Sunday 31 March 2024

La Savoir – L’Entrecote at La Savoir [MEDIA INVITE]

La Savoir is a luxurious café located in the heart of Orchard Road featuring local-French contemporary delicacies. The lavish ambiance is highlighted by their collection of exquisite wallpapers and modern décor. Each dish is prepared with utmost care and revolves around Hermes tableware.

La Savoir
Part of the Dining Area
La Savoir is proud to unveil L’Entrecote at Saviour. Only available in the evening, this 1 pax set course is priced at SGD 57.90++.

Part of the Dining Area

Foliage De Soleil Room

The set course starts with an appetizer, Mesclun salad tossed in yuzu dressing. The sweet, citrusy and refreshing yuzu dressing covered the bitter characteristic of the mesclun salad nicely.

Mesclun salad tossed in yuzu dressing
The Main Course is Ribeye Steak, Chimichurri, In-House French Sauce with a side of fries. The ribeye is cooked to perfection. It is lean, yet juicy with a nice crisp crust externally. The French fries have a crispy exterior, yet are soft and creamy inside. I prefer the rich and buttery in-house French sauce, compared to the slightly spicy and tangy chimichurri sauce.

Ribeye Steak, Chimichurri,
In-House French Sauce with a side of fries
The L’Entrecote set comes with a free Second Helping. We basically enjoy the delicious steak twice. Yummy!!

Second Helping
Since we had a bit of space after those two servings of L’Entrecote steak, we ordered the cake of the day (for an additional SGD6++). The cake of the day is La Savoir signature Chocolate Cake. The chocolate cake is thick and solid. In between the layers, there is a chocolate balls that add to the crunchiness of the cake. A perfect end to the meal.

La Savoir Signature Chocolate Cake
L’Entrecote steak is also available as a la carte option. A single serving of the steak is priced at SGD39.90++ and will also include French Cafe de Paris sauce, Chimichurri, and a side of salad and fries.

We also ordered Charred Octopus (SGD28++) - Charred Octopus, pimento puree, ice plant, black olive, confit tomato, orange and aged balsamic reduction. The octopus is charred, yet tender. The sauce is sweet, tangy, acidic, yet refreshing at the same time. The plating is very artistic while the flavour is very complex.

Charred Octopus
Overall, dining at La Savoir is like dining in France. The beautiful décor of the restaurant is complemented perfectly with the delicious French culinary excellence. Definitely, a place to visit for your next meal at any time of the day. Of course, don’t forget to try L’Entrecote set course or a la carte. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8.5/10
Value: 8/10
Service: N/A (Media Invite)
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Budget per Person: $51 – 80

La Savoir
6 Scotts Road
#02-01 Scotts Square.
Singapore 228209

T: +65 9377 7788
OH: Mon – Sun, 11.30 – 22.00 (LO 21.00)

Tuesday 26 March 2024

Café Mosaic – Truly Singapore Flavours Seafood Buffet [MEDIA INVITE]

Café Mosaic at Carlton Hotel Singapore has refreshed its buffet spread and presents a Truly Singapore Flavours Seafood Buffet. This buffet is available on Dinner from Thursdays to Saturdays and Lunch on Sundays.

Café Mosiac - Part of Dining Area
Highlights of the newly curated spread are:

Oysters. They are big in size, sweet, plump and juicy. On top of the lemon wedges, you can pair the oysters with red vinaigrette or hot sauce.

Oysters
Seafood on Ice – Cold Crab Legs, Scampi, Mussels, Black Mussels, Poached Prawns, Salmon Sashimi & Tako Sashimi. The poached prawns are sweet and crunchy, while the cold crab legs are sweet and refreshing. The same can be said for the scampi, though you need to do some work before getting to that sweet flesh. The salmon sashimi is of a good grade and we sure have plenty of them.

Seafood on Ice - Cold Crab Legs & Scampi
Seafood on Ice - Poached Prawns, Mussels & Black Mussels
Salmon Sashimi & Tako Sashimi
The Carving Table – Slow Roasted Pepper Crusted O.P Beef & Oven Roasted Herbs Leg of Lamb. Roast meat is my weakness when I come for a buffet. The roast beef is cooked to the point of medium rare and the roast lamb is juicy, succulent and full of flavour. I am not a black pepper sauce fan, however, the version here is pretty good, not overloaded with pepper.

Slow Roasted Pepper Crusted O.P Beef
Oven Roasted Herbs Leg of Lamb
Mustard, Black Pepper Sauce, Mint
Singapore Rojak aka The Singapore salad: I like this DIY rojak because I can put as many “you tiao” (fried dough) as I like. The hei ko (prawn paste) is solid, plus the peanut topping is fragrant as well. On a rotational basis, Café Mosaic also serves fruits rojak and gado gado.

Singapore Rojak
Prawn Noodle Soup. The broth is robust and packed with the essence of pork and prawns. The small pork ribs are fork tender while the prawns are fresh and crunchy. Together with the yellow noodles, it is a comforting dish.
Prawn Noodle Soup
Singapore Chilli Crayfish & Thai Moo Ping. The Singapore chilli crayfish is surely packed with punch. It is spicy, smooth, silky, eggy and it just opens up my appetite. The chilli sauce absorbs into the flesh of the crayfish and I enjoyed it with the fried mantou as well. Meanwhile, the Thai Moo Ping is well-marinated and oozing with the pork juice.

Singapore Chilli Crayfish & Fried Mantou 

Moo Ping, Bean Sprout & Scallops
Desserts. The spread includes selections of cakes, local desserts, cut fruits and also ice cream. The Mango Pudding, Mango Mouse Cake and Cheese Cake are my picks.

Desserts Station
The Cakes
Local Dessert - Pulu Hitam
Tea and coffee are provided, including local drinks. Since they serve ice cream, I decided to make an affogato to finish my meal.

Coffee Station
Ice Cream
A notable mention of some dishes that we did not manage to try, but look yummy: Sushi and Barramundi with Black Bean Sauce.

Sushi
Barramundi with Black Bean Sauce
Overall, the Truly Singapore Flavours Seafood Buffet provided a considerable spread of international and local flavours that will please diners. The quality of the food is very good and they are delicious as well. If you are looking for a buffet place, do consider Café Mosaic. Cheers!

Salad Station
Bread and Crackers
Chilli Station
Truly Singapore Flavours Seafood Buffet
When: Dinner Thursdays – Saturdays & Lunch on Sundays
Time: Dinner 18.00 – 21.30; Lunch 12.00 – 14.30
Price: $128 per adult; $38 per child (6 to 12 years of age)
For reservations and enquiries, please call 6311 8195 or email cafe.mosaic@carltonhotel.sg

BANKS PROMOTIONS
20% off mains (excluding set lunch)
1-for-1* for Weekday Lunch Buffet, Weekend Seafood Buffet and Saturday Lunch Buffet
Applicable for DBS/POSB, Citibank, OCBC, Trust Bank and UOB cardmembers (till 31 December 2024).
*1-for-1 promotion is only applicable for adult diners.

Menu 1

Menu 2

Food & Drink: 7.5/10
Value: 7/10
Service: N/A (Media Invite)
Ambiance: 7.25/10
Budget per Person: $51 – 80; $81 and above

Café Mosaic
76 Bras Basah Road
Level 1, Carlton Hotel Singapore
Singapore 189558

T: +65 6311 8195
OH:
Breakfast: 07.00 – 10.30
Lunch: 12.00 – 14.30
Dinner: 18.00 – 22.00 (L.O. 21.30)

Thursday 7 March 2024

Plum Village – The Last Hakka Restaurant in Singapore

Plum Village Hakka Restaurant (“Plum Village”) is the only Hakka Restaurant remaining in Singapore. It is owned and operated by Mr Lai Fak Nian. Plum Village is nestled comfortably in a two-story shop house at the old estate in Jalan Leban, off Thomson Road between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and Yio Chu Kang Road.

The menu of Plum Village is the size of A4 paper and contains about 18 dishes, representing Hakka people from different provinces in China. Each dish is painstakingly created from scratch and some of the items are subject to availability. We decided to order the recommended set meal for 4 pax priced at $56 plus the Beancurd Skin Pork Stomach Soup ($10).

The Menu
The first dish to arrive is Salted Chicken. Plum uses Kampong chicken for this dish, providing a stiffer texture for the breast meat, but delivering a better wholesome flavour of the chicken. True to its name, the dish is on the salty side, however, the sauce is filled with the essence of the chicken and what a flavour bomb.

Salted Chicken
Hakka Yam Abacus is a well-known dish representing Hakka food in Singapore. The yam abacus has a lovely chewy texture, but the ingredients that infuse the flavour are dried shrimp, dried cuttlefish, Chinese mushroom, minced pork and fish sauce. Awesome.

Hakka Yam Abacus
Pork with Preserved Vegetables. As a Hakka, I know this dish very well. My family version is the pork belly is braised with sweet mei cai. However, I find the versions in Singapore and Malaysia, most of them used salty mei cai. The version at Plum Village is of a very good standard. The pork belly has a good ratio of meat and fats, absorbs the flavour of the mei cai and soy sauce, and cooked to the point of fork tender. Even though the set menu included a noodle dish, we still decided to order two bowls of white rice to share. What a “rice thief” dish.

Hakka Yam Abacus
Stuffed Yong Tau Foo. For Hakka Yong Tau Foo, the tofu is stuffed with minced pork instead of fish paste. The tofu base used is firm, while the minced pork is fatty and gives this dish a nice meaty flavour.

Stuffed Yong Tau Foo
Complimentary Fried Hakka Noodles. The thin egg noodles are similar to e-fu noodles, bouncy and lightly fried with mushroom and minced pork. Don’t expect any wok hei, but the flavour remains robust and delicious.

Complimentary Fried Hakka Noodles
We also ordered Beancurd Skin Pork Stomach Soup ($10). The pig’s stomach is clean and absent of any foul smell. The broth is robust with a touch of pepper. Good to start the meal.

Beancurd Skin Pork Stomach Soup 
At the end of the meal, we were served complimentary dessert of red bean soup.

Red Bean Soup
The décor of this place is stuck in the 1980s. The tables are covered with white plastic table cloth, while the lights are dim and yellowish. Really brought out the nostalgic vibe. Service is no fuss and friendly.

Overall, Plum Village is the place to go if you want to experience Hakka food in Singapore. The food is tasty, pocket friendly but cooked with heart. We enjoy all the dishes here and we hope to dine here again before they close. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.5/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 6/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Budget per Person: $11 - 25

Plum Village Hakka Restaurant
16 Jln Leban
Singapore 577554

T: +65 6458 9005
F: https://www.facebook.com/PlumvillageHakkafood/
OH:
Mon, Tue, Thu – Sat: 11.00 – 14.00; 17.30 – 21.00
Sun: 12.00 – 14.00; 17.30 – 21.00
Closed on Wednesday.

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