Sunday, March 8, 2015

Pete's Place @ Grand Hyatt Hotel Singapore

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It was 44 years ago when Pete's Place first opened its door at the basement level of Grand Hyatt Singapore. Pete’s Place specialises in authentic Italian cuisine from homemade pastas to wood-fired oven pizzas. Their salad bar is hugely popular, together with a bread counter which offers freshly baked breads. Hence, even before the start of their actual meal, diners are able to prep their appetites with these classic Italian favourites.

As I entered Pete's Place, I felt that I was being cocooned in its rustic interiors - the warm moody lighting, red-brick walls and red-checked table tops. Now the kitchen is helmed by a 'cosy' looking Chef Andrea Bontempi with more than 12 years of experience in Italian cuisine (I was almost fooled by his young appearance). The newly rolled out menu is designed with some creative twists to some of the classic dishes, alongside with the main stayers.

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Burrata e Caponate 4/5

We started off our dinner with one of my favourites, Burrata e Caponate ($22++). Instead of buddying with tomato, the fresh burrata cheese sat atop an eggplant caponata, dressed with aged balsamic vinegar and basil. The eggplant caponate really woke up my senses with its tanginess. The burrata was creamy but fluffy. I would say it is an excellent combination!

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Ravioli Astice 4.8/5

Ravioli Astice ($36++) made up of lobster, burrata cheese, saffron zucchini sauce. Somehow, I have a thing for ravioli. The usual ones will be with only Ricotta and Spinach, whereas lobster is chosen to be the filling. Each ravioli was nicely coated with the saffron sauce. As I bite into it, I was surprised by how juicy and sweet the lobster filling was. It was slightly creamy with the right level of saltiness to bring out its sweetness. I must say Chef Andrea has perfected this ravioli with his 50-50 portion of meat and pasta dough. A must try.

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Cacciucco alla Livornese 3.8/5

Cacciucco alla Livornese ($34++) is a sustainable fish stew served with bruschetta bread. It is filled to the brim, packed with fish stew, mussles, prawns, scallops and squid. I was presently surprised by the lightness of the stew. The deeper you dip into this sea of goodness, the more you get. You could eat it in the traditional way by dipping bruschetta into the stew to soften it before eating. In such a cosy setting, it does has a taste of home.

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Tagliata di Manzo 3.8/5

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Tagliata di Manzo 3.8/5

Tagliata di Manzo ($32++) needs hours of preparation. The Beef flank tagliata is served with rocket salad and parmesan cheese. Steak lovers might give this a try. The meat was extremely tender with a slight chewiness. I find the tangy tomato componata a rather interesting element, adding another layer to the overall taste.

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Vanilla Panna Cotta 4.2/5

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Vanilla Panna Cotta 4.2/5

To end the evening, we have Bonnet Astigiana ($10++), a Amaretti chocolate pudding with orange blossom and Vanilla Panna Cotta ($10++). Both are equally good but I find the White rum infused Vanilla panna cotta more unique. The berry compote is slightly soury sweet and tart, which pairs really well with the panna cotta. If you prefer something citrus and bitter sweet, then the Amaretti chocolate pudding will be something for you. I can't wait to try their Tiramisu the next time I visit them!

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Bonnet Astigiana 4.2/5

Seeing how the staff interacted with the customers and how comfortable each customer was, Pete's Place must has won many regulars over the past 40 years. I heard some even grew up with this place. It has been quite an experience for me to be dining in one of Singapore's historic restaurants. To me, it has not lost its former glory. Instead, it has shone ever greater with the proliferation of contemporary or fusion dining, and a shift of focus from quality, authenticity to hype and novelty.

Written 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. 


Pete's Place
Grand Hyatt Hotel Singapore
10 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandHyattSingapore
Website: http://singapore.grand.hyatt.com/en/hotel/dining/PetesPlace.html
Tel: +65 67321234
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
Sunday Brunch: 1130am - 230pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the underpass towards Marriott hotel. Take the escalator up onto Scotts Road. Turn right and walk down Scotts Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Wee's Family Coffee Shop @ Bedok Reservoir Road

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The joy of food blogging is that many good food as well as good friends have crossed path during this journey. I am privilege to get to know a group of foodies who really know their food. They are the real food heroes, heroines and critics that eat their way around Singapore, discovering hidden gems and have in depth knowledge of the food, culture and heritage in Singapore.

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Prosperity Yu Sheng 4/5

Subject to everyone's busy schedule over the Chinese New Year, we managed to gather a couple of  Food Intelligence Network (FINS) members for a Lo Hei dinner at Wee's Family Coffee Shop at Bedok Reservoir Road. The little zi char place is tucked away at a corner, hidden away from the main street. It serves some really good and delicious food.

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Fish Maw Soup 3.5/5

After the prosperity toss to an abundance year ahead, we had the Fish Maw Soup to kick start the dinner. Foodie is foodie, we even added Martell cordon bleu into the comforting bowl of fish maw soup.

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Stewed Pork Knuckles and Sea Cucumber 4.5/5

Next, we had the Stewed Pork Knuckles and Sea Cucumber. It is like a mini pencai served on the plate. The braised sauce was well infused with the various luxurious ingredients on the plate. The fork tender stewed pork knuckles and the bouncy sea cucumber were one of my favourite dishes for the night.

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Hong Kong Steamed Red Grouper 4.5/5

Following that is the Hong Kong Steamed Red Grouper. The fish was steamed to perfection to a nice soft and moist texture. The soy sauce based gravy was the highlight that complemented the fish meat excellently.

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Whole Salted Baked Chicken 4.2/5

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Moving on to the next dish is the Whole Salted Baked Chicken wrapped in 3 layers of parchment papers. The aroma of the chicken filled the air as each layer of the parchment papers were revealed. This is my first time having the salted baked chicken and I totally enjoyed the fragrant and tender chicken.

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Asparagus and Scallops 4/5

After all the meats and seafood, it is good to have some greens. A classic Asparagus and Scallops ensured everyone of us have a balanced diet after all the proteins. Nothing fancy, just a simple dish to enjoy the sweetness of the asparagus and scallops.

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Golden Prawns 4.8/5

The star for the night that keeps everyone raving about is the Golden Prawns. A crispy salted egg yolk crumble is coated around the crunchy and succulent prawns. It was so good that I ate the whole prawn together with the shells. This is one dish I would go back for. I was told that the salted egg yolk squid is as good if not better than the prawns.

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Abalones and Greens 4.2/5

The Abalones and Greens brought a smile to everyone's face. It look like golden ingots sitting around the greens. For a coffeeshop zi char place, I am quite surprise to find such value for money , decent sized abalone being served. It was plump, firm and cooked to a nice tender texture.

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Longevity Noodles 4/5

Longevity Noodles which is usually eaten during birthday symbolizing long life is served next. The gooey gravy coated around the long noodles made it slurping good.

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Longan and Sea Coconut 3/5

Last but not least, we had the Sea Coconut and Longan dessert to wrap up a wonderful lo hei dinner with the great foodies company.

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It was a great dinner catching up with the group. Unfortunately some could not make it on that day but I am sure there are many opportunities where we will go out together to check out more good food around Singapore. Wishing everyonr a happy and prosperous year of the goat


Wee's Family Coffee Shop
Blk 117 Bedok Reservoir Road
#01-50
Singapore 470117
Tel: +65 67437482
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wees-Family-Coffee-Shop-%E9%BB%84%E5%AE%B6%E5%92%96%E5%95%A1%E5%BA%97/1575714932657044
Nearest MRT: Eunos (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 730am - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Eunos MRT station. Take Exit C. Follow the MRT track, walk straight to Jalan Eunos Road. Turn left and walk to bus stop beside block 7 (Stop ID 83101). Take bus number 21 and 60. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]