The Dunearn @ NUSS BTGH II

Not too long ago this blog won the NUSS Bukit Timah Guild House (BTGH) blogging contest (you can read the winning entry here) and the prize was a five-course Harvest Carte set for two and a bottle of wine, worth $180. Without much hesitation I had asked Ms Val along to be the dining partner for the night, and I am glad she enjoyed it as much as I did :)

Complimentary Bread


The wonderfully aromatic and delicious bread was still the same as it was the first time I ate it. Arriving warm and well toasted, this is a guaranteed table pleaser.

Crispy Oysters on a bed of Green Mango with Spiced Lime Granite


Like how the commentators of a F1 race would describe it, we were off to a flying start indeed. Crispy Oysters cooked to perfection and done nicely for anyone concerned about having too much of that "raw" taste in their mouth. If that is not enough, the Thai sweet chilli served in a shot glass made it even more appetising.

Flamed Wagyu Carpaccio with Truffle Shoyu & French Shallot


Ms Val's Wagyu Carpaccio delighted her quite a bit, as she commented that the truffle shoyu complemented the thinly-sliced, medium-rare wagyu perfectly. I had a generous forkful of it and I thought it tasted really good and fresh.

Scallop and Mud Crab Broth


If there's one downside of the otherwise fantabulous dinner, it would have to be the Scallop and Mud Crab Broth. It turned out far too diluted and oily for anyone's liking and thus didn't have much (if any) of a richness or heartiness to it. The scallop was overdone as well, while the crabmeat was... negligible. Still, being the loyalist that I am, I had faith that the main courses would be much better.

Duck Confit with Orange & Carrot Puree with Mesclun Salad & Balsamic Dressing



And much better it was! I liked my Duck Confit quite a lot, it had a good balance of a crisp outer layer (delicious cracklings yums) and moist and tender meat underneath. Of course, it is admittedly not the best out there as it is, with contenders from places like The French Kitchen and Black Sheep Cafe, but nevertheless I was satisfied enough. The orange and carrot puree was a very good complement by the way.

Oven Baked Chilean Cod with Blue Ginger Red Wine Sauce & Almond Rice Ball


For a change, let's not hear what I have to say, but let's hear it from the lady herself:

"I had a hard time when it came to choosing my main. But I eventually settled for ladies’ favourite dish – Oven Baked Chilean Cod. Ooo baby, I love this absolutely and wholeheartedly. This oily fish was executed excellently; tender and juicy flesh was so sweet and moist. I love the slightly charred area, giving it a nice smoky taste. Look at the thick layer of crispy fish skin. Sinfully delicious. I managed to take a small nibble of it as I’m not a fan of fish skin. And I love the accompanying almond rice ball by the side too. - I’m totally sold."

Well, glad she liked it :)

Hazelnut Royaltine with Mixed Berries and Strawberry Gelato


Of course, if the both of us had to choose our top favourite for the night, it would have to be this, the Hazelnut Royaltine - the thick hazelnut feuilletine was so good and the equally thick and quality chocolate was heavenly. I dare say this dessert rivals, if not trumps as well, its closest counterparts at Hilton's Checkers Deli or 1 Caramel. It gets even better with the sour berries and sweet gelato. The problem? This was just a "dessert of the month" special that we had substituted with our set's cheese platter! I can only think of one solution: Add this to the permament menu please! And yes, I agree with Ms Val: we loved every single mouthful of this...

Warm Molten Chocolate with White Ganache served with Vanilla Ice Cream



In comparison then, my Warm Molten Chocolate Cake couldn't entice or excite me as much as the Hazelnut Royaltine did. Whilst creative in using white ganache, and no doubt it tasted pretty nice, but the thick flow just wasn't there and instead it was more of a liquid gush that had problems matching the cake completely.

Phyllo Apple with Cinnamon Dust & Vanilla Gelato


I liked the Phyllo Apple quite a bit because of its crispiness and sweetness, but of course this again paled in comparison to the dinner favourite Hazelnut Royaltine.

Overall, a very good dinner. Thank you Ms Val for the lovely company! :)


Service
Very good. There were admittedly a few problems at the start because the restaurant refused to change our cheese platters (included in the set) to another dessert of our choice because I was using a voucher. I refused to accept such a policy because the voucher said we were entitled to the set and nothing more, or less. Thankfully, a compromise was made and we got the dessert from the month's set menu, and it turned out to be the best dish of the night.

Place
1F Cluny Road, NUSS Bukit Timah Guild House.
Situated within the NUS Bukit Timah Campus.

Additional Comment
The Chilean Chardonnay wine which was included in the prize is quite good quality wine too.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.