Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Spruce @ Fire Station (Upper Bukit Timah)

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This is the time of the year where restaurants are pushing out their festive menus. After my recent visit to Spruce at Phoenix Park, I am back to Spruce but at their Upper Bukit Timah Fire station outlet to try their Festive Set Menu ($38++) available from 1 to 30 December 2014 except 24, 25 and 31 December 2014. OCBC cardmembers will enjoy a 10% discount for the Festive 3 course menu which comes with a Salad, choice of main and a dessert.

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Roasted Beetroot & Chevre Salad 4/5

Starting the 3 course Festive Menu was the Roasted Beetroot & Chevre Salad. It consists of a bed of roasted beetroot, candied walnuts, arugula and white balsamic dressing. I like the roasted beetroot which still comes with a nice crunch on top of its earthy sweetness.

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Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup 3.5/5

For an additional $10, you can add the Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup to make it a 4 course meal. It was a comforting and hearty soup especially for the rainy period. If you are in the mood for some champagne, spruce offers the Pierre Paillard Cru Brut Chapagne for an additional of $45 for 375ml or $85 for 750ml.

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Smoked Lamb Bockwurst with Chestnut Stuffing 3/5

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Roasted Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing 3.5/5

The mains come with a choice of either the Smoked Lamb Bockwurst with Chestnut Stuffing or Roasted Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing. I really like the plating, the dish has the Christmas feel in its presentation. Among the two mains, I would prefer the turkey. I enjoyed how the sweetness of the cranberry sauce complemented the turkey meat.

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Pumpkin Pie 2.8/5

Drawing the curtain to the 3 course festive set menu is the Pumpkin Pie. While I enjoyed the buttery crust, I thought the pumpkin flavour was lacking. I could barely tasted any pumpkin. It probably has been masked off by the sweetness of the marshmallow.

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Ahi Tuna Tartar 4.5/5

Besides the festive menu, Spruce at Fire Station offers a lot of yummlicious dishes on the a la carte menu. One such dish is the Ahi Tuna Tartar ($22) that my friend highly recommended. 120 grams of sashimi grade raw tuna mixed with a special vinaigrette and served with a sliced avocado and toasted ciabatta bread. One word, awesome. You just need to have it.

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Signature Salad 4.2/5

For a healthy and clean diet, Spruce's Signature Salad ($19) is pretty substantial with fresh corn, dates, almonds, Momotaro tomato, cucumber, avocado mixed green and chevre cheese. I like the choice of the champagne vinaigrette dressing which is not too heavy complementing the nature flavours of the salad. I actually find the use of dates in the salad rather interesting as you don't often get it elsewhere.

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Spruce Burger 4/5

Over at Spruce @ Phoenix Park, I tried their pasta dishes so this time round I had the burgers instead. First up is the Spruce Burger ($18) which comes with a 160 grams freshly grounded Australian beef chunk sandwiched in between the black and white sesame bun that is made freshly daily. The burger is also topped with havarti cheese, bacons, lettuces etc. The beef patty itself was juicy and moist. However I felt something was missing in the burger, probably that feeling of guilt and messiness when you bite into one. I like my burger to be very big in flavour but this was more refined.

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Tuna Burger 3/5

The Tuna Burger ($24) is one item on the menu that caught my eye when I first visited Spruce. I tried the cod fish burger from market grill before and it was awesome. I was hoping the tuna burger will be something similar. Unfortunately, I felt a bit disappointed when it was served as a patty instead of a whole tuna fillet. I was a decent burger but it was not memorable.  The star ingredient, tuna was hardly noticeable in the execution.

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Red Velvet Cupcake and Latte 4/5

Don't be mislead by all the different colourful neon lights at Spruce Fire Station. This is not just a drinking place, it actually serves a cup of good coffee. The beans are sourced from Naples in Italy. We also tried the Red Velvet Cupcake which gets the approval from around the table. It was nicely balanced, not overly sweet and moist.

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Pecan Pie 3/5

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Baked Ginger Date Pudding 4/5

I have tried the Baked Ginger Date Pudding ($15) before and I still enjoy it. Warm, moist and comes with hints of ginger flavour. This is heavenly paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. If you like something nutty and sweet, the Pecan Pie would be a good choice too.

Having visit both Spruce's outlet, I have to say I have enjoyed both my experience. For those that drives, parking is free. Spruce Fire Station also screens live soccer matches, hence it is a good place to hang out with friends for a drink and catch a match too. Of course not to be missed is the festive promotional menu at $38++ and OCBC cardmembers get another 10% discount.


Spruce @ Fire Station (Upper Bukit Timah)
260 Upper Bukit Timah
#01-01
Singapore 588190
Tel: +65 64665582
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpruceFirestation
Website: http://www.spruce.com.sg
Nearest MRT: Bukit Batok (NS Line), Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 12midnight
Sat-Sun & PH: 9am - 12midnight

Direction:
1) Alight at Bukit Batok MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Bukit Batok Bus Interchange (Stop ID 43009). Take bus no. 852. Alight 6 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station (Stop ID 17179). Take bus number 184. Alight 13 stops later. Walk to overhead bridge. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 25 minutes. [Map]

Monday, December 8, 2014

The Fullerton Bay Hotel Christmas 2014

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Christmas is upon us again. To usher in this festive season, The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore has decided to hold a Giving Hope Charity Buffet Dinner at The Clifford Pier. The hotel will pledge S$20 net for every dining patron in support of Hope Centre Singapore's Bursary Awards. I considered myself lucky to be able to attend this meaningful event. Although the essence of Christmas has always been about sharing and giving, I find myself guilty of excessive indulgence at times. It is a indeed a rare opportunity to be able to indulge for a good cause.

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This evening, diners also have the chance to witness the hotel's very first Christmas Light-Up Ceremony. As the ceremony began, I could see that the audience was captivated by the enchanting tune made by the handbell ringers as it rippled through the air of colonial grandeur of this conserved heritage site. The candle-lit march-in by the hotel staff added on to this magical moment. It was then followed by a special performance, staged by the children from the hotel's designated beneficiary, Hope Centre Singapore.

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Roasted Turkey

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Roasted Prime Ribs

With the ceremony coming to an end, it officially marks the start of the festive season. The buffet featured some of Singapore's traditional delights which I reckon are the star of this buffet. The spread also includes the season's classics such as the Traditional Roasted Turkey and Roasted Prime Ribs. To balance your meal, there is also quite a good varieties of greens and cold salads to choose from.

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Rickshaw Noodles is known to be their signature. I must say it did taste as good as it looks. I find the minced meat very well braised which flavours the noodles really well. The spring egg somehow acts like a sauce to the dry noodles, coating the noodles with the delectable braised sauce.

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Rickshaw Noodles

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I have a soft spot for braised pork belly bun and writing about their Soya Sauce Braised Pork Belly in Lotus Bun simply adds on to my craving. Theirs indeed is must try. It was well braised with a slight charred flavour. The sinful layer of fats did not seem to leave much behind either.

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Oriental Turkey

Their "Beggar Chicken"-inspired Oriental Turkey is surprisingly good. I could have mistaken the meat as chicken as it was almost as tender as that. It was subtly flavoured by the Chinese herbs during the baking process, such as Dang Gui, Red Dates, Wolfberries etc. This newly created item is also included in their Christmas takeaways.

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Desserts was quite a sumptuous spread, and I got to try The Fullerton Hotel's creation, the 7th Heaven Yule Log as well as their in house Panettone made using their very own Italian recipe. Their Yule Log is truly an indulgence made using ingredients such as Bailey Irish Cream, Jivara Chocolate, Ivory Chocolate etc, that bounds to satiate your sweet tooth. Both items are available in their range of Christmas takeaways.

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If you happen to miss this charity buffet and are keen to try out their signatures, here's your chance. The Fullerton Bay Hotel is going to hold another 2 sessions on Christmas Eve and Christmas day itself, priced at $128 and $68 for adult and child respectively. You will get to enjoy similar spread, as well as the marvellous view this place offers.

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The Fullerton Bay Hotel has a list of festive dining lined up for you from now till New Year. So to give yourself or others a treat, do check it out among your other choices!

Christmas Heritage Buffet Dinner
Date: 24-25 December 2014
Time: 630pm - 1030pm
Adult $128*, Child $64*

New Year Eve Heritage Buffet Dinner
Date: 31 December 2014
Time: 630pm - 1030pm
Adult $148*, Child $74*

* prices are subject ot 10% service charge and government taxes.


The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore
80 Collyer Quay
Singapore 049326
Tel: +65 65975266
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFullertonHotel
Website: http://www.fullertonbayhotel.com/dining/the-clifford-pier
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Lunch: 12pm - 230pm
High Tea: 330pm - 530pm
Dinner: 630pm - 10pm
Supper: 10pm - 12midnight (Sun-Thu), 10pm - 1am (Fri-Sat)

Direction:
1) Alight at Raffles Place MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Clifford Centre. Cut across the building. Go to 2nd floor, take the overhead bridge link across the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]