Absinthe @ Boat Quay

Formerly located at Bukit Pasoh, Absinthe has moved into its current location at Boat Quay occupying two adjoining shophouses over three floors. Lead by award winning Chef Francois Mermilliod and General Manager Vincent Jaureguiberry, Absinthe is known for its classic French cuisine. Coined after the old fashioned green spirit Absinthe that was banned in 1914 but subsequently lifted in 2011. Like the highly alcoholic liquor that required careful preparation and attention to detail, the team strives to revive the appreciation for classic French cuisine.

Hamachi 4.2/5

Before I get into my gastronomic journey at Absinthe, kindly note most of the items were sample portion except for the desserts. Dinner started with the Hamachi ($26), a carpaccio of marinated yellow kingfish topped with aquitaine caviar served with cucumber and baby cress at the side. A clean and subtle execution that delights the palate, igniting the night for what is to be served.

Saint Jacques 4.2/5

Next up is Saint Jacques ($26), a dual seared Hokkaido scallops, braised daikon, wakame and lemon thyme emulsion. The fresh scallop was cooked perfectly, springy and buttery. The wakame gave it an extra crunchy bite while the lemon thyme emulsion lifted the flavour. Interestingly, braised daikon is not a classic French. Accordingly to my understanding, the chef loves to add a bit of his character to his dish.

Foie Gras Poele 4.2/5

The Pan Fried Foie Gras ($29) was served with warm blinis and morello cherries. The combination worked perfectly with the blinis giving it a contrasting texture while livery foie gras was nicely balanced with the sweetness of the morello cherries.

Canard 4.5/5

The classic French Duck Leg Confit ($42) was really beautiful with its crispy skin and fork tender duck meat. Served with saraladise potatoes, mushrooms and madiran wine sauce, this is probably one of the best duck confit I ever eaten. Definitely a must order here.

Creme Brulee 3/5

Moving on to the dessert, the Jasmine Creme Brulee ($15) fell short of my expectation. The texture of the base was more like a mousse than custard. The yuzu sorbet on the other hand stood out on the plate with praises from fellow diners.

Madeleines 4.5/5

The Madeleines ($15) served with valrhona chocolate mousse was indeed a great delight to end the night. The freshly baked to order vanilla madeleines was crispy on the outside and spongy inside. It kind of remind me of the Asian kueh bolu.

This month actually marks the 5th year for Absinthe which was officially opened in December 2008. For a restaurant that has been around for this long and consistently serving quality food, it deserves more recognition. I am definitely impressed with my visit and I am sure I will be back for more when I noticed the 3 course lunch set at $38 and a 7 course degustation menu at $98 available for both lunch and dinner. Beside the food and service, Absinthe is also popular for its list of affordable price wines with the trusted selection from the GM Vincent who is a certified Sommerlier.


Absinthe
71/72 Boat Quay
Singapore 049860
Tel: +65 62229068
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Absinthe/56794462597
Website: http://www.absinthe.sg/
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line), Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 230pm, 4pm - 1030pm
Sat-Sun: 630pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT Station. Take Exit E. Cross New Bridge Road to the opposite of The Central. Walk towards Upper Circular Road. Turn onto Upper Circular Road and walk to the end. Cross the road at South Bridge Road and walk towards the river. Walk down the row of shop houses along the river. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Raffles Place MRT Station. Take Exit G. Walk to the river. Walk down the row of shop houses along the river. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Malaysian Food Street @ Resorts World Sentosa (RWS)

Singaporean has been known to travel North across to our Malaysia neighbour for their local hawker fare. Malacca, Kuala Lumpur and Penang just to name a few Malaysia states that we are familiar with such as Penang Laksa, Jalan Alor KL Hokkien Mee and Malacca's Chicken Rice Ball. Coming to its 2nd anniversary, the Malaysian Food Street at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) has been dishing out the popular Malaysian hawker fare to satisfy the craving of the locals and foreigners saving them the travelling time north.

Foodies will be rejoiced and spoilt for choice at RWS Malaysian Food Street with the addition of five new stalls from November 2013 to freshen up the offerings. The new stalls were also selected based on guests' feedback, coming from those that is well travelled to Malaysia and genuinely enjoy Malaysian hawker fare.

Penang Fruit Rojak 4.2/5

One of the new 5 stalls is the Penang Fruit Rojak ($4.50). I ever been told that a good plate of the mouthwatering Penang fruit rojak lies on the fruit cutting skill to retain the moisture of the fruit. The sweetness of the fresh fruit and the savoury prawn paste worked harmoniously with the chopped peanuts giving it a extra crunchy finish.

Char Koay Kak 4/5

I have to admit that I thought the Char Koay Kak ($5.50) is a mix of our local char kway teow and fried carrot cake. The springy rice cake was wok fried in black soy sauce with eggs and shrimps. The delectable rice cake tasted more savoury than sweet but was very enjoyable.

Oh Chien 4.2/5

Unlike our local version, the Fried Oyster Omelette or Oh Chien ($8) from Penang uses more flour giving it a more springy and chewy texture. Wok fried together with fresh oysters, I preferred the Penang's version to our local version. Not that I don't like the chilli dip which is quite similar to those used for chicken rice, I preferred a more tangy chilli sauce to go with the fried oyster omelette.

Penang Curry Mee 4/5

Beside Penang Assam Laksa, the other popular noodle dish in Penang is the Curry Mee ($5.50). The wholesome bowl of curry mee is filled to the brim with prawns, tau pok, cuttlefish and bean sprouts. The rich and flavourful coconut soup base is not really spicy but its so flavourful that I emptied the whole bowl. Mix it with the homemade chilli sauce to raise the spicy level. The authentic Penang curry mee comes with pig's blood but unfortunately this is not allowed to be served in Singapore.

Fish Head Curry 4.5/5

Among the five new stalls, my favourite is the Fish Head Curry ($28). The taste of the fish head curry is inclined to our Indian version that is both spicy and tangy. Cooked in herbs and spices together with lady's fingers. tomatoes and onions, the flavour of this beautiful pot of stew is further lifted by the tamarind and curry leaves. Rice, toasts and roti canai are also served at an additional cost.

The addition of the 5 new stalls at RWS Malaysian Food Street indeed freshen up the offerings with delectable Malaysian hawker fare that will get the foodies excited and satisfied with its affordable pricing. Do also note that the Malaysian Food Street opening hours has changed. Instead of operating daily and rotating the closing day among the stalls, all the stalls will now open everyday except on Wednesday.


Malaysian Food Street 
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS)
Website: http://www.rwsentosa.com/

Opening Hours:
Mon-Tue, Thu: 11am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 9am - 11pm
Sun: 9am - 10pm
(Closed on Wed)

Direction:
1) Alight at Harbour Front MRT station. Exit station to Vivocity Shopping Mall. Go to Sentosa Express Station at Level 3 of Vivocity. Take Sentosa Express Train to Waterfront station. Alight at Waterfront station and walk to Malaysian Food Street, Resort World Sentosa. Journey time about 15 mins.