Cantonese fine-dining restaurant Royal　Pavillion ushers in the lunar new year with an array of Chinese New Year dishes　that are created by the brand’s Director of Kitchen & Operations, Mr RayTso, from Hong Kong. Full review on http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/Arranged like a fish in a beautiful golden bowl, the yusheng (S$68/$88++) may not be as extravagant as most fine-dining restaurants these days but all the necessary ingredients playing their roles dutifully. This dish stayed true to tradition, with plenty of fresh crisp golden crackers as well as a sweet-tangy apple and plum sauce.Since this is the Year of Goat, Royal Pavillion has introduced this ingenious
lamb dish for CNY. The Royal Fried Lamb Shank (S$48++ for up to 4 guests)
seemed like a cross-fertilization between German Deep Fried Pork Knuckles and
Beijing Roasted Duck. Wrapped in a traditional crepe with red-green pepper, spring
onions and hoisin sauce, the shredded lamb had some nice crispiness depending
on the parts you get, without the awful gamey taste. However, some expressed
that the meat was too dry and did not spark any excitement in them. Royal
Smoked Duck (4.8/5)

Voted as one of the Top 10 dishes of the Year by Zao Bao last year, this Royal
Smoked Duck ($35/$68) truly
deserved the royal spot in the hall of fame because the meat is simply
delectably tender and flavorful. What wins further respect was the fact that
the 4-5 month young duckling had only been smoked for 45 minutes with lychee
wood but achieved such a remarkable distinction between the layers of fat
tissues and paper-thin crispy skin. It's already a winning stand-alone dish
without the sweet plum dipping sauce! There are so many ways that can go wrong when nian gao are served as desserts; too starchy, sticky, greasy, sweet, etc, but the Pumpkin Nian Gao (S$18++ for 10 to 12 guests) managed to steer clear away from them. Coated in beaten eggs before being pan fried, each square sliced to perfect thickness is chewy but does not stuck to your teeth, with a
light whiff of egg fragrance that lingers on.

Though this is the first year that Royal Pavilion is launching its Chinese New Year creations, the dishes are donned with a touch of elegance and prosperity that marked a good start to the future CNY creations.  Full review on http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/

I've heard quite a lot about the Bakery Chef ever since I came back from Tokyo but I've never got the motivation to head to the main shop. So it must be luck and fate that I chanced upon its pop-up stall at Orchard Central. For full review : www.dairycream.blogspot.comAlas, something unpredicted amidst the predictabilities. In fact, both cakes surpassed the excellency of the predecessors with their unmistakable saturated sponge and little mounds of smoky piped cream. Nonetheless, these cakes were extremely delicate and I counted my blessings that little damage was inflicted by the heat when I transported them home. However, it was only until the Praline Delight ($6) when I started to see potential of this pastry shop. Chocolate mousse, hazelnut paste +crunch, sponge cake coated in chocolate ganache and nuts. It might not be the most original idea, but it's a classic combination done well. Simply look at how beautiful each layer has come together! This cake should deserve more credit and raving reviews than the mundane sponge cakes. For full review : www.dairycream.blogspot.com

Full story on http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2015/01/thai-in-town-thai-wanton-mee-more.html
Another Thai Wanton Mee? Yes, it seems like Thai Wanton Mee has become more popular these days. After Soi 19 and BaaMee, Thai in Town is my 3rd stop for Thai Wanton Mee and the good thing is that they sell more than just the noodles. In fact, it is a very new casual all-day eatery establishment along Upp Thomson Road that sells the usual Thai cuisine.

At $6.90, the Wanton Mee is one of the most beautifully plated version yet it is also the driest one. Technically, the flavours of Thai Wanton Mee tend to be less plain than our local style so I was prepared to toss them with the fish sauce and chilli for that nice kick. don't go without trying the chilli--dry chilli flakes and the sour chilli dressing (free flow at the side)

Yet, the noodles posed as a major hurdle as they clumped together in a bad shape, barely inseparable from one another. Both the wanton skin and meat were also stiffened, though the smooth slices of char siew were given more meticulous treatment than those from Soi 19 and Baa Mee. Instead of the lackluster wanton Mee, I would highly recommend the Claypot Prawn Tanghoon ($14.90). The Tanghoon are throughly infused with the flavour of the prawn stock and was sufficiently peppery to the degree of not over-killing the taste buds. They were generous with the prawns, peeled garlic cloves and not to mention, the ginger that added some interest.

But the best thing about this dish is how well it complemented with the sour Chilli condiments at the side of the table. The portion is enough to serve as a staple for two pax, if you are ordering other sides. The Tom Yam Chicken Fried Rice ($6.90) was delicious too. Tossed with red chilli and shallots, this was adequately moist and only mildly spicy. The Tom Yam Soup ($12.90) is robustly punchy and well-penetrated with the flavours of galangal and kafir lime. However, the Folks found the fish not very fresh and preferred the clear soup version to this coconut-milk based one.Tom Yum SoupServed with peanuts and sugar at the side was this plate of seafood Pad Thai ($7.90) that was moist and fragrant with bits of scrambled eggs. I enjoyed the sweet and sour flavors but the clumpy, over-chewy noodles mired what could be a satisfactory experience. I only got to the Gai Tod ($5.90/4 pcs) at the very end but the golden exterior remained light and crisp. Instead of dipping sauce, they were served with crunchy mixed spices--a rare sight for chicken wings in Singapore--that perfumed the meat with a tantalizing aroma. I think this plate would easily make chicken wing lovers swoon for more.

There are Red Ruby and Mango Sticky Rice under the desserts option but we headed straight for the Chocolate Toast with Ice Cream ($10.90). This was much bigger than the one from Xin Wang and would already make one full meal alone. It was clever for them to serve two scoops of chocolate chip ice cream because one would be too little. The bread itself is already very enticing because the outer wall yielded delicately crunchy bites while the inner walls are painted with butter that exudes an subtle savory allure. I was itching to try out the BBQ bread with Thai Tea Sauce ($2.20) since the toast earlier was so yummy. They also serve steam breads in dim sum baskets with various dips like kaya, chocolate, condensed milk and sugar. However, the Thai Tea Sauce was rather elusive and the layer of butter spread easily dominated the flavours. The food here is overall quite good, except for the Wanton mee and Pad Thai which have potential to shine on the tables. Good to know that there is NO service charge and GST

Full review : www.dairycream.blogspot.com

Tapas being tapas, portions are small and meant as light bites that go with beer. But I wondered if it was a coincidence that most of them were quite greasy. Breaded lightly with Panko crumbs, the highly-raved Portobello Truffle Chips ($16++) arrived with fragrant truffle aroma that soon dissipates into cold air. There was no trace of salt or herbs, hence the first few bites without the roasted garlic alioli oozed out bland oily juices that the giant mushroom has soaked up in the frying process. The Sweet Baby Back ($20++) also faced similar issues as the cuts were soft but contained too much fats that it was difficult to tear off much meat from the bone. It was not surprisingly that the grease left us jaded with mild discomfort in the throat. However, the blend of sweet paprika in the marinade resulted in some sweet pleasant taste without the heat. We prefer the Chilean Seabass ($24++) which has a lovely depth of umami flavour coming from the miso and wine marinade. The Soy Yuzu Beef ($20++) is another meaty joy to savour with bright acidic notes. Torched lightly on the surface, the thinly-sliced Argentine tenderloin, albeit raw and pinkish on the underneath, were delectably succulent and chewy.The Matcha Millefeuille ($15++) was a huge mishap, possibly one of the least palatable restaurant dessert I've ever encountered. Despite being assembled ala minute, the puff pastry was soggy (underbaked in the first place). The substandard matcha cream and some foreign objects like lychees failed to translate well on the palates.

I sneaked a peek at the white chocolate banana tempura which the French guy next to us ordered and was glad we didn't order that. Phew.Nonetheless, there was one very delicious dessert that melted our hearts--the Peanut butter molten lava cake ($15++). Baked in a iron-cast mini stove pan, the crusty dark chocolate exterior comes with a rich saucy peanut butter center, so rich that we could forgive the puny amount of ice cream served alongside. So skip the other 2 desserts and order this. However, dining at East8 chalked up a hefty despite the "savings" and it is a good place to chill-out but not for a quality meal that would fill you up. Full review : www.dairycream.blogspot.com

Full review: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2015/01/asanoya-singapore.html
Something that bewildered me is the sheer popularity of the Cube Loaf--cream filled
cube-shaped bread available in Yuzu cheese, Caramel apple, Matcha, Chocolate,
etc. Perhaps due to our nation's fetish for something goeey or flowy in the
centre (think Liu sha bao or molten lava cake), this has been the most featured
item on any media platform. However, I suggest we try to manage our
expectations as the Matcha is just a chewy chocolate bread filled with sweet
matcha custard that is resistant to flow. Perhaps the chef did not intend to make
it flow in the first place. The problem wasn't whether it flowed or not, but
that the cream was too sugary, to the extent that it overpowered the demure tea
taste. At a hefty tag of $4.50, I'm hesitant to invest in another one. The
Cinnamon Danish ($3.20) called out to me with that attractive dark brown sheen
but it was more chewy than crunchy, as the sticky caramel goo clung on
stubbornly to the knife .....and my cavities the more I chow on it. Though
the Sweet Potato Yuzu Cream Danish is constructed on the similar danish base,
the main ingredients helped to distract us away from the mediocrity. Yuzu is not
only visibly detected as peels on top but also in the white cream base, which
imparted a lovely tanginess that complemented the warm sweet potatoes. I was
glad we stood by this "less-popular" option instead of the
all-too-common blueberry custard danish. The
other autumn-inspired bread named "Harvest" ($4.50) was also
excellent. The texture of the bread is chewier than an average European
baguette but the subtle honey flavour crawled out as one slowly bite into it.
The earthy sweetness from the candied sweet potatoes, chestnuts rode upon the
savoury cream cheese to create another wonderful dimension in this humble stick
that is easily overlooked on the shelf. The
feathery soft innards with mild buttery notes in the Plain Brioche ($2.60) made
this quite enjoyable but my partners felt that it lacked the richness from egg
and butter. Despite the sexy cheesy strands effect that took place as we plucked
the Tomato Mozzarella ($2.60) apart, this pizza dough fared the worse because
it left a pool of grease on our lips and hands instead of the double umami
sensation on our tongues. I
love the Signature Curry Bun, which tasted like any orthodox non-spicy Japanese
curry bun with the mellow sweetness. We were lucky to get one from the batch
that was hot out from the deep fryer so it was crunchy and not too oily. The
Mushroom Quiche ($6) is indeed a very straightforward quiche with plenty of
mushrooms. While there could be more salt in this, there was enough that it
registered for me. This was good but the Potato French was even better. At
$3.20, one get an entire potato with skin intact, snugged tightly within the
crusty French bread under the luscious blanket of butter and mayonnaise. Have
it warmed up and one would be greeted by mini billows of steam from the soft
potato. Genius.Despite
the liberal amount of icing, I was not assaulted by a blast of sweetness in the
Caramel Apple Croissant ($3.90). The tartness of the soft-but-not-mushy apples
cut through the dense almond paste. Also, the flaky pastry here managed to
salvage my impression of their weak Danish dough. The signature Karuizawa Green Tea Loaf is sold here in grams at $2.60/100g, which
is about the weight of one slice. Blended with white chocolate, the bread has a
tinge of milky sweetness, which was slightly different from the taste when I
had it in Japan. Nonetheless, the texture is still spot-on; soft stretchy with
a crusty brown shield. Would be great if they can also introduce the Coffee
loaf in future.

Overall,the savory items were more remarkable than the sweet items, even though the price
across all items was not very pocket-friendly. I was quite disappointed by the
sweet bread but maybe to think on a positive note, the cube loafs are something
exclusive to Singapore market. Nonetheless, there is still room for improvement
before both the quality of the food and the service standards here can match up
truly with the level in Japan.

Full review: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2015/01/asanoya-singapore.html