Market Bistro – Wall Street Style Bistro at MBFC [MEDIA INVITE]

Market Bistro is a Wall Street-style bistro, inspired by the bustling food scene in New York’s CBD has opened its doors in the heart of Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC). It is run by Eleven Seventeen, the same group that brought you the awesome steakhouses, Meadesmoore and Fat Belly.

Market Bistro

The décor is a blend of simplicity and sophistication, combining the theme of black and white with the timeless classic of wood. Market Bistro (“MB”) will serve NEW All-day dine-in menu, pasta set lunch and even cater to lunch takeaway that will include salads and proteins. MB also offers coffee from the award-winning Blacklist Coffee Roaster in Perth.

The Coffee Bar

Part of Dining Area

We started our tasting with Sharing Items. Fried Baby Squid [$15]. They are crispy, tender and bouncy. The homemade aioli is creamy, with a touch of spice, like an XO sauce. When you squeeze the lemon, it adds a zesty spark to the dish.

Fried Baby Squid

Deep Fried Camembert (V) [$16] – Truffle Honey & Pickles. LD and I like the crumbly crust of the cubes of camembert and creamy cheese that followed. The truffle in the honey dip is too overpowering for our liking. Maybe they might consider a stronger honey like Leatherwood. The pickles jalapeno is perfect for balancing the creaminess in the cheese.

Deep Fried Camembert

For the mains, we ordered 200g Grass Fed Ribeye [$34] - Blistered Tomatoes, Mojo Verde & Fries; and Tiger Prawn Bisque [$28] – Fusilli Lunghi, Prawn Bisque, Grilled Tiger Prawns & Chervil.

200g Grass Fed Ribeye

The Ribeye is cooked perfectly to medium-rare. It is juicy, succulent and not overly fat. The fries are crisp externally and fluffy internally. The blistered tomatoes are bursting with sweetness combined with a lovely charred, while the mojo verde on top of the steak spice up the dish together with the brown sauce.

200g Grass Fed Ribeye

Tiger Prawn Bisque pasta is a “Flavour Bomb”. The ramen-looking fusilli lunghi pasta is crunchy and chewy like a Korean ramen, soaks up the essence of the robust prawn bisque. The prawns are pan-seared with butter, resulting in a crispy exterior and crunchy meat. The roe inside the super crispy prawn heads, are the key umami to this dish. Yummy!!

Tiger Prawn Bisque 

We complete the meal here with the delightful Baked Alaska [$12] – Swiss Meringue, Red Berries, Vanilla Ice Cream & Genoise Cake. The Baked Alaska has a nice charred and sweet. Internally, it is filled with red berries, vanilla ice cream and genoise cake. The refreshing and zesty passion sauce is perfect complement to the sweetness of the Swiss meringue and vanilla ice cream.

Baked Alaska

To accompany our meal, LD had a nice Cabernet Sauvignon house wine and I had homemade Iced Lemon Tea without sugar.

Cabernet Sauvignon & Iced Lemon Tea

Overall, the food is delicious and packed with flavours. While the plating is simple, bistro style, the menu has been meticulously curated. Definitely, a place to visit in the MBFC area. Cheers!!

All Day Menu

Thank you very much Protegie Consultancy and Team Market Bistro for the invitation.

Pasta Set Lunch Menu

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Market Bistro

12 Marina Boulevard

#01-03 Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3

Singapore 018982

T: +65 8399 1912

W: https://www.marketbistro.com.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553875808099

IG: @Marketbistro_sg

OH:

Mon – Fri: 08.00 – 21.00 (L.O. 20.30)

Closed on Weekends and PH

Menu available online

[CLOSED] Garçons – Awesome Lunch Menu

French Duck Leg Confit

Garçons is a culinary creation of Chef Enoch Teo and Chef Immanuel Tee. Garçons offers economical French fare first conceive when the two chefs combine their two business after being competitors in the Katong neighbourhood. The bonds build during the stint at Restaurant Andre made them realised that two creative culinary minds are better than one.

Garçons

This is not my first experience at Garçons. I have previously tried their food at Pinnacle. This time around, we visited their outlet in Tanjong Katong, opposite the Canadian International School.

We started with soup and entrée.

Cream of Mushrooms ($12). Solid mushroom flavour but not the creamy version of the soup. In each slurp, you taste each lump of the chopped mushrooms. It served with crispy garlic bread on the side.

Cream of Mushrooms

Homemade Duck Rillette ($14). Homemade duck rillette is rich, moist and bursting with duck flavours. The portion of sliced French baguette is very generous, more than sufficient to spread the rillette. It is best eaten with the mini gherkins to balance the richness of the rillette.

Homemade Duck Rillette

Pan Fried Foie Gras ($19). Velvety and creamy foie gras served on toasted brioche. The external part of the foie gras is crisp, while the fruit jam fused the brioche and foie gras nicely.

Pan Fried Foie Gras

Truffle French Camembert ($19). Pungent and gooey melted camembert cheese, topped with truffle paste. The camembert can be eaten with the baguette, crispy potato and walnut.

Truffle French Camembert

For mains, I order French Duck Leg Confit ($22). The skin of the duck is crispy, while the flesh is moist and melt in your mouth. The mashed potatoes are smooth and creamy and the mustard brown sauce just completes the dish nicely. If you want to know how good a French bistro standard is, this dish can enable to judge the standard. In this case, Garçons passed with flying colours.

French Duck Leg Confit

Crispy 12 Hour Pork Belly ($22). Another signature dish at Garçons. Tender and succulent meat, topped with crispy pork crackling. It served with a smooth and creamy mashed potato.  The double mustard and honey balsamic glaze help to balance the richness from in the meat.

Crispy 12 Hour Pork Belly 

Angus Steak and Fries (250g, $30). Nicely grilled sirloin steak, cooked to medium-rare. It is tender and juicy with a touch of crispness externally. In typical French fair, the steak is basking in the savoury mushroom sauce where you can soak your French Fries with it.

Angus Steak and Fries

Fries

We only order one dessert as we are too full. Warm Apple Crumble ($12). Soft and moist crumble, with tangy and sour apple fillings. Though the combination of hot apple crumble and vanilla ice cream is great, but the base feels a bit too hot. Probably spends too much time in the microwave.

Warm Apple Crumble

Service is good, considering only over service staff during lunchtime. The décor is simple with a lot of natural lights calming in from the glass door and wall. Garçons also offer lunch set and dinner set, where it offers greater value from items on the ala carte menu.

Set Lunch Menu

Overall, Garçons served hearty and unpretentious French Cuisine at great value for money. The food is well-executed and delicious as well. Don’t miss out on their Duck Confit and Crispy 12 Hour Pork Belly. Cheers!!

Menu 1

Menu 2

Menu 3

Food & Drinks: 7.75/10

Value: 7.75/10

Service: 6.75/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25; $26 - $50.

Garcons

340 Tanjong Katong Road

Singapore 437111

T: +65 6909 2350

F: https://www.facebook.com/garcons.sg/

IG: @Garcons.sg

OH:

Mon – Fri: 11.00 – 14.30; 17.30 – 21.30

Sat & Sun: 11.00 – 21.30

[CLOSED] No Milk – Teochew Fish Soup or Tagliatelle [MEDIA INVITE]

Mixed Fish Soup 

No Milk at 18 Pahang Street is a new outlet of Famous Traditional Fish Soup from Bedok, who first open in 1992. Distinguishing themselves from the Clifford Centre outlet, this outlet serves traditional Teochew Fish Soup and Fusion European Cuisine as well.  It seems that this trend has been happening in Singapore, combining traditional cuisine with modern cuisine or location that serve different concepts during day and night.

No Milk @ 18 Pahang Street

Transport Drivers Promotion

The Fish Soup Boutique at level one. The décor is very simple and functional, just like the shops selling local Singapore food. It opens from 11.00 – 22.00 from Monday to Saturday.

The Ordering Counter - Level 1

Part of the Dining Area - Level 1

We tried the Mixed Fish Soup ($7). True to its name, no milk is added to the fish soup, so they only serve the clear broth version. No Milk uses two types of fishes: mackerel (for sliced fish) and sea bass (for fried fish version). The consommé like broth is clear, yet filled with the delicate flavour from the fish. The mackerel is fresh, smooth and delicate while the fried sea bass has a crisp exterior but moist internally. The tofu, tomato and ramen style seaweed round up the texture and flavour of this humble dish.

Mixed Fish Soup 

Close up with Tofu, Slice Mackerel and Fried Sea Bass

There are two types of chilli to go with the fish soup, normal and belacan. For carbo, there are 8 different types of noodles and rice that you can choose from to complete your No Milk Fish Soup Experience.

Noodles and Rice
Image Credit: No Milk

Side dishes include Grilled Pork Belly, Black Char Siew, and Homemade Ngor Hiang. The black char siew has a nice caramelisation externally, while tender internally. For those who worried about burnt flavour, it does not have a burnt smell or flavour. More like charcoal seasoning.

Grilled Pork Belly, Homemade Ngor Hiang and Black Char Siew, (Top to Bottom)
Same arrangement for the chillis [TASTING PORTION]

The pork belly has a very strong five spice seasoning. I personally like my pork belly to be thick and fatty, not thin as it is not shiok. The ngor hiang is delicious indeed. Juicy, packed with fillings and have balance seasoning. Each of the side dishes come with different chilli, like a typical Teochew cuisine.

Level 1 Menu

Spicy Fragrant Handmade Egg Noodles with Fish Belly Mala Style. Springy and al-dente handmade egg noodle topped with mala chilli. Look a bit like KL Chilli Ban Mee, but served with handmade egg noodle instead. The fish belly is crisp and bursting with flavour with you bit into it. To put off the fire, the noodle comes with robust mushroom broth.

Spicy Fragrant Handmade Egg Noodles with Fish Belly Mala Style [TASTING PORTION]

Moving to the Rooftop Bistro at Level 2, you can expect European infused with local cuisine to pair with your alcohol. The second level is decorated pub-like, where the lights are dimmed and the bar with alcohol are the main attractions. It opens from 17.30 to midnight daily.

The Bar at Level 2

Part of the Dining Area - Level 2

Fresh Made Tagliatelle, Thai Red Curry with Tiger Prawns. The tagliatelle is freshly made, cooked with Thai Red Curry with Tiger Prawns. It is served with two types of prawns, pan seared with the Thai Red Curry and fried Ebi style. The Thai Red Curry has a solid coconut richness and spices, plus super spicy as well. I actually need to drink some Yakult to put off the fire.  

Fresh Made Tagliatelle, Thai Red Curry with Tiger Prawns. [TASTING PORTION]

Fresh Made Tagliatelle, Beef Rendang is definitely a dish that I will come back for. The tagliatelle is al-dente, and the width of the pasta helps to soak up the rich and creamy beef rendang. The spiciness level is moderate and the tenderness of the beef in each bite sure make this dish enjoyable.

Fresh Made Tagliatelle, Beef Rendang [TASTING PORTION]

The Hidden Rendang

Tequila Marinated Angus Beef Served with Tortilla Wrap, Sour Cream, Pico de gallo and handmade mash potatoes. Nicely marinated with tequila, the beef is then cooked perfectly. Although it uses a leaner part of the meat, it is still tender and succulent. The tequila not only helps to tenderise the meat, but it also gave the steak bitter taste at the end. The beef should be eaten with a tortilla wrap, sour cream and pico de gallo. Not to be miss, is the creamy and velvety mash potatoes, that can be a dish on its own.

Tequila Marinated Angus Beef Served with Tortilla Wrap, Sour Cream, Pico de gallo and handmade mash potatoes.
[TASTING PORTION]

The second level is a good setting to pair your food with alcohol. Although I’m unable to drink, I noticed the Yakult and grape soju looks like an interesting pairing.

Grape Soju with Yakult

Lime Juice

Roof Top Bistro Menu

Overall, No Milk sure delivers an interesting concept. The first floor focused on Traditional Teochew Fish Soup, while the second floor on modern fusion cuisine. However, don’t let the different level stop you from ordering dishes from different floors. Basically, you can have traditional fish soup, handmade pasta and grape soju with Yakult on the same table. WOW, definitely worth to check out and there is something for everyone. Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 7.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Event)

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25; $26 - $50

No Milk

18 Pahang Street

Singapore 198615

T: +65 6291 5854

F: 

IG: @Nomilksg

OH:

Mon – Fri:

1^st floor restaurant: 11.00 – 22.00

2^nd floor bistro: 17.00 – Midnight

Sat:

1^st floor restaurant: 17.30 – 22.00

2^nd floor bistro: 17.30 – Midnight

Closed on Sunday