It wasn’t too long ago that I was invited to contribute my literature on Openrice, I chanced upon the food tasting open invite, and I took a chance. This brand new establishment is small & cozy, the new kid on the block, located in a localized neighborhood, formerly known to the nocturnal patrons for teochew porridge & other supper treats. The modus operandi for groups dining is advisable to place orders ahead of arrival, as the food is cooked ala-minute.

Unlike common claypot practices, Signature Stone asserts & ensures quality in the preparation, as well as the end to end cooking process, before the food is served.

The stone carved bowls are lightly oiled prior to stove firing & cooking the order. And because of the consistency of heat transfer, the charred rice can be pried from the bowl with a light tapping of the spoon.To each his/her own, an order of a variety comprising of; bacon & cheese rice, chicken & Chinese sausage, pork & Chinese sausage… with or without salted fish etc.

I had the sliced pork & Chinese sausage (without salted fish). As soon as the bowl hits the table, the service staff helps you to fold the rice, very much like bimbibap. This helps to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed, and that the crispy charred rice gets to randomize with the rest of the content.

There’s pretty little need to drizzle too much of the sweetened dark soy sauce, as the heat transfer from the stone bowl is a little more intense & enduring than claypot, there’s a risk of spoiling the taste if the sweet dark soy sauce chars.Along with the mains, we were also introduced to the featured chicken, longan & black bean soup. The doneness of the chicken is well done, and the taste suggests it’s cooked the old school slow fire style.

I’m not too sure about the wine chicken, as I’m more familiar to the semi sweetened tastes of the hock-chew red wine chicken, and/or Chinese rice wine chicken. The taste packed quite a bit of punch, and has a bit of strong herbal after taste. The onion, cheese & mushroom omelet is an example of a slight push of conventions, the management wishes to modernize its menu, extending to the younger crowd as well.Last but not the least, mango ice cream locally crafted using imported Thai mangoes. No artificial flavoring/ coloring, au natural.

For full review and more photos, please visit http://epicuriouscan.wordpress.com/2013/08/15/it-aint-clay-its-stone/

This review is dedicated to my brethrens who share the same intake capacity, and have a rare unique obsession for meats.

Our hunger and patience were stretched quite a bit, owing to the phenomenal dinner crowd queue, and since our banquet for three was convened impromptu, no reservation just means we partake in Singaporean’s favorite past-time. Thankfully, they allowed orders to be placed prior to seating down, and that turned the productivity level up several notches.

As soon as our gluts hit the chair, we were offered hot Chinese tea, and quickly followed with the starters/appetizers/snacks; chilled sliced pork, century eggs, shaoshing wine marinated chicken, crispy pork chop & stir fried doumiao.I have to say the chilled sliced pork & shaoshing wine marinated chicken are somewhat a novelty. While the style in which the century eggs & crispy pork chop were prepared is no wonder DTF commands such following & patronage worldwide.

The racks towering so many that the other diners couldn’t help but pay us the attention we commanded.We had ourselves the; pork XLB, crab roe XLB, steamed shrimp & pork dumplings, steamed chili crab & pork buns. The piping hot XLB with succulent juicy goodness wrapped within the translucent skin has to be ranked up high for craftsmanship. The art of eating XLB involves an acquired skill, failing which, shall have yourself a scalded tongue.

With your chopsticks gently pick it up & put it in your soup spoon (add shredded ginger julienne if you like the prickle sensation)
Prick the XLB skin to let the juice flow & you sip it slow
Assess the temperature before u gobble itNext to be rolled out were our noodles, zha jiang mian, pai gu tang mian, jiang you mian. Quite honestly, we didn’t witness if the noodles were handmade, but I’d say the texture comes with a light spring to every bite, rather familiar with the hand made sobas in some Japanese joint.

To end the meal off, we were presented complementary yam XLB for desserts.

I don’t know anybody who’s grown up on this island who’s never patronized or been addicted to fried chicken before. Regardless of brands or franchise, I’m quite certain that many would confess to licking their fingers post meal, at some fried chicken fast food joint.

In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t mentioned much about fried chicken fast food joints in the recent past. A queue number is issued and then he waits to be seated. Beverage and napkins served as soon as you are seated, and the food is served very briefly after.

Note: their variety of beverage is quite a classic, as they feature local delights such as iced bandung, iced lemon tea, iced milo (with or w/o whipped cream), teh-tarik, as well as typical sodas/ soft drinks.At 1st glance, the chicken parts are not too heavily coated with batter, and the glistening golden brown crust is testament that the food is prepared ala-minute. The meat is juicy & tasty, not a sign of overcooked dryness in every bite.

The coleslaw & mashed potato generally meets the competition’s benchmark; and I’d say the buns go real well dipped in the generous helping of whipped potato sauce.

On arrival, Ivy Restaurant appears to be a pretty neat & cozy little joint on the beach front, at the foot of Siloso Beach Resort. The menu is unique, for Chef Peter designed it to be halal, so as to appeal to a wider audience.

A cross-over between a semi fine dining setup, as well as a cafeteria; provides a hideout from the bustling hype of the city.

Chef Peter is of Polish decent, clocked a solid decade of experience in some of the best restaurants in the UK for a decade. He’s had some good years working in the kitchen for industry big wigs like Oliver Peyton, as well as Gordon Ramsay. He was also amongst the list of chef de partie for the recent royal wedding of, the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge.

StartersAsparagus Salad - With poached egg, beurre blanc sauce & citrus honey dressing: A very light palate tickler that stirs up an appetite for what’s to be served momentarily. According to the Chef, all alcoholic ingredients are substituted, in order to meet Halal compliance, but no compromise to taste and texture.Crab Salad - Caramelized leeks, truffle honey & figs chutney, light drizzle of avocado puree: The flavors of the condiments & combination are nicely balanced, while the light springy texture of fresh crab meats brings out on good anticipation for the next dish.

MainsConfit Chicken - Served with creamy truffle mash, sauteed black cabbage: The truffle flavored potato mash has a mousse like texture, and the sautéed cabbage gives non-vegetable eaters no reason to pass on it.Fillet Steak - With polenta cake, hazelnut veloute & caramelized plum: Meat glorious meat! I was initially curious that the steak knife was not laid, only to realize that the steak is so tender that it was effortless to cut, even with a butter knife. And the answer to the mystery, this is a 150 days aged fillet steak!

DessertsChocolate Fondant - Served with vanilla ice cream: The vanilla ice cream is hand made, concocted with a light citrus after taste.Vanilla Creme Brulee - The crispy caramelized layer on top is complimentary to the custard texture within, and the fragrance of the vanilla lingers in the sweet aftertaste.

A total of $85/pax spent here at Ivy Restaurant for dinner.

For full review: http://bit.ly/128kE4E

My daily transit at nex warrants me to roam about to soak up the air conditioning to prevent hyper-perspiration in lieu of the recent sauna-like climate. It was pre-dinner rush hour and seats a plenty for picking, I casually walked in asking for a seat at the sushi bar.

The season’s menu set my heart racing as abalone & oysters were featured. However, I was advised that the portions are relatively small. Hence, I settled for some picks from the regular menu.

Being the meatarian that I am; fish was predominantly the main event for me Maguro (Tuna) sashimi, Katsuo (Skipjack tuna) sashimi, Tsubugai (Whelk) sashimi; all 3 served up in a bowl with shaved ice in the bottom that regulates temperature; so that slices that enter the mouth at different times during the meal is somewhat consistent with the 1st slice that entered the mouth. Fresh minced Otoro (Bluefin Tuna Belly) on rice, topped with a lightly poached almost raw egg, sprinkled with some seaweed julienne. Some prefer to toss & mix the don evenly for consistent tastes, but I prefer the uniqueness in every bite. Gently pricking the egg yolk makes it easier for the minced belly to coagulate, hence easing the picking with chopsticks. Those who find this stunt a little too bold, shall find the Gari (pickled young ginger slices) go well with this ensemble.
Just to finish the meal off, I had to take a plate from the sushi train, what seemed to be Harasu (salmon belly) sushi, because it was a little more buttery than usual salmon sushi.I suppose this meal can be considered a feast for the average eater, but, I’m also certain this is not the record for the largest sushi meal.