Antoinette Launches New Menu : When Hakka Meets French

Mod-Sin is not an unfamiliar term in Singapore’s gastronomical scene but talk about French-Hakka fusion, I am quite sure Chef Pang of Antoinette is the first to launch it in Singapore. On the savoury menu is a repertoire of new dishes—of which some pay tributes to Chef Pang’s own Hakka’s culinary heritage. For instance, the Hakka Gnocchi ($24) is a colourful variation of the usual yam balls with the use of beetroot, sweet potato and purple sweet potato. I was a bit worried that the foie gras might overpower the dish but fortunately it did not. The flavourful stir-fry of dried shrimps, cured pork and morels make this no less delicious than an authentic Hakka suan pan zi.  


The Spaghetti ($24) is a delicious spin off from the classic Hakka noodles with a robust pork belly ragout with cuttlefish and aromatic elements like the ebi sakura. I might be biased towards Chinese noodles but this dish appeals to me anytime better than a plate of traditional spaghetti. I can imagine myself finishing the entire portion with chilli padi. As a half Hakka who is being raised by my Hakka maternal grandparents, I grew up with a fondness for suan pan zi and niang dou fu. Although these can be found in some hawker centres, I always feel that Hakka cuisine is under-represented versus Cantonese or Teochew cuisine. As such, it is heartening to learn that Hakka food has been placed on the French menu, giving more people the chance to understand and taste what Hakka food is.

Bread and Butter ($5) : Satay Bacon Epi, Levain, Baguette, 5 spice escargot with butter in unique flavours like chye poh and sambal

But the menu goes beyond the love story of French and Hakka. There’s local inspired dishes like Chicken Rice or Kale Caesar Salad that has a funky salted fish dressing. I highly recommend the Chili Crab Arancini (3pcs) because it tastes just like having chilli crab but without the trouble of deshelling the crab. Think of a giant crab meat ball, deep-fried to a golden crisp exterior with a gooey cheesy core, served in a pool of homemade chilli sauce cooked with lobster bisque. The bonus is the nuggets of fried Chinese buns littered randomly in the dish. What a clever interpretation of the Chilli crab dish and I love this more than the real dish. 

Expect no less from the desserts section as it has always been Antoinette’s forte. The Misty Forest ($18) that makes a smoky entrance reminded me of Harry Potter’s movie; as dark and mysterious as the main grand cru dark chocolate cremeux that envelops the tastebuds. But if there’s one dessert that is bound to win Singaporean’s hearts, it will be Pandan ($14), a 2-part dessert comprising of pandan kaya butter toast served alongside a plated dessert of Pandan ice cream, coral sponge, caviar, coconut crumble, lime foam and salted gula Melaka.    

Pandan, pandan, pandan. I haven’t come across any Singaporeans who don’t like pandan. This dessert is almost like a dream come true for myself who loves every single element here. And now, I (secretly) wish that there’ll be a pandan entremet on the cake collection next year.

Penhas Outlet

30 Penhas Road Singapore 208188

Mon-Thur 11am-10pm

Fri/Eve of PH 11am-11pm

Sat 10am-11pm

Sun/PH 10am-10pm

Mandarin Outlet 

33A Orchard Road, Mandarin Gallery, 

#02-33/34, Singapore 238897 

11am-10pm daily

http://www.antoinette.com.sg/

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Anywhere Door : Avoid these Scary Photogenic Sweets

Doesn't this remind you of Doraemon's most popular gadget that can transport the user to the place they desire?

But in Tokyo, it is the name of a shop that sells colorful cone shots in the backyard of Harajuku. Ordering is simple. Choose a basic type of chocolate coated cone and match it with your preferred drink, be it latte or hot chocolate  (380 yen). The colorful display of cone shots at the counter is certainly very instagram-worthy and you may spend a long time thinking of what combo you like to have. 

Having a soft spot for limited edition flavors, we went for the summer special matcha fru-bet paired with raspberry chocolate cone. I had no idea why it was called fru-bet but my wild guess is they are trying to make it like a light sorbet when it tasted more like a matcha latte ice cream rather than a sorbet. The cone shot was disappointinly NOT crunchy at all and tasted like "lou feng" wafer cone. We found it even more troublesome to eat then a normal drumstick ice cream but I imagined it could be worse if we ordered the usual cone shot filled with hot latte. The base was a solid chocolate that is similar to what you find at the end of a typical ice cream drumstick but the chocolate was so thick and clumsy my friend gave up eating that part. 

But the "Melt Tiramisu" did not fare any better. It wasn't a tiramisu to start with, but a cone filled with cream and nothing else. I loved the texture of the cream, rich and velvety but the entire thing was too sweet to handle. Both the Matcha and Houjicha were exceedingly sweet but the Hojicha is worse because the cone was coated with white chocolate (dark chocolate for the Matcha version). 

I finally understood why there was barely any customer when I visited on a Sunday afternoon. Had expected a line of youngsters queuing up. Since my last visit, it had been launching more photogenic or colorful desserts like the cotton candy cloud but I am doubtful that they boast any true substance in taste.

Better to enter the door of any conbini store rather than this "anywhere door". 

東京都 渋谷区神宮前3-27-15 FLAG 1A

https://www.facebook.com/anywheredoor0121/
http://anywheredoor.jp
11am-7pm daily

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Atmosphere Bistro : New Menu, Better and More Delicious

When it comes to seaside dining experience, I tend to think of expensive and generic food that tends to play second fiddle to the ambience. But I am happily proven wrong during my recent visit to Atmosphere bistro which has revamped its menu to offer new Asian fusion dishes that more than pleases the eye.

The western-centric menu remains casual but the quality has definitely gone up notches since my last visit. Starting with the Garlic Butter Mussels ($14.80), the whole shell blue mussels were plump and fresh, with an aromatic garlic butter cream sauce that is perfect for mopping up with the crispy roti prata. Many dishes have become more instagram-worthy but thankfully they are not short of flavors. For instance, the Lava Cheese Burger ($24.80)  is something you might want to reward yourself with after sweating out at East Coast Park. Beneath the toasted Brioche Buns is an evil stack of deep fried Camembert Cheese that oozes while your knife cuts through to the beef patty.

Just like the Waffle Burger ($21.80), the beef patty here was slightly too mushy and thus my vote goes to the Mentaiko Pull Pork Burger ($24.80) as the moist pork is more easygoing on the palates and the bed of shredded carrots worked like a refreshing coleslaw that added pleasant acidity to the dish.

Fusion is no longer confusion here with the Mentaiko Waffle Pizza ($16.80) serving as another good example. The tender buttermilk waffle isn't those crispy types but that's not a bad thing at all. Together with the Pork Bratwurst Sausages, Mentaiko Mayo, pineapples, cheese and bonito flakes, this is a sweet-savory combination that resembled a Hawaiian Pizza but hundred times better than one. The Premium Seafood Rice Bowl ($24.80) is my another favorite dish that comes with plenty fresh seafood like scallops and cod fish atop of premium Japanese rice. The garlic butter sauce did not overpower the natural sweetness of the seafood and this serves as a good break from the monotony of western dishes.Considering the quality ingredients here, this is a value-for-money dish not to be missed. 

Desserts are given a serious makeover here and one should definitely not miss the Black Pearl ($16.80). Even though the idea of pouring hot sauce over chocolate sphere is nothing new, the chocolate is potent and the intense rum punches through the sweetness. I was teleported to cloud nine. The Matcha Lava Cake ($14.80) was too sweet while I preferred the Coconut Cheesy Toast ($14.80) to have more Gula Melaka to balance out the rich Mozarella Cheese. But overall with the major improvements in food, this bistro certainly offers more than just the "atmosphere" 

Monday to Thursday: 6pm to 12am

Friday and Eve of Public Holiday: 6pm to 1am

Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday: 10.30am to 1am

* Closing time subjected to change for LIVE sport screenings

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Bee's Knees @ Botanic Gardens : Extended Opening Hours with Delicious Bar Bites

Food from cafes and restaurants in tourist attractions tend to be overpriced and lacking in quality. But not so for Bees Knees Cafe, the sister cafe of Botanico located at the 1st floor of the restored two-storey heritage building in Botanic Gardens.


Already attracting crowds of locals and expats alike during weekends, Bees Knees has expanded its menu to offer a plethora of hearty western dishes from pastas to bar bites. The Potato Chips Salad ($8) is a spinoff from Japanese Potato Salad with a familiar taste of Japanese mayonnaise mixed with Spanish Onions and mustard.


But this is a thousand times more addictive because the thin extra virgin oil fried potato chips make munching such an easy affair. Not to be missed is the crispy Boxing Chicken ($14) with Siracha mayonnaise and the Crispy Calamari ($14) with Chincalok Coriander. But the ultimate sinful indulgence was the "Beef Cheeky" Fries. With soggy fries drenched in rich beef ragout and mozzarella, it looked as if it popped out from American food shows. And the sodium level here is also no joke.

But rest assure that these aren't the only delicious food on the menu. For something light and healthy, try the "Veggie Goat" ($16) a refreshing quinoa salad tossed with cherry tomatoes, roasted pumpkins, figs, watercress and caramelized goat cheese. The balsamic reduction injects the right degree of acidity and livens up the flavors. For the sandwiches, they are interestingly served with the uncommon Turkey bread that has a crunchy crust and holds up wet ingredients very well.

The Tiger Prawn Pasta ($18) turned out to be totally different from what I imagined. Luscious dark brown pappardelle fully absorbed the seafood flavors with tiger prawns so fresh and plump that makes this almost as lavish as a lobster pasta. This self-service cafeteria also offers fresh croissants, cakes all baked in house. There's waffles and pancakes but I highly recommend the Five Spiced Churros. They are so delicately crisp on the outside and stretchy on the inside. Being neither too doughy nor greasy, these deep fried snacks are even better than  the ones I had at Barrio.

Portions are huge for sharing so it is best to get a group of friends down to share the variety (and calories). But do pick the right time to come or be prepared to queue.

Currently, Bee's Knees is offering a promotion of 2 regular pints of beer and 1 pizza for $38. Don't miss this great deal! (p.s I don't drink but I had the Truffle Mushroom Pizza which was fragrant and delicious!) 

Bee's Knees
50 Cluny Park Road
Botanic Gardens

Monday to Tuesday, 8 am - 6 pm

Wednesday to Sunday, 8 am - 10 pm

*'Live' band plays acoustic music every alternate Friday

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TONO Cevicheria : First Ever Peruvian Cevicheria in Singapore

With a jaunty logo of a turquoise dancing fish with hearts of scales, doing salsa with maracas in “hands” and chilli between the teeth, I can tell straight away that TONO is going to be somewhat special. But “special” is a too simplified word to describe the unique Peruvian dining experience here.

First, the menu isn’t categorized into your familiar territories like mains, appetizers or sharing plates. Everything looks Greek to me except for the English description, so probably the best (or safest) way is to start with the most recognizable or democratic dish of Peru called “Ceviche”, raw fish cured in a creamy marinade known as Tiger’s Milk. If any ceviche is missing of the seafood, chilli, lime and onions, you know it's not authentic.

Said to be the most conventional style found in almost every Peru household, the Clasico Ceviche, which is based in fish-broth Tiger's milk, metes out electrifying flavors of sweet, tangy and spicy. The Nikkei weaves a similar story but with raw yellowfin tuna, purple potato chips and a stronger umami taste due to hondashi and Mirin. 

From the ceviche to the Piqueos (sharing nibbling dishes), the dishes did what they are supposed to by perking up the palates with forthright flavors. Among the highlights: Jalea, an assorted plate of deep fried seafood, with salsa criollo and smoked chilli mayo. Solterito, an intensely flavorful pile of potato mash, Fava beans and deep-fried salted Peruvian corn kernels called Canchitas. Some call it a potato salad but it is more sophisticated than one and much tastier, of course.

But the more I eat, the more I realize that don't understand Peruvian cuisine. You've got Aguadito; long grain rice cooked in coriander and cumin soup with crispy fish that reminds of Indian or more precisely, Hainanese curry rice. Next was a plate of stir fried beef with tomatoes, onions and crispy potatoes, very much similar to a wok-fry beef dish in a Chinese restaurant. And the dark soy sauce, perfect to go with rice and taking that role here is Arroz Blanco, Peruvian-style garlic rice.

These beloved Peruvian specialties evoke a sense of deja vu and reflect the diverse influences of the immigrant communities (Spanish, Italians, Chinese, Japanese) on the Peruvian food culture. Who would have expected that the best Ceviche in Peru is made by a Cantonese chef? 

With such a brilliant combination of textures, flavors and colors across the dishes, it is not surprising to learn that TONO is the brainchild of Peruvian Chef Daniel Chafez, co-owner and chef of OLA Cocina de Mer at Marina Bay Financial Center.

Under the helm of executive Chef Mario Malvez, the team of Lima-trained chefs fly the flag of Peru high by delivering accomplished Peruvian dishes using sustainable ingredients, especially seafood.

Desserts such as Alfajores (think melting moments shortbread cookie sandwiches) and Combinado (vanilla rice pudding) belong to the conservative Latin American camp but the sugar levels are much reasonable and most importantly, they are tasty.

With the finest Peruvian cuisine, quality Pisco and cocktails, there's possibly one and only one rule that you must comply in this free-spirited, boisterous place--dance to the salsa music. #TONOmeansParty

Don't worry, I'm not going to judge you.

TONO Cevicheria
7 Fraser Street
#01-49/50 Duo Galleria
Singapore 189356
12pm-2.30pm (Mon-Fri)
6pm-10pm (Mon-Sat)
www.tono.com.sg

 

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Le Coin Vert by The Agnes ル・コワンヴェール : Hidden Patisserie in Kagurazaka

Hidden in the quaint neighbourhood of Kagurazaka is a boutique hotel named The Agnes and right next to it is a 2-storey wooden hut that houses a French patisserie that opened at the same time in 2008. It was headed by Chef Koji Ueshimo until 2015 June when Chef Koji left the shop to open his standalone patisserie Avranches Guesnay in the same year. In fact, 50% of the cakes at Le Coint Vert can be found in Avranches and I'm curious if there's any difference between the two places.

But back to Le Coin Vert, it is more suitable for takeaway though one can enjoy them at the outdoor terrace seats when the weather is good. 3 out of the 5 cakes left me with the deepest impression. Chocolate lovers, especially dark chocolate fans, would be exceptionally pleased with the ultra dark bitterness of Fortissimo. It's just layers of ganache and sponge, but more formidable than any chocolate cake of similar structure. The fleetingly light Fromage Cru offered a captivating savoury flavor of cheese and this, was gone in a twilight--the unspoken unanimous favourite of everyone.

The signature cake was Renald, which spoke easily to those who favour cakes with varying textures and of course caramel + chocolate. The cakes are reasonably priced but I think they could invent more original items rather than depending on the "old" cakes created by the previous chef.

Le Coin Vert

10.30am-7pm (Closed on Mon)

〒162-0825 東京都新宿区神楽坂2-20-1

http://www.agneshotel.com/patisserie/

Nearest station : Iidabashi Station / Kagurazaka Station

Violet

Mont Dor

Fortissimo

Pistachio St Marc

signature Renald

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