Da Mario Pizzeria @ Robertson Quay

Da Mario's was a place that I'd been meaning to try as I'd read and heard good reviews about it. Nibble & Scribble (who was the first to tell me about Da Mario's more than a year ago) warned me that her recent visit was disappointing but we decided to give it a try anyway.

We were served cold Ciabatta, which was a disappointing start to the meal. We asked the PRC waitress if she could warm our bread. She looked flustered, mumbled something rather incoherent and scurried off without our bread basket. We figured that she might probably be getting a fresh basket of bread for us and had forgotten about the cold bread in her haste.

A sexily-clad Chinese lady (presumably the lady boss/manager) came by to our table and told us that she heard that we had "problems" with the bread. We told her that there was no problem besides it being cold and we'd prefer warm bread. She then explained to us that Ciabatta is an Italian bread, that she had baked herself on that very day, that the reddish "colour" came from with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, so they can't be stale. Gee, thanks for teaching us about the bread but surely, she could have laid off the condescending tone whereby she sounded as if she thought that we'd never eaten bread or Ciabatta or Sun-Dried Tomatoes in our lives. Then she went on to say that their ovens are very full and they didn't have the time nor oven space to warm breads. We told her, ok, we won't trouble you but please remove the cold bread as we won't be eating it anyway and we wouldn't want to waste them. She looked annoyed and took the bread away.

We were already pretty stressed with work so we decided not to let the bread incident get to us and started with the Tomato Salad. It was refreshing as the fresh and juicy tomatoes had been tossed in a Balsamic Dressing.

I was craving cured meats so we ordered a Rocket Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Scarmoza Cheese and Parma Ham. I preferred this salad to the Tomato Salad, as I love Parma Ham, Rocket and Cheese. The combination was excellent however, I couldn't help thinking of Ristorante da Valentino's Pan-Fried Scarmoza Cheese Wrapped with Parma Ham. The only thing I didn't like about this dish was the conspicuously sprinkled Ground White Pepper and Fine Salt as I tend to enjoy Parma Ham on its own.

I was initially torn between the Capellini Regina (with crab meat, artichoke heart, button mushroom and white wine sauce) and the Fettucine with Gorgonzola Cheese and Parma Ham in a Cream Sauce. Joone warned me that the Capellini she had previously was way overdone and soggy, so I decided on the Fettucine instead as it's usually harder to overcook this type of pasta.

Unfortunately, the Fettucine was over-cooked. It wasn't a soggy and mushy mass but it lacked the bite that is characteristic of al dente pasta. The cream sauce was a little too heavy and salty. I felt bloated after eating about half the plate of pasta though I didn't feel sated. I thought it was a pity as I generally like pastas in Aglio Olio or cream sauces but this was too much to bear and I decided to give dessert a miss.

Joone's Seafood Spaghetti was also overdone and the tomato-based sauce was rather bland.

The bill came up to about S$75 for 2 (inclusive of tax). It was a reasonably priced meal considering we had 2 starters and 2 pastas but we left unsated. I guess we won't be coming back for quite a while.

Da Mario Pizzeria
60 Robertson Quay,
#01-05/06 The Quayside,
Singapore 232252
Tel: +65 6235-7623

Operating Hours:
Tuesdays to Sundays: 11.30am to 3pm & 6.00pm to 10.30pm
Closed on Mondays

Weekday Set Lunch @ Jing

I was on leave to run errands, so I took the opportunity to meet C for lunch at Jing. I'd not been to Jing before and was curious to check it out since its affiliated to New Majestic. While waiting for our Set Lunch to be served, we nibbled on Candied Cashews and talked about how beautiful the waterfront view would be when the Marina Bay Sands IR is completed. Jing had an airier feel in comparison to New Majestic due to the high ceiling and more space between tables. Aside from the insanely expensive parking fees during working hours on weekdays, Jing has a much nicer ambience. It was packed during lunch on a weekday as most of the clientele seemed to be working close by.

Trio of Appetizers:
Crispy Duck, Roast Pork Belly & Jellyfish in Sesame Cream Sauce

Lunch kicked off with an appetizer platter that comprised Crispy Duck with Special Sweet Sauce, Roast Pork Belly with Mustard and Jellyfish marinated in a Cream Sauce. The jellyfish bits were a little chunkier than I would have liked but the cream marinade was an interesting variation from the regular sweet & slightly spicy marinade served in many Chinese restaurants. The Roast Pork Belly was juicy and tasty without being excessively salty. The crisp crackling was also a joy to crunch on. This is very similar to the Roast Pork Belly served at New Majestic, I was pleased to note a consistency in execution for this dish.

I don't recall seeing Crispy Duck on New Majestic's menu and was thrilled to have a new item to try at Jing. The duck was well-cooked with a crisp skin that was filled with the fragrance and flavours of five spice powder. The flesh was moist and tender. However, I guess its because I took such a long time trying to take pictures and working on the other 2 appetizers that by the time I got to the duck, it was not as hot as I would have liked it. Mental note to self to start with the duck in future.

Double-Boiled Watercress Soup

Next we were served a home-style cuisine soup, Watercress Soup. Looking at this soup, I remember a story told to me by a friend, P, about how mortified she was when her mother told the chef that she can make this soup at home too. I thought it was hilarious though. :)

True, Watercress Soup is a simple dish but home-style versions tend to have a thinner broth. This was a very flavoursome broth that had hints of Yunnan Ham in it. This is definitely not an ingredient that most households would use as it is expensive and not readily available.

Pan-Fried Chilean Sea Bass
with Wolfberries, Honshimeji Mushrooms & Shark Cartilage Sauce

The flesh of the fish was moist and freshly sweet with a slightly smoky flavour imparted by the light browning of the surfaces. This was complemented with the slightly sweet flavour of Chinese Wolfberries (Chinese Name: 枸杞子 pronounced "Gao Gei Zi" in Cantonese or "Gei Zi" for short, this fruit is known to be beneficial to the eyes), the delicately nutty flavour of the Honshimeji Mushrooms and the delectably savoury flavour of the collagen-rich Shark Cartilage Soup. Ooh, the richness of the Shark Cartilage Soup that served as a sauce for this dish was like liquid velvet on the tongue. Coupled with the elegant flavour of the Omega 3-rich Chilean Sea Bass, this was like a match made in Heaven. This is definitely a Must-Try!

Baby Abalone Mee Sua
Stewed with Mini Abalone & Greens in a Crab Roe Sauce,
topped with Pan-Seared Scallops

Hot on the heels of the awesome fish dish was an euphoria-inducing mandatory carb dish. Ok, I'm a carb freak, so I'm a little biased towards carbs but hear me out. The soft strands of Mee Sua (wheat vermicelli aka Longevity Noodles) had absorbed the rich flavours of the fresh crab roe sauce but yet retained some texture without being overly mushy. This was my first time eating such tiny abalones (brown bits next to the scallops) and I wondered how they would taste. The miniature abalones were very tasty and were like less chewy morsels of regular abalone. Very interesting. The caramelized sugars that formed the browned surfaces of the seared scallops added a smoky touch to the natural sweetness of the succulent scallops. Even though we were already feeling pretty full, we wished there was more Mee Sua!

If you have to eat only one dish here, this has to be it! If you have room for 2 savoury dishes, then eat this and the Chilean Sea Bass. The Baby Abalone Mee Sua is absolutely a MUST-TRY!

Crystal Champagne Jello with Champagne Sorbet, Raspberry Coulis & Gold Dust

I was really thrilled when this dessert was served. Even though I generally do not have a sweet tooth, I had never eaten this dessert at New Majestic. I asked if this was newly created for Jing? Apparently it is only served at Jing at the moment (I don't know if they'll ever serve it at New Majestic). I love Champagne and Raspberries (I sometimes add Raspberry Syrup to my Starbucks Latte). This was a light combination that had the right balance of sweetness and tartness. The edible gold dust that was dusted over the dessert looked really pretty against the lush redness of the raspberry coulis. This dessert was as visually appealing as it was palate-pleasing. If you're a teetotaller and worried about the use of Champagne here, fret not for there was only barely a hint of Champagne, besides the alcohol would already have been boiled away during the preparation of the sorbet. This is also a Must-Try!

Creamy & Flowy Custard Bun

We ended the meal with Creamy & Flowy Custard Buns. C had never tried them before and so he found room in his tummy despite the heavy lunch. I love this bun because it is filled with a warm custard that had been made with Salted Duck Egg Yolks. The sweetness of the custard and rich saltiness of the Salted Duck Egg Yolk wrapped in a fluffy steamed bun made it a delicious combination. Be careful when biting into one as the filling is hot and fluid which flows out onto your fingers. Think of it as a Chinese version of Molten Chocolate Cake and you would know what I mean about the fluid filling. This is also a Must-Try!

The set lunch cost us about S$55 each. They serve a la carte and other set menus starting from S$35 per person as well.

Please refer to this link for more information: http://www.jing.sg/menu.html

Jing (sister restaurant)
#01-02/03 One Fullerton
1 Fullerton Road
Singapore 049213
Telephone: +65 6224-0088

Operating Hours:
Daily: 11.45 am - 3.00pm (last order 2.30pm) & 6.30 pm - 11pm (last order 10.30pm)

New Majestic Restaurant
31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road
New Majestic Hotel
Singapore 089845
Telephone: +65 6511-4718

Operating Hours:
Daily: 11.45 am - 3.00pm (last order 2.30pm) & 6.30 pm - 11pm (last order 10.30pm)

PS: Jing & New Majestic are running Weekend Buffet Brunch promotions. (Click here for Jing's Weekend Brunch flyer)

WGS 2009: An evening with wd-50 @ Tippling Club, Dempsey

I've always held the notion that I prefer real food to the strange creations that Molecular Gastronomy is known for. All that changed when Nibble & Scribble and I tried Chef Sergio Herman's Degustation Dinner at The Cliff, Sentosa in November 2008. My taste buds and curiosity piqued, I found myself eager to try more of what Molecular Gastronomy has to offer.

When we heard that Chef Wylie Dufresne of wd-50 in New York would be visiting Singapore for the World Gourmet Summit, we decided to sign up for the dinner along with a few other friends. Dinner was priced at S$280++ and required pre-payment. It was a big expense but I was assured by Nibble & Scribble who had eaten at his restaurant in New York that it was definitely a worthwhile experience but we should go with an open mind. Besides we had faith in the crew at the Tippling Club (hosts to wd-50 for WGS 2009).

Amuse Bouche

Canard Tartare

Dinner commenced with an Amuse Bouche of delectable Duck Tartare served with a caramelised spiced bread crisp. This was my first time eating raw duck but it was delicious with its slightly gamey flavour complemented by the savoury and spiced seasoning. Unfortunately, my pictures didn't turn out too well as it was pretty dark.

Burdendu @ S$25

I like many of the cocktails served at the Tippling Club as they are interesting and tend to be less watered down compared to those served at some bars in Singapore. Wylie and his team were serving a few concoctions that they had created. I started with a glass of Burdendu which consisted of Pomegranate juice, Beetroot juice and orange zest along with a host of other ingredients that I had forgotten. I wish I had remembered to snap a picture of the drinks menu. It was surprisingly very palatable despite the use of beetroot juice, which is touted to be full of antioxidants. I guess the sweet Pomegranate juice helped.

1. Everything Bagel
smoked salmon threads, crispy cream cheese

The first course in our 11 course Degustation Menu was an interestingly named dish, Everything Bagel. I had expected it to be a dish comprising a few bagel combos and wondered if it might be too heavy an item to consume at the beginning of the meal. However, this was an evening with the art and science of food and I realised that this dish was a play on the traditional Bagel with Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese. I love bagels but its hard to find nice ones in Singapore.

The miniature bagel was actually bagel-flavoured ice cream. I loved the rich flavour of the ice cream which reminded me of a warm bagel except this was cold! It was a mind-boggling and thrilling experience. The smoked salmon threads were mildly flavoured and had an airy texture that reminded me of lightly toasted shrimp floss. The crispy cream cheese was just a little too mildly flavoured for my preference but I loved the way the flake of cream cheese melted on the tongue.

After stumbling across this gem of a photo montage that detailed the birth of this dish, I have reached a greater appreciation for the effort and the thought process that went into its creation. What I wouldn't give to experience once again, the sensation of the crisp and firm coat of the bagel ice-cream disintegrating on the warm tongue and giving way to the coolness of the ice-cream that amazingly had the flavour of freshly-baked bagels. This is definitely a Must-Try!

2. Foie Gras

passionfruit, Chinese celery

When the Foie Gras arrived, I was eagerly anticipating more palate pleasing sensations though at the same time a little wary of the convention-defying interpretations that Progressive Cuisine / Molecular Cuisine is known for. We were instructed to cut the cylindrical block of Foie Gras terrine into half to allow the Passionfruit Puree to flow out onto the Chinese Celery Sand (green granules under the Foie Gras).

I love Foie Gras, especially Pan-Fried Foie Gras and was curious to discover what Wylie has done with Foie Gras.

The Foie Gras terrine melted on my tongue like a slab of cool butter on a hot grill. It was rich yet almost light in texture. The buttery flavour of the Foie Gras was orgasmic! My party of six was mostly silent with appreciation save for the occasional moan that this had to be one of the best Foie Gras terrines ever. Even one of the girls who is usually not a huge fan of Foie Gras gushed when she told us that this was different and how she loved the rich flavour without any hint of organ meat.

The tart passionfruit puree whetted our palates our appetities and lent an interesting element to the slightly grassy and honey-sweet green granules. I loved the crunch that the Chinese Celery Sand offered, it was like biting into herby-tasting Demerara Sugar. Nice! It's no wonder Wylie has been awarded a Michelin star amongst many other accolades.

If there was one song I could dedicate to the Foie Gras, it would be Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of my Head". I know where I'm headed if I get the opportunity to visit New York. This is most definitely a MUST-TRY!

3. Scallops
tendon, endive, parsley, hazelnut oil

The next dish was a challenge for me as I'm generally squeamish with innards, so the fact that there were tendons done in 2 styles seemed a little daunting for me. Then again, I was oh so curious to try Wylie's spin on tendons that I set aside my inhibitions and tried both. The blow-torched tendon on top of the scallop was a little gooey but not excessively unpleasant and I thought the slightly charred flavour helped to make it more palatable for me. The crisp, dehydrated tendon was delicious! It looked like dried fish maw but tasted alot like a savoury keropok (prawn cracker) although the texture was definitely airier and lighter. It crunched and melted on the tongue like cotton candy (aka fairy floss). The scallops were freshly sweet, succulent and tender.

4. Eggs Benedict

I moved from one challenge to another. I like to eat eggs that have been cooked to death because the strong yolk flavour found in most local eggs makes my face turn green. However, I trusted that they would use eggs that weren't locally-produced. I am not dissing the local egg industry but if you compared a half-boiled local egg with a half-boiled US / Australian egg, you'd find that the local eggs tend to have a much stronger yolk flavour and odour. I'm a little more sensitive to the yolky flavour and odour than most people I know.

The gleaming streaks of egg yolk spread atop sprinkled coarse granules of sea salt and ground pepper were certainly not cooked fully but were deliciously fudge-like with salty and spicy accents. The eggs went perfectly with the crispy, paper-thin strips of Canadian Bacon that looked like a dry jerky on the outside but were in fact, fairly juicy when bitten into.

I found the Fried Hollandaise cubes intriguing. The golden brown cubes had been coated with muffin crumbs which lend a fragrance to the rich, thick and creamy Hollandaise sauce. Combining all the components, we marvelled at the balance of flavours and textures in this dish, as with all the dishes we've had so far. The balance of flavours may defy convention in some ways but are nonetheless interestingly pleasant.

Apple of My Eye @ S$25

I wanted to try another cocktail before switching back to water. I ordered another specialty cocktail created by WD-50. It was a very light and refreshing apple-flavoured drink called the Apple of My Eye. It was a fun and fizzy drink and I finished it in no time.

5. Smoked Eel
spice bread, black radish, campari

Next was Smoked Eel. I generally don't like to eat eel but Wylie has been able to get me to overcome my gastronomic fears so far, I had to try it. The flesh of the eel was moist and not excessively salty, more importantly, it didn't have the muddy taste that is characteristic of Unagi. The spiced bread crumbs imparted a fragrantly spicy and sweet dimension to the dish, the Campari sauce added a touch of richness while the crunchy black radish slices added a refreshing bite.

6. Lobster Legs
brussels sprouts, lily bulb, banana-kimchee

While waiting for this dish to be served, we pondered over the lobster legs as they were really scrawny and nobody we know has ever attempted to eat them. Are we seriously going to eat lobster legs?

When Chef Ryan Clift and crew came by to serve us the dish, he explained that the legs had been placed into a hyperbaric chamber to compress the flesh allowing for easy removal from the shell. A hyperbaric chamber? Sheesh! That's where they stick divers who have the "bends" (decompression sickness). This is serious stuff! After all this effort, I had a newfound respect for the oft discarded lobster legs. The legs were tender and extremely tasty. Perhaps the pressure exerted in the hyperbaric chamber had contributed towards intensifying its flavour, much like how pressure applied onto melon helps to compress the juices and enhance its taste. The banana kimchee was a slightly sweet complement while the fried lily bulbs added a crunchy appeal to the dish.

7. Lamb Belly
eggplant, date, smoked feta

The Lamb Belly dish must have been inspired by the Middle East. I love Middle Eastern food and the use of eggplants, dates and feta cheese to complement the lamb belly excited me. The deceptively dry-looking Lamb Belly were juicy when bitten into. The rich flavours of fresh lamb were trapped into the thin strips of lamb belly. The lamb-y flavour was not excessively strong and the strips seemed to melt in the mouth. The savoury flavour of the lamb was tempered by the smoky eggplant puree, the sweet date strips and the tanginess of feta. This is also a Must-Try!

8. Wagyu Skirt Steak
long bean, tamarind, peanut butter "pasta"

The Wagyu Skirt Steak was very flavourful, a characteristic of this cut of meat. Surprisingly, though this cut of beef is reputed to be tougher than other cuts, it was very tender and a joy to chew on. What stole the show for me though was the peanut butter "pasta" that had an agar-agar like consistency (a firm jelly). The "pasta" was chockful of peanut butter flavour and since I love peanut butter and beef, I was really bowled over by this combination. This is also a Must-Try!

9. Vanilla Ice Cream
balsamic, raspberry

We were already pretty full when we were done with the beef but were told by Leesa (Chef Ryan's wife and Manager) that we have to try the desserts. The combination of reduced aged balsamic vinegar with raspberry sand was interesting. I love both ingredients and remembered being told in cooking class that when balsamic vinegar is added to berries, it helps to enhance the berriness of the fruits. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the roll of Vanilla Ice Cream as it was definitely not flavoured using natural vanilla pods. There was a slight synthetic taste that I didn't like and so I decided to save tummy room for the next 2 desserts.

10. Passionfruit "Tart"
sesame, argan oil, meringue

We were told that the Passionfruit "Tart" was to die for. When it arrived, I realised why the word "tart" was written between inverted commas. This dessert looked like a tart but was actually a Tahini (sesame seed paste) based gelatin shell. The "tart" was served in a shallow Argan Oil bath with Black Sesame Gel, browned Meringue and Black Sesame Powder. The Passionfruit flavour was strong and well-accented by the Sesame Gel and Argan Oil. This dessert had us moaning (softly to avoid annoying other diners) and gushing over how good it was. In spite of our very full tummies, we ate everything that was on our plates. This was my first time consuming Argan Oil though I am aware of its awesome moisturizing properties as it was explained to me by the good people at The Naturalist in Esplanade Mall. It has an interestingly nutty flavour that is addictive. This dessert is definitely a MUST-TRY!

I now understand why this dessert won Pastry Chef Alex Stupak "The Most Innovative Dessert" award in 2008, why he is so highly regarded in his field as one of the Top 10 Dessert Chefs in America (2008) and why he is said to be one of the top dessert chefs in the world.

11. Caramelized Brioche
gala apple, sage, brown butter sorbet

The final course. I love butter and caramelized flavours so I actually preferred this dessert to the Passionfruit "Tart". The caramelized crust of the brioche was divine and the rich, nutty flavours of the brown butter sorbet was a perfect companion. The Gala Apple Puree that lined the centre of the plate was delicately tart and helped to refresh the palate between bites of brioche and sorbet. I could barely taste the sage in the foam but it didn't matter as the brioche and sorbet were awesome! This is definitely a MUST-TRY!

Latte @ S$10

At the end of the meal, I was totally stuffed and was feeling sleepy. I ordered a cup of Latte to perk myself up a little. The Latte here is not as strong as I would have liked it but as it was pretty late, I suppose a little less caffeine is good. We were amongst the last to leave as we had started late and though we had eaten for close to 4 hours, we had a great time as we were able to enjoy the food and each others company. Thankfully, the next day was a public holiday. :)

wd-50 Chef-Owner Wylie Dufresne

Chef Wylie Dufresne and Pastry Chef Alex Stupak were fairly friendly though I think Wylie is the more sociable of the two. They made their rounds during the meal to check if the diners were fine. I took the opportunity to ask if I could snap their pics. :)

wd-50 Pastry Chef Alex Stupak

Thank you guys for a wonderful meal and for our autographed menus, I don't know when I'll make it to New York but I sure hope wd-50 returns to Singapore for another visit.

wd-50
50 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002
Phone: +1.212.477.2900 (Line is open Tues - Sun: 11am to 6pm)
Online Reservations: http://www.wd-50.com/respop.html powered by Open Table

Operating Hours:
Wednesdays to Saturdays: 6pm to 11pm
Sundays: 6pm to 10pm

Tippling Club
8D Dempsey Road,
Singapore 249672
Phone: +65 6475-2217
Email: reservations@tipplingclub.com

Operating Hours:
Lunch - Thursdays to Saturdays: 12pm to 2.30pm
Dinner - Tuesdays to Saturdays: 6pm to 10pm
Bar/Tapas - Tuesdays to Saturdays: 6pm to 12am