Restaurant Week Singapore 2012

A week long gastronomic affair with over 100 participating restaurants offering lunch and dinner at $25*+++ and $35*+++ respectively for this week only.

Organised by diningcity.com, they have an online booking system where reservations, changes and cancellations are to be done solely online.

For every booking made, there'll be a reservation code generated and sent to your email inbox.

A few days prior to your reservation, an email reminder would be automatically sent.

Cancellations made within 24 hours may be liable for a cancellation charge imposed by the restaurant.

That's only fair since they would be preparing ingredients for the special restaurant week menu offered during this period.

Dummy's guide to the online system unnecessary. :)

Nestled behind Jumbo with ample parking space.

Hello Roadhouse.

Their normal daily menu at the restaurant side with indoor seating.

White washed walls,

minimalist but their cosy lighting and cushioned seats along the side of the wall gives a sense of indiscriminate comfort.

Just across from them you'd find Hacienda, their bar and bistro side with chill out style alfresco seating.

That's also where the washrooms are located.

Special menu for the $35+++ dinner for restaurant week.

It was easy.

Two of us and two choices of each.

We'll have everything on the menu please.

This was the first dish to arrive and look at that beauty. :)

Bacon rind is a perfectly edible ziplock for juices.

My case in point.

The juicy chicken encased within crisp bacon rind.

The bit of green jalepenos did wonders to open up an appetite and reduce the effects of sticky sweet honey glaze.

Prawn tostadas.

This was a mouthful of flavours.

The sweetness and light heat of the mango salsa, creamy guacamole and diced prawn with crunch with a melted topping of strong gorgonzola cheese

on a lightly toasted soft tortilla triangle.

Once you pop, you can't stop.

Seated by the windows,

you watch as the darkness of night slowly creeps up on you.

A perfect night out for a slow dinner to be enjoyed.

Why people would chop up wagyu to be used in a patty I fail to comprehend.

170g was the size of a toddler's fist.

For what it lacked in width, it made up in height.

The green apple slices were smothered to death by cinnamon powder, it left a terribly bitter aftertaste that marred the entire eating experience.

The caramelized onions were a caramel color but it did not have the sweet charred taste I was expecting.

Now the thing that me about these tiny gourmet burgers is that they are too tall and too small to be taken in both hands in eaten heartily.

So I was of course, resigned to using the utensils and attempting to deconstruct and eat it with pairings of whichever portions dependent on what can be speared together.

But those fries were a treat.

Tossed in truffle oil?

Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.

For a moment I forgot about my first love for soggy fries. :)

Mayonnaise and chilli in squeeze bottles.

Yum!

The use of an artificial light from a Galaxy SII with an unccoperative light crew.

He was suitably embarrassed holding onto the flash light in the cosy restaurant only indulging me in my pictorials because he wouldn't be able to touch this plate otherwise.

Then I realised perhaps my SIII's camera flash would suffice.

The mushrooms were full on with their earthy woody taste.

It overpowered the taste of the steak.

We asked for a medium but it was almost well done but we were too hungry to bother.

This was an ample grammage of meat for a hungry man.

Thick cut and full on juices.

It might have been the comparison with the wagyu beef patty but this was lacking in that beefy taste a carnivore would be looking for.

Sticky date pudding served warm and topped with a generous helping of walnuts covered in butterscotch sauce and a side of vanilla ice cream.

I knew I love you before I sank my spoon into you already.

The vanilla ice cream evident with speckles of vanilla bean in the picture was a disappointment since it did not taste redolent of its essence.

valrhona caramelia chocolate mousse
when served together with the sticky date pudding,

this looked like a sad piece of cake.

and it was.

it didn't live up to its name.

While the chocolate sponge was good,

that which was called a mousse...

tasted like salted caramel which would not be bad thing save for the oily aftertaste left lingering in your mouth.

More misses than hits.

But the service was good. Attentive waitstaff made sure the plates were cleared and water continuously refilled without being intrusive.

Still a good venue for dinner.

But perhaps let's just stick with the regular menu options.

This was a first time participation for Roadhouse in Restaurant Week so I hope they'll work on the menu hey.

Cooking at home :)

Eating your greens.

Grandma fries up these crunchy long beans cut into sections.

And lean chicken pieces that lock in the juices from the stock.

Mmm.

And if you never fancied greens.

Vergetables in disguise might be the way to go.

Grated turnip strips.

Stewed till thoroughly infused with the savoury gravy flavoured by dried cuttlefish slices.

It's a sweet savoury affair that unfortunately keeps bowls of rice coming.

And just because it was Children's Day,

I decided to make myself some breakfast.

Not that I was in denial about my age but that it was a legit holiday hey. :)

Sesame oil, dark soy sauce, ketchup and chilli, pepper to taste.

And if you wanted, a dash of oyster sauce. 

Grilled chicken fillet, diced.

Japanese cucumber cored and chopped.

Non-fried Cintan broad noodles boiled together with the ingredients.

I like my cucumber boiled rather than raw in this dish.

But it's really up to the individual.

Here comes the fun bit.

Toss!

Make sure the noodles are evenly coated.

It was a good start to my day off :)

the vault @ club street

The Vault has opened its doors to the public since June this year.

Marketing and publicity has been rife-

scoring reviews in 8 days, a DBS Indulge feature on Channelnewsasia, features in I-S Asia and Timeout Singapore and the list goes on.

So what's the deal about this 7,000 square feet, two storey shop house with a running theme to the history left behind by the former occupants of the Overseas Chinese Bank Corporation in the 1930s?

The basics.

There's a bistro on the first level and a bar on the second.

It's a cozy, laid-back SoHo feel with its bare walls, various assortment of books and magazines to be read and these guys support the local art scene by opening up their space to be used for art features by local artists.

It's a bachelor's dream pad complete with a party going on every night at the bar upstairs and an open concept kitchen offering up a western fusion menu on the first level.

Now we're talking.

Sides that can also be ordered for bar bites if you're having drinks upstairs.

Bank balls.

Juicy meatballs topped with cheese.

Baked and drizzled with sweet sauce.

Hoisin perhaps?

Getting fresh.

Plump prawns that pack a crunch on a serving of Aglio Olio.

With your choice of pasta.

It's an open concept kitchen where the pizza oven is glaringly visible.

Although it isn't a traditional wood fired one,

you can probably bet your money's worth that the pizzas would be the house specials.

I loved the crust.

Thin but yet not quite.

Enough to hold its own weight balancing the toppings without causing you to make a mess.

Cajun chicken albeit a tad too dry,

was still a traffic stopping order.

Garnished by the bright hues of red, yellow and greens of bell peppers.

Peking duck some days (subject to availability)

and smoked duck breast most other days.

This smoked meat tasted like a refined version of its pork counterpart.

An acquired taste.

But the combination of sweet hoisin sauce, salty smoked meat and bitter rocket worked for me.

The verdict

A place to see and to be seen.

And I've been impressed with a fusion menu that offers up more than just your usual Western serves.

:)

The panic about freckles

On bananas that is.

When they get too ripe! :)

If you ask me, I'd just eat them.

No panic on my side.

But let's share some love.

Chop them up roughly and let's get them baked!

5 large eggs.

280 grams of caster sugar.

Adjust as necessary depending on the sweetness of your bananas.

Beat the eggs, sugar and 200 grams of canola oil

Make some banana cupcakes.

It's a lot easier to share the love. :)

I put on some chocolate nibs and walnut bits.

Decorate as you would!

I'd put rainbow sprinkles if they were for kids. :)

I don't know about you but the addition of toasted whole walnuts on loaves of banana cake make itlook absolutely scrumptious!

I forgot to save some banana slices and mixed them all into the cake batter.

But I'd remember to put some on top next time. :)

Credits to the recipe taken from

http://wensdelight.blogspot.sg/2011/03/soft-spongy-banana-cake.html

The cake that I baked was dense and very filling.

Goes down well with a cup of cold milk for a night snack but there's definitely a repeat attempt to see if I can make it soft and spongy next time round.

What affects the texture?

Especially with a recipe that uses a substantial amount of oil?

Perhaps I need to beat the eggs, sugar and oil for a longer period of time.

Hmm.

Let me know if you've tried and succeeded? :)

Ohmyyum.

heart healthy carrot cake

Toast 'ems.

A generous helping of brain food.

Half a cup or more if you'd like.

Chopped roughly.

Rabbit food.

Baking supplies. 

2.5 cups of grated carrots.

Pat dry with kitchen towels.

Half a cup of canned pineapples.

Diced and drained.

Beat four eggs together with 1.5 cups of canola oil and 2 cups of sugar.

Caster sugar.

Icing sugar is far too fine and makes the mixture all too gooey.

Lesson learnt.

Tip: If you don't have caster sugar on hand, pulse the normal sugar in a food processor a few times and you should get sugar that's a bit more fine. :)

Fold in sieved flour mixture.

That's 2 cups of all purpose flour, a teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder and three quarts of a teaspoon of nutmeg and 2 teaspoons of baking soda and baking powder each.

Then mix in the grated carrots, diced pineapples and walnuts.

All ready for the oven!

180 degrees for 45 minutes.

Watch the top though, they brown quickly but it doesn't mean the cake's done.

Test it with a skewer.

Till it comes out clean :)



Option to add in raisins too.

Eat well! :)

Ardent's @ 80 Neil Road

Love the cosy feel.

Nothing like an iced frappe for a respite from the sweltering heat.

Hell yeah, bring on the whipped cream.

I'm sure that walk in the heat from Chinatown station was reason enough. ;)

$7.90 for a generous serving of rosti.

Crisp crust.

Creamed scrambled eggs.

And add-on option for just $2.

Adding on a cheese hotdog would be the $2.50 option.

Brunch doesn't always have to be an expensive affair.

Eggs Montreal

Their relation to smoked salmon?

Perfectly poached eggs.

Just enough hollandaise sauce.

And the simple side salad that I really love.

Why we didn't do the dessert option here on my last visit, I question myself.

But better late than never.

I mean,

LOOK AT THAT.

Warm lava cake.

Molten chocolate.

A generous scoop of hazelnut ice cream.

Served on a cookie crunch base.

All drizzled with sticky caramel.

Oh my yum.

And?

This was $8.80.

I kid you not.

Tempted?

And just because it was a birthday celebration for my dive buddies,

here's a First Hug from The Patisserie.

Mango Passionfruit Meringue.

In all that crumbly goodness,

this was amazing. :)

Have a happy birthday already!

Special additions of dolphin and nemos for you.