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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2016/04/aryaa-restaurant-lounge.htmlAryaa, which means “Noble” in Sansikrit is the first restaurant in Singapore that offer the culinary experience based on the journey of Alexander the Great. His expedition started from Mediterranean, Middle East and all the way into Indian Sub Continents. Enter into the kitchen of Aryaa, you will be welcomed with two uniquely cuisine under one roof. They have the Mediterranean cuisine and the North Indian Cuisine. Each kitchen are helmed by a Master Chef. Starter was The Aryaa Meze Platter ($18), consist of the most popular Greek dips such as Tzatziki, Tirokafferi, Fava and Tiropitakia served with pita bread. Our pick for the starter is the Tiropitakia. The filo pastry is light and crisp, while the blended feta cheese with egg is creamy and well infused with parsley. The pita bread is light and almost pillow like, provided a good base for tzatziki and tirokafferi. Tzatziki has a touch of tanginess due to the yoghurt base, while those who like spicy, will prefer tirokafferi as it is made from spicy cheese. From the North Indian kitchen we have Chicken Tikka ($16). All right, you might say that you can get this at any Indian restaurant, however what set this dish apart is the finishing touch. From my past dining experience, you will normally get a dry lumpy marinated chicken for chicken tikka. However in Aryaa, you get tender succulent boneless chicken, where the juice of the chicken still dripping on the plate. It has a bit more spicy kick to it, although the mint sauce helps in lowering the spiciness level together with the dash of lime juice. Since Mediterranean is known for its closeness to the sea, we were recommended Grilled Sea Bream ($35). Whole fish, grilled with olive oil, served with a side salad of tomato, cucumber, onion, fresh spearmint, feta cheese and red wine vinegar-oregano dressing. The fish was fresh, absent of any fishiness though it was not grilled with salt. The meat is firm, with a nice charred from the grill. The lemon and vegetables provided a clean taste to the dish. Surprisingly, we found the grapes actually enhanced the flavour of the fish and it can be a palate cleanser at the same time. Totally love this dish. Kudos to the chef. For red meat, we tried Stifado ($32). Cut of lamb leg slowly cooked in its own juice and served in a traditional Tagine on a bed of creamy mashed potato. A beautifully cooked leg of lamb, the meat is lean, tender and succulent and you can peal it with your fork. The meat is well infused with the flavours of onion and tomatoes. The mashed potatoes is solid, smooth and creamy. Desserts was Galaktoboureko ($15). Home made creamy custard wrapped in golden brown crispy filo pastry, drizzled with melted butter, bathed in scented syrup with a sprinkle of cinnamon. The crispy filo pastry provided a good skin to the thick cream custard. The melted butter, scented syrup and icing sugar added the fragrantness to the desserts. If you never try Greek desserts before, watch out for the overpowering sweetness in the dish. When you arrived at the doorstep of Aryaa, you will be welcome by the war helmet by Alexander the Great. Once inside, you will be transported to a mediterranean theme dining room. I particularly like the beautiful tiled dining tables. In the evening, the restaurant transform bar and lounge, though still serving the full item on the menu. Overall, it was an interesting experience dining in Aryaa. The chicken tikka, grilled fish and tiropitakia is a must try here. Definitely a good place to chill out after hard day at work. Check out their Lunch special at $9++, which is a bargain. Cheers!!

Thanks to the team at Insurgence and Aryaa for the tasting invitation.

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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2016/04/spring-court.htmlSpring Court is the oldest Chinese Restaurant in Singapore. This iconic restaurant opened in 1929, has seen many Grand occasions, tribulations, World war and Economic crisis, however it remains open until today. In 2011, a movie Great World was released and it captures Spring Court (known as Wing Choon Yuen at that time) memorable years in Great World. In itself, Spring Court ('SC') is truly part of Singapore history.Currently, SC has made its home in Upper Cross Street, opposite Chinatown Point. It is not difficult to miss, as the blue colour facade and gigantic banners are just eye catching. It occupy four-storey heritage shop house, it has plenty of space for everyone though getting a seat over the weekend can be a challenge. Spring Court Traditional Popiah ($7.50) is a must try here. You might go HUH!! $7.50, but this is not your ordinary popiah. The 'lioa' (fillings) here is in a class of its own. Prawns, fried fish, dried prawns and eggs. The popiah skin is moist and light, made it a good appetizer here. Lamb Brisket in claypot ($24 small, $48 large). We ordered the small one and we are glad we did. Though the lamb brisket is tender with almost melt in your mouth texture, it is a little bland for my liking. I like my lamb brisket with more favour if it is served on a small stove to continuous boiling. Yam Ring with Prawns ($32), one of the signature  dish of SC. A thin layer of crispy coating surrounded the basket, provided a good protection for the smooth velvety yam. The crunchy stir fry vegetables that filled the basket, provided a good companion to the fried yam. Roasted Chicken with Mince Prawn ($22 small, $38 large). If there is ever a dish had too much prawn, this will be it. The generous servings of mince prawn in this dish, made the flavour of the chicken diluted. The mince prawn was springy and tasty and the chicken is juicy and succulent. Lala Bee Hoon. Off the menu item and this dish only available when there is a supply of good lala. It has a good wok hei, accompanied with robust seafood broth. The bee hoon is crunchy, not mushy at all after staying in the bowl over a period of time. Watch out for the spicy chilli cake when you slurp the broth.Chinese Cabbage with dried scallops ($28 small, $42 large). Unfortunately they run out of the cabbage and they suggest to replace the vegetables with Nai Bai. The result is not as expected, the nai bai is over cooked, mushy and did not manage to absorb the solid gravy from the dried scallops. Must be better with the Chinese Cabbage. I suggest you order a bowl of rice to polish gravy and dried scallops. Finally, Roasted Sucklin g Pig ($98 for Half, $198 for Whole). At the start of our meal, we saw a whole sucking pig delivered to our neighbouring table. It was so irresistible, we decided to order half. A beautiful crispy skin with crunchy sound in every bite. The meat is also succulent, we also clean up the meat of the suckling pig. If you want me to be picky, some part of the pig was a bit burnt. However, the smokey aroma does contributed to the nostalgic feelings of traditional roast meat. Dessert was Or Nee, served in individual portion. It was thick and smooth, however it missing the aroma of spring onion oil. For the sweetener, they used clear sugar syrup. As it was my belated birthday celebration, of course a birthday cake is a must. The plate that it served is just beautiful. Art on a plate. We find the atmosphere really feels like traditional Chinese restaurant. The lightings are yellow and very dim. While the chocolate colour table cloth did not help with brightening up the room. The service is good, considering they are under staffed. Imagine this, 6 medium size tables (between 6 to 8 pax each), with only 1 captain and 1 service staff. My hats off to them.

Overall, We finally ticked Spring Court off our list, the oldest Chinese Restaurant in Singapore. While the food can not be describe as superb, it is the nostalgic feeling that you get when dining here. If you want to make you elders happy, bring them for a meal here.
You will see they smile from ear to ear, just like lots of the diners we saw during that evening. Cheers!!

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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2016/02/pool-grill-flavours-of-spain.htmlGet ready to be tantalise by Flavours Of Spain, brought to you by Pool Grill and Guest Chef Albert Ortiz. Chef Ortiz was born and bred in Barcelona, is a 3rd generation of restaurateur. For the last 3 years, Chef Ortiz has expand his horizon to Asia, and incorporate the colourful flavours of Asia in his cooking.From 15 February to 13 March 2016, you can taste the characteristic of Chef Albert cooking at Pool Grill. I was fortunate enough to be the first few to sample his gastronomic delight in 4 course dinner ($58++)

The bread, Onion Focaccia. The signature bread from Marriott bakery. The crust on top and bottom was just crispy, while the inner part of the bread is soft, moist with fragrance from the onion. Appetizer - Pan-seared scallop, “sofrito” puree, chorizo “migas”, caviar oil and dill. The scallop is nicely seared, sweet and brainy. The texture is so soft, like cutting through a butter with hot knife. The sofrito puree, made from capsicum and olive oil provided a subtle companion to the scallop. For crispy, crumbly texture, Chef Albert added aromatic chorizo migas, which is a traditional dish in Spain made from day old bread. The touch of caviar helps brings out the flavour of the sea in this dish. Starter - grilled octopus, crusty pork jowl, buttered mashed potato and smoked Spanish paprika oil. Chef Albert version of surf and turf. The octopus was sous-vide before it was grilled to add texture and flavour. It has a delicate springy texture and succulent as well. The pork jowl has the perfect ratio between fats and meat and basically melts in your mouth. Love the buttery flavour of the smooth mash potatoes, and the paprika oil add a subtle spicy kick to the dish. Main – braised beef cheek, olive oil crashed potato, baby carrots and passion fruit. A must try dish for a beef lover. The beef cheek was so soft, I only need my fork to peel each layer of this dish. Accompanied with sweet baby carrots and rustic feel of crushed potatoes. The intense sauce is beef stock reduction finished off with red wine and passion fruit for a twist tanginess. Dessert – dark chocolate ice cream, char-grilled banana, gorgonzola cheese and caramelised butter. It was not the ending that I expected. The heat from the grilled banana actually melted the ice cream. Instead of dark chocolate ice cream, it turn out to be dark chocolate cream. The pairing of intense pungent flavour of gorgonzola cheese with dark chocolate “cream” provided a unique yet pleasant finish to the dish. Dining at Pool Grill, you will have a great view of the swimming pool of Marriott Singapore Tang Plaza Hotel and the view of surrounding buildings in Orchard Road, such as Ion Orchard and Shaw House. We were seated in the huge Chinese style pavilion, where it can seat about 20 people. To keep everyone cool, an unique fan called “Big Ass Fan” is used. It control the temperature nicely without messing up your hair or blowing everything off the table. It was indeed a pleasant outdoor dining experience. According to our host, the gazebo is frequently used for wedding solemnisation. Overall, the menu of Flavours of Spain at Pool Grill is a reflection of Chef Albert new insight to Spanish Cuisine. His signature of fusion of Spanish food with Asian ingredients. So don't miss out on :

Flavours of Spain at Pool Grill
Spanish Set Lunch and Dinner
15 February – 13 March 2016
3-Course Lunch: $35++ per person
4-Course Dinner: $58++ per person

Thank you very much to the team at Marriott Singapore for the tasting invitation.

Kuvo, a multi-concept restaurant and bar located in the middle of Orchard Road. I was first introduced to this unique restaurant that are well-hidden in the bustle shopping paradise by our friends A&J. It was a memorable one as we had high tea here and celebrating my beloved LD's birthday. In welcoming the new year, Kuvo introduced a new menu and new concept to its customers, with food and bespoked cocktail pairings. With head bartender Mr. Yutaka Nakashima as Kuvo chief mixologist, expect to see innovative, novel and at times quirky cocktails with Japanese flair. Please note that due to my medical conditions, I was not able to taste the cocktails, so I enlist Ivan Teh – Running Man for his drinking palate.

The new concept focus on tapas size dishes. We started with Brandy Flambéed Beef Cube ($22) and Grilled Octopus ($16). The chunky beef cube has a good marbling, juicy and succulent. The brandy flambéed gave it a sweet and smokey flavour at the same time. Though there was a huge dried chilli there, it more like a decoration. If you are a fan of garlic, you will love this dish. Coincidentally, I had this dish a few days with our overseas friends for supper and this dish never fails to impress me again. For seafood lovers, grilled octopus is a must-try. A dish that you can normally found in Mediterranean countries. The octopus leg was sous-vide till so tender it almost melts in your mouth. The smoked paprika helps to accentuate the flavour of the octopus. I do find the slow cooked potato is a bid to soft for my liking. Calamari Ajilo ($16). The ring shape calamari is cooked with chorizo sausage, which gave the dish a spicy pork flavour to the dish. It works well with the springy calamari. Unfortunately, there was too much oil in the dish. Making it looks like the dish is swimming in oil. Atlantic Cod Meunière (S$20). So what is Meunière, it is a French style of cooking a fish where at first it was lightly coated in flour, fried in clarified butter and finished off with brown butter and herbs. The double buttering method simply made it so yummy. The cod fish is flaky, juicy topped with subtle flavour from pea crust. The barley fricasse with corn was a little too rich and creamy to be paired with cod fish. I think it will be better if there is a dash of lemon here just to balance the dish. While we have become used with food and wine, Kuvo introduced a creative food and cocktails pairing.
Kuvo Coffee Hot Wings ($14) & Brewski Yen ($21). The crispy fried chicken wings are coated with 'Hot' coffee sauce. Kuvo version of spicy buffalo wings. The wings are crispy and succulent, while the caramelisation intensified the coffee flavour. Watch out for the spicy kick from the sauce. Although it come with blue cheese dip, it is missing the pungent taste. I decided to forgo my utensils and used my fingers. The Brewski Yen will definitely put out the fire from the wings. The mix include Kirin beer, now with an added tang of Suze, lemon, and ginger ale. Slipper Lobster (S$15) & Hello Cel’lo (S$21). Slipper Lobster / Crayfish sautéed with habanero, bell peppers, and cilantro. It is nicely presented, using the shell to wrap the dish. However, the taste reminds me of a normal zhi char dish. The meat of the crayfish was overcooked, making it tough the chew. Hello Cel'lo – made with Bankes London dry Gin, limoncello liqueur, celery bitters, and balsamico. Base on the smell, it smell like a herbal drink. Wagyu & Camembert Sliders (S$17) &Green Iceland (S$21). The Japanese Wagyu beef sliders was meaty, hearty and succulent. Topped with melted camembert cheese and portobello provide the sliders with creamy mushroom finish to the dish. This dish also come with crispy fried shrimp wanton with wasabi mayonnaise. The wanton is light, crispy and filled with good amount of shrimp, and mayo really packs with punch. The cheese rolls is a bit redundant in the dish, as it look pretty mellow. Probably better if they skip the cheese rolls and stick with fried wanton. In line with the East meet West theme for this pairing, Green Iceland mix consist of Italian Antica Fratta sparkling wine, Japanese Umeshu, mint leaf and brown sugar. A good refreshing mix to go with this dish. English Scotch Egg (S$14) & Captain B.R. (S$21). I have been wanting to try English Scotch Egg for a while and what a good opportunity to try one at Kuvo. Whole chicken egg stuffed in giant Wagyu meatball. Perfectly executed, as the yolk was runny when we slice through it. Meaty and hearty like the sliders and topped with edam cheese, who can say no to this. There are some gerkhins on the side to balance the meatiness in the dish. Captain B.R. (stands for British Rum) consists of Earl Grey infused Rum, fresh lemon, and soda water. You have the aromatic rum, with tea twist and fizzy soda that goes well with the English Scotch Egg. Kurobuta Yakiniku Donburi (S$16) & Tales of Shu (S$21). Kurobuta pork yakiniku served on a warm bed of Japanese rice, topped with perfectly poached sous-vide egg. Definitely a perfect comfort dish, especially after you break the egg and let it blanket the rice and yakiniku. It can do with much more sauce and thicker flavour to cover the whole dish. The cocktail, Tales of Shu is the star of this pairing. Brewed in a glass vacuum coffee maker, the cocktail’s freshly-prepared genmai tea, saké, Lillet Blanc, and fresh orange peel. Yutaka san really go all out for this cocktail. Served in Japanese tea cup it provide a good ending to the meal. For those who are unable to consume alcohol, you can try the mocktail concoction of Midsummer Breeze. The mix included Melon Mangosteen Tea, Orange Juice, and Passion fruit. It is fruity, while the melon provide the boldest flavour to the drink, there is subtle tangerines from the passion fruit at the end. It was a very interesting dining experience, especially looking at the food and cocktail pairing in leveraging on Mr. Yutaka Nakashima's expertise. As most of the cocktails have a light alcohol content and with touch of sweetness, making it easy to consume a few concoctions at one seating. My recommendation for a must try dishes are Brandy Flavfmbéed Beef Cube, Wagyu & Camembert Sliders (S$17) &Green Iceland (S$21); English Scotch Egg (S$14) & Captain B.R. (S$21); and Kurobuta Yakiniku Donburi (S$16) & Tales of Shu (S$21). On the side note, I was at Kuvo about a week before this tasting event, I also tried their dessert of Croissant Bread Pudding ($14). The bread pudding covered with filo pastry cranberry fillings, salted caramel sauce and vanilla gelato. A perfect combination of sweet and savoury, paired with flaky pasty. Definitely a die die must try dessert here in KUVO. Thank you very much to KUVO & Media Flair Communications for the tasting invitation.

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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2016/02/noodle-place-restaurant.htmlOne of the must-try food when you go to Hong Kong is Wanton Mee. Though we have our own version of wanton mee in Singapore, the one in that we normally eat in Hong Kong is different.

The Hong Kong version of wanton mee normally come in clear soupy version. The noodle is thin, springy almost feel like you are biting wires. Fresh, crunchy shrimp wanton which are filled with fragrant sesame oil topped with chopped yellow chives and a robust broth. Recently we found a pretty good place for Hong Kong style of wanton mee in Orchard Road, called Noodle Place. With a little digging, I found out that it was actually owned by PFS Pte Ltd, the food service arm of Prima Group. Apparently, they engaged Chef Chui Chuen Lai, former Executive Chef of Mak's Noodle in Hong Kong as Head Consultant to give Noodle Place the authentic Hong Kong dining experience. We ordered the Shrimp Wanton Noodle ($8.30 for soup & $9 for dry). The soup version come in a bigger bowl compare those we had in Hong Kong. The size of the congee bowl. The broth was golden in colour and from the first sip, you can actually taste the robustness of the broth infused with prawn and pork. The noodle was thin and springy (QQ), but it still has enough pores to absorb the beautiful broth. The four pieces of wanton were fresh, crunchy and cover with the fragrance of the sesame oil. Also watch out for the yellow chives that add the subtle flavour in the wanton mee. Definitely feels like we are eating the wanton mee in Hong Kong.

The wanton was so good, LD actually order another wanton soup. For the dry version, it is served in typical simple, no frills Hong Kong fashion. Dry noodle, 4 pcs of wanton, a few pieces of kai lan and a good dollop of superior oyster sauce. Though the noodle and wanton are the same, the superior oyster sauce can't compete with the superior broth. If you prefer the dry version, my suggestion is order the soup version, ask for extra plate and dry the noodle yourself. This is definitely the way to eat here. To accompany our noodles, we decided to try Twin Mixed Roast Meat – Crispy Roast Pork and Roast Duck ($19). The roast duck is juicy and succulent, while the skin was crispy and beautifully peel off from the meat. It's a bit fatty, but I just love how it melts in your mouth. Oh No... Now I am drooling for the roast duck. The roast pork is more on the fat side, flavourful, nicely marinated, however missing the crunchinesses from the crackling. It seems the skin was being soaked too much in its oil. The décor of the place is very simple, no much fuss about it. It is bright and although they try to maximise the seating area, there is sufficient space between tables.

Overall, Noodle Place is definitely one of the place I will go to satisfy my HongKong Wanton Mee cravings. Of course I don't mind a good plate of roast pork and roast duck as well. Cheers!!