Showing posts with label Goreng Pisang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goreng Pisang. Show all posts

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Labyrinth @ Esplanade Mall - Celebrating 10 Years of Singapore’s Culinary Heritage with a Refreshed Focus and Renewed Impetus

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Marking its 10th anniversary, Labyrinth by Chef Han Li Guang continues to redefine Singaporean cuisine. Since opening in 2014, Labyrinth has become synonymous with heritage preservation, culinary creativity, and local ingredients, evolving into a highly-regarded fine dining experience. This October 2024, Chef Han and his team have brought a fresh perspective, exploring Singapore's food heritage through a new, refined lens. The 13-course dinner menu ($298++) is a tribute to Singapore's culinary traditions, reimagined with precision and artistry.

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Bak Kut Teh Consomme 4.5/5

Our meal opened with the Bak Kut Teh Consommé. This starter was a delicate yet flavourful dashi broth, capturing the essence of traditional Bak Kut Teh without overpowering the palate. Serving this as a first course was a thoughtful nod to Singaporean dining culture, where a light soup often begins the meal to whet the appetite. It was an impressive, nuanced start.

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Ramly Burger 4.2/5

The Ramly Burger was a playful miniature inspired by the iconic Ramly burger from Pasar Malams (local night markets). Labyrinth's version features an aburi hand-chopped beef flank patty wrapped in an eggy parcel, with tomato meringue buns topped with sesame seeds. Topped with Labyrinth's "Ramly sauce" and mustard cress, this bite-sized snack delivered nostalgia and innovation in one.

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Oyster Bao 4.8/5

My favourite snack, the Oyster Bao, was Labyrinth's take on the disappearing Fuzhou Haobing street snack. This bao used a David Herve oyster no.4 and a delicate espuma batter to create a beignet-like texture. The flavours were layered and precise, with a light, airy crust surrounding the oyster — a beautifully elevated version of a rare street food.

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Hainanese Curry Puff 4/5

Dubbed the Old Han Kee, Labyrinth's Hainanese Curry Puff pays homage to Singapore's iconic curry puff brand, Old Chang Kee. It is filled with oyster mushrooms, sweet corn, sweet potato, and braised pork belly and served with garlic aioli for extra richness. It is a satisfying and comforting bite.

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Satay Club 4.2/5

Named after Singapore's historic Satay Club, this course featured two skewers — a Pork Satay and a Chicken Tsukune. The pork skewers, with loin and jowl, offered contrasting textures, reminiscent of Hainanese satay, while the tsukune encased a quail egg and was inspired by Japanese tsukune and Scotch egg. Paired with Filipino kare-kare peanut sauce, the skewers captured the essence of Southeast Asia's diverse satay styles.


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RotiBoy 4.2/5

Labyrinth's RotiBoy transported me back to childhood with its coffee-flavoured craquelin atop a soft brioche filled with Bordier seaweed butter. The nostalgic flavours of Singapore's popular coffee bun were beautifully recreated, with subtle sweetness and a light coffee aroma.

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Wartime Rojak 4.5/5

Inspired by an old recipe from the 1942-1950 cookbook "Wartime Kitchen," the Wartime Rojak reimagines a British-influenced Asian salad. Beetroot was prepared as a rosette and sorbet, accompanied by cucumber and lettuce granite, pineapple, and herbs like shiso. It was a refreshing, complex dish with sweet, savoury, and acidic notes, embodying the essence of rojak in a contemporary way. Notably, this dish replaced Labyrinth's iconic Chilli Crab, reflecting the restaurant's commitment to continual evolution.

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Fish Maw Char Kway Teow 4.5/5

Labyrinth introduced Char Kway Teow with a twist, using NZ barramundi fish maw as the "noodle." Cooked to a similar shape and texture, the fish maw absorbed flavours of fish sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and was topped with abalone and liver sausage. This elevated take on the hawker staple was comforting, with layers of umami richness.

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Laksa Siglap 3.8/5

A different interpretation of laksa, Laksa Siglap used a fish-based broth with lasam noodles made from tapioca and rice flour. Medai fish slices, prepared with a velveting technique, gave a silky texture. While less creamy than traditional laksa, this version was nuanced and delicate.

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Chicken Rice 4.5/5

Labyrinth's Chicken Rice was a beautifully composed dish with three components. French poulet breast was layered with a flavourful chicken farce and poached perfectly. The rice, a blend of Jasmine and Koshihikari grains, was cooked in a donabe for a smoky flavour, accompanied by cockscomb and chives. A grilled chicken heart skewer added depth, with each element contributing to the classic flavours in a modern format.

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Pisang Goreng 4.5/5

A refined version of Pisang Goreng, this dessert featured a caramelised banana sorbet wrapped in a crispy dough and paired with spiced saffron pastry cream. The sweet and savoury notes balanced perfectly, transforming the beloved street food into a luxurious dessert experience.

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Cereal Prawn 4/5

Labyrinth's Cereal Prawn reinterpreted the classic zichar dish in dessert form. This unique creation included oatmeal ice cream infused with 20-year Shaoxing wine, salted egg foam, warabi mochi, and goji berries soaked in Shaoxing wine. Served with a playful "Chef-branded" cereal box filled with puffed rice and caramelised oats, it was a delightful and nostalgic end to the main courses.

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Tang Yuan 3.5/5

The Tang Yuan was a warm, comforting dessert that replaced the usual petit fours. The dumpling, filled with Azuki red beans and tangerine peel, was served in a ginger and rice wine syrup, symbolising completion and togetherness. However, the rice wine syrup may not appeal to all, though it provided an interesting twist.

Labyrinth's 10th anniversary menu beautifully celebrates Singapore's culinary heritage, reinvented with finesse. Chef Han's commitment to local flavours, ingredients, and history is evident in each dish, creating a nostalgic and forward-thinking experience. Labyrinth's new menu is a must-try for those seeking a deeply thoughtful, innovative journey through Singaporean flavours.

Note: This is an inviting tasting.


Labyrinth
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Avenue
#02-23
Singapore 039802
Tel: +65 62234098
Facebook
Instagram
Website
Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 12pm - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm
Sat-Sun: 630pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B or D. Walk to Raffles Avenue. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Avenue 87 @ Amoy Street - Two Gifted Young Singapore Chefs, Retold Their Friendship On A Plate of Flavours

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The ever-changing dining scene at Amoy Street sees another new kid on the block. Avenue 87 is a new modern Asian restaurant opened by 2 Singaporean chefs, Glen Tay and Alex Phan. Both of them are childhood friends born in 1987 and grown up in Hougang Avenue 8 and 7, respectively. Hence it is not hard to guess why the restaurant is named as Avenue 87.

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Chicken Chips 4/5

I have the 6-course menu that is priced at $98++. Diner can also opt for wine pairing at $50++ for 3 glasses or $80++ for 5 glasses.

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Kueh Pie Tee 4/5

We started with two Snack items before moving to our first course. First up is the crispy Chicken Chips that is deep-fried and topped with sour cream and mizuna cress. The other is Kueh Pie Tee which is a meatless take on assam pedas. In the crispy kueh pie tee cup, one can find aerated assam pedas, eggplant, lady's fingers, cherry tomato, and curry leaves. It is inspired by their favourite curry fish head dish.

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Salmon 4/5

The first course is a Salmon dish. There are many components on the plate such as diced crystal pear, sour cream, ponzu-pickled wakame, soy wasabi granita and Vietnamese rice paper crackers beside the fresh Norwegian salmon sashimi. They are many flavours and textures at play which works harmoniously together.

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AHK Seabass 4.8/5

Next is the fish soup, AHK Seabass using locally sourced seabass from Ah Hua Kelong. In the delicious bowl of fish soup, there are compressed bitter gourd, semi-dried cherry tomato, deep-fried egg floss, and anchovy buttermilk sauce. This is very close to my heart as I love our hawker's fish soup. To elevate the whole profile, the chefs innovate using dried anchovies in place of dried sole fish.

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Octopus 4.5/5

Love the Asian take to the classic Spanish grilled Octopus. Inspired by the hawker sambal stingray and squid, the octopus leg is grilled, and served with housemade sambal, stir-fried market greens and crowned with a confit egg yolk. I was initial concern that foreigners may not be receptive to the spiciness, but I noticed the customers a table away were enjoying the sambal octopus.

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Baby Lamb Rack 4/5

Moving to the 4th course, we have the Baby Lamb Rack marinated Vietnamese-style, served with grilled Thai eggplant and locally sourced stingless bee honey sauce. The chef draws inspiration from his Vietnam holidays, particular the skewered meats marinated in local aromatics and sauces. The lamb was cooked to an enjoyable fork tender. My friend, who usually doesn't eat lamb, didn't find it gamy at all. 

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Diner will have a choice of side dish to go along with their main. During my visit, I have the choice of either Egg Fried Rice or Garlic Potato Mash.

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For pre-dessert, we have Greek Yoghurt Mousse with house-made granola, cubed red dragon fruit, 8-spice honey.

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Coconut 4.2/5

For dessert, we have Coconut and Pisang No Goreng. The Coconut is a light and refreshing dessert in which the coconut ice cream is served with pound cake crumble, papaya and caramelised pineapple. For the Pisang No Goreng, it is actually fried coconut custard with salted gula melaka and banana ice cream.

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Pisang No Goreng 4/5

I think Avenue 87 has a lot of potential with their Modern Asian cuisine. Both the Alex and Glen have bags of experience working for different established restaurants, especially Glen, who last worked at 3-Michelin-starred Ultraviolet in Shanghai. The last they worked together was at Tipping Club. They are back together once again to bring us more exciting gastronomic experience from the individual journeys after Tipping Club.

Avenue 87
47 Amoy Street
Singapore 069873
Tel: +65 98388401/ 69705491
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sat 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 10pm
(Closed on Tue, Sun and PH)

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Amoy Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk down Telok Ayer Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Sunday, November 18, 2018

The Wine & Gourmet Friends @ Bukit Pasoh - The Restaurant Allows You To Bring Your Own Food On Sunday

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Opened in September 2018, The Wine & Gourmet Friends is an Asian tapas wine bistro located on the ground floor of a conservation shophouse on Bukit Pasoh Road. Albeit a narrow space that sits only 56 pax, it boasts a walk-in wine cellar which holds over 300 different styles of wine from over 80 old and new world wine producers, in which eighty percent are exclusive to the bistro. As the name suggests, The Wine & Gourmet Friends is all about wine over food, or vice versa, but what really lies within its core is the celebration of friendships over good wines and heart-warming food within a casual and welcoming environment. Afterall, the bistro is brought together by a group of friends with years of F&B experience under their belts.

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Wines start from $6 a glass and bottles range from $25 to over $1,888, with option to drink in or takeaway. I can't read wines with my untrained palate, so if you are like me, owner William will be more than happy to help you with your purchase. To ensure that you get the most out of your purchase, an Aerating Decanter is used to efficiently and rapidly ‘open’ a bottle’s aromas and flavours. This process of decanting comprises two-steps: pouring wine into the decanter and when the wine has had sufficient time to breath, reversing the bottle to return the contents into the original bottle. This not only saves space on your table for more food, it will also prevent the mistake of accidentally mixing wines which often happens when an unmarked decanter is passed around.

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Prawn & Seafood Bite 3/5

Helming the kitchen are Chef Wilson and Chef Gus, and the menu created features dishes inspired by the many that they have grown up with. The first Asian-style bite that we tried was one that we couldn't be more familiar with - Prawn & Seafood Bite (Hei Zou) ($12). This is an elevated version of Chef Wilson’s Mum’s Hei Zou, prepared with minced pork belly (hormone and antibiotic free), diced sea prawns, turnip and cuttlefish paste for bite and as a binder. I like the crunchy bits of the turnip, and appreciate the light seasoning, unlike some that filled my mouth with pepper and salt. The accompanying sweet and sour homemade achar (Peranakan spicy pickled vegetables) was addictive! I wish I had a full bowl of it to myself.

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Foie Gras Lotus Leaf Rice 3.8/5

If you like Foie Gras, do order the Foie Gras Lotus Rice ($18).  Foie Gras and rice to me is an unusual combination but the chemistry between these two ingredients was better than expected. Perhaps the idea came from replacing liver with foie gras (just guessing), the role of foie gras in the rice was like that of a stir-fried pork liver but with an additional creamy texture. It was seared to attain a slight crisp on its surface, which released a layer of sweet gaminess into the savoury rice.  Being the centerpiece of a dish usually, it did not steal any limelight from the lotus leaf rice, which was just as outstanding on its own. Fragrant with oriental seasoning and condiments, Calrose rice is used instead of glutinous rice to lighten the load from your stomach.  Glutinous rice would certainly be too soft and sweet for this dish to succeed.  I love the chopped porcini and shiitake mushrooms, and the Chinese X.O. sausage which added another dimension of flavours and texture. The fried  lotus chips were not necessary, as they turned greasy towards the end.

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Roast Pork Belly 3.8/5

Roast Pork Belly ($24) was a straightforward dish but deeply satisfying. The roasted Australian Bangalow sweet pork delivered what we had imagined it to be - crisp crackling with a layer of tender pork fat with no unpleasant porky taste. Like how a good piece of beef should be treated with minimum seasoning, the roast pork belly is served with a dollop of mustard and honey balsamic reduction just to kick your taste buds a bit of a kick.

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Lamb Trio 3/5

This plate of Lamb Trio ($30) consists of lamb kofta, lamb rendang and rosemary grilled lamb rack, served with chilled quinoa salad and cucumber raita. Out of these 3 variations, my favourite would be the lamb rendang.  The rendang had a sweetness that helped to sooth out the gaminess of the meat. Second to that would be the lamb rack, in which I believe many would consider the fats lining the bone a delicacy.

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Black Pepper Crab Noodle 3.8/5

When I first saw Black Pepper Crab Noodle ($18) on the menu, I thought it was going to be again a rendition of a prawn pasta.  But very much adhering to the characteristic of a zichar dish, chef kept the use of noodles. Wholegrain noodle us used and because it had a firmer texture than normal yellow noodles, the black pepper sauce was able to coat them without weighing them down. The soft shell crab was quite meaty and the blue swimmer crab meat pieces tasted even sweeter against the savoury blackpepper seafood broth.

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Goreng Pisang 4.5/5

The dessert that we had was excellent.  Goreng Pisang ($12) with ice cream might sound really rich against the dishes we had but this is not to be missed. Banana and chocolate is a heavenly combination but chefs took this up a notch with their own homemade dark chocolate ice cream and banana fritters, served along with a 'banana kueh' and 'banana leather'.  The batter of the fritters was airy and the banana within had soften under the heat and bursting with sweetness.  The banana kueh had a sticky and dense texture but not too sweet, which acted as a textural support for the dish. The banana leather was paper thin like chips and so moriesh.

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What I find interesting here is the Sunday BYOF (Bring Your Own Food!). The kitchen will be closed on Sunday, but The Wine & Gourmet Friends stays open from noon to 9pm and you are invited to Bring Your Own Food – home-cooked or otherwise, for a day out with family and friends. All you need to do is only order a bottle of wine (minimum one bottle for every four guests) to enjoy your meal within the bistro. If you need help with your wine pairing, William and his team will be here as well.

Photos and words 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. Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Wine & Gourmet Friends
48 Bukit Pasoh Road
Singapore 089859
Tel: +65 62241982
Facebook
Website 
Nearest MRT: Outram Park (Ew Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm - 11pm
Sun: 12pm - 9pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Outram Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Monkey Warung @ Capitol Piazza - Balinese Style Pork Ribs Restaurant Replacing Naughty Nuri's

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Naughty Nuri's has left. If you are a die-hard fan of their ribs, you might be comforted to know that you could still go back to the same spot at Capitol Piazza for your fork tender, fall-off-the-bones pork ribs, and get your fingers smeared with that sweet, smoky brown sauce again. Monkey Warung, an Indonesian grill house, has taken over just weeks ago. The Balinese style pork ribs has been saved from exiting our shore, now joined by popular Indonesian dishes such as Ayam Penyat, Tahu Telor, Pepes squid etc.

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Tahu Telor 3/5

Tahu Telor ($10) is a simple Indonesian snack favoured by Indonesians and locals alike. Simple ingredients but takes skills to master that vertical egg tofu. While mine seemed to look like a collapsed dome, the egg was still quite fluffy in the center with crispy edges. There could be more tofu to beef up the portion, afterall it's $10 a plate. The owner readily admitted that more work has to be done to get all the dishes right, we shall see about that.

If you notice, most dishes come with a saucer of their Sambal Teras, a character that has gained an unexpectedly high demand from the crowd, to the extend that the owner decided to simply serve it along with most of the dishes, even the Tahu Telor. As making the chilli paste is a time consuming and labourous task, any additional request will be at $2 each.

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Cumi Bakar Jimbaran 3.5/5

Plated with a touch of finesse is the Cumi Bakar Jimbaran ($17) from the Jimbaran Grill section. The squid is firm to bite, slightly sweeten by the sauce with a hint of smokiness from the grill. Defintely a great sharing starter or even as a bar-bite.

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Legendary Ribs 4.2/5

The Legendary Ribs (1/2 rack $20) finally made its appearance. The length of the ribs is indeed quite an eye opener. The meat was almost loose hanging, and came away with just a gentle touch. The sweet and smoky sauce is finger licking good - the best way to eat it is with hands! I love the green lime that is served together. A dash of the acidity cuts the richness of the meat and gives the sauce a citrusy lift.

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Nasi Goreng 3/5

If you are by yourself and just want something simple, there are also day-to-day dishes such as Nasi Goreng, Soto Ayam, Indo Mie. The Nasi Goreng comes with Chicken Satay. The satay was too dry, but the glaze of peanut sauce is pretty good.

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Goreng Pisang 3.5/5

Nothing fancy for dessert but I was really contented with the Goreng Pisang. The batter is thin, airy and crispy. I just wish I could have a scoop of coconut ice cream over it, instead of just desiccated coconut.

Isn't it rare to find a place that offers both Indonesian grill and Balinese style pork ribs? There is a promotion going on right now, with beers, wine, Prosecco going at $5, alongside with some bar bites too.

Words and photos 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. Note: This is an invited tasting.


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Monkey Warung
Capitol Galleria
15 Stamford Road
#01-84
Singapore 178906
Tel: +65 63847966
Facebook
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit B. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit D. Go to ground level. Walk over to Capitol Galleria. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Asam Tree Cafe, Bakery and Restaurant @ Ang Mo Kio Ave 6

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I have to credit Maureen by introducing to Asam Tree Cafe, Bakery and Restaurant at Ang Mo Kio Ave 6. The Halal certified eatery is just located beside the NTUC Fairprice. I was actually quite amazed by the number of dishes the humble eatery can offer in their little space. Seating area are quite limited and close to one another. It can be a bit uncomfortable but it did not deter people away with a constant stream of crowd around the clock.

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Longtong 4/5

Noticing their popularity, we approached the eatery to take part in this year's Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014. We were very glad that the owner agreed to participate in this year's fund raising event. Asam Tree Cafe Bakery and Restaurant will be cooking one of their popular item, Longtong ($3.50) at the ulitmate hawker fest. The value for money bowl of Longtong comes with steamed rice cake that has a hint of pandan fragrant and moist, a piece of huge fried tofu, cabbage and a whole egg. The curry gravy was quite rich but not too lemak. I was so good that I was actually drinking it like a soup dish.

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Mee Soto 4.2/5

The owner shared with us that the Mee Soto ($3.50) is their top seller. The sweet chicken broth goes well with the yellow noodle. However I suspect why this is the top seller has to be the chilli. Stirred and mixed it well with the chicken broth and the whole dimension of the noodle dish is brought to a new level of enjoyment.

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Mee Siam 4/5

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Mee Rebus 4/5

Asam Tree Cafe, Bakery and Restaurant also offers two other noodle dishes on the menu, Mee Siam ($3.50) and Mee Rebus ($3.50). These are really value for money with their huge servicing accompanied by the rich and delicious gravy.

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Goreng Pisang 3/5

If you not into something that is too filling and just a bite, the Goreng Pisang could be a choice for you. I like the light batter crispy coated around the fried banana fritter but I do not like the type of banana used. I prefer those that is sweeter.

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Rojak 4.5/5

The Rojak is a must try here in my opinion. The crispy youtiao was tossed in a homemade belachan and topped with peanuts. The thick gooey prawn paste which came with a spicy kick was really addictive.

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We are glad to have Asam Tree Cafe, Bakery and Restaurant taking part in this year's Ultimate Hawker Fest selling their Longtong at the fund raising event. Asam Tree Cafe, Bakery and Restaurant is just one of the Halal certified stalls taking part in this year Ultimate Hawker Fest. Other Halal certified stalls are Prata Place, TenderFresh. Food Glossary and Old Bibik is awaiting for the Halal certificates.

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The Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Hall 401 & 402 on 22 November 2014, 11am to 5pm is a fund raising event for the beneficiaries under the care of Touch Community Services regardless of race and religions. Coupons is required to purchase the food from the various hawkers and can be purchased at https://www.ultimatehawkerfest.sg/. While the hawkers sacrifice their time and some even a day's income to do a part for the needy and disadvantaged, I hope you can support them and do a part for charity too. See you at the Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014.


Asam Tree Cafe, Bakery and Restaurant
Blk 712 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6
Singapore 560721
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asamtreecafe
Nearest MRT: Ang Mo Kio (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 830am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Take Exit B or C. Cut across the estate and walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]