NORTH Miznon @ Amoy Street - A Modern Israeli Dining Experience

First established in Tel Aviv, Israel, NORTH Mizon at Amoy Street is the concept's first Asia outpost. Founded by Chef Eyal Shani – a leading figure in the Israeli culinary scene and most famously known as a judge on MasterChef Israel, NORTH Mizon showcases modern Israeli flavours, with a daily-changing menu of sharing plates to reflect the multifaceted nature of Israeli cuisine.

Naked Heirloom tomatoes Mosaic 4.5/5

You will find interesting plant-forward dishes, such as the stunning Naked Heirloom Tomatoes Mosaic ($19) topped with olive oil and salt flowers. The specially sourced tomatoes are sliced paper-thin and drizzled with Greek extra-virgin oil with a generous sprinkle of sea salt, teasing the beautiful flavours of the produce.

Melting Baby Leeks, Parmesan 4.2/5

Melting Baby Leeks, Parmesan ($18) is another dish that highlights one of the key principles of Chef Eyal Shani. He strives to source the freshest, best, and, where possible, local ingredients to be served in his restaurant. Buttery, sweet and savoury with parmesan, these baby leeks were just as satiable as a plate of well-barbecued ribs.

Focaccia 4/5

Hummus topped with Prawns in Beurre Noisette 4.5/5

Inspirations from French and Italian cuisines are reflected on the menu as well. For example, Hummus topped with Prawns in Beurre Noisette ($36) was lusciously creamy and rich. The prawns added a layer of texture and flavour to every bite. Thanks to the restaurant's signature Focaccia served on the house, I could mop up the humus on the plate. The focaccia itself is a great starter too. It comes with a trinity of sauces served at almost all Israeli meals; zhug – a fresh green chilli paste with garlic and olives, Maggie tomato salsa and sour cream.

Palamida Fillet 4/5

We also had Palamida Fillet ($34) roasted on plancha, served on a pretty-in-pink tomato cloud and tahini. Though the fish was very well done with firm and moist flesh, it was relatively underwhelming.

Roast Beef Carpaccio on the Rock 4/5

Talking about inventive ways to present dishes, Chef Eyal Shani's Sirloin Roast Beef Carpaccio on the Rock ($47) is served to us on a solid rock. Its sight will definitely excite your taste buds and your friends, and the portion makes it even more ideal for sharing.

The dessert selection features up to six glorious and utterly satisfying creations. A classic to try will be the Ants Nest Cake with Queen Hajar shiny glaze is a honeycomb cake with toasty caramel notes, and a touch of ginger. However, my personal favourite is the Semolina Cream Cake, which gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling for each bite. Each dessert is $20, or enjoy a cardboard comprising a mix of all desserts at $19 per person.

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.


NORTH Miznon
110 Amoy Street
#01-01
Singapore 069930
Tel: +65 80285204
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Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line), Telok Ayer (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 530pm – 12am
(Closed on Mon)

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]

Swan-ky New Festives at Orchard Hotel Singapore

For this festive season, Orchard Hotel Singapore launches a renewed collection of dining offerings with a swan-ky spirit. Taking centre stage in the lobby is the Royal Swan Festive Goodie House, featuring seven larger-than-life royal swans which represent 'Seven Swans a-swimming', as made famous in the Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas".

"Wicklein" Tuning Musical-Box Tin with Fine Oblaten

Tiered Christmas Tree

The Royal Swan Goodie house fascinates with its almost fairytale-like setup, featuring not just festive Takeaways, but also Christmas ornaments such as musical snow globes. The front is lined up with Christmas Festive Cakes such as Homemade Confit Orange & Lemon Stollen ($42), Rich Christmas Fruit Cake ($48), and bringing the entire family of Santa Village is the Chocolate and Confectionery, with items like Tiered Christmas Tree ($28), Snowman Senior ($18), Santa Speedster ($22), Rudolph ($14), Snowman Lolly ($10), amongst many others. You will be tempted to tune the "Wicklein" Tuning Musical-Box Tin with Fine Oblaten($39.90) and be drawn into the magical sound of Christmas.

Bone-in Honey Baked Gammon Ham

Roasted Whole Turkey

Roast Beef

Drop by The Orchard Cafe this Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet and tuck into an exclusive festive spread. Highlights include Bone-in Honey Baked Gammon Ham, Roasted Whole Turkey and Roast Beef.

Signature Baked Yoghurt Country Tomato Scottish Salmon

The dish that impressed me the most is the succulent Signature Baked Yoghurt Country Tomato Scottish Salmon, one of the best-baked salmons I had for buffets.

Orange Pound Cake

Christmas Stollen

For desserts, savour the Christmas flavours in Christmas Stollen, Orange Pound Cake and Christmas Yule Log.

For more details on Orchard Hotel Singapore's festive offers, please see https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/offers/asia/orchard-hotel-singapore/dining/festive-offers-2019/

Written and photography 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.


Orchard Hotel Singapore 
442 Orchard Road
Singapore 238879
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

You Kee XO Restaurant (有记XO烧腊之家) @ Joo Chiat Place - Lip Smacking Crystal BBQ Pork Belly Char Siu From Johor Bahru Opens First Outlet In Singapore

For foodie that frequent Johor Bahru, you will probably heard of You Kee XO Restaurant (有记XO烧腊之家) known for its tonic soup and roasted meats. I have visited You Kee XO twice during my trip across the causeway. I am glad to announce that they have recently opened a new outlet and their first outside Johor Bahru in Singapore, Joo Chiat Place.

The first thing you will notice when you step into the restaurant is the two giant earthen urns. This is their signature earthen urns that is used to boil the tonic soup under constant charcoal fire for more than 10 hours.

Tonic Soup 4.5/5

Everyday there is 1 to 2 type of Tonic Soup ($12) on the menu and limited to around 100 portions. One can taste the depth of the soup from the extraction of the ingredients through the long hours of slow cooking the soup. I can still remember the slogan of their tonic soup - 男人的加油站， 女人的美容院.

XO Signature Roasted Duck 3.8/5

Traditional Roasted Pork Belly 4/5

Crystal BBQ Pork Belly Char Siu 4.2/5

Another signature at You Kee XO is their roasted meats. We tried the XO Signature Roasted Duck ($8/$13.80/$15.80), Traditional Roasted Pork Belly ($6.80) and Crystal BBQ Pork Belly Char Siu ($9.80). My favourite is still their char siu for the glittering exterior sweetness and the crystal fatness. You can't hardly find this type of standard in Singapore. For the roasted duck and roasted pork belly, they are noteworthy but better ones elsewhere. Other roasted items available at the restaurant are suckling pig, roasted chicken, Pei Pa duck, as well as pork sausage Hong Kong style.

Ginger Onion with Slice Fish 3/5

Besides the tonic soup and roasted meat, You Kee XO also offers a selection of cooked dishes. We managed to try a couple of them such as the Ginger Onion with Slice Fish ($6.80) and Handmade Signature Bean Curd ($8.80).

Handmade Signature Bean Curd 4/5

I remembered having the Handmade Signature Bean Curd back in my trip across the causeway. Great to see that the dish is available on the menu. The dish is also known as volcano beancurd because it is served sizzling hot with the sauce bubbling like volcano eruption. The homemade beancurd is smooth and silky with additional textures from the greens and pork floss.

Steamed Fish Tail with Green Ginger Paste

You Kee XO also offers steamed fish on the menu. I didn't try it this time but I have a look at the menu and the same dish I tried last time, Steamed Fish Tail with Green Ginger Paste ($21.80) is available on the menu too. The remember the special green ginger paste together with the soy sauce complements the fish meat excellently.

In fact, the menu at the Singapore branch is exactly the same as in Malaysia. I secretly hope that they can sell their almond bak kwa next Chinese New Year. Finger crossed.


You Kee XO Restaurant (有记XO烧腊之家)
43 Joo Chiat Place
Singapore 427767
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Nearest MRT: Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1030am - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
Sat-Sun & PH: 1030am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at block 99 (Stop ID 81181). Take bus number 33. Alight 5 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Bedok MRT station. Take Exit B or C. Walk to Bedok Bus Interchange (Stop ID 84009). Take bus number 33. Alight 11 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

PARKROYAL On Beach Road - Celebrate Christmas With An Indulgent Feast At Ginger And Si Chuan Dou Restaurant Along With Gourmet Festive Takeaways

With Christmas just around the corner, gear up for the most wonderful time of the year with an oodles of festive favourites at PARKROYAL on Beach Road where their all-day dining restaurant, Ginger have introduced a special Christmas buffet to showcase a sumptuous spread of festive delicacies and classical favourites such as the Singapore Chilli Crab, Asian inspired Gula Melaka Log Cake with Coconut Flakes, as well as an assortment of Mini Christmas cakes and cookies.

Ring in the festivities this Yuletide season with signature highlights such as the Traditional Roasted Turkey drizzled with Giblet Sauces and Cranberry Jus, Honey-glazed Ham accompanied by Oriental Salsa, and other international and local favourites such as Rock Lobsters Bouillabaisse, Singapore Laksa, Singapore Chilli Crab, Assorted Satays and Grilled Scallop with Yuzu and Shoyu.

What is Christmas without the quintessential turkey dish? Tuck into Ginger's Traditional Whole Roasted Turkey ($128). The flavours are enhanced by the savoury giblet gravy and a dash of cranberry jus to add a subtle sweetness to the succulent meat.

Another festive highlight is the Roasted Honey Glazed Gammon Ham ($68). Accompanied by oriental salsa, the dish has the right amount of seasoning and sweetness to bring out its flavour.

Not to be missed at the carving station is the Herbs Crusted Roasted Beef. The meat is coated with bread crumbs to give a nice crisp texture to the exterior of this classic festive roast, which boasts a tender flavourful bite.

An absolute favourite is the plump Grilled Scallop served with Yuzu and Shoyu to bring out the seafood freshness and enhance its flavours.

Spice up your Christmas at Si Chuan Dou Hua with a showcase of 100 dishes featuring 25 different flavour profiles. Uncover the various aspects of Sichun cuisine and go beyond the widely-known 'mala dishes'. One of the signatures include the Festive Pork Knuckle with Dried Chillies and Peppercorns ($58). Covered in an abundance of spice, biting into the crispy tender meat produces an even more pronounced aroma with a sharp kick of heat.

Round up the Christmas feast with a dazzling array of sweet creations - among which is the Gula Melaka Log Cake with Coconut Flakes ($48). What I enjoyed most is the firm yet moist texture of the cake and cream, which gives off a sweet gula melaka fragrance when bitten into. Dusted in coconut flake to further enhance the flavours, there is also a surprise attap-chee within.

To end the indulgent feast on a sweet note, have some of the Ginger Cookies ($8) or the assorted Christmas cookies ($8) as well. Takeaway orders can be made at dining.prsin@parkroyalhotels.com, or please speak with us at +65 6505 5710. Advance orders of three working days are required for festive takeaway items.

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.


PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road
Singapore 199591
Tel: +65 6505 5710
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway (CC Line)