Praelum Wine Bistro @ Duxton Hill

Visited this place for the November baby's birthday. The factors that were taken into consideration; nearby parking, wine, decent food and cosy ambience. Plus, this place is new to all of us in the group (don't we all like to find new places to dine?).

Reservation was easy via Hungrygowhere. Was pleasantly surprised to receive a text from Gerald (Praelum) on the mobile and he asked whether we had any dietary restrictions, and also if we would like to arrange anything for the birthday girl. Thought that was rather nice of him.

cosy

our table

The place was fairly relaxed at about 7+ in the evening. The food menu has limited choices, and later on, we discovered that the food portion of the mains were just about the same as the tapas. Gerald was very friendly and was on-hand to recommend food and drinks.

food menu

Complimentary bread basket was served while we waited. This was really useful, as on that night, the food that we ordered, were arriving very slowly. The bread had a nice crust and soft on its inside.

complimentary bread

Tarte flambé was highly recommended to us. A dish that originated from Alsace, France. Thin crust, light, savoury and crisp. Indeed it was rather nice and tasty and we did two orders of this.

The other appetiser that we had, was the five-spiced calamari. Nothing remarkable and a tad too salty, unfortunately.

Tarte flambé with portobello, onions and gruyère @$18++

Five-Spice Calamari with sesame mayo dip @$16++

Ordered some meats as our stomach was still grumbling. Was informed that one of their must-try is the Pork Parcels. This has been around in their menu for the longest time. Also tried a new dish, the Grilled Chipotle Chicken.

Pork Parcels @$22++

Grilled Chipotle Chicken with mango relish @$20++

The meats were all good. The pork parcels consist of herbs, cream cheese and mushroom. We were sharing this amongst the four of us, so cutting it open was indeed a messy affair. Tasty and flavourful. The chipotle chicken was slightly spicy and the mango relish was a good pairing for that sweetness against the smokey spicy flavour.

For drinks, we had a bottle of De Stefani Prosecco Zero. Nice hue of light straw colour, bubbly, fruity and dry. Paired well with our foods.

De Stefani Prosecco Zero @$80++

Still hungry, hence more food was required. Ordered two mains and was really surprised by its small portions. Nevertheless, the food was enjoyable. Loved the tender, meaty chunks of the beef. The mashed potato was nicely smooth too.

Salmon-En-Croute (main) @$28++

Braised Beef Cheeks (main) @$30++

Ended the night with lava cake, courtesy of Praelum. Thank you for the lovely desserts treat, complete with a lighted candle.

happy birthday, dear friend

Expect to spend about $50 to $90 per pax. Do note that there are price discrepancies on its menu found on its website as compared to the menu in the bistro (information is correct as of 9 January 2016).

510 Sake Bar @ Novena

Located right next to Nickeldime Drafthouse, 510 Sake Bar has finally opened. Visited this place 'coz I told Frank that yes, will be visiting when his sake bar is opened. Congratulations!

This place is just a few months old, and hence, it is probably still evolving. They got themselves a new chef recently, so looking forward to the creations of Chef Terence, whom had a stint at 2 Michelin-starred restaurant, Quince, in San Francisco.

entrance

types of sake currently available

If you are looking for a place that has sake flight, then you are going to be dissappointed as that option is currently unavailable at this place. It's a pity, really. For sake noobs like myself, I'd appreciate if the sake bar offers a tasting portion option. Currently, a good option to try sake in tasting portions would be at Isetan Westgate where one could try the sake (usually 3 different types are available) for $5 per glass.

sake 日本酒 and shochu 燒酒 menu

At the moment, the smallest serving size of the sake is in 250 ml carafe which typically ranges from $15++ to $35++.

Got myself a Kubota Senju Tokubetsu Honjozo (特別本醸造酒) from Niigata. The honjozo is made from rice, water and koji (mold) and yeast with a small amount of distilled alcohol added at the end of fermentation. From a person who enjoys junmai daiginjyo (純米大吟醸酒), the honjozo was somewhat at the other end, where flavour intensity was played down. It tasted mild, crisp clean (pure) and has just a slight tinge of sweetness. Good thing was, it gave a good buzz after 3 cups. A carafe yielded about 4 cups of sake.

Chef Terence carefully pouring out the sake

Kubota Senju Tokubetsu Honjozo (特別本醸造酒) @$25++

Expect tapas portions for food. Food menu can be found on the board, or simply ask Chef Terence what's off the menu for that day. For today, he has stashed away some Japanese scotch egg for diners to try. Expect ramen egg (ajitsuke tamago), breaded with panko and deep fried.

food board

 As Chef has worked in Spain prior to his Japan stint in Tokyo, one will likely find some Spanish influenced creation in the menu. Friendly and amicable, it was an enjoyable conversation to have and to share common love of food with one another.

For me, give me some Honey Soyu Glazed Wings that has been confitted in bacon fat. Sitting at the bar allows a clear view on how the food was cooked and plated.

Honey Soyu Glazed Wings @$5++ (half portion)

Wings were gloriously sweet and flavourful on its outerside, but unfortunately, its insides were rather bland.

Baked Scallop with wakame and mentaiko @$12++

The scallop was imported from Hokkaido, diced and baked just about right but not too much, wakame was added in for contrast in texture and lastly, mentaiko sauce was piled on it with a dash of teriyaki as well. I think I'm rather 'purist' in terms of scallops. Still preferred those freshly grilled scallops from Hakodate Morning Market, that was flavoured simply with shoyu and butter. I do enjoy mentaiko dishes but am all for chunkier scallops! Although probably the diced bites allow more sauce to be coated. I think the Kawa Ebi Angel Hair Pasta with seaweed and ikura might be a better choice in terms of value for money.

For sake bar food, am looking forward to more substantial serving portions and probably more meat items such as pork belly and beef. How about consider putting some stir fry vegetables and garlic fried rice into the food menu, perhaps?

Milagro Spanish Restaurant @ Orchard Central

Time passes by really quickly. Last visited this place in August 2014 and back again for a revisit sometime in July 2015. Almost a year apart. Was there during dinner time on a public holiday eve that coincided with a Friday. Throngs of people at the mall. Here's a link to the earlier visit.

As usual, got a drink and some tapas to share. The deep fried squid was quite nice to chew on.

lemonade and sangria

deep fried squid

The buffalo wings were just as good a year ago, with a slight change in the way it was presented.

buffalo wings with blue cheese sauce

For mains, we shared a seafood paella. The paella feeds 2 as mains. The paella required a waiting time of at least 20 minutes. The dish had a nice colour to it, and liked the amount of seafood on the pan. Squids, mussels clams and prawns. It was not too sourish, just nicely tangy and moist. Tasty.

seafood paella for 2 pax

fried scallops and asparagus

Hmmm, skip the asparagus with scallops. The thinnest pencil-like asparagus that's slightly bitter, and tiny scallops.

Ordered three types of desserts. Churros with chocolate sauce, molten lava cake and fried milk. The churros was tiny and thin. Nicely crispy and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. I like my churros fat, crispy on its outside and soft/chewy on its inside. The chocolate sauce was nice.

The lava cake was enjoyable as per normal. But I still prefer the fried milk here. Simply yums.

churros

molten lava cake with ice-cream

fried milk

Milagro Spanish Restaurant @ Orchard Central

Located at Level 8 of Orchard Central. It's at the opposite end of Kiseki. Milagro was one of those places that caught my attention soon after it opened for business. Had waited for quite a while, and thought it was now a ripe time to visit.

weekend lunch specials menu

dining area

nice decor

For weekend brunch, they have shakshuka. However, that's Tunisian-styled. Plenty of pasta on its weekend menu too. Too bad there isn't any small portion of paella to try.

Started with some cold drinks. Beer and sangria. Tried Estrella Damm, touted as the best selling lager from Barcelona. Golden coloured, tasted refreshing at first but had a slight bitter aftertaste.

Estrella Damm @$11

golden in colour

Sangria is more my kind of drink. When the glass was brought to the table, was thinking that it had too much fruit inside. Indeed. It had grapefruit, lemon and apple slices. Drink has a pleasant fruity fragrance but personally, I'd prefer it to be sweeter.

Milagro Sangria @$10 (Happy Hour price, usual $12)

Too much to drink, and none to eat? Let's rectify that. Spicy buffalo wings with Valdeón cheese dip. Yes, buffalo wings sounds pretty American, but the blue cheese is Spanish, from León. Liked the flavourful wings. Tasted of deep fried, well-coated with sweet, tangy sauce with just a hint of spiciness. A bite of chicken, a swig of beer equates to enjoyment.

Buffalo Wings with Valdeón Cheese (Spicy) @$13

four wings served piping hot, garnish with olives, pine nuts and chopped tomatoes

Valdeón cheese dip

Blue cheese dip always had this smokey, pungent taste and likewise for this Spanish blue cheese. But, the dip has a sweet aftertaste and was quite likeable when eaten with the tasty wings. Too bad there weren't any crudités to go along with it.

For main course, had the Australian wagyu steak done medium rare. The plate was pretty looking with all the colours! Meat was rump part, and those nearest to the fats were the best bits. Sundried cherry tomatoes gave bursts of sweetness with its intense concentration of flavour. However, the taste of the sauce was lost as the truffle oil from the mash was a tad too overpowering. Mash potato on its own was tasty and smooth. Liked the mushrooms too. A nicely presented, tasty dish that's value for money.

wagyu steak @$25

truffle mash, rump steak, sundried cherry tomatoes, sauteed peppers

medium rare

And, of course one ought to try Spanish desserts. Fried milk sounds interesting, so got one of that. Also had a cup of lungo. Served in a tiny cup, along with housemade biscotti. The biscotti can also be purchased @$1 a piece.

Lungo @$4

The Spanish fried milk fritters or Leche Frita, looked like churros actually. Though not as skinny. Dusted with tiny bit of icing sugar and cinnamon. The orange whipped cream was really light and refreshing. Paired well with the hot crispy fried milk fritters. Sweetness level was just right.

Leche Frita @$6

crispy outer, soft white milky center

Overall, we liked the food and the dining experience at Milagro Spanish Restaurant. Relaxed, casual and reasonable prices.

A 3-course meal shared by two pax with an alcoholic drink each costs about $35 per pax. There's no GST nor service charge, but please feel free to leave a tip. Currently, they have UOB credit card promo where diners get 10% off the bill (not to be used in conjunction with other promo).

Halo Rooftop Lounge @ Wangz Hotel Outram Road

Last visit was some years back, for a friend's birthday celebration. Was pleasantly surprised to receive an invite for a cocktail and tapas tasting session recently. Hence, the date was set and went after work on a Friday evening.

Wangz Hotel is located at 231 Outram Road. Nearest MRT station would be Tiong Bahru, and very near to Link Hotel too.

Wangz is a cosy boutique hotel that has been in existance since 2009. The entrance led straight to Nectar, its on-premise restaurant.

entrance

Nectar

The lift to the rooftop is a bit secluded, hence do look out for the signage that leads towards the right direction.

hello Halo

The draw at Halo, or any rooftop bar/lounges, would be the view from the top. At Halo, it offers a scenic panoramic view of the Tiong Bahru's skyline and its curved aluminium frame made the rooftop area, pretty interesting.

Was there early, so roamed around the area and snapped a few pictures.

aluminium frame and covered roof

alfresco with a view

Tapas seems to be the buzz these days. Small plates sounds perfect for small eaters, and I'll gladly accept a drink (or two) on a Friday evening. Let the night begin!

First up, Singapore Sling.

Quickly, what did you first think of? An image of tall glass, maraschino cherry and tropical? Was pleasantly surprised to see Halo's version, served in a coconut shell. No kidding!

Singapore Sling - No.3 London Dry, cherry liqueur and bitters

"A classic with a twist." - As quoted by Halo's resident mixologist, the talented As'Ad. He focuses on using fresh fruits and juices, as well as premium liqueur in his creations.

The Singapore Sling here looked good, and tasted good. Pleasant, mildly fruity and of cherries, and thankfully, none of that articificial syrupy aftertaste.

For the next drink, I had to ask as I thought I heard wrongly. "What was the name again?" Bye Bye Mai Tai?

Bye Bye Mai Tai - grapefruit hibiscus liqueur, finished up with rose water

Found that the Mai Tai at Halo, matches closely with the tropical theme. Its usage of edible flowers was much similar to Singapore Sling. It was abit hard to discern the taste in this one. Usually, Mai Tai is made predominantly with rum. Here, it uses grapefruit hibiscus liqueuer. Slightly more grapefruity than hibiscus-y.

The cocktails are quite balanced but in any case, the stomach needed food! Let's bring out the tapas.

Yellow Fin Tuna Ceviche on Crispy Corn Chip - tasting portion

Was trying to decipher what those strips were. If not wrong, should be candied orange peel/ginger. Liked the combination of chopped cucumber, tomato salsa and tuna ceviche. A refreshing taste. A little bit salty, but gone in one bite or two. Wished that the corn chips can be more curled up at its side like a mini taco. Easier to stuff 'em into the mouth!

Well, corn chips with chopped raw fish were fine but needed something more substantial. How about some mini burgers? Lucky me, next up was beef sliders.

Chimay Rouge with Angus Beef Slider

"Try the slider with the beer." Yup, why not. But first, a sip of that cold beer. This was my first, in trying a Chimay, Trappist beer. Beer that was brewed in a monastery for monks. It was easy to drink, smooth with medium carbonation and not that bitter. Enjoyable in big sips.

Angus Slider, I see you

The Angus Beef Slider was made out of two fluffy buns (housemade, nonetheless) that held together some purple cabbage slaw, a slice of tomato and of course, the handmade angus beef patty. No sauce required. This was simplicity. The pickled onion was pretty good too. Full portion @$18++ consists of 3 sliders.

Next up, meaty pork ribs!

US Kurobuta Baby Pork Ribs with Pineapple BBQ Sauce - tasting portion

The ribs were meaty, with a firm bite. As expected, the sauce was a little bit on the sweet side. Wished that the ribs were a bit more charred, with caramelization. These ribs paired well with beer too.

grill masters hard at work

If beer, and Slings are not your thing, then how about an elegant glass of Green Apple & Pineapple Martini? Ingredients included premium liqueur Thoquino cachaca, malibu coconut rum and one can taste real fruits bits of green apple and pineapple.

Green Apple + Pineapple Martini

If you ever wanted to know more about the cocktails, please go right up to the bar area.

bar area - mixologist in the house yo!

Did you know that Halo Rooftop Lounge also has live music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays? Now you do.

Jazz on Thursdays, and 'Accoustic Live' contemporary hits on Fridays and Saturdays.

Idah and Yazid, performing at Halo on Fridays

Drinks, music and food. What more do we need? Well...how about more food!

Chicken Lollipops with Blue Cheese Dip and Crudites - tasting portion

The batter was crispy but slightly bland. Blue cheese dip is an acquired taste. This one is not for me.

If you can only have one cocktail for the night, then may I recommend you the Botanist Bowl (@$18++). It had me at first sip. Yes, this was my kind of drink!

Botanist Bowl

Perhaps, it was the Botanist Gin, which is a small-batch, artisanal Islay (Scotland) gin. Perhaps, it was the Elderflower Liqueuer, or was it the fresh strawberries or home-made lemon foam? Or was it the molecular process of making it that brought out the flavours?

According to wiki, molecular mixology sees the creation of cocktails using equipment and techniques of molecular gastronomy. Err....in layman's term, it involves changing the appearance/texture of the original item, enhancing flavours by using gels, foam, sprays etc.

All I know, is that I liked it very much, so thanks for having this on the menu. As'Ad revealed that this is actually their bestseller cocktail, followed by Singapore Sling.

To end the night on a sweeter note, a small plate of honey BBQ wings.

Honey BBQ Wings

Served piping hot, sweet and slightly crispy at its edges. But, abit too skinny these wings!

In general, the tapas price ranges from $15++ to $18++ and most cocktails are priced at $18++.

Special thanks to Ms Prue Chin, Marketing Manager of Wangz Hotel for the invitation. Glad to be re-acquainted with Halo Rooftop Lounge. Not forgetting As'Ad, whom expertly concocted those drinks. Saw another rather interestingly named cocktail such as the 'Rhubarb Pie'. If you try it, let me know how it taste like!

Happy Hour happens daily from 4pm to 8pm, and all night long on Sundays. Look out for selected 1-for-1 offers during Happy Hour. Do note that the closing hour for Halo is on 11pm (Sunday to Thursday) and 12am (Fri, Sat, eve and on public holidays).

promo

Halo Rooftop Lounge @ Wangz Hotel

Address: 231 Outram Road, Singapore 169040
Tel: (65) 6595 1388
Fax: (65) 6595 1399
Email: inquiry@wangzhotel.com
Website: http://www.wangzhotel.com