For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2015/02/21/nuvo/

Tucked in a corner of Marina Square Shopping Centre’s The Dining Edition, NUVO is a little difficult (but worth the effort) to find. Executive Chef Mark Richard (formerly from Keystone), helms the kitchen and marries Italian and Japanese cuisine to create unexpectedly exciting and creative hybrid fare.

The restaurant itself is spacious, decorated in muted tones and furnished with warm woods. It also has a lounge with an extensive wine list, specially crafted cocktails, spirits, rums and liquors, plus bar snacks for those who like to graze.

Our dinner started with warm herb bread basked with seaweed butter.

Oh, the velvety Vanilla Mushroom Soup was so lovely! The first thing that hit us was the aroma of the White Truffle essence, drizzled onto a flowy Onsen Egg.

The Salmon Crudo was dressed with Furikake Tobiko, Yuzu Pon and adorn with green apple. I was lukewarm towards this entree, but M enjoyed it.

The classic North Italian Eggplant Parmigiana with mozzarella and tomato fondue is given a Japanese twist with the addition of sweet miso. Nothing too fancy, just simple and genuine.

Made from roasted bone marrow, the Agnus Osso Buco Stew had an unusual partnership with Tsukii Oyster Fritter. The starter was spruced up with shimeiji mushrooms and pickled cucumber for bursts of acidity. I personally felt the combination too heavy, and would have preferred something lighter to highlight the rich flavors of the stew.

One of NUVO’s signature dishes, each strand of the al dente Angel Hair Wakame is coated with Lobster essence and Rayu oil (chilli oil), providing just the right amount of mellow flavour and heat. The simple but delicious pasta was adorned with Tamago Furikake, which added another dimension to it.

M’s Pepperoni and Ricotta Niku Dango was wholesome and gratifying. Tossed in spiced tomato sauce and sweet peas, each ribbon of pasta had a nice, firm bite and was not too thick, thus inheriting the flavors from the sauce beautifully. More Italian influence is observed in the tender Japanese meatballs, which had Ricotta Cheese embedded within.

Sweets included in the set meal were really dainty, but the Fuji Apple and Parmigiano Reggiano Torta dessert was so captivating I wished it was full-sized. The elegant pastry had a mild savory flavour imparted from the cheese, harmoniously complemented with Fig and Honey Ice Cream.

Less stellar was the Japanese Kinako Delight, with espresso and honeycomb giving the western touch. While the mochi’s texture was beautifully soft and chewy, the combination of flavors didn’t make quite make an impression.

Thanks to Amex’s 30licious promotion, the bill came up to $35 per head,. Despite some misses, we felt NUVO offerings are appealing enough to warrant a repeat visit. On weekdays, the restaurant serves 3-course set lunches for $15++ and 4-course set dinners for $35++. On weekends, diners can look forward to Nuvo’s Bottomless Prosecco Brunch a la carte Buffet ($40++)

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2015/02/20/wan-he-lou/

I’ve always wanted to visit Wan He Lou to try their famous Lobster Porridge so when Amex had its 30licious promotion last November, I made a reservation right away. On a side note, I do hope that Amex 30licious promo will continue, so we foodies will have something else to look forward to apart from Restaurant Week.

Located in the heart of Jalan Besar, Wan He Lou’s surroundings is rather run down. Thankfully the restaurant itself is presentable and clean. Service was sometimes non-existent (as all the staff went to the kitchen) but their friendly demeanor made up for this.
Wan He Lou was well-prepared for the promotion; our dishes arrived shortly after we finished munching on the addictive Wasabi Macadamia Nuts.
Chef Style Smoked Duck did a good job of whetting our appetite with its engaging balance of sweet and savory. This could have been better of the meat was more tender.

Wan He Lou Golden Seafood “Pot Sticker” was nicely pan-fried, with crisp skin encasing juicy seafood and vegetable dumpling.

Honey Tangy Pork Choplets were too tough for our liking.

The Green Dragon Vegetables were caught us by surprise. The greens were sweet, succulent and crunchy. We certainly didn’t expect this humble vegetable dish to so enticing!

The Signature Lobster Porridge is prepared Teochew style. There’s no doubt the delectable broth was the star; the robust umami soup warmed our tummies and souls. The rice was cooked till comfortingly soft, infused with the broth’s flavors. Unfortunately, the crustacean itself was bland and boring.

We ended our meal on a sweet note with Black Glutinous Rice with Yam Ice Cream.

Overall, we felt the food was alright and the standard was average. Wan He Lou also offers wide variety of Asian classics and favorites at reasonable prices, making it a suitable venue for family gatherings.

Because I needed to run some errands at Dhoby Gaut, bestie and I met at Kith Café at Park Mall for a quick brunch. We arrived at 11am and all the indoor seats were taken, fortunately we managed to snag a table at the alfresco area overlooking the field above Dhoby Ghaut MRT . Thank goodness it was a cool day.
The café is simply furnished and has a play area between the 2 alfresco sections to occupy children. Brunch offerings are uncomplicated and fuss-free. Service was polite and efficient.
According to M, her Latte ($4) was satisfactory and not too acidic. Upon sipping the Iced Rooibos Lemon Myrtle tea ($6.50), I immediately regretted my choice. It tasted….weird, somewhat artificial. There was not a doubt that the overwhelming lemon masked the aroma of the rooibos. How I wished I’d ordered the Iced Earl Grey Lavender instead.
Cajun Scrambled Eggs ($15). Just look at the amazing moisture of the eggs. Amidst the lushness, you’ll find Smoke Bratwurst, capsicums, onions, chilli, mozzarella, black truffle (very faint flavour though). Toast selection includes multigrain, sourdough, white, brioche, ciabatta, spelt and gluten-free toast. My pick was brioche, which was oh-so-pillowy. My only grouse would be that there was insufficient bratwurst, which gave bursts of heat and saltiness, to break the monotony of the eggs.
The fluffy and creamy Sweet Corn Omelette ($16) should please most palates. Accompanied with crispy bacon, brioche toast, healthy mixed greens with avocado and zesty tomato coriander salsa.
We’re always on the hunt for the best truffle fries. Sadly, Kith Café’s Truffle Fries ($9.50) failed to impress. While the straight cut fries were crispy and not too oily, there was only moderate truffle flavor (despite requesting for additional truffle oil). We’ve had better elsewhere.
The Salted Caramel Brownie ($8.50) was nothing to shout about. Elements include a slab of salted caramel walnut layered atop a (slightly dry) brownie, paired with a scoop of light Vanilla Gelato.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/11/14/kith-cafe/

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/10/18/dibs/
Opened by 3 young Singaporeans (one of them is a chef), Dibs is definitely not your typical, run-of-the-mill restaurant and bar. Step in and you’ll find an unpretentious and snug space, simply furnished. Although their website describes the food to be Modern European, touches of Asian influences grace many dishes. The folks here are serious about standing out from the crowd, and Chef Leong does so by utilizing unusual ingredients, adding a touch of exoticism to the evening.
Service is friendly and fast, the young lady who served us was chirpy and accommodating.
Japanese flavors blossom in this indulgent Meat Butter ($16) – essentially veal marrow, seasoned with teriyaki, crowned with bonito and glittered with parsley. Bone marrow is acquired taste, so some may not be fond of it (M and I are not fans of this but W savored it with adoration)
With meat so tender it can be pulled apart by a fork, the Charred Lamb ($26) is definitely a carnivore’s dream. Drizzled onto the stack of lamb spare ribs, is a sauce made with yoghurt which minimize the gamey taste of the meat (this was what our server informed us, we didn’t find the lamb gamey at all). Served with root vegetables and garnished with coriander.
Steak and Radish ($34) may look dry on the exterior, but upon slicing, reveals a moist interior, with just the right amount of fat. The beef short rib is cooked sous-vide for 24 hours, which explains the beautiful moist and tender meat. Radish tempura side is a refreshing change from the classic fries or potatoes which typically accompanies. Glittered with bonito flakes and comes with a Bovril dip.
Duck Stack ($36). Nesting on a bed of mushrooms and adorned with foie gras, the sliced duck breast was quite ordinary.
All three mains could have been better if they were less oily.
Bacon and Apples ($16). Elements include an apple pie filled with chunks of not overly sweet apples, buttermilk ice cream and a strip of bacon-which all went amazingly well together. Our only grouse would be the portion- for $16, we definitely expected more.

Tea-time continues to refresh and entertain. It’s comforting to know that in such a frantic, fast-paced city, everything can still stop for tea. This time, we dropped by Fairmont’s glitzy Antiote Lounge anticipating a splendid afternoon of petite treats and tête-à-tête.

The savories and desserts were generally decent. What was most unforgiving was the indifferent service. There was about 8 staff on duty and only 2 tables occupied, but none of them bothered to clear our plates after the first course. Moreover, it took ages to catch someone’s attention for the bill. Overall, we did not have a pleasant experience at Antiote.
3 sets are available on the menu; all are the same except for the first course. Choose from black truffle scrambled eggs, assorted dim sum or salmon blinis with caviar. Each set is priced at $38++ and is inclusive of one pot of TWG tea (non-refillable). If the tea that catches your eye is worth more than $12.50, a top up of the difference is required.
From the list of close to 40 teas, we ordered a fragrant Genmaicha (Japanese green tea blended with roasted and popped rice) and ethereal White House Tea (white tea blended with fruits and roses).

The Antiote tea set features a single scrambled egg, glittered with black truffle, made completed with crisps buttery toast sticks. The lusciously creamy egg had a distinct woody aroma which lingered. Impossible not to love!

The Oriental tea set comes with a traditional wooden basket of Scallop Siew Mai, Shrimp Har Gau, Chive dumpling which my dining companion thoroughly enjoyed.

The rest of the food arrived uniquely presented in a classy white leather jewelry drawer chest. Each drawer is packed with dainty treats. My dining companion avoids alcohol so the chef swapped the alcoholic desserts for handmade chocolate truffles

The savory drawer features 5 different varieties of sandwiches-
Prosciutto, onion jam and aged cheddar
Cucumber and dill salad, cream cheese (rye bread spoilt it for me)
Coronation curried chicken
Boston Lobster rolls with herb mayonnaise
Smoked Salmon with caviar and crème fraiche

The most outstanding was the Boston Lobster Roll, featuring chucks of fresh lobster meat hubbed by a pillowy soft bun. Every mouthful was a delight!

Fluffy, light and crusty candied ginger and raisin scones were pretty good too; I particularly enjoyed the former with the homemade strawberry jam, Devonshire clotted cream and lemon curd. The Lemon Basil Pound cake and cookies didn’t quite make an impression though.

As for desserts, we had…
An enticing Rum Baba, which was superbly moist and gratifying. It’s presentation was engaging as well, as one would have to squeeze the plastic pipette to dispense the rum.
Decadent Karukera chocolate mirror tart
Strawberry gateau, raspberry, lychee pearl
Apple delight with almond crumble
Macarons
Handmade truffles
Chocolate-dipped strawberries. The fresh strawberries grant a sweet-zesty left and offer a tongue-tingling contrast to the rich chocolate.

If you have little ones, they can join in the fun too. Antiote serves Children’s Tea at $15++

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/09/01/antidote-afternoon-tea/