Christmas 2010: Sweets at Hilton Singapore

Christmas 2010: Sweets at Hilton Singapore

The second half of Hilton's Christmas Event showcase Executive Pastry Chef Christophe Grilo's creations and this year, he has brought along six log cakes creations.

Of the six, three were showcased in the buffet and without doubt every single one is unique in its own way.

Chef Christophe highlighted his liking to incorporate fresh fruits into his dessert creations and Passionata is no exception with the use of sliced bananas and passionfruit to compliment milk chocolate mousse. This is one combination that will not go wrong with most. Varying textures derived from sliced bananas, vanilla sponge cake and mini coconut meringue makes it different from the regular chocolate-banana cakes available in most patisseries.


Mont Blanc or rather chestnut lovers will not want to miss out this cheesy twist to the traditional cheesecake. Cheese-Nut, a chestnut cheese log cake laced with brandy and rum, topped with glazed chestnuts turned out to be my favourite among the 3. Using chestnuts imported from France, the strong flavour of chestnut makes the cheesecake closer to a flavourful mousse and the smooth texture compliments well with the crunch derived from the crumble and chestnuts bits.


Needless to say, Hilton has always been famous for its cheesecake. Well, this log cake is no exception and it is Yuan's favourite logcake for the evening. The main difference between the regular cheesecake available at the Deli and NYC lies in the use of crumble. To make sure that the base remains crisp and buttery, Chef Christophe baked the crumbles once more with additional butter and the resulting effect earns the nods of most diners.


When Chef Christophe introduced this creation, Yuan thought that the presence of many flavours will confuse the diners on what they are eating. In case you are wondering what the components are, it consists of crispy coconut, pistachio sponge, banana passionfruit jelly, passionfruit mousse and glazed pineapple. Surprisingly, each layer actually stood out and the presence of each individual layers complements pretty well.

Special attention has been placed to make these glazed pineapple, in which the fruit is brushed with caramel and baked in the oven for 2 hours, turning at 10min interval. Moreover, the incorporation of butter and whipped creams makes the passionfruit mousse very light as opposed to the usual sharp and extreme sour taste.


Apart from the log cakes, Chef Christophe also showcase his Special Christmas Chocolate Collection, with flavours ranging from Lemon, Whiskey, Coffee, Pistachio, Mint and Passionfruit but what caught our attention is the lemon tart that resembles like a Christmas Tree.

Layered with crumbles, lemon jelly and lemon curd, Chef Christophe aims to bring out the maximum flavour and tanginess of his lemon curd by adding sugar to lemon zest and leaving it for >24 hours. The clever use of white chocolate and mini macarons shell brings out a burst of flavours.


One of the more unforgettable desserts is Chef Christophe's tiramisu where he ingeniously used white chocolate shells and gold dust to mimic a Christmas bauble.


Encased in these white chocolate shells is a sugar free tiramisu where emphasis is placed on using pure espresso and the sweetness of this delightful dessert comes from the milk chocolate mousse and crumbles. Simply the best in the entire spread of desserts.


Prior to the event, Hilton Singapore has given us a Panettone. Said to be an European Christmas must-haves, this sweet bread is filled with high-quality ingredients and dried fruits, imported from the south of France. As for the recipe, Chef Christophe has spent two years perfecting the recipe for the Panettone. The niche of this Christmas bread lies in its crusty sugar crown the the overall texture is so light that this was finished within a day.


Do note that some of the festive dessets such as the Yule Logs, Homemade Panettone and Stollen, Mandarin Creme Brulee and Chestnut and Pumpkin Tart will be available on the Christmas Day Brunch.


Before signing off, many thanks to Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Joyce Moo and Marketing Communications Executive, Ms. June Wong for the invitation to Hilton's Christmas Media Event and their warm hospitality.

Not forgeting Executive Pastry Chef Christophe Grilo's time and patience to explain to us his inspirations and breakdown of his desserts.

These Christmas Gourmet are available for take-away at Checkers Deli from 26 Novemeber 2010 to 24 December 2010.

Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883

For reservations, orders and enquiries, contact
Tel: 6730 3332
Fax: 6732 2917
Email: Checkers.Singapore@hilton.com

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For the past few weekends...

For the past few weekends...

Haven't been spending time on the blog and to all my fellow readers who have been wondering what we have been doing, renovation has completed for our house and we have been busy in the kitchen, attempting to cook some dishes.


Being first timers and a brand new kitchen, just by stocking up the condiments has cost quite a fair bit and not knowing what to cook, we did a quick search on the internet for recipes.

One of the first thing that we have attempt was the Chicken and Cashew Nut Stir-Fry from BBC Food.

And somehow or rather, with some (accidental) modification, the dish turns out to be good (apart from it being slightly salty).


Feeling motivated, we attempt to make Sweet and Sour Pork using the recipe posted on Rasa Malaysia and the overall turns out to be better than using Lee Kum Kee's sauce.


Naturally, a meal can't be full of meat so looking through the instruction manual of how to cook plain rice and a random addition of whatever condiments stocked up at our place. We managed to pull through a complete meal with stir-fry chye sim and stir-fry beancurd with minced pork.


No doubt an interesting experience in the kitchen, and the most important thing is that the dishes earn nods from my family and in-laws.

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Christmas Media Event @ Hilton Singapore

Christmas Media Event @ Hilton Singapore

We were pretty honoured to be invited by Hilton Singapore for the hotel's Christmas media event and the post on this event will be split into 2 parts, showing some of the highlights available during the year-end festive feasts at Checkers Brasserie and the Christmas desserts at Checkers Deli.

With 3 major buffets to look out for, the media event showcase some of Chef Sandro's premium roast selections, his new additions and also an extensive seafood array.


Kicking start the buffet line, the hotel will be bringing in 18 varieties of succulent oysters from six regions - Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Japan and France for the New Year's Eve buffet.

Oyster lovers can look forward to relish premium varieties such as the French Belon (also known to be the King of Oysters), Scottish Loch Fyne and Japanese Kumamoto.

On top of that, Chef Sandro created three types of oysters shooters. Of which, one of them is somewhat similar to salsa with its base focusing on tomato and it turned out to be Yuan's favourite since the sauce is not overwhelming to cover the sweetness of the oysters. The other two is a concoction of lemon, yuzu juice and garlic while the third has some similarities to Thai style sauce that is flavoured with sweet chili and mango. Imagine drinking a freshly shuckled oyster with the accompanying sauce. Indeed an eye-opener.


For the feast on Christmas Eve, the hotel will be bringing in Whole Yellow Fin Tuna, cooked in the style of your choice.


And one of the options available is to pan-seared them.


Seasoned with 4 different spices and a little salt, the contrasting texture made Yuan went for several rounds. However, this can be salty for some, so for those who are concerned about their sodium level, opt for no salt.


Executive Chef Sandro is someone who likes to venture new ideas and creations. One of the newly introduced stations on New Year Eve buffet dinner would be the Blinis Station served with quality selection of sturgeon and salmon caviar.


One of my favourites for the evening and with the option of having it served with various types of cavair and a choice between Smoked Salmon or Kingfish, this light appetizer is addictive to pop. The slight saltiness of the caviar complements pretty nicely with the mild mini pancake topped a slice of Kingfish.


The use of truffle is getting very common in most high end buffets and Checkers Brasserie is making no exception. Introducing the hotel's Executive Chef Sandro Falbo with the Wild Mushroom Risotto.


I have never been a fan of truffle and this dish caught my attention so much so that I went for a second helping. The fragrance of truffle with slices of mushroom and having served on a block of parmesan cheese, the dish is indeed flavourful.


On our last visit to Hilton's Sunday brunch, we were awed by the carvings served in the hotel and as mentioned in our previous entry, Chef Sandro placed a strong emphasis on slow cooking. Hence, it is without doubt that the meat is well seasoned, juicy and tender.

The Honey Glazed Ham is not overly salty and is even better when served with Pineapple Gravy. Probably the best Honey Baked Ham we had till date in hotel buffets.


Christmas is always incomplete without a Roasted Turkey and the hotel served this Christmas treat with raspberry sauce, brussel sprouts, chestnut and stuffing. Like all the other meat served in Hilton, the meat is so tender and gentle on the teeth.

On Christmas Eve, Checkers Brasserie will be introducing the Spit Roasted Organic Lamb with Mediterranean Spice. Air-flown from Colorado, the lamb is extremely tender due to high levels of marbling and according to Chef Sandro, Hilton Singapore is the first hotel to bring in lamb from Colorado, USA. Setting aside the origin, the whole lamb is seasoned with fennel pollen and 2 unique peppers from Indonesia, long pepper and cubeb flavour, and is roasted over 3 hours. Similar to our previous experience, Yuan liked the lamb the best despite being dreadful about the strong smell of lamb.


Apart from its appearance at Checkers Brasserie's Sunday brunch, the Herb and Salt Crusted Roast Prime Rib is making appearance for both Christmas and New Year. Having ate dinner buffet and brunch buffet at The Line, Melts - the World Cafe- and Triple 3 respectively, nothing beats Chef Sandro's Roast. Carnivores and Carving lovers would not want to miss this out as the tenderness of the meat and seasoning is easily the most understanding among the mentioned buffets.

Apart from what is shown on this post, one can expect Roasted Mediterranean Suckling Pig during Christmas Day Brunch which is stuffed with a well-marbled Kurobuta pork loin. This improvised version of the traditional Italian suckling pig is encrusted in coarse salt and Mediterranean herbs. Like all the other carvings, this is also roasted slowly in the oven and I won't be surprised if the tenderness of the meat is going to wow.


Introducing the team of chefs behind the scene of this media event. The smiles and enthusiasm of everybody do bring in the festive mood.

Not forgetting Executive Chef Sandro Falbo's time to bring us around the buffet line and his effort to introducing the components of each speciality.


Warmest thank you to Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Joyce Moo and Marketing Communications Executive, Ms. June Wong for the invitation to Hilton's Christmas Media Event and their warm hospitality.

Lastly, many thanks to the Director of Operations, Mr. Robert E. Gauer. The party wouldn't have been more fun without your hospitality.

Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner (24 December 2010)
From 7pm to 11pm
$128++ per person
$173++ per person including 3 glasses of wine

Christmas Day Brunch (25 December 2010)
From 11:30am to 3:30pm
$145++ per person
$190++ per person including 3 glasses of wine

New Year's Eve Buffet Dinner (31 December 2010)
From 7pm to 11pm
$138++ per person
$183++ per person including 3 glasses of wine

Checkers Brasserie
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883
Tel: 6730 3390
Website

P.S. Don't miss out the Part II of this entry where Hilton's Log Cakes, Panettone and Festive Innovations are introduced.

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Let's Sweets

Let's Sweets

Let's sweets, introduced by Japan Foods Holding Pte Ltd (the same company that brings manages Ajisen Ramen, Aji Tei, Botejyu, Hokkyokusei and Japanese Gourmet Town), has caused a stir in the buffet category due to its concept, pricing and selection.


As mentioned by most blogs, there is a 60min time limit for their buffet lunch and 80min time limit for their buffet dinner and most internet reviews have drawn roughly the same verdict.

The buffet bar only stretches one side of the restaurant and the photos displayed in this post show about 95% of the spread.


There are decent spread of savouries, focusing alot on carbohydrates ranging from bread, pizzas, rice dishes and pastas.

Bread station is located at the other end of the restaurant and this station houses baguette with olive oil vinaigrette.

Teriyaki chicken burgers are also served at this station with a miserable serving of the chicken and average tasting bread. Would have been good if the chicken are bigger in portions.


Finger food and a decent selection of pizzas are the other highlights of the buffet line but the problem lies in prolonged exposure under heating lamps. If you happen to get a batch of pizzas (selection ranges from spinach, corn, salami, chicken, tuna, pineapple and crab) that has idled too long, the base is, as expected, tough.

Among the finger food, homemade fried chicken is one that will never go wrong. Kudos to the tender chicken and we couldn't deny the fact that we went for several helpings.


Carnivores would be sorely disappointed as most of the dishes served has tiny portions of meat but apart from that, most of the pastas are delicious. To me, the spaghetti are not over cooked and are well seasoned (e.g. selection are rotated among Chicken Tomato, Chicken Cream, Meat Sauce, Spicy Japanese Mushroom, Crab Tomato Cream).


The hot station has about 4 to 5 dishes at the go and is replenished when the pan is scraped clean. The general taste of the savouries are slightly sweetened and some of the dishes such as Chicken mushroom spaghetti (Aglio e Olio style), Cabbage & Pork Millefeuille, Niku Jaga, and Omullet (Hokkaido Style) deserved some attention.

Japanese curry is delicious but the setback? Only gravy is served and I was pretty surprised by the absence of potatoes and carrots.


Dancing yaki mochi is no longer available and the only live station available in the buffet is the crepes, served with ice-cream with toppings such as caramelized apples, mixed berries or chocolate banana.

Have to admit that the crepe is decent for the reasonable thickness and it being sufficiently fragrant to our liking.


Chiffon cakes are also the other items that will not go wrong among the desserts and one can expect these to be sufficiently fluffy and moist.

The other hot favourite but well hidden in a neglected corner is the chocolate fondue. Don't miss this out, it is located at the upper deck, beside the drink stations.


Now the main disappointment in the entire buffet lies in the mousse cakes. The chocolate mousse, mango mousse, green tea mousse and even the green tea panna cotta have common characteristics, heavy use of gelatin mixed with lots of cream. The resulting factor, cloying.


Strawberry Frangipane Tart would have captured most people's attention since Fruit Paradise is under the same management but instead of the loadful of cream, this is rock hard. Frankly speaking, the taste is not bad but the texture is way too similar to a lyophilized cookie.


The hype about the wide selection of desserts, about 30 to 40 types, lies in this glass display. Note that one can only pick up 5 desserts at a time. The jellies are acceptable while there are better green tea roll cakes out there. After 2 rounds of desserts, we pretty much wrapped up our dinner.


In conclusion, we would say that the entire concept is not completely a flaw as most have highlighted.

After factoring in the 10% service charge and 7% GST, buffet dinner is only priced at $23.30. Having visited Seoul Garden just 1 week ago and that Seoul Garden's weekend buffet dinner is priced at $25.99++ ($30.60), the amount of "meat" served is pretty much correlated to the pricing.

However, the main difference between Seoul Garden and Let's Sweets lies in the amount of staff and service. Although there is no time limit in the former, we notice there are many staff making their rounds, ensuring that the food is replenished and that the plates are cleared relatively fast at Let's Sweets. Kudos to this aspect. The dishes are also of reasonable standard and most are acceptable.

Moreover, having located at an accessible location (e.g. Bugis Junction), $23.30 do sound reasonable for some decent savouries, a crepe and free-flow drinks (a good range of coffee, japanese green tea and soft drinks).

As for the time limit, 60min weekday lunch is reasonable for office crowd unless there are self-declared time extension to lunch breaks and with most of the restaurants (at Bugis Junction) having long stretch of queues during peak periods, one can assure that the waiting time would not be horrendously long.

Now the main flaw in this place lies greatly on their desserts. we don't have to go far but the desserts served at Ajisen Ramen or even Fruit Paradise are way better. If the restaurant placed so much emphasis on their desserts, this needs to greatly improved to avoid disappointment with their diners. Moreover, the highly recommended signatures (e.g. Japan’s famous street snack, “Dancing” Yaki Mochi, Chocolate Fondant, Hokkaido Coffee Zenzai, Rouleau au Caramel de salée (Sea Salt Caramel Rolled Cake)) were all not available on a Saturday buffet dinner. Now that is really a huge disappointment.

Buffet Lunch (60min, from noon to 4:30pm)
For adults
$15.80++ (Monday to Friday)
$16.80++ (Sat, Sun, eve of P.H and P.H)

For children below 130cm
$11.80++ (Monday to Friday)
$12.80++ (Sat, Sun, eve of P.H and P.H)

Buffet Dinner (80min, from 5:30pm to 10pm)
For adults
$18.80++ (Monday to Friday)
$19.80++ (Sat, Sun, eve of P.H and P.H)

For children below 130cm
$11.80++ (Monday to Friday)
$12.80++ (Sat, Sun, eve of P.H and P.H)

Let's Sweets
Bugis Junction
200 Victoria Street
#02-49
Singapore 188021
Tel: 6338 0187

Let's Sweets' press release can be found on one of the So Shiok's articles.
Don't forget to check out Sihan's blog, we felt that our thoughts are pretty similar to what she has written in her post on Let's Sweets.

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MELT ~ The World Cafe

MELT ~ The World Cafe

5 years ago, still undergraduates, I attempted to surprise Yuan on his birthday at MELT ~ The world cafe with only $150 cash in my pocket. Since it was a virgin visit to a 5-star hotel buffet, we naively ordered a bottle of still mineral water with 2 glasses of apple juice, clocking an amount that nearly drained both pockets.


Somehow or rather, that was a very memorable birthday celebration that stayed deeply embedded in both Yuan's and my memory bank. 3 years ago, I was back at MELT for a company's lunch but the experience was so different from the first.

Perhaps, the problem lies with my dining partner. Hence, to relish old memories, decided to celebrate Yuan's birthday at this very special place (11th birthday spent with me and the 1st as his wife) and I would say the overall layout of the restaurant has been pretty much the same, just like our relationship.

Using warm hues of crimson and brown, the distinct Asian atmosphere is further enhanced via the use of bamboo motif, rattan screens and latterns.


The Central Ice Bowl (available for dinner and brunch), housing Boston lobsters, Spanner crab, tiger prawns, Peruvian scallops, Cherry clams, Black mussels and Freshly shucked oysters, have always been a highlight among buffet goers. Hence, it is no surprise that some of the seafood ran out pretty fast and took awhile to be replenished.


In general, the restaurant is divided into 4 main section to diversify the crowd and this area of the buffet line houses the Seasonal Boutique Greens + Crudités, Appetizers + Salads and Bread with an extensive selection of Cheese.

As our visit happens to fall during the German OktoberFest (ends 10 October), the selection of appetizers and salads focus on German salads such as Bohnen und erbsen (German white bean and pea salad), Kartoffelsalat (German potato salad), Rotkohlsalat (red cabbage slaw with grapes and walnut vinaigrette), etc.


The Japanese station, located near the bread and appetizers, serve a selection of nigri sushi, maki, sashimi and Japanese cha, zaru soba and sohmen.


BBQ @ The Alfresco, a major highlight for MELT's buffet (only available for dinner from Thurs to Sat and the Sunday brunch), showcase an extensive array of meats and roast. These are grilled upon order and served to your table.

Whole suckling pig is something not to be missed for the tender, juicy and well-marinated meat.


For the OktoberFest special, this BBQ station focus alot on the various types of sausages ranging from Frankfurter sausage (Long thin sausage made from pork and lightly smoked), Weisswurst (boiled White sausage made from veal, seasoned with parsley, onions, salt, pepper, and sweet mustard), Nürnberger rostbratwurst (grilled Coarsely ground lean pork seasoned with marjoram, salt, pepper and cumin), Bratwurst (grilled Pork in a natural casing) and Bockwurst (boiled Finely ground pork and beef mixture, smoked and seasoned with a variety of spices). In general, the sausages are lightly salted and are quite similar to Pan Pacific sausages which retail in places such as Cold Storage.

Beef burger, grilled lobsters and Cajun chicken breast are the other highlights of this station.

On other days, this station serves a wide range of meat, namely Rotisserie of spring chicken with redang spice, Roast pork knuckle, Tenderloin filet steak, Basil spiced rub T-bone lamb, Whole saba seasoned with salt, Chicken and Lamb Satay with peanut gravy and condiments. Not forgetting accompanying dishes such as Grilled aubergine with pesto, Corn on the cob (with husk on grill), Baked potato with condiments, Grilled white onions, Beef tomatoes with basil oil and Portobello with truffle oil.


Crispy pork knuckle, Bavarian Roast chicken and German sea bass in Brioche Dough are the other highlights of the OktoberFest at the usual carving gallery.

In general, the crackling is inconsistent in terms of the crispness but all pork dishes are well-received as the natural pork smell is inevident. Not only are most of the dishes well marinated, they are very juicy and tender.

On the other hand, we didn't like the German sea bass in Brioche Dough as the bread-like Brioche Dough is relatively heavy for the stomach. No doubt, the fish is fresh and tender but the overall is quite bland.


The gastronomic experience offered by MELT lies greatly on the hot stations. Food served under warming lamps tend to be dry after prolonged exposure but not in the case in MELT. Not forgetting the live pasta and asian noodle stations, one can expect a beautiful "orchestra" of cuisines of Thailand, India, Vietnam, the European continent and local favourites at this section of the buffet.

Most of the dishes from the section of the buffet, particularly the Chinese dishes earns nods, particularly the Sweet and Sour fish, Pork rib with guiness sauce, Crisp oyster omelette with silver sprouts and thai chilli, Crispy Chicken and Cherry Garden's Chinese roast duck with plum sauce Wok.


Part of this section is presented with an array of German food ranging from Sauerkraut-suppe (cabbage soup), Reibekuchen (German potato pancake), Butter pilaf rice with sausages, Braised Pork Belly in Black Beer, Rindfleisch-Eintopf (German beef stew with celery seed), Fleischpflanzerl (braised veal meatball), etc. For those who has visited MELT, one will know that the list goes on and on as the portion of each are of small quantities, rotated and replenished at a regular interval.


Similar to The Line, there is a certain degree of emphasis on the Indian food, given the skewers of meat hang in the background and the presence of a Tandoor (i.e. cylindrical clay oven).

As expected, the Tandoori chicken and Chicken tikka won our hearts for the perfect marination and tender, juicy meat.


With quick turnover, the naans, be it plain or garlic are served soft and warm. As for the selection of Indian curries, apart from it being slightly salty to my liking, the multiple rounds made for this station makes me conclude that this is way better than the Indian station presented by The Line.


Desserts are extremely popular at MELT, considering the amount of diners we saw at this station for the early half of the buffet and depending on how one looks at it. The replenished cakes are different from the ones originally served at the start of the buffet. Either you have lots of room to try all the cakes served or you end up with a different variety at the second half of the buffet.


Apart from cakes, the buffet spread for the desserts is extended to waffles, bread and butter pudding, a good selection of fruits, nonya kueh and chocolate fondue.

Serving staff are designated at various parts of the dining area and the prompt and meticulous service deserved a big thumbs up. Not only are the plates and water being cleared and refilled at regular intervals with little prompting, every single staff demonstrates a commendable level of warm hospitality with smiles displayed on their faces all the time. This makes the dining experience in MELT more enjoyable.

Also, the main highlight in MELT lies on the extensive variety and most of the dishes are well-executed. A contender to The Line and a clear winner when it comes to the taste of individual dishes, in particular the Chinese and Indian food. However, when it comes to Japanese food or Western carvings, we can't help but to recommend Triple 3 and Checkers Brasserie respectively.

Buffet Lunch
$56++ per person

Sun Brunch
$338++ (with free flow Cuveé Belle Epoque Champagne, wines, beers, cocktails, juices and soft drinks)
$138++ (with free flow Perrier Jouët Champagne, wines, beers, cocktails, juices and soft drinks)
$98++ (with free flow juices and soft drinks)
$48++ (for children from 4 to 11 years old)

Buffet Dinner
$68++ per person (Sun to Wed)
$78++ per person (Thurs to Sat)

Child price for Lunch and Dinner are as follows
Free of charge for children from 1 to 3 years old
$28++ for children from 4 to 7 years old
$38++ for children from 8 to 11 years old
Full adult price for children from 12 years old and above

The following are on-going promotion for credit cards (not valid on eve’s of public holidays, public holidays and festive seasons)
Citibank – 15% off on food bill (valid till 31 December 2010)
HSBC – 15% off on food bill (valid till 31 December 2010)
Amex – 15% off on food bill (valid till 31 December 2010)
OCBC – 15% off on food bill (valid till 31 March 2011)
UOB – 15% off on total food bill or 1 complimentary lunch/dinner buffet with 3 full paying adult. (Only valid for the first 4 paying adult until 31 December 2010)

MELT ~ The World Café
Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
Level 4
5 Raffles Avenue
Marina Square
Singapore 039797
Tel: 6885 3082

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

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