[CLOSED] NY Verden – Josper Grill Showcase

For the past 2 years, LD & I have been taking our walking exercises seriously. Since Singapore’s weather is unpredictable, hot and humid, we sometimes clock our steps by taking a stroll in Changi Airport, including Jewel. We pass by NY Verden Bar & Grill (‘NYV’) countless times as it is on our walking route, and the open concept Josper Grill is the one that catches my attention.

NYV Chef's Table with Josper Grill

NYV delivers Modern European cuisine with the elements of smoking, grilling and the pairing of wood-fire cooking with natural flavours from the season’s best products.

NY Verden

We finally make our way to NYV for an early dinner at the end of May 2022. It was before the dinner service rush, so we did not make any reservations. Once we were seated, the service staff presented the hardcopy menu and ask us to place the order through the QR code on the table.

Part of the Dining Area

Dinner started with Fine De Claire Oysters ($1 each), part of the promo when LD ordered Sourgal Moscato ($19 per glass). The oysters are medium in size, fresh, plump, juicy and brainy. It’s like tasting the ocean with each slurp.

Fine De Claire Oysters

According to LD, the Moscato is slightly sweet, fruity and with a touch of acidity. It is easy to drink and goes well with the oysters.

Moscato & Oysters

Signature Calamari ($19). From the look, I thought the batter going to be crispy but hard. However, I was proven wrong. The crispy batter crumbled effortlessly, allowing you an easy bite at the juicy and slightly chewy calamari. The aioli is creamy, solid and complements the fried calamari nicely.

Signature Calamari

Smoked Beetroot Tartare & Burrata ($28). Supposedly smoked with apple or cherry wood. The intense beetroot flavour from the smoking process complements the creamy burrata. The pistachio and peas emulsion is very light, it softens the intense flavour of the smoked beetroot and enhances the flavour of the burrata at the same time. The crispy rice puff completed all the texture profiles on the plate. Absolutely Gorgeous!!

Smoked Beetroot Tartare & Burrata 

Josper-grilled Sea Bass ($28). The whole seabass is butterflied and backbone removed, then grilled to perfection. The exterior is charred, while the flesh is moist, juicy and flaky. The fish is lightly seasoned and we just need to complete the taste with a drizzle of fresh lemon juice. Perfecto!!

Josper-grilled Sea Bass 

The Seabass flesh

Grain-Fed Black Angus Ribeye ($45). The steak is grilled in the Josper grill with Jarrah / Oak Wood. Delivering medium-rare doneness, as per our order. It has a nice charred externally, while the interior is succulent. The steak is more of the meaty type, not those with a high level of marbling and melts in your mouth. The masala wine and bone marrow juice combination are creamy yet acidic, while the grilled tomato is plump and bursting with juice.

Grain-Fed Black Angus Ribeye 

Medium Rare

During our visit in May, NYV was running a promotion of 90mins Free Flow Alcohol (beer on tap & cider) for all diners with a minimum spend of $100 in a single receipt per table. Please check on the poster outside the restaurant.

Free Flow Cider

Free Flow Alcohol Poster

The décor of the restaurant is modern, steakhouse like and with the view of the waterfall at Jewel. It is a nice place to dine, especially when the lights or show at the waterfall are happening in the evening. On the other side restaurant, there is a chef’s table, with a bar height table and stools. For this seating, you can see the Chef in action with his Josper Grill preparing your meal.

Dining Area with Waterfall View

The level of service is varied. Our initial service person is nice and friendly, while the one delivering our food has a stiff unfriendly demeanour.

Overall, LD and I enjoy the food at NVY. They are tasty, flavourful and perfectly executed. We like the Oysters, Signature Calamari, Smoked Beetroot Tartare & Burrata and Josper-grilled Sea Bass. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 8/10

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

NY Verden Bar & Grill

78 Airport Blvd

#03-227, Jewel Changi Airport

Singapore 819666

T: +65 8772 4227

W: https://nyverden.oddle.me/en_SG/

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

IG: @Nyverdensg

OH: Daily, 12.00 – 15.00; 18.00 – 22.30

Birds of a Feather – Sichuan x Modern European Cooking

The first thing that comes to my mind related to the word Sichuan is Mala, the mind-numbing spicy sensation from the Sichuan peppercorn. Following that, is an image of a dish or steamboat, filled with scary hot red chillies. However, Birds of a Feather (‘BOF’) is here to dispel that stereotype. BOF aims to showcase the real flavours of Chengdu through its refined and modern European technique, led by Executive Chef Eugene See.

Cocktail - Tian Mi Mi

After more than 2 years of social distancing and limited group gathering, our first makan session with regular makan kakis, lead us to BOF. Since we have BOF regular patrons, we leave the ordering to Purple Eats and Msginginly. There were eight of us, so we order almost half of the menu.

Cocktail - Someone Like You

Bang Bang ($14) – Cold Dressed Chicken, Mustard Green, Peanut, Edible Coaster. It is a refreshing dish, with a combination of shaved cucumber, chicken and mustard green with a touch of Sichuan oil. The best part of the dish is the peanut coaster, which you need to whack with your spoon “bang, bang”. A multi-texture and multi-flavour dish.

Bang Bang

Bang Bang

Find The Chicken in the Chillies ($19), popularly known as Szechuan Popcorn Chicken. I think the way BOF named this dish is the correct one. The popcorn chickens are buried under a pile of dried chilli and cashew nuts. Luckily the version here is not very spicy, I still able to enjoy the chicken and cashew, without gulping on lots of water.

Find The Chicken in the Chillies

Yu Xiang Eggplant ($18). The eggplant is hidden under the aromatic spring onion crumble. The Yu Xiang sauce goes nicely with the eggplant, making it looks like mapo tofu. I find the bocconcini is out of place in this dish and some of the crumble can be doughy.

Yu Xiang Eggplant

Pork Dumpling ($17) – Pan-Seared, Sichuan Dressing, Sage Foam, Butternut Puree, Fried Sage, Almond. A beautifully plated dish, where the dumplings seem to float above the cloud. The gyoza is tasty and bouncy, while the Sichuan dressing mixed with the butternut puree gives this dish a sweet and spicy touch.

Pork Dumpling

Pork Dumpling

Burratine & Tomato ($24). East meets West dish. The burratina is paired with Joyn tomato, Sichuan sesame dressing, marinated kumquat and crushed peanuts. It is also served with toasted bread.

Burratine & Tomato

The Toast

You have a creamy and milky texture, mixed with sesame sauce and join by the bursting of tomatoes and refreshing sweet tangy flavour of the kumquat. The crunchy peanuts provided the much-needed contrasting texture in the dish. When you apply it on top of the toast it helps to balance the richness of the burratina and the Sichuan sesame dressing. Reminds me of peanut butter on toast with cream cheese.

Burratine & Tomato on Toast

Barramundi Chazuke ($34). Chazuke is a simple Japanese dish made by pouring the broth over cooked rice. At BOF, they poured the Sichuan Sour vegetable fish broth over the Japanese rice. The broth is spicy, sour and uplifting at the same time. Topping the dish is a pan-seared barramundi fillet, ikura and a thin cracker. Unfortunately, once you poured the broth, the cracker will shrink and almost dissolve into the broth. Note to self, next time remove the cracker.

Barramundi Chazuke

Strange Flavour Prawn ($42). You start by squeezing the lime on the dish, especially on the smoky, firm and bouncy tiger prawns. The sauce below is slightly sweet, spicy and tangy. The chopped fried beancurd tried to soak up the sauce unsuccessfully, however, it provide a soft chewy texture to the dish. The green papaya salad on the side is just awesome. Light and tangy. Tasted more like a Vietnamese or Thai dish instead of Sichuan.

Strange Flavour Prawn

Strange Flavour Prawn

Loup De Mer ($89) – Whole European Seabass, Denise Pesto, Sweet Vinegar Joyn Tomato, Celtuce. The seabass is soft, smooth and flaky. The pesto sauce is unexpectedly light and refreshing, allowing the natural flavour of the fish to shine. Meanwhile, the tomato delivered a sweet and bursting flavour and the celtuce provided a contrasting texture to the fish. Yummy

Loup De Mer

Homestyle Pork Belly ($58) – Fried Kale, Fragrant Mushroom Garlic Rice, Egg Confit, Shaved Black Truffle. BOF interpretation of Lu Rou Fan. I got shocked by the amount of shaved truffle on the dish. The braised pork belly is fork-tender, while the bitterness from the fried kale cuts through the fats in the pork belly. The garlic rice is plump and tasty, enhanced by the umami flavour from the shaved truffle. The egg confit just binds all the delicious ingredients together. Yum Yum.

Homestyle Pork Belly

Slow Roasted Sichuan Short Ribs ($88). We were almost full when this dish arrived, having said that, we just can’t say NO to pink short rib. It is tender, succulent and you can taste the Sichuan spice rub in the background. The broccolini and fried garlic added a nice crunch to the dish, while the potato coated with morel mushroom gravy is just delicious. A very comforting dish.

Slow Roasted Sichuan Short Ribs 

Slow Roasted Sichuan Short Ribs 

The décor of the restaurant is modern yet comforting. I like the natural light coming through the glass ceiling. The furniture is a mix of sofas with dining table, or sofa with coffee table. Luckily, we were seated at the dining table section, if not we are going to have a problem dining at a shorter table. Not forgetting, one of the walls has the mascot of Chengdu, a panda painting on it. Service is knowledgeable, friendly and efficient. The service staff will give a short description of the dish, once they are presented on the table.

Birds of A Feather Panda

Overall, this is the first time I came to BOF and I totally enjoyed the food here. Instead of the overpowering spicy Sichuan cuisine, most of the dishes have been well thought out, multi-layered yet balanced, delicious and well-executed. The Bang Bang, Burattine & Tomato, Loup De Mer, Homestyle Pork Belly and Slow Roasted Sichuan Short Ribs are my pick. Cheers!!

Irish Tea

Food & Drink: 8.5/10

Value: 7.25/10

Service: 7.75/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $51 - $80; $81 and above

Birds of a Feather

115 Amoy Street

#01-01. S069935

T: +65 9755 7115

W: https://www.birdsofafeather.com.sg/

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

IG: @Birdsofafeathersg

OH:

Mon – Thu: 12.00 – 15.00; 18.00 – 23.00

Sat: 12.00 – 15.00; 18.00 – 24.00

Sun: 12.00 – 15.00; 18.00 – 22.00

Racines – Delectable French Cuisine & Refined Asian Delights

Racines is the main restaurant of Sofitel Singapore City Centre. It serves authentic French cuisine and refined Local Chinese delights. The spread will be prepared by two different culinary teams to ensure the authenticity of the epic dishes.

Entrance to Racines

During our March staycation in Sofitel Singapore City Centre, we dined here to celebrate LD’s birthday. Do take note that Racines refresh their menu regularly, therefore, the food reviewed here might not be on their current menu.

Lychee Mojito

After we were seated, the service staff asked us to scan the menu using the QR code on the table. Once we completed our order, the service staff will bring us the bread bowl. They are served warm and served with unsalted butter.

Bread Bowl with unsalted Butter

We started our meal with Foie Gras ($26) - Pan-seared foie gras with roasted apricot, berry vierge and brioche. The foie gras has a nice seared externally. It is thick, smooth and creamy, paired well with the light and crisp brioche and berry sauce.

Foie Gras

Burratina ($32) with Roasted Cherry Tomato, Arugula and Pesto. One of our favourite cheeses and entree. The burratina is solid and creamy. Instead of the usual olive oil and balsamic vinegar, Racines uses pesto for that green robust flavour together with tomato, sliced radish and arugula salad. It will be nicer with more tomatoes though.

Burratina

Lobster Bisque ($26) with Seafood Ragout and ikura. Solid lobster bisque and you can taste the cognac in it. To add to the twist, the team added ikura inside for the bursting effect when you slurp the soup.

Lobster Bisque

Lamb Rack ($48) Chargrilled Rack of Lamb, Braised artichoke with onion confit, basil chimichurri sauce. The lamb rack is cooked nicely, leaving the middle meat section pink. The meat is tender, juicy, and absent of the strong lamb smell. I like the chimichurri sauce; however, LD disagrees with the peas.

Lamb Rack

Black Cod ($48) Baked Soy Black Cod with grilled leeks, crispy lotus and bonito butter sauce. We like the texture of the cod fillet, as it melts with each bite. It was even better when paired with the tomato and crispy sliced lotus. However, the bonito butter is a bit overpowering and more suitable for broccoli and corn instead of fish.

Black Cod

Black Cod

Baked Light Souffle ($20) with Cointreau with Lime Sorbet. A must order dessert. The souffle is eggy, light and fluffy. The pairing with lime sorbet is just awesome.

Baked Light Souffle

On our visit in April, we decided to try the 3-Course Degustation Dinner ($62).

Part of the Dining Area

We started with crispy toasted sourdough, slathered with a generous amount of duck rillette. It is rich and tasty, while the caramelized balsamic apple, provided the contrasting sweet and tangy flavour to balance the richness of the duck rillette.

Duck Rillette

Duck Rillette

Main was Chargrilled Angus Beef Ribeye with French Fries. Cooked to medium-rare, it is juicy and succulent. While the steak is good and paired well with the chimichurri sauce, the fries can be better with more time in the deep fryer.

Chargrilled Angus Beef Ribeye with French Fries

Dessert was Chocolate Cremeux - Valrhona Chocolate Guanaja crème with Walnut Praline and Caramel Ice Cream. Solid dark chocolate crème with a crispy tart. The caramel ice cream is bold, yet goes well with the chocolate crème. Yummy!

Chocolate Cremeux

Not forgetting, we also ordered the souffle again.

Baked Light Souffle

The décor of the restaurant is spacious and grand at the same time. When you walk into the restaurant, you can see different cooking stations such as dessert station and bakery before you enter the main dining hall. The bar and floor to ceiling wine fridge are the centrepieces of the restaurant. Though service is fine, there is still room for improvement.

The Bar & Wine Chiller

Overall, LD and I like the food served at Racines for the French. When we went in March and April, we notice the menu is similar. I noticed that they have changed the menu for June. No matter what’s on the menu, the souffle is a must-order here. Cheers!

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 6.5/10 (9/10 with Accor Plus benefits)

Service: 6.5/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $51 - $80; $81 and above

Racines

9 Wallich Street

5th Floor, Sofitel Singapore City Centre

Singapore 078885

T: +65 6428 5000

W: https://www.sofitel-singapore-citycentre.com/gastronomy/racines/

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

IG: @Sofitelsingaporecitycentre

OH: Daily

Breakfast, 07.00 – 10.30

Lunch, 12.00 – 15.00

Dinner, 17.30 – 22.00

Menu available online