Paradise Pizza – 48-Hour Fermented Sourdough Pizza [MEDIA INVITE]

Paradise Pizza is excited to announce its official debut, under the same roof as Elixir Coffee and Wine. Paradise Pizza will feature its revamped lineup of pizzas, using 48-hours fermented sourdough crust made daily in-house plus the diverse flavours of comfort food from around the world.

Paradise Pizza

The tasting started with Deep Fried Burrata (V) [$24] – Pomodoro, Arugula, Balsamic. Paradise Pizza (‘PP’) uses high-quality burrata from Puglia, Italy. It is breaded, deep-fried to golden and served on the bed of pomodoro sauce, topped with seaweed balls pickled with balsamic vinegar and arugula. A lovely combination of crispy and creamy burrata, with sweet and tangy pomodoro sauce. The crunchy and bitter arugula salad compliments the fried burrata nicely and the balsamic vinegar seaweed balls balance the richness of the burrata. An awesome start to the meal.

Deep Fried Burrata

Mentaiko Lemon Butter [$22]. The first thing that captures my eyes is the uneven size of the mafaldine pasta. The pasta is al-dente and cooked with super zesty lemon butter. The mentaiko and tobiko provided different textures and umami flavours. Unfortunately, those umami flavours are overpowered by the zesty lemon.

Mentaiko Lemon Butter

Bismark Blanc Pizza [$26]. The 48-hours fermented sourdough base has a crispy exterior, followed by a lovely pillowy and chewy interior. The topping of the pizza includes white sauce, Fior di latte (cow’s milk mozzarella), crispy Parma ham and sous-vide egg. The overall pizza is rich and creamy, with a surprise heat coming from the cracked pepper. A Must Order here!

Bismark Blanc Pizza

Burrata Pomodoro [$24]. Impressed with the combination of burrata and pomodoro, we decided to order this pasta. The rigatoni is cooked to al-dente. It is chewy and crunchy, complementing the pomodoro sauce and burrata nicely. Simplicity at its best. Yummy.

Burrata Pomodoro

Darn Good Tiramisu [$14]. Well true to its name, it is DARN GOOD!!. Solid espresso, light, creamy and I easily finish the whole serving on my own, as LD is allergic to coffee.

Darn Good Tiramisu

To accompany the meal, I had the Yuzu Cooler [$6], while LD had Sparkling Piccini 1882 Vino Spumante [$14].

Yuzu Cooler

Sparkling Piccini 1882 Vino Spumante

Sharing the same space as Elixir Coffee and Wine, the décor of Paradise Pizza is modern, industrial and edgy. From the outside, the glasses are lightly tinted, giving the place a cool vibe. Most of the seating areas cater to smaller diners such as 2 to 4 pax, while there is a huge sharing table in the middle that can seat up to 10 pax.

Espresso Bar & Kitchen

Part of Dining Area

Overall, we enjoy the food at Paradise Pizza. The sourdough base pizza is very good, as demonstrated in the Bismark Blanc pizza and not forgetting anything with burrata or pomodoro sauce is a must-order as well. Cheers!!

Menu

Thank you very much Protegie Consultancy and Team Paradise Pizza for the invitation.

Food & Drink: 8.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Paradise Pizza

24 Holland Grove

#01-18, Parksuites

Singapore 278803

T: +65 6908 5547

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

IG: @Paradisepizza_sg

OH: Wed – Sun (11.00 – 21.00)

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

Allo – Delicious French Food

Allo is a French bistro located in shophouses along Desker Road, Little India. I was attracted to Allo when I saw a posting on Allo’s dish on social media and added it to my list of places to try.

Allo

When you reach the front door of Allo, you will be welcomed by a nice al-fresco dining area, complete with rattan chairs and white round tables, just like those found in France. The indoor dining area is separated by white steel doors with glass windows. In the evening, the ambient of the indoor dining area is dimly lit. It is furnished, with square tables, rattan chairs and long banquette seats, for seats against the wall. Though not an open kitchen, through the pass, you can see the chefs at work in the kitchen.

Allo's Al-fresco dining area

We started the meal with Pan Seared Foie Gras [$26] - Pan-Seared Foie Gras, Figs Compote, Rice Crackers. A generous serving of foie gras, cooked to perfection. It has a lovely crisp externally, smooth and creamy internally. The figs compote is sweet and bodes well with foie gras and crispy rice crackers.

Pan Seared Foie Gras 

Warm Oven Truffled Camembert with Figs Compote [$28] - Camembert Cheese, Truffle Paste, Figs compote. The camembert is sliced evenly like a muffin and generously slathered with truffle paste. It is then baked, to the point where the cheese is warm and gooey. Eaten together with crispy sourdough and figs compote, it is just delicious.

Warm Oven Truffled Camembert with Figs Compote 

Moving to mains Wagyu Sirloin Steak with Pomme Puree & Seasonal Vegetable [$38] - Sirloin, pomme puree, brandy sauce. The steak is cooked to medium-rare, as ordered. It is nicely seasoned, juicy and succulent. The pomme puree (French mashed potatoes) is creamy, velvety and ridiculously delicious complemented by the crunchy seasonal vegetables. Yummy!!

Wagyu Sirloin Steak with Pomme Puree & Seasonal Vegetable

Beef Tenderloin with Potato Dauphinoise & Seasonal Vegetable [$38] - Brandy Sauce. The thick beef tenderloin is meaty and succulent. Unlike the sirloin which has more fats, the tenderloin offers a nice meaty texture. The Potato Dauphinoise (Potato au Gratin) has a crisp exterior, followed by a creamy interior, which complements the beef tenderloin nicely. The seasonal vegetables are crunchy, while the brandy sauce binds all the ingredients nicely.

Beef Tenderloin with Potato Dauphinoise & Seasonal Vegetable 

The service is friendly but minimal. On that night, we only have 1 service staff covering 4 tables.

Overall, Allo served delicious French cuisine in a French café atmosphere. The food is fairly priced and we will surely return for more. Santé!! Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 6.5/10

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80

Allo French Restaurant

72 Desker Road

Singapore 209595

T: +65 8897 9230

W: https://allo.com.sg/

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

IG: @Allo.com.sg

OH:

Tue – Thu, Sun: 11.00 – 15.00, 18.00 – 22.30

Fri – Sat: 11.00 – 15.00; 18.00 – Midnight

Closed on Mondays

H&C Café – A New & Better Choice for You [MEDIA INVITE]

H&C Café has launched a new menu focused on healthy, hearty, wholesome and delicious. To accompany the new culinary creation, H&C also introduced Fancy Chinese Tea range.

H&C Cafe

Part of Dining Area

There are 9 options for the Fancy Chinese Tea, and we only managed to try 3 of them.

Fancy Chinese Tea

Cold Brew Orchid Pu’erh Tea [$10.90] – Orchid Flower and Pu’erh Tea Leaves. I like the presentation; the bottle looks similar to XO Cognac. The tea has a strong Pu’erh flavour, is not bitter and with refreshing orchid aftertaste.

Cold Brew Orchid Pu’erh Tea 

Beau-tea-ful You [$14] – Mixed Dried Fruits, Rose, Strawberries and Dragon fruit & Tea-rrifically Healthy [$14] Chrysanthemum, Buckwheat Tea and Osmanthus. These teas are brewed using the Siphon method and poured into a glass teapot before servings. The Beau-tea-ful You is naturally sweet from the fruits and rose, with a touch of sourness from the berries. Meanwhile, the Tea-rrifically Healthy has a refreshing chrysanthemum flower with a slight bitter finish from the buckwheat. Each of the brews is only for 1 time only.

Siphon Method

Beau-tea-ful You 

Tea-rrifically Healthy

Moving to the food, we started with Crispy Squid [$18]. The squid is crunchy and the exterior is covered with spicy, sweet and savoury concoction. Once we drizzle the lime juice, the acidity brings a nice twang to the dish. A good start to the meal.

Crispy Squid

Hot & Sour Gyoza [$14]. The pan-fried chicken gyoza has a crispy and chewy texture. The tangy sour mustard greens soup, complemented by the sweetness from the cherry tomatoes opened up my appetite.

Hot & Sour Gyoza

Sticky Pork Ribs [$15.50]. Bite-size pork ribs, deep fried and coated with classic sweet vinegar glaze. The sweet and savoury flavour combo makes the pork ribs plus the longan make this dish irresistible.

Sticky Pork Ribs

Low Cal, Avocado Scallion Capellini [$22.50]. The scallion capellini is fragrant and smooth. The avocado, mushroom, nori and cherry tomatoes made the dish look healthy. Surprisingly, it brought up the nostalgic feeling, like I am eating high-end version of economic bee hoon.

Low Cal, Avocado Scallion Capellini 

Hot Sauce Prawn Pasta [$27.50]. The prawns are fresh and crunchy, while the capellini absorbs the rich and umami essence from the prawn and hot sauce. The kale adds a healthy and contrasting texture to the dish, while the egg confit helps to tame the spicy hot sauce.

Hot Sauce Prawn Pasta

Tomato Beef Stew [$19.50] served with sourdough. The beef cheek has a nice caramelisation and fork tender as well. The stew is light, tasty, tangy and a touch of Sichuan spice to perk up the stew. The crisp sourdough complements the stew nicely with its texture and to polish up the gravy. (*instead of sourdough, you can ask for scallion pancake).

Tomato Beef Stew 

Humble Grain Stone Bowl [$16.50]. A beautiful medley of vegetables and grains. There are mixed grains, potato, mixed mushrooms, fried kale, white sesame and scallion soy sauce. Each of the ingredients brought unique and tasty components to the dish, complemented by the charred from the hot stone bowl.

Humble Grain Stone Bowl

Salmon & Grains [$34]. Lovely seared salmon fillet with a crispy skin plated on the top of mixed grain tossed with scallion soy sauce. The charred Romaine lettuce adds a nice smoky flavour and crunchy texture. The avocado adds a rich creamy texture to the dish, while the squeeze of lemon binds all the ingredients together and remove any fishiness from the salmon.

Salmon & Grains

Squid Mixed Grain Rice Stew [$26.50]. A fusion creation that blends the East and West. The sour mustard green broth works well with the mixed grains, while the squid and cherry tomatoes brought exciting texture and burst of flavours to this dish. A delicious creation indeed.

Squid Mixed Grain Rice Stew 

Overall, I like the latest creations at H&C Café. The food is internationally inspired, creative and tasty, while maintaining the healthy and lower in calories principles. The Fancy Chinese Tea concoctions are also nice and easy to drink. Definitely a place to try. Cheers!!

Thank you, Kristine, Executive Chef Eugene and H&C Café team, for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 8.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8.5/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

H&C Cafe

290 Orchard Road

#03-09 Paragon Shipping Centre

Singapore 238859

T: +65 9727 511

W: https://linktr.ee/halcyonandcrane

F: https://www.facebook.com/halcyoncrane/

IG: @halcyoncrane

OH: Daily 11.00 – 20.30