[Media Invite] Christmas Indulging at Element and EOTS Amara Hotel

Christmas is round the corner so let's suss out the spread at Element and EOTS at Amara Hotel Tanjong Pagar. Element and EOTS Christmas highlights included Turkey Buah Keluak, Cognac Lobster Bisque, Tajima Wagyu Foie Gras and Amara’s Signature Chempedak Yule Log Cake amongst others.

Wait. Tajima Wagyu Beef with Foie Gras, Truffle Mashed Potato and Port Jus for New Year Eve Buffet dinner? Oh yes!

Parma ham, pastrami, turkey ham and salami

Honey Baked Butter Squash with Honey Mustard and Pumpkin Seed (Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner)

Cocktail Prawn with Crab Meat Duo

For the Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner spread, do look out for the Platter Salad section, It features European dishes such as Burrata Cheese, Honey Baked Butter Squash, Cocktail Prawn and Crab Meat Duo. It's easy to mistake butter squash as pumpkin. Both are similar in colour and texture. The cocktail prawn is a favourite. Light, 'crunchy' bite of the prawn, and a scoop of those crab meat (yass!) followed by sweet melon.

Marinated Duck Rillette with Red Wine Dried Fruits Chutney and Gherkin Salsa

There's duck rilette and its flavour was pretty balanced. Yummy to spread on toast or cracker and with a bit of those red wine dried fruit chutney. Sweet.

First time encountering a lobster bisque in a buffet. A rare indulgence.

Cognac Lobster Bisque

appetisers

Another dish that was executed well was the Roasted Chicken with Meat Floss. Crisp browned skin and moist well seasoned tender meat. Just like those old-school Chinese restaurants.

Roasted Chicken with Meat Floss

And of course, the highlight of the Christmas feast would be the Turkey Buah Keluak and the log cakes. Interesting fusion of flavour for the Turkey Buah Keluak.

Turkey Buah Keluak 

Liked all of Amara's Yule Log cakes. Which one would be your favourite? Would it be the signature Amara’s Signature Chempedak Yule Log Cake, or the alluring Pink Champagne Lychee Yule Log Cake or the classic Dark Chocolate Cherry Yule Log Cake? My votes went to the alcoholic lychee log cake and the signature chempedak log cake.

Amara’s Signature Chempedak Yule Log Cake @$65

Pink Champagne Lychee Yule Log Cake @$52

Dark Chocolate Cherry Yule Log Cake @$52

The cakes were simply delightful. There were bits of chempedak meat in the cake while the champagne lychee log was more of a mousse-like texture. Fragrance of lychee was refreshing and the taste of alcohol was noticeable.

chempedak and champagne lychee

The spread for New Year's Eve Buffet Dinner is impressive. So many favourites in the line-up! To start, go for the tuna tataki which was sliced with the perfect thickness, and seared just enough while its center remained raw. The seasoning was good and this is one thing that I can imagine myself eating everyday!

Oh, and I reckon that Stir-fried Moreton Bay Bug with Salted Egg will be one of the crowd favourite. I liked it a tad too much.

Tuna Tataki with Cucumber Ribbons and Puffed Quinoa

Stir-fried Moreton Bay Bug with Salted Egg

Personally, the main highlight of the New Year's Eve Dinner Buffet would be the Tajima Wagyu Beef Foie Gras. Would be crazy not to get a refill of these gems. Just wished that the meat was of medium rare doneness instead. Nonetheless, the rich flavour was strong and those blobs of foie gras were really good.

Tajima Wagyu Beef with Foie Gras, Truffle Mashed Potato and Port Jus

Of course, a second serving of the delicious beef is not an option. For me, it was almost mandatory.

second serving

For dessert, I was enticed by the colourful macarons. The blue macaron with salted caramel fillings was my favourite. The coconut shell was white like snow and the lime flavoured ones were also good.

macarons

Not forgetting, Amara's signature Chempedak Creme Brulee.

Chempedak Creme Brulee

Indulge in the many dishes that Element and EOTS at Amara Hotel had crafted for us this season. It is a season of festivities, merry making and eating deliciously.

ELEMENT AND EOTS @ AMARA HOTEL

Address: 165 Tg Pagar Rd, Singapore 088539
Tel: 6879 2607
Website: http://singapore.amarahotels.com/

CHRISTMAS EVE BUFFET HI-TEA
24 Dec 2017, 11.30am to 3.30pm
S$68++ Adult / S$34++ Child

CHRISTMAS EVE BUFFET DINNER
24 Dec 2017, 6.30pm to 10.00pm
S$108++ Adult / S$54++ Child
STAND A CHANCE TO WIN CASH PRIZES
UP TO S$500!
*Children under 6 years dines free with 2 paying adults
*Add S$2++ to enjoy free flow beer, house pour and
sparkling wines

CHRISTMAS DAY PICINNI BRUNCH
25 Dec 2017, 11.30am to 3.30pm
S$68++ Adult / S$34++ Child

NEW YEAR’S EVE BUFFET HI-TEA
31 Dec 2017, 11.30am to 3.30pm
S$68++ Adult / S$34++ Child

NEW YEAR’S EVE BUFFET DINNER
31 Dec 2017, 6.30pm to 10.00pm
S$108.00++ Adult / S$54.00++ Child
*Add SS$30++ for F.U.N.O.L.O.G.Y 2018 countdown party,
free flow draft beers, sparkling and house pour wines and
DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING CASH
PRIZES UP TO S$2018!

NEW YEAR’S DAY PICINNI BRUNCH
1 Jan 2018, 11.30am to 3.30am
S$68++ Adult / S$34++ Child

Terms and conditions apply.

The above buffet pricing were extracted from http://singapore.amarahotels.com/promotions/feast-in-merriment/

Fumée @ Millenia Walk

Fumée has a good deal going on for the 2017 festive season. Together with Hungrygowhere, diners could enjoy this HungryDeal where $38++ gives you a 3-course set meal with a complimentary glass of bubbly! 
Had tried the set meal and it was well worth the money. Say no more and let's look at the photos. The set meal has two items to choose from for each of its appetiser, main and dessert.

For appetiser, choose from the luxurious Foie Gras Salad or the Smoked Salmon Gravlax. The salad was nicely dressed so both were equally tasty. It was hard to choose one because the gravlax wowed with the generous amount of salmon but the creamy, sinfully wobbly foie gras won.

Foie Gras 

Smoked Salmon Gravlax

For the mains, one could choose the Chicken Roulade with Silky Mash or Prime Rib with roasted Butternut and Chestnut. Eh, sounds like turkey stuffings when I saw butternut and chestnut.

Chicken Roulade tasted healthy and the meat was rather gentle and not dry. The flavours from the mushroom sauce was good and the silky mash was truly enjoyable.

Chicken Roulade with Silky Mash

The Prime Rib was nicely done with a pink center. Only lightly seasoned to enjoy the true beefy taste of the meat. Those prized butter topping the meat was exquisite.

Prime Rib with roasted Butternut and Chestnut

Of course, all of these ought to be enjoyed with a glass of wine. We had a French Sauvignon Blanc. Drinkable and light.

Sauvignon Blanc

And, for desserts, there is a choice of Toffee Pudding or Christmas Cake. My preference was to end it lightly with the Christmas Cake. Toffee Pudding was nice and tasted akin to Sticky Date pudding but it was a tad heavy. A cup of coffee would pair so well with the Christmas Cake.

Toffee Pudding

Christmas Cake

Enjoy this HungryDeal where $38++ gives you a 3-course set meal with a complimentary glass of bubbly! Reserve now via HungryDeal. Terms and conditions apply.

SAMA Curry & Cafe SG ( スープカレー SAMA ) @ OUE Downtown

Curry & Cafe SAMA offers the popular soup curry, hailing from Hokkaido Japan. Located at OUE Downtown 2 Gallery Level 2. If you have yet to try soup curry before, why not just head on down to SAMA to have a taste? Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT and OUE Downtown is within walking distance of about 8 minutes.

SAMA

mascot

The shop is clean and spacious, and is open on Saturday as well. Place your order at the counter and choose the mains, then soup base and finally the spice level before making payment. Ice water is complimentary.

order at the counter

I had the shop's top two recommendation of Marathon Chicken with Japanese soup curry base and spice level 18. Any spice level that goes up beyond 15 is required to top-up $1++. I think most of us would go for above level 15 unless you are not a chili-person.

Having experienced the 'spiciness' level of Japanese soup curry in Hokkaido two years back, I've learnt my lesson to just go for mid-range and above. Hence, level 18 is still a safe level to try.

level 15 would be too mild for most of us

After which, feel free to sit any empty spot and the food will be delivered to your table.

how about window seats

The wait was short and the dish arrived within 10 minutes or less. Liked the plate used in serving of the Japanese rice. Portion of rice was not too much and the bowl of soup curry has adequate liquid in it.

Marathon Chicken with Japanese soup curry, served with Japanese rice

soup curry

The Japanese soup curry base has a strong herb aroma and spice level was detectable but it was pleasingly mild. It won't linger and thus makes the soup pretty drinkable. If you are looking for something like chili padi spicy, this is not it.

yummy vegetables

As with its Hokkaido counterpart, the vegetables took centrestage in the soup curry. The potato, green peppers, brinjal and broccoli were well cooked and has a slight smokey char to it. I preferred Soup Curry Lavi's version of the charred vege.

Lovely lava egg though in SAMA's version. The chicken leg was nicely fork tender. All in all, it was decent and definitely filling. This meal costs close to $20. This would be about $5 to $7 more than in Japan as usually the price would be between ￥1000 to ￥1250. Not bad considering we do not need to take airplane to Hokkaido now to enjoy Hokkaido famed soup curry.

[Media Invite] Jin Fine Dining @ 76 Telok Ayer Street

Jin Fine Dining serves fine, quality Japanese food and is located within Amoy Hotel. Nearest MRT is Telok Ayer MRT (DTL). Turn to the right towards the vicinity of Far East Square if you are at the Telok Ayer street. Head towards Amoy Hotel and you'll find the entrance to the restaurant.

Jin Fine Dining offers omakase, sets as well as ala-carte dining options. I heard they bring in their fresh seafood every Tuesdays and Fridays. Was there on a Thursday and enjoyed the freshness of the produce, especially the sashimi platter. It was quite a fanfare when the platter was brought in, with smoke emitting the dry ice. Overall, the plate had one whole seabream, thinly sliced and arranged with salmon, maguro and hamachi. Just absolutely love the firm hamachi and maguro. Satisfying all the sashimi cravings at one go!

sashimi platter @$128

glorious plate

The sashimi platter was good for 5 to 6 pax, and it has my favourite fish - hamachi (yellowtail).

If you prefer carpaccio-style, they do have the Kanpachi Truffle Carpaccio. Trivia: What's the difference between hamachi and kanpachi? Both belong to the same fish family and kanpachi is also known as amberjack fish while hamachi is yellowtail. Kanpachi is less fatty in comparison with its cousin.

Kanpachi Truffle Carpaccio @$30

The carpaccio was nicely plated with chrysanthemum petals and black truffle shavings. A tiny flavour-bomb, this one.

I was surprised by their rendition of buta kakuni. Often times, we get small chunks of well-braised pork belly for the kakuni but at Jin's, it was a large chunk of meat. Just slightly smaller than dong-po meat (东坡肉). The surprise element was taken up another notch when this piece of wobbly meat was placed in the mouth. Juicy, savoury flavour that melts in your mouth. Doesn't feel greasy at all. Great execution.

Buta Kakuni @$30

Tempura Mori @$22

Kimchi Nabe @$23

Tura Nabe @$28

For soups, one could get the Tura Nabe or the Kimchi Nabe; cod fish or the pork belly kimchi hotpot. :Portion was good enough to be shared amongst 3 pax as a side-dish. Of course, if you are thirsty, then there's a selection of sake and drinks available. Cold beer could be the remedy after a hard day's work.

kanpai~

For carbs, we tried the Iro Iro Maki that's colourful, and the Jin Maki. The Iro Iro has slices of sashimi and avocado wrapping around the prawn tempura in sushi rice, then topped with caviar. The Jin Maki was crunchy fish skin within the rice and wrapped with salmon sashimi. Go for both!

Iro Iro Maki @$20

Jin Maki @$16

Lastly, if you are still feeling peckish, how about a bow of garlic rice to complete the deal? We ended up being super-full after that bowl of garlic rice but one just couldn't help but to eat it. It was just so tasty.

garlic rice

Good news. Check-out the Hungrydeals promo here.

Thank you Jin Fine Dining for hosting and HGW for the invite.

Jin Fine Dining

Address: 76 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 048464

Website: http://www.jinfinedining.com.sg/

Contact: 6536 6258

Business Hours:

Closes on Sundays

[Media Invite] Sea and Blue @ Marina Bay Sands

Located at the space previously occupied by Todai, Sea & Blue offers an all-you-can-eat buffet with over 100 items. There's cold seafood counter, attractive mini sushis, thinly sliced sashimi, DIY counter for making your own bibimbap and cold noodles. Then, there's salad counter and cold cuts, grilled Korean BBQ counter and deep fried section to satisfy the need for ebi tempura and vegetable tempuras. The cooked food corner was well stocked with stir fried beef, scallops with sweet peas, sweet sour chicken, chili crabs, fried rice and more. Don't forget to visit the Italian corner for some pizza and cooked upon order pasta.

logo

The shop is at the opposite end of the celebrity restaurants. Made the mistake of walking towards the wrong direction and it'll take quite a while to walk back!

Nevertheless, be amazed by the vastness of space that the restaurant offers. Loved the neon blue wavy lights on the ceiling.

wavy lights

bibimbap and salad counter

Loved the cold mist at the salad counter. Like an open fridge. The leaves were crisp and fresh, and the cherry tomatoes were so good that I made myself a plate of these lovely stuffs. They were great to eat with the grilled beef shortribs from the Korean BBQ counter.

salad bar

cold seafood and sushi

At buffets, as usual, started off with cold seafood. The oysters are unshucked so you'll need to ask the staff to open it for you. No limits to the oyster that you can take. The sashimi were good too. Mussels can skip.

starter plate

of grilled meats and salads

cold cuts, smoked duck and japchae

For the cooked food, once the tray has been emptied out, they might rotate it to another dish. Didn't get a chance to eat the fish maw which Hence said was good, as it was replaced by stir fried beef. So sad.

The cooked food section was quite a gem. Liked the braised pork belly, scallops, sweet sour chicken and chicken soup.

braised pork belly

chili crab

The third plate was all about cooked food. The grilled scallops were better than the one with the sweet pea. Ebi tempura was nice as well. Try the sweet and sour pork. The black pepper beef was a letdown as it was too tough.

scallops!

favourite pasta

Don't forget the desserts. The strawberries were huge! You could also ask the staff to make a waffle for you.

chocolate coated strawberry

Thank you Sea & Blue for hosting the dinner and the good old folks at HGW for the invite.
Weekday dinner is $58++ while weekend dinner is $68++ per adult.

Sea & Blue

Address: 2 Bayfront Ave #B2-01/01A, Singapore 018972
Website: https://www.seanblue.com.sg/