Chapters by Drinks&Co – A Star in Clarke Quay Rejuvenation [MEDIA INVITE]

Chapters by Drinks&Co (“Chapters”) is the latest concept by Drinks&Co as part of rejuvenation in CQ @ Clarke Quay. Chapters provide a unique and sophisticated dining experience for both indoor and outdoor. For the Outdoor Refreshment Area (ORA) diners can enjoy great food and experience while absorbing the beautiful view of the Singapore River day and night.

Chapters by Drinks&Co

Outdoor Refreshment Area

The indoor dining area showcases different chapters (area) of the restaurant, starting from The Great Hall with papers floating above, The Rainbow Bar, and also The Secret Chamber, hidden behind the ordinary bookcase.

Part of The Great Hall

The Bar

Once we were seated, we started our gastronomic journey with Chapters Singapore Sling Premium (Hendrick’s Base) [$26 HH / $29 REG]. Beautifully decorated, artistically made and pleasing on the palate. The best part, they also make it in mocktail version for me.

Chapters Singapore Sling Premium (Hendrick’s Base)

Our tasting commences with Chapter One – Starters and Bites. Authentic Singapore Satay, Chicken or Beef (per Dozen) [$38 / $34 Members Price]. Well-marinated chunky chicken and beef, juicy and grilled just right. It is bursting with flavours in each bite accompanied by solid satay sauce. Not forgetting the traditional sides, a medley of cucumber, pineapple, onions and ketupat.

Authentic Singapore Satay

Drinks & CO., Salt & Pepper Squid [$30 / $27MP]. The strips of deep-fried squid are crispy and crunchy. It is tossed with their special mix of chilli padi, spring onions, garlic, black pepper, sugar and salt. A squeeze of lemon bind adds a lovely twang to the dish. Watch out for the explosion of spiciness, especially if you bit into the chilli padi. This dish is also served with a healthy portion of salad, which can easily become a full meal on its own.

Drinks & CO., Salt & Pepper Squid 

Prawns & Chorizo [$28 / $25MP]. Taking inspiration from a popular Italian pasta recipe. This surf and turf dish is robust and packed with flavour. The prawns are crunchy, while the chorizo just solid. It is then topped with the mixed garnish of fried garlic, chilli padi and spring onion that spice up the dish. There are a few toasted sliced baguettes to carry the prawns and chorizo mix.

Prawns & Chorizo

Boxing Chicken in Teriyaki Sauce (5pcs) [$34/$30MP]. A dish that I have not seen in a long time. The meat of the chicken drumette is pushed to one side to create a lollipop. It is then deep-fried and coated with thick teriyaki sauce. It has a crispy exterior followed by juicy meat and yummy teriyaki sauce. It is a dish that is best eaten with your fingers. Yum Yum.

Boxing Chicken in Teriyaki Sauce 

Moving on to Chapter Two – Salad, Greens. Classic Tomato Bruschetta (5pcs) [$14/$14MP] Crisp sliced baguette topped with homemade tomato salsa and sweet basil leaves. The bright red colour of the tomatoes is just so inviting, together with the sweet and tangy flavour, it is just irresistible.

Classic Tomato Bruschetta 

Chilled Waldorf Salad with Aussie Wagyu Beef (125gram) [$48 / $44 MP]. A classic salad, that is hard to find nowadays. The combination of fruits, vegetables and nuts with a twist of sesame dressing instead of the traditional mayonnaise delivers a party in your mouth. It is paired with 125 grams of Aussie Wagyu Beef, making it a complete dish.

Chilled Waldorf Salad with Aussie Wagyu Beef 

Mixed Vegetables Curry Risotto (V) [$38 / $35MP]. A homage to Asian cuisine. The vegetable curry is rich, spicy and delicious; while the Arborio rice soaks up the essence of the curry. Do watch out for the spicy kick from the curry.

Mixed Vegetables Curry Risotto 

Accompanying my meal for this round is Virgin Mojito [$16]

Virgin Mojito

Chapter Three – Pasta. Tiger Prawns Aglio Olio (spicy, no spice, middle spicy) [$48 / $44MP]. Pan-seared giant tiger prawns, al-dente spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, curry leaves, white wine and chilli padi is a recipe for an enticing pasta dish. It is spicy and packed with the essence of the prawns, you will be slurping all the pasta in no time.

Pasta. Tiger Prawns Aglio Olio

Japanese Wagyu Beef (75gm) Stirred Fried Udon [$58 / $52 MP]. A Japanese pasta dish. The udon is thick and has a nice crunchiness, while the black pepper sauce and bonito flakes power up this dish. Unfortunately, the Japanese Wagyu Beef seems lost among this strong and bold flavour.

Japanese Wagyu Beef Stirred Fried Udon 

Chapter Four – Pizza. Mentaiko Tiger Prawns Pizza [$38 / $35 MP]. Not your traditional Italian pizza but it is a crowd-pleaser. Thin-based crust, topped with big and crunchy prawn, mozzarella cheese, mentaiko sauce, shaved bonito and roasted kazimi nori. It is tasty and delicious.

Pizza. Mentaiko Tiger Prawns Pizza

Chapter Five – Mains. Beef Wellington [$65 / $60 MP]. A technically challenging dish, yet executed perfectly by the team at Chapters. The pastry is crisp and fluffy, while the tenderloin is cooked to the point of medium-rare. The bacon and mushroom spread infused the umami flavour to the tenderloin. Accompanying the beef wellington are tri-colour carrots, mashed potatoes, mesclun salad and cherry tomatoes with balsamic vinegar dressing plus the gravy. This beef wellington will get a nod from Gordon Ramsay.

Beef Wellington

Pan-Seared Lemongrass Halibut Fish (200gram) [$45 / $42 MP]. The halibut fish fillets have a crisp exterior followed by a moist and flaky interior. They sat on top of the mixed baby carrots and mashed potatoes, basked in the unique taste of lemongrass capers cream sauce. It is served with Australian mesclun salad and sour plum cherry tomatoes. There is a lot of flavour going on the plate, but the sour plum cherry tomatoes are not to be missed.

Pan-Seared Lemongrass Halibut Fish

Chapter Six – Kids & Dessert. Home Made Baked Red Dates Sticky Pudding [$22] & Home-Made Burnt Cheese Cake [$22]. Two lovely plated desserts. The home-made red dates stick pudding is soft and bouncy. It goes well with the berries and vanilla ice cream,

Home Made Baked Red Dates Sticky Pudding 

Meanwhile, the burnt cheesecake has a nice smoky flavour but missing the signature gooey and melting texture in the middle. The blueberries, strawberries and red grapes paired nicely with the cheesecake but the ice-cream seems to be the odd one out.

Home-Made Burnt Cheese Cake

Overall, it was a pleasure visiting Chapters by Drinks&Co, part of the rejuvenation of Clarke Quay. The food is delicious and the traditional cocktails and mocktails are nicely done. LD and I recommend their Beef Wellington, Chilled Waldorf Salad with Aussie Wagyu Beef, Tiger Prawns Aglio Olio and Mentaiko Tiger Prawns Pizza. Plus don’t miss out on Chapters Singapore Sling Premium. Cheers!!

Cocktail - Pina Colada

Thank you very much Kristine and Team Chapters by Drinks&Co for the invitation.

Food & Drink: 8.5/10

Value: 6.5/10

Service: N/A (Media Invite)

Ambiance: 8.75/10

Budget per Person: $51 – 80; $81 and above.

Chapters by Drinks&Co.

3D River Valley Road

#01-08 Clarke Quay

Singapore 179022

T: +65 9619 4568

W: https://drinksandco.asia/

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

IG: @Drinksandcosg

OH:

Sun – Thu: 12.00 – 23.00

Fri – Sat: 12.00 – 02.00

Food and Drink Menu is available online (click here)

Rendezvous Nasi Padang – A Taste of History

Korma Chicken Thigh 

Rendezvous Hock Lock Kee Nasi Padang (“RendezvousNP”) is one of the oldest Nasi Padang restaurants in Singapore. It is established in 1930 and gained popularity in the 1950s. With such longevity, this restaurant deserves the recognition as Nasi Padang institution in Singapore and likely become the taste that you grow up with. 

Rendezvous Hock Lock Kee Nasi Padang

I decided to visit RendezvousNP with my Nasi Padang makan kaki, K. We manage to reach the restaurant before 12 and beat the lunch crowd. Like kids in a candy store, we went overboard in ordering. 

Our Order

Korma Chicken Thigh ($9.30). A must-order here. The version of Korma Chicken here is similar to the curry known as Gulai Ayam in Indonesia. It is not a spicy curry, instead, it is sweet, rich in spices and fragrant due to the lemongrass, galangal and turmeric. 

Korma Chicken Thigh 

At RendezvousNP, you get is the whole leg of the chicken (drumstick and thigh). The flesh is juicy, succulent and infused with the curry. The skin is soft and full of flavour. The yellow gravy curry is robust and you can slurp it like a stew. 

Liver & Gizzard Curry ($5.10 – Small). Combination of liver and gizzard, bask in thick red curry. The liver is creamy, while the gizzard is crunchy. The curry is spicy, rich and filled with “lemak” from the coconut milk. 

Liver & Gizzard Curry

Cuttlefish Sambal – Medium ($10.30). Springy and bouncy cuttlefish cooked in sambal gravy. It is spicy, yet Shiok!! 

Cuttlefish Sambal & Egg Sambal

Beef Rendang ($10.60 – 2 pcs). A little bit different compare to the beef rendang you find in other Nasi Padang restaurant. The gravy is thick, but not lumpy like it is being simmered for a few hours. The beef is lean yet tender, however, the gravy did not absorb into the flesh. 

Beef Rendang

Sayur Lodeh ($3.90 – Small). Delicious combination of cabbage, long beans and ladyfingers. Cooked with coconut milk and turmeric for richness and yellow colour. The special ingredients here is the prawn, that adds umami and natural sweetness to this dish. 

Sayur Lodeh

Egg Sambal ($1.70). I did not try, ordered by K. Rice ($1.70 per plate). 

Service is friendly and efficient. You place your order at the food counter, get seated and the food will be delivered to you. The interesting part of their food counter is only half of it filled with food. The other half is filled with buckets and buckets of different type of curries. Once you are seated, RendezvousNP goes into full service, including if you want to order drinks, extra rice, gravy or extra dishes. 

CBK verdict. I find the flavour of Nasi Padang here is very comforting and very much agreeable with my palate. Each dish is delicious and consistent, though not much variety. They are very generous with their curries, which is the key to all their dishes. Definitely one of a must try Nasi Padang in Singapore. Cheers!! 

Food & Drinks: 7.5/10 

Value: 6.5/10 

Service: 7/10 

Ambiance: 6.5/10 

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

Rendezvous Hock Lock Kee 

Restaurant Nasi Padang 

6 Eu Tong Sen Street 

#02-72/75/77/92 

The Clarke Quay Central 

Singapore 059817 

T: +65 6339 7508 

W: http://www.rendezvous-hlk.com.sg/

OH: Daily 11.00 – 21.00 

Crossroads Bar – Spring in Tokyo [MEDIA INVITE]

Unagi Kabayaki Open Face Sandwich

Crossroads Bar at Swissotel Merchant Court presents to you ‘Spring in Tokyo’ Afternoon Tea. A place where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city and treat yourself to the refreshing flavour of Spring by the Singapore River.

Crossroads Bar

Crossroads Bar

This Japanese inspired Afternoon Tea consist of sweet and savoury components.

Spring in Tokyo

Savoury selections include Unagi Kabayaki Open Face Sandwich, Truffle Sōmen Noodles with Scallop and Ikura, Fried Shrimp Sandwich with Wasabi Tartare, Buta no Kakuni, Japanese Braised Pork Belly, and Black Pepper Cod Teriyaki.

Truffle Sōmen Noodles with Scallop and Ikura

Fried Shrimp Sandwich with Wasabi Tartare

I will usually start my afternoon tea from the savoury offerings first. My pick from the savouries are the Unagi Kabayaki Open Face Sandwich, the unagi has a sweet, smooth, velvety and moist. Following that fatty and delicious Black Pepper Cod Teriyaki, and not forgetting the Japanese Braised Pork Belly.

Unagi Kabayaki Open Face Sandwich

Black Pepper Cod Teriyaki

The pork belly is well braised, firm yet it melts in your mouth. I like the apple sauce topping with tendrils leaf, as the acidity in the apple sauce together with bitter and nutty undertone balanced the richness in the dish.

Buta no Kakuni, Japanese Braised Pork Belly

The sweet treats consist of Japanese Sponge Cake, Black Sesame Tiramisu, Japanese Style Matcha “Swiss Roll”, Strawberry Eclairs, and Green Tea Panna Cotta.

Japanese Sponge Cake

Black Sesame Tiramisu

My pick for the sweet treats is Japanese Style Matcha “Swiss Roll”. It is creamy, soft and you get the matcha taste at the end. Following that is Strawberry Éclair which has a soft and delicate flavour and Green Tea Panna Cotta, where the combination of red bean and green tea is just so comforting.

Japanese Style Matcha “Swiss Roll”

Strawberry Éclair  

Green Tea Panna Cotta

Of course, Afternoon Tea will not be complete without the Tea. Crossroads Bar serves a pot of speciality tea by TWG for this afternoon Tea. Otherwise, you can also have your afternoon tea with freshly brewed coffee.

TWG English Breakfast

Overall, Spring in Tokyo sure entices with you with delicate Japanese Cuisine afternoon tea. It is delicious, delicate and nicely portion to allure to you to come back for more. Cheers!!

Thank you very much, Swissotel Merchant Court Marketing Team of for the tasting invitation.

‘Spring in Tokyo’ Afternoon Tea

When: Now until 31 May 2019.

Time: Daily between 3 PM to 5 PM

Price: S$42 per person (minimum of two diners per order)

Includes a pot of speciality tea by TWG or freshly brewed coffee

For enquiries and reservations: please call us at +65 6239 1847/1848 or

email dining.merchantcourt@swissotel.com

Food & Drinks: 7.5/10

Value: 7 /10

Service: N/A (Tasting Event)

Ambiance: 7.75/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Crossroads Bar

Swissotel Merchant Court

Lobby Level

20 Merchant Road

Singapore 058281

T: +65 6239 1847 / 1848

W: http://www.swissotel.com/hotels/singapore-merchant-court/bars/crossroads-bar/

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

IG: @swissotelmerchantcourt

OH: Daily 09.00 – 23:59