Peach Blossoms – 7 Course Abalone Special [MEDIA INVITE]

Peach Blossoms

Peach Blossoms at Marina Mandarin Singapore celebrates the year end of 2017 by featuring the exquisite abalone 7-course set menu at $98++ per person. The menu consists of:

1^st course, Peach Blossoms Trio Appetiser Combination: Deep-fried Scallop and Banana wrapped with Mashed Taro, Deep-fried Prawn coated with Mayonnaise and Mixed Nuts & Chilled Japanese Cucumber Rolls filled with Jellyfish. (精选特色三拼: 蜂巢香蕉玉带,菓香鲜虾球,日本青瓜海蜇卷)

Peach Blossoms Trio Appetiser Combination

The cucumber has the most subtle taste. It is refreshing and crunchy. The taro is crisp externally, followed by smooth velvety taro paste and the burst of sweetness from the banana fillings. Meanwhile, the deep-fried huge tiger prawn is crispy and bouncy, with a bold creamy flavour from the mayonnaise.

2^nd course, Braised Shark’s Fin with Fish Lip and Shrimp Dumpling in Shark’s Cartilage Soup served in Stone Bowl (石锅翅骨三宝汤). The soup that was served has different ingredients but we were assured the soup base is similar. The robust cream milky broth is the result of a long period of boiling. It is served on a hot stone, it retains the heat over a long period of time. The heat and peppery flavour from the broth nicely balance the gelatinous texture from the fish lips.

Our Soup on the night

The supposed Ingredients

3^rd course, Braised Six-head Whole Abalone in Superior Oyster Sauce accompanied with Hairy Gourd Rings stuffed with Conpoy (玉环瑶柱莆伴六头鲍鱼). A springy yet succulent braised six-head abalone nicely absorbed the braising sauce. The gravy is thick, rich and robust complements the crunchy broccoli and the more subtle hairy gourd.

Braised Six-head Whole Abalone in Superior Oyster Sauce
accompanied with Hairy Gourd Rings stuffed with Conpoy

[CLOSED] Long Jiang Chinos – Chinese Cuisine in Serene Environment [MEDIA INVITE]

Long Jiang Chinos

Long Jiang Chinos ('LJC') is a Chinese restaurant established by Long Jiang Culinary, an F&B group that has years of experience in the culinary industry. They are the main curator of F&B delights in Singapore Turf Club.

Located in quaint and serene ORTO in Yishun, LJC provides a unique dining experience in the North part of Singapore. It has an alfresco dining concept and most of the dining area faces the lake. The huge outdoor air circulator and cooling system will ensure you still dine in comfort during those hot and stuffy days. It is a good dining destination, within a close distance to Yishun heartland that re-live the Kampung spirit.

Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk

We kick start the tasting with Baby Squid ($14). A favourite entrée in seafood restaurants in Singapore. The little squid is deep fried till crispy and tossed with the sweet sauce that normally made from honey, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. It is delicious and you can't stop munching it.

Baby Squid

Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk ($8.80) and Crispy Fried Har Chou ($12 for 8 pcs). It is actually two separate dishes, the kitchen put them together to make it look big. The fish skin is crispy topped with fluffy powdery salted egg yolk. The Har Chou is crisp with solid and generous fillings. I find both of this dishes actually complement each other nicely.

Crispy Fried Har Chou with Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk

Seafood Hotpot ($128 good for 4 to 5 pax). The signature dish of LJC. The whole Soon Hock fish is simmered on a bed of cabbage with other live seafood such as prawns, clams, and squid with chicken stock.

Seafood Hotpot

[CLOSED] Montana – V60 Chocolate [MEDIA INVITE]

Montana Singapore

Montana recently introduced their new menu with a new Chef helming the kitchen. Previously everyone was talking about their Freak Cake, I personally feel their Coconut Cold Brew Coffee is a more notable mention. Coconut Cold Brew Coffee is still one of their main features in the new menu.

Complementing their Coconut Cold Brew Coffee, Montana added V60 Chocolate ($6.80) to their drink offering. By pouring heated coconut water over ground cacao nibs to extract the intense chocolate flavour infused with the natural sweetness of coconut water. It comes in three flavours, Original, Mint and Smoky Infusion. My personal pick is Mint, as it has a minty refreshing flavour, the opposite to the nutty chocolate flavour.

V60 Chocolate

Our Entrée was Whitebait with Five Spice Seasoning ($11) and Fried Chicken Wings with Garlic Mirin Sauce ($12). The whitebait is crisp and crunchy. The five spice seasoning is mild, making it a pleasant starter, make sure you squeeze the lemon wedge to add some twang to this dish.

Whitebait with Five Spice Seasoning

The chicken wings here looks yummy at the first sight. It has crispy exterior followed with juicy succulent meat inside. Unfortunately, you will soon be running for your drinks as the seasoning is simply just too much.

Fried Chicken Wings with Garlic Mirin Sauce

Hajime – A Memorable Oink Oink

Hajime Tonkatsu & Ramen

Hajime Tonkatsu & Ramen is a Japanese restaurant in MyVillage opened by Chef Tan-San. Chef Tan-San is the first Singapore Chef send to Japan to master the art of Tonkatsu. He is also the first Executive Chef of Tonkichi and Tampopo, whose names are synonymous with quality Japanese food in Singapore.

Chef Tan-San Bio

Premium Pork Loin ($21.90 for set menu) is a signature dish of Hajime. The crusted deep fried Japanese pork chop that basically melts in your mouth. The lighter part of the meat is more meaty and lean, while the darker part with the fats is just sublime. This is what you called #Porkgasm!!

Premium Pork Loin

The set meal comes with free flow of Nigata Rice and fresh cabbage. The combination of cabbage and salad dressing just opens up your appetite. Tonjiru soup is the tonkotsu broth that has been simmer for 12 hours. Expect a mild milky pork soup that sooth the throat when you slurp it.

Premium Pork Loin Set

Sakunthalas – Indian and Chinese Restaurant [MEDIA INVITE]

Sakunthala's Food Palace

Sakunthala's Food Palace is a restaurant where you can enjoy Indian cuisine and Chinese cuisine in the same place other than food court or room service. It is definitely the first time I ever see Indian restaurant in Singapore that showcase their seafood live in the tank in the dining section.

Live Seafood Tank

To maintain the authenticity of Indian and Chinese cuisine, Sakunthala's have two separate kitchens. Each kitchen is commandeered by different Chefs specialising in their cuisine.

Live Crabs

Live Lobster

One of the staple dishes here is their Curry Fish Head ($26 for small, $30 for big). Instead of the common red snapper, Sakunthala's use Angoli fish head (Sea Bream), one of the better quality fish. The fish head is definitely fresh, cooked with curry spices and other vegetables such as lady fingers and eggplants. The curry is thick, rich (solid lemak) and creamy. It is not too spicy for a South Indian dish standard and it lacked the tanginess of the assam. I personally like it, but LD prefer more tanginess in the fish head.

Curry Fish Head - Angoli

Nalan – Indian Vegetarian Dining [MEDIA INVITE]

Nalan @ Capitol Piazza

Nalan, one of Singapore's leading Indian vegetarian restaurants that showcase authentic vegetarian recipes from North and South India. The team behind Nalan believes in the rejuvenating powers of this healthy lifestyle, where this meatless cuisine made from the freshest and finest ingredients.

Nalan - Part of the dining area

We started the dinner with Cream of Mushroom (S$7). It looks similar to the regular cream of mushroom soup, however the version here very peppery. It sure warms the throat and heats up your taste buds in anticipation what comes next.

Cream of Mushroom

Daaba Salad ($6). Looks like general Ahcar vegetable mix. However, they really crank up the heat on this salad. Further CSI-ing, I found chopped Bird's eye chilli inside. I actually gulp down a significant amount of my mango lassi ($5) to put out the fire. For those who likes fiery dishes, this is the one for you.

Daaba Salad

From Left: Mango Lassi, Badam Milk and Butter Milk.

Tandoori Platter ($25). Paneer Tikka, Vegetable Sheek Kebab, Hara Bara Kebab, Tandoori Cauliflower and Tandoori Mushrooms. Our version of the platter tonight. Interesting and my personal pick is the Paneer Tikka. The blocks of the cottage cheese are thick, creamy with a slight smokey flavour.

Tandoori Platter

[CLOSED] Five Marbles – Craft Beer and Crafted Food [MEDIA INVITE]

Five Marbles

Five Marbles, a new restaurant set up with the idea of building a community of people who love great food and great beers. At any day, there are 12 craft beers on tap sourced from this little red dot, Japan, Australia, USA, UK and New Zealand. The craft beer list will be refresh from time to time, to allow the customer to savour the exciting offerings.

The Craft Beer Menu

Following the theme of the restaurant, the food here is also infused with their craft beers. Don't worry, you won't get drunk from the food, but you can definitely get high from the beers.

Beer Price

We started with Craft Beer Mushroom Soup ($9). Made with four type of mushrooms: shiitake, portobello, white button and oyster. The brownish dark colour soup is robust, creamy and filled with complex mushrooms flavour. Watch out for the hint of beer flavour at the end of each slurp of the soup.

Craft Beer Mushroom Soup

Portobello Chicken Cheese Baked Beer Rice ($16). A flavourful mushroom and chicken rice, topped with cheddar cheese. It is then oven-baked, to melt the cheese and create a crisp texture of the cheese. The rice is al-dente, and you can taste the chicken and mushroom in each bite. A solid baked rice dish.

Portobello Chicken Cheese Baked Beer Rice 

Portobello Chicken Cheese Baked Beer Rice