La Dame de Pic @ Raffles Singapore - Enliven The Tastebuds With Masterfully Crafted Creations Capturing The Emotions Of Spring In Multi-Course Dining Experience

La Dame de Pic at Raffles Singapore showcases the best of Spring's produce in its latest menu, celebrating the season's finest offerings. The Spring menu features a range of vibrant and delicate flavours, with new and refreshed signature dishes that perfectly capture the season's essence. In addition, guests can enjoy the taste of Spring's quintessential produce, including green and white asparagus, which adds to the overall bloom of the season.

The exquisite spring menu draws on Chef's creativity. It is presented as a 4-course menu Exploration (S$188++ per guest) during lunch on Fridays, as well as a 6-course menu Experience (S$248++ per guest) and 7-course menu Elegance (S$348++ per guest) for both lunch and dinner. Of the four amuse bouche, my favourite is the minimum tart topped with bafun uni.

Green Asparagus 4/5

As asparagus is in season, we also had the Green Asparagus for amuse bouche. I understand the asparagus was marinated overnight with sea salt to gently "cook" it while retaining its raw and tender texture. The seasonal ingredient is enhanced with ginger, wasabi's spiciness, and rocket and matcha's bitterness.

Kuruma Tiger Prawn 4.2/5

Next is the Kuruma Tiger Prawn resting on a bed of smoked burrata and topped with oscietra caviar. If I am not wrong, it is paired with a light and refreshing tomato broth that brightens the taste profile. It even comes with deep-fried prawn head, which can be eaten like a snack.

Les Berlingots 4.2/5

A iconic dish at La Dame de Pic is the Berlingots which is given its own local twist. The green-coloured triangle shaped pasta parcels are filled with pea puree, elevated with a sake and pepper leaf beurre blanc and roasted pistachios.

Langoustine 4.2/5

The Langoustine is presented at the dining table in a custom-made trolley and enhanced with freshly-grated cedrat. I have never seen such a huge aromatic French citrus fruit. A light tempura-like coating around the langoustine gives it a delightful textural contrast, accompanied by a moreish bite of romaine lettuce and nori.

A4 Wagyu Tenderloin 4.5/5

The A4 Wagyu Tenderloin is cooked using a time-honoured technique known as 'a la ficelle' giving it a beautiful tender texture. What I found interesting was using a clear consomme-like sauce for the beef instead of the usual rich brown-based sauce. It is a good pairing, allowing the beef's flavour to shine more.

Pre-Dessert Yogurt Espuma with Blood Orange and Pistachio 4.2/5

Brillat-Savarin 4.2/5

We had the Yogurt Espuma with Blood Orange and Pistachio for pre-dessert before moving to the Brillat-Savarin for dessert. It is like a cheese course served as a dessert with a brioche. It is served with jackfruit and orange blossom. However, the jackfruit brings a tad of bitterness to the finish, which I didn't enjoy.

Chocolate Mint Mousse

The Chocolate Mint Mousse was not only pretty in presentation but beautiful in taste too. On the plate, you can find different components, such as coconut panna cotta and sorbet. I am not much of a dessert person, but I cleaned the plate. It just showed how good it is.

Petit Four

Last but not least, we ended the Spring menu with the Petit Four for a wonderful meal.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


La Dame de Pic
Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: +65 63371886
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Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line), Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:

Lunch (Fri-Sat): 12pm - 145pm

Dinner (Tue-Sat): 630pm - 845pm
(Closed on Sun and Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit F. Walk to the junction of Beach Road and Bras Basah Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time is about 3 minutes. [Map]

2) 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]

Osteria BBR By Alain Ducasse @ Raffles Hotel Singapore - Savour Wonderful Flavours Of Italian Riviera With Refreshed Menu

Osteria BBR by Alain Ducasse welcomes new Chef de Cuisine Natalino Ambra and presents a newly refreshed menu alongside signature favourites that encapsulate a revitalised and imaginative Italian concept.

We had the Tentazioni Menu ($128++ per guest), which exhibits a selection of must-try signatures and newly-introduced dishes. We started with some amuse bouche to kick start the dinner.

Amberjack 4.2/5

We started with the light and refreshing seafood antipasti - Marinated Amberjack, topped with pomegranate seeds alongside citrus condiment, brightening the appreciation of the fresh fish slices.

Black Angus Beef Tartare 4.2/5

Next, is the Black Angus Beef Tartare topped with almonds and parmesan cheese. I enjoyed using carrots for the sauce, a refreshing touch of the usual pairing I have eaten.

Octopus 4.2/5

Cooked to a lovely tender texture is the charred Octopus complemented by a light potato foam infused with a Mediterranean scent.

Tagliolini, Zucchini, Kristal Caviar 4.8/5

One of our favourite dishes is the Tagliolini tossed in seaweed butter. It is paired with three forms of zucchini - pureed, roasted and crisped. Finally, it is crowned with Kristal caviar for a luxe finish.

Black Angus Beef Tenderloin 4.5/5

For the Mains, diners can choose either the Black Angus Beef Tenderloin or Atlantic Cod Fish. The beautifully medium-cooked Beef Tenderloin is paired with nutty celeriac and full-bodied truffle beef jus.

Atlantic Cod Fish 4.2/5

The Atlantic Cod Fish will be an excellent choice if you don't eat beef. The toothsome and buttery cod fish is accompanied by a flavoursome orange sauce that lifts the enjoyment.

Chocolate Mousse from Alain Ducasse 4.2/5

Homemade Buckwheat Ice Cream 4.2/5

Finally, round off the dining indulgence on a luscious note with the Mousse Al Cioccolato, a rich chocolate mousse made from Alain Ducasse's chocolate, complemented with Homemade Buckwheat Ice Cream.

Signature Baba 4.5/5

Not to be missed is the Signature Baba drizzled with limoncello and topped with whipped cream.

Besides the Temptation Menu I had, guests can opt for wine pairing for an additional $98++ per guest. There is also a 2-course ($39++ per guest) and 3-course ($46++ per guest) lunch menu option exclude Sundays.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Osteria BBR by Alain Ducasse
Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: +65 64121816
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line), Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Restaurant
Mon, Thu-Sun: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 945pm
Bar
Mon, Thu-Sun: 12pm - 10pm

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]

Merci Marcel @ Eng Hoon Street - Hearty And Homemade Cuisines Of Regional French Flavours At Original Tiong Bahru Outlet

Located in the enclave of Tiong Bahru, chic French cafe-restaurant Merci Marcel serves up a variety of French bakes and mains in the daytime menu and a dinner ‘tapas’ menu, created for sharing in a good company come evening. Merci Marcel up the ante with a new dinner menu of Southern French flavours, conceptualised by the Merci Marcel team and Boudrdeax Chef Nicholas Nguyen Van Hai. Dishes recommended were the Southern French-style flaky pizza pissaladiere of Provence, the Alsatian tarte flambee made a la minute, and locally-sourced prawns marinated with French-Spanish influence and garlic, and more!

G'Vin 4/5

We started the evening with some of the drinks recommended by the friendly server. For something on the sweeter side, go for the G'Vin ($18) - a concoction of grapefruit tonic, grapefruit, blueberries and decorated with rose petals, which makes for a light and refreshing drink that would appeal to any gin & tonic lover.

300g Beef Striploin 4.2/5

From the sharing plates, we had the Beef Striploin ($42). The 300g portion size was great for sharing and done medium rare, the meat was grilled to tender perfection. However, the highlight for us was the creamy seasonal mushrooms which were served atop the steak, along with a flavourful beef jus reduction and burnt leek, which just elevated the entire dish.

Truffle Tarte Flambee 4/5

Another excellent dish le Tarte Flambee ($25) which comes with onion, comte, artisanal corsica coppa, and fragrant truffle oil atop a thin, flaky pizza. The salted cured meat added a delightful smoky savouriness to the dish, and the crust got more addictive as we crunched away on it. We only hoped the truffle flavour could be more robust as the aroma was not distinctive enough, masked by the stronger savoury flavours of the dish.

Ravioles de Royans 4.2/5

For something more substantial, opt for the Ravioles de Royans ($18), one of the signature dishes at Merci Marcel. A French speciality of the Dauphine region - the mini French dumpling pasta is filled with creamy Tete de Moine cheese and served in a thick creamy sauce. The dish gets more addictive with each al dente bite and won me over with its cheesy and gooey filling. Surprisingly, the creaminess of the dish was quite light and did not overwhelm us at the end of it all. It is available in either small ($18) or large ($28), but we recommend getting the larger size for sharing to get your fill of this cheesy goodness.

Duck Parmentier Facon Marcel 3.8/5

The Duck Parmentier Facon Marcel ($27) features tender duck confit shreds sitting atop shredded Darphin potatoes, resembling the potato rosti that we are more familiar with. The rosti has just slight crispiness of the outside while retaining a soft mushy centrever, we found the duck confit to be a little too dry for our liking.

Lemon Pie 4/5

We round off our meal with their new desserts - the Lemon Pie ($12) comes in an interesting deconstructed presentation. We loved how the sourness from the lemon curd is balanced off by the sweetness of the soft homemade meringue while sitting atop a pile of buttery crusts which added a nice texture to the creaminess of the other elements.

Chocolate Mousse 3.8/5

Made using coconut oil, the Chocolate Mousse ($11) is a dairy-free dessert and comes in a cup of creamy dark chocolatey mousse sitting atop a crunchy cookie base. While the bittersweet chocolate mousse was enjoyable, it got a little too much halfway through, and we began digging for the crunchy base to pair with the creamy mousse.

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.


Merci Marcel
56 Eng Hoon Street
#01-68
Singapore 160056
Tel: +65 62240113
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru (EW Line), Outram Park (EW Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 8am - 1130pm
Sun: 8am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tiong Bahru MRT station. Take Exit A or B. Head east on Tiong Bahru Road towards Jalan Membina. Walk down Tiong Bahru and turn right onto Kim Pong Road. Turn left onto Lim Liak Street. Walk to the of Lim Liak Street and turn right onto Seng Poh Road. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Outram MRT station. Take Exit A or C. Walk to bus stop opposite Outram MRT station (Stop ID 06011). Take bus no. 33, 63, 75, 851 or 970. Alight 1 stop later at Blk 55 Tiong Bahru Road. Continue on Tiong Bahru Road and turn left onto Seng Poh Road. Continue on Seng Poh Road until destination. Journey time 8 minutes. [Map]