Invited Session: Oasis @ Grand Hyatt

This is the very last invited session that you will be reading on this blog. Thereafter, this blog will no longer be taking any more food tasting invites, for reasons that would be explained in further detail very soon. Interestingly though, I'd never meant to go on a tasting session at Oasis. It actually began with an e-mail reservation for an ala carte dinner for two, but it turned out that the Hyatt staff got wind of me and Glenn's Hyatt series posts and we were subsequently invited for Oasis' weekend grill buffet.


Poolside dining here at Grand Hyatt Singapore's Oasis Restaurant, with all the peace and quiet that you can ever ask for. Watch as this place gently descend into the night amidst the backdrop of jazz music, the soft lapping of waves, and the clinking of wine glasses.


And if you're the sort who worries about the rain spoiling your meal, rest assured, there's shelter as well as indoor seating available. Overall, Oasis is another testament to Hyatt's unpretentious dining environment, with only good food and good service to be found here. You can say I was quite impressed already.


And so, ladies and gentlemen, let us begin with dinner :)

Complimentary Garlic Bread, Cold & Hot Appetisers and Sides






There's such a range of appetisers here that I have no idea where to begin. The Toasted Garlic Bread was really good - light, crisp and flavoured as I like it to be, and it went pretty well with the Grilled Skirt Steak with Beansprouts. Glenn particularly adored the Smoked Ocean Trout which was very fresh and delicious indeed, but I stuck to my simple but satisfying Baked Potato with Turkey Bacon Bits.

There's Vegetable Fried Rice and Fried Kway Teow here as well, but seriously, who would want to load up on the carbs when you got grilled seafood and meats in waiting? And yes, there's Fresh Greens too for those who like to pretend that they're on diet.

Grilled Seafood Platter



Oh my, this is like a platter from the heavens, just like the meat platter coming up next. I honestly wanted to pay for this meal because I just want to rave, rave, and rave about it, but to insist on the bill at the end might have seemed rude, especially when it was so nicely arranged by Ms Rina, the marketing manager for Grand Hyatt Singapore.

The Grilled Squids and Prawns were really large and juicy, but the highlight definitely has to be the amazing Grilled Salmon Skewer which was done to perfection - fresh, sweet and oh so tenderly moist. The Grilled Seabass was good stuff too, chunks of delicious white meat that you just want to have more and more.

Grilled Meat Platter



There were undeniably some hits and misses on the meat platter. The Grilled Steak and Grilled Chicken were quite ordinary and in fact were really quite dry on some parts. The Lamb Chops and Chicken Sausage were alright, but the real and main highlights really were the Beef Sausages and most especially the Marinated Beef Ribs. If I'm back here again for dinner, I would just eat the salmon skewers and beef ribs the whole night long I tell you.

The beef ribs were so tender that I constantly amused myself tearing at the meat with the slightest of touches with my fork, while the beef sausages had herbs in them that made each bite bursting with flavours. You can't really see the sausages in the pictures because they're hidden under the thick slabs of meat, but they're definitely worth that precious tummy space.

Desserts






Speaking of tummy space, there's quite a fair bit of desserts on offer too. The Caramel Custard Pudding and Marble Chocolate Cake though were too simple and should not be allowed to take up even a millimetre of space in you. Try instead either the Blueberry Crumble Tart or the Baked Apple Tart, both of which fared way better on taste, texture and sweetness. Last but definitely not least, treat yourself to some Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream, or better still, my personal favourite Raspberry Sherbet that was so wonderfully light and refreshing.

I don't normally rave in such a manner for an invited tasting session, and you can imagine my dilemma when I was holding on to my wallet eager to take out my card to swipe for this well-deserved $80 meal ($68++). Nevertheless, it was a very satisfying meal indeed, so satisfying in fact that me and Glenn had trouble walking comfortably to Wheelock's Borders nearby because we were just so full. For this one and only exception, I'm going to add Oasis to the hall of fame in my precious A List.

Sincere thanks must definitely go to Ms Rina and Grand Hyatt Singapore once again for the generous invite to Oasis. I'm actually turning down the follow-up invite to Straits Kitchen (no offence Ms Rina!), and this is only because I would like to pay for my own meal as any respectable food blogger would. I know I will enjoy Straits Kitchen's buffet dinner for sure, so it makes it all the more necessary that I pick up the tab and present to you a fresh, non-invited post. If you are keen to know the reasons behind this new direction, stay tuned for that, it's coming up next :)

Price
$68++ for the weekend dinner buffet, inclusive of beer, wines and margaritas.

Place
Grand Hyatt Singapore, Level 5.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Cappadocia Café Restaurant

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Cheers to the Best of Health, the Purest of Love and the Sweetest of Happiness! Let's look forward to a Fantastic year ahead! :)


For my very first post of 2010, I decided that I shall leapfrog a number of past indulgences that I have yet to blog about and instead jump straight into my new year's lunch with my lovely family. The venue for lunch is nestled in Robertson Walk, which is a peaceful riverside place by day but would otherwise be transformed into a clubbing and football scene on most other nights. Here, Cappadocia Café Restaurant is one of those restaurants that has been consistently getting positive reviews on online forums and blogs and as such I was keen to give it a try.


Though a public holiday, Cappadocia was open early for lunch and customers were slowly but surely making their way in. Most, if not all, of them were foreigners, probably expats living in the area. I'm definitely not complaining though, because they came with some of the most adorable babies in tow, babies who actually shaked and danced with glee to the beat of the Turkish music on the stereo. I would have loved to take a video of them.

Pide: 4.75/5


Deliciously baked sesame bread that goes well with any of your meat dishes. I ordered this as an accompaniment to my main course since the (slightly) dry lamb slices needed something to go along with.

Roasted Lamb Leg: 4.25/5


The lamb slices would have been a tad dry if not for the delicious "special sauce" (definitely something based on black pepper) that added much flavour to this dish. I asked for french fries in place of grilled veggies, and it came out looking like some "kid's meal" of lamb and fries. A bit on the expensive side though. Still I enjoyed this and when paired with the pide, makes for a very filling meal indeed.

Izgara Kofte


My Dad's choice for lunch. He mentioned that it didn't taste all too different from the kebabs he had in Zac's Cafe, and after a forkful of it I thought the Izgara Kofte from Sofra is wayyy better, the marinate, spices and all.

Kapadokya Biftegi


Mum's beef steak, which came with mashed potatoes and a generous helping of tasty brown sauce. She found the steak very unique, in part because of its spicy and most appetising marinate.

Doner Kebab Delight



The little sister's. The pilaf rice came in a tiny portion, half of which was packed with mixed vegetables and raisins. The grilled chicken (leg) slices were tender with hints of crispiness but did not have that "wow" factor to it. Perhaps the slices were too small or thin to begin with. The verdict? Always go for beef or lamb when it comes to kebabs!

Service
Excellent service, with a homely feel to it as well.

Price
$2.00 for the pide
$18.90 for the roasted lamb leg
$14.90 for the izgara kofte
$18.90 for the kapadokya biftegi
$14.90 for the doner kebab delight

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.

Place
11 Unity Street, Robertson Walk #01-12.

Additional Comment
Serves Halal food but has no certification because alcohol is served as well.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Bloggers Outing: Gordon Grill

As Christmas arrives it also means that the year is drawing to a close. For many of us, it's a time of good cheer and festivities as we usher in the dawn of a new year. It's also the time we start reflecting (if we haven't done so earlier) on what has happened in the course of the past twelve months and what has particularly been special. For food blogs like this one you're reading here, authors begin to ponder as well on what has been the best meal that they have had in the year. Mine took quite a while, but it has finally arrived.


I've been to heaven and back for so many times thanks to Gordon Grill, and for me it definitely made the grade for THE BEST MEAL of 2009. It passed the test with flying colours in food quality and taste, food presentation, price and service, and all in the most stringent of criteria - clearly I wanted to make sure that I was not carried away by the sheer novelty of fine dining.


Gordon Grill was also the choice of location for the Food Bloggers' Lunch, which was attended by Elaine from Divine Essentials as well as Phoebe and Chloe from The Food Chapter. Another group meanwhile had headed for La Strada at Shaw Centre, and it was arranged that we would meet for teatime desserts thereafter to share even more food lovin'. Look out for that post this weekend, the desserts were really lovely too! :)

Complimentary Bread Basket: 4.25/5


The three-course set lunch that the four of us had was part of the UOB Chef's Creation Series by Executive Chef Gan Swee Lai. The complimentary bread basket that arrived at the start did more than whet our appetite, it got us so full of anticipation of what was to come! Other than the brown sourdough bread that was quite plain and dry, the olive loaf and onion rolls meanwhile were fantastic. I've rarely raved about free bread (the only exception, and close rival, would be the ones served at Barnacles Restaurant with an accompanying chilli crab dip) but these ones were so fresh, fragrant and flavourful that it's difficult not to love them.


The sisters especially gave the thumbs up for the onion rolls and even asked for a refill on those. Just add a simple dash of butter and you've got something so simple yet delicious on your hands. I especially like the way that it was toasted that it was so crisp on the outside yet still so soft on the inside.

Hokkaido Scallops: 4/5


My choice of appetiser was the Hokkaido scallops with apple puree and black truffle vinaigrette. Elaine and Phoebe had theirs with the addition of pork belly too. The scallops were fresh and gently cooked for that golden brown hue. Mushrooms and truffles were nice too.

Salmon Confit


Chloe's salmon confit appetiser was served alongside cold Japanese pasta, seaweed and caviar, with a light addition of white truffle oil. Phoebe who took a forkful of her sister's salmon commented that it had a very "Asian"-flavour to it, and I myself could discern the smell of vinegar and caviar that I would think is very much an acquired taste. Chloe said the exact same thing on "acquired taste".

Grilled Beef Tenderloin and Braised Cheek: 5/5


Yes, the perfect score, the first ever that this blog has seen thus far. I love my beef, but this one was quite something out of this world and in a different league altogether. The tenderloin brought a whole new meaning to "tender", even when it was close to medium-rare, while the braised cheek literally melts in your mouth. A well-grilled steak in a sizeable portion, what's there not to like? The whipped potatoes on the underside meanwhile were so smooth and simply a joy to wipe off your fork. Add some Bordelaise brown sauce and you've got a winner of a main course. Perfect.

Roasted Turkey Supreme


Both Elaine and Chloe chose the roasted turkey, which came in different cuts as well, and accompanied by chestnut ballotine, winter vegetables and winter sauce. I believe the two girls found it just alright, good, but not necessarily something to scream and rave that much about.

Chestnut Crème Brûlée: 4.75/5


Ah, desserts. It wrapped up the superb meal amazingly well. The crème brûlée is certainly one of the best that I've ever tried, with the deliciously burnt and crisp caramel atop smooth and sweet vanilla-chestnut custard. What made this dessert even more impressive was the small pairing of whisky ice-cream, which was just heavenly - the liquer was not too overpowering that it would mask the vanilla-bean based ice-cream, and the addition of a small cut strawberry for good measure was most welcomed. I wish I could have more of this please!

Rhubarb Trifle: 4.25/5


Two of the ladies chose the rhubarb trifle, and just a look at it would make you go, "This is a ladies' dessert". Pretty indeed, and Elaine especially liked this. While the vanilla sugar donut was more or less typical, the trifle on the other hand was what really won the hearts of its owners. There's at least three different layers of custard, fruits and even jelly, and on Elaine's urging I took a spoonful of all three layers at once - oh, yummylicious. Smooth and delightful.

Overall Verdict
Excellent of course! I liked the way the pictures turned out as well, and you might also like to know that these pictures were unedited (as all my pictures are) save for brightness adjustments.

Service
Impeccable. They even brought a small chair out for me to put my DSLR camera bag on, and they definitely won me over with such a thoughtful gesture for my new baby.

Price
UOB Cardmembers promotion: $68++ for two.

Place
Gordon Grill, Goodwood Park Hotel.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Sofra Turkish Cafe & Restaurant

I actually visited Sofra twice in ten days, the first with my classmates from university and the second with my teacher and classmates from college. In both instances everyone was very satisfied with the food, a refreshing change no doubt, though we agreed that service could be a bit better at times. Nevertheless, still very positive experiences and definitely a place to recommend if you want something different.

Turkish Bread: 3.5/5


On its own, it's quite dry. Add some kebabs, grilled meatballs or flavoured dips and it will be much better.

Izgara Kofte: 4.5/5


This may look simple but it's really delicious. The grilled flat meatball (I chose mixed beef and lamb) was marinated and done very well that each forkful was a delight. In both of my visits everyone announced this as the best of the sliced meats, in part because the kebab doner meat was drier and much less flavourful. I did away with the salad side and I think they increased the rice portion by a little. The pilaf rice tasted good too.

Chef Plate: 4.25/5


For those who can't decide what to have, why not just have a bit of everything - in addition to a serving of Izgara Kofte, it also has the doner and shish kebabs. Served with some bread too. Both Jasmine and Kenniese agreed that some sauce or gravy would have been good to reduce the dryness of the kebab meats.

Jumbo Kebab Combo: 3.75/5


The "upsized" variation to the chef plate and "perfect for two", but it omits the taste-worthy Izgara Kofte. Certainly an increased portion of kebabs and bread, but now with eggplant kebabs as well.

Chicken Pide: 3.25/5


The Turkish variation to the typical pizza, the pide appeared to have more bread than cheese, and definitely more bread than ingredients. I like the even way that the bread was toasted, but yeaps, too much of the bread in the pizza.

Chicken Baked Rice


Kebabs not your thing? Try the chicken baked rice, though I don't think it's as tasty. Justina who had this liked the tomato gravy and commented that it tasted freshly made, and those around her who were finding their kebabs a bit too dry were using it as a dip.

Turkish Desserts


The Turkish Rice Pudding tasted much better than it looked, a mixture of what seems to be egg, milk and rice and served cold. This was the favourite of the three desserts pictured above, quite simply because it was unique and not too overwhelmingly sweet. The Turkish Chocolate Pudding with Marshmallow on the other hand was a little bit thicker and had the hint of good dark chocolate. It tastes better with each consecutive spoonful. Finally, the Baklava was being compared (rather simplistically and perhaps, unfairly) to the typical Chinese deep fried ham chim peng with a gula melaka (coconut sugar) flavouring. I would think the puddings faired much better surely.

Service
Can be improved, not very consistent. Friendly but inattentive at times.

Price
$2.70 for the turkish bread
$12.90 for the izgara kofte
$17.50 for the chef plate
$34.50 for the jumbo kebab combo
$10.50 for the chicken pide
$13.50 for the chicken baked rice
$3.90 for the turkish rice pudding
$4.70 for the chocolate rice pudding
$4.40 for the baklava (two pieces)

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.

Place
100 Beach Road #02-42/43/44
Shaw Tower
Shaw Leisure Gallery.

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS.

Bloggers Outing: Cafe Oliv

Congratulations to the ladies behind SistaFood for the success of their first ever food blog outing! It was also the first time that I've attended a food bloggers' dinner, and I must say the experience was amazing. To be in the company of people who enjoy food and have the passion to blog about their food adventures is an honor really, and to have at least six cameras snapping away once a dish arrives is a sight to behold. Also in attendance for the tasting session was Brad (LadyIronChef) and Justin (J2K3Blogs), and together with friends, loved ones and family, we waited in all eagerness to see what Chef Kelvin had in store for us. Enjoy :)

Oliv Crab Cake Dip Cheese Sauce


The Oliv crab cake is not in the menu (yet) and it is one of the appetisers that Chef Kelvin is experimenting with. It's a deep-fried blend of crab meat, minced pork belly, herbs and spices, and is served with a cheese dip. I didnt' get a taste of this, but comments around the table was that it was a little too salty for their liking. Still, this has promise with the mix of spices.

Flame Garlic Escargot on Spoon


The last time I ate this at Au Petit Salut, I didn't like this very much. I suppose it's an acquired taste. Somehow I was able to take to the ones here from Oliv, which I figured was because of the garlic and butter that managed to mask the sliminess a little. And oh, there was wine added to it as well. Talk about an aphrodisiac man ;)

Hokkiado Scallop with Asparagus


The pan-fried Hokkaido scallops was one of the favourites of the night. It was simple, but boy was it fresh and juicy. This is going to be up on the menu very soon and I think diners will surely enjoy it as an appetiser.

Mini Cod Burger


The mini cod burger was well, mini, and for a while I was still trying to eat it with a fork and knife until I was persuaded by the rest to grab it with my hands instead haha. I've to admit I'm not one who fancies fish burgers (gimme my beef beef beef!) very much, and this doesn't change my preference at all. But then taste is subjective (as we food bloggers will keep reminding you again and again), and I did see a few people enjoy their little burgers. As Justin noted diligently from Chef Kelvin, the slices of fresh cod fish were "marinated for slightly over an hour in a heavy teriyaki sauce and then later broiled to perfection". Add in a couple of Shitake mushrooms and salad and voila - your mini cod burger.

Crab Dumpling


An odd addition to the night surely, even more so when this was served alongside chopsticks. Just like the crab cakes, I was just about to take a bit of this when I was told it contains pork. Darn. But lucky me, I heard it was the saltiest dish of the night. Hahaha. Chef Kelvin, please go easy on the salt!

Angus Beef Mushroom Kebab


For the carnivore in me, this was undoubtedly the best dish of the night. The beef was oh so tender and such a joy to chew on, and the well-grilled mushrooms were equally tasty. To top it off, the delicious mushroom brown sauce was sweet, with a tinge of spiciness. If I could, I would have asked for more!

Bacon Infused Risotto Rice Ball


While others had their rice balls wrapped with bacon, my "vegetarian" ones were wrapped with lettuce. To be frank, this does not come close to a risotto, which is meant to be more moist surely. Here the rice balls reminded me more of rice dumplings or lo mai gai (steamed glutinous rice with chicken) and like the crab dumplings, I found this to be a strange addition to the line-up.

Lamb Shank Meat Wrap


Everyone's favourite, and the close contender for top spot (I still love my Angus Beef!). The lamb shank was so soft and tender that Enlin, enjoying hers as well across me, couldn't put it any better - it melts in your mouth. This is already on the menu and is definitely one of Cafe Oliv's bestsellers. I can see why, and you've got to try it to love it.

Mini Brownie


We were all patting our tummies and commenting that we were full, but once these lovely brownies arrived, we started making excuses - hey, there's always room for desserts! This is the sisters' favourite dessert from Cafe Oliv and it was not surprising then to find it as a highlight end to a satisfying dinner. It was ordinary vanilla ice-cream yes, but rich, warm chocolate brownie and cool ice-cream is always a winner to me :)

Overall
This was an invited tasting session hosted by the ladies of SistaFood and Chef Kelvin. $25 for so much food did seem like a great treat to me though. In all, there were certainly a couple of hits and misses, but my top three would certainly be the Angus beef, the lamb shank and the Hokkaido scallops. Do check out their menu here, and don't be surprised that it's more affordable than you think. Go ahead, try it out, and tell me if the rest of the dishes are good too.

Place
220 East Coast Road.