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

Forbidden Duck – Signature Slow Roast Duck

Forbidden Duck (“FD”) is the first Singapore restaurant by Three Michelin-starred Chef Alvin Leung. Nestled at Marina Bay Financial Centre, the Demon Chef and his team will be serving two versions of the Peking Duck. One is the classic Peking Duck, known as Forbidden Duck on their menu. The other is the Signature Slow Roasted Duck, a slow-cooked Pecking Duck that is dry-aged to intensify the flavour while retaining all the natural jus. It is then roasted on high heat to sear and crisp the skin.

Since it is only LD and I dining, we ordered Signature Slow Roast Duck ($58, half). I was expecting the duck to be sliced tableside, however, that was not the case. The roast duck set is brought to the table already sliced. It is served with calamansi buns, roast duck sauce, sliced cucumber, spring onion, rock salt and Dijon mustard.

Signature Slow Roast Duck - Half

Roast Duck Sauce, Sliced Cucumber, Spring Onion,
Rock Salt and Dijon Mustard. 

I like the glistening golden brown colour of the duck skin as it just looks perfectly roasted and very appetizing. Unlike the traditional Pecking Duck, where they slice the duck in three parts, breast skin, breast meat and thigh meat; FD sliced their duck in Cantonese restaurant Peking Duck, where the skin and the flesh are still attached and sliced together.

Crispy Skin - Front

I found one slice of the skin that almost void of the meat, it was crispy and tasted like duck crackling. I also noticed that due to the slow roasting method, the duck seems less fatty as the fats have rendered into the flesh.

Crispy Skin - Back

For the rest of the plate, the skin is crisp with a layer of fat between the skin and the pinkish flesh. The sauce reminds me of regular roasted duck sauce instead of the usual hoisin sauce. It is savoury and binds the meat together with bun and garnish. The calamansi bun is soft, with a refreshing Asian citrus flavour.

Calamansi Buns

My Peking Duck

Do take note there is no second serving for the duck here.

Jellyfish with Green Onion ($18). The jellyfish is crunchy and coated with the fragrant sesame oil flavour. It is lightly salted together with the spring onion delivering a refreshing taste.

Jellyfish with Green Onion

Diced Chicken Tofu & Salted Fish ($24). A must-order dish for LD in a Cantonese restaurant, also her “rice thief” dish. We can smell the lovely aroma from of the dish when it was brought to our table. The tofu is soft with a slight caramelisation externally, while the chicken is juicy and succulent However, the salted fish were chopped too finely, it melted into the gravy. For us, it is the bits of fried salted fish that are considered as one of the important characteristics of this dish.

Diced Chicken Tofu & Salted Fish 

Duck Meat and Rice Noodle with Five Willow’s Sauce ($22). We ordered this dish because of its catchy name and something that we never tried. The shredded duck has a lovely caramelisation and the bee hoon is packed with sweet before, tangy and savoury flavours from the Five Willow Sauce. A nice dish to end the savoury dishes.

Duck Meat and Rice Noodle with Five Willow’s Sauce 

For dessert, we ordered Vanilla, Lemongrass and Aloe Vera Grass Jelly ($7) and Chef’s Recommendation Sweet Soup ($7). The Chef’s Recommendation Sweet Soup has a similar taste to our local Cheng Teng. While the Aloe Vera Grass Jelly remind me of Aiyu Jelly. Both desserts are light and refreshing.

Vanilla, Lemongrass and Aloe Vera Grass Jelly

Chef’s Recommendation Sweet Soup

The décor of the restaurant is Modern Chinese Restaurant theme. The signature Forbidden Duck design is mainly focused at the entrance of the restaurant. Service is professional but almost robotic.

Forbidden Duck

Overall, Forbidden Duck served a nice Peking Duck. Although we only tried their Signature Slow Roasted Duck, we find the it very promising plus we get to taste the flair of the Demon Chef. We’ll make a return visit to try their Peking Duck and the dim sum here. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.75/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 7.75/10

Budget per Person: $81 & Above

Forbidden Duck

8A Marina Boulevard

#02-02 Marina Bay Link Mall

MBFC Tower 2

Singapore 018984

T: +65 6509 8767

W: https://www.forbiddenduck.sg/

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

IG: @Forbiddenduck.sg

OH: Daily 11.30 – 15.00; 18.00 – 22.00

Menu available Online

Mott 32 – Exquisite Chinese Dim Sum

Mott 32 at Marina Bay Sands Singapore (“Mott 32”) is an authentic Chinese restaurant that utilises modern & innovative cooking techniques from around the world to bring out the best of authentic Chinese recipes. The name Mott 32 pays homage to 32 Mott Street in New York, where the city’s first Chinese convenience store opened in 1891. Mott 32 Singapore is the 4th Mott 32 restaurant globally, including Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Vancouver and Bangkok.

Mott 32 Entrance
Image Credit: Mott 32

When I first step into Mott 32, I was impressed by the décor of the restaurant. A classy oriental design, complete with flora motifs around the dining area of the restaurant. In line with the current trend, the sight of the grand Mott 32 bar is not to be missed, where the mixologist will prepare drinks inspired by the Chinese culture and the flavours of Asia.

Part of Dining Area

Partial View of the Grand Bar

We started our meal with a bowl of soup. I choose Fish Maw, Conpoy, Garoupa Soup ($25). The milky colour broth is creamy, tasty yet subtle. It is infused with collagen from the fish maw and umami from the conpoy.

Fish Maw, Conpoy, Garoupa Soup

Signature Crispy Sugar Coated Peking Duck Bun ($12, 3pcs). The baked bao has a nice and crispy skin. The duck fillings are juicy and not too sweet. Although the charcoal bun is coated with icing sugar on top, the sweetness is almost unnoticed, instead, it binds the bun and fillings nicely.

Signature Crispy Sugar Coated Peking Duck Bun 

Dim Sum Platter ($13), consisting of South Australian Shrimp, Prawn, Hot & Sour Shanghainese Soup Dumpling; Black Truffle Siew Mai; and Wild Mushroom, Water Chestnut Crystal Dumpling. A lovely combination on the basket. The mushroom crystal dumpling is chewy and bursting with flavour. The siew mai is juicy, with quail egg inside it and a hit of truffle. The mala XLB is very good, filled with hot and sour soup that was subtle, enough to entice your palate instead of numbing it.

Dim Sum Platter / Basket

King Prawn Har Gow ($12, 4pcs). The barometer of dim sum standard in a restaurant. The Mott 32 passed with flying colours. The har gao is big, plump and juicy. The skin has a nice bouncy texture and holds the prawn fillings very well.

King Prawn Har Gow 

Australian Wagyu Beef Puff ($12, 3pcs). The layered pastry skin reminds me of deep-fried prawns in vermicelli noodles. However, instead of crispy noodle, the filo pastry is crispy and crumbly, filled with black pepper wagyu beef. It was so good; I can finish the whole plate of this puff.

Australian Wagyu Beef Puff

Australian Wagyu Beef Puff

Cold Free-Range Chicken, Szechuan Peppercorns, Chilli Sauce ($26). Served chilled, the chicken is firm and tasty. While the sauce looks fiery, the taste of the mala is very subtle. It delivered controlled and complex mala flavour without numbing your tongue. The crunchy fried garlic on top adds a different texture to the dish and breaks the “mala spell” on your palate.

Cold Free-Range Chicken, Szechuan Peppercorns, Chilli Sauce 

Chicken, Prawn, Taro Croquette ($13, 3 pcs). The exterior of the taro croquette is light, crispy and fluffy. The fillings of chicken and prawn are packed with flavour and paired well with the taro pastry.

Chicken, Prawn, Taro Croquette

Pan Fried Turnip Cake, Dried Scallops and Japanese Sakura Shrimp, Dong Guan Sausage and Shrimp ($13, 4 pcs). Without a doubt, it is the tastiest turnip cake I have tried so far. The exterior is crispy and full of the crunchiness and umami flavour from the Japanese Sakura Shrimp. The take itself is a blend of softness and bouncy texture, filled with dried scallops and Dong Guan sausage. Yum Yum.

Pan Fried Turnip Cake, Dried Scallops and
Japanese Sakura Shrimp, Dong Guan Sausage and Shrimp

Crispy Egg Noodle, Stir-Fried Egg White with Prawn, Scallop, Conpoy ($38). LD’s favourite noodle. The egg noodle is crispy and springy, covered in egg white gravy and full of the bounty of the sea. The scallops are juicy and the conpoy gives the umami OMPH in this dish. A must-order dish here.

Crispy Egg Noodle, Stir-Fried Egg White with Prawn, Scallop, Conpoy 

Crispy Egg Noodle, Stir-Fried Egg White with Prawn, Scallop, Conpoy 

Desserts were Lotus Seed Paste Puff, Red Bean Curd ($10) and Coconut, Water Chestnut, Glutinous Rice Roll, Crushed Nuts ($10). The lotus seeds puff exterior is crisp and crumbly, topped with aromatic roasted sesame on top. It is a modern twist to the traditional red bean paste pancake.

Lotus Seed Paste Puff, Red Bean Curd

The Coconut, Water Chestnut, Glutinous Rice Roll, Crushed Nuts shows the creativity of the team at Mott 32. The water chestnut glutinous rice roll is chewy and tasty, coated with finely grated coconut shavings and rich coconut milk. The crushed nuts sprinkled on top added a crunchy texture to this awesome dessert.

Coconut, Water Chestnut, Glutinous Rice Roll, Crushed Nuts

Service is meticulous, professional and slick. They make sure that you are taken care of from start to finish.

Private Dining Area

Overall, it was a great dining experience. While the dim sum menu is limited, they ensure each one of them is to the highest standard. I recommend the Signature Crispy Sugar-Coated Peking Duck Bun, Australian Wagyu Beef Puff, Pan-Fried Turnip Cake, Crispy Egg Noodle, Stir-Fried Egg White with Prawn, Scallop, Conpoy and Coconut, Water Chestnut, Glutinous Rice Roll, Crushed Nuts as dessert. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 9/10

Value: 6/10

Service: 8.5/10

Ambiance: 9.5/10

Budget per Person: $81 and Above

Mott 32

10 Bayfront Ave

B1-42-44, Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Singapore 018956

T: +65 6888 9922

W: https://www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/mott32.html

F: https://www.facebook.com/mott32sg/

IG: @mott32sg

OH:

Lunch, 11.30 – 14.15 (Last Seating)

Afternoon Tea, 15.00 – 17.00 (Sat, Sun & PH)

Dinner, 17.00 – 21.30 (Last Seating)

Drinks, Last order 22.30

Menu available Online

[CLOSED] AquaMarine – Sizzlin’ Special [MEDIA INVITE]

Charred Grain-fed Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye

For the month of October 2019, AquaMarine at Marina Mandarin Singapore is having a special menu targeted to the meat lovers out there. The Halal-certified buffet will showcase the best of Riverine beef, produce from specially selected Australian Riverina cattle.

The Meat Selctions

The exquisite meat selections are:

Hickory Smoked Beef Karubi Plate. From my past dining experience here, AquaMarine always produced amazing beef dishes. This time around, the Beef Karubi Plate is perfectly mouth-watering. You can taste and smell the nice smoky aroma of the hickory wood, followed with soft and tender meat, like a hot knife cutting through butter. The fat to the meat ratio is just perfect and the sauce on top nicely complement the meat. I have to admit, I had more than my fair share of this delicious beef. Yummy!!

Hickory Smoked Beef Karubi Plate

Salt Roasted Bone Marrow with Oyster Mushrooms and Veal Jus served on Ciabatta Toast. A 5* (star) steakhouse standard. Baked with salt and parsley, this soft fatty tissue is aromatic but it comes with a strong beefy smell. To cover the beefy smell, it is served with sautéed oyster mushrooms, veal jus and ciabatta toast, You can also add a squeeze of lime to cut through the fats and smell. Those who love Soup Tulang, you like this western version even more. 

Salt Roasted Bone Marrow with Oyster Mushrooms and Veal Jus served on Ciabatta Toast.

Salt Roasted Bone Marrow with Oyster Mushrooms and Veal Jus served on Ciabatta Toast.

Salt Roasted Bone Marrow with Oyster Mushrooms
and Veal Jus served on Ciabatta Toast.

Charred Grain-fed Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye. Nicely charred Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye, cooked to medium-rare. The texture of the beef is succulent with a solid meaty bite on it. I was expecting the meat to be more tender, probably it was due to the way it’s been sliced.

Charred Grain-fed Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye. 

Charred Grain-fed Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye. 

Roasted Baby Lamb and its 1.5 metre-long housemade sausage. It is always an amazing sight looking at a whole roasted baby lamb in a buffet line. The meat is tender and the seasoning absorbs into the flesh nicely. The best part is the lamb is almost absent of any gaminess.

Roasted Baby Lamb 

Roasted Baby Lamb 

Meanwhile, the lamb sausage is firm and bouncy, filled with a strong spice seasoning. Instead of eating the sausage plainly, it is better to eat it with bread or maybe biryani rice.

1.5 metre-long housemade sausage

Instead of gravy or specific sauce for the meat, the team at AquaMarine encouraged you to enjoy the meat with 4 different types of salt: cumin, paprika, hazelnut and lime salt. On top of that, you can also enjoy it with a squeeze of lime to balance the richness of the meat.

Different types of Salt

On the weekends: 90 Days Dry Aged T-bone Steak with Beurre Noisette is not to be missed. Instead of cooking it grilled like steak, the whole rack of T-bone is roasted to medium-rare. It is then carved and sliced to smaller slice for servings. The 90 days dry-aged allow the muscles in the meat to breakdown, resulting in a tender and melt in your mouth beef. Best to be eaten with the 4 different types of salt, lime or mustard. #Beefgasm

90 Days Dry Aged T-bone Steak

90 Days Dry Aged T-bone Steak - Cooked

90 Days Dry Aged T-bone Steak - Cooked Medium Rare

90 Days Dry Aged T-bone Steak - sliced

Although the focus is on the beef and lamb, AquaMarine team also prepared other delicious dishes such as:

Wok Fried Crab with Salted Egg Yolk. Juicy and fresh medium size Sri-Lankan crabs, evenly coated with thick salted egg yolk sauce. One of the best times to enjoy the food with your fingers.

Wok Fried Crab with Salted Egg Yolk. 

Seafood Brochette on Himalaya Pink Salt. A medley of grilled seafood on a stick. The fish is firm yet flaky, while the prawn is fresh and springy. They are lightly salted with Himalayan Pink Salt and topped with a creamy sauce.

Seafood Brochette on Himalaya Pink Salt.

Seafood Brochette on Himalaya Pink Salt.

Roasted Cauliflower with Colby Cheese and Hazelnut. It looks awesome, unfortunately, I did not manage to get around to try it.

Roasted Cauliflower with Colby Cheese and Hazelnut.

Please note the regular International buffet offerings such as Cold Seafood, Salad, Local Dishes, Soup, Bread, Pasta, Desserts and their famous “Durian Pengat” remain available.

The Infamous Durian Pengat

Overall, the spread of Sizzlin’ Special by AquaMarine is too irresistible for meat lovers. Instead of covering the meat with a different type of sauce, the team at AquaMarine keep the seasonings and sauce to the minimum. Instead, they allow the diners to experience the flavours of the meat, especially for the wagyu, lamb and black Angus meat with seasoned salt, lime and mustard. Cheers!!

Thank you very much to Marina Mandarin Singapore for hosting the tasting session.

Sizzlin’ Specials at AquaMarine

When: Now till 27 October 2019

Where: AquaMarine at Marina Mandarin Singapore

Time:

Lunch Mon – Fri: 12.00 – 14.30.

Lunch Sat, Sun and PH: 12.00 – 15.00.

Dinner Daily: 18.30 – 22.00.

Price:

Lunch Daily: $60++ per Adult, $30++ per Child;

Dinner Weekdays: $73++ per Adult, $36.50++ per Child

Dinner Weekends: $83++ per Adult, $41.50++ per Child

For enquiries and reservations, visit www.meritushotels.com/marina, call (65) 6845 1111 or email: aquamarine.marina@meritushotels.com.

Food & Drink: 8.25/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $51 - $80, $81 & Above

AquaMarine

6 Raffles Boulevard

Level 4, Marina Mandarin Hotel

Singapore 039594

T: +65 6845 1111

W: http://bit.ly/cbk-AquaMarine

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

IG: @marinamandarinsg

OH:

Breakfast: Daily 06.30 – 10.30

Lunch: Mon to Fri, 12.00 – 14.30

Lunch: Sat, Sun & PH, 12.00 – 15.00

Dinner: Daily 18.30 – 22.00