One of the French Restaurants that I’ve always wanted to try, but have not gotten the chance to visit until recently is Bistro Du Vin at Shaw Centre.

Bistro Du Vin by the Les Amis Group has been making a name for itself since opening in 2009. My friends have always raved about the classical French Food that they serve. I went there for lunch a while back and I have to say that the set lunch is absolutely a steal at $30++/pax.

What I like about the three-course set lunch at Bistro Du Vin is the variety that they offer. It has six items each for appetisers, main courses and desserts.

I am still saving up for the air ticket to Paris, so for now I can only satisfy my French food craving by eating at a French Bistro in Orchard road.

After taking a glance at the menu, I immediately knew that there was no way I could resist the Pan-fried Foie Gras with prune compote (supplement of $6). I took a bite and I could feel happiness entering my body. The Foie Gras was good, but the scrambled eggs were even better.

There is only one word to describe the Scrambled Eggs with mushroom & chorizo – scrumptious! I’d come back just for this (hopefully they don’t take it off the set lunch menu).

Other appetisers include: Tuna and Lemon Pasta, Duck Rillette, Foie Gras Terrine, Escargot, and Tomato Soup.

When we were there for lunch, the six main courses on the set menu were Chicken Leg, Roasted Pork Chop, French Duck Confit, Pan-fried fish of the day, Braised Oxtail, and Char-grilled US Angus Ribeye. There was also “blackboard specials” like the Roasted Spring Chicken, Braised Duck Leg, and Char-grilled Striploin.

My dining companions had the Roasted Spring Chicken wrapped with ham and Fish of the day. Both were not too bad, but it was the French Fries ($3 side order) which stole the show. There was no truffle oil, or any secret ingredients – just really good French Fries.

I had a hard time trying to decide between Char-grilled US Angus Ribeye (supplement of $10) and the French Duck Leg Confit. I eventually went for the latter. It was one of the better Duck Confits that I’ve had, and the portion was just right for a not-so-heavy lunch.

For desserts, there was Creme Caramel, Dark Chocolate Mousse, Coconut and Passionfruit Sorbet, Warm Pear Tart, Profiteroles and selected cheese on the set lunch menu. We used the elimination method and chose three desserts.

My favourite was the lovely Pear Tart with vanilla ice cream, while my friends found the pairing of Coconut and Passionfruit sorbet intriguing.

All in all, Bistro du vin by the Les Amis group serves a value for money 3-course set lunch at $30++. I will definitely come back again to try some of the classical French food like the Coq Au Vin and Pot Au Feu on the ala carte menu.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Bistro du vin
1 Scotts Road
#02-12 Shaw Centre
Tel: +65 6733 7763
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10pm

For more recommendations, read my list of best French Restaurants in Singapore

Since the start of the year, I’ve made a promise to eat less ‘Western‘ food, and try more of other cuisines. I think I have been doing quite well so far.

But there are some days when you just feel like having a hearty plate of Italian pasta. I was craving for Italian food when I met the folks from BigDeal for lunch, so I suggested going to Da Paolo La Terrazza at Chip Bee Gardens.

The place here is different from Da Paolo Restaurant & Bistro Bar. Whereas the restaurant at Rochester Park has a huge al fresco dining area surrounded by greeneries, Da Paolo La Terrazza is slightly smaller with options of eating indoors for a more formal dinner, or dining at the tranquil al fresco area where you sit along the tree-lined street.

Italian food at Da Paolo restaurant. Can you imagine me rubbing my hands with glee?

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like Italian food, anyone who can say no to the best Linguine Al Granchio, anyone who can refuse to eat a slice of the best pizza, anyone who can resist having tiramisu for desserts. This is Italian food, for crying out loud; nobody, and I repeat, nobody can dislike Italian food.

Okay, I shall stop declaring my love for Italian food before you start to think that I am a psycho who goes around trying to convince everyone that it is the best cuisine. For your information, I love French food too. But that’s another story.

Anyway, back to Da Paolo La Terrazza. The set lunch is available at $24++ (for pasta) and $32++ (for meat/seafood). From what I understand, it changes periodically, but there will always be five appetisers, five main courses and two desserts to choose from.

We started with a Smoked Salmon with mixed greens, Parma Ham with Rock Melon, and a Mixed Green with shaved Parmesan.

From the pasta main courses menu, we took the Spaghetti Aglio Olio tossed with garlic, chilli and olive oil; Linguine with prawns and cherry tomatoes; and a tomato-based seafood pasta. For desserts, there are only Dolce del giorno and Gelato/Sorbet. We took the dessert of the day which was a simple slice of cake.

While there’s nothing to fault about the Italian food at Da Paolo La Terrazza, I don’t think that lunch is fantastic. I like choices. I like to be able to choose from a list of desserts, and in this sense, Da Paolo’s set lunch doesn’t quite appeal to me.

Does this mean that Da Paolo is not worth a try? Not at all. Like I said, the Italian restaurant at Chip Bee Gardens has a nice vibe, and they serve one of the best Tiramisu in Singapore. I will certainly visit Da Paolo again for the ala carte menu, but I just don’t see myself returning just for the set lunch. Am I expecting too much from a $24++ 3 course set lunch? No, I don’t think so. There are plenty of good lunch deals elsewhere.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Da Paolo La Terrazza
44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-56
Chip Bee Gardens Singapore
Tel: +65 6476 1332

Read my list of best Italian Restaurants in Singapore | Chip Bee Gardens Restaurants

Platypus Test Kitchen at Clifford Centre is a very interesting place. They have an unique name, and it is kind of difficult to define the place.

What exactly is a test kitchen? Is it like a lab where the chefs experiment with different ingredients to come up with the best pasta in Singapore? Or is it just a name to catch the attention of customers? Knowing absolutely nothing about the place, my friend brought me to the restaurant at Raffles Place to try out their food.

The owners describe Platypus Test Kitchen as a casual Mediterranean bistro, specializing in hand-made pastas and seasonal Mediterranean fare.

For a small bistro, Platypus Test Kitchen has quite a few items on its menu. The appetisers section consists mainly of salad (Wild Rocket Salad, Caramelised Baby Carrots, Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon) and soup (Leek & Crab Bisque, Wild Mushroom Soup, Vine-Ripened Tomato Soup). The pasta menu is divided into two corners: fresh handmade pastas (Summer Truffle Egg Tagliatelle, Four Cheese Tortellini) and their signature pastas (Carbonara, Aglio Olio, Prawn Pomodoro).

Prices range from $5 to $9 for the soup and appetisers, while most of the pastas are around $12 to $15. It is also worth noting that they have a few selections that are suitable for vegetarians.

With so many pastas on Platypus Test Kitchen’s menu, it took us a while before we finally chose the Squid Ink Seafood Marinara ($15.50) and Carbonara with Double-Smoked Bacon ($12.50).

Both the squid ink tagliatelle and the spagehetti with egg yolk based cream were a little too dry for my liking. While the squid ink pasta was generous with the ingredients, I definitely had better ones elsewhere. On the other hand, the Carbonara was decent but not fantastic.

It is clear that Platypus Test Kitchen caters to the office crowd in Raffles Place for lunch. They operate from 10.30am to 5pm on weekdays, while dinner is available only on Friday night from 5pm to 9pm, and they are closed during weekends.

Maybe we ordered the wrong pastas. But I can see myself coming back again to try the other items. The pastas are reasonably priced, and they have some interesting creations on the menu. If you are working in the Raffles Place area, gather your colleagues and head to Clifford Centre to try the pastas during lunch time.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Platypus Test Kitchen
24 Raffles Place
#02-02 Clifford Centre Singapore
Tel: +65 6533 7402

Whenever readers ask me to recommend romantic dining places in Singapore, I will always think of the restaurants at Dempsey road. Among the options there, The White Rabbit ranks highly on my list of romantic restaurants in Singapore.

The White Rabbit, owned by the folks behind Loof and OverEasy, is a romantic restaurant housed within a beautiful restored Chapel in Dempsey Road.

I fell in love as soon as I stepped into the place.

Fine dining restaurants are usually not very versatile. I mean they are nice for a romantic dinner, but some of them can be quite intimidating. The White Rabbit, on the other hand, is great for just about any occasion. Be it a romantic date with your partner, a chic business lunch with your clients or a casual dinner with a group of friends.

I wanted to dine at The White Rabbit for the longest time, and I finally came here last week for their 3 course set lunch ($38++ per pax).

Amongst the five starters that were available on The White Rabbit’s menu, we opted for the Caponata and White peach salad. Drizzled with Italian herbs and olive oil, the crispy tiger prawns were accompanied by eggplant, celery and Roma tomatoes.

For our second appetiser, we chose the White Peach Salad over the Grilled Vegetables, Smoked Salmon and Mushroom Soup.

The White Rabbit’s set lunch menu has 5 different choices to satisfy everyone: Pan Seared Salmon Fillet, Pan Roasted Sea Bass, Braised Oxtail, Galantine of Duck, Roasted Lamb Rump and pasta. We eventually settled for the salmon and duck.

Served with Petit Pois Puree (green peas) and carrots, the Salmon was pan seared nicely and we thought that it was pretty well done. But with no substantial sides, the portion might be too small for folks with big appetite.

The Galantine of duck however, came with simple yet tasty potatoes. The herbed minced beef stuffing within the de-boned duck was subtle, and the dish somehow tasted like roasted duck.

Out of the three desserts on The White Rabbit’s lunch menu, we had the Tiramisu and Valrhona Chocolate Tart (with the other option being profiteroles). It is difficult to judge a tiramisu since everyone has different interpretations on what makes a good tiramisu. If you like it with a strong alcohol taste, you will love the one here.

The White Rabbit’s tiramisu had an extremely strong liqueur flavour at the base, which left a bitter after-taste lingering in the mouth for a long time. We did not really enjoy it, and thankfully there was the Valrhona Chocolate Tart to distract us.

Paired with a slightly sourish strawberry ice cream, the chocolate-y Valrhona Chocolate Tart was small in size but huge on flavours. It contrasted hot with cold and sweet with sour perfectly.

The romantic restaurant has a uber-chic watering hole in the al fresco area. The Rabbit Hole is an outdoor bar which is a lovely place for some drinks and finger food. It is definitely a good option for events and parties, but don’t expect it to be cheap.

Hold my hands and follow me down the rabbit hole…

The 3 course set lunch at the White Rabbit is $38++ and they also have a 4 course degustation menu at $98++ per person. For their ala carte menu, appetisers like the tuna carpaccio and steak tartare start from $20. Most of the main courses are in the $30ish range and desserts like the creme brulee and souffle are $16 each.

The White Rabbit restaurant has received mixed reviews so far: there are people who love the Alice in Wonderland theme restaurant, and there are also others who feel that the food is inconsistent and not worth the money.

Whilst the food at The White Rabbit may not be the most spectacular, sometimes food becomes secondary when you are eating at such a beautiful place.

Singapore Food Blog Review
The White Rabbit
39C Harding Road
Dempsey Singapore
Tel: +65 6473 9965

Because you are readers of my food blog — today I’m going to let you into one of the best kept secrets in Singapore.

Chef Daniel’s Kitchen is one of the latest Iluma Bugis Restaurant located at level 7 of the shopping mall’s Sky Garden. For just $10.50, the 3 course set lunch at Chef Daniel’s Kitchen ought to be one of the best value for money lunches in Singapore. Everyone starts a soup of the day with herbed bread, a main course from more than 15 choices to choose from, and a dessert of the day.

The choices for the Chef Daniel’s Kitchen set lunch are rather diversified. For a Japanese fusion meal, go for the tonkatsu don, otherwise there’s the popular grilled beef burger, fish & chips, or spaghetti. If you are looking for something different, there’s always the lamb stewed navarin and beef stew.

Prawn & Crab Meat Burger

Portions are petite, but should be substantial for most. Most of the main courses come with a generous helping of fries and greens. Coupled with the soup and dessert, it should be enough to send you into a food coma until the afternoon high tea time.

Coated with a layer of melted cheese, the Grilled Beef Burger was seemingly small initially, but I found myself struggling to finish the whole meal. I didn’t quite take to he deep fried buns though.

The Grilled Sirloin Steak arrived last, and our friend attacked it immediately. “Mmm, very good.. Mmm, very good..” was all that she could muster. “This is one of the best set lunches in Singapore! We really need to come back again!”

Spaghetti with pan-fried dory fillet

For just $10.50, there’s really nothing you can complain about the 3 course set lunch at Chef Daniel’s Kitchen. With a nice setting in the high ceiling restaurant at the level 7 of Iluma Sky Garden, this is one of the best value for money restaurants in town. So if you are working near the Bugis area, grab your colleagues and go down to Chef Daniel’s Kitchen for a good lunch today! Have a good weekend guys!

Restaurant Review
Chef Daniel’s Kitchen
201 Victoria Street #07-02/03
Iluma @ Bugis Singapore
Tel: +65 6509 9888

Boat House Fullerton

Be it an extended lunch break, birthday celebration, friends gathering, or simply just finding an excuse to indulge in a good meal; lunch is always the thing that we look forward to everyday.

Here’s my list of nice restaurants for best lunch in Singapore

Updated: I have included a couple of new restaurants which offer excellent value for money set lunches.

Au Petit Salut

Located at the fringe of Dempsey, Au Petit Salut is a fine dining French restaurant that offers great value-for-money set lunch. For $30++ per person, Au Petit Salut offers a three course set lunch which has choices like Burgundy snails for entrees, the delicious red wine braised beef cheeks for main course, Crème Brulée for desserts and a cup of coffee/tea. I had this fantastic combination when I went to Au Petit Salut, and it was one of the best lunch I had!

40c Harding road
Tel: 6475 1976

Bistro Petit Salut

I know it does not seem right to include in Bistro Petit Salut at Chip Bee Gardens since I have already mentioned about its sister restaurant, Au Petit Salut. But the whole experience is just $25++/pax, and this easily makes it one of the best best set lunches in Singapore.

44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-54
Chip Bee Gardens Singapore
Tel: +65 6474 9788

Boat House Fullerton

For all the folks who are working in the Central Business District, Boat House restaurant at Fullerton is the perfect place for a business luncheon. 2 course set lunch starts at $25++, with the 3 course set lunch at $32++. Try the Wagyu Beef Ribs with Aged Red Wine Jus and White chocolate semifreddo.

#03-01 The Fullerton Waterboat House
3 Fullerton Road
Tel: +65 6538 9038

Ember Restaurant

Nestled in Hotel 1929 at Keong Saik road, Ember restaurant offers a 3 course set lunch at $38++ per person, and it has often been mentioned as one of the contenders for the best set lunch in Singapore.

50 Keong Saik Road Hotel 1929
Tel: +65 6347 1928

Flutes at the Fort

While I do not think that the lunch menu at Flutes at the Fort is attractive, I can still see myself going there. Why? It is one of the more romantic restaurants in Singapore, and the unique location at Fort Canning Park adds brownie points too. Flute at the Fort’s set lunch changes every week, the 2 courses starts at $30++, and 3 courses at $35++.

21 Lewin Terrace
Fort Canning Park
Tel: +65 6338 8770

Forlino Restaurant

If you are craving for Italian food, Forlino restaurant at One Fullerton may just be the place. The fine dining Italian restaurant has the perfect view overlooking Marina Bay area, and the service is impeccable too. The $38++ set lunch starts with an amuse bouche,  appetisers and main courses change daily.

The location at the swanky One Fullerton makes Forlino a good choice to bring your clients for a Business Lunch.

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

Novus Restaurant

Housed within the Singapore National Museum, Novus Restaurant offers much more than what you would expect from a “museum restaurant”. Besides the charming location, the fine dining restaurant has an executive set lunch which is priced at $29++ for 2 course and $38++ for 3 course. The choices for the main course include: Crispy Snapper Fllet, Slow Cooked Pork Belly and Braised Ox Tail Tongue.

If you are bringing your overseas friends to explore Singapore, why not have a nice lunch at Novus Restaurant after visiting the National Museum?

93 Stamford Road #01-02
National Museum of Singapore Singapore
Tel: +65 6336 8770

Jaan par andre

Now now, what do we need to say about Jaan Par Andre? The fine dining restaurant at Swissotel the Stamford makes the entry into the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2010 ranking at spot 39. The stunning view from the 70th floor of Swissotel should help to lessen the impact of the departure of Chef Andre. 3 course set lunch starts from $58++, while the 5 course set lunch is available at $88++.

This romantic restaurant is definitely the place to go if you want to impress your date.

2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford
Tel: +65 6837 3322

Prive Restaurant

I hate it when restaurants have very limited selection on the set lunch menu, and the worst part is to end the meal with an unambiguous ‘dessert of the day’.

It is no secret that I am a big fan of Prive Restaurant, and in my opinion, they have a set lunch which has a good balance. With five options for appetisers, main courses and desserts, Prive’s 3 course set lunch ($36++) gives you plenty of choices.

2 Keppel Bay Vista GF
Marina at Keppel Bay Singapore
Tel: +65 6776 0777

Senso Ristorante

I had a pretty good dinner at Senso Restaurant so I can definitely see myself going back to the Italian Restaurant for their 3 course executive set lunch at $36++ (changes weekly).

21 Club street #01-01
Tel: +65 6224 3534

Sage the restaurant *Closed*

The flawless combination of Chef Jusman and manager Kimberly makes Sage the restaurant one of the best restaurant in Singapore. The 3 course set lunch is $38++, and if you fancy a heavier lunch, go for the 4 course set lunch at $45++. For someone who never like mushroom soup, the Cappuccino of wild mushrooms at Sage is one of the best mushroom soup that I’ve before, and the excellent Duck Confit is a must-order when you are dining here.

7 Mohamed Sultan road
Tel: 6333 8726

The French Kitchen

I am tempted by the main course selections on The French Kitchen’s set lunch menu. At $36++ per pax, you can choose from cod fish, Braised Angus beef or Confit Duck Leg. It sounds lovely.

The White Rabbit

Even though there are lot of people who mentioned that the food at The White Rabbit Dempsey is not worth the money, I will definitely want to dine there at least once for the ambience. They have a good variety of items on their 3 Course set lunch ($38++) which include: Pan Seared fillet of salmon, Braised Oxtail, and Galantine of Duck. I will be there soon, watch this space.

39C Harding Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6473 9965
* * *

Do share with us which restaurants have the best lunch in Singapore. Have a good long weekend!

If 7atenine was the best meal I had so far, then Au Petit Salut would be its equal.

I was the passerby in your colourful life, we never seem to meet, until now. Our encounter is but an absence and a providence: now that we’ve met, I hold you dear. The place of eternal memories; Au Petit Salut.

Lush, lush, lush and green. It seems so near, yet so far. Right in the middle, but not in the middle; I had to admit – I was wrong. Overrated, you are not, there’s just something special about you. I wished we’ve met earlier, but like they say, it’s better to be late than never.

It was all we need to get started with, a piece of bread, and a stick of butter. We threw envious glares at the seemingly-softer white-looking bread at the table adjacent to us; it was just, human nature.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do – and in a French restaurant, eat snails as the French does. This was my second time eating the slimy-looking creature, and as much as I thought it looked similar to cockle; I love the strong butter and garlic smell. Half dozen baked Burgundy snails with tomato and garlic butter, way to go!

I’m-a-carnivore! And the only appetiser on the menu which seemed to satisfy the meat-eater in me was the Pork terrine and mesclun salad, shallots, gherkins and capers vinaigrette. I took a bite, chew-chew-swallow-swallow, and I took another bite. A piece of pork with really extraordinary subtlety and texture. And my dear, this was where the meal just began.

Words are powerful stuff, they can make you happy, sad, angry or nervous. In this case, I was excited by the mere-presence of the word, beef cheeks.

What part, you asked again?

Beef cheeks. Pardon me, but I have never eaten somebody’s cheek before.

Red wine braised beef cheeks, carrots, mushrooms and parsley potatoes. I realised I couldn’t really tell the difference between the different parts of the cow, but did it really mattered? The braised beef cheeks were tenderly-done, and there was the potatoes which were a-part-of-it.

I had to agree that braised beef tasted better than lamb shank, or maybe I haven’t tried one that is worthy, yet.

If the beef cheek were tenderly-done, then the Pan seared onglet beef was done exactly the way I love it! And just exactly what was Onglet, I know it’s a prime cut of beef, but past that I’m beyond caring. Don’t talk to me about the different grade, the marbling of the meat, there ain’t no need to discuss the cooking technique, I-just-liked-this!

With a tinge of pink, the medium-rare meat was per-fect! And I love the confit shallots which spreaded over the top of the beef, like the sky covered over the land. The presence of the French fries were puzzling, I decided I was going to ignore its guest appearance on the plate and focused on the beef instead.

The lemon tart was fabulous – how can something so simple. be so, absolutely wonderful. The texture of the lemon curd was done just right, and paired with the subtle ice cream with a hint of lavender-honey, I’m a happy boy.

I had a quickie with the Crème brulée; I took the first taste, stunned for a moment, and took my second. This continued until I finished the whole dessert. Beneath the nicely-touched caramelised sugar, was the smoothest yet firm, custard, infused with vanilla beans.

Till we meet again, my love

* * *

Total bill was $70 for two set lunches. I, had an awesome time! Which left me with this question, why didn’t I go there earlier! Au petit Salut has one of the most reasonable set lunches at $30++, comparing with most of the restaurants which are doing theirs at $38++, I thought it is a steal. Of course, there are certainly better restaurants out there, but I love the place as a whole. See you there!

For more recommendations, read my list of the Best French Restaurants in Singapore

Au Petite Salut
40c Harding road
Tanglin Village (Dempsey)
Tel: 6475 1976

Au Petite Salut is listed as one of ladyironchef’s favorite restaurants in Singapore

Sage the restaurant, recently relocated to one of Mohamed Sultan’s historical conservation shophouse, just across the street from their previous place at a rather obscure location on the second front of Robertson Walk. Sage is one of the widely hype restaurant in our local food scene who has won acclaims from many foodies.

Sage the restaurant has just started their set lunch menu which offers 3 course at $38++, and 4 course meal at $45++. Given that the main course for their dinner menu ranges from 30s to the 40s individually, i’ll say that the set lunch do seems rather value. And note that lunch is only served from Wednesday to Friday.

The husband and wife combination works very well for Sage, with Chef-owner Jusman So helming the kitchen while his friendly wife, Kimberly taking charge of the service aspect. Chef Jusman So also recently won the choice title of rising chef of the year in the World Gourmet Summit (WGS).

The interior of the newly furnished restaurant speaks contemporary chic. With Black and grey being theme colour, the white simplistic tables strikes out bringing the simple-yet-elegant feel of the place. There is just a single picture frame to adorn the black wall, with the back of the room leading to the open kitchen

The open kitchen concept provides a insight of the chefs hard at work to provide a satisfactory meal for us. I do believe that having an open kitchen concept is a rather important aspect of a restaurant, for one, diners can have a look at the chefs at work, and also by doing an open concept, it shows that the restaurant has nothing to hide, and it does build a bridge linking the diners stomach and the chefs heart for their effort.

I applaused the fact that Sage chose to retain its seating capacity at 38, when they can actually have no problem expanding the place and filling it up every night. That for me, is a true sign of Sage’s intention, not to compromise the standards of the food quality with any increase in capacity.

Complimentary bread

The complimentary bread was very good, soft and fluffy, with the butter spread that comes along together, i’ll have asked for second helpings if not for the fact that we still have a four course meal ($38++) to finish.

Smoked Salmon ($12)

Scottish smoked salmon loin on cucumber relish with avruga caviar. Cauliflower couscous salad and dill infused leek & potato vichyssoise. The smoked salmon loin was tasty although i found it to be slightly salty. I didn’t like the cauliflower couscous salad as i felt that its rather heavy for a salad but my friend thought it was all right.

The avruga caviar, pearlescent black in colour, is a more sustainable alternative to its more expensive relative, Beluga caviar, completes the salmon loin.

Crab & tomato ($12)

Marinated crab salad topped with oven dried tomatoes and avocado mousseline, taggiasca olive tapenade and vine ripe tomato gazpacho. The oven dried tomatoes and the vine ripe tomato gazpacho, enhances the flavor of the crab meat. I couldn’t quite make out the taggiasca olive tapenade, but it tastes nice to me. Same goes for the avocado mousseline, but then again i am not really a fan of avocado.

Overall a simple dish (maybe not that simple in cooking it) that packs a lot of different flavors into one. The cooking method do seems to be the trademark of Chef Jusman who use many different type of ingredients to blend into one.

Mushrooms soup ($12)

Cappuccino of wild mushrooms. My friend and i had no words to describe the soup after having a spoonful. The plain-looking mushroom soup has a make-over and the interpretation comes in the form of a cappuccino, not quite what you will picture for a soup.

Nevertheless, the mushrooms soup was nothing short of excellence. Like what i mentioned before, mushrooms are always a tricky task, cook it for too long and the mushroom becomes over-cooked, while finishing it too early the soup will fail to absorb the essence of the mushrooms.

The mushroom soup arrived in a cup of cappuccino, with foamy top layer, and creamy base. Some common mushroom soups might still have bits of mushrooms in it, but not this one. The wild mushrooms seem to blend together naturally, and every mouthful just tasted so flavorsome.

Personally i do not like mushroom soup, but the fact that one spoonful of soup leaded to the other, with me finishing the whole soup tells you how good the soup was. There are definitely better mushroom soups out there, but for now, this is the best mushroom soup i had before.

French Onion soup ($12)

Perhaps the mushroom soup was too good, that we actually find the French onion soup to be quite normal in contrast. Nonetheless, the soup was still very rich, with its strong onion taste.

Traditional French onion soup with crouton and melted gruyere cheese. Crouton is the small piece of sauteed bread that acted as a companion to the soup. However we did not really taste the melted gruyere cheese because the bread became rather soggy in a short while.

Cod ($42, with $15 supplement applies to set menu)

Roasted fillet of cod topped with prawn and cognac butter on salt cod brandade and bouillabaisse sauce. The Cod was definitely the star of the show. Both my friend and i arrived at the conclusion that the cod was class. The roasted fillet was wonderfully balanced, there were hints of the roasted element, but it did not shows on the fillet.

If the end product of the Cod was the magic produced, then the prawn and cognac butter was certainly the wand that produce the magic. The cod on its own did not warrant a perfect score yet, but wait until you tasted the cod together with the prawn and cognac butter layer, that was pure magic.

The mashed potato beneath the cod also tasted well together with the bouillabaisse sauce. The sauce which was made from a traditional provencal fish stew has a fulsome flavor, and when you had a piece of the roasted cod with the prawn and cognac butter on top, and dipped with the bouillabaisse sauce, there was nothing quite like to describe the taste.

Duck Confit ($28, with $10 supplement applies to set menu)

Duck leg confit on a savoy cabbage parcel stuffed with field mushroom, leek and red onion in pommery mustard sauce. We chose duck confit because it’s always a dish that is difficult to handle, and can test the skills of the chef. The mark of a good duck confit obviously lies in the meat, if the duck is cooked for too long, the meat will become soggy and soft, while under-cook will make it becomes too tight and hard.

Poking a fork into the duck leg confit, we were glad to find that the duck meat remains firm while retaining its perfectly crispy skin. With the price tag, this was one expensive duck leg, which you otherwise could have a whole duck elsewhere, but made no mistake, the duck leg confit was certainly worth the money.

The pommery mustard sauce did come across as rather weird initially, but mixing it with the firm duck meat brought out the brilliance of it.

My friend enjoyed the Pernankan-inspired cabbage parcel stuffed with field mushroom, leek and red onion, but it did not works for me. I felt that the cabbage parcel was too salty for my liking, and the leek and red onion combination did not really suit my tastebud.

Strawberry Panna Cotta ($12)

Vanilla panna cotta topped with strawberry jelly and chocolate ganache, compote of strawberries and crunchy nougat. The sweet vanilla panna cotta and chocolate ganache striked a good balance with the slightly sourish strawberry.The panna cotta itself was quite thick and rich with the fragrant vanilla taste.

The serving size was quite adequate, and the strawberry panna cotta was quite good, until i try the Oreo Semifreddo, which is in a different league all together.

Oreo Semifreddo ($12)

Oreo cookie semifreddo with frozen raspberry mousse and soft coffee scented meringue. This, is the first time i am having a semifreddo, and i am already regretting why have i not try this earlier. The Oreo semifreddo was made up of three different compositions, with the top layer being the soft coffee scented meringue, the middle layer the oreo cookie semifreddo, and the base the frozen raspberry mousse.

The oreo semifreddo really, was playing with our scents, the soft coffee meringue was more to the bitter side, while the oreo cookie ice cream added the sweet touch, and the frozen raspberry mousse completed with a chilly sourish zang. Trying the three different parts separately yielded nothing special, but it was when you united the three layers together then you realised what the oreo semifreddo was about.

Total bill is a princely $135 for 2 person, and this is lunch, not dinner. This ought to be the most expensive lunch i ever had, but all the same, the best lunch. The amount is madness really, two set lunches at $45 each, we topped up $10 for the duck confit, $15 for the cod, and factor in the 17% additional charges, do your sums!

The way that Chef Jusman uses a combination of many different ingredients in one dish is one thing, but to blend all the tastes is another matter all together. There are of course positive and negative things for everything, and there is no exception here too. The slightly negative aspect will be every dish is too flavorsome and it really takes time to absorb and digest what you eat. However you can choose to look at that from a positive angle too.

One thing i ought to mention as well, before this visit to Sage i made a few attempts to go actually but on those few occasions i were held up in the very last minute and couldn’t make it. Each time i called up Sage to make another new reservation, and each time Kimberly picked up the phone and answer my every inquiry politely and patiently. There was never a time where i felt that she was frustrated by this guy here calling up a few times to keep on postponing the reservation. For that i applause her for her sincere altitude, which can be genuinely felt across the phone.

I rave about Sage the restaurant, I praise the way Chef Jusman uses his ingredients and play with his food. I appreciate the manner which Kimberly treats her customers, genuine, friendly yet professional which makes you totally free at home. Not to mention the other serving staff at Sage which i find are quite knowledgeable and know when’s the right time to approach us and when not to disturb us. The combination of all the factors make Sage the restaurant a strong contender to ladyironchef’s best restaurant 2008.

I do believe that there are certainly better restaurants out there, Les Amis, Saint Pierre, Iggy just to name a few, are all stronghold in their own rights, but since i have not try the other restaurants, i can only comment on what i have tried. And for the restaurants which i have been to, i say Sage is one of the best, until i experience a better one then, Sage the restaurant it is!

Sage the restaurant
7 Mohamed Sultan road
Tel: 6333 8726
ladyironchef“>Website

Sage the restaurant is listed as one of ladyironchef’s favorite restaurants in Singapore