Having visited The Square @ Novotel Clarke Quay for Christmas Dinner and Indonesian Food Festival, I was psyched to be back for Chinese New Year Buffet Dinner.  The restaurant was decorated in a festive mode for the upcoming Chinese New Year, with plum blossom flowers, red banners etc, and this jolted my festive mood even as I stepped in. Needless to mention, the buffet dinner for this period would also consist of traditional Chinese New Year dishes, which shall be introduced shortly.A walk around the restaurant would unravel the various delectable international cuisines being served up on hot trays or pots. The Chilli Crab needs no introduction.- robust flavour tinged with spiciness and powdery, tender flesh.Now the Stars of the Night - traditional Chinese New Year dishes such as the Mushroom with Sea Cucumber, braised to a lovely tenderness and redolent of the shitake mushroom's strong earthly aroma.The Yusheng (raw fish with tossed vegetables) was displayed at a counter of its own, looking prim but pretty for the taking. It would be an interesting way of eating Yusheng, buffet style. The Sashimi Fish used was a "distant-cousin of the Tilapia", freshly-prepared and also the sashimi of the night under the seafood section. The vegetables and dressing were extremely sweet and fresh, making for a tantalising plate of Yusheng.Or how about the Cooked Salad / Asian Salad section? There were interesting fusion dishes such as Asian Angel Hair Pasta Salad - springy (QQ) pasta that was very delicious; I had second helpings of this.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/02/media-invite-cny-buffet-dinner-at.html

Having been to Plate @ Carlton City Hotel when it first opened, I was pleased to be heading back, this time for their buffet lunch for Chinese New Year. The usual buffet lunch for weekday is SGD$38.00++ but I believe the CNY menu now costs more. Service was rather professional and polite; they were also very efficient at clearing used plates.Ambience was as I remembered it - dimly-lit to create atmosphere, dark earthly hues to lend a sophisticated air, and well-spaced. Pool view was abundant on the front, and a beautiful alfresco terrace sits at the back. They serve International buffet for their lunch and dinner, but there's also an ala carte menu available if you would prefer not to have buffet.I started with some Seafood - mussels, scallops, prawns etc. The seafood was saccharine with sweetness, and flesh was springy.Sashimi and Sushi were next to the seafood section, and I enjoyed the items in this section as well - these were the 2 stations I refilled my plates with.The festive / Chinese New Year section comprised of Yam Ring stuffed with lots of other ingredients, fish, tofu, Sea Cucumber dishes, bak kwa dishes etc. There were also fragrant (lotus leaf?) Glutinuous Rice.Finally, desserts. I loved this section because there were lots of variety - from cakes and kuehs to Chinese dessert soup to Ice Kacang and ice-cream. The array of colorful sweet foods tantalised us even as we just looked at them; some of them were too sweet, but I liked the cakes.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/02/cny-buffet-lunch-at-plate-carlton-city.html

Li Bai was a famous Tang Dynasty poet, and this grand Cantonese fine-dining restaurant draws its inspirations from the poet's classical, lyrical poems. Executive Chinese Chef Chung Yiu Ming creates exquisite, authentic Chinese Cantonese cuisine with skillful strokes. The restaurant is renowed for its impeccable service standards as well.The interior is elegant and grand, tastefully decorated in rich tones with the use of jade, silver and bone china. The vibe is sophisticated and intimate; tables are well-spaced in the spacious restaurant and service is quick, efficient and polite.The Scallops Dumplings (SGD$9.60) that were filled with springy scallops in crystal-clear wraps, delicious with a slight hint of spiciness. This was a simple but delicious dish, sweetened by freshness of the scallops.The Scallop Siew Mai (SGD$8.00) was very tantalising - tender minced pork stuffing topped with buoyant scallops on top, adding texture and flavour to the conventional dimsum dish.Finally, desserts of Mango and Pomelo Sago (SGD$7.00). This is one of my all-time favorites - thick, nectarous cold soup sapid of mango's aroma and filled with pomelo bits that exploded deliciously in the mouth, adding a zesty touch to the luscious dessert.
For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/01/lunch-at-li-bai-cantonese-restaurant.html

Alati Restaurant is a newly-opened Greek restaurant located in the CBD area, amongst a row of shophouses filled with restaurants, cafes and bars. "Alati" means "salt" in ancient Greek, and the restaurant is named so because of the fresh wild-caught seafood from the Aegean waters, bringing the taste of the sea right to your table. Ambience here is spatial, classically Greek in the bold tones of blue and white, spacious, chic. One feels exactly like they have stepped through the borders and crossed continents, and have landed at the Cyclades region easily. Comfort and excellent service are other qualiites this restaurant posess.The Dolmadakia (SGD$19.00) - vine leaves wrapped with rice and pine nuts, always one of my favorite dishes on the table. They were steamed till soft, and the leaves lent a subtle fragrance to the rice. The pine nuts added crunch to the simple but delicious dish.The Fyllo-wrapped Feta (SGD$15.00) was exactly that - a thin puff pastry encrusting feta cheese and deep-fried, drizzled with honey and seasme. The ingredients sounded simple, but the combination made for a tasty delight blend of flavours and textures, gentle without overpowering each other. I especially revelled in the touch of honey against the heavier flavour of the feta.The Dips were next - they are traditionally sold in individual flavours and portions, but for tasting purpose we had a platter of different dips. These dips are best served with a slice of their warm, handmade Pita Bread (SGD$4.00). The pita wowed the palate on its own, even before we coated it with dip.
Fava (SGD$13.00) is Santorini's bean puree with onions, tasting like chickpeas, with the same earthly tones and "sandy" coarse texture. Tzatsiki (SGD$15.00) is Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill and garlic - complete with hints of tart and saltiness. Taramosalata (SGD$16.00) aka cod roe cream was my favorite- like the Japanese mentaiko, creamy and sapid with roe's flavour. Melitzanosalata (SGD$16.00) is made of smoked eggplant with walnuts, smooth and thick in texture, with the light sweetness of eggplant.Then Lavraki (SGD$9.80 per 100g) aka Seabass, beautifully grilled and de-boned, served with lots of grilled vegetables. Dips were provided on the side, but the fish on its own was moist and tender; saccharine with freshness. One may choose to add SGD$10.00 to salt-bake the fish.Finally, Galaktoboureko (SGD$14.00) - lemon and cinnamon flavoured custard in phyllo pastry. This was beautifully decent- not too sweet despite its appearance. The dessert itself was satin smooth, a light hint of savoury broken through by zesty pierce of lemon. Some may not like it at first bite, because of the exotic taste; but the flavour grows on you, and it becomes addictive after that. I would choose to have this again when I return to the restaurant for my meals.
For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/01/media-invite-dinner-at-alati-divine.html
 

Where better to experience the Christmas ambience better in Singapore this year, if not IndoChine @ Supertree Grove? We took the elevator all the way up to level 16 (rooftop level) and were immediately greeted with the cool touch of breezes and magnificent views overlooking seas and the Marina Bay Sands areas. We could hear the carolers in the background, and service here was impeccable. We reached around 6.45am where the skies were slowly darkening, and we watched the moon forming over the gentle seas. The views were more and more becoming as the night drew deeper.We started with Hand-pounded Papaya Salad (SGD$18.00), made up of green papaya hand-pounded with dried shrimps, Asian spices, greens and Laotian dressing. We also spotted peanuts, carrot strips and tomatoes in the mix. The salad was refreshing, tangy and zesty all at once, making it very delicious and appetite whetting. The nuts added crunch to the salad.We then had the Crispy Lychee with Kurobuta Pork Loin and Bacon (SGD$24.00) - crispy lychee wrapped with kurobuta pork loin and apple-smoked bacon; served dressed with mayonnaise and ebikko. These dainty items were served on spoons; we loved the luscious, crispy exterior that paved the way to the tender pork within. The lychee aroma was rather distinctive, perfect for us both lychee lovers.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/12/christmas-at-indochine-rooftop-bar.html