Pulsii French Bistro - Hearty Flavourful Surprises

Actually I do not know what to expect when stepping into Pulsii French Bistro. I just got interested in this place because the chef is a Japanese specialising in French cuisine (and this sounds promising due to my good prior experiences) and the menu looks exciting, featuring a variety of woodfire dishes and casual French classics with a twist.

Guess what, I’m totally wowed over by the hearty yet complex, robust yet balanced flavours here. Each dish here is packed with lots of goodies that please and surprise the palates. The dishes here features the vibrancy and complexity of French cuisine, tempered with the intricacy of Japanese sensibility.

The whole place feels like a modern, stylish casual underground tavern, where the dining area and bar counter, bathed in soft yellow light, looks like a cosy, chic tunnel. And it leads up to the bright open kitchen at the end of the tunnel.

The service here is fantastic, especially the bartender, who multitasks between taking, serving orders and creating classic cocktails with lovely twists. The vibe at this restaurant feels so right. And with the awesome food and drink choices, the experience here is worth a visit at least once.

Woodfire Hokkaido Scallop surprises me by how warm and meaty sweet the scallop is. The light char, the umami of the bisque and toasted ham, the sweet tomato, the tangy olive, the slightly spicy pepper creates such vibrancy in the taste. This is one scallop with the most bling in the taste, in an excellent way.

Grilled Tiger Prawns taste so rich, intense and sweet. And the thin layer of char does so much to accentuate the sweetness of the juicy meaty prawn And a hint of tangy flavour makes it even better. I’m so tempted to order another plate 😆 

Magret Duck Breast is so meaty and juicy. The Moulard Duck is perfectly cooked to medium rare to feature a slightly crispy top and a meaty succulent firm texture with a touch of tenderness. And the variety of accompanying grilled vegetables introduces a nice vegetal bitterness from the Maitake Mushroom, crunchy texture ffrom the Lotus Root, earthy aroma from the Burdock Root and an iota of zest from the miso balsamic sauce. So this dish is bursting with a myriad of flavours that work so well with each other. Best enjoyed when hot or warm.

Matcha Montblanc features a nice earthy clear taste of matcha that goes so well with the creaminess of whipped cream. The crunchy sugared nuts make the texture more exciting.

Nice fruity refreshing cocktail with layers of flavours

This is a must order here. The egg white foam at the top adds so much to the feel of sipping this drink.

Another drink with foamy top 🎉 This is like Singapore Special, with pandan and coconut. Another must-try.

Nice tangy cocktail specially concocted to balance the sweetness of the dessert.

Thoughts: Flavourful Complex Surprises

55 Tras Street

Latido - Colombian Gastronomic Delights

I have always loved South American cuisine, due to the rich flavour, strong heritages and flamboyant vibes in the food of this continent. So when I knew about Latido, the only Colombia restaurant in Singapore, I immediately made a reservation. I didn’t even look at the menu before that!

After an outing here, Colombian cuisine is now officially one of my favourite cuisines! Th dishes are bursting with lots of perfectly balanced, exotic flavours that surprise and impress. At the same time, they have this rustic element, hearty element, distinguishing themselves from other South American cuisines. I love the food here so much.

The restaurant features interior design of stylish modern chic meeting vibrant, earthy Colombian’s rustics. It feel so cool and so cultural at the same time. The open kitchen full of amigo vibes, the cool stylish bar counter, tasteful dark wooden furniture and granite table tops blend seamlessly with the rustic elements from the chairs with rattan backs, traditional Colombian ornaments and decorations. Along with the South American music, I feel the mood immediately when I step into this pace.

The service is very friendly, just like how I think South American's passionate hospitality is like. And also very thoughtful. I have such a wonderful time here. I will definitely be back again!

Bocados de Tiradito, packed with Sawara Ceviche, Leche de Tigre, Lime Pearls, is so refreshing in taste yet featuring a warm core of briny sweetness. It is creamy and complex, with an excellent balance of nuanced tart taste, sweetness and pungency. The texture is so good with the contrast between crispy pastry and the bouncy, succulent sawara fish.

Pan de la Casa Signature Homemade Rye Bread, a recipe perfected through the years, is so fluffy, soft with naturally sweetness, tempered with the earthy, savoury goodness of the fermented mushroom glaze on top. This is one of a kind bread that is definitely worth a special trip.

Arepa de Chocolo y Huevo is Sweet Corn Cake sandwiching cubed Pork Jowl, Sunny Side Egg. I don't know what to expect since this is the first time I tried a gastronomic creation like this. After a bite, I am instantly wowed over by this dish. After more bites, I dare to say this is the best pancake I have.

The pancake is so soft and fluffy, and its natural sweetness of corn complements the meaty umami sweetness of pork jowl, made exciting by the slightly spicy, creamy sauce. So well-balanced, so satisfying, oh-so-good. And what makes it even better is that the savoury taste develops into sweetness when savouring. 

Sopa Langosta Lobster is another winner here. Packed with lots of goodies, such as avocado, whole lobster, sweet crunchy Corn and smooth creamy Potato Soup, it has lots of harmonised complex flavours. The lobster is perfectly done to have that lovely taste of char while retaining the bouncy, juicy texture. Its saline sweetness is balanced by the earthy creaminess of hearty potato soup.

Platanitos, which is Sweet Plantain and Burrata Ice cream, is unique in taste, where the mildy, nutty flavour of cheese contrasts so well with the deep caramel goodness of the cake and the light floral goodness of plantian. The textures of crunchiness, creaminess and fluffiness come so well together.

Chef Fernando hard at work preparing my dish.

Fruity and creamy, this is exactly my type of drink 🍹 

Thoughts: Colombian Cusisine is now one of my Favourite Cuisines!

40 Tras Street

Madame - Cool and Amazing Experience

Finders Keepers - Caviar Tasting brings me to Madame, a Wine and Spirits Bar at 69 Tras Street. I don’t know if the owner chose this shophouse because of the number, but I do know that I have such an excitingly good time here.

This bar is so full of character and that old world charm, completed with lots of stylish flair. Rows of spirits of all kinds fill up the dark wooden shelves behind the bar counter, partly shrouded in darkness and partly illuminated by the yellow lights, it has this mysterious intense vibe that feels different from other wine bars. With heavy curtains, lots of candlelights, classic European style murals, wooden furniture and yellow lights, the ambience is so cosy and nostalgic yet exciting at the same time.

The food here is European fare with some unique twists. It is very good for sharing, and being lighter on the palates, which is a good thing, it is perfect to go with the wine and spirits here.

The service is wonderful, which really matches the vibe here, making this bar one of the top choices to chill and have a good time in style.

I had caviar lots of times, but this Caviar Tasting, completed with mother of pearl spoon, is really an eye-or-tastebuds opener where I actually discover the subtle differences in the taste profile of different caviars through comparison. And the complimentary Delamotte champagne is the perfect palate cleanser to sip in between spoonful of gastronomic treats. I love this event oh so much. A must-try experience.

Russian caviar has the saline sweetness. Traditional caviar tastes so buttery when savoured with butter and the cute little piece of flatbread. Majestic caviar is more full-bodied, going very well with refreshing cucumber. In fact, a fellow patron told me cucumber is a good accompaniment to enjoy with caviar because it brings out the true taste of the caviar. Oscietra caviar, the most premium one, is creamy and complex,

Truffle Mushroom tartlet may look dry on the outside, but it is actually super moist and creamy on the inside. This tastes like creamy earthy heaven, where seasonings is kept light to let the natural sweetness of mushrooms shine. It also features good texture due to the strands of dried mushrooms and the buttery tart base.

Mac and Cheese Balls is crispy on the outside and creamily moist on the inside, and I love this contrast in texture. The taste is surprisingly, in a very good wat, slightly spicy, and packed with nuanced flavours that develop and intensify with each subsequent bite. So good and so hearty.

Old Cuban here has the strong taste of whisky perfectly balanced by the mint and zest to yield a refreshing yet intense cocktail. I’m not exactly a whisky person but I’m definitely into this drink.

Thoughts: Awesome Experience!

69 Tras Street

Ingleside - Fire, Fermentation, Aging! Exciting Time for the Palates.

One thing about Ingleside that gets my attention is the extensive use of fermentation and aging on the ingredients, plus wood-fired cooking to create that really rustic vibe. When I saw the nice variety of food in the menu, such as different kinds of seafood, the meats and rarer ones like octopus and duck, I knew I have to come here.

The food here is full of exciting flavours that complement each other so well, with the additional soft notes of sweetness from the fermentation or aging. The texture is so on the point too.

The place has this rustic feel with furnishings of brown earthy tones, the blazing fire at the wood-fired stove, its crackling and occasional whiffs of aroma of burning meat and wood. The smooth jazz music adds a touch of class and romance to the classy place. It feels like an exclusive upmarket den to indulge in specially crafted treats.

The service here is absolutely wonderful, making the dining experience an awesome one.

Tuna Tartare Tartelette, with well-balanced flavours of maitake shoyu, yuzu, sesame, French caviar, has this deep sweetness laced with warm savoury notes. This is so good.

Mung bean miso butter is the star here with its richness and deep savoury taste profile.

Hokkaido Scallop Crudo, with a medley of refreshing, tangy flavours from the kombu, fingerlime, pickled apple, lacto fermented tomato dressing and pentas, speaks of the taste of ocean tempered with gentle waves of excitement. The texture of the scallop is bouncy and creamy for a luxurious bite.

Truffle Toast 2.0 is my one of favourites due to how unique and surprisingly awesome it is. It’s wow at first bite. Brioche has this amazing crispy exterior with soufflé core and the sweetness of freshly baked wheat that is perfect match with the savoury miso mousse, pungent aged balsamic vinegar and the incredible earthy, mushroomy aroma of fresh black truffles.

Spanish Carabinero Prawn flambadou with dry aged beef fat, shrimp and rose garum, burnt lemon is smooth, bouncy, succulent with a bit of crunch—the perfect texture achieved with the tight control of wood-fired cooking. Its soft umami is perfect with the zest of burnt lemon.

Truffle Pomme Puree with beef tallow and fresh black truffles features a perfect match of earthy goodness of truffles with buttery creaminess of smooth mash potato.

Hungarian Duck Breast Meat, dry aged 7 days, is juicy, gamey and meaty. The lacto blueberry 'bordelaise' reduction’s zest nicely cut through the richness for a well-rounded taste. Pickled gooseberry, parsnip puree and herb salad inject the refreshing excitement to make the meat taste even better.

Caviar and Hazelnut caviar is a very unique, interesting dessert. It has concentrated savoury brininess of caviar that actually goes well with sweet almond-jelly-like hazelnut panna cotta, perked up by the herb oil, miso butterscotch.

Truffle chocolate is a marriage of different tastes such as tart, earthy and chocolatey. Nice little treat to round up the dining experience.

Lovely Sweet White Wine, exactly my type!

Thoughts: Fire, Fermentation, Aging! Homely yet Exciting and Refined.

49 Tras Street