Friday, November 2, 2012

Novus

Restaurant Week

The fourth place on our restaurant week list is Novus. I once saw the interior of the restaurant online and was captivated by its decor. So when the chance came to dine here, I jumped on it.

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Colonial styled exterior

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The restaurant isn't very huge, a long hallway divided into 2. One side for the bar and the other as dining area.  Its dim and warm lighting is befitting of a romantic dinner

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All our dining experience has culminated into good appreciation of a good round of fragrant bread. This was ordinary. In my opinion, Forlino's and Clifford's was better. Also, the butter was rock hard and we had to wait for it to melt

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Have you ever been in the situation where the restaurant staff tried to explain to you what you are having for dinner but they speak too fast and too much for you to catch a word? Then you just nod your head and pretend like you understood because you know its gonna be the same even if they repeated ? Thats me all the time. Novus went the extra mile to have them on little slips of paper where the information on the dish and the ingredients are stated clearly for you to appreciate at your own time. I kinda dig this idea.

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French Onion soup
Made with beef stock, melted gruyere, baguette

Sweet caramelized onion soup. A great start to the meal

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Tiger Prawn Salad
Market Lettuce with grilled tiger prawns, vine cherry tomatoes, red radish, balsamic vinaigrette

When i first saw this salad, I felt its gonna be too raw but in the end i was delighted by the impeccable blend of sauce and vege. Complemented by the freshness of the prawns. A palate whetting appetiser.

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Duck confit
Crisp duck leg confit, braised mixed mushrooms, roasted potatoes

Duck confit seems to be the must have dish for restaurant week menu. According to K, who said that according to CNN, this is the best Duck confit in Singapore! K enjoyed this dish. A fan of duck and mushroom, this was perfect for her. The portion was big and the duck was crispy and tender.

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Truffle & Cheese Risotto
Carnaroli risotto, seasonal mushrooms, mascarpone cheese, white truffle oil, chives

I went for the truffle and cheese risotto. A wise decision indeed. It was cooked brilliantly. A generous portion of cheese and wild mushrooms were given and the texture of the risotto was just right. Plus the fragrance of truffle, this makes a good hearty meal.

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Valrhona Chocolate Test
Chocolate in 5 textures and 5 different percentages of cocoa mass

K loves chocolate, so this was a no brainer. This chocolate platter had 5 bite size dessert of varying cocoa concentration. Quite an interesting concept.

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Aerated mousse : 33% cocoa

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Chocolate souffle! 55% cocoa

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Sorbet : 66%

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Warm Custard : 72% cocoa.

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Dehydrated chocolate : 85% cocoa.

Dehydrated chocolate that looked like something we wouldnt eat. haha. It tasted like a dry airy chocolate biscuit.

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Jubilee Tart
Dark and sweet pitted cherry, puff pastry, served with vanilla icecream

Desserts is a very integral part of my dining experience, so when they fail to live up to the mark, its like a bad ending to an exciting novel. And sadly, this was the case for my dessert. The biscuit bottom was bland , the infused cherry sauce tasted like concentrate. The only saving grace was the ice cream but overall this dessert paled in comparison to what I had expected in mind.

Novus was one of the two restaurants that offered choices for all three courses and we were definitely pleased with that

Overall, we had a good dining experience at Novus. Service was efficient and the staff were attentive. If only my dessert was better.


Total cost: $129 +


National Museum
93 Stamford Rd  

Monday- Saturday : 10am-10pm
Sunday: 10am-6pm

Brunch available on Sat,Sun & PH
10am - 6pm

--
Love , X

X's rating of Novus: 7/10

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Absinthe

Restaurant Week

X had wanted to go to Absinthe for the longest time. He checked the Restaurant Week website everyday, hoping for seats to be freed up hahaha and FINALLY, we managed to get a reservation at a timing that we both could make it! Tuesday dinner!

We had difficulty finding a parking lot and circled the area numerous times before chancing upon a parallel-parking lot by the road. Yay! You can park at the UOB building or a public car park nearby too!

We had to walk a distance to Absinthe
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The bread was too hard but the butter was very nice!

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Carpaccio of Hokkaido Scallops,
Fava beans, hazelnut, Soy-Argan oil dressing

The scallops were fresh, juicy and tasted really good with the hazelnut!

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Cognac scented lobster bisque

Thick, tasty and appetizing

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Crispy Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly,
Star Aniseed Jus, Beans and Potatoes

The pork belly was crazy tender! Really well-cooked! But the portion was too small

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Black Cod,
Prawn-crushed potato, Chervil Emulsion

The cod was slightly crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside. The prawn-crushed potato was delicious and really complemented the cod!

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Valrhona Chocolate Tart,
Coffee Cream

The tart was simple. The ganache was smooth and bittersweet. I thought the highlight was the coffee cream haha

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Coffee - additional $6
The coffee was not very fragrant

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Sugar from Paris

We had a pretty pleasant dining experience at Absinthe. They seemed to be really understaffed because they took pretty long to pass us the menu, or serve us and they seem to be in a hurry going round. Despite the slow service, the waiters were really polite and tried their best to make sure everything was perfect.

The chef came out of the kitchen and went to every table to speak to the diners personally. I thought that was really sweet! Also, he's very humourous and friendly. It's nice that they take such personal interest in the thoughts of their customers!

If you're looking for unpretentious French fare, Absinthe is the place for you!


Total cost: $143

72 Boat Quay
Lunch : 12pm - 2:30pm (Mon - Fri)
Dinner : 6:30pm - 11:00pm (Mon - Sun)

---

Love, K

K's rating of Absinthe : 7.5/10

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Latte E Miele

Invited Food Tasting

Latte E Miele(formerly known as Frigidarium) is located at the new Grand Stand at Turf Club Road. It has gelato, beverages, cakes and waffles and many more!

X and I went to try out their gelato one Saturday afternoon. The gelato at Latte E Miele is handmade daily using only the finest ingredients.
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Playground for kids

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Their most popular flavours are chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, ferrero and cookies and cream!

They have unique flavours like William Pear and Snickers too!

The gelato comes in 2 sizes : Piccolo or Grande
Piccolo is priced at $4.50 and it is encouraged that you choose only one flavour for it
Grande is priced at $7.50 and you can choose up to 3 flavours!
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Grande: Snickers and Chocolate
I love chomping on the nuts in the Snickers gelato! The Chocolate gelato was really rich, and more on the bitter side as compared to the Milky Chocolate Gelato as it is made of dark chocolate

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The William Pear gelato was refreshing and a real joy!

We tried almost all the flavours and we have to say that the gelato at Latte E Miele is really pretty damn awesome! The texture is really smooth and the gelato are all very rich!

Parking is free and readily available in the carpark just opposite Latte E Miele!

If you're looking for a quality cup of fresh artisan gelato, Latte E Miele is the place for you!

200 Turf Club Road
#01-34B
Monday- Friday : 11am- 9pm
Saturday -Sunday : 10am - 10pm

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Love, K

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Clifford

After a disappointing lunch at Forlino, X and I caught Taken 2 before heading to Clifford for dinner.
Fullerton Bay Hotel is really pretty damn impressive!

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The high ceilings make the place look and feel grand

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Bread with butter and duck rilette
Bread was warm and very fragrant. Coupled with the light and smooth butter, this was a great start to the meal! Not forgetting the special duck rilette which was yummy and a real delight!

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French Onion Soup
Traditional Caramelized Onions in their Bouillon with Melted Gruyere Cheese Crouton

This was really appetizing and really good!

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Frisee Avec Poitrine
Pickled Frisee Lettuce, Diced Sauteed Potatoes, Crisp Pork Belly, Soft Boiled Egg and Warm Vinaigrette

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The pork belly was crispy and tender. I can't help but nod my head in happiness when I bit into it. Haha. As interesting and delicious as this dish was, the egg and potatoes were not warm and felt like they were pre-cooked and just placed on the plate

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Wagyu Beef Cheek
Slow Braised in Red Wine with Sweet Carrots and Garlic Gremolata

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The beef cheek was tender but it reeked too heavily of the "beef" taste. The mashed potato was really good!

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Baked Ombrina Fillet
Roasted pepper, Broad Beans Ragout with Tapenade and Potatoes

The fish was well-cooked and was very fresh! The skin was crispy and the meat was tender. The potatoes were a little on the cold side and I felt that the taste didn't quite complement that of the fillet

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Clifford Lemon Lime Tart
Italian Meringue and Berries Coulis

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This has gotta be one of the best lemon tarts in Singapore.
The lemon curd has the right sweetness and sourness. Neither was too overpowering. If you eat it together with the meringue, the tart tastes sweeter and if you eat it with the berries, the tart tastes more sour. I thought it was brilliant how they could play this dish to the liking of people who have a sweet palate or who prefer sour flavours! The meringue was of great texture and really was a perfect fit with the lemon tart. For someone who doesn't take berries, I tried the tart with the berries coulis and actually really liked it! Last but not least, the thin crust was really good!
Really awesome. Wish I could have more of it!

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Petits Fours
Macarons, pralines and kueh lapis
I thought the kueh lapis were quite out of place but X likes kueh lapis so he kept saying that they're not out of place haha. The macarons were yummy and the pralines were smooth and they melt in your mouth and makes you want more!

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Fullerton Bay Blend of Coffee
Strong and aromatic

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It was a really wonderful and pleasant experience to dine here. Not only is the place beautiful, the service is top-notch. The waiters and waitresses are efficient and polite. They asked us how the food was, if we needed anything else and basically just really made us feel welcomed and comfortable. They also kind of speak with liveliness in their voices and wear wide smiles on their faces. Haha so it made me like them more!

X and I were discussing whether we liked Clifford so much because we were comparing it to the terrible lunch at Forlino. But we realised that we really like Clifford because it's just really fantastic.

Total Cost: $129+

80 Collyer Quay
The Fullerton Bay Hotel

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Love, K

K's rating of Clifford: 9/10