A same old brand new Japanese restaurant located at Clarke Quay area, the former Mitsuba by Yurine has been reborn, retaining merely the first part of the name, now known proudly as Mistuba Japanese Restaurant simply.  There has been a total overhaul - management, signboard, menu, concept, aesthetics and feel. Mistuba Japanese Restaurant offers a la carte buffet dinner with over 130 dishes at merely SGD$36.90++ for adults and SGD$23.90++ for children.They started us with the Chirashi Sushi (assorted sashimi with sushi rice) - these lovely sets range from SGD$28.00 to SGD$68.00, and are served with a Miso Soup, an Otoshi (starter) and Fruits, making it a really worthwhile choice.  The assortment of raw fish was all very thickly-sliced and fresh, bouncy in texture and tasty in their natural flavour. It was utterly delicious, especially for sashimi lovers like me.Then we had the Unatama Maki (SGD$16.00) - unagi (eel) and BBQ egg sushi roll; it was a splendid concoction that married the soft sweetness of the omelet and the slightly acidic flavor of eel into a successful gastronomical union.Next up, two of the most delicious items here - Ebi Mentaiyaki (SGD$18.00) and Hotate Mentaikayi (SGD$18.00) - prawns and scallops smeared generously with marinated roe of pollock and cod! Taste the saccharine flavours of the seafood amongst the rich, buttery coating of mentaiko, with ever the slightest hint of 'popping' crackling from the very tiny cod grains - every palate's dream.The festive promotion of Horse Hair Crab (SGD$38.00++) known as "Kegani" from Hokkaido and steamed perfectly and served with the Chef's secret recipe sauce, how could one resist this crab? The shell was full of fine hairs indeed, but rest assured the Chef has opened up the shell skillfully enough to keep it covered yet diners can pry the top shell open very easily. This juicy and saccharine dish left us raving, and there were plenty of flesh even within the hairy legs themselves.The Yuzu ice-cream was resplendant with the refreshing and citrusy qualities always associated with the fruit itself; there were even tiny pieces of yuzu peel within - the perfect conclusion to a sumptuous meal.

For full review and more photographs, please refer here thanks:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/04/media-invite-dinner-at-mitsuba-japanese.html

The White Rabbit has always been name-dropped here and there as serving good food but I never had the chance to visit because of its (past?) infamous 2-weeks-in-advance reservations requirements. It is located in a beauitfully-restored old chapel building at Dempsey area, directly opposite Au Petit Salut. They maintained the stained glass windows and rustic doors, replacing the pews with comfortable booths or tables, transforming the place into a mysterious yet intimate dining haven.After browsing through the menu, I decided to go for the Set Dinner (SGD$98.00++ for 4 course). For my set, I chose the Seared Bay Scallops as my starter, served with sweet shallot confit, white chocolate veloute and sevruga caviar. The white chocolate veloute (the foamy broth surrounding the scallops) was awesome, subtly sweet and complementing the bouncy fresh scallops perfectly.Then I had the Sauteed Foie Gras for appetiser, served with quince puree, roasted pear and spiced sherry gastrique. The butter-like piece of foie gras disintegrated deliciously in the mouth upon contact, spreading over the palate thickly with its rich flavor. It was a superb starter.My selected main course was the 36-Hour Brandt Shortribs, with truffle miso glaze, parsnip puree, field mushrooms and shaved truffles. The crispy exterior was easily torn apart to make way for contact with a succulent interior of fine red meat, so lean and tender. Mushrooms and truffles gave the bittersweet meat a lovely touch of enhancement; it was a beautiful concoction.Finally, time for my dessert - for this, I had the Crepe Suzette, where there was a flambeed tableside performance the service crew prepared the dessert right in front of us. The warm crepes were drenched in an orangey sauce, so they were infused deliciously in a citrusy flavor; the texture was pulpy pieces of flour (good flour); when paired with the vanilla ice-cream it was incredible.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/04/dinner-at-white-rabbit-dempsey.html

Having heard about the famous "bird cage" hightea (also known as "Drop the T") at Woobar @ W Hotel, curiosity finally got the better of me and I enlisted the Bro and SIL to head for afternoon tea there with me. Beautiful decor, a gorgeous poolview and cushy seats made up the other parts of the restaurant / lounge, and we had a window seat overlooking the swimming pool area. I really love the classy gold and white theme of this lounge.The elegant silver stand was brought over and they set up the famous "bird cage" three-tiered tray with lots of delectable-looking dessert items. There were seven (7) different items in all, arranged neatly.for our picking; we were informed that the savoury items would be served separately.There were Scones complete with marmalade and clotted cream. The scones had a lovely texture to it - just the right amount of hardness so that it was even slightly flakey; absolutely lovely, and gently sweet such that even with the pairing of the cream or marmalade, the scones were still tasty.Now what we have here were REAL Cupcakes. After scrapping off / consuming the beautiful swirls of pale pink cream (the cream were strewn with real rose petals), what one got was fluffy, soft orange-flavored cake sitting firmly within the tiny cup - how adorable.My favorite was the Chocolate Tart with Foie Gras Ganache, Port Wine and Gold Leaf. While the Bro and SIL found this item to be odd-tasting, I loved it enough to requests for refills, simply because it consisted of all of my favorite things. The dark chocolate crust was crunchy, the rich flavor lending credence to the foie gras paste, a rich pastry that blended lusciousness and savoury flavor very well.

For full review and more photographs, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/03/afternoon-hightea-at-woobar-w-hotel.html

Tonight's visit was focused on the special birthday dishes from around the world, in conjunction to Todai's 4th birthday this March. Let us take a look at the exotic and interesting dishes with meanings herein. Full review available at: http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/03/media-invite-dinner-at-todai.htmlXiu Tao (steamed buns shaped like peaches are said to attract long life and good health, hence also known as "longevity peach". Soft buns with an attractive exterior and a sweet lotus paste interior.Yi Mein (also known as "Ee Mian" is consumed on birthdays to call upon a long and prosperous life. Not very distinctive in texture, this dish has a good flavor with the infusion of prawns. Japchae is a sweet potato noodles stir-fried in sesame oil with vegetables and meat,
created in the 17th century to satisfy the Korean King's palate. The texture and taste of this noodle dish reminds me of the Chinese glass noodles  "dongfen" or "Tanghoon", except sweeter.Miyeokguk is a soup made from wakame (seaweed), traditionally consumed by women after birth; also eaten on birthdays as a reminder of the food and nutrition from mothers, bringing good fortune for the rest of the years. It is a very tasty concoction.Oto is a sacred dish made from hard-boiled eggs, mashed yam and palm oil (yam is replaced by potato in this case, for a better flavor) - symbolising purity and fruitfulness. Buttery soft texture well complemented by the crunch of pine nuts.Jollof Rice is a popular dish in many parts of West Africa, mixture of coconut oil, fresh red
chili pepper and aromatic spices. The texture reminds one of paella while the spicy overtures is closer to bryani's, except a lot more saccharine.Light and sweet 4-layer birthday cake from Russia next, bearing an uncanny resemblance to rainbow cake in texture and flavor, right down the the clotted cream layered within.Lastly, the juicy and luscious Alaskan King Crab - something that everyone must eat.

Anyway, the previous two times, I was here for chilling out and brunch, therefore I was thrilled that I was coming back for dinner this time round. Their weekday evening dinner buffet costs around SGD$45.00 per pax, International cuisine, and this time round it seems there are more variety.
From the Peranakan counter to the fruit + dessert stations; from salad to bread and pasta, marinated meats, seafood and Japanese counters etc, we were all spoilt for choice. Service was very hospitable as per last visits, and the setting was very comfortable.After the standard seafood, I enjoyed some Seafood Pie Tees that were utterly crispy on the exterior and generously filled with shrimps (and scallops?) within.The friendly chef came over with a famous Kuala Lumpur dish aka the specials of the day - Kam Heong Crabs (translates literally from Cantonese to mean "golden fragrance"). It was special because it was prepared with chilli and dried shrimps, and garnished with fresh curry leaves plucked from the rooftop garden of the hotel itself. Hence, the usual sweetness of the crab meat was now donned with the delicious spiciness of curry flavor.Then I moved on to some fresh greens, chicken cooked in gravy as well as Smoked Duck Breast. The latter was incredibly tasty, with a chewy, bouncy texture that gave way to tenderness once safely in the mouth.Finally, time for some desserts. The Creme Brulee was quite all right - crisp sugared top with golden-custard underneath. The mini Chocolate Tart was rich in flavor and ganache but my favorite was the Passion Fruit Chocolate Tart, for obvious reasons (simply they were delicious).
For full review and more photographs, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/03/media-invite-dinner-at-lime-restaurant.html