Gary's Restaurant @ Rochester Park - New Italian Fine Dining Restaurant In The West

Gary's Restaurant is one of the newest restaurants to open in the Rochester Park area. The Italian restaurant was opened by founder and executive chef Gary Wu. He has honed his culinary skills in Michelin starred restaurant and cooking for the Brunei royal family, cabinet ministers, and celebrities. The restaurant is located in a 2-storey heritage black and white house, surrounded by vast greenery.

Hokkaido Scallop “Crudo” 4.5/5

Our dinner at Gary's Restaurant started with the Hokkaido Scallop "Crudo" ($20). The Japanese scallop is paired with ikura, citrus salad, red radish, and dressed in a ginger ponzu sauce. I enjoyed how ginger ponzu brightened the sweetness of the scallop.

Pan Seared Foie Gras 4.2/5

Next, we had the Pan Seared Foie Gras ($26). It is paired with onion chutney and aged balsamic. The sweetness helped to cut through the creaminess and richness.

Carbonara 4.8/5

The Carbonara ($26) brought a smile to me. It is not the saucy type in which creams are added. Instead, it is the classic way of cooking carbonara. It may look simple, but it is a beautifully cooked pasta paired with crispy iberico chips, parmigiano and a dash of truffle oil. It has been a long time since I had such good tasting carbonara done the traditional way.

Slow Cooked Wagyu Beef Cheek 4.8/5

Another beautiful dish on the menu is the fork-tender Slow Cooked Wagyu Beef Cheek ($38). It is soft and flavourful, paired excellently with sweet pea, sweet carrot and truffle crush potato.

Tiramisu 4.5/5

I was told the Tiramisu ($14) is baked a la minute. The savoiardi soaked with Kahlua coffee liqueur and the mascarpone has just the right balance of sweetness, complemented by the right bitterness from the coffee and cocoa powder.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Gary's Restaurant
41 Rochester Drive
Singapore 138582
Tel: 65 89200200
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Nearest MRT: Buona Vista (CC Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Buona Vista MRT station. Take Exit C. Take the sheltered walkway and walk towards Star Vista. Turn left onto Rochester Drive. Walk down Rochester Drive towards Rochester Mall. Take the staircase at the back of Rochester Mall. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Elixir Boutique Roasters @ Serene Centre - Reintroducing The Good Old Full-bodied, Bold And Straight-forward Espresso Roasts, While Bringing In The New

Elixir Boutique Roasters at Serene Centre is all about bold and straight-forward espresso roasts. Beans are chosen from the South America region for the finest quality espresso blends and the ability to handle dark roasts without turning overly bitter. Black or White, you get to choose the beans from the variety of single origins and blends available. But beyond just Black and White, the coffee beans are also roasted specifically to harmonise with spirits for their range of Crafted Coffee-Centric Cocktails. To accompany your coffee and cocktails is a selection of brunch dishes and mains, available from 8.30am till 4pm daily, except Wednesday.

Killer Queen

Elixir's take on Italian aperitif cocktails, Killer Queen is made with homemade cascara syrup and Disaronno Italian Liqueur. Cascara, the coffee cherries which is usually discarded, is apparently a flavorful and antioxidant-packed ingredient that can be used in ways such as this. Pairing it with the amaretto-tasting liqueur, and there you have a sweet, refreshing pre-meal drink.

Same Ole’ Situation

Inspired by Old Fashioned, Same Ole’ Situation is made combining Homemade bitters with Costa Rica Las Trojas single origin. If you like it simple, this would be your drink.

Stormbringer

Stormbringer is intense - a double shot of Guatemala Antigua Santo Domingo espresso with Ron Zacapa 23 Solera Whisky.

Brulee French Toast 3/5

For a sweet start, Brûlée French Toast ($18) with seasonal fresh fruits and chantilly cream will delight you with its brulee brioche toast. The brioche itself was yummy - very crusty, with very light and airy body. I really like that it was not soggy with custard. The burned sugar taste of the caramelised surface imparts a smoky flavour, which harmonises with the berries and cream.

Truffle Eggs and Prosciutto 3.5/5

For something heartier, after all, it's a Brunch, Truffle Eggs and Prosciutto ($22) is preferred. I like the combination of textures and flavours of the different elements in this dish. The prosciutto was soft and had a rich mouthfeel, and its saltiness flavoured the creamy, buttery eggs well. The peppery arugula complements these rich elements, while the sweet brioche binds them all together.

Wagyu Beef Cheek Rendang 3/5

Mains are available from 11am onwards. Wagyu Beef Cheek Rendang ($22) is a laborious dish made with Chef's special rempah, served with free-flow butterfly pea coconut rice. Although the beef cheek was not exactly fork-tender, I quite like its gelatinous texture and glad that its flavours were not lost during the sous vide process.

Grilled Halloumi 4/5

Grilled Halloumi ($18) is probably one of the best Halloumi dishes I ever had. The sweet and creamy tahini aioli works well with the savoury notes of the halloumi, and the sprinkle of dukka enhances the nutty flavour of the dressing. One of the key components of the dish is actually the flecks of Lemon preserve, which punctuates the dish with sweet, salty and bitter notes.

Carbonara with Onsen Egg 3.5/5

Carbonara with Onsen Egg ($18) will not disappoint with its sauce made using only Parmigiano-Reggiano and eggs. The dehydrated pancetta adds the right amount of salty notes and texture to the creamy pasta.

Written By Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food.


Elixir Boutique Roasters
Serene Centre
10 Jln Serene
#01-03A/4
Singapore 258748
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Nearest MRT: Botanic Gardens (CC Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours
Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun: 830am - 4pm
(Closed on Wed)

Direction:
1) Alight at Botanic Gardens. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Bukit Timah Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

il Cielo @ Hilton Hotel - Rediscover The Colors Of Spring

il Cielo on the rooftop of Hilton Hotel, on level 24, welcomes Spring with a new menu that features seasonal harvest from the Italy and Japan. Some of the highlights in the spring menu, includes the Hokkaido Asari clams, fresh bamboo shoots and Amadai fish from Japan as well as black truffle, white asparagus and cured Culatello ham from Italy.

Amuse Bouche 4.2/5

Our six course degustation menu started with the Amuse Bouche which consists of Mozzarella with tomato chip and parma ham, and Foie Gras Macaron. I prefer the foie gras macaron for its intensity, and rather unique combination of sweet and savoury.

Marinated Japanese Asari Clam 'Vongole Bianco' 4/5

Our next dish is Marinated Japanese Asari Clam 'Vongole Bianco' ($32) that is paired with Baerii caviar, white wine jelly, aglio olio peperoncino powder. The dish looks very spring with the circle of green parsley sauce. The highlight is actually the Asari Clam, though small in size but is very sweet.

Tortellini in Blodo 4.2/5

The Tortellini in Blodo ($28) clearly showcases Chef Yohhei Sasaki culinary philosophy of incorporating Japanese fair into Italian cuisine. The homemade tortellini stuffed with bamboo shoot ragout and truffle paste comes in a rich Japanese style chicken broth and shaved black truffle. The little tortellini has an enjoyable chewy bite to it while the refreshing clear soup, delivers a gentle smoothing element to the dish.

Homemade Chitarra alla 'Carbonara' 4/5

The Homemade Chitarra alla 'Carbonara' ($38) is a deconstructed cabonara which consists of white asparagus salad, herb poached egg, culatello ham and carbonara espuma. Give it a good toss, mixing everything together to enjoy the texture of the Chitarra pasta, which has a thicker and more doughy.

Maple Duck Variation 3.8/5

For the mains, diner has an option of choosing the Maple Duck Variation ($48) or Pan Fried Amadai Fish ($56). Diner can find several components on the Maple Duck Variation dish such as roasted duck breast, Japanese spring mountain vegetables, duck leg confit salad and pan-fried foie gras. The duck breast itself was cooked beautiful but the skin was somehow rather elastic, which I have difficulty breaking it down.

Pan Fried Amadai Fish 3.5/5

For the Pan Fried Amadai Fish ($56), Chef Chef Yohhei Sasaki  has even used the fish scales to provide the extra crispiness as a crumble. While it is an enjoyable dish, I thought it needs a bit more acidity to heighten the flavours. It is a bit too clean tasting for me.

Zuppa Inglese con Fragola 4.2/5

Last but not least, wrapping up the six course degustation menu for dessert is the Zuppa Inglese con Fragola ($20). The traditional Tuscany dessert is paired with Japanese ichigo (strawberry) and variation of valrhona chocolate. I don't really have a sweet tooth, so I like the fact that the sponge cake layered with custard is light and airy, and more importantly not overly sweet. This is complemented by the fruity sweetness from the Japanese ichigo.

Diners can opt for the six-course degustation menu ($138) or select from the the a la carte menu priced from $28 onwards. The spring menu will be available from 12 March to 30 April 2018.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


il Cielo Restaurant
Hilton Hotel
Level 24
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 23883
Tel: +65 67303395
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Nearest MRT:

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 230pm, 7pm - 1030pm
Sat: 7pm - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk towards Wheelock Place via ION. Exit Wheelock Place and turn left towards Liat Tower. Continue walking along Orchard Road. Journey time is about 8 minutes. [Map]