George Town – Exciting New Signature Dishes 2023 [MEDIA INVITE]

George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer (“George Town”) recently appointed Chef Michael Khor Choon Keat, a renowned maestro in Malaysia’s world of gastronomy to helm their kitchen. His CV includes Executive Chef at Grand Imperial Group Malaysia, The Oriental Group, vGarden and Number Seven Private Kitchen. In was 2018, he also awarded the prestigious Gold Award in the “Creative Perfect Fish Art Competition”.

Combining Chef Michael Khor creativity, wealth of experience and fresh ingredients available, George Town has introduced new signature dishes.

Lobster Mixed Platter

Lobster Mixed Platter and 3-Litres Amber Lager Tower ($88, served 4, limited to 1 set per table). Includes Lobster Meat, Prawn Rolls, Tako Balls, Pork Belly and Gobo Stick. George Town version of tapas (small plates) to accompany the 3-litres of Amber Lager Tower. On that evening, our platter includes Tako Balls x2, Prawn Rolls, Lobster Meat x2, Gobo Stick and Fried Octopus. It is value for money, cause some places already charge $88 for the 3L of beer tower.

Prawn Roll

Tako Balls

Gobo Stick

Fried Octopus

Lobster

Lobster

Black Truffle Sauce Lobster ($68). The flesh of the lobster is de-shell. stir-fried and finished with Black Truffle Sauce. The lobster meat is juicy and bouncy, nicely complemented with creamy sauce and infused with black truffle flavour. The flavour of the black truffle is not overpowering, instead, it elevates the flavour of this dish nicely.

Black Truffle Sauce Lobster 

Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Mushroom (至尊三宝, $38). One of my favourite dishes in Chinese restaurants. The abalone is juicy and bouncy, while the sea cucumber is crunchy. The robust and intense flavour of the sauce is the key to this dish and binds all the ingredients together. The mushroom soaks up this delicious gravy and adds the umami component to this dish. I can easily polish up a bowl of white rice just with the sauce in this dish. Yum Yum.

Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Mushroom (至尊三宝)

Lemon Butter Prawns in Yam Ring ($38). Crunchy prawns coated in lemon butter sauce plated on deep-fried yam ring. The texture of the prawn and the flavour of the sauce are spot on. However, the crispy yam ring is a bit dry in the middle, instead of smooth and creamy.

Lemon Butter Prawns in Yam 

Black Pepper A5 Wagyu 120g ($48). Black pepper is the most popular style of cooking beef in tze char. However, I don’t think it is a respectful way to cook A5 Wagyu beef. The beef texture is very tender, juicy and packed with umami flavour. However, the signature wagyu flavour is covered up by the salty black pepper sauce. They need to tweak the black pepper sauce to allow the premium ingredients to shine or they can use a lower grade of beef and upsize the portion to 250g to provide value for this dish.

Black Pepper A5 Wagyu

$1 Chilli Crab (500g with min order of $50 on food menu). The main stayer of George Town menu. The crab is fresh and the chilli sauce is smooth and silky with a nice spicy kick. For that price, it is super value for money. A MUST ORDER here!!

$1 Chili Crab

Foie Gras with Caviar ($38). Nice fine dining plating. The foie gras has a crisp exterior, followed by creamy and velvety interior. The crispy duck breast on top with tobiko complemented the foie gras nicely. The cube duck salad on the side is refreshing and crunchy. A very nice dish.

Foie Gras with Caviar

Supreme Lobster Paofan ($68). WOW!! Impressive!! The broth is robust and packed with umami flavour. Super generous with the seafood ingredients, including the lobster, scallops, and sliced fish. Together with the combination of crispy rice and boiled rice, each spoonful of the pao fan is a party in my mouth. A comforting dish and Super Yummy!!

Supreme Lobster Paofan 

While we were waiting for the first meal to arrive, the boss of George Town also arranged for us to try the Chinese skewers from @SGBBQBAR . We tried the lamb, beef and pork belly. The Yang Rou Chuan / lamb is the best, not gamy and the seasoning is just spot on for our taste.

Skewers

Overall, I enjoy the new signature dishes at George Town. I recommend the Black Truffle Sauce Lobster, $1 Chilli Crab, Foie Gras with Caviar, Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Mushroom (至尊三宝)and Supreme Lobster Paofan. If you are a beer lover, don’t forget to try the Lobster Mixed Platter and 3-Litres Amber Lager Tower package. Cheers!!

Thank you very much Jennifer Yeo Consultancy and George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer Team for hosting us.

Food & Drinks: 7.75/10

Value: 7.75/10

Service: N/A (Media Tasting)

Ambiance: 8.5/10

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

George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer

81 Boat Quay

Singapore 049869

T: +65 6535 6277 / 9682 3826

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

IG: @Georgetowntzechar

OH: Daily 12.00 – 03.00

Enjoy Eating House – 10 Course Local Experience High Tea Set [MEDIA INVITE]

Goreng Pisang With Coconut and Gula Melaka Dip

Enjoy Eating House and Bar @ Mercure on Stevens recently launched 10-Course Local Experience High Tea Set, priced at $30 per person. This special treat is available on weekdays from Monday to Friday, 2:30pm to 5.30pm only. The good news is from now until 31st May 2021, there is an opening promotion of 20% off.

High Tea Menu
Image Credit: Enjoy Eating House & Bar

We start by choosing non-alcoholic drinks from the list. I got the iced Thai Milk Tea less sweet and LD chose iced Pandan Lemongrass Tea less sweet. For those who want something with alcohol, you can go for a glass of prosecco or house pour for $8.

Iced Pandan Lemongrass Tea & Iced Thai Milk Tea

The first plate that arrived is small bites. Hand-rolled Chinese Ngoh Hiang, Crispy Vegetarian Spring Roll and Shiok Prawn Patty. We can guarantee you that the ngoh hiang here is hand-rolled on the premises, as we saw one of the chefs doing it on site. It is thick, crunchy and wrapped with crispy beancurd skin. It is served with the traditional sweet sauce.

Shiok Prawn Patty, Crispy Vegetarian Spring Roll & 
Hand-rolled Chinese Ngoh Hiang 

Hand-rolled Chinese Ngoh Hiang

The vegetarian spring roll is crispy, filled with glass noodle and vegetables. The prawn patty is thick, dense and bouncy; however, the seasoning is a bit too strong. You need the sweet chilli sauce to balance the saltiness.

Shiok Prawn Patty, Crispy Vegetarian Spring Roll & 
Hand-rolled Chinese Ngoh Hiang 

Shiok Prawn Patty

Steamed Mackerel Otah. Moist and spicy chopped otah, wrapped with soft white bread and topped with chilli garnish. The taste and flavour spot on. If only the otah as thick as one slice of bread, this otah mini sandwich will be very SHIOK!!

Steamed Mackerel Otah

Steamed Mackerel Otah

House Braised Kong Bak Bao. The braised pork belly is fork-tender, robust, infused with all the spices and dark soy sauce and slowly melts in your mouth. Describing this in one word #Porkgasm.

House Braised Kong Bak Bao. 

House Braised Kong Bak Bao.

Fried Mantou with Singapore Style Chilli Crab Sauce. If you love Chilli Crab, you will love this dish. A bowl of thick, spicy and savoury Singapore style chilli crab sauce, served with 1 (one) fried mantou. Ok, portion-wise, it is just not balanced. If you just dip the fried mantou into the sauce, there will be a lot of sauce leftover. Therefore, I decided to tear the mantou and drink the sauce like a soup. Yum Yum.

Fried Mantou with Singapore Style Chilli Crab Sauce

Chubby Botak Koala - Chili Crab Soup

Wok Fried Carrot Cake with Prawns. A local favourite dish upgraded. I said upgraded because it comes with 3 huge prawns plus an equal serving of the eggs and carrot cake (not sure how many eggs they use) and coated in thick black sweet soy sauce. The carrot cake is a bit bland, well-compensated by the burst of flavour in the eggs.

Wok Fried Carrot Cake with Prawns

Wok Fried Carrot Cake with Prawns

We finally reach the sweets. Assorted Nyonya Kueh (4pcs), Goreng Pisang With Coconut and Gula Melaka Dip; and Chendol Panna Cotta. For the Nyonya Kueh, we had 2 different types of Kueh Lupis and ongol ubi. The kueh lupis is sticky and bouncy, while the ongol ubi is coated with fresh coconut shavings.

Assorted Nyonya Kueh (4pcs), Goreng Pisang With Coconut and Gula Melaka Dip;
Chendol Panna Cotta

Assorted Nyonya Kueh 

As the Goreng Pisang is freshly made, it has a light and crispy exterior. The banana inside is firm, yet soft, with a touch of sourness. The gula melaka and coconut cream complemented the goreng pisang nicely.

Goreng Pisang With Coconut and Gula Melaka Dip

The chendol panna cotta has a soft and wobbly coconut base. The chendol topping has the perfect texture, delicate, but not mushy and flavourful. The gula melaka sits between the base and chendol, bind the ingredients nicely. One of the best chendol panna cotta we ever tried. LD gives her two thumbs up!

Chendol Panna Cotta

Overall, it was a great high tea experience. Instead of the scones, sandwich, tarts and cake, we have ngoh hiang, fried carrot cake, kong bak bao, goreng pisang and chendol panna cotta. Absolutely must try. Cheers!!

Full review of Enjoy Eating House and Bar regular menu can be found here.

Thank you very much for Protegie PR and Enjoy Eating House & Bar Team for hosting us.

Food & Drinks: 8.5/10

Value: 8.510

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Enjoy Eating House & Bar @ Stevens

30 Stevens Road

#01-07 Hotel Mercure on Stevens

Singapore 257840

T: +65 8511 1478

W: https://enjoyeating.sg/

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

IG: @Enjoyeatinghouse

OH: Daily 11.00 – 23.00

Menu Available Online

The Famous Kitchen – Delicious Food in Sembawang [MEDIA INVITE]

Lobster Braised with Bee Hoon

The Famous Kitchen (“TFK”) is a casual family-style restaurant located in Sembawang. It specialises in Nanyang Cuisine and Seafood offerings, based on Teochew, Hokkien and Cantonese culture assimilated into Southeast Asia. You can also find other dishes inspired by owner Jeffery Foo’s travel around China. As Singaporeans are well-travelled, our palate will be acceptable to different types of cuisine.

Collectors Items to Welcome You

We started our tasting with Grilled Pork Collar Meat (香烤猪颈肉 - $18). The pork collar is tender, succulent and well-seasoned. The yam is crispy and crunchy. The dish is a bit on the salty side, good as a beer side dish or eaten with rice.

Grilled Pork Collar Meat

Grilled Pork Collar Meat

Bamboo Clams with Garlic and Glass Noodles (竹蚌- seasonal price). Fresh and well cooked. The bamboo clams are steamed with glass noodle and minced garlic as toppings. It is fresh, springy. The glass noodle soaks up the soya sauce plus the sweetness of the bamboo clams. Yummy.

Bamboo Clams with Garlic and Glass Noodles 

Crispy Leaves Kai Lan (脆叶芥兰 -$16 (S), $24(M), $32 (L)). I would say this is Kai Lan in two ways. First, the leaves are finely chopped and deep-fried. Resulting in a crispy leaf, like dried seaweed texture. Instead of sweet, the deep-fried process extracts a good bitter flavour from the kai lan. The stem is stir-fried briefly to retain its crunchiness. The fragrant aroma from this dish also comes from the crispy fried garlic topping. A creative creation.

Crispy Leaves Kai Lan 

Lobster Braised with Bee Hoon (龙虾焖米粉 - seasonal price). A dish that WOW us that night. The bee hoon is smooth, silky and absorbs the amazing seafood broth and essence. The lobster flesh is cooked to perfection and easily peel off from the exoskeleton. Not forgetting the fresh subtle leek that is an integral part of this dish. LD and I can have this dish every day. Yum Yum.

Lobster Braised with Bee Hoon

Lobster Braised with Bee Hoon

Chilli Crab (辣椒螃蟹 - seasonal price). Each seafood restaurant in Singapore will have its own version of chilli crab. The version here is on the spicy side. A female crab is used here, so it comes with abundance of the delicious crab roe. The sauce absorbs into the flesh, it has a velvety texture from the eggs plus a bit of tanginess on top of spicy chilli sauce.

Chilli Crab

Chilli Crab

Of course, to polish up the delicious chilli crab sauce is the crispy and fluffy fried mantou.

Fried Mantou

Oven-baked Volcano Chicken (火山烤鸡, advance order required -$58 for whole). This chicken dish sure knows how to make a grand entrance to the table. Standing upright, the chicken is doused with hard liquor (whiskey, rum or rose wine) and set alight. It created a superb WOW factor, looks like a phoenix on fire and the fragrant aroma of the burning alcohol is very appetizing.

Once the show is over, it is brought back to the kitchen to be chopped. The skin is lightly crisp, while the flesh is juicy and succulent, especially the breast part. To accompany the chicken is ginger and spring onion paste, which complement the chicken nicely.

Oven-baked Volcano Chicken

Oven-baked Volcano Chicken - Chopped

Rendang (仁当排骨 $16(S), $24(M), $32 (L)). Pork Rendang to be exact. Fragrant, aromatic, thick, spicy and delicious rendang gravy infused into the juicy yet bouncy flesh. If I did not see the bones of the pork, it can easily be mistaken for beef. A dish that must be eaten with rice (a “Rice Thief” dish).

Pork Rendang

Note: Pork Rendang dish is off the menu item and not available daily. Please check with the service staff when ordering.

For the sweet ending, I ordered Chilled Empress Cocktail Jelly (香妃果冻 - $4.50 per serving). Cold, sweet and refreshing. A nice ending to the meal and also good to put out the last fiery moment from the rendang.

Part of Outdoor Dining Area

Live Seafood 

The restaurant is spacious and it has an indoor and outdoor dining area. There is limited parking space, however, the restaurant offers valet service. If you like your alcohol, keep a lookout for the outdoor drinking, FAMOUSH HANGOUT area which offer extensive a variety of craft beers and hard liquors. Grand opening on 20^th November 2019.

Hard Liquor Collection - Indoor

Overall, The Famous Kitchen is one of the places to go for delicious seafood and Nanyang cuisine in the North area. The Lobster Braised with Bee Hoon, Bamboo Clams with Garlic and Glass Noodles, Oven-baked Volcano Chicken and Pork Rendang are a must-try here. Cheers!!

The Famous Kitchen also has a sister restaurant, The Famous Treasure at Capitol Piazza. For full review and details of The Famous Treasure, you can click thislink.

Thank you very much to  Jennifer and The Famous Kitchen Team for hosting us.

Food: 8/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7.25/10

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

The Famous Kitchen

54 Sembawang Road

#01-01 Hong Heng Mansions

Singapore 779085

T: +65 6636 8333 / 6257 1843

W: http://famouskitchen.sg

F: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Famous-Kitchen/230526703625455

IG: @Thefamouskitchen

OH: 11.30 – 14.30; 17.30 – 22.30 Daily.