Gourmet Plus

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Believe it or not, Gourmet Plus has been around for nearly a decade now. I’m ashamed to only find out about this establishment that serves European fare now. Regardless, I’m happy that this gem is hidden but found now.Situated amidst the Frankel Estate, it is no wonder I did not have those moments where you happen to chance upon a restaurant. As a Westie, Frankel Estate is a total stranger to me, and well, way too atas for me. The facade of the eatery is deceiving. It’s slightly run-down, not flamboyant, nor eye-catching. But once inside, you’ll find that it possesses a homely atmosphere, probably also because it’s a matrimonial asset of Suhardi Huang and Carin Tay.Skewer of Marinated Olive, Chili, Antxoas & Baby Onion ($10++): Here’s how you should eat it. Take a small sip of the Classic Gazpacho Soup before popping the entire skewer in. Antxoas is a kind of anchovy. With the skewer removed into my mouth, it burst with dominantly saltiness, sourness and spiciness. Very much a successful palate-opening appetizer. The dish comes in three.Boiled Octopus with Potato and Fish Roe ($16++): Easily my favorite dish of the night. The slices of octopus were consistent in thickness and bite. While it was easy to cut through, the bite and chewiness remained. Simple and perfectly executed. A must order.Haloumi & Green Olive Salad ($18++): My palate ignored everything else but the grilled haloumi cheese. The savory ingredient added much flavors to the otherwise mundane salad. Olive, rocket, frisse, Japanese cucumber, pine nuts, red onion and light mustard dressing make up the salad. I like the presence of red onion as well, having the occasional spiciness was delightful.Squid-ink Coated Calamari ($16++): It is just about the fugliest dish amongst most restaurants in Singapore, and the people behind it agree. However, taste it before you start judging, I like that it was well-done in its exterior crispiness, while retaining its soft core. It alone was fine, but a lot better when eaten with the homemade garlic aioli. The condiment complemented impeccably.Spanish Ham & Rocket Pizza ($28++): ‘Coca’ is Spanish for Pizza. The pizza crust and dough fell short in my opinion. It was nothing to yell for, and a little too dry and flavorless in itself for me. However, the Jamón Ibérico, a premium Spanish ham, can never go too far wrong. It pulled the pizza back a little.Corn-fed Chicken ($30++): Roasted with shiitake mushroom, roasted potato and essence of chicken demi, this healthy corn-fed chicken was well-flavored. I was pleasantly surprised, as not many people can pull off a tender whole chicken with all parts of the meat still keeping its marination. My favorite amongst the 4 main courses I’ve had.Spanish-style Spicy Oxtail Stew ($28++): The oxtail stew was extensively soft, making me felt as if the oxtail was part of the soft toasted bread. Save for that, it wasn’t especially memorable a course. European spiciness, as you should know, is nothing compared to that of Asian’s, so.Crispy Wagyu Beef Cheek ($35++): I held high expectations for this course, with the promise of melt-in-your-mouth beef cheek. Though it sure was pretty soft, it was quite a let down because somehow, it was sticky. The mashed potato, on the other hand, was delectable. Mixed with parmesan cheese, the Chef made the french potato the authentic French way by not mashing it too much so as to retain the bite and presence of ingredients. Served with red wine shallot gravy.Bermuda Triangle of Chocolate ($15++): Chocolate lava cake, white chocolate panna cotta and nutella parfait makes up this bermuda triangle. It’s easily one of my favorite dishes for the night as well. The chocolate lava cake did not fail, and is an #instavideo material. Rich and thick. White chocolate panna cotta was surprisingly good. It has the ice-cream texture and taste, although we know it isn’t ice cream, we insisted it was. Very addictive and not too sweet. And come on, who doesn’t love some nutella. The parfait is of smooth, tau huay texture with hints of nutella.Nutty Chocolate Peppermint Ravioli ($14++): Never seen before dessert, I thought it has an acquired taste, really. I did not quite grasp it though. Parts of it taste like muah chee with the coated sugar bread crumb, and then there were coconut which was fine, but not really the peppermint for me. I’ve never been a peppermint fan. This can be too heavy for an after-meal.Except for the Squid-ink coated calamari, Spanish pizza and Oxtail stew, the rest are new items on the menu.I am wildly impressed by their appetizers and desserts, but more averages and misses for their mains. Nevertheless, I still like the modesty and unpretentious-ness of the veteran space. Next time I’m there, I’ll have a go at their Iberico Pork Loin, coupled with the appetizers and desserts I know have shot a bull’s eye. continue reading

There lies a hidden gem in the Eastern part of Singapore! A modern European family-friendly restaurant which has been around for almost a decade. Serving up affordable European cuisine, you can have a gastronomical adventure across Europe with a fares coming from Italy, France and even Spain.I was there for an OpenRice food tasting session and I got to savour some of their special signatures which got me salivating when it was served on the table. The boss of the restaurant, Carin, hosted us warmly at this cosy family restaurant, which gave me a feeling of dining at a home of a European family.Below are some of my personal favourites worth raving about!Pulpo ala Gallega ($16) - Sliced octopus on bed of potatoes topped with fish roeThis was one of the starters and the presentation was very fine and classy with a mini plastic sword holding up the layers of potatoes, chewy octopus topped with delicious fish roe! I love how the combination of flavours and texture work so well together. Haloumi & Green Olive Salad ($5) - grilled haloumi cheese tossed with olive, rocket, Japanese cucumber, pine nuts, red onion and drenched in a light mustard dressing The star of this salad is no doubt the grilled haloumi cheese which has a smooth milky and robust flavour with a tinge of smokiness. It enhances the flavour of the salad and the Japanese cucumber slices were very fresh and crunchy! Rabo de Toro ($28) - Spanish-style spicy Oxtail stew with toasted breadThis dish won my heart for the night as the succulent oxtail meat and tendon slides off the bones very easily. The gravy wasn't that spicy but instead, tantalizing to the taste buds. It is served with sliced baguette and it helps to balance the richness of it when eaten together.Corn-fed Chicken ($30) - Roasted corn fed chicken with shiitake mushroom, roasted potatoes, essence of chicken demi & kitchen vegetablesProbably one of the underrated dish on the menu, the French chicken, also known as Poulet, has a natural sweetness as it is corn fed. The meat within is moist and juicy too. Baked with the mushroom, it brings out the natural flavour of the chicken that's so tasty without the need for any gravy or sauce to go with.These are my favourite items and they are delicious. Would highly recommend this place for family and friends as well as business lunches. Very chill and quiet place for to spend quality time over quality food! continue reading

I was really looking forward to the OpenRice tasting session at Gourmet Plus because it offers a mixture of Spanish, Italian and French food. So I'll get to try different types of European food at one go The Gilda on Shot Gazpacho ($10 for two shots, below) is an appetizer served in a shot glass. Kudos for being creative! Step 1: Please dip the skewer of marinated olive, chilli, antxoas & baby onions into the gazpacho soup. Step 2: Sip a little of the refreshing gazpacho soup that is made of cold tomato . Step 3: Eat each piece of the vegetable on the skewer. The overall result is a lingering spiciness and sourness on the tastebuds, a refreshing starter to our 10-course dinner.The Haloumi & Green Olive Salad ($18, below) had grilled haloumi cheese tossed with olive, rocket & frisee, Japanese cucumber, pine nuts, red onion in a light mustard dressing. This is my first time eating Haloumi cheese, a Greek cheese, and I loved it. The cheese was pan-fried, slightly salted, texture was like toasted scallop but a bit harder. An interesting dish.Pulpo ala Gallega ($16), is a pretty stack of boiled octopus in between slices of potato, topped with fish roe. Quite a creative combination as the octopus was chewy while the potatoes were soft so there was variation in texture. The next dish may look like a kitchen disaster, but never judge a book by its cover. Although the Squid Ink Coated Calamari el Bulli with Aioli ($16, below) doesn't look appetizing, my appetite was aroused by the garlic fragrance of this dish when it was served. The calamari was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Must eat with the smooth Aioli sauce. An addictive dish that I couldn't stop going for.Coca Iberico Jamon Lomo & Rocket ($28, below), uses Spanish ham which is from the loin and hence it is more tender than the normal ham. Coupled with the melted cheese and golden baked pizza crust, the result was a robust taste that exploded in the mouth. The roasted Corn-fed Chicken ($30, below), was very tender, and the taste was enhanced when the chicken was drizzled with the essence of chicken demi that accompanied it. Together with the shiitake mushroom, roasted potatoes, and kitchen vegetables, this makes a hearty French dish.Back to Spanish.. the Rabo de toro ($28, below). Spicy spanish oxtail stew, braised for 6 hours, and the result was ultra soft oxtail which tasted both gamey and tender. Eaten with the toasted bread provided. Just when I thought it doesn't get any better than this, we were introduced the Crispy Wagyu Beef Cheek ($35, below). Pan-seared melt-in-your-mouth beef cheeks on mashed potatoes, US asparagus, to be smeared with the red wine shallot gravy. The knife effortlessly cut through the reddish meat, evidential that it was well-braised for hours. How do they make it crispy on the outside and soft on the inside? They only fry the beef cheeks when it is ready to be served. And the mashed potatoes was also a scene stealer with its subtle cheese flavor. Meet Bermuda Triangle of Chocolate ($15, below). The delightful trio is made up of: (i) Chocolate lava cake, (ii) Nutella parfait & berries and, (iii) White Chocolate Panna Cotta. Personal favorite would be the cold sweet Nutella Parfait balanced by the sweet and sour berries. Simple yet good.Since they say there is always a separate stomach for desserts, one dessert would not suffice to end this feast. Our second dessert Nutty Chocolate Peppermint Ravioli ($14) - coated with sugar bread crumbs, molasses amaretto (a type of sweet Italian liqueur) and coconut waffle was nutty and slightly mint flavored. A very unique dessert.This cosy restaurant has been around since 2004, so that means they must be doing it right. There's an alfresco area which has a romantic ambience. The place can serve up to 75 persons, sounds like a good place to hold functions/gatherings. They have an extensive wine list too. For an inspiring dinner experience and high quality Western cuisine in the East, do visit Gourmet Place for a weekend meal.Many thanks to OpenRice and Gourmet Plus for the kind hospitality and making me feel like a royal during this great tasting session!For full review and more photos, please visit http://weekendeatwhatsg.blogspot.sg/2013/08/gourmet-plus.html continue reading

I was one of the lucky OpenRicers to join the OpenRice team for the food tasting at Gourmet Plus. Before the food tasting session, i had a look at their official website (http://www.gourmetplus.com.sg) so that i am more aware of what i would be having beforehand. I was very thrilled to know that they were started in 2004 and offers a tempting selection of French, Italian, German and European fare. I felt very certain that it would be a real delectable 'tastebud-opener' for me and it sure was! We had a very filling 10-course dinner and i will just review on those dishes that i felt was really unforgettable for me to avoid being too lengthy and draggy.Our first course was Gilda on shot Gazpacho, or skewer of marinated olive, chili, antxoas & baby onion in classic gazpacho soup in shot glass. The gazpacho is basically a cold tomato based soup which is very healthy and has a natural sweet flavour. Pairing it with the skewer really refreshes my tastebud and opened up my appetite for the following courses ahead.Next was the Squid-ink coated calamari el bulli with aioli, or calamari coated in black squid ink served with homemade garlic aioli. The boss had jokingly warned us before serving that the dish will look like a disaster had happened in the kitchen but do not be deceived by its looks, because the taste was completely opposite! The black squid ink batter covering the calamari was extremely crispy and not oily at all, though there was no discerning squid ink taste. Despite already tasting very flavourful on its own, pairing the fried calamari with the chef's specially prepared garlic aioli made the taste even more savoury than before. A real thumbs up to all the effort the chef has put in place of the usual fried calamari available. Following was the Coca Iberico Jamon Lomo & Rocket, or spanish ham & rocket spanish pizza. We were told that the ham used was the loin part of the Iberico pork as it is less fat, but more intense in flavour. Indeed i could taste the strong meaty taste of the ham though i felt it was a bit too salty. Nevertheless, it goes very well with the thin, spanish pizza base (chewier compared to italian pizza) that was crispy at the edges.Now, introducing the best dish that was served that night, the Crispy Wagyu Beef Cheek, which is a pan-seared melt-in-your-mouth beef cheek on mashed potato, US asparagus & a jug of red wine shallot gravy. The beef was first braised before being pan-seared, resulting in a moist flavourful texture and taste. The beef was truly so 'melty' that no effort was needed to cut through it. Even the mashed potato was worthy of praise as i have never eaten mashed potato that has an extra 'bounciness' texture to it. Try it to experience the sensational delight!Lastly, the dessert that everyone look forward to, the Bermuda Triangle of Chocolate, a dish comprising of chocolate lava cake, white chocolate panna cotta, nutella parfait & kitchen berries. The chocolate lava cake was crispy on the outside, moist on the inside with warm chocolate flowing out of the cake when cut through. The nutella parfait melts in your mouth just like smooth milk ice cream. The white chocolate panna cotta was very soft and had a strong white chocolate flavour though it might be a little too sweet to my liking. Nevertheless, it was the perfect all-in-one dessert trio that definitely satisfy my huge craving for dessert! It's a must try!I felt that the session has opened up my world of culinary art and am really grateful to OpenRice team for such delightful and unforgettable experience! Thank you OpenRice team and Gourmet Plus! continue reading

The OpenRice Team together with a group of OpenRicers came down to Gourmet Plus for a Food Tasting session on 12th Aug 2013. Based on feedback from our fellow OpenRicers, here are some of the highly recommended dishes from the users!Haloumi & Green Olive Salad Pulpo ala Gallega Squid-ink Coated Calamari with Aioli Crispy Wagyu Beef Cheek Rabo de Toro Bermuda Triangle of Chocolate continue reading