VENUE By Sebastian @ Downtown Gallery

Heard that the food was good, so went to experience it with a few friends. The food served was described as European with selective Asian influences and tapas-portioned. Reservation is necessary especially on Fridays.

Its menu was printed on a single-paged A4 sized paper so there wasn't any difficulty in choosing our plates. To start, we had the burnt toast. This was ordered more out of curiosity but I think this will be useful to mop up the sauce for other dishes such as the Chilean Seabass.

For a group of 4 pax, it is recommended to get at least one pasta and two main courses, with one or two sides and two desserts.

The service staff has informed that the food will be served as soon as they are ready. Burnt toast was as its namesake. Toasted bread it was.

Burnt Toast @$3

The lamb riblet was just a stick of lamb satay. Hmm, I wouldn't order this again. The whitebait with chili salt was nice and we can't stop eating it. Thus far, all these were like bar-food.

Lamb Riblet @$5 per stick

Whitebait with chili salt @$9

And of course, we had our drinks to go along with the food. Guess which of the drink below was my order.

Yuzu Uijin @$15

C.O.T.M (Check Out These Melons) @$17

Fair Lady @$16

Was delighted with mine, the Fair Lady which was a refreshing cocktail concocted out of tequila, st germaine, cucumber syrup (didn't know this was a thing!) and apple tea. Tasted like apple tea infused with cucumber but has an alcoholic punch to it. It tasted like a thirst quencher but that would probably knock me out thereafter!

Next up was yet another appetiser. The tofu and the octopus. Oh boy, the flavours from the tofu and foie gras mirin were superb. But just two pieces, definitely not enough! Those iced lettuce were genius as well.

Homemade tofu, foie gras mirin sauce and iced lettuce @$12

Grilled octopus, bean puree, capers, burnt butter @$27

Grilled octopus was expectantly tender and enjoyable. Good with the drinks. But we were still hungry. Thus, a pasta dish (or two) is an absolute necessity. Unless you're only there for drinks.

The handcut pasta with duck ragout was an explosion of strong flavours. That pasta texture was unforgettable. Best texture I've tasted from a pasta dish! It surpassed all our expectations and is a must-order. Totally recommended. Will gladly have this again but won't be willing to share! Ok, maybe I'll share it if you have the Chilean Seabass.

Handcut pasta, duck ragout, parmigiano reggiano @$21

Chilean Seabass. mushroom-bacon ragout, truffle yuzu butter sauce @$36

It is of little wonder that the Chilean Seabass is a signature dish at VENUE. Everything on that plate was on-point. Fish was cooked perfectly and the golden top was like a crowning glory. That mushroom-bacon ragout was just so tasty and the yuzu butter sauce, that we made sure it coated every side of the fish. Even contemplated on whether to order another set of burnt toast to mop up those delicious sauce with!

Having had those two outstanding plates, it widened the contrast gap when we tried the duck confit. The duck confit was good with crisp skin and tender meat but it paled in comparison with the handcut pasta and chilean seabass.

36 hours duck confit, truffle emulsion, mesclun, lemon-mustard vinaigrette @$19

By now, our tummies were feeling slightly full and our last main course made its appearance. The fennel crusted lamb belly. Oh my gosh. This was another pleasant surprise. Lamb lovers, please order this plate. It is definitely a must-have! Had a bite of those lamb belly and I went straight up to belly heaven. Seriously good. Those yellow things on that plate which I don't know what it was, we just lapped it up. Very very tasty and wished we had more bread which we would, if we weren't feeling full already by then.

Fennel crusted lamb belly spicy breadcrumbs, romesco @$18

But, we could not leave without first trying their dessert. So we had not just one but two dessert! We had the tiramisu and the financier.

Tiramisu, kahlua, wild cherry in kirsch @$12

The kahlua in the tiramisu was rather mild, and the tiramisu was so light, I could have eaten it all by myself. Ok, I admit. I ate half of it! Those crunchy choco balls on top gave that much needed contrast in texture. But where was the wild cherry?

digging right in

Did not expect the financier to be of such a big rounded piece. The pistachio sauce was the highlight on that plate. So good that most will clamour for it to be bottled so that we could take it home. The financier itself was sweet as expected and rich tasting. Good with a cup of black coffee. I wondered what would be the difference between 'hand-squeezed' coconut versus a machine squeezed one. Fancy.

Pistachio financier, hand-squeezed coconut sorbet, raspberry yoghurt @$14

pistachio financier

Would highly recommend the handcut pasta with duck ragout, the chilean seabass and the fennel crusted lamb belly.

Expect to spend about $75 per pax (inclusive of an alcoholic drink). Happy eating!

Fumée @ Millenia Walk

Fumée has a good deal going on for the 2017 festive season. Together with Hungrygowhere, diners could enjoy this HungryDeal where $38++ gives you a 3-course set meal with a complimentary glass of bubbly! 
Had tried the set meal and it was well worth the money. Say no more and let's look at the photos. The set meal has two items to choose from for each of its appetiser, main and dessert.

For appetiser, choose from the luxurious Foie Gras Salad or the Smoked Salmon Gravlax. The salad was nicely dressed so both were equally tasty. It was hard to choose one because the gravlax wowed with the generous amount of salmon but the creamy, sinfully wobbly foie gras won.

Foie Gras 

Smoked Salmon Gravlax

For the mains, one could choose the Chicken Roulade with Silky Mash or Prime Rib with roasted Butternut and Chestnut. Eh, sounds like turkey stuffings when I saw butternut and chestnut.

Chicken Roulade tasted healthy and the meat was rather gentle and not dry. The flavours from the mushroom sauce was good and the silky mash was truly enjoyable.

Chicken Roulade with Silky Mash

The Prime Rib was nicely done with a pink center. Only lightly seasoned to enjoy the true beefy taste of the meat. Those prized butter topping the meat was exquisite.

Prime Rib with roasted Butternut and Chestnut

Of course, all of these ought to be enjoyed with a glass of wine. We had a French Sauvignon Blanc. Drinkable and light.

Sauvignon Blanc

And, for desserts, there is a choice of Toffee Pudding or Christmas Cake. My preference was to end it lightly with the Christmas Cake. Toffee Pudding was nice and tasted akin to Sticky Date pudding but it was a tad heavy. A cup of coffee would pair so well with the Christmas Cake.

Toffee Pudding

Christmas Cake

Enjoy this HungryDeal where $38++ gives you a 3-course set meal with a complimentary glass of bubbly! Reserve now via HungryDeal. Terms and conditions apply.

[Media Invite] Beyond Pancakes @ Marina Square Mall

Pannenkoek? Galettes? Now you have can them all at Beyond Pancakes. This halal-certified casual eatery is located at Level 3 of Marina Square Mall, serves a variety of European influenced pancakes, burgers and pastas.

menu

As usual, we went with the Chef's recommendation. For hors d'oeuvre, we had the Nachos Set. Yes, that's French for appetizer. The nachos were actually toasted crispy crepe which was served warm and crispy, then loaded with mozarella cheese, avocado strips, onions, olives, jalapenos and topped with a beautiful sunny side up. For the set, it was served with cheese sauce, spring onion dip and cheesy sundried tomato dip. The spring onion dip was refreshing but my favourite was the cheesy sundried tomato dip.

Nachos Set @$10.90

If you are ordering the Nachos Set, I do urge you to eat it as soon as it arrived. So good to have warm crispy crepe scooping up those yummy dips which quickly made their exit into our stomachs.

Next, we had the Chicken Bolognaise from the pasta section. Served with moderate amount of sauce and it sprinkled with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. The noodles strands were soft. The flavours were mild.

Chicken Bolognaise @$13.90

Saumon Fume Galette @$14.90

Was pleasantly surprised by the presentation of the smoked salmon galette. Thin thin layer of French crepe made of wheat, had edges so crisps that it fell off as soon as our finger tips gave it the tiniest of a nudge, which was lined with pesto sauce and topped with avocado, smoked salmon and a sunny side up.

We ate it the way Europeans would usually have it, which was to break the yolk, smear it around before rolling up the pancake. I liked it! The flavours were balanced and the rolled salmon, avocado and pesto mix with the thin galette skin was a big hit amongst the group.

For most of us, we are more familiar with the American styled pancakes. Round, soft and fluffy, and usually sweet. At Beyond Pancakes, there are savoury pancakes to choose and we had Le Poulet.

Le Poulet @$12.90

Butter in semi-melting state and spring onion mushrooms on my pancakes? Yes, please! The taste of the pancake was mildly sweet and the combination of grilled chicken strips, capsicum, onions and cherry tomatoes on the side would make this dish slightly more substantial.

Having a meal at Beyond Pancake was like taking a pancake journey to around European continent.  Pannenkoek was our next dish, and this is a Dutch-style pancake. Thin crepe, almost like a more hardy popiah-skin and topped with sliced chicken, black pepper sausages, turkey bacon, onions, capsicum, olives, and mozarella cheese.

De Kip @$13.90

No one resists desserts, right? Neither did we. This is for the sweet-toothed ones. The plate that we had was a special order of singular pancakes for tasting. Usual order would be Short (2 pieces), Medium (4 pieces) and Tall (6 pieces). Price ranges from $5.90 to $10.90 for Short.

(front counter clockwise) strawberry cream cheese, plain, chocolate chip and blueberry

Cheesy Nutella Roll @$14.90

The Cheesy Nutella Roll was basically Pannenkoek rolled with cream cheese, nutella, choco biscuit crumbs, served with vanilla ice-cream and peaches. The sweetness level was just right. Most of us were happy with just the original and the chocolate chip pancakes with butter and maple syrup.

My favourites were the Saumon Fume Pannenkoek, Le Poulet and the chocolate chip pancake.

Good halal option for pancakes.

Ginett Restaurant and Wine Bar @ Hotel G

This beautiful place is located on the first floor of Hotel G, located at 200 Middle Road. Uniquely, one needs to pass through its carpark for its taxi drop-off (and pick-up) point. There, at the hotel lobby, take the lift down to the restaurant.

High ceiling, dimly lit cosy classy ambiance at this European-styled restaurant. The bar area is very striking. The upper level is where the kitchen is. The chefs were looking quite serious.

Ginett

interior

street level

Floor manager and supervisors were quick to attend to our queries and requests. However, a few staff was noticeably new and has limited product knowledge.

promotions

Noticeably, the bottled wines at Ginett are priced reasonably. We started with a bottle of merlot which presumably was picked by Ivan? I do like merlot. In terms of red, my top preferences would be the likes of merlot and malbecs.

Château Martinat, Côte de Bourg @$55++

The Martinat was medium bodied, dry and easy to drink. Low tannins meant no siap-siapness (hokkien colloquial). Yay.

I was soo hungry. Ever since I've started this new job, I'd be the last to arrive at any dinner gatherings during the weekdays. Much apologies to my friends!

Chewy crusty bread served slightly warm. Just spread some of those salty creamy butter on it did wonders to curb that hunger. Plus it allowed me to steal some sips of that delicious wine. Yums.

complimentary bread with butter

The food and drinks here are decidedly French, so we started with Pâté en Croûte. This starter has terrine encased in puff pastry and cooked. The accompanying bread was crisp and flavourful. The terrine is black pork and French foie gras. Not that am able to differentiate non-French foie gras for that matter. This dish was sublime. However, am opined to think that I like rillettes more for its stronger flavours.

Pâté en Croûte@$19++

Ahh, so what's the difference between pate, terrines and rillettes? No idea man, so I did a quick Google search. Interestingly, all pâtés are terrines, but not all terrines are pâtés. All of these are basically preserved meats. Terrines are usually made of ground meat, while rillettes are chopped/shredded and pâtés are blended.

La Joue de Boeuf @ $32++

Our first main dish arrived in the form of La Joue de Boeuf or also known as wagyu beef cheek that has been braised for 12 hours, with sauteed mushrooms and served with a side of smooth creamy mash.

closer view of the beef cheek

Beef cheek was well-braised and the sauce was just right. Not too overpowering. The mash was enjoyable.  The next meaty main course came in the form of roasted baby chicken. Lovely colour and served table-side. The staff would help to carve out the chicken. Lovely service.

Le Coquelet De Ferme Rôti aux Herbes de Provence @$34++

bite-sized

French-styled roasted chicken are always subtle. Mild flavours all round and tender chicken with some moist retained. I got the breast meat and it was still nice. This came with truffled mash and the whole table simply adored that as well.

Next up, was a new dish that I had never seen before. Ivan said he ordered fish dumpling, so in my mind, they'd look something like a ravioli or such. Imagine the surprise when a large yellow sausage looking dish arrived. Hee!

La Quenelle de Brochet Gratinée @ $28++

As I am the group's unofficial cutter, had the honour to slice through this 'dumpling'. It was so soft! The texture and flavour was akin to tofu with minced fish. The dumpling itself has such soft, gentle flavours but the sauce (and cheese, yes?)  provided a twist in the taste with its stronger flavours. If you are like me and need to know how does a pike fish look like, here is a link.

pike fish dumpling chardonnay sauce

To continue with our meaty adventure, next was the pork chop, served with potato wedges. The meat was adequately seasoned but it was just lacking abit of fats. The lean meat was dangerously and almost veering towards the dry side.

Kurobuta Chop @ $32++

sliced pork chop

Luckily, the finale meat dish did not dissappoint and that, came in the form of La Côte de Boeuf. A hulk of a prime rib that was meant for 2 pax but eaten by 8.

La Côte de Boeuf @ $120++

I saw you, medium rare

Served with three types of sauces; Béarnaise, pepper, blue cheese. All sauces were pretty nice. The meat was wonderful. Thick slices of tender beef cooked medium rare. Each person still gets to enjoy a good-sized cut of the meat. Red meat, red wine. I was happy.

Lastly, our night cap included another bottle of wine. Hey, a sparkling for $30? Why not?

Cuvée Splendid, Sparkling Wine @$30++

And of course, we had to check out the desserts. Ordered a couple to try. Out of the lot, the least enjoyable one was the mille-feuille. The crust was not flaky.  The creme brulee was a tad too sweet for me, so I went with the profiteroles. The choux was decent and who can resist ice-cream?

Mille-feuille @$13++

Crème Brûlée @$8++

Profiteroles @$13++

Expect to spend about $57 to $65 per pax for a meal with a glass of wine. Recommend the La Côte de Boeuf and wines.