[Tasting] The Sampan @ 63 Boat Quay

It's been over a year, hence a good opportunity to revisit and to check out the new menu. Here is the link previous visit. Thank you Kris (@msginginly) for the invite, and The Sampan team for taking care of us that night.

shopfront

featured menu board

On previous visit, our group was seated right in the center of the restaurant and this time round, we were at the alfresco area with beautiful view by the riverside.

evening view

Happy Hour is still 8pm, but there's also a whole day special where Stella was going for just $9.90+ for  pint. WOoo! But I was intrigued by a 'Liang Teh' under the alcoholic beverage section. "What's this Liang Teh" I asked. Turns out this is a locally brewed beer by The 1925 Brewing Co. Cool! A chrysanthemum lager, it says. Must try, right? Hahahaa!

Liang Teh (The 1925 Brewing Co. Joo Chiat) @$10+

The lager was light, and only a hint of the chrysanthemum with a touch of sweetness. Perfect for our hot humid weather.

behind story

Complimentary cold/warm water is available and if you opted for cold, a jug would be left at the table. Service staff size was lean on weekdays, but they will attend promptly with a gentle wave.

Mocktail @$10+

Let's get started on the food, shall we?

small plates to share

By this time, it was nightfall. Good view, good food, good company!

Glazed Soy Sesame Chicken Salad @$12+

whets the appetite

The glazed soy chicken salad was interesting as there's some fish muruku snack thrown in as toppings. That familiar taste sent us in a loop. Hahaa!

If you prefer something spicier, go for the Singapore Rojak Bandung Salad.

Singapore Rojak Bandung Salad @$13+

This salad has cuttlefish in small bits, kangkong (eh, then this was derived from cuttlefish kangkong dish?), quail eggs (hard boiled), taukwa cubes, crushed peanuts, honey pineapples and sweet red sauce (mee bandung sauce, I think). Overall, this salad was of stronger flavours and just so satisfying. Yummy!

Or, if you prefer meatless appetiser, try the Szechuan Style Tofu & Shitake Mushroom. There's wok fried mushrooms and bell peppers underneath the tofu. Visually, the tofu looked 'rugged' and that's a good thing. Milder flavours for this dish in comparison with the salads.

Szechuan style Tofu & Shitake Mushroom @$8+

Let's move on to the mains. If you prefer seafood, try the Javanese Styled Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf. For small eaters, no worries as the portion was just right. The grilled seabass was snug in the banana leaf. Fish was firm and the yellow rice could hold its own.

Javanese Styled Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf @$19.50+

If you prefer duck, then perhaps the Five Spiced Szechuan Duck Breast served with Pimentos Pomme Puree may be more of your thing? The dish was visually appealing, and deep fried kale, what's not to like? The interesting part was the puree. So so creamy! For me, I'd like to combine the airy-slight bitter of the kale with the sweetness of the pomegranate and topped with the rich creaminess from the puree. Slather all those on top of the duck and enjoy! Oooh, not forgetting that tiny tiny burst of peppercorn numbing flavour if you happen to bite into one of those.

Five Spiced Szechuan Duck Breast @$19.50+

The Chicken Roulade served with Red Sauce and Asian Achar was good too, though it was a tad lacking in its visual appeal.

Chicken Roulade served with Red Sauce and Asian Achar @$19+

I'd reckon that the chicken roulade dish as a lighter tasting one. It's flavours were mild and the red sauce was of the masak merah variant but since there's only a spoonful of it on the meat, the taste was subtle. Felt somewhat festive when having the roulade, as it has stuffings in it. Don't forget the achar. Loved those pickles!

Sliced Beef Mee Goreng @$14+

For finale, we had the Sliced Beef Mee Goreng. Not the typical noodles as this looked more like mee pok/pad thai variant. Beef rump was used and it was a tad tough. The noodles were springy and enjoyable although leaning slightly towards the sweeter side. But no worries, just bite onto one of those chili padi to balance it out. Yums!

Overall, The Sampan serves up good quality Asian food, and with adequate selection of drinks for Happy Hour. A tipple with good food, sounds about right. Enjoy!

Thank you Kris, Herman and The Sampan for the invite. Thank you Chef Ahmad and team, for the delightful tasty food!

The Sampan

Address: 63 Boat Quay, Singapore 049851

Website: https://www.thesampan.sg/

Contact: 6732 1698

Business Hours: 

Mon to Fri: 11.30am to 12am

Sat: 5pm to 12am

Closed on Sun

[Media Invite] The Quarters - Inspired Singapore Cuisine @ Icon Village

The Quarters is located at Icon Village and near Matchaya and Cold Storage. The Quarters serves local inspired flavours, executing the dish with a whole lot of passion and presenting it to diners in a comfortable cafe-bistro like setting. Was invited by Kris to join fellow foodie gang to have a taste of Chef Chung Deming's creations.


But of course, the direction-less me managed to get myself lost. But that's only because I didn't realise that The Quarters is located in Icon Village itself...so, here's a short video showing to to get there when you're at Icon Village doorstep.




Ok, the place is cosy and there are some on-going promotion for the month of August. Like the 1-for-1 main course (3 selected mains; Ma Jie Indulgence (chili crab pasta), Fish & Chips and Satay Burger), or get The Real McCoy (salted eggyolk chicken burger) with a dessert for just $20.

promotion board

coffee, beer or...

So what exactly do they serve here at The Quarters? Let's have a look at their menu board.

you're welcome

Ok, the names in the menu can be quite a mouthful. Let's have some starters while taking enough time to decide on the mains.
 

Shioks Fries aka Shoestring (double-fried of course!) Fries Half&Half in Salted Egg Yolk and Chili Crab Sauce @$14

Pricey fries, but oh so good. Real crab meat is included. Loved the way the mildly sweet spicy chili crab cuts away some of the richness of the creamy salted eggyolk sauce. The enjoyment is only possible because the fries were good. Still managed to retain its crispiness amidst being doused in double-sauce. As Tiara puts it, once you start...you can't stop.

If you have a beer/cider on hand, how about some har cheong popcorn gai (chicken) with power belachan dip? Liked the level of spice in the power belachan but together with the well marinated har cheong gai, the combo could come across as a tad too salty if it was eaten on its own without some soda or beer.

Har Cheong Gai @$9.50

Having tasted the appetisers, now let's proceed to main course.

First up, The Real McCoy. Imagine crispy oat battered chicken thigh meat that has been marinated for 24-hours in buttermilk and 'secret' spices. And coat this with lots of golden sandy velvety salted eggyolk sauce. The smell of the sauce was quite strong but its taste was interestingly balanced. Chef Chung shared that this was to allow all the three major components of chicken marinade, crispy oats and salted eggyolk sauce to be showcased.

The Real McCoy @ $14 (usual price: $16)

The Real McCoy was quite a substantial burger and we used the remaining fries to mop up the salted eggyolk sauce. Don't waste.

lunch crowd can opt for local flavoured donburis

The other burger we tried, was The Satay Burger. What's so difficult about a satay burger? Just slap on some peanut sauce and turmeric, onions, and lemongrass marinated grilled chicken meat lor. Hmm, not so fast and not so easy. Perhaps there's an easier way but Chef Chung has his own methodology of doing things due to his passion in delivering a dish that's not only packed with locally inspired flavours but made with heart.

The Satay Burger @$17

The Satay Burger came with Chef's choice of charred rice patties that's smokey and crisp on the outside and chewy on the insides. In between, we have well marinated chicken thigh and a small jar of Javanese peanut sauce. Assemble the julienned cucumbers and onions into the burger and that completes the satay experience when one bites into it. Right flavours but need a bigger portion of this. Upsize?

Or, get a dessert?

You have heard all about duriancanboleh created by Chef Chung. Why, here's a website dedicated to the pud: http://www.dcbcravings.com/

So we tried a different flavour, the passionfruit creme brulee. Soft and creamy.

Passionfruit creme brulee @$8.50

Or, try their Wonderffle topped with Lemongrass and Pandan ice-creams topped with gula melaka glaze. Quite lovely.

Wonderffle @$12.80

handmade ice-creams

Thank you The Quarters and Chef Chung Deming for hosting us and Kris for the invite. Plus, the enjoyable company of fellow foodies.

You can also get the Salted Eggyolk Chili Crab Fries and The Real McCoy from their outlet at Timbre+.

If you enjoyed their sauces, you can purchase their bottled sauces and recreate the local flavours at home.

bottled power belachan and salted eggyolk aioli

Kite @ Craig Road

It was after an event at Red Dot Design Museum on a Friday night and we, the girls, wanted to have a place to chill and chit-chat. But, we are three equally fickle-minded or rather the better term would be 随和 (amicable) ladies, ended up walking everywhere to find that place. Passed by Orchard Hotel and saw the super long queues for Ramen Keisuke, Keisuke Gyoza King, Hana Hana and etc. Ok, no gyoza is possible for that night.

Walked on and passed by Korean restaurants and desserts place that peppered around Tanjong Pagar area. Ok, we weren't that hungry so no Korean for us. Jen needed coffee, Kris needed some food and all of us needed air-conditioning as the weather was super humid and hot. Kris brought us to Kite and no questions asked, for we unanimously agreed as we needed to rest our tired soles.

The place was dimly lit, gave a comfortable cosy feel and looked more bar'ish than cafe'ish when night falls.
Service was friendly and welcoming.

bar counter

anyone knows the story of kite logo?

I think its menu was designed by young people with perfect eyesight. With lights that dim, and font size 8...it was very very difficult to see what's on the menu.

food menu

Happy Hour which we missed as we arrived around 9pm

The menu looked pretty interesting with modern fusion food and since Kris had been there before, pretty much left it to her to order our snacks.

When we said, we'll go drinking together...this was what happened. Kris satisfied with ice-cold water, Jen with a cup of hot latte and I'll take a glass of wine. We celebrate diversity.

drinking together

Jen's latte with abstract art

Gerard Bertrand, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, Gris-Blanc 2014

Our first snack was the Chili Miso Chicken Mid-wings, an item from the Bar Snacks section, available from 10pm onwards. It looked a tad like blackened chicken and very strongly flavoured. Spice level was rather mild though. Think it goes well with cider or beer, otherwise it came across as rather salty for us.

Chili Miso Chicken Mid-wings @$12+

Next up, was something from the ala-carte dinner menu; the Ubin Seabass. A rather smallish plate with just a few fish slices on it. However, we were surprised by its taste. Every component on that plate, from the ingredients to the seasoning, flavouring and sauce...it worked.

Ubin Seabass @$14+

Served with lotus roots that tasted a tad dehydrated with a somewhat chewy texture but nicely sweet. Then combined with a slight herby green flavour of the sprouts and soothed over by the creamy yellow sauce and beneath the sauce, there were some dollops of what looked like sesame paste. It tasted pretty much like sesame peanut buttery but this was revealed to be the sunflower seeds. Try it and let me know what you think of the sauce.

yes, the seabass is somewhere in there

Next, we had a pleasant surprise due to Kris's wide network of friends, we got to enjoy a complimentary plate of "Chicken Rice" Crackers. The moniker of "chicken rice" came about due to the use of chicken rice chili and kecap manis that serves as the condiment for this snack. The tapioca crackers were enjoyable but will turn soggy when left soaking in the chili for too long. Good with the bar drinks.

"Chicken Rice" Crackers @$6+

We kept seeing this plate of desserts being ordered, so the curious us also ordered the same. Turned out to be a chocolatey dessert called chocolate forest. Made of caramelized white chocolate, nut soil and herbs. Pretty to look at, and I think I enjoyed it quite a bit since it is not that often I get to eat pretty desserts like these. Haven't been too exposed to the edible soil thingy.

Chocolate Forest @$15+

Surprise find of this dish? The real mushrooms. Yeah, not chocolate white mushroom but really, the actual shrooms shroom. Luckily, it didn't taste weird with the rest of the stufs. There's some passionfruit sauce (Not too sure but it tasted like one) buried underneath the 'soil' and when eaten together, you'll get a dose of sharp tangy fruity distinct taste of the fruit, salty bits from the soil and sweet bits from the chocolates plus some slight herby taste if you happen to bite into any of those green herbs. Not too strong, and overall pretty enjoyable with the dry crumbly texture combined with some gooey sweet texture from the chocolate and passionfruit sauce.

nom nom

Expect to spend about $30+ per pax for some shared light bites and a drink. A single dish from the ala-carte mains may not be enough for a proper meal. If I'm in a cosy group of 2 and am at Kite for a meal, then I'd probably order one or two appetisers to share. Then, from the hot food section, we'd get a meat dish and from the cold food section, the mentaiko somen sounds nice for some carbs and finish off with a dessert to share. Of course, each with a drink. Allocate about $60+ per pax, or you could opt for the set dinner sharing menu for 2 pax at $110+ (without drinks) where you get to try more items as this set dinner has about 8 things in it.

Am glad to be able to explore new places with my fellow foodies, Kris and Jen. Your company on a Friday night was truly a blessing. Thank you for sharing the laughter.

Kite

Website: http://eat-at-kite.sg/
Contact: +65 9729 7988
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kiteoncraig/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatatkite/
Business Hours:
Lunch
Tuesday - Friday 12 pm - 230 pm

Dinner
Tuesday - Sunday 6 pm - 10 pm

Drinks
Tuesday - Saturday 6pm - 12mn

Restaurant Sela @ Seah Street

It was only in January this year, that I was at this same restaurant. However, since July, SELA is now helmed by celebrity chef, Benson Tong. Here's a link to a show that he had appeared in, way back in 2008.

SELA started as a restaurant offering modern European items in its menu. Now, with Chef Benson's culinary direction, it will steer more towards modern Asian creations with an European twist. By and large, you may not notice much difference. Restaurant decor is pretty much the same. Its ala-carte menu will look highly familiar. However, the largest single change would be its weekend brunch menu items. Where else can we find things like Roti Prata Burrito, Soft boiled Egg Benedict with Mantou, and Huat Kueh with Ice Cream in a brunch menu in a European looking restaurant? Probably only at SELA, probably...

menu

interior

our table, right infront of the kitchen

For starters, we sampled the Prosciutto Ham with Melon and the Pan Seared US Scallop. The rock melon was compressed, while the beetroot had undergone marination prior, so both sweetness were intensified while the earthy undertones of the beets were slightly reduced.

Prosciutto Ham & Melon @$16+

Pan Seared US Scallops @$16

The scallops were of a good size, and it was served sitting ontop a bed of forbidden rice (pulut hitam) with salted egg cream ontop. Sweet scallop, salty egg cream and slightly sticky purple rice. The saltiness was pretty intense for this dish. Suitable to have with drinks. Speaking of which, heard that the restaurant will be offering cocktails made with Ukrainian version of flavoured vodka.

Mernaya - Honey & Pepper

Had a taste of the Mernaya neat. For the Honey & Pepper flavour, the alcohol does shoot right up very quickly, followed by spiciness and an underlying tinge of mellowed sweetness.

For mains, we sampled the Miso Chilean Seabass, with shimeji mushroom, wilted arugula in lemon dashi broth. Actually, Chilean Seabass is not even a bass variant. It refers to Patagonian Toothfish. Its texture is more oily than a seabass.

Miso Chilean Seabass @$32+ ala-carte

closer view

For the next main course sampler, Chef Benson introduces the Kakuni Style Pork Cheek. Sounds like a Japanese-Chinese kind of dish. I'm a beef cheek kind of person, so while this dish was tasty, I still prefers the soft stewed braised beef cheek texture. However, I must say that the portion of pork cheek was generous and this is for those that liked their meat lean.  Beautifully plated too.

Kakuni Style Pork Cheek @$20+

Most of the savoury dishes would be perfectly at home with a bowl of hot steamed rice.

Chef Benson introducing his modern Asian menu

The desserts served were made in-house by their dessert chef. We sampled the Semolina Cake and the Dehydrated Pineapple Pavlova.

Semolina Cake @$12+

Dehydrated Pineapple Pavlova @$10+

Semolina refers to course middling of durum wheat. It has a grainy texture and can be cooked sweet or savoury. In our parts of the world, sometimes we hear the term 'sugee' flour, and that too refers to semolina. I remembered my late-grandma, whom used to heat up the wok with oil before adding curry leaves, and to 'fry' the sugee flour in it, then added some sugar, salt and some water. The result was some very tasty savoury sweet treat.

For SELA, it turned semolina into a sweet dessert cake. Looks pretty and for those that like interesting textures in their cakes. For me, I fell for the Pavlova. First without knowing the ingredients, can't really tell what was the taste of the dehydrated pineapple. Just knew that the flavour was from dried fruit. The vanilla ice-cream, a touch of paprika and thyme and salted caramel sauce worked well and my favourite, was that merringue shell. So good and melted in-your-mouth kind. A bit like space food.

SELA does offer a tasting menu at reasonable prices. A 5-course dinner tasting menu is priced at $40+ while a 7-course dinner tasting menu is priced at $50+. The difference is one additional starter and main course for the 7-course dinner tasting menu. Kindly note that the tasting menu portions are smaller than ala-carte portions. Oh, it comes with a glass of housepour too.

If you are around the Seah Street area for lunch, happy to say that they do Executive Lunch sets for just $15.90+. The set comes with a starter, a main course and a dessert.

Special thanks to Chef Benson and Restaurant SELA for hosting us. Thank you to Alvin and Malcolm for the invite. Looking forward to the next #foodiemigup experience! Click here to learn more about migme.

Fun Games
1. Dine at Restaurant Sela and take pictures of the food (and yourself) to post to instagram with #restaurantsela and tag @rain498 (or anyone that had recommended you to the restaurant)
2. The picture with most likes, will stand a chance to win a full course dinner for 2 pax in your own home, prepared by Chef Benson and his team.

Restaurant SELA

Location: 32 Seah Street, Singapore 188388
Website: www.restaurantsela.com.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/selarestaurant
Reservation:  www.chope.co or https://www.quandoo.sg/restaurant-sela-7547