Via Mar (55+p)

8 Raffles Avenue #01-10/12 Esplanade Mall
Tel: 6423 0900

WADA rating: 31.5 +24= 55+ pts
QPI: 6 ($25 per pax for set 1-for-1 set lunch, includes glass of wine)
WFI: C (there should be corkage and the wine list is just about reasonably stocked and priced)

Had this for a weekday luncheon with DBF and tasted various times in the past for Tapas and desserts.

This spanish -themed restaurant has been around for some time now but unfortunately or fortunately it is hardly known by many.

What's Good

Cold Gazpacho
Really fresh tomatoes on the fore lined by citrus acidity most probably of lime. This is very appetizing and goes perfectly with the Cava we had.

House Salad
Usually salads are not worth much mentioning but the salad dressing used here is quite aromatic...although I can't quite put my finger on it except for some sesame oil.

What's Not

Beef Stew
Too beefy but on the indon beef kind of spectrum rather than the euro beefiness. So its slightly musky with wild manurish notes. Not subtle at all.

Choc Fudge Cake
So plain and dull. Very cheap chocolate flavours. Big dud.


Other Dishes Tasted

Salmon of the day - The garlicky sauce provides some much needed flavours to an otherwise plain dish. This is okay.
Tapas - Not very authentic and fantastic but there are not many places serving tapas. However, there is this fried milk cake that is quite tasty. It's like coagulated milk fried to an aromatic welness.

Comments

Service is mediocre with staff having some communication issues. However, still very much friendly if not a bit fakey. Come here only if you are really stuck at esplanade before or after a show with nothing much to do and have a craving for spanish food....although the lunch I had was not in the least bit spanish at all. The tapas is pretty alright though.
The ambience is quite authentic in relative comparison to the cuisine. A nice place to come to for some drinks and sangria.

Wine Pairing Done

House Cava (not sure what label)
WADA rated 68pts
Yeasty notes on the nose but mostly closed and unexciting. Off dry with brief appearances of honey and cirtus notes. Very flat and bubbles don't hold well but does go better with the gazpacho.

House Red - 2005 Yellow Tail Shiraz
WADA rated 74pts
Deep dark purple. Sweet confectionary nose exihibiting ultra-ripe black & blue berries....hmmmm ... make that genetically modified artifical berries. ...Also can smell some baygon! Overcloying sweetness covers up most of the acidity with a slight hint of black perpper heat on the finish. For such a commercial and generic wine like yellow tail, I think it is pretty good. It tasted better with the choc fudge cake.


Pairing Suggestions
The cuisine doesn't spike much interest in me to do any wine food pairings here. So I guess just sticking to their house wines would suffice.

Canton Wok by Chef Kang (69p)

382 Joo Chiat Road Tel: 6285 6919

WADA rating: (46 + 23) = 69 pts
QPI: 6 ($37 per pax for for special signature dish set menu
WFI: D(Free corkage but ikea glasses and they have lousy bottle openers!)
Tasted thrice. Once when they were back in Serangoon, twice at their current Joo Chiat outlet. The most recent visit on 19 Apr 08 for dinner with my family.

What's Good

Crab Steamed with Glutinous Rice

Fantastic and well-integrated. The soft & tasty rice has absorbed the full sweet essence & sea saltiness of the crab. The lotus leaf aromas is very inviting and not overwhelming on the dish. The sweet aftertaste and gluey goodness of the rice permeates the throat...leaving you wanting for more.

Fried Bee Hoon
Well done with the right balance of dryness / wetness. Just nice with purity of flavours seeping through the dish. I especially love having this with some nice hot chilli padi soaked in soy sauce splashed over the bee hoon.

Fried Brinjal with Pork Floss

Thin bite-size brinjal chips fried in a batter to perfection and topped off with pork floss. Good crispy chewiness. This is the best of its category DBF and I have tried. It retains its crispness even when cold . This is pringles ...Singaporean style...once you start , you can't stop going at this.

Homemade Tofu

DBF says this is good.

What's Not

Shark Cartilage Soup

Has some good "boiled over slow fire for a long time" frontal assault on the nose and palate. But after two scoops, this comes across as a little over the top with essence of saltiness...probably coming from the chinese ham. Good for hangovers.

Pork done in Two Ways

This is like the value deal of this restaurant...you get coffee pork and sweet & sour pork in one dish. When I first tasted this back in the Serangoon outlet days (2 - 3 years ago), it was wickedly good..but now its just wicked. It just wasn't as special anymore...the sweet sour is plain normal zhi char fare but the coffee pork does retains its tastiness with intoxicating coffee smells. All in all, this just punches not below , not above but just nicely on the belt.

Comments

Though my granny says the place is too cramped and noisy with a full crowd, this place does have its charm. It is located in an old traditional rich towkay bungalow along Joo Chiat's stretch of many good restaurants. This is rustic charm that might not appeal to the atas-hearted.
Given the space constraints and full house, the service staff were showingly worn out. They try hard to serve but it is like a over-reved charade with a full load of passengers trying to get upslope.
Food is good but not as good as before. Felt like Chef Kang outsourced the cooking entirely to a "foreign talent" and took a back seat playing golf (or mahjong). With the signature menu, do try the food here but the ala carte looks expensive. Most importantly, BYOG!!! (Bring Your Own Glasses!!!) cos their glasses really suck and look dirty.

Other Dishes Tasted

Steamed Fish with Chilli, Fried Salad Prawns, Papaya with White Fungus dessert.

Wine Pairings Done

2007 Peter Lehmann Rose
WADA rated 73pts
Light redish pink. This is nothing to shout about. Cherryish nose with some fake sweet dilute ribena on the palate. Forgettable but still gives good length.

2001 Apollonio Copertino, South Italy (WE95)
WADA rated 82pts
Dark purple. Funky nose of cat's pee mixed with something green...maybe jalepenos. Cherries dominate with good structure of oak and acid. It is a little hot on the alcohol with ruggard tannins.

Wine Pairing Suggestions

Any cabernet or blends would do well. Do also bring a fresh new world white with some crisp acidity to pair with the crab with glutinous rice.

Wild Rockets @ Mt Emily (66p)

10A Upper Wilkie Road, Hangout @ Mount EmilySingapore 228119

Tel: 63399448

Tuesday to Saturday: 12.00pm to 3.00pm & 6.30pm to 11.00pm

Sunday: 11.30am to 3.00pm & 6.30pm to 10.30pm

Monday: Closed

WADA rating: 44+22 = 66pts

QPI: 6+ ($40 per pax)

WFI: B- ($25 corkage, good stemware but limited range... they served my Tokaji in a short champagne flute)

Tasted twice in 2008 with the most recent tasting for Mother's Day.

A much hyped about place with the cliche story of high-flier-turned-successful-chef after discovering his true passion in life. Nestled on the hill behind The Cathay, ex-lawyer Willin Low cooks up a storm of fusion dishes. His passion, drive and motivation for life is evident in the creativity and uniqueness of his dishes.

What's Good

Mushrooms with Gorgonzola Cheese on Polenta

It looks very appetizing...this has good mingling of earthiness and the slightly smelly cheese. Some buttery notes.

From L to R: The Fried Cod Fish Cake, La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Luberon Blanc and the Mushroom Polenta.

Fried Cod Fish Cake

Yummy! Very well done. The fresh milky and silkiness of the cod lingers on unaffected by the frying. There are nuances of lemon grass and yellow ginger that gives more bite to the dish. Any oiliness from the frying is tamed by the sweet thai chilli drizzled over with a touch of lime.

Cod Fish with Green Curry & Olive Rice

Smells wonderful with asian spices on the frontal assault but in elegance. What a great balance in this dish! The spicy milky green curry just gently strokes the cod without overkilling it. And when you thought that is the main attraction...wait till you callously scoop the olive rice into your mouth (thinkin it as a filler)....Wow! the most tasty olive rice that DBF and I ever had. Every grain is a tasty dish in itself. It is delicately infused with asian spices coated lightly in olive oil. Very elegant balance.

Warm Chocolate Cake

Yummy! The outer layer is baked to a crisp crunchy crust. The oozing warm chocolate is balancedly sweet. A good finish.

Gula Melaka with Coconut Ice Cream

Simple yet satisfying. This is chendol in a minimalist form...without the green jelly and beans...just pure scweet caramel like gula melaka...infused together with some milky coconut ice-cream

What's Not

Shepard's Pie

Very comfort food. Not exactly mind blowing especially for the high expectations being set on creativity and fusionism on this restaurant. Its got good tomatoey savoury sauciness that feels home cooked. A little stingy on the meat filling though

Laksa Pesto Linguine

Laksa / curry leaves!Everywhere!This is like the sequel to The Curse of the Golden Flowers - The Curse of the Greenish Leaflets. The aromas are too overpoweringly green...and lacks saltiness to savourize it. Bears only faint reminders of laksa. ..this should be called wheatgrass pasta. The smells reminds me of going outfield in army...bashing through an overgrown field of long grass on a hot sunny day.

Other Dishes Tasted

The freshly made focacia bread is soft and fluffy..its free so do have it. We also had the Salmon Sandwich...a little too raw and oily for my taste...not special at all...and can be quite "ni" (chinese for cloying).

The squid salad with mirin is pretty decent fusion of flavours. Very light and tamed ...excites but only a little.

Comments

Definitely a must-go place if you have a car and need to get away from Singapore. The location is somewhat atas but it does have its charm. The food is generally just good but many are unique creations and helps liven up the food culture here. A good effort.

The service staff could improve with their speed and memory cos we had to ask for vinegar thrice but had already finished our bread when it arrived. Funny how the same forgetfulness never surfaced when we asked for the bill.

Wine Pairings Done

Decided to try their house pours from La Vieille Ferme owned by Perrin & Fils of Chateau Beaucastel fame. Coincidentally, I had a chance encounter to share a glass of bourgogne with Pierre Perrin (the next generation owner winemaker) just a month ago at Denise wine shop @ Vivo. He walked in with a well-groomed local wine distributor and since I was tasting some bourgognes ...and being all eager to impress a walk-in ang moh customer with my wine knowledge...I , of course, offered him and his associate some of the village bourgogne I was tasting. What a pleasant shock when I realised that this ang moh was no ordinary ang moh...and it was only after I tried selling him the good characteristics of the bourgogne we were tasting that we exchanged business cards.

2006 La Vieille Ferme, Cotes du Luberon Blanc, Rhone

WADA rated 74+pts

Consists of rarer grape varietals of grenache blanc, bourboulenc, roussanne and ugni blanc. Somewhat weak nose of pineapples. Fared better on the palate with fresh acidity and lemon liquer. Medium length with a bitter lemon pith finish.

2005 La Vieille Ferme, Cotes du Ventoux, Southern Rhone

WADA rated 78pts

A grenache syrah blend. This has sweet violets on the nose. Pleasant, standard, no-suprises rhone blend. This has a rounded palate and does suprisingly do better with the green curry cod rather than the shepard's pie.

2003 Oremus Tokaji Late Harvest Furmint

WADA rated 89+pts

Golden "urine" (sounds yucks but my mum concurs that it does have that hue) yellow with a tinge of orange.

Beautiful orange marmalade that evolves into sweet pineapples, chrysanthemum . Solid citrus lining that gives this sticky the ability to not stick to the throat but gives it a gulpable texture. Medium length causes this wine not to rate above 90.

The evolution of this wine in the glass is amazing...just look at the slightly darker orange hue (from 5 mins in the glass) as compared to a more golden hue (from freshly poured glass).

Wine Pairing Suggestions

Most of the dishes have asian twist to it, so whites (all types) or fruiter reds like a Grenache would do.

Punggol (Hock Kee) Seafood Restaurant (51p)

600 Ponggol Seventeenth Ave (Marina Country Club),Tel : 6448 8511
Operating Hours: Mon-Fri 11.30 am to 2.00pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm
Sat, Sun & PH 11.30am to 10.30pm

WADA rating: 34+ 17 = 51pts
QPI: 3+ ($25-$45 per pax for dinner)
WFI: C (Free corkage if youu order beer or know the lady boss who is kinda an oenophile too)
Tasted twice, most recent with DBF's extended family of 20 pax in mid Apr 08.

Situated in a very ulu location near the old punggol cluster of original chilli / pepper crab restaurants in Singapore, this restaurant used to be one of the original gang of four (or five? can't remember). The journey to this place is itself ....a journey...it really reminds me of the good ole days when my dad drove the family deep into the punggol jungle on dusty dirt tracks all the way to the end near the waterfront to have our monthly dose of chilli crab. They had redone the whole area into a country club but there still exists a whisker of that old world charm in the area. This place is really deep in and out of the way so don't even try to come if you don't drive...although I did see an LRT station nearby but heard its not operational yet.

What's Good

Stirfry Nai Bai Vegetables

A pleasant suprise for a seafood restaurant, this had clean fresh flavours. It was well fried just at the right doneness and displayed good fire control by the chef. Tasty and refreshing as a first dish.

Fish Maw Soup

I was again suprised by this dish that I was expecting to be an expensive filler on their menu which would most probably be a starchy tastless "shark fin soup" imitation. However, this was a simple yet tasty broth of seafood flavours with very good consistency that doesn't feel starchy at all. Hints of vinegary sourness helps to cut through any remaining cloying starchiness too. The highlight is the fish maw, which bursts out with the wonderful stock in th e mouth. Pleasantly suprised.

What's Not

Crabs (both Chilli and Pepper)

Given the provenance of the dish and how crabs ARE the main selling point as can be seen from their signboard, it is only fair that expectations are at least marginally high. However, echoes of disappointment from DBF's extended family echo my own sentiments. The quality of the crabs were deplorable with loose meat that feels more like those supermarket crabsticks. The seafood freshness is not evident at all. I did hear some explanations of seasonalilty from DBF's family being used to justify the poorer quality of the crab meat but I am not buying it.

The chili crab used to taste better when I first tasted it last year but this time round it just tastes plain and unexciting. Its not even spicy! It maybe passes off as average stuff that you can get easily from any seafood zhi char all over Singapore.

The pepper crab, though faring better, is just slightly a feather above average with some hot white pepper action on the palate.

Other Dishes Tasted

The Mee Goreng was decent with good tomatoey sweet & sour flavours working through...but could do with more "wok hei". The sweet and sour pork and hot plate deer meat were of average zhi char quality. The steamed prawns were very fresh and sweet...a good consolation.









Comments

One phrase sums it all...living on past glories. This place needs to pick itself up, dust away the cobwebs and re-invent themselves. With such a unique location and a strong brand name , it should have been able to deliver a mind-blowing dining experience...but sadly...it did not.
Service-wise, it is just keeping its head above water with too many tables (interesting to say it is usually quite a full house at least during weekends) and too few staff. They seem to be in a daze ..probably overwhelmed.
All in all, come here for reminiscing sake and I suspect this is also the prevalent reason for the crowds on weekends.

Wine Pairing Suggestions

Definitely a white....say a viognier or new world riesling.

Carnivore @Vivo (55p)

1 Harbour Front Walk, #01-161/162, Singapore 098585
Tel: 6376 9939
Operating Hours:
Buffet Lunch: 11.30am to 3.00pm
Happy Hour Buffet Dinner: 5.30pm to 6.30pm
Buffet Dinner: 6.30pm to 10.00pm

WADA rating: 36.5+ 18.5 = 55pts
QPI: 4 ($45-$50 per pax for dinner)
WFI: C ($30 corkage regardless of bottle size…so do bring MAGNUMS only, staff had general knowledge)
Tasted on 17 Apr 08 for DBF’s bdae dinner with her frens.

There have been many Brazil churrascaria restaurants popping up, following in the footsteps of the “original” one at Bukit Timah that is aptly named Brazil Churrascaria. We have been to the “original” as well as the one at east coast parkway and both were pretty pleasant experiences. So when I had to think of a restaurant to hold DBF’s surprise bdae party (which wasn’t much of a surprise cos she already knew somehow….women’s instinct I think), I thought to try this one out since every time we head to uncle L’s vivo shop (which is at least once a fortnight) and pass by Carnivore, we keep telling ourselves to try it. The décor of the place is clinically chic in a nice way.
However, on hindsight I think we should have done somewhere non-buffet….especially non-meaty buffets! We had..by that time, done lunch at IL Lido….dinner the night before at Wood….dinner two nights before at Prego! The meat carvers (or passadors as they are called) were so insistent with putting meat on our plates that I almost developed meatophobia. All said, this place played also played a part in DBF’s weeklong bdae celebrations, which in turn had inspired the creation of The Wine And Dine Advocate!
If you have never tried Brazil Churrascaria, it is basically a BBQ of various varieties of meat, all types of sausages and one vege – BBQ pineapples!

What's Good

In general, all of their BBQ items smell wonderful but that is to be expected of BBQs. The sausages were juicier in comparison to the other BBQ meats. So many types to choose from, I can’t really remember which I had tasted. But in general, all were roasted to a crisp on the exterior with chewy salty fillings within. It definitely made for less tiring eating – Fork it, Bite it, Swallow it!, as compared to the meats.
Roasted pineapples are a personal favourite ever since I first tasted this years ago at the “original” at Bt Timah. Ever since, I have always done roasted pineapples at my own BBQs. I preferred to pick the slightly charred slices here as it gives off a caramel like aroma & coconut candy floss like qualities.

What's Not

The BBQ meats are normal with some that are tough, dry and too salty. Some did like the lamb though.

Other Dishes Tasted

Everything!

Comments

The service is not at all adequate although the passadors (those walking around with big slabs of meat and a big menacing looking knife) were very proactive ...in fact too proactive in filling our plates with overflowing mountains of food. The serving crew, on the other hand, seemed rushed and busy yet nonchalant to the customers. It’s like a really snobbish Porsche driver that zoomed past an accident scene without even giving a glance (as all kaypoh Singaporeans would naturally do).
Being a buffet BBQ, I would suggest to just TRY EVERYTHING! Its not going to cost you anymore than you already paid anyway.

Wine Pairings Done

2001 Frankland Estate Olmo’s Reward, Southwest AU (JO82, JH87)
WADA rated 82+pts
Slightly purplish. This is a little French-styled in its approach but with inescapable nuances of new world ripe cherries. Quite elegant on the finish but not mind-blowing enough to warrant a higher point. This didn’t pair well with the heavily-flavoured BBQ meats.

Wine Pairing Suggestions

Pl do not bring your expensive Moutons or Lafites here…worse still if you brought your DRC….any wine with even a faint sign of elegance will be eaten up alive by the meatiness and Viking aura of the food here. Do bring your 18% alcohol shiraz or Chilean cab sau.

Spice Junction (54p)

126 Race Course Road Tel 6341798

WADA rating: (37 + 17) = 54pts
QPI: 5 ($40 per pax for quite an extensive set menu but portions are small)
WFI: C (Free corkage but pl do bring your own stemware, staff are not adept with wine)
Tasted once in May08.

Was invited by Uncle L for this Makansutra spinoff event. I immediately said yes to give this Goan Indian restaurant a try since we have been rating so many western and chinese restaurants so far. A much needed breakaway from the norm, this restaurant is situated along the bustling Race Course road off Little India MRT station. The exterior does not look as grand and inviting as its more glamorous neighbours along the same street (Muthu’s Curry, Banana Leaf Apollo etc).

What’s Good

Goan Chicken
The white piece is the chicken. One is the rendang like beef and the spicy prawns.

The best most balanced dish for the night as compared to the rest which were too over-spiced and numbed the palate to all the wines tasted. The chicken had a mild herby aroma to it and also carried a faint yoghurt aura. Meat was tender (but a tad bit on the dry side) with uplifting notes of fragrant lemon grass and curry leaves.

Fish in Banana Leaf
Intense chilies and spicy spices make up the paste that doubles up as a flavour sealer by locking all the juices into the fish. “Chao tar”ness of the banana leaf wrapping is infused quite well with the paste. Taste profile reminds me of the bbq stingray @ chomp chomp stall no. 1.

Rice
Don’t like the type of rice used here (long and thin varietal) but I do enjoy the unique flavourings going into the rice. It is almost bubble-gummish and gives off whiffs of delightful small white jasmine flowers on the nose. A good compliment to the food served here.

What’s Not

The prawns were done too oily but did have a nice crispiness and notes of fresh spices. The other curried beef and fish were not breathtakingly different from normal local Indian cuisine although I have heard that Goan Indian is supposedly unique because of Portuguese influences.

Other Dishes Tasted

A lot of small platters of different curried meats were served and all were big on the aromas. Do try their naan bread (which I called roti prata) in some of the curries...its fluffy goodness.

Comments

A refreshing journey on the spice route. Come here to wake up your palate. This place emits a humble and good home-cooked indian food vibe. Overall, a little less spicy and not as milky as your average Indian cuisine.

Wine Pairings Done

2007 Villa M Gagliardo Moscato
WADA rated 77+pts
Pineapples and hints of bubblegum on the fore….with some half fizzy sprite action. A dash of lemon peel and honey dew showing up on the mid to finish as well. Very quaffable stuff.

2006 Weingnut Friedrich Becker Riesling QBA, Pfalz
WADA rated 75+pts
Fresh lime with wet stones and some soapy action on the nose. The palate is very un-german in its approach and could be easily mistaken as a NZ Riesling. The main body is dominated by citrus, green apples with some nice minerality flowing through. There is also some bitter lime zest on the finish.

2007 Babich Pinot Gris, NZ
WADA rated 71pts
Pale yellow with lime and straw hay nuances. Common finish and somewhat one dimensional in its approach.

2007 Mount Bold Frontignac Spatlese, AU
WADA rated 80pts
Fresh sweet ripe Sarawak pineapples with traces of orange. Short to medium finish. Absolutely a crowd pleaser, so far all my WADE frens that have tasted all found it very agreeable.

2001 Nierstein Pettental Riesling Auslese, Rhein
WADA rated 82+pts
Giveaway airplane fuel nose that shouts its terroir…DBF says it smells like an ice wine. I thought it smelt more like a swimming pool. Lychee pineapple cocktail bordering on the syrup spectrum. However, this did not have enough acidity to pair with the cuisine here.

1995 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley (WS91)
WADA rated 84pts
Deep dark purple even after 13 years of aging. Sweet vanilla nose and quite jammy prunes. Finishes with fine tannins.

2003 Cono Sur limited edition, Maipo Valley Chile
WADA rated 84+pts
Dark purplish. Wilder nose than the Beringer and some milk choc. Unripe plums ...some greenish action and eucalyptus. It does evolve with nicer darker flavours of mocha. Rough tannins but I preferred this over the Beringer just a lil bit more as I thought this chilean wine has just that bit more cowboy character.

2002 Michelton Print Shiraz, Nagambie Lake AU (JO95, JH94)
WADA rated 82pts
Dense deep dark black berrries with hints of raspberries. Very dark mocha and inkish framed with graphite. Mid to long finish.


2005 Peter Lehmann Shiraz, Barossa (WS91)
WADA rated 80+pts
WS highly recommended this wine as a smart buy and I agree but this is for drinking now. Just released, this wine already has balanced dark red cherries with "crayons". Mild dark choc coffee on the finish.

Wine Pairing Suggestions

The food is super spice-infused and overpowers most wines both in flavours and aromas. I suggest sweeter whites with some acid backing to cut throught the oiliness of some of the dishes. Therefore, alsace and german kabinett or even trockens could work. I would really love to try some sparkling shiraz and see how it goes. It could work.

Bistro GaGa @ Old School (59p)

11 Mount Sophia, #01-03 Tel: 6883-2120

WADA rating: (38.5 + 20.5) = 59pts
QPI: 4+ ($35-$45 per pax)
WFI: C+ (Free corkage on weekdays but $20 per bot for weekends, Schwott Swizel stemware, pl BYOB as their wine list is less than adequate)
Tasted once in Apr08.

Had chanced upon this place when we were trying to find Wild Rockets. We did hear about old school but just never got about to finding more about it. The place looks really creepy at night but fortunately the restaurant is nearer to the main road and is situated near where a spooky looking blood red larger-than-life sculpture of a half-crouching boy is…you can’t miss it. The boy or thing smiles at you as you come in the driveway. Despite the eerie-ness, this place has charm…v …old school! Had also heard about the affordable wagyu beef burgers served her and read some good reviews about it.

What’s Good

Tapas Platter of 3 Choices

Very appetizing and chic presentation. Only the Spring Roll stood out largely due to the very unique dipping sauce accompanying it. My bro and DBF guessed it as peanut butter, lime, curry leaves & some sesame oil. The main body of taste is dominated by buttery nuttiness lined by fresh acidity and uplifted with notes of spice. The Spring Roll played a perfect second fiddle in bringing the wonderful unique mixture of flavours from the sauce to our palatial senses.

Cod Fish

Scores on efforts put into presentation. It has good rich buttery aromas. The fish is fresh and the meat is flaky with a fried crisp exterior. Cheese & cream on the taste. However, the interior layer is a lil “over-stretched” and not as forthcoming as the exterior layer of meat. It was a tad bit overly cloying on the finish too. It doesn’t make you want to have more.

What’s Not

Braised Lamb Shank

Interesting Indian spices in the sauce. Lamb is very well braised to a butter-melt level of texture. However, there is imbalance caused by over-sweetness (prob from the carrots & vege) which totally kills it for me.

Grilled Beed Tenderloin with Truffle Mash & Port Reduction

One question….WHERE’s the TRUFFLES?

Other Dishes Tasted

I wished we had the Wagyu Beef burger…which they unfortunately ran out of (maybe its really good?). We also had the asparagus soup, tomato soup and the warm chocolate cake (quite good).

Comments

A dud that we couldn’t taste the wagyu beef burgers but all in all, this is a pretty interesting place to come to. It’s just that it lacks some human warmth...wasn’t very crowded on a weekday night. Also, the staff wasn’t too welcoming…needs improvement especially when your location is so ulu.
Seriously, I will say...do come here to experience the locale. The food is fair, prices somewhat steep. If I had a really good Shiraz, I would come here on a weekday and have it with their average quality steak so that the Shiraz would shine.

Wine Pairings Done

2005 Greenstone Shiraz, Heathcote AU (JH94)
WADA rated 77+pts
Cedar, metallic and sharp red cherries on the nose. Very cool climate red cherries with some white pepper on the finish.

Wine Pairing Suggestions

Bring your Shiraz and big monster wines here.

Chin Lee Restaurant (60+p)

Blk 115 #01-285 Bedok North Road

WADA rating: 38.5+22= 60+ pts
QPI: 6 ($15-$40 per pax)
WFI: C+ (Free corkage, Ikea stemware, staff have basic knowledge but can't differentiate a rose from red)
Tasted twice - 9 course dinner for my granny's bdae today!

Was introduced to this teochew restaurant quite recently by DBF , who in turn was introduced to it by her colleague. Heard they just had renovations done and am really quite impressed by their decor given its at a HDB flat. You would think it'd just be an aircon zi-char coffeeshop but are awed by the "atas"-ness of this place. Quite impressive.

What's Hot?

Fried Cod Fish with Soy Sauce and Fried Garlic
Full of burnt garlic on the nose which i like. The fish is fried to a light crispness... exihibiting the
teochew forte of elegant non-oily dishes. The 5 cent-sized slices of fried garlic really enhances the clean soy sauce flavours and integrates perfectly with each mouth of the juicy white meat of the cod fish. Good stuff that I would gladly have with some plain porridge ...and maybe a glass of aust riesling.


Braised Duck with Chestnuts in Lotus Leaf
The aromas score big with me. Fresh steamed lotus with scents of chestnuts. It does remind me a lot of ba-chang (rice dumplings). The glue-like thick dark brownish sauce is quite delicate, v teochew-styled ...not so salty and bordering bland ..BUT taste hard enough to get the sweetness that has seaped into the sauce from the chestnuts. The duck meat is firm and pretty delectable except that it cld have been slightly too overcooked. This dish must be ordered in advance.

Fried Homestyle Tofu
Simple tofu enhanced with tasty meat sauce and a sprinkling of fried crispy strips...i think its a root vegetable..not sure which though. What can I say... a simple dish that punches just above its weight. Again i am thinking of have a bowl of plain porridge.

Yam Paste (Orh-Ni) with Pumpkin
I don't really fancy Orh-Ni cos its supposed to be fattening with lard mixed in. But this is special .Not overly sweet and the bits of natural sweet pumpkin mixed into the solid, firm. dense milky, purple yam paste makes the difference between Kellog Frosties and the Cornflakes. ..the extra icing on the cake. Aftertaste is not oily but quite refreshing...amazingly so ...

What's Not?

The roasted suckling pig was just above average and slightly too porky....a little salty too. Not something i would specially pre-order for. The coffee pork ribs are so-so , v standard like in your face new world shiraz...not much character. Maybe, they should stick to the teochew forte of fish dishes.

Other Dishes Tasted:

Braised Chicken with Chestnuts, some stir fried vegetables (forgettable) , Fried Mee Suah (pretty decent stringy oodles), Cold Dish Combi.

Comments:

They are too crowded for their own good. Staff seem truly wanting to serve well but they could be overwhelmed by the full house this place draws during weekends. Food is better than decent and prices are fair. Do pop by for a meal or two...try it for yourself. And if you are not satisfied, just cross the road to the Bedok Hawker Center for their famous Ba Chor Mee.

Wine Pairings done:

"Around the World in 80 mins" wine pairing done for Granny's birthday bash!

2004 Babich Gimblett Gravels Gurwurtztraminer, NZ
WADA rated 79pts
Light golden. Canned lychees with a bitterness on the finish.

2005 GH Von Mumm Classic Riesling, Germany
WADA rated 72pts
Faint light lemons with some interesting kerosene and small white flowers trying to peek thru. Could do with a little more acid and sugars on the palate. A standard german riesling without much soul.

2006 Libalis Rosado , Spain
WADA rated 74pts
Ribena-ish inits colour, nose and palate. Good light acidity. Delightful but standard.

2004 J Cacheux Les Champs D’ Argent
WADA rated 72+pts
Pale diluted blood red. Some earth and cherries on the nose and palate with a Chinese hawthorne flake (San-Char) finish. Drink and go wine.

2004 Barone Ricasoli, Chianti
Wine was corked. A pity this italian part of the trip had to be poured away.

2004 Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Chile (WS91, rated top 250 great values)
WADA rated 82+pts
Dark purple turning black. Dark plums and mint with dark coffee on the second smells. Big oak. Dark cherries and plums with slight spice notes. Good body with chewy tannins. Seem to get better in the glass. Might have a lil prob on the oak though.

2004 Pondolowie Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, Bendigo (JH96)
WADA rated 81+pts
Deep purplish. Milky coffee with dark sweet plums. A little bitter coffee bean on the finish too.

Pairing Suggestions

Suggest heavy-light to medium bodied wines here as the food is less intense than cantonese cuisine but this is no teochew "muay". Certain dishes are pretty cantonese-styled in its taste direction. Therefore, preferably new world pinots or a denser cote-de-nuit bourgogne. Less oaky cabernet / merlots would do fine too.

Imperial Treasure @ Great World: Revolutions

To celebrate my two good frens from ACS days getting married within a month of each other, we decided to pool our resources and buy them a good bachelor's night dinner. Where else but Imperial Treasure @ Great World ! So here is the 3rd sequel to the Imperial Treasure saga.

What's Good

Fried Cod with Special Sauce

This is damn good fish...fried to perfection with an excellent crispy exterior but not too overdone such that it soaks up too much oil. It retains its freshness and juiciness within the soft silky flesh. Beautiful golden brown caramelised soysauce enfolds the cod in its saucy embrace . Simple yet elegant dish that was absolutely fabulous with a new world chard.

Black Pepper Beef Fillet

Ooh la la!! The chorus going around the table was in unison...."I love it! I love it! I love it!" A perfectly balanced yet robust dish. Yummy to the max with exceptionally tender meat layered with just the right dash of black pepper sauce, which also has a savory sweet (prob from the onions) edge. Absolutely yummy with the greek wine and paloumey 01.

What's Not

Squid with Salted Egg Yolk

This is imbalanced with the egg yolk coating overdone that masks the natural flavours of the squid. Romanee's kitchen's version is so much better.

Other Dishes Tasted

"Lap Mei" (Waxed Meats) Rice in Claypot

Textbook in style and substance with the right amount of taste and aromas going into the dish but does not have much soul in it though. Good but not great.

Wine Pairings Done

NV Arnea Soave, Spumante
WADA rated 71+pts
Little whiffs of citrus on the nose but evolved to a very “kiam” smell that I associate with some taxis driven by these old uncles…not sure how to explain this to you but its like very sourish “sheun sheun sok sok” (Cantonese) smell. The taste wasn’t too bad…simple citrus fruits with some sweetness nearing the finish. Bubbles were short-lived. Drink up!

2004 Hiedler Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal Austria
WADA rated 63pts
Strong urine ammonia dominating with a lining of lemons. Simple taste of sour pickle juice. Too sourish with no character. I will pass.

2007 Dr Loosen QBA Riesling, Mosel Saar Ruwel
WADA rated 77pts
Textbook floral nose accompanied by some tropical fruits. Pleasant simple Riesling that packs mostly a sweet pineapple lychee cocktail punch. The most approachable and likeable among the BOB for the night.

2007 Torres San Medin Rose, Chile
WADA rated 72pts
Light cherry red. Half sweet nose of fresh fruits. Imbalance of acidity but fresh and acceptable drinking. Unripe sour cherries.

2005 Louis Lequin, 1er Le-Passe-Temps, Santenay
WADA rated 81 to 85+pts
Beautiful crimson red, this looked very promising for a Santenay! The nose is very tight probably it needs more time to develop. But still, from what I can smell, this is really promising…v dense and might even be mistaken for a Nuits. Some mushrooms. The body of this is voluptuous! V unlike the previous few Santenays I have tasted from the same maker. Promising tannins and acidity makes me want to buy a case of this to keep. Even after so many glasses of wines, the strength of this 05 Santenay is undeniable.

From L to R: San Medin, Rapsani, Hiedler, Dr L

2000 Tsantalis Rapsani Epilegmenos (Reserve), Thessaly, Greece
WADA rated 89+pts
Made from the greek varietals of Xenomavro, Stavrato, and Krassato. This wine is sourced from a vineyard near Mt Olympus…the wine of the gods. My first encounter with a greek dry red…and WOW! woW! Wow! I am very pleasantly surprised by this bottle of 2000 that I have been cellaring for 2 years now. Clear red with almost tinge of brick. The nose is very expressive and reminds me of a very good Bordeaux…a right bank. This has infused red / blue-berryish nose layered with some light blue flowers (am thinking babybreaths), some earthiness and even some leather. Even my BOB (band of brothers from AC) who are not as wine fanatic as me, are quite captivated by the nose. Beautiful elegant palate of blueberries all over from start till end in a continuous ocean waves momentum….gentle waves that rock you to sleep. Occasionally…some Chinese herbs and spices appear but never to steal the show…I am feeling this Olympian medal winner of a wine. The balance is amazing and transition flawless. The finish is menthol and resonates glimmeringly in the throat. Not a juicy wine but definitely as elegant as a royal princess. I just love the balance.

2005 Pertaringa Over the Top Shiraz, Mclarenvale (RP92, JH94)
WADA rated 79+pts
Dark purple. Dense nose of sweet black fruits and plums. Blackberries and chocolate flows through with black pepper. Some crayola action. Still young and not integrated yet. Definitely not a big monster wine but at least a little devil.