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TheArcticStar
This is TheArcticStar . I like to hang out in Clarke Quay, Dempsey Rd, Orchard. French, Japanese, I love all cuisine are my favorite cuisines. I also love Hotel, Restaurant, Bars/Lounges and Seafood, Sushi/Sashimi, Dim Sum, Desserts.
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TheArcticStar  Level 4
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Categories : Sichuan | Chinese | Hotel | Restaurant | Dim Sum | Seafood

Interior decor

Interior decor

 
Szechuan Court & Kitchen has been around for 29 years, serving quality and authentic Cantonese and Szechuan dishes. The interior oozes an oasis of Imperial charm and elegance, lavishly designed in rich Oriental style, easily making one think they were in Shanghai. Individual booths with dark fuchsia drapes are available for those who want to dine in semi-privacy; the tables are all well-spaced and tastefully furnished in red and brown hues. Service was impeccable and courteous.

 
The Braised Beef Tripe with Shimeiji Mushrooms and Peanut Chilli Sauce (SGD$18.00) was easily one of my personal favorites of the night, with succulent, chewy pieces of beef tripe. The mushrooms added a touch of "umami" tastiness to the natural flavour of the tripe, enhanced dramatically with the spicy sauce. It was addictive popping piece after piece into the mouth.

 
Next, the Braised Bird's Nest with Cabbage and Chicken Broth (SGD$42.00), also one of Chef Mok's favorites. It is not difficult to see why this bowl of piping rich goodness filled with smooth slivers of bird's nest brushing past the tongue deliciously, in a sumptuous clear broth dotted with wolfberries to add hints of sweetness.

 
Following that, we had the Cod Fish Steamed with Soya Bean Crumbs (SGD$18.00), a slab of pearl white fish prodding the tongue like flakes of satin, luscious in taste. The flavour was packed with light saltiness of the soy sauce, giving the sweetness of the fish a nice balance; the soya bean crumbs added some crunch to the lovely dish.

 
Then we had the Wok-Fried Fish Noodles with Shredded Pork and Black Pepper (SGD$28.00 for small / SGD$42.00 for medium / SGD$56.00 for large), admittedly very palatable, especially with the al-dente texture. The strands of noodles were thick, bold and long, with a light saccharine hint sensationalised by strong black pepper flavour. The slivers of pork were tender and added chewy bites to the dish; as did the beansprours and red peppers. Non-carbo eaters would love to indulge in this, as did I.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/12/media-invite-dinner-at-szechuan-court.html

 
Recommended Dish(es):  Wok-fried Fish Noodles,Braised Beef Tripe,Braised Bird's Nest,Cod Fish,Wok-fried Sliced Chicken,Stir-fried Duck Breast,Sea Coconut Pandan Jelly,Braised Porl Belly Ribs,Chong Qing Poached Chicken
 
Spending per head: Approximately $80(Dinner)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 4  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 4

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Sensational bar with good service Smile Nov 30, 2015   
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Categories : Fusion | Bars/Lounges | Restaurant

Exterior

Exterior

 
Smoke and Mirrors is a new bar concept under the Park Hotel Group. It has opened its doors at the newly refurbished National Gallery (the ex-Supreme Court building), and everything about it seemed to be laced with a chic sophistication and enigma. I fell in love with the name bearing a concept I use a lot in my writings and muse, the alluring images on the website, as well as the photos I’ve seen in social media feeds, so I told myself I had to visit this place.
Structural Bar Counter

Structural Bar Counter

 
The settings were dimly-lit, crusted with lots of mirror reflections to give it an intimate and mysterious feel, darkly seductive and posh all at the same time. The stunning sculptural bar counter was the centre of attention, lit tastefully like a beacon in the dark night. Sitting alfresco means being accorded panoramic views of the colorful cityscape while sitting indoors bring about a heightening of the senses amongst the dark earth tones and glossy reflections. It was as sexy as it could get.

 
The Popcorn Chicken with Dried Chilli (SGD$14.00), which was the most unique I have ever seen, having eaten the same item at many other spots prior to this. The Popcorn Chicken here was crispy on the outside and tender within, the chicken also well-moistened so it was not dry or rough. Best of all, there were dried chilli and leek pooled within the serving plate and which the popcorn chicken pieces were infused with, to add a tangy touch to the dish. It was indeed tasty, especially with drinks.

 
For drinks, I went for the artistic touch, and one of their special cocktails – Painting Class (SGD$22.00) comprising Peruvian Pisco, fresh lemon, Smoke & Mirrors strawberry cordial, prosecco and edible chocolate paint. Their cocktails in this series are inspired art on exhibit at the National Gallery - mine was inspired by Lim Yew Kuan. It had a lovely plum and kumquat combination kind of flavor, was refreshing and sweet; I loved the edible chocolate smeared on the outside of the glass as well, and I scraped it all up too.

Full review and more detailed information is up on my blogsite here:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/chilling-out-at-smoke-mirrors-lounge.html

 
Recommended Dish(es):  Cocktails,Red wine,Popcorn Chicken with Dried Chili,Signature Chicken Wings
 
Spending per head: Approximately $50(Other)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 4  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 4

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Categories : Korean | Restaurant | Korean Fried Chicken

Interior - our cushy seats

Interior - our cushy seats

 
Kko Kko Nara Korean Restaurant is very prettily-decorated, with a lot of lovely trinkets and accessories such as chandeliers, a gramophone, peach blossoms and some exquisite paintings.  I especially loved the huge cushy booth we had, facing the faux fireplace with the giant clock that displayed inaccurate time. Service was professional and the service crew is Korean so I guess that took the affable element out for us because we don't speak Korean.

 
We had the Mini O-Deng Bar (SGD$25.00), translated into Mini Fish Cake Soup - a tasty clear broth filled with various types of fishcakes, shitake mushroom slices, enoki mushroom and some veg etc. The soup bore the sweetness of the fishcake and seaweed, accentuated by the shrooms cooked with it - overall, a hearty, homely type of soup that easily warmed the soul.
Soy Garlic Chicken, Original and Yangnyeam (sweet spicy)

Soy Garlic Chicken, Original and Yangnyeam (sweet spicy)

 
Following that, we finally got to tuck into the fried chicken! We had 2 orders of the Small Chicken Combo Set (SGD$20.00) - consisting of 3 pieces of crispy original, 3 pieces of yangnyeom sweet spicy and 3 pieces of soy garlic. My personal favorite was the original - which was tasty and the skin was chunky with crisp. Soy garlic had a distinctive taste of its own, and the garlic was not overwhelming so it was delicious to eat as well. As for the yangnyeom, I thought it was a little overly moistened for fried chicken, and too saccharine for my liking. Overall, this was perfect for sharing, or for anyone who wished to try the various different flavours available.

 
Last but not least, the Watermelon Soju (SGD$38.00) made up of half a huge water-melon and its naturally luscious juice, as well as soju (Korean's distilled rice liquor) mixed together to form a cooling, tasty cocktail. I had been craving this for months and it has finally been satiated!

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/fried-chicken-dinner-at-kko-kko-nara.html

 
Recommended Dish(es):  Korean Fried Chicken,Mini Fish Cake Soup,Japchae,Steamed Egg,Watermelon Soju
 
Spending per head: Approximately $50(Dinner)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 4  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 4

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Categories : Café

Exterior

Exterior

 
Yahava Koffeeworks is a 10-year old Australian brand hailed from Perth, founded by true coffee lovers who travelled the world on motorcycles to hunt for the best coffee. They brought their stories and beans home to work their magic into each and every cup of coffee the patrons enjoy; and they are in Singapore now - serving coffee as well as selling coffee stuffs (mugs, sieves, etc). The staff was very friendly.

 
The Earl Grey Tea Cake (SGD$6.00) was an interesting creation - a dense, moist cake rich in earl grey's aroma with every bite, distinctive and sure. The additions of dried cranberries and walnuts added touches of flavour and crunch to the cake, and I deduced that I really liked this cake.

 
Next, the Matcha Azuki Cake (SGD$7.50) was another amazing pastry - rich, creamy texture alternating between fluffy, soft, moistened layers. The sapid taste of green tea was evident and delicious; the red beans added bite and another level of sweetness to the cake. I could have ordered another of this.

 
Now we move on to their specialities - coffee! We ordered an assortment to share, so we could maximise our trysts of different flavours. The colours were so lovely and tempting, and we did not know which cup to begin with.  Affogato (SGD$5.00) was sweet, creamy and made frothy by the scoop of vanilla ice-cream, cooling the hot coffee to a lovely temperature that was kind to the lips upon sipping. I enjoyable the aromatic coffee and ice-cream combination here.  Following that, the Rose Latte (SGD$5.00), became one of my favorites as well. It was redolent with bold hints of rose syrup aka bandung, in local context. The drink was pretty in pink with a frothy top layer giving way to sweet, aromatic, floral coffee concoction that was creamy and smooth all at once.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/afternoon-tea-at-yahava-kaffeeworks.html

 
Recommended Dish(es):  Rose Latte,Affogato,Hot Chocolate,Long Black,Mocha,Matcha Azuki Cake,Earl Grey Tea Cake
 
Spending per head: Approximately $12(Tea)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 4  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 4

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Categories : Italian | Hotel | Restaurant | Pasta | Pizza | Fine Dining

Exterior

Exterior

 
Nestled behind a large man-made waterfall within the lush gardens of Shangri-La Orchard is The Waterfall Restaurant, now an Italian restaurant offering unique and authentic Southern Italian cuisine helmed by Chef Marco De Vincentis. This restaurant used to serve a more health-conscious menu but has since closed and is revamped to its fully-Italian state now.

 
Within these walls of eclectic colonial interiors, Silician native Chef Marco introduces a salumeria menu of exclusive, imported cold cuts and cheeses, as well as 26 new a la carte heirloom creations, including 5 vegan dishes. The seafood are fresh and pastas are handmade as well, and they would all be included in the specially curated menu.

 
We started with the Insalata di Granchio e Finocchi (SGD$23.00) basically translated into Crab Salad with Fennel, comprising of oranges, fennels, crab, mixed salad, black olives, cherry tomatoes and Tropea onions. It was a flavourful starter made up of a multitude of colours, sealing in the sweetness of the cold crab, the citrusy delight of oranges, the slight bitterness of fennel leaves and piquant spicy taste of the red Tropea onions. Definitely appetite-whetting and we were well-prepped for the next course.

 
Next, it was to be Spigola all'Acqua Pazza (SGD$36.00) - a refreshing and light Neapolitan-style dish of sea bass with fresh cherry tomato, olives, asparagus, capers, wine and parsley. The sea bass was softly flakey, its milky flesh was luscious with freshness. The sauce was sweet, slightly zesty, lending an edge to the light dish perfectly.

 
Following that, the Agnello Arrosto con Timo e Patate (SGD$36.00) - roasted lamb rack with potatoes, thyme and sautéed vegetables. A very good rack it was - tender lamb with slight crisp on the exterior, boosting of a light, smokey hint to its heavier flavour. the flesh was easy on the knife and the teeth, infusing the palate with heartily good flavours. The sautéed vegetables added refreshing tangy touch to it.

 
The Ricotta Cheesecake (SGD$15.00) - rich, creamy and dense in texture, tasting a little like a yogurt cake because of its natural sweetness. This little piece of heaven is the perfect antidote after a heavier meal, sweetening the palate before another glass of white or sherry.

 
Finally, Tiramisu (SGD$15.00), a very Italian dessert - I seldom go for an Italian meal without having one of these. A moistened slab of coffee-and-amaretto infused sponge cake, with a velvety texture and tasting sharply of its components, this one won my heart. I loved how it melted upon contact with my tongue but the flavour lingered long and smooth, like a fine piece of music.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/11/media-invite-dinner-at-ristorante.html

 
Recommended Dish(es):  Crab Salad with Fennel,Red Wine,Handmade Pasta,Sea Bass,Roasted Lamb Rack,Ricotta Cheesecake,Tiramisu,Profiterole,Cuppaccino,Almond Pudding
 
Spending per head: Approximately $80(Dinner)

Other Ratings:
Taste
 4  |  
Environment
 4  |  
Service
 4  |  
Clean
 4  |  
Price
 4

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