Saturday, April 23, 2011

Brasserie Wolf

Brasserie Wolf

This is an invited food tasting by ATE consulting and we greatly appreciated this invite as it does make us ditch our wrong perception towards French cuisine after a wonderful conversation with Head Chef Claudio Sandri.

Located at Robertson Quay, Brasserie Wolf has undergone a major renovation, bring in more space and an outdoor terrace within its premises. A varying ambience offered, depending on whether you are here for a cosy dinner or to chill out.

Interior I

According to Chef Claudio, French cuisine has two major categories, namely the bistro style which serves Mum's cooking and the gastronomic style which places heavy emphasis on tasting portions and presentation.

In addition, the word brasserie is derived from the material, brass and hence the restaurant retains the use of having brass handles at certain part of the restaurants. Apart from that, the indoor dining area is decorated with overhanging lamps, plush leather seats and maple wooden flooring to excude a very comfy and casual mood.

Interior II

There is a private dining area which Chef Claudio calls it Paris in short for the painting featuring the streets of France with The Eiffel Tower in the background.

The restaurant also has striking wall of framed accolades, memorabilia and quirky French icons to emphasize further on its Parisian charm.

Beetroot Cured Salmon ($16++)

Beetroot Cured Salmon, served with Horse Radish has an interesting way of presenting a poached egg. Nicely done with a half-cooked yolk, this is relatively light when eaten together with the beetroot and smoked salmon, which is unlike of the buttery and rich hollandaise sauce.

Traditional French Onion Soup ($16++)

Note that the serving shown in the picture is only half the original portion.

The style that Chef Claudio adopts is a comtemporary way of cooking but the final result is a traditional taste to reflect the classic French charm. Hence, it is no surprise that old favoirites such as the Traditional French Onion Soup is highly recommended.

Made from onion and beef broth, this soup is slightly sweet by nature and what makes it so different from the other soup we had was the a slice of bread with a generous layer of cheese. The heat is well maintained beneath the bread and when eaten together with the melting cheese, the resulting effect is so flavourful.

But a word of caution, it can be alittle salty to some given how long this soup has been simmered with the ingredients.

Beef Bourguignon ($29++)

Beef Bourguignon, another speciality of Chef Claudio, is what I will simplify as a beef stew. What strikes both Yuan and I was the extremely tender beef that is well-braised in red wine, beef broth, bacon, mushroom, baby onions and carrots. Initially, Yuan felt that the beef was too tender to his liking and it was through our conversation with Chef Claudio that we realized it was intended to be in this way.

Vacuumed pack and cooked slowly at 75°C in the oven for more than 6 hours. The structure of the meat is retained despite it being so meltingly soft.

Seared Cod ($35++)

With great reviews of the previous dishes, this is no exception. The fish is so tender and juicy, what's more can we add.

What is interesting lies in the patty next to the fish. We didn't catch what it's called but it is made of corn flour, butter, milk, parmesan and mascarpone cheese. It is somewhat similar to a dense pancake.

Peach Melba ($13++)

With such fantastic appetizers and main courses, we were to an extent, disappointed when two sundaes were served.

Although the Peach Melba is considered traditionally French, we felt that the overall combination seems to be a messy mixture of raspberry sauce and vanilla ice-cream. The only thing that I enjoyed completely in the sundae is the white peach which is refreshing, juicy and sweet but apart from that, it pretty much stops there.

Chocolate & Coffee Liegeois ($13++)

Chocolate and Coffee Liegeois did satisfy Yuan's chocolate cravings and setting aside the rich chocolate taste and smooth ice-cream, we don't really know how to describe further as our expectation of a good ice-cream lies in a smooth texture which both sundaes have.

By the way, don't get us wrong with our comments towards the first two desserts as what follows after those were lovely and interesting.

Apple Tart Tartine ($13++)

While hearing Chef Claudio sharing with us the origin of the Tarte Tatin and for those who are curious, Tatin is a name of a French restaurant opened by 2 sisters. The reason why Tarte Tatin is an upside-down tart is due to an accident. According to him, the sisters dropped this tart on the floor and when served, the dessert became inverted and was well-received by their guests.

Anyway, back to Chef Claudio's Tarte Tatin. the same ice-cream that was served in the Peach Melba was heavenly good when eaten on its own. The apples were well-caramelized and when we wiped our plates clean, we can only say that we enjoyed this dessert thoroughly.

Floating Island, Salted Caramel ($13++)

When Chef Claudio first describes this dessert to us, it was quite hard for us to imagine that the meringue is steamed to give a texture of a marshmallow but a less sticky version. The reason why it is called a Floating Island lies in the steam meringue being sandwiched with salted caramel. Moreover, this steamed meringue "floats" on top of a layer of custard. Indeed an interesting way of eating a meringue.

with Head Chef Claudio Sandri

This meal would have been so different without the great company of Chef Claudio Sandri and we would like to thank Chef for his time to chat with us and share his experiences. Also to Danielle from ATE Consulting for the invite. Not forgetting the warm hospitality of Sihui (also from ATE Consulting) who was there to ensure that everything was perfect for the dinner.

Brasserie Wolf
80 Mohamed Sultan Road
The Pier at Robertson
#01-13
Singapore 239013

Tel: 6835 7818
Website
[ ... ]

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Herbe Charteuse Chocolate Crispy Cake

Herbe Chartreuse Chocolate Crispy Cake

Introducing Hilton's Easter Creation - Herbe Chartreuse Chocolate Crispy Cake ($45+). Fusing choclate with Chartreuse, a French herbal liqeur that is produced with extracts from 132 medicinal and aromatic plants, the layers of milk chocolate, flourless chocolate sponge and crispy chocolate crumble result to a smooth, velvety and crispy delight of dark chocolate flavours.

Herbe Chartreuse Chocolate Crispy Cake2

Our readers would know that we are impressed by Chef Christophe's works especially when you consider that it is smooth chocolate mousse and yet managed to stay in shape for some time. What is outstanding is the moist chocolate sponge in between. The herbal liqueur infused in white chocolate is unique but it is also an acquired taste. I found it a little similar to those tea infused dessert taste but Fen found it too strong for her liking.

Apart from the Herbe Chartreuse Chocolate Crispy Cake, other Easter goodies include hot cross buns and kouglof, a celebratory brioche bejeweled with dried fruits from Northern Europe. Also not forgeting Chef Christophe's Easter macaroons - Apricot and Cherry Kirsch & White Chocolate.

Apart from Desserts, readers may want to take note of Hilton's Easter Sunday Brunch. The brunch features special roasts such as Roast Leg of Young Veal, Spit-Roasted Whole Young Lamb and Baked Salt-Crusted Whole Cod Fillet, along with Fresh Burrata Cheese, Premium Cured Meats including Parma Ham and Pata Negra as well as a Seafood selection including Oysters and Canadian Maine Lobsters. Completing the fiesta, diners can take their pick of anything within the Deli for dessert.

Easter Sunday Brunch
24 April 2011, 12 noon-3pm
Checkers Brasserie, Hilton Singapore
$105++ for adults and $35++ for children 6-12 yrs

Special thanks to Ms Joyce Moo, Marketing Communications Manager for the chance to taste this wonderful cake.

Easter Treats Promotion
Checkers Deli

4- 24 April 2011
For Enquiries and orders, call 6730 3392 or email Checkers.Singapore@hilton.com
[ ... ]

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day 12 April 2011

IMG_1110A

Clusterfluff - Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Peanut Buttery Swirls, Marshmallow Swirls and Caramel Cluster Pieces.

The Free Cone Day was held as a show of appreciation to its customers. This year, Ben & Jerry's has decreed that all do-gooders pass on the goodwill the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS)

We were thrilled to hear of this at the Moolets meetup which was attended by fellow bloggers.

IMG_1102A

Naturally I helped myself to more ice cream. Chocolate fudge brownie with Chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. To be honest, i think i should have paired the brownie with a lighter flavoured ice cream. The overall impact is as good as eating brownie since it is brownie plus chunks of brownie.

IMG_1119A

Special thanks to the folks at Unilever and to Daphne and Pat from Goodstuph for the invite.

IMG_1107A

Lastly we also had the opportunity to take photos with the Ben and Jerry's van and the moo girls.

IMG_1082A


Participating Scoop Shops
12pm-5pm
1. Sentosa
2. Zoo@Entrance
3. Jurong Bird Park @ Hawk Cafe

12pm-7pm
4. VivoCity
5. Raffles City
6. Dempsey
7. The Heeren
8. Great World City
9. The Cathay
10. United Square
[ ... ]

Chocolate Fondue @ Jewels Artisan Chocolate

Chocolate Fondue

A new addition to Jewels Artisan Chocolate's menu and this is nothing but a pure delight to chocolate lovers.

Having spent the Earth Hour at Max Brenner the previous day, the chocolate fondue offered at Jewels Artisan Chocolate was so much more mindblowing, be it the quantity and quality.

Available in 3 types, namely milk, dark and brandy, this $18.80++ dessert comes with a generous pot of chocolate, served with fresh seasonal fruits, marshmallows, seaweed crackers and wafer sticks.

This is by far one of the richest chocolate fondue we have came across and what we like most about the chocolate is slight bitter taste with hints of fruity notes. Though it doesn't come with many complements, the velvetly thick goodness gives you more reasons to reach for your spoon.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily
Website
[ ... ]

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Manjari Chocolate Banyul @ Chihuly lounge

Manjari Chocolate Banyul

Was looking for a dessert place after a meal at Marina Square and I was cracking my head for somewhere which I have not been before.

For those who have followed my blog, you will have realize that I do have high regards to the pastry chefs in hotels and this time round, I decided to try my luck at Chihuly Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore.

This isn't really a dessert place and they only have 4 items on the menu when it comes to desserts, namely Churros served with Lemon Curd and Chocolate Sauce ($16+), Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote and Sour Cream ($16++), Manjari Chocolate Banyul ($16++) and Seasonal Fruit Platter ($18++).

Manjari Chocolate Banyul cross-section

Manjari chocolate lovers will adore the Manjari Chocolate Banyul ($16++) for its chocolate core. The outer layer is akin to eating a donut except that it is not oily and the dough is chewy.

Despite the limited dessert selection, I didn't regret coming by for a dessert fix, for the service for fabulous and the ambience this place offers is one to unwind and indulge every single bit of it.

Chihuly Lounge
The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039799
Tel: 6434 5288
Email: rc.sinrz.restaurantreservations@ritzcarlton.com
Website
[ ... ]

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery

Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery, located at NEX, a new shopping mall in Serangoon, might be interesting to some for its wide array of bread and cakes.

I first read this bakery on Daniel's blog and had made a mental note to drop by this place should I be in the vinicity. Great service I would say as I made my reservations of 4 cakes and a bread via the telephone with no credit card verification. To think that I collected the cakes so late that they were just 30 min away from their closing hours.

Selection of cakes offered here is pretty interesting and extensive, ranging from mousse to tarts.

Strawberry Cake
Strawberry Cake ($5.80)
Sponge cake with strawberry and sponge cream

Strawberry Shortcake has always been the more popular choice among the array of Japanese cakes and depending on individual's preference, it can be either your cup of tea or a disappointment.

I would associate this with what I had from Sun Moulin, dense sponge with a decent quality of chantilly cream but to travel all the way to Serangoon, I would prefer to have my strawberry shortcake fix elsewhere.

Sakura
Sakura ($6.30)
Cherry Blossom buttercream cake with caramelized walnuts

This could be my favourite among all and the biggest shortcoming of this cake is that buttercream isn't really my cup of tea.

Setting aside the buttercream, this cake is unique in terms of its texture and this combination isn't common in most patisseries. The floral buttercream compliments nicely with the chunky walnuts and the sponge cake completes the overall taste.

Pumpkin Mont Blanc
Pumpkin Mont Blanc ($5.80)
Pumpkin paste, apricot and whipped cream cake

We didn't try this as we kept this for Yuan's mum. On the contrary, we had the signature green pumpkin bread which was lovely.

The green portion of the bread or rather the "skin" is a chewy sweet dough, making it an alternative to the Hong Kong Pineapple Bun.

Mont Blanc

Green Pumpkin cakes are attractive in its appearance and flavours but are in general very sweet. Hence, the Mont Blanc is no exception and the sweetness was so overwhelming that we have difficulty finishing the cake.

Yuzu Cream Cheese Cake

Yuzu Cream Cheese was Yuan's favourite for it being a light and refreshing treat. With a thin layer of cake as the base and a molten core of yuzu encapsulated with cheese mousse, this is small and light enough to be a post-dinner delight.

Other items that are available on their shelf are Berry Tart ($4.80), Vanilla Custard Pudding ($3), Baked Cheesecake ($4.20) and Chocolate Mousse ($6.30).

Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery Cafe
23 Serangoon Central
#B1-K1 NEX
Singapore 556083
Tel: 6634 7990

Operating hours:
10:30am to 10pm (daily)
Website
Introduction to Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery on their Facebook Fan Page
[ ... ]
Blog Widget by LinkWithin