Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Le Royale by Canele

Le Royale

Readers may have noticed a distinct change in Canele's selection of cakes after Chef Christophe took over. Specifically, you would have noticed that there are more focus on the texture of the mousse. Comparing the photo of the previous Le Royale made by Chef Pang, the difference is obvious. Thin chocolate sheet, the nicely piped dark chocolate mousse and the shiny glaze are pretty much the highlights of the new Le Royale.

Well, having passed my visual inspection, I first tasted the dark chocolate mousse and I personally felt it was excellent, so rich and yet so smooth. The caramelized hazelnut praline and the chocolate sponge beneath were also softer compared to the previous version. My personal take is that this is definitely an improved version of the Le Royale.

Canele Pâtisserie Chocolaterie
Shaw Centre
1 Scotts Road
#01-01A, Shaw Centre
Singapore 228208
Tel: 6738 9020
Website
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Saturday, February 25, 2012

Bountiful Flavours of Kochi & Kagawa @ Triple 3

Triple 3 has been our most frequent and also one of our recommended buffet restaurant in Singapore. It may be pricey to most but the selection and variety of food offers by the restaurant has always been a positive surprise in all our visits.

From now till 4 March 2012, Triple 3 presents the best of the Kochi and Kagawa prefectures, with dishes made from specially sourced ingredients, flown in fresh from the island of Shikoku. On top of the regular buffet suspects such as seafood on ice, sashimi, Indian's specialities by Chef Suraj Kumar Negi and roasted Barbequed meats by Chef Liew Tian Heong, one can expect an interesting selection of dishes infused with Yuzu, to provide a fragrant citrus, fresh and refreshing taste.



Udon

However, before we go into details of these dishes, the main highlight of the buffet is the award-winning Udon Master Chef Shiochi Mori. Udon was first introduced to Japan 1,200 years ago and the Kagawa prefecture perfected this to become the originator of the Sanuki Udon 300 years ago. Known as the Udon Kingdom owing to its abundance of wheat and salt in Kagawa, and also with the skills of Master Chef Shiochi Mori, one can expect the Udon noodles to be outstanding in its texture, which is described to be slightly heavy and chewy.

The Sanuki Udon soup served with it, made from Iriko (dried small sardines) and Shoyu (soy sauce), is a very light and flavorful broth that makes me go for a second helping despite a full tummy.



Katsue Tataki

If you like Maguro sashimi, you should really try the Katsuo Tataki (Seared Bonito Sashimi), particularly when this is hand-picked by Group Executive Chef Shigeru Akashi. Most of the ingredients used in this buffet are air-flown fresh from the Kochi prefecture and the slightly cooked edges of the fillet makes the fish more tasty than Maguro sashimi itself.




The Teppanyaki Live Station has always been a highlight for all the buffets served at Triple 3 but to make this even more outstanding than before, Triple 3 has introduced two types of Sole Fish into the menu. The fish is sweet, juicy and definitely of no doubt, fresh. However, being one of the more popular stations in the buffet, one may expect a queue to lay your hands on this wonderful treat.




Surprisingly bread is something that I would often avoid but these extensive display of buns makes it so irresistible. Green Tea Bun was exceptionally flavorful while the Yuzu bread is refreshing with its filling. Be warned, these tummy fillers may deprive you of the other delicious treats available at the buffet.




We usually find soba at buffets but somen is rarer. Somen is the finer version of udon and if you like mee sua, you will surely like this.




Sashimi station brings in 3 newcomers, kinmedai (Golden Eye snapper), Red Snapper and Seabass which is rarely seen in most buffets. However, regular salmon and tuna lovers may find these sashimi chewy and fishy, to a certain extent, acquired.




Chawanmushi and Steamed Potato may sound humble to most but we felt that they deserved a mention. While the Chawanmushi is flavorful and smooth, the steamed potato deserved a thumb ups when served hot with sea salt butter for its soft and sweet texture.




We have previously gave a big shout out to the pasta live station of Triple 3 and this time round, they surprised us further with the imported Olive pasta. Unlike the regular pasta that is served al dente, this type of pasta has a soft exterior and chewy interior. When served the Yuzu Khosho sauce, both its texture and taste is memorable.

Having showcased the photos of the special items introduced for this buffet, one can also expect Yuzu to be infused in some of the regular dishes served previously in Triple 3. For the Indian Station, Yuzu Paste has been ingeniously infused into the Chatny Tikka while the Yuzu Koshi Demi Glace Sauce is served with Chef William's Roast Prime Rib and Honey Baked Glazed Ham.

In addition, the Tempura station brings in Kintoki Ninjin (Red Carrot) and Nabana (Canola Flower) from Kagawa where the former is so crunchy and sweet that it can easily fake off as a sweet potato. Other things that should not be missed in this buffet are the Shiira Ika No Surimi (Pan-fried Fish Cake) and Japanese Pumpkin Cake.



Dessert

Just like the other stations, there is a distinct focus on Yuzu for the desserts. The Yuzu Meringi Tart is a good variant to the conventional lemon version minus the sharp tangy taste of lemon. Other desserts that showcase the beauty of Yuzu were the Orange & Almond Cake which uses the Yuzu Zest, Yuzu Sorbet, Yuzu Cream Puff and Japanese Cheesecake with Yuzu juice.

Desserts such as Strawberry Panna Cotta is splendid for the hint of Yuzu and blends very well with the tanginess of the strawberry jelly. Matcha swiss roll is nice in its humble way for the sponge is soft and the cream is light. Matcha mousse with azuki paste steals Yuan's attention for its rich flavors and contrast in textures.

A quick glance across the buffet line may give the misconception that the food served during this period is the same as Triple 3's regular buffet dinner but having tried the food served last night for this special event, we thought it was something not to be missed as most of the items used are imported and not commonly seen. In addition, with a strong team of chefs incorporating a common ingredient, Yuzu in each of their specialities, one can expect a refreshing twist. Last but not least, an award-winning Udon Master Chef serving hand-made udon on the spot, need us to say more?

Many thanks to Ms. Janice Azupardo, Regional Vice President, Branding and Communications of Meritus Hotels & Resorts for the warm hospitality. We appreciated your time to sit through the dinner with us. Also a big thank you to the Marketing Communications team of Mandarin Orchard Singapore (Ms Ruth Soh, Ms Crystal Lim, Ms Nicole Ann Chew) for the kind invitation to be able to try this wonderful buffet and the complementary door gifts. Last but not least, Executive of Branding and Communications, Ms Grace Ho for the warm hospitality for the evening.

Bountiful Flavours of Kochi & Kagawa
24 February to 4 March

DINNER (6:30 -10pm)
Adult : $118++ ($138.90 nett)
Child : $33++ ($38.85 nett) – 5 to 12yrs old
Toddler : $9.99++ ($11.75 nett) – 2 to 4yrs old

J Plus Magazine and Mangosteen Club readers will also enjoy the 1 for 1 promotion* when they produce the cut-out coupon from those magazines. These publications are targeted at Japanese expatriates living in Singapore.

*Service charge and tax applies to complimentary diners. Maximum of 8 Adults per card.
*Children not included or entitled to discounts.
*Not valid in conjunction with other special discounts and privileges.

Bank promotions:

Standard Chartered - 1 for 1 promotion
DBS – 40% discount on total food bill + 1 soft drink
American Express – 15 % discount on total food bill
ANZ/CITIBANK/HSBC/MAYBANK/OCBCUOB and NTUC Membership card – 10% discount on total food bill

Triple Three
Mandarin Orchard Singapore
333 Orchard Road
Singapore 238867
Tel: 6831 6288/71

Operating Hours-
Noon – 2.30pm (Lunch)
6.30pm – 10.00pm (Dinner)
Noon - 3pm (Sunday Brunch)
Website
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