Rubato - Italian Kitchen & Bar @ 12 Greenwood Ave

I remembered being here before, and I was right! But that was a long time ago with Cherlyn. Back then, she was my wine buddy. Now 2021, am here again with the wine gang on a Friday night.

back here, after 7 years

In 2021, still seated at alfresco area. Deja-vu. Reservation was definitely necessary on Friday evenings. The place was a tad chaotic, with a few people waiting at its door, for the hostess to be avail. Staff are friendly but they have pre-assigned tasks.

It was a short 15 minutes wait, before we were assigned a table. This is a place with sparkling or still, so sparkling it shall be.

Ferrarelle 750ml @$3.90++

World's US Finest Oysters @$57.60++

Let's start with fresh oysters, and can't say no to that! We got a dozen to share amongst the 5 of us. That worked out to be $4.80++ per piece. Plump, briny and creamy.

closer look

Terre Gaie Prosecco DOC @$66++

We had Prosecco with the fresh oysters. The house curated Prosecco bottle price is reasonable.

cheers!

Lovely start. Ivan recommended the "Gift from the Angels" (cold angel hair pasta with scallops and truffle oil) and when asked if would like to top it with uni (sea urchin), the answer was yes. We do atas that night.

Cold Angel Hair Pasta @$88++

It was really good. Perfect harmony and so tasty. Would we care for more? Why, yes! And, we ordered one more when Bernice arrived. Am opined to think that this is one of those things to eat before we die, if one could afford it.

Come to think of it, we started with seafood so let's move on to meat. We gonna have chicken and tenderloin to satisfy the meatatarian in us.

The chicken was nice and pleasant, and the sauce was a tad spicy. Not sure what's in there, but pretty good combo with the cauliflower.

Chicken alla Diavola @$28.60++

Tenderloin @$44.60++

The doneness of the steak was incorrect initially, and we informed the staff. Service recovery was fast, and a new plate was brought for us without a fuss.

Tenderloin - medium rare

Time flies when you're having fun, and soon, it was time for dessert. "How about some gelato or sorbet?"

chocolate and pistachio gelato, mango sorbet

My favourite was the pistachio gelato. But it melted too fast! Keke, no worries 'coz am gonna have an affagato all by myself. Yay!

Affogato with vanilla ice-cream @$9.90++

But that's not all, there's more! The chocolate fondant took quite a while to arrive, and we got a complimentary pistachio gelato. Wow, that's a nice gesture. It warmed our hearts.

Chocolate Fondant @$14.90++

"Do you think it'd flow?"

Lovely meet up with Elle, Hoong Ann, B and Ivan. Thank you Ivan for arranging the dinner! 

RUBATO - Italian Kitchen & Bar

Address: 12 Greenwood Ave, Singapore 289204

Website: https://www.rubato.com.sg/

Contact: 6252 3200

Business Hours:

Daily: 10am–2am

[Tasting] Brand New Dining Experience @ Grissini Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

Grissini by night, transforms into a cosy, romantic place. Lovely flower decor on the table too. Was invited to try the Grissini Menu Degustazione , curated by new Head Chef Kenny Huang.

The menu is available at $128++ per pax, and likely to be refreshed on a quarterly basis.

cosy ambiance

you know it's fine dining by the number of cutleries laid out

While waiting for the meal to start proper, we could munch on the super crunchy Grissini breadsticks, or enjoy the soft sundried tomato bun or focaccia. I liked the soft bun with the tasty olive oil.

bread, baked inhouse

AMUSE BOUCHE

amuse bouche of prosciutto con tartufo e mascarpone and roselle pomodorino

Hmm, must have been too engrossed and must had misheard the sequence of which to eat first. Hence, I tried the prosciutto con tartufo first. Strong truffle savoury taste. Chased that with a pop of roselle pomodorino. Oooh, tasted sweet with hint of sour plum.

Appetite opened, and ready for more!

GAMBERO DI MAZARA

Paired with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc Reims Champagne France NV.

cheers to friendship with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc

Gambero Di Mazara

The Italian Mazara red prawn, comes from the waters around Mazara del Vallo, a small town on the south-western coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea.

For the Gambero Di Mazara dish, one could devour the head as Chef had cleaned it, coated it with semolina flour and deep fried till crunchy. Love the bright colour of the green pea puree. That squid ink cracker was so good. Umami with a crunch. The prawn itself was very tasty with savoury sweet briny taste.

Having this with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc, was a luxury I didn't know I needed. The wine was smooth, creamy with a touch of honey.

RISOTTO CON FEGATO GRASSO

Risotto Con Fegato Grasso

Oh my! Risotto with foie gras. If that doesn't scream rich, how about adding a 24K gold leaf onto the foie gras? Well, this dish has it all!

I thought I had tasted enough risotto but this one, was an eye-opener, or rather, tastebud opener! That first spoonful without the foie gras was already so, so good. 

golden

With the foie gras, it was pure decadence.

Capon consomme, white truffle oil, sweet onion confit melded so well together. Kudos to Chef Kenny and team. This is now my current favourite risotto.

TORTELLI DI ZUCCA

Paired with Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva DOC Rioja Spain RV

Tortelli Di Zucca

Truth be told, I was starting to feel full midway through the risotto. But finished all, because it was just too good. Next, was this tiny parcels of bright yellow tortelli. This dish is only available via the Degustation Menu.

Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva DOC Rioja Spain RV

handmade tortelli, butternut squash, parmesan fondue

So easy to pop these into the mouth. Loved the burst of gentle sweetness from the butternut squash, and countered by that salty-crunchy cheese. Then, complement it with the deliciously red Marques de Caceres Grand Reserva.

YUZU SORBETTO

yuzu sorbet with champagne konnyaku, lemon confit

Palate cleanser of refreshingly sweet yuzu sorbet.

For the main course, one could choose either the fish or the beef. I went for the A4 Wagyu but that bite of Branzino, almost had me converted. Almost.

Farina Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOCG Veneto Italy RV

BRANZINO

Paired with Farina Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOCG Veneto Italy RV

Branzino - European seabass, wild mushrooms, spinach and thyme jus

A4 WAGYU

Paired with Farina Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOCG Veneto Italy RV

A4 Wagyu, purple artichoke, celeriac puree, veal bone marrow jus

The seabass has a crispy skin that tasted of fish oil, which I liked. Lovely. A4 Wagyu was good as expected. Amarone wine was full bodied, juicy and tasted of cherries and spicy hints.

FRAGOLE ALL'ACETO BALSAMICO

Paired with Huber Riesling Eiswein Traisental Austria 2018

dessert - lavender gelato, strawberries, aged balsamic, rumble

Huber Riesling Eiswein Traisental Austria 2018

It was a lovely dinner. I had enjoyed all dishes and all glasses of wine that night. Food portion was good and the wines complemented the dishes. Kudos to Chef Kenny, Sommelier Uzair Yaacob, and team. 

Petit Four, cr to handmodel

mini treats

Degustation Menu at $128++ per pax, and top up $70++ for wine pairing.

Thank you Ziqing for the invite, special thanks to Chef Kenny and Uzair for sharing so much with us and Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Grissini for hosting the dinner.

Grissini

Address: G/F Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, 392 Havelock Rd, 169663

Website: http://celebrateatgcw.com/grissini

Contact: 8168 1539 or email: dining.gcw@millenniumhotels.com

Business Hours:

Lunch: 12pm to 2.30pm (last order at 2pm)

Dinner: 6pm to 10pm (last order at 9.30pm)

[Tasting] New Drinks and Tasty Eats at George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer @ 81 Boat Quay

Back for more Hitachino Nest (bottled craft beer), and this time round, managed to try the Red Rice Ale. Previous visit, I had the Dai Dai and also a sip of White Ale. Wouldn't that means, 3 out of the 4 flavours tasted? My favourite is now the Red Rice (红曲米) Ale. It has a definitive fragrance of the red rice, mildly sweet and refreshing. Plus, very good price during Happy Hour. Cheers indeed!

bevy of beauties - bottled craft from Japan

Brewdog Bottled Craft Beer from UK

For food to go with the drinks, we had the small squares of golden brown homemade chestnut tofu, and freshly fried. Yummy! However, there was less of the crunchy chestnut that I enjoyed from the previous visit.

Crispy Chef's Homemade Chestnut Beancurd @ $12++

introducing Chuga Soju with Milkis

Salted Egg Yolk Soft Shell Crab would be perfect munchies for the beer.

Salted Egg Yolk Soft Shell Crab @$18++

Happy to see soju on the menu, so we tried the lychee, green grape and watermelon flavour, in preferential order. Happy Hour promo, one gets 3 bottles for $36++. Mix it with cold Milkis for a change.

On rainy days, the best thing to eat would be Claypot Mutton Stew with Beancurd and Radish. A pot of well braised tender mutton with a good chew but the surprise was in the radish. Bursting with savoury satisfying flavours! Drizzle all the 'zup' onto a bowl of steamed rice and relish in simple pleasures. It was like a putting the final piece of the puzzle together. So good. No funky business here, only tasty stuffs.

Claypot Mutton Stew with Beancurd and Radish @$25++

Penang Laksa Steamed Fish Head @$28++

If you missed eating assam laksa, why not give Penang Laksa Steamed Fish Head a try. This newer version has been slightly tweaked.

a toast with Brewlander Love (Wild IPA)

Next dish, was a good sized Tilapia for the Penang Crispy Fish. Loved the crisp edges of the fish and remember to scoop the sauce from underneath the fish. This dish paired well with beer as well as soju, and I'd reckon some red too. Just that I wasn't drinking any red wine that night. Hey, it's just Monday!

Penang Crispy Fish (Tilapia) @$28++

For the finale, we were served the Golden Chicken. It is special because underneath the chicken skin, there's a layer of fish paste. The result was a pleasant surprise due to the difference in texture and taste, yet still maintained a familiarity from the crisp roasted chicken skin. 

Golden Chicken - $20/$38 for half/whole chicken

close up view

I enjoyed the refreshing soju, cold beers (bottled craft/tap) paired with tasty tze char food. From what I've tried, it paired quite well so far. Try it and do share if there's any particular combination that stood out to recommend to others.

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

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

FB: https://www.facebook.com/georgetowntzechar/

Contact: 6535 6277 

For bookings: Whatsapp 96823826

Business Hours:

Daily 12pm to 11pm

Birds of a Feather with Friends @ Amoy Street

This has become my favourite place to indulge in 辣子鸡 (Laziji). The version at Birds is called "Find the Chicken in the Chillies" and yes, nowadays, I'll even munch on those chilies. Trained much!

Find the Chicken in the Chillies @$16++

What I like about this place besides the shiok food? The decor and vibes are comfy and up-casual. And, I'll let you on a secret (or maybe not?), Executive Chef Eugene is kind of like a heart-throb, doesn't he? Hehe. Anyways, he is nice and friendly. Always a pleasure to see him at Birds of a Feather.

Birds of a Feather entrance

our seats

Happy hour till 7pm, and we were there for lunch, so it made sense to get a bottle if you have more than 2 pax ordering alcohol.

the approach

Cava Grand Castillo (Cava Brut NV) @$50++ per bottle

cheers!

Finally, we tried the other starters since there were more of us this time round. Pigs ear. I thought it would be crispy. I was wrong. It was a salad!

Pig Ear Mosaic @$18++

have a slice

Crunchy, slippery pig ear slice coupled with the lovely sweet potato noodles in there and coated with those lovely tangy spicy sauce, was just tasty. Enjoyable.

If you love soupy, go for the Sichuan Oxtail Soup. Another favourite of mine. Those meaty bones, best! Thumbs up. Broth has depth and frankly if there wasn't anyone around, would pick up the bowl and slurp from there. Satisfying.

Sichuan Oxtail Soup @$24++

Hong Shao Short Ribs @$38++

Have been wondering how's the Hong Shao Short Ribs would taste like, so we ordered to try. Chunky fork-tender short ribs, placed on top of a rolled up potato noodles and topped with foam. Ok, I asked what's the foam and someone answered but I had forgotten again. Sorry!

Hong Shao Short Ribs (different angle)

Toss and mix, then enjoy. I love the well braised short ribs as expected. Wholesome flavours and lovely texture of the potato noodles. So far, am liking all the noodles from this place but I'll share with you which one is my favourite. It can be found in the oxtail soup earlier, or in another dish that you'll get to see in a few more sentences.

A man of his words, and as promised during a previous visit, Chef Eugene sweetly surprised Kris with this complimentary plate of 'sotong'.

Chef's Special - for Kris

We all dug in of course, and had a taste. Tangy, refreshing and with a kick.

Am glad we ordered the Truffle Alfredo Orecchiette pasta dish. Do eat it as soon as it was served. The thick truffle mushroom salsa on those ear shaped pasta was awesome if you like truffle. There's an egg in there for more runny yolk to coat the pasta. Suitable for sharing.

Truffle Alfredo Orecchiette @$35++

When we ordered the Sweating Mussels, the service crew informed that this would be akin to mala 麻辣. Ok, sounds about right!

Sweating Mussels @$29++

Presentation was on-point, and visually striking with its myriad of colours. But do be careful when trying this for the first time. The spice level was WoOoHooO! At least to me, it was fiery spicy. But will keep going back for more once the fire subsided abit. That's how good this dish was. Plus, it has my favourite yam noodles in there!

tadah~ my favourit'est yam noodles!

And then, Eugene surprised us one more time, with a complimentary dish of Wagyu Beef & Foie Gras Claypot Rice. So sweet!

Once again, the aroma of truffle and those thick slices of beef plus wobbly onsen egg and creamy foie gras, was all beckoning us for a taste. Hehe.

Wagyu Beef & Foie Gras Claypot Rice

let it flow~ let it flow~

As expected, it has a luxurious feel to the dish. While there was no 'burnt rice' or 锅巴, the soft rich taste of the foie gras, tender wagyu combined with the well flavoured rice was enough to send one to food heaven. Yummy!

Once again, thank you Chef Eugene for the delicious food.

We celebrated Shermaine's birthday and the finale of a Seasalt Chocolate Cheesecake, beautifully presented.

Seasalt Caramel Cheesecake @$11++

For hot beverage, the mocha here is pretty good, or one could go for the Ice Caramel Coffee Cubes Latte.

mocha @$7++

Ice Caramel Coffee Cubes Latte @$8++

Thank you Kris, Shermaine, Tiara, Rachelle, Ivan and Eugene for an enjoyable afternoon, and kudos to team Birds of a Feather for the lovely place to gather.

Birds of a Feather

Address: 115 Amoy St, #01-01, Singapore 069935

FB: https://www.facebook.com/birdsofafeathersg

Website: https://www.birdsofafeather.com.sg/en_SG/

Contact: 6221 7449

Business Hours:

Daily:

Mon - Thurs: 10.45am to 3pm, 5pm to 11pm

Fri - Sun: 10.30am to 12am (10pm on Sun)