Kleine Notizen Ein

 Ich werde kleine Notizen anstelle meines. Tagebuchs schreiben, weil ich vielleicht nicht jeden Tag die Inspiration habe, etwas zu schreiben.

Ich habe viele deutsche Worte vergessen! Ich hoffe, dass ich besser in Deutsch werde, wenn ich mehr kleine Notizen schreibe.

Chef's Table by Chef Stephan - Lovely Experience of Cosiness and Delicious Food

This restaurant is no longer in operation 

Actually, when I first heard of the restaurant Chef's Table by Chef Stephan, it sure caught my attention and my first thought was that the name sounds very exclusive. After a meal here, I can say it is far more than that. The vibe here feels very intimate and cosy, as if I'm at a private dining in Chef Stephan's home, where the chefs themselves will serve up all the dishes while the service staff, playing host, provides that homely hospitality. It is truly an unique and awesome dining experience here.

The food here, served omakase style for that extra excitement, is splendid, with lots of unique and delicious combinations of flavours and good juxtaposes of textures. I also love the variety here where various ingredients come from the fields, land and sea are featured. And the wine pairing here is like a trip through France, Austria, Germany and Russia! Highly recommend to go for wine pairing to get the full experience of fine dining with Austrian influences.

Wall made up of rustic coloured wooden Bricks, white-washed walls, shelves of books, collection of wine bottles, photos plastered at the back and romantic yellow lights really make this place feel like cosy, classy, fancy abode full of warmth.

The service here is excellent: full of warmth where patrons feel the VIP friends of Chef Stephan. Easy to strike friendly conversations with, while remaining professional and non-intrusive, it is an art well-executed. Dining here is definitely an awesome experience.

First Snack of spring onion and tonburi (well-known as caviar from the fields) in a super thin crispy shell is so delightful in taste: full of a myriad of nuanced flavours from the fields and the land. Now I’m super hyped about what is to come next.

The second snack looks simple, but the taste is so rich, creamy and exciting due to the cayenne pepper cream ganache with deep fried exterior. I love this so much.

Oyster mushroom with vinaigrette tastes like oyster! With an extra earthy flavour as undertone. This can match to the real oyster in taste.

Rye Bread with soft, fluffy, stretchy core and crispy skin is so delicious when eaten on its own. Even better when paired with whipped French butter sprinkled with sea salt plus olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar.

Scallop can actually taste refreshing when complemented by the herbal bitterness of mint and shiso. The tangy sweetness of mango cream highlights the briny sweetness of scallop, while the pomelo and ikura give pops of excitement. Surprise of the day and one of my favourites.

Burrata with salmon, rhubarb, horseradish snow yields clean-tasting, briny taste with hints of nutty creaminess from the burrata. I also love the accompanying triangular crispy wafers to add an extra crunch to the texture.

I had tried monkfish liver, known as foie gras of the sea, before, but never the flesh. So I’m excited to the flesh of monkfish here. And yes, it is so good! Looks like scallop, it actually tastes mildly sweet like scallop and features texture similar to that of cooked scallop, with an extra bit of pliability and firmness. It is perfect with grassy, slightly bitter white asparagus and earthy, intense mushroom puree.

Grilled quail with duck jus fills me with lots of feelings io happiness and warmth the moment I bite into the moist, tender meat. It tastes so amazing that this is surprisingly my favourite of the day. It is so perfectly grilled to be unique in taste and have that magical balance of char, sweetness and gamey flavour.

I never expect that I will totally be wowed over by palate cleanser, but here I am, totally loving the Grape Sorbet and Jelly here. This is so meticulously made, just like a dessert. Lots of different textures, lots of mellow floral sweetness and refreshing juices in different forms, this is the best palate cleanser I ever have.

Wagyu Striploin with black pepper is so juicy and tender, making for a very hearty treat, full of meaty goodness.

Basil Dutch Chocolate is so unique in taste. In fact, the basil gives the chocolate a layer of extra dimension in taste to make it even better. An ingenious creation.

Cute and yummy trio of petit fours: blueberry gummy, mini Tiramisu and dark Chocolate with lava ganache.

Lovely Champagne of Grand Cru origin

White Wine from Austria

White Wine from Russia and uniquely made from fermentation in terracotta pots

Light Red Wine from Germany

Sweet Wine, whose vineyard is beside a lake in Austria.

Thoughts: Feel so Pampered by Warmth and Food made with Heart

Berlin65 - German’s Melting Pot of Cultures

This restaurant is no longer in operation

As someone who is into German music, language, films and culture, I, naturally, put Berlin65 into my wishlist at the recommendation from Goethe Insitut Singapur. It is always good to have more great choices of restaurants in Singapore to immerse in German culture, weil es wenige deutsche Restaurants in Singapur gibt.

Instead of featuring German food only, Berlin65 actually reflects the inclusive multi-cultural scene of Berlin to feature also Turkish, Israeli, Vietnamese, Greek, French, Thai cuisines. The food here is hearty and delicious. And I can enjoy German’s classics such as Garlic Soup, Currywurst, Preztel and Round Doughnut with other cuisines such as kebabs, bahn mi.

With the colourful graffiti-like paintings resembling Friedrichshain‘s murals adorned with street art, and the hip hop music, it feels like a piece of Berlin is transported to here.

Tiger Prawns roasted and soaked in spiced tomato garlic sauce is succulent and so flavorful with a good mix of savoury goodness, sweetness, zest, herbal pungency and spiciness.

Iskender Kebab sounds glorious with lots of goodies such as chicken from the spit grilled, flatbeard, garlic yoghurt, homemade tomato chilli sauce, grilled tomato tomatoes, pickled pepperoni, Italian parsley. It is a Turkish feast with lots of robust flavours. Yes, a melting pot of flavours like the melting pot of cultures in Berlin.

Wild Garlic Soup with pretzel coutons, sour cream and parsley is the German dish I have for the night. The pungency of garlic is very mild but it is a very hearty and delicious nonetheless due to its rich creaminess and the medley of exotic tastes from the sour cream, parsley snd yes, the light hint of wild garlic.

Berliner is fluffy round shaped doughnut with lots of vanilla bean custard to add the moisture, making it even better.

Ayran is Turkish salted yoghurt drink, which I recommend to try. It is very tasty and unique.

Thoughts: Vibrant Culinary Melting Pot

30 Stanley Street

Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer

Park Bäckerei - Delicious German Breads

Being into German language and culture, it is a matter of time I will visit Park Bäckerei to get German Pretzels.

One of the highlights is the service here is very good and friendly, a notch above those of other bakeries or cafes.

And yes, their selection of breads and pretzels is delicious. They feature their trademark smooth, perfectly browned surface bellying a soft, dense and fluffy interior that is full of the goodness of wheat. The texture and taste is uniquely good.

Cheese Pretzel is the perfect marriage between cheese and bread (Pretzel is kind of like a bread). The nutty goodness of cheese makes the taste more exciting. Highly recommend.

Karamel Igel is filled with just the right amount of caramel for that intense burnt sweetness, juxtaposed with saltiness, to delight the palates without the overwhelming. Another star of die Bäckerei.

Speculoos Apple Laugen Bagel is like a nice apple pie with cinnamon and stretchy dough. Refreshing and rich in taste, I like this too.

Thoughts: Love the Bakes here!

12 Gopeng Street

Icon Village #01-41/41, 52/53

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Nick Vina Artisan - A slice of German Bread Culture

I came to know about Nick Vina Artisan from my German teacher (Hallo, lieber Lehrer!) who is a fan of this place, so I got to visit this unique bakery to immerse myself more in German culture.

There are so many different kinds of bread here, like Roggenbrot, Volkorn, Dinkelbrot, Ciabatta, German Rye Bread, Pain Miche, Sourdough and more. I'm a bit lost on which one to try actually.

As the popular Sour Dough bread is sold out, I decide on French Batard, which is made from sourdough.

The sweet aroma of baked wheat is so pronounced in the French Batard. My whole kitchen is filled with a light tint of this lovely aroma when I leave it on the shelf for few hours. When ready to enjoy this quaint little bake, I slice it up and put it in oven to toast it for a crunchy bread rim and warm, fluffy, soft, stretchy interior. Delicious on its own, and is, of course, awesome when paired with chucks of butter, garlic butter or garlic butter mixed with sour cream. I finish half a loaf in a flash and feeling very sated afterwards.

Lemon Tart is packed with the zesty punch of real lemons, so this will definitely win the hearts of lemon fans. The pastry crust is surprisingly firm yet easy to bite at the same time, which is all good for me. Caramel Tart is sticker in texture and tends towards the sweet side. It is not bad but not as memorable as the Lemon Tart. Meringue has a crusty exterior with sticky foamy core, making for an interesting texture. I actually like Apple Crumble Tart the most despite being skeptical about it at first. This is like the beloved Apple Pie, warm and satisfying.

Frosting Carrot Cake is a intense homely treat filled with rich cream cheese frosting, moist, dense cake filled with the goodness of cinnamon, raisins, crunchy walnuts and carrots. Best to share this since it can be quite filling.

The bread here is so delicious, and the price is actually unbelievably kind on the wallet. A big loaf of French Batard made with GMO winter wheat from German Hildesheim Börde region is only $4.50! Will be trying other breads here soon.

Thoughts: The breads here can actually make a fulfilling and yummy meal.

12 Gopeng St
#01-54/55 Icon Village

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Paulaner Bräuhaus - tolles deutsches Fest

At my German-speaking friend's several mentions of Paulander, I decide to spend my weekend afternoon here and enjoy some German or Bavarian fare. I have to admit the sheer variety of the menu items is one of the reasons that tempted me to here. I'm actually spoiled for choices here, especially with weekend Frühschoppen, which is free flow of ala carte items with the "F" mark.

The food here is distinctive and simulating in taste, unique, satisfying and super hearty. They are great for sharing because the portion is so huge. After an outing here, I'm so looking forward to trying more German cuisine.

The restaurant consists of three storeys, with the first being the cool, swanky bar, the second and third being incredibly cosy and full of that German rustic cottage feel. The third floor is only open on special occasions. I opt for dining at second floor and I love the feel of this place, with yellow lights, full-length windows, wooden furniture, checkered table cloth, pots of plants and flowers. This is perfect for dates, gatherings and even family outings.

The service is very good and friendly, and they know their selection of beers very well, and food too.

First time trying a Pretzel, and I love it. Served warm and fresh, I immediately catch whiffs of the lovely aroma of baked wheat as I bite through the smooth, glazed, slightly crispy surface and into the fluffy interior. With a light sprinkle of salt on the surface, it tastes so good on its own.

It also goes well with the Obazda cheese, which has the nutty flavour of Brie cheese, smooth texture and richness of butter and refreshing crunchiness of onion rings and chives.

Roast Pork Carpaccio is so unique and is served exactly how I like my pork: thinly sliced, velvety pork drizzled with clear, simulating red vinaigrette. The grated horse radish adds the extra kick and complements the subtle gamey taste of pork so much.

Schupfnudeln, German potato noodles, is actually like springy potato fingers with rich grilled aroma on the surface. It's texture is like gnocchi, which is one of my favourite potato dishes. The accompanying Sauerkraut is really drenched in lactic acids, yielding the distinctive sour taste. I like the texture of the fine, thin strips of fermented cabbage. And this actually contrasts well with the big fat potato noodles.

As I'm too full to enjoy the dessert (really bursting at the seams lol), the friendly staff offers to serve the ice-cream instead for a sweet ending.

Update: Since I always make it a point to try the dessert at any restaurants I have been to, except for those have ice-creams only for desserts, I’m back here to try some Nachtisch und Schnitzel.

Thin, tender and crispy in the outside, thus is probably the best pork cutlet I ever have. Despite the huge portion, I can actually finish this since it is so tender.

Dumpling Duo becomes Triple lol I sure don’t mind. This is quite an unique dessert, in which a ganache of chocolate or apple filling is covered with custard pudding and then coated with a thin layer of breadcrumbs to be deep-fried. The texture is really good due to the juxtapose of crispness and creaminess. The tart taste of berries adds a nice kick to the milky goodness of the custard.

What's a trip to Paulander without drinking a tall glass of Paulander's German beer? So I order a Jubilee Edition, which is refreshing and light.

Nice refreshing drinks: Orange juice and simlating Virgin Mojito.

For patrons who are not used to European cuisine, Pretzel, without the cheese, is a good choice to start with. Flammkuchen (based on my experience at another establishment), Sausages, Beer Bites and Schnitzel are other safe and good choices. One may take some time to get accustomed to the taste of Sauerkraut (think Kimchi without the spiciness).

For me, I actually love Sauerkraut and the simulating, hearty taste of the food here.

Thoughts: I do look forward to come here to enjoy more German cuisine!

9 Raffles Boulevard
Millenia Walk #01-01

Nearest MRT: Promenade