Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Gordon Grill @ Goodwood Park Hotel - Presents The Best Of Both Worlds From Land And Sea

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This May, Gordon Grill presents their 'Surf & Turf' menu with a focus on premium cuts of Australian meats and Japanese seafood, as diners get to experience the best offerings of both worlds. Available for a limited period from 13 May to 30 June 2019 for lunch on weekdays and dinner all week, diners get to enjoy a 3-course Set Lunch at $78 per person, and 4-course Set Dinner at $98 per person.

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Chilled Japanese King Crab 4/5

Begin the evening with a light appetiser from Gordon Grill which presents a refreshing combination of chilled Japanese King Crab, with heirloom tomatoes, Australian crispy prosciutto and yuzu pineapple gazpacho. The shredded kind crab meat has a subtle sweetness and complemented well with the yuzu pineapple gazpacho which added hints of sweet and tanginess to the dish as well.

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Red Prawn Soup 4.5/5

Next comes the Japanese-inspired soup which features a tender, juicy Red Prawn sitting atop daikon in an umami seaweed broth with spinach and sous vide organic egg. The red prawn from Japan is butterflied and lightly seasoned before being grilled briefly under the salamander to achieve that soft, plump consistency. While the daikon contributes a subtle sweetness to the dish, as it was simmered in chicken broth till tender. Sous vide at 62ºC for 90 minutes, break into the egg for the golden yolk goodness to mix into the broth for a more creamy mouthfeel. But what impressed us was the seaweed broth which was brewed using chicken bones, leek, onion, ginger, and garlic for hours before adding kombu into it.

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Hokkaido Scallop 4.2/5, Beef Tenderloin 4.2/5

Moving on the main course, diners are offered a variety of meat and seafood combinations to choose from, served with a side of either roasted potatoes or seaweed rice, together with green asparagus and pearl onion.

Diners get to choose among 3 options from the 'Surf' menu, which include a luxurious, buttery Hamachi Fillet with red capsicum cream, Grilled Tiger Prawn with caper-kalamata salsa and the Hokkaido Scallop with parmesan herb gratin and white wine butter sauce. I went for the Hokkaido Scallop option from the 'Surf' menu. The pan-seared scallop is lightly seasoned, oven baked with gratin in a large palm-sized shell. It boasts juicy plumpness, while the addition of herb gratin and white wine butter sauce added an umami flavour to the fresh scallop to elevate its flavours.

The 'Turf' menu delights even the most discerning of diners with a choice of the Beef Tenderloin with red wine jus, Pork Jowl with smoked pork sauce and Lamp Chop served with green peppercorn jus. I opted for the Beef Tenderloin which features a tender cut with a slightly charred crust and juicy centre and lightly seasoned with just salt and pepper to bring out its natural flavours. It comes with red wine jus to add depth to the flavours and complete the fantastic steak experience.

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Mirabelle Plum Mousse Gennoise 4/5

Lastly, end the meal on a high note with the Mirabelle Plum Mousse Gennoise served with chocolate ice cream and berry ragout. Mirabelle plum jelly, made with mirabelle plum puree, is encased within mirabelle plum mousse, set on a base of genoise, an Italian sponge cake. The highlight would be the smooth, creamy chocolate ice cream with bits of crunchy chocolate embedded within. The bittersweetness marries the tanginess from the plum mousse and berry ragout well.

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Surf & Turf’ at Gordon Grill (13 May to 30 June 2019)
• 3-Course Set Lunch (Appetiser or Soup; Main Course; Dessert) at $78++ per person
• 4-Course Set Dinner (Appetiser; Soup; Main Course; Dessert) at $98++ per person
Served with Goodwood blended coffee or fine tea selection

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Gordon Grill
Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Tel: +65 67301744
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 230pm, 7pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Scotts Road to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Monday, May 13, 2019

Les Bouchons Rive Gauche @ Robertson Quay - Sunday Brunch Along The Singapore River

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Located at Robertson Quay, the laid back ambience is what Bouchons Riviera Brunch is all about. Inspired by the decadence of the French Riviera and staying true to its French heritage, Head Chef Mickael Cornac of Les Bouchons designed the a la carte menu with 30 new all-time brunch favourites including the classic French dish.

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Riviera Wellness Bowl 3/5

Riviera Wellness Bowl ($18) has a couple of exciting elements such as the strawberries which have been soaked overnight with balsamic vinegar to soften and infused it with an additional layer of flavour. The same goes to the Goji berries which were soaked in passionfruit tea beforehand. Given all the exciting dishes on the menu, this serves more like a sharing appetiser to start off your brunch.

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Eggs Mimosa 3/5

Have a taste of some of the French classics such as the Eggs Mimosa ($14) with sauteed garlic asparagus but what really got me into the mood is the Escargots De Bourgogne ($16) with garlic butter.

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Escargots De Bourgogne 4/5

I have a little aversion to escargots, to be honest, but being cooked down to such tenderness helps to diversify the attention away. The hero of this dish, I would say is the garlic butter, and the escargots are there to give the dish some textures, while you deliver the rich and flavourful sauce into your mouth. If you love pesto sauce, this will hit all the right spots.

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Gueule de Bois 3/5

I learned that the concept of Sunday brunch dates as far back as 120 years ago. It came about as a means to overcome a British author’s own hangover from the night before, which is the reference behind this ​Gueule de Bois ($24) ​or more commonly referred to as the ​Bouchons Hangover Cure. You get to try the most hyped about “Impossible” meatballs, served along with scrambled eggs with truffle oil on a slice of toasted sourdough bread. The meatballs are infused with other aromatics and spices; hence it tasted almost like lamb meatballs but without the gaminess. Still, it lacks the natural sweetness from real meat. I'm still not convinced after trying it, but I love how wholesome this dish has been played out, with all other elements such as the sautéed porcini mushrooms, roasted cherry tomatoes and asparagus so nicely done to draw out their freshness and flavours.

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Sunday Roast 3.8/5

Bouchons Sunday Roast ($32) may vary each week and our ‘Roast of the Day’ was chicken with mushroom sauce and roasted baby potatoes. Nothing much to fault about the chicken really, what I want to highlight is the decadent mushroom sauce. It was so rich and shroomy, if you were to lighten it with cream and stock, it would have been one of the most comforting mushroom soups ever.

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Grilled Black Angus Rib Eye Steak 4/5

Les Bouchons is amongst one of the first restaurants in Singapore to serve French Steak Frites “Steak and Fries” and if you are here with just one or 2 friends, Grilled Black Angus Rib Eye Steak ($39.80) would be enough to last through your whole Sunday conversation, coupled with a few glasses of wines. The steak was packed with good fats and flavours, and they thoroughly nailed it with the free flow homemade French fries that came with unevenly crisped edges, with dented soft pockets to give you the potatoey flavour. I don't remember having such good fries for the longest time.

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Crepes 2.5/5

For desserts, the Crepes ($8) with Nutella and banana was a little underwhelming, with the crepe being a little stiff.

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Chocolate Brownie 3/5

Chocolate Brownie "Fait Maison" ($10) with vanilla gelato is definitely more apt for the occasion with the warm, dark and moist chocolate brownie. Much bigger scope of ice cream is needed for sure.

Brunch at Les Bouchons, overlooking the Singapore River on a Sunday noon is the kind of hours that you would wish to spend just to have a quick escape from everything else. ‘Bouchons Riviera Brunch’ menu is available on Sundays between 1130am and 330pm.

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.


Les Bouchons Rive Gauche
60 Robertson Quay
#01-02
Singapore 238252
Tel: 65 67334414
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line), Clarke Quay (NE Line), Fort Canning (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Thu: 12pm - 2pm, 7pm - 10pm
Fri: 12pm - 2pm, 6pm - 10pm
Sat: 6pm - 10pm
Sun: 1130am - 830pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to the bus stop along Upper Cross Street (Stop ID 06171). Take bus number 51 and 186. Alight 1 stop later. Cross the road and walk towards the river. Cross the bridge and walk to the destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk to the bus stop at Clark Quay Station (Stop ID 04222). Take bus number 54. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to Mohamed Sultan Road. Turn left onto Mohamed Sultan Road. Walk down Mohamed Sultan Road. Turn left onto Nanson Rd. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Fort Canning MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to traffic junction of Clemenceau Ave and River Valley. Cross the road. Turn left and walk down Clemenceau Ave. Turn right onto Unity Street. Then left onto Merbau Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]