Sunday Garden Party at Barnacles by the Sea is an exciting weekend concept by Shangri-la's Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa. This special brunch event is available till 15 December 2015, taking place every Sunday from 12noon to 3.00pm, and includes a sumptuous buffet spread, pool access as well as exciting activities for the kids (magic shows, balloon shows, etc).Within walking distance to the serene sea, Barnacles by the Sea is as close as you could get to the beachfront, boosting the concept of "seaside dining" alive. Besides the beautiful views it offers to patrons, the interior of the restaurant is spacious as well.  Tastefully and cosily furnished, it costs a mere SGD$138.00 per adult to enjoy this "Sunday Garden Picnic" brunch affair.The one thing that caught our eyes was the Kids' Section - a counter specially catered to the kids in decoration and food choices. It was a delightful discovery, and I am sure that the kiddos must have been excited helping themselves to the food on display.As for adults, there is a wide array of food done in international cuisine - a huge selection, such as Japanese fare (sushi and rolls), salad, cold cuts, poached eggs etc, all made up of fresh, quality ingredients.  For the BBQ lovers, the barbecue station is thoughtfully stationed just outside the restaurant, with hardworking chefs busy preparing roast beef, lamb, Peking duck, curry etc. You could also get your rice and satay out hereThe most tempting station for me was of course the Seafood section, filled with fresh and scrumptious-looking catches from the sea - lobster, oysters, mussels, shrimps and crabs etc, neatly organised to show off their best sides. Anyway, I started with a plate of Seafood - reveling in their luscious flavours and springy flesh. The oysters and lobster left the deepest impression on me, providing instant gratification.Despite being full, greed for sweets gave me the will to carry on - lovely Pistachio macaroon, chocolate cakes, marshmallows and strawberries (later) draped in chocolate fondue, as well as some ice-cream. The cakes were moistened and not cloyingly sweet; the ice-creams were lovely, especially the Pink Guava flavour (we all concurred that the "passionfruit" label was erroneous, because there was no mistaking the redolent pink guava taste of the pink scoop).

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I was excited to have dinner at The Fireplace at Tanglin Club for an event, immaculately done up for the event. There was even a fireplace at the side of the restaurant - I did not get to take photographs of it unfortunately.For food, the Roast Beef was good- succulent and tasty; many of us had multiple helpings of that. I enjoyed my salad and the Mushroom and Pumpkin dish too. The Seafood was enjoyable too - steamed mussels in garlic butter sauce, gratinated scallops with cheese and pesto (creamy, tasty) and the prawn tempura was utterly aromatic - we could smell them even from where we were seated).Dessert was a delightful spread of fruits and cheese platter, as well as assortment of mini cakes / tarts. I loved the chocolate mousse and berry tartlets the most - the former being rich in its creamy texture, and the latter, fluffy, crunchy, saccharine. The chocolate chip madelaines were fabulous too - buttery, crumbly, sweet.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/09/event-dinner-at-fireplace-restaurant.html

I was excited to have dinner at The Fireplace at Tanglin Club for an event, immaculately done up for the event. There was even a fireplace at the side of the restaurant - I did not get to take photographs of it unfortunately.

For food, the Roast Beef was good- succulent and tasty; many of us had multiple helpings of that. I enjoyed my salad and the Mushroom and Pumpkin dish too. The Seafood was enjoyable too - steamed mussels in garlic butter sauce, gratinated scallops with cheese and pesto (creamy, tasty) and the prawn tempura was utterly aromatic - we could smell them even from where we were seated).

Dessert was a delightful spread of fruits and cheese platter, as well as assortment of mini cakes / tarts. I loved the chocolate mousse and berry tartlets the most - the former being rich in its creamy texture, and the latter, fluffy, crunchy, saccharine. The chocolate chip madelaines were fabulous too - buttery, crumbly, sweet.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/09/event-dinner-at-fireplace-restaurant.html

La Ventana finally comes to Asia, well, Singapore, specifically. This esteemed Spanish restaurant by Michelin-starred Chef Carles Gaig, who came from a family of generations of cooks since 1869. Because of Carles' desire to preserve the family tradition of good Catalonian cooking, we now have the (immense) pleasure of indulging in authentic Catalonian dishes here at La Ventana Singapore.The Lobster "Coca" (SGD$19.80) stole its way into my heart with 3 generous pieces of springy, sweet-fleshed lobster placed delicately on puff pastry, lined with stripes of eggplant purée and roasted capsicums. It looked like a piece of art; and the contrasting flavours complemented each other well.Following that, the Roasted Octopus (SGD$38.00 usually, as a main course, served with infused potatoes and Spanish smoked Paprika). In all my years of eating octopus and loving its chewy flesh, never have I imagined that octopus could be this tender and soft in texture before! The flesh here is akin to suede - smooth, but not utterly, and had the bounciness of huge Hokkaido scallops; amongst the tangy flavours, the spiciness of Paprikas stood out marvelously. I would definitely order this again when I return.Next, the signature “Canelón” since 1869 (SGD$12.00) - traditional cannelloni (pasta) stuffed with foie gras, beef, pork and truffle cream. If the ingredients sound overwhelming, consisting of so many different types of meat into one - fret not. The meat filling is utterly palatable and succulent, disintegrating beautifully in the mouth easily, filling the palate with a delicious pulp of meat and sapid truffle aroma. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why this is the star of the menu for years.The Crispy Suckling Pig (SGD$38.00) with strawberry salad lives up to its name clearly. Upon contact with the teeth, the crackling skin crumbles to tender boneless pork; surprisingly delicate and well-moistened in texture. The savoury flavour was countered playfully by the slightly-tarty strawberry salad, adding a refreshing touch. The five senses screamed for more, so I know this would be something I'd return for as well.Another palate pleaser was served next - Pigeon Paella (SGD$38.00) - carnaroli rice with Porcini mushrooms and pigeon. As paella goes, this dish had a heavier flavour (mushrooms, in this case); yet unlike the usual paella I've tasted, this rice pasta dish was well-moistened; the rice not as distinctively grainy, creating a smooth texture. The French pigeon comprised both the "drumstick" portion - grilled to a smokey deliciousness; while the "breast" portions were almost half-cooked, being reddish in hue, and incredibly tender, bouncy in texture. This is a must-have, because of its scrumptiousness, and because it is a unique dish probably not found elsewhere.The Catalan "Crème Brûlée" (SGD$18.00) held its own very well, nothing like the conventional creme brulee with its break-through caramel layer. This beautiful dessert is made from scratch, from the melty espuma to the toffee ice-cream to the lemon caramel at the base. The result was a fluffy delight bringing out the best of caramel's sweetness against citrusy tones; every bite was light, tantalising, and refreshing - the perfect finalé to a wonderful dinner.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/07/invited-tasting-dinner-at-la-ventana.html

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http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/07/media-invite-restaurant-ember-hotel.htmlIt was my first visit to Ember even though it has been around since 2002, and houses a lovely ambience exuding comfort, cosiness and intimacy all in one.The Mushroom Consomme (SGD$16.00), a clear dark soup looking like chicken essence, containing shimeji mushrooms and tortellinis of chicken and foie gras. The sapid, nearly-sharp taste of mushrooms of this soup made for a fabulous stomach-warmer. The tortellinis melted in the mouth readily, making one yearn for more.The Bouillabaisse (SGD$32.00), a classic provencal French seafood stew. Maybe I have a sweeter tooth than that of my fellow reviewers, but I loved this dish with its a la lobster-bisque broth, elemental of sweetness, savoury and creamy tones all intact. The langoustine, Hokkaido scallops, seabass and clams were all fresh and springy, a satisfying treat for seafood lovers.The Duo of Duck (SGD$32.00) consisting of Duck Confit and Duck wrapped in phyllo. The duck confit was succulent but I actually prefer its counterpart wrapped thinly in crispy pastry. The flavour was heavier, but the crackling outer-layer combined with tender flesh had another level of appeal on its own.For desserts, we began with Valrhona Chocolate Brownie (SGD$18.00), served with peanut butter parfait, walnuts and bananas was good. The brownie was moist and rich in taste; the peanut butter parfait was tasty, and the bananas complemented the denser dessert well enough.Following that, we had the Champagne Jelly (SGD$16.00), served with macerated strawberries and yogurt sorbet. I admit that my preference is biased when it comes to alcoholic desserts - so this definitely rocked my boat. I enjoyed the light touch of champagne taste in wobbly form, as well as the accompaniments of tarty strawberries and refreshing sorbet.Finally, Pistachio (SGD$15.00) - sponge and ice-cream of pistachio, flower petals, crumble and ginger milk foam. I enjoyed the fluffy pistachio sponge and the ice-cream, both resplendent of pistachio's unique taste, enjoyed the crunch of the crumble and the gentle touch of the ginger milk foam that felt like a caress upon the lips.