Re!Fill Restaurant

This is the duck salad I had at Re!Fill. This is one of the BEST salad I have ever eaten. It looks so simple yet it's packed full of flavours. Thin slices of warm duck over mixed veggies and strewn with toasted almond flakes. The vinaigrette used is salty and tangy and works very well with the duck meat which can get a bit heavy. Don't be fooled by this picture. This salad is quite filling.

2013-01-15

Was thinking of where to go for our late dinner and we decided to drop by Re! Hotel for their signature abalone laksa since there's a 1 for 1 promotion going on ($18.80++)

Re! Fill Restaurant is small compare to other hotel's restaurant but I like the ambience there. Being more high-tech than others, they uses iPad as their menu and it was fun to play around with the gadget before we settle to order our food - Signature Laksa and a Mixed Combo Platter.Mixed Combo Platter was served first. Consist of Yakitori Stick, Calamari and Tempura Prawns. I like the crispiness of the Calamari and Prawns but my dining partner thinks it's too oily. The Yakitori tasted good too, just that it gets cold quite fast. Overall this is a good appetizer for me.Signature Abalone Laksa

I like how the laksa gravy taste - sweet and not too thick. Fresh ingredients are being used to go along with the laksa and this is easily one of the best laksa I've tried.

Will definitely be back if I am having cravings for some high-end Laksa again.

SGD 20(Dinner)

It was truly a privilege for me and my son to receive an invite to the ORTU event organized by openrice on the 27th of April 2012. This event was held at Hotel Re! Fill which is located very close to the Outram park mrt station. We were invited to try out the signature dish of the restaurant "The Abalone seafood laksa".
As soon as the event began the chef's came over with our bowls of Laksa and all of us began to indulge in the yummy dish which was really tasty and so delicious. I just couldn't stop eating this yummy dish and the coconut milk flavor still lingers in my mouth. I then took a little bit of the chilli that came along with it and mamamia...it tasted even more delicious and added more flavor to the laksa. My son too enjoyed the dish very much and kept showing his thumb up. After we were done with the Laksa, the kind Chef bought us some Mushroom Soup to taste which was accompanied by a pastry. The soup was nice and hot and pastry was nice and crisp.Then the kind chef bought us some of his special smoked duck salad and we tasted that too and found it very delicous.After that we got a chance to taste the Lobster which was specially prepared by the Chef. I took a piece of it and put it in my mouth and loved it. We were finally treated to some yummy cheese cake and then Burp...sorry.

Thank you very much Openrice for the invite and a very special thank you to Hotel Re! Fill for having us over and giving us the opportunity to try out The Abalone seafood laksa and other dishes from you restaurant.

2012-04-27

I was happy to be able to try the Abalone Laksa at Re!Fill restaurant. I really enjoyed the Laksa there. It was really good and unique as I have never heard of Abalone Laksa non tried it before. The Laksa was really delicious. The spiciness was just nice. The chilli was a little sour and spicy but it was so good and goes well with the Laksa. The Abalone chewiness was just nice. I finished the entire bowl and will definitely go back again to try their other dishes.

SGD 18(Dinner)

I was invited for the ORTU event held by Openrice.com, which was held over the weekend at Hotel Re! Re!Fill Restaurant and I could bring a friend along. I have to say, I was impressed,with the ambience & set up of the restaurant. And we get to know other openricers and we chatted while waiting for the delicious meal to serve us.The Abalone seafood laksa
This is the most luxurious laksa I had before, with ABALONE, Scallop, big prawns and etc. The seafood are all very fresh, and I like how the scallop was prepared. It's actually panfried with some char but not overcooked which make it tender and perfect. The abalone is not too big, but its still very nice! (coz it's free XD) The laksa gravy is creamy and I like the consistency, though my friends feels that was too creamy. I like the green minced leaves flavour that works in the soup too. The portion of the noodle is just nice.

So after the main one, the chef actually prepared other surprise dish for us to try on. It's the lobster set meal but I didn't try on the lobster itself.Mushroom soup pastry
The pastry is crispy and fragrant, and the mushroom soup is creamy. I dont quite like this kind of white creamy soup, I prefer the dark brown type which has a lot of mushroom bits. But the soup was warm and it does warm up my stomach so it's still nice.Smoked duck salad
This is my most like dish! The duck meat slice is nicely grilled, the lettuce and other veggie are frsh and crunchy, the almonds and walnuts added the chunchiness, and the dressing has tangy peanut flavour. I think just having this two big plates of salad already can satisfy me!Dessert
The chocolate brownie has strong chocolate flavour, which I like it! Though its only very small in pieces, I feel satisfied coz I don't think i can eat a big one after all the dishes.

Overall this dining experience is quite precious and I would hope to join the next ORTU with friends the next time.

http://thechosenglutton.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/retro-refill-at-hotel-re/

Even before I begin with anything, boy do I love their innovation and creativity of their names. Hotel Re!, tagged along with their restaurant named Re!Fill and facilities called Re!Fresh. Oh yes, and it fits Re!tro too – the theme for this hotel. Secluded away, at the top of Pearl’s Hill, this boutique hotel, Hotel Re!, used to be a school building (a school called Pearl’s Hill School). And I was exceptionally thrilled to visit this hotel / restaurant because Pearl’s Hill School was my Primary School for 3 years back then. It was the tallest school building (12 storey, with a lift, and lift operator), and I was so proud to be a part of it. Unfortunately, it ceased operation after operating for 29 years from its opening on 1972. Former students of the school can definitely still see signs of Pearl’s Hill School – the shape / layout of the school, the staircase, etc. Nostalgic, very much.

The restaurant isn’t necessarily very retro in design, except for the rainbow wallpaper all around. Otherwise, the cushion seats were more than comfortable and suitable for the mood.

Service was outstanding, and very professional if I may add. The changing of utensils according to what individuals are having was done very neatly and attentively. The waitperson arranged and aligned it to perfection, which I was impressed (when I saw that she adjusted to align it).Soups :: Once again, excellent service I say this is. Immediately upon expressing of interest on the mushroom soup, the waitperson asked which exactly. And pointed out that we ordered the above instead of the normal one (the price was either a $0.40 difference or of the same, I can’t exactly remember) as it’s more worthy of the money. Honesty of the waitperson always wins my heart. The Lobster Bisque was filled with chunks of lobster and prawn pieces – not the freshest of all, but generous a portion enough for me not to feel that the soup is not worth the money.Hot Chocolate (Pot) ($5.50++) :: We were like ‘what is a pot of hot chocolate’ We casually asked the waitperson and thankfully we did that – because we were then told that its serving’s sufficient for two. And so money was saved.

Z Wings (6pieces) ($12.80++) :: I thought the chicken wings was very ordinary. The only thing that is not about the dish are the fruits and salad by the side. I’ve never had wings served with fruits.

Vietnamese Spring Roll ($8.80++) :: Again, served with fruits. The dish is very forgettable, affordable to give it a miss, advisable to try other side dishes while you are there.

Seafood Abalone Laksa ($18.80++) :: Or at least that is the standard price for the bowl of awesomeness, especially on a rainy day (too bad it only rained the day after I had it, making me crave hard for another bowl of it). I had mine at a 1-for-1 offer, extended due to popular demand. So grab a friend (who eats laksa) and head down to Re!Fill. Although it doesn’t have my favorite clams, it does have a big fat scallop, 3 fresh prawns, and a small abalone (the size of the hole when you do an ‘okay’ sign with your thumb and index finger) – all cooked to perfection. For convenience sake, they have a small dish of sambal chili served with the big bowl of laksa, just in case you want more kick.

I’ve rated this a 3 stars (✰✰✰) for the sheer fact that it gives me a good tingling feeling when in the building, the outstanding attentive to detail service, and the wide range of cuisines offered (italian / general western / asian / local), making it the restaurant to visit no matter with your westernized friends or homey family.

—> Note #1: They are having another offer as of now: 2nd Asian Delight dish ordered gets a 50% off.

—> Note #2: Last I checked, paying by UOB debit / credit card gives you a 10% off items that were not previously discounted.

—> Note #3: You can either take a short 10 minutes walk from Outram MRT Station (take Exit B, turn left, and you should be able to see user-friendly signs throughout the whole walk to the isolated hotel, starting on the right), or take the scheduled shuttle bus from Outram MRT.

—> Note #4: If you are going in a big group (of 8 and above), it’s better to make a reservation first because it’s a relatively small restaurant.

2011-08-15

SGD 20(Lunch)

I've heard so much about Hotel Re!'s signature Abalone Seafood Laksa, so I decided to give it a try. I went there with a friend of mine during lunch time, but I was surprised that there were only a few people dining. It must be because of its location, which is on top of a hill and not so accessible to the public.

Service was fast as I got my order right away. I noticed that the staff there were efficient enough to keep refilling my water when it was already half empty. Going back to the food, it wasn't so heavy like most laksas. I think it's because the coconut milk was just enough. The bowl I got was also quite generous with their abalone, prawns, and other seafoods. They were chewy and tasty, while the noodles were springy... so good!

2011-07-20

SGD 18(Lunch)

If you are into retro themed hotels, Hotel Re!, a rather new addition to the boutique hotel scene in Singapore, might just be what you are looking for. However, I'm not so much a hotel person and I'm actually more interested in what the restaurant (in this case, Re!Fill) has to offer.

Personally I think the cafe's decor is clean and cozy but I don't quite see signs or indications of a retro theme. Well, except maybe for the psychedelic strips of wallpaper that adorn the L boxes. There is a different lunch menu each day and you get to choose 1 of 2 main courses that are available each day. Everything else (appetisers and dessert) is pre decided, which can be good or bad, depending on your personal preferences.

Complimentary Bread - Decent but tasted not unlike a packaged loaf of bread off the supermarket shelf, nicely toasted and served up with a small container of SCS salted butter. Simple but satisfying.

Seasoned Baby Octopus, Egg Foo Yong, Sweet Potato & Taro Fritter - I liked how everything was presented in one long platter in bite sized portions. The baby octopus was a tad sweet and chewy whilst the Egg Foo Yong tasted savoury and all but had so much oil in it that it made my heart beat faster. Just imagine the oil from the egg sitting in a shooter glass. Gross. Luckily the fritter didn't turn out to be an oil sponge as well but I did find the flour a little too thick. Still crisp and enjoyable in small quantities though.

Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Crabmeat - Although I could make out respectable slivers of shark's fin and crab meat, the soup was too starchy and rather bland. But for the price of the set lunch, I really shouldn't be complaining.

Salted Egg Prawn, Parisienne of Fruits & Almond Flake, Garlic Fried Rice, Sauteed Asparagus - I'm usually a fan of salted egg prawns but this one seemed a little too moist and soggy for my liking. Flavour was also lacking and honestly, the salted egg coating was aesthetically unpleasing. But at least it was edible.

Wok Fried Duck Breast with Olive Vegetable, Garlic Fried Rice, Sauteed Asparagus - At first glance, I thought the duck slices looked uncannily like beef. Even the texture was similar to the beef slices you would find at a typical beef hor fun stall - chewy from the addition of lots of flour. Compounding matters was the fact that the duck just tasted salty with a dash of pepper. No inherent fowl taste whatsoever.

Hotel Re! Temptation Delight - It sounded grand but came as a flop. I liked the presentation but the taste left much to be desired. In short, everything tasted out of sorts and even something as basic as the lychee agar agar tasted artificial. Ditto the apple crumble.

I have read rave reviews online about the food at Re!Fill but unfortunately, mine turned out to be a disaster. Honestly, $49 nett for 2 pax for set lunch isn't over the top and service was decent. However, food quality really needs to buck up in my humble opinion. And the number of customers the cafe had that day was testament to that. We were pretty much the only table that afternoon. Only when we were about to leave did a couple drop by.

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2011/07/refill.html

Re!Fill is located at the ground floor of Hotel Re!. Where their Re!Cess daily 4-course set meal featuring different cuisine each day of the week, with free flow of bread, coffee and tea! But too bad, this promotion is ending soon this month in June.

Finally i got the chance to visit Re!Fill, Hotel Re! with a pair of meal vouchers i won from OpenRice CNY contest.

I went on a Tuesday night for the italian set, which consists of pan-fried foie-gras medallion with prune and walnut dressing as our appetizer. Next we had italian minestrone soup scented with basil. The soup was hot and tasty. And the serving was really big.

As for the main course, we get to choose from grilled lamb chop or seafood spaghetti aglio olio. My friend had a grilled lamb chop while i had a seafood spaghetti aglio olio.

The lamb chop was nicely executed and the serving was generous. I get to try a slice of the grilled lamb chop, it was very nicely grilled. It was very delicious and to my surprise it was very tender. (It was my first time having a lamb chop actually)

My seafood spaghetti aglio olio was very nicely done too, but it was a little spicy for me because of the chilli flakes. The spaghetti was cooked just nice, the texture was rather 'Q' infact. And the scallops and prawns were very fresh and big! and they were cooked just enough time to maintain their freshness and the 'Q'ness. It tasted really good actually.

Lastly my anticipated dessert arrived! I especially love the mango cake and brownies! Really go very well with the coffee (bear in mind - its free flow) that they served! haha

I really wish to go again soon for the set meal (other cusine) before the promo ends in June.

2011-05-31

SGD 22

We were hotel guests at Hotel Re! and the complimentary breakfast buffet was sadly....unappealing. It looked decent but tasted worse.

The beehoon was tasteless, the chicken sausage was dry. Even the milk wasnt chilled enough!

Service seems forced and thus, it came across as insincere.

2011-06-15

SGD 18.80(Breakfast)

I had lunch at Hotel Re! that day. It's a small boutique hotel and Re!Fill, one of its cafes, is located at one corner of the hotel lobby. I think this is the main place where their guests have their meals. The set meal for that day was Japanese cuisine.

The appetizer looked really appetizing. I was really hungry so I was delighted to see the japanese satay. The meat on the sticks was tender and the sauce over it complimented the meat well. The other side dish was something like jellyfish. But it was quite soft and not firm at all. It was supposed to be a cold dish, but was not really cold at all. ):

My main dish was a piece of salmon and a small cup of chawanmushi. The salmon was well-cooked and I liked the garnish that was over it. It was a little sweet and together with the salmon it tasted great! The vegetable side dish tasted like it was cooked in a chinese style. The chawanmushi was not bad, but not as good as those in Japanese restaurants.

The dessert came in a a tray with four different types of dessert. I didn't really like it because the green apple jelly, fruit cocktail and cream puff were not really cold when I started eating them, so they tasted very weird and unappetizing. The ice cream was the best dessert on the tray.

The meal was great but I don't think it's worth twenty dollars.

SGD 20

So my friend and i went to Re!fill at hotel Re! For those who are going there, you can simply walk from outram park mrt station, it's a less than 10minutes walk. The hotel is small and cozy and the retro theme is amazing, who would have thought you can find such a place in singapore.

We order daily set meal which cost 20 dollars plus- it comes with an appetizer, soup, bread, main course and dessert.

I am disappointed with this meal. We went on Wednesday so it's japanese set. The appetizer was alright, soup was not up to expectation ( really plain ), bread ( plain bread you can get from supermarket, toasted with butter to put on) A surprise to us- bread and soup don't match at all? Actually nothing does.
[IMG:1The main course was still acceptable,I order a grill beef set, but it's not served hot. It was only slightly warm when served and cooled down almost immediate. I really don't like cold food for my proper lunch.The dessert reminded me of home -with cai yan( jelly) and vanilla ice cream- not in a good way though.

But there's free flow of bread/coffee/tea. I order a coffee, not so bad. The tea is lipton tea in case you wonder.

All in all, i will order other dishes next time, definitely not this meal again. But then, the service there is awesome and waitresses are polite and efficient.

Located at the base of Pearl's Hill, along Chin Swee Road, HotelRe! encloses guests in a scenic environment whilst being just a stone's throw away from Singapore's major shopping district, Orchard Road.

As you step into Hotel Re!, a modern retro themed boutique hotel, you are lost in swirls of vivacious colours and psychedelic furnishings tempered with a sleek modern touch. With numerous themed boutique hotels in the metropolis, this 12-storey, 140-room boutique hotel is a wondrous surprise waiting to be discovered.

So here I was with my mum, for my festive set meal at Hotel Re!'s dedicated restaurant; Re!Fill. Accompanied by the placid environment of the serene city park, guests are given the privilege to savour their meals without rushing through them.

The meal started off with an appetizer- Portobello Mushroom in Oilive, Marinated Scallop, U.S White Asparagus and Black Truffle Vinaigrette. Very beautifully laid out, the appetizer was as appetizing as it looked!

Next, we had the soup- Chicken of Essence with Spinach Revioli Enhanced. Personally, I felt that the soup induced a very 'homely' feeling as it was simple yet tasty. It tasted very much like the soup from your home-made macaroni. There was a simple slice of toast with salted butter to compliment the soup served.

Following that, we had the main course. I had: grilled beef tenderloin with foie gras sauce, sauce potato gratin and a medley of vegetables. My mum had: roasted chestnut stuffing, honey baked ham, potato gratin, zuchinni and raspberry walnut dressing. We shared our mains to get a taste of both dishes. After discussion, we both felt that both mains were just as fabulous! My beef tenderloin was well done, not too tough to chew on and the meat juices blended very well with the foie gras sauce. The turkey was finely sliced and the mix of ham slices gave the whole dish a slightly salted taste.

Penultimately, our much anticipated desserts arrived! Hotel Re!'s 'Temptation Delights' they call it. Indeed, the desserts looked very tempting from afar as we glanced across the room waiting for the waitress to serve the very colorful platter. Temptation Delights consists of: a scoop of chocolate ice-cream, toppled with strawberry, a mini mango cake, a cocktail jelly as well as a 'kebab' of fruits. The variety of desserts were delicate and sweet as they should taste.

Finally, we had our beverages (coffee/tea) to end off the meal.

This festive set meal is priced at $23.80++. I would say its worth a try, but if you're looking for something more filling, opt for their buffet instead! Have a splendid Christmas everyone!!