Forget Chuck. Since I’m fast becoming a regular here, it is more appropriate for me to share on some of the staple dishes here which you can find on the menu! Unlike other conventional cafes, stepping into Eden Sanctuary really really feels like home. Everyone is well taken of at Chef Clement’s cosy dining room.

(:

Dinner last night started with the Tomato Basil Tartlet ($7.90). Though it looked like a typical canapé, it actually tasted better than what I had at Restaurant Week. Love the crispy savoury crust filled with a tomato based sauce on the inside. Magic of this finger delight is the fresh basil leave hidden beneath the layer of cheese.

These savoury tartlets are such delicate sweethearts. Complementary flavours of tomato, cheese, fennel, herbs and especially the refreshing tones of a lucky basil leave perked me up for what’s coming up!

Creamless Homestyle Pumpkin Soup ($4.00)

I wish mom was here. She always complains about cooking pumpkins. Well, I’ve tried creamy pumpkin soups and it wasn’t spectacular. So I’m particularly pleased with Eden Sanctuary’s clear broth version with herbs. I enjoyed every spoonful of pumpkin bumps, shreds or chucks. The texture is so inconsistently attractive, I’m hating how I am polishing off the bowl in just 5 minutes. Argh. It’s hard to flirt with a bowl of soup. They don’t last very long.

Fan of Shakespeare? I am especially when it come to his timeless tales of love and human fallacy. Remember Sir Andrew in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night who tried desperate to flirt with a maiden by the name of Maria and failed terrible? It is he who said “I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit”. Well, he’s a meathead if he has never tried Balsamic Strawberry Beef ($9.90). Look at that chuck of wonderment.

Oops Sir Andrew, pardon me. Nay you wouldn’t enjoy this if you don’t fancy an unconventional twist to your meat. I had mine at medium with a slight tarty. sourish pinch on the tongue. It was lovely. Accompanied with a drizzle of savoury sauce, the strawberries set off a fruity refinement to an otherwise typical piece of meat.

I’m sorry sweethearts. When I get started on literature, I can’t stop. So in Twelfth Night, Shakespeare takes a amusing approach to expose the ways humans fall prey to pride, vanity and self-deception. So we are all fools of our own deception. I felt like a simpleton fool just like Sir Andrew more often than not. Fools that are easily pleased, easily contented, easily amused. So tell me. Is that good or bad?

Nevertheless, perhaps there’s really nothing to hide especially after savouring the next dish at Eden Sanctuary. I could smell it as Chef Clement was on his way to my table. Ginger Leek Peanut Butter Fish ($6.90). Odd combination isn’t it? But trust me. You should really try this. There’s just something graceful and clever about this down-to-earth dish that screams simplicity.

Each mouthful is a blast of flavours from the distinct taste of ginger, leek and peanut butter. Yet surprisingly with such powerful elements, I could still taste the flaky fishy fish tucked under the brownish garb! No wonder Chef Clement said that a fish should taste like a fish no matter how it is prepared. You get that? Say bye bye to tasteless meat!

By the way, it’s a must to get a pot of floral tea to accompany these delicate creations. It goes perfectly well with the food here. All in all, Eden Sanctuary offers simple, natural and light on the tummy meals. A week ago I was here for lunch and the Creamless Carbonara Pasta was awesome! Yup CREAMLESS! I could successfully finish a slice of cheese cake after that! Ah ah ah, nothing to be guilty about because Chef Clement made sure that it’s a balanced, healthy meal. I’m just a simply fool at Eden Sanctuary waiting for the next serving of his witty creation.

(:

Eden Sanctuary Floral Cafe
18 Cross Street #01-16
China Square Central
Tel : 6224 2298
Remember to call for reservations!

I did just that over the hotpot bar at Kichi Kichi.

(:

Thank you Sixth Sense and Kichi Kichi for the invitation. I had fun sitting on a high chair, customising my individual hotpot! It was a fuss-free hotpot experience.

Unlike the conventional hotpot elsewhere where everyone shares one large pot, everyone gets an individually controllable stove at Kichi Kichi. But similar to those hotpot outlets at Bugis, Kichi Kichi offers the all-you-can-eat concept. Big difference is, you don’t have to walk at all! Perfect for lazy folks like me. No time was wasted. I just gotta grab a good seat and be on stand-by mode while the conveyer belt conveniently dishes out a constant stream of fresh ingredients.

And guess what, the air-conditioning at Kichi Kichi also works perfectly.

I shall not associate perspiration with hotpot anymore.
I shall not associate perspiration with hotpot anymore.
I shall not associate perspiration with hotpot anymore.

(: Hotpot is no longer a hot, stuffy affair.

Wanted something light, so I had the signature mushroom soup. It was delicious with all the interesting and fresh ingredients that I grabbed from the conveyor belt.

My favourite ingredient was the Sliced Wagyu Beef, $5 from the Premium Items section! Was greedy and took too many plate of beef. Thanks goodness Hungry Cow was there to help chow down his fellow mates. Nope this cow is not feeling even a tiny tinge of guilt for munching on his own kind. Thanks moo moo for your pleasant company!

Beef! Before! Look at the lean cut and marble fat. I think the whiteness of the fat which contrasts with the red meat and forms a marble-like pattern is so pretty. What you think? Is there anyone here who don’t love beef??

Beef! After! Swished and swirled this fine piece of meat over the hotpot and it was cooked in seconds! I took extra care to make sure I don’t overcook this baby! I love my beef medium. Ah look it’s so tender! MMm it went really well with the sightly nutty Kichi Kichi sesame sauce!

Speaking of sauces, it’s heartening that Kichi Kichi recognizes the importance of dipping sauces in the Asian culture! They have actually have a variety of eight sauces to suit all tastes:Kichi Kichi Chilli Sauce, Chilli Padi with Vinegar, Japanese Soya Sauce, Kichi Kichi Sesame Sauce, Vinegar and Ginger, Chilli Padi & Soya Sauce, Hoi Sin and Chilli Chin Chalok.

Me personal favourite would be the Kichi Kichi Sesame Sauce! It was savory But Hungry Cow thought that it’s too watered down! I think he’s a bigger fan of the Kichi Kichi Chili Sauce which was a perkier dip. Hehe.

Oops. Took a tiny dip into the sauce before I snapped this pic.

Well, homemade sauces are not the only special offerings at Kichi Kichi. A selection of a la carte items is also available at additional costs. They include premium dishes like Salmon Belly, Salmon Fillet, Fish Head, Oysters, Scallops, Cockles, Sliced Venison, Sliced Wagyu Beef, and tempting desserts like a Chocolate hotpot with assorted fruits, to a comprehensive list of non-alcoholic beverages, wine, sake and beer. I had a glass of white. Pretty smooth and it went perfectly with the Chocolate Hotpot with Cut Fruits ($5)!

To perk up the entire hotpot experience, there was a number of ‘Secret Recipes’ cruising the conveyor belt. Not bad. My girlfriend who can’t cook for nuts would find these recipes useful. Haha. Anyway ‘Secret Recipes’ definitely inject another level of fun while dining at Kichi Kichi. Totally appreciate how these simple instructions is so helpful in guiding me on the use of different ingredients in my pot to create a unique twist to some of familiar Asian dishes.

Food was decent. Service was good. Efficient staff cleared the empty plates regularly and were prompt to refill the soup. I really liked how I could customise my individual hotpot experience by selecting from a wide range of over 60 ingredients, 6 quality soup stocks and 8 homemade sauces!

Quality ingredients. Checked.
Efficient service. Checked.
Trendy ambience. Checked.
Comfort. Checked.

Omigosh. Steamboat will never be the same again! You won’t catch me fixing any steamboat cravings in those al-fresco bugis outlets anymore. Now I wish I have more time for lunch.

Weekday lunch at Kichi Kichi is pretty affordable. Between 11am to 5pm: Adults S$19.90++ | Students S$14.90++ | Kids 3-9 years: S$7.90++ | Kids below 3 years: Free.

Not bad, right? Ok rephrase. Now I wish I’m still a student.

By the way, I’m actually quite pleased that Kichi Kichi management is one of those that listens to feedbacks. I think they handled an unhappy diner tactfully after some constructive criticism were posted on Hungrygowhere.

Let’s see. Now we have hotpot and sushi on conveyor belts. Someone should start a dimsum conveyor belt restaurant! Yum yum.

(:

Kichi Kichi
180 Kitchener Road
#02-23/24 City Square Mall
Tel: +65 9170 1146
11am – 10pm

There you go. Popeye’s super amazing buttermilk biscuits and crispy chicken!

We ordered 2 sets of the Turf ‘N’ surf Couple Meal. That’s the promo going on now at $18.80 for 4 chicken, 2 buttermilk biscuits, 6 popcorn shrimp, 1 regular mashed potato, 1 regular corn and 2 regular sjora juice. You can have the choice of New Orleans Spicy or Louisiana Mild for the chicken flavors but the staff don’t really care. You should let them know and not wait for them to ask. Yes the service is awful. Will come to that shortly.

I was quite happy to know that they did not ran out of biscuit this time! Months ago when I visited the Changi T3 branch, they ran out of this soft, crumbly and buttery biscuit! Yeah it’s so weird that they can ran out of such signature stuff. Oh well. We were given raspberry jam to go with it but I think it is best eaten warm with some maple syrup! What you think? Ah and the chicken! I loooove Popeye’s chicken because it is so crispy yet not too dry. The skin is much better, fresher, and it seems like it used better spices than KFC’s!

Erm did you asked if there are any cons about Popeye’s chicken? Well unfortunately yes. The birdies were miserly pieces of lean chicken. 8 pieces of chicken and 4 biscuits were in that box! I do think that 8 pieces of KFC’s chicken would not have fitted into that box.

If you are not a fan of Popeyes light-weight crispy chicken, I shall assure that you’ll fall in love with the mashed potatoes. Popeyes mashed potatoes have the richest gravy with small chicken bits in it! The gravy is so full of punch and blended extremely well with the smooth mashed potatoes.

Stank said that 7-11 BBQ flavoured mashed potatoes’ (only available in certain outlets) could help satisfy cravings for Popeyes mashed potatoes because the gravy tasted somewhat similar. I shall verify that.

I shall briefly introduce the other side dishes we had that evening.

Hello, popcorn shrimp. You looked ravishing but we are sorry that we found nothing spectacular about you. In fact, you were a tad too dry and tasteless.

Hello, Cajun Fries. Though we loved you and anticipated your coming, we grieved at the first bite because the evil counter/kitchen staff served you cold.

Hello, Sjora juice. You were included in the couple set. I had one of your kind at Yoshinoya recently and frankly, I hated him. Your mango cousin was too thick. But surprisingly, your pineapple-ish and mango-peachy flavours were pretty ok this time round. Touted as a healthier and all-natural alternative to soda, I’m proud of you and thought that you did went well with biscuits. Alas, you do not mix well with the fried chicken.

I shall stick with Coke.

So now you know. Popeyes is just great for its chicken and mashed potatoes. The cajun fried would had been as good as Long John Silver’s if it was not served cold.

By the way, if you were to take MRT to City Hall and walked from there to Popeyes at Flyer, it’s really a hassle. The location is pretty out of the way. And honestly, I have no idea why the service at Popeye’s is freaking bad! We had the same crappy experience with the service staff at Flyer and Changi! I actually had to clean my own table because the cleaner was no where to be seen and there wasn’t any vacant table in sight so yeah. It’s either that they are horrendously understaffed which probably explains their unfriendly dead-pan face over the counter, or HR sucked at hiring/training.

Sigh. On account of the to-die-for chicken, mashed potatoes and biscuits, Popeyes shall remained one of my favorite fast food. But I really hope the management there could get their act together. Hello? Are you listening?

On the other hand, though KFC chicken sucks in comparison to Popeye’s, I gotta give the Colonel Harland Sanders credit for the commendable service staff, decent popcorn chicken, am porridge, egg tarts! and coleslaw. Actually, for the coleslaw, my compliment only applies to the JB KFCs. SG KFCs serve soggy, pathetic coleslaws! Bluek.

Ok I’m done complaining.

(:

Oh there’s this fried chicken place that is not a franchise outlet. Arnold’s Fried Chicken. Have yet to visit and try the fried birdies there. Will do so soon!

And so, I was very pleased to let my mind roam freely while I stared blankly at the chef cooking my food before my eyes. He’s a shy chap. Hope I did not frightened him. I was ogling at the food. Not him.

I was lucky. It was dinner time but I was the only one at the counter! Usually it would be so crowded. Surprisingly, it wasn’t awkward at all as I sat alone at the teppan counter. Instead, it felt like I had a personal chef that evening, showering me with dishes of freshly stir-fried food. The setting at the counter was perfect for anyone who wanted to indulge in a casual dinner. As I was enjoying my teppan meal, there was a long queue for Sakae sushi booth seats.

I hate queues.

Advice: jump the queue by requesting to sit at the teppan corner. Then, on top of a teppan meal, simply order sushi as side dishes to satisfy your strong sushi cravings.

Sakae Teppanyaki set meals are pretty decent. At a reasonable price of $19.99 I had the beef dinner set that came with salad, seafood teppan chawanmushi, salmon, garlic rice and Miso soup. I couldn’t finish everything. The portions were generous for 1 pax.

I enjoyed the garlic-ky rice and loved the even more garlic-ky teppan beef covered with delectable teriyaki sauce. However, the best dish was tied between the Seafood Teppan Chawanmushi and Mixed mushrooms.

The Chawanmushi was housed in the bowl-shaped onion. Very cute! Waited patiently as the egg steamed on the griddle. I simply couldn’t wait for it to be ready!! The moment my personal chef served the Chawanmushi, I immediately scooped the perfectly steamed egg out from the onion husk and crushed the tender chunks in my mouth. It was sweeter than usual because of the onion! OMG I’m such a garlic and onion lover!

(:

I could smell the mushrooms when it was still half-cooked and the hard-to-describe-peppery-sweet aroma was tantalising. Don’t you agree that mushrooms smell wonderful? I liked how spongy and flavoursome these mushrooms were. This is one dish where I don’t mind having more! Honestly, I rather have more mushrooms and do without the salmon.

Here’s the menu if you want to find more on Sakae Teppanyaki offerings. I shall try the lobster dinner set at my next visit! Probably with more fans of teppanyaki, they can start training chefs to do some entertaining stunts for us at the teppan counter. How about stacking onion slices to produce a flaming onion volcano or flexing some muscles performing wild spatula and knife stunts! It’ll be so cool!

Sakae Sushi
Lot 1 21 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4
#03-10 Lot 1 Shoppers’
Other outlets with Sakae Teppanyaki

Ok so Pizza Hut?  Here’s the reason why I was there that evening.

I was there to taste the Soft Shell Crabbiatta. Does it looked crabby to you?

(:

They named this dish the Soft Shell Crabbiatta because it is a combination of crab with Arabbiatta sauce! Basically, Arrabbiata sauce is a light marinara that is has an extra spicy flavor simply by adding hot peppers to the sauce. Pizza Hut’s latest offering has a piquant taste and is pretty delightful on my taste buds. I enjoyed the soft shell crab with the earthier, smoky sauce. No doubt that the Crabbiatta sauce is tangy and luscious but the pasta kinda lacked texture and was a little too soft. Nevertheless, it’s a quirky twist to how pasta should taste like. Just imagine Singapore chili crab cooked in the Italian way.

Not sure if Pizza Hut Malaysia has this dish but Singapore branches are serving this until 30 April only. It cost $16.90 for a Soft Shell Crabbiatta with a soup of a day and a choice of cooler drinks. I like set meals. It saves me the trouble of making choices. Heh.

Tried Pizza Hut’s zesty fruit delight. Green Harmony ($4.50) was a mix of green apple and passion fruit. Had to take teeny-weeny bites at the mint leaf so my drink can be flavoursome. Felt a little sorry for the mint leaf because most people just ignored them. They were either left swirling around the glass while we stir, looking for bits of Aloe vera or they sank right to the bottom of the glass, forgotten of the role they should play in accentuating the flavour of the drink.

Next, Baked Beef Balls ($5.80)!!! I actually think this tasted on par with IKEA’s meatballs, minus the scrumptious brown sauce and lingonberry jam. Liked that the beef balls were beefy enough. Certainly didn’t felt like I was biting into chucks of flour.

The dish that shone that evening was the Chicken Riblets $5.80. Do not be deceived by it’s uncouth look. Yeah it looked macho and chunky but I was impressed. It was as if I never knew chicken had ribs before this.

Honestly, these whole muscle pieces took me by  surprise at the first bite. Didn’t expect it to be that tasty. It was amazing that the flesh beneath that crispy outer layer was moist, tender and succulent. Had no idea what magical concoction they used to marinate these ribs but it certainly worked on me. Would make a point to order this in all my future visits to Pizza Hut!

Shared the Beef Lasagna ($9.20) with Calvin because I just can’t resist juicy ground beef layered between sheets of thin dough. Its gets even harder when it is baked to perfection with a thick layer mozzarella cheese. As expected, the taste was decent enough.

I used to fix my lasagna cravings at Pizza Hut back in secondary school days. So yeah. I enjoyed reminiscing the familiarity of this dish.

Well of course, a visit to Pizza Hut is never complete without a slice of piping hot pizza.

On a sightly related topic, it came to me that if I ever was to be a pasta, I would like to be a penne. Yeah that cylinder-shaped pasta. It has a very practical design. How the hollow center allows it to hold some sauce and the angular ends makes it easier to scoop? I also like the ridges which gives it a chewy ruffles-like texture.

The point is, I need to be more practical. Like a penne.

(:

Organised by DiningCity.com Singapore, Restaurant Week is actually a highly successful event, a culinary event in countries such as The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and USA. Thus, the launch of Restaurant Week in Singapore instead of anywhere else in Asia sorta amplifies and establishes Singapore’s position as the food capital of Asia. Gotta give credit to this tiny island for beating Shanghai for winning this launch.

After the event, I am officially a fan of Veuve Clicquot! It was lively, delicate yet powerful. Moet & Chandon, Cape Mentelle and Terrazas was also served to my pleasure.

Photo credit to Glenn!

Not to mention those exquisite canapés I sampled from four of the participating restaurants: Julien BOMPARD, Garibaldi Italian Restaurant & Bar, The Song of India and Tatsuya Japanese Restaurant. The event was tastefully done.

This one-week culinary event is a darling for lucky peeps who managed to book limited seats! They can enjoy a special three-course meal at affordable fixed prices of S$35++ for a three-course dinner and S$25++ for a three-course lunch during the Singapore Restaurant Week from 22 to 28 March 2010. Just the perfect opportunity to taste a varied range of unique dining experiences at a wide selection of choice restaurants.

That’s the guys from Tatsuya. Oh when you book your reservations, do check if the particular restaurant is a DiningCity Star Awarded restaurant. If yes, you may be charged a fixed supplement of S$15 for lunch and S$20 for dinner. Also check the menu to see if you like the offerings.

(:

Bookings can ONLY be made online via www.restaurantweek.sg. You gotta hurry if you are interested because the last time I checked, empty tables are fast filling up. There are in total 58 participating restaurants. Unfortunately, Julien BOMPARD and Tatsuya Japanese Restaurant have NO MORE SEATS! 18,000 seats gone so fast! It’s just been a day! Must be those American Express Cardmembers. Yup American Express actually offers early booking privileges to their Cardmembers! Jealous.

):

Not that I’m going to sign up for an American Express card anytime soon. So next year, I shall set my alarm clocks to be the first to reserve some Restaurant Week tables!

*Pete was resting at home so I had to grab pictures from Kyle. Thanks Kyle!*

The celebration was held at the new Esmirada At The Pier located in the thriving dining hub of Robertson Quay. Warm lights illuminated the interior of Esmirada At The Pier and the combination of rustic brick walls with blue accents brought an easy-going allure. Seemed like the perfect place to idle away a lazy Saturday evening with girlfriends!

Esmirada At The Pier is a really cosy and casual restaurant with a rustic charm! We spent the evening at the al fresco seating. Good thing that the courtyard was breezy and when dusk arrived, pretty candles tea lights evoked a romantic feel! Nice.

Ken and I enjoyed a glass of Sangria with Esmirada’s Famous Garlic Bread (S$6) – a towering crusty baguette loaf fragrant with garlic and butter – before digging in to the selection of appetizing antipasti, salads, soups and tapas!

My favourite starter would be the refreshing Greek Salad (S$16)! The cheese was awesome and it gave the salad enough flavor that salad dressing isn’t needed. The sharp taste of onion went really well with the red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. Tasty! Would be perfect if I could add a bit of garlic, a dash of oregano and a teaspoon of white wine vinegar! Hehe I like my salad to be fancy.

Tossed a couple of cold prawns on our plates too to go with the wine. Fresh goodness.

Of course, Mediterranean food is not Mediterranean without some grilled meats, pita bread, and falafel. It was nearly impossible to decide what to taste first considering the selection dishes displayed on the counter.

That’s the roasted pork. I love the few unique starters especially the delectable Balkan dish, Cevapcici (S$18) – grilled meat fingers made from minced beef and lamb and served with a homemade mustard ragoo dip.

Another tasty entrée was this. Make a guess what this is.

Smoked ham! Totally scrummy! Look at the size of that humongous piece of meat!

The chef was there the entire evening making sure that each slices of smoked ham was cut to perfection. These delicate paper-thin slices of smoked ham were so well-flavoured.

Our appetite was further satiated by main courses such as the Esmirada Skewers (from S$28) – perfectly grilled quality ribeye steaks, lamp chops, chicken kebabs, king prawns, swordfish and vegetables served on a custom-made iron frame and accompanied by bell pepper relish, tzatziki sauce and oven baked potatoes.

Ken tried the famous Spanish saffron rice dish, Paella Espanola (S$30), that is brimming with fresh mussels, squid, prawns, chicken and vegetables. That was a hearty dish.

Always have space for dessert when it is chocolate fondue and fresh strawberries!

I’m sure no one could resist creamy smooth chocolate cascading down a chocolate fountain. Sinful.

Craving for some Mediterranean goodies? Well there’s something going on now. You can enjoy 15% discount off Total Bill from now to 31 March 2010 (not applicable with other promos) at all three Esmirada outlets.

Esmirada At The Pier
80 Mohamed Sultan Road
#01-03 The Pier at Robertson

Stank is gonna love this post because I cried on MY birthday! Was cheated by Cablenazi as usual. Oh he does that very well. Whisked me away to Kim Choo Kitchen, a pretty peranakan restaurant right in the Peranakan enclave of Joo Chiat and kept me wondering what is he up to.

At Kim Choo Kitchen,  the colourful patterned tiles and attractive floral porcelain dining ware caught my eye. Beautiful. Totally embodies the distinctive Asian culture of Peranakan culture. This place really gave me the vibe of a humble Peranakan home.

Just when I was admiring the decor, he almost gaveaway his act when the waitress mentioned ‘table for 5 right?’ and when I was about to tweet about his suspicious behavious, Winnie popped into the seat next to him without a sound. The next second when I lifted up my head, I was extremely shocked! But what comes after made my nose turned red. Never expected Stank and Elaine to appear from the stairs! Shockers!

lol. And here are my two lovely ladies.

A ghastly face Stank pulled.

And this, the smug-looking sly mastermind.

Of course will cry la . Never expect Cablenazi to surprise me with these three unexpected guests during dinner! Stank, Winnz and Elaine! Oh my goodness. They actually came all the way from JB for me? Such sweeties! After all the drama, We enjoyed peranakan food at a restaurant and mm the Kueh Chang was very very good. Yum yum. Must eat while its still warm!

Here’s some pictures of the peranakan fare we had that evening. Well, food was passable probably because I’ve tasted better peranakan food. Remember Restoran Nyonya Suan? Anyway what you must-try here is definately the Kueh Chang, beef/chicken rendang and probably the cendol.

Anyway good food is just secondary. The company is what that matters and this year was perfect! Don’t you love surprises! I do!  Especially when it happens on 8 Jan. Definately a birthday I will never forget.

Thanks loves. xoxo, C

The fanciful deco along the way before we entered the posh dining hall was almost dreamlike. I felt like Alice in Wonderland as I walked through the corridors with checkered floorings, robin’s egg blue panels and gold highlights.

That evening, we had items from the ‘Traditional’ Menu, a four course meal with amuse bouche, petit fours and coffee/tea. Thanks Fulvia for the lovely arrangement.

(:

Kicking off with the amuse bouche, our mouth was definitely amused. The amuse bouche we had that day was sliced duck breast with vegetable mousse and beetroot sauce.

Nope amuse bouche is not an appetizer because we don’t even have to order it and it is offered for free! Apparently, this dish which was meant to be finished in one or two bites is something extra that showcases the artistry and showmanship of the chef.

Our small bite before the meal was accompanied by the home-baked focaccia bread which looked like a chubby pancake.

Although the pancake were free flow throughout dinner, we only ate a quarter of ours. Not that it is so bad, just that it is nice to munch on only when it is warm. However, I’m not sure if it was suppose to be served without any olive oil & balsamic vinegar. I didn’t bother to ask. Was busy checking out the wine list.

Praba, the manager was recommended Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose Brut Champagne for me and Prosecco Brut Bubbly for Cablenazi. Good choice. His was dry, crisp with a slightly spicy finish while mine had a sweet aroma and was wonderfully refreshing!

As for the mains, we went nuts over the Pan Roasted King Scallops with French Beans and Hazelnuts.  Amazing. This tasted better than the scallops I had at Pierside.

The scallops were cooked to the right texture and degree of done-ness. The sides of the scallops were beautifully panfriend with cocoa butter and were served with a light tasty sauce made by homemade fishstock with white wines, spices and hazelnut oil. I enjoyed this very very much! Being a big fan of light dishes, this dish was excellent!

The Homemade Spaghetti with Black Cod, Baby Artichokes and Mint was commendably al dente. The black cod tasted a little like Chilean sea bass but had salmon-like texture. The pasta was dressed with aunique artichoke sauce. According to Genevieve from Forlino, the sauce was prepared by sauteeing the artichokes with shallots, garlic, white wine, peppermint, italian parsley and spices before blending all to get a smooth cream! No wonder the dressing was so flavoursome.

The dish was also topped with a garnish of deepfried baby artichokes! Er I find this richly flavoured pasta dish a little too dense probably because it is spaghetti egg noodles. Personally, I prefer lighter tasting noodles. Right now, my current favourite would be chilled capellinni!

The only course which disappointed me was the Roasted Pigeon with Goose Liver Sauce, Chanterelle Mushrooms and Wild Chicory. Though it was fresh ‘Bresse’ pigeon all the way from France, we didn’t finished it.

The meat was a little tough and cablenazi complained that the wild chicory was too bitter. But I think it was pleasantly bitter. Our difference in taste explains why I adore bittergourds and he hates them.

Ah we were kinda surprised by dessert. It was Saffron Jelly with Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar Ice Cream. Yeah balsamic vinegar ice cream? Sounds weird right? Obviously I don’t dine at Italian/French restaurants often.

Anyway I never expected strawberries and balsamic vinegar ice cream to taste so good! Was told that the fresh strawberries were marinated with mint, lemon and sugar for this dish. Oh my the addition of balsamic vinegar actually tempered the richness of the milky ice cream and added a nice little zing to the sweet marinated strawberries. I also liked the chewy texture of the saffron jelly. What a great way to serve strawberries!

Our romantic dinner date at Forlino ended daintily with the delicate looking Petit Fours which comprise of sweet chocolate biscuits, baked meringues and tarts.

Well petit four means mini dessert or confections. It can be cakes, macaroons, éclairs, tarts; basically anything sweet and cute.

As a fine dining restaurant, service, ambience and the presentation of food was quite right though I was a little surprised that the dining room got really noisy when it was 3/4 full with guests. Anyway I am quite impressed at the attention that the waiting staff lavished on every diner. Ladies will definitely be pleased with the mushroom stools available just for our handbags!

Forlino
1 Fullerton Road
#02-06 One Fullerton
Tel: +65 6877 6995
Mon–Sun
12pm–2.30pm, 6.30pm–10pm

Where kind people can stuff themselves with fine American food and just have fun? I suspect Riverdale’s favourite deli has a franchise right in the heart of Singapore. Check the plush comfy seatings. Nice.

We shared the OverEasy Festive 3-course Dinner ($48++ person). For starters, we went with the potato and leek soup instead of a salad. Good choice because the soup was thick and creamy just the way I like it.

Mains, it’s either the Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy or Roasted Beef in Beef Jus. Thanks to Cheryl, we managed to tried a bit of both and both are just as good! Can’t decide.

That’s the turkey served with the best mash potato I’ve ever tasted. Yes it’s even better than the Malaysia’s KFC version. OverEasy’s mash potato are fluffier, richer and creamier. SINFUL. I was telling Ken and Cheryl that I can finish a XXL tub of this perfect, lump-free, creamy mash potato. This is the best mash I’ve tasted so far. Turkey was fine but lack the gamey flavor. Liked the chivey gravy and cranberry jam!

Tasted the beef too. My favourite meat!!! Yay it was a little pink just the way I like my meat; medium. Prefer the juicy, medium rare slices of oven-roasted beef to the tad dry turkey. But I may be a little bias because this is my favourite meat. Hehe but it did had a better bite!

Our desert was the moist and juicy Apple Cobble! The diced apples were tender, warm and its golden brown crust was perfectly baked! It was a hit right away! I think there was a slight fragrant taste of cinnamon. It actually beats the truffle dessert I had at Pierside. Will definitely be back for this baby.

On top of the 3-course dinner, we got The Burger of the Month (Turkey Burger) that costs $21++. Burger was ok but the house fries was so addictive!

We ordered 3 very unique drinks to complement dinner. Guess what they are. Winner gets a drink!

It’s easy right? Just guess lah.

You know what’s tough, trying to stay on a diet at OverEasy IS  tough. But as Cheryl said “when the going gets tough, the tough gets easy”. Yeahh go easy on your diet! Just let it go when you’re at OverEasy.

OverEasy
1 Fullerton Road
#01-06 One Fullerton
Tel: +65 6423 0701