Element @ Amara Hotel

There is a buzz along Tras Street with cool rhythms in the air and a large merrymaking crowd gathered at the new Element on Tras Street, the new alfresco terrace of Element at Amara Hotel Singapore. The newly renovated Elment at Amara Hotel Singapore unveils an unique contemporary integrated dining that fuses food, drink, social dining and lifestyle in a sensational, all encompassing package. With the different elements at play, the new concept of the integrated gastronomic options offers an International Buffet (Heritage Element), Basque Cuisine (Basque Element), Toby's Estate Coffee (Barista Element), Outdoor Bar (Hip Element) and Flexible Dining (Individualist Element)

Toast of Grated Tomato and Iberico Ham 4.2/5

With the newly opened Element at Amara Hotel Singapore, a bold concept of introducing Basque cuisine with a young talented 22 years old Chef de Cuisine, Chef Mikel Badiola from San Sebastian in Basque Spain. Mikel picked up cooking at the age of 14 when he joined a txoko, a traditional gastronomic society where make members come together to cook in typical Basque culture. Went to culinary school and work in several local restaurant kitchens. At the age of 20, he worked with feted 3 star Michelin chef Martin Berasategui at his eponymous restaurant in Lasarte-Oria, Spain. Left for London to work before returning to Spain as Head Chef at the Real Nuevo Golf Club where his talent was spotted.

Showcasing Basque cuisine by the talented new Chef de Cuisine, Mike Badiola, we started with a selection of Pintxos equivalent to tapas. First up was the Toast of Grated Tomato and Iberico Ham ($15 for 2pc). The combination of the flavourful iberico ham and grated tomato was an excellent pairing whetting up the appetite.

Mushroom Brochette in Oporto Sauce 3.5/5

The Mushroom Brochette in Oporto Sauce ($12 for 2pc) has a delectable earthy flavour with a nice hint of spiciness form the oporto sauce.

Cod Fish Bechamel filled in Piquillo Pepper 4.5/5

The Cod Fish Bechamel filled in Piquillo Pepper ($12 for 2pc) with its love shaped like presentation was not only delight in sight but in taste. Meticulously prepared in grounding the cod fish into a paste and filled in Piquillo pepper, paired with a delish buttery and creamy bechamel sauce, bursting with beautiful flavour with each mouthful.

Spanish Omelette with Potato and Onion 4.2/5

Spanish Omelette with Potato and Onion 4.2/5

The ordinary looking round shape Spanish Omelette with Potato and Onion ($10) was surprisingly very delicious. The moist interior of chopped potatoes and onions is wrapped in a fragrant slightly charred omelette packed with homely goodness.

Basque Fish Soup cooked with Oven Roasted Bread 4/5

The Basque Fish Soup cooked with Oven Roasted Bread ($16) took me a while to get used to the acquire taste of burnt bread. As I got used to the taste, I could appreciate the different medleys of flavours hitting the palate with a aromatic smokiness in it. A very comfort and hearty bowl of fish soup.

Basque Tuna Stew with Potato and Pepper 4.2/5

While the Basque Fish Soup has a very robust and complex flavour, the Basque Tuna Stew with Potato and Pepper ($28) will come across as a cleaner version with delectable potatoes and pinkish tuna in cube shape. Given a choice, I would prefer this over the basque fish soup.

Squid with Tartar Sauce 4.5/5

Unlike Singaporean which likes the batter of our calamari to be crispy, the Spanish prefers it to be thin so that it can enjoy the freshness and juiciness of the squid. Squeezing a little zest from the lemon, the Squid with Tartar Sauce ($18) was both springy and crunchy allowing one to enjoy the freshness of the squid to the fullest.

Traditional Roast Suckling Pig 4.5/5

To adapt to the local palate, Chef Mikel has made a number of fine tuning such as making the skin more crispy. I really enjoyed the crackling paper thin skin and the extremely tender meat of the Traditional Roast Suckling Pig ($88 for 3 pax). Paired with the "Amara" sauce which went very well with the roast suckling pig.

A trio of dessert ended our night on a sweet note with the Cheese Cake ($9), Honey Jelly Yoghurt with Walnut Cream ($9) and Cold Strawberry Soup with Fruit Brochette ($9). The Honey Jelly Yoghurt with Walnut Cream is an interesting introduction to Singaporean as a dessert instead of breakfast. The combination of honey jelly and nutty walnut cream with yoghurt was interesting nice and great as a dessert. My favourite was the Cold Strawberry Soup with Fruit Brochette ($9). An unique and refreshing drink of infusing the savoury bruschetta with fruity strawberry.

The exciting young talent in Chef Mikel with its Basque cuisine will delight patrons with his culinary skill while the different flexible dining element allow one to eat and sit as one please. The integrated, multi-concept cuisine means that under a single roof one can dine from the international buffet, Spanish a la carte, Spanish set, Spanish pintxos, signature appertiser from Thanying, Silkroad Cafe Oriental (three other restaurants within Amara Hotel).


Element and Element on Tras Street
Amara Hotel
165 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088539
Tel: +65 68792555, +65 68792607
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amarasingaporehotel/
Website: http://singapore.amarahotels.com/dining/element/
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Breakfast (Daily): 6am - 1030am
Lunch (Mon-Fri, except PH): 12pm - 230pm
Brunch (Sat-Sun, PH): 1130am - 330pm
Dinner (Daily): 630pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Gopeng Street and turn into Tras Street. Walk to Amara Hotel. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

MEDZS @ Millenia Walk

I got to know MEDZS due to an blogger event I attended back in November 2012. The concept is similar to Marche but offers mediterranean cuisine. Food presentation on the other hand is more appertising compared to Marche. Iit felt like you are being served in a proper sit down dinning restaurant. The restaurant also has an eclectic global selections of beer and cider.

Cured Salmon Bruschetta 4/5

You have to agreed with me the presentation of the Cured Salmon Bruschetta ($16.90) was pretty isn't it? The presentation itself is alreadying stimulating to the appetite. The cured salmon resting on top of the crusty bread is beautifully paired with pesto.

Spanish Omelette "Tortilla" with Aioli Dip 4.2/5

Not to be confused by the Mexican flatbread tortilla, the Spanish Omelette or Spanish Tortilla is a Spanish dish commonly made with egg, potatoes and onion. The thick and fluffy egg omelette paired with the zesty aioli dip was a hearty appertiser.

Moroccan Beef and Caramelized Apple Stew Tajine with Couscous 4/5

This is my first time to come across the Tajine, a special earthenware pot. The dish was even served in it. The Moroccan Beef was fork tender with a nice fruity sweetness to it. Served with rice, it will be a filling dish for the hungry stomach.

Charcoal Grilled Baby Sea Bream 4/5

The Charcoal Grilled Baby Sea Bream is served with aubergine gratin, mashed potato and watercress salad. Cooked perfectly with a hint of smokiness, the sea bream was moist and delectable.

Braised Cook Chicken Paella 4/5

The Braised Cook Chicken Paella with chorizo and saffron is nicely flavoured by the spices. The rice has a good texture that was not mushy.

Kakavia Fish Stew 4.2/5

Came with grilled fish, mussels and mash potatoes in a creamy sauce, the Kakavia Fish Stew ($20.90) is my personal favourite at MEDZ currently. I have been back to MEDZ twice and I never failed to order this dish.

The restaurant is an ideal place for group gathering due to the spacious venue. Food is pretty decent too. I even returned with my friends to have our Christmas gathering here.


MEDZS
Millenia Walk
9 Raffles Boulevard
#01-46/47/55/56
Singapore 039596
Tel: +65 63377507
Facebook:
Website:
Nearest MRT: Promenade (CC Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1130am - 11pm
Fri-Sat: 1130am - 1am

Direction:
1) Alight at Promenade MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Millenia Walk. Journey time about 3 minutes.

E.Clat Gourmet Canteen @ Mohamed Sultan

E.Clat Gourmet Canteen is located on the 3rd floor of Sultan Link building along Mohamed Sultan road. E.Clat which means brilliancy of success is a concept by a group of property agents to offer fine dining for the masses. However the owner also mentioned that they wanted to serve comfort and fun food. That got me confused.

The restaurant has a seating capacity for 110 pax. It also has a cooking studio which they plan to hold cooking classes in the near future.

Tomato Bruschetta 2/5

The Tomato Bruschetta ($6.90 for 4pc) looked rather pretty but it was let down by the stale home made foccacia.

E.Clat Cheesy Onion Fries 2.5/5

I was told that the Cheesy Onion Fries ($9.90) was a creation by the boss himself. The cheeses used were a combination of mozzarella and cheddar. I was getting concerned. I couldn't relate fine dining, comfort and fun food in this dish. The only word flashing across my mind was messy.

Beer Battered Fish and Chips 4/5

The Beer Battered Fish and Chips ($16.90) was probably the best among all the dishes for the tasting session. It had a nice thin and crisp batter around the succulent and fish. It also comes with breaded Fish and Chips if you do not like beer battered version.

Seafood Baked Rice 2.5/5

The rice for the Seafood Baked Rice ($10.90) in tomato sauce was rather bland. The tangy tomato flavour was not distinct or rather missing from the dish. It made me wonder if the kitchen has ran out of cheese, cause I would love to see more in my baked rice.

Black Pepper Beef Pasta 3/5

The Black Pepper Beef Pasta ($12) supposed to be E.Clat most popular dish. I thought it was rather pedestrian. The beef was well marinated and tender but black pepper sauce needs more kick to it.

Egg Benedict 3/5

My Egg Benedict ($10.90) was beautifully cooked with the yolk of the poached egg oozing out when cut. However the hollandaise sauce was a tad watered down and I disliked the stale home made foccacia.

Smoked Duck Pizza 3.8/5

The Smoked Duck Pizza ($18.90) came with a nice thin crisp crust. The truffle mayonnaise was interesting but the way it was on the pizza, I had trouble figuring how best to consume it to get an even spread of the truffle mayonnaise.

Rum and Raisin Patta Cotta 3/5

As I have mentioned in my previous posts I do not know how to appreciate Patta Cotta. Accordingly to the group, the Rum and Raisin Patta Cotta ($8.80) was rather average and not memorable.


E.Clat Gourmet Canteen
Sultan Link Building
63 Mohamed Sultan Road
#03-14
Singapore 239002
Tel: +65 66047998
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EClatGourmetcanteen
Website: http://www.eclat.sg
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 830am - 9pm
Sat: 10am - 3pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk to bus stop at Clark Quay MRT station (Stop ID 04222). Take bus number 54. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to Mohamed Sultan Road. Walk to Sultan Link Building (diagonally opposite Studio M Hotel). Journey time about 13 minutes.