So France - Gourmet Haven

The little gourmet in me immediately springs unto life the second I see the little French supermarket in So France. Now it’s possible to bring a bit of France home. And enjoy some French bistro food while at here.

Salmon and Scallop Tartare is a lovely creation of refreshing tastes of umami layered with the fresh creaminess of avocado. And the scallop pieces are sweet! And quinoa gives a nice crunchy bite to the soft texture of salmon, scallop and avocado. Very good in both taste and texture. The dish that impresses me the most here. 

Duck Conf'wich is a very hearty meal made up of fresh greens drizzled with olive oil and zest, generous amount of shredded flavourful duck meat sandwiched between wholesome loafs of bread. And the foie gras terrines add that hint of decadent rich buttery goodness to the duck meat. The portion is very big, best to share this one.

Paris Brest is made up of crispy choux pastry, whipped cream and praline filling. I love the texture of the chou pastry. And the praline filling makes it a unique creation. Definitely worth a try.

The place is of upmarket bistro ambience, which is very nice for chilling out with friends. The service is pretty good too. A great place to do atas grocery shopping and hang out with friends or dates.

Thoughts: Nice!

Bordier Butter is renowned for being one of butters in the world. If one sees the YouTube video on Bordier Butter, one will see that lots of craftsmanships is put into making of this artisanal butter with just hands and a wooden kneading contraption. The taste and aroma are very intense. Just need a bit of this to make anything flavourful and delightful to eat.

Smooth with a bit of tang and sharp pungent flavour, Edmond Fallot Dijon Mustard is made with Burgundy mustard seed and Burgundy wine. So the flavour is more complex than the usual brands.

Known as baby of Hollandaise sauce, Bearnaise sauce is made of clarified butter emulsified with egg yolks, white wine vinegar and herbs. This sauce has mild, rich and complex flavours that will please lots of palates.

Black Truffle Mayonnaise is a must-buy! With real truffle bits packed inside, the well-loved earthy aroma immediately greets the olfactory senses when one takes a bite off whatever this mayonnaise is slathered over. For that special indulgence.

Janier Catalan Cream is unbelievably smooth, and so is the caramel sauce. A luxurious dessert.

Nice macarons, but the chocolate one deserves a special mention. Slightly bitter due to the dark chocolate used, it tastes different from the usual milk chocolate types, it is more complex in taste profile.

The bistro at So France is worth a visit too. Though I visited it 2 years ago, so I can’t really recall my experience there. This is the reason why I need to update this blog soon after the visits.

Country of Origin: France

7 Fraser Street DUO Galleria

#01-52/56

Nearest MRT: Bugis

Nanbantei Japanese Restaurant - Hearty Meals and Wholesome Skewers

Nanbantei is like on my radar for years since a super foodie friend gave the thumbs-up to this place. But I never have the chance to visit until now. And now, I have another sumiyaki (Japanese skewers) great place to go to besides Kazu, which only opens at night.

The sea salt sprinkled on top of Tomato Cheese Maki really perks up the taste of the fresh thinly sliced grilled meat. The cheese adds the creaminess and the tomato introduces the zest and juiciness. Definitely impress at first bite.

Sumiyaki adventure continues with Negima and Tsukune. Juicy meat slathered with Japanese and topped with sprinkles of sea salt is delicious. Negima has the dimensions in taste due to the leek sandwiched between the chicken meat cubes. My companion, a meat lover, actually finishes the leek! And Tsukune is pure meaty goodness.

Cheese Mentai Yaki Mochi is grilled sticky glutinous rice dough drizzled with Mentai and cheese. Very sticky and full of umami. I’m surprised it’s so flavourful. I ordered it accidentally, but I don’t regret it.

Love the pops of fresh tobiko on the California Maki.

Jaga Mentai Cheese also wins us over with its full-bodied taste. Grilled potato soaked in stretchy mozzarella cheese and umami rich Mentai sauce is a joy to savour.

Ambience wise, it is like a typical well-kept Japanese restaurant. The best part is despite sitting at the counter close to the grilling station, none of the grill aroma got on me, I still end up smelling as fresh as ever! Service is good, the young lady is very patient when I flip flop between canceling the order of Mochi and keeping it. And they are fast in responding to our requests.

Definitely looking forward to go back for fuss-free Sumiyaki! By the way, the place gets full very easily, recommend to make a reservation beforehand.

Thoughts: Love the Sumiyaki and everything Mentai here!

133 New Bridge Road

#02-40 Chinatown Point

Nearest car park: Chinatown Point’s car park

Nearest MRT: Chinatown

Mei Heong Yuen Dessert - Novel Traditional Desserts

 

Very old school setting, very nostalgic with old school desserts such as Cheng Tng, Chendol …

There are also novel desserts like the Snow Ice with dozens of flavours available. The Snow Ice is like ice-cream being shaved into tiny flakes and reconstituted into a pyramid. Creamy good. Peanut looks like a unique flavour, so this is my choice. Authentic, rich taste of peanut evident in the Snow Ice. My companion says the Durian Snow Ice is good.

Temple Street #63-67

Nearest car park: Chinatown Point’s car park

Nearest MRT: Chinatown

Bistro Du Vin - Rustic yet Impressive

Chanced upon Les Amis street, you know, where the entire row of restaurants are under Les Amis group, when hanging around Shaw Centre and decided to try the food at one of the restaurants. Since I had not tried the food at Bistro du Vin and Mui Kee only, my choice is obvious.

Complimentary warm fluffy bread is delicious when paired with the creamy butter. Would be even better if the rind is crispy. And wine is interestingly served in a flask.

Pan seared Foie Gras, strawberries,  dragées, aged balsamic gets the thumbs up from me. The foie gras is juicy, smooth and custard-like in texture when biting into it. And the light sweetness of strawberries and chocolate add an interesting kick to the overall taste. The nutty flavour of the dragées enhances the unique, rich taste of foie gras.

Chilled Leek & Potato soup is light yet creamy and full of flavours. Soup served chilled is pretty interesting, and it works in this case.

Seafood Fricassee with cream & baby carrots, pilaf rice should be called Salmon Fricassee with cream & pilaf rice. Yes, the light fluffy rice grains taste so delicious, soaked with the goodness of cream and herbs. But I was expecting seafood such as prawns or clams, not chucks of salmon and nothing else. Okay, there is one piece of octopus to make it non-salmon exclusive.

And there is a top-up of $8 for this dish! If I know the seafood here is consisted of 80% salmon, I will not even take one look at it. I actually dislike cooked salmon, but thank goodness that the salmon here is decent due to the rich sauce it is drenched in. Yes, my fault too for assuming that since the dish needs top-up, it must be filled with prawns, clams or scallops.

This dish is delicious but I don’t think salmon is worth the top-up price.

Snapper “en papillote” fennel tomatoes potatoes is a very hearty meal. The snapper flesh is fresh, juicy and pliable, enhanced in taste by the zest from the lemons. The tomatoes are sweet. Highly recommend.

Vanuatu vanilla créme brulèe is full of pure authentic vanilla goodness and the burnt sugar at top introduces a hint of bitterness for complexity in taste. The brittle nature of the burnt sugar also enhances the smoothness of the vanilla custard below. A well-executed dessert.

Venezuela 72% dark chocolate mousse is definitely for chocolate lovers. Very intense in taste.

The place is like an authentic French bistro full of French posters hanging over the walls. The mood is definitely there. A great place to enjoy an idyllic mealtime while watching the world passes by through the full-panel windows lining the entire side of the wall facing Claymore Hill Road. Thr service is very good and professional.

This place is almost perfect for a relaxing time to enjoy good food. I definitely love to go back, but I will take note not to order Salmon Seafood Fricassee again.

Thought: Awesome!

1 Scotts Road

#01-14

Nearest car park: Shaw Centre’s car park

Nearest MRT: Orchard

Mag’s Wine Kitchen - Exquisite and Amazing

Spoiled for choices, it is hard to decide which quaint restaurant should I visit. Looking at my wish list of restaurants in heritage area, I finally decide on Mag’s Wine Kitchen because the food looks really good and there are lots of choices for each section.

The Starters of Crab takes my breath away at first bite. It is so amazingly good. And I’m amazed by the generous portion of crab. The dollop of crab meat mixed with light mayonnaise is made up of at least eighty percent fresh, umami rich, succulent crab meat. The mustard added within introduces hints of sharp hot flavour for complexity in taste and to accentuate the rich briny flavour of the crab. Truffle vinaigrette adds a splash of earthy luxe to the taste. Trout roe are pops of sea essence that goes perfectly with the crab meat. The lightly salted, roasted cabbage is surprisingly good too.

Served warm and fresh, with super soft fluffy centre and crunchy rind, this bread, which is full of wholesome flavours of wheat, gets the thumbs-up from me. Good when eaten with butter, and still good when eaten on its own. And I like the cute sack it is served in.

Jamon Serrano is packed with smoky, salty and nutty flavours. And the gherkins refresh the palates to better enjoy the dry-cured ham. Best enjoyed with good company.

I had written in lots of my previous posts that lobster is usually bland and tough.

Well, I take back my words the moment I bite into a piece of lobster meat here.

It is unbelievably good, and should be the golden standard on how lobster should be prepared. The semi rare lobster is succulent, juicy, bouncy yet easy to bite on. Each nicely cut pieces is packed with flavours of the sea. Best to eat together with the creamy saffron risotto with butter to appreciate the complexity in taste and texture.

Both the chocolate cake and ice-cream are very rich in taste and smooth in texture. The foamy mango espuma makes a difference to add flowery aroma and hints of tangy flavour to balance the richness of the chocolate. A nice extra touch to the dessert.

The place is very posh but cozy at the same time. Yes, it’s possible. I was greeted by a modern open kitchen the moment I stepped into the restaurant, and then I was led to the hidden classy dining area at the back. I like this layout, it feels intimate. The service is very good and professional. Despite me sort of hiding at a corner, the service staff makes it a point to check every now and then if I need anything.

This is one of the best restaurants I have patronized in recent times. The food is really, really good. Given that premium ingredients are used in the dishes, the price is well worth it. Not only will I go back, I will recommend this restaurant to my friends.

Thoughts: Amazingly Awesome!

Nearest car park: Along Keong Saik Road

Nearest MRT: Outram Park or Chinatown

55 Keong Saik Road #01-06

Singapore

Gaston Bistro - Excellent Food, Excellent People

I noticed this place when walking along the beloved Keong Saik Road after a lunch at Taratata Brasserie. It was super crowded on a weekend afternoon with gorgeous people perching on the high chairs outside the restaurant and some chatting happily inside. Yes, the ambience is pretty boisterous, just like Gaston. I’m surprised since this area is pretty quiet on weekends. Curiosity got to me and I took a peek at the menu … okay, I definitely wanted to check out this place already.

Upon entering the restaurant, I’m greeted by service staff who wear beret caps. A nice touch to things. Now things are looking interesting …

Appetizer of Hamachi Tartare mayonnaise, crème fraiche, chives and gherkins is creamy goodness of the sea. Lots of harmonious flavours packed in the dollops of tartare. The raw cubes of hamachi mixed in brings on the subtle taste of the sea. A very good start to the meal.

Complimentary warm fluffy bread slathered with French butter, ah, such enjoyment from simply eating this.

Gougères, ala Mini Cheese Puffs is very interesting and serves as good appetizer. Melted cheese encased within the puff skin is yummy. Easy to finish these in one go.

Poireaux Vinaigrette Burnt-Leeks with Goat Cheese, Pistachio, Tarragon Vinaigrette is a vegetarian dish that is loaded with multitude of flavours, in a good way. Clean taste, fresh leeks with hints of smoky flavour, plus tangy flavour from the vinaigrette, veggies sometimes can be the winner.

Foie Gras en Touchon Jam and Toast is a special of presenting Foie Gras. Intense fatty flavours of foie gras matches very well with jam and toast, which helps to balance the oiliness of the fatty liver.

Saucisses Lentills Toulouse Sausages with cooked Lentils with bacon & onions is a real wholesome hearty treat with two huge tasty sausages. And the lentils are so soaked with flavours that my meat-lover companion actually finishes it up.

Orecchiette au Pesto Pasta with spring veggies, Parmigiano Regianno and homemade Pesto is another gastronomic heaven for veggie lovers. The flavours of freshness, spring and nature are very pronounced in this dish, which is how I like it.

Crumble aux Fruits is Apple and Blackberry with Vanilla Ice-cream completes the excellent meal we have here. Rich vanilla ice-cream completes the sweet and tangy crumble so well. The crumble also introduces an additional texture to this dessert, adding complexity to it.

The place is cool and modern yet at the same time has a cozy feel and rustic charm to it. I can see why lots of cool people likes to hang around here. It simply gets you into the mood to just enjoy the good times together. And the great service definitely helps to make it happen. The guys are energetic, friendly and responsive. At here, I feel very at ease and I feel like I’m enjoying the excellent food as form of spending time with my companion instead of purely for personal indulgence.

So yes, I look forward to coming back again with my loved ones to just pass time together in the company of awesome food.

Thoughts: Perfect place to enjoy good food and get together

Nearest car park: Along Keong Saik Road

Nearest MRT: Outram Park or Chinatown

25 Keong Saik Road