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

George Town Tze Char at 81 Boat Quay is a brand new alfresco dining destination that offers comfortable outdoor dining with a scenic view of the Singapore river. The restaurant specialises in traditional Penang favourites and delectable seafood. If you are headed there, it is very near to Elgin Bridge and within 10 minutes walking distance from City Hall MRT. 

(left) George Town Tze Char alfresco dining area

restaurant signboard

current promo

lovely view

Let me recall when was the last time I visited Penang...wow, 2014. That was such a long time ago! Never mind that, as we enjoyed all the dishes sampled here at George Town Tze Char by award winning Executive Chef George Tan, from Ayer Itam, Penang. Expect carefully selected fresh ingredients and well balanced flavours that's superbly executed.

dinner

Complimentary iced/warm water are offered to diners. While waiting for friends, how about starting with a tasting flight from Singapore's Leading Craft Beer; Brewlander Brewery. For $18, you'll get 4 x 150ml of each Brewlander; Love, Respect, Hope and Peace.

Tasting Flight of Love, Respect, Hope and Peace

Started with the lowest ABV of 4.5% that's HOPE, a Summer Ale that tasted hoppy. Heed my advise and do not to wait out too long before enjoying this light fruity beer. You're welcome.

Brewlander HOPE (150ml)

Brewlander RESPECT (150ml)

The one that stood out from this flight was RESPECT, a dark ale with ABV 5.8%. Tasted of strong coffee, malty and interestingly, somewhat reminiscent of the caramel flavour in those bottled chicken essence. Smooth and velvety with bittersweet aftertaste.

The favourite with the ladies, was unsurprisingly, LOVE. Aromas of all our favourite fruits of mango, pineapple and passionfruit, with a hoppy bitter aftertaste.

Brewlander LOVE (150ml)

complimentary nuts with every purchase of liquor

Okay, by now am hungry. Let's start dinner proper while we sip somemore, yes? 

XO Signature Hor Fun (XO三捞河粉) @$12

The hor fun was well cooked but not the 'saucy' type. The flat noodles were all buried underneath. Mix  them well and dig in! Loved those fried stuffs on top. Think there's dried shrimps, dried scallops amongst the mixture. Comfort food. My friends said it was spicy, but no lei.

jiak~

The portion of the noodles was good for one pax as main or, comfortably shared amongst 3 pax as a side. 

Next up, Pumpkin Prawns. Loved the sauce on the plump, crunchy prawns. Sweet, savoury yums. Wanted to eat more but limited to two pieces per pax. Hehe.

Pumpkin Prawns (金瓜虾球) @$20

enjoy!

Whoa, I was impressed upon first bite of the Rendang Beef Cubes. It was so good! The right texture that's of a good enjoyable chew and with robust flavours that's balanced yet strong enough to make an impression. Wow, this quickly became our favourite dish.

Rendang Beef Cubes (仁当牛丁) @$18

Delicious food calls for more wine, and one could try the white from Argentina of the Torrontes variant that pairs well with tze char or spicy dishes. The wine has a smooth mouthfeel, sweet aromas yet with an unexpected twist to the taste. Something different.

Crios Torrontes 2019 (Mendoza, Argentina) @$12 per glass

If you're a squid lover, go for the Thai Style Squid. Lovely good sized squid, battered and deep fried to perfection. Golden in colour, crunchy on its outside and tender and flavourful on its inside. The minimal drizzle of sauce was adequate. Goes well with ice cold beer!

Penang Thai Style Squid @$15

A dish that's good when dining out with family, would be the crowd favourite Thai Curry Fish Head. Good to share amongst 4 pax, and of course, you'll need rice with this. Yes, may even crave for rice. The sauce was that good! Typical fish used would be the  红哥里 or red snapper head.

Thai Curry Fish Head @$28

The fish quality was good, and its meat firm with natural sweetness. The sauce hits you straight up with its tangy-ness first, before the aromatics of the curry, lemongrass and tamarind were released. This was the reason why I kept reaching out for more sauce on my rice. So yummy.

more rice, more sauce

With so much to eat, let's continue on our vino journey. Are you a fan of New Zealand wine? How about a bottle of vibrant white from Matahiwi Estate for just $68? It has been garnering awards since 2016 and has a Vivino rating of 4.0. Here is a link to Vivino ratings.

Matahiwi Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2019 @$68 per bottle

Tasted fresh and zesty, with fruity acidity akin to lime with a subtle hint of light sweetness. To pair with seafood. Cheers!

If you need more finger food, there's the finger-licking Kungfu Pork Ribs. Baby back ribs glazed with a strong sweet, savoury glaze. For more heat, eat it with the pickled onion. Watch out for those tiny chili padi!

Kungfu Pork Ribs 功夫一支骨@$18

And for night cap, ended with Rojak GIN. Yes, you heard it right. George Town x Compendium is happening right now! Take your pick of Rojak GIN or Chendol GIN, or both *wink*

Rojak GIN @$12 per glass

Rojak GIN is distilled from fermented artisanal Thai honey, then re-distilled with juniper berries, lemon peel and torch ginger. Refreshing with lime, with semi-strong aroma of rojak. Easy to drink.

Overall, one gets quality, delicious and reasonably priced tze char at George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer, as well as a good selection of beer, wine and gin. The perfect place to chill and unwind.

And, do note that they are having a promotion of $1 oysters and $15 crab (terms & conditions applies) right now, so more dishes to enjoy!

Thank you Jennifer for the invite, Charles for your warm hospitality and George Town Tze Char for hosting the dinner.

Delicious meal shared with Kris, Hence and Tracy.

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 11pm

[Tasting] Meatilicious Carnivores Weekend Buffet @ Cafe 2000 M Hotel Singapore

Craving for meats? Satisfy 'em all at the Meatilicious Carniores Weekend Buffet at Cafe 2000, M Hotel. 

Meatilicious indeed

Each table will have order chits for diners to indicate the item(s) and the quantity. Like ordering dim sum. For the meats, order a few at one go and it will be served together on a wooden platter. If you were to ask, I'd say, don't waste time and let's jump right into the meats!

meats

No worries, while waiting for the items to be served, each pax will get a complimentary serving of baked cheesy sea scallop to snack on.

Baked Cheesy Scallop (complimentary starter, 1 serving)

There are add-ons for drinks too. A glass of Prosecco, please. Though beer came close since the weather was so humid these days.

choose your muse

drinks top-up

Piccini Prosecco @$10.80++

small sides

crackling pork belly, pork ribs, roast prime rib of beef

It's been ages since I last dined at Cafe 2000, so we began with a modest order of 3-meats for 2-pax; Grass-fed Roast Prime Rib of Beef, BBQ Citrus Flavoured Baby Back Ribs and Crackling Pork Belly. Came with a side of fries, and served with beef gravy, Thai Pineapple dip and mustard.

The fries was so good! The best I've tasted from a buffet. The sio-bak (crackling pork belly) was nice too especially those fatty parts. Crunch on the skin, and enjoy the mouthfeel of the melty fats and tender meat.

very good fries

lovely tender meat, with crackling skin

The BBQ back-ribs was superb too. Fork tender and easy to clean off the meat from the bone.Just didn't detect the citrus part though.

Beef was enjoyable and lovely with the gravy. Now, I need that glass of M Wine Red...

how about some carbs?

Linguini Vongole with M Wine 

The pasta portion for one pax was actually just the right portion for sampling if you're in a party of 2. Now, we opted for more meats as a finale as befitting the buffet theme!

Norwegian Salmon, Roast Black Pepper ChickenSwiss Cheese Pork Sausage, and Cajun Spiced Garlic Lamb Leg 

The salmon was nicely moist with a hint of turmeric. The pork sausage makes a good pair with beer. Roast chicken was a tad dry and the lamb was good. Mint sauce was pretty sweet!

Thank you Kris for the invite, and Matilda and M Hotel for hosting the tasting.

OCT LAUNCH SPECIAL 30% OFF

ADULT: $50 (U.P $72) Child: $25 (U.P $36)

Complimentary starter: Baked Cheesy Sea Scallop (1 serving per guest)

Available from Fri – Sun, Dinner 6 – 10pm

For reservations: call 65006112 or email Cafe2000.mhs@millenniumhotels.com

Chefs preparing the delicious meats

for the sweets

M Hotel

Address: 81 Anson Rd, Singapore 079908

Web URL: https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/offers/asia/m-hotel-singapore/dining/cafe-2000/meatilicious-carnivores-weekend-buffet/

Contact: 6224 1133

[Tasting] Birds of a Feather - Contemporary Western Cuisine with Pronounced Sichuan Influence @ 115 Amoy Street

Back for more. Thank you Kris for the invite and Eugene for graciously hosting us. Dinner with Tiara and Kris at Birds for their newly launched Menu GSB (Golden Sun Bird). A 7-course meal that's specially curated for the single or couple diner. Was excited to see what Chef Eugene has up his sleeves for this menu.

interior

special menu

Liked that diners have the option to request for multiple courses to be served at once, or at a slower pace for maximum enjoyment. 

ready to dine

For starters, it was Home-made Pickled Vege Focaccia with Sichuan Compound Butter. Bread was nicely crisp on its outside and with just a slight hint of pickled vegetables. Slap on a generous amount of that delicious Sichuan Compound Butter onto the bread, chew on it and tell me if that didn't bring a smile to your face.

Would love to get my hands on a bottle of those butter~

Am impressed by this strong starter that's full of umami flavours.

Home-made Pickled Vege Focaccia with Sichuan Compound Butter

Next, was the Birds Snack, and meant as a surprise dish. Depending on Chef's inspiration for that day, this dish is anticipate to change as and when.

Birds Snack - Foie Gras Ravioli

Chef made us ravioli that day, and boy... I loved it! Textural contrast, harmony of many flavours that complemented each other, and thus made this dish such a joy to eat. Flavour profile was still on the stronger side, and that piqued my interest for more.

lovely foie gras ravioli

One thing about dining at Birds, is that you get to feast on the visuals too. Beautiful plates, one after another.

Octopus Carpaccio

The octopus was tender, but I found the flavours of the Sichuan Mustard Dressing was rather subdued. It was probably my first time eating saffron mung bean jelly!

The next course, was rather "Wow". Stunning visuals. Have a look.

'Yu Xiang' (鱼香) Carabinero Prawn

Lovely, plumpy carabinero that tasted of the sea, laid daintily ontop of a deep fried polenta. Best paired with wine. In fact, this menu has a pairing option. The first three dishes are likely served with white wine, while the next three would be paired with red and for dessert, it will be paired with a cocktail.

The fourth and fifth course, would be slightly heavier, but hey, am not complaining! The broth for the Sichuan Fish Stew was poured table-side and look at its colour! So vibrant in green.

Sichuan Fish Stew

Lovely barramundi, with bits of sea cucumber, and served with healthy pearl couscous. I think if you like boba, you'll like pearl couscous. The broth was mildly spicy, lightly tangy and tasted rich with cream. 

Next up, for the meat lovers, let's indulge in Wagyu Striploin,

finishing touches

Wagyu Striploin MBS4 (top up $25++ for MBS9 wagyu)

The spice butternut puree was a surprise. It was insanely sweet! Chef Eugene explained that it is its natural sweetness that had been intensified naturally. Liked that there was a dash of hot oil on the puree to balance out things. Lovely lightly charred brussel sprouts too. Dab the meat with a bit of the Sichuan Pepper Salt for that East meets West feels.

Last dish, dessert; named simply as Mandarin. We tried the cocktail that's paired with this dessert and it was a good match. Basil cocktail with gin based. Mildly alcoholic, refreshing and not too sweet.

Mandarin, paired with cocktail

The dessert was essentially Baba au Rhum without the rum. A focused flavour of citrus on this plate. The vanilla cream was lovely combined with the soaked baba.

Overall, GSB menu with its tasting portions, offers a good experience to diners who are curious to try a variety of the culinary delights from Birds without worrying about feeling too full after the meal.

Menu is priced at $89++ and Pairing at $60++.

Once again, thank you Eugene and Birds of a Feather team for your hospitality. 

Birds of a Feather

Address: 115 Amoy St, #01-01, Singapore 069935
Website: https://www.facebook.com/birdsofafeathersg
Contact: 6221 7449
Business Hours:
Daily:
Mon - Wed: 10.45am to 3pm, 5pm to 11pm
Thurs: 10.45am to 3pm, 5pm to 12am
Fri - Sun: 10.30am to 12am (10pm on Sun)

Summerlong @ The Quayside

Brunch. Where to? How about place with beach vibe and Mediterranean food? Let's go!

menu

Bummer 'coz I was late and the place was getting busy by the time I arrived. "We got some bread and cauliflower hummus dip, that's more cauliflower than anything." They said while shoving a plate that's left with one triangular slice of pita. Okay, not that I can understand a word of those, but I think my friends meant, they had started with the breads and left one piece but more is coming and eat it with this dip.

open kitchen view

pita bread replenished

Water is chargeable at $1 per head at this place, and you'd get the option of sparkling or still. Free-flow thereafter and the staff does a good job in making sure we are hydrated.

Oh, seems like there's a 2-hours limit for the table during weekends. Hence, we will need to return the table by 2pm for our 12pm reservation.

not sure what my friends had ordered, but it's one or two of these things

Tried The Venetian, which is made of Prosecco, soda water and a select apertivo, which turned out to be campari, I think. Nice colour and thankfully, not that bitter.

The Venetian @$17

Soon, the food rolled in. Glad that we didn't over order this time round! Sausages were nice and mildly spicy. Friendly service staff reminded us to be careful with the Shakshuka pan as it was hot, and the soulvlaki looked kinda cosy wrapped in fluffy bread.

Garlic sausage @$10

Shakshuka Red @$24

Onion bread for the Shakshuka

Lamb Soulvlaki @$17

The red shakshuka tasted more tomato-ey than of spices. Lovely when hot, and bread was useful to mop up those sauces.

The lamb souvlaki was lean and loved the fluffy bread with yoghurt spread. There was some tomato slices in there along with fries. Interesting mix of carbs on carbs.

To end, we had the citrus millefeuille. A lovely looking dessert. Sweet.

Citrus Millefeuille @$15

of greek yoghurt, orange cream, filo pastry, orange compote and tarragon

Thank you Elle for organising and the treat! Brunch with Elle, Hence and Tracy, and Ivan.

Summerlong

Address: 60 Robertson Quay, #01-04, Singapore 238252

Website: https://www.summerlongsg.com/

Contact: 6235 1225

Business Hours:

Mon - Thurs: 11.30am to 10.00pm

Fri-Sun: 10.30am to 10.00pm