Ristorante Takada @ Alexis Condominium 356 Alexandra Road | Singapore Restaurant Week March 2016

My bro's birthday month happens to coincide with restaurant week, so prowled through the list of participating restaurants and chose one with a dining star. Can't be too shabby when buying dinner, yeah? Haha! Bro said that he seldom eat Italian food when he's with his friends or colleagues, so this dutiful sister will try to enlighten him a bit. Hmm, on hindsight, seemed like I've been bringing him to try Italian cuisne for his 3 recent birthdays including this one. Oops. Will do something different, next year.

Alexis Condominium is located near Anchorpoint, and nearby landmark is a Shell petrol station. Nearest MRT is Queenstown. The info could be handy, since my taxi uncle did not know how to get there and we were lost for a while. Ristorante Takada is one of the restaurants that reaches it fully-booked status pretty fast, so by the time I grabbed a seat, the only available seatings were for the later slots at 8.30pm. So, it was a late, late dinner.

keep calm and drink water

Takada's Restaurant Week Mar 2016 dinner menu

For the birthday boy, an upgrade to Kagashima Wagyu Steak with Red Wine Sauce would be, quite necessary. For the accomplice, I went with the Iberico Pork with Balsamico sauce. The other table had cod fish and that looked great.

Happy Birthday 哥, wish you best of health and happiness!

Antipasto was bruschetta with tomato. Served with sweet vibrant red tomatoes on super crispy toast. Tasty snack. Next up, was a mushroom cappucino. A half-cup of hot frothy cup of mushroom soup with earthy flavours. This was followed by a serving of warm bread. Liked the feeling of warm bread and while it was dense, the insides were still soft and bouncy.

Mushroom Cappucino

warm bread

Next up, was the start of our 3-course dinner; The Mix Cold Appetiser dish. Fresh greens, a blob of creamy burrata hiding underneath a slice of parma ham, a slice of hamachi on the greens, sweet cherry tomato, drizzled with olive oil and a lone olive at the side. Mild flavours of savoury, creamy, and freshness from the earth and the sea. Lovely presentation, good taste.

Mix Cold Appetiser

look at the treasures

For carbs, we chose the Risotto Foie-gras with Raspberry Bubble and Tagliolini with Hokkaido Sea urchin Ikura. My bro said that foam tasted of raspberry but after that he mixed everything into the rice before I could get a taste. -_-'''

The risotto, exceeded my expectations. Foie-gras done excellently, with all its wobbly rich goodness and not too intense in flavour. The risotto grains were well-cooked and each grain felt so compact and full, as if it can't wait to burst out of its form. That sauce, was it balsamico sauce? Not sure, but everything works well together. Yums.

Risotto Foie-gras with Raspberry Foam

Tagliolini with Hokkaido Sea urchin Ikura

On the other hand, the tagliolini seemed like it was pushed out in a rush. Not as impressive as I thought it would be, but that could be because expectations were rather high since reviews always mentioned this dish, and it being one of Ristorante Takada's recommended dishes.

Tagliolini with sea urchin was a rather light dish of cold pasta. Somewhat refreshing but at this moment, the palate needed something stronger.

Next, would be the meats. Main highlights, if you'd like. The Iberico Pork and the much anticipated Kagoshima Wagyu Steak.

The Iberico pork looked like a roulade or a super thick slice of luncheon. Indeed, it was rich in porky flavours and the meat was firm.

low temperature cooked Iberico Pork with Balsamico sauce

The Kagoshima Wagyu A5. Taste it, at least once. Beautiful, in visual and in taste.

Kagoshima Grade A5 Wagyu Steak with red wine sauce, served with grilled broccolini and baby potato

medium doneness, juicy velvety texture

Had two slices of this highest grade beef, and it was simply delightful. Will be on the look out for more of this good beef, when I travel to Japan, later this year.

Winding down, it was time for the mixed desserts; tiramisu and chocolate cake. Good intense coffee flavour from the tiramisu. The chocolate cake has a dense texture and lovely richness. Great with coffee and good for us, coffee was included in this dinner menu.

Tiramisu and Chocolate Cake

Not only that, we had a pretty plate of petit fours. The tiny baby-sized green tea macarons were so cute! Gooseberries were tangy and sour, as usual. The chocolate coating only helped a bit since it wasn't very sweet. The cookies were well baked and had a lovely crunch.

baby matcha macarons, gooseberries coated with chocolate and cookies

cookies

Ristorante Takada's Restaurant Week Omakase Dinner Menu was indeed value for money. Overall, had an enjoyable experience dining there.

Also realized that, am not a stranger to the creations of Chef Takada. Dined in his restaurant, way back some four years ago, when he was at La Luna Rossa. When I said that to Maiko, she informed Chef Takada. Though we have not met before, he was friendly and interested to know about our dining experience at this restaurant.

Just before we left, he asked, "Do you remember the lady chef?" It took me quite a few seconds before I nodded and said, "Yes." She emerged from the kitchen and we exchanged greetings. Chef Chiaki Watanabe, formerly from Arossa. 久しぶりです! Happy to know that they have reunited once more in Ristorante Takada. No wonder, the food has a familiarity to it.

ごちそうさま, ありがとございます！

Fumée @ Millenia Walk

Is it a deli? A restaurant? A bar? One might say that Fumée is all of these. Sandwiches, pasta, meats, beer, whisky, they have it. Located at #01-54 Millenia Walk, the restaurant has the luxury of space. Indoor dining, alfresco or to-go? Up to your preference. 

come right in

chic interior

food menu

Expect Asian flavours executed with modern European techniques at Fumée, and reasonably priced food and drinks. 

someone mentioned, drinks?

wine

champagne?

 
From 1st March till 31st May, Fumée has a 1-for-1 oysters (min. half a dozen) and 1-for-1 all day cocktails promo with UOB cards. Terms and conditions apply. Please enquire with the friendy staff.

oysters from France, awaiting to be shucked (@$22++ for half dozen)

The oysters deal sounds good, and definitely something that I'd consider. Especially, when there is a Prosecco promo as well. Heh heh!

no kidding

Alright now, let's see what is on the table for dinner. After a hard day at work, how about some cold beer to cool off? Perhaps some Kronenbourg Blanc and Asahi Black?

Asahi Black and Kronenbourg Blanc @$12++ per pint

With beer, one needs some beer food, or some say starters. How about skinny crispy winglets for munchies, followed by a bowl of plump juicy NZ little neck clams and garlic prawns?

Winglets @$10++

NZ Little Neck Clams @$12++

Garlic Prawns @$12++

Loved the NZ Little Neck Clams to each succulent juicy bits! Yep, best of the lot for its strong flavours, umami jus and the plump-est clams ever. It was unfortunate that the prawns were overcooked that night, as it looked promising.

Next up, we shared two different burgers; wagyu and otak-otak. They were so good. The patty done right and tasted juicy. Actually, a quick scan of its menu revealed that it currently has about 7 permutations of wagyu burgers. Wow. The wagyu burger price ranges from $16 to $29, with Foie-Gras burger being at the top range.

Fumée Burger (@$16++) - wagyu patty, emmental cheese, bacon, tomato, onion, sesame brioche, served with a side of shoestring fries

Fish burger? Close, but non, c'est Otak-Otak Burger

Don't feel like having burger, no problem. Fumée has about 5 risotto dishes and an equivalent amount of pasta dishes on its menu currently. Sampled the Mushroom Risotto, the Chili Crab Noodle and the Red Dot Noodle and it pretty much depends on your preference. The Red Dot Noodle is a modern interpretation of the classic Hokkien mee, that is much sought after by their regulars.

Mushroom Risotto (vegetarian) @$16++

Chili Crab Noodles (with soft shell crab) @$19++

Realized that I have no photo to show for the Red Dot Noodle. Am sorry, my dear readers. However, this dish was loaded with Hokkaido scallops, tiger prawns, clams and squids and more akin to aglio-olio. 

The mushroom risotto struck me as a bold flavoured version of the usual mushroom risottos that I had eaten thus far. Strongly seasoned, earthy flavours with hints of truffle oil, and good with a glass of wine or beer. I quite liked the Chili Crab Noodles for its familiarity in taste. A more spicy version can be requested to suit your preference.

For the meatatarians out there, rejoice! Do try the US Angus Short Rib, if you have a party of 2. A good size of 700g USDA certified Angus bone-in short rib. This gorgeous hunk requires 20 minutes of preparation time.

US Angus Short Rib (for 2) @$68++

US Angus Short Rib - sliced

Lovely, tender slices of meat. Almost melt-in-your-mouth kind of good. The mash was flavourful and every forkful was a joy. The 250g of Australian Wagyu Rump Steak for just $25++? Sounds good too!

Fumée has their pastry chef., and she does quite a repertoire of interesting looking/tasting desserts. Guinness cake? A dessert that looks like a cute red apple and is named as "Love Apple"? You can try them at Fumée.

Desserts!

Love Apple @$9++

Look what we have in here - creamy green apple nousse and cream cheese on a spiced biscuit crumb yum

The Passion Fruit Panna Cotta (@$7++) had an interesting texture. First time tasting a panna cotta of such texture. If you happen to try it, let me know your thoughts.

Did I mention about whisky at Fumée? Not yet? Let's see some pictures.

whiskey bar

looking for Japanese whiskeys?

Auchentoshan Three Wood -  Single Malt Scotch Whisky

golden bronze colour

Learnt that Auchentoshan Three Wood, is named as the whisky has been matured in three different cask types; American Bourbon, Spanish Oloroso Sherry and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks, resulting in rich, complex flavours.

How do you normally have your whisky? Neat? On the rocks? Or, with Icelandic Glacial water? 

Icelandic Glacial water for the whisky

All-in-all, Fumée is a nice place to chill, with an impressive selection of whiskies and wines. Food options are adequate with some variety for both meatarians and vegetarians friends. Oh, and there's live music as well, from Tuesdays onwards. Enjoy!

belting out the tunes

Thank you Helen and Natalie for having us, and Hungrygowhere for the invitation. Lovely place, good vibes and reasonably priced food and drinks.

check out the lunch offers

[Lifestyle] Singtel - Netflix Promotions

Netflix, originates from the United States of America and started its first streaming services in 2007 and today, it is a global provider of streaming movies and television series. You would've known about Netflix availability in Singapore. However, there are a few things that you need to be aware of about Netflix content for this region. Read about it here.

Fret not, as there are still a wide variety of programs available and for families with children out there, good news as Singtel and Netflix believes that Entertainment and Education go hand-in-hand. Not only, one could get up to 9-months of complimentary Netflix subscriptions with Singtel this March, when you sign-up or recontract your Singtel services! The tiers of complimentary Netflix subscription are 3-months, 6-months and 9-months. To find out more and how to get this, read about it here: http://info.singtel.com/personal/netflix. Psst, once you have redeemed your Netflix complimentary subscription, you can even register for a chance to a meet-and-greet session with your favourite Daredevil, Mr Charlie Cox. Hurry (contest end date: 23 March 2016)!

Talking about children and how much television, or which are the suitable programmes that they can watch, Netflix provides parental controls where parents can set a pin code so that not all programmes can be accessed by the kids. There are four levels of easy controls for little kids, older kids, teens and adult.

Netflix - Children & Family Movies

so many choices, which one shall I watch today?

If you like Beatles-music and the movie"A Bugs Life", let it be known that Netflix will be premiering the Beatles-inspired "Beat Bugs" this coming August 2016. Here's the trailer:



For fans of the "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (an American sitcom created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, starring Ellie Kemper) will be premiering its Season 2 on Netflix this 15 April. Watch the trailer here:



Hope you have enjoyed this short post on the Singtel-Netflix promotions. To take action, here's the link: http://info.singtel.com/personal/netflix


Thank you Singtel, Netflix and Darryn, Sarah from IN.FOM, for the invite to the Singtel-Netflix Family Fun Day at the Amazonia. Also, a shout-out to Wendy, Swen, En and Lev for being good sports!

Grand Mandarina @ 325 New Bridge Road

You might have heard of Grand Mandarina, as it was touted as having roasts that are worth returning for, and this was when the restaurant was barely a month-old when it opened two years ago. Read more via this link.

Celebrity Chef Benson Tong has recently came onboard as its CEO, and this multi-talented man, together with Executive Chef Eric Yeo, will be introducing a total of  ten new items into Grand Mandarina's menu, for a start. That is great news as it offers more variety while crowd favourites such as its roast pork, char siew and roast duck, are all retained. Also keep an eye out for increased options for vegetarians too!

Grand Mandarina entrance

This tasting invite is my first visit to Grand Mandarina and Cantonese cuisine (粵菜) is one of my favourites. When I'm old and gray and still has enough money, I'd like to think that I'd be going for yum cha (饮茶) every weekend and have leisurely dim sum while watching the antics of the other diners. Wahaha!

Getting there: The nearest bus stop to Grand Mandarina is the one opposite of Pearl's Centre. From Choa Chu Kang, one could take bus #190 to that bus-stop. That's about 70 minutes of bus ride on a weekend traffic. Here's a YouTube video on how to get to the restaurant from that bus-stop.

Was ushered to be seated at Level 2, but if your group is large enough, then you might want to request for their VIP room for slightly more privacy. Subjected to availability. In a group of 20-25 pax and would like to sit together in a round table? No problem. Just let the staff know during reservation and they can make the necessary arrangements.

interior

Chef Eric started us off with a palate cleanser; a spoonful of plum marinated cherry tomatoes. I like preserved plums (酸梅) in general, so this was very agreeable. The saltiness of the plum brought out the sweetness of the tomatoes.

plum marinated cherry tomatoes

Next, we sampled some dim sums. First up was the "Steamed Vegetarian dumpling with diced assorted mushroom and vegetable in black pepper". The skin of this dumpling was made from scratch in-house by the chefs. Elegantly translucent, with a chewy bite.

野菌蒸素饺 (3 pieces) @$4.80++

Actually, can you believe it that I have yet to taste the famed Hong Kong cheong fun of zha leung  (炸两)? Haha! Well, finally had a taste of that, and at Grand Mandarina, it has the savoury fillings of smoked shredded duck. The dish is named as "Crispy rice roll filled with smoked shredded duck and bamboo shoot". Totally would recommend this dish. A must-order in my opinion. It has withstood the amount of time we took to take pictures etc, and a bite into these rolls yielded a satisfying crunchiness that was music to the ears and a tickle to the tastebuds. So good.

烟鸭脆肠粉 @$7.50++

so crispy, so yummy

Next up, was the "Pan-fried bun filled with minced pork and cabbage". Tiny parcels of two-bites. However, this was my least favourite of the lot. Much preferred the pan-fried buns filled with not-so-finely-minced meat.

椰菜生煎包 @$5++

minced pork fillings

Dim sums were good to start the meal, and now we were ready for the top stars of the restaurants. The roast platter that consist of a portion of roast duck, and two portions each of roast pork and char siew.

Roasts Platter of Crackling Pork Belly (@$18++ per portion), Signature Crystal Char Siew (@$18++ per portion) and Roast Duck with Summer Truffle sauce (@$32++)

perfectly caramelized fatty char siew, crackling roast pork, roast duck with tender meat and crispy skin

Understandably, the roasts were very enjoyable. Good ratio of fatty meat for the char siew, slightly on the sweeter side, thin crispy skin for the roast duck with tender flesh and perfectly crackly skin for the roast pork.

For non-poultry dish, one could try the "Deep fried Chilean Seabass with crispy fish skin served with egg white crumble and golden broth". Plus points for presentation and an attractive hue of golden for its carrot broth. Had enjoyed this dish quite a bit.

芙蓉鳕鱼 @$26++ per pax

Liked that the edge of the fish was so crispy and its flesh so firm, yet has a slightly oily mouthfeel. The colour of the dish was already appetizing to the eyes and the combined taste did not dissappoint. Well executed.

well executed

If you prefer something meatless, one could try the "Steam wild yam in Imperial sauce". Wild yam/mountain yam/淮山 is usually more commonly found in soups. The version served here is as a cold dish, and the sauce is tangy soy-vinaigrette type. Appetising and most likely will do wonders for the body.

Steamed wild yam (淮山) in Imperial sauce @$12++

Next up, would be the finale for the main course. New item on the menu and it is called "King prawns in Coconut, coconut crustacean broth with silken longevity noodle". The description is pretty apt.

King prawns in Coconut, coconut crustacean broth with silken longevity noodle @$26++

Take deep breaths and inhale. The coconut fragrance was very evident from the smell. A sip of the soup, will kick in continuing actions of non-stop scooping and slurping of the flavourful, robust broth. Bordering on sweetness, but one just can't help but to slurp it up. The noodles were akin to mee sua and very soft. Best thing, each strand carries a good amount of soup when you slurp it up!

The prawn was of a reasonable size but the star of the dish, was really the soup. Wonderful!

For the finale, ended with something  sweet. Not just any desserts but one that literally shined. Yup, a sweet local dessert of durian pengat, adorned generously with glittering gold flakes and served with coconut ice-cream. Was told that Chef made it for special occassions, so it may not be available to the general public. However, if really interested, you may want to check with the restaurant in advance.

Special Desserts -雪中送炭 (price unknown)

Personally, I really enjoyed the crispy cheong fun with smoked shredded duck, the roast platter, the deep fried chilean seabass, the coconut crustacean broth and of course, the exquisite-but-not-for-sale dessert of "sending charcoal in the midst of snowstorm".

Thank you Grand Mandarina, Benson and Chef Eric for having us.

Chef Eric Yeo and Benson Tong

It was a great introduction to the cuisine offered at Grand Mandarina. And, Chinese cuisine is best enjoyed with family or a group of friends. Bon appétit~ 食飯!