Showing 56 to 60 of 176 Reviews in Singapore | |
A quick google search for a top 10 steakhouse in Singapore, 99% chance Bedrock Bar & Grill ('Bedrock') will be listed as one of them. Bedrock pride itself to serve the finest cuts of steak and whisky, so you are not wrong to expect impeccable service here.
Bedrock Bar & Grill
During the weekend dinner service, they have two seat-timing; 6 pm and 8.45 pm. Due to last minute reservation, we only manage to get 8.45pm seating. Knowing our friends' (HK&SH) rubber timing, I told them the reservation at 8.30 pm. Alas, the hunger pangs got to them first and they arrived on the dot and our seat was not ready.
Wine Chiller & Wine Collections
In any higher establishments, it is the normal practice that when your table is not ready, the host will referred you to the bar for drinks first. However, this was not the case here. In an impolite manner and with a straight-face, we were told by the host to take a seat at the outdoor tables and wait like a mannequin or decoration without any offer of serving drinks. We waited for more than 20 minutes before our table was ready (which is after our reservation time).
The Kitchen Bench
We were then seated on the first table after the wine chiller. From here, we can get a clear view of the food bar where the cold dish are prepared, jamon iberico de bellota on the bench, the pass on window where the food come out from the main kitchen and even the door leading to the kitchen. There is a rustic feel to this set up, however the concept of fining dining being portrayed to us via the media/social network seems to be missing.
Complimentary flat bread with butter and roasted garlic
For starter we had Bedrock Smoked Tomato Soup ($16), and the complimentary flat bread. True to its name, the tomato soup has a pleasant smokey flavour, with a smooth and creamy taste to it. SH and LD enjoyed it. The flat bread was served warm and it goes down well with the rich butter. I am not a roasted garlic person, but HK approved of it.
Bedrock Smoked Tomato Soup
We shared the mains of U.S.D.A Prime Dry Aged Ribeye – 300g ($96), U.S.D.A Prime tenderloin - 240g ($89) and Mangalica Pork Collar – 300g ($59). All cooked to Medium. The Rib Eye was thick and with good marbling. Cooked to medium as per order. It is lightly seasoned, tender but slightly chewy considering it was dry aged.
U.S.D.A Prime Dry Aged Ribeye – 300g
My appetite for good porkie seems to have grown. Mangalica Pork Collar here represent a good cut. Although some might say it is a little fat, similar to the marbling in the beef, the pork just melts in your mouth. Unlike the ribeye, tenderloin has less fat / marble. We find it is tough and slightly chewy. The seasoning are sparse in between. So this protein does not get our nod.
Mangalica Pork Collar – 300g
For sides, we ordered duck fat potatoes ($16), sautéed mushrooms ($18), creamed spinach ($18) and French fries ($12). Fried in the duck fat, the potatoes are crispy on the outside and moist inside. It has a nice golden brown colour which looks very appetizing. Seasoning was just right. The same can be said about the fries.
duck fat potatoes
Sautéed mushrooms and creamed spinach did not leave a lasting impression. The mushroom tasted dry and bland. It can be better with a dollop or two of butter to polish up the dish. Meanwhile the creamed spinach, they did not use baby spinach thus it tasted a bit bitter.
Fries & Creamed Spinach
Dessert was Apple Crumble for 2 ($26). Nice presentation with a giant ball of vanilla ice cream. While this dish might look easy and can be commonly found, it is difficult to execute it perfectly. The crumble was hard and the baked apple are just to sweet for our liking. More over, the ice cream was on the heavy side, so double dose of unwanted sweetness. Not a very pleasant ending to our meal.
Apple Crumble for 2
The décor of Bedrock are predominately wood base with classic touch. Lighting is minimum so quite challenging to capture a good shot here. I personally find it lacks the classy finishing touch in the furnishing department. Also the distance between the tables are just to close, we actually struggling to hear ourself chatting because the next table was too rowdy.
The Table Setting
Service really need to be improved. Based on the price charged, we expect a fine dining standard of service. However, we found the basic service etiquette was missing. Friendly smile, attentiveness and providing good recommendations seems have been booted out the door. There are times when we feel that the service staff are looking down at you instead. I sincerely hope the management can look into this. Overall, I respect the passion that Bedrock has to allow the ingredients to speak for itself. However, when it comes to fine dining, the taste and overall experience are still the most important factors. Comparing to other steakhouses in Singapore that I visited before, a lot of work need to be done to improve the standard here. Will I be back? Unlikely. Cheers!! For the complete Chubby Botak Koala dining experince at Bedrock, click / copy the link below: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/02/bedrock-bar-grill.html Recommended Dish(es):
Bedrock Smoked Tomato Soup,Mangalica Pork Collar,U.S.D.A Prime Dry Aged Ribeye,Fries,duck fat potatoes Other Ratings:Taste 4 | Environment 3 | Service 2 | Clean 4 | Price 2Recommend 0 |
[MEDIA INVITE] Squash, a healthy joint located in the basement of The Central Clarke Quay. To be exact, beside Watson. If you might think Squash is a juice bar, you are not wrong. Squash offered a complete healthy lifestyle which include cold press juice, salads and wraps.
Squash - Juice Salad Wrap
Squash juice are fresh Cold Press juice and crafted by the mixologist to create a functional and nutritional juice. Cold press is a way to extract the best liquid, pulp and nutrient from fruits and vegetables without exposing it with heat from the blender. With the rave of liquid detox recently, you can do the same with the juice here and create you personalise detox program. Price started from $6.90 to $9.90, they are reflective base on the fresh ingredients use.
Squash - Juice
I tried Hydrate (Coconut water, Cucumber, Watermelon and Kalamansi), Berrylicious Antioxidant (Apple, Pear, Mix Berries and Promegranate) and Tropical Sunrise (Banana, Orange and Strawberry). Hydrate is refreshing and packed with liquid. It is not sweet and easy on the palate. Berrylicious and Tropical Sunrise are thicker in texture, and you can feel the fibre from the banana, orange and berries. Delicious and it does feel healthy.
Squash Salad - Salad Pasta
To accompany the juice, Squash also offer a salad bar which contains more than 30+ toppings and healthy version of the dressings. The salad base starts at $5.90 with a choice of 2 standard toppings and 1 dressing. Our first try of salad is Salad pasta. Using spiral pasta as a base, the berries dressing is just wonderful. Something unique and not commonly found.
Squash Salad - Ultimate Rojak Salad
Next come the Ultimate Rojak Salad. It is a modern interpretation by Squash for Singapore Favourite Rojak. The key ingredients here are the caramelised pineapple and dried cuttle fish. Squash even throw in the mini cut You Tiao to add to the authenticity. It is nice, light and not spicy. The dried cuttle fish also has a more refine, not overpowering stinky taste.
Squash Salad - Spicy Thai Prawn Salad
For more exotic toppings (add $2), you can have prawns, smoked salmon, pork bulgogi or buratta cheese. We tried the Spicy Thai Prawn Salad and Pork Bulgogi. The prawns are fresh but not as spicy as Thai version of raw salad. The pork bulgogi are delicious, although slightly chewy because of the cut of the meat.
Squash Salad - Pork Bulgogi Salad
One thing I like to mention here, there is no fix mixture of the salad. You are welcome to mix and match and come out with your creation. If salad is not your thing, maybe you can consider wraps. We tried smoked Salmon and Roast Beef. Using whole wheat wrap, remind me of eating Souvlaki or Turkish Wrap. It tasted crisp, fresh and tasty. Of course the ingredients here are more refine, yet compare to Turkish wrap. My preference is the beef rather than the salmon.
Squash Wrap - Roast Beef Wrap
With Chinese New Year around the corner and you are looking for a different version of Yu Sheng, you can order from Squash. They used healthy nuts, dried fruits and mix berries dressing as the toppings. Price starting from $28. I personally like the unique mix berries dressing.
Squash - Yu Sheng
Overall, Squash is not just a salad bar. It is a complete healthy lifestyle, which provide healthy and delicious meal. In case you are looking for Liquid Cleanse Detox program, you can consult the staff of Squash on their programs. Cheers!! Thank you very much to Jason, Ian and Squash team member for the tasting invitation. For the complete review, click / copy the link below: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/02/Squash-TheCentral.html Recommended Dish(es):
Juice,Wrap,Ultimate Rojak Salad,Pasta Salad Dining Offers: 試食活動 Other Ratings:Taste 4 | Environment 3 | Service 3 | Clean 3 | Price 4Recommend 0 |
Poulet, a French word for Chicken. It is a French theme bistro offering French classic dishes, especially their signature dish of Poulet Roti (Roast Chicken), Poulet also served array of classical French cuisine from Appetizers to desserts.
Poulet
Apparently, Poulet is operated by Minor Food Group Singapore (MFGS), global operator of other popular brands such as ThaiExpress, Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe and Kiseki.
Poulet
We dropped by at Poulet Raffles City for a quick bite before we completing our Christmas Shopping. We were lucky to grab a seat before the dinner crowd begun to swarm the place and were seated near the back of the restaurant.
Salad De Canard Fume
Our dinner started with Salad De Canard Fume ($12.90). The unique thing that we notice about the salad, is that the greens are chopped. It is refreshing, especially with the tomato and orange wedges. The smoked duck has a very subtle salty flavours and the raspberry dressing provided a sweet touch to the salad. Simple and Refreshing.
Poulet Roti with Mushroom Chardonay Sauce
For Poulet Roti, LD ordered the original Poulet Roti with Mushroom Chardonay Sauce ($15.90 - half) and I had their Christmas special Poulet Roti with Caramelised Apple Sauce ($17.90 – half). We both shared a side of mashed potatoes ($4.90).
Poulet Roti with Caramelised Apple Sauce - Christmas Special
We noticed that both the roast chicken has the same basic seasoning. The amazing part is they manage to roast it to an even consistency on the white and dark meat. It is common for the thigh to be tender and succulent, however the same can be said with their breast meat. Yum Yum. Typical French dish, sauces are the important component of the dish. I preferred the Caramelised Apple sauce, as the apple and cinnamon provide a little acidity to the sauce and balance the dish. We feel that the Mushroom Chardonnay sauce was too rich and overwhelming your taste buds after a few bites.
Check out the moist chicken breast
The mashed potatoes are just smooth, velvety and creamy. With a texture of those bottled baby food, but taste just superb. It is good with the apple sauce, but not with the Mushroom Chardonnay sauce.
Mashed Potatoes
For desserts, we ordered the Rustic French Pear and Apple Tart ($8.90) from the Christmas Menu. The presentation are beautiful. The puff pastry are light, crispy and fully, sits on the bottom and top of the vanilla ice cream. The apple and pear bits are nicely caramelised and intensified their taste. The ice cream added a perfect sweetness to it together with the berries sauce, it just bind all the components together. This desserts will give most of desserts from fine dining restaurant a run for their money.
Rustic French Pear and Apple Tart
The service is attentive and friendly. Although the bistro is packed, the service staff attend to our request and speed up our order. The bistro is furnished with dark colour wooden tables and chairs. With a Parisian theme décor as well, you will be able to spot this place from a distance. As they try to maximise the place, I just find the table and chair a little cramp for my size.
Part of dining area
Overall, although it has been two years since its opening in Singapore, we did not really had a chance to try it until now and we truly enjoy our meal here. The food is just delicious, accompanied by good service, good atmosphere and reasonably priced. We'll definitely be back for more. Cheers!! For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click / copy the link below: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/02/poulet-raffles-city.html Recommended Dish(es):
Poulet Roti with Mushroom Chardonay Sauce,Poulet Roti,Roast Chicken,Mashed Potatoes Other Ratings:Taste 4 | Environment 4 | Service 4 | Clean 4 | Price 4Recommend 0 |
[MEDIA INVITE - LIMITED TIME] Hello Truffle Lovers, The Black Truffle promotion has arrived at Oscar's Cafe & Terrace ('Oscar'). One of the must try ingredient for foodies is making its appearance in Oscar.
Miso Soup infused with Black Truffle
Black Truffle is also known as Winter Truffle. Compare to white truffle, which normally harvested during summer in Europe, black truffle has a more subtle aromatic flesh. Black Truffle can be used as it own or can be incorporated with different ingredients to draw out the flavour.
Slow-roasted Pork Belly in Truffle Gratin
In Oscar, Executive Chef Michele Mingozze will be using the Black Truffle in different cuisines. From appetizers, Japanese, Local, Western and of course desserts. This tasting session really made me feel that I am at one of guest judges in the Iron Chef competitions, with the privilege of tasting how the chef uses and presents of the main ingredient black truffle in each dish.
Poached Quail Egg with Black Truffle Espuma
We started this Truffle Gastronomic Journey from the appetizers. Poached Quail Egg with Black Truffle Espuma; and Seafood Salad with Sliced Braised Black Truffle. The aromatic and subtle truffle paired with smooth and velvety poached quail egg is refreshing. Although the foam has dissipate, the truffle aroma still there. The seafood salad are fresh, but the truffle here is more refined. It was a good wake up call for our palate.
Seafood Salad with Sliced Braised Black Truffle
Next Chef Mingozze brought us to Japan, represented with Miso Soup infused with Black Truffle; and Spicy Tuna Maki with Black Truffle. Personally, I feel that the truffle flavours are overwhelmed by the flavours of the miso and the spiciness of in the maki.
Spicy Tuna Maki with Black Truffle
For Western Cuisine, it is more of an Italian Affair and showcasing the strength of Chef Mingozze. White Asparagus, Parma Ham Chips and Black Truffle; Risotto with Black Truffle; and White Noodle with Black Truffle and Olive Oil Sauce. The aroma of the truffle just lingered in the air when the white asparagus are served. All the ingredients here comes together nicely and my favourite is the crispy parma ham. Tasted like bacon without the oil.
White Asparagus, Parma Ham Chips and Black Truffle
Only one word to describe the Risotto, Fantastico! It is creamy, cheesy, flavourful, and the risotto rice is al-dente. It seems the risotto and the mushroom really accentuate the scent and flavour of black truffle in the dish. On the buffet line, the risotto will be cooked upon order. Similarly with the fettucine, the simplicity of this dish allowed us to taste the real flavour of the black truffle. A touch of crispy parmesan, just complete this dish.
Risotto with Black Truffle
White Noodle with Black Truffle and Olive Oil Sauce
From the Local Section, we have Slow-roasted Pork Belly in Truffle Gratin; and Wok-Fried Slipper Lobster in Oyster Sauce with Truffle Oil. The pork belly is tender, succulent with a crispy crackling. You can feel the subtle flavour of the truffle in the sauce and the gratin on the pork. For the lobster dish, the flavour truffle very subdued. But I enjoy the well-cooked lobster.
Wok-Fried Slipper Lobster in Oyster Sauce with Truffle Oil
Finally for the sweet ending with truffles, there are 4 types of desserts you can savour: Chocolate Mousse and Black Truffle in Mini Cone; Strawberries and Black Truffle Fruits Porpourri; Pineapple Capaccio with Black Truffle and Coconut Foam; and Avocado Parfait with Black Truffle Confit.
Strawberries and Black Truffle Fruits Porpourri
The strawberries and pineapple desserts are thinly sliced and infused with truffle scented liquid. The combination of fresh fruits and liquid infused truffle is just nice for those who like their desserts light.
Pineapple Capaccio with Black Truffle and Coconut Foam
My personal choice of desserts are the Chocolate Moose. The chocolate made cone filled with chocolate moose, truffle and berry below is just how you say chocolategasm. It has the fragrances of the truffle, the richness of dark chocolate and the acidity of the berry to balance it. It is served on a bed of chocolate granules that you should enjoy slowly with the cone. Coming second is Avocado Parfait. It is smooth and creamy. The Black Truffle Confit, Chocolate granules and berries provided complementing flavours to the dish.
Chocolate Mousse and Black Truffle in Mini Cone
Avocado Parfait with Black Truffle Confit
While it might be an Unearthing Black Truffle Events at Oscars, you can still enjoy the famous buffet line-up that Oscars are renowned for. The special for the current seasons are the three type of oysters to choose from: American, Irish and Canadian; fresh seafood such as Yabbies, Slipper Lobster (looks like crayfish), crabs, and awesomely slow-roasted Wagyu beef brisket that just melts in your mouth.
Oysters
Clockwise: Canadian, Irish & American Oysters
Fresh Seafood
For this special tasting, we were served Virgin Cucumber with Lychee Mojito, which was just refreshing. This mocktails really got my two thumbs up. Overall, I am truly impressed with Chef Mingozzi and his team effort to bring us their interpretation and creativity in presenting black Truffle influenced dishes. The appetizers, Western (Italian) and desserts are just amazing. What a memorable Iron Chef esque experience. Please note that this OSCAR'S Truffe promotion is only for a limited time only. Dates: 29 – 31 January, 1 February; 5 – 8 February 2015. Time: For Dinner only 18.00 – 22.00 Price: Thu & Sun, $78++ per person; Fri & Sat, 88++ per person Complimentary shooter glass of Grapa, a uniquely grape-based Italian drink which paves the way for an indulgent evening of truffles. Thank you to Chef Michele Mingozzi, Oscar's F&B Team and Conrad Centennial Singapore for the wonderful evening. For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click here / copy the link below: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/01/oscars-ode-to-black-truffle.html Supplementary Information: This review is base on Black Truffle Promotion at the restaurant for a limited period. Recommended Dish(es):
Oyster,Seafood,Black Truffle dishes Dining Offers: 試食活動 Other Ratings:Taste 5 | Environment 4 | Service 4 | Clean 5 | Price 4Recommend 0 |
[MEDIA INVITE] Seasons Bistro ('SB'), a modern North American inspired bistro located at 111 Somerset Road. While most of us will probably remember this building as the SP Power building, it had a makeover and transformed into a place for dining and groceries near Orchard Shopping belt. Seasons Bistro present a diversified menu that changes to draw out the best taste from the seasonal freshest ingredients and maintain an affordable price for its customers.
Seasons Bistro
Part of Dining Area
During the day, the bistro are well lit with natural lights that come through the huge pane of glasses. While in the evening, a slightly traditional theme lighting are used. With the American influences, the dining area are decorated with Americans influences, traditional style wooden chairs, wooden tables, and 1970s record. There is also a bar and drinking area for those who enjoys one or two after-work drinks.
Part of Dining Area
The Bar Area
We begin our tasting session with Pan Seared Foie Gras ($19) and Cajun Blacken Fish Taco ($16). The Foie Gras is nicely pan fried, crisp on the outside and served on a thick slice of French Toast brioche. The combination of chocolate ganache and bacon jam provide a complementary flavours to the Foie Gras.
Pan Seared Foie Gras
The Cajun Blacken Fish Taco is unique and new to me. Using haddock white fish, the texture is lean and firm, but with a mild flavour which made it flexible to combine with other flavours for the taco. For the flavours, it tasted sweet and creamy from the pickled onions and avocado mayonnaise, while for the texture, it has crispy and juicy texture. If you never had taco before, imagine you are eating Kueh Pie Tee with cheese. Watch out for the Jalapeno though, it is fiery.
Cajun Blacken Fish Taco
For salads, we have two choices of Superfood Salad ($18) and Baja Cobb's Salad ($19). Superfood salad is a super healthy salad, which consist of quinoa, chick peas, blueberries, avocado, pomegranate, pumpkin seed and citrus vinaigrette. It tasted fresh, but it can be slightly raw or very earthy to some. Meanwhile the Baja Cobb's Salad is my kind of salad, especially with cajun spiced chicken, eggs, bacon blue cheese and red wine vinaigrette. It is very tasty and the dressing binds all the ingredients well. Warning, Cobb salad has a reputation for being the unhealthy salad, but it just taste so good!!
Superfood Salad
Baja Cobb's Salad
Mains portrays more on the theme of the restaurant, AMERICAN. SFC Seasons Fried Chicken ($25), Jerk Spiced Pork Meatloaf ($29), Seasons Cheese Burger ($25) and Roasted Lamb Rack ($32). For the fried chicken, it uses buttermilk as part of the seasoning to help maintain the moisture in the chicken so it is tender and succulent. That can be said about the fried chicken here, however it is not very flavourful. They expect the succotash and deviled ranch dressing and homemade catchup to add the taste to the fried chicken. I personally like my fried chicken without any sauce, so I think it is so so only.
SFC Seasons Fried Chicken
Jerk Spiced Pork Meatloaf
The meatloaf is seasoned using jerk spiced, which originated from Caribbean / West Indies communities. It has a very earthy and strong flavour and normally they dry rub it into the meat. In this case, the meatloaf has a unique flavour to it. Either you like it or your don't. I personally like this, especially with the smooth and creamy mash potatoes. For the lamb rack, I find it cooked unevenly, some part of the meat is juicy and succulent, while the other part can be chewy. The potato is nice though, combination of half potato, filled with mash potatoes and baked again. Unfortunately the gravy was just overpowering.
Roasted Lamb Rack
Burger is a must try dish here. We had two burgers, one cooked to medium rare and the other to medium. Both burger are nicely done, tasty and juicy. According to SB, the brioche buns are baked fresh by Imperial Treasure bakery next door, based on the chef's requirement. If anything that can be improve from this burger, it will be the fries. Midway through the burger, the fries become soggy already.
Seasons Cheese Burger
Seasons Cheese Burger - Cut
While Southend Pasta ($22) looks like a comforting dish with the sausage and tomato based sauce, it was a total disappointment. The pasta was overcooked to the point of soggy and the sauce is very lacklustre. More chorizo, more cheese and less cooking time for the pasta might do the trick to improve this dish.
Southend Pasta
Coming to the end, we had two desserts to try. Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake ($12) and Miss D's Pecan Pie ($12). The cheesecake has a dense and solid texture. It is tasty, creamy and goes well with the cranberry cream. For the Pecan Pie, the fillings was very sweet and it does not hold well together. It breaks before we even touch it, and the ice cream was just too sweet. Rather than using vanilla ice cream, probably a fruit sorbet will be a better option.
Miss D's Pecan Pie
Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake
Overall, SB allowed me to have a taste of some North American dish such as their Fish Taco, Cobb Salad and the Jerk Spiced Meat Loaf. As SB continue to change their menu seasonally, the chef has an opportunity to fine tune the menu. So if you are in Orchard Area, give Seasons Bistro a try. Cheers!! Thank you very much for OpenRice and Seasons Bistro team for the tasting invitation. For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click / copy the following link to your browser: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/01/seasons-bistro.html Recommended Dish(es):
Pan Seared Foie Gras,Cajun Blacken Fish Taco,Baja Cobb's Salad,Jerk Spiced Pork Meatloaf,Seasons Cheese Burger Other Ratings:Taste 3 | Environment 4 | Service 3 | Clean 4 | Price 3Recommend 0 |
|