Thursday 30 March 2023

Cinder Steakhouse – A Steakhouse in Colonial Environment

Cinder Steakhouse (“Cinder”) is an extension of their brother brand – Wheeler’s Estate Cinder Steakhouse aims to serve amazing steaks, hearty dishes and extensive wine selections. The restaurant is located on the second floor in the Wheeler’s Estate premises, known for its lush greenery, rich historical black & white building and away from the noise of city life.

Cinder Steakhouse
Walkway to Cinder - 2nd Floor
From the front yard, you can see the Cinder Signboard clearly, leading you to the entrance. Once you reach the second floor, you will pass the walkway, decorated with natural plants. The dining area can be separated into a few sections. In the main dining area, Cinder has long bench seating options, against the window facing the front yard. The tables are square and around 1m in length and are easily moveable to accommodate the number of guests per section. There is also a seating area in front of the bar and along the corridor facing the backyard. While it combines modern furnishing, Cinder tries to retain the characteristic of the colonial dining room.

Main Dining Area
Dining Area - Corridor Facing Back Yard
The Bar
The Table Set Up
We started our meal with Pan Fried Foie Gras ($38). The two pieces of foie gras are accompanied by Berry Compote, Quince, Toasted Brioche, Fresh Berries, and Pistachio Nuts. The fattiness from the foie gras nicely balanced with the sweetness from the compote and acidity from the fruits. It was a party in our mouth.

Pan Fried Foie Gras
Pan Fried Foie Gras
Charcuterie Board ($48) - Dingley Dell Coppa, Parma Ham, Cooked Ham, Camembert, Grana Padano, Blue d’Auvergne, Berries, Sicilian Olives, Dried Apricot Cornichons, Sour Dough, Cream Crackers.

Charcuterie Board
A good combination of charcuterie board. The portion is very generous, but you should order this when you have a group of 4 or bigger. We like the camembert and the ham, especially when we eat it with toasted sourdough. A bit of recommendation, ask for the honey, to enhance the flavours of the cheese or cover the pungent taste of the blue cheese.

Charcuterie Board
For the main, we shared 600G 28-Days Dry Aged Bone-In Striploin ($110) - Grass Fed, Gippsland Victoria. The steak is cooked to medium rare and served on a thick and heavy plate. We like the charred exterior, while the interior is tender with a bit of chewiness in it. We tasted a bit of beefiness in the steak, as it was grass-fed.

600G 28-Days Dry Aged Bone-In Striploin
600G 28-Days Dry Aged Bone-In Striploin
The steak comes with these sauces Red Wine Sauce, Black Pepper Sauce, Bearnaise & Pommery Mustard. I like the red wine sauce and bearnaise.

Rock Salt, Red Wine Sauce, Bearnaise Sauce & Black Pepper Sauce
*Pommery Mustard is on the Steak Plate
The Steak with Sides
For the sides, we ordered Creamed Spinach ($18) - Crispy Onions & Cheese. The portion is very generous. The combination of the cream and cheese covers the usual bitterness in the spinach.

Creamed Spinach
Grilled Asparagus ($19) - Bearnaise Sauce, Crumbs. Nicely grilled, crunchy and juicy. The asparagus tasted good on its own. Since the steak already comes with bearnaise sauce, I think it is redundant to serve it with the grilled asparagus.

Grilled Asparagus
We end the meal with Sticky Date Pudding ($16) - Butterscotch Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream. Since we were there for my birthday, I got the nicely decorated plate. The sticky date pudding is moist and tasty. Once the vanilla ice cream starts to melt and combine with the butterscotch sauce, it turns out to be a fantastic combination. Yummy!!

Sticky Date Pudding - Birthday Version
The service is very good. They are a bunch of fun and friendly service crew, but you can tell they know the stuff on the menu very well.

Menu - 1
Menu - 2
Overall, Cinder Steakhouse is a great dining destination outside the city. Nice place, with great food and very good service. What else can you ask for? Cheers!!

Lunch Menu
Food & Drink: 8.5/10
Value: 6.5/10
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Budget per Person: $81 and Above

Cinder Steakhouse @ Wheeler’s Estate
2 Park Ln
Level 2, Seletar Aerospace Drive
Singapore 798386

T: +65 8940 0885
OH:
Tue – Sun: 11.30 – 15.00; 18.00 – 22.00
Closed on Monday

Sunday 26 March 2023

Ten+ - Singapore’s First Safari Theme Bistro [MEDIA INVITE]

Glamping is one of the activities that has been gaining traction in the past few years. It has elevated the humble camping experience, spicing it up with glamourous and luxurious features to the natural elements. Now you can partly experience glamping at Ten+, Singapore’s first safari theme bistro that simulates the ambience of dining during glamping.

Ten+ Entrance
Located in Sungei Tengah, Ten+ is surrounded by Singapore’s natural greenery, farms and nurseries. It is probably as close as to the middle of nowhere, which is a suitable setting for a glamping cafĂ©. One part of the indoor seating area is furnished with knee-height foldable camping tables and foldable canvas camping chairs. This camping furniture is used in the three al-fresco seating tents. For those who prefer regular-height dining tables, this option is also available at the front and back of the indoor dining area.

Camping Furniture & Glamping Tent
Indoor Dining Area
Indoor Dining Area
We started the meal with Torched Aburi Prawn Pasta ($23). The plating made it look like the western version of prawn noodles. The al-dente fettuccine is sitting on the robust and umami prawn bisque. The prawns are fresh, and perfectly cooked with a lovely smoky flavour from the torching. In each bite of the pasta, you can taste the popping texture of the tobiko and seaweed. We polish this dish completely, except for the prawn shells.

Torched Aburi Prawn Pasta
Torched Aburi Prawn Pasta
Flame Grilled Angus Burger ($23). It is one of the best burgers I have tasted in a while. The patty is cooked to medium-rare, juicy and packs with nice beef flavour, while the brioche bun is nicely seared, light and with a touch of sweetness. The lettuce is perfectly placed at the bottom, preventing the juice from the tomato, gherkin and patty soak into the bottom of the bun. Topped that with bacon and cheese, it was a delicious burger.

Flame Grilled Angus Burger
The burger is served with addictive curly potato fries and garden salad with vinaigrette dressing making it a complete dish. Yummy!!

Flame Grilled Angus Burger
The Burger
LD & I also tried their bar bites. Moo Ping (4 sticks, $14) served with bonito flakes. We like the presentation and the moo ping has a caramelised exterior. However, we find the interior is too dry, like it was overcooked. The saltiness level is on the high side, suitable with beer but not for regular dining.

Moo Ping
Battered Fish Bites ($14). A lovely bar snack, perfectly fried. The mini flesh fish is coated with crispy batter, followed by moist fish meat. The tartar sauce compliments the fish bites nicely.

Battered Fish Bites
Crispy Kawa Ebi ($15). One of our favourite snacks in a Japanese restaurants. Crisp, plump and loaded with intense prawn flavour. A few drizzles of lemon juice with enhance the flavour and balance the saltiness in this dish. The portion is very generous, and we were unable to finish the whole dish.

Crispy Kawa Ebi
If you love pork knuckle or came with a bigger group, I suggest you try their Crispy Pork Knuckle ($32). Most of the customers will order this and it looks super yummy. Unfortunately, it was only LD & I, we certainly won’t be able to finish this.

Crispy Pork Knuckle
*(We borrowed our neighbouring table order to take photo. Thank you “Neighbour”!).
For drinks, LD ordered Cocktail Lychee Pea ($15), which was refreshing and very generous with the alcohol. I ordered Smoked Oak Mocha ($7). Nice mocha, with a hit of smokiness at the end.

Cocktail Lychee Pea
Smoke Oak Mocha
CBK Verdict: It can be a bit challenging going to the café for a non-driver. However, once arrived, you will be rewarded with a great safari dining experience. While the menu is on a smaller scale, the team made sure that each item on the menu is delicious. We will return if we are around the area. Cheers!!

Ten+ Bar Area
Thank you very much Protegie and Ten+ Team for the invitation.

Food & Drink: 7.75/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 8/10
Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Ten+
65 Sungei Tengah Road
Singapore 699000

T: +65 8656 8685 (No reservations currently)
OH:
Wed – Mon: 11.00 – 15.00; 17.00 – 23.00
(LO kitchen 21.00, drinks 22.15)
Closed on Tuesday

Sunday 12 March 2023

One Prawn & Co’s – 12 Course Seafood Grill Dinner [Media Invite]

Fresh from earning a spot in Michelin Guide 2022 Bib Gourmand, Executive Chef / Owner Gwyneth Ang and her team are proud to present to you dinner service at One Prawn & Co’s (‘OPC’). Serving 12-course Seafood Grill.

Combining her 10+ years of culinary experience in established restaurants Burnt Ends, Tong Le Private Dining and Forlino, with quality seafood ingredients sourced from different parts of the world. OPC is now ready for its sophisticated evening culinary delights.

The Ingredients
For those who have been to OPC for their prawn noodles, the evening experience is just different. While you can’t change the dĂ©cor, you can definitely set the atmosphere. From the onset, you will be welcome by the service crew dressed in long sleeves black shirts, black pants and black mask. Once seated, you will be presented with the menu and cold towel as well. To spice up the mood, you will be serenaded by chill music from the BOSE speakers throughout the evening.

One of the Service Crew
The 12-course dinner is priced at $128++, you can choose to top up $30++ for free-flow house pour sake or go for ala carte’s seasonal sake pairing and other drinks. As the team is committed to presenting the best of each course to customers, limited slots are available and all dine-ins will be strictly by reservations only.

OPC 12-Course Seafood Grill Dinner Menu
House Pour Sake
Dinner started with Amaebi - Sweet Shrimp, Avocado, Tomato, Rice Flower. A crunchy sweet shrimp, toss with tangy avocado and tomato mix sitting on light and crispy rice crackers. A nice appetizer to open up the palate.

Amaebi
Amaebi
To accompany our meal, LD chooses the free flow house pour sake and I choose sparkling juice yuzu. LD says the sake helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the seafood.

House Pour Sake
Sparkling Juice Yuzu
The next four dishes are served together. Hyogo Oyster - Fresh Oyster, Mignonette Granita; Amberjack - Cured Amberjack, Soy, Seaweed; White Shrimp - Poached Shrimp, Coconut, Garam Masala; & Soft-Shell Crab - Tempura Soft Shell Crab, Kicap Manis, Baby Gem.

Hyogo Oyster, Amberjack, White Shrimp & Soft-Shell Crab
The Hyogo oyster is big, plump, juicy and naturally sweet, we almost can not taste the granita in the oysters. The amberjack is thickly sliced, and cured with a lovely smoky flavour, soy and seaweed. It was delicious.

Hyogo Oyster
Amberjack
White shrimp has a familiar taste that is close to home. The poached shrimp is coated with coconut cream. Although the menu says garam masala, I feel it tasted closer to rendang spices. The softshell crab has a crispy exterior and juicy flesh. It is sitting on sambal sauce and lettuce. We eat it like a crab wrap. We think it can do with a bit more kick / spiciness on the sauce.

White Shrimp
Soft-Shell Crab
Soft-Shell Crab
Maitake Mushroom - Grilled Maitake Mushroom, Burnt Barley Risotto, Chicken Jus. The team at OPC start to flex their creative muscles. The grilled mushroom on top is light and crisp. While the barley risotto is plump, smoky and when you bite the barley, the chicken jus just burst. A lovely mushroom umami overload.

Maitake Mushroom
Maitake Mushroom
Squid - Squid Noodles, Salsa Verde, Black Olives. We can’t believe that it is squid as it looks like some kind of thick noodle. The squid noodle is chewy with a strong fishy flavour. The jalapeno in salsa verde sauce brings out a nice heat to the dish while the herbs blend well with the squid, together with smoky black olives sprinkle.

Squid
Squid
King Scallop - Scottish King Scallop, XO Chilli Jam. When this dish was served to us, we can still see the sauce in its boiling state. The scallop is huge and juicy, while the XO chilli jam provided a multi-layer spicy flavour, like sambal instead of just a blow of spiciness. Nicely done.

King Scallop
King Scallop
King Scallop - Bite Size
Onglet - Hanging Tender Steak, Sunchoke Cream, Chives. The onglet has a nice sear externally and grill to the point of rare as the centre of the steak is reddish pink. It is meaty and tender with a bit of chewiness in it. The sunchoke cream is sweet, creamy and can easily be mistaken for cauliflower cream. Together with the gravy, it paired well with the steak.

Onglet
Onglet
Turbot - Grilled Turbot, Garlic Brown Butter, Capers, Pickled Papaya. I was surprised that turbot is on the menu as it is known to be a very expensive fish. Although we did not get the whole fish, it is easily one-third of the fish. It is grilled to perfection with a nice charred on the edges of the fish. We enjoy the fattiness of the flesh, infused with a smoky aroma and coated with brown butter capers. Though the capers are generously slathered on top of the fish, it was not sourish at all. The Asian touch of pickled papaya provided a subtle crunchy texture and balance the dish nicely. It is so so good; we clean up the fish to bare bones.

Turbot
Turbot
For the finale, Abalone Poached Rice - Baby Abalone, Signature Prawn Bisque, Egg Floss served in the Signature Claypot. This prawn bisque pao fan is a perfect end to the email. It tasted robust, loaded with umami and so comforting. The abalones are tasty, with a delicate chewy and crunchy texture. Although we were full, we did not waste a drop of the bisque. Yummy!!

Abalone Poached Rice
Abalone Poached Rice
Egg Floss & Crispy Rice
Abalone Poached Rice
Dessert is Seasonal Fruits - Specially curated from the local marketplace. Well, we had a bit of surprise this time, it was Japanese musk melon, strawberry and orange. The petite portion is just enough to cleanse the palate and leave you with sweet memories.

Seasonal Fruits
When we thought the dinner service is finished, the team surprise us with Burnt Ice Cream. A mini chocolate chip ice cream, infused with a smoky flavour. I must say, Chef Gwyneth sure enjoys playing with fire, OPC dinner service is her version of “Asador”.

Surprise!! Burnt Ice Cream
CBK Verdict: It was a lovely omakase treat by Executive Chef Gwyneth Ang and her team. The dishes are creative, superb and delicious. The portion is very generous, we heard some diners waiving the white flag during the fish dish. Although you can’t change much about the space, the team put in a lot of effort to change the atmosphere. For the amount OPC is charging, it is a steal. A must-visit. Cheers!!

One Prawn & Co’s – 12-Course Seafood Grill Dinner
Where: 458 Macpherson Road, Singapore 368176.
When: Tue – Sun, 18.00 – 23.00
Price: $128++ per pax / $158++ with free-flow Sake
Note: Dinner Service is by Reservation Only

Drink Menu - Alcoholic
Drink Menu - Non Alcoholic
Thank you very much Protegie, Chef Gwyneth and OPC Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 9/10
Value: 8.75/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Budget per Person: $81 & Above

One Prawn & Co by Red Marble
458 Macpherson Road
Singapore 368176

T: +65 9639 8668
OH:
Lunch, Tue – Sun: 11.00 – 17.00
Dinner, Tue – Sun: 18.00 – 23.00
Closed on Monday

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