Lawry's The Prime Rib @ Mandarin Gallery - Rekindle Your Romance This Valentine's Day

Lawry's The Prime Rib at Mandarin Gallery sets itself apart with an air of opulence that very few could emulate. This Valentine's Day, treat your partner to a lavish 6-course dinner at Lawry's which includes their authentic Signature Prime Rib of Beef.

Amuse Bouche 3.5/5

The Valentine's menu is crafted by Executive Chef Sherwin Sim, choosing ingredients based on their sensual qualities, texture, colour and libido enhancing compounds to get you in the mood for love on that very special night. Our Amuse Bouche for example, is made of petite yummy aphrodisiacs - Foie Gras Macaron, Grilled Spanish Octopus and Smoked Salmon with Avruga Caviar. My favourite is the smoked salmon bite which has a bed of sweet caramalised onions to complement the overall briny flavour. I love the idea behind the foie gras macaron that comes with savoury foie gras cream sandwiched between sweet meringue cookies but its sweetness was a little overwhelming.

Lobster Bisque 4/5

For Soup, on the menu is Lobster Bisque served with Hokkaido scallop, enhanced with a drizzle of Grand Marnier. Intense with umami roundness, it was perfect after a round of sweet-savoury amuse bouche and I appreciate that it wasn't overloaded with cream, which would have added a dimension of sweetness to it.

Crab Salad 3.8/5

Although the classic Spinning Bowl Salad is missing in action, what replaces does not disappoint. The Dungeness Crab Salad was scrumptious with lovely sweet bites from the crab meat, coupled with crunchy green apple slices and bursts of saltiness from ikura. What delighted us all was the egg yolk looking mango sphere, which oozes mango lava that dresses the salad with tangy sweetness.

Yuzu Sorbet 4/5

A refreshing Yuzu Sorbet with mint will be served in between as a palate cleanser.

Prime Ribs (tasting portion) 4.5/5

For mains, there is a choice between their Signature Prime Rib of Beef and a luxury Seafood Platter. For a complete Lawry's experience, the first is an obvious choice but the latter speaks volume too. What makes Lawry's Prime Ribs that superior is that each standing roast is aged for up to 28 days to heighten tenderness and slowly roasted on beds of rock salt, a method that forces the juices inward, resulting in an uniformly juicy and flavourful meat. Witness its grandeur as your portion gets carved from the famous silver carts right in front of you. The traditional Lawry’s Yorkshire Pudding served alongside is baked in individual copper skillet. Accompanying your USDA Prime Rib of Beef is US Idaho mashed potatoes, together with choice of creamed spinach, creamed orn or buttered peas.

Seafood Platter 4.2/5

The Seafood Platter consist of a Baked Cajun Lobster Tail with Tobiko, Miso Salmon Steak and Carabinero Prawn with Arbequina and a Corn Croquette. I thought both the prawn and lobster tail were beautifully done - just simple treatments to bring out their textures and flavours. That humble piece of corn croquette was unexpectedly a treat! The creamy corn within the crust was oozy and sweet which brought the savoury elements together as a whole.

Dessert 3.8/5

Before moving on perhaps more important programs of the night, your evening shall come to a satisfying sweet pause with Sweetheart Specials - Te Amo, a dessert platter made of Manjari Chocolate Praline Dome, Häagen-Dazs Tiramisu Mochi Ice-cream and Strawberry Mousse. It did seem to be quite a big platter to end the meal but it turned out to be manageable. The chocolate dome was bitter sweet and the ice cream was pretty light too.

Choices aplenty in Singapore but what is cool about dining at Lawry’s The Prime Rib on that day is the old-fashioned romance that builds around the evening. This 6-course Valentine's menu will only be served for dinner at Lawry’s The Prime Rib Singapore on 14 February for $188 per person. You and your partner will receive a bottle of sparkling wine (Ruffino Moscato d’Asti) as memento as well as a complimentary digital photo.

Words and photos 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.

Lawry’s The Prime Rib
Mandarin Gallery
333A Orchard Road
#04-01/31
Singapore 238897
Tel: +65 68363333
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Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1130am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 1130am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to ground level. Turn left onto Orchard Road. Walk down Orchard Road. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

The Ampang Kitchen Private Dining - Impresses with Its Peranakan Cuisine Influenced By The Region

The last chapter of our private dining adventure for 2018 ends at The Ampang Kitchen which is run by a father and son team, Uncle Raymond and David. David does the cooking nowadays while Uncle Raymond takes care of the guests at the front of the house, as well as explaining the dishes they have prepared for us.

Satay Bohong 4.8/5

Dinner started with the Satay Bohong.  Each stick consists of 50g of pork belly which is grilled to an aromatic char on top of its tender texture with layers of fats in between. Too bad each guest get only 2 sticks. I wish it can be served straight from the grill so it is hotter, instead of being left to cool down before serving.

Bakwan Kepiting 4.5/5

Bakwan Kepiting is a dish served in all the Perankan private dinings we have attended. The version at The Ampang Kitchen is not authentic type. Uncle Raymond has tweaked it in a good way. The soup came across rich and robust from the long hours of boiling prawn shells, chicken and pork bones to draw the flavours. The meatball is also soft, tender and airy packed with crab meat, prawn and bamboo shoot. If you have a sharp tongue, you will taste fermented beans in it. Uncle William has added them into his soup to elevate the flavour. Other unusual ingredients found in the soup are mushroom and tang oh, which is not usually served in bakwan kepiting.

Kueh Pie Tee 4/5

Although Uncle Raymond does not make his own shell for the Kueh Pie Tee, they are fresh and crispy with no porky smell. These are delightful parcels that whetted the appetite.

Rojak 4.8/5

The Rojak here is served chilled which I find it brilliant, giving it a refreshing touch. The version combines both the local and Penang style, which got the thumb of approval from the dining group. Some even commented that this is the best rojak they have ever eaten.

Chap Chye 4/5

Ampang Kitchen uses 8 different ingredients for its Chap Chye. Unlike the usual Peranakan style, red and white fermented beancurd as well as fermented beans are added which is more of a Cantonese style.

Beef Rendang 4.5/5

Uncle Raymond shared that his Beef Rendang consists of 17 ingredients. Of course I am not able to taste all the individual ingredients. What I tasted is the aromatic rempah that married with the tender beef excellently.

Ayam Buah Keluak 4.2/5

I have tried many versions of Ayam Buah Keluak and this is probably one of the better versions I have eaten. It is more saucy infused with the rich buah keluak flavour. I could not help drenching my steamed rice with the gravy to enjoy it to the last drop.

Assam Fish with Lady's Finger 4.5/5

Another well executed dish which I enjoyed a lot is the Assam Fish with Lady's Finger. The tang from the assam and tomatoes, plus the sweetness from the pineapple is so appetising. It just opens my appetite for more.

Banana Flower Kechai 4.5/5

The one dish that I have been looking forward is the Banana Flower Kechai. It is a dish not commonly served nowadays and it is my first time trying it. I didn't know what to expect. I can taste a lot of different textures and flavours from the prawn, pork, cucumber, mint leaves and banana flower all coming together harmoniously.

Chendol 4.8/5

Wrapping up the dinner we have Chendol for dessert. You can't get anywhere wrong when the chendol are freshly made, with fresh coconut milk and premium gula melaka.

Our dinner at The Ampang Kitchen is $120 per pax. We really enjoyed the food and was well fed. A lot of time and preparation is put into serving the delicious food to our table. I could not say The Ampang Kitchen serves authentic Perankan food because some of the recipes have been influenced by the region, Straits Cuisine maybe a more appropriate to label the cuisine served at The Ampang Kitchen. Besides private dining, it also caters for takeaways. Hence don't be despair if you can't get a booking, you can also order takeaway.


The Ampang Kitchen
39 Jalan Ampang
Singapore 268625
Tel: +65 96187107
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Nearest MRT: Sixth Avenue (DT Line)
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