Rokeby @ Jalan Riang (Upper Serangoon)

The enclave at Jalan Riang off Upper Serangoon Road sees another new food establishment, Rokeby (roc-ker-bee) named after a street in Western Australia opened its door about 2 months back. The Australian inspired bistro is opened by a young couple, Kelvin and Denyse serving delectable gourmet food and artisan coffee.

For authenticity, Rokeby imports Australia roasted coffee beans from Five Senses, artisanal teas from Tea Drop Australia, wines from Sandalford in Swan Valley and Aussie beers.

The bistro has a relax and chill ambience with both indoor and outdoor seating. It also has a kids' corner to cater to youngs one while the adults can indulge in their meal.

Flat White 4/5

I had a Flat White ($5) to kick start my day. I don't like my coffee to be too acidic hence I quite enjoyed the cup of coffee at Rokeby which maybe a bit too bitter for some.

Full Monty Brekkie 3.8/5

All of us ordered from the brunch menu hence it is a bit of injustice to the bistro in this review. Nevertheless, this was some of the items we ordered from the weekend brunch menu till 3pm. For the hungry stomach, you can go for the Full Monty Brekkie ($17.90) that comes with 2 eggs served with 2 bratwurst sausages, bacon, hashbrown, grilled tomato, baked beans, salad and toast.

French Toast 3/5

For the light-eaters, one can go for the French Toast ($7.90) that comes with 2 eggs on toast served with salad and baked beans on the side.

Ham and Cheese Omelette 3.5/5

Actually my friend and I wanted to order the Egg Benedict but after taking our orders, the waitress came back 5 minutes later informing us that they have ran out of poached eggs, asking us to change to scrambled egg or other style of eggs for our egg benedict? I thought that was quite weird since the kitchen can prepare other styles of egg but not poached egg. Anyway my friend changed her order and had the Ham and Cheese Omelette ($12.90) that is served with salad, baked beans and toast on the side.

Vegemite Downunder 3.8/5

What is egg benedict without poached eggs so I also changed my order to Vegemite Downunder ($10.90). This brought back a lot of childhood memories when I used to spread my toast with vegemite. Paired with the creamy scrambled eggs with salad and baked beans on the side this is a hearty breakfast the Aussie way.

The brunch menu at Rokeby is pretty decent but service was pretty slow. Considering the kitchen is pretty small and they are only 2 months into operations, hopefully it can only get better. I look forward to go back to the bistro and try their mains when operations are smooth running.


Rokeby
15-9 Jalan Riang
Singapore 358987
Tel: +65 91060437
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rokebybistro
Website: http://www.rokeby.com.sg
Nearest MRT: Serangoon (CC Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 9am - 10pm
(closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Serangoon MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Serangoon MRT station (Stop ID 62139). Take bus number 107, 147, 153 or 853. Alight 1 stop later. Cross Upper Serangoon Road onto Wolskel Road. Walk along Wolskel Road and turn right onto Jalan Riang. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes.

2) Alight at Serangoon MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk to bus interchange (Stop ID 66009). Take bus number 105. Alight 2 stops later. Track back and turn right onto Jalan Girang. Walk along Jalan Girang, take left of Jalan Girang at the intersection. Continue on Jalan Girang and turn right onto Jalan Riang. Journey time about 18 minutes.

3) Alight at Lorong Chuan MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Lorong Chuan MRT station (Stop ID 66391). Alight 1 stop later. Walk down Serangoon Ave 3 and cross the road onto Jalan Girang. Walk along Jalan Girang, take left of Jalan Girang at the intersection. Continue on Jalan Girang and turn right onto Jalan Riang. Journey time about 15 minutes.

Gunther's French Modern Cuisine @ Purvis Street

I didn't plan to make any reservation for this year Restaurant Week March 2013 since I felt most of the food offered in Restaurant Week were compromised. So how did I end up at Gunther's French Modern Cuisine? If I remembered correctly, it all started with Daniel tweeting his restaurant week's experience at Gunther's French Modern Cuisine. That started a chain of conversations on Twitter with some friends and eventually we ended up making reservation for a weekday lunch with Charleen, Nicole and Kimberley.

Carpaccio Wagyu Beef 4.5/5

For the starter, I went for the Carpaccio Wagyu Beef in Tartate Style. The thinly sliced beautiful marbled wagyu beef was topped with a medley of flavours that accentuated the sweetness of the beef.

Cold Angel Hair Pasta 4.8/5

The rest of the group went for the Cold Angel Hair Pasta which was a rendition of their signature Cold Angel Hair Pasta with Oscietra Caviar served on a cold plate. The cold plate simply shows the details the chef has put into his dish. Even without the caviar which was substituted with tomato, mozzarella and ham, it was nothing shy of excellent.

Pan-Roasted Foie Gras 4.5/5

For an additional $15, we ordered the Pan Roasted Foie Gras which was topped with almond bits. The crunchy almond bits not only given the foie gras a nice contrast in texture, it also given it a nutty flavour that lifted the whole enjoyment of the delicacy.

Pork Ribs in Provencale Style 4.8/5

Moving on to the main, this is the most awesome pork ribs that I have ever had for a long while. The Pork Ribs done in Provencale Style was so tender and full of flavours that the huge slab itself was not enough. I can simply go for another piece.

Grilled Brittany Cod Fish, Couscous of Vegetables 4/5

For the other main, the Grilled Brittany Cod Fish with Couscous of Vegetables was subtle and milder in taste compare to the bold flavours of the pork ribs. The delicately cooked piece of cod fish was moist and came with a hint of smokiness.

English Breakfast Tea Bavarois 4/5

For the dessert, we were not given a choice and was served the English Breakfast Tea Bavarois. The flavourful custard set with gelatine has a nice lingering tea taste that was complemented by the salty caramel and lemongrass infused sauce.

Petit Fours 3.8/5

For the Petit Fours, we were served Almond Cracker, Madeleine and Dark Chocolate Praline. Pardon my ignorance but I was a bit puzzled, there was only 3 items on the plate right? Paired with my coffee, it was nevertheless a simple yet perfect end to a memorable lunch.

I have to admit I am impressed with the food at Gunther's French Modern Cuisine. Ranked 43 in the inaugural Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2013, awarded "Restaurant of the Year" at the World Gourmet Summit 2012, San Pellegrino World's Best 100 Restaurants 2010 at number 84 as well as retaining its position as Asia's Top 20 Finest Restaurants in the Miele Guide from 2008 awards. It definitely deserved all the titles lead my the culinary skill of Chef Gunther Hubrechsen.


Gunther's French Modern Cuisine
36 Purvis Street
#01-03
Singapore 188613
Tel: +65 63388955
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gunthers
Website: http://www.gunthers.com.sg
Nearest MRT: Bugis (EW Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to National Library Building (NLB) along North Bridge Road. At NLB, cross the road at the traffic junction of North Bridge Road and Middle Road. Walk further down North Bridge Road and turn left into Purvis Street. Journey time about 8 minutes.