Restaurant Week Review: Salt Grill & Sky Bar @ Ion Orchard

It so turned out that friend S booked Gaia which I just had a few days before our dinner appointment (I mean, what are the chances?), so we changed to Luke Mangan's Salt Grill & Sky Bar instead, which served modern Australian cuisine (though I can't tell the difference between Australian and normal Western cuisine). 

Some of us may think that Ion Orchard is just 4 or 5 floors of shops, but there's actually a restaurant hidden all the way up at Level 55, accessible from a lift near Level 4 Concierge. There is a counter for Salt Grill there and the receptionist will direct you to the lift. Taking the lift itself, with its astronomical ceiling, is an experience in itself, especially if you go for dinner, and you step into the dark, romantically lit restaurant, with one of the best views of the Singapore skyline. 

Upon arrival, we were pleasantly greeted by the wait staff, who ushered us to our seats. Although we didn't get the window seats, the view was still pretty awesome from where we were. 

We were served with bread first, and interestingly, besides olive oil, they provided dakka/duqqa/dukkah as well, which is an Egyptian side dish consisting of a mixture of herbs and nuts.  

Entree: "glass" Sydney crab omelette, enoki mushroom and herb salad, miso mustard broth (U.P $34) 

You can rarely go wrong with egg, and the crab meat wrapped inside the omelette was sweet and juicy, and enhanced the flavour of the egg. 

Citrus cured salmon, avocado, apple, fennel, with salmon roe 

Then I wished we went for lunch instead of dinner because the lighting was so dim, the photos turned out lousy. We resorted to using a simple trick for the next few photos, which looked marginally better. 

Main: BBQ spiced beef tenderloin, mash, pumpkin puree, red wine jus 

Sad to say, I'm afraid the U.S. Angus Steak served at New Ubin Seafood was much better. 

Grilled barramundi, caramelized witlof, capsicum and sultana  

Dessert: Chocolate delice, salted caramel, honeycomb, and praline ice cream

Lemongrass panna cotta, char grilled pineapple, and ginger beer sorbet 

The ginger beer sorbet and lemongrass panna cotta were refreshing, and the praline ice cream from the other dessert was also very good. Although the place seems pretty atas, once you settle into your space, it's relaxing and comfortable, the wait staff are non-intrusive but readily available, and there's a healthy space between you and your neighbours. 

 2 Orchard Turn, ION Orchard, 

#55-01 & #56-01 

Singapore 238801

Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday

Restaurant

Lunch: 11.00 – 14.00 (Last Order)

Dinner: 18.00 – 22.00 (Last Order)

Sky bar

18.00 – 23.30

(Drink last order at 23.00)

Brunch (Weekend)

11:00-14:00 (Last order)

Afternoon Tea: 14:00-18:00

Dress Code: Smart Casual

http://www.saltgrill.com/ 

Restaurant Week Review: Gaia Ristorante & Bar @ Goodwood Park Hotel

This restaurant is one of our visits during Restaurant Week this March. It is basically a week where usually higher-end restaurants serve a 3-5 course meal at fixed and more affordable prices. Lunches go for $25++ and dinners at $35++. For restaurants marked as "premium", lunches are at $40++ and dinners at $55++. For Gaia Ristorante & Bar, their usual 5-course set meal cost $98++, so I felt it was a rather good deal. 

The restaurant interior was dark, romantic, and we got the cushion seats as we were a bigger group of 4. The space was rather close to other diners so in a way, we had to keep our voices down. 

We were greeted (or rather, my dinner companions were, since I was late) with these crackers and bread. The crackers were like thin keropok, and it was interesting that they had squid ink crackers! The taste was very subtle though. It would have been better if the bread was toasted before served, though with another experience to other Italian restaurants, it seemed to be a common practice not to serve it warm and toasted, pity. 

1st course: Veal tenderloin with warm tuna sauce, crispy Sicilian capers 

I neglected that one of my dinner companions does not take meat, and another doesn't take beef, so when this arrived, the 4 of us were whispering to one another about offering these servings to the other two of us instead. The waiter apparently caught on, and shortly after, the manager appeared and informed they would try to see if they could serve up something else. Subsequently, the following arrived. We were impressed by the service and initiative. 

Hokkaido scallops in saffron cream with a dash of coffee powder 

I'm more a seafood-lover so naturally preferred the scallops. 

2nd course: Deep fried egg yolk with Parmesan cheese and spinach 

Oh look how the egg yolk burst forth! We were intrigued at how this is done. 

3rd course: Double-filled ravioli with Parma ham and Parmesan, with white balsamic reduction and white balsamic foam 

I generally like all versions of dumplings - Chinese (dumplings), Italian (ravioli), Polish (pierogi), Japanese (gyoza)... You know what I mean. This was more interesting than the usual ravioli as it is double-filled, with Parma ham on one side, and cheese in the other. 

Similarly, G doesn't take this, and this time we took the initiative to request for an alternative, and she got this instead: Ravioli filled with cheese 

4th course: Roasted black cod with sundried tomatoes, capers and olives sauce, and potato puree

The black cod was nicely done and rolled down your tongue into your throat, and the potato puree was like smoother mashed potato, easy on the palate. 

Slow-cooked lamb rack, celeraic puree and sauteed bok-choy

My friend thoroughly enjoyed the lamb rack. 

5th course: Tiramisu cloud 

This is basically a deconstructed tiramisu. 

Poached pear in red wine, yoghurt and star anise sauce, gingerbread chocolate ice cream 

The items on the usual ala carte menu look reasonably priced, so I should be back again! 

Goodwood Park Hotel

22 Scotts Road

Singapore 228221 

Tel: 6735 9937 

Lunch: Mon - Fri 12pm - 2.30pm

Dinner: Mon - Sat & Public Holidays 6.30pm & Public Holidays 

www.gaia.sg 

Paris Baguette Cafe @ Wisma Atria

I can't believe I was at Wisma Atria three times within the past week. Anyhow, when a colleague said she wanted to try this Korean cafe at Wisma, I exclaimed, "Oh yes there's a new cafe there isn't it! But I thought it's a Parisian cafe?" So then we argued for a while. Turns out it's a French-inspired bakery cafe from Korea which has been there for 25 years. Half of the service staff here are Koreans and I suspect the bakers themselves too. 

You will not miss this cafe with its neon sign if you take the escalators up in Wisma. This cafe replaced Din Tai Fung, which moved up to the food court level. One thing I didn't like about this place is that it's free seating! Like food court style.

The sheer variety of breads makes me bubble over with possibilities

Cakes that look too pretty to resist

Their own printed serviettes, a simple, classy design

 

The menu was a bit flimsy (4 pages, 2 on main courses and 2 on drinks) but I don't blame them; most of the choices are on display. We tried the Green Ginger Lemon Tea ($11), a zesty flavour combined with the familiar and soothing green tea taste.   

Strawberry Shortcake ($7.50) - Oh we were spoilt for choice and in the end we settled for this, and it didn't disappoint. Light, elegant, and fluffy. Like how a strawberry shortcake should taste like, you know.

 

 Shaved ice with red bean and mochi $9 - Nothing much to rave about, this was like high-class ice kachang. It was refreshing though.

Cutely packaged milk pudding - I'm a fool for nice packaging ;) 

Cafe Mocha ($6.50) - I really liked this. So I was really miffed when the service staff cleared away my half-full cup :(

Hot Dutch Pancake ($17), with gelato, whipped cream and fruits, sinfully sweet but so good. I especially liked the pancake because it's so different from the usual pancake/waffles we usually have. This is somewhat like prata but also a bit syrupy sweet and crispy. I don't remember seeing this in Holland though! 

We wanted something warm and soupy so the Seafood Chowder ($6?) in the display case beckoned us. The counter staff said she would heat it up for us but she didn't...and we found out after we had a sip so... too late and we didn't want to demand for a new one so we made do with it. The broth was decent but the bread was just too tough. The Wake Up Jane is actually ham, egg and potatoes baked with cheese on a slice of white bread. Not too bad but it was cold like the chowder!

435 Orchard Road

Wisma Atria, #02-48/53

6836 2010

Wild Honey @ Scotts Square

The family went for brunch at Wild Honey one fine Sunday morning. One good thing about the Scotts Square branch is that they take reservations! No snaking queues for the aged parents. 

The interior looked quite cozy, though we chose to sit outside. It was a cool day so the heat didn't get to us. With the breeze and laid-back feel outdoors, it definitely didn't feel like we were in Singapore! (Minus the view of Orchard Road, haha!) 

 

The sis had the French-Pressed Coffee, which was good. 

The classic English breakfast $22 - (hidden) scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled tomato, potatoes, mushrooms and giant baked beans. This satisfied. 

The Mocha tasted a bit strange, perhaps not sweet and chocolatey enough. I liked the heart though.

 

Boulevard St. Michel $22 - We really like the thick fluffy French toast, the blob on the left is a parmesan-crusted poached egg, while that on the right is a spinach and cheese souffle. I really liked the sauce on top, a wonderfully tangy and appetizing mix of tomatoes, onions, and unknown spices. The tomatoes were so juicy they spurted when you sink your teeth into them.

 

What was meant as desserts but actually arrived first. Scones (my favourite!) with raspberry jam and butter and apple tea bread (somewhat of a mix between cake and bread).   

 Norwegian ($26) - essentially two poached eggs wrapped with smoked salmon sitting on top of giant slabs of avocado, drizzled with hollandaise sauce and salmon roe, on whole-wheat brioche.

Tunisian - Another signature, comes in a pan of shakshouka (tomato, onion, red pepper and chili), 2 sunny side ups and Chorizo sausage. Goes well with bread. 

 

We had no issues with the service. Although we were seated outdoors, the service staff came around regularly to check on whether we needed water refills so we could catch their attention fairly easily while having the privacy to ourselves.

Wild Honey
Scotts Square #03-01
Tel: 6636 1816
Open Sundays to Thursdays from 9am to 9pm;
Fridays to Saturdays from 9am to 10pm

Koh Grill & Sushi Bar @ Wisma Atria

I haven't found out about a craving-worthy Japanese restaurant in a while. Recently I've been seeing this restaurant appear in quite a few blogs and receiving good reviews so I thought, I must try this out! 

The lunch queue on a Sunday afternoon at late 1-ish pm was waning off (doesn't mean it's no good!). Located on the food court floor, I thought the prices would be near food court prices as well. Prices are actually mid-range and well worth every cent of it.

 

Aspara Buta Yaki ($10)

 Asparagus wrapped in grilled pork slices - No fatty bacon for me, this is real stuff!

Mini Chasoba ($4) (Not mini at all and I love the texture), Garlic Fried Rice ($5) (decent; can skip the next time!) and Gindara Yaki Special ($16) - grilled cod fish topped with cheese and mentai, so smooth it slips off your tongue down your throat

SHIOK!!! Maki ($16.80) - 8 pieces; that's really the name of the dish, and it was definitely SHIOK. Oh so good, aburi salmon maki wrapped with unagi, topped with a layer of cheese and mayonnaise sauce and mentai, sprinkled with fish roe to perfect the dish. At first glance $16.80 is pretty pricey for maki but trust me, it's definitely worth it.  

Koh Grill & Sushi Bar

#04-21, Wisma Atria

435 Orchard Road

91803805 

How much spent: $55.45 for 2 pax 

Would I go back there again? Can't wait!

Delicious @ Scotts Square

Happy 2012 everyone! A new year of food hunting, a new year of good food waiting to be discovered, and relished, with hits and misses along the way, of course. Anyway. I read about this newly opened restaurant at the spanking new mall along Scotts Road and decided to try it out. 

A simply-decored place with a blue and white theme that's easy on the eyes, and bird cages! There's something about bird cages that make them...aesthetically pleasing, in a strange way.



They have pastas, sandwiches, burgers, quite a decent range of desserts and Asian-Western fusion choices (Duck Confit Red Curry? Rendang Tok Beef Short Ribs?) on their menu. 

We weren't feeling adventurous that day and just wanted some comfort food in the form of carbo so we settled on pasta.


Y's Spicy Crabmeat Linguine ($15) - with real crab meat, not the frozen kind. She said it was not bad, though it was not spicy at all.

Spicy Seafood Linguine ($15) - With mussels, prawns and calamari, comes with a zest of lemon. There's something about the tomatoes and spices used that makes this pasta taste like how pastas should taste like.





Blackberry Apple Crumble with Vanilla Crumble ($6) - We couldn't resist desserts. This came really reasonable at just $6.





The food isn't fantastic but it's a nice place to hang out if you want to escape the crowds along Orchard Road. Reservations enabled. 



Address: 6 Scotts Road, B1-16/19 Scotts Square, Singapore

Tel: +65 6636 0903

Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm daily 

Nanbantei @ Far East Plaza

The only Japanese restaurant I used to frequent at Far East Plaza was Wasabi Tei, but we would always pass by this little Japanese eatery once you come up the escalator. You can't see the interior 'cos it's mostly covered up, and the entrance covered by the Japanese cloth. I always thought it looked rather mysterious. 

The sis and I were planning to go to Wasabi Tei, but we didn't know (or maybe we forgot) it was closed on sundays, we were too hungry and tired to hunt for another restaurant, and coincidentally this place had 2 seats left, so we decided on this.

We are always craving for sashimi, so we ordered salmon sashimi. We do know that it's not always very wise to order sashimi in a restaurant that's not known for fresh sashimi or specialises in other types of food, but we still went ahead anyway. Let's just say the taste was only as good as the picture suggests - pale oily lines, not succulent, leaves much to be desired.

 Nanbantei Yakitori Bento - This was quite value-for-money, it cost $14 if I'm not wrong. 5 skewers which included quail's eggs, chicken meatballs, some pork etc, with really delicious mushrooms and minced meat over the rice.

Mushroom with minced meat - Can't remember the price, but probably along the lines of $2 - $3 per mushroom! 0.0 But it was good.

Grilled Beef Tongue 牛タン($15) - Some parts were more tender and juicy than the rest, but in general I did enjoy this (or at least the more tender pieces). Although it got a bit "je lad" towards the end 'cos the sister didn't take to the taste and only took 2-3 pieces and I had to finish them off 0.0

Chawanmushi - Taste of the parsley was too strong, I still prefer Chikuwa Tei's version which had prawns, mushrooms and clear noodles in it. The ingredients in this one was meagre.

 

 Unagi Kabayaki - The sister loves this and would always want to order this in Japanese restaurants. This was an additional order and by this time I was very, very, fully already. A bit too salty and a bit over-charred, but all in all still a good choice to order. If we did away with the sashimi and the chawanmushi, I wouldn't have felt like I was going to burst any moment...

If you like yakitori, this place serves very decent fare. The food was good, easy to catch service staff's attention, and you could look at the chef at work too! 

How much was spent per pax: Not cheap, at least $30 per pax
Would I come back again? Once in a long while, not because it's not nice, but because I don't particularly fancy yakitori and as a poor student I can only afford a $30+ once in a while! :)


Address: 14 Scotts Road #05-132 Far East Plaza Singapore

Tel: +65 6733 5666

Opening Hours

Lunch 12 pm – 2.30 pm
Dinner 6 pm – 10.30 pm