Racines @ Sofitel City Centre - Bask In The Joy Of Christmas And Celebrate Art de Noel At Sofitel City Centre

Sofitel Singapore City Centre celebrates Art de Noel this holiday season with a glistening ensemble of festive culinary delights and a magical dining experience. Diners can feast in style at Racines for its Christmas Joy A La Carte Semi-Buffet, available for dinner on Christmas Eve, 24 December and brunch on Christmas Day, 25 December. Diners can look forward to a variety of French and Asian highlights, specially curated for the season by Racines' brigade of Chefs and served individually as small plates specials.

We started our Christmas feast at Racines with some complimentary bread paired with Truffle Butter and Kaya spread.

Truffle Chicken Liver Pate 4.2/5

I love pate, and what's more fitting to start the dinner with the Truffle Chicken Liver Pate with Morel Mushrooms and Melba Toast. I enjoyed the chicken liver pate so much that I finished the whole bottle with the rest of the complimentary bread.

Baked Oyster Rockefeller 4/5

Next, we have the Baked Oyster Rockefeller with sauteed spinach and tarragon sabayon, whetting up the appetite.

Roasted Chestnut Veloute 4.2/5

I enjoyed the Roasted Chestnut Veloute. It is something different from the usual lobster bisque or mushroom soup.  It even comes with a spinach cheese ravioli and bacon creme in it.

Carpaccio Hokkaido Scallops 4.5/5

The surprise for the night has to be the Carpaccio Hokkaido Scallops served in a hot kombu broth, with baby vegetables, ikura and bonito. It is my first time having raw scallop done this way. I enjoyed how the kombu broth brightens the sweetness of the scallops.

Beef Pithivier 4.5/5

For our mains, we had the Beef Pithivier. The beautiful char-grilled beef tenderloin paired with mushroom paste is wrapped in a flaky puff pastry. It is tender and juicy, dressed in its natural jus to enjoy its lovely natural beefy flavour.

Roasted Whole Duck with Chestnut Stuffing 4.8/5

A medley of sweet and savoury goodies is available for takeaway to spread warmth and joy at your Christmas celebrations. I understand some people are not a fan of turkey. If you are not a fan, I will highly recommend the Roasted Whole Duck with Chestnut Stuffing. I enjoyed the duck so much that I had a second helping. I'm not sure whether it is the roasting technique; the duck has an enjoyable succulence unlike any I have eaten so far. It is available for takeaway. To order, visit our e-shop at https://sofitelsingaporecitycentre.oddle.me/en_SG

Wrapping up our dinner at Racines, we have a selection of desserts to ring in the festive seasons on a sweet note.

Christmas Eve À la Carte Semi-Buffet Dinner
Friday, 24th December 2021
5:30pm - 10:00pm
$138++ per adult*, $68++ per child

Christmas À la Carte Semi-Buffet Brunch
Saturday, 25th December 2021
12:00pm - 3:30pm $138++ per adult*, $68++ per child**
**6 - 11 years old, children aged 5 years old and below dine free

Early-bird Promotions
Accor Plus – Early Bird 20% savings for reservations placed before 15 December 2021
Selected Credit Cards - Early Bird 10% Savings for reservations placed before 15 December 2021

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Racines
Sofitel City Centre
9 Wallich Street
5th floor
Singapore 078885
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT Station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant @ Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium - New Signature Dishes Crafted By Chef Chan Kung Lai

Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant at Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium presents 4 new signature dishes crafted by their Head Chef Chan Kung Lai. Hoping to bring a taste of his hometown, Hong Kong, to Singapore, he has infused his speciality in seafood in his new launch.

Combination Platter 4/5

We started with an appetiser that showcases some of Xin Cuisine's signature bestsellers - Home-style Roast Duck with Tea Leaves, Deep Fried Prawn coated with Yuzu Sauce and Stir-fried Assorted Mushroom with White Truffle Oil. My favourite would be the prawn which held a very light crispy batter that gave it a slight crunch, brightened with a fruity and citrusy yuzu sauce.

Stir-fried Lobster with Egg White and Crab Roe 4/5

Stir-fried Lobster with Egg White and Crab Roe holds a piece of succulent lobster atop a cloud of egg white. The crab roe acts as the perfect seasoning for the subtlety of their flavours.

Poached Sea Perch with Chinese Rice Wine 4.5/5

The Poached Sea Perch with Chinese Rice Wine displayed an even richer texture and flavour to a seared or baked version, taking another approach to their usual sea perch dish. The Chinese Rice Wine broth was a key to this dish, too - savoury sweet, and the smell of it was so comforting that it brought this dish to another level.

Seafood Poached Rice in Superior Broth served with Crispy Rice 3/5

A mainstay of their menu is this Seafood Poached Rice in Superior Broth served with Crispy Rice. While the flavour of the Seafood Poached Rice and its texture were great, I feel a much richer broth would have made this dish even more enjoyable.

Deep-fried Sesame Ball with Red Bean and Chocolate Liqueur Filling 3/5

Our dessert was a modern version of a deep-fried sesame ball - Deep-fried Sesame Ball with Red Bean and Chocolate Liqueur Filling. Akin to having a liqueur filled chocolate, a bite into it and outflow the hot chocolate liqueur lava. I like the mochi-like dough that was very chewy but wasn't heavy and dense at all. The alcohol element was a pleasant surprise, but I wish for more red bean filling with the mochi dough.

Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant also serves a la carte dim sum. It offers delivery for orders made through its eShop, Foodpanda, GrabFood and Deliveroo. Follow its Facebook page or newly launched Instagram account @xincuisine for new launches and promotions.

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.


Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant
Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium
Level 4
317 Outram Road
Singapore 169075
Contact: +65 31382531
Facebook
Website 
Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Wed-Sun: 1130am - 3pm, 530pm - 930pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tiong Bahru MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Tiong Bahru MRT station (Stop ID 10169). Take bus number 123. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]