Saturday, September 14, 2019

[Tasting] Beasts & Butterflies @ MSocial Singapore

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Was there for lunch during the first visit, and now back for a taste of their dinner menu that was just launched in September.

"What would you like to drink?"  To this, I'd say M Wine, please. Yes, I really like the Millennium Hotels and Resorts private label wine collection. Mellow, light and easy to drink. It pairs well with almost anything. My choice for dinner? Always red.

M Wine @$12++

Let's get on with the meal, shall we? To start proper, we had soup. The incredibly sweet, pumpkin puree soup. Took a sip and immediately, there was a noticeable difference. The visuals would be of any other pumpkin puree soup but it had a refreshing taste due to the clever infusion of lemongrass. It has a smooth mouthfeel and that's probably due to the use of young onion oil in there. Good to share the soup with your partner. 

Pumpkin Puree Soup @$14++

Next up, something light to whet the appetite (no, not salad). We tried the steamed clam chorizo, a favourite of JC. Our table likes this dish and one could mop up the sauce with the sourdough slices provided. I'm not a fan of chorizo, unfortunately. Granted, the clams were meaty but do watch out for the shell bits.

Steamed Clam Chorizo @$26++

If you are out on a date and had sudden cravings for chili crab but the thought of working through the shells and making a mess with your hands doesn't appeal to both of you, then at Beasts, they have a solution for you. Delicious chili crabs with chunky meats, and deshelled so that we can eat it prettily. Yes, served with deep fried mantou (but just 4 of it!). You could also request for steamed mantou, for healthier choice. But, where's the joy without the deep fried crispy on the outside but soft pillowy sweet on the inside mantous?

Chili Crab @$36++

The sauce was sweet and spicy, with spice level at Level 3 out of 5. Lovely, and we scooped up the sauce to drink, I meant to eat.

Next, there were burgers on our table. Cajun Chicken Burger and Impossible Burger. The burger was served with a side of mesclun and potato fries. The salad was dressed in the appetising goma sauce.

(front, back) Cajun Chicken Burger @$24++ and Impossible™ Burger @$27++

Loved that they used brioche buns (well buttered, is a must!) to sandwich the patty. The Cajun Chicken burger uses chicken thigh, so it was juicy. It was less enjoyable for me due to the existence of a herb that I didn't fancy on the chicken.

First time trying the Impossible™ burger and didn't know what to expect. Would the texture be weird? Would it taste beefy? Would the patty be dry as a cardboard?

Wild thoughts and it all disappeared on first bite.

Wow. It tasted...like a good beef burger.

It's been 5 years since I first came across Impossible Foods way back in 2014 during the Techcracker  2014 event, organized by the Li Ka Shing foundation, Horizons Ventures, NUS Enterprise and Vertex Ventures Holdings Ltd. Here is a related article on Li Ka Shing and Impossible Foods Inc founder, Patrick Brown.

The secret to the beefy taste? Here is a research article off the web for your reading pleasure: https://singularityhub.com/2019/04/19/what-makes-the-impossible-burger-look-and-taste-like-real-beef/

The Impossible™ burger patty is plant-based and at Beasts & Butterflies, the burger is jazzed up with sautéed baby spinach, white button mushroom, melty cheddar cheese, and tomato slice.

hey, good looking
sure this is not beef?

Next up, we are going to have meat. Yes, the real things. Duck, Chicken, Lamb and Pork. Essentially, those but let's do it with fancier flair~

Cassoulet Duck Confit @$35++

French cuisine, where the duck leg was cured and sous-vide cassoulet with cannellini beans, tomato concasse, spicy sausage and pork bacon. Chef Shahnaaz said, the cured duck leg was similar to 臘鴨.

My favourite roast that night, was actually the Roasted Baby Chicken where the cornish spring chicken was brined, pat dried and cooked with roasted butter herb marinated injected right beneath its skin, and served with sides of baby potatoes and spring vegetables.

Roasted Baby Chicken @$28++

It's rare to say but I liked even the breast meat of the Roasted Baby Chicken dish. A well-cooked dish that tasted good. This was one dish that made me wanted to finish it all. By myself. And, with sips of the delicious M Wine.

The Lamb Shank here was well braised in red wine (classic French style) and served with sides of mashed potatoes and ratatouille. I only ate a few pieces before it was gone. But those mouthfuls were good. Flavourful, meat was tender and clean tasting (aka not gamey at all) and thoroughly enjoyable. Didn't care much for the vege though but loved the soft creamy mash.

Lamb Shank @$38++

If you're still hankering after more meat, there's Pork Knuckles to consider. We did half-portion and it arrived looking crackly. Is it me, or does the namjin sauce tasted much spicier than previous? Get the meat that has some fats and of course a good portion of cracklings. Dip swiftly into the namjin sauce and enjoy the sensation on first bite. I still like this.

Crispy Pork Knuckles (half) @$26++

If you like Teochew porridge, or fish soup where the grainy rice is added to the soup, you will like the Lobster Porridge at Beasts & Butterflies. A luxurious pot of lobster rice porridge in crab broth, with sweet baby abalone, crispy conpoy, some bonito flakes, fried shredded ginger and scallion thrown in.

Lobster Porridge @$38++

Once in a while, Chef Shahnaaz Wong, Executive Chef of Beast & Butterflies, came to interact with us. She recounted about her time in Sri Lanka and the inspiration it gave in the pumpkin puree soup dish. A passionate and creative individual who loves travelling, Chef Shahnaaz has curated a small but multi-faceted, multi-dimensional menu to cater to a variety of palates.

Chef Shahnaaz spotted the camera

Thus far, my favourites from Beasts & Butterflies are Roasted Baby Chicken, Chili Crab, Lamb Shank, Impossible Burger, Pork Knuckles, Hokkien Mee, salads (didn't think I'd say this!), and crab patties.

Let's have some dessert before we call it a night.

Yam Brulee @$12++ 
closer view

The Yam Brulee was 'yammy' with gingko nuts and candied pumpkin, served with coconut ice-cream. I've enjoyed this the previous time but it's a 'heavy' dessert after a heavy meal hence, was feeling it at that moment.

The Purple Sweet Potato Montblanc was pretty in purple. Didn't read the menu carefully, and was a tad surprised when its inside was coconut gelato. Hahaaa. I wanted cake actually. But, it was a happy dessert with pretty details like the gold flakes and the chocolate butterflies. The pearl bursts excitedly and it was a sweet sensation having this dessert. Gelato was refreshing as expected.

Purple Sweet Potato Mont Blanc @$12++

We were filled with some trepidation while waiting for the finale dessert; the Rojak Ice-Cream Toast. We were like What did we order?! What have we done!

And, it arrived looking like.... a large portion of shibuya toast.

Rojak Ice-Cream Toast @$12++ (half)

We ate it like we were analyzing it deeply. It tasted pretty much as it sounds. Rojak, toast and ice-cream.

It's not weird at all and after a few bites, it became rather addictive. I like rojak sauce, and this had so much of that sweet salty savoury rojak sauce all over it with crunchy peanuts and all, and the toast was so crisp on its outer skin, it was like replacement of the crunchy 'youtiao' (fried dough fritters) minus the oily feeling. Add ice-cream to this concoction and voila, it became a dessert!

We kept on checking with the staff it this was half portion. It was affirmative. I cannot imagine how one could finish the mammoth of a full portion!

To end, we had coffee. As with previous, we get a kick of seeing printed image on the milk foam. Just ask Kenny on how to get this done so that you can surprise your loved ones.

JC with her printed image

Dinner with Darren, Jeff and JC. Missing Gilbert.

Thank you Fiona and Chef Shahnaaz, Beasts & Butterflies and kitchen team for the delicious meal. Not forgetting Kenny, who came by to assist when we had questions about the coffee printing.


Beast & Butterflies

Address: M Social Singapore 90 Robertson Quay Singapore 238259
Websitehttps://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/singapore/m-social-singapore/beast-and-butterflies/
Contact: +65 6657 0018

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Birds Of A Feather @ Amoy Street

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Had a late lunch at Birds of a Feather recently, on a Sat noon. It is a cosy place, with nice decor and friendly ambiance. Suitable for peeps with laptop who wants to work while sipping a cocktail or two, and to enjoy Sichuan flavoured snacks or creatively delicious fusion Chinese meal.

Loved the menu with the printed drawings instead of actual photos of the food.

menu

interior
cosy and classy

I was intrigued by the Sichuan Oxtail Soup with Chinese Yam Noodles. Like, what does Sichuan Oxtail Soup would taste like? And what in the world is a Chinese Yam Noodles? So many questions and I eagerly await for the dish to arrive.

Kris ordered the "Red Birdie Noodle" that comes with "Bang-Bang Chicken" and an onsen egg. I know nothing about "Bang-Bang Chicken" but since it is a red, it must be pretty spicy!

How about a glass of rose to go along with the food? Why, yes please.

Chateau Montaud Rose @$14++ per glass
refreshing with flavors of raspberry/strawberry with a crisp, clean finish

With drinks in-hand, we needed some appetisers. We ordered the "Charcoal Grilled Pork Bits" as I have not tried this before. Thank you Chef Eugene for sending us the complimentary plate of "Find the Chicken in the Chillies"! Now we have double dose of meats!

Charcoal Grilled Pork Bits @$15++
Find the Chicken in the Chillies @$16++

The Charcoal Grilled Pork Bits comprises of grilled pork belly slices, baby potatoes and sweet potatoes are smothered with a layer of those Chinese skewer magic spices similar to its sister restaurant at 51Soho. Loved everything on this plate!

It wasn't that hard to find the chicken amongst the chillies because there were some chunky bits in it. Yummy! The mix had peppercorn, leek bits and dried chillies deep fried till slightly crisp. Don't leave the leek bits behind if you enjoy bursts of sweetness amongst the fiery spicy taste.

For Sichuan Oxtail Soup, I was pleasantly surprised by its visual. The inclusion of arlette pastry added to the aesthetics. Tasty too with its buttery flaky texture that's fragrant with spring onion. The first spoonful of soup revealed a broth that was beefy, with hints of herbs and not overly rich. Very enjoyable. The Chinese Yam Noodles turned out to be flat sheets of al-dente chewy noodles that had similar texture to QQ rice cake. Very good. Oh, be careful when you dip into the chilli dip provided... so spicy!

Sichuan Oxtail Soup, Spring Onion Arlette with additional Chinese Yam Noodles @$29++
can't get enough of this noodles!

The oxtail itself was meaty and superbly tender while maintaining its flavours. Thumbs up for this!

you have become a favourite of mine

The Red Birdie Noodle is a dry version with spicy mala sauce and served with condiments that were meant to be tossed into the noodles for a good mix while the Bang-Bang Chicken was to be eaten separately.

Red Birdie Noodle @$20++
going in~
well tossed Japanese noodles

The Red Birdie Noodle was strongly flavoured and goes well with a drink. The "Bang-Bang Chicken" had a nice sweet sauce (was it 沙茶酱?) to it and the chicken breast meat likeable (this is coming from one that doesn't like chicken breast usually).

Compliments to Chef Eugene and I've enjoyed the meal at Birds of a Feather. Weekend lunch date with Kris and Tiara.

Suggest to order 3 appetisers with a shared main (for lighter eaters), or 1 appetiser with 2 shared mains and a dessert for 2 pax. Expect to spend about $45 to $55 per pax for a meal here, with a drink.

Birds of a Feather

Address: 115 Amoy St, #01-01, Singapore 069935
Websitehttps://www.facebook.com/birdsofafeathersg
Contact: 6221 7449
Business Hours:
Daily:
Mon - Thurs: 10.45am to 3pm, 5pm to 11pm
Fri - Sun: 10.30am to 12am (10pm on Sun)

Sunday, September 8, 2019

[Tasting] Wok Palace @ Fusionopolis

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Wok Palace offers lavish tze char (煮炒) dining in a comfortable setting and originates from Wok Master and Coffee Hive family. Started from humble roots and now expanding its wings to bring a more refined dining concept with unique menu and inclusion of exciting new dishes while retaining some evergreen tze char favourites.

Thank you Damien and Angie for the invite, and special thanks to Anthony, Terence and Wok Palace for hosting the dinner.

comfortable dining space


Let's take a look at the colourful drinks that we had. The perfect thirst quenchers!

(right to left) Sky Blue Tropical, Passion Peach Tea, Lychee Mojito, Iced Lemon Tea and Honey Lemon

Or, one could opt for the beautiful blooming hot teas. So pretty with the flowers inside.

Blooming Jasmine Tea @$4.50

Do you love soups as much as I do? We started the meal proper with the Ginseng Chicken Soup with Sea Whelk. Is it just me, because I find that the texture of the sea whelk is pretty similar to chicken gizzard. Hehe!

Ginseng Chicken Soup with Sea Whelk (人参螺头炖鸡汤) @$12

Soup was boiled over a slow fire for many hours (close to a day's worth!) and it was love at first sip. Each spoonful contained all the essence (精华) yet not an overly rich taste. I enjoyed this a lot. Soothing and comforting.

loved every sip
the last few sips!


Next, we progressed to a light appetiser of Scallop Roll with Braised Daikon and Pork Broth. It looked interesting and I was wondering, where was the scallop... Can you guess?

Scallop Roll with Braised Daikon and Pork Broth (带子卷焖白胡萝卜扒猪骨汤) @$23.80

The outer layer turned out to be sashimi grade scallops made into a paste to wrap the minced pork, diced carrots, water crest, and shrimp. I loved the feels of how beautiful it looked with the dots of orange and green (from the diced items). The daikon was well braised and had absorbed the delicious pork broth. The scallop roll had a dense bouncy texture and the minced pork and shrimp package with the pretty diced carrots and water chestnut elevated the package further with a refreshing taste that complemented well with the overall sweetness.

pretty!

For tofu lovers, I would recommend the Homemade Kale Tofu. Nope, the tofu was not made out of kale! This dish is actually like any typical Chinese restaurant tofu spinach dish, just that it uses kale instead of spinach to top the tofu with crunchy savoury bits. The main reason why I liked this dish, was purely due to the soft, freshly made tofu. So yummy.

Homemade Kale Tofu (自制羽衣甘蓝豆腐) @$6
so soft~

How does braised beef cheek appeal to you? I'd normally have this at non-Chinese restaurant but hey, if Wok Palace has it, then yes let's try it!

Braised Beef Cheek with Organic Kale and Confit Tomato 红烧牛肉扒羽衣甘蓝 @$28

Visually, I was reminded of a Christmas tree. I kid you not. Pushing that thought aside, I appreciate the tower of kale. Yes, I needed my vegetables serving for the day and kale is one of the superfoods, so yay!

tender

The beef cheek was fork tender and leaned towards the sweet side. The sauce had hints of herbs and some Chinese spices. Familiar taste but sshhh, it's a secret sauce.

Wok Palace also serves dim sum and it takes pride on its roasted meat as well. If you had tried its roast pork before, you'll know that Wok Palace's version is different from the others. Take a look at the photo below and imagine the crunch of that top crisp skin.

2 Combination Roast Meat 烧味双拼 @$15.80
mustard dip for the roast meat platter
roast pork belly with biscuit-like crunchy skin

Signature Classic Roast Duck 经典烤鸭 @$17.80/$30.80/$58.80 (small/half/whole)

For more beefy taste, there's the Stir Fried Wagyu Beef Cubes with Red Wine & Black Pepper. The default doneness is medium well, hence do inform the service staff if you prefer medium or medium rare.

Stir Fried Wagyu Beef Cubes with Red Wine & Black Pepper (红酒黑椒和牛粒) @$28

For me, I'd go for the Kurobuta Pork Ribs with Honey Sauce. Deliciously sweet and sticky with caramelised sauce, and with meat that slids off easily from the bone. Messy but delicious.

Kurobuta Pork Ribs with Honey Sauce 黑豚蜜展排骨 @$28

If you're feeling extra indulgent, you might want to try the Lobster Broth with Crispy Rice. Served in a wooden rice bucket, anticipation builds as the lid was lifted off. The fragrance of shaoxing 紹興 or also known as hua diao 花雕 wine wafted towards us immediately.

Lobster Broth with Crispy Rice 上汤龙虾泡饭 @ market price

lobster broth
rice puffs in, and ready to be served



Once again, thank you Wok Palace for the introduction to the innovative dishes. Congratulations on your official launch!

Wok Palace

Address: 1 Fusionopolis Way, #02-01/02, Singapore 138632
Websitehttps://www.wokpalace.com.sg
Contact: +65 6909 9856
Business Hours:
Daily 10am to 10pm

 
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