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2014-09-10
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Inspired by her travels around Europe, food science and business administration graduate Ms. Chang Weng Lok jumped at the chance to open her own restaurant. With the support of her family (mom and dad both help out in the restaurant), Ms. Chang opened her modern European fine dining restaurant, Queen's Garden, in August 2014.Ambience at Queen's Garden has a serene tranquility, exuding old-world charm. Located at the lobby of the boutique style Raintr33 Hotel, in a restored colonial building alon
Ambience at Queen's Garden has a serene tranquility, exuding old-world charm. Located at the lobby of the boutique style Raintr33 Hotel, in a restored colonial building along the quiet Hendon Road, the decor at Queen's Garden evokes the sense of a rustic countryside, with faux stone walls, pictures of long winding roads, and floral greenery framing the doorways.
Yet, Queen's Garden also has elements that lend an air of colonial elegance, with its crystal chandeliers, dark wooden furniture, and gleaming cutlery. Tables are sturdy and spacious enough for several dishes, but the small floor space means a slightly tight layout, and trapped noise from conversations. The serene al fresco dining area is lovely though, especially during dusk.
Service at Queen's Garden is welcoming and homely. The Chang family runs the place, and extends their distinct hospitality to diners, almost as if you're a guest in their home. Expect warm, friendly conversations (if you so choose to engage), water glasses topped up efficiently, recommendations on the menu, empty plates cleared quickly, or changed upon request. They even offer off-menu dishes for guests looking for something special!
A team of 5 chefs man the kitchen, with the executive chef bringing to bear his experience in French and Italian cuisine, gleaned from working in several International hotel chains, creating dishes that are aesthetically pleasing, yet packed with flavour. And with their background in food science and good relations with suppliers, Ms. Chang and family ensures that only the freshest, quality ingredients are used in preparation, keeping each dish at a consistently high standard.
Food at Queen's Garden follows a simple philosophy; where fresh ingredients shine through on the plate. This means the taste of each dish is derived purely from the ingredients, with little use of sauces or spices. In fact, Ms. Chang states that the only seasoning they use is salt, pepper, and herbs, nothing else. The result is remarkably clean, tasty, modern French and Italian dishes, where each ingredient complements the others, packing a lot of flavour in each mouthful.Even more outstanding is that Queen's Garden hand makes the majority of their food from scratch, with dishes cooked to order. While this means a waiting time of about 15 minutes or so, the amount of effort and thought that goes into each dish is evident. Portions are large for one person. This high quality also carries a rather high, but reasonable, price tag, expect to pay about SGD $45 ++ per person per meal.
The Norwegian Smoked Salmon, Garden Greens, Semi Dried Tomato, Lemon Citrus Dressing (SGD $13) features fresh rocket leaves and red onions, that carries a nice, slightly sour, slightly tart, zesty tang from the sauce. The salty smoked salmon lends depth of flavour, while the sun dried tomatoes are like little nuggets of freshness that burst in the mouth. A very good salad!
The Beetroot, Feta Cheese, Watercress, Pistachio, Red Wine Vinaigrette (SGD $14) salad is unique for its contrast of taste and textures, with the firm and mellow beetroot contrasting the soft and sharp feta cheese. The fresh watercress leaves are offset by the crunch of pistachio nuts, while the sauce lends a floral, slightly fruity finish, to tie the dish together. An acquired taste, definitely different.
Said to be their most popular appetizer, the Chilled Angel Hair Pasta, Black Truffle Sauce, Flying Fish Roe (SGD $13) is a fusion of influences from Japanese and Italian cuisine. This modern interpretation features chilled angel hair pasta in place of chilled soba noodles, and cream sauce in place of soy sauce. The garnishes of flying fish roe and black truffle sauce lend a briny, earthy flavour, while bonita fish flakes complete this unique dish.
I loved the aromatic and earthy Risotto, Wild Mushroom, Truffle Oil, Parmesan Cheese (SGD $22)! The wild button mushrooms lend a sweetness, and the risotto rice has the correct Italian texture, slightly firm with some bite, not soft or mushy. Very satisfiying and filling, our youngest diner gave this a 10 out of 10!
The Linguine, Crab Meat, Pine Nut, Chili, Tomato Sauce (SGD $24) won high praise from our group, for its generous portion of fresh crab meat in the pasta. The pine nuts lend a crunchy contrast to texture, and the linguine pasta is cooked perfectly! What I found rather odd, in a pleasant way, is that the dish looks and smells spicy, but actually isn't spicy at all.
The Marinated Chilean Seabass, Fried Herb Potato, Fine Beans (SGD $34) was the best dish we had, truely excellent, and left us craving for more! I still think about the soft, tender piece of fresh Chilean seabass fillet, the flesh of the fish is so smooth and sweet! The fried herb potatoes were surprising, with a crisp outer crust, almost like a crouton, but a soft, warm interior like mashed potato. The fresh string beans and cherry tomatoes were sauteed perfectly. I commend the chef's skill in this dish, and it's highly, highly recommended!
The taste of cognac isn't distinct in the Traditional Cognac Creme Brulee Topped With Seasonal Berries (SGD $12), but I loved the crisp, slightly thick caramelised sugar crust, which shatters easily when cut. The creme brulee is perfectly soft and wobbly, with a nice floral fragrance. Not too sweet, I thought it's very good, even if it's served without fruit toppings.
If you could only have 1 dessert here, let it be the Chocolate Mousse, Coconut Cream, Seasonal Berries (SGD $12). I think a bulb lit up over my head when I put the first spoonful into my mouth, it was so, so good! Totally unstoppable, smooth, creamy, balanced sweetness, rich chocolate flavour cut through with the nutty, fruity zest of the coconut cream frosting... I daresay it's the best dessert on the menu!
Normally served in a duo, the Assorted Lava Cake With Vanilla Ice Cream - Strawberry, Chocolate, Lemon, Cookies & Cream, Green Tea (SGD $30) features 5 different, in-house creations. All have warm, oozy flowing centers, but the standouts for me were the Strawberry Lava Cake, which has a nice contrast of sweet and tart, and the classic Chocolate Lava Cake with its rich, deep flavour. The Lemon Lava Cake is unusual with its sour and tangy taste, but the texture of the cake itself was slightly limp. The weirdest was the Green Tea Lava Cake, which tasted nothing like green tea at all, and the texture was a little off as well.
Full Queen's Garden review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2014/09/queens-garden-tasting-session.html張貼
