Festive Dinner Buffet at Novotel

Festive Dinner Buffet at Novotel

Prior to this tasting, my impression of Novotel (when it comes to food) is mainly wedding banquet but little did I realise there is a very comfy restaurant located at level 7, serving a lovely international buffet.


Adopting a minimalistic decor with tables comfortably spaced and the buffet spread presented neatly at a corner, I adore the light hearted setting. The choice of maroon and black gives a nice contrast between homely and stylish. In addition, the balcony area at the other side of the restaurant brightens the restaurant in the afternoon and dims the restaurant at night, providing a nice transition from dusk to night.

With Christmas round the corner, the festive dinner buffet at The Square can be considered as an option for large families and gatherings.  With an affordable price tag, The Square will blow you off with a simple yet extensive selection, not forgetting the usual christmas offerings at their live stations. Both the roasted turkey as well as the baked gammon ham deserved special mention for their tender, succulent and nicely-marinated taste.


Apart from the festive roasts, we were quite surprised by the selection of appetisers offered. We are usually not big fans of appetisers but the wide selection of Italian starters ranging from cold cuts, salads, sandwiches, and anti-pasta intrigue us to try. Among the extensive selection, some of the items that are worth a mention were the potato salad, which is light on the dressing and generously tossed with bacon bits; bruschetta where the bread is contrast nicely with cheese and tomato; the refreshing pasta salad and parma ham though would have been better if it is shaved more thinly.


The house specially is the risotto which is prepared a la minute and stirred into the cheese bowl for the additional cheesy effect. However if you are not a cheese fan, this is probably not for you. It also comes with the special variant of laska sauce. Those who loved their laksa sauce rich with shrimp taste may find this novice.


The seafood section consists of fresh oysters, mussels, prawns, tuna sashimi and the poached salmon. One of the must-trys in the buffet would definitely be the poached salmon for its soft and juicy meat. This simple dish retains the sweetness of the fish but yet does not have an overpowering fishy aftertaste.


Within the hot food section, Fen's favourite was the Irish Mutton Stew. Though most would have dreaded the gamely taste of the mutton, this is surprisingly acceptable to non-mutton lovers like me. The stew is so intense with the flavours that Fen ends up slurping the gravy. According to her, the meat is tender, the potatoes are well-soaked with the essence of the stew, the carrots are juicy. Perfect combination.  


The buffet also offers Asian dishes such as fried rice, mee tai bak, beef rendang, sweet and sour pork and kimchi chicken. Kimchi chicken caught my attention for the mild spicy flavour but didn't earn a thumb up from Fen as she is not a kimchi lover. On the other hand, beef rendang earns her nods in this station.


Since it is nearing Christmas, you will find log cakes, christmas pudding, christmas cookies on the dessert bar. We personally found the log cakes unique as it is made of strawberry sponge and pandan sponge (separately) as opposed to the usual chocolate/vanilla sponge. While the sponge is soft and "old school", the downside would be the large amount of buttercream for the pandan log cake which would have been perfect if they replace the filling with kaya.


You will also find chocolate fondue which often appeal to kids. However what really steals the show is the durian pengat. The paste is so smooth but yet does not compromise on the durian content.


All in all, the selection is pretty extensive considering this is pitted against mid range buffet suspects such as Straits Cafe, Cafe Mosaic and Cafe 2000. While most of these mid range buffets focus on local specialities and seafood, The Square aims to bring in a variety of cuisines to their buffet line.

In addition to the lovely Italian starters, traditional Irish Mutton Stew and the marriage of Kimchi & Chicken, Chef Jean-Philippe Couturier, a French, has also introduced a few memorable fusions such as the Laksa Cheese Risotto and Seafood (mussels are served in their buffet line while cod is available in their a la carte menu) with Spicy Coconut Cream sauce. Another plus point of the buffet is having an in-house pastry chef that brings about a decent selection of pastries and also the local favourite, durian pengat.

In short, the ambience is simple, the dishes are memorable and the price tag is affordable.

Special thanks to Mr. John Paolo Tan, Marketing & Direct Sales Manager of Novotel Singapore for the invite to enjoy this festive dinner.


Festive Dinner Buffet is available from now to 1st Jan 2013, everyday from 6pm to 10pm.
$52++ (Adult) / $35++ (Child/Senior Citizen), from Sunday to Thursday
$62++ (Adult) / $38++ (Child/Senior Citizen), Friday and Saturday


For Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year Eve Dinner,
$68++ (Adult, buffet only)
$88++ (Adult, with free Prosecco Sparkling Wine, Tiger Draught Beef, house wine and 2 kinds of juices)
$48++ (Child)



The Square Restaurant
Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay
177A River Valley Road
Singapore 179031
Tel 6433 8790
Website

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Blackforest Log Cake from PrimaDeli

Blackforest Log Cake from PrimaDeli

Christmas is round the corner, and this year PrimaDéli sent us the Blackforest Log Cake to sample. We were impressed by the elaborated design on the Log Cake which even includes Santa on his sleigh. This chocolate Log Cake consist of chocolate sponge filled with dark cherries laced with chocolate cream. Compared with the Log Cakes from the hotels which uses mousse and premium ingredients, this one may not give that wow factor. However at $35.90 (Std)/$46.90(Per Kg), this is certainly value for money.


Apart from the Blackforest Log Cake, PrimaDéli offers a fine range of Christmas Log Cakes. There is the Truffle Log Cake - a decadently rich chocolate sponge cake covered with velvety truffle cream. If you are not a fan of chocolate; the Vanilla Mixed Fruit Log Cake would make a perfect alternative. The harmonious combination of exotic fruit generously spread between layers of fluffy vanilla sponge and smooth vanilla cream will keep it light on the palate yet satisfyingly enjoyable.

The PrimaDéli’s Christmas Collection 2012 will be available at all PrimaDéli bakeries from 17 November 2012 to 20 December 2012. Orders must be placed at least four working days at the various outlets prior to collection. Closing date for orders is 20 December 2012. 

For general and corporate enquiries, please call PrimaDéli’s hotline at 62763333 or visit www.primadeli.com.

Special thanks to Celina from Foreword Communications for the complementary Log Cake.

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Takeaway Specials for this Christmas @ Goodwood Park Hotel

Takeaway Specials for this Christmas @ Goodwood Park Hotel

We were privileged to receive an invitation to Goodwood Park Hotel's Christmas Event and for those who have been a follower of the hotel's Christmas treats, one will not be surprised by the creativity of the chefs. For the past few Christmas, the hotel has surprised us with Hainanese Turkey with chicken rice balls, inspired by our local favourite chicken rice; Turducken, a meaty combination of turkey, duck and chicken; Poached soy sauce turkey with "tau kua" and fragrant rice, an ingenious twist to the popular Cantonese -style braised soy sauce chicken. This year, 2012, the hotel presents the Baked "Singapura" Turkey with homemade pineapple-cucumber achar, yellow basmati rice and curry as their Asian-inspired turkey creation.

Photo taken from Goodwood Park's media kit Masterminded by Executive Sous Chef Foo Jong Kwang, this uniquely Singaporean turkey is made with delicious mix of spices used in popular local cuisines such as curry powder, turmeric powder, chili  lemongrass, garlic and ginger. Accompanied with long-grain rice perfumed with pandan leaves and studded with dried cranberries, Peranakan-inspired pineapple-cucumber pickles as well as richly textured curry, this dish definitely leave an impression when it comes to creativity.

I am not sure about your family but when it comes to our elders, potatoes and sides do not seems to be their cup of tea but rice will be out of place since most Christmas offerings are the traditional roasts. Hence, the hotel's Asian-inspired creations are always much sought-after and we can understand why. Although we give a big thumbs-up to incorporate our local "nasi briyani" into the must-have Christmas turkey, we felt that it is too localized that it is akin of eating chicken briyani.

Photo taken from Goodwood Park's media kit
If there is a must-try among all the mains, it will have to be Executive Chef Gan's (of Gordon Grill) Mustard Crusted Spanish Pork Rack, served with smoked gravy, cabbage, pickled apples and potato gratin.


This easily earns both a second helping and a big thumbs-up for the melt-in-the-mouth meat. Marinated with only brine and gently roasted at 67°C, the cooking stops when the interior reaches 58°C. The pinkish pork is so tender due to the slow cooking and it is no surprise that the juices are locked within the crackling of the Spanish Iberico pork. The accompanying apple sauce (apple puree with black sugar) provides the additional zing and the potato gratin and homemade smoked gravy just round up to give a memorable oomph factor.


Black Pepper-coated Roast Prime Rib with savory Thyme-Merlot Sauce was the recommended item when we approached Chef Maximilian Schwaighofer, Director of Kitchens at Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore. The quality of the Australian grain-fed beef is said to be the finest and is only marinated with black pepper, salt and chopped thyme to allow one to enjoy the beef with minimal seasonings. Similarly to the Spanish Pork Rack, this is slow roasted at 67°C to ensure full tenderness and according to Chef Maximilian, beef are often served medium rare (at most, medium) in Europe. Being a German himself, he shared with us to enjoy this signature item with just the sauce and may add mustard to the sauce unlike the English who eats their beef with mustard and horse radish separately.


Although Roast Beef Prime Rib may be common in most international buffets and are available in most hotel's takeaway, we have to admit that this is one of the more tender ones we had. The only shortcoming is that the redness of the meat may not be acceptable to most elders but that is how good beef are supposed to be enjoyed.


Christmas will not be sweet without desserts and this year, Pastry Chef Joe Tan tempts our palate with his White Chocolate-Coffee Log Cake with Kahlua Profiteroles and Espresso Genoise and viola, it was a crowd pleaser.


The overall combination is light and we are sure tiramisu lovers will not want to give this a miss. With coffee beans blended into the white chocolate mousse, the Kahlua mousse in profiterole gives the additional boost to the overall taste.


Santa's Sleigh caught my attention as a splendid gift as this hazelnut pound cake is not as delicate as the log cake and can be kept in air-conditioned room for 3 days. Topped with macarons and candied strawberry-orange jelly with the side of the sleigh made of chocolate, the presentation earns a thumb-ups from us. Moreover, the cake is sufficiently dense to support the structure but not at all dry.


Sherry Trifle, another signature dessert of Goodwood Park, is a traditional and authentic dessert from England. Unlike the regular custard that is baked with hardener, the custard served in this dessert is softer with little hardener. Topped with raspberry jam and jelly liquor-soaked sponge, it is no surprise this light dessert goes very well with a meaty meal.


Another must-try among the sweets would be the Walnut and Chocolate Chip Tart. With the addition of maple syrup, this crunchy and moist tart earns nods with most of the guests present at the event.


Last but not least, Durian Profiteroles Christmas Tree and D24 Durian Christmas Log Cake are the must-haves for durian lovers. The difference between the two? Well, if you are a fan of durian mousse, the Durian Profiteroles Christmas Tree will not be diappointing. For those who prefer more cake in their durian creation, go for the classic D24 Durian Christmas Log Cake.

The takeaway gourmet treats will be available at the Deli from 1 to 26 December 2012.

Refer to the order form for a full list of takeaway items and orders which are fully paid for by 9 December 2012 will be accorded a further 5% discount (not applicable for cash & online orders).

Card Promotions at the Deli 
Goodwood Park Hotel Gourmet Cardmembers enjoy 20% off takeaway Christmas treats from 1 to 26 Dec 2012
UOB Credit & Debit Cardmembers enjoy 20% off from 1 to 14 Dec 2012; and 15% off from 15 to 26 Dec 2012, for takeaway Christmas treats
Citibank and DBS/POSB Credit & Debit Cardmembers enjoy 15% off takeaway Christmas treats from 1 to 26 Dec 2012

Many thanks to Ms Justina Loh, Marketing Communications Manager of Goodwood Park Hotel for the invitation to attend the wonderful Christmas luncheon.

Goodwood Park Hotel 
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
For more information, please refer to the hotel's website

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Peony Jade Mooncake 2012

Peony Jade Mooncake 2012

Peony Jade is typically known for their signature Teochew "Orh Nee" mooncakes. But I personally think what Peony Jade stands out is for their creativity every year. One of this year's new flavour is based on the popular game "ANGRY BIRDS". They are probably the world's first 3D Egg Custard Snow Skin Mooncake. In a box of 4, you will receive the Red, Yellow, Blue and Red Angry Bird. Unfortunately, there are no pigs. Below we see the cross section of the angry bird which made of coarse egg custard. I think the texture is compromised so that the bird stays in shape. Nonetheless, this would probably bring the smile out from your young children at the expense of your pocket.


I personally felt that Peony Jade's Durian Mooncake series are better than their "Orh Nee" flavours. That is assuming that you are a durian fan. Among the durian mooncake which  I tried, theirs is closest to the real fruit. This year, Peony Jade improved on their recipe and introduced the Pure "King of Kings" Durian Snow Skin Mooncake. This caters to the group which liked their durian slightly bitter.
The other new flavour for 2012 is the fragrant Premium Lychee. It is light, refreshing and you can feel the lychee pulp. The caution however is to eat it soon after cutting it as it turns bad pretty fast. Once the filling is exposed, it starts to release water. For more information, you may refer to the order form below:
Peony Jade @ Keppel Club
Bukit Chermin Road, Keppel Club
Singapore 109918
Tel: 6276 9138

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Sze Chuan Court Champaign Truffle 2012

Sze Chuan Court Champaign Truffle 2012

It was three years back since we blogged about Sze Chuan Court's Campaign Truffle. This flavour has always been pit against Raffles Hotel due to their common history. Having eaten both again this year, I must say that both mooncakes are fair consistent and are easily the better mooncakes with alcohol content. If you prefer stronger flavour, then Sze Chuan Court's version is for you. Strong liquor within a white chocolate truffle awaits you as you munch through the smooth and rich lotus paste.
If you are still keen to pick up a box, you may access their online order form here.
Szechuan Court Mooncake Booth

Level 2, Fairmont Singapore

From 15 Aug - 30 Sep 10am - 10pm

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Golden Peony Mooncakes

Golden Peony Mooncakes

Golden Peony new flavour for this year is the Osmanthus in White Lotus Paste. Osmanthus is an acquired flavour and may not be everyone's cup of tea. The plus point is the soft snowskin. If you are not a fan of osamanthus, green tea maybe be a better choice.

The Mango with Pomelo and the Oreo Cheese were slightly disappointing. This is probably due to the paste which doesn't hold pretty well. Hence it can be messy and the mooncake sticks to your fingers.


The mooncakes are presented in this lovely draw box above. For more ordering information, refer to their brochure below.



Conrad Centennial Singapore Two Temasek Boulevard Singapore 038982 Tel 6334 8888 singaporeinfo@conradhotels.com

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A La Carte buffet brunch @ Dolce Vita

A La Carte buffet brunch @ Dolce Vita

All our dining experiences with Mandarin Oriental Singapore have been pleasant and the most recent Sunday Brunch at Dolce Vita was no exception. I am glad that the restaurant allows babies in the dining premises and I can push the stroller or coax the baby outside the restaurant without much hassle. In addition, the friendly service and the comfy corner the restaurant has allocated to us makes a long meal with an impatient baby comfortable and manageable.


Our first visit to Dolce Vita was 2 years back during Christmas and I would say it was memorable. As the restaurant does not offer the regular a la carte menu on weekends afternoons, we have no choice but to opt for the a la carte buffet and we didn’t regret it. On top of that, the restaurant is located at the poolside with views of Singapore’s skyline, featuring the Singapore Flyer and the Marina Bay Sands, indeed dining in the day and night provides a very different atmosphere and I have to say both has its beauty.


I am not sure about the majority but at least for me, I am one that goes straight to the main courses or highlights at buffets and leave no room with appetizers and starters. When I visit a restaurant, I will usually stick to a main course and perhaps a dessert. Call this ignorant or lack of exposure but in short, I don’t usually go through a course of starters, soup, main course and desserts unless a set meal. The reason why I said this is because the niche of Dolce Vita’s a la carte buffet makes me dine in this manner and I gave a big thumbs up for that.

The buffet starts with a list of starters serving in an orderly and well-paced manner, allowing one to enjoy the food slowly and appreciate these combinations of small bites. It is indeed a perfect way to slow things down, making the afternoon a laid back one where one gets to enjoy the company of our dining companion.


A simple display of cured meats on a plate, these paper-thin slices of meat surprises us with a nice texture and a good distribution of fats. In addition, the meat is not dry nor stringy and the presentation of the dish gives it a visual bang to kick start the meal.

The starter platter consisting of (from left to right)

Foie gras mosaic with cranberry coulis, dried fruits and sesame tuile

Traditional Apulia burrata mozzarella cheese, served with vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, sea salt and oregano

Timbale of crab with avocado mousse, accompanied by mango salsa and lemon zest dressing

Tartare of Angus beef tenderloin with quail eggs

Foie gras turns out to be Yuan’s favourite for the rich and buttery texture for the liver complements nicely with the tang of the cranberry coulis and dried fruits; and this is slightly less cloying than the seared foie gras that comes with a bit of crispy fat on the exterior.

The burrata served with cherry tomatoes is refreshing while the beef tartare is tender and well seasoned. Just like my first encounter with their beef tartare, this is not at all “bloody” but actually taste wonderful.

However, it is the crab timbale that steals the limelight among the four. The juicy crab meat is sweet and succulent and when eaten together with the mango salsa, the refreshing twist makes us request for a second round of serving. Unanimously agreed with two of my other friends.

Other starters serve for the afternoon includes (from top left, clockwise),

Veloute of roasted butternut squash

Wild forest mushroom soup

Timbale of crab with avocado mousse, accompanied by mango salsa and lemon zest dressing

Tasmanian rock oysters on ice with traditional condiments

Marinated grilled prawns with romaine salad and spring baby vegetables, marinated with a light beetroot juice dressing

Carpaccio of Australian beef tenderloin with arugula salad, shaved Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinaigrette

The main courses started off with several dishes of pasta dishes, namely (from top left, clockwise),

Homemade green pea-potato gnocchi with prawns and saffron

Orecchiette pasta with spring vegetables and Tuscan pecorino cheese

Homemade linguine with finest selection of seafood, Italian parsley and garlic-olive oil glaze

Acquerello risotto with black truffles

Have to admit that the pasta were not to our liking and made the meal heavy on the carbohydrates, leaving almost no room for the subsequent fish and meat dishes. Homemade linguine was tasty but was also very filling. The sauce for the gnocchi was too overwhelming and I reckon that I am not a fan of saffron since I felt the same towards the Salmon. Orecchiette pasta  earns a thumbs up from Yuan for the addition of Pecorino cheese to the pasta.

However, despite the rants, this also reminded us the meals we had in Italy where two main courses were served. The first being the pasta and the second being a meat dish.


Grilled yellow fin tuna was splendid in its texture. The varying texture between the seared and raw left an strong impression. With the tuna is nicely seasoned, these juicy chunks of tuna were enjoyed without much fishy smell. Do note that this is not available in the regular a la carte menu and is only served during their weekend brunch buffet.

Main courses for the afternoon includes (top left, clockwise), 

Braised oxtail-foie gras cannelloni with baby spinach and Parmesan cheese cream 

Norweigian Salmon with market fresh vegetables and saffron veloute 

Roasted rack of New Zealand lamb with Sicilian style egg plant caponata, sauteed new potatoes and rosemary sauce 

Braised barramundi with thyme scented vegetables and la ratte potatoes 

Braised oxtail-foie gras cannelloni  is one of the signatures of Dolce Vita and the meltingly tender oxtail simply sublime on the palette and goes very well with the baby spinach. Easily a crowd pleaser among the mains.

As mention earlier, the Norwegian Salmon isn’t my cup of tea for the overwhelming sauce which practically masks the sweetness of the fish. For both the Norwegian Salmon and the Roasted rack of lamb, the meat is close to medium rare where the centre part of the meat is raw and we felt that this isn’t very well accepted as compared to the other mains.

Braised barramundi, another dish that earns a thumb ups for its flaky and juicy meat. The freshness and the natural sweetness of the fish makes this dish simple yet memorable. In addition, the potatoes served have a nutty flavor and the cooking is just right without having the potatoes overly hard nor extremely soft and mashy.

Red wine braised wagyu beef cheek, of no doubt is another main course that warrants a second helping. Just like the Braised oxtail-foie gras cannelloni, the meat is rich in its seasoning and tender that a knife is not needed to slice the meat. In addition, the gratin potatoes served were seamlessly layered, giving this simple potato dish another dimension of presentation and texture.


Desserts are presented at the kitchen counter in a buffet format where one can expects a cheese platter, a hot dessert (either bread and butter pudding or rice pudding) and a selection of miniature shooters and tartlets. The selection of desserts is specially put up by Mandarin Oriental’s Executive Pastry Chef Cassian Tan.


Do not miss out on the heavenly tiramisu that has chocolate balls embedded with the fluffy mascarpone layer with liquor-soaked ladyfingers and the signature Riccotta cheese tart. Yuan loved the tiramisu the most for the high expresso content.

Though there are hits and misses, this meal is memorable for the way the buffet is served as it allows one to appreciate antipasto before starting the meal proper. Though it was painful for Yuan's pocket, he was satisfied by the quality of the food, the presentation of the food and the pace of the meal. Last but not least, the bulk of the items served in the buffet are available in the regular a la carte menu, allowing one to sample several dishes in miniature portions all in a go.

The weekend Champagne brunch at Dolce Vita is available from 12pm to 3pm every Saturday and Sunday. Pricing as follows,
$108++ per person, food only
$148++ per person with unlimited free flow of Ruinart champagne, house white and red wine, beer, soft drinks and juices
$248++ per person with unlimited free flow of Ruinart Blanc de Blanc champagne, house white and red wine, beer, soft drinks and juices
$488++ per person with unlimited free flow of Dom Perignon 2003 champagne, house white and red wine, beer, soft drinks and juices

We would like to express a big thank you to Director of Communications, Usha Brockmann and Public Relations Manager, Shu Yun to allow us to take photos of the restaurant prior the start of the buffet and the meal couldn't be any much better without the warm hospitality of Assistant Restaurant Manager, Giuseppe Guida.

Dolce Vita
Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
5 Raffles Avenue
Marina Square
Singapore 039797
Tel: 6885 3551
Website

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Mezza9

Mezza9

Mezza9, the signature restaurant of Grand Hyatt Singapore, serves a variety of Japanese, Chinese, Western and Thai food under the same roof. This 15 years old restaurant provides a different level of dining experiences with multiple show kitchens specialising in their own cuisine, allowing diners to sit in any area and still order from any of the show kitchens. With a setting to please every palate, Mezza9 prepares each cuisine in its authentic manner by having each show kitchen to be managed by head chefs from the country itself.


Apart from the variety, Executive Sous Chef Stefan Beer of Mezza9, shared with us that the selling point of Mezza9 lies in the simplicity of the dishes and the personality of the restaurant. He prides that the best and simplest ingredients are treated as minimal as possible to retain the natural flavour. Among all the stations, the Western kitchen steals the limelight for its daily seafood counter and the fierce fire action happening at the wood-fire ovens, rotisserie and western open grills. Apart from steaks and seafood, one can also expect popular items such as Parma Ham, Foie Gras, Oysters, Salads and Smoked Salmon at this station. In general, there is no crazy combinations but simiplicity to offer a diner to feel like he is eating in his favourite restaurant back home.

During our conversation with Chef Stefan, we touched on an interesting point. While Mezza9's niche lies in its multi-national varieties, Yuan was curious why Mezza9 chooses to focus on Japanese, Chinese, Western and Thai dishes but not other cuisines such as Indian, Korean, etc. Apparently this concept of Mezza9 is 14 years old and Chef Stefan felt that having being in Asia for 5 years, it is of no doubt that all nations have a great cuisine. However, it is the Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisines that are more talk-about outside of Asia and more commonly found in other parts of the world. He added that most international diners would have a certain knowledge about these 3 cuisines and are more acceptable to them as compared to the other Asian cuisines.


Starting off the meal, we were presented with a refreshing starter, yam som o. This spicy pomelo salad is served with Thai pink pomelo, shredded chicken breast meat, chili padi and a special sauce that is prepared with hours of simmering. A seemingly simple dish but the bulk of the preparatory work goes to making the sauce where the tamarind paste is boiled and cooked with palm sugar for about 4-5 hours before serving with roasted dried coconut, peanut, deep fried shallot and dashes of Thai fresh lime.


Japanese Head Chef Jems Bong wows us with his sashimi and sushi platter for both the cut and the freshness. On the platter, there were sashimi prepared from Yellow Tail belly, Tuna belly, Salmon belly and Flounder fin; and also sushi served with raw tuna and salmon and roasted yellow tail and swordtail. We were surprised how crunchy and springy the Flounder fin sashimi are and the rich, fatty tuna belly that simply sublime on our palette. According to Chef Jems, tamanishiki rice is used for Mezza9's sushi as it is smaller and tastier than regular sushi rice.


Spring roll (bo biat thot) may sound simple among the dishes served in Mezza9 but this is specially created by Mezza9's resident Thai Head Chef Sitichok Panchuk using ingredients imported from Thailand. What we like about the spring rolls is the skin itself. While the exterior is crisp, the second layer is springy and chewy. With such a distinctive texture among the layers, it is not overly thick, allowing one to feel the crunchiness filling of vegetables, not forgetting the home-made sweet chili dip cooked with Thai vinegar and fresh pineapple. These spring rolls also comes in two version, chicken or vegetarian.


Deep fried Soon Hock (marbled goby) with soy sauce is highly recommended by Master Chef Lee Kuan Seng for its simplicity and the special sauce he prepared. The soft tender meat is so lightly marinated that the natural sweetness of the fish is felt in every bite.


On the other hand, the sitr-fry New Zealand tenderloin beef with celery and onion is memorable for the special sauce that is carefully blended with tomatoes, carrot, garlic and onions.


Slow roast pork ribs, highly recommended for its tender meat that is so soft that one does not need a knife to cut. This signature dish of Chef Stefan adopts 24-hours slow cooking with the ribs sealed in vacuum. Traditionally, pork ribs are cooked too hot, where the meat shrinks and loses its tenderness, resulting in a tough and dry texture. To make sure the pork ribs is so tender that it just fall off from the bone, the ribs are portioned, marinated with salt and pepper, grilled and cooled before vacuum packed with stock, butter, thyme leaf. This is then cooked for 24 hours at a temperature which allows the meat to relax without the fats moving out of the meat.


Spätzle, though looks simple, reminded us greatly of the Hungarian noodles we had when we were in Budapest. These Swiss dumpings is made of flour, egg, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg and using a sieve-like apparatus with big holes, the dough is pressed through and straight into boiling water. This is subsequently pan-fried in butter. With a hint of nutmeg in the spätzle, there is a slight sweetness and according to Chef Stefan, nutmeg is often added to potato dishes and spätzle to round up the flavour and this addition is very common in Swiss cuisine.


Signature dessert platter, consists of a selection of 4 desserts, specially prepared by award-winning Master Pastry Chef Gottfried Schuetzenberger. The combination of Apple Crumble Tart, Butter Lemon Pudding, Chocolate Pudding with Coffee Sauce and a selection of ice-cream allows one to try a diverse flavours, textures and temperatures all in a dish.

In our opinion, the most outstanding dessert among the 4 would be the butter lemon pudding. Apart from the slight tang and the sugary bits, the pudding has a very light texture that is just slightly denser than a souffle. The overall texture is fluffy and light, deserving a mention. Yuan's least favourite, happens to be my favourite among the 4, the apple crumble tart served with vanilla sauce. Unlike the regular apple crumble tart that has the crumbles on top, a puff pastry forms the cap and the crumbles is mixed in the apple and raisin filling, giving a sugary crunch with mouthful of apple chunks. Chocolate Pudding with Coffee Sauce caught Yuan's attention for the decadent oozing core and the proportion between the cake and molten core is just right. As for the Strawberry, Mango and Chocolate Ice-cream, these are made in-house with a rich fruity punch for both the strawberry and mango, pairing nicely with the butter lemon pudding.

We are not afraid to admit that this would be a painful meal for our pocket should this not be an invited tasting. However, having said that, we were glad to be able to have a dining experience in Mezza9 as it does give us an option for a special occassion. As what Chef Stefan pointed out, to enjoy various cuisines in the same place gives this restaurant a niche over most eateries and restaurants in Singapore. What was served for the night are very common dishes that are served in restaurants and what makes this meal truly enjoyable is not only the open kitchen concept but the freshness of the food and the simplicity of the ingredients used. I am definitely looking forward to my next visit and I have already thought of an occassion to get my hands on the tender pork ribs. Apart from the selection of food from the various cuisine, the martini bar and wine cellar with over 500 types of wine, gives more excuses to unwind after work. Cheers!

Heartfelt thanks to assistant manager for public relations, Ms Melissa Tan for the invitation and warm hospitality. Also, many thanks to Executive Sous Chef Stefan Beer of Mezza9 for his time to prepare such a fabulous meal. Last but not least, thank you very much to Massimo, manager of Mezza9 and all the head chefs and service staffs to make us feel so comfortable and welcome for the tasting.

Mezza9
Grand Hyatt Singapore
10 Scotts Road
Mezzanine Level
Singapore 228211
Tel: 6732 1234

Operating hours:
Lunch: Noon to 2:30pm (Mon to Sat)
Dinner: 6pm to 10:30pm
Sunday Brunch: 11:30am to 3pm

Website

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