review: osteria mozza

address: Marina Bay Sands, Bayfront Avenue B1 Galleria Level 42-46

One of the limitations of dining alone is that you're constrained to about two courses at the most - and you don't get to sample the entire menu in front of you by (gently) coercing your friends to pick items so that each plate is unique. Also, you miss out on conversation, which is crucial to the thorough enjoyment of food - in my opinion.

In this case, I hoped to remedy the situation by sitting at the bar at Osteria Mozza, so that I could stare into the depths of the wood-fired pizza oven. 

Sympathetic staff were quite attuned to this - I assume they were used to travelers coming in alone. They kindly offered smaller portions to me - a side order of prosciutto instead of a full order - so that I could make the most of the menu. 

But first - bone marrow. Lovely  soft, rich, decadent marrow... grilled in the bone split down the middle. You scoop out the gelatinous morsel onto the toasted bread, like a bit of better butter. The marrow was seasoned perfectly - I've had marrow that was nothing more than an oily mess because care wasn't taken with the amount of salt and pepper to bring out its delicate flavor.

Next, a lardo pizza and the proscuitto. The lardo was thin sheets of cured fat, sprinkled with rosemary, on a pizza crust that got scorched in the oven. You almost need to concentrate to taste the whiff of rosemary on the fat - although it sounds oily, in reality it is light and delicate thanks to the thin crust. The proscuitto though - looking paper thin, it was smoky and funky - perfect for picking up with my fingers and eating it alone.

One benefit of dining alone - no one watches your manners! I realized close to the end of the meal that I had eaten almost all of it with my fingers, and dessert was no exception. 

The cannoli was recommended by the staff - saying that this was a "light" dessert. Well, light might be relative - the cannoli came with vanilla ice cream piped into the cannoli shells, covered with crushed pistachios at either end. To top it off, stewed cherries in kirsch were spooned over the cannoli. If the only cherries you've eaten are the obscenely red cherries that they add to Shirley Temples, then this would be a revelation - they were soaked with a musky sweetness and concentrated jamminess (is that even a word!?)

Would I come back? Definitely - sitting at the bar meant that the staff fussed over me and I got a bird's eye view of every pizza that came out of the oven, even if I couldn't eat each one.

address: Marina Bay Sands, Bayfront Avenue B1 Galleria Level 42-46

review: hide yamamoto (grilled spring chicken with truffled rice)

A simple, juicy, grilled chicken is a joy to eat. Too often it appears overcooked, the breast meat dry and mealy, the chicken thighs hard and gristly because the muscles have seized up.

But this chicken, courtesy of Hide Yamamoto in MBS Singapore, has been so basic yet divine the two times I had it. And this is despite my taking it to-go and bringing it back to KL. Probably the first time I've smuggled a chick across the border!

I've since discovered that this is not "spring chicken", but more accurately called a "poussin"... not to be confused with "poisson" or fish. But I would love to try this at home, so a spatchcock or spring chicken would do...

The chicken here is perfectly cooked so that the meat is still juicy. Key to this is the brine in which the chicken is soaked in. And to make it decadent, it is stuffed with Japanese rice, that has been cooked with truffles. Truffles! How can you beat that? Even when I opened the container back in my kitchen, I was still gobsmacked by the aroma of truffles, which had been captured in the chicken. 

And yes, this post is a "review" and not a "recipe" - simply because I haven't tried this myself! But when I do, I'll be sure to post pictures!

Grilled baby poussin with buttered soy and truffle rice

Ingredients:

• 500g French baby poussin 
• 500g Japanese rice
• 450ml chicken stock
• 50ml soy sauce
• 28g unsalted butter
• minced Italian fresh truffle
• whole Italian truffle
• white truffle oil

Method:

1) Clean poussin and soak in 3% salted water for 2 hours.

2) Once poussin is soaked, remove from salted water and dry.

3) Put Japanese rice, chicken stock, soy sauce and unsalted butter into a cooking pan and stir well. Allow it to steam in the steam oven at 100 degrees C for about 30 minutes.

4) Remove mixture from oven and stuff into baby poussin.

5) Brush duck fat over baby poussin and finish off with some salt. Cook in oven at 250 degrees C for 10 minutes on each side.

6) Finish up with charcoal (grill) until poussin is nice in colour.

7) For plating, take a portion of the poussin and assemble with sliced fresh truffle. Spray with white truffle oil and serve.

Recipe taken from: http://www.camemberu.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

review: bistro db

address: 2 bayfront ave, the shoppes @ marina bay sands

tel: (65) 6688-8525

site: http://www.dbbistro.com/singapore/

Hm. A light lunch... now where would one go for that? DB Bistro apparently - since I was strolling around Marina Bay Sands. I really wasn't feeling that hungry honestly, since I had a late breakfast, so I thought I would settle for a small platter of meats.

Or so I thought, before a bowl of warm bread was placed before me as I was choosing my lunch. Nibbling on the bread was already starting to sate my hunger...

Charcuterie Assiette Lyonnaise

Selection of House Made Terrines, Cured Meats, Pain de Campagne, Pickles & Mustard

The platter that arrived came looking like a garden - dotted with cured radishes and mushrooms. Some items were recognizable - cured hams, salamis... but also meats, fish and melon balls. A savory way to start the meal, with small bites that were complemented by the mustard so it didn't feel too heavy. Everything tasted really good - and more importantly, everything tasted different! The cured mushrooms were the biggest surprise - really delicious!

Soupe A L’Oignon

Classic Onion & Beef Consommé, Gruyère Croûton

A French bistro must, right? I wanted to compare the taste of the soup with what I could make at home. This soup had a lot more depth, and the onions were a lot darker and caramelized. I would love to try to make this at home... but it would probably take me twice the amount of time!

Hm. Maybe a cheese platter for dessert was not the right choice. I love cheese - I really do! But this came supplemented with more bread! I had a selection of cheese ranging from mild to funky... complemented with fruit jams and nuts. The maitre d' also recommended a glass of port to complement the cheeses - something I don't normally do, but what the heck! 

Just when I was about to call it an afternoon with a cup of coffee, the staff came along with a bowl of warm madeleines. These were a delight, small puffs of citrus-scented batter. 

The service at Daniel was great as well - I would definitely come back here if I could, but perhaps this time I'll have more of the cooked food so that I can taste what comes out of the kitchen.

address: 2 bayfront ave, the shoppes @ marina bay sands

tel: (65) 6688-8525

site: http://www.dbbistro.com/singapore/

review: guy savoy

address: the shoppes, atrium 2, L2-01, marina bay sands

tel: +65 6688 8513
www: http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Restaurants/Celebrity-Chefs/Guy-Savoy/

For once, I feel like I don't need to write anything. A picture is worth a thousand words right? So I am going to take a minute to relive this lunch...

The first time I stumbled upon Guy Savoy was when I was at Marina Bay Sands a week before it opened. I walked past an open pit, with the click of chips, the ka-ching of slot machines and shuffling of cards crashing upon my ears and across the abyss, was this serene, calm, muted oasis.

Ok so it was muted because I could only peer into the kitchen through the copper-framed windows. I don't know who looked more like a goldfish - the kitchen staff weaving in and out between the stations, or me... gradually getting more and more glassy-eyed as I stared at the food prep. 

It took me almost another year before I returned. In the meantime, I had been to other restaurants, but Guy Savoy stood out as being the first to capture my attention, and being one of the last to taste. 

So it was understandably with a great sense of anticipation that I walked into Guy Savoy. It wasn't the most promising of days - we'd just made out reservation with only 5 minutes to spare and we were about to lose our view of the bay because of the grey skies and the rain that was threatening to tear the clouds open. But that did not matter because once the food began to arrive, attention was riveted to the table...

MENU “TGV”

“The Express, 60 Minute Experience”

3 courses $80 per Person

Lentil soup with foie gras “crouton”, winter vegetable mignonette

Beef cheeks “façon pot au feu”, boullion and condiments

Chocolate fondant with layered praline and chicory cream

Sounds terribly understated - I was expecting a three-course meal, and was not prepared for the onslaught of "extras" which came, but were extremely as the meal progressed. 

First came petite toast points with foie gras layered in between, pierced with a silver skewer. This was so unexpected that I didn't have the presence of mind to take a photo before my knee-jerk reaction took over and delivered the skewer to my mouth - where the foie gras melted in a hazy blur of richness.

I primed myself for the next course, which was a cold asparagus soup served with a quenelle of paprika-spiked creme fraiche. At the side was lemon pepper, which we were meant to swoop into the soup, before stirring the creme fraiche to incorporate it into the asparagus and drinking the lot.

Lifting the cup gave us another surprise - an alternative asparagus preparation. This time it was two hemispheres of almost jellied asparagus puree, punctuated with a lemon curd and topped with a thin wafer or crouton. This tasted bright due to the citrus curd, which contrasted with the cold earthiness of the soup previously.

Next was the first of the dishes off the menu. When the soup plate arrive, it only contained the mignonette of vegetables, accompanied by the foie gras, sandwiched between two thin slices of dark rye bread. If mignon already means dainty, then the mignonette was the tiniest dice of vegetables I've ever seen, yet so consistent in size and shape that it was almost like putting a mouthful of rainbow sprinkles in your mouth. When the lentil soup was poured around it, the thick velvety soup slowly encircled the vegetables in a slow ooze. 

The pot-au-feu soon followed - what I thought of as a rustic dish while reading Jeffrey Steingarten's It Must've Been Something I Ate was elevated and refined from what I thought of as a winter-warming one-pot meal. Yes it comprised of a consomme, bone marrow and meat, cooked with vegetables, but here each component was perfectly cooked. The beef cheeks were so tender - all the fat that marbled the muscle was almost meltingly soft. On top of that, coins of rich marrow were scattered, resembling white scallops. Then the consomme was poured over everything - limpid and clear, but so flavorful. I have never tasted consomme that was so pure - it seemed almost evil to cut into the vegetables or the meat and cloud up the soup.

This was served with a trio of sauces - a tarragon mustard, a lemon sabayon and (my favorite) a sauce made of grated egg, with cornichons. The sourness of the sauce livened up the beef cheeks, but again, I couldn't bring myself to spoon any into the stock, which was already flavored perfectly.

Dessert was to follow - the chocolate fondant with layered praline and chicory cream. The fondant was rich, but the praline really was the counterfoil to that, being crunchy - almost like a really elegant Rice Krispy treat. (Is it sacrilegious to make that comparison?!)

Almost at the end - or so we thought! We were presented with a plate of four petit-fours (does that make it a petit-sixteen!?). Top left was boiled egg white, with a raspberry coulis - almost like a filled marshmallow. This was complemented by the cold raspberry sorbet of top of what was almost a Lucky Charms marshmallow bit (apparently called a "marbit") - it had that squeaky-between-the-teeth feel that comes with the cereal. 

If I missed the first amuse-bouche, then it seemed pretty obvious that I was going to miss the last dessert as well - an Earl Grey sorbet on top of creme anglaise. By the end of the meal, I was fully sated and so happy you could've rolled me off my chair. 

Top points also go to the staff of Guy Savoy for their service, and the good humor with which they fielded all our questions, going to the extent of entering the kitchen for a sample of chicory for us to smell when we asked about this unusual ingredient. The exemplary service shown by the team definitely made the experience so much more enjoyable.

address: the shoppes, atrium 2, L2-01, marina bay sands

tel: +65 6688 8513

www: http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Restaurants/Celebrity-Chefs/Guy-Savoy/

review: kazu sumiyaki

address: 5 Koek Road, #04-05 Cuppage Plaza

tel: 67342492

 "You've got to try the yakitori at Kazu"

"Sure"

"It's at Cuppage Plaza"

Say what? No, my friend wasn't pulling my leg. Cuppage Plaza sits off the edge of Somerset and is easy enough to find even for a foreigner like myself. When I walked up to it, I instantly felt that it deserved its seedy name. Think of a mall that was built around 30 years ago - the walls are grey, the shops were all closed by 6 pm. But I was there early for a reason - I was told that I needed reservations at Kazu, and I had not prepared. So I had to be there to book a spot!

Waiting in the dingy hallway, it didn't surprise me that there were already other parties waiting outside the door. Although I had been warned about the surly service, the hostess was nice enough to seat me, provided I left before 8pm. No worries, I thought - an hour should do me perfectly fine.

The first thing I ordered was something I'd always wanted to try - chicken liver sashimi! The liver came lighly blanched, but still raw enough that it was soft, slippery and iron-y in the center.. it didn't make me feel squeamish though - I just enjoyed the richness of the liver. The ginger and scallions that were served with it helped to cleanse the palate a little.

Next was an innocuous looking salad - but this had  boiled potatoes and fish roe. It was a little hard to spot the roe, but I could definitely taste the small nuggets of roe rolling on the tongue, with a slight squeaky texture as I chewed. I didn't feel that the roe contributed to the taste of the salad though - might give it a pass the next time. 

Fatty pork with apple - such a traditional combination, whether in Western or Japanese cuisine. The tartness of the fruit helps to cut the oiliness of the meat.

Foie gras on a skewer! Do I need to describe how rich, smooth and creamy this tasted on the tongue? Importantly, it was also adequately seasoned, and seared over high heat so that there was a crispy crust on the outside of the foil. I could have easily eaten two more of these!

Chicken skin followed - it too was salted so that it almost tasted like bacon since there was a smoky flavor from the grill.

Bacon wrapped around oysters was the only seafood item I had - the oysters were still bursting with their juices as I popped it into my mouth. The briny flavor of the oyster still came through - that slightly metallic taste of shellfish against the smokiness of the bacon.

Grilled rice balls were something I tried for the first time. The crust on the outside reminded me of the yummy "burnt" rice you get when you scrape the bottom of a claypot. Beware though - since the rice is tightly packed, it is rather dense and filling! Two was just too many!

A simple grilled mushroom - but I could feel the care that was taken since they paired with it a much coarser crystalized salt which provided almost a crunchy contrast to the soft fungi.

I saved the best for last. As I sat down and ordered, the hostess asked me if I wanted a baked sweet potato since it would take 45 minutes to prepare - and it was worth the wait! The potato came simply halved, with a pat of butter that melted and coated the sweet, soft flesh of the tuber. I would love to try to make this at home, but I almost feel like I need to cover the potatoes under the embers of a barbeque pit to get the same effect, so I was happy and contented with my "dessert" at Kazu.

address: 5 Koek Road, #04-05 Cuppage Plaza

tel: 67342492

review: shinji by kanesaka

Address: #02-20, Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road

Tel: +65 6338 6131

E-mail: reservations@shinjibykanesaka.com

Walking into Shinji by myself one weekday afternoon did involve some feelings of trepidation. I don't normally dine alone, and the prospect of sitting at a sushi counter in a possible one-on-one face off with the chef was not something I was quite ready for, since this lunch was a spur of the moment effort, without any reservations being made.

Entering the quiet entrance of Shinji did put me at ease, and the popularity of the place meant that almost every single seat at the 14-seater sushi counter was taken. Every seat, except for one, right smack in the middle of the nearly (but not quite!) elbow-to-elbow lunch crowd. Despite the people around me, the sushi counter was an oasis of quiet and calm, with every element carefully placed to minimize unnecessary motion and every surface clutter free.

I chose to have the omakase to make the most of my experience here. Leaving myself completely at the mercy of the chef, I awaited to see what would appear before me. 

Herring roe with wasabi leaves - The generous amount of roe was crunchy in texture,  each individual egg sac coming apart as I chewed the eggs. The roe was coated what seemed like a soy sauce based jelly, which dissolved on the tongue.

Red snapper, served with wasabi and soy sauce. I was lucky enough to be served by Chef Oshino Koichiro, who gently dictated to me how I should eat by removing or adding saucers of soy sauce and wasabi as I went through each course.

Clam, mantis prawn and sardine - two bites of each on a plate. The clam was meant to be eaten with nothing more than a sprinkling of salt, which was provided alongside - the sweet taste of the prawn was heightened by its contrast with the salt. The mantis prawn tail seemed to have been immersed in a sweet liquid, it was so juicy. This was eaten with just wasabi, perhaps to ensure that the prawn was not overwhelmed, since it was very delicate. The sardine was probably the most prominent flavor of the three - its skin seemed to have been lightly torched so that it crackled like thin paper. This was accompanied by wasabi mixed in soy sauce.



Uni and squid - this was probably my favorite part of the entire lunch. Eating the uni was a joy... creamy and sweet, it provided a very bright note when contrasted with the squid which had more solidity and texture.

Spanish mackerel - served with some type of root (burdock?). 

Mackerel - the two courses eaten in succession illustrated the spectrum by which a single family of fish could be served. Compared to the juicy grilled Spanish mackerel, the raw fish, serve with a chiffonade of some herb, sesame seeds and light soy sauce seemed almost meaty. The addition of the herbs seemed to eliminate the oily taste that some mackerel has.

Baby tuna - did I say meaty before? Now this was something robust... cutting the tuna into cubes meant that the texture was very different from the previous dish. Here you could feel the fibers of the fish part, providing a slight resistance as you chewed each luscious mouthful.

After this, the sushi started... each fish one glorious mouthful at a time. Chef Oshino pays such close attention that he realized I was left-handed, and placed each fish on the plate tilted so that it would be each for me to pick it up with easily with my chopsticks.

Seasonal yellowtail - appeared in such a unique color, contrasting with the hamachi one normally gets in restaurants.  Chef informed me that much of the yellowtail is farmed, while this was caught, which explained its different color.






Gold snapper - very different in color and texture to the snapper I received at the beginning of the meal. Within the first two pieces of sushi, I realized that one key differentiating factor was the rice under each piece of fish - holding the sushi in my hand, I could feel that the rice was still warm to the touch and you could feel each defined grain of rice as you pressed the sushi against the roof of your mouth. 


Tuna belly - chu toro. Oh so gorgeous! Looking at it up close, it seemed to almost have the marbling that would be present in a slice ofwagyu. The thin cuts along the surface of the fish ensures that there would be no fibres which would interfere with the feeling of the fish gently melting against the warmth of the tongue.

Horse mackerel - again, the oiliness of the mackerel was tempered, this time with the inclusion of shiso leaf beneath the fish.

Marinated Toro - tuna again, but this time a lean piece which was very distinct from the chu toro I had earlier. 

Uni - as if the uni earlier was not already enough, I received another mouthful of joy as the uni arrived cradled in its crisp seaweed boat. By this point, I was already so happy I was smiling as I chewed the uni, releasing the sweet, briny taste.

Ark shell - textural contrast to the soft uni just a few minutes prior. The flesh of the shellfish had a certain pleasant "crunch".

Shrimp - cut into bite-sized pieces so I didn't look like a glutton if I tried to eat the entire thing in one mouthful!

Sea eel - lightly grilled, you could taste the delicate flavor of the eel, which is too often masked by overly sweet teriyaki sauce.

Tamago and pickle - I never thought I would like this, acutally. Usually when I have tamago, it is an overly sweet egg omelet. This version was compact, and not too sweet. I was later informed that this actually contained a shrimp paste, which altered the texture somewhat and gave it a bit more savory oomph, which was complemented by the lightly pickled radish. 

All in all, I counted that I received at least 20 different dishes, including melon andyuzu sorbet for dessert. By the time I was done, I was the last customer in the restaurant, with Chef Oshino still standing by to make sure that I was satisfied. Honestly, I was a little self-conscious by the end, since my surroundings had changed from a packed lunch counter to a very intimate dining atmosphere but Chef was so enthusiastic about food in general that he put me at ease when we started talking about laksa and the other local foods that he had tried in Singapore.

I would definitely say that this is a destination meal, if you have the money to spare. Fish of this quality does not come cheap - Chef informed me that the fish served at Shinji is picked by the same people who select the fish at Kanesaka in Japan, from Tsukiji Market. It is then flownto Singapore so that the quality is maintained. 

In reflection, dining alone was not a bad option as I realized there are less distractions if one is not sidetracked by conversations, leaving you with more time to contemplate the simplicity  and completeness of the food. 

Address: #02-20, Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road

Tel: +65 6338 6131

E-mail: reservations@shinjibykanesaka.com