Bloggers Outing: Shashlik

It's been a long while but I finally found time to meet up with some of the bloggers for dinner at old school Shashlik. I really did miss coming to such gatherings of food, cameras and good company, and was delighted to see them all again. The bloggers' roll of the evening is as follows:

Xin Li from The Four Moose
Frances from Foodies Queen
Jer Lin from Le Petit Connoisseur
Harris from The Simplest Aphrodisiac
Daniel and Lay Sian from Memoirs of Food
Fen and Yuan from Indulgence After Work-Out

And without further ado, let's head on to the food, food, food!

Buns with SCS Butter


The Warm Bun was soft and light, pure and simple.

Garlic Bread


The crispy Garlic Bread was a perfect accompaniment to the soups. Even more so when some of them were terribly bland and needed some finishing up to do (see below).

Mushroom Soup


The Mushroom Soup was sadly quite tasteless and diluted. It tasted like it was out from a can and had too much water added to it. I couldn't go past half of this.

Borsch Soup


Shashlik's Borsch Soup received more favourable comments from the table. The dollop of sour cream gave this tomato-based soup of potatoes, beef, carrots and cabbage a more creamy feel without being too over-powering.

Black Pepper Steak


My Black Pepper Steak, though tender, was overwhelmed by the thick sauce. There was nothing spectacular to it and in fact merely reminded me of a Jack's Place-type of steak, complete with the hot-plate. For the price I'm paying, I would take Astons Prime anytime.

Chicken Shashlik


The Shashlik, the Russian rendition of the Shish kebab, is where this restaurant got its name from, and is one of the most popular items on the menu. Here's what Xin Li had to say!

"The Shashlik of Chicken was served on a hot plate with mixed vegetables and fries. In humble opinion, it was palatable. The chicken was quite tender with a nicely charred skin. Unfortunately, at this price, I felt that it lacks flavor or the punch to set it apart from what a Western Food hawker can reproduce. In fact, certain parts of the chicken have a very mild gamey aftertaste." (Xin Li, 2010)

Chicken A La Kiev Imperial


Jer Lin's order of the Chicken A La Kiev Imperial was an interesting one, in large part because of that sprout of paper at the tip of the battered chicken. Lying on a thick toast, it seemed like a king on his bed.

"The chicken breast meat was satisfying tender, and was, interestingly, stuffed with butter. However, the toast was too stiff for my liking, though it was deep-fried to a golden crisp." (Jer Lin, 2010)

Chicken A La King


In contrast, Frances' Chicken A La King did not seem fit for royalty (unless perhaps it's for a really old king who needs a slightly softer diet). This is stewed chicken served with mixed vegetables and steamed rice. Not something I would order or enjoy.

Fish en Papilotte


Daniel and Lay Sian's order of the baked Fish en Papilotte seemed somewhat soft and healthy. I'll let you know what they thought about it when they get their post up heh.

Baked Ikan Kurau with Cheese


For a Russian-themed restaurant, they seem to have adopted the use of the Malay language too. The Baked Ikan Kurau with Cheese was like a baked rice dish but I'm not sure if it was good, or not.

Service
Good. On a packed evening, be prepared to wait a bit for your food to be served.

Price
$6 for the Mushroom Soup
$7 for the Borsch Soup
$26 for the Black Pepper Steak
$18.50 for the Chicken Shashlik
$19 for the Chicken A La Kiev Imperial
$19 for the Chicken A La King
$22 for the Fish en Papilotte
$21 for the Baked Ikan Kurau with Cheese

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

Place
Far East Shopping Centre, #06-19.
Note: This is beside Wheelock Place, not the Grand Hyatt Singapore.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Rocks Urban Grill and Bar

Rocks and sails may seem like an unlikely pair, but The Sail at Marina Boulevard is where you'll find Rocks Urban Gril and Bar, a chic and tranquil European restaurant by the Emmanuel Stroobant group. Rocks definitely ranks amongst one of my favourite places to dine for its good service and ambience, and may very well be a little secret at One Raffles Quay still unknown to many.

Warm Buns


By Warm Buns I really mean those edible, soft and fluffy ones that Rocks serve to set you going. It's simple - slightly crisp crust and soft centre - yet so satisfying, especially when eaten with creamy and lightly salted butter.

Scallop Carpaccio


The Scallop Carpaccio is a light starter for the light eaters, and therefore is not something I would personally order. Nevertheless, the serving of carpaccio was fresh and smooth and more than makes up for the lack of an amuse-bouche.

Crab Cakes


The Crab Cakes were more of my kind of thing, and I particularly liked the way the garlic, coriander and chili blended so well together. On taste, I have to admit it did not have the wow-factor, and was deeply humbled by the more impressive crab cakes from Mezza9 at Grand Hyatt and - no surprises here - Morton's at Mandarin Oriental.

Cote de Boeuf


A whole kilo of 150-day grain fed Australian beef, this is what we're talking about! The Cote de Boeuf is typically meant for two to share, but I do know of someone who can eat it all up on his own (no, that's not me either, no matter how much I adore my beef). This heavyweight dish was very well done, with the meat tender on almost all parts and the fats chewy where necessary.

Tenderloin Steak


For the classic lovers, the Tenderloin Steak (250gm) would do for you perfectly. Tender, well-charred and with an immaculate pink centre, this won praise at the table and pleased even the more seasoned steak eaters.

Lamb Shank


In contrast, the Lamb Shank was a tad disappointing as it turned out looking (and tasting) more like a stew. From the single forkful I had, the lamb wasn't as tender as the steaks either, so some improvements are needed here.

Duck Confit


The Duck Confit, which I tried on a return visit, was better than average but not something that would really blow you away. It was relatively small and may not be worth the price you're paying for ($32++), and even more so when the main dishes don't come with much complimentary sides. So if you like your potatoes, you could order a jar of fries to share with your dining partner.

Truffle Mashed Potatoes


I would think though that the ladies would appreciate the Truffle Mashed Potatoes a little more than the typical fries, in large part because it's smoother, healthier and more fragrant. Somehow, and surprisingly so, I found myself liking the mashed more than the fries as well.

Sauteed Mushrooms


The Sauteed Mushrooms were sweet, fresh and juicy. If you don't like your salads, you should have some of these to lie to yourself that you're having a "balanced" meal.

Chocolate Fondant


Desserts at Rocks is sadly a pricey (and tiny) affair. At $17++ the Chocolate Fondant was small and uninspiring.

Chessecake


I really liked the smooth and rich Cheesecake, which was topped with a delicious scoop of red berries sherbet and with apricot chutney on the side. If only this could have been bigger, because I'm sure it would have been even more memorable and satisfying.

Service
Excellent.

Price
$24 for the Salmon Carpaccio
$22 for the Crab Cakes
$110 for the Cote de Boeuf
$48 for the Tenderloin (250gm)
$44 for the Ribeye (350gm)
$40 for the Striploin (350gm)
$32 for the Lamb Shank
$32 for the Duck Confit
$8 for a selection of sides, including Fries and Truffle Mashed Potato
$17 for the Chocolate Fondant
$16 for the Cheesecake

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.
* The full menu can be found here.


Place
The Sail, 2 Marina Boulevard.
Next to One Raffles Quay.

Most of the pictures were taken with the Canon EOS 500D.

Astons Prime

There's a lot of good steaks out there, but many of them are often on the pricier side of things and may not work for you if you're on a budget. For the best bang for your buck, I'd recommend Astons Prime over places like Jack's Place or Republic of Steak anytime. The Angus Ribeye that I had recently for example was delicious - tender, juicy and with a robust beefy flavour that can satisfy that occasional craving. All without breaking the bank as well.

Service
Very good.

Price
$20.90. Inclusive of GST and no service charge!

Place
The CentrePoint #03-45/46/47.

Pictures taken with the Apple iPhone 4.

Michaelangelo's

Michaelangelo's is a fairly popular Italian restaurant tucked along the peaceful Chip Bee Gardens lane of eateries, away from the more crowded Lorong Mambong stretch at Holland Village. So if you're looking for a quiet lunch on your own, or for an intimate dinner for two, this is one place that you could probably consider. Otherwise, maybe the sweep of Wine and Dine Top Restaurant Awards (1996 to 2010) could stir your curiosity a little more ;)

Frutti di Mare


The Frutti di Mare arrived with some measure of promise, with a fleshy slipper lobster, calamari rings, snapper fillets and mussels adorning this typical seafood pasta dish. I must add that it smelled really good too, and did wonders to get that appetite going.


On taste, it was decent, better than average but admittedly nothing to shout about. Of this "assorted seafood" genre, I would have to say that I prefer the ones from Pete's Place or Garibaldi a little more than this.

Tiramisu Tradizionale


The Tiramisu Tradizionale meanwhile was worth screaming and yelling (happily) over. This is one of the best Tiramisu that I've had in Singapore, with a very good balance of flavours and the perfect level of moisture.


The berries on the side added a tinge of sweet and sour that I appreciated quite a bit as it complemented the holy trinity of coffee, chocolate and alcohol beautifully. Really good stuff, I'm returning for more that's for sure!

Service
Very friendly and polite.

Price
$30 for the Frutti di Mare pasta
$13 for the Tiramisu Tradizionale

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

Place
Chip Bee Gardens
Blk 44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-60.

Pictures taken with the Apple iPhone 4.

Happy Lemon

Happy Lemon at Ion Orchard anyone? :)


I know Gong Cha and Koi Cafe bubble teas have their own leagues of fans, but if I had to choose between the two I would go for Koi because of its more chewy pearls and richer milk tea (basics people, basics). I do know that Gong Cha is well-known for its special dual-layered milk-and-tea concoction (and has seen many loyal converts in the process), but somehow I'm still not too convinced.

Happy Lemon's Tea Latte with Oreos is a sweet, simple and fairly balanced milk tea with crushed Oreos for you to sip/nibble on. I liked it quite a lot and I think Oreo fans would be pretty pleased too. I would even add that it's much better than the basic milk tea I had from the Gong Cha outlet at Raffles City.

Place
Ion Orchard, #B4-35.
Next to Old Chang Kee and close to Yami Yogurt.

Pictures taken with the Apple iPhone 4.

Seafood International

Happy New Year Everyone! :)

As a tradition that I've started and have since so faithfully followed, I made sure that the family shared the first meal of the brand new year together. This year we had our lunch at Seafood International, a popular seafood restaurant along East Coast Parkway and at the newly-launched Playground @ Big Splash. What I appreciated about Seafood International was not just it's à la carte buffet lunch, but more so it's "no pork - no lard" menu that is pretty much a rarity in the Singapore seafood scene.

Braised Mini Whole Abalone with Oyster Sauce


We decided to go along with the à la carte buffet lunch (menu available here) because of its decent variety - forty dishes - and amazingly affordable price. The day's appetiser, the Braised Mini Whole Abalone with Oyster Sauce, got the lunch off on a good start. While small, it was sweet, fresh and succulent.

Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Crab Meat


The Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Crab Meat served at this buffet was at its most basic (well, what do you expect from a $25.80++ buffet right?) and I found it far too starchy for my liking.

Sautéed Scallop with Asparagus


Nothing spectacular on the Sautéed Scallop with Asparagus either, and at most parts it was quite bland. I'm sure it started out as a big and juicy scallop but was sliced into much smaller pieces for this light dish.

Deep Fried Rock Garoupa with Soya Sauce


I liked the Deep Fried Rock Garoupa with Soya Sauce. It was crisp from the deep fry but was still sweet and tender inside. Although limited to only one serving, this is still something worth the money for what you're paying for in the buffet.

Steamed Sea Bass with Yellow Bean Sauce


Another one that is limited to a single serving. For a buffet item, the Steamed Sea Bass with Yellow Bean Sauce was fresh, quality stuff.

Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Garlic and Seven Spices Salt


The Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Garlic and Seven Spices Salt was delicious and one of the best items on the buffet menu. Crisp and sweet with a slightly spicy marinate. Munch munch.

Beef Steak with Black Pepper Sauce


I thought the Beef Steak with Black Pepper Sauce was good, but some may find it a tad too chewy because of its thickness. Commendable black pepper sauce.

Crayfish with Sichuan Dry Pepper Sauce


The Crayfish with Sichuan Dry Pepper Sauce was tasty and came out more meaty than I had expected it to be. Lip-smacking.

Deep Fried Beancurd with Conpoy and Mushroom


From here on all the items on a free-flow basis, and they would prove more than enough to fill you up. If you've got the young ones at the table, I'm sure they would love the Deep Fried Beancurd with Conpoy and Mushroom for its sweet sauce and soft fried beancurd.

Sautéed Mixed Vegetable


Only have the Sautéed Mixed Vegetable if you really must have your one serving of greens. Else, why waste space? Haha...

Roasted Duck with Hot Sesame and Garlic Sauce


The Roasted Duck with Hot Sesame and Garlic Sauce was really good. I liked the way it was fried, crispy on the top with the meat still tender underneath, and how the spicy sesame and garlic sauce worked its way with the duck and tantalised the tastebuds.

Crispy Roasted Chicken


In contrast, the Crispy Roasted Chicken was dull, dry and terribly boring. I wouldn't recommend ordering this.

Deep Fried Chicken Mid Joint with Prawn Paste


Have the Deep Fried Chicken Mid Joint with Prawn Paste instead. In fact, have many orders of this, it's pretty awesome. Crispy and juicy chicken mid-joints to please that fried food lover in you ;)

Steamed Crystal Prawn Dumpling


We ordered all five dim sum items on the menu, but only three managed to pass the taste test. The Steamed Crystal Prawn Dumpling was one of the three, but it was also the one that narrowly scrapped through. While it didn't scrimp on the prawn filling, I thought the skin was a bit too hard and chewy.

Steamed Chicken Siew Mai


The Steamed Chicken Siew Mai tasted a tad off, and like the har gow (above), the skin was tough and dry.

Pan Fried Carrot Cake


I like my carrot cake crisp (and even, flaky) on the outside, but the Pan Fried Carrot Cake here was just too smooth and soft. I suppose this depends on your personal preference really.

Pan Fried Prawn Meat Beancurd Sheet Roll


The tasty Pan Fried Prawn Meat Beancurd Sheet Roll was worth multiple orders. The juicy prawn filling went very well with the crisp beancurd skin, even more with the mayo dip. The third decent item (not pictured) was the Steamed BBQ Chicken Bun, which was quite pleasant really - soft pau surrounding a sweet and tender core.

Seafood Beancurd


We had to leave our initial plans to have chilli crabs for next time as we were too full, but somehow my sister insisted on ordering the Seafood Beancurd from the à la carte menu for herself. Don't ask me why. It looks good, but I suppose the only bonus is having the same fried beancurd with prawns and squids.

Stewed E-Fu Noodles with Chives


The all-typical noodles that you would normally find at seafood restaurants, the Stewed E-Fu Noodles with Chives was done satisfyingly enough, with a lightness that helped to go with the other items on the table.

Olive Fried Rice


Even better perhaps was the Olive Fried Rice, which was quite flavourful and aromatic. Have a serving or two for yourself, I liked this quite a bit as well.

Desserts


There's a Desserts buffet line at the main restaurant area with a small variety of Malay kuih, fruits and jellies.


If space permits, have some Green Bean Soup for dessert. Something warm and refreshing after all that seafood.

All-in-all, a very decent buffet lunch that's worth its price tag. You get what you pay for, and a bit more. I would choose this over similarly priced buffets at places like Sakura International Buffet, even if they may have a wider variety of items on offer. Not the greatest, but not too shabby either :)

Service
Very good. It was full-house on a public holiday weekend but the staff still tried to oblige as much as they possibly could.

Price
$25.80++ (weekend) for adults, minimum two to dine.

Place
902 East Coast Parkway
Blk A #01-01 Playground @ Big Splash.

Additional Comments
1. No pork, no lard menu.
2. Lunch buffet timing: 11.30am - 2.30pm.

Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.