Senso Ristorante - Dining under the stars

The sweetheart & I make it a point to celebrate each month-sary whenever possible, and the honour of the sixth month went to...

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Senso Ristorante!

 (trying to create suspense when it's stated in the title of my post =/)

Absolutely love the alfresco courtyard setting.

Can count stars with your loved one. Lol~

Both indoor and outdoor seatings are available for dinner, and we chose to sit outdoors because of the ambience. My photos above do not capture the sensuality of it at all.  

 

So, I decided to grabborrow some pictures from dearest Google.

photo credit: SingaporeDine

 Recommended by the sommelier, we had some prosecco ($16/$18++?) to start the meal (picture taken before it was served). Forgot the name but it was light and fizzy, great for preppin' the palate.

 The bread basket was nothing to shout about. The only thing that I like was the crispy and addictive breadsticks. Couldn't stop nibbling at it.

 Amuse bouche: Salmon mousse with some kind of cheese fritter (sorry, forgot)

 For starters, we had the Parma ham 18 months ($26++) to share. They were nice enough to portion it for us; the above is my share. (yes, there were only two.)

It's essentially Pan-fried Buffalo Mozzarella wrapped in Parma Ham, and served with black Olives Tapenade. Two words to describe. Utterly Delicious. Succulent Parma + Chewy Mozzarella= The Sex. It was simple yet full of flavours, and not to mention, oozing juices with every bite. Seriously, I can't imagine anyone not likingloving these gems.

 The boyfriend had the Cappellini Pasta with (either bacon/chorizo, sorry forgot again!) in Saffron-Cream sauce ($28++). I liked how the cream sauce was revved up with the use of a little saffron, to create this uplifting aroma that the expensive spice is known for.

I was torn between the Duo of Risotti and Homemade Taglierini Pasta with Boston Lobster and fresh Basil ($32++). No prizes for guessing which I eventually chose.

For this dish, you can choose to have your pasta done in Black (Squid ink) or White (original) version. It was Black anytime for me, coz me.heart.squid.ink.

However, it kinda disappointed me a little when I realised that there were no squid ink sauce at all in this dish, but rather, squid ink-infused pasta instead :(

K, The Good first: Pasta was perfectly al dente, springy with bite. The tomato sauce was tasty with a good balance of sweet and tangy notes. Very generous with the lobster chunks.

The Bad: Lobster was a tad too chewy and lacking in the sweetness usually found in the crustacean. (boring)

But lobster aside, this was still a mighty competent pasta.

For sweets, we opted for one that was on their seasonal menu (truffles this time) - Truffles & Truffles’ Chocolate Truffles & Truffle Ice-cream ($16++).

Yeah truffles, we get it.

The chocolate truffles was actually a chocolate truffle cake, which tasted something like a mousse cake. This had no taste of the truffle(fungi) but was given an sharp twist with rock salt sprinkled on top. Quite nice and light tasting.
On the other side of the spectrum, the homemade ice-cream had the earthy notes and nutty savoriness of the prized fungi, which my palate needed getting used to. (what the heck, it's fungi-flavoured ice-cream!) I wouldn't say that this was mind-blowing, but it was definitely interesting and worth a try.

They've been around since 2000 and have won many awards for the food, wine and ambience, which  means that they're definitely doing something right! Scoring with their well-executed pasta dishes that are full of finesse and flavours, Senso Ristorante is definitely the place to go to for authentic Italian nosh. This place is definitely one of my favourite Italian restaurants from now on.

Senso Ristorante

21 Club Street

6224 3534

Open Weekdays: 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10:30pm

Sat–Sun: 6pm – 10.30pm 

Sun: 11am – 3pm (Brunch)

2am:dessert bar - Be marveled.

This is one popular dessert spot. Why? Coz even when we reached at 11pm, it was still almost fully packed. The reclining sofa seats were all taken up and we were given the bar seats instead. A staff named Celest(not sure if that's the correct spelling) was most helpful, she promised to give us the sofa seats once it's available. And had excellent product knowledge too - she then proceeded to explain their menu to us; elaborated on each and every dessert that they offer and gave us her recommendations too. 

I liked that their menu was simplistic and neat. Zilch pictures as well. You'll just have to rely on your imagination to determine if the dessert is to your liking.

Desserts were classified into Classic and Contemporary. Wines had more: Crisp, Dry, Fruity, Sparkling, etc... Very nice, helps in decision-making; perfect for fickle-minded ppl like moi :)

(pictures courtesy of claireofalltrades.blogspot.com)

Being in the bar seats has its perks too. We could see the chefs in action; very interesting to see them crafting the little pieces of art on a plate.

(pictures courtesy of claireofalltrades.blogspot.com)

I heeded Celest's recommendation and chose Purple ($14) which is made up of goodies like purple potato puree, blackberry parfait, leather, lavender marshmallows, and fruits of the forest sorbet artfully displayed on a transparent slab.

The purple potato puree was salty(surprise!) and tasted exactly like mashed potato, but it went so well with the tiny domes of different berries parfait and sorbet. I liked how I could mix and match the different components of the dish to create different combinations of tastes. This was simple and nice, perfect for dessert-ers who tend towards the fruity side.

 My boyf had the Chocolate tart ($14) with blood orange sorbet and salted caramel.

This is not your usual chocolate tart. It's more like a chocolate fondant on a tart. We relished spooning out the velvety, intense dark chocolate, and eating it with the tart base or the tangy sorbet, or both.

 Its molten innards.

 Hot chocolate with churros ($9; +$4 for extra churros)

Succeeded in persuading the boyf into ordering a serving of this to try. *twists* Hehe. Seems like 2am likes to deviate from the norm.. Not only the colour was significantly darker, the texture was totally not churro-istic at all. Instead of being slightly chewy, it was totally soft and pillowy, just like donuts. They were very generously dipped in sugar, and it went so well with the thick sore throat-inducing hot chocolate.

Yummeh~~

At 2am Dessert Bar, it's all about attention to detail. Their desserts are so petite that you feel inclined to pay more attention every little ingredient on the plate and savour it slowly.

Because of their sheer size, it is incredibly light and just makes you want to order more to satiate your dessert craving, or you can just fill that remaining stomach void with more booze(they have a pretty wide selection of wines and bubbly).

My boyf told me that he can foresee that this wouldn't be my sole visit here, and he is so goddamn right. I'll be back for many more dessert-lovin' & chillax sessions! And only with you :)

21A Lorong Liput
Holland Village
62919727
Nearest MRT: Buona Vista


Open Mon-Sat 6pm-2am
Closed Sun

Japanese Gourmet Town @ Vivo City

Japanese Gourmet Town is a 3-in-1 concept which houses 3 brands - Ajisen, Botejyu and Yoshimi. Each offers their own specials of ramen, okonomiyakis, and curry rice from their respective Jap regions.

Do note that these were 2 separate visits, and there is a slight revamp in their menu - I've noticed in my recent visit they no longer offer omu-rice.

 Moonlight Okos ($14.80) from Botejyu

One of their specialties, it's essentially an okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancake) with pork and prawn fillings, generously sprinkled with bonito flakes and topped with a sunny side up.

Sweet teriyaki sauce and mayonnaise gave it a sweet flavour with a punch, while the pancake itself is soft and rather thick in texture. I would recommend this for sharing, as the floury slab of it can get too jelak after a few bites. This is interesting, but not outstanding imo.

 Japanese curry with chicken

Looking watery and deceivingly mild, this hunk here is flavorful and packs a spicier punch in every slurp. Appetizing much, and totally more-ish. Throw in a tender chicken leg with a medley of vegetables like cabbage, pumpkin, carrots, and half a boiled egg and you get a comforting, stomach-warming, and sweat-inducing meal.

 Chicken kimuchi hot stone rice ($15.90)

This made a smoking grand entrance and it arrived smelling plenty delicious. Mix them all up and you get a spicy and flavourful bowl of rice with veggies(including kimchi), chicken cubes, and a sunny side up. Enjoyed scraping the charred bits of rice that stuck to the edges of the stone bowl. Yummms.

Dory fish katsu with curry

Generously coated with panko crumbs resulting in a nice and crisp batter, the dory fish was nicely soft inside. Curry was pleasant, savoury sweet with a little mild spiciness and its creaminess went perfectly with the accompanying mound of rice. This was non-fanciful yet a safe and tasty choice.

Conclusion: Jap Gourmet Town would be a good choice for affordable and decent Jap food, and for those seeking variety too. Fairly nice place for a quick dinner, but not one that I would specially make a trip down for.

Japanese Gourmet Town
Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
62249690
Open daily: 10am-10pm

Yan Ting @ St Regis - It's da bombzxz

(picture courtesy of thefoodchapter)

I've heard from aplenty that Yan Ting serves the best dim sum in Singapore. Now, many of you would go, "Really?"

Well, let's see..

(picture courtesy of lifestyleasia)

I was impressed by the restaurant's elegant decor, and especially love the little booths that we were ushered to. It allowed for more privacy - something that I am very grateful for; I could fully concentrate on enjoying my delectable brunch. The whole time, I felt like I was a dowager enjoying her tea-time in a contemporary palace.

In any dim sum meal, I believe that tea is a mandatory accompaniment - to wash away all that grease and aid digestion. We had Pu Erh, and instead of charging by per pot, we were charged at $4++ per person. That's $8++ in total.

Radish cake ($5++ for 3)

Their radish cake(aka carrot cake) was pan-seared to perfection. It had a nice crisp skin and was not too mushy. Studded with tiny char siew cubes within, giving it a delightful contrasting texture to the otherwise plain radish cake. Barely oily, this was tasty enough, though not mind-blowingly so.

Char siew pastry (aka char siew sou) ($5.40++ for 3)

If I could only have one item at Yan Ting, this would be it. To me, it is THE char siew sou, no two ways about it.

Before even putting it in my mouth, the tantalizing buttery fragrance from the flaky pastry already had me swooning.  It had me speechless for a few secs.

Generously filled with gooey-moist and suitably sweet BBQ pork; the smoky aroma of the latter was unmistakable.

Ambrosial, is the perfect word for it. Try it for yourselves and you'll know what I mean.

Mini egg tarts ($6++ for 2)

These little darlings are rather pricey at $3++ per pop, and imo it's not that worth it. That's not to say that it wasn't good; it hit all the right spots - it wasn't too sweet and was rather tasty, nice flaky tart with nary a sign of oiliness.

But I felt that these didn't justify its hefty price tag.

Order it only if you must have your egg tart fix.

Steamed prawn dumplings (aka har gao) ($6++ for 4)

One of the rare places that gets their har gao skin right. Nicely-translucent skin that wasn't too thin nor thick, wrapped around fresh, crunchy prawns which I thought could have been bigger :P

Definitely above mediocre standards, but not mind-blowing.

Salted egg yolk custard bun ($5++ for 3)

This has recently become my must-have during any dim sum session. I feel indefinite happiness whenever the creamy, savoury-sweet lava within erupts into my mouth.. Yum TTM.

Yan Ting's rendition of this was pretty good, though not toppling Taste Paradise as the #1 contender.

picture courtesy of a-tale-of-two-lambs

I forgot to take a picture of the molten lava.. Thankfully, there's always Google! ^^

It was molten inside and the taste of salted egg yolk was pretty rich, the skin wasn't the softest. But this was my fault for not eating it immediately. I was simply too engrossed with my char siew sou :P

Char siew bun ($5++ for 3)
This was one of the better char siew baos I've had. Even after leaving it untouched for so long, the bun remained soft and fluffy. Imagine if it were eaten warm? Mmm~
And the fillings were exactly the same as its cousin, Char siew sou. Yumz.

 Steamed pork and prawn dumplings (aka siew mai) ($6++ for 4)
I'd probably left it alone for too long, the wanton skins had already turned dry. Oops.
However, I'm glad to report that the pork and prawn used were fresh. Still a delightful siew mai! ^^

 Xiao long bao ($4++ per piece)
It's a misnomer to even call it a xiao long bao; this jumbo baby is totally a da long bao!
My, was I appalled to see that the skin had already broke before we even touched it. All the yummy soup had flowed out of the dumpling :(
Nevertheless, we tried to scoop up the remaining juices which were delicately sweet and very, very more-ish.
The pork within was of fresh quality too.

XO Cheong Fun ($10++)
This was surprising in ways that I didn't expect, surprisingly good that is. The tubes of rolled up cheong fun were rather soft in texture, and I could taste the distinct layers in my mouth.
XO sauce gave it a robust flavour; throwing in ingredients like fried eggs(could've been more of these), leek, and beansprouts made this super delectable.

This is something I'm fairly sure I'll be tempted to order again when I return.

Conclusion: Yes, they were right. Yan Ting indeed serves stellar dim sum that leaves an unforgettable impression. It will be the place that I'll recommend my friends when they ask me, "Where is the best place to go for dim sum?".

St Regis Residences Singapore

29 Tanglin Road

6506 6888

Open Weekdays 11:45am-3:30pm, 6pm-11pm

Food for thought @ SAM 8Q

Good food with a good cause.

I like the concept of this establishment as it not only serves yummy food, it also carries out its social responsibility by giving 10% of its profits to charity organizations and causes.

credit: (teoyeechin.blogspot.com)

We'd visited their other branch at North Bridge Road before, which serves a wide variety of soups, sandwiches, salads, mains, pastas, pizzas, that can be mixed-and-matched into a combo set. But what really brought us here were three words: All.Day.Breakfast. (till 5.30pm actually, but still.)

We ordered 2 items to share:

House works, $12+

A breakfast set that consisted of scrambled eggs on brioche toast, bacon, hash brown balls, and roasted tomato salad.

Found it alright, not particularly outstanding. The eggs were quite creamy but could do with more flavour.

Also, their brioche had a weird cake-like texture that I couldn't get use to.

Dark Chocolate & Stewed Cherries pancakes, $12+

All pancakes are served with fresh cream & gula melaka syrup, the latter which I I liked it as an interesting alternative to the usual maple syrup. My apologies for the lousy photo quality, it does the duo no justice at all.

What we had were the fluffiest of pancakes, topped with melted dark chocolate chips which made it x1000 yummier. The only flaw to this wonderful combi was the stewed cherries, which were a tad sour and had me cringing at each contact. But imma be back for more coz I spotted other yummy options like Banana & Walnuts, Milk Chocolate Chunks, and Granola!

Don't fancy breakfast items? Not to worry, their menu features other items like pastas, sandwiches, meats & seafood dishes, desserts, etc. - which sound equally mouth-watering too! There's free plain water served here, but diners can support their Give Clean Water fund with a donation of $2.
Also, you'll be pleased to know that there's no service charge here =)

As I've said it before, I will be back!

Food For Thought @ SAM 8Q

8 Queen Street

6338 9887

Opening Hours: Mon - Sat 9am - 10pm

(Last orders from kitchen 8.50pm)

Sun 9am - 9pm

(Last orders from kitchen 7.30pm)

Other Branch:

North Bridge Centre

420 North Bridge Road

6338 8724

Opening Hours: Mon - Sat 10am - 10pm

Kitchen Opening Hours: 11.30am - 2.30pm, 5.30pm - 9pm

A taste of Finland @ Gordon Grill

I jumped at the chance when a lovely friend of mine asked if I was interested in this special Finnish promo at Gordon Grill. He tried to further entice me by saying that I could expect to have reindeer meat in this meal. I initially thought it was a joke, until I found out he was dead serious about it.

So here I came, with no expectations at all as I haven't tried anything Finnish before, hence there's nothing for me to benchmark with.

We had the obvious choice: The 6-Course Degustation Dinner at S$98 per person.

The meal kicked off with a glass of lovely pear cider that was light and refreshing.

 Amuse bouche: Dried reindeer steak with red onion jam on a crisp cracker

Chewy, fibrous strips of smoky meat that were reminiscent of beef jerky or in chinese terms - bak kwa. Plenty delish when eaten together with the red onion jam and thin cracker.

 And also a selection of dark rye breads and crackers. Bread was chewy and rustic, but I'm no fan of it. The sandy rye crackers were fragrant and tasted like cornflakes, in a good way.

Juniper marinated reindeer tenderloin with wild mushroom salad, smoked vendace and buckthorn-carrot puree

The meat here was a little more thickly sliced than the amuse bouche, but was miles apart in terms of taste and texture. It was slimy and moist, but had gamy notes of lamb. Wild mushroom salad was yummy, even if it was a tad salty. Vendace was delish in every nibble. Taste-wise, it was like a cross between unagi and sardine, and was non-fishy. And that smoky aroma was simply intoxicating.

 Blini-style buckwheat brioche with salmon trout roe, beetroot-fresh cheese mousse and red onion jam
Cut into two tiny halves, l thought that the brioche looked cute. Served warm and moist, it tasted like a toasty, nutty, non-sweet version of a muffin. I enjoyed eating it together with the red onion jam, which was sweet and slightly tangy. The star of this dish would be the beetroot cheese mousse. Creamy, cheesy and insanely delicious. Beetroot gave it a tinge of sweetness and this yummy stuff was polished off easily. Salmon trout roe however, was so fishy that I couldn't even bring myself to finish it.

 Reindeer roast with liquorice sauce, potato pudding and sautéed cabbage roll

The thickness of the reindeer meat had increased in this dish, as did the intensity of the flavour. Though the gaminess of it tended to overwhelm at times, I still liked the full-bodied and richness of it. and I swore I could taste hints of foie gras. The liquorice sauce was lip-smackingly delicious and did much to enhance the flavour of the meat.

Potato pudding got me at a love-hate situation as I loved its soft, mushy texture but hated the taste of star anise in it. But when eaten with the dollop of lingonberry jam, this was mighty tasty. The tiny beads of barley had an nice chewy texture but was pretty tasteless and the cabbage roll was forgettable.

 Leaf celery sorbet

This was intriguing as neither of us had tasted anything like this before. The first taste had us stumped as it tasted exactly like celery, sharp and pungent. However, it was really addictive and it grew on us after a few more bites. The sugar-crusted celery leaf was way too sweet; it seemed like we were eating sugar crystals.

 Selection of Finnish cheeses with cloudberry jam and toasted oat bread

This was the dish that my dining partner had warned me about, and I was rather apprehensive about this course as I am not a fan of pungent and sharp-tasting cheeses. Surprise-of-the-day, I actually found the cheeses to be plenty toothsome!
Crumbly, salty, with a slight astringent taste, it was such a joy to eat. I especially loved the blue cheese for its sharp and slightly rancid flavour, which bonded beautifully with the delicious cloudberry jam and chewy rye bread.

I hereby pronounce myself as a cheese convert =)

Dessert Symphony – Lapland cottage cheese, milk chocolate mousse and cold blueberry soufflé

This is gorgeous. The best part was the blueberry souffle. Yummilicious, chilled blueberry compote oozed lazily from its dark chocolate shell and had me at wow. Milk chocolate mousse was a little too sweet and got a little cloying after few bites. Lapland cottage cheese was sadly bland and no amount of vanilla sauce could save it.

At the end of the meal, we were served yummy Finnish chocolates and offered the choice of coffee/tea which we both rejected as we did not want to end up awake all night =P

Conclusion: Exotic? Definitely. This was such a rare opportunity and I probably would never have the chance to sample Finnish cuisine again. It was a real eye and palate-opener for me. Simple ingredients used, but the effect produced from the combination was gorgeous. Kudos to Chef Kim Palhus; he made the Finnish and their cuisine proud.

Gordon Grill

22 Scotts Road

Goodwood Park Hotel

6730 1744

Daily: 12pm-2.30pm, 7pm-10.30pm

1Caramel - Surprises aplenty.

I've always considered 1Caramel at The Luxe(now-defunct) my trusty dessert spot whenever I happen to be that area. Imagine my horror when I found out that it moved out and been replaced by another cafe which I couldn't give two hoots about.

I found out from one of their service staff(the same one who used to work at 1Caramel as well) that my beloved patisserie had relocated to ulu ulu Rochester Park.

It was Love's birthday and I wanted to bring him to somewhere quiet and relaxing. Rochester Park came into mind. Both initial choices, Graze and Krish were unfortunately closed on that day, hence the next best option had to be 1Caramel.

And it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

It was a quiet Tuesday noon. We were the only patrons during our entire time there, as though we'd booked the entire place. What up!

 They do customized 3D cakes as well.

 The lovely cupcakes and mini-cakes on display. Loyal patrons would be able to tell that their cakes had underwent an image revamp.
They look more exquisite and delicate now, but I still preferred the huge, hearty portions of the past.

 Creamy scrambled egg with German-style sausage ($14)

Da boyf's choice. This was served with a roasted tomato, bay spinach and toasted country bread. Did not try the eggs & bread but he made remarks of the eggs having the right consistency; not too runny nor too rubbery. The scrummy German sausage was nicely-spiced and meaty in every bite.

 Croque Madame ($14)

Here comes the pièce de résistance. This French classic has officially toppled Eggs Benny as my #1 brunch must-have!

Toasted(sometimes grilled) brioche coated with cheesy Béchamel sauce and loads of cheese, finished with a wobbly fried egg sitting proudly on top. Brioche was pillowy with a delightfully crunchy crust, and I swore I tasted garlic-herb spread on it too.

So many different tastes and textures, yet not at all confusing. It's amazing how a simple ham & cheese sandwich can be made so delicious. One word: Orgasmic.

 A lovely mess indeed.

Earl Grey creme brulee ($14)

Little thought was need when it came to choosing desserts.

Infused with earl grey tea leaves, the smoky aroma was so strong that my delicate palate received a jolt that made me sit up and pay attention. Oh what an attention seeker. Its unique fragrance grew on me after subsequent bites; an acquired taste, I would say.

Crackling crust was lovely but I would have preferred a silkier, more meltingly-soft custard(again, personal preference). The accompanying grissini cheese straws were like twisted phyllo pastries and had the same smoky aroma. Lovely. 

Passionfruit souffle with banana-passion sorbet ($14)

I'd spied my little eye on this since god knows when; been dyin' to try this. Alas........I would say that this was a little less mind-blowing than what I had in mind. Texture was perfect, the eggy souffle was reminiscent of clouds. Deceptively demure, this badass souffle had my boyf cringing at the very first bite. Hahaha. Studded with passionfruit seeds, this was strong in flavour and unabashedly so. Nevertheless, this was devoured in seconds.

Banana passion sorbet was pleasantly good; I loved the harmonious blend of the tropical flavours.

Brunch is never complete without a good and warm cuppa.
Cappucino and Latte ($8 each)

Complimentary Gems(petit fours) were served. Orange creme brulee(left) strangely tasted nothing like its name. It tasted more like candied fruits on a soggy feuilletine. On the right was the milk chocolate which was left untouched.

The tiny syringe on the left petit four was lime curd and was interesting. The dark chocolate on the right was rather ho-hum.

Brunch-lovers would be pleased to know that 1Caramel is currently running a 1-for-1 F&B promo which ends on 14th June. We were pleasantly surprised when the grand total of the bill came up to only forty-ish.

We had a really lovely(read:lazy) afternoon brunch; and I can already foresee return visits. Apart from its yummy comfort food, I also loved the serenity, lush greenery, and beautiful colonial buildings in this area.

I just can't get enough.

1 Rochester Park, #02-01 (nearest MRT:Buona Vista)

Mon - Fri: 11:30am-10:30pm

Sat - Sun: 10am-4pm, 6pm-10:30 pm

67741302

http://www.1-caramel.com