Curious Palette @ Prinsep Street

To be frank, with the number of cafe opening up every couple of weeks, it was not easy to keep track. If not for my friend Benson, I probably would not have known about Curious Palette at Prinsep Street. Taking the space of a two storey shophouse, the spacious and brightly lighted cafe is very welcoming with its white walls and wooden furniture.

Truffle Fries 4/5 and Pork Scratching 3/5

Truffle Fries ($14.90) topped with shaved parmesan cheese and truffle salt has always been a popular choice for cafe hoppers. It comes with aioli sauce. New on the menu is the Pork Scratching. The crackling pig skin is perfect with a glass of beer. Since this is a beer snack, I would prefer the seasoning to be heavier.

Boneless Chicken Wings 3.8/5

The Boneless Chicken Wings ($9.80/3pc) comes with chicken minced stuffing, spiced batter and served with homemade Thai chilli sauce. The marinated chicken stuffing and spiced batter has a aromatic scent of Indian spices that distinct it from elsewhere. However. the Thai chilli sauce does not work for me

Pan Grilled Baby Squid 4.2/5

One of my favourite dishes on the menu at Curious Palette is the Pan Grilled Baby Squid ($12.90). Funny enough it seems that I was the only one at the table enjoying this. I kept going back for more of the crunchy baby squid.

Pan Seared Salmon 3.5/5

I think the Pan Seared Salmon ($18.90) is very value for money. There are so many different components on the plate. On the plate, guest will get grilled Halloumi cheese, bacon scone, poached egg, guacamole, arugula, semi-dried tomatoes and honey mustard dressing. Unfortunately, the kitchen has a bad day, the poach egg is overcooked.

Scotch Egg 3/5

I like the idea of having Scotch Egg on the cafe menu. It does get a bit boring with egg benedict in every other cafes. Paired with cauliflower fritters, unfortunately the scotch egg was a bit flat in taste. The meat needs more flavours. I have tried better ones else where, especially By The Fire.

Chicken Leg with Pumpkin Risotto 4/5

The Chicken Leg with Pumpkin Risotto is not only beautiful in its presentation but the taste too. The large chicken leg is seasoned with ginger and prepared confit style. The confit chicken leg is paired with pumpkin risotto, The dish is finished with chilli foam. Tender and juicy chicken with fluffy risotto for a substantial meal.

Lamb Short Rib 4/5

The Smoked Lamb Short Rib is paired with compressed pineapple, sweet potato fries and mint jelly. I like the idea of the mint jelly to pair with the fork tender lamb short rib, with the compressed pineapple cutting through the greasiness.

Beef Steak 4/5

The Beef Steak with red wine sherry reduction is sou vide for 48 hours for a tender and delectable bite, accompanied with baby carrot and pencil asparagus. This may not be the most premium cut of the cow but definitely executed to the level of one.

Buttermilk Waffle with Gula Melaka & Coconut Cream 3.8/5

Buttermilk Waffle with Gula Melaka & Coconut Cream ($14.50) is quite an enjoyable dessert to wrap up the meal. The fluffy waffle with vanilla bean ice cream is a classic combination that is timeless. Could not really taste the hint of gula melaka and coconut but the roasted peanuts made up for it together with the nutty texture. The red beans had a bite to it which I thought the softern version would be more appropriate.

Berry Ricotta Hotcake 4/5

The most instagram worthy item at Curious Palette is the Berry Ricotta Hotcake ($18.90) with vanilla bean ice cream, fresh seasonal berries, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. It comes with golden maple syrup at the side. This is a huge serving and I would never image myself finishing it alone. The hotcake was buttery and spongy, with the cold vanilla bean ice cream giving it an enjoyable warm and cold contrast.

Of the many cafes around Singapore, I would say Curious Palette is one of the better ones with the whole package. Meaning besides the cosy and spacious ambience, it serves good coffee and quality food.


Curious Palette
64 Prinsep Street
Singapore 188667
Tel: +65 62381068
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Bras Basah (CC Line), Dhoby Ghaut (CC Line, NE Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Mon, Wed-Thu: 9am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 9am - 12midnight
(Closed on Tue)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Bencoolen MRT station. Take Exit A or B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 mins minutes.[Map]

2) Alight at Bras Basah MRT station. Take Exit D & E. Walk down Bras Basah road towards Prinsep Street. Turn right onto Prinsep Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Ginza Yoshihiro @ Marina Mandarin Hotel Singapore

Ginza Yoshihiro Singapore, located at Marina Mandarin Hotel, is a place that exploits the natural synergies between traditional Japanese cuisine and Japanese drinks - whisky, soju and of course, sake. Ginza Yoshihiro has brought its 30 years of heritage in Japanese cuisine all the way from Tokyo to our little island, where sake and soju bars are getting more nods than ever before. Their signature is Oden that comes with their homemade soup, which is of a unique Yoshihiro’s flavour created with exclusively selected ingredients. With the second generation at its helm, Chef Nishioka is now the main chef in Ginza Yoshihiro Singapore, with his younger brother running the restaurant back in Tokyo.

A whisky, sake and soju Bar front the restaurant. Bottles of sake and soju (directly from Japan which are not distributed in Singapore), as well as their extensive range of Japanese whisky, forms the backdrop of the bar. It is an enjoyment, to be seated at the low bar counter on the tatami platform, and watched the bartenders deeply absorbed in the making of their special cocktails for the guests tonight. The overall atmosphere is still kept rather vibrant as a hipster bar, with the background music and the usual high stools and tables surrounding it. On the other hand, the minimalistic dining area reflects its identity as a fine Japanese dining. Their menu is pretty simple but it covers the quintessential - Donburi, Oden, Tempura, sukiyaki and sushi gozen. There are 3 different sets of Omakase to choose from - Oden Gozen ($128++), Kikyou ($158++) and Botan ($188++).

A few sips of their cocktail Yuzumoshu Borendo ($15.50++) could be one of the best ways to refresh your senses before dinner. we got to try a few items on the Kikyou set. The appetizers were more towards the tangy side. I caught a tinge of yuzu in the Seaweed appetizer. In particular, I like the Salmon Head Slices as they were very crunchy, and most importantly, full of collagen!

Sashimi Plate

The beautiful plating of the Sashimi was somewhat mesmerising, and certainly necessary for such premium quality. I love the freshly grated wasabi, which lends a touch of herbaceous flavour to the sashimi without the intensity found in fake wasabi.

Nigiri Sushi

The Nigiri Sushi came to me, shimmering in the light. Out of the 4 sushi created for us, the Hirame stimulated by a dash of yuzu stands out the most.

Momotaro Tomato Oden

Momotaro Tomato Oden is certainly one of its kind. Not very common to find tomatoes as the lead in a dish. The only one in my repertoire is the Tomato Ramen by Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen. The light-taste soup has a certain depth to it, which come across even more comforting after a few rounds of drinks.

As for yakimono, we have had fish as well. Beautifully grilled, but I find the texture a little too dry for me.

Persimmon and Grapes

Dessert, as simple it looks- Persimmon and Grapes, the taste was amazing. Now I do see why some people are willing to splurge on their fruits.

A strategic partnership indeed. The coexistence of these two traditions help in creating a much stronger brand name and wider appeal. There is no denying to the originality of the traditional Japanese cuisine here for sure, although I wish it can be as spectacular as its sake soju bar. Likewise for the latter, I wish it can be slightly more Japanese accented. Perhaps the presence of a Sake sommelier might help? However, to be fair, this is just its first month into business! So some fine tuning is expected.

Photograph and 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.


Ginza Yoshihiro
Marina Mandarin Hotel Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
#04-600
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 67348842
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take exit B. Walk to Marina Square via Marina Square Link. Walk to the destination. Journey time about 8 mins.[Map]