15)

I had Wagyu beef on a couple of occasions before, but this was the first time that I actually had a Wagyu Beef Ribs. The first bite? It tasted just like pork ribs. The second bite? It’s definitely a lot better than the normal pork ribs. It’s a superior version, no it’s  wrong to even compared it with pork ribs. My dear, you are looking at the Wagyu Beef Ribs with Aged Red Wine Jus ($33).

The meat was so tender that it falls off the bone and melts in your mouth splendidly. Placed together in a plate, the wagyu beef ribs absorbed the aged red wine jus, and in turn the latter captured the essence from the long braising process. How good was it? Catherine wiped the plate clean with bread.

Ju had the Atlantic Pink Snapper ($25) instead of the Wagyu beef ribs. She mentioned that the fish was fabulously fresh, firm, sweet, and didn’t want to share it with us. An excuse to return? I’d think so!

I seems to be having a lot of pasta recently. Boy I’m glad all of them were good quality ones, and the Tagliatelle Wild Mushroom in Truffle Sauce (S$19) was no exception. Every slurp of the tagliatelle was intense, and so flavorful. Some might find it to be too salty and overpowering, but I thought that it was pretty well done.

The Caramel Apple tartlets ($15) were small. Fine, they were tiny. Initially the restaurant told us it was tasting portions, but after confirmation from a few friends who went there for dinner, they were still serve the mini apple tartlets for the full price.

Fifteen bucks for three mini tartlets and ice cream? I wouldn’t pay for this, and neither should you. Please do not order the apple tartlets until the restaurant made changes to it.

The mind is a funny thing. It always play tricks on you, and subconsciously conjured images of things that you wouldn’t want other people to see. Halfway through the meal, my mind decided to play a game with me. Like as though there was a remote control, it pressed the ‘play’ button, and memories of a very good semifreddo that I’ve before started to flash.

Reason #1 why the pastry chef here does not have a sweet tooth.

With the sourish fruit compote to compliment the White Chocolate Semifreddo ($15), it gave the impression of an anti-sweet establishment. Desserts, are after all, meant to be sweet. I tried the semifreddo on it’s own, and it was so good. In order to see the reasoning behind the inclusion of the fruit compote, I reluctantly had a taste of the semifreddo with the tart berries – well it wasn’t so bad, but I’d obviously prefer dessert to be sweet.

In my opinion, a good Panna cotta must have a firm yet wobbly-like texture. This one here was fairly competent, but under the limelight of the excellent semifreddo and creme brulee, the Panna Cotta did not make a statement.

Reason #2 why the pastry chef here does not have a sweet tooth.

The presence of the licorice reduction, with the Creme Brulee. I was told that the evil licorice was planning on taking over the dessert world, in a test-tube-like container.  Okay I exaggerated. You know, the guys (& some girls) who raise their eyebrow at the slightest mention of desserts? The licorice reduction would be perfect for them since it literally reduced the sweetness level, making me wondered why anyone would do that.

Oh well, that aside, I enjoyed the creme brulee very much.

Torched to a magnificent golden-brown, the underlying custard was naturally sweet. The contrasting layer of the cranky caramelized sugar with the beautiful custard: I’m in love with the creme brulee.

My middle name is dessert: apple tart with ice cream, creme brulee, panna cotta, and white chocolate semifreddo.

* * *

This is the second part of a series that I’m doing on the waterfront restaurants in One Fullerton. I’ll like to thank Fullerton Heritage, Sophia and Kannan of Boathouse for arranging and hosting this dinner.

BoatHouse is definitely one of my favorite restaurant now, and I will not be surprised if they are one of the best new restaurants in 2010. There’s a separate rooftop bar on the third floor called Prelude. Stunning, stunning place with an awesome view of the Esplanade and Marina Bay.

Prices range from $20s for pasta to $30s for a main course. For the superb location and wonderful ambiance, Boathouse is offering a very value set lunch; the 2 course set lunch is $22++, while I’d go for their 3 course set lunch at $29++. Most of the items on their set lunches are from the main ala carte menu which make it extremely tempting.

See you at the Boathouse Fullerton.

Restaurant Review
BoatHouse
#03-01 The Fullerton Waterboat House
3 Fullerton Road
Singapore 029415
Tel: +65 6538 9038

Boathouse is listed as one of ladyironchef’s favorite restaurants in Singapore.

The most amazing thing about having a food blog, is knowing the other food bloggers. Besides the food blogs in Singapore, I got to meet up with the KL food bloggers during my trip up north last year, and when I went for a holiday in Australia during December, the good Sydney food bloggers hosted and brought me around for the best food in Sydney.

When Howard & Linda (eatshow&tell) told me that they were stopping-over in Singapore for a few hours before flying to Hong Kong, I knew that I had to bring them to have our famous Chili Crab.

It’s a tough decision trying to choose a place, since there’s so many restaurants claiming to serve the best chili crab in Singapore. I finally decided on No SignBoard restaurant because it has always been one of my family’s favorite place for crabs. As there were 6 of us, the staff advised that we probably need two crabs, so our second choice was the Salted Egg Yolk crab ($40 per kg). It was an irony since No SignBoard is famous for their white pepper crabs in Singapore, but I’m not a fan of pepper. Besides, I know I want the salted egg yolk, and I wanted it immediately. You know, like now!

Drop-dead gorgeous.

Look at that, the golden cluster of the salted egg yolk! I licked off the salted egg yolk coat on the crab pincers, and it simply disintegrated. The sauce reminded me of the salted egg yolk in custard buns, both equally as good but this one was slightly saltier, and very fragrant.

Hand over your passports, nobody leaves Singapore without trying Chili crab.

Photogenic it is not, but in the mouth, one struggles for words, and everything is forgiven. There’s different renditions of Chili crabs, with each claiming to be better than the other; so how do you actually define what’s a good Chili Crab? I like it slightly sweet, and spicy. I like to dip my beloved deep-fried mantou into the thick and awesome gravy, pour a whole bowl of it onto the white rice and finish everything.

Six deep-fried Mantou please, no wait, make it twelve. Okay, give us another six more. Oh those incredibly delicious, tiny devils.

Coming from a poor chili eater, I find the Sambal Kangkong extremely spicy. Herein lies the question: do we like sambal kangkong because it is hot, or do we like it hot so we like sambal kangkong?

Anyway, I like my sambal kangkong to be hot even though I can’t take chili very well. And the one here, is damn hot.

I’m not sure about you, but it seems to me that people always order Cereal prawns not so much because of the prawns, but rather they like the crispy cereals. I’m not going to talk about the niffy gritty part on how to peel a prawn, forget every single thing that I’ve said – just swallow the whole prawn.

Without a doubt, Chili Crab is the face and ambassador of the Singapore food scene, and No Signboard has the best chili crab in Singapore – because I like them. And no, we are not going to start the controversial debate on ‘where is the best chili crab in Singapore’. Whichever crab you like, is the best crab.

If you have hang around for long enough, you’d know that I’m not a big fan of steamboat, so it’s always an once-a-year thing for Chinese New Year reunion dinner. Most reputable fine-dining Chinese restaurants are probably fully booked by now; so instead of having steamboat, how about Seafood for Chinese New Year? Sounds like a plan to me.

Restaurant Review
No Signboard Seafood
414 Geylang Road
Tel: +65 6842 3415
Daily 12pm – 1am

Right on the heels of a romantic dinner at Forlino, I had another amazing Italian feast – the following day. The original plan was to have a simple lunch somewhere else.

“Why don’t we go to Valentino?” I asked jokingly.

Apparently, my lunch date took it very seriously. To cut the story short, we ended up at Valentino’s after calling to confirm a table. Stepping inside Ristorante Da Valentino, it feels like we are in our charming Italian neighbours’ house for dinner.

Most squid ink pasta, or at least the ones that I’ve tried, had the quirky and murky flavor. This one tasted like squid ink. It tasted like fresh ink extracted on the spot.

Like the one that I’ve at Forlino the night before, the Fettucine al Granchio ($23.9) here was also infused with squid ink. Huge chunks of crab meat with the fettucine, tossed with the creamy tomato sauce – it was absolutely wicked!

Now we have a problem. I want every slurp of the pasta. No, I do not want to share.

Option A: Finish everything and re-order before my partner returns from the washroom.

Option B: Try to convince her that the mushroom risotto is better than the squid ink pasta.

I could see no Option C, even though I was secretly praying that she’d not like the pasta.

Unfortunately not. In case you are wondering, we wiped the plate clean. I’d die for the squid ink pasta, or less dramatically, save up and come here every week – just for this.

I want Risotto. My dear Seafood linguine, it doesn’t mean I don’t like you anymore. It just means right now, I’m craving for risotto more.

Mushroom risotto has a very important place in my heart. I don’t always order it, but when I do – it has to be good. Maybe subconsciously, we wanted more of the squid ink pasta, or maybe we had small appetite that day. Either way, just a word of caution: see the plate of Porcini Mushroom Risotto ($23.9) up there?

It might not look like a lot, but trust me, both of us couldn’t finish it.

Sweetie, it’s desserts, and Perla’s Pastry Boutique is calling!

Right beside the restaurant, there is Perla’s patisserie by Valentino’s sister. There’s no dine-in area for the patisserie, but the desserts are available if you are dining in the restaurant. It was an agonizing choice between the tiramisu, panna cotta, frutti bosco and their signature chantilly cake. But the sight of the gorgeous mixed berries were simply irresistible.

There’s a wise saying that goes like this: never trust a beautiful woman, and if I can add on to it, never trust the beautiful berries to taste sweet. Call me shallow, but I actually fall for it. Oh well, what to do, I’m superficial. Anyway I believe there’s blackberries, raspberries and strawberries in the Frutti Bosco ($8.80).

* * *

A romantic dinner for two is not necessary just about fantastic view or fanciful cuisine. Lovely, lovely place. Valentino is my definition of a romantic restaurant, it is all about us having good food in a cozy ambiance. Here’s a restaurant for Valentine’s day, reservations are definitely a must for dinner.

I’m going to bring all my friends to Ristorante Da Valentino for their homely, authentic Italian food. Rifle range road is directly opposite King’s Albert Park & Bukit Timah Plaza. Pick up your phone, and dial the eight digit numbers. Get on with it.

Restaurant Review
Ristorante Da Valentino
11 Jalan Bingka
Mayfair Park
Tel: +65 6462 0555

Ristorante Da Valentino is listed as one of ladyironchef’s favorite restaurants in Singapore.

It is difficult for a restaurant whenever a chef left, especially for one that bears the namesake of the chef. For the longest time, I have heard about Forlino, an Italian fine dining restaurant at the second level of the swanky One Fullerton, overlooking Esplanade and the new Marina Sands.

Catherine, Ju and I had the chance to dine at some of the waterfront restaurants at One Fullerton, and we were at Forlino for their Valentine’s day six-course dinner (S$128++ per person) which will be available from Feb 12 to 14.

It can be quite a thwarting experience to find Forlino; there was the much-talked-about mysterious flight of steps leading to the restaurant. Black and white tiles, with blue paneled walls lined up the entrance right up to the main dining area – Forlino at One Fullerton is  a stunning restaurant.

Everyone was full of praises for the Jumbo Crab Salad, a garden of wild rockets with strips of crab meat. Alaskan King crab will always sound nicer, and taste better than a Sri Lanka crab.

“Is that Spam (luncheon meat)?” One of us blunted out.

I wasn’t that surprised when I saw that there’s Beetroot cake on the menu, since I just had Beetroot Halwa not too long ago. The texture of the Beetroot Cake had a close resemblance to luncheon meat. Anyway, most of us couldn’t finish this, but the Robiola cheese fondue, made from milk of cow, goat and sheep, was very intriguing – impossibly creamy yet airily light.

I can remember a while back when I tried my first squid ink risotto and I thought that the planet would stop spinning. It was one of those rare moments that made me go ‘awesome’, and I knew life would never be the same again. At Forlino, I had one of those moments again. It was a simple Homemade Squid Ink Tagliolini – or so I thought. While most rendition comes in the black, slimy sauce, the tagliolini here was infused with squid ink, and it was tossed nicely in the flavorful Sea Urchin Sabayon – no hideous black stains on the lips. The semi dried cherry tomatoes were the sweetest tiny things ever, I loved every slurp of the pasta – Awesome!

The medium Angus Prime Beef Tenderloin had a tinge of pink in the middle; subtle hint of blood, slightly charred surface – I’m sure you’d like this. Besides the beef, we also enjoyed the very tasty potatoes but none of us knew how to appreciate the bitter Radicchio.

“Where’s the black cod from?” Catherine asked.

“Atlantic” came the prompt reply.

The Black Cod Fillet was like meat in cod’s disguise. Peeling off layer by layer, I drizzled each piece of the cod and a bit of the asparagus with the Sicilian blood orange sauce. It’s a tough choice for main course: choosing between the beef tenderloin and the black cod fillet, but the Angus prime beef edged out slightly for me.

The Strawberry & Yogurt Mousse was a cliche, with the corny heart-shape sauce of peppermint chocolate sauce. But still, cliche is a cliche because it works, sometimes. I was expecting a highly complex, multi-layers dessert to wrap up the show -  oh well, a dessert’s still a dessert anyway.

* * *

This is the first part of a series that I’m doing on the waterfront restaurants in One Fullerton. I’ll like to thank Fullerton Heritage, and Lyla of Ate Consulting for arranging and hosting this dinner.

Service at Forlino was impeccable, all the staff was equally knowledgeable about the food and wine on their extensive menu. Under the lovely influence of moscato, good food, and stunning overview of the Marina bay; Forlino is definitely a romantic restaurant for Valentine’s day dinner.

Restaurant Review
Forlino
1 Fullerton Road
#02-06 One Fullerton
Tel: +65 6877 6995

Saint Valentine’s is a strange little thing, it comes and leaves in a hurry, but memories will always stay behind. Even though Valentine’s is a day where retailers, florists and restaurateurs rejoice – I believe in Valentine’s day. The idea behind it (less the commercialize plots), is very sacred; Valentine’s is all about you and me.

Everyday is Valentine’s, so long we are happy together.

Yes that’s true, but Valentine’s is the only day that you can walk around with big bouquet of roses without having the whole world staring at you. This is the day where you have the perfect excuse to splurge on an expensive meal without feeling guilty. This is the day where you can justify spending a bomb to get the Tiffany blue box or that Gucci wallet without any nagging feelings. This is Valentine’s day.

Many people always have problems finding a nice restaurant for Valentine’s day. The guys will have a headache on where to bring their girlfriend, wife, and mistress, while the ladies will dream of where their man will bring them to, or in a slightly unfortunate twist, planning for their ideal Valentine’s day venue.

I’m no male chauvinist, but I firmly believe that a guy should plan the surprise, and search for a suitable Valentine’s day restaurant to bring their other half, well at least for Valentine’s day.

So boys and girls, listen up very carefully. I’m going to give you a list of romantic restaurants in Singapore. For this Valentine’s, I’d bring my date to one of the following eight places:

Au Petite Salut
40c Harding road
Tanglin Village (Dempsey)
Tel: +65 6475 1976
$148++ per person (5 Course dinner on 14th)

Bistro One Zero Three
103 Pasir Panjang
Tel: +65 6476 6373
(Closed on 13th-23rd feb, for early Valentine’s only)

Boat House
3 Fullerton Road
#03-01 The Fullerton Waterboat House
Tel: +65 6538 9038
(Please call restaurant to check if they are open on 14th)

Braise
60 Palawan Beach Walk
Level 2 Sentosa
Tel: +65 6271 1929
(Closed on 13-15th Feb, for early Valentine’s only)

Flute at the fort
21 Lewin Terrace
Fort Canning Park
Tel: +65 6338 8770
$228++ per couple (First seating 6.30-8.30pm)
$298++ per couple (Second seating 8.30pm onwards)
(Closed on 15-17th Feb)

Prive Restaurant
2 Keppel Bay Vista
GF Marina @ Keppel Bay
Tel: +65 6776 0777
$108++ per person (8 course dinner at restaurant)
$68++ per person (3 Course dinner at Bakery cafe)

Wild Rocket
10A Upper Wilkie Road
GF Hangout @ Mount Emily
Tel: +65 6339 9448
(Closed on 13th-18th Feb, for early Valentine’s only)

The White Rabbit
39C Harding Road
Dempsey
Tel: +65 6473 9965
$98++ per person (5 course dinner with glass of champagne)
(Closed on 15th-16th feb)

* * *

I will be adding this list to the top of my Delicious page if you need to find this page the next time. Remember to call the restaurants in advance and make your reservations. Have a good Valentine’s!

There’s nothing sweeter in life to witness your friend tying the knot; be it a simple dinner of having your close friends to  celebrate the special moment, or a grand affair of getting the whole world (including people that you do not know) to be there – this must be it, happily ever after.

I often receive emails from readers and friends, asking me for suggestion of places, to hold their wedding reception and birthday parties. After going to Barracks at House for my friend’s big day, I’d think that the Greenhouse room in Barracks, is a very good place to throw a party.

‘With that, I declared you husband and wife.’

Such a simple statement, yet it meant so much. Tears of joy, surely. This will be the moment when you look back in ten, twenty, thirty years time down the road, and smile.

Dinner was a simple affair. On this special day, everything and anything, will taste good. We had a choice of the immensely popular Ahi Taki Salad and a seafood platter.

The presence of seafood compelled me to go for the latter, Deep Sea Threesome. A plateful of spicy calamari, appetizing prawns, intriguing black mussels, with the sweetest pineapple and mango.

I know this sounds wrong, but I have been feasting way too much nowadays. With a heavy dinner the previous night, and another tasting the next day, against my better judgment, I decided on the lobster Linguine over the House Ribeye Steak.

And when the first steak arrived on the table, I immediately knew that I was going to regret the decision.

Well, my eyes went wide open when I saw the two words, ‘lobster & linguine’. Unfortunately, I did not read the description of the pasta carefully. The menu goes like this: Lobster Linguine, Crab meat & Prawn Bolognese, homemade black pepper sauce.

Oh, there’s black pepper. Homemade black pepper sauce to be exact. I’m not a fan of anything-black-pepper. The lobster was delicious of course, but I couldn’t finish my linguine. The others were full of praises for the pasta. Anyway, desserts next.

Warm Chocolate Toffee Cake. Swoon. Did I just read warm, chocolate, toffee, and cake? It sounds good, it looks even better. Despite trying a few places for toffee cake, I still couldn’t find a good one that can satisfied me. After having Barrack’s interpretation of this popular dessert, I believe, the missing puzzle for sticky toffee cake – is warm chocolate. I’m a very happy boy.

If you need a place for your birthday party, wedding solemnization, the Greenhouse room at Barracks will be a very good option. Alternatively, there are also other rooms with special theme in Barracks that are available for other events.

* * *

To my awesome Joy & her Bunny, stay happy forever.

Restaurant Review
Barracks at House
8D Dempsey Road
#01-01 to 06 Tanglin Village
Tel: +65 6475 7787