I have no idea how we ended up at Ivins, especially for someone like me whose tolerance level for spiciness is severely inadequate. Which of course made my exposure to Peranakan food pretty limited. Anyway I digress.

Situated in sleepy Jalan Leban, just off Sembawang Hills Road, Ivins' main outlet is at Binjai Park in the Bukit Timah area. I didn't know what to make of the decor except that it had hints of peranakan influences, as per what I had observed from my lunch trips to the Joo Chiat area. And for a restaurant located in such a secluded area, it was impressively packed with people even at 8pm on a weekday night.

Ayam Buah Keluak - As spicy as it looked, it was actually a stroll in the woods, even for me. The chicken pieces were chunky but I did think that the meat seemed a little dry while the gravy had a tad too much water. Still, nice when eaten with rice.

Bakwan Kepeting - This crab and meatball soup was reminiscent of a light yet flavourful Teochew styled soup with tong cai that I personally like. The meatballs were huge but had a little too much bounce in them whereas the soup suffered from an overdose of oil. Barring which, made for a very decent soup.

Nyonya Chap Chye - I've never had a good impression of chap chye (mixed vegetables) simply because most of the time, they turn out soft and all mashed up. This one was no exception. Well except it wasn't as mashed up as I expected it to be. And yes, the prawns added colour (not much taste though).

Honey Pork - Thinly sliced, the honey pork was as the name suggests, pork coated with a thick layer of not too sweet honey. Palatable but nothing too fancy in my humble opinion.

I wasn't too stuffed after dinner and I certainly didn't expect to be, considering we paid about $36 for 3 pax. Food quality hovers around a decent cze char stall's standard and prices are similar. Service was a little lacking but no complaints though as there is no service charge or GST levied.

Popped by Jai Thai for a quick and inexpensive Thai fix on a humid Sunday evening. Just a quick reminder, the place is rather smallish and parking lots are very limited (driving is probably the only way you are going to get there unless you don't mind walking quite a fair bit from the main road), so either get there early (6pm) or late (after 830pm).

Thai Prawn Cake - Having grown a little weary of the usual Thai fish cakes, we opted for the prawn cake, which came looking like deep fried fish fillets - golden brown on the outside and oozing a generous amount of oil. Health concerns aside, the prawn cakes had a mild prawn taste with minimal flour. Huge portions were also a plus.

Deep Fried Beancurd - Normal stuff you can get almost anywhere. Palatable but probably not worth another mention.

Pandan Chicken - 3 huge piece for $5. Now that's a steal, especially when the chicken was nicely marinated without being overly oily. Tender and tasty flesh coupled with an easy to remove pandan leave wrapper, what's not to like

Pineapple Fried Rice - As per my first visit, the pineapple fried rice wasn't too much of a crowd pleaser. The rice was bland and the only taste stemmed from the meat floss.

Phad Thai - I am actually a big fan of phad thai but Jai Thai's rendition wasn't anything I would term as fantastic. For starters, the fish sauce was overly generous, resulting in a mildly nauseating taste that didn't sit too well with me (but if you like fish sauce, then this might work for you). The noodles came across as the moist kind, whereas I prefer the drier versions. Ingredients were a little lacking but at $5 a pop, no complaints really.

Stir Fried Kailan - Some people might argue that vegetables with holes in them are considered pesticide free. I never quite took to that theory but still managed to polish off the kailan, which was stir fried with garlic. I love my vegetables.

Crab Vermicelli - I thought this dish was a steal at a mere $12 that included two reasonably sized pincers sitting on a bed of vermicelli. The crabs were relatively fresh but the vermicelli was almost soaked in oil towards the bottom of the pan.

Dinner, including 2 chendols and a glass of lime juice, set us back by $45 - A very reasonable price for the huge variety and acceptable quality of food. Service was acceptable this time round even with the eatery operating at full capacity.

Absinthe - a green alcoholic spirit which was more commonly known as the green fairy because of its purported hallucinogenic effects. It also happens to be the name of upmarket French restaurant jointly owned by the folks from OSO, restaurant manager Philippe Pau and chef Francois Mermilliod of Flutes at the Fort fame.

Sitting pretty at the end of a row of shophouses along Bukit Pasoh Road and playing immediate neighbour to OSO, Absinthe's green signboard, which is a nod to the greenish colour of the alcohol, greets you from a distance. The swanky interior boasts low ceilings and parquet flooring coupled with ambient ceiling lighting for a relaxing dining experience.

Complimentary Bread - When the first round of complimentary bread hit us, it was actually quite good. Crusty on the outside while retaining its softness and fluffiness on the inside. The second serving was akin to eating stones so I promptly gave up after a few mouthfuls.

Chilled Ravioli of Lobster with Lime Sabayon, Pink Guava Julienne and Shiso - Very interesting to say the least. This wasn't your typical ravioli. The skin was reminiscent of har gao and there were crunchy strands of guava nestled below it on a bed of fresh Boston lobster. The presence of fish roe gave it a nice salty taste while the lime sabayon was savoury with a hint of tartness. Very nice.

Pan-Fried Foie Gras with Warm Blinis and Wild Hibiscus Flower Compote - I thought that the foie gras was excellent. On par with what I had at Sage, if not better by a notch or two. Very well pan fried to a crisp on the outside yet melt in the mouth quivery on the inside with a hint of saltiness. The hibiscus flower compote provided a nice sourish dimension to the foie gras.

Hokkaido Scallop With Sea Urchin Emulsion and Small Herb Salad - Scallops never fail to entice me and Absinthe's rendition came with sea urchin emulsion, which was a first for me. The scallops were done tataki style, well seared on the outside but soft and relatively rare on the inside, which is a refreshing change from the usual seared scallops. I could make out a hint of fishiness amongst the predominantly salty emulsion. Overall another excellent dish.

Pork Belly - The pork belly was a special of the day and I requested this as my main instead of the lamb/fish option for my degustation and I am glad I did. The skin was very crispy, the fats were sinfully melt in your mouth and the meat fibrous with a generous dose of salt. And being pork belly, the ratio of fats to meat is a lot higher then other parts of the pig. Definitely not for the health conscious or faint hearted.

Crème Brûlée, Absinthe Sorbet - Apparently some of the ice parfaits didn't make it past the QC test that evening so I had a choice of crème brûlée instead. I wasn't too impressed by it though. The caramel layer was a little too overtorched, resulting in a rather burnt layer. On the upside, it was milky smooth with raisins in it. What I thought was interesting was the absinthe sorbet, which I had mistaken as lime sorbet at first sight. The sorbet had a very weak absinthe dosage, coming across more like liqurious with its herbal overtones.

Petits Fours - I thought I used to see these packs of valhorna chocolates being served with hot milk but guess its just eaten straight out of the packet at Absinthe.

The degustation cost $98++ but because I requested to change my main to the pork belly, it cost me another $6++, bringing the total to $122.41 nett. Sure it isn't cheap, but the excellent quality of food and service more then makes up for it. I will definitely be back, but this time I'm aiming the private dining room for 4pax within the wine cellar.

And yes, back once again for dinner at Imperial Treasure Cantonese Cuisine @ Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Double Boiled Shark Bone Soup - Big enough to share between 2 people, the shark bone soup was richly flavourful without coming across as too strong and nausea inducing. The layer of sediment on my tongue was also kept to a minimal, which was definitely good.

Sauteed Scallops with Italian White Truffle Oil - I might sound like a broken record but I just love this dish. Decent sized, perfectly sauteed scallops surrounded by luscious egg white and immersed in white truffle oil - a great combination of taste and smell. Polishing an entire plate by myself is definitely a walk in the park!

BBQ Platter - Not being content with just roast goose alone, I opted for the platter, which which with a selection of roast pork, BBQ pork and roast goose. The BBQ pork or char siew, came across as insipid at first but somehow or rather, the taste slowly grows on you and it actually tastes better without the sauce that was drizzled over the entire platter.
What can I say about the roast goose except that the meat was deliciously tender and moist under a layer of crisp skin without coming across as too gamy.
However the roast pork was a little disappointing. The skin wasn't as crisp as I expected and the memory of an oily aftertaste that came about after every bite is still etched in my mind. What has happened!

Sauteed Beancurd with Mushrooms - A staple in my diet, the smooth, silky beancurd had a nice savoury taste to it with a layer of dried spinach sandwiched in between. Topped with mushrooms for that additional woody flavour. Nice!

Durian Pudding - For desserts, we had the durian pudding - Chilled and rich with chunks of durian flesh in it. Nothing short of an excellent ending to our meal and a very fattening one at that.

I don't harbour any illusions that $130 for 2 pax is anywhere near cheap. But the food is worth it. And that's all that matters, isn't it

See all my pictures at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2012/01/imperial-treasure-cantonese-cuisine-vi.html

Nestled in the posh enclave of Rochester Park, Min Jiang is housed in a colonial bungalow at the end of Rochester Park. For those who didn't know, Min Jiang actually has 2 branches, with the main one situated at Goodwood Park Hotel. However, the main branch serves fine Cantonese cuisine, whereas the branch at Rochester specialises in Sichuan cuisine, with its Peking duck being the most noteworthy. Opting for black chic over traditional red unlike most Chinese restaurants, Min Jiang @ One North oozes solemn appeal and pure sophistication.

First up was the Chef's appetizer platter, consisting of Crispy Diced Chicken with Sichuan Peppercorn, Wok Tossed Lobster Medallion Crusted in Spicy Egg Yolk Crumb, Cripsy Eel coated with Vinegar Sauce and Sesame Seeds and Deep Fried Scallops stuffed with Minced Shrimps in Thai Sauce. The Crispy Diced Chicken was pretty normal and tasted a little like Twisties (Chicken Flavour). But to give it credit, it was nicely battered and fried. The Lobster Medallion was, if I may say, truly wonderful. The egg yolk provided a slightly salty taste which blended well with the sweetness from the lobster. I would have liked more of this, but unfortunately its madly expensive!

I've always shunned from eels, but this eel had me wanting for more. It was crunchy, a little sweet with no traces of that eel taste which I absolutely abhor. A very nice snack! The Deep Fried Scallops were nicely done, though they didn't seem deep fried to me. The minced shrimps were embedded within the scallop and I liked the whole package. Pity about the slightly overpowering Thai sauce though.

Next up was of course the Peking Duck. I was terribly excited by this dish as I had been having cravings for it the last couple of weeks. The chef personally carved the duck up for us and recommended that we tried it with sugar and then with sweet sauce, cucumber, sliced leek and radish and lastly, with garlic paste. All 3 combinations were so good that I don't know where to begin. The crispy duck skin was carved from the neck and there were no fats whatsoever, leaving just the crackling skin which went extremely went with the sugar. This is the first time I'm eating the skin with sugar and I must say its really good. The second option with the cucumber, sliced leek and radish was just as good, with the paper thin crepes wrapped around. This time round, the skin had quite a substantial amount of meat attached to it, unlike the ducks at most places. The third option was pretty appetising as well, with the mild garlic taste complementing with the crepe and the delicious duck. I honestly never knew there were so many ways to eat Peking Duck!

We were recommended the Spicy Minced Duck with Lettuce Wrap for the remainder of our duck and we duly complied. It was commendable, though not entirely fantastic. The whole dish tasted like Char Siew wrapped in lettuce, which I do like, but nothing out of the blue or mind blowing.

The Spare Ribs in Lemon Grass Infused Honey Sauce was plain terrible. The lemon grass taste was way too strong and left me and my gf revolting at the taste of it. The Spare Ribs were also a little too tough for my liking. The Lobster Noodles which came shortly after was much better. The noodle was springy, but a little lacklustre as compared to the one I had at Li Bai. Although one whole lobster was given, it was pretty small in size. However, taste wise, it would be hard to beat. The lobster was very fresh and perfectly done. Not undercooked nor overcooked.

I eagerly awaited the desserts to round up the whole meal. The Sichuan Pancake with Vanilla Ice Cream was pretty unique in the sense that unlike most restaurants, its pancake is wafer thin and doesn't have the secondary layer of smooth pastry. So its basically just the crust and the red bean filling in it. Some might like it, some might not. I personally like the ones with the secondary layer. However, Min Jiang's rendition is quite good also. The Durian Pudding has always been a legend in Min Jiang and rightly so. The pudding is pure smoothness and creamy with pulps of D24 durian. Once you start, you can't stop! I was crazy enough to want to order a few more bowls of it, but (un)fortunately, my gf kept me in check. The accompanying Mango Spring Roll tasted weird though. The mango was hot and sour, presumably because they chose to use unripe mangoes.

Service generally was faultless except for a small blip where I had to ask the waiter to refill my ice water. Ambience is also tops here which makes it a very ideal place to bring your date.