Trattoria L'Ancora

When the travel buddy got me to choose a lunch place, I turned up with only two options ten minutes later - pizza or pasta? With a raised eyebrow (he didn't have much of a choice on the cuisine clearly) he chose the latter, and we were off to Trattoria L'Ancora along Bukit Timah Road.

Complimentary Bread


L'Ancora's bread were simple but good. No one can really go wrong with warmly toasted focaccia bread, while the lightly flavoured and thin pizza-like slices were just as welcomed.

Calamari Fritti


At $24.90++, the lunch set (available on weekends as well) was quite a steal. My pick of the Calamari Fritti from the small range of appetisers on the set menu was just the way I wanted it to be - crisp, light batter and slightly chewy. The calamari went well with the mildly spicy Arrabiata sauce served on the side too.

Zuppa di Funghi


The travel buddy crossed out the bruschetta, garden salad and sautéed clams and went for the simple mushroom soup, the Zuppa di Funghi. I think he found it a tad too diluted and would have preferred it thicker.

Spaghetti Ai Frutte Di Mare


No surprises, I went for my all-time favourite. The Spaghetti Ai Frutte Di Mare was delicious, and what really stood out was the flavourful and adequately thick homemade tomato sauce. The fresh seafood ingredients - prawns, squids and clams - are also worthy of mention. Note that the portion for the set menu is slightly smaller than if you were to order this dish à la carte, but to be honest I thought the portion was just about right given that you've already got an appetiser and dessert to accompany it.

Branzino Al Lemone


The travel buddy had the Branzino Al Lemone, an oven-baked fillet of sea bass with lemon dressing. Not a frequent fish eater (but he do swear by Nobu's miso cod), he found the sea bass a little too "fishy" in taste and smell. He was thankful for the lemon sauce that helped to make it more manageable.

Tiramisu


The waitress (and chef) so politely allowed me to make a swap on the dessert menu with the Tiramisu, and moreover at no additional cost. I liked the tiramisu, it wasn't overwhelming and had a good balance of the holy trinity of flavours - coffee, liquer and chocolate. While not mind-blowingly impressive, this was still decently good.

Panna Cotta


I used to see this as an Italian tau huay, but that surely would be trivialising one of Italy's iconic desserts, the Panna Cotta. L'Ancora's rendition of this dessert was executed well.

Coffee


And with all that enjoyed, sit back for a bit longer and enjoy that cuppa :)

Service
Very good.

Price
$24.90++ for the set lunch.

Place
789 Bukit Timah Road.
After HCI, just before the turn to Sixth Avenue.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Sogurt

Of all the yogurt parlours that have sprung up in Singapore, Yami Yogurt and Sogurt remain my top two favourites. There's an added element of fun in Sogurt I suppose, because here you get to decide how much yogurt and toppings you want, and how much you want to mix them all together. I usually stick to 90% original yogurt and 10% of the peach-mango flavour, but if you want something more adventurous go ahead and spin in green apple, pomegranate, chocolate or even Irish mint. Loads of toppings on offer here as well, from the fruits to the nuts to the chocolates and to the biscuits. I hear they do buffets as well! :D

Price
Charged by weight.

Place
617 Bukit Timah Road,
Next to Coronation Plaza.
Other locations: United Square and Nex Serangoon.

Picture taken with the Apple iPhone 4.

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.

Greenwood Fish Market Bistro

I just love lunch with the fishies, I really do. You may know me as an ardent fan of all things beef, but I do like my fish as well, especially when it's done the way I personally like it to be - steamed, grilled or pan-fried. Greenwood Fish Market Bistro is definitely one of the places I would recommend if you want to eat some good quality fish, even more so when you're craving for something other than the typical fish and chips. It certainly is pricey (at least, by my standards), but I do think it's worth your money if eaten once in a while.

Reservations here are a must as it can get crowded during meal times. Contrary to some of the online reviews, the service here is very good, with the wait staff being very friendly and polite and always keen to help with recommendations on the catch(es) of the day. They do make the occasional mistake in your order, but I'm usually very patient on things like this, especially if they are sincere about it. If you lack patience, you can choose to cool yourself down with a glass of bubbly, as two glasses of Piper Heidsieck go for only $24.95++. That's quite a steal considering it's pretty good quality stuff.


Seafood Chowder


Lunch sets go at $26.95++ and comes with a soup, the main course and coffee/tea. You can choose to add on $2.95++ for the Seafood Chowder, which is worthwhile if the soup of the day is some boring-sounding vegetable soup. I like the chowder a lot because of the coriander chilli oil that gives the soup a hint of spiciness. The seafood ingredients, while not numerous, were fresh.

Mushroom Soup


An example of the soup of the day. My friend commented that it was a bit too watery for his liking. As you can see, a top-up to the seafood chowder, or even the lobster bisque, is necessary.

Grilled Barramundi


The Barramundi is one of my top favourite fishes at Greenwood Fish Market Bistro, and I absolutely love the way it is always so immaculately grilled. The meat was so fresh, moist and tender that I had to constantly slow myself down from finishing it all up so quickly. The skin meanwhile was nicely crisp.


The fish is normally served with "starch" (fries or mashed potato) and salad, so you can guess that the dish in the first picture above, with double servings of fries, belongs to me. You can always choose to go for double servings of salad like a friend of mine (as in the picture preceding this paragraph), but do remember that this wouldn't fill you up as much as potatoes.

Pan-Fried Blue Cod


In a separate visit I also tried the Blue Cod, which is a temperate marine fish found exclusively in New Zealand. An interesting trivia (I'm not too sure how credible this information is) on Wiki states that the "blue cod can also change sex from female to male"! I wonder how is that possible. But anyway... the pan-fried blue cod is softer and even more tender than the barramundi, but somehow or another I still prefer the taste and texture of the latter. Just a personal preference.

Pan-Fried Black Cod


More commonly known as the Chilean Seabass, the Black Cod comes at a lower price tag than the blue cod, but I feel it tastes better actually. My friend enjoyed this a lot. Also worth mention is the mashed potato, which was smooth and delicious, even if terribly simple.

Battered Fish and Chips


My friend prefers his Fish and Chips from Fish & Co., but he added that this was only because he prefers the batter there. In terms of freshness and texture, it seems Greenwood still fares better than its more famous counterpart.

Service
Very good.

Price
$26.95 for the set lunch
+$2.95 for the seafood chowder
$21.95 for the grilled barramundi (ala carte)
$26.95 for the black cod (ala carte)
$29.95 for the blue cod (ala carte)
$24.95 for two glasses of Piper Heidsieck

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

Place
34 Greenwood Avenue
Behind NJC and/or Raffles Girls Primary School.
Reservation number: 6467-4950

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Thai Central

Some people may confuse Thai Central at Chun Tin Road (along Bukit Timah Road) with Central Thai at Orchard Central, but they're really two different Thai eateries altogether. Thai Central here is a modest, affordable restaurant that serves very simple Thai fare and is popular with families who live around the area.

Seafood Phad Thai


The Phad Thai is not only my favourite Thai noodle dish, but it is also my typical litmus test for every new Thai eatery that I visit. Thai Central's version was decent, with a few prawns, squids and fried tofu slices. Alright enough, but relatively smaller portion.

Chicken Dishes


A pity most of the pictures for this dinner turned out poorly (probably too tired that day), and it explains why I'm hiding them all in collages haha! The Fried Chicken with Thai Sweet Chilli was merely fried chicken with sweet chilli served at the side, so that was quite unimpressive to say the least. Similarly, the Honey Baked Chicken was sweet and tasty but the lack of any sauce or gravy makes eating it with rice a tad dry and difficult. The Fried Chicken in Basil fared a little better but basil can be an acquired taste for some.

Side Dishes


I thought the Spicy Fried Tofu was quite good, with a balance of sweet and spicy. The Sambal Fried Kangkong was typical, nothing much to shout about, and so was the Tom Yum Soup. The soup is normally served the "clear-style", but my parents are so used to the red version that we requested for a change. The staff obliged with a smile.

Red Ruby


A classic Thai dessert, and I like the one served here at Thai Central. I'm quite sure it's largely because of the delicious coconut ice-cream.

Sweet Tapioca with Coconut Whip


A very simple dessert that is meant to fill you up if you aren't already full. Warm sweet tapioca chunks that are a delight to munch on.

Service: Friendly and polite. Short-handed during dinner though.

Price: All dishes shown here are less than $10 each.

Place: 16 Chun Tin Road.

Additional Comment: No pork, no lard.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

The Dunearn @ NUSS Bukit Timah Guild House

I've never had any trouble keeping a secret, but for my purposes tonight I have to do this just once, so let me let you in on this lovely hidden gem. If, in the days to come you do visit this little sanctuary, remember it was me who told you one of the best kept secrets in the vicinity of the Singapore Botanical Gardens.


This secret is The Dunearn, a warm and unpretentious culinary haven housed within a quaint colonial bungalow. This bungalow also happens to be the newly-restored NUSS Bukit Timah Guild House, and is a place so wrapped with an air of history and beauty that is testament surely to its architectural heritage honours. While part of the NUSS Graduate Club, which I myself will be joining very soon this year, The Dunearn is open to the public and to anyone who loves food. So if you're looking for a peaceful evening away from all the hustle and bustle of the city, let this be your getaway.


Here at The Dunearn, be pampered by comfortable (read: air-conditioned) seating indoors, or better, get close to nature and be surrounded by the lush greenery of the Singapore Botanical Gardens at the pretty patio outside. At nightfall, candles and hanging lights adorn this enchanting private spot, giving it a tranquil and rustic charm. Lovely indeed.

The Dunearn Executive Set Dinner


With the kitchen helmed by a chef who was once with the well-known Les Amis Group, it is always understandable if you find yourself having heightened expectations for what you are going to be served. The Dunearn offers contemporary European cuisine with a good selection of wines, and for those who also believe in pairing good food with value-for-money meals, fret not, this is the place for you.

The executive five-course set dinner menus change monthly (another reason to keep returning!) and are reasonably priced at $39.80++. I've actually just taken a look at the newly released menu for the month of March, and I already hear the baked salmon and braised lamb shank calling my name. Drools. But before I get to that, here's what I had for February.

Complimentary Bread


Wrapped like a baby, the foccacia bread arrived warm and freshly toasted, the way breads should be and the way I like them to be. The wafting aroma of the herbs from the bread was enough to get me all hungry, and for once I was happy my dining partners wanted to save space for the dinner to come. It only meant more bread for me.

Cold Appetiser: Aubergine Parcel with Bull Tomato & Mozzarella Cheese


Veggie lovers would simply adore these little parcels of goodness - sweet bull tomatoes and savoury mozzarella cheese encased in thin but juicy slices of lightly-grilled aubergine. Flavoured with aromatic olive oil, drizzled with basil pesto and adorned with bright-coloured fresh greens, this is definitely one amazing appetiser for the senses.

Soup: Mixed Seafood Velouté with Tomato


This French-inspired soup drew compliments from me from the very first spoonful, and in it alone I could taste the effort that went into it. While it looks deceivingly simple, a simple check on an online dictionary revealed that a velouté is a "white sauce or stock made by boiling down ham, veal, beef, fowl, bouillon, etc., then adding soup stock, seasoning, vegetables, and thickening, and again boiling and straining"[1]. I did not expect to find crunchy prawns and chunky fish meat for a soup appetiser, but this is what I had nonetheless and you can say I was impressed. The soup was creamy without being overly thick, as a velouté is meant to be, and I finished this to the drop.

Hot Appetiser: Roasted Sea Bass on bed of Crispy Parmesan


Some pretentious fine-dining restaurant may serve this to you as a main course and at an exhorbitant price, and it may not even taste good. The Dunearn however, served this as an appetiser and is really, true to my heart, a very well-done dish. The cream sauce and slice of parmesan were perfect complements to a generous cut of fresh sea bass, a three-way intimate affair of the smooth, the crispy and the juicy.


Good-tasting things always deserve another look on this blog, and here's another shot of my delicious sea bass. Roasted to a nice pink, the fish was firm to touch but inside it was fresh and moist throughout, with that umami sensation at every forkful. I wouldn't mind having this as my main course really.

Intermezzo: Green Apple Sorbet


In the Italian Renaissance, the intermezzo was a theatrical performance made in between the acts of a play to celebrate special occasions. Here at The Dunearn, it came in the form of a little cup of delicious green apple sorbet that tingled my tastebuds and made me drunkenly wish this was dessert - could I have more of this please? Like the real intermezzo, it's an extraordinary trumpet call to tell us that we're (finally) done with appetisers and that it's time we bring in the much-awaited main courses. Ladies and gentlemen, our three celebrities for tonight.


Main Course: Fillet Mignon
on bed of Raspberry Confit and Red Wine Sauce


Everyone who reads this blog frequently enough knows I love my beef. The pretty vegetables that usually decorate the plate (like this adorable tomato on the left) are often secondary to me, but I do like the way the vegetables here are boiled to softness, especially the baby carrots. My fillet mignon was good, admittedly dry on some parts (in retrospect then, I should have asked for it to be medium-done) but I made do with thinner slices and am still a satisfied man. I also appreciated the sweetness of the raspberry confit since I do not often eat steaks with it and this was a refreshing change.


Main Course: Oven Baked Honey Mustard Flavoured Spatchcock
served with crushed garlic potatoes


This excellent game bird was baked to wonderful tenderness and was much praised and raved by the dining partner Glenn. Like most of the dishes tonight, here was another good balance of tastes, as the delectably sweet honey mustard sauce paired unexpectably well with the garlic-flavoured mashed potatoes. In honour of the gallant spatchcock and the chef's skills, I confess I threw out any well-respected doctor's advice and gamely ate the chicken skin - lightly crisp with that burst of marinate. Sinning has never tasted this good.

Main Course: Braised Australian Red Garoupa
with Double Boiled Lemongrass Broth & Seasonal Vegetables


This was not on the set menu but rather from the ala carte menu which my other dining partner Hui Yuan ordered from, and I could tell she was most satisfied with the lemongrass broth. The lemongrass added a familiar Asian hint of aroma and flavour to the dish and combined nicely with both the colourful array of diced vegetables as well as that generous slab of garoupa. Hui Yuan preferred our sea bass appetiser to her garoupa however, adding that the latter was a tad too overdone for her liking. The roasted sea bass, a starlet of the night indeed.

Dessert: Double-Baked Brownie Cheesecake
served with Macadamia Nut Ice-Cream


After a brief interlude of hot coffee and tasty biscotti, this arrived on my table like a gift from the heavens (cue: choral voices and harp tunes). I wanted a brilliant wrap-up to what has already been an inspiring dinner and asked for my dessert to be changed to the double-baked brownie cheesecake. Was it any good?


Yes, it was, and I'm getting all hungry typing this post at one in the morning. The smooth and slightly thick cheesecake found its pair in a chocolatey brownie, with bits of nuts in it that I simply adore. It would have been even better if it was white chocolate cheesecake with caramel brownie, but then that's actually more of a sin-list than a suggestion. I really, really fancied the macadamia nut ice-cream too which was milky, sweet and nutty.

Dessert: Battered Valrhona Chocolate
with Raspberry Coulis & Vanilla Gelato


Dinner hit the finale note with this loving duet of sweet and sour with hot and cold, and again reveals the remarkable balance that this kitchen has orchestrated the entire night. Imagine crisp, battered chocolate balls with warm, flowing Valrhona chocolate spilling out at a small bite - decadent, and matched with a gently sour raspberry coullis for that welcomed twang. If that's not already enough sensory romance at work, mix the warm chocolate with cold vanilla.


Thank you, for bringing me to heaven and back in one night.

Service
Service here was excellent, the wait staff was always eager to help and regularly filled our glasses. I like it that they were frequently close-by without being intrusive.

Price
$39.80++ for an executive five-course set dinner.
A fee of $5 (50% of actual price) was charged for a change of dessert.

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

Reference
1. "Veloute", http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Veloute, last accessed 28 February 2010.

Additional Note
This blog post is an entry for the NUSS-BTGH Best Blogger Contest, though the author has tried his best to be as objective and as honest as possible. He hopes you will have an equally enjoyable and memorable time at The Dunearn and invites you to share your experience here.

Endnote
This entry won the contest! Thank you everyone for your support :)

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.