Invited Session: Roast @ 1 Rochester

This is the second of the last three invited sessions 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 next week. For now, here's something from Roast at One Rochester that you may be interested in, especially if you're planning a date or an intimate group outing. In fact, the food featured in this post are part of a "Communal Dining" menu where you're actually encouraged to share.


Roast is within the premises of the main One Rochester Group and features comfortable al fresco seating for that romantic drink and dinner. If you hadn't known, the One Rochester Group also features other well-known places 1 Caramel and 1 TwentySix, the latter of which follows a very similar design at its little sanctuary at East Coast.


It doesn't matter if you're coming with a partner or a group of friends, just make sure the company is good for a night of lovely conversations over glasses of wine, beer and bubblies.


As the sun sets, you know the gastronomic moments are about to begin. Enjoy.

Bread Basket


I always like the way the bread is wrapped like a baby, and how we have to slowly pry the napkin open for a better look inside. I love babies by the way.


Nibble Platter



The Nibble Platter consists of herb crumbed stuffed olives, potato skins with sour cream and ocean trout caviar, radish, tapenade and crudite, foie gras parfait, cured hams and pickles. Not really my kind of thing, but it may work for you.

Tiger Prawn Salad with Cous Cous, Pomegranate, Mint & Persian Feta


More food for the (healthy) soul.

Cheese Soufflé


This sure does look delicious, but if would have been better if it had some seafood ingredients inside or something, like a baked cheese pie. Great for those who like a veryyyy strong cheese flavour.

Pan Fried Foie Gras with Catalunya Spices, Sweet and Sour Cherries
& Juniper Cured Salmon Gravlax with Scrambled Eggs and Toasted Soldiers


More nibbles: foie gras, scrambled eggs, gravlax (cold cured salmon) and brioche. The creamy scrambled eggs went well with the brioche, yums!

‘Roast’ Rosemary Potatoes
& Seared King Scallops with Smoked Sea Urchin Risotto


I liked the Rosemary Potatoes a lot, they were fragrant, crisp and a bit salty, nice enough to start your appetite going. The Seared King Scallops were well grilled, but the slightly over-done risotto failed to impress.

Grilled Cod Fillet


The ladies who tried the cod gave their nods of approval. Nothing fancy added to it, just white beauty in all simplicity.

Baby Chicken with Pine Nut, Raisin and Truffle Stuffing
& Braised Wagyu Beef Brisket with Creamy Paris Mash Potato


The Baby Chicken is usually wrapped with proscuitto but for obvious reasons that I was there that 1 Rochester was kind enough not to have it on the dish. For a marbling score of 8-9 for the wagyu beef brisket you would expect something really tender, and it was quite so actually. The only better one I could think of would be the grilled beef ribs from Hyatt's Oasis (coming up next!). The red wine used needed some getting used to though, as a couple others on the table pointed out as well.

Apple Tart with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream


Vanilla bean ice cream has been the popular trend these days, bringing sexy back to the otherwise plain ol' vanilla. The ice cream here tastes a little different, I couldn't put it down exactly if it was the cream or any particular essence that was added to it. I liked the crisp sides of the apple tart, and me and Elaine also fancied the aromatic and sweet vanilla sauce drizzled across the plate.

Grande Assiette




The Grande Assiette is a selection of five petite sized desserts, and we had:

1) Wild Honey and Pistachio Nougat Parfait with Cherry Compote: the gentlemen's favourite dessert for the night; nutty and flavourful
2) Classic Lemon and Lime Soufflé: the ladies' choice; this tasted better and better with each spoonful, very refreshing touch
3) Devils Flourless Chocolate, Mascarpone and Raspberry Ripple Cake: as the devil would have it, this is something very rich with (too many) distinct flavours
4) Rose Perfumed Panna Cotta with Poached Pear in Crème de Framboise: this had the potential to impress but it didn't; Glenn found it too soft for his liking
5) Pavlova with Vanilla Cream, Poached Strawberries and Passion Fruit Coulis: the pavlova was just too sweet for everyone, and I myself was wondering if I'm eating plain icing haha.

Overall, the food at Roast, 1 Rochester was decent, with its share of hits and misses. Nevertheless, we know this place will always be popular because of its fantastic outdoor ambience, with large fans hidden strategically all around to give you that cool breeze. If you want some place romantic, this could be it.

I thank Ms Audrey Rabarot from the One Rochester Group for her kind invitation and for having us there for this invited session. I wish the Group all the very best in its exciting upcoming endeavours.

Price
$65++ (minimum two persons)

Place
1 Rochester Park

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Invited Session: Food Republic

This is the first of the last three invited sessions 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 next week. For now, let us feast our eyes on what the latest addition to the Food Republic family at 313 @ Somerset has to offer us.

Nonya Chap Chye & Ayam Buah Keluak


The Straits Chinese Nonya Restaurant is one of four "mini restaurants" at 313's Food Republic and is run by the owners of Guan Hoe Soon, a notable Straits Chinese restaurant in Joo Chiat Place. In the couple of hours that I was here I spotted numerous orders of their signature Nonya Fish Head Curry and it did look quite good. The Ayam Buah Keluak meanwhile is a common Nonya dish and the rendition here was quite good with that balance of sweet and spicy.

Price: $6.80 for the nonya chap chye, $12.80 for the ayam buah keluak


Yong Tau Foo


For those who would love something healthy, there's always good ol' yong tau foo from Cuppage Plaza stalwart Orchard Yong Tau Foo. But, if you would prefer something unhealthy (whilst pretending to be healthy), go deep-fried and ampang at my favourite yong tau foo stall at Suntec City. [Price: $0.70 per piece (minimum 6 pieces)]

Prawn Noodles


I've not eaten much prawn noodles in my life, so I can't give much of a commanding opinion if this met the mark. Nevertheless, this bowl of prawn noodles from 3rd Generation Laksa and Prawn Noodles arrived hot and with a pretty enticing fragrance surrounding it. I also hear the hearty prawn broth comes with added collagen which is great for your complexion, interesting stuff. [Price: $4 / $6.50 / $8]

Mutton Gulai with Rice



Dapur Padang hails from West Sumatra and sure does serve a fairly authentic Indonesia-style curry. Most of the meat chunks I got were tender and a joy to chew on, while the thick gravy went well with white steamed rice. [Price: $7 (with rice)]

Stir-Fried Ma La


We are normally familiar with ma la soups but I personally think this stir-fried variation from Piao Xiang Ma La Xiang Guo is really quite good. Choose from a variety of seafood, meat and vegetable ingredients and they would whip it all up for you with the homemade ma la sauce, herbs, dried chillies and nuts, to name a few. This is definitely something worth trying if you like things spicy. [Price: Seafood: $5.50-6.50 per 100g / Vegetables: $1.50-$3.00 per 100g / Meat: $4 per 100g / Mushrooms: $4 per l00g]

Mixed Sliced Fish Soup


The mixed sliced fish soup from Ed's Fish Delights has always been a central feature of my meals at Food Republic outlets because of the delicious fish slices and tasty soup. If you find beauty in simplicity, this would be it. [Price: $5 (with rice)]

Chendol

After a hearty (and oftentimes, spicy) meal, do save some room for something sweet to keep everything in perfect harmony. Thick and creamy chendol works fine for me any day. [Price: $2.80]

Place
Food Republic, 313 @ Somerset, 5th Floor.

Additional Notes
1. Thank you Veronica and Food Republic for the food tasting invite :)
2. First picture property of Sixth Sense Communications.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Red Mango Frozen Yogurt

A quick post while I'm busy at work, and another dessert one at that since it's faster to write too. Don't worry though, there's a host of savouries lined up for you from tomorrow onwards so stay tuned! Till then, here's Red Mango yogurt, something sweet for those who want to indulge but are worried about tipping the scales. I know I should be showing a cup full of sliced fruits and healthy nuts but I got this from the NUS Open House bazaar over the weekend and I didn't see any fruits around. So froot loops it is.

I realised that yogurts from yogurt "boutiques" or "parlours" such as Red Mango, Frolick and Yami have kind of lost the "sour" of typical yogurts that you can still find at the supermarkets, and instead have actually gone sweeter. This was something another blogger was also thinking about while she was posting on her favourite Yami. Less fat but more sugar surely doesn't make yogurts any more healthy. Guess I'll just keep to my favourite ice-creams then ;)

Price
$4 for a medium cup of original yogurt, $1 for a top-up ingredient.

Picture taken with the Nokia N85.

Ice Cream Chefs

I know ice-cream purists would scoff at mix-in ice-creams but I for one do like such sweet, chunky and flavourful delights, and even more so when there's something chocolatey rolled inside. I used to adore Cold Rock Ice Creamery a lot but it is a little pricey (so is Marble Slab Creamery) so I kinda indulge in that only once in a while. The Easties in Singapore though do have something to cheer about, because Ice Cream Chefs is more reasonable priced and boasts some pretty interesting flavours as well.

Chippy Mint & Blue Berries with Maltesers


Of course, don't get too creative with your mixes. I think I made up an odd combination of mint chocolate, blue berries and chocolate Maltesers, and the final product turned out to be one of multiple, distinct flavours trying to outdo one another and vie for my attention.

Hersheys Chocolate & Pandan Kaya with Famous Amos Cookies


This combination by Jovin was a winner. I think it had a lot to do with the unique and delicious pandan kaya ice-cream that was really quite addictive and which went pretty well with its chocolate-flavoured counterpart. The simple cookies meanwhile provided that extra crunch to the otherwise smooth ice-cream.

Service
Very good.

Price
$3.10 for a small cup
$4.80 for a medium cup
$0.90 for each mix-in.

Place
520 East Coast Road, Ocean Park Building.
Along Main East Coast Road.
For a look at Ice Cream Chefs' pretty website, click here.

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS.

Laurent Bernard Chocolatier

Laurent Bernard Chocolatier at Robertson Quay is definitely something you would not want to miss if you're in the area, and it's certainly a personal favourite amongst the many dessert places here in Singapore. Following my unforgettable love experience with the chocolate tart earlier in the year, I was back here again looking for more, and with heightened expectations as well.

Chocolate Tart


Of course, no trip would be complete without meeting my first love. So here the chocolate tart continued to dazzle with its three layers of distinctive tastes and textures - delicious smooth dark chocolate, crunchy hazelnut praline feuilletine centre and crisp, biscuit-like pâte sablée crust. A best-seller surely.

Pleasure




This little lass did sashay into the picture and with a name like Pleasure it did arouse a certain amount of interest. A simplistic description would have it that this interesting creation is the milk chocolate variation to the chocolate tart, since it keeps the hazelnut praline layer and replaces the dark chocolate with milk chocolate ganache. I thought this was equally satisfying for a chocolate lover like me.

Chocolate Soufflé
Served with Raspberry Sherbet and Vanilla Cream


There's something amazing about Laurent's Chocolate Soufflé that leaves you smiling so widely even after having to part with more than seventeen dollars, a premium price surely when most soufflés I know go for about ten plus. The seductiveness of this expensive lady lies in the quality chocolate lying inside that protective bread coat, and the way the sour sherbet continues to tease your senses as you work your way through this fabulous dessert. Pour the vanilla cream in slowly, stirring the hot chocolate contents inside for maximum aphrodisiac pleasure. Even Aphrodite would be thrilled.


Strawberry Soufflé
Served with Raspberry Sauce


No other soufflé after the Chocolate Soufflé can do much to impress, and indeed the Strawberry Soufflé paled in comparison. After such strong cocoa, the raspberry essence was just not impactful enough. Either that or I was already in heaven drowned in chocolate.

Lesson learnt: Go for anything and everything chocolate at Laurent Bernard Chocolatier! Chocolate heaven indeed for any chocolate lovers or potential converts ;)

Service
Very good. Photography without flash is allowed, if you ask nicely.

Service
$6.80 for the chocolate tart
$9.80 for the pleasure tart
$16.50 for the chocolate soufflé
$11.85 for the strawberry soufflé

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

Place
The Pier at Robertson Quay, 80 Mohammad Sultan Road #01-11.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Black Coffee Dessert Bar

Black Coffee Dessert Bar at TripleOne Somerset has been around for quite some time now and I've always been dreaming about its Banana Rum Crumble ever since I read about it on PY's blog. Her description of it was spot-on as the crumble was buttery, the top layer was crisp and light, and the banana slices were sweet and fresh. My biggest complaint however would be the vanilla bean ice-cream, which had so much icicles in it that I thought I was eating a vanilla ice lolly, or something to that effect. Still, the warm fuzzy feeling of the crumble matched nicely with the cool touch of vanilla ice-cream.

Service
Very good.

Price
$7 for the banana rum crumble
$2 for a scoop of vanilla-bean ice-cream

Place
Black @ TripleOne Somerset, #01-13.

Pictures taken with the Canon Ixus 80 IS.

Cottage Waffle Place Fondue

I've talked so much about the waffles from Suntec's Cottage Waffle Place that I've yet to try their chocolate fondue, and it was only until recently when I was there with my friend Jovin that I realised what I've been missing out. Free refillable chocolate fondue is definitely not something you would often get these days, and when you pair that with my favourite waffles it's really like a match made in heaven.


The chocolate fondue reminds me of the more milky chocolate from Anderson's Ice Cream, and tastes better and better the warmer it gets. I said "more milky" because there's also the darker (and more delicious) type of chocolate from Swiss Culture, which probably is the best of its kind that I've tried so far. The waffles meanwhile are just the way I personally like it, buttery thick and crisp at the same time, with the closest counterpart being the waffles from Novena Square 2's Buttercup. Cottage Waffle Place's fondue usually comes with fruits as well, but I managed to persuade the friendly girl behind the counter to change those with another scoop of ice-cream.

Yeah, I'm on a "diet" that's why ;)

Service
Very good and friendly.

Price
$18.90 for the couple fondue.

Place
Suntec City Centre #03-025G
Near Toys 'R' Us and Wang Jiao Cafe.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Early Birthday Surprise from NUSS

It gives me great pleasure to announce that this blog has just won the NUSS Blogging Contest! Thank you Ikram from NUSS for that lovely morning email, it sure made my day! Thanks must also go to each and every one of you out there for your support, especially those who dropped by with your encouraging comments :)

As this title suggests, I am indeed a March baby (Harris the Aries!) and this is certainly an amazing early birthday present for me. And so, while I'm hopping around my room in glee like a kid high on chocolates, you might want to take a look at the winning entry here if you're interested.

As always, more food posts coming up tonight! :)

BLIC Ice Cream Cafe

I've been back to BLIC Ice Cream Cafe at least twice after the enjoyable blogger outing there in January, and it does say a lot when I'm prepared to make that half an hour plus drive to Tampines when I've got a host of other ice-cream outlets here in the western end of Singapore. Good things are worth travelling for really, and with new flavours introduced every fortnight I think it's quite fun actually to go and be surprised!


One thing I like to see is how the two buddies behind BLIC (Ben & Larry) have worked so hard to keep working on customer feedback and to keep trying to improve their flavours. The SCaM (comprising of soursop, calamansi and martini) has been reworked so much so that it's one of my favourite flavours now - on the first couple of seconds you'd get that strong hint of sour, but smack your lips a little and the dryness of the martini gets to you... lovely. Other improved flavours include the Mango (fresh goodness!) and Strawberry Chunk (sweeter now).


Other than a couple of newly added "permanent" members to the flavour range (including Blackie, a darker version to the otherwise typical cookies and cream), BLIC also rolls out new flavours from time to time to surprise its customers. If you're interested you can always add them on Facebook, and do note that I wasn't asked to do this, it's just that I really love some of their ice-creams and it's only right that I share the love with you! The "promotional" flavours that I got to try out recently were awesome: Caramel Butterscotch and Kahlua Cookie, both caramel-inspired but one of course with that tease of alcohol. The butterscotch one is better because it stays harder a tad longer, and I also like it for that creamy, buttery taste.


The waffles are still a work in progress (the dudes are very keen to perfect this) but I know for sure it's one of the popular orders for everyone here. The waffles above is pictured with the revamped Dino Milo ice-cream, which has a couple of Milo balls in them as well as Milo powder added on top. This is what I call true dedication in making your customer happy.


I'm not too sure if the price for this Tiramisu has been set yet, but this has always been a favourite for me. Yes, I get it this complimentary because Ben and Larry are still mulling over how to price it haha. Tiramisu ice-cream with light sponge cake and a soft alcohol-infused ladyfinger biscuit base. The cool and creamy rendition of the traditional Italian dessert.


The crime scene. Of guiltless pleasures and sins.

Price
Single Scoop Classic/Premium: $3.20/$5.20
Double Scoop Classic/Premium: $4.80/$7.80
Double Scoop Mix: $6.30
Milkshake Classic/Premium: $5.80/$8.80

Place
Blk 802 Tampines Ave 4 #01-23.
Click map (left) to enlarge.

Additional Comment
For a look at more flavours, go on to my earlier post here.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.