Chilli Padi Nonya Café @ Heng Mui Keng Terrace - Reopened With A Refreshed A La Carte Buffet Concept

Known for its ‘All You Can Eat’ Peranakan buffet, Chilli Padi Nonya Cafe at Heng Mui Keng Terrace now presents a new and refreshed Peranakan a la carte buffet concept. On the menu, you will find the quintessential Peranakan dishes, ranging from appetisers and soups to meat and vegetable curries, seafood options, as well as sweet treats and kuehs. Choosing from over 18 options on the menu, with all being served on the first round if you wish, and subsequently, have all your favourites replenished till your satisfaction.

Before the feast began, we were served with a selection of classic Peranakan starters to kickstart our appetite. The Nonya Fruit Rojak of diced fruits was saltish and piquant with calamansi and prawn paste dressing, and the Bibik Achar was even more so, which I couldn't resist ordering a few more servings after which to accompany the more highly flavoured dishes.

Another signature of theirs is DIY Kueh Pai Ti, which I genuinely enjoy filling each crisp golden shells to the brim with their well-braised turnip flavourful with dried shrimp, then topped it off with a hard-boiled egg. Spice it up with tangy cilicuka served at the side for a punch of flavour.

Light bites also include Otah Mantou. I like how the sweetness and the fragrance of the Pandan flavoured buns balances spicy fish cake, but the portion of the fishcake can be a lot bigger.

Moving on to the Mains, the Bakwan Kepiting is one of the star dishes. The pork and crab meatballs were soft and succulent, and the soup itself was comforting with light seasoning.

The piping hot Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken Wings are to dive right in without hesitation for it would have been a waste when they lose their crispiness and moisture sitting out in the cold. Their pungency is on point too.

Ayam Buah Keluak

Beef Rendang

The Meaty Mains feature Beef Rendang that is cooked with chunks of beef shank in a thick curry. It was decent but lacked robustness that I was seeking for. The Ayam Buah Keluak fares much better with tender chicken meats and rich buah keluak (black nut) gravy.

Babi Ponteh

The Babi Ponteh comes with huge slices of pork belly braised in fermented soybean paste gravy. I find the meat a tad tough in some parts, but they were still quite delightful with well-braised mushrooms and potatoes that had soaked in the umami flavours of the gravy.

Braised Nonya Chap Chye

Green Vegetable Masak Lemak Keledek

For Vegetable options, both the Braised Nonya Chap Chye and Green Vegetable Masak Lemak Keledek didn't disappoint, especially the latter. Fresh spinach stewed till soft in a robust but light coconut curry, punchy with dried shrimps.

There is also a Seafood item - Ikan Goreng Chilli Garam. The batter was thin and very lightly seasoned, allowing the spicy and tangy chilli garam to shine in this dish.

At the end of the meal, we were served a 2-tier assortment of desserts. There is a tier of Nonya kuehs, and another with Chilled Lemon Grass Jelly with Aloe Vera and Soya Beancurd with Gula Melaka that refreshes the palate, and a very warm and comforting Pulut Hitam.

Weekdays
Lunch & Friday Dinner $22.80
Weekend & Public Holidays
Lunch & Dinner $26.80
Weekend High-Tea $19.80

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.


Chilli Padi Nonya Café
29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Block E #06-21
Singapore 119620
Tel: +65 68722982
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Haw Par Villa (CC Line)

Opening Hours
Mon-Thu: 1130am – 3pm
Fri: 1130am – 3pm, 6 – 930pm
Sat-Sun/PH: 1130am – 230pm, 3 – 515pm, 6 – 930pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Haw Par Villa MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road. Walk to bus stop opposite Haw Par Villa MRT station (Stop ID 16011). Take bus number 10, 30, 51, 143, 188 or 200. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to traffic junction of Pasir Panjang Road and Science Park Road. Cross the road and walk towards Capricom building. Continue on Science Park Road. Turn left onto Heng Mui Keng Terrace. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

One-Ninety @ Four Seasons Hotel Singapore - A Botanical Inspired Modern Asian Brasserie

One-Ninety at Four seasons Hotel Singapore has finally reopened after its renovation with a refreshed botanical interior. With the transformation, the menu has also been infused with Asian twist on wholesome Provencal cuisine.

Leading the kitchen is Chef Kamarl John previously from Four Seasons London at Ten Trinity Square and Adrift Singapore.

Artisan Sourdough with Seaweed Butter 4/5

Freshly baked daily is the Artisan Sourdough with Seaweed Butter. The flour used for the bread is specially sourced from Hokkaido Japan which is grounded by hand and blended to the restaurant's specification.

Seasonal Seafood Tower 3.5/5

New on the menu is the Seasonal Seafood Tower ($78). The 3-tier tower consists of seafood such as the maine lobster, king crab, mussels, spanner crab, scallops, prawns and tuna. The chef has also specially concocted calamansi aioli and young ginger vinaigrette sauces to go with fresh seafood.
During the promotional period until end of June 2019, you can enjoy 25% off the tower of seafood.

Lobster and Prawn Toast 4.2/5

The Lobster and Prawn Toast with Spicy Tobiko ($8) surprisingly won our hearts with its rich flavour from the lobster and prawn filling, sandwiched in a crispy pillowy toast.

Beef & Caviar, Dijon Emulsion 4/5

The bite size Beef & Caviar, Dijon Emulsion ($18 for 3pc) features wagyu beef tartare seasoned with Dijon emulsion and crowned with Ossetra Prestige caviar.

Avocado Salad 4.2/5

For those looking for a healthier choice, there is the Avocado Salad ($18) with mixed baby cresses and miso dressing. I appreciate the chunky and generous portion of avocado, enliven by the miso dressing. The addition of the roasted Japanese wild rice provided the texture contrast, complementing the whole enjoyment.

Snapper Bouillabaisse 4.2/5

The traditional Provencal fish stew is given an Asian twist in the Snapper Bouillabaisse ($36). The whole snapper fillet comes in a robust seafood based broth, together with clams, mussels, prawns. The used of spicy daikon and lemon grass provided the Asian influence with a hint of citrusy finish.

Iberico Pork Presa 4/5

I was a little surprise when I sighted the pinkish medium rare doneness of the Iberico Pork Presa ($42). Apparently the presa is a specialized muscle within the shoulder, also known as the wagyu of pork. Accordingly to the chef, medium rare is the best way to appreciate the tender, juicy and flavourful cut. This is complemented by the celeriac puree and pineapple chutney spiced with star anise.

Chargrilled Forty Day Aged Rib Chop, MBS 6+, 1.2kg 4.5/5

The highlight for the dinner goes to the Chargrilled Forty Day Aged Rib Chop, MBS 6+, 1.2kg ($188). Cooked to a beautiful pink in the middle with crusty charred edges, the dry aged beef is full of flavour. It also comes with a choice of sides such as Black Truffle Fries, Wok Fried Asian Greens and Wild Mushroom.

If you complete your diner experience with the dessert and cheese buffet for a top up of $28 per person. The cheese selection is not very extensive but you will not want to miss out the delicious local kuehs, cakes and pastries.

In conjunction with its re-opening, One-Ninety is offering 25% off dinner daily, as well as the Seasonal Seafood Tower for both lunch and dinner up to end of June. You can also enjoy free corkage on any alcoholic beverage that you bring along when you dine in a party of 8 or more persons for dinner.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


One-Ninety Restaurant
Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
Ground Floor
190 Orchard Boulevard
Singapore 248646
Tel: +65 68317250
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 630am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk towards Wheelock Place via ION. Exit Wheelock Place and turn left towards Liat Tower. Continue walking along Orchard Road. Walk to Hilton Hotel. Go to level 2. Follow the passage way to Four Seasons Hotel. Walk to destination. Journey time is about 12 minutes. [Map]

The Line @ Shangri-La Hotel Singapore - Usher In An Auspicious Year Of The Pig With A Sumptuous Lunar New Year Reunion Feast

Gather your loved ones together and herald a year of happiness and richness with a reunion feast at The Line, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore. The celebratory spread features auspicious regional dishes including Shanghainese, Cantonese, Szechuan and Singaporean favourites to welcome prosperity and fortitude for the Lunar New Year.

Available from 10 January to 28 February 2019, diners can look forward to a plethora of international dishes, with a number of festive highlights such as the Cantonese Imperial Seafood Porridge, Chilli Crayfish, Fried Salted Egg Fish Skin, Cantonese Waxed Meat Rice, and Crispy Chicken with Young Ginger.

The Chilli Crayfish is one of my favourite dishes, with tender fresh crayfish meat that just falls off easily from its shell. Drenched in a pool of sweet chilli sauce that adds just the right amount of heat to bring out the freshness of the seafood.

Available at the buffet lineup is the Cantonese Imperial Seafood Porridge. The perfect dish for something warm and comforting before diving into the richer savouries or have them along with bowls of these porridge which exudes out the sweet freshness of seafood.

One of the local's favourite - the Fried Salted Egg Fish Skin did not disappoint with its crispy deep-fried fish skin dusted in thick coats of salted egg powder. This richly flavoured snack is deeply addictive.

Round off your Lunar New Year meal with their Cantonese Waxed Meat Rice - for something familiar and comforting.

Other dishes at the buffet include the seafood, meat, and asian food sections.

The lavish dessert spread include an impressive array of petite dessert cups and cakes as well, such as the Green Tea Opera, 66% Caraibe Chocolate Cremeux, Profiteroles, 72% Chocolate Nutty Cake, Rainbow eclair, Tiramisu, Strawberry Litchi, Black Velvet cake and so on. Diners can also indulge in a variety of nonya delights such as the pandan chiffon, kuehs, as well as old school cakes.

Reunion Dinner Feast
10 January to 28 February 2019
Monday and Sunday - $80++
Friday and Saturday - $95++

BBQ-themed feast
Tuesday - $88++

Mad for Wagyu Feast
Wednesday - $88++

Seafood-themed Feast
Thursday - $98++ inclusive of free flow ,beers and soft drinks

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.


The Line
Shangri-La Hotel Singapore
Lobby Level
22 Orange Grove Road
Singapore 258350
Tel: +65 62134398
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk towards Wheellock Place via ION. Exit Wheellock Place and turn left towards Liat Tower. Cross the road at the traffic light junction and turn left towards Royal Thai Embassy. Walk down to the end of Orchard Road. Turn right onto Orange Grove Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 23 minutes. [Map]

Violet Oon Singapore @ Ion Orchard - Opens 4th And Largest Outlet With Both Dining And Retail Space

Violet Oon Singapore at Ion Orchard is the brand’s fourth and largest outlet, an all-day dining brasserie that combines both dining and retail. Serving up VO’s signature recipes of local favourites and Nyonya classics, the menu also curates a selection of British dishes as seen through the eyes of the early Hainanese chefs of Singapore. In addition, a new range of celebration cakes can be enjoyed at the restaurant or order for takeaways. There is also a retail collection of pastries, including our all-time favourite kaya, all dressed in retro-modern fit, all ready to be shown on the global runway.

Singapore High Tea Set 3/5

Other than mains and pastries, I could see that most were here at for the Singapore High Tea Set ($58 serves 2) which offers an array of local favorites and Nyonya signatures in petite sizes, with notable items such as Yam Cake, Kuey Pie Tie and Chilli Crab Tart, alongside with classic English High Tea bites.

Both Kuey Pie Tee and Chilli Crab Tart were very much on the sweeter side, while the Yam Cake in comparison was more balance in taste, a boat loaded with umami ingredients such as mushrooms, fried shallot and chilli.

On the top tier are all your sweets. The Bubur Cha Cha Panna Cotta was decadent with a smooth and velvety coconut based panna cotta. The Financiers, a traditional Eurasian Cake of semolina and ground almonds, are also worth your calories. If only the Kueh Kosui could be that good a feel in the mouth. I guess when comes to kuehs, it has to be freshly made, like the warm and soft Kueh Kosui from Maxwell Food market.

The Scones comes with gula melaka drizzle on them, and what is unique about theirs is the slightly tart Calamasi jam that complement the gula melaka scone. I was rather amused that there is no lack of gula melaka items here, most sweets are laced with it one way or another.

Kale Kerabu 3.8/5

Moving on to their signature mains, Salmon with Kale Kerabu ($26) is a great start to any meal, given its tangy sauce and crisp baby kale. The salad dressing is made of sambal belachan and coconut cream, sounds creamy but not at all as it only coat the kale lightly. The salmon cubes were flamed grilled, lending a layer of smokiness to the salad. The acidity from the pineapple cubes brightened up the dish even more.

Hainanese Pork Chop 3.8/5

Among all the dishes we tried, I would say the Hainanese Pork Chop ($34) is the most successfully elevated dish, from a staple dished out from a British Hainanese kitchen to one to be served with that price tag. Using Kurobuta pork loin, it was deep fried with a cream cracker batter. The crust reached an ideal crisp with the inside still moist and juicy. A hefty piece of pork chop but the sweet and tangy housemade tomato reduction helped to cut the richness of the meat.

VO’s Shepherd’s Pie 3/5

VO’s Shepherd’s Pie with House Salad ($24) was one of the better ones that I have tried. At least the creamy mashed potato stayed dry and creamy atop the slow-braised mince beef, while others tend to sink in like quick sand the moment I dug my spoon into it. The top could be more baked.

Fish Curry with Roti Jala 3/5

Fish Curry with Roti Jala ($29) is a dainty version of our czechar fish head curry cooked using red snapper. Nonetheless, the curry was on point. It is robust, rich and edged with a slight tang, making it a good match with the slightly sweet traditional laced pancake.

Dry Laksa 3/5

The Dry Laksa ($24) is a crowd pleaser. Fresh rice noodle is tossed in Violet's laksa gravy and loaded with beansprouts and tau pok, it was like a scrumptious laksa salad. Just imagine a reduction of a fiery Laksa gravy, with all the goodness concentrated into one small plate. Well cooked succulent prawns could have brought the dish up another notch but ours were a tad too dried up for my liking.

Pandan Gula Melaka Cake 2.8/5, Pineapple Gula Melaka Cake 3.5/5, VO’s Carrot Cake 3.5/5

Love our local flavours but not the starchy Kueh itself? You will find your perfect combination in the range of cakes offered at Violet Oon. Pandan Gula Melaka Cake ($43/6" or $75/9”) is a rich sponge cake made with freshly squeezed pandan juice, with layers of buttercream frosting and desiccated coconut tossed in a gula melaka syrup. It is rather sweet, hence I very much prefer the Pineapple Gula Melaka Cake ($46/6” or $80/9”). The cake was fluffier and the buttercream, punctuated with sweet and tangy pineapple chunks, made it even more luscious rather than weighing it down. As for the VO’s Carrot Cake ($52/6” or $85/9”), other than its sweetness, it is one of the few that are loaded with real chunky ingredients, layered with a bright calamansi-infused cream cheese frosting.

Indeed, heritage flavours and taste are hard to master. The mains at Violet Oon fare much better, alongside with some of their cakes and pastries. But these days, it is all about the looks. What stood out the most not the food but the retail section that boxed Singapore's flavours into pretty Peranakan 'tiles'. Great gifting ideas for the Christmas!

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.


Violet Oon Singapore at Ion Orchard
Ion Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#03-28/29
Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 98349935
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)


Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 10pm

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

Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh @ Yuhua Food Centre - You Can Have It Either Steamed or Pan Fried

Recently during my trip to Jurong East, I came across Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh at Yuhua Food Centre which handmade a variety of tradition Teochew kuehs at their humble little stall. For each type of kueh, you can have it either steamed or pan fried.

Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh offers 4 types of tradition kuehs. They are Soon Kueh, Gu Chai Kueh, Cabbage Kueh and Png Kueh.

Steamed Cabbage Kueh 3/5 and Soon Kueh 3.5/5

Steamed Gu Chai Kueh 4/5

From the steamed kuehs, I tried the Steamed Cabbage Kueh ($0.70), Steamed Soon Kueh ($0.70) and Steamed Gu Chai Kueh ($0.70). My favourite among the three is the Gu Chai Kueh or Chive Kueh for its fragrant. I was rather disappointed with the cabbage kueh, the cabbage is bland and not sweet. The soon kueh is passable but nothing to shout for.

Fried Soon Kueh 3.8/5 and Fried Png Kueh 4/5

You have the option to have the kueh pan fried at Lai Heng if you don't like it steamed. I tried the Fried Soon Kueh ($0.80) and Fried Png Kueh ($1). They cost an addition ten cents more compare to the steamed one. The pan frying gives the soon kueh and png kueh an additional exterior crisp which lifted the whole texture. Among all the kuehs I tried, I still prefer the Pnh Kueh for its flavourfull filling, accentuated by the peanuts, dried shrimp and mushroom.

Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh
Yuhua Food Centre
347 Jurong East Avenue 1
#01-218
Singapore 600347
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 2pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinese Garden MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Boon Lay Way. Turn left and walk to the overhead bridge. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]