Aoki – A Revisit

Posted on January 1, 2012 by K

P & I went back to Aoki for a chirashi fix separately after our pleasant first moment of truth (Read first visit review).

I called to reserve a table – the lunch slot is split into 2 seatings now (12-130pm or 130-3pm). I chose the latter but when I reached Aoki with Y, the server told us that the first seating customers were not done and we will be served in their shabu shabu sister restaurant instead. I was alittle surprised by the request but went along with it as the sister restaurant is only 2-3 shops away.

Throughout the lunch- the waitress apologized several times and the chef also came personally to apologize for the inconvenience.

Complimentary fruits were served too – Thumbs up for the service recovery initiatives. However, it would be better if they highlight to the customers (that they might be served in the sister restaurant) when they call to set the right expectations.

I won’t review the Mazechirashi lunch set again as the quality and experience were very consistent with the first visit. However, i got a different dessert trio set this time that is worth mentioning. (P got the same trio in her visit though).

DESSERTS TRIO (From left, clockwise – Mochi, Cherry blossom ice cream & Umeshu jelly) – The Cherry blossom ice cream was an interesting dessert. Besides looking pretty in light pink, it had a unique flowery taste. LOVE IT.

Overall, Aoki is worth a  MANY revisits. We will be back.

Aoki
Tel: +65 6333 8015 (Reservations Required)
Add: One Scotts Road #02-17 Shaw Center, Singapore 228208
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat, 12pm-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm
Spend: $35++ Per Pax for Mazechirashi lunch set (Includes salad, chirashi, dessert & tea)

Posted in Good Lunch Deal, Japanese, Orchard, Restaurant | Leave a comment

Nando’s – Hot Chicks For Sale

Posted on December 30, 2011 by K

I went to the newly opened Katong 112 with T on a sleepy Tuesday afternoon and was pleased to see Nando’s there.

Nando’s caused a hype when it was first opened in Singapore with its very scary long queues. I always wanted to try it and compare with Barcelos– a similar Peri Peri Chicken restaurant.


I ordered the classic of all classics -1/4 chicken with 2 sidelines for a fair comparison with my usual order in Barcelos. My choice of heat was of course…… “Extra hot peri peri”. If that is not sufficient to cause you a heartburn, you can add the additional sauces provided on the table.

You might be pleased to know that now they do serve free TAP water – Perhaps after the Joanne Peh’s fiasco?

1/4 CHICKEN with 2 sidelines – Decent but very forgettable. Definitely not worth queuing.  The chicken was doused with an overly concentrated spicy sauce. The breast meat was tender but the sauce was not as flavorful/spicy as Barcelo’s supa peri sauce.

I asked for recommendations for the side and the waitress suggested grilled vegetable and peri chips.

GRILLED VEGETABLE – A medley of greens (READ: carrot/mushroom/capsicum/cucumber/onion). Good variety but again I do not like the thick salty sauce.

PERI CHIPS- Nicely fried thick cut fries with a sprinkle of spices. Thumbs up.

Overall, i was a little disappointed with Nando’s. Barcelos will be my pick if i have a peri peri craving next time. TIP: Go to the Square 2 Barcelos branch (Other branches are not as tasty). The sautéed mushroom with potato there is a MUST TRY.

Moreover, Barcelos readily serves you iced water. 🙂

NANDO’S
Tel: 6636 2112
Address: 112 East Coast Road #01-14/15 112 Katong, Singapore
Opening Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm
Spend: $14.90++ for 1/4 chicken with 2 sidelines

Posted in Paya Lebar, Restaurant | 5 Comments

Merry Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2011 by K

To 10,000 hits, unemployment & an exciting new year ahead. Cheers!

Merry Christmas to all.

Posted in Random | 4 Comments

Hatched – Calling all egg lovers

Posted on December 21, 2011 by P

After a good first experience, I dropped by HATCHED again after morning exercise with the mom at Botanic Gardens one day.

Located at the ground floor of Evans Lodge (next to the prata shop and opposite MOE CCA Branch), this all-day breakfast place is packed full on weekends and public holidays – so be sure to make a reservation if you plan to head down on a busy day.


Quirky yet cosy, the theme of this restaurant revolves around eggs and breakfast. It reminded me of the famous Yolk breakfast place in Chicago which I LOVE.


[LEFT] Interesting menu design complete with their very own cartoon characters
[RIGHT] Salt & Pepper holder – they have many many fascinating salt & pepper holders with very cute and interesting designs – I LIKE!


[LEFT] PHILLY – I enjoyed the strips of beef but found it overly cheesy, somehow.
[RIGHT] CHICKEN & MUSHROOM CREPE – nothing special

I found the food just OK this time round – quite a far cry from my first visit. At that time, we ordered COWBOY and EGGS-IN-A-BASKET which were both really good 🙂


HOT CHOCOLATE – “Milky-ness” level was too high I could hardly taste any chocolate – disappointing as I seldom find myself unable to finish my hot chocolate 😦

10% off for Stanchart users. However, please note that it is valid for DINNER ONLY. We felt quite disappointed as it was not stated anywhere and only learnt of it when the waiter refused us the discount!

Overall, I enjoyed my first experience (on a public holiday) much more – even though the place was so crowded and service was not as prompt. I certainly hope it is not a matter of inconsistency but just a couple of bad choices made this time round. Will go back again in order to know 🙂

HATCHED
Tel: +65 67350012
Address: 26 Evans Road #01-06 Evans Lodge, Singapore 259367
Opening Hours: Tue to Thu – 8am-10pm, Fri to Sat – 8am-11pm, Sun – 8am-10pm
Spend: $20 per pax

Posted in All-Day Breakfast, Botanic Gardens | 3 Comments

[New York] Eleven Madison Park – Best Meal of My Life

Posted on December 12, 2011 by P

The 6th of June 2011 is a day to remember – it is the day I set foot on Eleven Madison Park.

Having tried Daniel and Per Se earlier that week, I went to EMP with an expectant but somewhat skeptical attitude – expectant because I have read raving reviews; skeptical because I did not believe that EMP will beat Daniel and Per Se given its inferior accolade in the Michelin world (3-star: Daniel, Per Se; 1-star: EMP).

[LEFT] EMP at 5PM
[RIGHT] EMP at 11PM
The restaurant boasts high ceiling which allowed generous amounts of light to fill the elegant restaurant while the large beautiful vases of flowers gave me a somewhat cosy feeling. And yes, our dining experience lasted 6 hours – possibly the longest by far! But there was never a dull moment.

MINIMALIST GRID – This is the famous EMP menu grid – each ingredient represents the principle ingredient which the chef uses in the dish after considering any dietary restrictions and special requests made by you. How innovative!

We eventually decided to go for the tasting menu simply because we could not make up our minds and wanted everything!


GOUGERES – very delicious cheese puffs which I really enjoyed. I think I can pop 20 of those at one go because they are really light too!


Bread – These beautiful soft things were nice and warm.


PEA Chilled soup with buttermilk snow and ham crisp – The soup was great but what really stood out for me was that beautiful ham crisp and the pretty blue flower which added a contrast – I LIKE!

FLUKE AND SCALLOP with basil and meyer lemon; ceviche with tangerine


GOAT CHEESE lollipop with beets; croquette with watercress and chive – My heart leapt like that of a 5-year old when I saw the beautiful lollipops before me! And the best thing was it tasted way better than my memory of lollipops when I was a child – it was simply AMAZING and to me, the most memorable dish of the day.


SEA URCHIN cappuccino with crab and apple


SMOKED STURGEON AND CAVIAR sabayon with chive; fingerling potato and creme fraiche – I cannot quite remember how it tasted now but I recall really loving the sabayon!


LETTUCE salad with almonds, mangalitsa ham and cucumber


SCALLOP seared with shellfish, nettles and fava beans


BROCCOLI variations with parmesan, lemon and lardo – I never imagined I would ever enjoy broccoli the way I did that night! The parmesan was a very good accompaniment to the broccoli as it gave the dish body and some great flavors.


CHEF DANIEL HUMM – a young, talented chef (and cute, too!). The photo on the left was taken when he stopped by the table next to mine….when he finally came over to mine, I managed to strike a decent conversation with him despite how nervous/excited I was! Casual stuff…he asked about Les Amis in Singapore and I told him about how delighted I was to meet him in person. I guess excitement/enthusiasm was written all over my face because he chose to spring us a little surprise later that evening. (oh yes! of course I had a photo with him :D)


PORK confit with cherries, onions and guanciale – this was one succulent meat cripsy skinned pig!


LAMB loin with morels and english peas


I love it that they iron their table clothes – right in front of you!


EGG CREAM malt, vailla and olive oil – skillfully executed at our table. The drink is sweet, a little gassy (due to soda water), quite milky and very interesting – a good prelude to our desert course.


CHOCOLATE cannelloni with espresso, caramel and yoghurt


THE SURPRISE – while waiting for our mignardises, one of the waiters came to our table and asked if they could have the pleasure to invite us to their kitchen for a tour – OH MY!! The kitchen was spanking clean and well organized….they even have a Team Vision framed and hung on the wall! One of the desert chef made some sorbet for us and it was my first time seeing how liquid nitrogen is used in the kitchen! The kitchen tour was a real eye-opener and I recall telling myself how great it would be if I can be part of the team there someday 😛


DIGESTIF – after the kitchen tour, we were led to a lounge area where we could help ourself to some liquor.



SENCHA & MIGNARDISES – We ordered sencha to go with our petit fours. It was interesting that they brewed the tea from scratch at our tables – complete with description and explanation of the significance of each step. This caught us by surprise because we didn’t expect an American waiter in a French restaurant teaching us how to make Japanese tea?! Way cool. The mignardises were delightful but frankly we were quite full.


GRANOLA BOTTLE – take-home gift for all ladies. A very nice crunchy combination which I finished within 2 days 😛

Needless to say – the service was impeccable throughout. The entire dining experience was beyond my wildest dream and definitely surpassed my Daniel and Per Se experience. To sum it all up – the best meal of my life.

P.S: EMP has since been awarded 3 Stars in the latest Michelin Guide – well deserved, Chef Humm!

Eleven Madison Park (Reservations required – try to book 1 month in advance)
Tel: 212-889-0905
Add: 11 Madison Ave., NYC 10010
Opening Hours:
Lunch: Monday–Friday, noon–2:00p.m
Dinner: Monday–Saturday, 5:30 p.m.–10:00p.m
Closed on Sundays.
Spend: Approximate USD250 per pax (Tasting Menu, with 2 cocktails and 1 tea)

Posted in Fine Dining, French, New York - America | 1 Comment