Golden Peony @ Conrad Centennial Singapore - Celebrate the Roaring Year of the Dragon with a Line-up of Cantonese Creations

Weaving his expertise in Cantonese cuisine with modern elements, Executive Chinese Chef Ku Keung of Golden Peony presents an array of Lunar New Year set menus and a la carte specialities to celebrate the roaring year of the Dragon.

From now until 24 February 2024, diners can select from lavish set menus for intimate and group celebrations. The chef has even thoughtfully prepared a vegetarian menu for vegetarian diners. The 6 set menus range from $178 per pax to $2698 per table of 10.

Fortune Gold Flakes ‘Yu Sheng’ 4.2/5

The Fortune Gold Flakes 'Yu Sheng' ($188 for 10 pax) features a medley of ingredients, including lobster, baby abalone, crispy whitebait, golden coin chicken bak kwa, fish skin, and fresh fruit. This festive mainstay dish is also available for takeaway or delivery.

Multigrain Rice Ball Infused with Chicken Purée and Smoked Chili Sauce 4/5

The chef's disciple created the Multigrain Rice Ball Infused with Chicken Purée and Smoked Chili Sauce. It had several unique elements that were all made from chicken - a chicken purée, chicken pâté, and even a chicken bak kut teh like jelly on the side.

Spanish Carabinero Prawn ‘Yuan Yang’ Fish Paste Noodle 4.2/5

My favourite dish of the night was the Spanish Carabinero Prawn 'Yuan Yang' Fish Paste Noodle ($48 per person). The slightly springy fish paste noodles sit in a delicate egg white and Chinese wine broth, with two pieces of sweet Spanish Carabinero Prawns done two ways - thoroughly steamed and half cooked.

Duck Breast Stewed with Hawthorn, Snow Pear and American Ginseng 4/5

Next was the Duck Breast Stewed with Hawthorn, Snow Pear and American Ginseng ($38 per person). While the duck was tender, the sauce was a bit sweeter than I'd prefer.

Lobster Superior Broth with Preserved Vegetables, Tomato and Beancurd 4.2/5

Another highlight for me was the Lobster Superior Broth with Preserved Vegetables, Tomato and Beancurd. It is Chef's rendition of the increasingly popular suan cai yu, with a bolder and spicier kick. The plump and fleshy lobster was sweet and tender.

Roasted Suckling Pig Stuffed with Kimchi Fried Rice and Chicken 4.2/5

The Chef's unique suckling pig creation is an annual Lunar New Year highlight at Golden Peony. This year, the Chef brought to the table a Roasted Suckling Pig Stuffed with Kimchi Fried Rice and Chicken ($468 for Whole). It's packed to the brim with kimchi fried rice and a surprise centre of fried chicken.

Chilled Dragon Fruit with Crystal Pearls 4/5

We wrapped up the dinner with a two-part dessert. First, it was the refreshing Chilled Dragon Fruit with Crystal Pearls. It was put together with the fruit's flesh, popping pearls and a scoop of dragon fruit ice cream.

Trio of Warm Desserts 4.2/5

Second, the warm Trio of Crispy Sesame Ball was filled with Egg Custard, Dragon Beard Candy with Crushed Peanuts and Tau Sar Piah. These were classic snacks done well.

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.


Golden Peony
Conrad Centennial Singapore
2 Temasek Boulevard
Singapore 038982
Tel: +65 6432 7482
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Nearest MRT: Promenade (CC, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm
Sat-Sun: 1130am - 1pm, 130pm - 3pm, 630pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Promenade MRT station. Take Exit B. Continue walking along Temasek Avenue to destination Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Masizzim @ 313 Somerset - Expanded Menu Offering Shabu-Shabu, Crabmeat Egg Roll & More

The popular Korean restaurant, Masizzim has expanded their menu, offering new dishes such as Shabu-Shabu, crabmeat egg roll and spicy octopus. The new dishes will be available at both the 313 Somerset and Westgate outlets.

Shabu-Shabu 4/5

The newly launched Shabu-Shabu comes in spicy and non-spicy soup base. Customers have a choice of pork collar ($17.90 single portion), beef short plate ($19.90 single portion) or premium wagyu beef ($24.90 single portion) for the their shabu-shabu. Each shabu-shabu set also includes a bowl of assorted vegetables and mushrooms, Korean ramyeon and dipping sauces. Diners can also request for add-ons which is available at a nominal price.

Bulgogi Rice Ball Pork and Beef 4.2/5

Following their popular seafood-based rice balls, Masizzim has added new renditions incorporating Bulgogoi Fried Pork ($9) and Bulgogi Fried Beef ($10) into the mixed grain rice with seaweed, kimchi and sesame seeds. If you are new to the dish, it is served in a deconstructed bowl whereby customers need to get their hand dirty, to shape their own rice balls.

King's Ribs 3.5/5

Slow cooked to fork tender in Masizzim's secret stew sauce is the King's Ribs ($16.90). It is then stir fried with capsicums, red dates, king oyster mushrooms, chilli powder and sesame seeds. Unfortunately I find the sauce a bit too sweet for my liking.

Spicy Octopus 3.8/5

Another new dish on the menu is the Spicy Octopus ($17) served in a bed of blanched beansprouts. I thought the sauce can be more fiery. Customers can also eat it like a wrap, wrapping the baby octopus in the soft tortilla. I feel that the restaurant can serve more of the soft tortilla as it goes really well with the spicy octopus and beansprouts.

Crabmeat Egg Roll 4.5/5

Last but not least, my favourite item of the expanded menu is the Crabmeat Egg Roll ($12.90). This is great for sharing. Stuffed with real shredded crabmeat and seaweed, the omelette is sweet, fluffy and pillowy. One word - Oishii!

Overall I feel that diners will enjoy the new dishes at Masizzim and it has given diners more choices and reasons for a re-visit. Moreover, the price is pretty reasonable.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Masizzim
313 Somerset
313 Orchard Road
#B3-02
Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 65095808
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 11am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm

Direction: 
Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to 313 Somerset. Take the escalator to basement 3. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Positano Risto @ Bussorah Street - Launches New Menu With More Than 10 Scrumptious Classic Italian Dishes

Situated in the heart of Kampong Glam, just a stone throw away from the buzzing Haji Lane is Positano Risto - a 7-month old Muslim-owned establishment with a casual Italian dining concept. Bringing a brand new menu to the table with more than 10 new Italian dishes to indulge in, diners can expect a variety of classic Italian must-haves such as the Squid Ink Pasta, handmade Thin Crust Roma Style Pizzas and have a taste of authentic flavours from dishes such as herbed Osso Bucco and Premium Short Ribs.

Arancini Balls 3.8/5

The Arancini Balls ($11.95) features 4 pieces of golden brown crispy spheres made with warm fragrant Italian rice and stuffed with stretchy mozzarella. Fried to perfection, the Arancini balls does not taste oily and the homemade sauce at the bottom complemented the Italian rice balls excellently.

Positano's Signature Boston Lobster Fettuccine 3.5/5

Their Signature Boston Lobster Fettuccine ($58.95) features a whole Boston lobster with fettuccine soaked in a generous portion of creamy lobster bisque sauce. While we find the heap of fettuccine a tad too salty, the noodles are cooked al dente and the creamy sauce further brings our the natural sweetness of the lobster meat. The larger portioned dish is suitable for sharing between 2 pax.

Godfather 4/5 and Frullato Di Frutta 4/5

The Godfather ($13.95) features a ferrero rocher nutella milkshake with vanilla ice cream. Packed with a rich ferrero rocher flavour, the drink may be a tad sinful, yet thoroughly enjoyable as it is not overly sweet and filled with an intense nutty chocolate aroma. The Frullato Di Frutta ($8.95) features a non-fat orange yogurt drink, which is a refreshing sweet-sour combination with a minty aftertaste.

Photos and words 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.


Positano Risto
66 Bussorah Street
Singapore 199479
Tel: +65 62921866
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Website
Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway (CC Line), Bugis (DT Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1130am - 1030pm
Fri: 1130am - 11pm
Sat: 1130am - 12midnight

Direction:
1) Alight at Nicoll Highway MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the overhead bridge to Beach Road. Walk towards the junction of Jalan Sultan and Beach Road. Cross the road and walk down Beach Road. Turn right onto Bussorah Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk towards Raffles Hospital. Walk to junction of North Bridge Road and Ophir Road. Cross the junction and walk down North Bridge Road towards Arab Street. Turn right into Arab Street. Walk down Arab Street. Turn left onto Baghdad Street. Turn right onto Bussorah Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Nirai Kanai Okinawan Restaurant @ Liang Court - A Different Type Of Japanese Cuisine

It has been a long while since I last visited Nirai Kanai Okinawan at Liang Court in 2012. This time I am back with my colleagues who are interested to find out more about Okinawan food. Even though Okinawa is part of Japanese but their cuisine is very different from the main land.

Peanut Bean Curd 2.8/5

We started with some light bites such as the Peanut Beancurd ($6.50). The texture of the beancurd is almost pudding like. However I find it hard to appreciate the combination of peanut with the silky smooth texture.

Salted Young Fish & Salted Bonito on Okinawan Cold Bean Curd 1/5

We decided to be adventurous and ordered the Salted Young Fish and Salted Bonito on Okinawan Cold Beancurd ($9). Unfortunately it turned out to be a horror decision. the salted young fish and bonito were extremely fishy. I could not accept the acquire taste.

Pig's Ear Marinated with Ponzu Sauce 4/5

The last time I visited the restaurant I had the Pig's Ear ($8) with peanut sauce but this time we had it with the ponzu sauce instead. The ponzu sauce gave the pig's ear a new refreshing dimension on top of its crunchy texture.

Green Caviar - Seaweed with Ponzu Sauce 3.5/5

Whetting up the appetite is the Green Caviar - Seaweed with Ponzu Sauce ($14). The popping saltiness complemented by the tangy ponzu sauce for a delectable appetizer.

Tacos Rice 4/5

We are actually quite surprised to find Tacos Rice ($15.80) on the menu. My guess is that the dish comes about because of the America navy base in Okinawa. Over the years, it may have influenced the cuisine in Okinawa. Served in a hot pot, the dish comes with minced spicy beef, lettuce, cheese, salsa sauce and rice, Give it a good toss for the sauces to coat the rice for a fragrant and cheesy enjoyment.

Okinawan Seasoned Rice Ball 4.2/5

The other rice dish on the menu we tried is the Okinawan Seasoned Rice Ball ($6.50 for 2pc). Beautifully seasoned, it somewhat reminded me of the Chinese's glutinous rice used in rice dumpling. I enjoyed it and this is one item I will order in my next visit.

Aosa Seaweed Tempura 3/5

While the Aosa Seaweed Tempura ($8.80 for 2pc/ $13 for 4pc) has a good crispy bite, I find that the flavour was rather bland. It needed some extra savoury element to boost the finishing or it felt like eating a pile of grass.

Simmered Pork Belly 4.2/5

The Simmered Pork Belly ($9.80 for 2pc / $14.80 for 4pc) is one of the dishes I enjoyed during my previous visit hence I recommended by colleagues to try. It is still a very enticing dish with the wobbly layer of fats attached to the well braised lean part of the pork. However I felt that the texture was not as soft as I remembered. It seemed like it needed more time to break it down more.

Pan Fried Salted Pork Belly 3.5/5

Known as the Okinawan beacon it the Pan Fried Salted Pork Belly ($12). Nothing fantasy, just like eating a big piece of sio bak to appreciate the the crispy pork belly.

Stir Fried Bitter Gourd with Pork, Okinawan Bean Curd and Okinawan Egg 4.8/5

The highlight at Nirai Kanai OKinawan for me is the Stir Fried Bitter Gourd with Pork, Okinawan Bean Curd and Okinawan Egg ($7 small/ $9.50 large). It was a hearty and comforting dish that probably can be eaten in every Okinawan's home. Though simple, I like how it was executed with the runny egg coating the crunchy bitter gourd, complemented for the silky tofu for that contrast in textures.

In fact, Okinawan cuisine is rather unique. It is totally different from Japanese cuisine that we know. In short, it felt like many of the dishes were Chinese inspired while some probably influenced by the American. I also noted that Okinawan cuisine simple to be focus in pork, tofu and bitter gourd.


Nirai Kanai Okinawan Restaurant
Liang Court Shopping Centre
177 River Valley Road
#B1-01/02
Singapore 179030
Tel: +65 63394811
Nearest MRT: Fort Canning (DT Line), Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
Sat-Sun: 12pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Fort Canning MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn right and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit C, F or G. Walk along the river toward Riverside Point direction. Cross the bridge to the other end of the river. Turn left and walk towards Liang Court. Journey time about 10  minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk to bus stop at Clark Quay Station (Stop ID 04222). Take bus number 54. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Patbingsoo Korean Dining House @ Plaza Singapura - More Than Just Bingsoo

Patbingsoo Korean Dining House at basement two of Plaza Singapura is brought to you by the same folk behind the popular Seorae Korean Charcoal BBQ Restaurant. Don't be mistaken by the name of the restaurant. Besides the diverse variety of bingsoo, Patbingsoo Korean Dining House brings the latest street food trends of South Korea to Singapore.

Fried Samgyeopsal 3.5/5

An addictive snack is the Fried Samgyeopsal ($6.90). Have you guess what is it? It is actually deep fried pork belly paired with honey mustard sauce. It was like having bacon.

House Special Ramyeon 4/5

A favoruite among the crowd at Patbingsoo Korean Dining House is the House Special Ramyeon ($11.90). The warm and hearty pot comes with noodles, spam, kimchi, and nori in special spicy soup. I felt that the soup can be spicier or maybe an option to select the different spicy levels. For an additional cost, diner has the option to add extra topping of kimchi french fries, french fries, cheese, ramyeon and steamed rice.

Cheese Kimchi Fried Rice 3.5/5

The Cheese Kimchi Fried Rice ($9.90) is infused with kimchi and top with lots of mozzarella. It even comes with a fried egg and nori. While the rice was delectable and fragrant, I felt it lacked the robustness of the kimchi flavour. Even the cheese was hardly traceable.

Tteok Carbonara 3/5

How about going Italian with the Tteok Carbonara ($12.90). The sauteed tteok together with bacon and corn kernel is buried in a thick creamy cheese sauce. Unfortunately the sauce was a bit on the salty side and the tteok did not really go well with the creamy sauce.

Dynamite Spam 4.2/5

A very unpleasant looking dish is the Dynamite Spam ($11.90) which surprisingly tasted really good. The server will torch on the special dynamite sauce made up of gochujang and mayonnaise sauce at table side, and then sliced into pieces to pair with the nori riceballs.

Rolling Cheese Pork Ribs 4.2/5

The highlight at Patbingsoo Korean Dining House is the Rolling Cheese Pork Ribs ($38.90) which comes with 4 huge tender pork ribs, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, fries, chips, corn, pineapple and mayo sauce. The server will melt the cheese at table side and then rolled it around the pork ribs for a lifted enjoyment. The rest of the cheese is then tossed with the french fries for a cheesy finish.

Gimpo Bingsoo 3/5

After all the savoury stuff, do save some space for dessert, especially their different bingsoo. The Gimpo Bingsoo ($11.90) is a tiramisu inspired bingsoo infused with green tea. It comes with rum and green tea ice cream. I did not quite enjoy it, the combination and balance was a bit weird.

Sinsa Patbingsoo 4/5

The Sinsa Patbingsoo ($14.90) comes with a whole rock melon that is cut out with a special equipment to maintain the dome shape of the entire fruit. Inside the dome, it comes vanilla ice cream topped with red bean, nata de coco and cornflakes for the extra crunch.

Apgujeong Bingsoo 4.2/5

Among the three bingsoo desserts, the Apgujeong Bingsoo ($13.90) is my favourite. The vanilla ice cream is excellently complemented by the cheese, cheese sauce, cheese cake and cheese wafer. To sweetened the whole experience, drizzled the condensed milk over the bingsoo.

Noted: This is an invited tasting.


Patbingsoo Korean Dining House
Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
#B2-47
Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 91813038
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut (CC Line, NE Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1130am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 1130am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. Take Exit C or D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Masizzim @ 313 Somerset

A new Korean restaurant, Masizzim has sprout up in 313 Somerset basement 3 next to Chir Chir. In fact, Masizzim is brought to you by the same folks that opened Chir Chir. Masizzim focus is on Korean stew, complemented by a medley of traditional and modern Korean side dishes.

Pork Rib Stew 3/5

Guests at Masizzim have a choice of the Pork Rib Stew, Beef Rib Stew or Spicy Chicken. For the Pork Rib Stew (individual $16 / Double $29), we decided to go for the soy flavour which is non spicy. The Australian pork mixed ribs is slow cooked in a blend of soy sauce, pineapples and Korean pear resulting in a sweet base with fall of the bone meat. The stew also comes with a choice of Korean udon or glass noodles. We had the Korean udon for the pork rib stew. We even added on Toppoki ($2).

Beef Rib Stew 4/5

Many of the us preferred the Beef Rib Stew (Individual $18 / Double $32) among the three choices. The Australian beef short ribs is slow cooked in a spicy base made of gochujang (red pepper paste), offers a choice of level 1 to 4 for spiciness. The soup base is more robust and flavourful with the tender meat.

Spicy Chicken Stew 4/5

My personal favourite is actually the Spicy Chicken Stew (Individual $18 / Double $29). The soup base may not be as rich in flavour compared to the beef rib stew, the creamy chilli base is some what similar to our local curry chicken. It was the similarity that connected with my palate.

Masizzim's Rice Ball (Tuna or Anchovy) 4.2/5

The Masizzim's Rice Balls ($8) comes with the choice of Tuna or Anchovy. Diners actually get to get the hands dirty mixing the bowl of ingredients and shaped them into a ball shape for consumption. It actually quite hard to say which is better as each has its own goodness.

Anchovy Rice Ball 4.2/5

The Anchovy Rice Ball comes with crispy anchovies, seaweed crumbs and crushed chilli padi atop three mixed grains; medium-grain white rice stained purple from Korean black rice and barley. This has more textures compared to the Tuna Rice Ball.

Tuna Rice Ball 4.2/5

The Tuna Rice Ball is wetter and richer in flavour. It comes with flakes of tuna with mayonnaise and fried kimchi, seaweed crumbs and crushed chilli padi atop three mixed grains; medium-grain white rice stained purple from Korean black rice and barley.

Tomato Cheese Kimchi Pancake 3/5

A modern interpretation of the tradition Korean pancake is the Tomato Cheese Kimchi Pancake ($13) which has kimchi and stuffed beef, further topped with tomato paste, mozzarella and chopped basil. While it tasted reasonably good, I thought it tried too hard to be a fusion dish which I don't quite buy the idea.

Potato Pancake 3/5

The Potato Pancake ($12) is really an unique Korean pancake. I don't remember having this dish anywhere else before. The pancake itself can be very one dimensional in terms of taste. Very important to have it together with the house blended dipping sauce for a wholesome enjoyment.

Squid & Leek Pancake 4.2/5

One of the best pancake at Masizzim is the Squid & Leek Pancake ($14). The traditional pancake comes with tender silvers of squid and leek. The light batter allows one to appreciate the freshness of the seafood and leek with the slightly charred exterior that comes with each bite.

Overall, I would recommend trying the Beef Rib Stew, Masizzim Rice Balls and Squid & Leek Pancake in your next visit to Masizzim.


Masizzim
313 Somerset
313 Orchard Road
#B3-02
Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 65095808
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 11am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm

Direction: 
Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to 313 Somerset. Take the escalator to basement 3. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]