Burger & Lobster @ Raffles Hotel Singapore - Rekindle Your Romance This Valentine's Day With Exclusive Course Menu

This Valentine's Day, treat you and your loved one with an exclusive three-course sharing menu at Burger & Lobster, their Raffles Hotel Singapore restaurant. Available from 11 to 15 February 2021, their Valentines Menu is available at $138 for two (excluding drinks).

Pan Seared Scallops 4/5

To start the meal, we had the Pan Seared Scallops, which features plump and juicy pan-seared scallops, served with grilled asparagus, pine nuts and salad. The dish is decorated with baby radish and edible flowers.

Smoked Beetroot Salad 3.8/5

The Smoked Beetroot Salad is a vegetarian alternative of the Pan Seared Scallops, replacing the scallops with slices of juicy smoked beetroot.

The Burger & Lobster Combo 4.5/5

For the main, we tried the Burger & Lobster Combo, which consists of the Signature Mayfair Burger and half a 1.5lbs lobster (available either steamed or grilled). Done medium rare, the thick Nebraskan beef patty is exceptionally tender and juicy with rich beefy goodness. The wild Atlantic lobster is also equally good with its fresh lobster meat.

The Lobster Combo 4.5/5

Our favourite is the Lobster Combo, which comes with an Original Lobster Roll and half a 1.5lbs lobster. The lobster roll comes in a toasted brioche bun that is incredibly soft and buttery and stuffed generously with chunks of chilled lobster meat dressed in creamy Japanese mayonnaise. Slather the side serving of B&L's Lemon Garlic Butter sauce all over the roll for the ultimate indulgence.

The Wholesome Combo 3.8/5

A vegetarian alternative to the burger & lobster combo is the Wholesome Combo, which comes in a chickpea patty burger and eggplant bacon for the vegan burger, and a side of baked quinoa cake which is made from mushrooms spinach, and peas.

Chocolate, Banana & Raspberry 4/5

Round off the course meal with an indulgent dessert. The Chocolate, Banana & Raspberry features a rich flowy chocolate lava cake, served with crispy banana fritters, and drizzled with salted caramel and raspberry puree.

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.


Burger & Lobster
Raffles Hotel Singapore
Raffles Arcade
328 North Bridge Road
#01-25
Singapore 188719
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Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Wed: 11am - 11pm
Thu-Sat: 11am - 12midnight

Direction:
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to the junction of Bras Basah Road and North Bridge Road. Cross the road. Walk down North Bridge Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

8ASH @ Ann Siang Hill - Multiconcept Modern Casual Diner That Houses Hoshi Hill, Mirai Burgers And Love Handle Burgers

8ASH is a new kid on the block at Ann Siang Hill. It is a multi-concept modern casual diner with a retro-outfitted 40-seater restaurant that houses three different brands under one roof. Mirai Burgers is the American-Japanese burger concept, while Love Handle Burgers is the other burger concept that is entirely vegan. Apart from burgers, Hoshi Hill brings to the table casual-luxe Japanese set meals.

Chilled Hokkaido Scallop Somen 4.2/5

Our lunch at 8ASH started with the Chilled Hokkaido Scallop Somen ($25) from Hoshi Hill. The chilled somen is topped with sweet and plump Hokkaido scallops and ikura. The somen is enlivened by the shio kombu dressing, sakura ebi powder and ponzu jelly. It seems like there are many flavours at work, but they gel together in harmony.

Sparkling Sake 4.5/5

You may want to pair your meal with a bottle of chilled Sparkling Sake. Sweet, light and refreshing!

Baller Beef Bowl (Japanese A4 Wagyu) 4.5/5

You will be in for a treat with the Baller Beef Bowl ($45). It is a feast fit for the king. On the plate, there are luxurious ingredients such as Hokkaido A4 Wagyu, Hokkaido scallops, Japanese rice, pickles, spicy tare, shio kombu, uni, Kairos caviar.

Hoshi Wagyu Steak 4/5

For sides at Hoshi Hill, we had the Hoshi Wagyu Steak ($18) which uses Australia Wagyu Picanha (MBS8-9) paired with seasonal salad. The diner has options of 4 sauce choices - shiso pesto, mustard cream, beef jus and spring onion bearnaise. Compared to the Hokkaido A4 Wagyu in the Baller Beef Bowl, this has a firmer bite. 

Katsu Okonomiyaki Burger 3/5

From the Mirai Burgers brand that offers American-Japanese burger concept, we had their burgers that use classic Japanese flavours and cooking techniques. A good showcase of the concept is the Katsu Okonomiyaki Burger ($16) that comes with pork katsu, bonito flakes, bulldog sauce, kewpie and lettuce sandwiched in between two soft and fluffy buns. Unfortunately, I find it tough to bite through the pork katsu. I wish it can be more tender and juicy.

Shaun San Burger 4.2/5

The Shaun San Burger ($20) fares much better than the Katsu Okonomiyaki Burger with its juicy wagyu short rib patty that is exclusively mixed in house. The addition of bacon, mature cheddar, provolone, onions and special housemade sauce brightens up the whole enjoyment. There is also a slight difference in the bun used. It is airier compared to the katsu okonomiyaki burger.

Mushroom Cheese Burger 3.5/5

For the vegan diners, you will fall in love with the Love Handle Burgers concept that uses the Impossible meat patty. Even meat-eaters will also enjoy the plant-based burger such as the Mushroom Cheese Burger ($17) whereby the Impossible patty is topped with melty vegan cheese, and a stack of trumpet mushrooms smothered in shroom sauce and finished with creamy garlic aioli.

Fillet-O-Fishless

There is even a vegan fish burger, Fillet-O-Fishless ($16.50). It comes in a tangy, herby tartare sauce with a whole cheddar-style slice on top of a generous stack of flakey, crumbed fishless sticks. I thought the fish fingers would taste like the real thing, but it tasted more soybean-based, unlike the Impossible beef which tasted closer to the real thing.

PBJ Cake

Besides burgers, there are also vegan dessert options from Love Hand Burgers. We tried both PBJ Cake and Lemon Crumble. Of the two, I prefer the PBJ Cake ($4.50) which comes in a generous portion of Peanut Butter and Date Cake topped with a housemade strawberry compote.

Lemon Crumble

Of the three concepts, I like Hoshi Hill more than the rest. I was won over by the chilled hokkaido somen and baller beef bowl, whereby you get to enjoy fine and quality Japanese seafood and beef. However, it does feel kind of weird to be enjoying fine Japanese food in a casual American burger joint setting.

Noted: This is an invited tasting.


8ASH
8 Ann Siang Hill
Singapore 069788
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Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Maxwell (TE Line), Chinatown (NE Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Wed: 11am - 10pm
Thu-Sat: 11am - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Cross Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Continue to the end of Amoy Street. Climb the stairs beside Siang Cho Keong Temple, up Ann Siang Hill. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Maxwell MRT station. Take Exit 1. Walk down South Bridge Road towards Ann Siang Road. Turn right onto Ann Siang Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 4 minutes.[Map]

3) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Pagoda Street to South Bridge Road. Cross the road and turn right. Walk down South Bridge Road. Turn left onto Ann Siang Hill. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Supergreek @ Raffles City - Singapore's First Greek Fast-Casual Concept

Have a taste of Greek flavours and traditions at Supergreek. Nothing fancy but wholesome souvlaki grain bowls, pita wraps, and salads loaded with ingredients and dips freshly made daily such as traditional Greek hummus, yoghurt avocado sauce and even Harissa. And speaking of yoghurt, Supergreek serves its proprietary homemade authentic Greek yoghurt, made daily through a process that spans 30 hours. Souvlaki is the highlight of Supergreek’s menu offerings. An everyday Greek street food of small pieces of meat or vegetables grilled on a skewer, Supergreek dresses it up with herbs such as oregano and dill, as well as tomatoes, onions and Greek vinaigrette, then grilled, roasted, or steamed, but never fried. Conceptualised by the team behind Omakase Burger and Picnic Food Park, the chef imparting his knowledge and culture into the food is Head Chef Altin “Alex” Mata, an Albanian immigrant who ran his own Greek restaurants in Athens, Greece for 20 years.

Lamb Kebab 4.2/5

The meat that best represents the concept is this Lamb Kebab ($10.90). I'm definitely not a red red-meat person, but the combination of the souvlaki of minced lamb kebab, the zesty house-made hummus and the spicy-sweet harrisa did get me thinking about it for a couple of days. The souvlaki of minced lamb was well-seasoned with spices and herbs, and I was surprised by how juicy it was when I took my first bite. The harrissa sauce spread on the pita was punchy and bright, with just a hint of heat. Another key element is the specially imported Greek pita bread - soft with a very toasty aroma. To balance the richness of the meat, the accompanying ingredients are basmati rice, grilled zucchini and eggplant, purple and white cabbage, cherry tomatoes and onions, with a little drizzle of orange vinaigrette.

Fresh Seafood Roasted Barramundi 4.2/5

With eight types of souvlaki grain bowls, you can choose to enjoy these combinations within a traditional pita, or in a hearty salad. We had Roasted Barramundi ($12.90) as a salad, which seemed to be one of the most popular picks. Within the bowl are a dill-marinated Barramundi fillet, quinoa, mixed salad, arugula, mashed potato, roasted broccoli and cauliflower, onions, cherry tomatoes and Greek vinaigrette. The Barramundi fillet was very tender and moist, and the mashed potato was a texture boost to the salad. And I think what makes this salad so appealing to our appetite is the creamy homemade Parmigiano sauce that binds the ingredients together.

Grilled Steak 3/5

Grilled Steak ($13.90) uses a premium USDA choice roast beef, paired with house-made Tzatziki and hummus, and served with brown rice, arugula, lettuce, roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds. Using its housemade yoghurt as the base, the Tzatziki was refreshing with bits of pickled cucumber, and its creaminess goes well with the beef. The steak was a bit tough to chew though, which is a pity.

Grilled Chicken Steak 4/5

Grilled Chicken Steak ($9.90) salad gets a lot more exciting when you have a dollop of creamy Greek yoghurt avocado sauce and zingy hummus to go with. Grilling the chicken breast accentuates its herbs marination along and releases a hint of smoky flavour, which complement the smoky-sweet grilled capsicum and roasted pumpkin.

The Roasted Vegan 3.8/5

For a 100% Plant-Based meal, the Roasted Vegan ($7.90) hydrates your body with a myriad of crunchy vegetables - cured beetroot, purple and white cabbage, roasted broccoli and cauliflower, corn, cucumber, onions, cherry tomatoes and quinoa, bind together with a dollop of creamy house-made hummus and roasty mango capsicum sauce. A dash of orange vinaigrette at the end makes it even more refreshing.

Greek Classic 4/5

Not just as a base for its sauce, the triple-strained greek yoghurt has a texture almost like dry ricotta cheese, rich and creamy, making it a very suitable choice for a healthy snack or dessert. To appreciate it's natural milky taste of the yoghurt, go for the Greek Classic ($4.90), fresh Greek yoghurt topped with the classic pairing of honey and walnuts.

Each souvlaki grain bowl is scrumptious in its own right, and what stands out is really its kebab!

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.


Supergreek
Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-54
Raffles City
Singapore 179103
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am to 10pm

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

White Rose Cafe @ York Hotel - Flavours of Asian Rice Bowls

For a limited period from 1 June to 31 July 2018, White Rose Cafe at York Hotel will be rolling out six hearty Asian Rice Bowls. These bowls are inspired by popular gourmet in our neighbouring Asia countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan and more.

Beef Donburi with Wafu Sauce 4/5

The Beef Donburi with Wafu Sauce ($16) comes with a tender and moist patty grilled and drizzled with flavourful wafu sauce. It comes with black and white sesame rice topped with onsen egg, shreded white cabbage, corn and Japanese pickles.

Minced Pork with Thai Basil 3.5/5

A classic Thai dish is the Minced Pork with Thai Basil. The steamed rice is topped with stir fried ground pork and basil leaves, sunny-side up egg and long beans. I thought the stir-fried pork needs a bit more intensity in the sauce and spiciness, to bring out the authentic characteristic of the dish.

Lemongrass Grilled Chicken 3.5/5

The chicken is marinated with lemongrass, lemon juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and fish sauce. It is then grilled to a nice tender texture, infusing with the aroma of lemongrass and smokiness. The rice bowl comes with sunny-side up egg and pickled vegetables over steamed fragrant rice.

Sambal Ikan 4/5

Suitable for the local palate is the Sambal Ikan. The rice bowl comes with a crispy deep fried red snapper fillet, spicy bean curd with tempeh, onion omelette and steamed fragrant rice. The highlight of the rice bowl has to be the crunchy achar and sambal chilli.

Braised Pork Rice 4.2/5

One of my favourite bowls is the Braised Pork Rice. The pork belly chopped into chunky pieces is well braised to tender, absorbing the flavoursome sweet and savoury sauce. Not forgetting the piquant chilli sauce that goes so well with the braised items for that extra punch.

Healthy 'Vegan-licious' Rice Bowl 4.2/5

For the healthy conscious folks, there is the Healthy 'Vegan-licious' Rice Bowl which comes with deep-fried bean curd, sauteed mushrooms and a beautiful assortment of kimchi, black fungus, corns and cucumbers. Similar to the Korean bibimbap but this is vegan. Instead of steamed rice, it is substituted with delicious olive fried rice. Last but not least, a homemade oriental sesame is drizzled over the rice for a aromatic lift.

The Flavours of Asian Rice Bowls promotion is available from 1 June to 31 July 2018. UOB credit and debit cardholders enjoy 10% off total bill off the rice bowls with a minimum spending of $50 in a single receipt.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


White Rose Cafe
York Hotel
21 Mount Elizabeth
Singapore 228516
Tel: +65 68301156
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Scotts Road towards Goodwood Park Hotel. At Goodwood Park, turn right and walk to the end of the carpark. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

HANS IM GLÜCK @ Republic Plaza - Fairy Tale-like German Burger Chain Opens 2nd Outlet In Singapore

With birch tree trunks stemming from floor to ceiling, the foresty ambience within HANS IM GLUCK at Republic Plaza might have you slightly fuzzled initially. While this might be your first time 'dining-in-the-woods', some might have already experienced this before when its first outlet opened in Orchard months ago. Combining gourmet burger concept with German draft beers, cocktail mixology and seasonal offerings, this double-storey flagship burgergrill is HANS IM GLUCK's latest outlet in the CBD. Originated from Munich, it specialises not just in beef and chicken but vegan and vegetarian as well. All the sauces used are vegan and on each table, there is a Allergen booklet which you can refer to. That probably makes it the most thoughtful burger place ever.

Geissbock 3.5/5

Alsdann 3/5

The burger patties here are made using 100% premium grain-fed beef, balanced with 20% fats. What can be a little disappointing is that although they belong to the Gourmet Burger category, all patties adhered to a well-done standard, which I find them somewhat dry and too flat, almost like a sandwich. That said, the variety of interesting combination makes up for it, such as pairing the patty with grilled pear, mild blue cheese sauce and walnut Alsdann ($17), or feta cheese, bacon and fig jam Geissbock ($17). In fact, most of them sound really yummy to me, especially the sharp, gooey, savoury and sweet combination. I prefer Geissbock to the latter, as it offers a lot more dimensions in terms of flavors. Alsdann falls short a little as I was expecting the grilled pear to be a lot sweeter to be up against the blue cheese but it turned out to be rather bland.

Klassik 3.5/5

All burgers can be double up with an extra patty at $4, and each come with a choice of a sourdough bun, multigrain bun or naked. What I appreciate is how the buns remain fluffy and pleasingly dry, unlike some which are be really soggy and greasy with butter. If you are having yours naked, perhaps it's good ask for less dressing as mine was soaked in sauce. Well, if everything is too much, just head for the mother of all burgers Klassik ($14)!

Fabelhafter 3/5

I had my first ever vegan burger Fabelhafter - Wheat patty with avocado cream, orange-mustard sauce & herby garden salad. Though i'm still skeptical about vegan alternative, especially on how it attains that meaty texture, the tender and nicely seasoned wheat patty lifted that thought away for a while.

The lunch specials here are quite worthwhile, considering the top up of $5 gets you a free side, coffee or tea, and a thirst quencher. The chunky 1 pfund Fritten - One pound of hans im glück steak fries and crusty Ringelrein - Beer-battered onion rings leave quite an impression, but their 1 pfund Susskartoffel Fritten - One pound of sweet potato fries is really what I will crave for. Each strip is sweet and starchy, with lovely crisp edges. Their version of Krautknolle (traditional german white cabbage salad) is more refreshing than the usual, with its crunchy chopped cabbage and potato dressing.

For the evening crowd, top up $15 to get a side order and a cocktail. My citrusy Lebemann (Bourbon, apricot brandy, pineapple, passion fruit, lemon & sugar) was great with all the meats and fried food. If that's too sweet for you, German Draft Beers are always available.

Do take some time to read the Hans im Gluck fairy tale in the menu. It talks about being present in the moment, like how you should enjoy the food! Spot the animals and other forest elements, and observe how the synchronized lighting that mimics the changes from day to night when you visit at different hours of the day.

Tuesdays at Hans Im Gluck is ladies night promotion exclusive to the raffles place outlet entitles all ladies to free-flow cocktails from 530pm to 8pm.

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.


HANS IM GLUCK
Republic Plaza
9 Raffles Place
Singapore 048619
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11am - 12 mignight
Fri-Sun: 11am - 2am

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

Pig N Whistle Bistro & Bar @ Hexacube (Changi Road) - Great British Fare And Quality British Craft Beers & Ciders In The Heartland

Pig N Whistle recently opened at Hexacube, which is just around 5 minutes walk from Eunos MRT. It is really a nice place for you to have a drink at the bar and indulge in some delicious food at the same time. Even though there is no service charge here, the customer service is prompt, warm and friendly.

First of, the drinks serve here are really unique as they aren’t the typical beers or ciders that bars in Singapore serve. We are recommended the bottle ciders which was purely made out of apple juice and alcohol, no sugar is added. Ciders like Somersby usually has sugar added, and here at Pig N Whistle, they want it to be all natural for health reasons.

As I’m a sweet person, I would recommend the Sheppy’s Cloudy Cider ($12) with ribena (only upon request at the bar) or even the Sheppy’s Raspberry Cider, in which they add real raspberry juice in the drink. Another drink you should give a go is their Caramel Vodka ($10) which they make in-house by mixing salted caramel and vodka for 10 days. You’ll never get something like this elsewhere.

Vegan Burger 4/5

For burgers, they had a vegan option called the Vegan Burger ($16.90) which uses yellow beans, capsicum, spanish onions, swiss brown mushrooms, carrot and herbs in their patty. As you can tell, a lot of effort goes into making this burger an unforgettable experience for those who give it a go.

Fish & Chips 4/5

The Fish & Chips ($15.90) here has a really crispy and flavourful house made beer batter that has its own British twist. Something else that is really unique is the mushy peas at the side that is served in English cuisines. It is boiled till the skins fall out and then mashed to a certain consistency before being served.

Pork Chop 4.5/5

The star for me was the Pork Chop ($18.90) and I loved how they use free range pigs that have 10,000 acres to roam. It is well seasoned and served with a side of British gravy that I would die for. The British gravy also goes very well with the creamy mash potatoes.

Full Monty 4/5

If you’re planning to visit this place on weekends, you’ll love the Full Monty ($18.50) here which consisted of 2 eggs, 2 bacons, 2 sausages, 2 hash browns, black pudding, mushrooms, beans, and bread/toast. The fat and juicy sausages are made of 70% pork meat, 30% fat and 3 secret spices. It will have you wanting more of it with that robust flavours. You might also be wondering what is the black pudding? It’s actually an English name for blood sausage which had an acquired taste. If you think this portion is too much for you, they can have a Half Monty ($14.50).

Burrito 4/5

Under the snack section, there is the Burrito ($12.90). Honestly, it’s a full meal itself at 12-inch. It is stuffed with egg, bacon, potato, cheddar cheese, capsicum, lettuce, tomato, onion and a chili salsa, finished with a nicely grilled tortilla. The chili salsa was pretty spicy for me as I can’t really take spicy food but you might love this salsa as it is house-made too. Plus, for the size, it is super value for money.

If you come at Happy Hours, the House Wines & Spirits are 15% off and Snacks are 10% off. The Happy Hours are Saturday and Sunday,12pm to 7pm, and Monday to Friday, 5pm-8pm.

Photos and words by Vanessa Chia. A girl who has a passion for taking photos. Determined to always get better at what I am doing. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Pig N Whistle Bistro & Bar
Hexacube
160 Changi Road
#01-08
Singapore 419728
Tel: +65 67474367
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Eunos (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 5pm - 1am
Sat: 12pm - 1am
Sun: 10am - 1am

Direction:
1) Alight at Eunos MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to traffic light and across the road. Turn right and go around the estate to Changi Road. Cross Changi Road, turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]