Pyxiemoss @ North Canal Road - Inventive Small Plates In Adventurous Ways

Pyxiemoss is a new modern European cuisine restaurant spearheaded by Chef Tim Ross-Watson that has taken over the defunct D'Bell at North Canal Road. Pyxiemoss is derived from Pixie Moss, the only flowering moss over 12,000 species. It alludes the restaurant's aspiration to blossom and flourish in the competitive F&B industry. The cuisine here offers a flair of British with Asian influenced, using both traditional and modern cooking techniques to transform simple daily ingredients into novel dishes.

Pigaroon 3/5

The restaurant is kind enough to give a glimpse of the bar snacks offering which are only available after 10pm. We tried both the Pigaroon ($3) and Carrot Dog ($5/pc). The pigaroon is interestingly presented in a flower pot. What is on the plate is actually ethereal beetroot macaron swirl paired with pickledpig skin with cream cheese encased in pork belly and smoked bacon on a stick.

Carrot Dog 4/5

Carrot Dog sounds like a weird dish but the vegetarian interpretation of the hot dog actually works. The char grilled baby carrot is sandwiched between the soft and pillowy focaccia, and topped with achar and curry leaves. The whole combination of sweet and sour worked harmoniously for a delightful bite.

Seaviche 3.5/5

The Seaviche ($8) is an interesting twist substituting raw seafood with fresh sea coconut. Give the dish a good toss and have it together with the hickory-smoked corn chips. Even with the squeeze of the lime, I still find it lacked the punch that you get from the traditional ceviche, missing that strong tangy and spicy burst of flavours.

The Tribbiani 4.5/5

One of my favourite dish at the new Pyxiemoss is The Tribbiani ($15). The yellow dome shape thing on the plate is actually duck liver mousse. The silky and creamy duck liver mousse is paired with crunchy focaccia chips and pedro ximenez soaked medjool date jam. A luscious dish which is truly an indulgent.

Cofflee Lox 4.2/5

A light and refreshing dish on the menu is the Cofflee Lox ($18). The thinly sliced Norwegian salmon is cured using upcycled coffee grinds. This is perfectly matched with fresh chervil, cucumber, refreshing green apple sorbet and freeze dried grapefruit for acidity. A well thought and balanced dish.

Rad-ish 4/5

This may sounds simple but the Rad-ish ($8) is actually braised thrice before serving to the table. It is first braised in salt water, then miso water and lastly onion broth to expel its bitterness. A robust onion consomme is pour over the radish wheel at table which is topped with yuzu miso and pickled red radish. You can choose to have chopped wagyu beef for an additional $4.

Not Just The Tip 4.8/5

A dish that I never thought I would enjoy is Not Just The Tip ($14). A smart dish which makes use every part of the celery, not just the tip. A rift on the Waldorf salad, the dish uses the root, leaves, stem and the tip of the celery for different textural enjoyment of the whole celery. It is further paried with barley risotto, green apple, candied walnuts and stilton cheese to bring the dish together.

Mother's Lamb 4.2/5

The Mother's Lamb ($18) demonstrates Chef Tim's bold approach to food, upcycling usually-discarded parts of select produce. On the plate, is tandoor oven cooked lamb hearts and neck, with two sinful slabs of lamb bacon. The touch of having carbonated green and purple champagne grapes is very thoughtful, which helps to cut through the richness perfectly.

Pina Colada 4.2/5

Ending the meal on a sweet note, we have the Pina Colada ($10) and Snickerz ($10). The Pina Colada is a deconstructed rendition of the popular cocoktail's key ingredients. In the bowl, the components consider of fermented young coconut cake, coconut granola, salted coconut cream, compressed pineapples in extra virgin olive and a creamy caramelised pineapple ice cream. A light and refreshing dessert that suit my palate.

Snickerz 3/5

The other dessert, Snickerz ($10) is a rich and heavy glutinous rice brownie which comes with pavlova-like salted gula melaka cream . It is both chocolatey and chewy. I did not quite like the texture of the brownie. However the nuggets of caramelised peanuts rolled in homemade Snickers-inspired powder got my attention.

Overall, I have enjoyed my dining experience at Pyxiemoss. I find Chef Tim has brought something fresh to the table. You never know, the pixie moss may actually blossom and flourish into one of the best new restaurants this year.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Pyxiemoss 
43 North Canal Road
Singapore 059299
Tel: +65 65322171
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 5pm - 12midnight
(Closed on Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards the traffic junction of North Bridge Road and North Canal Road. Cross the road and turn right onto North Canal Road. Walk along the shophouses to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

O'ma Spoon Korean Dessert Cafe @ 313 Somerset

Started with the first outlet at Marina Square in March 2015, O'ma Korean Dessert Cafe soon opened its second outlet in June 2015 at 313 Somerset. The current Bingsu craze has seen many of such cafe opened around the island. My favourite has been Nunsongyee and I am wondering how O'ma Spoon compares to it.

Green Tea Bingsu 4.5/5

After browsing through the menu, we ordered the Green Tea Bingsu ($13.90) to start with. The finely shaved, snow like bingsu generously topped with ice cream, green beans, cashew nuts, almond and green tea powder. For a full enjoyment of the milk flavoured bingsu ice, green tea powder is layered underneath the pile of shaved ice to give a consistent enjoyment from the top to bottom.

Chocolate Brownie Bingsu 3.5/5

Even more majestic than the green tea bingsu is the Chocolate Brownie Bingsu ($18.90). Topped with chocolate ice cream, brownie, whipped cream, almond, cashew nuts, oreo cookies crumble, banana and drizzled with chocolate sauce, this was unfortunately not as sweet as it looks. It pales in taste and sweetness compared to the green tea bingsu.

Chocolate Strawberry Honey Butter Bread 3/5

A signature at O'ma Spoon is the 2 inch oven baked thick toast directly imported from Korean. The Chocolate Strawberry Honey Butter Bread ($14.90) is covered with butter and Korean honey, slathered with nutella and topped with strawberries and vanilla ice cream. To be frank, I think my palate was more distracted by the butter and honey, instead of the chocolate and strawberries.

Injeolmi Cheese Toast 3/5

Next we have the Injeomli Cheese Toast ($9.90) that has chewy injeolmi rice cakes sandwiched two lightly toasted bread. I have tasted more chewy injeolmi toast so would have preferred more of it as well as the kinako.

O'ma Spoon did come in close to my favourite bingsu from Nunsongyee. It currently is probably my second choice for bingsu until I find another to dethrone it. Bingsu huge servicing is usually good for 2-3 pax but at O'ma Spoon it has the unique Petite Bingsu that is good for one.


O'ma Spoon Korean Dessert Cafe
313 @ Somerset
313 Orchard Road
#04-20/32
Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 63330995
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1130am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 1130am - 12midnight

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

Copper Chimney @ Syed Alwi Road (Little India)

Many of you may not be foreign to Copper Chimney which has been around for 10 years at Syed Alwi Road, Little India. The restaurant recently has gotten a fresh new interior and revamped its menu offering Chinese Indian and North Indian cuisine under the new leadership of CEO Vikram Natarajan, who took over the reins two and a half years ago.

Salt and Pepper Babycorn (Dry) 4.2/5

Dinner at Copper Chimney started with some light bites. The first dish, Salt and Pepper Babycorn, Dry ($9) already got me excited and looking forward to find out more about Chinese Indian or Chindian cuisine. The babycorn is lightly battered, fried to a crunchy bite. It is then stir fried in garlic, peppers, and soya sauce. The taste is very similar to XO sauce. This is an addictive dish.

Chilli Paneer (Dry) 4/5

When the Chilli Paneer, Dry ($10.50) was served, the first instant that came to our mind is chai tow kway. The cottage cheese cubes coated with the chilli sauce is another delectable bite which I can find a familiar taste to Chinese cooking.

Malai Chicken Tikka 4.2/5

Next we had the Malai Chicken Tikka ($12) which impressed us with the well marinated and tender inner fillet of the poultry. The owner shared with us the importance of the marination and the used of hung yogurt, garlic and ginger etc for the flavourful chicken.

Szechwan Fried Rice 3.5/5

Szechwan Noodles 3/5

The owner shared with us that he has grown up with Chindian cuisine and the popularity of it, usually in the form of street food vendors have spread to even metro cities like Mumbai. Copper Chimney probably is the only India restaurant in Singapore offering Chindian cuisine. We tried the Szechwan Fried Rice ($11) and Szechwan Noodles ($11) on the menu. Yes it is spelled as Szechwan not Szechuan. I definitely can taste the similarity of the dishes to Chinese cuisine. However compared to Chinese cuisine I think it is still lacking that wok hei aroma. The spicy level can also up a notch since the dishes are named after the state in China known for its hot and spicy dishes. Nevertheless, both are still hearty dishes, especially using basmati rice's long grain for fried rice.

Gobi Manchurian (Wet) 4/5

Gobi Manchurian, Wet ($9) is another Chindian dish that adopts the Chinese cooking technique and seasonings. The lightly battered cauliflower is fried to a crunchy bite. We went for the wet version as the Indians like to eat the rice with the gravy. There is also the dry version if you want to try.

Veg Jaipuri 4.2/5

I simply adore this rich and creamy Vegetable Jaipri ($10) with an array of vegetables. This vegetarian dish is so addictive that I kept going back for more.

Mutton Roqanjosh 4/5

Butter Chicken 4.5/5

The next two dishes, Mutton Roqanjosh ($12) and Butter Chicken ($11.50) are best to eat with some Rumali and Naan. The mutton is cooked to a nice beautiful fork tender while the spices infused gravy is just too good not to wipe them clean with the Rumali and Naan. The butter chicken was also outstanding. It was not overly sweet. The smooth and creamy gravy with the tender chicken has a perfect match made in heaven..

Lychee Kulfi 4.8/5

If you have the chance to visit Copper Chimney, I would recommend you to have the Lychee Kulfi ($7). The frozen dairy dessert infused with Lychee, tasted just like ice cream, is so refreshing. They have other flavours such as Pistachio and Rose too.

Sizzling Brownie & Ice Cream 3/5

The Sizzling Brownie and Ice Cream ($7.50) definitely caught a lot of attention when the chocolate syrup is poured over the brownie filling the whole restaurant with the beautiful chocolate aroma. The restaurant even got a few orders from the other guests after seeing what we had.

Overall I find the Northern Indian food at Copper Chimney is outstanding. The Chindian cuisine adds an interesting offering to the menu. I personally felt some of the Chindian dishes need bit more fine tuningto win the palate of the Chinese.

Copper Chimney

100 Syed Alwi Road

Singapore 207676

Tel: +65 62948891

Facebook

Website

Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:

Sun-Thur: 1130am - 12midnight

Fri-Sat: 1130am - 1am

Direction: 

1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Walk to the traffic junction of Kitchener Road, Rangoon Road and Serangoon Road. Cross the road and walk down Serangoon Road towards Mustafa. Turn left onto Syed Alwi Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Three Bistro @ Marina Square

Conveniently located at Marina Square, Three Bistro is a modern restaurant, bar and wine space which offers a wide range of western fusion food ranging from salads, pizzas to hearty main courses and desserts. Wine lovers will be delighted to know that Three Bistro actually offers a good selection of wine that is rarely found elsewhere in Singapore.

Take for example these three bottles of wine below. Notice the Chinese letters on the bottle? They are, in fact, French wine that are harvested and brewed in China. One of them has even clinched an award at the Hong Kong International Wine Tasting Competition!

Classic Mushroom 3.5/5

Our dinner started rolling with some warm comforting soups. Those who love truffle oil would love this rendition of Mushroom Soup ($6) as the chef is rather generous with the serving. However, a drizzle of truffle oil might just suffice as it overpowered the mushroom flavour.

Seafood Soup 3.8/5

This Seafood Soup ($8) resembled a fishermen’s stew with plenty of fresh fish, squid, in a perfect backdrop of sweet and sour tomato base that would rally up anyone's spirits on a rainy day.

BBQ Chicken Pizza 2.8/5

The pizza base is gratifyingly crisp and the combination of chicken, pineapples and bbq sauce in this BBQ Chicken Pizza ($10.50) sounded like a Hawaiian dream come true. And this dream would realize in reality if fresh honest ingredients were used and a little more effort were channeled to craft the dough.

Pan Seared Salmon with Tofu 3/5

The Pan Seared Salmon with Tofu ($12) left me in confusion because the components seemed to be isolated from one another. The pan-seared salmon in teriyaki sauce and the deep fried golden tofu were tasty on their own but there was just too little chemistry between the two, as well as the green smear of sweet wasabi custard, to inspire any beautiful love story.

Baby Back Ribs 2.8/5

Arriving in two hunky slabs, the Baby Back Ribs ($23) definitely got me salivating over the tantalizing looking BBQ sauce. I would love to have basked in the porky glory if the flavour had penetrated through the meat. They were overdone, resulting in an arduous task of chowing through the meat.

Duck Confit with Honey Vinaigrette Dressing with Creamy Mash Potato 3/5

Some chefs do it the crisp way; some chefs do the traditional braised way. Like it or not, the Duck Confit ($25) here belonged to the classic camp where the skin is soft and supple. The meat was fairly tender but could have retained more moisture. This would have been a good interpretation of a classic confit if the dry mash potato hadn't been "modernized" by the truffle oil.

Lamb Shank 3.5/5

Some people might find this Lamb Shank ($27) slightly gamey but I thought the meat was a good sign of long braising, boasting of the lovely silky, almost sticky texture. The side vegetables such as carrots and onions were also cooked down to a pleasant sweet mash. Perhaps a little touch of herbs and spice would do the trick to coax out the nuances of this dish.

Cod Fish, served with Tomato Salsa and Cream of Anchovy 3.5/5

Perhaps due to the choice of using oven-baked technique, the skin of the Codfish ($27) remained chewy, a pity because the great storage of fats could have been harnessed to produce an aromatic crisp fish. Nonetheless, it was a very healthy dish that is extremely light on seasoning, slightly too light to register on the palates of an average man. The cream of anchovy was also absent that day. That said, this is pretty ideal for ladies who are watching their diet.

Panna Cotta 3.5/5

Back to the desserts, the Panna Cotta ($5.50) has a unique consistency of a milk jelly pudding and the sugar content is well regulated.

Chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream 3/5

Meanwhile, the Chocolate Brownie ($6.50) also made quick entrance, albeit at the mercy of the delicate ice cream that was melting in mid-way. This brownie might not be out-of-the-world delicious, but efforts still have to be credited to the chef who made this instead of outsourcing to external bakeries. It had a dense, nutty texture, which would be elevated to a next level if served warm.

Currently, the concept of the food at Three Bistro appears inherently fuzzy to me, though I sincerely appreciate the effort that goes into styling up some dishes here. If more energy is directed towards the balance of flavours and textures in each dish, I think Three Bistro would stand out as one of the quality all-day dining and chill-out spots in the CBD district. Live band music performance is also available during the evenings from 730pm go 1030pm on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Written and Photograph by Li Tian, a passionate foodie behind Singapore-Japan Food Blog “Dairy & Cream”. Has an eye for pastries and desserts.


Three Bistro
Marina Square
6 Raffles Boulevard
 #01- 07/08
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 63388644
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thr3ebistro
Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 10am - 11pm
Fri-Sat: 10am - 12midnight
Sun: 12noon - 930pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take exit B. Walk to Marina Square via Marina Square Link. Walk to the destination. Journey time about 5 mins. [Map]

Outback Steakhouse @ Orchard Gateway

I wonder what took the world largest steakhouse chain so long to open a second outlet in Singapore. Outback Steakhoue, the American chain with an Australian inspired concept established its flagship store in 2000 at Millenia Walk. With the opening of Orchard Gateway, Outback Steakhouse has finally opened its second outlet on the fourth floor of the new mall on 30 June 2014.

Fruit Cocktail 4/5

Starting with some pre-dining drinks, we tried a trio of fruity cocktails from the bar. From left to the right we have the Strawberry Basil Lemonade ($13.90), Absolut Citron vodka, fresh basil and strawberries, fresh lemonade, sprite. In the centre is the Apple Mojito ($12.90), Bacardi Silver rum, diced red apples,limes and mint. Lastly the Watermelon Margarita ($14.90), fresh watermelon, Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila, citrus juices, served in a sugar rimmed glass. I really enjoy the freshing and fruity cocktail with my favourite going to the strawberry basil lemonade.

Spinach Artichoke Dip 4.2/5

I was trying to control myself from going back for more of the freshly fried corn Tortilla chips with the Spinach Artichoke Dip ($13.90). The warm dip melange of spinach, artichoke, Monterey Jack cheese and Paramesan cheese was creamy and cheesy which goes very well with the chips. Perfect as a snack to go with a couple of drinks or appetizer.

Alice Springs Chicken 4.5/5

Although it is a steakhouse, the menu also offers a selection of other mains. The Alice Springs Chicken ($25.90) served with Aussie Fries was surprisingly good. I thought the piece of flame grilled chicken breast looked kind of over done but it was the opposite. The moist and tender flame grilled chicken dressed with sauteed mushrooms, crispy bacon strips, melted Monterey Jack cheese, Cheddar and honey mustard sauce was packed with abundance of flavours that complemented the chicken excellently.

Tilpia with Pure Lump Crab Meat 3/5

From the sea, we have the Tilpia with Pure Lump Crab Meat ($27.90) served with seasonal vegetables. I thought the dish was mediocre. It needed more character to it.

New York Strip 3/5

Mashed Potatoes 4/5

As a steakhouse I was quite disappointed with New York Strip ($36.90/10oz) seasoned with a secret blend of 17 spices. The cut of beef which is prized for its flavour and tenderness was a tad over cooked and tough. All steak orders come with a choice of two sides from an extensive list of nine that includes Corns on the Cob, Mashed Potatoes, Baked Potatoes, Aussie Fries, Rice Pilaf, Sweet Potato Fries and Sweet Baked Potato with honey butter and cinnamon sugar. Worthy of mentioned is the mashed potatoes that was well seasoned, buttery and comes with potato skins for the extra crunch.

Baby Back Ribs 3.8/5

The Baby Back Ribs (half 19.90, full $32.90) laced with a tangy house made BBQ sauce and accompanied by Aussie Fries were cooked with fork tender. If the baby back ribs could be more charred or smoky would be perfect.

Carrot Cake 3/5

Moving on to the dessert menu, I tried a huge slice of the Carrot Cake ($9.90). I have to say this is the most moist carrot cake I have ever eaten.

Chocolate Thunder from Down Under 4/5

The Chocolate Thunder from Down Under ($14.90) is pretty impressive with its three tier of sweetness in the pecan brownie, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream drowned in a bed of warm chocolate sauce and topped with chocolate shavings. A perfect ending to a night of flavourful food and friendly service.


Outback Steakhouse
Orchard Gateway
277 Orchard Road
#04-01
Singapore 238858
Tel: +65 67026842
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutbackSG
Website: http://outback-sea.com
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 1030pm

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