Full Review:http://dairycream.blogspot.jp/2014/10/botan-japanese-restaurant-homely-affair.html
I thought I would find Botan Shrimp on the menu but I didn't. Hah...but this Japanese restaurant serves up pretty delicious dishes that taste very close to those you find in Japanese homes. On the dinner menu, you'll find a list of Dinner Sets, ala carte sashimi, Yakitori, porridge, soba, sushi, tofu, tempura, etc. The Gyunikyu Jagaimo is a flavourful simple beef stew with the caramelized sweetness of onions and carrots. Soft, creamy yet not spammed with too much mayonnaise. The Tamago yaki takes semblance after dashi-maki, served warm and significantly less sweeter. I felt short-changed on the Stir-fry Beef with Leeks as the greens were in shortage and the dish was too oily. And I'm sure most Japanese housewives would raise opposition towards this.

Though being cruelly severed into slices, the Unagi Kabayaki ($15) remained a crowd pleaser with its fatty tissues that gave a full, tantalizing mouthfeel. If you love potato salad, then you should try the version here at $8 as it is probably the best I've come accords in Singapore. Not to forget the light low-calorie supper food Tofu Mentaiko; anything hardly goes wrong if you throw in some mentaiko and this is no exception Unagi Kabayaki (BIG LOVE)

Full review on http://dairycream.blogspot.jp/2014/10/patisseries-g-brunch-talk-about-eggs.html
Revisited the possibly most French local patisserie shop in Singapore to try its not-so-new cakes that were launched during my absence in SG. Gone was my favourite Douceur. Along the way, we had the Eggs En Cocotte with Bacon ($16), a French dish that hasn't seem to rise to much popularity for brunch in Singapore yet. The savoury custard was well-seasoned and wiggly, speedily demolished with the soldiers of fragrant toasted brioche. Eggs En Cocotte with Bacon ($16)Meantime, the Creamy Scramble Eggs ($15/add on with smoked salmon $3) might not be as grandiose as the soft luscious yellow clouds served at Bills, but was a heart-warming delight to go with its reputable croissant. Yes, I've had it previously with my dark chocolate drink and it still stays VERY delicious. The Lemon Cheesecake ($9) exhibits great character, distinguishing itself from the usual baked cheesecake with a livid lemon curd in the centre and a reliable chocolate biscuit base instead of the occasionally cranky graham crust. The Hazelnut Opera ($8.50) was particularly iffy; unquestionably tri-textures of the hazelnut ganache, coffee sponge and chocolate ganache, but the hazelnut tones weren't pronounced. The Nouvelle G ($9), a 73%-63% dark chocolate spaceship lookalike that had a delicate sandy yet crispy chocolate feuilletine which was finer than any of the feuilletine here.

And the star was the Coconut Choux Tart ($9), a pretty revolutionary piece that focused on the coconut-flavoured Carribean rum. Nothing much to speak in terms of coconut accents, but the beloved textures of all the components; chantily cream, (empty) choux puff, salted caramel sauce and Creme brûlée custard tart is enough to make this gateaux a highly saleable one.

Till the next wave of new creations~

I have passed the time when I used to head for buffets and gorge myself to the brim, convincing myself that the worth of food consumed is twice the price I pay. As age catches up and metabolism slows down, I realized that it's time to go for "quality" instead of "quantity". And the all-new Italian buffet launched by Pontini at Grand Copthorne Waterfront definitely fits the picture. The concept is similar to a 4-course Italian meal but in a more lavish manner; Starters (free-flow antipasti, home-made bread, soup at the savoury counter), Primi (unlimited orders of Pizzas and Pasta), Secondi and Desserts. Before you get too excited over the anti-pasta spread or desserts, pen down your main courses so that they would be ready by the the time you finished your appetizers.[STARTERS]

New sauces and jams always piqued my curiosity to find out their taste and it was the plethora of accompaniments that caught my attention at the savoury table. Instead of pairing them with the Italian Cold Cuts, I walloped them with home-made breads, drizzled some sweet Figs Mustard on the Radicchio, Pear, Gorgonzola cheese salad and Aged balsamic vinegar, and dunked the grilled Portobello mushroom with sweet chilli and arugula salad into Olive Tapenade. Out of the accompaniments, I adore the Creamy Walnut sauce, which tasted like honey peanut butter. Italian Cold Cuts and Homemade BreadRadicchio, Pear, Gorgonzola cheese salad and Aged balsamic vinegarGrilled Portobello mushroom with sweet chilli and arugula salad

The list doesn't stop here. There is still the concentrated Wild Mushroom Soup, Tuscany style marinated octopus, cheek peas and green asparagus salad, sundries tomatoes and an extravagant cheese platter that looked like the playing poker cards spread out neatly on the tables, only difference being that these are edible. Memorable bites include the baked butternut squash, and soft and mushy marinated artichokes, which I helped myself to second servings.

[PRIMI]

As tempting as it is to continue grazing on savories, reserve room for the astoundingly delicious pastas, prepared under the watchful eye of Pontini's head chef, Daniele Sarno. Despite being so young at only 30, the Florence-born chef already has 15 years of culinary experience, and working as a professional sommelier at Michelin-star restaurant!

Toothsome penne luxuriates in the creamy pool of "Roman Cabonara" and ham, while in another wee dish, the Tagiolini was coated evenly in "Genovese” style basil pesto sauce, which emitted a strange herby flavour. The so-called Italian Meepok "Tagliatelle" was not bad too, tossed in a jumble of wild mushroom, pancetta, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. All the pastas here are home-made and tastefully prepared in smaller portions to avoid carbo-loading for pizzas would soon be whizzed out from the kitchen. Just like the pasta which you can choose the style and pasta type, the pizzas can be prepared according to your fancy; choose from pizza base (treporcellini, Magherita and Vegetarian) and the toppings. [SECONDI]

Among the list of Secondi (Main Courses), the juicy chicken thigh basted in “Diavola”, spicy capsicum and tangy tomato sauce with dried oregano was wholesome and satisfying. The Piedmont style braised beef brisket on potato fondant in herb gravy, worked on textures but I could not comprehend its rustic, faint flavour. My favourite is still the oven-baked Norwegian salmon mignon in pistachio crust; a reminder of how seductive simplicity and freshness can be. [DESSERTS]

Having learnt that the hotel has recently welcomed a new Executive pastry chef, Mr Nicolas Maugard, I was yearning for the moment to try the Italian desserts. Hailing from Normandy, France, Chef Nicolas has worked for renowned Michelin starred restaurants in France and awarded second prize at the prestigious Championnat de France des desserts competition with his signature creation – roasted pineapple with eight flavoured sorbet.However, the desserts were underwhelming and could not fully showcase the potential and the character of the chef. Dominated by petite glass shots such as the Strawberry Shooters, Tiramisu, Lemon Tart, the dessert table could jazz up on its intricacies. Say a Limoncello tiramisu with pistachio biscotti crumbs, Olive oil macaron, Hazelnut Chocolate Ravioli or simply the chef's award winning sorbet? The one that stood out was the Stracciatella and ricotta Cannoli. Piped fresh at the live station, each of this palm-sized flaky pastry cones oozed sweet dense custard, buttressed with raisins, dried fruits and dusted with not powdered sugar but roasted pistachios. Amazing and surpassed the versions I've had from Hilton Pastry Boutique and Basilico The Regent. This was followed by the smooth and rich Panna cotta, showered by the undulating fragrance of vanilla beans which sank to the bottom.

Being established for at least 15 years, Pontini has gained a strong reputation for its exquisite Italian cuisine with a modern twist. For me, pasta is really the best thing going here and the flavours are very authentically Italian. For a very good price of $48, there is plenty to enjoy at this buffet and you can taste your way through to decide on your favourite.

Full review: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/10/pontini-grand-copthorne-waterfront-all.html

More than a year since my last visit (continuing reading after this) , Maison Kayser still dishes out pretty much same offerings for bread and pastries. But a closer look revealed something new. The Chocolate Caramel Tart ($6.30) looks promising but the tart is not exactly crunchy. Sitting beneath the swirls of cocoa-dusted chocolate mousse, the caramel layer can be lifted with teeny bits of sea salt. Matcha Financier $2.40 is more like a moist yet crumbly butter cake, but the sugar level went abysmal. Beware!Relievingly, there were two decent finds. The Matcha Mascarpone breaks the conventions by replacing the red bean with a subtly sweet milk chocolate ganache. With a silky matcha mascarpone of above-average intensity, this was quite a good deal at $5.50.Ispahan is no longer a sole propriety of Pierre Herme as it has been replicated many times all over the world. I was delighted to find this Ispahan Eclair ($3.70) that contained a lovely lychee-raspberry pastry cream perfumed with rose scents. The choux pastry wasn't good, obviously, but who cares when it tastes so pleasant, especially right out of the fridge.

Full Review: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/10/maison-kayser-singapore-matcha-ispahan.html

The Pancake Wave in Japan at might be the motivation behind the launch of pancakes at the Westgate outlet and it is the first overseas outlet to do so. (You can't find pancakes in any Japan outlets either). But pioneering new items are attached with great risks. Outlook were not very optimistic for the pancakes, which had a common problem of being too weighty, dense and chewy.

Portion size is good for desserts but the whipped cream wilted badly at the mercy of the heat emitted from those fresh-of-the-griddles batter. There are currently four variants - Caramel Nutty Pancake, Banana Choco Pancake, Rainbow Fruity Pancake, and Happy Berry Pancake.
So perhaps it may be good to practice some patience and await a better batch of 2nd-generation pancakes as the recipe undergoes a revamp. In the meantime, keep calm and try some of the unique curry that meets the local tastebuds.
How can Japanese curry be so spicy that it sets off a burning sensation on the tongue? Yes, chilli heads will be delighted to know that one can get some kick-a** curry at Coco Ichibanya, if you order the highest level 5. I took up the challenge to have a taste and it approximates close to our punchy Southeast Asian Sambal. But for those who love the classically sweet Japanese curry, go for level 0.

Full review: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/10/coco-ichibanya-westgate-new-pancake-wave.html