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
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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
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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]