Osia - Modern Aussie cuisine

Osia offers a selection of appetizers, mains, and a dessert at $28++ for 2 courses and $38++ for 3 courses, which is pretty value-for-money given that it features signatures like its Foie Gras and Hot Chocolate Soup.

Love the open-kitchen concept here, gives patrons a feast for the eyes before the actual feast is served =)

Service is acceptable, wait staff are attentive without being intrusive. However, I noticed a particular service staff who seemed a little haughty.

 I did my homework before I visited Osia and found out that the Stonehearth Flatbread here had gathered great reviews.

We ordered both the Black Olive Rosemary and the Roasted Garlic Butter ($9++) in half and half, and it came with a toothpaste-like tube of Garlic Feta Cheese.

The bread was plenty yummy even on it's own. Fragrant, crusty on the outside, soft and chewy inside.  

Both was great, but I personally prefer the Black Olive version for it's earthy and uplifting aroma. Felt that the Roasted Garlic one could do with more crispy garlic flakes.

Appetizer #1 (Polenta Crumbed Foie Gras with Spiced Orange Marmalade and Acacia Honey Sponge)

It's no exaggeration; this is the by far the best foie gras I've ever had. Crumbing it with polenta sets this puny sized darling apart from the usual ones as it adds a crispy, caramelized crust, unveiling a soft and curd-like texture within.

Orange marmalade helped to cut through the grease and added another dimension to yumminess. The accompanying honey sponge, however, seemed out of place here and could be well done without.

Main Course #1 (Australian Beef Hanging Tender with Chestnut Mousseline and Balsamic Vinegar Sauce)

What appealed me was the use of chestnut mousse and balsamic sauce; I absolutely love anything chestnut or balsamic. I didn't have a clue what hanging tender was and I certainly did not know what to expect. With the help of Wikipedia, I've come to know that it is actually derived from the diaphragm of cattle and it prized for its flavor.' It is not particularly tender and is served rare/medium-rare to avoid toughness.

This perfectly describes what was served to me. It was quite chewy, but still relatively easy to masticate. I would say that it was in good hands as it was very flavourful.

Main Course #2 (Barramundi with Roquette Potato Mash and Tangy Vegetables)

Fish was fresh, soft, yet firm. The much-detested muddy taste of Barramundi was absent here. The skin was so crispy that an audible 'krrr' came out of my lips. It was also served with tangy, tiny cubes of zucchini and tomatoes which made it very appetizing.

Dessert (Varhona Hot Chocolate Soup with Black Peppered ice cream and Sesame crisp)

This is pure comfort food for me. The 'hot chocolate soup' had a hard crust which is similar to that of a creme brulee. 

Breaking it reveals a thick chocolate lava that's waiting to be devoured. The gooey lava paired well with the vanilla ice-cream with just a hint of black pepper aftertaste. Oh god, this is so yummy.

Will I return?

For the foie gras & the chocolate soup, definitely.

Osia
Resorts World Sentosa, Festive Walk
6577 6560

Open Mon-Wed,Sun 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10pm
Thu-Sat 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10:30pm

Pamplemousse - From that moment on, everything changed

Okay, post title has nothing to do with the food nor service. It's referring to something magical that happened which changed the lives of two people ever since ♥


Dempsey Hill is one of my favourite places to dine in due to its secludity(which is sadly diminishing due to increasing popularity) and its peaceful ambience.

I brought my boyf(then-friend) for dinner at Pamplemousse Bistro + Bar, which serves European cuisine with a fusion touch of Jap, Korean, Chinese, Greek, etc here and there. We had the Prix Fix Dinner Menu at $48++ per person, from which diners are given a choice of Appetizer+Main or Main+Dessert. Click here for their menu.

No pictures taken of the warm ciabatta that was served as pre-meal complimentary bread. 

We shared the Pan-seared foie gras, which required an extra $12 supplement. I thought that Pamplemousse's macadamia nut crusted version was an interesting variation but the boyf found it odd instead. Well, to each of his own. I liked how they played up the textures; gritty nuts, soft and curd-like goose liver, and crusty sweet brioche. It was both teasing and pleasing on the palate.

And the Onion soup "Breakfast" was for me only(selfish) :P

Now, this was unlike traditional ones that are served with melted gruyère and croutons, it arrived deconstructed in four parts. The flavourful broth of sweet, caramelized onions came in a generous portion and I felt that I was momentarily transported into a quaint little cottage, enjoying a thick, hearty and comforting bowl of soup.

Sidekicks consisted of cheese croquettes, truffled nori butter, and french toast brioche with caramelized onion fillings which were decent.

For my main, I had my eye on the Uni Tagliolini that was unfortunately not available on that day. Disappointed much :( So my alternative was the Black Cod that was served with caramelized cauliflower, oyster mushrooms, with conpoy and curry leaves sauce.

I was too absorbed in my meal that I forgot to snap pictures of the mains, but I guess you can pretty much imagine how it looks like yeah?

Here's a taste guide: Silky and tender goodness under a crisp skin accompanied with rich and creamy curry sauce(not unlike McD's curry sauce :P). My only gripe was the dry-ish cauliflower. Otherwise, nicely executed but not definitive in any manner that made it truly outstanding.

 Picture courtesy of yumyumtumtum

Boyf's Duck Confit was decent but wasn't spectacular either. It passed the crisp skin test, but would have achieved perfection if the slivers of duck meat were a little moister. It went well with the braised red cabbage which was sweet and slightly sharp in taste, a little along the lines of sauerkraut. The piquant lychee gastrique had a nice caramelized taste and slight sour notes, a perfect counter for the richness of the poultry.

The retrospective overview is that Pamplemousse serves up affordable, new-age European food that are bold in the inclusion of fusion elements(check out their menu and you'll know what I mean) and they're definitely not crappy. Their quiet location and nice Parisian ambience scores them a plus too. Nuff said. A return visit is already on the cards. Hmm.. Their brunch looks nice as well *hint hint* =P

Pamplemousse
Blk 7 Dempsey Road, #01-04 Singapore
Tel: +65 6475 0080

Opening Hours
Tue–Fri: 12pm–2.30pm, 6.30pm–10.30pm
Sat–Sun: 11.30am–2.30pm, 6.30pm–10.30pm
(Closed on Mon)

Ember - Great food, Horrendous Service

Heard rave reviews about this place and I brought my friend down to try their 3-Course Set Lunches which are priced at $39.50++. My tastebuds are easily satisfied and I found the food was generally awesome.

Complimentary bread (Sun-dried tomato focaccia)

Served warmed, it was crusty on the outside, soft, fluffy, and a little chewy on the inside. The aroma is simply heavenly, the flavours of sun-dried tomato, basil, and others that I couldn't detect really went well together. We were so tempted to ask for a 2nd loaf, but we exercised enough self-restraint to prevent over-stuffing ourselves.

 Crispy tofu with foie gras-mirin sauce and white truffle oil

The wobbly soft tofu had shiitake mushrooms embedded within and was deep-fried till crispy with nary a sign of oiliness. 

The thick and creamy foie gras sauce is what makes this otherwise-plain tofu so magical. It was unique, intense and pungent, yet so delicious that it just begs you to slurp it all up. Topped with bonito flakes, this was a clever play on textures and tastes.

Not.a.single.drop.of sauce was spared.

 Spiced Crabcake in Oriental sauce

The crabcake was soft and moist, with a slight crispy exterior. I could taste the slight sweetness of the crab meat, and there were hints of wasabi in it, which neither of us could appreciate.

Marinated Cod with Black Miso, accompanied by sweet peas and herbed potatoes

This was generally a sweet dish. The cod was fresh and so tender that it threatened to fall apart at the slightest scrape with a fork. The fish had a slippery and buttery texture, but it did not give me the greasy, unctuous feeling that I hate. The black miso glaze was a little sweet but still had that savoury taste to it.

Pan-seared Chilean seabass with mushroom and smoked bacon ragout in truffle-yuzu butter sauce

The sauce was rich and complex in flavours, and the ingredients (yuzu, truffle, butter) really went well together. Actually, I could only taste more of the truffle and butter but that was enough to make me swoon.

I loved it so much that I practically licked the plate clean. This prized fish came in a generous portion; the thick slab of it definitely satisfies fish lovers like me.

It was tasty enough; like the cod, it was fork-tender but it still retained its bite. I could still chew on the fibrous texture of the flesh.

Sticky date pudding with Grand Marnier ice-cream

This was their dessert of the day. Its more like a cake than pudding, but it was really moist and I could taste the dates embedded within, as well as a subtle whiff of ginger. It was only lightly drizzled with butterscotch sauce, and it wasn't overly sweet, making it easy for one to finish it all without

getting sick of it. The Grand Marnier ice-cream melted very fast due to it being home-made.

Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake with Vanilla bean ice cream

I just love it when the thick molten chocolate oozes out of the crispy, soft tower of a warm chocolate cake. The ice-cream was dottled with speckles of vanilla beans which I absolutely love it it's subtle taste of sweetness and vanilla fragrance. Similar to the Grand Marnier ice-cream, this melted at a rapid speed as well.

A sweet ending to a yummy lunch.

The service on the other hand, was on the other end of the scale.

1) The wait staff were very rude in their tone and the way they carried their message across. One of them even threw the napkin on my lap and left.

2) What's with the permanent scowl on their faces? I would appreciate if they had spared us their irritated expressions even if they couldn't manage a smile.

3) They literally chased us out of the restaurant, and I lost count of the number of times they told us "we're closing". They even pointed us to the door, which literally meant "Get Out Right Now".

However, if you're able to put aside all the shitty service, I would still recommend this place for its yummy and innovative dishes. 


Restaurant Ember
Hotel 1929
50 Keong Saik Road
63471928
Open Weekdays 11:30am-2pm, 6:30pm-10pm; Sat 6:30pm-10pm