Antoinette @ Penhas Road - 23 Chocolate Creations To Satisfy Your Chocolate Fetish

Following the successful launch of the Fetish Matcha, Chef Pang introduces his second instalment - Chocolat Fetish. The latest instalment will be available from 01 September to 31 October 2016. A total of 23 creations, crafted from premium white and dark Valrhona chocolate. It is a chocolate heaven for the latest collection with both savoury and sweet items. While there are a total of 23 chocolate creations, only 4 of these are savoury items and they are not available Mandarin Gallery.

Roasted Carrot with Balsamic Dark Chocolate Dressing 4/5

From the savoury menu, we started with the Roasted Carrot with Balsamic Dark Chocolate Dressing ($18). Considering the richness of chocolate, this is actually a light starter with the dark chocolate balsamic sauce on the side to complement the oven roasted carrot and serrano ham.

Chocolate Ravioli 4/5

The Chocolate Ravioli ($22) is filled with wild mushroom ragout and cooked in a light sausage cream sauce. The texture of the chocolate pasta skin and the mushroom ragout works for me. It is a excellent dish on its own, minus the fact that it really need a trained tongue to detect the trace of chocolate.

Sous Vide Salmon with White Chocolate Hollandaise 4.8/5

The savoury dish that got everyone's acknowlegement is the Sous Vide Salmon with White Chocolate Hollandaise ($28). Besides the beautifully cooked salmon, it also comes with potato puree and caramelized fennel, onion and apple salad. The star has to be the white chocolate sauce that is made from a concoction of cream, vinegar white and sherry, milk, white chocolate and lemon juice. It complemented the moist salmon perfectly and it did not lose its chocolate characteristic.

Braised Wagyu Brisket 3.5/5

The very instant the Braised Wagyu Brisket ($30) was served, I thought I detected vegemite It was actually the mustard and dark chocolate that there the brisket was cooked in. However I thought the buttered parpadelle stole the limelight from the dark chocolate.

Tarte Chocolat 4/5

Moving on to the cakes and macarons section, we started with the Tarte Chocolat ($10). The chocolate almond tart is filled with caramel fleur de sel with roasted nuts, dark chocolate ganache, chocolate Chantilly chocolate. A chocolately and nutty combination that will be well received by many.

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake 4.5/5

Amount the numerous cakes on the shelf, my favourite is the strawberry shortcake because of its lightness. The chocolate interpretation of my favourite cake won not only my heart but my palate too. The Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake ($10) consists of chocolate genoise with chocolate Chantilly and fresh strawberry. I thought it would be too rich for my liking but it turned out otherwise. It was moist, light and well balanced.

Orangier 4/5

For those that adores the richness of chocolate, then the Orangier ($10) would be the one for you. The sexy slice of cake consists of creamy matcha ganache layered with a m4 layered chocolate cake with a light chocolate ganache, hazelnut feullitine and orange marmaladeilk chocolate yuzu ganache enrobed in milk chocolate.

Macaron Burger 3.5/5

What a stunning presentation in the Macaron Burger ($12). The details are so well thought of. There are many components making up the burger such as the chocolate macaron, chocolate ganache patty, apricot cheese, raspberry ketchup, salted caramel cream mustard and white chocolate lettuce. Give me a beer for my burger. Oh I mean give me a cup of tea.

Trufflette 4.2/5

On did I find a black truffle at Antoinette? I was disappointed when I cut into the truffle. I thought I have strike gold but its actually a cake. The Trufflette ($15) is made up of dark chocolate mousse, black truffle cremeux, chocolate genoise and hazelnut feullitine. The addition of the black truffle cremeux has accentuated the flavour to a new level that is new to me which I enjoyed.

Invader Inside 4.5/5

Comes in a can, there is some fun element in it. The Invader Inside ($15) has 10 different chocolate textures in it. I will keep in a mystery what you can find inside. It is for our to open that treasure can and discover the chocolate yourself.

Chocolate Pancake 4/5

Chef Pang has up the gear with the Chocolate Pancake ($18). The stack of chocolate flavoured pancakes is drenched in a warm chocolate sauce and topped with banana nut crunch and flambed caramelized banana. A sinful but delicious dessert on a plate.

Chocolate French Toast 4.8/5

The Chocolate French Toast ($18) which is made using the soft brioche. The soft bread is not only infused with chocolate but housed a luscious chocolate lava inside. The banana nut crunch cereal provided the extra contrast to the texture. This is the ultimate chocolate heaven for me. A not to be missed dish on the menu if you are a chocolate fan.

Flaming Chocolate Ice Cream 3.5/5

Encased in a chocolate sphere is the Flaming Chocolate Ice Cream ($22). Upon pouring the flaming Grand Marnier over the sphere, it revealed a creamy white matcha ganache with almond nougatine and matcha cake enrobed with milk dark chocolate ice cream, exotic fruit compote and almond crumble inside. I am not a fan of alcohol with chocolate so in my personal preference, this kind of throw the balance off, not allowing me to appreciate the sweetness and richness of the chocolate.

For sweet treats, you will be delighted by the selection that is available for the fetish chocolate creation. On the platter, we were given samples of the Chocolate Rice Crispies, Chocolate with Tea (lapsang souchong, earl grey, assam, jasmine), Crispy Bacon, Almond Butter Rusk, White Chocolate Matcha, Chocoron and Salted Egg Truffle. My favourite among all is the salted egg truffle. I like it so much that I got a box home.

Hot Chocolate Yuzu with Marshmallow Cloud 3/5

There are even 2 new chocolate beverage creation for the fetish chocolate campaign. There is the Hot Chocolate Yuzu ($29) which comes with a marshmallow cloud. It is another instagrammable creation that will probably draw the crowd to the restaurant. I did not like addition of yuzu in the beverage, it somehow distort the balance for me. I just want my hot chocolate with marshmallow.

Hot Chocolate Earl Grey with Croissant Croutons 4.5/5

Of the two beverage creations, I definitely prefer the Hot Chocolate Earl Grey with Croissant Croutons ($9) more. The earl grey has hard noticeable. All I got was just the rich creamy chocolate, the way I like it. What's more we have the croissant croutons to soak up that chocolatey sweetness.

Besides the array of chocolate creations that is a chocolate heaven for chocolate lovers. The fetish chocolate campaign also dispel the notion that chocolate has only a certain way of enjoying it. This is is an exploration as well as educational of all the senses, taking chocolate to a whole new level.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Antoinette 
30 Penhas Road
Singapore 208188
Tel: +65 62933121
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Website
Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thur: 11am - 10pm
Fri & Eve PH: 11am - 11pm
Sat: 10am - 11pm
Sun & PH: 10am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to V Hotel Lavender. Walk down Horne Road and turn right onto Penhas Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Pyxiemoss @ North Canal Road - Inventive Small Plates In Adventurous Ways

Pyxiemoss is a new modern European cuisine restaurant spearheaded by Chef Tim Ross-Watson that has taken over the defunct D'Bell at North Canal Road. Pyxiemoss is derived from Pixie Moss, the only flowering moss over 12,000 species. It alludes the restaurant's aspiration to blossom and flourish in the competitive F&B industry. The cuisine here offers a flair of British with Asian influenced, using both traditional and modern cooking techniques to transform simple daily ingredients into novel dishes.

Pigaroon 3/5

The restaurant is kind enough to give a glimpse of the bar snacks offering which are only available after 10pm. We tried both the Pigaroon ($3) and Carrot Dog ($5/pc). The pigaroon is interestingly presented in a flower pot. What is on the plate is actually ethereal beetroot macaron swirl paired with pickledpig skin with cream cheese encased in pork belly and smoked bacon on a stick.

Carrot Dog 4/5

Carrot Dog sounds like a weird dish but the vegetarian interpretation of the hot dog actually works. The char grilled baby carrot is sandwiched between the soft and pillowy focaccia, and topped with achar and curry leaves. The whole combination of sweet and sour worked harmoniously for a delightful bite.

Seaviche 3.5/5

The Seaviche ($8) is an interesting twist substituting raw seafood with fresh sea coconut. Give the dish a good toss and have it together with the hickory-smoked corn chips. Even with the squeeze of the lime, I still find it lacked the punch that you get from the traditional ceviche, missing that strong tangy and spicy burst of flavours.

The Tribbiani 4.5/5

One of my favourite dish at the new Pyxiemoss is The Tribbiani ($15). The yellow dome shape thing on the plate is actually duck liver mousse. The silky and creamy duck liver mousse is paired with crunchy focaccia chips and pedro ximenez soaked medjool date jam. A luscious dish which is truly an indulgent.

Cofflee Lox 4.2/5

A light and refreshing dish on the menu is the Cofflee Lox ($18). The thinly sliced Norwegian salmon is cured using upcycled coffee grinds. This is perfectly matched with fresh chervil, cucumber, refreshing green apple sorbet and freeze dried grapefruit for acidity. A well thought and balanced dish.

Rad-ish 4/5

This may sounds simple but the Rad-ish ($8) is actually braised thrice before serving to the table. It is first braised in salt water, then miso water and lastly onion broth to expel its bitterness. A robust onion consomme is pour over the radish wheel at table which is topped with yuzu miso and pickled red radish. You can choose to have chopped wagyu beef for an additional $4.

Not Just The Tip 4.8/5

A dish that I never thought I would enjoy is Not Just The Tip ($14). A smart dish which makes use every part of the celery, not just the tip. A rift on the Waldorf salad, the dish uses the root, leaves, stem and the tip of the celery for different textural enjoyment of the whole celery. It is further paried with barley risotto, green apple, candied walnuts and stilton cheese to bring the dish together.

Mother's Lamb 4.2/5

The Mother's Lamb ($18) demonstrates Chef Tim's bold approach to food, upcycling usually-discarded parts of select produce. On the plate, is tandoor oven cooked lamb hearts and neck, with two sinful slabs of lamb bacon. The touch of having carbonated green and purple champagne grapes is very thoughtful, which helps to cut through the richness perfectly.

Pina Colada 4.2/5

Ending the meal on a sweet note, we have the Pina Colada ($10) and Snickerz ($10). The Pina Colada is a deconstructed rendition of the popular cocoktail's key ingredients. In the bowl, the components consider of fermented young coconut cake, coconut granola, salted coconut cream, compressed pineapples in extra virgin olive and a creamy caramelised pineapple ice cream. A light and refreshing dessert that suit my palate.

Snickerz 3/5

The other dessert, Snickerz ($10) is a rich and heavy glutinous rice brownie which comes with pavlova-like salted gula melaka cream . It is both chocolatey and chewy. I did not quite like the texture of the brownie. However the nuggets of caramelised peanuts rolled in homemade Snickers-inspired powder got my attention.

Overall, I have enjoyed my dining experience at Pyxiemoss. I find Chef Tim has brought something fresh to the table. You never know, the pixie moss may actually blossom and flourish into one of the best new restaurants this year.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Pyxiemoss 
43 North Canal Road
Singapore 059299
Tel: +65 65322171
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 5pm - 12midnight
(Closed on Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards the traffic junction of North Bridge Road and North Canal Road. Cross the road and turn right onto North Canal Road. Walk along the shophouses to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]