Le Matin Patisserie @ ION Orchard - Expanded Menu of French Fare with Crab Waffles, Brown Butter Artichoke Wedges, Soufflé Au Chocolat and More

Le Matin Patisserie first unveiled its new permanent space in ION Orchard earlier in February this year and has now launched an expanded menu of French fare that is available every Wednesday to Sunday, for brunch from 11am to 2.30pm and dinner from 6pm to 9pm.

The exciting new selections continue to tap on Chef-Owner Mohamed Al-Matin's vast expertise in fine pastries and French techniques, putting together options from entrées, mains, sides to desserts.

Salade 4/5

For a light start, consider the Salade ($12). This dish features a combination of fresh baby spinach and arugula, along with roasted and fresh beets, mixed citrus, and pine nuts.

Brown Butter Artichoke Wedges 4.2/5

Despite its unassuming appearance, the Brown Butter Artichoke Wedges ($16) proved to be addictive. Crafted with nutty confit Jerusalem artichoke, it comes with a refreshing dip of lemon thyme aioli.

Bread & Butter 4.2/5

I absolutely adored the Bread & Butter ($9) dish, especially the earthy and rich fermented porcini butter served alongside two soft cubes of whole-wheat milk buns.

Crab Waffles 4.5/5

Seafood enthusiasts should not miss the Crab Waffles ($20.90). The heart-shaped crunchy waffles are made with seafood butter and dusted with nori for an added layer of fragrance. Spread on the chilled crab tartare and smoked taramasalata dip for a luxurious bite that is rich in umami, creaminess, and herbaceous notes all at once.

Fish & Chips 4.5/5

The Fish & Chips ($35.90) also left a lasting impression. Enjoy the entire battered Haddock fillet, which was not only fresh and substantial but also accompanied by an edamame mash, yuzu tartare, and thinly crusted fried potatoes. The edamame mash was a novel twist done well.

Lemon Thyme Madeleines 4.2/5

These delightful Lemon Thyme Madeleines ($12.90) are baked to order, offering a fresh and petite-sized treat that pairs perfectly with your tea or coffee. Infused with the bright flavours of lemon and thyme, they make for a delightful sharing side, especially when dipped in the herby fir syrup cream.

The texture may become denser as it cools. Hence, I recommend enjoying it warm for the best experience!

Soufflé Au Chocolat 4.5/5

The 20-minute bake time for the Soufflé Au Chocolat ($18.90) was well worth the wait. Featuring a fluffy, soft dark chocolate soufflé, hazelnut praline, and reduced milk ice cream, it promises an indulgent treat.

Mangosteen & Lychee Granita 4.5/5

For a more refreshing option, the delicately crafted Mangosteen & Lychee Granita ($14.90) is the one to go for. It features a unique and harmonious combination of mangosteen sorbet, lychee granita and lemongrass bubbles.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Le Matin Patisserie
ION Orchard
B2-49
2 Orchard Turn
Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 6509 8801
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Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT (NE, TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit 4. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

The Venus @ South Bridge Road - New French Restaurant With An Asian-Inspired Twist Opens In Chinatown

Nestled within the heart of Chinatown, the new French restaurant, The Venus, offers contemporary French cuisine with a hint of Asian flavours. Inspired by the Greek Goddess Venus, the setting was elegant and refined, with marbled tables, plush teal-coloured seats lining the gorgeous space, and high booth seats made for intimate seating corners. The restaurant also offers affordable set menus and ala carte dishes. So if you're looking for date places that won't break the bank, The Venus has just the thing.

We tried their daily 3-course set lunch, priced at $38++.

Har Cheong Gai 3.8/5

To start off the menu, we had the appetiser of Har Cheong Gai, the familiar favourite prawn paste chicken but elevated with goji jam, caviar and calamansi. Unfortunately, while we enjoyed the crispy and succulent chicken pieces, they lacked the shrimp paste flavour.

Signature Angel Hair 4/5

The Signature Angel Hair is available at a supplement of $5. It has a strong truffle scent, served with ikura, Kaviari caviar and tobiko. The angel hair pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente texture, with little pops of ikura and tobiko adding a nice briny sweetness to the dish.

Fragrance Oil Confit Duck Leg 4.2/5

Available at a supplement of $5, the Fragrance Oil Confit Duck Leg is served with crushed potatoes, split jus, and pan-roasted vegetables. The confit duck leg has a nice crispy skin, with superbly tender and juicy meat underneath.

Black Angus Beef Ribeye 4.2/5

The Black Angus Beef Ribeye served with watercress, Padron peppers, and five-spice mustard jus was also excellent. The medium rare meat was incredibly tender with hints of the smoky marinade and black pepper.

Profiteroles 4.2/5

We ended the course meal on a sweet note with a choice of desserts. The Profiteroles are filled with milk oolong cream and Chantilly cream. We enjoyed the crisp, crumbly texture of the puff pastry, and the cream, which has a fragrant hint of oolong milk and vanilla, was delicious.

Mandarin Peel Madeleines 4/5

The Mandarin Peel Madeleines are served with passion orange marmalade, adding a sharp zestiness to the soft and fluffy madeleines.

Words and photos by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Venus
198 South Bridge Rd
Singapore 058747
Tel: +65 81838181
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Nearest MRT: Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line), Maxwell (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 230pm, 5pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit F. Walk to traffic junction Cross Street and South Bridge Road. Cross the road and walk down South Bridge Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Maxwell MRT station. Take Exit 2. Walk straight down South Bright Road towards Upper Cross Street. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Dearborn Supper Club @ Chai Chee Street - Private Dining Focusing On Greens, Grains And Seafood

Our private dining adventure brought us to Dearborn Supper Club in the East which has like 5 months of waiting list. We are quite lucky to score a session at the start of the year in January if not we will have to wait until June. Dearborn Supper Club is hosted by Chef Christopher Kong who has worked at Waku Chin and Guy Savoy, offering fine-modern American cuisine in a casual setting that focus on grains, greens and seafood at his cosy five room flat.

A selections of Gin and Tonic welcome us before we proceeded to our dinner. It is definitely a warm reception from the host.

Chickpeas with Lemon 4/5 and Carrot Tartare 4.2/5

Local Snapper Riclette 4/5

Edamame Hummus 4.2/5

With started with some bite-size amuse bouche. We have the Chickpea with Lemon, Carrot Tartare, Local Snapper Riclette and Edamame Hummus. I like the zest with the chickpea which is kind of a surprise combination to elevate the flavour. The edamame hummus is also a unique take of combining middle east and Japanese flavours that is well received by the dining group.

Hokkaido Scallops 4/5

Our first course is the Hokkaido Scallops that is paired with green apple, horse radish, celery and apple vinaigrette. The refreshing pairings allows the sweetness of the scallop to stand out in the dish. A clean and pleasing dish to kick start the dinner.

Agnolotti Pasta 4.2/5

Chef Christopher's dad used to run an Italian restaurant in Washington. Hence the Agnolotti Pasta is like remembering his root. The vegetarian pasta consists of elements like sunflower seeds, pea and pecorino cheese. These parcels of delight probably just got me converted to be a vegetarian. Well maybe just for the night.

Eggplant 3.8/5

The Eggplant is char-grilled and topped with tomato relish, jalapeno relish, quinoa and dressed in a chicken mayo jus. Eggplant can be quite one dimensional in taste but dearborn has smartly created firework in the dish with the pairings.

Squid Ink Fried Rice 4.5/5

The Squid Ink Fried Rice is done paella style, giving the short brown organic rice a crispy texture at the edges. One can find seafood such as squid and prawns in the fried rice, as well as anchovy for that lift in flavour. A very delicious and comforting dish that has more Asian and Spanish influences.

Sourdough 4.5/5

For the next course, we are called upon the kitchen table where Chef Christopher brought out 2 loaves of Sourdough. A weird flow of serving as bread is usually served at the beginning of dinner but once Chef Christopher cut into the sourdough, everyone just could not stop spreading the homemade butter onto their slices of bread. The time also allows us to have more interaction with the chef who has been busy cooking all night, which I really appreciate to complete the whole private dining experience.

Grilled Cauliflower Steak 4.5/5

For our main course, we have the Grilled Cauliflower Steak topped with pickled cauliflower and olives. Noteworthy is the eggyolk and sherry sauce that complements the cauliflower steak excellently. Even though there was no meat through out the dinner, at this point I was already feeling full. Some of us could not even finish the dish.

Seaweed Madeleine 5/5

The beautiful aroma of the Seaweed Madeleine was already making me drool when it is being baked in the oven. Served fresh and hot, these moist and fluffy seaweed madeleine had us asking for more but there is only one piece per person. I was told that Chef Christopher has made yuzu madeleine and pepper madeleine. We actually challenged him to make uni madeleine.

Coconut Ice Cream 4/5

Our dessert is all about coconut. The Coconut Ice Cream has a coconut meringue roof with edible white pandan flowers. On the base of plate is coconut crumbles for texture. There is also a bit of lime zest to balance the sweetness. A refreshing dessert that is not overly sweet, well balanced and of course coconuty.

Fortune Cookies 3.5/5

Last but not least, instead of the petite fours to go along with our coffee or tea, we are offered homemade Fortune Cookies in Chinese noodle takeaway box. We even get to take home a bottle of homemade granola. The private dining dinner cost us $128 per pax for 6-course but actually we have more than 6 courses. Also I noted that the have increased the price to $138 now. Private dinner is really getting more and more expensive.


Dearborn Supper Club
Blk 51 Chai Chee Street
Singapore 460051
Website
Nearest MRT: Kembangan (EW Line), Bedok (EW Line)

Direction:
1) Alight at Bedok MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Bedok Bus Interchange (Stop ID 84009). Take bus number 26. Alight 2 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Bedok MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Bedok MRT Station (Stop ID 84039). Take bus number 222. Alight 3 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Kembangan MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Kembangan MRT station (Stop ID 83062). Take bus number 26. Alight 6 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

Lewin Terrace @ Fort Canning - Brings Back Indulgent Oh! Matcha Season Of Ichigo New Afternoon Delight Dessert Buffet

Highly raved for its exquisite dessert series, Lewin Terrace at Fort Canning has launched their matcha, as well as Ichigo (strawberry) dessert buffet previously on separate occasions. This time, you can have the both worlds as they return with a fresh new theme - The Oh! Matcha Season of Ichigo Afternoon Delight Dessert Buffet.

Available from 9 January to 29 March 2019, Lewin Terrace has teamed up with stylist Med Kärlek Inc to present a dazzling array of delectable desserts which features a combination of the best of Japan's staples with Uji Match and Chitose Ichigo.

Diners can anticipate a range of Japanese sweet treats made from home-grown brand Matchaya's Matcha powders such as the Uji Matcha Pudding, Baked Matcha Cheesecake, Uji Matcha Madeleine, Sencha Jelly with Matcha syrup. Made using premium grade Japanese Matcha leaves from Uji - they have a distinct, full-bodied bittersweet flavour which is great for matcha lovers. Now, you don't to fly all the way to Japan to enjoy these goodness.

Try the Baked Matcha Cheesecake which sports a soft matcha cake centre and a crumbly buttery crust. It scores both on flavour and aroma with just the right amount of matcha added to it.

The Uji Matcha Madeleine has a denser texture with a nice matcha aroma to the sugary pieces. The spread does not end here, but also include the Mixed Berries Tart, Mixed Berries Mille Feuille, Ichigo Chiffon, Ichigo Tiramisu, Mixed Berry Jelly, and Ichigo Clafoutis.

One of the favourite french pastries - the Mixed Berries Mille Feuille features crunchy thin layers of puff pastry, crème chantilly and fresh berries giving it a good mix of textures

The Fresh Berries Tart features slices of pound cake with whipped cream and fresh berries atop to add a tinge of strawberry sweetness to the dessert.

The Ichigo Tiramisu features a combination of diced strawberries with mascarpone cheese in small shot glasses.

The Ichigo Chiffon has a soft and fluffy texture, with a light strawberry fragrance.

For those craving for something chocolatey, there are also the classic Chocolate Pound Cake and Chocolate Macaron.

Besides the scrumptious spread of pastries displayed on the dessert table, all diners are also treated to an exclusive box of hand-made treats, Ichigo Daifuku and Charcoal Matcha Roll Cake served in a special box. While the Charcoal Matcha Roll Cake sports a nice aroma with its matcha cream, I felt that the cake has a stodgier texture, lacking the fluffiness of the usual swiss roll that one would expect.

A serving of Ichigo and Matcha Ice Cream will also be served to all guests upon order. Creamy and light enough to end your meal on a pleasant note.

Apart from the indulgent ala carte dessert menu, Lewin Terrace also offers a 3-course lunch menu ($58++) which comes with an appetizer and main, as well as a 4-course menu ($88++) which comes with 2 mains of fish and meat options. The appetiser of Truffle Mushroom Soup with Onsen Egg is a consistent favourite around the table. The creaminess of the soup binds the different flavours together - the earthiness of the mushroom and truffle fragrance in a perfect combination. The truffle shavings adds a more pronounced truffle flavour to the dish, while the runny onsen eggs acts as an essential finishing touch to gel all the elements together.

The main dish is their Signature Cod Saikyoyaki, with a Japanese-style soft and tender cod fish soaked in flavourful miso broth. Lastly, round off the meal on a sweet ending with their dessert buffet.

Oh! Matcha Season of Ichigo is available Wednesday to Friday, 1pm to 3pm from 9 January to 29 March 2019 at $38++ per pax for the a la carte Dessert Buffet. The 3 Course Set Lunch including Dessert Buffet is priced at $58++ (from 12pm onwards).

Words and photos by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Lewin Terrace
21 Lewin Terrace
Singapore 179290
Tel: +65 63339905
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 12pm - 3pm, 630pm - 1100pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit B. Take left onto North Bridge. Walk to the traffic light junction of North Bridge Road and Coleman Street. Cross the road towards Peninsula Plaza and continue walking towards the junction of Coleman Street and Hill Street. Cross the road to the central fire station. Continue on Coleman Street until Singapore Philatelic Museum. Look out for the metal gate before the museum, turn left in and take the stairs to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]