Cooking Oils, what need to be known

Actually, the type of oil used for cooking is a lot more important than most of us realized. Not only for health reasons, the taste is also affected. So I am going to list out the commonly used cooking oils, with some information on them. I am not going to touch on those information about fat content because it is boring for me to write about them, and my personal belief is that no cooking oil should be demonized just because of the fat content. A bit of fat is still good, as long as it is not trans-fat, why need to obsess over it if one is not going to eat lots of food drenched in oil?

Okay, here we go! In no particular order:

Olive oil - One of healthiest oil available on the market. It is natural and is full of nutrients. The price of this oil is as expected—expensive. And the downside is that this oil cannot really be used for high heat cooking. In fact, try not to use this for cooking if possible since it breaks down easily.

Canola Oil - One of most commonly found oil, whether in supermarkets or in processed food, this oil may be cheap but it sure generates lots of profit for corporations. A firm of rapeseed oil, it is tasteless and has hardly any nutritious benefits. Yet it is popular due to the price, the so-called health benefits (as opposed to those with high saturated fat content) and high smoke point where it can be used for all cooking purposes. The thing is that high percentage, yes, more than 50%, of canola is of GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) variety. This is enough to put me off. To make things worse, the extraction of canola oil requires the use of the toxic hexane.

Soya Bean Oil - This is pretty much another form of canola oil, having almost the same pros of being cheap and has high smoke point, and same cons associated with GMO and hexane. No surprise that fast food restaurants and processed food manufacturers love to use this oil!

Lard - Oh yes, this is so fatty and looks so artery-clogging. But as compared to the previous two, this is natural, good stuff, if the pigs are naturally raised. And use of this makes delicious pastries, thanks to its relatively high smoke point. I rather see lard in the ingredients list than those so-called healthy but hardly natural oils.

Peanut Oil - The good old peanut oil that imparts a nutty flavour to the food. While it may not have an impressive looking chart for fat content, I will choose to use this oil anytime of the day due to its high smoke point, flavour and natural extraction process. Helps that peanuts is not infamous for being associated with GMO crops. The con: this is more expensive than those common oils. And watch out for those products that have soya bean oil added into peanut oil to reduce cost price.

Rice Bran Oil - This oil looks good on the paper since rice is usually non-GMO crop and we all know rice is a healthy source of carbohydrates. Almost every article hails this as the healthy oil due to the huge amount of nutrients in it. And it has high smoke point. However, this oil has very high omega 6 content and none for no omega 3 (need to have a good ratio for consumption of these two), and that is going to cause problems for the health. In addition, unless the oil is stated to be cold-pressed, high probability that it is extracted by hexane.

Grapeseed oil - Another look-good-on-paper oil. Like the Rice Bran Oil, this has very high omega 6 content with nary a drop of omega 3. This is definitely extracted by use of hexane, unless stated to be cold pressed.

Corn Oil - It is obvious that I have no love for this oil since corn is highly associated with GMO (for information purposes, the last and fourth infamous GMO crop is potato. So avoid potatoes from USA unless specified to be non GMO). So what if this is cheap and has high smoke point? I am not going to use this oil if there is a choice. By the way, most of the corn oil is hexane extracted. Hexane ... hmm ... why do I keep seeing this word when I type this post?

Coconut Oil - This oil used to be demonized by many due to its high saturated fat content. Now, many realized that this is good stuff. While more studies are needed to determine the benefits of coconut oil, at least one thing is for sure, virgin coconut oil is extracted from heat and mechanical processes. Take note that conventional ones are extracted from solvent processes (in case you are wondering, hexane is one of them). And this oil has high smoke point.

Butter - I absolutely love using this for light cooking due to its unparallel flavour and aroma. This is absolutely natural and has none of those nasties (saturated fat is not a demon in my eyes, I will always choose full cream milk over low fat one, and my figure does not suffer from it. As I had said, it is about moderation). Not for frying though, and this is really expensive stuff.

Actually, besides high smoking point, another factor to determine the use of the oil is the type of bonds present between the molecules of the oil. May write about on another day.

A great website I had found, which I find to be more informative and accurate.

http://authoritynutrition.com/healthy-cooking-oils/

You can't believe the amount of misleading information on the net, so the one above is one of the few with reliable information.

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon - One of the Best French Restaurants in Singapore

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Making one's way from the carpark exit to the restaurant is simple pleasure in itself, immersing in the beauty of man-made island beauty of waterfalls, caves and lush greenery under the bright sunny sun (Went for newly available lunch). Then get transported into another world of modern, upbeat and stylish, yet plush enclose upon entering the restaurant.

The service staffs will make the guests felt welcomed and extremely at ease, with their warm, friendly but professional hospitality. Was especially pleased that the service staffs will go the extra mile to engage in leisure chat with all the patrons. They are very knowledgeable about the wine selection, food and parking in RWS. An Pakistani staff even remembers us ... and the wine recommendation he had made to us on a previous visit! Got to say that the service here is the best I had ever encountered.

Like the ambience of bold red and black, the food also excited the taste buds, imprinting such simulating experience deeply into one's memory, from the amuse bouche of custard with foie gras and parmesan foam, pork cheek jelly, Vegetables with Mozzarella Cheese, Seafood Pasta (I like it that the staff makes the effort to inquire on whether I want it al dente), Prawn soup, Cod Fish, Squid with black Rice, to the latest creations. All of them consist of delightful arrays of flavours complimenting each other perfectly, while seeking new grounds to create a new different taste in food. 

Got to mention that the mashed potato that comes with all mains, is very silky in texture and rich in taste and the freshly made bread is probably the best bread I ever had in Singapore. The desserts are very creative in terms of presentation, texture and taste.

Special mention of a visually beautiful dessert: Le Delice, equally beautiful in terms of taste. The mildly sweet, extremely light dollop of rose cream, paired with the thin, crumbly biscuit and custard, adorned with edible flowers, sent my tastebuds in blissful dessert heaven. The addition of tart strawberry sauce and raspberries added an extra punch to the overall taste. Days after I had this dessert, I still reminisced about it. Yes, Le Delice is that good to have that effect on me. 

Even Le Mont Blanc is also exceptional good due to the pleasing combination of yummy cream, chestnut mousse and merigue; seems like the dessert department has improved immensely since my first visit.

And La Framboise—yoghurt ice cream with strawberry puree is absolutely delightful due to the multi-dimensional taste.

Thoroughly enjoyed my meal at Robuchon and have since become a regular. By the way, it is okay to dress casually for a dinner there.

My Thoughts: Fantastic! The Best!

Note: This restaurant is sadly no longer in operation.

Osia (Resorts World Sentosa) - Nice, Leisurely, Casual Fine Dining

Usually, one will not associate the words, leisure and casual with fine dining, but Osia makes it possible. One does not have to dress formally to have a nice decent meal at Osia and surprisingly, kids are welcomed also! Despite these, the ambience is still quiet and elegant with the nice and lush greenery outside the restaurant which embraces nature at the same time.

The food is nice, tending towards simulating kind of tastes with lemons, etc, and exciting the tastebuds, thus allowing me to have a strong impression of the dishes. The barramundi is very fresh and well-cooked to retain the moisture which complements very well with the sauce. However, though the dishes are able to awake my senses, they did not make me go, "Oh, this is so perfect, it is heaven sent!" To be fair, the set lunch is only $38. The seafood experience did not meet my expectations. The main reason is that the flat scoop does not allow one to scoop out both the flavoured ice and seafood together to truly experience the combination of the tastes. Some of the ice is too bitter with alcohol and overshadows the delicate taste of raw seafood.

Updates as of July 2015: the current dishes are fantastic.

The Sunday brunch is big thumbs up, extremely value for money and highly recommended.  For $58 only, one gets to enjoy free flow of tasty food delicately made with fresh ingredients and the succulent oysters paired with the simulating and sublime horseradish cream. The freshly baked (right out from the oven) flatbread here is truly the epitome of quality bread, bursting with that warm, sweet aroma of baked dough. The canapés are delicious: from the foie gras, light yet creamy and flavourful soup of the day, to many others not easily found in any other restaurants.

The desserts are of huge variety and most are creamy and delicious; easily beat the desserts in many other restaurants. Helps that Valhorna chocolate is used in their chocolate desserts.

The service is ok, with smiles, greetings and farewells.

Despite my initial comment that I would only visit Osia if I happened to be in RWS, I have been patronizing this restaurant on numerous occasions—I specially make my way down to there for lunch or Sunday Brunch.  I find that among the restaurants serving European cuisines, Osia's food caters the best to local tastes while still possessing that distinctive traits of European dishes. So naturally, I like the food there a lot. Oh yes, or if I want to enjoy fine dining with my kid around, this is the place to go to.

My Thoughts: Awesome!

Nearest car park: Resorts World Sentosa's car park
Nearest MRT: Habourfront

8 Sentosa Gateway
Level 2 World Square
Resorts World Sentosa
Singapore
Contact No: 65776560

Shabu Shabu Gen - Very delicate Steamboat

Unlike the usual hearty steamboats with lots of ingredients added to yield an intensely flavoured soup, the steamboat here is very delicate in preparation, ingredients and taste. We ordered the beautifully marbled Spanish Iberico pork which was superb in texture and taste, having minimum of the porky taste, almost melt-in-your-mouth texture, going excellently well with condiments given. Yes, even the condiments are in a class of their own; packing a punch in taste that will delight or wake up one's taste buds.

What I like about the vegetables here is that they imparted an extra sweet taste to the soup, enhancing it (The soup tasted quite bland and a bit weird at first, even after putting in the pork, but got a lot better after the vegetables were added. Though the soup is still not really flavourful, so no point in drinking it.), yet they did not have that slight bitter taste that a lot of boiled vegetables have. The dessert were very delicate also, love the red bean paste and sesame cake, imbued with intense milk flavour, going perfectly with the complimentary genmai tea.

The service is friendly and helpful, and what I like best about the service is that the staffs have no airs at all, making us feel very comfortable. The place is spacious and zen, with comfortable plush chairs.

Recommended for indulgence in shabu shabu, if in the mood to spend. May try the don set with shabu set next time (instead of 2 shabu shabu sets) for more wallet friendly option.

My Thoughts: Superb!

Nearest car park: Shaw Centre's car park

Nearest MRT: Orchard

1 Scotts Road
#02-13 Shaw Centre
Singapore
Contact No: 68365155

Gunther's Modern French Cuisine - Nice comfort French food at Excellent Price

Classy ambience, nice food and decent service, sums it all. The butter spread is one of the best I had, which is extremely rich and flavourful.

The food here is nice, rich in flavor (just like the butter) that will please most palates, no complaints here, though the duck meat seems to be a bit tough, the flavour of the duck is very rich though, going perfectly well with raisin sauce. Angel Hair pasta is superb in texture and taste. The Prawns are testimony to the freshness of the ingredients used since I had no allergy reaction from eating them. Apple tart is nice but a bit one dimensional in taste, the dessert for the set lunch is better than this (in fact, an excellent dessert), being rich in flavour (sounds like the trademark of this restaurant) and smooth in texture. Though I got to admit that the food here is not exactly mind blowing since the taste of the food here is of the safe type, non ground breaking.

The service is attentive and professional, no complaints here either, though they can do better by inquiring about patrons' dietary restrictions at the start.

If I crave for some nice, decent, modern French cuisine (or some great food) on a Saturday afternoon, Gunther's is definitely the place I'll consider to go to.

My Thoughts: Nice!

Nearest car park: Roadside at Purvis Street or Beach Centre's car park

Nearest MRT: City Hall

36 Purvis Street #01-03
Singapore
Contact No: 63388955

Baker & Cook (Greenwood Ave) - Wholesome breads

This place is all about bakery goods and it is obvious, once stepped inside the place. The whole counter, including the wall behind it, is lined with breads of various variety, serving to delight any bread lovers.

Though I do have a problem with the way the scones and some other food are placed on the counter top, with no covering over them, and everyone is standing over these food, making their orders. I cannot imagine how much "essence" the food has absorbed from patrons.

The place is quite cramped, but one good thing is that there a long bench for patrons who want to avoid the sweltering heat of sun. The service is ok, but nothing great.

As for the food, all are delicious but are also quite expensive, and some are not fantastic to warrant such pricings. The egg benedict is delicious, mainly because of the slightly chewy and sweet, aromatic bread, and the chewy bacon. There is nothing special to shout about the eggs though (So I was surprised when 2 patrons besides me, ate the eggs and bacon only, not even touching the bread a bit. Hey, they were missing on the best part!). The carrot cake is nice and moist, filled to the brim with warm smelling cinnamon, but I prefer Cedele's one. The danish pastry with berries is one of favourites from this bakery since the freshly made pastry has strong aroma of butter, and the cream and berries add dimension to the overall taste. The custard doughnut is sweet, but not overly sweet, exactly how I like it, but for its steep price, it did not make me go "I'm Bakery Bliss" at all, which is quite a disappointment.

All in all, I still like this place, I'll like to try other bakery goods in their selection.

My Thoughts: Nice!

Nearest car park: Open air car park at Greenwood Ave

Nearest MRT: None, serious.

77 Hillcrest Road
Greenwood Ave
Singapore
Contact No: 64698834

Doutor - Good for a Quick Chill Out

Closed

I guess the location in the Marina Financial Bay Centre makes this an ideal place to chill out during breaks and after work. The place looks chic and modern, so definitely conducive for that.

The tea is very potent in taste, great for those who like strong tea. The cakes are pretty nice. The mille crepe is layered with light cream and mildly sweet paper-thin crepes, which makes for a good dessert. Kind of amazed that the layers of dough can be used to create such light dessert, without inducing the full feeling. Though I will not specially go down for this cake since it did not hit the "wow" note in me. The green tea cake is decent with a layer of nice, slightly bitter layer of matcha powder on top and red bean with cream sandwiched between the soft sponges. But somehow, the combination does not hold up together to create an awesome taste that is striking and memorable. Well, mille crepe does better to leave an impression in my mind.

Service is a mix of decent and cluelessness. No major misgiving though.

Don't mind getting the mille crepe if happened to be in the vicinity since I appreciate the unique texture and taste due to layers of dough instead of the usual sponge cake.

My Thoughts: Not Bad

Note: This cafe is no longer in operation.

Pollen - Decent Mediterranean Food

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Pollen is situated in a very beautiful place, which is the Mediterranean Garden in the Flower Dome of the Gardens by the Bay, so it is possible to have a great time enjoying the scenery and have a satisfying meal.

The food is very unique yet mellow in taste due an array of very different flavours working in harmony together. The English Breakfast, Crab cocktail, quail brunch and roasted seafood are beautiful dishes that prove this point. As for the scallops, I feel that while aesthetically amazing, and soft and succulent in texture, the natural sweetness of the scallops was completely muted and the radish that came with it was way too salty. As for the roasted duck, it was kind of meh, but I was way too full to assess the taste properly. As for the desserts, expect very innovative and bold creations that will challenge your taste buds. The coffee and cognac dessert was surprising good while the goat cheese ice cream may not be everyone's cup of tea (all of us at the table had difficulty finishing this).

The service is very attentive when it was not crowded; the staffs immediately offered their help when we needed anything. When the restaurant became crowded, that undivided attention will be divided, though it was still quite easy to get their attention. The dishes came out considerably slower when the crowd was in, in fact, we waited quite long for the second mains to come out.

Have to mention that a manager of African descent in there, is an epitome of great, professional, friendly service. Truly appreciate it when he even offered chocolate lollipops to the kids. The place is quite casual in ambience, kind of like a fine dining resort in the midst of a garden.

Personally speaking, I love to go back, though as a small eater, I'll prefer lunch set menu or for dinner, order ala carte in form of 3 courses meal, and go in at the earliest timing, so that I can fully enjoy the great service and food.

My Thoughts: Nice!

This restaurant is no longer in operation.

Gaia Korean Restaurant - Yummy Korean Food

One thing I like about this place is the great variety of side dishes given, this week, it could be bean sprouts, vegetables, lotus roots, next week, it could be tofu, potato, radish, another week, another entirely different set of cold side dishes, only the kimchi remains the staple of the cold dishes. So it is hard to get bored coming to this place for a meal and it definitely helps a lot that the most of the side dishes are quite tasty and appetizing. However, I feel that appetizers are more of home-cooked food standard instead of restaurant standard.

My only complant is that the kimchi tends to be a bit too spicy as compared to the Chongga kimchi I love. The grilled meats being thoroughly marinated with a delicious sauce, are fresh, tasty, delicious and juicy. The ginseng chicken soup is not too salty and tasted full of ginseng goodness.

The place is nice, simple and clean, the staffs are generally okay, they seem to be really busy, so it is kind of hard to catch their attention. Once become regular patrons, I find that the service to be great and friendly.

This is the place I'll go to whenever I want to eat Korean food.

My Thoughts: Pretty Good

Nearest car park: Open air URA car park at end of Lorong Liput (alternatively, go for Holland Shopping Centre's car park or multi-storey car park in Blk 5A at Holland Close)

Nearest MRT: Holland Village

17E Lorong Liput
Holland Village
Singapore
Contact No: 63393313

Basilico - Best Sunday Brunch Buffet

Basilico is where you'll find the Best Sunday Brunch Buffet. This place serves a wide, dazzling array of pure, authentic Italian food (unlike those "international buffets" that always serves common hawker fare which I can get at a fraction of the price at kopitiams).

No punches pulled back when it comes to presenting all those delicious Italian food with the fresh and glorious ingredients. Due to the generous amount of herbs, seasonings and quality oils (think truffle and olive) used, resulting in the food there being pure indulgence. The freshly prepared pasta drenched in thick, flavourful sauce is thoroughly cooked while still retaining the firm texture (as preferred by locals, rather than the al dente favoured by Europeans). The grilled fresh meats and vegetables are done just right: have the distinct smoky aroma yet not burnt. The thin-crust pizza is filled with premium ingredients sitting on top of the very thin dough, just how I like it. 

My favourite of the spread got to be the readily replenished fresh seafood consisting of prawns, crabs (shell cracked already, so it is easy to get the meat out, plus points for this), lobsters, crayfishes, scallops and more. Just this section is enough to keep me happy. Also love the cold dishes section where I can try a variety of Italian dishes not regularly found in buffets in other places. The use of olive oil, Italian seasonings, sweet ingredients make these dishes absolutely enjoyable to tuck into. Don't miss out on the decadent foie gras. However, I find that the cooking standard of foie gras varies on my several visits. Sometimes, it is perfectly cooked with the fatty, flavourful core wrapped in a thin layer of crisp, while there are times where the little morsel coated with bitter charred surface. To be fair, I got the over burnt foie gras during the earlier visits, which is quite long time ago, rather than the latter.

Another must try is the Parma ham. Would not want to eat other types of ham (saved for Iberico) after savouring the premium Parma ... I wanted so much to go at least 4 rounds to enjoy myself fully with all these great food, though alas, my stomach says that I can only go for max 2 rounds. 

The dessert section is another winner, featuring panna cottas, gelato, amaretto desserts, Italian tarts and cakes, which all meet my expectations. Another big plus point; real vanilla beans are used. Though I admit that I prefer the desserts in the buffet spread of another three establishments.

The place is very posh with good service.

A place great for indulgence.

My Thoughts: Wow!

Nearest car park: The Regent Hotel's car park
Nearest MRT: Orchard

1 Cuscaden Road
Level 2 The Regent Singapore
Singapore
Contact No: 67253232

Summer Palace - A Chinese Restaurant where one can have it All

I have been to many Chinese fine dining establishments and Summer Palace is the best all-rounder among the Chinese Restaurants. 

Reason: They provide the best service among all the Chinese Restaurants I had been to: meticulous, friendly with a genuine warmth and prompt response. It definitely helps that they actually remember our preferences whenever we go there (Yeah, we are kind of like regular customers there already). In addition, they do not have this timing thing, commonly seen in Chinese Restaurants where they only allocated 11/2 hours or so for you to finish dining, which is all good with me.

As for the food: No over-powering sauces or MSG needed (which is exactly what I like) since the natural sweetness and fragrance of the extremely fresh ingredients used, say it all. The dim sum items are one of the best, with moist texture and light aromatic flavours, showcasing the great creativity of the chef. Bird's nest dumpling is a must try. The other dim sum items are all delicately made and are delicate in taste. 

The creation of fresh garoupa fish with truffle is absolutely beautiful in taste due to the silky fish meat being drizzled with the strongly flavoured sauce of the woody aroma. The crab meat with rice is another winner—the result of the generous helping of fresh crab meat adorning the top of the pile of fragrant, lightly seasoned rice. The double-boiled soups are bursting with flavours of the abundance of treasures put inside them. Scallops, fishes, shellfish, herbs, fruits, vegetables, this restaurant is very generous in adding these into the soups.

The ambience: unbeatable also. Since the tables are amply spaced between each other and the view of the bamboo-like greenery outside, extending across one entire side of the place induces a calm and serene mood. Book early for a table by the side of the glass panels (max four persons for a table there).

Good service and good food is a winning formula for me!

My Thoughts: A Class of its Own!

Nearest MRT: Orchard

1 Cuscaden Road
3F Corad Singapore Orchard
Singapore

Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant - Classic items done right and New items to Impress

It is no doubt that I enjoy going to this restaurant on regular basis due to the quality good food and good service that meet my expectations. Some of service staffs are very meticulous, and they even remember us!

Though quality and fresh ingredients are used, some of the dishes taste okay only since the texture is not fine enough to be memorable (example, the char Siu Sor, and the Chang Fun). 

On the other hand, some of the foods, whether classic items or new creations, are really outstanding, full of flavours, and with the right balance of taste (for example, their soups and some of the special dim sums, like 5 colours dumpling). Oh yes, the cod fish here is simply divine, where the light soya sauce goes very well with the creamy flesh of the fresh fish. The ambience is classy, great for family gatherings.

The best part is that the quality is maintained even during Chinese New Year period, a rarity among Chinese restaurants.

So basically, this place is a true definition of fine Chinese dining, a good choice for an enjoyable meal!

My Thoughts: It is one of my Favourite Haunts ... if I can get a table on weekend

Nearest car park: Sheraton Towers' car park

Nearest MRT: Newton

39 Scotts Road
GF Sheraton Towers
Singapore
Contact No: 68395623

Royal China at Raffles - Good food at a very Good Price

Closed

This place serves the decent dim sum at the best price, period. They use fresh ingredients, not mention generous amount of the more expensive ingredients, like prawns and scallops are added into the dim sum, coupled with the fact that the dim sums are very flavourful without assaulting your senses with bulk loads of salt and MSG. What is there not to love about their dim sum? And at only about $4.50 a set, it is a real steal.

Though with such good dim sum at such low price, the service and ambience bound to suffer. Many people realize that this is the place to go for good dim sum without hurting the wallet, so the place is always crowded on weekends, and thus dining at your own sweet time is not option. You will find that the service staff will be eager to see you off (to the extent of bringing the bill over even before the dessert is finished!) in preparation for the next customer. The service crew only deliver so-so service. Prompt response, but without the smile and the warmth and have the tendency to make blunders.

Though a recent visit for dinner, I found out that it seems like the manager had changed, since the staffs had become way friendlier than in the past, thus making my meal at there a delightful one (The food, especially the kurobuta pork and Pumpkin Puree with coconut ice cream are excellent). I guess the quiet dinner time, way less hectic than lunch time, makes room for some decent service. So I went there again in the afternoon and realized that the service is kind of meh.

Don't mind going back if I want to pamper my wallet without compromising on the well-being of my taste buds.

My Thoughts: Very Nice!

This restaurant is currently not in operation due to renovation at Raffles Hotel.

Cherry Garden - The Brunch is Great

The ambience is so classy and the service is so immaculate. It is easy to be impressed with this place based on these alone.

As for the food, there are hits and misses. The dim sum items are just ordinary lacklustre stuff that lack the variety, creativity and depth, not exactly what I expect from a high end restaurant. Exception being the steamed bamboo and prawn dumpling with gold powder (luxurious) and conpoy dumpling (full of fresh seafood flavours), as seen in my photos. 

Brunch is good value, in which one can try many of their signature dishes (kurobuta pork is flavourful and good, drunken prawns soaked in herbs and wine infused soup, are extremely fresh) in the brunch (avoid the Patin fish though, it tasted fishy), which are really tasty and not bad. Not to mention, there is free flow of dessert, which is the best thing about this brunch since the avocado dessert is so heavenly good. Talking about the avocado dessert, it is served in a mist of dry ice, 100 points for presentation on this one! The taste is very refreshing and unlike any other dessert I had tasted, so actually, I like it quite a lot.

Worth to go for the brunch.

My Thoughts: Very Nice!

Nearest car park: Marina Shopping Mall's car park, free valet parking at Oriental Hotel for patrons of Cherry Garden

Nearest MRT: City Hall

5 Raffles Avenue Marina Square
Level 5 Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Singapore
Contact No: 68853538

Asia Grand - Nice Restaurant with a Difference

Closed

Asia Grand is always the 1st restaurant that pops into my mind if I want to go to a different restaurant, other than my usual favourites (Summer Palace and Li Bai). And in the area of food, Asia Grand does not disappoint. The dishes are made with fresh ingredients, being refreshing, light yet tasty, the tastes are quite different from the ones at other restaurants. The Prawn Salad and the Chicken Soup are nice, but the best dish got to be the steamed Bamboo Clam in garlic, whose flesh is soft, soaked in the extremely flavourful sauce, saturated with the fragrance of garlic. The Spicy Dumpling is also highly recommended, bursting with robust flavours of chilli, garlic and vinegar.

The Peking duck is considered as value for money since its price tag is lower than that in other restaurants but the standard and taste is comparable. The food here is of classic type, yet the taste is surprisingly different in very subtle ways that I have no qualms about visiting this place even after suffering from overloading my stomach with Chinese food for a week.

The place is of typical Chinese restaurant ambience which can get a bit noisy when crowded, but at least there are still sufficient spaces between each tables. Service is ok, though not excellent; then again, most Chinese restaurants do not have excellent service.

The food, service and ambience is good enough for me to drop by every once in a while.

My Thoughts: Very Nice!

This restaurant is no longer in operation.

Imperial Treasure Steamboat Restaurant (TripleOne Somerset) - One of most Luxurious Steamboats

This place is the ideal place to have good, quality steamboat in the comfort of posh environment.

The soup base available includes the familiar chicken soup, pork bones soup and the unconventional satay soup and more; varieties are always welcome. Even the chicken soup and pork bone soup here, are like no others found in other steamboat establishments, obviously, the ingredients had been cooked for a certain amount of time to imbue the stock with strong, fragrant flavours. I found the ginseng soup base to be too bitter for steamboat and its price is too expensive, so this one can be skipped.

Patrons will be given a tray of condiments (about 12 of them) to make a customized mixture of sauce that truly suits one's preferences. Though the chopped garlic lacks that pungent smell I expect from freshly chopped garlic.

There are choice ingredients like live prawns, kurobuta pork, dumplings, freshly made fishballs (with minimum flour used, good!), vegetables, spring rolls and more in the menu up for ordering. My personal opinion is that the Tang O vegetable is too expensive (top in price among all vegetables) and has a bitter taste, so it is best to avoid ordering this. A better choice is the baby spinach that has a neutral taste, therefore fully absorbing the essence of the broth.

The service is decent also. Though all these come with a hefty price tag. This is still worth for that occasional indulgence. Have become a regular of this place already! However, I notice that the price of the items have been steadily increasing ...

My Thoughts: Nice, but a bit expensive

Nearest car park: TripleOne Somerset's car park

Nearest MRT: Somerset

111 Somerset Road
TripleOne Somerset #01-21
Singapore
Contact No: 67328231

Paradise Pavilion - Became one of my Favourite Chinese Restaurants

Closed

When one is paying a premium for a meal, the three elements of food, service and ambience must be good, or else the whole experience is ruined. My visits to Paradise Paradise proved this point and had progressed from not impressed to excellent. In fact, now, this restaurant is one of my favourite Chinese restaurants.

On my 1st visit, I was so affected by bad layout (patrons do not have the space to stand around at the reception since that area is so small and cramped), leaving me being tired and drenched slightly due to the rain that I struck this place straight away off my list.

However, a treat brought me back to this place, and with the restaurant being far less crowded on a weekday night, the whole dining experience was far better. No standing around to wait for a table, I was able to settle down comfortably into the plush chair and admired the beautiful lamps and exquisite cutlery. A seat near the window provides a beautiful view of the Marina Bay.

What I like about this place is the very creative take on the Chinese dim sum and dishes, pleasantly surprised me with their new and great tastes. The Peking Duck was beautifully done, being served in 3 different potions to be eaten in different ways. I find that the noodle with scallop to be nice but not exceptional. Truffle Chicken Pie is a beautiful dim sum with woody aroma of truffle imbued into the tasty pie, and the shell of the pie is soft, buttery and crumbly. Best chicken pie I ever have. The siew mai here is one of the best I have since it is very succulent due to fresh ingredients were used and the skin did not have that typical frozen taste present in most siew mai. The xo carrot cake is not only tasty with light hints of spiciness, the very thin crust coated around each big cube lends a new dimension to the texture. The scallop pastry hits all the right notes with fresh scallop, flaky pastry and a mix of sweet and savoury sauce.

The service is quite okay only at first, but improves a lot with time. Now the standard is definitely better than a lot of the Chinese restaurants. Prompt in refilling of tea and friendly, professional service.

Look forward to going back again if want to splurge on fine Chinese cuisine.

My Thoughts: Nice! Very Nice when they used to feature Truffle Chicken Pie

This restaurant is no longer in operation.

Tandoor North Indian Restaurant - Bursting with the Goodness of Spices

First thing first, ditch that stereotyped concept of Indian food being oily and spicy, consisting only of roti prata and curry chicken/mutton. At this restaurant in which North Indian food is served, the food is neither oily nor very spicy, despite having countless of spices added into the food. I can even say that the food here is quite healthy, and yummy.

With regards to set lunch, I only have thumbs up for the spread since both the soups of corn and spinach, and tomato are gathering of splendid, soothing flavours, and the four types of kebabs are pretty tasty and provide variety to the whole meal. The main course of fresh sea perch/butter chicken are absolutely flavourful in which the accompanying curry serves to enhance the taste of the meat instead overshadowing it. The rice with saffron is so beautiful in taste where the light fragrance of saffron highlights the natural goodness of the fluffy basmati rice. I'm not kidding when I say the rice can really be eaten on its own, without the need for sauces, meats and vegetables.

The main source of carbo here is soft naan, not the oily roti prata. The food here consists of soup, grilled meat and vegetables (No fried food! Which is all good with me), and curry filled with chunks of meat and vegetables, all are so flavourful, bursting with the goodness of spices, yet being hardly spicy at all. Highly recommended is the butter chicken that is insanely flavourful and juicy due to the fragrant and creamy curry. The desserts are a tad too sweet, though strangely, I could finish it.

As for the buffet which is available on Sundays and special occasions, my opinion is that it is better for non-Indians to go for the set lunch instead, since a lot of dishes available in the spread are curries of different kind, which is kind of overwhelming for me (and the only ones that left good, strong impressions on me are butter chicken, rice, soup, salad with Raita sauce and the grilled items).

The service is good, a vast improvement from the past. The staffs are outstanding in providing friendly and prompt service. Especially Nitin and Arif, who remember the regular patrons and always make a point to come up to ask how we are. Also helps that they are willing to accommodate to our dietary preferences if possible. We also appreciate the quiet sincerity of the staff, Boon Leong.

The ambience of this newly renovated place is of lush golden splendour theme.

This is definitely the place I'll go to, for high end Indian food.

My Thoughts: Very Flavourful Food!

Nearest car park: Holiday Inn Hotel's car park

Nearest MRT: Somerset

11 Cavenagh Road
B1 Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
Singapore
Contact No: 67300153

Flor Patisserie (Duxton Hill) - The Search for my Fav Patisserie is over

Before I found Flor, I was searching for THAT patisserie that will wow me over with an array of cakes made with passion, having service staffs who are all smiles. Sure, I like Bakezin's Jivara and Canele's Strawberry Shortcake, but the number of cakes that caught my fancy do not exceed 2 in each case and the service standard at these 2 establishments is bordering on being less than decent. The cakes there are nice but lack that "soul" since they are mass produced. The Patissier's chocolate cakes are so decadent, though the service at Flor takes the cake. K Ki's Antoinette and Nao are sublime and out of this world, but these are the only cakes in K Ki's lineup that I fell in love with (but they are the best cakes I had ever eaten due to the intensity of the taste).

For Flor, it is like falling in love in a two-timing, no wait, eleven-timing fashion. Napoleon, Strawberry Souffle, Waguri Millefeuille, Fromage Blanc, Berry Berries, Mont Blanc, Orange Rare Cheese, The Blue Donut, Marasaki Hime, Marron Pie, Ice Cheese tarts; all of them taste so good and heavenly (soft, complex, flavourful yet light on the palate). The amalgamation of fresh ingredients with different textures and tastes are in perfect harmony to create a form that tastes like no others. The ice mango cheese tart may looks ordinary, but it taste pretty good. Try it in the morning to be wowed by it. 

A summary on the cakes:

Napoleon - Layers of fresh cream sandwiched between puff pastry and moist sponge works beautifully. Multi-dimensional texture and taste serves to excite the palate. This is the star along with Waguri Millefeuille.

Waguri Millefeuille - Chestnut version of Napoleon. The inclusion of the sweet, fragrant, nutty cream of chestnut makes this cake unbelievably sublime. A must try.

Fromage Blanc - More for cheese lovers. Not exactly sweet, the tangy taste of the rare cheese will please those who are looking for a quality, not-so-sweet dessert. The addition of blueberry jam accentuate the wonderful taste of cheese.

Berry Berries - Flor's rendition of the Strawberry Shortcake. Absolutely flawless due to the use of quality ingredients.

Mont Blanc - This is Waguri Millefeuille without the puff pastry. Waguri Millefeuille wins in terms of texture, but Mont Blanc is good that there is less mess resulted from cutting the puff pastry. Personally recommend this for whole cake over Waguri Millefeuille for easy slicing.

Bara - While I am no fan of Bandung, I love Bara, a creation that successfully marries the two elements well-known for their incredibly sweet aromas: rose and lycee. The fragrance of rose is light, well-balanced with that of lycee, with two co-existing in harmony. This cake is like the delightful Ladurée rose macaron in mousse form. I am spellbound by this one.

Strawberry Souffle - This cheesecake is of melt-in-your-mouth texture. The wonderful taste and aroma of cream cheese is distinct yet subtle—one of the best cheesecakes in SG (not including those in fine dining restaurants).

Orange Rare Cheese - I had never like orange nor food associated with orange, but this cake totally changes that. The orange and rare cheese combination yields a somewhat refreshing, unique dessert which tastes delightful.

Marron Pie - This one looks ordinary but the taste is out of this world due to the intense flavour of butter, chestnut and almond.

The Blue Donut - A cake filled with lots of mousse. I love this one for its unique yet alsolutely pleasing taste which marries yoghurt and vanilla together to create the sweet, yet slightly zesty bliss. I'm not sure if it's due to the addition of the Butterfly Pea Bloom or the blue colour that I find the cake to be refreshing to eat. Well, most important is that I enjoy it a lot.

Murasaki Hime - I always like creativity infused into food, so this cake made from sweet potato is a winner in my eyes. The earthy aroma and texture gives an interesting dimension to the taste. For fans of Waguri Millefeuille and Mont Blanc.

5 o'clock fromage - Kind of like Fromage Blanc, except the base is made with chocolate cookies crumbs. Still prefer Fromage Blanc since the chocolate does not go well with the cheese. Eat separately to fully enjoy the cheese mousse.

Pumpkin Pie - Just like Waguri Millefeuille, this creation has the dimension in texture due to flaky pastry base and the great marriage of the earthy flavour of the pumpkin, cream and custard. Another winner in the line-up.

Matchago - Okay, this is really expensive with a price tag of $9.20. But the sesame cream is too strong in flavour and does not go well with confectionary products. Not worth it, I feel.

To further seal the deal, the service staffs are so friendly, enthusiastic and full of smiles, it is hard not to love this quaint, charming little patisserie. And the chef himself even made the effort to come out of the kitchen to greet the patrons. How's that for sincerity? Totally.

I can't wait to visit Flor again, just to savour the wonderful cakes there again, despite the place being located on a quiet, "hard to maneuver to" street.

My Thoughts: Sweet Bliss!

Nearest car park: Open air car park at Duxton Hill

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

2 Duxton Hill #01-01
Singapore
Contact No: 62238628

Smoulder - Little pieces of Indulgence

Closed

These cute pieces of cakes sold here may be small, in fact smaller than an adult's palm, but each packs a little surprise in the centre: Nice flowing lava core.

The best part about this shop is that there are many tempting flavours to choose from and most of them are very nice. 

The ones made from white chocolate are highly recommended, since the the flavour of matcha, raspberry, pistachio and lemon complements so well with the white chocolate respectively, yet not over shadowing each other at the same time. The result is a delightful combination of the richness of white chocolate and the unique, exciting taste of the fruits or nuts.

Though I'm not very impressed with the dark chocolate ones, they are very chocolatey but lack the complexity in taste that a premium chocolate will have. The lava cake at Jewels Artisan still tops my list when it comes to dark chocolate lava cakes.

The service is nice and friendly. Definitely going back for more, and the cakes make nice little gifts!

My Thoughts: Nice!

Note: This place is no longer in operation.

The Patissier - Very Decadent

The chocolate cakes, Chocolate Fudge and Double Pralines and Strawberry Cognac are such decadent treats, having the taste that is very rich and complex. When I first have the Double Praline, the first thought was that "At last, I found a better chocolate cake than Jivara! No more nonsense with the bad service at Bakerzin (Paragon)!" The chocolate cakes here (made with Valhorna chocolates) will delight most chocolate fans, though the Strawberry Cognac has a mix of tart taste in it that may not appeal to those who dislike sour taste in cakes.

Cocoa Napoleon is a disappointment, because I was expecting this cake to showcase the smooth texture and the pronounced delicate aroma of the mascarpone cheese, just like Strawberry Cognac did. But this cake tastes more like the drier version of Double Pralines, the presence of mascarpone cheese is hardly felt. For Empress Dowager: Nice. The mousse tasted of authentic strawberries (none of this yucky, fake taste of strawberry essence). One of the best strawberry mousse cakes I had eaten, though it is not "wow" inducing.

Service wise, it is not too bad, but not great either.  The service at Flor still triumphs over the one at here.

Nevertheless, I will be going back soon to indulge in more of their cakes!

My Thoughts: Nice!

Nearest car park: UE Building's car park

Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghuat

4 Mohd Sultan #01-01
Singapore
Contact No: 67373368

SunnyHills - Ingots of Sweetness

Ingots of Sweetness, well, not exactly in the literal sense since the pineapple ingots sold here are made with minimum sugar (I think, since they are not cloyingly sweet). More of in the sense that one can feel the sweetness in the heart when eating the ingots. The natural flavour and fragrance of the pineapple filling is strong and the slightly chewy (not overly) nature of the filling lends a good bite. The crust is soft and has enough moisture not to feel dry, is filled with the aromatic flavour of butter which lingers around in one's mouth when eating the ingot, mmmm, nice.

The place and service exlude a distinctive Taiwanese's feel; cozy, natural and friendly.

Will definitely pay this shop a visit if I happen to be dining at Royal China or Shinji in Raffles Hotel.

Note: This outlet have shifted to Ngee Ann City due to renovation at Raffles Hotel.

My Thoughts: Nice!

Nearest car park: Ngee Ann City's car park

Nearest MRT: Orchard

#B2-27 Ngee Ann City
391 Orchard Road
Singapore
Contact No: 85229605

Cedele (Greenwich V) - One of my Favourite Cafes

Just imagine, enjoying wholesome pancakes with real maple syrup, or quality sausages or the luscious, rich, delicious blueberry maple cake/strawberry fields cake/carrot cake or flavourful seafood pasta or scones, with a cup of fragrant, organic tea at a tranquil, casual and comfortable environment, looking out at the water features and coconut trees, with no nearby tall buildings to block the view. This is one of the pure enjoyments of life. Whether it is day or night, this is a great place to enjoy the real, wholesome, tasty food with great relaxing ambience.

It helps that the staffs are friendly and helpful. I'm used to be into light sponge cakes only, but Cedele had converted me to love buttercakes also.

This place has become one of my favourite regular haunts already!

My Thoughts: Nice!

Nearest car park: Greenwich Village Mall's car park

Nearest MRT: Yio Chu Kang

1 Seletar Road
Greenwich V #02-14
Singapore
Contact No: 67539946

Angus House (Ngee Ann City) - Value for money

A peek at Augus House from the outside, one might guess that the price of the food here must be hefty, since the decor looks classy (I like the piano located near the entrance which automatically play music) as compared to quite a number of its neighbouring restaurants. Seriously, many are missing out on getting decent food at a decent price when they give this quiet little restaurant a miss.

The menu mainly consists of grilled items and spaghetti dishes, which are very flavorful. The abalone with salmon roe spaghetti is practically overflowing with the taste of umi (Japanese word for "sea")! One thing I like about this place is that quality ingredients are used, like abalone, real crab meat (Not those imitation crab meat), big juicy prawns, yet without putting a big price tag for all these dishes. The grilled scallops are so naturally sweet that only a dash of lemon is needed to add a zest to the overall taste. However, if one is ordering the Augus beef, of course it will be far more straining on the wallet.

The service is ok, not exactly meticulous, but they fulfil the basic expectations.

Given the decent quality of food and wallet friendly price, this is one of my top choice for dining if I'm shopping at Ngee Ann City!

My Thoughts: Nice!

Nearest car park: Ngee Ann City's car park

Nearest MRT: Orchard

391 Orchard Road
#04-25 Ngee Ann City
Singapore
Contact No: 67356015

La Cantine - Homely, Feel Good French Food

Closed

The food here invoked a homely feel in me, in which the smooth, subtle flavours and texture made one feel happy and cosy, just like the feelings when back in home after a day's work. However, the quality of the food is definitely of restaurant standard, full of mild, complex flavours that explore new frontiers that one's taste buds can go to. I went to try the highly raved onion soup with high expectations and it did not disappoint with its myriad of pleasing flavours. The Hokkaido scallops are firm and juicy, easy to chew, even the vegetables and mushroom that accompany the scallops taste great. Baba Au Rhum is a very powerful dessert, filled with rum that awaken one's senses (though I felt a bit drowsy after that) and the vanilla cream added subtle dimension to the overall taste.

The service is nice and friendly. Can tell that they are very busy during the afternoon, always on the move, though it is still possible to get their attention. The decor of the place feels, well, casual, classic and a bit eccentric. My only complaint is on the chairs used at the bar top, where the back of the chair is hollow in the centre, so I cannot put my bag behind me since it can slip through the hollow part and fall off.

With exception to the chairs, everything else is all good, I'll like to go back again.

This post was written when chef Bruno Ménard was the head chef.

My Thoughts: Lovely!

Note: Regretfully, this place is no longer in operation.