The Square

Invited Food Tasting

"Are you Hot enough?"

That's the name of the new buffet spread offered at The Square at Novotel Clarke Quay. Cleverly manipulating chilli in a great number of their dishes(even desserts!), this is a buffet you wouldn't want to miss!

Meeting Jean and John was comforting because it's been a long while since I've met people who can't take chilli. Back in my junior college days, every single person around me couldn't take chilli hahaha but when I moved on to university, everyone could take chilli... And they said I'm really lousy ):


The usuals


Steamed salmon


Sushi


Asian platter and tapas






The "fire" extinguisher haha I liked the soya milk!


Three new dishes bearing tags that indicate their level of spiciness.

The three dishes are, in order of their level of spiciness

Spicy Pork - Level 1


Fish with Cream Sauce - Level 2


Chicken in Brown sauce - Level 3

 
Pretty display of desserts








Spicy fruit syrup








DIY station! You can make your own dessert with shaved ice and the huge selection of toppings!


Pure apple juice!


Yay jellyfish and Wakame seaweed!


I was actually pretty scared to try the 3 special dishes. Haha as you all know, both X and I are really bad at taking spice. However, to our surprise, the fish was not spicy at all! And I really liked it. It was coated with a light cream sauce that was savory and pleasant. The fish was also soft and very fresh! The second spiciest dish was the chicken. The spiciness came from the jalapenos that it was cooked with. And the spiciest one was the spicy pork! Even though it was supposed to be level 1. Haha maybe they mixed the signs up or something. The spiciest item in the buffet spread was probably the sambal squid haha it was super spicy!

We were telling John that the dishes weren't very spicy. I mean, if its anything that X and I can take, it probably is negatively spicy to the average Singaporean. Haha. And John said maybe the chefs took them too seriously as the three tasters who tried the new menu were all of foreign nationalities and are not accustomed to taking chilli. Haha so they must have said that everything was too spicy and the chefs reduced the spiciness accordingly haha


Laksa risotto
THIS WAS REALLY SPICY. One mouthful and I'm out. HAHA


Their signature Cheese Risotto.
This was really delicious! Infused with the sweetness of tomatoes and not overwhelmingly cheesy!


OMG I just realised that I didn't take a picture of the codfish in a delightful sauce which is a mix between laksa and French bisque. It was just a little spicy, but the codfish was so soft and nice and was really excellent with the rich and thick sauce! Can't believe I didn't take a picture of it.. I must be too excited to try it.


Ginger chicken, Black pepper Green Musssels, Prawns in Mayonnaise




Duck leg, Gammon Ham, Roasted beef


Nachos with salsa and cheese, siew mai and roasted potatoes


Seafood again!


Always my favourite part.
The orange tarts were great! And the chocolate ganache tart was so smooth and rich mhmm...


Poached pear in chocolate and chilli powder
A unique creation!


Marshmallows and mini fruit crumble
I love the fruit crumble! The crumble was so sweet and crunchy


Chocolate mousse with chilli
You're supposed to eat the chilli after the mousse... Haha obviously we didn't! There's chilli present in the mousse too. The sudden and sharp spiciness hits you fast but doesn't linger for long. Definitely a must-try!


Durian Pengat
A really popular item that durian lovers are bound to fall in love with! It might be a little sweet for some but it's really good!


For their CNY buffet, The Square is featuring a Do-It-Yourself Yusheng station! How cool is that. I'll steal all the golden pillows haha. And on Valentine's Day, "Love Is Hot" at The Square and their buffet spread will be going at $98++ for a couple! Screams "Value-for-money!"


"Are You Hot Enough" Buffet is available on 

Sunday- Thursday : 6pm- 10pm
-$48 ++ (Adult) $30++(Child)

Friday - Satuday: 6pm-10pm
-$58 ++ (Adult) $38++(Child)

Make a reservation here or call 66816667!


We'll like to thank John and Jean for having us and for such a pleasant evening! We really enjoyed ourselves!

177A River Valley Road

#07-00 Novotel Clarke Quay

Daily: 06:00 - 10:30, 12:00 - 14:30, 18:00 - 22:00

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Love, K

Azur

Invited Food Tasting

Chinese New Year is right round the corner and I'm sure everyone has been on the search for a restaurant for reunion dinners or CNY gatherings.

Located in the renowned Crowne Plaza Hotel, Azur might just be the perfect dining destination for you!




The restaurant is huge and they have round and square tables that can be arranged to fit a great number of people! Perfect for large families!







X and I took a few items to try before the the yusheng tossing

Boston Lobsters and oysters


Huge pieces of salmon and swordfish sashimi!


Giant table of yusheng!


Chef Alvin introducing the ingredients in the Three Treasures Yusheng!



Three Treasures Yusheng - $68++
(serves 8)

Asian-fusion Yusheng topped with Hokkigai Surf Clams, crispy wanton skin, ginseng and yuzu dressing and accompanied with Japanese pickled radish, picked cucumber, golden radishes, carrots, Wakame seaweed, tamago, Chinese pickled mango, pickled papaya, black fungus and bak kwa strips.

For those who will like more "yu" in their yusheng, Azur is offering Meikajiki Toro (Swordfish Belly) at $28.00+ and Fresh Norwegian Salmon at $18.00+!

And if you can't get enough of the Hokkigai Surf Clams, fret not! They can be added to the yusheng at $38.00+! 

Other toppings that are available will be Sliced Abalone at $48.00+ and the delicious Yuzu Ginseng Dressing at $8.00!

Isn't this yusheng impressive!


Also, has anyone noticed the snake head? Haha


Looks good doesn't it! But wait, it gets better!




Tadah! Sprinkled with crispy wanton skin!

Just looking at it now, makes me really hungry haha


All ready to toss to the Year of the Snake!


Here we go!!! *Chants some chinese phrases*




What's your favourite part of yusheng? My favourite is actually the golden pillows! HAHA
But this time round, the Hokkigai Surf Clams won my heart!

The ginseng and yuzu dressing is really delicious. I don't take vegetables but I didn't mind eating the vegetables in the yusheng because they were so tasty and sweet! Who knew ginseng and yuzu were such a killer combination!


Special CNY drink!
Apple juice, passion fruit juice and dragonfruit

A very unique and refreshing concoction of several flavours and textures. It's brilliant, how they could come up with this!

On top of their already impressive buffet spread, Azur is featuring special dishes that are only available for the Chinese New Year Buffet! Here are some of them!

Treasures of the Ocean Seafood Soup
Fish maw, crabmeat, dried scallops

It tasted very much like shark fin soup except that there is no shark fin! A really great appetite whetting dish!


Wok Fried Sea Prawns with Mixed Berries Infused with Margarine and Milk

This is a rendition of their butter prawns. It may seem unimaginable to some, how prawns and berries could go hand in hand. Well, we were a little surprised when we heard the combination too. And even more surprised by how good it tasted!

The prawns were extremely fresh and juicy and were bathed in a tantalizing sweet sauce that does not carry an overpowering berry taste. This delectable dish will definitely sweep you off your feet! Our favourite dish for sure!


Confit of Salmon accompanied with Darjeeling Beurre Blanc

Wonderfully soft and moist, the flavour and taste of the salmon is brought out delicately in every bite. This was my second favourite dish! The Darjeeling Beurre Blanc and caviar harmonized perfectly with the nicely-sized salmon and I'm very sure that this is gonna be really popular!


Braised Sea Cucumber, Baby Abalone with Superior “Conpoy” Gravy

Featuring all the usual favourites in a light and delicious sauce, this dish may look simple but the mix of top quality ingredients and a carefully crafted sauce will lead you to deeply appreciate the goodness in this dish! Oh those abalones...


Fragrant Glutinous Rice with Pork Belly and Pork Lard

For someone who doesn't fancy glutinous rice to really like this, can you imagine how good it was? Crazy tender pork belly which when paired with the soft and fragrant rice, delivered a surprising hint of sweetness that will leave you craving for a second portion!


Tempura Nian Kow, Lychee and Osmanthus Jello, Mandarin Orange Mousse


I love nian kow! Haha so I really liked this. Nicely crisp with a sweet sticky centre! Yum yum


The tart-like base was buttery and fragrant. A strong burst of mandarin orange exploded in my mouth as the mousse melted delicately. Powerful punches of flavours packed in a small delight!


The Chinese New Year buffet will be available from 9th-24th February. With other signature dishes such as the drunken prawns and a free flow of yusheng, this buffet is definitely a bargain at these prices!

Chinese New Year Eve Dinner( 9 February) 
– S$88++ (Adult) S$44++ (Child)

Chinese New Year Brunch (10 – 11 February) 
– S$58++ (Adult) S$29++ (Child)

Chinese New Year Dinner (10 – 11 February) 
– S$78++ (Adult) S$39++ (Child)

Chinese New Year Weekday Lunch (12 – 15, 18 – 22 February) 
– S$48++ (Adult) S$24++ (Child)

Chinese New Year Weekday Dinner (12 – 15, 18 – 22 February) 
– S$58++ (Adult) S$29++ (Child)

What are you waiting for? Make a reservation right now at 68255354! [:

We'll like to thank Carrie and Chef Alvin for having us and Derrick for this wonderful opportunity! [:

75 Airport Boulevard

2F Crowne Plaza Hotel

Daily: 06:00 - 10:30
12:00 - 14:30
18:30 - 22:30

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Love, K

(CLOSED) East 8 New York Fusion Tapas + Bar

The name East 8, represents the 8th Street of East Village in New York.

East 8 is the brainchild of 2 talented graphic designers, Emil and Steven, who resided in New York for about 5 years. Having fallen in love with everything in the City of Dreams, they decided to bring New York to Singapore. Armed with impressive skills in designing, you won't be surprised how delicately intricate East 8's design is. Every single detail was carefully thought of and creatively constructed.


The Mezzanine area. 

Located at Grand Park Hotel City Hall, and sitting conveniently near the main road and directly opposite the Armenian Church, East 8 is not difficult to locate at all. Parking is readily available in the shopping malls surrounding the Hotel and beside the Peranakan Museum. 




This is the alfresco area, which is designed to resemble the Highline Park in New York. That's why there's like a lawn here!


Can you see the pretty lights? They're supposed to resemble the birds that perch up high. The lights are of different shapes and sizes.




This photo does not fully capture the metal bars across the ceiling but it's supposed to resemble the Manhattan Bridge and gives diners a sense of dining under it!


The indoor seating is designed such that diners will feel like they are in a New York City loft looking out the windows



Needless to say, X and I were wowed over by how much effort was put into the design of this 50-seater restaurant. Cleverly juxtaposing different textures and materials, East 8 is a charming composition of vintage and modernity.

We met Monica, who told us all about East 8 and recommended the dishes that we should try!


The menus come in 3 different designs and even the menus carry a taste of New York.


East 8 is an Asian fusion restaurant which only serves tapas at night. They do have a lunch menu which consists of burgers and such but when night falls, their tapas are allowed to shine.


East Village Cocktail (A pair) - $18
Sparkling Jelly Sake

East 8's focus is not a wide range of alcoholic beverages but a few signature cocktails, making sure they are all perfect. Being an Asian-fusion restaurant, East 8 uses much sake in their alcoholic beverages.

The East Village cocktail was sweet, sparkling and full of chewy jelly. It didn't carry much of the harsh taste of sake, but instead was a playful mix of textures and flavours. I really liked it! Do note that this is not meant to be a shot! It's supposed to be savoured slowly!

It's Ladies Night on every Wednesday, and ladies can get 1 for 1 cocktails! Also, Sake Bomb night is on Fridays and Sake Bombs will be going at $10 instead of the usual $18! How awesome is that!


Buffalo Cheese and Prosciutto - $18
Mozzarella cheese, prosciutto ham, topped with truffle mayo

To be honest, I'm not a fan of cheese. I'm afraid of the overwhelming and lingering taste and I do find cheese stinky. However, this kinda turned my life around. Savory large pieces of ham drizzled with smooth truffle mayo, and complemented with chewy buffalo mozzarella. Yum. I was really skeptical about the cheese but I'm glad I gave it a shot! The ham was very salty but the cheese kinda evens the taste out! They go really well together! This was X's favourite dish!

To emphasize on the Asian element in the dining experience here, diners are given chopsticks instead of forks and spoons. But fret not if you aren't able to use chopsticks, because they have forks and spoons too haha


Soy Yuzu Beef - $20
Soy yuzu infused torched Argentine Ribeye

When I was asked which was my favourite dish, I had a really hard time choosing because honestly, everything was so good. And this was probably the first time that we praised every single dish. HAHA. Totally not exaggerating here.

But anyway, I love love love beef so I decided that this was my favourite! The slices of Argentine beef were of fantastic quality. They were just lightly torched and seasoned afterwards. The beef was absolutely tender, succulent, and bursting with flavours. As X said "what's not to like?" It's so true. There was a reservation for a huge gathering the same evening we were there and the table had ordered like 7 plates of this!

Really, really good. 


Hamachi & Caviar - $15
Fresh yellowtail with sesame, soy dressing and black caviar

X and I love raw fish so we were really excited about this! It surely did not disappoint. The hamachi was super fresh, tender and the soy dressing really brought out the taste of the hamachi. The black caviar added a hint of saltiness to the hamachi and this dish really won our hearts!


Chilean Seabass - $23
Marinated seabass in miso and wine

The most popular item in the house. The famous Chilean Seabass that diners cannot get enough of. Many returning customers head back for this dish. Monica told us that she's not a fish person and most people actually prefer meat to fish but this was her favourite out of the lot. I couldn't agree more. I'm a meat person too. And after hearing what she said about the seabass, I couldn't help but expect it to be really good. And trust me, it was!


The fish was so soft and so juicy and it really melted in our mouths! It was so well-cooked and the fish was so fresh! The mushrooms were a delight too! I was secretly smiling when I savoured the first bite of the fish. I expected it to be good, but not THAT good. I could totally understand why people would come back just for this!


Chocolate Pot - $12
Rich chocolate and macerated berries

The Chocolate Pot is a must-try for chocolate lovers. Unlike your usual chocolate desserts, the chocolate is not overly thick or rich and it does not make you sick of it. It's quite a huge portion and X and I thought it would be ideal for 4 to share but Monica told us that it is usually shared and finished by 2 people! Well, X and I finished it too and it can certainly be done!


I'm quite amazed at how it's chocolately but not overwhelmingly so. X usually does not finish his chocolate if the portion is too big haha. But I guess the taste of smooth chocolate melting in his mouth, brightened by the taste of berries won him over haha


Salted Caramel Brownies
The brownies are gluten free and are made of rice flour and different gluten-free flours. They are incredibly soft, moist and topped with a thin crunchy layer. The caramel was salty, and it was not too thick or sticky. Quite the ideal brownie!

East 8 has a tea-time promotion on weekdays from 3-5 pm where diners can enjoy the selection of Cakes Of The Day for just $4 or $8.80 with a cup of gourmet coffee!


As night fell, the amber lights came to life.

East 8 is a place where you can chill out, have good food and alcohol and really enjoy yourselves. For a restaurant that's only 1.5 months old, they have really earned a reputation! They have special promotions every night and be sure to check them out! There's student special and yakitori night etc! You can also hold your parties and events here!


X and I have never been to New York, but we are sure that people who have will definitely appreciate East 8 alot more that we do!

Also, East 8 emphasizes alot on great service. Their staff are not only friendly but are really warm and cheerful too! Don't be surprised if they strike up a conversation with you!


10 Coleman Street
#01-21/22

Mon - Fri: 12:00 - 00:00

Sat: 18:00 - 00:00

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Love, K 

K's rating of East 8 : 8.5/10