Bar-Roque Grill @ Amara Hotel, Tanjong Pagar

My first restaurant week, ever! Booking was a breeze through DiningCity. 830pm at Bar-Roque Grill Amara Hotel. They were doing a surprise menu, so I didn't know what to expect. Had a suspicion that they'd might do tart flambee, and that hunch was right!

Bar-Roque Grill Restaurant Week Dinner Menu

Arrived half an hour earlier, and was seated with no problem. Outdoor seating, and the weather was a little warm. The tables weren't that far from one another, but they weren't elbow length away. Just an elbow and a half probably?

outdoor seating

crispy pork terrine (supplement $6++)

Thought the service staff gave us the wrong dish. Was thinking, "Did we order crab cakes?" Haha, then realised...oh, crispy pork terrine.

pork terrine

Not sure why, but my mind was thinking of pate-looking terrine. This crispy version was interesting, as the texture was not the smooth, dense pate-style but rather small little chunks inside. Mildly flavoured and it was not funky, not at all.

Chose char-grilled octopus salad as the other appetiser.

octopus salad (supplement $6++)

Octopus was tender, though it was somewhat lacking the char-grilled smokey flavour. Rather clean tasting. Liked the crispy almond sprinkle as it added contrast to the bite.

Ordered a glass of restaurant week wine (french) to go along with our food.

RW white wine (@$10++)

For mains, there were four choices; Smoked Sausage and Mustard Braised Pork, or Baked Salmon, or Ravioles "Royan", or Grilled Wagyu Flank Steak.

Guess which one we ordered? One meat and one carb.

Grilled Wagyu Flank Steak (supplement $12++)

medium rare

The friendly service staff said that chef would usually do medium for wagyu flank and to quote, "That would be perfect." I was hesitating because we usually have steaks done medium rare. Hahaa. At the end, medium rare it was. The outer sides were a bit tough but the middle parts were all pink. Flank is still the tougher cut, with some beefy flavour and goes well with a sip of wine. The mash was smooth and good. Mildly flavoured.

Am beginning to think that chef seems very gentle with the seasoning. Flavours were mild and one could taste the ingredients for what they are.

Ravioles "Royan" with root vegetables and gruyere cheese

Best dish of the night, goes to the Ravioles "Royan". Perhaps, I was looking for stronger flavours and this dish has it. One could taste the mushroom, carrots, cheese and crispy shallots. The ravioles were tiny tiny square parcels. So cute. A spoon would be much more efficient in getting those delicious bits into the mouth, all at once. Cheese was not overpowering, it brought the ingredients nicely, together.

Due to some miscommunication (they thought we ordered tart flambe, I thought I ordered but in actual fact, didn't), we got The Classic - Bacon & Onions Tart Flambee. Chef's must-order Alsatian dish. Offered on the house. Heehee. Thank you, gentlemen!

Tart Flambee would do as a nice savoury starter to share over some drinks.

Tart Flambee - The Classic (bacon and onions)

Was really, seriously stuffed to the max by then. But of course, there's still room for desserts.

creme brulee

apple pie

Liked both the desserts. Creme brulee had a nice crisp thin sugar crust and the custard tasted just right. Sweet and not too creamy. Apple pie sweetness was natural, and the pie crust was quite yummy. Homely.

Boon Lay Raja Restaurant @ Jurong East (Part III)

Located at Level 2 of Block 135 Jurong Gateway Road. From Jurong East MRT, walk across the street towards JCube direction and one will see the 24 hours NTUC Fairprice on the right. After the traffic light, just walk straight (ie no need to turn left to JCube, nor turn right to Fairprice) and one will end up at the back  of Fairprice. You'll see a lift as well as stairs. Either way, just go up to Level 2.

Didn't realize, it had been quite a while since the last meal there. Was there for dinner on a Saturday evening, and at the same time, the restaurant was also booked for a wedding banquet. They still have a few tables open to public though, so it was pretty weird as it felt abit like we're gate-crashing on someone's wedding.

restaurant seats

Left the ordering to my bro. He's a regular there as his colleagues like going there for business lunches. For mom, it has to be something healthy. For dad, he likes his stewed pork belly but that night we had 'gu lou yuk' instead. For us siblings, how about a chili crab?

mom's dish: wolfberry vegetable (枸杞菜) with straw mushrooms, wolfberries and fried garlic chunks

The leaves had slight bitter taste and usually we'd make this into soups (anchovies stock base) back home. The presentation here was slightly soupy as well and tasted very healthy (ie not very salty). The deep fried garlic was not crispy, just slightly bitter. Probably all thrown together for the health benefit.

Was rather skeptical on whether they'll forget our food because of the ongoing wedding. That skepticism was allayed as the service staff who was waiting on the wedding guests was also conscientiously checking on our table. Good job!

deep fried pork with sweet and sour sauce (咕嚕肉)

At first glance, the pork dish seemed tough and dry. But it was not. The meat was not fatty, yet it was not tough nor chewy to bite. The sweet and sourness was balanced. Likeable dish.

When eating out, especially ordering dishes to go with rice, we'd have a pre-requisite for at least a dish that has enough sauce to slather over our rice.  Hence, the claypot tofu dish fits that bill perfectly. The soup from the vegetable dish was too mild for this purpose.

claypot tofu with mushrooms and roast pork

Of course, the highlight of our meal, was the chili crab. Ordered just one crab, priced at $6 per 100gms. The restaurant didn't confirm the weight of the crab prior to cooking. If one is particular about how much they'd like to spend on their seafood, then it will be best to inform the staff that took the order about the preferred weight range.

The chili crab was nicely presented in a big leaf. The sauce was thick, eggy, with short spice punch and sweet. Best eaten while still warm. Slurpilicious, tasty finger licking good.

chili crab

deep fried buns (炸馒头) for the chili crab

The fried buns were perfect foil. Would willingly forgo rice and go straight for these small pillowy fun buns.

that's how you do it

The staff told us it was normal meat crab, less than a kilo in weight. It was relatively fresh and sweet, though some parts did stuck to its shell. The spicy punch doesn't linger in the stomach nor tongue. But evil enough to earn a short coughing fit if one is not careful.

Eating crabs required some patience to coax its meat out of the shell. Liked that the kitchen had broken the shell at strategic points, so it didn't require any further pincer work on our part.

all that's left...

Expect boisterous noise, neighbourly and unsophisticate feel in this restaurant. The food that we've tried so far, tasted good and reasonably priced.

Lee's Taiwanese @ JEM Jurong East

Had dinner there on a Friday night with the family. Less crowded as compared to say, Din Tai Fung. They do have staff that sounded Taiwanese, so that added that bit of authenticity. We were seated next to the window. The self-service area was right at our back. You need that cold/warm water, more chili, some pepper, more serviettes? Just go towards the self-serve area.

interior

menu

Family was having the Premium Set Meal (4 pax @ $17.80 per pax) and I got a Deluxe Set Meal for 1 pax @$15.80.

Both sets comprised of 1 main, 1 side dish and a drink.

mini sausages, braised large intestines and salt & pepper chicken (part of Premium Set)

beancurd strips (part of Premium Set)

For the premium side dishes, the braised intestines and salt & pepper chicken (盐酥鸡) were the better choice. The beancurd strips (豆干) were rather bland. Chose the chicken wing as side dish for Deluxe. When the menu stated 2 pieces, it really was just 1 mid-wing and 1 drumlet.

pork belly rice (Premium)

The Pork Belly Rice (扣肉饭) came with quite a few pieces of pork belly (more lean than fats), half an egg, some beancurd strips, half a mini sausage and some pickled vege. The meat came across as too lean and somewhat tougher than expected.

I had the rice vermicelli (mee sua) with intestines and pork balls (大肠肉丸面线).

pig intestines and meat ball mee sua

The mee sua was served piping hot, and the soup tasted quite garlicky. Would've preferred if it was oyster mee sua with intestines. That would be major yum. Anyway, the intestines were firm and no funky taste nor smell.

Service was alright, but it was rather difficult to differentiate some of the cold drinks because the drinking glasses used were colored hence, the colour of the drink was kind of hard to decipher. For example, red milk tea and green milk tea. So the one that brought the drinks to our table had to call her colleague to help decipher which was which.

I guess we were there for the novelty of dining in a shop that has same surname as ours. In reality, the prices are rather steep.

Paradise Dynasty @ ION Orchard

Located at Level 4 of ION Orchard. Used to see long queues at this outlet. Walked in on a Tuesday evening and was ushered to the inner section of the restaurant. Two of us sat at a table meant for four. Spacious.

I've dined at Paradise Dynasty at Lot 1, so this one at Orchard just feels that little bit more of grandeur and that bit more space. Otherwise, the menu is the same.

three eggs side dish

The chinese name for this dish sounded like 'horse brain' something something. Even the wait staff couldn't pronounce the last two words. Anyway, the it looked pretty but taste wise, so so. Friend found it too salty, but I just thought the salted egg yolk part was hard. Not something that I'd order again.

drunken chicken

Biased towards chicken, what more chicken thigh. If you like cold smooth, tender chicken thigh with that bit of chinese wine taste, then this dish did alright.

stir fried spinach with garlic bits

Spinach was nice as it was served piping hot. Stalks were tender and easy to eat.

Shanghai fried rice

Orhh..Shanghai fried rice has soy sauce in it. Have tried the preserved vege fried rice and seafood fried rice. Actually preferred those. The rice here that night was a tad too dry and dense.

seafood la mian

Between Shanghai fried rice and Seafood la mian, I'd recommend the la mian. Though it's seafood ingredients, the soup tasted like pork bone soup. Came with half an egg, scallop, xiao bai cai, prawns, fish bits, bamboo pith and kelp. The soup here tasted nicer as compared to Choa Chu Kang branch.

The back area where we were seated were actually quite cold. Had to leave the place to avoid being frozen stiff. For two ladies, we couldn't finish all the food. I think two mains, and at max two side dish will suffice.

Thanks Wendy for the treat!

Morganfield's Ribfest 2013 @ The Star Vista

Located at Level 2 of Star Vista, next to Buona Vista MRT. This place is known for its Sticky Bones aka ribs! Only lunched there once, and was pleasantly surprised to be invited to Morganfield's Singapore 1st Birthday Party, Ribfest 2013. Can't wait to sink my teeth into 'em sticky bones! WoOhoO!~

Happy 1st Birthday Morganfield's Singapore!

Story of Morganfield's

ticket to delicious food, boisterous crowds and music!

Sticky Bones board

The interior of the restaurant have an American wild wild west kind of feel. Just the right ambiance to chug down a mug of beer while tearing the meat off a rack of ribs *grrowwl*

Alas, in reality, the welcome drink was a whole lot tamer. Sweet, citrussy and fizzy. Refreshing after a long day at work.

tasted kid-friendly

Guests were quickly ushered to their table while waiting for the event to start. The table setup includes an apron-bib for diners to wear. You wouldn't want hickory bbq sauce on that white shirt, do you?

it's gonna get messy!

psst, a secret compartment?

Morganfield's has arranged for live music that night. Powerful vocals to bring the house down, yeah!

getting rapt attention

And so, the stage was set...all that's missing? Food! So, let the feast begin! Started off with a salad. Light and gave off a healthy feel. Variety of stuffs in that bowl. Greens, cherry tomatoes, corn, chickpeas, beans...never be bored with just one taste.

ample greens

Then, the meats arrived. Chicken, fish and grilled sweet corn.

two baby chickens, sweet corn and fish

closer view of barramundi

Barramundi's texture would probably be considered 'harsh' as compared to cod. Not the delicately sweet and smooth texture, but yet has its own merits.

What was my favourite on this platter? Why, the grilled baby chickens of course. *licks lips* Hahaha, ok. That sounded a bit wrong! But the chicken was seriously tender, maybe just barely cooked. Didn't even mind eating the breast meat. But why have white meat when one can have drumsticks. Muahahaa!!
When queried on what seasoning were used. The reply was "Some secret rub..." Okaay...

juicy chicky, flavoured by special rub

best way to eat (credit to Rong Ge for lending his hands. Literally.)

Don't worry about fork and knife. Best way to enjoy the food. Use hands. Clean ones, of course.

sweet corn

How about some happy juice? Sure, let's bring out the wine. One white to go with poultry dish. Good life.

a glass of white, please

fruity, slight acidity, smooth

The party was going on great. Ample food, free-flow of drinks, boisterous crowd, live music but it was about to get even better! The unveiling of 'Mega Rib', touted as the biggest rack of BBQ pork ribs in Singapore! Whoa, this we gotta see!

Mega Rib ~ 2.5kg of a monster pork ribs!

5 flavours of Sticky Bones, united in Mega Rib

Not a trivial feat. To be able to cook that humongous slab of ribs evenly, as well as ensuring that the differing flavours came out as intended. Kudos to the chefs!

The 5 flavours were hickory bbq, garlic bbq, smoked peppercorn, tuscan baked spicy and honey rum! Sounds like a good platter to have for parties! One-shot try all! Unfortunately, Ms Chui May Yee (Marketing Manager of Morganfield's Singapore) revealed that Mega Rib will not be available on a day-to-day basis as the huge slab of ribs needed to be pre-ordered in advance.

a single bone, covering the diameter of the plate

The Sticky Bones BBQ Pork Ribs were well-cooked, generously coated with tasty sauce and basically, a dream come true for meat lovers. Some parts were more charred and gave more bite than others, while some remained tender and moist. Fatty bits were fun to eat too!

Sauce-wise, had always thought that the original Hickory BBQ was something that I'd stay true to. But Garlic BBQ managed to sway that preference. And, after munching through all those BBQ flavours, the Tuscan sauce with its tangy spicy tomato was like an oasis in the desert. So, the choice is yours!

While the meat was all good, the corn muffin was very likeable too. A tad too sweet (a quarter of a notch down on the sugar would be good!) but I'd eat this even if too full from all the meat.

sweet sweet muffin

browned crust, soft moist golden hued corn muffin

As the night drew on, it was time for one final speech.

Mr Kevin Chung, Managing Director of Morganfield's Singapore, thanking the crowd for their support

Happy Birthday, Morganfield's and birthday girls~

all smiles

Congratulations to Morganfield's Singapore on its 1st Birthday! For people who thinks Star Vista is a bit too far to travel to, fret not. Watch out for Morganfield's nearer to town, come next year in 2014.

Thank you to May Yee and Kevin for the invite and for your gracious hospitality. And not forgetting Morganfield's friendly service crew that took care of us that night. Cheers!

Was great sharing a table with the sporting Rong Ge and wife, and pretty Gin from Ginevi. Thanks for being such good company!

sweet endings, honey rum dessert, on limited time promo

Morganfield's

Location:    1 Vista Exchange Green, Unit #02-23, The Star Vista, Singapore 138617
Telephone:  66943635
Fax:            66943651
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganfieldsSingapore