The Summerhouse Dining Room @ Seletar Airport - A New Afternoon Respite At The Summerhouse

The Summerhouse Dining Room has launched a new weekday lunch and weekend brunch menus. The new menus comprises of nature-inspired dishes of familiar flavours using unrivalled freshness of ingredients sourced from local farmers and producers.

Burrata Rocket Salad

A light starter for the lunch is the Burrata Rocket Salad ($20). Fresh burrata rested on a bed of rockets and dressed in house blended rocket peso sauce. I enjoyed the marinated dried tomatoes which lent the sweetness to the dish. The toasted sourdough completed the plate of freshness.

Yellow 4.2/5

The Yellow ($14) consists of crispy sweet potato coated with mimolette cheese, fermented carrots and pickled pumpkin. Bring the different flavours together is the earl grey and passionfruit vinegrette. The harmony of the sweet roots and rejuvenating zest from the pickled sides works harmoniously on the palate.

Miso Shiitake Linguine 4/5

The Smmerhouse Dining room handmade their own linguine for the Miso Shiitake Linguine ($22). It is cooked in a miso cream together with braised shiitake mushroom, grilled sweet corn and spring onion. It is then topped with a sous-vide poached egg and fried sakura ebi. I could not really taste the miso in the pasta, hence the creaminess felt more like have a carbonara. However I did like the addition of fried sakura ebi which provided the extra crunch and flavous.

Pulled Pork Scrambled Egg Burger 4/5

The Pulled Pork Scrambled Egg Burger ($19) is probably the weirdest combination I have ever eaten for a burger. Sandwiched between the cream cheese bun, you can find pulled pork, scrambled egg, mimolette cheese, bacon, rocket and avocado with sambal belacan, mustard and barbecue sauce. It is like putting a big breakfast into a burger. I am not a fan of the sambal belacan in burger but my friend thought otherwise. The burger may seen outrageous but it actually tasted quite delicious.

Eggs Benedict Modernist 3.5/5

Egg benedict given a modern twist, that is exactly what the Eggs Benedict Modernist ($22) is. It comes with two fried breaded egg yolks, sous-vide egg, egg white bacon custard, black forest ham, chive hollandaise and toasted broiche. I am not too sure but I didn't feel quite satisfy with such a delicate plate for brunch. Don't get me wrong, I do applaud the effort and skill into the dish, and its delicious too. However I just want something comforting and hearty for brunch.

French Toast 4/5

I personally felt that I was having 2 desserts for 1 pricing in the French Toast ($14). The toast is soaked in egg with cinnamon and brown sugar is pan fried with butter. It was soft, fluffy and buttery. The caramelized banana and raspberry yuzu sorbet sitting on top of the french toast, reminds me of my childhood favourite banana split ice cream. That is why I mentioned that it felt like having 2 desserts.

Balinese Chocolate Ice Cream 4.5/5

Last but not least we had the Balinese Chocolate Ice Cream ($12) which consists of a freshly baked chocolate cookie at the base with vanilla custard and a scoop of chocolate ice cream made using Baliness cocoa. This is dusted with hazelnut praline powder. The dish may looks simple, it may also looks a little messy but it just works wonderfully together. I can have this anytime of the day.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Summerhouse Dining Room
Seletar Airport
3 Park Lane
Singapore 798387
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Punggol (NE Line), Yishun (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 12pm - 3pm
Fri-Sun, Eve of PH & PH: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Punggol MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to Punggol Bus Interchange (Stop ID 65009). Take bus number 117. Alight 6 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 30 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Yishun MRT station. Take Exit C or E. Walk to Yishun Bus Interchange (Stop ID 59009). Take bus number 103. Alight 16 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 45 minutes. [Map]

Antoinette @ Penhas Road - 23 Chocolate Creations To Satisfy Your Chocolate Fetish

Following the successful launch of the Fetish Matcha, Chef Pang introduces his second instalment - Chocolat Fetish. The latest instalment will be available from 01 September to 31 October 2016. A total of 23 creations, crafted from premium white and dark Valrhona chocolate. It is a chocolate heaven for the latest collection with both savoury and sweet items. While there are a total of 23 chocolate creations, only 4 of these are savoury items and they are not available Mandarin Gallery.

Roasted Carrot with Balsamic Dark Chocolate Dressing 4/5

From the savoury menu, we started with the Roasted Carrot with Balsamic Dark Chocolate Dressing ($18). Considering the richness of chocolate, this is actually a light starter with the dark chocolate balsamic sauce on the side to complement the oven roasted carrot and serrano ham.

Chocolate Ravioli 4/5

The Chocolate Ravioli ($22) is filled with wild mushroom ragout and cooked in a light sausage cream sauce. The texture of the chocolate pasta skin and the mushroom ragout works for me. It is a excellent dish on its own, minus the fact that it really need a trained tongue to detect the trace of chocolate.

Sous Vide Salmon with White Chocolate Hollandaise 4.8/5

The savoury dish that got everyone's acknowlegement is the Sous Vide Salmon with White Chocolate Hollandaise ($28). Besides the beautifully cooked salmon, it also comes with potato puree and caramelized fennel, onion and apple salad. The star has to be the white chocolate sauce that is made from a concoction of cream, vinegar white and sherry, milk, white chocolate and lemon juice. It complemented the moist salmon perfectly and it did not lose its chocolate characteristic.

Braised Wagyu Brisket 3.5/5

The very instant the Braised Wagyu Brisket ($30) was served, I thought I detected vegemite It was actually the mustard and dark chocolate that there the brisket was cooked in. However I thought the buttered parpadelle stole the limelight from the dark chocolate.

Tarte Chocolat 4/5

Moving on to the cakes and macarons section, we started with the Tarte Chocolat ($10). The chocolate almond tart is filled with caramel fleur de sel with roasted nuts, dark chocolate ganache, chocolate Chantilly chocolate. A chocolately and nutty combination that will be well received by many.

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake 4.5/5

Amount the numerous cakes on the shelf, my favourite is the strawberry shortcake because of its lightness. The chocolate interpretation of my favourite cake won not only my heart but my palate too. The Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake ($10) consists of chocolate genoise with chocolate Chantilly and fresh strawberry. I thought it would be too rich for my liking but it turned out otherwise. It was moist, light and well balanced.

Orangier 4/5

For those that adores the richness of chocolate, then the Orangier ($10) would be the one for you. The sexy slice of cake consists of creamy matcha ganache layered with a m4 layered chocolate cake with a light chocolate ganache, hazelnut feullitine and orange marmaladeilk chocolate yuzu ganache enrobed in milk chocolate.

Macaron Burger 3.5/5

What a stunning presentation in the Macaron Burger ($12). The details are so well thought of. There are many components making up the burger such as the chocolate macaron, chocolate ganache patty, apricot cheese, raspberry ketchup, salted caramel cream mustard and white chocolate lettuce. Give me a beer for my burger. Oh I mean give me a cup of tea.

Trufflette 4.2/5

On did I find a black truffle at Antoinette? I was disappointed when I cut into the truffle. I thought I have strike gold but its actually a cake. The Trufflette ($15) is made up of dark chocolate mousse, black truffle cremeux, chocolate genoise and hazelnut feullitine. The addition of the black truffle cremeux has accentuated the flavour to a new level that is new to me which I enjoyed.

Invader Inside 4.5/5

Comes in a can, there is some fun element in it. The Invader Inside ($15) has 10 different chocolate textures in it. I will keep in a mystery what you can find inside. It is for our to open that treasure can and discover the chocolate yourself.

Chocolate Pancake 4/5

Chef Pang has up the gear with the Chocolate Pancake ($18). The stack of chocolate flavoured pancakes is drenched in a warm chocolate sauce and topped with banana nut crunch and flambed caramelized banana. A sinful but delicious dessert on a plate.

Chocolate French Toast 4.8/5

The Chocolate French Toast ($18) which is made using the soft brioche. The soft bread is not only infused with chocolate but housed a luscious chocolate lava inside. The banana nut crunch cereal provided the extra contrast to the texture. This is the ultimate chocolate heaven for me. A not to be missed dish on the menu if you are a chocolate fan.

Flaming Chocolate Ice Cream 3.5/5

Encased in a chocolate sphere is the Flaming Chocolate Ice Cream ($22). Upon pouring the flaming Grand Marnier over the sphere, it revealed a creamy white matcha ganache with almond nougatine and matcha cake enrobed with milk dark chocolate ice cream, exotic fruit compote and almond crumble inside. I am not a fan of alcohol with chocolate so in my personal preference, this kind of throw the balance off, not allowing me to appreciate the sweetness and richness of the chocolate.

For sweet treats, you will be delighted by the selection that is available for the fetish chocolate creation. On the platter, we were given samples of the Chocolate Rice Crispies, Chocolate with Tea (lapsang souchong, earl grey, assam, jasmine), Crispy Bacon, Almond Butter Rusk, White Chocolate Matcha, Chocoron and Salted Egg Truffle. My favourite among all is the salted egg truffle. I like it so much that I got a box home.

Hot Chocolate Yuzu with Marshmallow Cloud 3/5

There are even 2 new chocolate beverage creation for the fetish chocolate campaign. There is the Hot Chocolate Yuzu ($29) which comes with a marshmallow cloud. It is another instagrammable creation that will probably draw the crowd to the restaurant. I did not like addition of yuzu in the beverage, it somehow distort the balance for me. I just want my hot chocolate with marshmallow.

Hot Chocolate Earl Grey with Croissant Croutons 4.5/5

Of the two beverage creations, I definitely prefer the Hot Chocolate Earl Grey with Croissant Croutons ($9) more. The earl grey has hard noticeable. All I got was just the rich creamy chocolate, the way I like it. What's more we have the croissant croutons to soak up that chocolatey sweetness.

Besides the array of chocolate creations that is a chocolate heaven for chocolate lovers. The fetish chocolate campaign also dispel the notion that chocolate has only a certain way of enjoying it. This is is an exploration as well as educational of all the senses, taking chocolate to a whole new level.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Antoinette 
30 Penhas Road
Singapore 208188
Tel: +65 62933121
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thur: 11am - 10pm
Fri & Eve PH: 11am - 11pm
Sat: 10am - 11pm
Sun & PH: 10am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to V Hotel Lavender. Walk down Horne Road and turn right onto Penhas Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Cook & Brew @ The Westin Singapore

Towards the end of the month, some of you may feel spent, or relieved, in one way or another. There are hundred and one ways to reward yourself, and one of which is to treat yourself to a sumptuous meal, isn’t it? That, may be the motivation behind COOK & BREW's SATURDAY NIGHT ROASTS at Westin Singapore. Available only on every last Saturday of the month, you get to enjoy unlimited servings of three different types of roasts – Prime Ribeye, Catch Of The Day (such as Salmon, Sea Bass, Snapper or Red Mullet) and a Specialty Roast Of The Day (Roasted Pork Belly, Bone-in Ham, Whole Roasted Chicken, BBQ Turkey, Whole Roasted Duck, Bone-in Veal Loin, Roasted Lamb Shoulder or Lamb Merguez Sausage etc). With such a variety selected and served on a rotational basis, indeed, there is something to look forward to at the end of every month!

Located at Level 33, with its sprawling room that overlooks the Marina Bay, this place seems aerial. As I walked past the bar area and into the dining section, I saw that the dining area had incorporated "live" carving stations to feature their selection of different premium meat cuts of the day. Compared to their bar area, the dining space is much more intimate, with ample room between tables. This is really what I need, if I want to do some real catching up with my loved ones.

The live carving stations enlivened the dining area by a notch. The staff was personable, explaining to me the various housemade gravy and sauces that will complement my meats. This evening, besides the mainstayer Prime Ribeye, we were offered Sea Bass and slow-cooked Pork Loin.

There is no doubt to the quality of their roasts. Even the housemade sauces are commendable. Scoop after scoop I took their tomato sauce, which pairs really well with the fish with its tanginess. The other gravy were perfect over the meats as well, which are also great dipping sauce for the Yorkshire Pudding and Grilled Sourdough. The Pork Loin was fork-tender and juicy. Like what my friend had said, she couldn’t imagine how the meat can be so tender when you don’t really see much traces of fats.

To complement our roasts, we were also given a menu to choose some side dishes - a choice of two cold plates, two starch and three vegetables, per table. Among the dishes that we have chosen, some are really delectable, and rather impressive. For cold plates, we picked Broccoli & Cucumber and Apple &Cabbage Slaw for their interesting combination of ingredients. Both refreshed our senses just in time for us to start off our dinner.

For Starches, I would highly recommend Perogies. Like a gyoza, each pocket is stuffed with Smoked Cheddar and Potatoes, and with a slightly crisp bottom. As for the Greens, their Roasted Heirloom Carrot and Apples is a must-have. These classical antiques seem to have packed and sealed up all the natural flavours in their scrawny bodies, which only reveal themselves in every bite. Amazing. Their Sicilian-styled Grilled Vegetables is also quite notable. Zucchini, Bell peppers, all perfectly charred and sweet.

Dessert for the day was Alaska, was somewhat disappointing. Whereas the bar right next to us, with its lavish dark red leather bar stools, seems a lot more promising to round up our night.

Overall, the service was refined, yet friendly. If you are into Prime Roast, and don’t mind splurging once in a while, remember to mark this place on your calendar. It’s something to look forward to this October!

Saturday Night Roasts is available every last Saturday of the month, from 26 September 2015 onwards, 6.00 p.m. – 12.00 a.m. (last order at 9.30 p.m.) at Cook & Brew, Level 33. $95++ per person (minimum of two persons required).

Photography 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.


Cook & Brew
The Westin Singapore
Leve 33
Asia Square Tower 2
12 Marina View
Singapore 018961
Tel: +65 69226948
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Downtown (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Sat Night Roasts: 6pm - 12midnight

Direction: 
1) Alight at Downtown. Take Exit to Asia Square Tower 2. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Moosehead Kitchen-Bar @ Telok Ayer Street

The visit to Moosehead Kitchen-Bar last year was so memorable that it was on my recommendation list whenever my friends asked me where to eat. When I was told that I am going back to check out the new menu, I was eagerly looking forward another mind blowing dining experience as well as meeting Glen Ballis, the chef partner, culinary consultant as well as the father of Daniel Ballis (father-and son partnership) who is in town.

Dinner at Moosehead Kitchen-Bar started with the Meze Board ($19). On the board is marinated olives with orange zest, crunchy feta with raw honey and black sesame and tzatziki with warm bread. Among the trio, my favourite is the tzatziki made from a mixture of greek yoghurt, garlic, cucumber, mint and parsley. The refreshing tzatziki dip goes very well with the warm bread. So good that I can't stop going back for more.

Deviled Egg 4/5

A special edition only for the Easter weekend is the Deviled Egg ($8). I thought it has a nice Christmas feel with the ricotta filling, tomato chutney and chives.

Pork Scratchings 4.8/5

Last year I had the crispy spiced pork ears, this year Moosehead has up its game with the Pork Scratchings with Beef Tartare ($6/pc) dressed with yuzu mayo. The hand cut beef is in Dijon mustard, gherkin, capers, tabasco, ketchup, olive oil, salt, pepper and topped with Japanese chilli spice and spring onion. It may sounds like two individual components but surprisingly both of them married well together.

Seared Watermelon, Feta, Cress 4/5

A very colourful and refreshing is the Seared Watermelon with Feta and Watercress ($12). The watermelon is flash pan seared with olive oil and salt to lock in the sweetness. The used of Chinese watercress further cement the chef's well travelled culinary knowledge and the used of locally sourced ingredients from Tekka market.

Avocado, Roast Pear, Caramelized Fig, Goat Cheese, Spinach Leaves 4/5

A interesting some what fruit salad dish is the Avocado, roast pear, caramelized fig, goat cheese and spinach leaves ($16). For me the star is the sweet lemon dressing that gel the whole dish together.

Shredded Cabbage 4.5/5

It is amazing how such a simple Shredded Cabbage ($8) can be so flavourful, simply using ponzu, percorino cheese and truffle to elevated the whole dimension of the dish.

Marinated Scallops, Orange Emulsion, Seaweed, Frozen Apple 4.5/5

Packed with rich flavour is the Marinated Scallops, Orange Emulsion, Seaweed, Frozen Apple ($19). The scallops is marinated in yuzu, mizkan, mirin and red onions. The scallop swimming in a pool of delicious gravy of orange emulsion, shaved frozen apple, red and green seaweed.

Roast beetroot, pomegranate, toasted almonds, ricotta 4.2/5

Another very creativity dish on the new menu is the Roast beetroot, pomegranate, toasted almonds, ricotta ($12). I could never imagine how smartly the chef has once again used the simplest ingredients and made it into a beautiful dish. You just got to try to understand what exactly I meant.

Roast Carrots 4.2/5

Yet another unique pairing of Roast Carrots, Apricot Puree, Persimmon, Pistachio ($14). The carrots freshly brought from the market is blanched in salted water, rolled in olive oil and salt before being charred in charcoal oven.The main ingredient is then further accompanied with apricot puree, permission, crushed pistachio, rosemary and honey mustard dressing. Eating vegetable is never the same again with all these different components working harmoniously together.

Roasted  Cauliflower 4.2/5

The smoky Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic Miso, Leek Confit, Creme Fraiche ($14) is another creation that demonstrates the culinary smartness of the chefs in using simple ingredients and elevating it to a whole new level.

Flank Steak 4.5/5

To be frank, after a series of vegetables and fruit dishes, I was delighted to have the charcoal grilled Flank Steak ($29). Grilled to perfection with a reddish interior, the beautiful piece of cut comes with a nice texture bite.

Pear, Saffron Custard, cream, yuzu candied nuts 3.5/5

I am not a big fan of saffron so this did not manage to excite me. Nevertheless, I did try the dish in which the saffron was not too overpowering for me. The crunchy roasted nashi pears eaten together with yuzu candied pistachio and almonds and cream is like a party in the mouth

Strawberries and Cream 4.8/5

Do remember to save your stomach for the Strawberries and Cream ($12). This is perfect to wrap up the evening with the yummy bowl of strawberry, cream (creme fraiche), house made sorbet and grated chocolate. The used of cream fraiche and grated chocolate helps to balance the sourish of the sorbet. I guaranteed you, you probably do not wish to share it with anyone.

Once again Moosehead Kitchen-Bar has impressed me with their new creations. I really find them smart in the sense of using the simplest ingredients to create it into such a modern and delicious dishes. Even vegetarian will be delight with their latest creations such as the roasted cauliflower, roasted carrots, roasted beetroot, shredded cabbage and seared watermelon.


Moosehead Kitchen - Bar
110 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 068579
Tel: +65 66368055
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MooseheadKitchenBar
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm
Sat: 6pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Aligh at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Telok Ayer Street. Journey time about 1 minutes. [Map]