Gastronomic Anniversary

It was our wedding anniversary – yes, four years of Greedy Gluttonous living, and what better way to commemorate the occasion than a gastronomic feast at one of Singapore’s finest restaurants?

Iggy’s has a truly enviable reputation amongst the city’s restaurants – it was recently voted Asia’s Number One Restaurant by the Miele Guide and is also named in UK magazine The Restaurant’s S. Pellegrino World’s Best 100 restaurants. It is worth noting that not a single restaurant in Asia makes it into the top 50 of this list, nor do any restaurants in Japan make the cut at all – quite amazing considering that Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world (more than London and Paris combined). So whilst the judges of this list are clearly somewhat blinkered (or not very well travelled), the fact that Iggy’s is recognized makes the achievement all the more remarkable.

What immediately sets Iggy’s apart from most other restaurants is its ambience. No cosy tables à deux in here. There were 12 diners on the night we went, and we were all seated around an L-shaped counter, facing towards the semi-open kitchen (the windows were blacked top and bottom, meaning we could observe the chefs busy at work, without being privy to the intricacies of their endeavours). So whilst the evening is not set up for a romantic and intimate dinner, the atmosphere is relaxed and informal, and encourages interaction with the other diners, in addition to the waiter/sommelier who serves all the guests from behind the counter. As you are all facing one another, there is also the chance to get a sneak preview of what is coming your way in the 10 course Gastronomic Menu – and this is what we were treated to:

Uni
Cauliflower mousse, sea urchin, shiso jelly

Jabugo Iberico Bellota
Jamon Iberico, autumn salad, parmesan croutons, warm figs, fresh herbs and datterini tomato

Foie Gras
Foie gras crème brulee, cinnamon sugared pear, pan-fried foie gras on toast

Spanner Crab
Spanner crab meat soufflé, shellfish bisque, rocket sprouts

Cappellini
Cappellini with zucchini, smoked mullet roe and shallot

Halibut
Pan-roasted halibut fillet, red curry-scented pumpkin puree, green mango salsa, roasted shallot oil, glacier lily and balsamic reduction

Welsh Lamb
Herb crusted Welsh lamb saddle, French beans, baby aubergine, seito tomato, garlic confit and thyme jus

Pre-Dessert (a fruit cup)

Chocolate
Caraibe chocolate bar, mascarpone ice-cream, green lime zest

Iggy’s Lemon Tart

Suffice to say – the food was exquisite, and each course just got better and better. The ingredients were undeniably fresh, cooked to perfection and the flavours paired impeccably.

The capellini was truly to-die-for, I could’ve eaten an entire pasta bowl full, and I didn’t think I even liked smoked mullet roe!

The halibut was cooked to perfection and the delicate red curry-scented pumpkin was a worthy accompaniment, with the glacier lily an unusual addition that provided some scrumptious crunch to the dish.

‘Melt-in-the-mouth’ is a phrase far too often applied to food, but there is no other way to describe the herb crusted Welsh lamb saddle – and the memory of the marscapone ice cream which accompanied the sticky fudgy gooey chocolate bar remains with me to this day.

So does it deserve all the accreditations? Well it was certainly one of the best restaurants I’ve had the pleasure to feast in, and the relaxed ambience, impeccable service, interesting menu and of course, the exquisite food all combined to make this a very special and memorable anniversary meal indeed.

Iggy’s - http://www.iggys.com.sg/

Girls Lunch

It was time for our last girls’ get-together lunch before we all head off on our separate ways for the festive period, so we decided to go upmarket and made our way to Au Petit Salut at Dempsey Village. Like most Dempsey venues, this restaurant is set back from the road and nestled in amongst the greenery. We took our seats in the timber-decked al fresco area, where we could dine in the breeze and to the sound of the trickling water features.

Au Petit Salut is certainly a popular choice for lunch, particularly with the “Ladies Who Lunch” crowd, I’m guessing because of the high quality of its food and its fantastic value $30++ set lunch. Set menus can often be somewhat restricting, but here it is very extensive, and with six choices for each course it offers as much variety as many a la carte menus do. You are also given the option to supplement any course with one from the Executive Lunch Menu for an additional charge.

I kicked off with the Homemade Duck Rillette with Mesclun Salad and Walnut Dressing, which was rich and creamy and delicious.

Then followed it up with the Oven Baked Sea Bass Fillet with Fresh Mixed Vegetables and Light Herb Butter Emulsion, which was beautifully cooked and perfectly seasoned.

Being French, the cuisine is all very rich, and had we been allowed to choose our desserts after we had eaten our first two courses, I probably would have followed my more sensible friends' lead and opted for the Fresh Fruit Salad infused with mint and served with blackcurrant sorbet.

Having chosen at the beginning however - when I was in greedy-mode - I instead decided on the Choux Buns Filled with Vanilla Ice Cream in Warm Chocolate Sauce, with Sliced Almonds. It wasn’t a bad choice, but the feeling of over-indulgence was certainly starting to kick in around the second mouthful.

So would I recommend Au Petit Salut to my friends? Absolutely - a beautiful setting, fantastic food, knowledgeable and attentive service and great value for money all combine to make this the perfect venue for a girls’ lunch.

Au Petit Salut - http://www.aupetitsalut.com/index.html

Chilli Crab

Like most people who live in Singapore, I have a particular love for Chilli Crab, and it is always on our ‘to do’ list when people visit from overseas. Our usual restaurant of choice for taking people is Long Beach at the East Coast Seafood Centre. This time when we had guests, however for one reason or another we decided it would be easier to grab our seafood feast in town, so we headed to Jumbo at Riverside Point.



You might find this amazing, but this was my first time going to any of the Jumbo restaurants. I can’t say I’m sorry about that – it really wasn’t anything to get too excited about. Don’t get me wrong, the dishes were perfectly adequate and I would probably return for a mid-week casual meal if I was in the area. But when we were trying to show case the best of Singapore to our out-of-town guests, this left us a little disappointed.

The Chilli Crab itself was actually pretty good (but still not as good as Long Beach)



it was the accompanying dishes that weren’t great – the Black Pepper Beef was a little bland



as was the Roast Chicken



and the Sweet & Sour Prawns, despite how stickily succulent they looked.



Most disappointing of all though was the Steamed Sea Bass, Hong Kong Style – this actually went back half-eaten which is just unheard of in our household.



This place is always mobbed, I guess because of its location… and if you’re in the area with a chilli crab craving, I’d say by all means, sit down and tuck in… if you’re looking for quality seafood to impress though, I’d keep on walking…

Jumbo, Riverside Point - http://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/

Favourite Brekkie Joint

I have a new favourite place for Breakfast/Brunch in Singapore (I’m not talking about a Sunday champagne brunch, that’s a different topic altogether). Until recently my favourite weekend brekkie hangout was probably Graze at Rochester Park, but following a few recent visits to Privé at the Marina at Keppel Bay, my allegiances have firmly swung to the latter.

Privé is divided into three areas – a rather fancy indoor fine-dining restaurant, a rather fabulous outdoor bar, and a more casual bakery/café that also shares the bar’s outdoor decking. It is here in the bakery/café that they dish up a fine breakfast.

So what’s so good about it? Well, first there is the location – sitting out on the decking in the sunshine with the sea breeze on your face, and surrounded by expensive-looking yachts, you could be forgiven for thinking you had just landed in lottery-winner heaven. Chill-out tunes, bubbling water features and an abundance of leafy green plants complete the picture.

Then of course there is the food – hand on heart, I can tell you that they serve up the best Eggs Benedict and Pancakes I have yet had in Singapore. The Eggs Benedict are served on proper English muffins with good quality ham, the hollandaise sauce’s flavour, consistency and seasoning are all just right.

The pancakes are served in a generous portion, with slices of banana and strawberries nestling in the layers, and topped with maple syrup, honeycomb and cream.

The fresh orange juice is really freshly squeezed orange juice (unlike recently when we asked at P.S Café at Palais Renaissance if there ‘fresh’ orange juice was freshly squeezed, we received the reply “Freshly squeezed out of the bottle”) and is a generous serving, chilled over ice. They also have a range of coffees, teas and milkshakes, including a thick creamy coffee milkshake.

I’ll be honest, there is one small downside to this place and that is that the service can be somewhat erratic. They are normally pretty good, until you try to settle the bill. For some reason printing up the bill and dealing with payments seems to have been skipped from their customer service training regime…. My advice is to order the bill at least fifteen minutes before you are ready to leave… twenty-five if you plan on paying by credit card…

Privé, Marina at Keppel Bay - http://www.prive.com.sg/

Third Time Unlucky

After two weeks trekking in the Himalayas coping with average food, we were delighted to get back to Singapore and prepare to gorge ourselves once more. Any time we are away for any length of time, I return with desperate dim sum cravings, and so within a week of being back, I’ve managed to squeeze in not one, not two, but three dim sum feasts. Having already visited old regular Crystal Jade Dining In, and new favourite Dim Joy, come the weekend it was time to try somewhere new.

Lei Garden always seems to receive favourable reviews and as we had shopping to do in the area, we called in to Chijmes to give it a shot. There was an enormous queue when we arrived, always a good sign, and thankfully they were all waiting for large family tables, and so we swanned straight past them and were shown immediately to a table.

I have often walked past Lei Garden in the evenings and thought that it doesn’t look very enticing due to its stark lighting. I was pleasantly surprised therefore just how welcoming an atmosphere it has – nicely presented tables, tanks full of live seafood and not too brightly lit at all. They even had a chef station for preparing specials to order within the restaurant.

We put our dim sum order in and then, because we’re greedy, we also flagged down a waitress with a tray of specials to grab something while we waited. She just so happened to have one of my favourites – Prawn and Mango Rolls, so how could I resist? Well unfortunately I wish I had resisted, this was not a good start to the meal… not only were they cold and soggy, they were dripping in grease. The paper doily left on the tray was translucent at the end and the plate beneath completely sodden.

Not a good sign of things to come. Thankfully things did improve somewhat – but not significantly enough to convince me to return here. The old favourites Har Gao and Char Siew Bao were nothing to get excited about, neither was the Pork Dumplings in Spicy Sauce

the Crystal Dumplings with Assorted Mushrooms were slightly better,

as was the Shredded Beancurd with Spicy Sauce and Peanuts.

The Xiao Long Bao, however was very disappointing – no soup and very little flavour,

and the Egg Tarts were just average.

Mr Greedy Glutton finished off with some Pan Fried Pork Dumplings – after seeing him take a bite and the grease literally pouring out of it onto the plate, I politely declined to join him…

So having been for Dim Sum three times in one week, I think you could say I got my fix… I shall certainly not be returning to Lei Garden next time though, no matter how bad the craving…

Lei Garden – 30 Victoria Street, #01-24 Chijmes

A Nepali Banquet

We are just back from a two week holiday trekking in the Himalayas in Nepal. While in Kathmandu we stayed at the charming Dwarika’s hotel, which is home to Krishnarpan – one of Kathmandu’s most renowned Nepali restaurants.

So we thought, what better way to introduce ourselves to Nepali life and culture than a six course tasting banquet at a traditional restaurant? (They offer up to a 22 course banquet, so that was us being restrained!) Dwarika’s hotel is built from antique, traditionally carved wood and is as much museum as it is hotel, and Krishnarpan restaurant is no exception. It is beautifully decorated with traditionally carved mirrors and tables and the crockery and brassware is handmade.



All guests are invited to leave their shoes at the door, before having their hands washed and being shown through to the dining area, where dinner is served at floor level seating. We were first adorned with Krishnarpan aprons, to protect our clothes in case our food should go astray – and in case you are thinking of declining to wear yours, there are several photos of the good and the great on the walls all clad in theirs – Prince Charles, Jimmy Carter, Hilary Clinton to name but a few (and if it’s good enough for them…)

Once seated, we were presented with our personalized menus, made from handmade Nepali paper, outlining all of the dishes coming up in our six course banquet. We were also served some rather strong rice wine, which we forced ourselves to sip in between courses, to cleanse the palate (strip the coating off your tongue more like!)

Food kicked off with Samaya Bajee (an assortment of hors d’oeuvres traditionally served during religious ceremonies):



(but not before we had made our offerings to the Gods to ensure us a safe trip up to the Everest region - and if you'd seen the planes we had to fly on you'd understand why!)



Followed by Chyau Ko Sekuwa (pan roasted oyster mushroom finished with cream), Palungo Ko Saag (sauteed spinach with slivers of garlic and chilli flakes) and Roti:



Then came the Momo – traditional Nepali dumplings, and the closest they come to fast food in stalls around Nepal. Similar to Chinese Baozi but these had a bit of a kick almost like a samosa filling. We had these several times during our two weeks in Nepal, always with different fillings, often vegetarian, and the ones we had here at Krishnarpan were by far the best.

Next up was a bowl of Tarkari Ko Jhol (cream of vegetable soup)

And then finally the main course: Sada Bhuja (steamed rice to you and I), Dal Jhaneko (lentil tempered with Himalayan herbs), Kukhura Ko Masu (Nepali chicken curry), Aloo Ra Bodi Ko Tarkari (Stir-fried potato and white-bean), Pharsee Ko Tarkari (fresh pumpkin with Nepali spices), and Ramtoriya Tareko (Stir-fried okra)

All of the above was ceremoniously served by a stream of waitresses who spooned out helpings from their dishes one after the other as they made their way around the restaurant. This all came served with Golbheda Ra Til Ko Achar (Nepali tomato salsa with sesame) and Lapsee Ko Achar (Hug-Plum pickle) on the side.

Not that there was much room for dessert by this stage, but it was thankfully very light – Sikarni (fresh yoghurt flavoured with cinnamon and sweetened with honey).

All in all this was a fantastic meal and a great way to kick off a holiday in Nepal.

Krishnarpan, Dwarika’s hotel, Kathmandu - http://www.dwarikas.com/restaurantsnepal.html

Little Bundles of Joy

Occasionally I find a new restaurant that gets me really excited… and Dim Joy on Neil Road did just that. I first heard about it in an old copy of Appetite magazine, which promised ‘dim sum delicacies that triumph some of the larger, popular institutions in town’. Well that sounded right up my street, how could I resist?

I’m glad this was featured in Appetite, because tucked away in a restored shophouse set back from the road on Neil Road, I would never have found this little gem in a hundred years of sightseeing in Chinatown with visitors. In contrast to its traditional facade, the interior of this restaurant was surprisingly modern, decked out with chrome and wooden furnishings, giving it a trendy fast-food feel.

The food however, was anything but fast-food fare (and that’s certainly not intended as a criticism of the speed of service, rather a compliment of the quality). The service also was extremely friendly and attentive.

We kicked off with some old favourites – some Har Gao,

Shrimp and Chive Rice Rolls and some Char Siew Bao.

All of these were superb – the Shrimp was exceedingly fresh, the casing not too thick or sticky. You’ll notice the Char Siew isn’t as red as usual, but it was still sweet and succulent and delicious.

For any vegetarians who usually struggle with choice at Dim Sum – Dim Joy has an extensive selection, and all vegetarian items are clearly marked on the menu with a bamboo symbol. We tried the Prosperity Pouches – a selection of vegetables wrapped up in freshly made pancake parcels – beautifully presented and simply devine!

The Crisp Pumpkin Balls struck just the right note of sweetness,

and the Northern Pancakes (non-vegetarian) were also stunning.

Everything is home made here – even down to the Soy Sauce and Chilli Sauce, both of which were fruity and tangy and worthy of accompanying such superb dim sum.

I have to say this is among the best Dim Sum I have tried in Singapore – its renditions of the old favourites are fantastically executed and there are enough twists to tradition to keep it interesting. The freshness of the ingredients is evident throughout. On top of all this, the bill at the end is more in line with a Yum Cha or Crystal Jade bill, rather than a Shang Palace bill, to which I would liken it in quality.

Mr Greedy Glutton was disappointed that there were no Xiao Long Bao on the menu (to him the biggest attraction of going for Dim Sum), but they had Custard Buns, so I was willing to forgive and forget.

Truly a great find… I was grinning throughout our lunch… and I am sure Dim Joy will become a firm favourite for future weekend lunches…

Dim Joy - http://www.dimjoy.com/
80 Neil Road