Mak's Noodles is one of Hong Kong-s famous wanton and dumpling noodles establishments. I absolutely loved my wanton and beef brisket noodles whenever I visit Hong Kong - must travel up to Victoria's Peak for bowls of these delicacies. Therefore, when Mak's Noodles made its appearance in Singapore, I was excited. However, due to the long queues, I refrained myself from giving it a try, choosing instead to monitor from the media to ensure that the fad has died, before finally making my way to Mak's.Mon Beau decided to go for the Dry Combination Noodles (SGD$10.00) , made up of a bowl of mixed dumplings soup and plate of dry noodles tossed in oyster sauce.I chose the Soup Combination Noodles (SGD$8.90) where two different types of dumplingd were tossed into clear broth together with fine noodles.
Verdict? Both dry and soup were good - springy noodles with the right amout of "mouth feel" (aka "kou gan"). The fresh shrimp dumplings were bouncy and sweet whereas the wantons (minced pork dumplings) were succulent. The dumplings were good -sized, and overall taste was light. The only issue is that portion of noodles might be considered too little, especially for males or bigger eaters.
For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/04/dinner-at-maks-noodles-centrepoint.html
 

Urban Fairways is a cafe that serves up interesting fusion food items, a pub with wide range of drinks as well as an indoor golf range played on simulators replicate of luxurious golf courses all around the world. The service crew here is dressed as caddies but instead of golf clubs, they hand out food and drinks.Oh Calcutta (SGD$14.00) - chicken tikka wrap with poppadoms and mint yogurt. This made for another tasty bite flaunting the heavy taste of spicy tikka chicken and refreshing pierce of mint yogurt.Amazeballs (SGD$15.00) - meatballs, parmesan, spicy tomato sauce and ciabatta. One of our favorite dishes as well - this tangy dish with tender, springy beef meatballs.Wrap & Roll (SGD$14.00), comprising rice paper stuffed with red pepper, coriander, mint, cucumber, carrot, glass noodles, soy, lime and chilli. The palate was on fire with this one, but the sensation was addictive; the chopped vegetables were crunchy and an explosion of flavours as well.

For full review and more detailed information, please refer:
http://www.thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/03/media-invite-golf-drinks-and-food-at.html

After the closure of Olive Tree Buffet Restaurant at Intercontinental Hotel, the renovation is finally over and has rather recently re-opened as an entirely new Modern European restaurant, Ash & Elm. The a la carte dining restaurant exudes an intimate, exquisite ambiance with its dimly-lit decor; service was polite and professional as well.Beef Tasting Platter was next, paired with a glass of reds. There were USDA New York Striploin, Australian Rib-Eye Steak and French Bavette D'Aloyau, served with sides of vine tomatoes, asparagus, mashed potatoes, sautéed mixed mushrooms as well as potato wedges. Sauces comprised Bearnaise, Peppercorn and Natural Jus - I enjoyed Peppercorn the best as it added a tangy touch to the meats. The beef were tender, juicy and deliciously-marinated.Mains were served next, starting with this French Free-range Yellow Chicken Supreme, made up of 30 day grain-fed chicken from Savel. Served with it were thyme, rosemary, creamy polenta, sweet corn with bacon and mushroom sauce. Chicken was beautifully-infused with the heavier gravy, and had a delicately tender texture.Seafood Linguine was unlike any other that I have ever tasted in a western / European restaurant. The pasta (made of wheat?) looked and even tasted like the Chinese ee-mian; only smoother, finer in texture. The seafood portions were generous and comprised scallops, shrimps, squid, clams, olives tossed in a basil and crustacean sauce. Palatable was the name of the dish and this dish left a deep impression on me - something to order when I return.We had the Spanish Slow-grilled Iberico Pork Chop next - succulent and well moistened bone-in slab of sweet black pork. The sides had the faintest hint of crisp and smokiness, seeping into the natural flavour gently.Finally, time for desserts. We began with Chocolate-Hazelnut Pizza that contained chocolate brioche, 3 types of chocolates (dark, milk and white), praline, marshmallows, cocoa granite and white chocolate ice-cream. It is a chocolate lover's dream come true, all on a rich, delicious chocolatey cookie base that crunched and melted in decadent pools in the palate. I kept having craving for its unique texture and taste for days thereafter.The Peach Melba was up next - ruby peach parfait, almond strawberry genoa bread, and strawberry tuile looked too pretty to be devoured. Peach parfait was gorgeously flavoured with peach's natural flavour so distinctive, heightening the flavour of the pastry. The berries added a zesty hint to this lovely piece.Finally, Yuzu-Citrus Combination with its colorful presentation, especially the alternating colors of grapefruits as plating. Lemon sable breton was a crunchy pastry base with citrusy notes, tuned up by lemon curd, mandarin orange reduction and yuzu sorbet. This was the perfect ending to a heavier-flavoured dinner, refreshing the palate and senses totally - an invigorating dessert dish.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to refer to:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/03/media-invite-dinner-at-ash-elm.html

Grand Mandarina Chinese Restaurant is lcoated at New Bridge Road, offering Chinese / Cantonese fine-dining concept. Founded and owned by Chef Benson Tong, who gave up his submarine engineer career to operate a roast meat hawker stall, followed by cafes and later, this exquisite restaurant. He has extensive knowledge on the different food and nutritional values, is constantly on the lookout for new food trends and ideas; and strives to customise dishes that may also accommodate vegetarian, gluten-free, eggs-free diners.The Steamed Vegetable Dumpling (SGD$4.80) with diced assorted mushroom and vegetables in black pepper. No meat? No fret. These dumplings were bursting with the aroma of mushrooms and black pepper, utterly tasty, and the melty translucent skin is handmade. One of the most flavorful vegetables dumplings I have tasted thus far.Crispy Rice Rolled with Smoked Shredded Duck and Bamboo Shoot (SGD$7.50) - velvety rice roll (think cheong fun) wrapped around crackling smoked duck that had a lovely distinctive duck flavour but was not overly salty; nothing like the usual dry, rough smoked duck we are accustomed to. This is highly recommended.The Pan-fried Buns filled with Pork and Cabbage (SGD$5.00) lined with thin egg sheets. The buns had a lovely crusty texture to them, with succulent minced pork-cabbage fillings within. The minced pork was mildly-sweet, and very delicious - how they managed to ensure the delicate texture of the pork is by buying meat and fats separately to blend themselves; to ensure quality of the minced meat.Deep-fried Chilean Seabass (SGD$26.00) with crispy fish skin served with scrambled egg white and golden broth. Crispiness ranged from the brittle fish skin to the deep-fried golden skin of the Chilean seabass, and while the teeth ran through all of those deliciously, the flakey, snowy flesh of the luscious fish tantalized the palate further. The nectarous golden broth filled with silken scrambled egg white fulfilled the dish with a flourish.Coconut Crustacean Broth with Silken Longevity Noodles in Coconut and King Prawn (SGD$26.00). The exciting presentation piqued the palate's curiosity, and the first sip of the broth was just indescribably good - saccharine and tasty of seafood goodness. The silken strands of noodles were soaked with the tasty broth. Loved the springy freshness of the tiger prawn as well. After slurping all the broth and finishing the noodles, we dug the tender flesh of the coconut off the interior wall of the husks, and enjoyed the seafood-infused fruit.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/03/invited-tasting-dinner-at-grand.html

Located at the beautiful new green office building Capita Green, Grain Traders is long, spacious and looks like a glass house with all-glass windows so that passer-bys could look in and diners could look out, easily. The entire look was neat, organised and Spartan, with soft pink patterned walls. Service was efficient, especially when it came to clearing of bowls / plates. Well, we couldn’t really blame them – by 11.45am, the crowd starts pouring in and by 12noon, the queue is akin an anaconda (ok, let’s just say it’s long).So, at Grain Traders, their motto is “feeding people right” with hearty, healthy, quality meals. There are ready-made “Signature Bowls” consisting of a grain (Japanese rice, soba noodles, wild rice, quinoa etc.), a meat of choice, a hot veggie, 2 cold veggies, 1 sauce and 1 topping, etc. - or one could create our own specials by choosing the “Build Your Own Bowl” option. The latter costs SGD$16.00 nett, and one could top up a mere SGD$2.00 to add a drink and snack (banana, usually). I loved how the items all looked colourful, fresh and varied in cuisine. They also have a small array of desserts such as muffins and tarts.I had the “Build-Your-Own-Bowl” (SGD$16.00) option – comprising Quinoa, seared marinated tuna, grilled beets and carrots, apple kimchi, California raisins and Tamarind chipotle vinaigrette. The grilled striploin steak was added by mistake because *Sidney read my “beet” as “beef” , lol, so we added it as an extra protein at SGD$3.00. I would say it was a lovely mistake because I got to try the steak, and it was succulent and flavourful, accentuating its vegetable counterparts very well. My seared tuna was moistened, soft and delicious with the gentlest hint of black pepper. The apple kimchi and beets were bursting with raw deliciousness as well.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/03/lunch-at-grain-traders-capita-green.html