1-TwentySix

Having the desserts served at 1-TwentySix are like admiring pieces of Art piece display here. The lime sorbet is very sour and I do not really able to appreciate this smooth cold dessert at all. The mini lemon sponge cake is slight better, which is filled with the fragrant of butter and lemon flavour in it. The lemon souffle is also abit too sour and sweet as well, which also does not interest me at all. Environment was alright but the food here just does not suit my taste bud.

2012-06-16

This was my first visit for brunch. Used to frequent this place for drinks at night only. The breakfast/brunch menu was rather comprehensive. My friends and I ordered the American Big Breakfast, Eggs Benedict and 2 sets of Croque Madam.

The American Breakfast consisted of eggs (of your choice), sausages, baked beans, bacon, hash brown and toast. It was served with a glass of orange juice too. This would be good if you intend to try abit of everything. The Eggs Benedict was very well done and the muffins were toasted lightly. In between the eggs and the muffins, they added ham. It made the dish more flavourful... The last we ordered was croque madam. It was actually 3 layers of toast where they place a fried egg on the top layer. The second and third layers were filled with cheese and ham. Quite a refreshing change in the usual brunch menu. It was recommended by the wait staff.

SGD 25(Other)

I had cod brandade for lunch everyday while in Verona and Venice not too long ago so I was eager to find out how the homemade version ($8++) here measures up, especially when this is a laborious dish not commonly found in Singapore. While the smooth texture was spot-on, the saltiness was way over the top, even when paired with the accompanying grilled bruschetta.

I like the whole combination of pan-seared Hokkaido scallops ($24++) with jerky-like bacon crisps and balsamic reduction on a bed of eggplant caviar which is somewhat like the Lebanese baba ghanoush.

The frozen ‘deconstructed’ strawberry shortcake ($14++) was such a pretty sight to behold. Love the home-churned strawberry ice cream which was so natural-tasting and had a fabulous creamy mouthfeel. Nothing beats homemade ice cream! And the layers of soft sponge and flaky pastry were a great contrast.

When I first arrive at Coast, I noticed the alfresco area which is comfortably furnished amongst the lush greenery of East Coast Park. With the very chic, contemporary yet homely decor to this place, I felt very relaxing and calm just like entering a mini garden of Eden.

The alfresco area is pretty cool where you can rent the area for private functions like birthdays, weddings, or corporate functions. It will be a very cosy and relaxing environment once the sun sets. There is even a live band performing area to chill things out for the night with the fantastic food and drinks Coast have to offer.

If you do not like the alfresco area, there’s also a very comfortable indoor dining area with sleek ceiling to floor glass design. These glass windows will be opened up during the night, allowing the cool sea breeze to fill the restaurant as well as to warm up the ambiance with the sounds of live bands.

As soon as I was seated and ready for dinner, I was presented the Communal Dining menu. I was pretty sure that it’s going to be an exciting dinner for me.

While the chef is busy preparing our starter, some complimentary freshly toasted Italian bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip was served. It’s a light appetizer to get my taste buds warmed up for the scrumptious spread to come.

The COAST Platter consist of juicy big prawns, tentalicious crab, oysters, mussels, clams and freshly sliced salmon sashimi. With a zest of lemon and a little condiment to go along with, it’s ready to be devoured. The COAST Platter was absolutely superb and worth every single bit of calorie!

The main courses were served alongside with 3 side dishes. They are the Broccoli with garlic and ginger, French fries with sea salt and Herbed leaf salad. The sides are meant to be shared among a few friends as its a pretty huge portion. I do love their broccoli with garlic and lightly tossed in olive oil. Crunchy and tasty to the bite! The sea salt French fries and Herbed leaf salad was pretty average but it sure adds some food on the table for all to share.

Main Course 1 - Roast baby chicken wrapped in prosciutto with truffle, raisin and pine nut stuffing served with rosemary potatoes and quince compote

If you’re one chicken lover, you got to love this succulent roasted baby chicken. The taste is so enticing and the rosemary potatoes complimented it very well. Don’t be fooled by its humble appearance. The overall of the dish tasted good with the combination of all the different flavours of the ingredients.

Main Course 2 - Grilled cod fillet with fennel and blood orange salad served with Beaujolais sauce

The Cod Fillet I had was excellent. Finely grilled yet keeping the freshness of the fish. It’s light and yet fantastic with the hint of aroma from the fennel. The thing I like about this dish is that I feel like eating a balanced main course yet filling just now. Not too filling or heavy on the stomach with those sides being served with it.

Finally, comes the dessert which is the “Grande Assiette” which consists of a selection of petite sized desserts to share. It's a platter of delicious little treats to sweeten up your night.

SGD 86(Dinner)

It was a last minute and impromptu dinner for me with the Openrice and 1 Rochester peeps at 1-TwentySix at East Coast.

Before dinner commenced, the bar presented us with 7 cocktails named 'The 7 Desirable Sins'. 1-TwentySix takes pride in using only fresh fruits for the cocktails, shaking them into unique concoctions to satiate the senses. There was even 1 drink where the bartender blended chili padi into it!

My favourite has got to be 'Antoinette's Vanity', the drink on the utmost left with a cupcake placed on top. Sweet and subtle, it feels like a ladies' drink.

Our dinner consisted of:
Nibble Platter, $32
Seafood Platter, $85
Seared King scallops with smoked sea urchin risotto, $18 / $28
Grilled King prawns, $24/$32
Classic fish pie, $35
Roast Baby Chicken, $38
Valrhona dark and white chocolate fondant, $14
Strawberry shortcake, $14
Grande Assiette, $28

The risotto was my favourite dish for the dinner. I like the texture of the sticky rice, and how the taste of the sea urchin and scallops were not overpowering.

Next up for me was the roast chicken with its crispy skin. The chicken was tender and soft, and went well with the apple sauce provided.

For cream lovers, you may want to try the fish pie which has a strong taste of cream and seafood. As I am a 'safe' eater at most times, this was the first time I came across this dish and was very much fascinated by it.

What's a dinner without desserts?

The strawberry shortcake was Awesome. I didn't know strawberry shortcakes taste like this! Addicted to the crunchiness of the biscuits in it, I kept stealing bites of it. *cough*

The chocolate fondant did not fail to please me either. It was demolished by the 5 of us in record time.

Set up near the beach, 1-TwentySix provides a very chillout experience for people who need a break from the concrete city. Noise is minimal and thus allows for easy conversations with my friends without having to raise my voice to compete with others. I don't know how the Openrice people so appropriately match me with my favourite kind of restaurants, but they sure know how to!

SGD 50(Dinner)

I had the pleasure to experience a great communal dining at 1-twentysix during the ORTU session together with a great company of people. Located at a prominent area in East Coast Park , the outdoor dining concept will surely captivate one's stomach and soul especially on a breezy evening.

We were served with the 7 desirable sins to kick-start the evening with some adrenaline rush. To be frank, I enjoyed the distinct taste of all 7 selected kinds. My most favourite drink would be Pride/Vodka Cocktails. (yes, its sweet, sour, soothing - my kind!) It's interesting to see how the bartender meticulously combining each level of liquids to create a perfect blend for each sin.

Moving on, it was a splendid spread of food ranging from appetizing nibble platter ($32), seafood platter ($85) to god-yummy Grilled King Prawns ($24 / $32) and tenderly Roast Baby Chicken ($38).

On a whole, my favourite picks for the dinner are both platters, Roast Baby Chicken and the DESSERTS! Oh gawd, i admit i'm a sweet tooth that weakens at the sight of chocolate & anything sugary/soury sweet!

Let me present to you the heavenly 'Valrhona dark and white chocolate fondant' ($14). A combination of hot cold/cold hot from the ice cream and hot fondant. Each mouthful will create a melting sensation in your mouth and a sugar rush at the end of it. It's just so satisfying with each spoonful consumed! Its never enough.

Lastly, I wouldnt want to miss introducing my favourite drink too - Pimm's Lemonade.
Pimm's No. 1 + Cucumbers + Lemonade + Ginger + Apple
Anything that's sour, quenching & sweet are exactly my kind of drink.

Thanks to the bartender and service crews for their great hospitality that make dining even more pleasant. Cheers!

2010-09-08

SGD 50(Dinner)

5 OpenRicers were invited to 1-Twenty Six, a open-air & romantic restaurant by the beach for this week's ORTU at Playground @ Big Splash along the ever-relaxing East Coast Parkway.

We were first greeted by 7 different cocktails from their bar: "7 Desirable Sins"

Personally, I am not a good drinker nor do I know which alcohol is better and apparently I get really sleepy when I drink, which is a sign of me being drunk. Comments on the drinks? Not much. But I really like the first drink out of the seven that we had and if I am not wrong, it is called "Antoinette's Vanity" under PRIDE/Vodka Cocktails in the menu. This drink has minimal alcoholic bitterness and the fruity taste is also fully maximized. Strong taste, yet subtle. I like!

By the way, there's also this drink called "The Screaming Banshee" (DESPAIR/tequila) that is really unique because of its spiciness! I was so shocked when I first drank it, despite finding it too strong for me, I guess it would be a great choice for adventurous readers to try this unique drink.

Now, here's the exciting part: FOOD!

The Nibble Platter, $32 & Seafood Platter, $85

Even though both platters are delicious, I would prefer the Nibble Platter, especially the Homemade cod brandade with grilled brushetta (the minced fish meat on bread). Deliciously mixed with spices and spread on the bread, the mild taste in my mouth is so refreshing and I love the way this platter open my appetite. As I am more of a "warm food" kind of person, despite loving seafood to max, Nibble Platter is pretty much the kind of appetizer/finger food that I would go for instead.

For seafood lovers, if you would not mind cold dishes, try out their seafood platter too! For a person who does not like sashimi like me to actually like the taste of the raw food in this platter determines how fresh and how good the seafood is. It was really good. Get some of the oyster before anyone snatch it, get a mouthful of the juiciness and freshness.


Seared King scallops with smoked sea urchin risotto, $18 / $28
Scallops are my all-time favorite, other than that... I guess this dish tastes a little bit more "normal", more of like wet and sticky rice (or porridge) with some meat and garnishes on it.


Grilled King prawns, $24/$32
TIGER PRAWNS plus goat cheese at the bottom! Awesome grilled taste of the prawns with addition of the "bun" with goat cheese filling inside, this is one of my favorite dish that night.


Classic fish pie, $35
I kind of find this fish pie taste more of like... thick clam soup? It has quite a strong taste of cream and seafood, not a bad choice for creamy food lovers though. Remember to eat it hot before the crust lose its crispiness!


Roast Baby Chicken, $38
OMG! THIS ROAST BABY CHICKEN* IS TOTALLY WORTH TO MAD LOVE AND SPAZZ OVER! (*Though the name of the dish is kinda "cruel" to me - like they roast "babies" of chickens. =x) There could not be a more tender chicken texture than this dish! The marinated roast chicken's tenderness and its deliciously marinated sauce, with fries & apple sauce ... You do not even want to socialize with anyone at your table while eating this, well... that's for me. Haha.

Valrhona dark and white chocolate fondant, $14
MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE DESSERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing beats a superb dessert after meal, no matter how full you are, you were.


Chocolate Fondant, names in various terms; taste and texture differs everywhere, still tastes as awesome at 1-Twenty Six. The warm chocolate sauce in the warm chocolate cake, one mouthful of the cake and one mouthful of the chilling ice-cream. Life is as good as this.


Frozen 'desconstructed' strawberry shortcake, $14
Strawberry Shortcake, another classic favorites of all time, taste a little different here. This dish has many different layered textures, it is full of surprise!


Grande Assiette, $28
Ahhhh... this Grande Assiette ($28), a selection of 5 petits sized desserts, is another good choice for dessert lovers but do not like it over-sweet. I find the Lemons and Limes ($14) quite refreshing, despite being sour (guys, please do not try this if you can't handle sourness) in the awesome way.

So satisfied with the food and especially the dessert and I really like the ambience in the restaurant too. Service is brilliant (the waiters that were serving us were so nice! *thumbs up*) and I bet it would be the best place for dating and maybe anniversary dinner? No need to risk to ruin your night with bad service, plus with plenty of good food to choose over and of course, the romantic atmosphere.


For full review: http://lovelivfe.com/2010/09/11/ortu-1-twenty-six-1rochestergroup/

Normally, one wouldn't expect a concept like 1 Twenty Six existing at the ECP because you're so used to those open air seafood restaurants selling their chilli and pepper crabs. But it does exist, opened by the 1 Rochester Group near the old Big Splash area. It is a mostly open-air concept restaurant, a great place to chill out and relax to the cool sea breeze.

A bunch of us were kindly invited by OpenRice to partake in their weekly ORTU at 1 Twenty Six and it began with a showcase of their original cocktails, aptly named the 7 Desirable Sins. Each of them is based on a particular type of alcohol and they all use freshly squeezed fruit juice. The 7 cocktails are Pride: Antoinette's Vanity (vodka), Greed: Alexander's Well (gin), Despair: The Screaming Banshee (tequila), Wrath: Dragon's Breath (rum), Envy: The Younger Man (brandy), Sloth: Slow Rush (champagne), Lust: Adam & Eve (whiskey).

The communal platter was ordered for us, with some changes to the menu. It started with 2 huge platters, the Nibble Platter and the Coast Platter. Being a seafood lover, I preferred the Coast Platter because it is a heap of delicious and fresh seafood. There are tiger prawns, a large crab, oysters, clams, mussels, and even sashimi. It was all fresh and succulent, making me very happy indeed.

Next we had the smoked sea urchin risotto with seared king scallops. This dish was quite delicious but I felt the taste of the smoked sea urchins didn't come through strongly enough. The seared king scallops were juicy to the bite and excellent though!

The classic fish pie with ocean trout and snapper was probably my favourite dish of the night because it was so rich in flavour, pleasantly creamy with the chunks of tasty fish.

We also had the roast baby chicken wrapped in prosciutto with truffle, raisin and pine nut stuffing served with rosemary potatoes and quince compote. While the chicken thighs and wings were tenderly wonderful, the breast meat was rather dry and hence not forgiving to the bite. I also felt that this was a bit too sweet and overpowering the natural taste of the chicken.

There was also an additional dish of the grilled tiger prawns with goat cheese tortellini. While the grilled tiger prawns were charred well giving that edge to their meat, I felt that there was too much goat cheese in the tortellini, making the taste too sour and pungent for most people.

The desserts were great, a deconstructed strawberry shortcake - sweet and clean. There was Valrhona dark and white chocolate fondant with coconut and peanut praline ice cream - the fondant was excellent, oozing thick luscious chocolate, but I felt the coconut and peanut ice-cream had too much of this Chinese New Year taste which put off the dessert. The classic vanilla ice-cream might have served better. And finally there was the Grande Assiette - a selection of 5 petits sized desserts to share, comprising of panna cotta, lime souffle, Devil’s flourless chocolate, marscapone and raspberry ripple cake, and a coffee crème brulee.

Overall I feel that 1 Twenty Six is a great place to chill out with your friends and enjoy a good meal with a wide selection of unique cocktails. The location and view are certainly unique, and the staff are impeccable in their attention and service. However the prices can be steep so those on the budget would be wary to come.

SGD 50(Dinner)

Nestled in the greens and lush by the beach stands 1 TwentySix Coast....Fancy a special night with your loved ones,a place where you will always remember for the time to come, be it casual or fine dining in Singapore or just practically a drink to sooth your day off...1 TwentySix Coast is the place to be in....

Was invited to the restaurant for the ORTU session and definitely the name of One Rochester Group do ring a tinkle on my mind and immediately the bar was set high up there in full anticipation of the services and quality of the food that were to be served. Reached the premises and was immediately greeted by the receptionist with a warm smile as initiated. I was shown to their lounge area that are specially closed for the day in order to cater for the tasting session.Thumbs up on the hospitality and arrangements. Prompt and speedy attention was given and nothing was left in despair.

Bon appettie is the word to start off the tasty session. ORTU was first shown to the bar counter and was told that we will start off the session with 7 shots of cocktails that are specially created by their house mixologists - Kiki & Ivan Fernandez in the form of 7 "SINS" and yes they are all playfully sinful. By hearing the numbers of the cocktails that we have to taste...i can feel my blood rushing through my micro mili veins. Kudos on the arrangement by Kiki and ensure that we will get to taste the "SINS" from the lightest to the strongest alcoholic content. Yes....and to the fifth shot of cocktail that i had, i can say that i pretty much feeling the heat within me. All the cocktails are exquisitely presented in order to attain the maximum attractions to its "PARTNERS' which are the ORTU group and from the point of concentration that the "SINS" are garnering...i guess it summarise us all human beings in the world - Pride, Greed, Despair, Wrath, Envy, Sloth and Lust! Do note that this is the 7 sins chosen for us out of their 30 plus sins on hand! Special mention on the Envy which mainly consists of brandy & lychee that is being presented on a 2 in 1 glass separation mode...that you will be drinking from 2 straws in 2 glasses to "connect" as one! Talking about creativity and passion at its best!

After 30 minutes of hoos and haas for the cocktail tasting @ the bar helmed by Kiki by assistant...we were then seated down on the comfy seats with a generous amount of sea breeze brushing pass us. Total relaxation in alfresco setting sets in and with the "float" effect that filled us all up with the 7 shots of cocktail that we had, we were all looking forward on the starter & entrees that best bestow the standards of food quality associated with One Rochester Group!

From the first all the way till to the very last course of the dishes that are being presented and served, i can say that the whole crew from the serving staff all the way to the kitchen sync up into one which pretty much translate and form the One Rochester family. No stones were left unturned to envision every single dish on its prospective perfection. Food freshness are at its best with the minimal usage of additional condiments or spices to create the additional "TOUCHES" which their Executive Chef of the group Christopher Millar strongly uphold.

Strong recommendations and the "MUST TRY 3M Adhesive" tag are on their Seafood platter and Baby Roasted Chicken. I guess the slogan which is the "freshest catch of the day" best depicts the involvement of all ingredients of the seafood platter, with the oysters on the bay taking the lead to be the most sought after "NEEDS"! The roasted chicken was totally crisp on the outside with tenderness all submerged within the inner self of the heavenly structure. Culinary finest on hand!

With the session coming to an end...we were all hyped up on the arrival of our "sweetest enemies" and once again the benchmark are there and they did not disappoint! My eyes are "drooling" with the selection of desserts that are served in the Grande Assiette which consists of petite portion of their house desserts that include the lemon soufflé. Totally refreshing and light with the pitch perfect sweetness that contrast on the mild sourness which practically "melts" before tunneling it down into my mouth!

Its a "BIG" thumbs up from me and this is the place to be "SOAKED" in after a day of work...to unwind yourself from the urban world and giving yourself the pampering that you may long well deserved! Last but not the least, a date with your loved ones is a must at One TwentySix as it is the finest by the beach!

Sincere gratitudes to the invitation extended by OpenRice team & great appreciation on the hospitality by One TwentySix Coast Management & Staff ( Juwanda & Chiew Yan)!

2010-09-08

SGD 50(Dinner)

The opportunity to visit 1TwentySix presented itself one humid weekday evening, in the guise of a voucher, courtesy of the management. I can't say that I've been eager to try out this sister outfit of One Rochester @ Rochester Park, not after the bad reviews I've heard about it so far.

Located along the inner fringe of Big Splash towards the sea, 1TwentySix boasts an al fresco sitting area that is rich in nature and certainly great for chilling out. The "air conditioned" interior is actually a small area with some form of feeble air conditioning. The problem is, the area isn't enclosed and there is no air curtain to stop the cool air from escaping. There is a huge glass partition but it is apparently only used in the afternoons. And yes, it did get a little too warm that evening.

Complimentary Bread - Crusty exterior with bits of wheat and corn amidst the soft and warm dough - good bread never fails to start a meal off on the right foot.

Tuna Nicoise in Two Styles, Seared Tuna Tataki and Tuna Confit with French Beans, Cherry Tomatoes and Soft Boiled Quails Eggs - The tuna tataki was good - well seared on the outside while retaining its smooth yet firm texture on the inside. A lingering smokey taste accompanied by a dash of saltiness. Can't really fault it.
The tuna confit, on the other hand, was lost amongst the salad, masked by a rather saline solution. I could still make out the tuna though, but barely.

Tartare of Scallop, Ocean Trout and Tuna Loin with Foie Gras Parfait and Caramelised Shallots - I had thought that the tartare of scallop, ocean trout and tuna loin would certainly be a very fishy combination, but I was wrong. It was actually nice and to a certain extent, refreshing, without coming across as overly raw. Topped with a raw egg.
Please let me qualify that even though I like foie gras, I am not a big fan of it done parfait (75% foie gras) or pate (50% foie gras) style simply because I like my liver whole. So the chilled, smooth foie gras parfait simply didn't appeal to me.

150 Day Grain Fed Beef Tenderloin with Roast Bone Marrow with Chilli and Shallots - Although 1TwentySix's menu seemingly focuses on produce from the sea, I took a gamble and went with the 150 day grain fed tenderloin. And I was suitably impressed. The tenderloin was nicely char grilled on the surface and done to a perfect medium rare. Add to the fact that the meat was tender and flavourful and you have a clear winner. One thing odd was the mushroom sauce, which had a strong mushroom taste but did seem a little overly sweet.
The side of fries were decent and didn't turn soggy when cold. What I thought was interesting was the broccolini, which was cooked with garlic and ginger - a very Chinese style of cooking, just way too oily.

Black Cod Fillet with Fennel, Blood Orange and Pistachio Salad served with Beaujolais Sauce - Fresh, firm yet flaky but outright bland. The fish wasn't sweet nor the sauce flavourful. All I could make out was a faint taste of fish and an initial sugar induced sweetness. Decent by any standards but could have been a lot better.

Frozen 'Deconstructed' Strawberry Shortcake with Home Churned Strawberry Ice Cream - A recommendation from our waitress, I didn't quite take to the strawberry shortcake at first due to the seemingly excessive strawberry ice cream. However, as I dug deeper, I could make out a mish mash of sponge and flaky pastry, making the dessert quite enjoyable after all. If only I had 2 stomachs.

Valrhona Dark & White Chocolate Fondant with Coconut Praline Ice Cream - Most chocolate fondants come in only the dark variant, but 1TwentySix's offering combines both white and dark chocolate. Rather gimmicky if you ask me, because its just white chocolate oozing out together with the dark chocolate when you crack open the surface. But something different nonetheless. Texture wise, the crust was a little soft but at least it wasn't gelatin like. Coupled with a rich viscous chocolate filling and a creamy coconut ice cream, this dessert held promise for a sweet ending.

Fine Apple and Frangipane Tart with Calvados Ice Cream - The tart had a thin, flaky and crisp base with a nice oven baked taste to it. The apple slices weren't overly tart and I could make out a tinge of sweetness from the frangipane (sweet almond filling). It probably helped that the tart was sprinkled with icing sugar. The calvados (French apple brandy) ice cream didn't really make an impact though. Easily forgettable.

I would have had a wonderful meal if not for the less than cool dining environment. And the price for such an indulgence? Approximately $202 (before the use of discount voucher). Expensive? Arguably yes. But with very few other "fine dining" options in the east, 1TwentySix could probably be a consideration for your next special occasion or celebration.

See all my pictures <a href ="http://www.timelessfacade.com/2010/06/1twentysix.html"><b>here</b></a>.

2010-06-24

SGD 101(Dinner)

Communal Platter for two with 1 main ea, a sharing of sides, and a enjoyment of desserts together. I opted for the COAST platter which includes a smörgåsbord of fresh slices of sashimi, crabs, prawns, oysters and clams. Tastes of the ocean is very apparent here with focus being on the natural flavours.

The only thing to note is that with the COAST Platter, an addition of $18 per person is added to the bill. It might be a bit too pricey in the end, but if you are paying for the ambience, escape from the city feel, then it might be worth it.

For me, I had the Seared King Scallops with Smoked Sea Urchin Risotto. Not too bad with the risotto giving off a slightly smoky yet sea salty flavour from the sea urchin. And the seared scallops retained its juiciness.

The Grand Assiette of desserts was ok, a little too sweet in some areas with unique different flavours. Service was acceptable though I would have preferred the staff then to be more knowledgeable of the menu even though its newly opened. Though now I do hear that they have become better.

1 TwentySix is definitely an escape from the city with a garden like atmosphere coupled with the serenity of the sea and the sand. Of course, this must come with a price to pay.

For more photos, do check out the link at http://www.gourmetestorie.com/?p=105

2010-06-13