Margarita’s Dempsey Hill - Colourful and Flavourful

After realising how good Mexican food tastes, I'm off on a journey to suss out more Mexican restaurants. And I set my sights on the popular Margarita's Dempsey Hill. With the unique buildings, which are British barracks converted into upscaled restaurants, and lush greenery populating this area, it just feels so different from the buzz and bustle of urban life in Singapore. And Margarita's takes it further by giving us a peek into what Mexican culture is all about. The exterior is adorned with colourful decoration and chairs, exuding unabashed vibrancy. The strong Mexican vibes within the restaurant makes me feel like I'm in Mexico. And an exciting "trip" this is.

Crab Empandas with Annatto Seeds is pure amazingly good comfort food. Lots of lightly seasoned briny sweet crab meat is wrapped in slightly crispy deep fried skin dough, and this does remind me of one of Singaporeans' favourite snack: curry puff. Texture wise is quite similar, the taste is very different. Crab Empandas is full of nuanced flavours from the hearty amount of different ingredients added. The spinach rice is oh-so-good. It has the perfect fluffy texture and is imbued with savoury flavours. I definitely become a fan of Mexican rice dishes because of this dish.

Guacamole & Chips is served in very generous portion, which is great for sharing. For solo diners like me, I do wish there is a half portion option. Nonetheless, this is a hearty treat. The sweetness of corn in the chips is complemented by the medley of ingredients in the Guacamole, such as buttery avocado, chopped onions, lime, tomato, cilentro, serrano. This covers a huge chuck of the flavour spectrum, each coming in light doses.

What's a trip to a restaurant called Margarita's without ordering some margaritas. And so at the friendly staff's recommendation, I got Patron Silver Margarita with salt crystals lacing the rim of the glass. It will really pretty. It's very interesting to sip on the crushed iced sweetened alcohol with a bit of salt.

I love the ambience here. It's colourful, vibrant, feels free-spirited and has this rich Mexican feel. And it is so spacious that families can come here for gatherings. Good for dates too on days where you just want to let your hair down and have fun. The service crew is very friendly, helpful and polite.

The food here is focused on subtlety of many flavours and I like it. Just that the portions are so big that I can only get to try two dishes. That said, the dishes here are perfect for sharing. Dining here is quite an adventure, not only for the Mexican setting, but also for the Crab Empandas, from which I get to explore a kind of new taste. Look forward to try other items on the menu.

Thoughts: Fun and chill dining experience

11 Dempsey Road

Nearest MRT: Napier

Sarai - Fine Thai Cuisine with Simulating Flavours

I had a craving for some fine Thai food for a while, so when I found out about Sarai, I made a mental note to visit this place soon. After a visit here, it relives my feelings on why I like Thai food so much. The simulating flavours, the unique taste of herbs and condiments, the clean, refreshing taste and a sense of familiarity. It's simply different from Nakhon Kitchen, the chain of Thai restaurants that almost everyone knows. The food at Sarai is way more refined, more authentic, has more variety and yes ... less oily.

Steamed squid stuffed with roe sac with chili lime garlic sauce is oh-so-good! This is the exactly reason why I want to come here to dine. Fresh, super tender and briny sweet squid soaked in the light, broth-like, clean-tasting sauce filled that is packed full of simulating flavours with tanginess as top notes, this is so exciting to savour. And I guess the reason for limited availability on this dish is the use of super fresh squid since only this will work in the light sauce. A must-try of this restaurant.

From the right: 

Assorted banana blossom cake with spicy dip. This is pure comfort food with lovely crispy exterior and a twist in taste. Very flavourful.

Tomato chili dip with endives, thai cucumber, jicama. Very refreshing in taste, but also pretty spicy.

Homemade grilled pork marinated with thai herbs. I love this. Full of fresh meaty juices, peppered with pungent Thai herbs and charred aroma.

Smoked Barramundi Soup and Sweet Leaf Bush is nice and interesting. I like the myriad of flavours in the clear soup. It's a nice new experience to try a different kind of soup such as this one. Though I have to admit that I'm more of looking forward to Tom Yum Soup instead, which has sourness as base notes. This soup has bitterness as base notes instead. By the way, see the beautiful red rubies in the soup? These are chilies with super spiciness. Only bite into them if one is up for the challenge. Otherwise, just let them soak in the soup for a nice hint of spiciness in the soup.

Spicy and sour minced chicken salad on cucumber cup is unique, flavourful and refreshing in taste. Great for whetting the appetite.

Stir-fried dou miao flowers with assorted mushrooms is that familiar stirred fried vegetables that we Singaporeans love, and with a twist in the form of dou miao flowers. Consisting of stems and bulbs, this vegetable has a nice slight crunch in texture and easy to bite. I like the feel of biting into the bulbs because it feels wholesome. In addition, the dou miao flowers will form a sticky film upon biting into it, which is interesting.

The rich, aromatic red curry with splashes of coconut milk is so good. Since I don't eat beef, I request to change it to chicken breast. Props to the staff for this. However, to do justice to this bowl of delicious curry, I do suggest sticking to the original wagyu option. If one really can't eat beef, opt for chicken thigh.

Dessert is the lovely pandan panna cotta with coconut foam and sesame wafer. The coconut foam has this pure, concentrated nutty goodness of coconut like no others. And it is a perfect match with the sweet smelling pandan panna cotta. The texture of the panna cotta is smooth and fluffy. I love this dessert a lot.

Refreshing lemongrass drink that is great for bringing down the spiciness. The service staff is very thoughtful in adding minimum sugar to the drink and giving a cute jar of sugar syrup upon seeing that I'm undecided on the amount of sugar I want in my drink.

The restaurant is posh and modern, with Thai influences and hints of opulence from the golden ornaments tastefully placed at some corners. I like the fresh orchids placed on the tables to introduce bursts of nuanced colours and vibrancy to the place while maintaining the classy yet cozy vibe.

The service is very good, being friendly and accommodating. Actually, I was tired and feeling under the weather when first arriving here after a long day (this is why I always prefer to dine out at lunch time instead), but after a meal here, I feel so much better!

This place is one of my top choices to go for Thai food.

Thoughts: Always up for some simulating and refreshing Thai food.

163 Tanglin Road

#03-122 Tanglin Mall

Nearest MRT: Orchard Boulevard or Orchard

Revolver - Amazing, Complex, Exquisite and Exciting

This is one of the best restaurants I have been to thus far. The food here is so amazingly good, exquisite, full of flavours, and is like no others. It is a unique incorporation of the intricacy and nuanced complexity of European cuisine into Indian cuisine. And it is so exciting to watch the chefs prepare the food on the woodfire grill with flames and all, smoker and tandoor, which is a huge bowl-like clay oven used for Indian cuisine. To top it off, the service is so outstanding. A must-go for foodies.

And don't worry about the spiciness, there is only light sprinkles of the spices for the hint of extra aroma and kick.

I got an Add-On of Prawn Koliwada Tempura to the set lunch and I'm super happy with my choice. The juicy, briny sweet prawns are encrusted by a thin layer of golden brown crust with smoky flavour and peppered with an iota of Indian spices. The prawns are bursting with flavours, so awesome that they can be eaten on its own or slathered with the aloli sauce. The creaminess, zest and slight pungent flavour of the aloli sauce accentuate the umami of the prawns that makes me swoon in delight at first bite.

I have no love for brocoli, but I absolutely love the Brocoli with Almond Spiced Espuma here. The brocoli, being smoked to tenderness, has this lovely rich smoky aroma that complements creamy, nutty, sweet and spicy espuma.

Watch the video to see the dancing flames.

Fresh Paneer, which is Indian fresh cheese, is creamy yet firm and solid in texture and milder in the cheese flavour. and this is perfect for some roasting in the tandoor oven to get that lightly charred cheese taste. And the Goan Sambal sauce, with its moderate saltiness and umami, adds extra dimension to the taste of the roasted panner.

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Corsican Seabass with Coriander and Dill continues to impress with its myriad of flavours from the sweet, buttery taste of the seabass to the pungent aroma of the herbs. I try this with and without the roasted lemon juice and love both types, but to me, savouring it with lemon juice is beyond amazing since the tangy flavour really highlights the creaminess of the fish.

The videos showing how the fish is prepared. The chef will turn the wheel at the top to adjust the height of the grill platform so as to control the amount of flames reaching the fish at different stages of cooking.

The amount of black truffle, which is black gold in the culinary world, shaved onto my Black Truffle Kulcette in this video is so Wow. Totally worth it to order this dish.

Savouring Black Truffle Kulcette, a traditional kind of Indian fluffy, puffed flatbread with crispy exterior, is pure indulgence. The subtle earthy aroma of black truffle goes so well with the slightly tangy creamy truffle sauce and the goodness of wheat in the kulcette.

Check out the below videos on how the chef prepares the kulcette by kneading and then stick it to the side of the tandoor to bake it.

Sea Buckthorn, Cherry and Panjiri pleasantly surprises me by the amount of variations in its taste profile and texture. My impression of Indian desserts is they are very sweet and creamy, so this dessert really blows me away by how different it is. In fact, this is better than the desserts in some European restaurants. The tangy sweet Sea Buckthorn sorbet is so refreshing, and together with the firm dark cherries, complements the creamy base with biscuit crumbles so well. I also love it that it is so unique.

Lovely white wine recommended by the friendly staff. It's not champagne, but it has a lovely hint of sweetness developed by a special process in the winemaking. Yes, I can say this is my favourite wine.

The interior of the restaurant is very posh, upmarket and modern, with dark wood, dark granite and plush sofa adorning the place. I definitely feels like one of the cool crowd dining here, especially with the awesome service and kitchen crew taking good care of us patrons. The service team is so friendly and warm while maintaining their professionalism at all times. And they really know their food very well, explaining to me in details on the ingredients and preparation process. The wonderful manager even reveals to me the winemaking process of the wine ordered and recommends the various ways to savour the food and wine. Even the chefs go the extra mile to interact with the patrons while busy with the preparation of food right in front of us.

Anyway, for chilling and absolute comfort, go for seats at the tables. For excitement, interactive time or inquisitive minds like me, go for the kitchen counter seats.

This is one of my best dining experiences. I love all the dishes and thoroughly pampered by the excellent service here. Definitely love to come here again.

Thoughts: Not only it's unique, it's simply amazing and exciting.

56 Tras Street

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Solo Ristorante - Fresh, Clean Taste and Full of Flavours

Imagine my surprise when I first step into Solo Ristorante to find that it is very crowded already on a Monday afternoon. And fifteen minutes later, it's full house. I know the reason why after a dining experience here, where I enjoy awesome food prepared in the open kitchen–one can see the head chef and his team hard at work here–and great service plus some Italian music.

And the set lunch here is pretty kind to the wallet 😉

Gamberi E Radicchio is such a beautiful dish in both taste and looks. The succulent, plump, creamy prawns are packed with the lovely briny sweetness, accentuated by the light spiciness of the seasoning, zest of the tomatoes and hint of bitterness of the onion. This is good that I bite off the base of the prawns' heads to slurp up the super creamy and briny gland in there. This is one of tastiest parts in fresh prawns.

Fluffy bread with olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar. Will be great if served warmer.

Tagliatelle with Marinara Squid, Oregano and Smoked Garlic Cream tastes so unique yet familiar at the same time, just like the restaurant's slogan. I love this paste dish so much because of the myriad of  harmonised flavours, with a bit of spiciness for the kick. The squid rolls, which hold lots of sauce in their cores, is amazingly tender. And I like the flatter shape of tagliatelle to induce the feel of smoother texture when biting into it.

Zuppa D'astice is Lobster Bisque with orange and star anise. Very rich in taste and full of the essence of lobster, I like it very much.

Limone E Meringa has the exact right balance of sourness and sweetness. The sweetness of custard and vanilla meringue is complemented by the zest of strawberry coulis and lemon. What makes this dessert special is the consistency of the lemon curd, which is more like ice-cream than custard. I love this uniqueness, and it gives more texture to the dessert. Also juxtaposes well with the slightly stickiness of the meringue. A sweet, nice dessert to end the meal with.

Lovely white wine recommended by the staff. It becomes really sweet when eaten with the food 👍

The interior of the restaurant is a cross between lovely, quaint, intimate dining space and chic, cool bar. At the same time, there is a certain coziness hanging in the air. Great to feel all comfortable and just enjoy the good food. Sitting at the bar counter entitles one to an unbridled view of the kitchen, where all the heat of the action is. Surprisingly, while seated here, one can feel the passion of the chefs at work and have the hot piping food served straightaway from kitchen by the chefs, but will not feel heat from the stoves, ovens and grills. So one will still look and smell all good after a meal here beside the kitchen.

The service here is very friendly and responsive. A more senior Indian staff is especially thoughtful, advising me on the portions of the food since this is a huge concern for solo diners like me.

I totally love the food here and look forward to come back again.

Thoughts: Super Flavourful Dishes and Energetic Kitchen + Service Crew

45 Amoy Street

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar or Chinatown