Gary’s Restaurant @ Rochester Park - Contemporary Italian Restaurant Set In A Heritage Bungalow

Gary's Restaurant, helmed by Taiwan-born Singaporean Chef Gary Wu, is located in a heritage bungalow surrounded by greenery. It's tucked in the quaint Rochester Park and offers both indoor and alfresco dining, as well as private dining spaces that are fit for various occasions.

Homemade Focaccia with Kombu Butter

We were served complimentary Homemade Focaccia with Kombu Butter before the start of the meal. I would highly recommend enjoying them immediately upon serving while they are still warm. The focaccia slices were lightly toasty yet fluffy, pairing perfectly with the homemade kombu butter.

Red Prawn Tartare 4.5/5

Appetiser was a flavourful start with the Red Prawn Tartare ($26), made with a combination of Botan Ebi and Gambero Rossi prawns. The drizzle of citrusy dressing and crunchy watercress bits complemented the intense sweetness and freshness of the prawn base, elevated with caviar and creamy uni.

Iconic Gary’s Garden Salad 4/5

The Iconic Gary's Garden Salad ($26) is a creation inspired by one of Singapore's iconic city skylines - Marina Bay Sands. It is assembled with mashed potato, charcoal powder and breadcrumbs as the 'soil' base, alongside seasonal greens such as heirloom carrots, US asparagus, mushrooms and more. It's then topped with truffle snow, pops of olive oil caviar and seasonal truffle shavings. It is a lighter starter than the Red Prawn Tartare, focusing on the freshness of the seasonal vegetables.

Signature Seafood Pasta 4.2/5

The Signature Seafood Pasta ($28) features homemade tagliolini in a seafood-rich stock made from slow-cooked lobsters and prawns. All the seafood in this pasta - clams, mussels, lobster and baby cuttlefish, were flambéed with brandy to bring out their flavours further. I appreciated how there wasn't too much of other additional seasoning added in, which allowed emphasis on the natural seafood sweetness.

Scottish Bamboo Clam 4.5/5

The dish that won unanimous praise from our table is the Scottish Bamboo Clam ($36). It is flambéed in white wine, and the crunchy slices of clams are then dressed in a light lemon dressing to pair with Italian squid-ink pasta in a garlicky base. The addition of bottarga powder elevated the overall seafood flavour with its light fishy notes.

Iberico Pork Jowl 3.5/5

The Iberico Pork Jowl ($38) features pork marinated with a blend of herbs and spices for 24 hours, accompanied by carrot purée and crushed pistachio. While the flavour was decent, it was a pity that the pork slices were too chewy for our liking.

Grass-fed Tenderloin

My dining companions enjoyed the Grass-fed Tenderloin ($42). The 150-day grass-fed Australian tenderloin is chargrilled and served with sides of potato cake, endives, roasted mushrooms, Dijon mustard and veal juice reduced with red wine.

Dessert Platter

If you're here for a celebration, the Dessert Platter is something you can look out for. End your meal with a fun sparkler candle that comes with a minimum order of 2 desserts. We got to try a trio for our platter here.

Gary’s Chocolate Lava Cake 3.5/5

Though the exterior of Gary’s Chocolate Lava Cake ($16) leaned more eggy tasting, it had an oozy dark chocolate centre which we enjoyed. We had ours with a scoop of nutty and sweet pistachio ice cream.

Gary’s Apple Tart 3/5

I prefer apple tarts with more tartness, while Gary's Apple Tart ($16) leans more bitter-sweet with the caramel sauce. Unfortunately, we found this a little too dry as a whole.

Tiramisu 3.8/5

Last but not least, the Tiramisu ($16). The highlight was its smooth and light mascarpone pairing with Kahlua coffee liqueur.

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.


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]

Casa Pietrasanta @ Connexis Tower, Fusionpolis - Private Dining Concept With Italian-Mediterranean Degustation Menus Under $75

Casa Pietrasanta at One North is a new affordable Italian private dining concept by Ristorante Pietrasanta. The intimate 20-seater space, centred around an open kitchen, offers degustation menus under $75.

We have the Three Course Dinner Degustation Menu ($64.90 per guest), comprising an appetiser, a main course and a dessert. The dinner started with complimentary bread and breadstick paired with olive oil. Following that is a delightful cod fish croquette, deep-fried and paired with a delicious tomato sauce.

Stracciatella 3.5/5

There are six options for Appetiser. I decided to go for the Stracciatella, which requires an additional top-up of $5. The plate consists of burrata cream, 18-month parma ham, rocket pesto and semi-dried tomatoes with homemade balsamic glaze. It is a classic pairing that won't go wrong.

Seabass Carpaccio 4/5

Tortino della Lunigiana 4.2/5

The other appetiser my dining companions chose were Seabass Carpaccio and Tortino della Lunigiana. If you prefer something light and refreshing, go for the Seabass Carpaccio. The thinly sliced seabass was seasoned with pink peppercorn, lemon zest and Tuscan extra virgin olive oil. Another beautiful appetiser is the traditional Tortino della Lunigiana, laid with zucchini and red onion frittata. I love how the red onion's sweetness comes through in the dish.

Duchess Potatoes 4.5/5

Before moving to our mains, we are served with some Duchess Potatoes. I love this way of enjoying mashed potatoes, giving them delectable duo textures, crispy on the exterior and creamy inside.

Risotto Escargot 4.2/5

There are six options for the Mains. I decided to go for the Risotto Escargot for an additional $8. It was a good recommendation from the staff. The rice cooked in a red wine brown sauce was deliciously flavourful. It even comes with three escargots which probably need some effort to remove the flesh from the shell, but all is worth it.

Guanciale di Manzo 4/5

The rest of the group has the Guanciale di Manzo and Linguine Vongole e Bottarga. Meat lovers will enjoy the Beef Cheek cooked to tender, dressed in a spicy green sauce and paired with red and yellow capsicum. An additional $10 top-up is required for the beef cheek.

Linguine Vongole e Bottarga 4.2/5

Ristorante Pietrasanta is known for its pasta, and sure indeed, the Linguine with Clam cooked with grey mullet bottarga in white wine sauce did not disappoint. The addition of fresh tomatoes further brightened the whole enjoyment.

Gianduiotto al Fior di Latte 3.8/5

There are three choices for dessert to wrap up the dinner on a sweet note. Chocolate lovers will enjoy the rich and creamy Milk Chocolate Gianduiotto, topped with Amarena cherries and paired with milk cream sauce to cut the richness.

Sharon's Granita 4/5

The Sharon's Granita comprising lychees granita, prosecco jelly and roselle syrup is a light and refreshing dessert that is somewhat addictive. I could not help returning for more as it has a nostalgic taste that grows on me.

Tortino alle Mele e Vaniglia 4.2/5

The crowd favourite was the Tortino alle Mele e Vaniglia. A delicious green apple crumble tart topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Two menus entice for lunch and dinner at Casa Pietrasanta. Lunch is priced at $39.90 (3-Course) and $59.90 (4-Course), while Dinner is priced at $64.90 (3-Course) and $74.90 (4-Course). 

Note: This is an invited tasting.



Casa Pietrasanta
Connexis (Fusionpolis One)
1 Fusionpolis Way
#02-04
Singapore 138632
Tel: +65 81251154
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Website
Nearest MRT: One-North (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at One-North MRT station. Take Exit C. Turn right and walk out of the building. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

The Gyu Bar @ Stevens Road - Commemorates National Day With Spicy Tomato Sukiyaki

To celebrate Singapore national day, The Gyu Bar comes up with a limited edition Spicy Tomato Sukiyaki, available for both dine-in and takeaway from 8 to 31 August 2022. The sukiyaki incorporates flavours well-loved by Singaporeans, tanginess from the tomato coupled with hint of spiciness from the chilli padi.

Before starting on our lunch, we are served with some Sakura Cracker to munch on while waiting for the first course to be served.

Seasonal Starters

Our first course is the Seasonal Starters that comprises of the crowd's favourite Uni Yukke Cone. The cone is stuffed with beef tartare and crowned with uni.

Perfect for two persons, guests may choose from a selection of:

- 250g Hida Wagyu Sirloin ($308++ for dine-in; $238+ for takeaway)
- 250g Miyazaki Wagyu Sirloin ($268++ for dine-in; $198+ for takeaway)
- 250g Olive Wagyu Sirloin ($368++ for dine-in; $298+ for takeaway)
- 250g Assorted Platter of Hida, Miyazaki, and Olive Wagyu Sirloin ($328++ for dine- in; $268+ for takeaway) – ideal for those who enjoy a variety of quality wagyu
- 300g Hokkaido Pork ($208++ for dine-in; $138+ for takeaway)

The Gyu Bar’s house-made warishita is imbued with fresh tanginess and natural sweetness from peeled tomatoes. For those who enjoy spicy soups, tantalise the taste buds with optional add-ons of chilli padi and deep-fried garlic chips that are served on the side.

Every sukiyaki set is accompanied by assorted vegetables and tofu, konnyaku noodles, two bowls of Hokkaido rice, and raw Okinawa egg as a dip.

The Gyu Bar’s National Day special is available for dine-in and takeaway from 8 to 31 August 2022. Takeaway via self-collection and island-wide delivery is available daily from 11am to 9pm. Orders may be placed via phone at +65 9150 3164, or online at www.thegyubar.com.sg.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Gyu Bar
30 Stevens Road
#01-08
Singapore 257840
Tel: +65 67320702
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Stevens (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Stevens MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk to bus stop at Stevens Court (Stop ID 40229). Take bus number 105, 132, 190 or 972. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Tiffin Room @ Raffles Hotel Singapore - Unveils A Refreshed Menu With An Expanded Selection Of North Indian Dishes

Tiffin Room at Raffles Hotel Singapore has recently unveiled a refreshed menu with an expanded selection of North Indian dishes put together by award-winning Chef de Cuisine Kuldeep Negi. Helming Tiffin Room's kitchen for over a decade, Chef Kuldeep continues to draw inspiration from the royal culinary heritage of the Maharajas and his travels through various regions of North India. From the new menu, you get to enjoy a diverse range of chaats, appetisers and mains that identify with the warm and rich flavours of Tiffin Room.

You can opt for the customisable Mera Dabba (my box in Hindhi) Experience, an elevated set meal that comprises a selection of appetisers and main courses presented in an iconic four-tiered custom-made copper tiffin box. The set meal is complemented with delicately flavoured rice, tandoori bread, chutneys and pickles.

Aloo Dal Tikki Chaat 4.5/5

We started with a hearty street snack Aloo Dal Tikki Chaat. Dressed in a mouth-watering blend of mint chutney, yoghurt, tamarind and spices, these crispy potato and yellow lentil patties burst with piquant and zesty flavours.

Achari Macchi Kebab 4/5

Murgh Jaitun Seekh 3.5/5

From the non-vegetarian appetisers, we tried Achari Macchi Kebab featuring uniformly moist pieces of spiced tandoori-grilled grouper fillets laced with a hint of smokey flavour. On the other hand, the Murgh Jaitun Seekh is a very spiced-forward grilled minced chicken mixture of green olives, cheddar cheese, saffron, and spices.

Gucchi Methi Mattar Malai 5/5

For the mains, both the vegetarian dishes were superb, especially the lesser-known Gucchi Methi Mattar Malai - a creamy and cheesy morel mushroom curry accented with sharp flavours of fenugreek leaves and a blend of spices. Traditionally, white button mushrooms are used, but I thought using these morel mushrooms was brilliant. The creamy curry clings to each of the honeycomb caps of the mushroom, akin to how spiral pasta binds with the sauce. Hence you will get the full flavours of the curry each time you bite into the mushroom.

Aloo Gobhi 5/5

The other vegetarian main is one of Mera Dabba staples - Aloo Gobhi, a classic cauliflower and potato delight. Every floret and potato chunk was tender and soft, fully flavoured by a blended yoghurt, garlic, and masala onion gravy.

Balti Gosht 3/5

Kadhai Prawn 4/5

The other two mains were Kadhai Prawns and Balti Gosht. The prawn curry was bright and robust with coriander seeds and onion-tomato masala. There were slices of bell peppers in the curry, which also punctuated the curry with some fruity sweetness. The latter was a curry of lamb leg cubes flavoured with brown onion, tomato, and spices. Again, the curry was good, but the lamb leg cubes were a tad dry.

Malpua with Rabri 4/5

For desserts, we had the Malpua with Rabri, a pancake originating from India. It had a dense and enjoyable chewy texture topped with condensed milk and mixed nuts for an added crunch. Best to go with a cup of masala tea.

Kulfi Falooda

The other dessert is interesting - Kulfi Falooda, featuring a homemade cardamon-infused Indian ice cream assembled with vermicelli noodles, rose syrup and mixed nuts. Eating the chilled vermicelli noodles was reminiscent of having a bowl of refreshing shredded grass jelly dessert. The nuts soaked in the mixture gave a contrasting chewy texture to the dessert. A rather odd combination, but it works!

These vegetarian and non-vegetarian North Indian delicacies and selected dishes are available for delivery or takeaway on Raffles Grab & Go.

Photograph and 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.


Tiffin Room
Raffles Hotel
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: +65 63371886
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Lunch: 12pm - 145pm
Dinner: 630pm - 845pm

Direction:
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Junction of North Bridge Road and Bras Basah Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit F. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Pang Zi Durian @ Jurong West - Neighbourhood Durian Specialty Cafe

Looking for durian treats but can't wait for the durian season to arrive? Pang Zi Durian is a neighbourhood durian speciality cafe aiming to offer a wide range of handcrafted durian desserts that contain no preservatives to satisfy your cravings. They've recently launched three new innovative durian creations.

Durian Milkshake 3.5/5

The first dessert we had was their Durian Milkshake ($6.50). It was creamy and smooth, with a thick consistency. Mix the shake thoroughly to enjoy the durian flesh on the bottom. The shake tastes more on the milky end, while the durian notes are much lighter. It can get quite heavy for some, hence would recommend sharing this with a friend.

Mao Shan Wang Spaghettieis 3.8/5

The unique Mao Shan Wang Spaghettieis ($11.90) has pasta-shaped mao shan wang gelato sitting on vanilla cream, with coconut cream and coconut flakes on top. The mao shan wang gelato was rich, while the vanilla cream gave a different dimension to the dessert. We also appreciated the crisp bits of coconut flakes. We recommend sharing this as the sweetness and creaminess can get quite heavy. It melts pretty fast, so digs into it quickly upon serving.

Durian Sticky Rice 4.2/5

Our favourite was the Durian Sticky Rice ($7.90). You have warm glutinous rice served with coconut cream and a generous portion of unadulterated durian flesh. The rice was lovely. It was soft, chewy and fragrant, everything you'd want your sticky rice to be. If you want something not too sweet, this is the one to go for among the three shared here.

Apart from these new creations, Pang Zi Durian also offers other items, like durian puffs, durian mousse, and a range of ice cream flavours such as white coconut, dark chocolate, lychee yuzu, salted caramel popcorn, ondeh ondeh and more.

If you can't pop by their space, Pang Zi Durian also does island-wide delivery at $5 for a minimum spending of $40 and free for orders $80 and above. For Jurong and Bukit Batok residents, you can enjoy free delivery at a minimum of $40.

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.


Pang Zi Durian
Block 492 Jurong West Street 41
#01-18
Singapore 640492
Tel: +65 81939559
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Nearest MRT: Lakeside (EW Line)

Opening Hours
Daily: 12pm - 10pm

Directions:
1) Alight at Lake Side MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road. Walk to bus stop opposite Lakeside MRT station (Stop ID 28099). Take bus number 98 and 187. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Boyutei @ Ann Siang - All-day Dining Japanese High Tea Set

Boyutei, located on Ann Siang Road, is a contemporary French-Japanese cafe concept by Whitegrass and Hvala. It recently launched its first high tea comprising sweet and savoury Otsumami, conceived by Head Chef Takuya Yamashita of one Michelin-starred Whitegrass. Ranging from sweet to savoury, the dainty otsumami are served in the classic Japanese jubako (tiered boxes), reminiscent of Japanese Osechi Ryori (new year) festivities as an ode to tradition.

Somen with Sakura Ebi

Unagi Toast

I appreciate that the savoury range is not overloaded with carbs but a very well-considered serving of small bites. You may first wish to tuck into a small but hearty bowl of Somen with Sakura Ebi, followed by the mouth-filling Unagi Toast, layered with shredded egg omelette.

Ebi Katsu, Narazuke Cream Cheese in Monaka, Olive Financier

The 2nd tier of savoury items is filled with little surprises. In particular, Narazuke Cream Cheese in Monaka features a delicious sweet-meets-saltish combination of whipped cream cheese and crunchy narazuke, and the Olive Financier proves to be even more addictive than its original sweet counterpart.

Bocconcini with Moromi Miso

I enjoyed the Bocconcini with Moromi Miso a lot too. The intense miso flavour teases out the subtle milky flavour of the cheese, but more miso is definitely needed.

Goma Nama Chocolate, Matcha Warabi Mochi, Hojicha Financier, Sticky dates

Tiramisu

For the sweets, the Goma Nama Chocolate is much raved about for its aromatic black sesame exterior and its rich and velvety chocolate. The same goes for the chewy Matcha Warabi Mochi. My favourite is the Tiramisu. The sponge cake was adequately soaked with dark rum, and the cheese carried only a touch of sweetness. The matcha dust lent a kiss of bitterness which worked with the alcohol-soaked sponge cake. It has been a while since I last had an excellent non-traditional tiramisu!

The high tea set is priced at $69 per set for 2 persons, comes with two hot brews and is available for all-day dining.

On all weekdays of September, elevate your high tea experience a notch with free-flow natural sparkling wine from 3 – 5pm at a top-up of $30(u.p. $38) per person. Alternatively, opt for Masumi Junmai Ginjo Shiro sake at $15 (u.p. $18) per glass or $70++ (u.p. $88) per bottle.

Photos and words 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. Note: This is an invited tasting.


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Boyutei
28 Ann Siang Road
#01-02
Singapore 069708
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Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line), Maxwell (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Cross Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Continue to the end of Amoy Street. Climb the stairs beside Siang Cho Keong Temple, up Ann Siang Hill. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Maxwell MRT station. Take Exit 1. Walk to Erskine Road. Turn right and walk down Erskine Road. Turn left onto Ann Siang Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 4 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Pagoda Street to South Bridge Road. Cross the road and turn right. Walk down South Bridge Road. Turn left onto Ann Siang Hill. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]