Basilico @ Regent Singapore - Basilico's Epic Buffet Brunches are Back

Located on the second floor of Regent Singapore, Basilico is known for offering one of the best Italian buffets in town, emphasising fresh ingredients and classic Italian elements such as a rotisserie, antipasti, and pasta, wood-fired pizzas, and a walk-in cheese cellar. Following the loosening of local restrictions of the Covid pandemic, Basilico has also returned with their epic brunch buffets, where diners can walk around and enjoy the spread at their leisure.

The brunch menu features an indulgent selection of antipasti such as the aged Parma ham and sweet cantaloupe, Putignano Burrata and toasted Ciabatta. We also tried the Pancetta Steccata, Mortadella, Prosciutoo di Parma, and Salame Rosette.

Not to be missed is their famed cheese cellar which housed an impressive selection of 40 artisanal kinds of cheese, such as the Ciambella di Bufala (buffalo's milk cheese), Ricotta, and Burrata with truffles or caviar.

The Seafood on Ice features fresh selections such as the king scallop in lemon and herbs, poached tiger prawns, clams, Boston lobsters, and mussels.

Make your way to the grilled meats sections for the Grilled Beef, Chicken or Seabass.

If you're hankering for some carbs, the Spaghetti with briny seafood squid ink sauce and Penne with tomato sauce will satisfy your tastebuds.

The Pancetta di maiale (crispy pork belly) and Foie Gras were my absolute favourite. Tender and juicy with an extremely crackling crispy skin, I had heaps of the former, while the latter was prepped a la minute for freshness and just melts in the mouth like butter.

End the feast on a sweet note with desserts such as the Mousse al Cioccolato (white chocolate berry mousse), Torta al Caramello (caramel cake), Finanzitore di Mirtilli (blueberry financer) and Torta di Mele (apple tart). The Torta di Riccota e Tartufo (Truffle Burnt Cheesecake) was an interesting dessert. Infused with truffle and topped with black truffle, the burnt cheesecake was deliciously creamy, and the addition of the truffle aroma elevates the entire experience.

If cakes are not enough for your sweettooth, opt for the Vanilla Pana Cotta, Traditional Tiramisu, Chocolate Mousse, and Mango Mousse, or head for more desserts over at the gelato counter with flavours including vanilla, chocolate, coconut, raspberry sorbet, lemon sorbet, and figs sorbet.

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.


Basilico
Regent Hotel Singapore
Level 2
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
Tel: +65 67253232
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard Boulevard (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Lunch:
Mon-Fri: 12 - 3pm
Brunch:
Sat-Sun: 12pm - 330pm
Dinner:
Daily: 6pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard Boulevard MRT station. Take Exit 1. Turn right and walk down Cuscaden Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 mintues. [Map]

Tanglin Cookhouse @ Tanglin Mall - Modern Colonial-style Restaurant Offering Western and Asian Inspired Dishes

Tanglin Cookhouse at Tanglin Mall is a modern colonial-style restaurant serving Western and Asian-inspired dishes that best represent the dynamics between British culture and local flavours.

Here in the evening, you get to start with some tippers from the bar. We had Gin and Tonic - Berries Wonders with Widges London Dry Gin ($20) and a Moonshot Martini with Boutique-y Gin Company Moonshot Gin ($20) under the Special Gin Cocktails list. I recommend the latter, which allures with floral notes.

Vine Tomato Salad with Fresh Burrata Cheese 3/5

We started the dinner with Vine Tomato Salad with Fresh Burrata Cheese ($25.90). The salad was covered with an abundance of puffed kombu quinoa and a generous handful of pine nuts. The pairing of pillowy burrata with crunchy elements set this salad apart from the usual.

Tanglin Scotch Egg 2.8/5

Next, we had the much loved Tanglin Scotch Egg ($16.90), served with Purple cabbage slaw and pickled mustard seeds. Both the slaw and tangy mustard seeds cut the richness of the meat, but I find its gaminess a tad too much.

Salmon Wellington 4.5/5

We had Salmon Wellington ($26.90) and Grandmother's Roasted Chicken ($25.90) for the main. My favourite was the former. I loved the warm smell of the dill when it was served, and slicing the buttery puff into half unveiled an incredibly moist slab of salmon fillet. It was plain delicious with the side of lemon dill beurre blanc.

Grandmother's Roasted Chicken 3.8/5

The latter features a 1/2 spatchcock chicken with onion gravy and Yorkshire pudding. The chicken was tender with very nicely roasted skin, adding to its flavour. The onion gravy was superb, complementing the meat exceptionally well. However, the Yorkshire pudding was slightly burnt, and the green peas were somehow cloyingly sweet.

Sticky Date Pudding 3/5

For a sweet ending, the warm Sticky Date Pudding ($14) was comforting with English toffee sauce, with added nutella soil for texture. What's different about Tanglin Cookhouse's pudding is that it is served with papadam and coconut ice cream to give a savoury, tropical vibe. I enjoy the sweet-savoury play on this classic typical dessert. However, the pudding itself can be 'stickier', and the papadam was a bit limp when we had it, which affected the overall experience of this dish.

Eton Mess Trifle 3/5

We also had Eton Mess Trifle, a rather romantic dessert made by layering basil macerated strawberries, meringue and vanilla chantilly cream. The tangy strawberries brought the trifle a refreshing and herbaceous burst of acidity. However, less sweet would have been better.

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.


Tanglin Cookhouse
Tanglin Mall
163 Tanglin Road
#01-106
Singapore 247933
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard Boulevard (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 9am – 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard Boulevard MRT station. Take Exit 1. Walk straight down Grange Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Tea Lounge @ Regent Singapore - Launches Newest English Garden Afternoon Tea

Tea Lounge at Regent Singapore has just launched an evergreen English Garden Afternoon Tea theme, where guests get to enjoy a quintessential Afternoon Tea in a contemporary colonial garden setting with classic British desserts. On weekdays, guests get to savour a quintessential three-tier afternoon tea. In contrast, on weekends, the high tea buffet serves up an extravagant spread of premium caviars, a carving station, with additional carveries of wood oven-roasted wagyu beef rump, Yorkshire Pudding and Forest Mushroom Jus, and more.

Tea Lounge goes back to the most quintessential of English customs - offering a selection of dainty sandwiches and delicate scones, as well as a variety of Gryphon tea blends to choose from. From robust, strong blacks of Assam to delicately scented Lychee Rose and herbal tisanes, there is no lack of choice for selecting just the right infusion. We opted for the Lychee Rose Tea, which had a subtle sweet lychee fragrance to it.

The Regent’s Signature Scones are slightly denser, with a nice crunchy crust around and a moist, crumbly centre. Served with Devonshire clotted cream, house-made berry preserves and luscious lemon curd. Various counters are generously stocked with a selection of dainty sandwiches such as Black Truffle, Organic Egg Mayonnaise and Cucumber, Mini Sausage Puff, Baby Spinach Quiche, and vibrant toss-ups of Chicken, Blue Potato and Green Peas with English Mustard.

Tea Lounge also offers up locally-inspired dishes such as the Fried Carrot cake, Cheng Teng, Herbal Chicken, Chicken Satay with peanut sauce, Chilli Crab Mantou, and Kueh Pie Tee.

The Chilli Crab Mantou was nicely executed with its fluffy buns and slightly pan-fried on the outside. The chilli crab sauce leans towards the spicier side, but I felt it lacked the robustness from the crab flavour.

We had the roasted wagyu beef rump, which was extremely succulent and tender on the inside, and spot a slightly charred exterior.

Not to be missed is their Crispy Chicken with sweet chilli sauce. The meat is cooked to fork-tender superb with a crispy exterior. Complete with a dip of sweet chilli sauce to elevate the whole enjoyment.

When you finally make it to the dessert station, get ready for a delightful selection of desserts. Among the spread, there are Triple Chocolate Fudge, Carrot Cake, Banoffee, Eton Mess, Victoria Sponge Cake, Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake, Rose apple Profiteroles, Fragrant Yuzu Fosset and more.

The ice cream waffles combination never goes wrong, as we enjoy the crispy fluffy waffles paired with the fragrant creamy lychee ice cream.

Afternoon Tea
$68 per adult | $34 per child
Additional $10 | $40 for a glass or free-flow Prosecco
Additional $15 | $60 for a glass or free-flow Champagne

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.


Tea Lounge
Regent Hotel Singapore
Lobby Level
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
Tel: +65 67253246
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 5pm
Sat-Sun: 12pm - 230pm (1st seating), 3pm - 530pm (2nd seating)

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 onwards to Forum Shopping Mall. Walk further down to Orchard Parade Hotel. Turn left onto Tanglin Road. Continue walking down Tanglin Road. Turn left onto Tomlinson Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]

Brasserie Les Saveurs @ St Regis Singapore - Unveiled New A La Carte Menu Under New Executive Chef

Brasserie Les Saveurs at St Regis Singapore welcomes new Executive Chef Thibault Chiumenti at the helm. With his appointment, he has revamped the a la carte menu to provide diners with an indelible French brasserie-style experience, with the familiar and rich flavours of traditional French cuisine.

Tartare de Boeuf au Couteau 4.5/5

We kick-started the dinner with the Tartare de Boeuf au Couteau ($42). The hand-cut beef is chopped to tender and mixed with cornichons, capers, shallots, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup balsamic and tobasco, for flavours and textures. It also comes with a confit egg yolk on top the tartare and homemade fries at the side.

Salad de Crabe 4.8/5

The Salad de Crabe ($32) is one of the better crab meat salads that I have eaten. It uses succulent and sweet de-shelled Alaskan crab meat tossed in celeriac remoulade, dill and yoghurt dressing. The dots around the plate are paprika mayonnaise which lends a tinge of spice to the crab meat.

Pate en Croute 4.2/5

The Pate en Croute ($34) is a labour of love due to its lengthy preparation process. The terrine comes with a pastry encasing the terrine in it which comprises of pork and foie gras pate flavoured with pistachios, herbs and onion compote.

Escargots de Bourgogne 4/5

The Escargots de Bourgogne ($21) is sourced from France and poached in a court bouillon. They are then baked in garlic butter, allowing the buttery sauce to melt into the meat, elevating the whole enjoyment.

Foie Gras Poele 4/5

A delicacy in French cuisine is the foie gras. At Brasserie Les Saveurs, the Foie Gras Poele ($34) is paired with poached apple and gingerbread coulis. The simplicity of pan-searing the foie gras and showcasing it in its natural form allows the appreciation of its rich, buttery and delicate flavour.

Bisque de Homard 3.8/5

For something comforting, there is the Bisque de Homard ($22). The lobster bisque is creamy, but I felt it lacked the robustness from the crustacean's flavour. The bonus is that you get a whole lobster claw in it.

Noix de Saint Jacques 4.2/5

Moving to the mains, from the sea we have the Noix de Saint Jacques ($52) using scallops from Hokkaido. The beautiful dish with juicy and plump scallops came in a lentil ragout and paired with shimeji mushrooms and green asparagus for textures.

Steak Frites 4.5/5

Not to be missed is the classic Steak Frites ($68). The slab of grilled wagyu ribeye is huge and cooked to tender. Accompanying the beautiful steak is the homemade french frites and bearnaise sauce.

Cassoulet en Cocotte 4.2/5

The Cassoulet en Cocotte ($46) is like a treasure pot. Digging into the pot, not only will you find a whole confit duck leg, there are even pork sausages, pork belly, paimpol beans and carrot. The considerable portion probably is good for two.

Bar en Croute de Sel 4.5/5

For large dining group, diners can look forward to hearty sharing platters such as the Bar en Croute de Sel ($68). The whole sea bass is baked in salt crust to seal the moisture and natural sweetness of the fish. It is served with the tangy beurre blanc sauce to intensifies the flavour of each bite. Do note that this will take at least 30 minutes of preparation time. Be cautious of fish bones if this is shared with children.

Creme Brulee 4.2/5

Ending the dinner on a sweet note, we tried a couple of the desserts. First is the Creme Brulee ($18). The portion is quite huge with a creamy custard base that comes with a layer of crackling caramelised sugar top.

Tatin de Pommes 4.2/5

Another delightful dessert is the Tatin de Pommes ($22). I like the fact that it is not overly sweet with crunchy apple. The apple tarte tartin comes with honey fig ice cream, that brightens up the enjoyment.

Mille-Feuille Traditional Vanille 4.2/5

Last but not least, go for the Mille-Feuille Traditional Vanille ($18) if you prefer something lighter. Vanilla bean cream is sandwiched within layers of delicate Napoleon pastry sheets.

If I am not wrong, the new a la carte menu by Executive Chef Thibault Chiumenti is to bring things back to basic, showcasing the rich and familiar flavours of traditional French cuisine with culinary finesse.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Brasserie Les Saveurs
St Regis Hotel
Lobby Level
29 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247911
Tel: +65 65066860
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours: 
Breakfast (Daily): 630am - 1030am
Lunch (Monday - Saturday): 12pm - 2pm
Dinner (Daily): 7pm - 1030pm
Brunch (Sunday): 12pm - 3pm
Afternoon Tea (Monday - Saturday): 3pm - 5pm
Afternoon Tea (Sunday): 4pm - 6pm

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 onwards to Forum Shopping Mall. Walk further down to Orchard Parade Hotel. Turn left onto Tanglin Road. St Regis is just beside Tanglin Shopping Centre. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

Basilico @ Regent Singapore - $40 For Over 40 Varieties Of Cheeses On Every Wednesday Night

Probably the best hidden secret of Regent Singapore is the cheese room at Basilico which houses a huge collection of cheeses. There are more than 40 varieties of cheeses ranging from soft, hard to blue cheeses. For cheese lovers, every Wednesday night at Basilico is Formaggissimo Night, diners can skip the buffet and get to have a standalone access to the cheese room to enjoy the huge varieties of cheeses for only $40. A selection of free flow wine is also available for an additional $38.

Gran Gueriero

I am not a fan of blue cheese as I find the smell too piquant for my liking. The thoughtful team at Basilico has infused them with other ingredients, to develop new taste profiles that are more palatable. A few of these infused in-house cheeses which caught my attention are Gran Gueriero, White Chocolate & Truffle Gorgonzola and Dark Chocolate & Chilli Gorgonzola. The Gran Gueriero is infused with honey and walnut. The sweetness of the honey definitely harmonize the sharpness of the blue cheese.

White Chocolate & Truffle Gorgonzola and Dark Chocolate & Chilli Gorgonzola

A very unique infusion is the White Chocolate & Truffle Gorgonzola and Dark Chocolate & Chilli Gorgonzola. For one that dislikes the piquancy blue cheese, I found myself enjoying them.

Dolomitico 

One of the Chef's favourite as well as mine is the Dolomitico. It has a subtle red wine or grape profile as the cheese is aged with grape marc. Appreciating the semi-soft cheese is like sipping a glass of red wine.

Ubriaco al Amarone

Guess I like cheese aged with wine. Another favourite of mine is the Ubriaco al Amarone which is aged with Amarone wine. It as a smooth, rich taste that is nutty with winey in flavour.

Besides the cheeses, there is an array of dried fruit, nuts, jams and compotes, bread sticks, oat crackers and various honeys to complement the appreciation of the cheese selections.

Every alternate month, Basilico will also combine its impressive cheese room with its year-long Italian wine tour. Known as Formaggio E Vino, it presents a wine and cheese journey every alternate month that focuses on Italy's iconic wine regions (Veneto, Sicily, Tuscany and Piedmont).

Note: This is an invited tasting


Basilico
Regent Hotel Singapore
Level 2
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
Tel: +65 67253232
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Breakfast:
Mon-Sat: 630am - 1030am
Sun: 7am - 1030am
Lunch:
Mon-Sat: 12 - 230pm
Sun: 12 - 3pm
Dinner:
Daily: 630pm - 10pm

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 onwards to Forum Shopping Mall. Walk further down to Orchard Parade Hotel. Turn left onto Tanglin Road. Continue walking down Tanglin Road. Turn left onto Tomlinson Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]