Dill - Lovely Amazing Scandinavian Cuisine

I know that I will come back to Dill again after my first outing here because I love the unique flavours of Scandinavian fine-dining style cuisine here, realised with Japanese and Norwegian ingredients, the super cosy feel of the restaurant and the great hospitality of the owners.

The dishes here all pleasantly surprise me with special flavours of Scandinavian herbs, resulting unique tastes of fermentation techniques and how all these robust flavours are tied nicely together. I'm amazed that while Japanese ingredients are used, the dishes taste distinctively Scandinavian.

Decked in pine wood, the restaurant has this upmarket homely cosy feel, that is so different from those at other places, due to the host/owner's passion for the restaurant, evident from the beautiful floral arrangements on display in the space.

I definitely will be back here again to enjoy awesome Scandinavian cuisine in a cosy place.

I always love Scallops but at that time, I also wondered if the distinctive taste of this seafood could be transformed to be different yet still distinctively scallop. And Chef Daniel Hasvold Jung-Eldøy is one of the few chefs who can do just that. The unique herbal taste of lovage lifts up the milky sweetness of the plump juicy super sweet scallops while the emulsion balances the flavours while adding hints of zesty excitement. Amazing taste and texture too, due to the excellent juxtapose of crunchy leek and bouncy scallops.

Complimentary snack comes in the form of Truffle and Asparagus Tart, which has crunchy bits of asparagus introducing tiny bits of savoury excitement within the smooth creamy core elevated with the earthy aroma of truffle. A good exciting start.

When I saw that uni is one of the ingredients in the first appetizer, I thought it would taste Japanese. I’m so surprised to find that this dish tastes amazingly and distinctively Scandinavian. The cured egg yolk shavings, which contributes to the unique taste of the dish, with the spicy horseradish, punctuate through the briny umami of uni for a soft creamy, savoury, slightly zesty awesome taste. The crunchy, smooth turnip pieces add good hearty bites to the texture.

Langoustine from Norway is so unbelievably tender and juicy. With the seasoning sprinkled on the langoustine, plus the fermented leek and herbal freahness of parsley, the first bite of this makes me go, “Wow, this is so good!” This tastes like lots of unique flavours rolled into one light balanced harmonised taste. A must-try order here.

I’m not a fish person, but I totally love the Halibut here, which is fresh, pliable and succulent, with a touch of roasted goodness of meat. The zest of the sauce and the taste of dill cut through briny sweetness of the Halibut to elevate the taste. Crunchy vegetables such as cubed cucumber and corn add so mich to the texture and the taste.

I’m not a chicken person either since the breast meat is usually too plain, tough and dry while the thigh meat has tendons and strong gamey taste. But the spring chicken here actually tastes so good, where thr breast meat is so tender and flavourful. The light sauce enhances the sweetness of the meat. The paper thin chicken skin is super crispy, making it a delight to munch on with the meat. The mizuna leaves and ramson capers adds additional texture and herbal goodness to the dish. Best chicken dish!

The dessert pleasantly surprises me by how balanced the taste of strawberries is in here. The high tangy taste of strawberry is balanced by the custard and lemon verbena while the biscuits, kolakaka, add warmth and variation to the texture. The custard is so good, in the sense that it is creamy but not heavy. Excellent dessert.

I got to the try awesome Norwegian spirit, which tastes fresh and sweet. A must-try!

A special wine that tastes like rum 💖 I love it!

Thoughts: Incredible Unique Dining Experience full of warmth

33 Duxton Road

Velveté Boutique Cafe & Nails - Cosy Cafe for Great Snacks, Nail Care and Self Care

I just found one of the coziest cafes, which is Velveté Boutique! This cafe is all about pampering oneself with specially crafted drinks, home-baked goodies, curated snacks, chill time in the cozy space, self care and yes, nail care. I immediately feel all cosy and relaxed the moment I step into this quaint place that radiates warmth from the soft warm light illuminating the space, cute florals and ornaments, spots of subtle elegance from the flowers and plants, plush sofas and photos pasted onto the wall.

The lovely owner, Lynn, who is so friendly and candid, is very passionate about creating a space for patrons to feel totally at ease, thus able to indulge in the drinks, food and services here.

Since I join the Ladies’ Networking Event here, where I get to just chill, relax, make a cute magnet and learn self-care techniques, I get to sample all the food items here. And they are so good that I go back for second helping.

Will I go back just for the food, ambience and maybe some nail care? Absolutely yes!

Crumbly, buttery scones are such hearty treats.

Taiwanese Tempura, at second tier of the tea set, is a savoury treat that features awesome slightly sticky, pillowy soft texture.

From the top of the tea set: Brownies, Scallion Lotus Bites, Spicy Otak Roll

The Brownies here, freshly homemade, are lava chocolate cakes, in solid form. This cake is so chocolatey good, rich and has the perfect texture of crumbly exterior with a viscous molten core. A must-try here.

Another must-try is the signature Banana Cake (no photo since I got distracted 😂). Made only with ripe bananas, this super fluffy cake is packed with the aroma of banana and lovely warm taste of baked goods.

I totally love Scallion Lotus Bites due to a medley of balanced robust flavours from the paprika seasoning, and the interesting texture of crunchy lotus root slice juxtaposing with the tempura batter coating.

Spicy Otak Roll has a balanced spiciness for the excitement in taste and complements the awesome buttery flaky puff pastry. A hearty treat. 

Almost 360 degrees view of the place.

Everything set up for the Ladies' Networking Night ❤️

The Rabbit Fridge Magnet is made by me from origami paper and stickers 😉 I actually took 15 minutes to find the materials that I felt is my style. The sakura origami paper speaks of Japanese whimsical that I love. I saw lots of pretty stickers, but most are of English style. When I finally saw the rabbits, I went, “Yes!” Then I get a butterfly sticker from the English stickers to add in design for variation and focus. I’m proud if this work 😊

Thoughts: Awesome Lovely Cafe to indulge in Great Snacks, Nail Care and Self Care

#03-24 Alexander Central Mall

Alexander Road

Province 2.0 - Refined Amazing Local Flavours

Whenever I want to enjoy meticulously crafted, refined local flavours, Province is definitely one of the restaurants that come to mind. And so here I am again to experience Province 2.0, a new dining concept with revamps on flavours, plus additional unexpected surprises. The food is as good as ever, featuring familiar local flavours presented in unique, awesome ways that makes me go, “This is so different from the usual taste!”

This is one memorable meal filled with lots of gastronomic surprises. And Chef Jia-Jun and his team make sure we feel right at home with their great hospitality.

First appetiser reminds me of my favourite CNY flower-shaped cookie. And this old-school beloved CNY goodie is given an elevation and twist by pairing with luxurious goodies such as Chutoto, caviar and sakura ebi. The taste is so nostalgic and exciting at the same time due to the briny sweetness of caviar and creaminess of chutoro punctuated by the herbal zest of laksa emulsion. The crispiness of the cracker adds texture to the paste-like chutoro.

The next appetiser looks simple but is surprisingly full of subtle harmonised flavours, from earthy mild sweetness of potato, intense refreshing savoury goodness of ikura to the richness of the organic eggs.

Our familiar Bao is given an awesome makeover with uni and Japanese white corn to yield a bao that tastes so unique and good. This is full of creamy umami savoury goodness, balanced by the mild buttery sweetness of corn and the mild nutty sweetness of the fluffy bao. This is like lava bao, lux umami version. So decadent, so good!

A surprise not in the menu comes in the form of Prawn Toast! It’s amazingly and surprisingly, wow, so good. It taste distinctively prawn, yes, but at the same time unlike any prawn dish I had tasted.  I love this new exploration of the taste of prawn. The sago cake has light crispiness and a bit of stickiness to have that "revealing the core" kind of surprise on the palates. The savoury taste of prawn is layered with the sweetness of prawn, made even more distinctive when topped with prawn caramel.

When I first see Province's interpretation of the Rojak, I thought this dish will be super zesty and refreshing. Imagine my surprise to find that yes, it has the zesty, refreshing elements, it is also incredibly naturally sweet, elevated by the earthy Southeast Asian taste of jambu stuffed into the tomato, belacan sauce, the accompanying vegetables and cashew nuts. Rich and refreshing at the same time. Brilliant 

The old school favoutite Wanton gets the star treatment, where the stuffing is made up of shrimps, dried flounder and Sarawak pork for marriage of the sweetness from the sea and land, completed with the earthy taste of airy light Shitake foam. The pork is specially chosen for its milder taste. This dish tastes so comforting and sweet, with lots of flavours dancing on the palates, like the sea, the earth and the garden coming together.

Soon Hock is interestingly prepared like Amadai to yield a great contrast in texture, with a more earthy and unique taste profile that totally goes so well with the sour-spicy umami-rich smoked mussel curry. Different from usual Soon Hock, this one tastes more refined where the smooth pliable flesh is highlighted by the deep fried crispy scales. The mild zesty spicy curry balances the taste of the fish and add excitement to it. The zest from the confit fennel lifts up the spiciness to make it even better. 

Savoury palate cleanser exploring the entire taste spectrum, with a Southeast Asian flair. And it works!

Aged for 10 days with lemongrass, then roasted before resting for 2 days, the Braised herbal duck, packed with star anise, coriander seeds, Thai makwan pepper, galangal, tastes nourishing and is so flavourful, while light and balanced in taste. The hint of zest brightens up the taste. The meat is so tender and succulent yet has a good firm bite to it. Best braised duck, of course!

Second part of the duck dish has fluffy Sarawak Highland long-grained rice served with duck consomme that has a lovely hint of herbal bitterness. Cognac is added for the extra lux. I totally love the amazingly slightly fluffy duck sausage that has the local flair. This dish tastes so satisfying and comforting like Chinese sausage rice, but elevated and more elegant in taste and texture.

Mango and Glutinous Rice is like mango fantasy with textures. Mango sorbet, mango cubes, cute bouncy glutinous rice balls and crispy deep fried mung beans seasoned with chilli and salt, comes together for an exciting dessert.

Kaya toast is oh so good due to the fluffy brioche soaked with coconut milk, brushed with butter and coconut flower sugar. It has a hint of savoury goodness and refreshing element, compledted with the earthy taste of sourdough ice cream, richness of egg yolk jam and kick of the maldon sea salt. This is so good and satisfying to enjoy. 

Unique Petite Fours is in the form of Black Pepper Financier and Pink Guava Candy. I titally savouring them so much too.

The glorious display of the ingredients used for the dishes of the night.

Thoughts: Awesome Fine Local Delights

153 Joo Chiat Road

Province by Law Jia-Jun - Fine, delicate, amazing Southeast Asian Cuisine

I’m back for some atas Southeast Asian cuisine at Province. Because at here, I get to experience refined unique and meticulously prepared food with a hint of familiarity. In addition, the snacks of this autumn menu feature prawn, lobster and crab, which are my trio of favourite proteins, so I definitely make it a point to come here for autumn season. And the dishes here continue to impress with their multifaceted tastes and varied textures.

I’m so pleasantly surprised by the intense, complex umami sweetness of Prawn and Sago Toast with Uni. That soft punch of flavours really makes me go, “Wow” at first bite. I also love it that it is different from the usual toast due to the sago, resulting in an awesome texture that is crispy on the outside and chewy in the centre.

Lobster Tartare, Hamburger and Flatbread showcases this unique, wonderful Southeast Asian complex, super natural sweetness. Featuring local rock lobster, this snack is full of exotic Southeast Asian flavours. Definitely one of my favourites of the night.

Cold Crab Tartlette has this interesting, simulating taste that is slightly tangy, tempered with the funk of preserved tangerine. The granita adds a nice moisture to the crab meat while allowing the sweetness of crab to come through.

Soy and Caviar consisted of fermented green papaya, smoked tongue, yuba and silken tofu. It is mellow in taste. The tongue actually tastes better than what I expected. It’s like meat with a slight firmness.

Mikan Madai is a form of fish carpaccio, Southeast Asian style. Brightened up by slight bit of citrus kick from kalamansi, made complex by pumpkin prepared in various ways, the taste is balanced while highlighting the sweetness of the Mikan Madai that carries a hint of taste of the tangerine.

The snacks hit the sweet spot, but the standout dish of the night is actually Golden Cap Farms, where mushrooms of different forms were prepared differently to showcase different contrasting textures and different layers of earthy goodness.

Packed with porcini gnocchi, deep fried golden shimeiji, this is mushroom heaven. In fact, this is the best mushroom dish I ever have.

The accompanying mushroom tea, made from mushroom trimming and kombu, topped with dots of shiso oil, tastes so comforting. It feels so good sipping on this cup of clear earthy umami. The tea elevates the dish oh so much.

From Vietnam with Love showcases air-dried Salmon grilled over charcoal, which is sweeter with crisper skin.  The sauce made from these super briny sweet sea worms, chervil, celtuce and ikura actually highlights the sweetness of the fish.

Curious about sea worms, a regular ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine, I immediately agree to chef’s offer to showcase me the sea worms in its dried form. It has a very intense briny aroma, kind of like dry cuttlefish.

The name “Dang Quail” is a word play on “Dang Gui”, a traditional Chinese herb also known female ginseng. And just like its namesake, this dish features aged quail, female ginseng, paired with the unique Bue to Nae rice and completed with liver sauce. This tastes so nourishing due to the bitter and sweet herbal aroma of female ginseng. I love it. And the quail meat is silky smooth and juicy, going perfectly with female ginseng.

Mulberries and Daun Salam has this super harmonious sweetness with a touch of tangy taste. It’s surprisingly so good.

Madu Lapis, with Medovik aka honey cake paired with the cold burnt honey ice cream, tastes so magical. It is a dessert like no others.

Thoughts: Awesome and Delicate Southeast Asian cuisine 

153 Joo Chiat Road