HotChic2 @ The Grandstand - New Pet and Kid-friendly Cafe Serves Exciting And Creative Fusion Dishes

Previously a hawker store at Bukit Batok known as HotChic, HotChic2 is the founding team's newest venture to offer a more diverse and experimental menu. Located within The Grandstand, the pet and kid-friendly cafe serves innovative fusion dishes inspired by cuisines all over the globe that are pleasing to both the eyes and the palate.

Build-Your-Own-Potion 3.8/5

We had fun exploring their fascinating drinks menu to kickstart the meal, with a customizable DIY-style Build-Your-Own-Potion ($9.50) to create your dream concoctions. I chose the vanilla butterfly pea for the base soda flavour, followed by a side of fruit (preserved oranges) and a mint leaf topping. While we enjoyed the refreshing and tangy soda, the drink's colour changing layers also make for a very instagrammable shot.

Hotchic Ceviche 4.2/5

The Hotchic Ceviche ($12) consists of fresh Norwegian salmon slices dressed in Hotchic secret marination and sambal mayo and comes topped with lychee boba and tobiko. I loved how the sambal mayo gives a subtle kick of spice and flavours to the fresh salmon, while the lychee boba brings a burst of refreshing fruity finish to the dish.

Sake Mussels with Truffles 4/5

The Sake Mussels with Truffles ($14) was also no less impressive with a rich umami-filled broth of "shiok" sake and generous amounts of fresh blue mussels. It is paired with furikake sourdough to mop up the remaining broth. If you're a fan of sake, this is definitely a dish to go for.

Mentaiko with Lime Fries 3.8/5

The Mentaiko with Lime Fries ($12) comes in a giant bowl of fluffy crinkle cut fries, doused in a generous amount of mentaiko sauce.

Oppa Su Dong Po 4.2/5

The Oppa Su Dong Po ($27) is a Chinese-Korean-Japanese fusion main, consisting of slow-braised pork belly accompanied by peach kimchi and a HotChic2 invention, TARO-yaki balls. The best way to enjoy the dish and savour the flavours entirely is to wrap the tender pork belly meat with some peach kimchi and sour plum mayo in a piece of lettuce.

Hot Chic Chicken Roulade 4/5

The Hot Chic Chicken Roulade ($28) features tender chicken thigh pieces stuffed with secret recipe braised rice with yam & mushrooms, Justin's cucumber, and served with foie gras pate with furikake sourdough. The dish also came with a small jar of strawberry grape jam to cut through the meat's richness. The refreshing sweet fruity flavour of the jam helped to cleanse the palate as well.

Prawn & Mushroom Aglio 3.8/5

From the pasta selections, we had the Prawn & Mushroom Aglio ($16). A classic dish done well, the pasta is cooked to a perfect al dente, and the fresh prawns used are also juicy and tender.

Pan Fried Crayfish with Goth Pasta 3.5/5

While we enjoyed the rest of the dishes, the Pan Fried Crayfish with Goth Pasta ($19) fell under expectations, as we felt that the pasta was a tad too dry and lacked the squid ink flavour.

When-Chef-Tries-To-Be-Atas - Starter 3.8/5

We also tried the WHEN-CHEF-TRIES-TO-BE-ATAS set menu ($68), consisting of a starter, main and dessert. We started with a Bacon Foie Gras Pate that comes with macerated cherry tomatoes, crushed nuts and Japanese musk melon to pair with the spiced furikake sourdough.

When-Chef-Tries-To-Be-Atas - Main 4.2/5

This is followed by the main dish of Pan-Roasted Shichimi rubbed Pigeon, with Hazelnut Mash, bacon soil, braised quail eggs, as well as a myriad of vegetables on the side. While the pigeon meat is soft and tender, it has a slightly gamier taste than chicken meat. However, we enjoyed this immensely, as the cherry tomatoes helped to cut away some of the gaminess.

When-Chef-Tries-To-Be-Atas - Dessert 4/5

We ended the meal with a Turkish-inspired dessert. It was named "It's a secret" on the menu, as the desserts are meant to be a surprise and changes with the season. Besides the gorgeous presentation, the desserts scored in terms of taste as well - the bitterness of the creamy coffee custard complemented well with the pistachio crumbs and the sweetness of the crushed honeycomb and fruits.

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.


HotChic2
The Grandstand
200 Turf Club Rd
#01-14
Singapore 287994
Tel: +65 94780347
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Sixth Avenue (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 10pm
Sat: 930am – 10pm
Sun: 930am – 7pm
(Closed on Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at Sixth Avenue MRT station. Take Exit A. Use the overhead bridge to exit B. Walk to Turf Club Road. Continue on Turf Club Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Sixth Avenue MRT station. Take Exit A. Use the overhead bridge to exit B. Walk down Dunearn Road towards Turf Club Road, to bus stop opposite Sixth Avenue Centre (Stop ID 42019). Wait for The Grandstand Shuttle Bus. 15 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Sixth Avenue MRT  station. Take Exit A. Walk down Bukit Timah Road. Walk to bus stop at Sixth Avenue Centre (Stop ID 42011). Wait for The Grandstand Shuttle Bus. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

Buona Terra @ Scotts Road - Tranforming Italian Cuisine Into A Contemporary Work Of Art

I am actually surprised that Buona Terra located at Scotts Road has been around since 2012. It has been 8 years, and I only knew of the restaurant when it was awarded its first one Michelin star in 2019. Having passed the beautiful black and white colonial bungalow along Scotts Road on many occasions, it never occurred to be the restaurant is actually located at the cosy wing of the bungalow, hidden from the urban jungle in Orchard area.

Crispy Potato and Cod Fish Mousse 4/5

I had the Buona Terra Experience 5-course Menu ($178) for lunch. The lunch started with 3 snacks item and a basket of housemade bread which comprises of Onion Foccacia, Dried Tomato Soft Roll and Sourdough.

Butter Cone with Scallop Tartare and Caviar 4.5/5

Tomato Ball 4.2/5

The three snack items are Crispy Potato and Cod Fish Mousse, Butter Cone with Scallop Tartare and Caviar, and Tomato Ball. I was really impressed with what I see and taste so far. I was sharing with my dining companions, I didn't feel like I am dining in an Italian restaurant, it felt more like a French restaurant.

Snail Ragu with Martini Sabayon 4/5

The amuse bouche is Snail Ragu with Martini Sabayon. The creamy sabayon is actually is a mixture of cream, egg yolk and four kinds of pepper (Jamaican, Javanese, Indian and Sarawak). It is even smoked with applewood chips just before servicing.

Beef Carpaccio with Porcini Mushrooms 4.8/5

The Beef Carpaccio with Porcini Mushrooms uses Kagoshima Wagyu Sendai A5 Sirloin. A lot of prep work is behind the beautiful dish. The wagyu is coated in seasoning and chilled in the chiller for a couple of hours. The rub is then washed off, and the wagyu is then chargrilled and smoked with cherry wood before leaving it in the freezer. It is then thinly sliced for serving.

Seared Scallop, Jerusalem Artichoke, Sea Asparagus and Anchovy Sauce 4/5

Next from the sea, we have the Seared Scallop paired with Jerusalem artichoke, sea asparagus and anchovy sauce. The live Hokkaido scallop is super huge, plump and sweet.

Tagliolini with Crab and Caviar 4.5/5

A staple in Italian cuisine is their pasta. Made inhouse is the Tagliolini which has a firmer bite compare to others. The texture of the pasta really stands out for me. The texture reminds of the Chinese Ee Mian texture.

Chargrilled Dry Aged Mieral Pigeon with Figs and Pumpkin, Amaretto and Moscato 4.2/5

The Chargrilled Pigeon is from Mieral, France dry-aged for 10 days and served in two ways. I am not sure whether it is due to the dry-ageing, I find that it has a deeper flavour. In fact, you don't get that liver-like taste which most diner may dislike.

Salted Milk Ice Cream, Dulce De Leche, Italian White Truffle 5/5

Diners can choose to add on $50 for the pre-dessert with 5g of white truffles. The Salted Milk Ice Cream with dulce de leche is topped with shaved Italian white truffle. Ice cream and white truffle is an unusual pairing, but the combination tasted heavenly.

Pear and Ricotta Cheesecake 4/5

Dessert is Pear and Ricotta Cheesecake which is beautifully presented with a scoop of pear sorbet. What I enjoyed is the multi-textural and flavours in each bite.

Fruit Gelee

Baci di Dama

Wrapping up the 5-course meal is a trio of Fruit Gelee, Baci di Dama and Cannolo. The fruit gelee reminds me of my childhood day. My favourite goes to the cannolo for its delightful crunch and nuttiness.

Cannolo

As this is the white truffle season, diner can choose to add them to enhance any dish at $88 for 10g or $10 per gram. For wine lovers, Buona Terra boasts a collection of over 250 labels include vintages and limited bottles that are rarely available commercially, earning the restaurant recognition among the 5 top wine lists for Italian wines in Singapore.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Buona Terra
29 Scotts Road
Singapore 2282244
Tel: +65 67330209
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line), Newton (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri & PH: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 1030pm
Sat & PH: 6pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Newton MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn right onto Scotts Road. Walk down Scotts Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 mins. [Map]

2) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop opposite Orchard Road (Stop ID 09023). Take bus number 124, 143, 162, 167 or 972. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 mins. [Map]

La Dame de Pic @ Raffles Hotel Singapore - Re-opens After The Circuit Breaker With A New Summer Menu

I have the pleasure of dining at La Dame de Pic by Chef Anne-Sophie Pic when it first opened at Raffles Hotel Singapore. Unfortunately with the COVID-19 pandemic and the circuit breaker measure taken by the government, the restaurant was temporarily closed for dining. Great news for diners looking forward to dining in one of the world's top female chefs' restaurant, having a total of seven Michelin stars under her belt, you will be glad to know that La Dame de Pic has reopened!

Before commencing on our dinner, we receive a number of amuse bouche to kick start our dinner. We have the Olive-green Chocolate Truffle infused with yuzu. You get an explosion of flavour when you bite into it.

Then there is the Marshmellow coated with Peanut which tastes like our local muah chee. There is also the Honeycomb Cracker with a delightfully crispy texture.

Last but not least, the Corn Taco and Milk Yoghurt to round up the amuse bouche surprises. We already have 5 dishes before starting on the courses.

I have to warn that you need to control yourself in eating too much of the freshly baked bread. It is so good that my dining companions had 3 servings. You probably do not want to get yourself full before even starting on the courses.

Tomato Myriad

Starting the 5-course meal is the refreshing Tomato Myriad paired with a scoop of burrata ice cream. The sweetness of the colourful tomatoes is lifted with the tomato consomme lightly infused with elderflower, tasting of summer with each bite of the sweet and tangy fruit.

Berlingots 4.5/5

An iconic dish in every Anne-Sophie Pic restaurant is the Berlingots which incorporates local elements. In Singapore, the restaurant has infused the broth with the herb of grace, a local ingredient used in Chinese medicine and cooking. The flavour of the pasta parcel also changes with seasons. In my previous visit, I had green Matcha pasta parcel filled with French cheese fondue. This time it is beet pasta parcel filled with French cheese fondue.

Turbot from Brittany 4/5

Next is the Fish dish - Turbot from Brittany. The fish is cooked elegantly with a delicate, lightly sweet flavour. Simple but yet will get you craving for more.

The Pigeon from Bresse 4.2/5

Saga Wagyu Beef 4.2/5

For the mains, the diner can choose between the Saga Wagyu Beef and The Pigeon. As I have already tried the Saga Wagyu Beef in my earlier visit, I decided to go for The Pigeon. The bird was beautifully roasted on its chest, complemented by the lightly smoked broth infused with Madagascan vanilla, roasted barley, Phu Quoc pepper and kumquat.

Brie de Meaux Cheese with Vanilla 4/5

The Brie de Meaux Cheese with Vanilla is a pre-dessert which is like have a bowl of cheese soup with a thin cracker film.

White Mille-feuille

For dessert, diners have 3 choices. If you are dining here for the first, I would highly recommend you to go for the White Mille-feuille. This is another iconic dish that they have kept it in their new menu.

Alpaco Chocolate

Gariguette Strawberry

The other 2 desserts on the menu are the Alpaco Chocolate and Gariguette Strawberry. They are the new dessert creations for the new summer menu. I had the Alpaco Chocolate which comes with Hojicha and cubeb pepper light mousse paired with beeswax honey ice cream. It is rich but yet not heavy to wrap up the dinner.

Last but at least the whole dinner experience is wrapped up with the Petite Four. The menu I had is the 5-course Experience Menu at $238 per pax with an additional $158 for wine and sake pairing. I realised the restaurant has increased its price since my visit last year. Maybe it has to do with the increased ingredients' price due to the significant reduction in overseas freight flights in the aviation market.

Note: this is an invited tasting.


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

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat: 12pm - 2pm, 7pm - 930pm
(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]

An Illuminating Christmas At Pan Pacific Singapore

This year Christmas function at Pan Pacific Singapore is held at the new built Keyaki Garden Pavilion that is located in the beautiful Japanese Garden. Overlooking the skyline of Marina with a lush green landscape and a koi pond, the garden pavilion seating up to 40 pax, can be tailored to different events, perfect of the festive seasons. In addition, the various F&B establishments at the hotel will be also rolling up different festive menus as well as gourmet takeaways.

Homemade Pork Pate Terrine

Cabernet Wine Poached Pigeon

From their popular buffet restaurant - Edge, we are served the Homemade Pork Pate Terrine and Cabernet Wine Poached Pigeon. The homemade pork pate terrine comes with smoked green tomato, peppercorn and tonne de savoy beignet. This is best to have together with some warm bread. As for the cabernet wine poached pigeon, it comes with chestnut barley risotto. The pigeon is cooked to a beautiful pink which tasted really lovely.

Braised Parma Ham in Supreme Stock accompanied with Turkey Wanton

What impressed me most is the dish from Hai Tien Lo, Braised Parma Ham in Supreme Stock accompanied with Turkey Wanton. Two different types of ham are used in the dish, perfuming it for that extra flavour. For those that dislikes the porky taste, the clever use of the turkey for the wanton is a delicious rendition.

Grilled Lobster with Spicy Cod Roe Sauce

One of the latest addition to the restaurants at Pan Pacific Singapore is the Japanese restaurant - Keyaki. We had the Grilled Lobster with Spicy Cod Roe Sauce. What stole my heart is the cracker that is packed with the crustacean flavour.

Baked Eight Treasures Turkey

This year Pan Pacific Singapore has created the Baked Eight Treasures Turkey ($178) which is baked in lotus leave. In the turkey you can find stuffing such as chestnuts, yam, mushroom, Chinese sausage, red date, wolfberry, gingko nut and dried shrimp. An Asian take of the tradition turkey which is a winner for me, that will suit the local palate.

Choco Choux Sapin Tart

Besides the gourmet roasts for takeaway, there are other Christmas log cakes and sweet treats selections too. Looking magically christmassy is the Choco Choux Sapin Tart ($65, 1kg).

D24 Durian Pandan Log

For the log cakes, there are D24 Durian Pandan Log ($70, 1kg), Strawberry Rhubarb Buche De Noel ($70, 1kg) and Gianduja Caramel Log ($70, 1kg). I am not a cake person but these log cakes created by Pastry Chef Eddy Yau are not over sweet, delicious and well balanced in flavours.

Strawberry Rhubarb Buche De Noe

From 12 November to 26 December 2018, guests may order the festive goodies at Pacific Marketplace (level 1) or via online orders at pacificmarketplace.sg, and collect their purchases at Pacific Marketplace between 1130am and 9pm. Enjoy 15% early bird savings for orders made from 12 to 30 November 2018. To place an order, speak with us at 6826 8240, email dining.ppsin@panpacific.com, or visit pacificmarketplace.sg.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore
7 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore 039595
Nearest MRT: Promenade (CC Line, DT Line)