My Spirits and Wine Collection

After gathering a collection of spirits and some wines, I realise that for myself, wine is excellent as accompaniment to food and yes, I always order wine when fine dining. But when it comes to drinking the beverage by itself, spirit is my choice instead.

I simply prefer the rich, intense, sweet taste of spirit while wine has varying degrees of tannins that I absolutely appreciate when pairing with food, but not so much on its own. And since spirit is more intoxicating and carries no sugars, it is perfect for drinking late at night to relax.

And I also realise I do not get hangover from quality spirits, quality wines and quality sakes. Otherwise, it’s real bad for me.

My collection of liquor. The best part of liquor is that I don’t need to store them in fridge and I can keep them for as long as I want. There is no hurry to finish an opened bottle within days.

Yasen barrel 40% tastes savoury sweet with intense taste profile of brown sugar and dried fruits.

Kanosuke Single malt Japanese Whisky features the aroma of wood and it totally changes my perspective that whisky is heavy and has strong medicinal aroma. Yes, after this, I start to appreciate whisky. At first, it tastes smooth and bitter, now it tastes smooth and sweet. Amazing.

Nardini reminds of woods and fruits. I fall in love with it at first sip.

Hampten is my favourite. Yes, I’m officially a fan of rum! This is full of the funk of dried fruits. So intense and so sweet.

Yasen Gold speaks of the sweetness of vanilla ❤️

Graoma Red that has the mild aroma of oak but not overwhelming. I love it. Goes perfectly with Iberico ham.

Best dessert wine comes in the form of Gramona Vi de Glass. It is do smooth, not too sweet, and goes amazingly well with any desserts. My favourite dessert wine of all.

Gramona Wine Dinner at Tinto - Fantastic Experience

Gramona Wine Dinner at Tinto organised by ewineasia.com immediately got my attention and I immediately jumped on it. Because I love the food at Tinto, it features that distinctive taste of authentic Español cuisine, defining it from other European cuisine. I really feel like I’m transported to Spain when dining here.

And this turns out to be one of the best experiences I have. Talking to the winemaker himself, Leon Gramona, really deepens my appreciation of the wines made. When paired with the amazing food, it’s “wow, wow, wow” moment. I also love how different types of wines (bubbles, signature, white, red, dessert) are brought into the picture to keep things varied and exciting. I can say Gramona wines are definitely my favourite now. And Gramona III Lustros is the best Bubbles. 

The food is my-oh-my delicious and unique. So robust, balanced and harmonised in flavours. Definitely evokes my love for Espanõl food again.

Gramona, Imperial Brut 2018 is lovely bubbles that refreshes the palates with a base note of creamy mousse.

Super fluffy bread with stretchy texture that goes perfectly with the olive oil.

Mini Cevichito Catalan, packed with lots of goodies such as Marinated Red Snapper, Romesco Tiger's Milk and Cherry Tomatoes, is refreshing, tangy and surprisingly creamy. The well-balanced multitude of flavours perk up and spellbind the palates. The Toasted Almonds add a good crunchy texture and earthy tone to this awesome starter.

The bubbles in III Lusteos, 2015, are so fine that they cannot be seen by naked eye. But I can feel them when drinking the wine. So smooth yet so exciting. This kimd of bubbles is formed through 15 years aging of the wine. The quality truly shows here. This is a must-try.

Vieiras Gratinada incites the “oh-my, this is unbelievablely good” reaction from me and wverat the table. Roasted Scallops on the shell, topped with Butter, Cava, Ibérico Ham Cinco Jotas and finished with Gratinated with Machego Cheese is so creamy, savoury and conplex. It’s nothing like I tasted before! It is so amazing in taste with so many distinctive taste notes yet all are harmonised. The mild briny sweetness of scallops actually comes through the myriad of flavours and nutty meatiness of ibérico to be even better.

This is the moment I’m so glad that I sign up for this Wine Dinner.

Taco De Pulpo features Grilled Spanish Octopus with Soft Corn Tortilla, Lemon Aioli, Pickled Spanish Onions and Coriander. So meaty, so flavourful, so exciting in taste. When topped at some of the specialty aromatic spicy sauce, it’s fiery and tantalising. I love this too.

Mas Escorpi is the white featured for the day. And it goes so well with the spicy Taco. It’s a very refreshing experience to feel that aromatic intense spiciness spreading in the mouth and then immediately cooling it down with this wine.

Paella Latina Con Chanchito is a a medley of Bomba Rice, Ají Panca Chiila, Ibérico Pork Jowl, Cured Chorizo, Pork Cracklings and Habanero Chilli Mayo. And it works brilliantly. The texture is awesome in that the fluffy, delicious, starchy rice juxtaposes so well with the crunchiness of the Pork Cracklings and chewiness of Pork Jowl and Cured Chorizo. The taste is robust, bursting with lots of flavours, yet very well-balanced at the sane time.

L'Enclos De Paralba Vi Fi De Masia Negre 2020 has that light aroma of oak that perks up the taste without overwhelming the palates. Yes, I got this too.

Suspiro De  is Traditional Passion Fruit Custard with Meringue and a touch of Cinnamon. This is tanginess, sweetness, creaminess and spiciness rolled into harmony to yield an exciting, lovely dessert.

Dessert wine, Gramona Vi De Glass 2023, is mellow and very balanced in sweetness, exactly how I like it. And yes, I got a bottle of this because it is so good.

Thoughts: One of the best Experiences!

10 Dempsey Road #01-21

Chapter 1 Wine Bar & Restaurant - Library of Wines, Stash of Good Food and a Touch of Cool Elegance

This restaurant is no longer in operation.

I found a cool new restaurant, Chapter 1, while walking around Outram area and appreciating the  architecture of quaint heritage buildings. This place caught my attention with its cool black modern signboard affixed just below an oriental style roof flanked by thick foliage. This East meets West element is done very well, enticing me to take a peek at what's beyond the entrance. And wow, a nice courtyard that is perfect for party and mingling, an idyllic porch and a classy interior.

Since I also like what's on the menu, I shelve aside my original dining plans and have a nice lunch here. And I made the right choice since the food, the wine and the service here are awesome.

There is a very value for money set lunch of $38, but since I want to try the ala carte menu items instead. So here I go:

Grilled Pork Secreto is so succulent with a nice layer of fat for the buttery richness. This richness is zested up by the lovely pungent aroma of the herbs in Chimichurri Butter. The accompanying Lyonnaise Potatoes is grilled to perfection where the smoky flavour enhance the taste of the potato. They are so delicious. This is one of those few times where I'm absolutely like the potatoes. The accompanying grilled onion is oh-so-sweet that I finish every strand of it. Highly recommend.

The Sauteéd Mushrooms, which is the side dish I had chosen, is soft and flavourful.

Nice super crispy warm bread that comes with generous amount of butter. Recommend to enjoy each bite of the bread with a big cube of butter.

Joselito Iberico Ham, with its beautiful marbling of omega-rich fats, is lightly salted and firm in texture. When chewing on it, the complex flavours of the cured meat and fats released once again cement in my mind that this ham is one of the best hams. Parma Ham doesn't even come close. Unlike most hams with strong taste, this Iberico Ham holds subtle flavours that please the palates.

Sea Bream Crudo with Espelette Chilli, Orange Ponzu Dressing is like sashimi prepared European style, and I love it. The raw fish is very fresh and its taste is perked up by the simulating flavours of the zesty ponzu and nuanced kick of the chilli. And I like the perfectly cut orange slices lol. They tastes good when dapped with a bit of the flavourful oil the sea bream is soaked in.

The Chestnut Tart is a nice sweet treat that can be shared between two persons. Still, I manage to finish it by myself because it is good. I like the earthy aroma of the chestnut cream that complements the milkiness of the whipped cream underneath. The tart base gives a good variation in texture and taste to the dessert.

Domaine Rene Leclerc, Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2017 is smooth and develops a sweet taste when paired with the food. I like this so much.

Not lots of restaurants have courtyards, so I really like the courtyard of this restaurant, which gives a feeling like I'm in a mini castle or an exclusive party. Sitting at the porch and watching the world pass by across the courtyard and through the entrance is quite an experience. The interior is elegant, simple and modern with an open kitchen. And there is a long row of temperature controlled wine cabinet at the inner part of restaurant housing lots of different wines. I like sitting at the place where there are windows above me, for the different experience of sitting under windows yet still enjoying the comfort of air-conditioning and safety of the enclosure.

The service is outstanding, being very attentive, polite and thoughtful. This is a place I will think of when I want to enjoy great wine with great food.

Thoughts: Awesome Food, Wine, Service and Ambience

Wine and Chef - Local Pretty Atas Watering Hole with Good Food at Pretty Good Prices

I got to notice Wine and Chef when I passed by this restaurant and stole a quick peek at the menu (strolling was not an option at that point of my life, so no hanging around to get a better look at the menu). I liked the variety and then made a mental note to find out more about this place. I got more interested in it as I found out more. So finally coming here is like fulfilling a wish made almost a year ago. And a nice wish it is because the food is so good and comforting.

Iberico Pork Jowl is so beautifully grilled to have a lace of char while retaining the meat juices to keep the meat tender and moist. Good to be eaten on its own and also good to be eaten with the slightly tangy jaew sauce. I love this so much.

Scallop Capellini features sweet, plump, succulent Hokkaido sashimi scallop, pops of umami from the flying fish roe and very flavourful capellini, which is is a bit like our local favourite, mee kia. A very well-executed dish.

Venere Rice Pudding has the creamiest coconut ice cream that I totally love. The black rice adds the wholesomeness to the dessert. And there are edible sparkles added that will set off mini "fireworks" in the mouth. Lots of cackling and pops ensured when biting into them, which is very interesting.

The wine paring of merlot for tasting menu is smooth and actually tastes sweeter at the course of Iberico Pork Jowl.

This place is like a very cozy, comfortable den where the locals and expats hang around to enjoy good wine and good food that is prepared European style, with a bit of local twists. The service is very good, being polite and efficient. The food has elements that will cater well to the locals' taste buds and still appeal to non-locals. This is one place I will recommend to anyone wanting to take the first step into trying European style cuisine. I'm really impressed with the food here, not fancy but very delicious. There are other items in the menu I can't wait to try.

Thoughts: Great place to chill, wine and dine.

By the way, this place is pretty dark, so it's great for romantic dates. If photo snapping, remember to turn off the flash (direct flash does not make the food look good), hold the camera or phone still after taking the photos so the lens can have sufficient time to gather enough light to yield clear pictures.

7 Keong Saik Road

Nearest MRT: Outram Park

One more thing: nowadays, it's best to travel by BMW (Bus, MRT, Walk) during the CNY period and days leading to it. It's almost impossible to get a cab at the "golden timing" of noon and evening. I know because I had tried on different days.