Quenino by Victor Liong - Beauty of Rich Southeast Asian Flavours

I’m back again at Quenino by Victor Liong! I have been wanting to come back as I love the myriad of Asian flavours featured in meticulously prepared dishes that were presented in European dining style. In fact, I went to all the restaurants in Artyzen due to how impressed I was with the food, luxurious Southeast Asian ambience and excellent service at Quenino.

As the meal progresses, the unique and beautiful taste of the dishes actually acutely reminds me why I love dining: To experience gastronomic surprises and be spellbound. I can feel the lots of care and love put in the food here because of the sheer number of exotic ingredients added to yield a medley of hamonised distinctive balanced tastes.

The service is as top-notch and outstanding as ever.

This restaurant is definitely of Michelin standard. A must-try for foodies and anyone who wants to experience the best of Southeast Asian cuisine.

Amuse Bouche looks so pretty and tastes so refreshing and unique with pickled root vegetables.

Pumpkin Egg Tart Sambal Belado features the beautiful creamy umami taste of Southeast Asia that is just so magical. The tart base adds a good texture and base to complement the creaminess. I’m spellbound at first bite.

Ama-Ebi Cracker with Malayan Pasembur, Macadamia and Calamansi is the lovely marriage of the sea and earth. Lots of mild flavours, from zest, savoury kick to sweetness, contained within for a complex, well balanced taste. Excellent texture too where crispness juxtaposes so well with the springy texture of the raw prawn.

Baby Cucumber with Caramelised Lemongrass Chilli, Kaffir Lime and Finger Lime is vegetarian but can rival any meat dish. So earthy, so intense and so refreshing.

Raw Spencer Gulf Kingfish with White Fungi, White Radish, Burnt Garlic, White Soy Cream is unbelievably good. My first thought at first mouthful is "How can it be this good?" It is so, so good that I swoon silently in delight. And I marvel at the uniqueness of the taste. The fish tastes creamy, tangy and fresh at at the same time. And there is a spark of pure sweetness hidden within that surprises and tantalises the palates.

I do wonder if House-Made Flatbread, Full-Blood Wagyu, Green Chilli will be too gamey in taste due to the description of “Full-Blood”. The dish turns out to be so well-balanced in taste. Meaty flavour of waguy is balanced by the spiciness plus pungency of green chilli, tangy flavours and super fluffy flat bread. Another outstanding dish.

Indonesian mango with chilli oil is unique and refreshing, full of floral creaminess. Mosr unique and best palate cleanser.

Threadfin with Kokum Pearl Meat (meat of a kind of pearl producing clam), Garlic Shoots, Shrimp Floss Samphire Garam Masala is so full of goodies. Indonesian mangosteen is uniquely added to balance the creaminess with its mild zest so as to highlight the sweetness of the fish. The crunchiness of the vegetables makes it even better.

Dry Aged Lacquered Duck has a crispy honey glazed skin that juxtaposes so well with the succulent flesh. Experience duck with four different flavours by wrapping with different ingredients in the thin fermented Rice Pancakes. The gamey taste of duck is cut through and rendered sweeter by the pungency Coriander Seed and other herbs, plus the zest and spiciness of Sambal Ijo. Superb combinations.

This is the most unique and best duck dish I ever have. Another must-try here.

Taro Ice Cream Sweet Potato and Roselle has lots of textures, creamy and earthy flavours. Fermented Rice Wine introduces an exciting kick to the taste and hold together the different flavours. Most outstanding Ice Cream I ever have.

Petits Fours astound me too with the unique creations such as Glutinous rice Cake with Coconut Cream, Tamarind Caramel and Dark Chocolate with a special Ganache.

Excellent recommendation of sparkling 100% Pinot Noir. I totally love it.

Wine from China for the adventurous me. It's actually good!

Got a tasting of the rare Ice Wine. It is fruity and sweet, and more intense in taste.

Thoughts: Southeast Asian Gastronomy at its Best

9 Cuscaden Road Level 4

Tribal Dining - Little Exotic Surprises that Excite and Enchant

This restaurant is no longer in operation

As I always have a love for fusion food and have so far been really impressed with the repertoire of restaurants in Mondrian Hotel, Tribal Dining naturally goes into my wishlist. And a visit here cements that love and reminds me of why I have a preference for fusion cuisine. I love the food so much that I add-on two appetisers to my lunch course, which is of good value given the high quality of the ingredients and food.

The food lovingly combines the rich flavours of Asian food and the delicate meticulous preparation of European cuisine, spices up with tribal theme of fire, wood and grill to serve up food with familiar yet unique at the same time, delicious flavours. The core ingredients are flavourful and succulent, featuring that lovely natural sweetness. The accompanying condiments, such as laksa leaves, kaffir lime, elevate the dishes to another level. Savouring the food here is like enjoying the breeze, the smell of ocean and sight at the beach, and then out of nowhere, I catch a surprising whiff of BBQ aroma. I don’t expect it but I’m sure loving it.

The place is exactly like its namesake “Tribal”. In the space full of modern sensibilities and classiness due to the  dark furniture, dark walls, classy tableside lamps with soft yellow lights, polished metal finishings and grey plush sofas, the distinctive touches of tribal elements blend seamlessly into it. Rattan curtains, ornamental rattan roof and brick red walls make this space unique and immersive.

The service is excellent: professional, friendly, attentive and makes very good recommendations on wines, thus making this dining experience an absolutely awesome one.

Hamachi Crudo with charred orange ponzu features the sweetest yellowtail, I totally mean it in a good way. It is that kind of meaty sweetness tempered with brininess, which develops into a savoury sweetness as I chew on it. Pickled jicama refreshes the palates and provides that crunchiness, thus going perfectly with the meat, Ikura added adds an extra oomph of briny goodness.

Clarence River Prawns with smoked chicken fat is so plump, meaty and succulent. Imbued with smoky goodness, it tastes so good in its own rights. And it tastes unbelievably awesome with hints of zesty pungency of laksa gremolate and wasabina. It’s a moment of eyes widening and going “Oh my, what’s that? It tastes amazing!” Definitely my favourite.

Bouncy, juicy scallops with smoked roe, roasted chicken reduction, duck prosciutto and allium oil successfully combine the soft briny sweetness of scallops, a touch of smoky goodness and earthy meatiness of duck to create a dish full of nuanced, distinctive flavours.

Iberico Pork Chop is bursting with robust flavours of kampot pepper bbq sauce and smoky meaty sweetness of iberico pork. The meat is so juicy and tender, completed with a good firmness for great bite. This is one excellent pork dish.

Mango Bavarois is Southeast Asian’s panna cotta with a lovely medley of coconut, pandan, kaffir lime, shikwasa (a type of tangerine that looks like lime) and gula melaka ice cream. It is so unique, exotic, well-balanced in taste and good that I relish very spoonful of it.

Lovely fruity wine.

Light, mellow red, which is exactly how i like my reds.

Thoughts: Excellent Exotic Surprises that Amaze!

Braci - Amazing Beautiful Flavours

In midst of relocation 

After the wonderful and memorable lunch I had at Braci many years ago, I have been thinking of going back again. And the International Women’s Day Special at Braci gave me the exact motivation to push aside all my commitments, prior plans and beauty appointment to come here to enjoy these specially curated dishes, with southeast Asian influences, created by the female chefs at Braci. This is one of the best dining experiences I have.

Instead of serving pure Italian food for the special occasion, the dishes in the menu feature European cuisine with Southeast Asian influences, inspired by the chefs’ backgrounds. I totally love it. There are so many flavours packed in beautiful harmony within each dish, It is complex and spellbinding.

On the fifth floor is the rustic, homely setting with a very open kitchen counter. It really feels like dining in an ltalian home, with some nautical flair, where one watches the host preparing the food and then serving it fresh and hot right from the kitchen. I love that cosy feel here.

Sixth floor is like an exciting rooftop bar instead, with the quaint bar counter and 270 ° panoramic unblocked view of the Singapore River, the landscape of Marina Bay and skyline of the city. It is so breathtaking, and the soft breeze blowing makes it even better Yes, I feel like I’m living it up when dining here. It is the moment that I feel “this is pure enjoyment of life”.

The service is exceptional, impeccable and friendly, completing the exceptional experience of savouring awesome food with awesome ambience and service.

Makan Makan by Chef Li Vian is a lovely trio of Tom Kha Kai, Corn Tarlet and Scallop Semifreddo. I love the transition from simulating taste of Tom Kha Kai to smokiness of Corn Tarlet, and finally to luxurious treat of Scallop Semifreddo. The vegetal clean pungency of shiso leaf crispy bits adds a layer of depth to the zest of tom yum, awakening the palates. And the smoky and toasty flavours of corn tartlet ventures into another totally different region of taste profile. Such contrast in taste is a really delightful surprise. Silky, light, fluffy semifreddo encasing briny sweet scallop, injected with a dash of excitement from the shiso leaf, is so opulently good.

Suan Ni Bai Rou by Chef Aaron is one of the best pork dish I have. With the pork belly soaked with wine, sprinkled with fried shallots, paired with umami rich Sakura Ebi Furikake and zesty cool Cucumber Snow, the medley of rich flavours is amazing.

Yummy Sourdough bread, being crispy on the outside and fluffy, stretchy on the side, is served warm and in generous portion. 

Another dish by Aaron: Sarawak Laksa is Raviolone stuffed with minced prawn and chicken soaked in coconut chawamushi and buzzed up by the tang of tamarind. Another excellent dish.

Aglio&Olio, But I don't like Garlic is very interestingly named by its creater, Chef Yoke. Given a twist to Braci's signature 32 Egg Yolks Tagliolini with creamy sweet Bafun Uni, which is by the way the best pasta, garlic foam and hamaguri clams are added for the extra oomph in taste and crunchy texture. Another one of my favourites. The Tagliolini here is a must-try.

Gomasaba Percik by Chef Liv is a traditional Malaysian dish given the lux upmarket treatment with the use of cured Japanese Mackerel. Moist and soft, the rich sweetness of mackerel is spiced up and well-balanced by the tangy taste of Green Mango and pungency of Myoga, which is Japanese ginger. I never expect myself to like eating mackerel due to its stronger taste, but this dish totally changes my mind. 

Another mains is by Chef Yoke, who switched out venison to pork from Hungary at my request. The bitterness and richness of dark chocolate goes so well with the succulent meat featuring the right firmness. the clean taste of white asparagus from France cuts through the fats nicely for q well-rounded taste. 

Tropical Tart by Pastry Chef Yasmin is a delightful dessert made up of mango mousse, passion fruit and coconut sorbet. Full of nuanced flavours, it tastes refreshing and rich at the same time. I love it.

Gula Gula is Yasmin's rendition of Southeast Asian petit fours, consisting of TiramiChoux, Raspberry Mochi and Dark Chocolate Bonbon. My favourite is Raspberry Mochi that is filled with cream cheese. So powdery soft, the mochi has lovely combination of light, tangy raspberry and rich, savoury cream cheese.

Lovely white wine with light, refreshing, floral notes

Fruity Floral Cocktail that suits my taste exactly.

Thoughts: Amazing Beautiful Experience that hits all the Sweet Spots