Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts

Saturday, September 23, 2023

[Tasting] George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer 乔治 海鲜 New Menu @ 81 Boat Quay

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Was invited to try their new signature dishes, so let's get right to it. Looking at the variety of dishes in its new menu, diners now have the option of not only being able to enjoy traditional Penang dishes that its known for, but also more fancy dishes of lobster, A5 wagyu, caviar and abalone to name a few! Chef Michael Khor Choon Keat, culinary maestro with over 25 years of experience, is now helming the kitchen team at George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer.

Let's have a look!


Black Truffle Sauce Lobster


Black Truffle Sauce Lobster @$68++

plump with hints of truffle

A thing to note of this dish was that the aroma of truffle was really subtle to the nose. Only when it lands in the mouth that one truly taste the truffle.


Foie Gras with Caviar

Foie Gras with Caviar @$38++


Always wanted to impress your dining companion with foie gras and a glass of wine at a tze char place? Now you can!

The salad looking dish consist of duck meat cubed and slightly spicy. Interesting.


Lemon Butter Prawns in Yam Ring

Lemon Butter Prawns in Yam Ring @$38++

yam

The prawns at George Town has always maintained its standard this was no exception. The sauce was nicely thick though lemon taste was somewhat barely there.


Black Pepper A5 Wagyu

Black Pepper A5 Wagyu 120g @$48++


The sauce of the wagyu dish is strongly flavoured so, get ready with your drinks for this one.


Supreme Lobster Paofan

Supreme Lobster Paofan @$68++

clams, fish, baby scallops

lobster

And I think I have said this before, after all the drinks, it is really nice to have a bowl of comforting soup. The paofan here is our favourite dish that night. No, not because we had a lot of drinks (I had 1 glass of beer) but because the broth was flavourful and hovering between light and medium bodied. Seafood in there like the baby scallops, lobster and clams has a subtle sweetness and the crispy rice puffs made it all fun eats.


Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Mushroom

Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Mushroom 至尊三宝  @$38++

This dish of deliciously braised abalone, sea cucumber and mushroom combination is one that I may find in a wedding banquet but you can also enjoy it at George Town!


While not new on the menu, do watch out for their $1 chili crab promotion too and do enquire about the terms and conditions when ordering.

Chili Crab

chili crab




Lobster Mixed Platter and 3-Litres Amber Lager Tower

Priced at $88++, it's a delightful combination that's likely will appeal to the social drinkers in this area, looking for a great night out with their buddies. This combo works great for a group of 4 pax.

Lobster Mixed Platter, serves 4 pax limited to one per table


cheers!

lobster meat

prawn rolls

tako balls

Gobo sticks

deep fried octopus

mentaiko

The Lobster mixed platter consists of snacks that goes well with the beer. You may want to enquire on what are the small plates for that day before ordering.


Thank you Jennifer (Jennifer Yeo Consultancy ) for the invitation and George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer for hosting the tasting. Special thanks to their friendly staff who attended to our table that night.


George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer 乔治 海鲜

Address: 81 Boat Quay, Singapore 049869

Website: https://george-town-tze-char-and-craft-beer-boat-quay.business.site

Contact: 6535 6277 

For bookings: Whatsapp 96823826

Business Hours:

Daily 12pm to 3am


Saturday, June 10, 2023

Blue Smoke @ Joo Chiat

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I first got to know about 1925 Brewing Company was via its beer, "Liang Teh". Haha, yeah. So curiosity was piqued when I found out about Blue Smoke, an Asian Smokehouse by 1925 Brewing Co., which incidentally, is within the vicinity of my staycay at Katong.

Kris, Tracy, Hence and Ivan are agreeable to have dinner at this place, so Ivan made a same day reservation since it was risky to do a walk-in on a weekend evening. There's a $15 per pax deposit for reservations of 4-pax and above.

Walking to Blue Smoke from Hotel Indigo, took us about 10 minutes or so. Ivan, Hence and Tracy were already seated by the time Kris and myself got there.

signage

interior

The early birds had ordered appetizers of chicken skin and belinjo. So we reached at the right time!

Crispy Chicken Skins @$14

Emping Belinjo @$6

Chicken skin was not as crispy as we had imagined it to be, but for me, it was strangely addictive. One piece after the other. The emping belinjo was as expected and the homemade chili balado became a star on our table. It has the right spicy kick and loveable taste! We refused to let go of it, even when the belinjo crackers were long gone. This later was proven to be the right choice, as the chili balado goes well with the dirty rice too!

Vienna Lager @$7

I got myself a Vienna Lager, which is a limited edition brew. Limited till when? No idea also, but am a sucker for this type of wordings on the menu. Hahaa! Flavours of malt with a touch of bitterness as the aftertaste.

Lychee Lager @$7.50

I like the Lychee Lager more, as it was sweeter and more refreshing as that night was hot and humid!

Miso Shitake Buns @$8

Read plenty of reviews about the umami miso shitake buns. It was just alright for me. Good flavours of mushrooms earthiness but was somewhat expecting a stronger flavour punch. Loved the soft brioche, but everything on it was soft too.

Smoked Crispy Pork Belly @$22

Our first plate of meat was the pork belly! Lovely vibes from this dish. Not too porky taste, meat was tender with a good bite, and lovely to eat with the wasabi sour cream.

But, of course we need our vegetables too! Thus, I insisted on the cabbage.

Charred Napa Cabbage @$14

We could probably get alot of Napa Cabbage from the market with that price but oh boy, this plate was delicious! Cabbage was softened, the fried shallots on top gave it a hint of crunchiness, and swipe a piece with the garlic aioli, and oh yes, this one was umami! One of my favourite plate of that night.

served with roasted garlic aioli (that blob there, the one that looked like a prune..)

Chargrilled Wagyu @$28

200 gms of wagyu, was finished in no time. Flavours were on-point, but pistachio crumble were really scarce. Didn't taste much of it. Enjoyable mouthfeel for each piece of the wagyu slice. 

Smoked and Grilled Pineapple @$10

I didn't remember much of the pineapple but the sunflower seed cream, was causing me to lose my mind. It has a peculiar taste and that was the most intriguing part of this dish. We even asked the service staff to enquire if there's anything special in the sauce. I found it interesting!

"Dirty" Rice Basmati @$8

Initially, I thought ordering rice will not be a good choice as usually, I'd avoid carbs when eating out with the group. But this, was worth ordering especially for sharing. It paired real well with our main course of Wood Smoked Beef Brisket.

Wood Smoke Beef Brisket (left to right: Naval End, Point End) @$48

If my memory is correct, I think we got 100gms of Naval End and 200 gms of Point End with Point End being the fattier cut.

Naval End Smoked Beef Brisket


Loved the pickles served with the brisket. The rendang sauce, basmati rice and the bits of the brisket goes very well together. And, add a dash of that homemade sambal balado for extra oomph!

Having had brisket from other smokehouse before, I like the version at Blue Smoke more as the seasoning is not too strong.

Wood Fired Basque Cheesecake @$18

Ended our meal with the cheesecake and birthday wishes from the group. Thank you Tracy, Hence, Ivan and Kris for the meal! 

Special thanks to the two friendly service staff who attended to our table and answered all our queries during dinner.


Blue Smoke

Address: 261 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427515

Websitehttp://www.the1925.com.sg/bluesmoke

Contact: 8923 1592

Business Hours:

Closed: Mon

Fri - Sat: 12:30 pm–12:00 am

Sun: 12:30–10:00 pm

Tues-Thu: 4:00–11:00 pm

Sunday, April 16, 2023

Frieda Beer Garden & German Restaurant @ Capitol Singapore

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Place was suggested by Jingwen, and it was picked as none of our group has tried this before. Plus, our colleague whom was leaving, do enjoy beer thus, Frieda seemed about right.

One thing about the clusters of restaurants at this place, is that it still felt pretty warm in here especially the 'outdoor' seats. Maybe it is just me? Hahaa!

Funny thing was that I had mistakenly stood at the La Scala entrance and the staff was looking bored (as though this probably happened often enough) and asked, are you visiting Frieda? Next door.

Happy Hour

Was too late for Happy Hour though, but nevertheless, still ordered our pints. Place seemed understaffed so, we had to wait for 15 more minutes after we had informed that we were ready to order.

for the thirsties

Mine was the Geisshugel Weiss. Refreshing with a bitter aftertaste. Colleagues ordered Signature Frieda Lager and Geisshugel IPA. Teetotalers went for the fermented drink; 1994 Bionade Lemon-Bergamot and San Pellegrino Limonata.

complimentary bread

The butter was already placed part of the table setting. Bread was nice but we also ordered their house baked pretzel to try.

Rinderragout Mit Wurzelgemuse (Beef Stew with root vegetables and Spatzle) @$29

KäseSpätzle Mit Lachs Creme Sauce Und Gouda Käse Uberbacken (Cheese Spatzle with Salmon) @$29

Coincidentally, two of my colleagues ordered dishes with Spatzle in them. Read more about spatzle here.

Is veal from cow or pork? As per my understanding as well as what is written in Wikipedia , veal is the meat of calves or young cows. We also asked the staff, and according to the staff, the veal sausage here is made of pork. Hmmm.

Anyway, to play safe as one of my colleague doesn't take beef, we ordered non-veal dishes. I suggested to her to get the Chicken Cordon Bleu and it was a good choice.

Cordon Bleu, Kartoffel-Gurkensalat Und Preiselbeeren (Chicken Cordon Bleu)  @$32

with cheese layer rolled within the chicken breast

Cranberry sauce that came with the dish was yummy as well. We used it as the dip for other things such as pretzel. Hahaa!

Hausgebackene Pretzel (freshly baked Pretzel) @$5

The pretzel was lovely with the coarse salt on it. Pair it with cranberry sauce or butter for extra oomph.

Gegrillte Wurst Platte, Hausgemachtes Sauerkraut, Kartoffelbrei, Bretzel Knodel, Dijon Senf @$49

The sharing platter (for 2 pax) consists of grilled sausages (4 types), a piece of ham, served with sauerkraut, mashed potato, pretzel dumplings and dijon mustard.

The mashed potato was a crowd favourite for it was buttery and flavourful on its own. The prerzel dumplings was unique as it tasted like bread but looked like a meatloaf. Hahaha! It was a mild flavourful bready savoury kind of taste, and no, it didn't taste like pretzel.

Pretzel Dumplings

The version of sauerkraut here tasted like the fillings of popiah (the cooked turnip fillings) with a slight tangy-ness, hence it was a rather familiar taste.

Enjoyed all of the sausages but can't remember which one was which but there was pork and chicken somewhere in there, and one that was spicy.

The above orders fed the five of us and everyone was stuffed.

Thank you to the staff who came by to top up our water. Payment at the counter.


Frieda Beer Garden & German Restaurant

Address: 13 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178905

Websitehttps://www.kempinski.com/en/the-capitol-singapore/restaurants-bars/frieda-beer-garden-german-restaurant

Contact: +65 6715 6873

Business Hours:

Sun-Wed: 11:30 am–10 pm

Thu-Sat: 11:30 am–12 am


Wednesday, January 11, 2023

[Tasting] Basdban @ 51 Telok Ayer Street

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Accessible via Telok Ayer MRT, this place oozes happening vibes in the evening. Think neon lights, attractive cocktails and tasty food. Great for nearby office dwellers, whom are looking for a place to unwind after a hard day at work.

Was invited for a dinner tasting at Basdban, so let's have a look at what's good there. Come with me!

entrance to Basdban

let's eat spicy then

all sorts of flavours

nice bar, let's get some drinks!

Flower in My Gin @$25

That's right, I go for the pretty ones. Hahaa, safest choice because it's Gin, Elderflower, Cucumber and Tonic. Not much of the cucumber taste. Volume is good and I can drink it for looong.

one more shot, because it's pretty!


Take a sip of Kyoho, and you'll find it very very familiar. Pretty sweet, easy to drink, vodka based.

Kyoho @$23

Negroni @$28 (HH: 1-for-1)

One could be childlike with Kyoho, but definitely adulting with Negroni. Smokey, bitter...herbal.

smoke gets in your drink

Negroni, ready and sexy

Drinks such as Kyoho, Oriental Flare and Sichuan Sour have their mocktails version as well.



 

Let's feed the bellies! First up, some slices of salmon sashimi swirled up in funky dressing. Contrary to its name, it tasted of good 'ol soy and nothing quite funky about it besides the catchy name.


Funky Fish @$18

Sticky Pork Ribs @$18

Fashioned after 糖醋排骨 , the sticky pork ribs with Sichuan sweet vinegar glaze were lip smacking good. Meat was firm to bite and decorated with crunchy pistachio. Housemade pickles were delish too.

The first two dishes were non-spicy, so we were eager to let our tongues tingle with the "Lalalalalala Fried Chicken" (why the name so long ah?). Served on a retro looking plate/shallow basin (?) and sprinkled generously with toasted white sesame. The Sichuan green chili looked dangerous.

Lalalalalala Fried Chicken @$28

lala (clams) and fried chicken

Pro-tip: White rice with Lalalalala Fried Chicken equates to ooh-la-la kind of euphoria.

white rice

Was it spicy? For sure! For me, it was like level 7 out of 10. But I think there could be some chilies in there that wasn't as spicy. My friends said so. I had my doubts because every bite of mine, it was super shiok spicy! What I liked about Sichuan green chili, is that the spiciness was sharp and strong at the front and eventually fades away after a short while. If it gets too much, I had Flower in My Gin to cool me down.

Next, was a vegetable dish. Wok-fried broccolini, caulini and minced tofu. Strong flavours of savoury salty. The leaves were juicy and sweet though.

Two to Tango @$23

BB Prawn Aglio Olio @$28

If you're wondering what does Sichuan style Aglio Olio tasted like? Hmm.. it is unlike a classic aglio olio. Definitely saucier, and slightly sweet. Prawns were of a good size, and juicy.

slurp it up

If you want to eat 烤鱼 (grilled fish), order up the 'Wholey Fish'; Barramundi in mala broth.

Wholey Fish @$48

Was super duper full by this time but let's eat some Unagi Donabe! Portion was meant for 2-3 pax.

Basdban Unagi Donabe @$45

Sichuan waxed meat, Spicy sausage, Unagi, Dried Sole, Morel mushrooms, lard, special shoyu

Must must eat the scorched rice. Good stuffs!

precious scorched rice


And of course, we'd wrap it up with dessert.

Glutinous Rice @$15


Let's talk about Glutinous Rice done three ways; fried, pudding and boiled. Glutinous rice pudding was interesting. It has the aftertaste of 红糟 (wine lees).


Pick Me Up! @$15


Pick Me Up! is actually somewhat of a deconstructed tiramisu. There's sweet, bitterness from cocoa, crunchy, soft, coffee flavours, mascarpone and yes, contains alcohol. I like!

Thank you Kris for the invite and Basdban for hosting the dinner. Special thanks to Chef Eugene for feeding us! And Sharon, for taking care of our table. See you again.


Basdban

Address: 51 Telok Ayer St, #01-01, Singapore 048441

Websitehttps://www.facebook.com/basdban.sg/

Contact: 9755 1058

Business Hours: 

Sun: Closed

Mon-Fri: 11am–3pm, 5–11pm

Sat: 11am–11pm

 
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