junedujour's Profile

We started off on a light note; an mixed fruit and cracker/nacho fondue of sorts. The long lineup of sauces are actually freshly concocted from scratch, from the spicy to the sweet to the salty. We took a vote and our favourite was this watery, tom-yum tasting one (very top bowl). Choose from crunchy crackers, mixed fruits and nacho with meat paste, and mix it up with the sauce of you choice to have a truly personalized taste. Azucar actually makes all of its own sauces, so you can be assured of the top quality and freshness. I think they also sell the sauces bottled, so you can bring it home if you like.This came as a surprise to me; if you have been reading my blog you will notice I'm not a fish person. But this Grilled Salmon Fillet was a total exception: The soft pink flesh was cooked to a very soft texture. Light and fluffy, it balanced very well with the herbs and salt toppings; and those fat pesto pasta strips added an extra dimension of taste with its lightly salty moistness.In my trip to France last year, I had had a similar Risotto dish but it disappointed me due to overwhelming fishy stench of the marine ingredients due to poor preparation. So when this Saffron Risotto with Seafood was served up, I was abit skeptical. I love the color of the dish and was glad to note that there was no fishy seafood smell. I did feel that the consistency was abit on the thick side, but the juiciness of mussels and prawns saved it from being too much. It gets abit rich after awhile though...Lamb, is a very tricky meat to cook. Like beef, it seeks a certain skill and finesse to not overcook it lest it becomes too tough or too undercooked and retains a gamey smell that overwhelms some. But fear not, Azucar does it well. Perhaps one of the better ones I've had so far, this Oven-baked lamb rack with cheese fritatta is light on the palate with the herb-stewed lamb flavor, balanced with asparagus and sticky melted cheese.Chocolate lovers will be able to satisfy their cravings with the Double Chocolate Brownie; crunchy on the top layer topped off with a generous dollop of vanilla ice-cream and sliced strawberries. The richness of the cocoa fudge is undeniable, on a sweet-bitter note that couples well with the saccharine ice cream.[ Recommend ]For the full review on more dishes, read it here at http://www.junedujour.com/2014/04/review-azucar-restobar-that-hidden-gem.html…Read More

I was very fortunate to be invited to do a food tasting for the much-raved about Tim Ho Wan, (whose name in Chinese by the way means to 'bring good luck', which was exactly what I was having. The name precedes the restaurant itself, evidenced by the long queues outside and packed tables.The overall ambience was warm and cozy with its warm interior tones accented with hilariously, the basket containers used to steam the buns and dim sums. Retro Canto-pop music of yesteryear played overhead, coupled with the boisterous chatter of a filled dining room.Its much anticipated second outlet opens at Toa Payoh, and diners are in for a real treat. Six never-been-published dishes are added to its current menu under monthly specials and will be changed every few months to maintain variety and novelty for patrons.Some of these new dishes are Hong Kong bestsellers, whereas the others are specially whipped up to cater to Singaporeans’ palates. These include: Steam Chicken Feet with Abalone Sauce, Fried Noodle with BBQ Pork and Soy Sauce and Deep Fried Dumpling with Salted Meat.We started off with one of my major weaknesses: the quintessential Prawn dumplings ($5.50) otherwise known as Har Kow. These were HUGE, almost about the size of my palm. A soft and succulent juicy prawn encased in each soft translucent shell, you get 4 in a container and its perfect for those feeling peckerish but don't want a big meal. Each bite was a warm munch of joy, waaaay value for money.I'm a major beef lover, so the vermicelli roll with beef ($5.50) was just the thing for me. The small chunks of beef was tender, an almost soupy texture. Coupled with the soy sauce and thin vermicelli roll, this simple but tasty dish will make you ask for seconds. Wasabi Salad Prawn Dumpling ($5.00) is a fusion dish that features fried dumpling skins sprinkled with tiny prawn roes and wasabi sauce; giving a zingy kick to the prawn morsels and crispy exterior that was thankfully not too oily/greasy.I was recommended the Vermicelli Roll with Sweet and Sesame sauce ($4.20); which was really something that really appealed to my taste buds. Soft rolls of vermicelli were drizzled with dashes of spring onions, absorbed the sweetness of the sauces. A smooth and savory dish that goes down well.A die die must try is the Baked Bun with BBQ Pork ($4.50): Not your usual 'Bao' fare, these piping buns are fried to a crispy golden. Upon resounding bite, the goodness of the sweet sauce oozes forth, melding well with the pork pieces and fried dough. Your Tim Ho Wan experience is not complete without this dish!Fried noodle with BBQ Pork and Soy Sauce ($6.00): While nicely fried, I found it to be on the dry side, but you can probably rectify it with some sauce. Thinly sliced pieces of char siew, green and red chilli and sesame seeds gives a slight spicy flavor but not something I'd order as a stand-alone dish. I feel its better to have it complement with other dishes.Last but not least. desert time! While everyone opted for the safer choice of Mango Sago, I decided to try one of their signatures: Tonic Medlar and Osmanthus cake ($3.50). Jelly cubes of flower petals and wolfberries not only it looks pretty...it tastes refreshing! Although the ingredients sound like your usual Chinese medical concoction, I assure you it isn't at all. Lightly sweet and honey-like in taste, the wolfberry adding a slight kick to balance the saccharine-ness.Do check out my website for more: www.junedujour.com…Read More