A Fantastic Festivities At Mandarin Oriental Singapore

In this festive season, include in your celebration yuletide goodies from Mandarin Oriental Singapore. Savour the new creations along with the traditional flavours.

For me, amongst the Christmas roasts, the highlight for me is this Chinese Style Roasted Christmas Goose ($185). I love the golden crisp skin with a layer of lucious fats underneath, and its meat is a lot more tender than that of duck. The plum sauce and giblet gravy goes perfectly well with it. Traditional Roasted Turkey ($185) is also available, served along with truffle mashed potatoes. Both come with apple and chestnut stuffing.

Boneless Honey Baked Ham served with Pineapple Sauce ($160) is great for any gathering. I thought the use of Pineapple sauce is something different, which is just as good as the usual tart berry sauce.

Something more indulgent, especially when you have bottles of red wine, is this Roasted Australian Grass-fed Ribeye ($265) served with roasted potatoes and red wine sauce. The meat was pretty light and not too rich, just enough to keep conversations going throughout the night.

Four new festive cakes to sweeten up your celebrations. Pretty in pink is this Joy of Christmas ($45/500g ,$75/1kg). If you like berries flavour, the berry tea infused mascarpone cream circling the an Earl Grey Tea soufflé roll will be right up your alley.

What I find more of a surprise is the Christmas Snow ($70) which is a combination of almond and pineapple mousse, layered with pineapple compote. A rather unusual pairing but it does work. Both ingredients are quite subtle in flavour but there is an elegance to it compared to other desserts.

The Black Forest ($80/1kg) here is one of the most gorgeous looking ever. Impressive visual plated and decadent with Grand Cru Dark chocolate mousse. Instead of whole cherries popping up unevenly within the cake, the cake has a layer of cherry confit in the middle, hence there is a tart and sweet cherry flavour in every bite.

The traditional flavours are on par with the new, such as this Traditional Christmas Stollen ($26/500g, $50/1kg). The almond paste filling in the middle was pretty tasty and I thought it also makes it less conventional as a stollen.

Another nostalgic flavour is the Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake with Spices, Rum and Dark Brand ($36/450g, $68/800g).

The festive counter at the hotel lobby opens from 4 to 26 December 2018. For orders, please email mosin-festive@mohg.com or call +65 68853081. For restaurant reservations or dining enquiries, please email mosin-dining@mohg.com or call +65 68853500.

Photos and words 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. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Marina Square
5 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039797
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Promenade (CC Line, DT Line), Esplanade (CC Line)

Famous Treasure @ Capitol Piazza - A Gem In The City Serving Reasonable Priced Chinese Food

Taking over the defunct Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant Singapore at Capitol Piazza is Famous Treasure. Famous Treasure is the sister outlet of the popular Famous Kitchen in Sembawang. I have not visited Famous Kitchen but I have heard good words about their food. Hence I am really looking forward to my visit to their newer and more posh outlet in the city.

Marinated Cockles Teochew Style 4.8/5

We started with the Marinated Cockles Teochew Style ($12). I love my cockles and this is even better with the topping of their homemade chilli. Definitely a winner for me.

Deep Fried Pork Belly with Fermented Bean Curd 4.5/5

Deep fried to golden brown is the Pork Belly with Fermented Bean Curd ($20/$30$/$40). The pork belly coated in a batter of fermented bean curd, is fragrant and juicy. Not forgetting the tangy green chilli sauce dip that elevates the whole enjoyable of the dish.

Wok Fried Squid with Cincalok and Lady's Fingers 4.5/5

The restaurant impressed me further with yet another excellently executed dish - Wok Fried Squid with Cincalok and Lady’s Fingers ($18/$27/$36). Instead of the usual sambal, what a brillant idea to replace it with cincalok. It definitely gives the dish a deeper depth of flavours and something different from the usual. 

Daily Nourishing Boiled Soup 4.5/5

The daily nourishing boiled soup at the restaurant changes regularly and today we have the Pork Ribs and Ba Wang Hua Soup ($28). Boiled for hours to extract the ingredients’ essences, the soup is hearty, sweet and flavourful. What caught my interests is the used of Ba Wang Hua (Night Blooming Cereus), a type of cactus that is seldom seen or used in cooking. Apparently it has several health benefit too.

Supreme Soy Braised Duck Platter 3.5/5

The Supreme Soy Braised Duck Platter ($24) consists of duck slices, webs, wings and beancurd. A great sharing platter that comes with a white vinegar and chilli dip.

Steamed Shark's Head with Spicy Yellow Bean Sauce 3/5

If you have not try Steamed Shark's Head ($7/100g) before, it is not about eat the flesh but appreciating the cartilage and collagen of the shark's upper jaw area. The version here is cooked in a spicy yellow bean sauce which we thought didn't quite highlight the dish. I had a better one that is just steamed with soy sauce, deep fried caught and sesame oil.

Traditional Fish Head Curry in Claypot $35

From one fish head we go to another, the Traditional Fish Head Curry in Claypot ($35). This is one of the signature dish at Famous Kitchen Sembawang, now you can also have it at Famous Treasure. The creamy and lemak curry fish head, served in a claypot comes with a lot of vegetables (cabbage, eggplant and lady fingers) which is really value for money. I love my fish head curry and I have to admit this is one of the better one I have eaten. I can tell why they are popular with the dish.

Famous Treasure's KL Style Hokkien Mee 4.2/5

Instead of travelling to our neighbouring country for their hokkien mee, Famous Treasure does a good rendition in their KL Style Hokkien Mee ($18/$27/$36). Perfumed with fragrant dark sauce and pork lard, this is a plate of goodness with pork, cuttlefish and prawn.

Braised Rice Vermicelli with Local Lobster and Leek in Superior Broth 4.2/5

For a more luscious enjoyment, there is the Braised Rice Vermicelli with Local Lobster and Leek in Superior Broth ($16/100g). Sweet and bouncy lobster flesh, comes with vermicelli that has been simmered in the rich broth, soaking up the richness.

Salted Baked Flower Crabs 5/5

A must try at Famous Treasure has to be their Salted Baked Flower Crabs ($6/100g). The way of preparing the flower crab gives it a charred seafood aroma that just whets up the appetite. The used of sea salt also further elevated the sweetness of the flower crab. This scores full mark for me. Definitely a must order dish whenever I go back.

Famous Treasure
Capitol Piazza
13 Stamford Road
#02-28
Singapore 178905
Tel: +65 68816668
Facebook
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit B or D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]