Hortus - Relaxing and Dining in the Gardens

After a round of picture-snapping of the beautiful roses in Flower Dome, I decide that I just want to chill and relax a bit. And here is where Hortus comes in, since this cafe, flanked with lots greenery and blooms, is right within the dome.

The atmosphere is definitely awesome with botanical theme infused with Mediterranean vibes. Perfect for lounging and just enjoying some Greek snacks.

Fried School Prawns, Calamari, Smelt, Garlic Aioli features crispy batter with this lovely unique texture that is fine and has an iota of soufflé, completed with Mediterranean herbs. Super tasty, and the creamy pungent tanginess of the aioli makes it even better.

Refreshing Orange Juice

Thoughts: Nice Place to Chill in the Midst of the Garden

18 Marina Gardens Drive

#01-09 Level 2 Flower Dome

Tung Lok Seafood - Good Chinese Restaurant

When at Gardens by the Bay, I had always chosen to dine at the Chinese restaurant there, excluding the two times where I dined at Pollen and Fennel cafe respectively. I guess the feel of dining at a spacious place with blue and white nautical theme is too appealing, especially when the food is good. So when I'm finally back at Gardens by the Bay, I straightaway walk into the doors of Tung Lok Seafood. And it is a good choice made on impulse 😉 with yummy food and good service.

Steamed Prawn with Minced Garlic is so garlicky good. I love it that heaps of finely minced pungent garlic with oil are stacked on top of each fresh succulent prawns. It feels so nostalgic and good to feast on this classic Chinese dish that I miss so much.

Pan-fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Shrimp and Chives is super crispy with flavourful prawn and chives filling. Another good excellent old school dim sum reinvented with the special tangy slightly spicy sauce. This sauce makes this classic dim sum the best among its counterparts.

Thoughts: Fresh Seafood! My choice to go to when at Gardens by the Bay

18 Marina Gardens Dr, #01-10 Gardens by the Bay

Sospiri - Delicate Tastes, Hearty Portions, Splendid Time

Been a fan of Braci, which was under ilLido Group, I, naturally, put Sospiri, a new dining concept by the group, into my Wishlist. And given that this new restaurant has an open rooftop bar overlooking Marina Bay, where one can see the National Day Parade Fireworks, I planned my National Day celebration and my lovely sister’s birthday celebration at this place a month ago. I’m glad I did because all tables were fully booked a week before the big day. I’m so happy with my choice since the food here is so awesome that my sister raves about it, and the excellent hospitality here makes for a lovely time here.

The food here comes in hearty portions, featuring delicate, distinctive flavours of Southern Italy. The taste will please most palates, making this place perfect for gatherings, where everyone can be wowed over by the unique subtle rustic flavours without overwhelming patrons unfamiliar with European dining.

The rooftop bar is very impressive. It is posh and hip, with the striking bar counter, stacked with wine bottles and illuminated by the yellow lights, standing against the dark background of the city at night. The best part is the bar is surrounded huge areas of greenery, so it feels like enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Marina in the midst of a garden.

The dining area is impressive too with a sense of modern grandeur due to the high ceiling, tastefully highlighted with a ring of violet light to add the vibrancy and boldness. The classic dark wooden furniture, white linen tablecloths and wine glasses lining the shelves seamlessly incorporate the rustic, nostalgic elements into the posh modernity.

The service here is awesome, being friendly and professional. Especially the young lad in charge of my table, who takes very good care of us during dinner and goes the extra mile to learn to say “thanks” in German after knowing that I’m learning this language.

Insalata di Granchio Jumbo Lump Crab Salad with Caroselli Cumcumbers and Pizzutelli Tomatoes is one of the best salads we ever have. The super sweet tomatoes have a hint of savoury tang and refreshing tart taste, making it one of the best tomatoes we have tried. The crunchy cucumber adds this excellent texture and clean taste to complement the huge chucks of firm, briny sweet crab. The taste of the salad is a complex medley of subtle flavours.

Crispy warm Focaccia Bread has this extra savoury herbal taste that I relish.

Spaghetti with Sicilian Red Prawns and Cetera Colatura pleasantly surprises me with an iota of tangy flavour lacing the smooth strands of al dente pasta packed with flavours. The prawns are full of essence of the ocean.

Picchiapò di Guancia Wagyu Beef Cheek with Truffled Roman Gnocchi features meaty, juicy, pliable braised beef  that goes so well with the pickled onions and the semolina and potato based gnocchi. The gnocchi is a bit like mashed potato, with slightly springy texture that I love. The rich, unique, earthy aroma of truffle makes it even better.

Sospiri al Pistachio Angel Cake Puffs with Bronte Pistachio Chantitilly is like white chocolate puffs with extra richness from Pistachio.

Diplomatica Lemon Custard Millefeuille with Alkermes Sponge and Meringue impresses me with how unique it is, in terms of both taste and texture. The sweet meringue is creamy and light with a dash of stickiness, going very well with the richness of the cake and tart taste of the lemon custard.

Alcohol-free cocktails 💖

I love the floral design on the plates here. So rustic, delicate and homely!

Thoughts: Lovely Dishes with Delicate Tastes

2 Central Boulevard

IOI Central Boulevard Towers #07-02

Nozomi - Unique Yummy Japanese Dishes

Nozomi, the restaurant at the end of Nihon Street in Millenia Walk, is surprisingly crowded given its secluded location.

What I like about this place is the repertoire of interesting and unique dishes not found anywhere else. In fact, I want to try them all, if the wallet allows.

Sakura Ebi is claypot filled with premium stuff such as Sakura Ebi for the essence of the sea and slices of truffle for the earthy aroma. And lots of ikura added for pops of umami. The starchy rice imbued with these flavours is really a wholesome treat. So good that other seasonings is no needed.

Salmon Lovers Platter is pretty good too.

The place is more of Izakaya style and the service is decent.

Frankly speaking, I feel do very satisfied after a meal here and I want so much to come here again to try all the different dishes like Hokkaido Scallop Black Truffle Capellini, Pidan Tofu, Hotate and Amaebi Don, Hokkaido Uni Chawamushi, Truffle Salt Potato Noisette, Smoked Duck Salad and Amebi Age. And Sakura Ebi gave a nice preview of the quality of food here. But circumstances disallows me to do so. Yup, personal issues … If I have the chance, will like to write more about other dishes.

Thoughts: Unique and Delicious Japanese Food with a Twist

Nearest car park: Millenia Walk’s car park

Nearest MRT: Promenade

9 Raffles Boulevard

Millenia Walk #02-06

Singapore

Sandaime Hiraki - Wholesome Japanese Meals plus … Japanese Oden Rice!

A new kid on the block of Nihon Street at Millenia Walk is here (sort of, this piece is way overdue), keeping up with the tradition of providing quality Japanese food!

One of the reasons that this restaurant is worth a visit is the “Japanese Chicken Rice” (my own words) served with all the meals here. Actually, it is rice cooked in oden (a kind of Japanese soup, not chicken), but my first impression is that it tastes like chicken rice. Starchy in texture, not too oily, but thoroughly captured the essence of ingredients of oden, thus intensely flavourful, this rice is so good that I can have a second helping of it. Since I love the starchiness of Japanese rice, this version of “chicken rice” is absolutely my favourite “chicken rice”.

Tontoro Bento is highly recommended. The meat is slightly tougher, but the taste of it is so good. Nutty goodness of the fats of the pork bursts into the mouth when taking a bite off it. I also like the raw egg and miso soup that come with it.

Sashimi is decent, being fresh.

Skewers is pretty good, a nice side dish to order.

The place is very bright, airy and clean, great for a relaxing meal. If you want to be seen by passerby, can opt to sit beside the open window by the corridor. I mean, why not, if you are looking great.

Thoughts: Good food at good prices. One of my regular places to go to.

9 Raffles Boulevard

#02-10/11

Singapore

Nearest car park: Millenia Walk’s car park

Nearest MRT: Promenade MRT

Bistro G - For that Idyllic Meal Time

Imagine being in a relaxing setting and enjoying Bistro Breakfast decked with juicy sausage, crispy bacon, wholesome toast and scrambled egg, plus fresh tomato slices and leafy veggies to perk thing up. Ah, that’s life. That’s the experience of dining at Bistro G.

Given the high ceiling, minimalistic white setting, lots of natural light peeking through the glass walls, and ample of space between tables, it is so easy to feel relaxed at this place. And the food is very good to go along with.

Talking about the food, what I like here is the interesting menu featuring unique items. One good example is the Pulled Pork Challah, which is super flavourful, juicy shredded pork drizzled with cheddar sauce sandwiched between soft, fluffy challah bun. This is bursting with flavours. Definitely a highlight of this place.

The same goes for Chicken Katsu Burger that has deep fried chicken patty, special sauce of horseradish and brioche bun instead. The chef knows exactly what kind of unique sauce to pair with his burgers, since it really works beautifully.

One of the weak links here is the Lobster Roll. Yes, the sauce goes very well with the generous chucks of lobster meat, but the meat is cold. In fact, I think it is taken straight out of the fridge. It may be just me, but I want freshly cooked meat to be in my burger, to feel the hot juices of the meat rush out to soak the bun when I bite into it. And the lobster meat is pretty tough and bland. This is not the fault of the cook though since based on my experiences, lobster dishes have always been the overpriced “meh” item on the menu. Lobster is basically the overhyped tasteless, tough cousin of prawns. I really need to stop ordering lobster despite how promising it looks.

See the two sad-looking pieces of sourdough toast here? It looks pretty unimpressive, but the bread is pretty good, full of subtle flavours. My problem with this is for its hefty price, there is no butter provided. Yes, I need to pay extra for the butter. Now the toast is truly very sad-looking. I definitely will not order this ever again.

Note: Looks like there is an update in the menu where butter is now provided. Geez, it’s about time. But due to the bad experience, I’m still not touching that.

Service is functional, but I got to give credit to the girl who kept her cool when I looked like I was going to blow up at the knowledge that no butter was provided for the expensive toast.

Thoughts: Great place to relax and enjoy good food.

Nearest car park: Millenia Walk’s car park

Nearest MRT: Promenade

9 Raffles Boulevard

Millenia Walk #01-79/80

Singapore

Contact No: 8264 3328

Gochi So Shokudo - Value for Money Premium Black Pig Feasts

Iberico pork is renowned for being the best due to the rarity of the breed, high level of oleic acid, the marbling and the nutty aroma resulted from the pigs’ unique diet. So naturally, it will cost an arm and a leg to savour this premium pork. So imagine our excitement when the new kid on the block of Nihon Street at Millenia Walk, Gochi So Shokudo, offers Iberico set meals at a very affordable price range of $15 onwards.

Secreto Belly Don immediately got my attention when I was flipping through the menu full of all kinds of Iberico pork dishes, being prepared in various ways: from stir fried, charcoal grilled to deep fried. For one, it is not often that I can find in other Japanese restaurants pork prepared this way: chargrilled till the exterior is imbued with strong aroma of roasted meat while retaining the succulent texture in the middle. It is a bit like char siew meat actually, except that it is more premium. Needless to say, it tastes very good. The marbling makes the meat tender and juicy. And it helps that the rice is well-cooked, being firm and starchy.

Bellota Iberico Katsu features, again, fresh, succulent, juicy meat, wrapped in a layer of crispy deep fried breadcrumbs. This, of course, gets the thumbs-up from us.

Teriyaki Bellota Iberico Loin Donburi set is oh-so-good too. And for obviously the same reasons as Secreto Belly Don and Bellota Iberico Katsu. The meat in this dish is like katsu being grilled and then being drizzled with the flavourful teriyaki sauce. And it works. Though this dish is seasonal, so if you see it, gonna try it before it disappears from the menu.

For the price I’m paying for Iberico pork, I know the ambience of the place will not be fancy and posh. And I’m right, in fact, it is like atas foodcourt setting, but I’m not complaining. I will take premium goods with great pricing any time over fancy setting.

And yes, I am a regular of this place already.

Thoughts: Must try! For the sake of your palates and wallet.

Nearest car park: Millenia Walk's car park
Nearest MRT: Promenade

Millenia Walk #02-16
9 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore

Fennel Cafe - The Place to Relax and Enjoy Good Food

Closed

After I realized my deep appreciation of flowers and photography, I had been going to Gardens by the Bay on regular basis. After patronizing Majestic Bay Restaurant countless of times, I decide to dine at Fennel on my latest outing.

Ambience wise, the place is unparalleled. Nested within the Flower Dome, where the ceiling is made of glass, it really feels like one is dining at a outdoor garden while enjoying the cool weather.

Under this setting, it is a joy to enjoy a warm, flaky, buttery croissant with butter and jam. What a way to spend the morning. Actually, I was there for lunch, but since I reached the place way earlier than 11:30am, I ordered the croissant to try instead. And after finishing the croissant, I am all hyped up to try the dishes in Fennel’s lunch menu.

Salmon Carpaccio, fennel and grapefruit, is a refreshing dish due to the addition of fennel and grapefruit. The slight bitterness of the grapefruit actually accentuates the flavours of the salmon. It is a nice dish to whet the appetite but I cannot say it is exceptional since it is still salmon.

Potato Gnocchi, kale pesto, is exceptional though. I love the super crispy curly kale peppered with salt. One light bite on the leaf, it breaks into tiny flavourful flakes. Potato gnocchi is springy and starchy, thus making for a hearty meal. And it goes so well with the pesto sauce, which features the distinctive aroma of basil and garlic. The paper-thin slices of cheese add dots of zest and creaminess to the dish. This is one delicious, wholesome yet healthy mains.

Service is decent. I have to admit that I was expecting service to be exceptional in such setting.

I do like this cafe a lot since the items in the menu look really interesting. And the two I have tried prove to be unique and delicious. I cannot wait to try more of Fennel’s offerings the next time I go to Gardens by the Bay.

Thoughts: Nice!

Tis restaurant is no longer in operation.