Palette Restaurant & Bar @ Capitol Piazza

BreadTalk Group has done it again with a new dining concept called Palette Restaurant & Bar that housed together 10 different brands from Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The new restaurant borrows a mixture of dining concepts of a food court, marche and a full service restaurant. Stepping into the dining hall, diner is handed an ipad where they can order from the ten brands at their comfort from their table and the food will be served to them when it is ready. Payment is at the cashier before exiting the dining hall.

BBQ Chicken Wings 4.2/5

Dinner at Palette started with some light bites from Huat Huat BBQ Chicken Wings ($12 for half a dozen/ $21 for one dozen), a brand for 14 years. The chicken wings are grilled to a nice exterior crispiness with a subtle sweetness. Most important the pairing chilli sauce goes very well with the chicken wings and very addictive.

Sate Ayam Madura 3.5/5

I am glad to find one of my favourite Indonesian restaurants, IndoChilli at Palette. From IndoChilli, we tried both the Sate Ayam Madura ($8.80 for 5pc) and Tahu Telor ($9.80). The sate was tender but lacked the charred aroma. I suspected is due to the used of electric grill instead of charcoal grill. Nevertheless the creamy nutty sauce for the sate consistency is there and good.

Tahu Telor 4/5

The Tahu Telor ($9.80) as far as I can remember, it still taste as good as I had the last time. I am delighted to see that IndoChilli still add those white beansprout head to the dish giving the sauce a hint of spiciness and crunch.

Fish Cake 4.2/5

Ah Koong Restaurant from Johor Bahru, Malaysia has an impressive story. Started in 1987 with only 5 men, it has expanded to 5 restaurants and a manufacturing facility with over 100 workers. This is their sixth outlet and also their first outlet outside Malaysia. Their preservative free fishballs and fishcake are handmade from ikan parang fish paste.

Fishball Noodle Dry 3.5/5

Beside the Fish Cake ($4.90), Ah Koong also sells Fishball Noodle ($7.90) and I got to try the dry version tossed in a black sauce which complement quite well with the thick yellow noodles. The bowl of noodle comes with bouncy fishballs sliced fishcake, minced pork and fried shallots.

Fried Hokkien Crayfish Mee 2.8/5

The luxury Fried Hokkien Crayfish Mee ($15) from Yong Xin Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle was a disappointment for me. Unfortunately the noodles did not get to absorb the flavour of the beautiful stock. It felt like the person behind the wok did not do a good job. Diners can also find Char Kway Tiao ($9) and Oyster Omelette ($11) on their menu.

Noodles with Abalone 4/5

Ah Yat Seafood Kitchen is another brand at Palette that most Singaporean will be familiar with. With a huge selection from wholesome set meats, roast meats, dim sum, congee, noodles, rice dishes and live seafood, Ah Yat offers something for everyone. I tried the Noodles with Abalone ($18) using Ah Yat's proprietary abalone sauce, a top secret recipe that was created over 40 years ago. The sauce not only complement the plump and juicy abalone but the noodles too.

Premium Pork Ribs Soup 3.5/5

While Balestier in Singapore does house a couple of popular Bak Kut Teh restaurants, I doubt I have heard of Balestier Bak Kut Teh. Nevertheless, it is still good to have a bowl of Premium Pork Ribs Soup ($9.50) in the air conditioned mall with its hot and peppery soup base warming the body.

Braised Beef Brisket Noodles Dry 3.5/5

Hok Kee Authentic Hong Kong Noodle & Congee is a Hong Kong brand with over 60 years of heritage starting from a mobile food vendor in Yuen Long, Hong Kong. While the sauce and noodles of the Braised Beef Brisket Noodles Dry ($9) tasted average, the melted in the mouth beef brisket itself was good.

Wonton Soup 4/5

Hok Kee also specializes in wonton. The Wonton Soup ($8) comes with silky smooth wonton stuffed with bite sized parcel of fresh shrimp, lean pork, pork fat and flat fish.

Champagne Pork Ribs 4/5

Little Nanyang at Palette is a new brand in the Singapore scene debuting in Food Republic Hong Kong in March 2013 servicing Southeast Asian cuisine. In Singapore, it will be enticing Singaporean's palate with a selection of zi char dishes such as the Champagne Pork Ribs ($10.80). Actually I could not really taste any champagne but the pork coated in a sweet sauce is cooked to fork tender.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Set 3.8/5

On top of the selection of zi char dishes, Little Nanyang sells the popular Hainanese Chicken Rice Set ($10,90) too. All the components of a chicken rice, from the chicken to sauces are well executed except for the rice. It lacked the fluffiness and aroma of a good plate of chicken rice.

Chandi Murg Tikka 3/5

Being a cultural melting pot, Palette has Delhi 6 offering North-West Indian cuisine to cater for the rest of the community. Due to some restriction in the kitchen, they can only use electric tandoors which may explain why the Chandi Murg Tikka ($13) ensconced in a garlic and cashew nut cream sauce is not as good as some that I have tried elsewhere.

Sunset Gula Melaka Banana Parfait & Butterscotch 4/5

Golden Chilled Mango Soup with Mango & Citrus Fruits 4.2/5

Dinner is not complete without some drinks and/or desserts from 90 Gastro Bar. Besides the extensive range of wines, beers and hard liquor, 90 Gastro Bar also offers a twist to some old school desserts such as the Sunset Gula Melaka Banana Parfait & Butterscotch ($8) and Golden Chilled Mango Soup with Mango & Citrus Fruits ($8). The golden chilled mango soup with mango and citrus fruits stood out for me with the blend of mango ice cream, mango puree and coconut milk, giving it a airier and frothier texture than the traditional version.

Overall I find that the new concept has its hits and misses. The new concept reminds me about a group of foodies who feels that hawker food needs to be priced more expensive and also have air conditioning to preserve the hawker heritage. Palette Restaurant & Bar seems to fit their idea. We will see whether the new concept by BreadTalk Group is the direction to go.


Palette Restaurant & Bar
Capitol Piazza
13 Stamford Road
#B1-20/27
Singapore 178905
Tel: +65 63843359
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 1030pm

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

Singapore Favourite Food Village 2015 @ Clarke Quay

This year Singapore Favourite Food Village 2015 takes place at Read Bridge, Clarke Quay. Themed A Wok down Memory Lane at Ellenborough Market, we see the bridge transformed into 2 rows of hawker centre from 24 July to 2 August 2015 from 5pm to 11pm.

Besides the line up of hawkers dishing our delicious food, a serial of other events such as Live Cooking Demo and Traditional Teochew Opera. Do check the schedule of the various events at the official site.

It is great to see familiar face, Ah Boy from Good Chance Popiah. In the picture is Mr Lim and Jerome from Ming Fa Fishball Noodles. There is just too much food at the Singapore Favourite Food Village. My limited stomach space only allows me to try some of the following dishes, starting off with Good Chance Popiah. Go for the chilli one as it is damn shiok.

Then wonder next door to Ming Fa Fishball Noodles to have their noodles. The mee pok coated with their vinegar and chilli was slurping good. Not to forget, the soft and bouncy fishballs.

I also tried the Jia Le Hong Kong Roasted Food's Suckling Pig. Not the best but palatable enough to go with my cup of beer.

One stall that caugh my attention is the carrot cake stall by Everything Foods that is selling Salted Egg Yolk Fried Carrot Cake and Tom Yum Carrot Cake. I tried the salted egg yolk carrot cake which was surprisingly quite enjoyable.

Everything Foods also runs another stall selling Lor Mee. I tried their Pig Trotter Lor Mee and was surprised that I was given a whole pig trotter. The pig trotter was cooked to fork tender but I thought it was lacking that rich robust flavour.

If you don't mind spending a bit more, you can try the Steamed Cold Crab from Merchant Court.

The line up of stalls also see a few cafes with their own interpretation of local flavours. The Quarters offers a trio of snack bites. There is Chilli Crab Man Tou, Salted Egg Fries and DurianCanBoleh. The durian creme brulee or DurianCanBoleh is a worthy try for something different from the usual if you are a durian lower.

A dessert I would recommend saving some space for is the Ondeh Ondeh Churros from Churros Factory. Crispy exterior with a fluffy interior, this is served with a palm sugar sauce with shredded coconut. Instead of ondeh ondeh, it actually reminds me of kueh lopes.

Singapore Favourite Food Village 2015
Read Bridge, Clarke Quay
Date: 24 July to 02 August 2015
Time: 5pm - 11pm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SingaporeFavouriteFoodOfficial
Website: http://www.singaporefavouritefood.sg/index.php

Siam Square Mookata @ Jurong East

photo credit: BITES

Have you read the March issue of BITES - The Scoop of on Good Eats? Yes, SG Food on Foot is on the blogger hot seat for the month of March, going toe-to-toe with the team at BITES for a buffet lunch at Siam Square Mookata, Jurong East. Check out my interview where I shared which is my MRT station and review on Siam Square Mookata.

I was told that there is a new Mookata place in the west and it is located inside a coffeeshop. Together with the folks at BITES we headed down to Siam Square Mookata to check out the affordable Thai style steamboat. Most of the items on the menu only cost $1.80 per plate while the eat all you can buffet is only $29 per pax.

Siam Square Mookata offers three types of chilli sauce dips for the Thai style steamboat. The dark coloured sauce is sweeter which is suitable for children. The green Thai chilli sauce is a bit spicier with a hint of sourness. However the star is the red coloured chilli sauce, this is da bomb and it packed a punch. It goes very well with most of the ingredients.

Mookata 3.8/5

Unlike many mookata places the skillet pot is non-stick. Hence there is no need to use pork lard to grease the surface before bbq the ingredients. The ingredients are served in stackable trays or plates which is actually quite tidy and neat.

Mookata 3.8/5

Two interesting ingredients among the extensive selection caught my eyes which is Fuzhou Fishball and Fish Paste Noodles. I am actually quite surprises to see Fuzhou fishball in the menu as it is not part of Thai cuisine. This shows the wide selections of ingredients you can get at Siam Square Mookata. A must try item here is the Fish Paste Noodles. It has a very interesting and springy textures that comes with a very enjoyable bite to it.

Black Pepper Beef 4/5

Pork Belly 3.8/5

While I find the meat too thinly sliced but I like the marination. The Black Pepper Beef stood out for me for its peppery kick.

Vegetable Platter

Not all items on the menu are priced at $1.80 per plate. Some premium items such as the oysters, squids, prawns, smoked duck, scallops etc are priced at $2.80 per plate, a dollar more. Even so, I think it is still quite reasonable and affordable.

Overall I have enjoyed my meal at Siam Square Mookata. I like the extensive selection of ingredients available on the menu, even stuff such as Fuzhou fishball, fish paste noodles etc. Lastly the star at Siam Square Mookata has to be their power chilli sauce. It damn shiok.


Siam Square Mookata
Blk 134 Jurong Gateway Road
#01-309
Singapore 600134
Tel: +65 82470444
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiamSquareMookata
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk towards the bus interchange. Cut through the bus interchange and cross the road. Walk straight along block 135. At the end of the block, turn right and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Soon Lee Fishball Noodle @ West Coast Market Square

West Coast Market Square is just a couple of bus stops away from where I stay. Occasionally I will go there for a quick meal. One stall that I frequent often is Soon Lee Fishball Noodle. It is also one of the few stalls at the food centre that has a queue.

Fishball Noodle 3/5

A bowl of Fishball Noodle ($2.50/$3) comes with some fish cake slices, fishball. meatball and a bit of minced meat. The noodle here is only decent with a rustic taste.

If I a not wrong, the fishball and meatball should be factory supplied. The fishball is indeed very springy and bouncy but I hardly tasted any fish flavour in it. It even comes with a bit of saltiness that seems quite common with factory made fishball. The meatball fares better with its taste and texture.

I am not sure why the stall usually has a queue. The fish ball noodle is really just average. I will assume of it strategic location facing the main road as well for the fact that there is no other fishball noodle stall at the food centre.


Soon Lee Fishball Noodle
West Coast Market Square
Blk 726 Clementi West Street 2
#01-184
Singapore 120726
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station. (Stop ID 17179). Take bus number 201. Alight 2 stops later. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Beauty in The Pot @ One KM Mall

Paradise Group has opened yet another new concept under its restaurant chains in November 2014 at the newly opened One KM Mall. It is a steamboat concept called Beauty in The Pot, a whole new health and beauty pot dining experience that offers delectable nourishing soup bases with a wide selection of fresh ingredients for hotpot aficionados.

Twin Flavours Broth 4.5/5

Unlike other steamboat restaurants that offers a variety of soup bases, Beauty in The Pot only concentrates on two soup bases, the Beauty Collagen Broth (Shark's Cartilage Soup) and Spicy Nourishing Broth (Pork Bone Soup). To get the best of both world, we went for the Twin Flavours Broth ($25) which comes in a yin yang pot with the beauty collagen and spicy nourishing broth on each side.

US Kurobuta Pork 4.5/5

US Wagyu Ribeye 4.5/5 and Red Garoupa 4.5/5

From the meat menu, we tried a couple of their selections such as the US Kurobuta Pork ($9/$18) and US Wagyu Ribeye ($21/42). They are really good premium meat that is not too thinly sliced. Same goes to the fresh Red Garoupa  ($28/$38/$48). I dislike steamboat places that purposely sliced the meat or fish thinly, which missed out on the whole textural satisfaction. Thumbs up to Beauty in The Pot.

Homemade Fish Tofu 4.5/5

A must try at Beauty in The Pot is the Homemade Fish Tofu ($1.80/pc). It is made of yellowtail fish paste, egg white and soy bean and shaped into a fish. It has an interesting texture that is new to me. In conjunction with the Chinese New Year, this will symbolizes prosperity (年年有余), perfect to be served over the dinner.

Assorted Mushroom Platter 4/5

Baby Chinese Spinach 4/5 and Tang O 4/5

Fresh vegetables and mushrooms are also available on the menu. To simply things, we ordered he Assorted Mushroom Platter ($12) as well as the Baby Chinese Spinach ($2.50/$5) and Tang O ($3/$6) to go with the meat for a more balanced diet.

Assorted Dumpling Platter 4/5

The different variety of dumplings should not be missed too. To sample everything, go for the Assorted Dumpling Platter ($10) that comes with the Pork Roll, Pork and Chives, Prawn Roll and Prawn Dumpling, two of each kind.

Assorted Balls Platter 4.2/5

Assorted Balls Platter 4.2/5

Not to be missed is also the handmade balls. The Assorted Balls Platter ($10) will allows you to try a bit of everything. The platter comes with springy and bouncy Soft Bone Pork Meat Ball, Fish Ball, Beef Ball, Mushroom Ball and Cuttlefish Ball.

Ebiko Prawn Paste 4.5/5

Century Egg Fish Paste 4.5/5

Another specialty at Beauty in The Pot is the homemade paste. There are different types of paste available on the menu. We tried the Ebiko Prawn Paste ($12) and Century Egg Fish Paste ($10). Served in a bowl, we are supposed to give the paste a good mix and then roll it up into a ball shape before dropping it into the soup. The extra ingredients and the interactive presentation of paste made it even more enjoyable.

Overall Beauty in The Pot has impressed me not only with the quality of the food but their services too. I have always told my friends that my favourite steamboat place is Imperial Treasure Steamboat but now I would also recommend them Beauty in The Pot. Good news also to supper seeker, the restaurant is opened till late at 1am or 3am depends on the day of the week.


Beauty in The Pot
OneKM
11 Tanjong Katong Road
#02-21
Singapore 437157
Tel: +65 67022542
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParadiseGrp
Website: https://www.paradisegroup.com.sg/
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar (CC Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11am - 3pm, 530pm - 1am
Fri-Sat, Eve of PH: 11am - 3am
Sun and PH: 11am - 1am

Direction:
1) Alight at Paya Lebar MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn right and walk to Singapore Post Centre. At the Singapore Post Centre, turn right again and continue straight down the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]