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Sunday, September 13, 2009
Sunday, September 06, 2009
a review. Delight 'n' Delicious.
Delight 'n' Delicious
Blk 26 Jalan Membina
#01-10, 29 Food Center
Tel: 65 6238 0382
Website: http://www.delightndelicious.com.sg/index.htm
Opening Hours: 12pm - 9.45pm (last order) daily
Pei had talked about a western food stall set up in a coffee shop just below her block for months. She had told me about how she really liked the food and hoped that I would do a review of it. So last weekend, along with 9 other dining buddies, I finally paid a visit to the humble food stall and met with Moon & Fion, friendly owners of Delight 'n' Delicious.
Moon, with 15 years of industry experience helms the kitchen with 2 other chef helpers in tow. Along with his wife Fion, he striked out on his own after kitchen stints at Senso Ristorante & Bar and the now defunct, Bice Bistro. Delight serves a good variety of dishes for a small outfit like theirs and we got to sample quite a number of them. The first order of the day was Soup.
Left: Clam Chowder
Right: Beef Consomme
To be honest, things did not look too good in the beginning. The Clam Chowder was quite a letdown. The soup was too runny to be called 'chowder' and it had a really milky taste. Pei mentioned that she's tasted a thicker and far more superior version before. I guess it was just my luck that day.
Things then started to look up. While the Clam Chowder failed to impress, the Beef Consomme, the special of the day was a favourite with the group. It was tasty and hearty; just what we needed as it was pouring earlier in the day. I think they should put it on the regular menu!
What were to follow was in my opinion Delight's forte; the pastas.
Top left: Prosciutto de Parma; tomato-cream base with parma ham, mushrooms & fresh tomatoes
Top right: Seafood Bianco; seafood combination with white wine
Bottom left: Seafood Combo; tomato-based seafood combination
Bottom right: Creamy Mix; creamy base with bacon, mushrooms & onions
Everyone at the table had their own personal favourites.
Some loved the Seafood Combo as the tomato sauce was fresh and of the right tartness. LS gave it a two thumbs up even though she's never liked tomato-based sauces. Some particularly loved the Creamy Mix just because the sauce was tasty, creamy and addictive. The Seafood Bianco was really light tasting and had the fragrance of the white wine when the dish arrived at the table. I personally felt the alcohol should have been left to evaporate a little while longer as the alcohol taste was very apparent. My personal favourite was the pasta that was supposed to come with Parma ham. Due to some problems with the supplier, the ham had to be substituted with bacon. I didn't feel any loss with the substitution and liked the fresh tomatoes. I did feel that there could have been a larger proportion of tomato sauce mixed into the cream as the taste was not very apparent. In general, the pastas were cooked pretty well although they could have been a little bit more al dente and less heavy handed with the creamy sauces. Servings are generous so I personally feel that prices ranging from $5.50 for the classic Bolognaise and $8.90 for the seafood pastas are very reasonable.
The mains that followed were a bit of a hit and miss. The Paprika Chicken was grilled really nicely and had a smoky flavour which made it seem like it was cooked over charcoal although it wasn't after a quick check with Moon.
The Full Moon Beef Cheese Burger, one of Delight's house specialities was rather delicious. Although the burger bun and condiments were ordinary and nothing to shout about, the success of the dish was in the thick beef patties. The minced beef patties were well marinated unlike some gourmet burger patties which I've tasted recently.
My personal favourite out of all the mains served that evening was the good ol' Fish & Chips. The fish was fried to perfection. The batter was crispy and of the right thickness. The fish was not overcooked and you could even taste the freshness of the fish. It was definitely one of the better Breaded Fish & Chips that I've had in a long while.
Left: Grilled Salmon
Right: Char-Grilled Rib Eye
Whilst most of the mains impressed, we were pretty disappointed with the Grilled Salmon and the Char-Grilled Rib Eye. I did not have a problem with the cooking of the salmon. My only gripe was that it was rather bland. There was not really any sweetness in the flesh of the salmon and the dish was sorely lacking in salt. The beef from New Zealand was tender but severely undercooked although I have to add that it was probably difficult to gauge the doneness of the beef considering it was a thin cut. I had a bigger problem with sauce. The sauce needed quite a bit of spicing up as the black pepper was almost unnoticeable. I did however, like that there were potatoes chunks deliberately left in the otherwise, smooth potato mash that came with both dishes.
We were stuffed by the time it got to desserts. Of the 3 desserts we had, the most note worthy was the Tiramisu. There was a good balance of the mascarpone cheese, the coffee and the sponge fingers. What could help it further is to increase the liquor that is usual with tiramisus. Of course, the prices will then need to go up so I'm not complaining for the lack of it here.
I thought that the Chocolate Bread Pudding needed some cinnamon to lift things up a little; give it a bit more depth. Somehow, it just felt like something was missing without it. I liked the Brownie better as it was paired well with the chocolate chip ice cream. However, I did think that it could have done better if the texture was little denser and served a tad warmer.
Left: Chocolate Bread Pudding
Right: Brownie with Ice Cream
Delight 'n' Delicious does not score in every aspect but they definitely try to be different in their dish offerings as compared to your regular Western food stall. The variety is commendable as they try to set themselves apart and a bar higher than their competitors.
Thanks to Moon & Fion for their kind hospitality that evening. Thanks also to Moon's crew for working so hard in the kitchen to feed 10 hungry people.
We had fun.
Blk 26 Jalan Membina
#01-10, 29 Food Center
Tel: 65 6238 0382
Website: http://www.delightndelicious.com.sg/index.htm
Opening Hours: 12pm - 9.45pm (last order) daily
Pei had talked about a western food stall set up in a coffee shop just below her block for months. She had told me about how she really liked the food and hoped that I would do a review of it. So last weekend, along with 9 other dining buddies, I finally paid a visit to the humble food stall and met with Moon & Fion, friendly owners of Delight 'n' Delicious.
Moon, with 15 years of industry experience helms the kitchen with 2 other chef helpers in tow. Along with his wife Fion, he striked out on his own after kitchen stints at Senso Ristorante & Bar and the now defunct, Bice Bistro. Delight serves a good variety of dishes for a small outfit like theirs and we got to sample quite a number of them. The first order of the day was Soup.
Left: Clam Chowder
Right: Beef Consomme
To be honest, things did not look too good in the beginning. The Clam Chowder was quite a letdown. The soup was too runny to be called 'chowder' and it had a really milky taste. Pei mentioned that she's tasted a thicker and far more superior version before. I guess it was just my luck that day.
Things then started to look up. While the Clam Chowder failed to impress, the Beef Consomme, the special of the day was a favourite with the group. It was tasty and hearty; just what we needed as it was pouring earlier in the day. I think they should put it on the regular menu!
What were to follow was in my opinion Delight's forte; the pastas.
Top left: Prosciutto de Parma; tomato-cream base with parma ham, mushrooms & fresh tomatoes
Top right: Seafood Bianco; seafood combination with white wine
Bottom left: Seafood Combo; tomato-based seafood combination
Bottom right: Creamy Mix; creamy base with bacon, mushrooms & onions
Everyone at the table had their own personal favourites.
Some loved the Seafood Combo as the tomato sauce was fresh and of the right tartness. LS gave it a two thumbs up even though she's never liked tomato-based sauces. Some particularly loved the Creamy Mix just because the sauce was tasty, creamy and addictive. The Seafood Bianco was really light tasting and had the fragrance of the white wine when the dish arrived at the table. I personally felt the alcohol should have been left to evaporate a little while longer as the alcohol taste was very apparent. My personal favourite was the pasta that was supposed to come with Parma ham. Due to some problems with the supplier, the ham had to be substituted with bacon. I didn't feel any loss with the substitution and liked the fresh tomatoes. I did feel that there could have been a larger proportion of tomato sauce mixed into the cream as the taste was not very apparent. In general, the pastas were cooked pretty well although they could have been a little bit more al dente and less heavy handed with the creamy sauces. Servings are generous so I personally feel that prices ranging from $5.50 for the classic Bolognaise and $8.90 for the seafood pastas are very reasonable.
The mains that followed were a bit of a hit and miss. The Paprika Chicken was grilled really nicely and had a smoky flavour which made it seem like it was cooked over charcoal although it wasn't after a quick check with Moon.
The Full Moon Beef Cheese Burger, one of Delight's house specialities was rather delicious. Although the burger bun and condiments were ordinary and nothing to shout about, the success of the dish was in the thick beef patties. The minced beef patties were well marinated unlike some gourmet burger patties which I've tasted recently.
My personal favourite out of all the mains served that evening was the good ol' Fish & Chips. The fish was fried to perfection. The batter was crispy and of the right thickness. The fish was not overcooked and you could even taste the freshness of the fish. It was definitely one of the better Breaded Fish & Chips that I've had in a long while.
Left: Grilled SalmonRight: Char-Grilled Rib Eye
Whilst most of the mains impressed, we were pretty disappointed with the Grilled Salmon and the Char-Grilled Rib Eye. I did not have a problem with the cooking of the salmon. My only gripe was that it was rather bland. There was not really any sweetness in the flesh of the salmon and the dish was sorely lacking in salt. The beef from New Zealand was tender but severely undercooked although I have to add that it was probably difficult to gauge the doneness of the beef considering it was a thin cut. I had a bigger problem with sauce. The sauce needed quite a bit of spicing up as the black pepper was almost unnoticeable. I did however, like that there were potatoes chunks deliberately left in the otherwise, smooth potato mash that came with both dishes.
We were stuffed by the time it got to desserts. Of the 3 desserts we had, the most note worthy was the Tiramisu. There was a good balance of the mascarpone cheese, the coffee and the sponge fingers. What could help it further is to increase the liquor that is usual with tiramisus. Of course, the prices will then need to go up so I'm not complaining for the lack of it here.
I thought that the Chocolate Bread Pudding needed some cinnamon to lift things up a little; give it a bit more depth. Somehow, it just felt like something was missing without it. I liked the Brownie better as it was paired well with the chocolate chip ice cream. However, I did think that it could have done better if the texture was little denser and served a tad warmer.
Left: Chocolate Bread Pudding
Right: Brownie with Ice Cream
Delight 'n' Delicious does not score in every aspect but they definitely try to be different in their dish offerings as compared to your regular Western food stall. The variety is commendable as they try to set themselves apart and a bar higher than their competitors.
Thanks to Moon & Fion for their kind hospitality that evening. Thanks also to Moon's crew for working so hard in the kitchen to feed 10 hungry people.
We had fun.
Monday, August 10, 2009
my gardening project part 3.
I can't say I'm doing fantastically well with my herb garden project cos 2 out of the 4 types of herbs which I tried to grow didn't appear at all.
On the other end, the basil is doing really well and I'm really excited about harvesting and using it for the first time tomorrow!
Sunday, August 02, 2009
the best cuppa.
Oriole Café & Bar
Pan Pacific Serviced Suites
96 Somerset Road #01-01
Tel: 6238 8348
Website: http://www.oriole.com.sg/
It's always nice to hang out with the p.schoolers. Whilst it may not be often, we always find new things to talk about and pick up from where we last left off. Meet ups almost always involve food; whether it's a cookout or barbeque at someone's place or sussing out a new place in town. We found ourselves at a relatively quieter outfit in the Orchard Road area last weekend for a belated birthday get-together.
Oriole, alongside with Bedrock Bar & Grill is Whitebait & Kale's newest venture. The whole vibe of the place is rather casual and is excellent for an afternoon chat session with the girls.
Oriole has a rather extensive salad and sandwich menu which makes it a good place for light meals. The sandwiches are served on its own without any sides. I liked Wen's Cubano sandwich as I really found the combination of pickles, ham, bacon & cheese rather enticing. My only gripe was that the bread was slightly soggy. The quesadillas were not too bad with all the generous amount of gooey cheese but I felt that it needed a bit more flavour; a bit more punch if you know what I mean. The Mushroooms on Toast was unimpressive as the bread was too thick and too dry.
While Oriole doesn't exactly impress with its food, it excels in the beverage department. Oriole is home to Singapore's Number 1 and 3 baristas so one would expect a good cup of coffee there. To be honest, I'm no coffee expert but the coffee was to my liking; aromatic and not too acidic. It was also pretty, to boot.
I did learn something interesting from Liz who had taken a barista course previously. Apparently, you could tell the skill of a barista from the foam of the coffee. If the teaspoon rests on top of the foam without sinking immediately, it's good foam. No points for guessing that the foam at Oriole passed the test with flying colours. We even made sure by trying it on a 2nd cup of coffee. I guess the Number 1 barista in town, John Ting does live up to his name.
Prices are reasonable and I would be returning for the coffee and the laid back ambience. Oriole could be on to something with its boast of excellent coffee. If only they could do better with their food.
Pan Pacific Serviced Suites
96 Somerset Road #01-01
Tel: 6238 8348
Website: http://www.oriole.com.sg/
It's always nice to hang out with the p.schoolers. Whilst it may not be often, we always find new things to talk about and pick up from where we last left off. Meet ups almost always involve food; whether it's a cookout or barbeque at someone's place or sussing out a new place in town. We found ourselves at a relatively quieter outfit in the Orchard Road area last weekend for a belated birthday get-together.
Oriole, alongside with Bedrock Bar & Grill is Whitebait & Kale's newest venture. The whole vibe of the place is rather casual and is excellent for an afternoon chat session with the girls.
Oriole has a rather extensive salad and sandwich menu which makes it a good place for light meals. The sandwiches are served on its own without any sides. I liked Wen's Cubano sandwich as I really found the combination of pickles, ham, bacon & cheese rather enticing. My only gripe was that the bread was slightly soggy. The quesadillas were not too bad with all the generous amount of gooey cheese but I felt that it needed a bit more flavour; a bit more punch if you know what I mean. The Mushroooms on Toast was unimpressive as the bread was too thick and too dry.
While Oriole doesn't exactly impress with its food, it excels in the beverage department. Oriole is home to Singapore's Number 1 and 3 baristas so one would expect a good cup of coffee there. To be honest, I'm no coffee expert but the coffee was to my liking; aromatic and not too acidic. It was also pretty, to boot.
I did learn something interesting from Liz who had taken a barista course previously. Apparently, you could tell the skill of a barista from the foam of the coffee. If the teaspoon rests on top of the foam without sinking immediately, it's good foam. No points for guessing that the foam at Oriole passed the test with flying colours. We even made sure by trying it on a 2nd cup of coffee. I guess the Number 1 barista in town, John Ting does live up to his name.
Prices are reasonable and I would be returning for the coffee and the laid back ambience. Oriole could be on to something with its boast of excellent coffee. If only they could do better with their food.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Italian with Basilico.
Basilico
The Regent Singapore
1 Cuscaden Road
Tel: 6725 3232
Email: basilico.rsn@fourseasons.com
I love having long lunches. There's just something about the sunlight and the whole casual feel that puts me in the mood to have a nice leisurely meal. Thus, when it came down to choosing a place for my birthday meal, I decided to put a 'check' next to the place I've wanted to try since reading about it weeks back.
Basilico runs an Italian lunch buffet on Sundays with a free flow Mumm champagne ($99) or Billecart Salmon Rose option ($175). If you're not an alcohol lover like me, go for the alcohol-free option ($49). This is one of the buffets in town with the best value in my opinion as I find a lot of a buffets ridiculously priced for the quality of food served these days. Most buffets try to throw a whole lot of food out but let's face it, how many of us actually get round to tasting everything? So while I'd say that it's not a whole lot of variety one gets at Basilico, I find that it's more than adequate and I guess that partially explains why prices can be kept at a reasonable level.
At the antipasti table centred in the restaurant, you'd find a good variety of Italian meats, carpaccios, olives, salads such as Caprese and fresh seafood. I especially loved the freshly sliced prosciutto with rock melon, mortadella and salami. There is also a good selection of breads and crisps. Having said that, there was a tomato dip which tasted great when spread over some ciabatta. I have to learn to make that!
The mains section had fresh pizzas made on the spot. There was also a pasta station where you could customise your own pasta dish. The meat and seafood section had a good selection of roasts and grills. I thought the grilled lamb and beef medallions were cooked really well and were simply delicious. The roast wagyu beef was nice but paled in comparison to the grilled meats in terms of flavour. Hearty Italian fare such as Eggplant Parmigiana, Spinach Cannelloni were also available but I didn't spend too much time with them since I thought they were too filling.
There's also a cheese room located at another part of the restaurant where you can find foie gras terraine, pan fried foie gras, freshly shaved black truffles and of course, a good selection of cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Taleggio. The foie gras was rich and fantastic with a bit of herb salt sprinkled over the top. This was probably my favourite section at the buffet!
The desserts table had a variety of familiar Italian favourites such as Tiramisu and gelatos. There was even Hot Chocolate which was a treat to have out of a little chocolate mug. I personally loved the Ameretti cake and the Bread & Butter Pudding.
In addition to the items available at the buffet table, there were some items that were served to our table. There was a Foccacia stuffed with mascarpone, Parma ham and rocket leaves which I thought was delicious, a squid ink pasta with prawns and Cannoli rolls filled with ricotta, dried fruit and chocolate chips. There was also a dish which resembled risotto topped with truffle oil but I didn't find it memorable.
I personally thought that service was impeccable. The service staff were really prompt in topping up the champagne and clearing the plates. They even went to the extent to remind us about the cheese room and even suggested we have black truffles shaved over our pasta. In fact, I saw one of the chefs shave a generous amount of black truffles over a plate of mushroom ravioli at the table next to ours.
Although the food isn't all of the finest quality, I'd highly recommend Basilico for it's good value and decent food if one's out looking for an Italian buffet. This is definitely one place that should be added to your Sunday lunch list.
The Regent Singapore
1 Cuscaden Road
Tel: 6725 3232
Email: basilico.rsn@fourseasons.com
I love having long lunches. There's just something about the sunlight and the whole casual feel that puts me in the mood to have a nice leisurely meal. Thus, when it came down to choosing a place for my birthday meal, I decided to put a 'check' next to the place I've wanted to try since reading about it weeks back.
Basilico runs an Italian lunch buffet on Sundays with a free flow Mumm champagne ($99) or Billecart Salmon Rose option ($175). If you're not an alcohol lover like me, go for the alcohol-free option ($49). This is one of the buffets in town with the best value in my opinion as I find a lot of a buffets ridiculously priced for the quality of food served these days. Most buffets try to throw a whole lot of food out but let's face it, how many of us actually get round to tasting everything? So while I'd say that it's not a whole lot of variety one gets at Basilico, I find that it's more than adequate and I guess that partially explains why prices can be kept at a reasonable level.
At the antipasti table centred in the restaurant, you'd find a good variety of Italian meats, carpaccios, olives, salads such as Caprese and fresh seafood. I especially loved the freshly sliced prosciutto with rock melon, mortadella and salami. There is also a good selection of breads and crisps. Having said that, there was a tomato dip which tasted great when spread over some ciabatta. I have to learn to make that!
The mains section had fresh pizzas made on the spot. There was also a pasta station where you could customise your own pasta dish. The meat and seafood section had a good selection of roasts and grills. I thought the grilled lamb and beef medallions were cooked really well and were simply delicious. The roast wagyu beef was nice but paled in comparison to the grilled meats in terms of flavour. Hearty Italian fare such as Eggplant Parmigiana, Spinach Cannelloni were also available but I didn't spend too much time with them since I thought they were too filling.
There's also a cheese room located at another part of the restaurant where you can find foie gras terraine, pan fried foie gras, freshly shaved black truffles and of course, a good selection of cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Taleggio. The foie gras was rich and fantastic with a bit of herb salt sprinkled over the top. This was probably my favourite section at the buffet!
The desserts table had a variety of familiar Italian favourites such as Tiramisu and gelatos. There was even Hot Chocolate which was a treat to have out of a little chocolate mug. I personally loved the Ameretti cake and the Bread & Butter Pudding.
In addition to the items available at the buffet table, there were some items that were served to our table. There was a Foccacia stuffed with mascarpone, Parma ham and rocket leaves which I thought was delicious, a squid ink pasta with prawns and Cannoli rolls filled with ricotta, dried fruit and chocolate chips. There was also a dish which resembled risotto topped with truffle oil but I didn't find it memorable.
I personally thought that service was impeccable. The service staff were really prompt in topping up the champagne and clearing the plates. They even went to the extent to remind us about the cheese room and even suggested we have black truffles shaved over our pasta. In fact, I saw one of the chefs shave a generous amount of black truffles over a plate of mushroom ravioli at the table next to ours.
Although the food isn't all of the finest quality, I'd highly recommend Basilico for it's good value and decent food if one's out looking for an Italian buffet. This is definitely one place that should be added to your Sunday lunch list.
Friday, July 24, 2009
that time of the year.
Yet another year has come and gone.
It's scary how time flies.
Today, I turn a year older and hopefully a year wiser.
Thanks for all your well wishes.
I'm thankful that you guys are a part of my life.
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