Restaurant Review - SuperTree by IndoChine

Restaurant Review - SuperTree by IndoChine

18 Marina Gardens Drive
Gardens by the Bay, #03-01
Singapore 018953

 +65 6694 8489

One of Michael Ma's latest addition to the IndoChine group of restaurants, hotels and clubs is located in the heart of Singapore's Gardens by the Bay. Placatively named SuperTree, the restaurant cum rooftop bar sits atop the biggest artificial tree in Gardens by the Bay. Visiting at night is particularly impressing, as the trees are lit up in serene colours and the SuperTree stands out against the impressive sight of Marina Bay Sands in the background.

Mink Tan, the interior designer for the SuperTree also designed various popular clubs in Singapore. Unfortunately, and in my personal opinion, the interior design is indeed more apt for a night club (and rather one from the 70s) rather than a treetop restaurant, with cow hides on the floor, cow-themed bar stools and a bubble chair hanging from the ceiling. Even the elevator up to the restaurant is a homage to the disco era, with a marine theme and white jellyfish painted on the walls, and including a broken vent with duct tape hanging from the ceiling. Inside the restaurant, I recommend a table away from the glaring colored lights hanging behind the bar, as they reflect in the glass windows, preventing you from enjoying the view. The restaurant in the SuperTree opened just 7 months ago, yet much of the interior already looks worn and chipped (more duct tape at the corner of the bar, badly scratched cutlery, worn-out menus) As you can see from the pictures, the table deco also follows the 70s theme, and unfortunately the table cloth does not get changed after every meal, so there are splotches. 

You might gather correctly that my first impression of IndoChine's SuperTree was not very favourable. Fortunately, however, SupreTree has a few aces up its sleeve that more than make up for its drawbacks.

First, the food. We were a small party, but we ordered quite a lot of food and two bottles of wine. We started out with the SuperTree Platter. This platter is made up four of each Bó La Lot (Grilled beef in wild betel leaves), Nem Khao Hor (Rice paper hand rolls with minced chicken and roasted organic brown rice), Gói Cuôn (Vietnamese fresh rice paper rolls with tiger prawn), Lychee Beignets with kurobuta pork loin and bacon, as well as Nem Re So (Vietnamese scallop rolls in crispy sliver threadskin). This starter was nothing short of delicious, with all items tasting fabulously.

The Chef’s Special Chargrilled Fresh Squid might have been good, but it arrived at our table lukewarm, and after a few minutes on the table it was cold, so that I did not try more than 2 pieces, which tasted decently.

We had two salads at Supertree, namely the Tam Som – Traditional Papaya Salad with shredded green papaya, dried shrimp, long beans, chilli, carrots, cherry tomatoes, lime juice & peanuts, dressed with a traditional Laotian sauce as well as the Gói Buòi Saigon – Pomelo Prawn Salad of Saigon, with freshly poached tiger prawns, pomelo, dried shrimp, chilli & carrot tossed with the IndoChine house dressing. On the latter, our friendly waitress rightfully advised us that it would taste rather intensely of fish. Both salads were quite decent and notably made with fresh ingredients.

Of the Tom Yam Lobster Broth with wild Asian herbs, tomatoes & lobster meat we had both the creamy and the clear versions at our table. The Tom Yam was not very spicy and very full-flavored, with a fresh aftertaste, making the broth very savoury. Maybe because of the overpowering explosion of Tom-Yam flavour, the lobster did not really shine.

The Thit Bo Luc Lac – Prime Black Pepper Beef sautéed in herbs, spices & melted butter was served on a bed of sliced onions & tomatoes, accompanied by a sour-sweet dip.The "basket of daily selected garden greens for traditional wrapping" was nothing more than regular lettuce leaves, but the beef itself was alright.

Another highly-recommended signature dish at the SuperTree restaurant is steamed black cod with a sauce of lemon juice, garlic, coriander & chilli, topped a poached tiger prawn. While the cod and prawn were decent, I would not call it a signature dish, as it did not outperform some of the other dishes we tried that night. Instead, I recommend trying the pan-seared red drum fish with poached pear, tamarind dressing, and cashew nuts, as this was more intense in flavor and definitely one of the better dishes at SuperTree.

IndoChine's lightly fried rice with chicken & prawns is spiced with special herbs & a home-made sauce,
and was also quite yummy, accompanying our other dishes nicely.

Second big pro for Indochine's Supertree are the outdoor seating areas. Due to the fact that seating is 360 degrees around the tree, the outdoor seating areas provide a modicum of privacy and do not appear crowded even when a number of patrons are seated. In fact, as far as I could tell that night, not a single person was sitting in the outdoor area of the restaurant, which is actually ideal, as you get a breeze, a great view and you can hear the sounds from the Gardens by the Bay in a loft setting.

I recommend to have a drink at the revolving rooftop bar after your dinner at SuperTree (hopefully it will revolve again, as it was out of order when we were visiting). The design of the tree makes you feel like you are sitting on a floating platform, and the 360 degree view is impressive. A particular highlight is sunset atop the SuperTree, with the sun slipping behind the horizon and its last rays glinting off the ships in the bay.

Overall, I'd say very good food and the surrounding Gardens by the Bay offset SuperTree's interior design and make for a nice evening in an unusual surrounding.

4/5 Stars

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Restaurant Review: Tamarind Hill Singapore

Restaurant Review: Tamarind Hill Singapore

30 Labrador Villa Road
Singapore 119189
+65 6278 6364

Tamarind Hill restaurant is located in a colonial building situated on top of a hill in the green oasis of Labrador Park. Formerly known as Labrador Villa, this building was once the home of businessman George John Mansfield. As you can see in the below picture, the entrance to Tamarind Hill restaurant is nothing short of spectacular, with a staircase more befitting a royal palace than a home.

Copyright: Samadhi

In line with the elegant setting, the dress code at Tamarin Hill is smart casual and so as not to disturb dinner guests, children below the age of 14 are not permitted entrance. Arriving at Labrador Villa, one might get the impression that the place is deserted, as no signs of occupation are visible from the outside. However, once you enter the restaurant, you will quickly notice that the many tables are taken for the most part, at least on a weekend night.

For starters, we ordered the Tamarind Hill Platter, which is one of the restaurant's signature dishes and combines 4 different starters, with two items of each caramelized minced chicken and peanut embedded in tangerine, breaded calamari, prawn cake and salmon tataki. While this platter was not huge, and in line with what you'd expect from most elegant restaurants, it made up for it in flavor, with especially the salmon tataki and prawn cake standing out.

When our two main courses arrived (grilled fish and deep-fried duck, as per the waiter's recommendation also signature dishes at Tamarind Hill), I was very positively surprised by their sheer size. Usually, and as was the case with the starters and desert platters at Tamarind Hill, the portions in fancy restaurants tend to be rather inadequate for a hungry person. However, in this Labrador Park restaurant, the serving size for the main dishes is very, very generous. I'm not entirely sure how many ducks had to give their lives to fill this big platter with duck breast, and the grilled fish was quite decently sized as well. Of the two, the Thai-style grilled fish was the clear winner, hands down. The meat was succulent and doused with the accompanying sauce, this was by far the best dish we tried at Tamarind Hill, and I highly recommend giving it a try. Unfortunately, the deep-fried duck was not up to par, as the deepfrying apparently sapped most of the flavor from the duck meat, and even with the good tamarind sauce, the flavor was disappointing. Given the generous serving sizes, we were barely able to finish both dishes.

To finish our meal at Labrador Park, we decided on Tamarind Hill's desert platter. There were a few more or less traditional Thai deserts, and the only two I found tasty, my companion refused to eat, saying they were way too sweet. Now, I do have a sweet tooth, but I have to say they were indeed rather intensively sweet. The other desert items I found to be average at best, and my companion was also not impressed by this course.

Two items saved our dining experience at Tamarind Hill. First, the very nice location and atmosphere, and second the best grilled fish I have eaten in Singapore to date. On the downside, the other dishes we had varied below and above average, and service was merely ok (had to ask for cold water twice), although the staff was friendly. In line with its reputation, dinner at Tamarind Hill was not a cheap affair at a total of SGD ~250, including a bottle of  wine.

4/5 Stars

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Restaurant Review - Rabbit Carrot Gun

Rabbit Carrot Gun Bed & Breakfast (& Lunch & Dinner)

49 East Coast Road
Singapore 428768

+65 6348 8568

Rabbit Carrot Gun is hard to describe. It's a Bed & Breakfast, it's a lunch place, it's a dinner locale, it's a pub, it's restaurant, all under one cozy roof with a common, uncommon theme. The restaurant is located on Singapore's East Coast area, close to the hustle and bustle of 112 Katong. A number of new restaurants and bars are sprouting up in this area, next to old-established hawkers and drinking places, adding their own mark to the mix and yet another interesting area to explore in Singapore.

We went to Rabbit Carrot Gun restaurant on a Friday night, so the place was pretty packed. You will meet locals here, but also a number of foreigners from all walks of life. At night, the restaurant itself is rather cozy and dark, which fits the rabbit-hole theme and makes it look more like a pub than a restaurant. As would befit any English pub, the Rabbit Carrot Gun has its own beer, called Buckshot Pint, which has a very rich dark-red-brownish colour and tastes similar to Guinness.

For a starter, we chose the Casserole of Mushrooms & Crème Fraiche on Toasted Brioche with Balsamic Poached Egg. Unlike many other (even supposedly very good) restaurants in Singapore, the ingredients used at the Rabbit Carrot Gun were very fresh, easily noticeable in the taste. The mushrooms were not quite hot enough, but still warm and the whole dish was a feast for the taste buds. The poached egg oozed out once cut, and saturated the brioche with creamy yellow goodness, making each bite a pleasure.

Unfortunately, the chef at Rabbit Carrot Gun restaurant seemed to have run out of some ingredients that night, so that our friendly waitress informed us that the Roasted Chicken Breast and the Lamb Shank on the menu would come with different sauces, which is why we went with two other main dishes instead. Mr McGregor’s Fish Pie Topped with Mashed Potatoes Served with Seasonal Vegetables apparently is a signature dish at the Rabbit Carrot Gun and as our second option we ordered Pork, Rosemary & Apple Sausage with Bubble & Squeak Served with Ale & Onion Gravy.

Mr. McGregor apparently knows his fish pies, as this recipe is definitely a secret that should be guarded well. Again, the different fish in the pie had a very fresh and intense taste to them and the dish was mouth-watering good. In my view, the Pork Sausage was the weakest dish we tried that night at the Rabbit Carrot Gun restaurant. While still good, this dish seemed nothing out of the ordinary, though the gravy was quite yummy.

To finish our meal, we chose 3-chesse-platter, with English Stilton, a very creamy brie and a rather strong blue cheese, that probably would be a bit too much for most Singaporean palates. All three cheeses were extraordinarily and finger-licking good, ideally complimented by aromatic strawberries, walnuts and toasted bread.

Overall, the dining experience at the Rabbit Carrot Gun was a very nice one, and quite different from your standard fare in Singapore. If you're bored of fine dining but still want good food, or if you're tired of hawker meals, this will make for a very nice change. However, as so often, quality has its price, and with 2 beers, 1 starter, 2 mains and 1 desert, the total bill came up to SGD 125, well worth it imho.

4/5 Stars

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Restaurant Review: The Book Cafe

Restaurant Review: The Book Cafe

20 Martin Road
Singapore 239070

+65 6887 5430

"If you didn't know it was there, you would not see it." That was my first thought upon finding The Book Cafe on Martin Road. Hidden behind some on-going construction in the Seng Kee building, the cafe is only visible from one side, and then you just see a few tables outdoors, and could easily give up and go to cafe espressamente, right opposite. However, if you actually managed to find this truly hidden gem, you will not want to leave, and the generous opening hours (until midnight on weekends), good food and very, very comfortable interior will make it easy for you to forget time.

Comfortable cafes that are not overcrowded or overpriced are quite hard to come by in Singapore, thus I was quite pleased to find The Book Cafe and a bit reluctant to promote it further, lest it becomes too popular. There are various reasons why The Book Cafe is, simply put, fantastic.

Firstly, it's just super comfortable, that is, if you're lucky enough to snatch one of the 5 big sofas or waited around long enough for one to become available. Chairs are only so comfortable, and sitting in one for a few hours is not exactly a treatment for your behind. However, once you plunked down into the cozy comfort of the sofas, you'll have a hard time convincing yourself its time to go. Along the walls are bookshelves, and the variety and extravagance of the book selection makes sure you'll find something to pass the time in the event you didn't bring anything with you. If you prefer lighter entertainment, there are also magazines and power plugs for laptops, so you can always choose to work, study or just watch a movie. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly why The Book Cafe has such a nice, cozy, comfy atmosphere. Perhaps it's because not everything fits exactly 100% and at times the place does seem a little disorderly, which makes it extrardinarily charming in a squeaky clean and orderly city like Singapore.

Second, the food. The menu at The Book Cafe is not exactly extensive, and vegetarian/vegan options are limited. However, the food they offer ranges from decent to just finger-licking good. Must-trys are the Eggs Benedikt, the Cheeseburger (you can always opt for a small salad on the side if you don't like fries) and the Banana-Chocolate Cake. Also, The Book Cafe offers freshly squeezed juices/smoothies.


Lastly, the crowd. Whereas other cafes are target by young students occupying a table for hours to study, others are filled with families and yet another kind caters to the working crowd. At The Book Cafe, you will find a bit of everything, yet it appears they all have one thing in common: an appreciation for a good cafe. This is both in the literal sense (as the drinks are also quite decent here, for tea lovers I recommend the African blend with Roi-bush) but also metaphorically. Either it's the cafe that make the people cool and laid back, with an underlying sense of comfort and creativity, or it is the people hanging out here that create this unique atmosphere.

Quality has it's price, and The Book Cafe is no cheaper than most other cafes in Singapore. But it has three things goign for itself that make it unique: the food is very good, the athmosphere is very cozy and the patrons and staff are nice. Oh, and did I mention it's really comfortable?

5/5 Stars

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Restaurant Review - Shin Kushiya at Far East Square

Restaurant Review - Shin Kushiya

33 Peking Street
Far East Square #01-01
Singapore 048703

+65 6438 8991

One of Shin Kushiya's three outlets is located right in the CBD, very close to Raffles Place, in the hustle and bustle of Peking Street, where the working crowd hangs out after office hours. I've never been to Shin Kushiya on a weekend, but I imagine it might actually be less busy than on a weekday evening, as the people working around China Square, Far East Square and Samsung Hub congregate in sizable numbers in Peking Street in the evening.

Even so, when I decided to drop by at Shin Kushiya for a quick dinner, the place was busy, but not crowded, and there were still a few tables available. This might have to do with the fact that, price wise, Shin Kushiya is one of a very few restaurants that are higher priced than the other bars and eateries surrounding it. Most of the tables at the restaurant seat 6 people, so when it's full I reckon it's packed and quite noisy. As in many Japanese restaurants in Singapore, the atmosphere is busy, and not exactly very cozy or romantic, so I would recommend the place rather for a night out with friends than for a romantic dinner.

Shin Kushiya's menu is extensive to say the least, and we took quite some time in ordering. There is always staff around, and as long as you can attract their attention, they are quite friendly and helpful, if sometimes a bit young and inexperienced. For two people, we ordered Cha Soba (thin, cold buckwheat noddles flavored with green tea powder), Garlic Rice, Sake Butteryaki (pan butter grilled salmon), the Sushi Favorites and Sashimi Moriwase. To drink, we only ordered green tea and water. 

First off, the Shushi and Sashimi were very decent, both in terms freshness and taste. I'm not a big fan of of soba, but I reckon they were ok as well, though nothing that would make me order this dish again. Unfortunately, Shin Kushiya's Sake Butteryaki and Garlic Rice were both sub par and lacking in flavor. In contrast to the Sushi and Sahimi, the Sake Butteryaki did not taste very much of Salmon, and as butter in itself does not exactly have a very intense flavor, the whole affair was rather bland. what surprised me is how they managed to get the Garlic Rice wrong. I mean, this dish is so simply and would require nothing more than a bit of fresh garlic, rice and maybe some herbs and seasoning to round it all off, but Shin Kushiya instead delivered a bowl of rice that was nearly devoid of taste.

Overall, I'd say the more expensive dishes, such as the sushi and sashimi were worth their money, whereas the cheaper dishes all disappointed. At the end of our meal, we were sated, but our bellies were not bursting, and the bill was slightly north of SGD 100. I might go back to Shin Kushiya in a pinch, but it certainly wont make it to the top of my review list of favorite restaurants anytime soon. 

3/5 Stars

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Restaurant Review: Garuda Padang Cuisine at Far East Square

Restaurant Review: Garuda Padang Cuisine at Far East Square

Far East Square #01-01
7-8 Amoy Street
Singapore 049949

+65 6536 4111

As the name indicates, Garuda Padang Cuisine is an Indonesian restaurant located in the arcades of Far East Square. Established nearly forty years ago, Garuda Padang is spread throughout Indonesia, with outlets in Lampung, Medan and Jakarta, and finally opened their first outlet outside Indonesia in Singapore, offering Halal Minangkabau cuisine. At present, Garuda Padang has three outlets in Singapore, in Orchard Central, Vivo City, and Far East Square.

The restaurant at Far East Square targets the business crowds from the nearby CBD and China Square, and accordingly the restaurant’s atmosphere is of elegant casualness. Guests have the option to choose a set lunch (starting from S$ 7) or to order a la carte.

  Garuda Padang Indonesian Cuisine

The staff is friendly and helpful, explaining each different food item for those of us who are not too familiar with Indonesian cuisine. Eventually, we went a la carte and ordered Beef Rendang with Sayur Lodeh (mixed vegetables in light curry sauce) and the chef’s recommendation of Gulai Singkong (tapioca leaves and banana blossoms in coconut sauce). The dish comes with as much rice as you’d like, which smelled delicious. In my view, the Beef Rendang was the best of the three, with the meat tender and slightly spicy and very flavourful. The tapioca leaves and banana blossoms were also very nice, and quite exotic for my ang-mo palate. The mixed vegetables however were a bit of a disappointment, being somewhat tough to chew and lacking in flavour.

To conclude this review, I think overall it was an enjoyable meal for S$ 32 for two persons, but nothing out of the ordinary.

3/5 Stars  

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Restaurant Review: Yan Ting – Fine Cantonese Dining

Restaurant Review: Yan Ting – Fine Cantonese Dining

St. Regis Hotel

29 Tanglin Road

Singapore 247911

+65 6506 6866

Yan Tin is a Cantonese Fine Dining restaurant located at the St. Regis Singapore. The restaurant describes its atmosphere as “Elegant Contemporary”, which I reckon is true, but my first impression was that the interior is also somewhat unimaginative. If you have a special event to celebrate and have a strong emphasis on atmosphere, that is the first point against Yan Ting. Unlike the impressive St. Regis, which houses Yan Ting, the restaurant is nothing less but also nothing more than you’d expect from any fine dining restaurant. The staff was friendly and helpful, again as you’d expect in such a refined setting.

The dining experience I’m basing my review on was a family occasion, held at one of Yan Ting’s private dining rooms, whose biggest hallmark is the minimalistic interior. Aside from a table and chairs the room was literally barren. Now, one might argue to eat one does not need more than a table (granted there was a flower arrangement on it) and chairs, yet given the lush interior design of St. Regis itself, I’d have expected more. The menu we had ordered for the occasion was a mixture between the Experience Set Menu and the Luxury Set Menu comprising six courses.

The first course was made up of an Appetizer Trio of Deep-fried Yam Croquette with Diced Chicken, Steamed Lobster Dumpling with Asparagus and Steamed Vegetarian Dumpling with Mixed Mushrooms. As I’m a big fan of dim sum, I was really looking forward to this trio of delights, yet besides the nice presentation, the appetizers were nothing special at all. The croquette was too dry for my taste and the dumplings were just so-so.

After this first disappointment, I had already lowered my expectations when the second course in the form of Braised Superior Shark’s Fin in Golden Sauce arrived. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of shark’s fin due to the texture, but my fellow diners all agreed that even though Yan Ting’s version of Golden Sauce was decent, it was not as good as it could have been, and the shark fin should have been more tender. As it was, we had to struggle a bit to slice pieces of sharks fin off with our spoons into bite-sized portions.

My personal favourite was the third course of Pan-seared Marble Goby in ‘Soon Hock’ with XO Sauce. The fish was seared to the point, crispy yet still juicy on the inside and Yan Ting’s resident XO sauce was to my liking as well. In my view, this was the only dish living up to the restaurant's reputation.

The Wok-baked Lobster we had for the fourth course was ok as lobsters go, but there was too much breading and the meat itself was not juicy enough. This was a big disappointment for me as a lobster aficionado.

The fifth course consisted of Stewed Hand-pulled Noodles with Deer tendon and Mushrooms. This dish was decent, but once more I would have expected more of a culinary experience in a fine dining restaurant such as Yan Ting.

To crown the meal, the sixth and last course comprised Yam Paste in Pumpkin and Osmanthus Cake with Wolfberry. The Yam paste was rather dry and stuck to the palate, with the pumpkin sauce insufficient to make the whole dish sweet, as you’d expect from this type of desert. The osmanthus cake was rather flavourless, with the wolfberries only serving to add a herbal taste. None of us finished either of the two deserts, with the latter being the bigger disappointment.

Overall, for a fine dining menu priced at close to S$ 160 per person I would expect more, namely a better dining atmosphere and better, higher-quality food. Tastes vary, and my review is purely based on this one set meal, and maybe the chef had a bad day. However, if you’re set on trying out Yan Ting, I would recommend the Champagne Dim Sum Brunch on the weekends, which I hear is better value for money and at least includes some bubbly.

3/5 Stars    

    

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Restaurant Review: Muhan Dojeon Korean Family Restaurant

Restaurant Review: Muhan Dojeon Korean Family Restaurant 

21 Amoy Street

Tel: 62220570

  

There are some restaurants you wouldn’t go to unless you stumble upon them or someone recommended them to you. Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to have the former happening to me while being on the search for a place to have dinner. Muhan Dojeon, a Korean family restaurant is conveniently located close to the CBD and appears rather unassuming. It’s all about good, honest Korean food here, with friendly service by the proprietors.

Being quite hungry and ignorant of the size of the portions served at Muhan Dojeon, we ordered three main dishes, all very reasonable priced (between SGD 10 and 12). The owner recommended the following: Seng SamgyubSal (BBQ pork belly with garlic, onions and mushrooms), Pa Jeon (Korean seafood pancake) and Dolsot Bi Bim Bab (Korean stone-pot rice with egg, veggies and your choice of beef, pork or chicken). To drink, the house serves you Korean tea, which was mildly flavourful and went quite well with the meal.

Before we could start on our main course, we were very surprised by the amount of starters served at Muhan Dojeon, as you can see below. I must say, besides the Pa Jeon, the starters were the absolute highlight of the meal and absolutely delicious, ranging from slightly sweet dried fish, to French beans, boiled and marinated potatoes, pickled cucumbers, omelette and steamed peanuts, and of course Kimchi. As you can see, the starters alone are enough to feed one person.

Assortment of Appetizers at Muhan Dojeon Korean Family Restaurant

The main courses were all served relatively close together, with only the BBQ pork lagging behind a bit. As mentioned above, the Korean seafood pancake was delicious, crispy yet moist and accompanied by a light soy sauce.

Seafood Pancake at Muhan Dojeon Korean Family Restaurant

The stone-pot rice was the dish that was lagging a bit, in my view, as it was not quite as flavourful as I’d expect. However, this may be because we only put about 1/3 of the chili sauce that accompanied it. Otherwise, this dish was cooked to perfection as well, with the rice moist and sticky.

Dolsot Bi Bim Bab at Muhan Dojeon Korean Family Restaurant

The BBQ pork came accompanied by Muhan Dojeon’s own sesame marinade and if you like your food fatty, this is a dish you will love.

Pork Belly at Muhan Dojeon Korean Family Restaurant

There are only two things that I think could be improved at Muhan Dojeon Korean family restaurant. First, notwithstanding the good recommendations English subtitles for the menu would be helpful (at least if you don't know Korean). Second, the pricing structure is not very transparent. Our three main dishes should have cost a total of SGD 32 plus GST, but the pork belly was SGD 10 instead of SGD 8 (like it said on the menu). So, the mains would have come to a total of SGD 34. To this, the restaurant added SGD 14 in GST and what I assume must have been the price for the tea and starters. Even so, SGD 48 for the amount of food we had was still a good deal.

4/5 Stars     

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