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2010-10-14
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Ambience and surroundingsOvercrowded in the CBD area, and looking for a quiet place, with a magnificent top-of-the-world escape, away from all the hustle and bustle below. Transporting you almost immediately to a private sanctuary, high above others? There’s Stellar.Stellar opened it’s doors to public only in October last year. Part of the Rochester Group, located on the 61st floor of the UOB building, with jaw dropping aerial view of Singapore, right in the middle of the bustling business distr
Ambience and surroundings
Overcrowded in the CBD area, and looking for a quiet place, with a magnificent top-of-the-world escape, away from all the hustle and bustle below. Transporting you almost immediately to a private sanctuary, high above others? There’s Stellar.
Stellar opened it’s doors to public only in October last year. Part of the Rochester Group, located on the 61st floor of the UOB building, with jaw dropping aerial view of Singapore, right in the middle of the bustling business district. Dishes were designed with the concept of turning dishes with strong cultural and traditional methods, into a modern dish today. Touches and twists were made, for an element of exploration, by it’s very own Australian Chef.
Enter the restaurant by taking a lift up from a obscure lift right next to the building’s driveway. The lift doors close, you are elevated slowly, as the city lights disappear away from your feet.
Lift door opens, into a lift lobby which enters into a explicitly warmly lit and welcoming classy interior, and the courteous waiter greets you, and coquettes you with compliments and swiftly leads you to your table.
Give yourself an awesome 5 minutes to absorb your surroundings, the breath-taking city view, and to digest the menu, for a dish of your choice. It took me about ten minutes to settle in and get over the wow and surprise emotions. The wait for food was slightly long, however treat yourself to a glass of wine, and exchange of conversations, and you will hardly notice the wait.
Appetizer (To Share)
Pantry Taster
A selection of breads, Pissaladiere, olives, radishes, Foie Gras Coustades, fig tarlets
The appetizer arrived, and it consisted of the French pizza with marinated anchovies, Foie Gras on sun-dried tomato, and Figs on Cheese. Often or not, though there’s been really good Foie Gras dishes, there were also some face contouring raw tasting Foie Gras experiences. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised. The Foie Gras though in a mousse like texture, was well seasoned, and did not in any way taste raw. It’s smooth texture, dissolves right on the tongue. The Fig and Cheese combination was an interesting one. The taste of Fig, enveloped the taste of the cheese, reducing the overpowering cheese taste, and balancing the palates.
Sashimi and Sushi Selection
Up next was the Japanese cuisine. There was the spicy tuna sushi, definitely a hot favourite! Personally not a Tuna lover, however this tuna belly was unlike others, without the usual strong Tuna taste. The meat was soft, and delicate. The aftertaste of the Tuna was surprisingly non fishy. Accompanied by a delicate selection of sushi(s).
- Unagi Roll with avocado and Unagi sauce
- Spicy Tuna Roll with katsuo furikake and spring onion
- Swordfish Roll with fresh crab meat, prawns, aka miso and aonori
- Sashimi Selection, sustainable blue fin tuna, sword fish and salmon
The sashimi platter, oh! That dish brought me deep into the ocean. Carefully sliced, and presented alongside octopus marinated with wasabi. It was a dish so fine, it made me smile eating it. They had specifically used Ocean trout caught while it was still in salt water, and not those which had already gone upstream. That was to ensure that the ones used, would have less damage on their body due to the impact of the currents, thus a fresher and better texture.
Charcuterie Taster
- A selection of premium Jamon, terrine, rillettes and crepinette, served with pickles and quince compote
The tiered, old Spanish cultured dish, where the ham(s) were cured 24 months – 36 months depending on type of ham.
One may cure a ham using both dry or wet rub. Dry rub is preferable for most, probably because the wet requires a bucket large enough to hold the ham and ingredients such as pickling salt, prague No. 1 pickling spice and cloves. It was served alongside rabbit fats mashed with rabbit meat (eeps!). I love furry animals so that dish was a little too exotic for me to devour. We were warned that the rabbit smell could get a little overwhelming, thus it was to be applied like jam on bread to be eaten. Some say the texture’s like chicken meat. Go try it if you are up for it!
Wood fired Wagyu rib eye marbling socre 5-6 creamy Paris mash potatos and Porcini peara sauce
Cured for 4 hours, marinated and simmered at a controlled temperature of 70 Degrees. Wood-fire, this slow process of cooking, locks the moisture in. The result, a tender wagyu beef topped with creamy mash potato, and porcini sauce, so good, my lips curled at the corners in delight.
Rotisserie Baby chicken with salad of black mission figs, olives and sundred tomatoes.
Mixed in pistachio oil to give it the smoky flavour. Grilled chicken, with figs as toppings. Figs are seasonal and for this dish, the in house chefs chases it as it moves from Europe to Australia.
French Bean Fritters
Fried with tempura batter, crunchy and suitable as a side dish.
Black Cod Fillet, Chargrilled fennel, orange pistachio salad with pinot noir sauce.
It was so fresh, it flaked open. Evenly cooked, and the meat was springy. Topped with blood orange, and fedock warm salad.
Truffle risotto with Maine lobster
Rotisserie baby chicken with salad of black mission figs, olives and sundried tomatoes.
Dessert
Ending the dinner was an array of deserts,
1. Pistachio fraise – a crispy sable tart with fresh strawberries.
2. Velvety lemon pecan mousseline with moist red velvet sponge.
3. Azure layers of hazelnut biscuit, peach sanguine jelly and griotte cherries.
4. Muscovado macadamia cream brulee
6. Sticky date pudding with sweet salted caramel sauce.
7. Lychee, champagne jelly. (Loved this)
All specially designed by One Caramel.
About the Chef
Christopher Milla, their in house chef’s an Australian. He worked in London for 8 years, and has been here in Singapore for 9 years now. He brings to us an experience of putting English, French, Australian cooking techniques combined. “Don’t fiddle with things that are not meant to be fiddled with” defines his belief, he questions over indulgement and still prefers to let the taste seep in and speak for itself. His dishes were designed to be tasty yet not overly bold. Every stirring, beating, blending were done by hand, the traditional way. He doesn’t believe in using machines.
Conclusion
Stellar’s the place to go for a spread of culturally inspired, traditional dished, modernized. The chefs do not believe in creating fusion dishes, but rather each of the individual dishes you taste, bring you back in time, or travel the world with them. There will not be set menus nor rigid courses. This chic, upmarket and socially relaxing ambience will serve you delicate dishes, made with seasonal food.
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