THE MAST' of Mozzarella & Co @ 182 Cecil Street

Was looking for a brunch place when Hence suggested to try this place. Italian food for brunch? Well, why not? The Mast' hails from Rome, Italy and specializes in freshly made mozzarella.

The Mast' is located near Amoy Street Food Centre and the taxi couldn't find the exact drop-off point so, it was a curbside alight that's right in front of the entrance to the restaurant. Sweet.

inside the restaurant

counter view

The interior is spacious with comfortable vibe. For our group of 5, we shared two starters, three mains and two dessert over a bottle of wine. We ate, conversed over food and drinks for almost 3 hours. Happiness.

what would be our aperitif of choice?

Ivan picked the wine, and food orders were mainly left to Tracy and Hence. Everything was on-point.

Caparzo Toscana Sangiovese 2018 @$65++

The dark berried red wine was very drinkable, sweet and with a spiced finish. It was one juicy drink that's low in tannin. Yums!

lovely red

Let's not drink on an empty stomach, shall we? On to the appetisers! First up, the mushroom crostini. It has sauteed mushrooms, stracciatella and truffle. Was curious so, did a look up on a the definition of stracciatella. It is from mozarella strings, mixed with cream for a soft creamy texture. Imagine crispy toast, laid with abundance of this creamy white cheese and topped with sauteed earthy flavourful shrooms and drizzled with some truffle oil. A good starter that excites!

Crostini E Funghi (vegetarian) @$20++

Ready for more, so let's move on to their signature burrata. Small fist sized burrata, drizzled with olive oil, and served with rocket leaves, tomato slices and parma ham. Am no expert of cheese, and burrata doesn't really have any flavour to it, in my honest opinion. The texture was soft and creamy as befitting of fresh cheeses. Tracy said that the burrata seemed smaller than the other time when they tried it.

Burrata pomodoro e proscuitto crudo @$30++

And, we need to have our quotient of meat and on the menu, there's one item each for beef, chicken and fish (excluding the burger option). So we got ourselves a 300gm grain fed ribeye done medium rare. Everyone loved the veal jus, and the accompanying cherry tomatoes, baby potatoes and asparagus. The beef was a good chew and paired well with the Sangiovese.

300g Grain-Fed Ribeye @$42++

Now, having had our fill of meat, let's try on some carbs. What's Italian dining, if we didn't get ourselves a plate of pasta?

Rigatoni Carbonara @$25++

the secret is in the bacon

It is rare to see rigatoni for carbonara. Al-dente as expected and not very saucy. Someone asked in IG, like how is this a carbonara? Well, if the Chef wants to call it a carbonara, whom am I to disagree? I enjoyed this version of the pasta as it has a stronger flavour due to the chopped bacon that's the main contributor to the flavour game here. Most importantly, is to eat it while it is hot.

And, we thought we did well to end it there. But nooOOoo... we have not tried the pizza! So, ended up with a large Funghi pizza. Didn't expect to see bacon slices on the shrooms pizza as topping, but there it was and no complaints though! The pizza was pleasant and a good filler if you needed more carbs. Non-greasy and with a good cheese pull.

Funghi Pizza @$27++

look at the pull!

Now, we are full and about to have our last sip of the wine. But, could we really leave without trying any of their dessert? Take a guess.

Zuccuto Amarena @$12++

Tiramisu @$12++

Yeah, we ended up with two dessert to end the meal. Hmm, the Zuccuto Amarena is for cherry lovers. I didn't like it because it tasted like cough syrup (all artificial cherry will taste like cough syrup to me). I reckoned it tasted like a cherry flavoured ice-cream cake.

The tiramisu had the classic flavour, with not too strong of the coffee taste. The sweetness was rather pronounced.

All in all, it was a good meal to share with friends. Service was friendly and non-intrusive. One thing to note is that they don't serve complimentary water here, so guests will have to opt for sparkling or still if they want to. We had a large sparkling for $7++.

Expect to spend about $40 to $60 per pax.

THE MAST' of Mozzarella & Co

Address: 182 Cecil St, #01-05/08 Frasers Tower, Singapore 069547
Website: https://themast.com.sg/
Contact: 6513 8010
Business Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm to 9pm
Closed on Sundays

[Tasting] Supply & Demand | Modern Italian Trattoria & Pizzeria @ Orchard Gateway

Supply & Demand is an Italian restaurant, serving hearty Italian fare with a smattering of Southeast Asian twists. A chic place located at Level 2 of Orchard Gateway. Nearest MRT would be Somerset Station.

signboard

It was rather busy when we visited on a weekend at about 2pm. Hence, do make a reservation to avoid disappointment. Nice ambiance, cosy and with high ceiling inside the restaurant. Space between tables could be pretty tight, but that depends on where you are seated.

interior

It was pretty awesome to listen to live entertainment during the day time. We had Amanda on that weekend and loved her singing! Song requests are possible though we were too shy to ask.

live-music schedule board

Amanda

Eh, enough ogling at cute singer. Let's take a look at the menu. Hardcover menu, with some sort of an emblem printed on it, this has an old school charm. Plenty of things in the menu, but since this was an invited tasting, we left the selection to Chee Sheng, our host for that day.

feels like those old library book

what shall we try?

Oh, important to note that at the moment, Supply and Demand have an all-day promo for oysters. $2 per piece (instead of usual $4.90) if you order a drink and capped at 6 pieces per pax. I supposed they meant alcoholic drink? Do enquire if you're there. But the oysters were so good! Plump, juicy and briny.

Taylor Shellfish Farm Oyster @$2++ (usual $4.90++) per piece

"The truffle fries are pretty popular here." Yes, we did catch a whiff or two of the truffle smell while we were there but we're gonna try something different. Let's have the Okonomiyaki Sweet Potato Fries and the Indomie Goreng Fries instead. Yup, these are the ones with an Asian twist.

(left to right) Okonomiyaki Sweet Potato Fries and Indomie Goreng Fries

Indomie Goreng Fries @$12/$17 (petite/regular)

The seasonings on these two fries were really strong, hence be ready with your drinks. A beer may be a good idea. The Indomie Goreng had a spicy kick towards the end, so don't be like us but to have the fries as soon as it landed on your table. I think these fries would appeal to the younger crowd.

Next we tried some appetiser from the Chichetti section. Would you like some beef carpaccio, crostini and baked brie? Well, yasss! Let's get those.

Beef Carpaccio @$15++

Beef carpaccio was sliced tenderloin with yuzu wasabi emulsion. While the  tenderloin wasn't melt-in-your-mouth, it was of a lovely thinness that was easy to eat. Again, this was strongly flavoured. My remedy, was the huge mug of Lychee Mango Fizz from the Signature Coolers of the beverage menu.

Signature Coolers - Coconut Mint, Ginger Peach Mule, Coconut Lychee Cooler and Lychee Mango Fizz @$8++ each

I would totally recommend the Peach and Parma Ham Crostini. This was one mouthful of deliciousness. Ok, one mouthful could be too much to handle. I had it in two. The crostini had a dollop of lovely cream cheese as its base, and then a chunky sweet peach and topped with savoury salty parma ham. And, I liked the fact that it was one generous piece of parma!

Peach and Parma Ham Crostini @$14++

Next up, the baked brie which I would suggest to have it as dessert. First of all, this was one well plated item. It looked like a flower in bloom. Oven baked brie cheese, drizzled with honey and topped with almond flakes and crumbles served with a side of toasted flat bread.

Baked Brie @$17++

While the brie was not melty, I still loved it. Cut a good piece and savour it on its own. Revel in the taste of sweet honey and the more you chew, the more savoury salty mild flavour of brie rises. Take a bite of the flat bread and contrast those with a slight crunch. Yums.

"Where are the carbs?" You asked.

Not to worry, because here comes the pasta and the pizza! The seared beef pizza was really beautiful and Instagram-able too. The dough is made in-house daily and is of a thin crust variant. Again, remember not to leave the pizza out for too long.

Manzo Scottato e Pera (Seared Beef with Pear) @$25++/$29++ (regular 9" or large 13")

The beef was not tough but unfortunately, there was some tendon on the piece that I had, and that was rather hard to chew through.

I like to use my hand

For meatless pizza, the Avocado e Pesto pizza was on point. Tasty garlic cream sauce, savoury pesto sauce topped with loads of peppery bitter rucola, with a scattering of onions and avocado pieces, oregano, mozzarella and some sweet cherry tomatoes.

Avocado e Pesto @$25++/$29++ (regular 9" or large 13")

For the pasta, we tried the squid ink and the carbonara. The squid ink pasta was very al-dente with little liquid, garnished with cherry tomatoes and finished with some shavings of grana padano cheese. One could choose to have it without any other toppings, or with seafood or seared scallops.

Nero di Sepia with seared scallops @$19++/$29++ (petite/regular)

I preferred the carbonara as it was more flavourful. The sauteed crispy bacon was indeed superbly crispy and its glorious salty porky flavours upped the ante for this pasta. The yolk infused cream coated the noodles and I liked the smoothness of the noodles when slurped. And, load it up with plenty of shaved cheese to impress the tastebuds further. The mushrooms gave the dish a touch of earthy flavours. So delectable.

Carbonara Cremoso @$14++/$19++ (petite/regular)

Thank you Kris for extending the invite, Chee Sheng for hosting the lunch and S&D Orchard Gateway crew for taking care of us.

Supply & Demand

Address: 277 Orchard Road #02-13/14, Orchard Gateway, Singapore (238858)
Website: http://supplyanddemand.com.sg/
Business Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11:30am-3pm, 6-10:30pm
Sat-Sun: 11:30am-10:30pm

[Tasting] New Menu @ 51Soho Telok Ayer

Am a huge fan of their Lobster Stew Rice (read about it here) and when I heard about the upcoming change in menu, was excited to try out the new items and it was a relief that the Boston Lobster Grains Risotto (@$38++) is still available!

new menu

of grains and stews

For the new menu, the focus is on hearty and comforting dishes. Think wholesome grains, stews and pasta. The restaurant's staple of meat skewers remains on the menu with newer items added to the skewers selection. 

Are you hungry yet? I am, so let's eat!

freshly shucked French oysters @$2++ per piece (promo)

Started with French oysters for just $2 a piece. Ahh, that's because there is a promotion for these tasty mollusks. Usual price would be $30 for half a dozen. Oh, excuse me while I devour a few more of these.

This time round, we finally tried the Prosperity Cup, that came complete with its signature edible 'money'.

51Soho Specials - Prosperity Cup @$88++ for 9 cups, $100++ for 12 cups

Next up, usually one would get the skewers or 串串 (chuan chuan in Chinese). The skewers were done up in house marination and coated with addictive spice dust. 

Skewers (price ranging from $1.50++ to $5.50++, depending on type)

We tried chicken skin, pork rectum (?), mantou (?), chicken meat and pork belly. Ok, I ate the chicken skin without having a photo of it, but it was a really skinny stick with the skin done up ultra crispy. Addictive indeed.

The pork rectum sounded like a fear factor item but it tasted just like intestine. Not as crunchy as the chicken skin as it retained a slight chewiness similar to intestine. Nice.

I didn't know fried mantou could be a skewer item! Interesting. It was quite likeable, in fact. But I think my brain had been wired to the need of a dipping sauce for fried mantou.

mantou (held up), with chicken skin directly underneath it and the rectum skewer on the right (top)

Enoki Mushrooms @$5++

Let's try something brand new in the menu for the next appetiser dish. Did you know that you could get Beef Bone Marrow for just $12 at 51Soho? Presentation of the dish was on point and dig out a good chunk of that creamy, rich marrow, spread it onto the bread. Take a bite and tell me if that doesn't impresses you.

Beef Bone Marrow @$12++

marrow awaiting

All of us were impressed by the value of the dish and the amazing bread that was paired with it. So yummy.

amazing bread

One more appetiser before we move on to the mains. This plate is strongly flavoured with the base of creamy sesame dressing. Soy marinated lava egg, asparagus, crispy silver fish toppings and sweet pea forms up this delicious plate. I liked and will gladly eat all my vegetables if it was like this plate!

Grilled Romaine Lettuce and Vegetables @$14++

At this juncture, don't you feel kind of thirsty? Let's get some more drinks! We got the namesake drink - 51Soho. Of plum wines, rose and lychee. My favourite, actually. Sweet and such a nice scent by using the lychee.

51Soho @$88++ for 9 cups, and $100++ for 12 cups

pouring me a cup, again

Let's get some more food into our bellies, shall we?

what's smoking?

Classic French Chicken Cassoulet @$24++

First time having the Classic French Chicken Cassoulet. According to Wiki, it is a rich, slow-cooked casserole containing meat and white beans (haricots blancs). The chicken (two large pieces and nicely browned) inside this casserole has soaked up all the good flavours and it was so delightfully tender! Wished there was more chicken meat though. The sauce was so so good. Hearty meal indeed. One gets very full from eating all that beans!

Chicken and Mushroom Stew @$18++

The Chicken and Mushroom Stew was really interesting with its flavour that I thought was pretty familiar much like the chicken and mushroom broth that we make at home to cook flavoured porridge with. 

This was of a lighter flavour as compared to the cassoulet and had lots of grains in it such as the black rice, oat groats , barley, carrot, button mushrooms and kale. Again, lots of grains to munch on and it is a filling dish. I can imagine myself having this if am feeling under the weather or just to get comforted by the homely flavours.

let's get pasta

We got an Italian Carbonara to try. This one is without cream. Took a few bites and wow, this one's a heavyweight in terms of punchy flavours! The noodles texture was on-point.  If you love cheeses, then this carbonara is for you. I won't be able to finish this plate on my own as the flavours from the cheeses were really strong.

Italian Carbonara @$17++

Stronger flavours requires a stronger drink. What's better than a "Dancing in the Moonlight"?

51Soho Specials - Dancing in the Moonlight @$88++ for 12 cups and $120++ for 24 cups

Took a whiff and whoa, this one's a strong drink! Looked harmless with a bit of white fungus swimming at its surface of golden yellow hue. Reminds me of chrysanthemum which it was not.

Introducing Jiangxiaobai (白酒) - Joyouth 

The liqour is concocted with baijiu from the Jiang Distillery. The Joyouth (from 40% collection) is used here. This is an award winning chinese wine in 2017.

One was supposed to down it in one shot but I was too chicken. Took a sip and boy, it was strong! The throat would still be feeling some heat from the pathway the liquor took while travelling smoothly down. 40% alcohol yo, so drink responsibly!

Ok, now we are ready for desserts. Something cold, yes? A plate of greens was placed infront of us. Uhm, we didn't ask for salad again, did we?

Apple, Cucumber and Yoghurt @$10++

another angle

It was love at first bite. Ahhh, such refreshing flavour! Choya marinated cucumber and apple (pickled with plum wine? ooohhh), cucumber granita, and that deliciously light and wobbly greek yoghurt panna cotta, and topped with crumble. We attacked this dish relentlessly till not a drop of crumb was left. It was that good. Try it for yourself.

For pretty looking dessert, there's the Strawberry and Balsamico plated dessert. The vanilla ice-cream was really good and topped with a layer of salted cheese blanket (ya, like those bubble tea...).

Strawberry and Balsamico @$10++

51Soho is about 3 minutes walk from Telok Ayer MRT station, hence if you are around the vicinity, do drop by to try some of their foods.

For spending above $60, you could redeem a pasta or grain stew free of charge. And this redemption could be for the same day use as well.

voucher with every $60 spent

Thank you Kris for the invite and Chef Eugene, 51Soho for your generous hospitality. Kudos to the kitchen team for the delicious meal.

Dinner with Ivan, Tiara and Kris.

beautiful space

promotion

51 Soho

Address: 51 Telok Ayer St, #01-01, Singapore 048441
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/51soho/
Contact: 9755 1058
Reservation: https://www.chope.co/singapore-restaurants/restaurant/51-soho
Business Hours:
Mon to Fri:   8am to 11pm
Sat:            10am to 11pm
Sun:           10am to 10pm