Crab Temptations @ Ellenborough Market Cafe, Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore

Ellenborough Market Cafe at Swissotel Merchant Court is running a Crab Temptations dinner promotion from 25 June to 12 July 2009. During this period, diners will be able to indulge in a variety of crab dishes in addition to the regular spread of International, Local and Peranakan specialties.

Image courtesy of Swissotel Merchant Court

I was fortunate to have been one of the bloggers invited to a tasting lunch a few weeks back but had not had the time to blog about it till now.

Salad of Hokkaido Crabmeat with Apple & Walnut
(not the actual presentation at the buffet)

We started with a Timbale of Hokkaido Crabmeat Salad with Apple & Walnut. The salad was impressive as we could bite into succulent chunks of crab. The dressing was light. The use of apples and walnuts in this dish made me think of it as a crabby interpretation of a Waldorf Salad. The plating was pretty impressive so we asked if this would be the actual presentation at the buffet. Our hosts clarified that this was just for the tasting session and that their plan was to place the salad in a large bowl at the buffet spread. We all voiced our reservations as this would encourage inconsiderate diners to pick out the crab chunks from the bowl. We hope they have taken our comments to mind and presented the salad in shotglasses so each diner can have their fair share of crab.

Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Crabmeat

The thick soup had conspicuous chunks of crabmeat in it. I didn't like the flat flavour of the soup as it was akin to standard wedding banquet fare. Though I confess to enjoying Shark's Fin Soup, I hope they'll redirect their efforts towards making another dish preferably sans shark.

Nonya Curry Crab

The Nonya Curry Crab was my favourite crab dish! It had the right balance of spiciness with a hint of garam masala. The others felt that it had a pretty strong Indian influence, I guess its because of the coriander and cumin seeds. This is a Must-Try!

Black Pepper Sri Lankan Crab

The Black Pepper Crab was pretty good as the sauce was fragrant but not overly spicy nor sweet. The small piece of crab (I asked for a small portion) that I ate was pretty juicy.

Fragrant Thai Sauce Crab (on the right)

The sweetish, spicy and slightly tangy sauce for this dish reminded me of Mae Pranom's Nam Prik Prao (Thai Chili Sauce), which is used in some Tom Yam Soup Recipes. I like the addition of deep-fried curry leaves in this dish though the sauce in general was a tad too sweet for my liking.

Crabmeat Fried Rice with Thai Asparagus & Flying Fish Roe

The fried rice contained generous bits of crab meat and the Thai Asparagus added a nice crunch to the dish. The seasoning was just a little too bland for my taste but it was a great way to load up on carbs. Eating crabs can be such a time-consuming and messy affair, having this dish served midway helped offer slower eaters like me a chance to get some food in our stomachs while we worked on extracting flesh from the crabs.

Wok-Fried Sri Lankan Chili Crab

I generally hate Singapore-style Chili Crab because the sauce is sweeter than it is spicy. I would have preferred it if the flavour profile was spicier than it was sweet.

Deep-Fried Man Tou (buns) to go with the crab

I sampled some of the chili crab gravy. It was not excessively sweet but as I prefer savoury flavours and seemed to be the only one who liked the Nonya Curry Crab, I used the curry gravy as a dip for the Man Tou instead.

I had to leave early and so I left before the Crab Risotto was served. The others teased me about missing out on Ellenborough Market Cafe's Durian Pengat (we were supposed to help ourselves to desserts from the buffet spread). Fortunately for me, I don't like to eat durians or much desserts for that matter, so I wasn't too bothered about the lost opportunity. If you wish to read more about the Risotto and desserts, check out Hungry Cow's or Camemberu's blog entries.

The Ultimate Crab Buffet Dinner promotion is available daily for dinner only.

Ellenborough Market Cafe
Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore
20 Merchant Road,
Singapore 058281
Tel: +65 6337-2288
email: singapore-merchantcourt@swissotel.com

Ultimate Crab Buffet Dinner (from: 25 June to 12 July 2009):
Adult @ S$46++ & Child @ S$23++

HSBC Credit Card or Debit Card holders: One dines for free with every 3 paying adult diners.

Recipe: Bacon & Egg Risotto (from "Bachelor's Banquet")

I recently received an email from cookbook author and chef, Max, offering readers a 15% discount on pre-orders of his soon-to-be-launched cookbook.

Indonesian-born Adhika Maxi, who had taken a course in Advanced Culinary Techniques at the French Culinary Institute in New York, was previously Chef de Partie at Michelin 2-star restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at The London, New York.

Singaporean-born Nicholas Lin, is a Marketing Consultant, who started cooking for friends and family since he was 13. Nicholas was previously a photographer for Martha Stewart's Living Magazine.

The bachelors, residing in New York City, are passionate about food and have collaborated to write a series of easy-peasy cookbooks for other bachelors. The first book in the series, entitled "Bachelor's Banquet" will hit the stores on 4 September 2009.

Max and Nicholas have put together a sexy selection of 80+ recipes that are portioned for two, are easy to prepare and tasty. Each recipe ends with plating (read: presentation and garnishing) instructions so bachelors can impress their dates. The guys have even included a section called, In Bed Aphrodisiacs.

For a sneak peek at what the cookbook has to offer, click onto this link: http://www.bachelorsbanquet.com/Look-inside.aspx

In the meantime, the guys have kindly offered to share a recipe from their book. I have selected this recipe, Bacon & Egg Risotto (as I love Risotto and bacon).

BACON & EGG RISOTTO (serves 2)

Familiar themes make for some of the most satisfying meals. Bacon and eggs are breakfast standards, our risotto takes those themes and reintroduces them with a twist, using egg yolks in place of more conventional cheeses to bring out extra creaminess.

Ingredients
4 slices double smoked bacon
2 cups arborio rice
3 cups chicken stock (page 186), simmering
2 tablespoons celery, grated
2 tablespoons white onions, grated
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Garnish
Fleur de sel
Pepper to taste
Truffle oil

Procedure

1) In a large heavy saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat, add grated celery and onions and cook gently for 30 seconds stirring occasionally.
2) Add arborio rice and continue to stir until each grain of rice becomes translucent and coated with oil.
3) Slowly add 1 ladle of stock and stir until the stock evaporates. Repeat this step for about 15 minutes until the risotto is thick, then remove from the heat and allow to cool for 1 minute.
4) In a small bowl break the egg yolk and whisk gently, slowly pour the egg into the risotto while off the heat, stirring constantly until both the egg and risotto are integrated.
5) In a separate frying-pan, sear the pieces of double smoked bacon until dark brown and crispy.

To assemble

1) Divide the risotto into 2 long plates and insert the bacon strips directly into the center of the risotto.
2) To finish drizzle with truffle oil and garnish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel if desired.

From now till 15 Aug 09, enjoy a pre-order discount for Bachelor's Banquet. Each pre-ordered copy will be signed and hard copies are limited to 500 signed and numbered copies. So reserve your copy now!

Click here to pre-order: http://www.bachelorsbanquet.com/Preorder.aspx

Notice: Pre-ordered books will reach you before 4 Sept 09, the date the books hit the stores.

Hard Cover: S$23.99

Paperback: S$18.99

* Images from Bachelor's Banquet

Osteria Telese @ Seminyak, Bali

During our trip to Bali in February 09, Joone, C & I had a few disappointing meals at popular restaurants such as Bumbu Bali, Kafe Warisan and Mozaic. While reading one of the local guides, I came across an interview with an Italian expatriate in Bali. He recommended Osteria Telese for its authentic Italian food. We were initially a little apprehensive about trying it as experience had shown that some places can come highly recommended yet disappoint. Perhaps, it was just our misfortune to catch the chefs on a bad day?

It didn't help that Osteria Telese's print ads had pretty unappealing photos. I guess the photos weren't professionally taken as they had White Balance and Colour Saturation problems that most amateurs (like me) face.

However, I was really curious to try it out and since it was our last day in Bali with only a few hours before I had to head to the airport, the girls obliged. The restaurant is located across the street from the entrance to The Legian on Jalan Laksmana (aka Jl. Oberoi because of the Oberoi Hotel which is located close by).

It was virtually deserted when we got there at about 11.30 am on a Saturday morning. Oops! I told the girls, well, our flights were only half full when we flew over and we were pretty early for lunch, maybe the crowd would come later. Besides, the decor was very basic so it had to have been mentioned for decent food since the ambience is not its selling point. *fingers, toes & eyes crossed*

Melanzane alla Griglia @ IDR22,000 (abt USD2.21)
Grilled Eggplant

We shared a starter of Grilled Eggplants. The thin slices of eggplants were well-grilled with a smoky flavour and a soft yet not overly mushy texture. We were suitably impressed.

Calamari Napoletana @ IDR52,000 (about USD5.23)

Our second starter was Calamari Napoletana. I'm not a huge fan of tomato-based sauces as I prefer the cleaner and lighter flavour of white wine sauces but I had to say that this was pretty good. The tomato sauce was a good balance of tartness, sweetness and savouriness. It added a more well-rounded dimension to the natural sweetness of the squid.

Ravioli with Spinach & Ricotta in Sage-Butter Sauce @ IDR47,000 (abt USD4.73)

C had the Ravioli with Spinach and Ricotta, tossed in a Sage-Butter Sauce. Joone and I shared one of her Raviolis. It was mildly-flavoured and the butter-based sauce was well-infused with the flavour of Sage. The portions here aren't huge but we didn't mind as they were very reasonably priced and the combination of both factors meant that we could try more dishes.

Linguine Carbonara @ IDR47,000 (abt USD4.73)

I was craving Carbonara and was very pleased to note that not only was the linguine cooked al dente, it was also evenly coated with the sauce instead of swimming in cream as is often the case at most other places. It was the right balance of saltiness and richness without being overwhelmingly heavy. The girls loved it too! This is definitely a MUST-TRY!

Medaglione Agnello @ IDR57,000 (abt USD5.73)

Joone ordered the Lamb Medallions which were juicily pink and deliciously flavoured with Rosemary and salt. This place has exceeded our expectations yet again. We wished we had discovered it earlier and are determined to return on our next trip (whenever that may be).

Spaghetti Aglio Olio (1/2 portion) @ IDR23,500 (abt USD2.36)

The Italian Chef Owner, Mikko, came by to see how we were doing. The girls and I wished we could try more dishes but we were getting pretty full so we asked if we could order a half portion of Spaghetti Aglio Olio. He kindly obliged. The Spaghetti was done al dente and the sauce was not excessively garlicky nor oily like in some places. We found ourselves thoroughly impressed by the food here. This was honest food (as Joone put it) in that it isn't pretentious nor excessively fussy yet it hit our foodie sweet spots and all this for a very reasonable price! This is one of our best meals during the trip!

Latte @ IDR20,000 (abt USD2.01)

I ended my meal with a cup of Latte, which unfortunately wasn't as strong as I would have liked it.

If you're looking for good, no-frills Italian food in Bali, this is definitely the place to check out!

Osteria Telese
Jalan Oberoi No. 14 (aka. Jalan Lesmana),
Seminyak 80361,
Bali, Indonesia
(located opposite The Legian, along the same stretch of road as Ku De Ta & La Lucciola)
Telephone: +62-(361)-734-566
Email: telesbali@hotmail.com

Operating Hours:
Daily: Noon till 11 pm

PS: I apologize for the differently sized pictures. I must have accidentally tweaked my camera settings for smaller file sizes without realising it.

Fish & Chips @ Molly Malone's

I've been enjoying the Fish & Chips at Molly Malone's Irish Pub in Circular Road since 1997 as it is one of my favourite lunchtime venues during the work week. The pub was designed and built in Ireland before being shipped to Singapore and reassembled. In addition to a lunchtime crowd, the charmingly authentic Irish pub (albeit in a tropical Asian city with Asian staff) draws a loyal clientele of beer aficionados. I used to love to hang out there for a quick drink and some pub grub after work but these days, I don't drink as much so I go there mostly for food.

The Fish & Chips used to be served in a basket with a printed greaseproof paper lining it and little bottles of vinegar. I used to love reading the text on the greaseproof paper as it simulated an Irish newspaper and had all kinds of bizarre but hilarious stories. My friends and I used to read the text to each other (depending on what hasn't been covered in oil and rendered virtually illegible) and laugh our heads off.

Fish & Chips @ about S$16

Times have changed, the familiar basket and "newspaper" lining has been replaced by a practical plate. Thankfully, the Fish and Chips are still as delicious as before. The moist, fresh fillets of fish are coated with a crispy light beer batter while the chips had fluffy, piping hot interiors. I loved eating the fish with vinegar and the chips with mustard. The Fish and Chips are a Must-Try!

The little brown bottles of vinegar (used to be about the size of an aromatherapy essential oil bottle) had also been replaced by a more practical, large bottle of Heinz vinegar. I like how the service staff automatically serve the entire range of condiments after taking your order.

Caesar Salad with Smoked Salmon @ about S$14

My lunch companion wanted to eat healthy so she chose a Caesar Salad with Smoked Salmon. I tried a little of the Caesar Salad and thought that it was pretty good considering this was a pub that was more well-known for its fry-ups and hearty Irish Stew.

Lobster Bisque

During my last visit, we sat at The Brasserie (just above Molly's) as there wasn't any space downstairs. L and I were craving something warm and soupy so we ordered some Lobster Bisque to share. The Lobster Bisque was thick and creamy but lacking in depth of flavour. Better stick to the Irish Stew if you're looking for something hot to warm the stomach.

Molly Malone's Irish Pub

56 Circular Road
Singapore 049411 Singapore

Telephone: +65 6536 2029
Email: craicsquad@molly-malone.com

Operating Hours:

Lunch: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm (weekdays only)

Pub Grub: 11 am to 10.30 pm (Sundays to Thursdays)
& 11 am to 11 pm (Fridays, Saturdays & Eve of Public Holidays)

Drinks:
11 am to Midnight (Sundays, Mondays & Public Holidays)
11 am to 1 am (Tuesdays to Thursdays)
11 am to 2 am (Fridays, Saturdays & Eve of Public Holidays)

The Queen & Mangosteen - Gastropub @ VivoCity

I took a day's break from work to run errands and caught up with Nibble & Scribble over a quick lunch at VivoCity. I'd heard briefly about The Queen & Mangosteen from C and Joone but had never been there myself as I'm rarely in that area. I was most impressed by the massive menu board at the entrance largely because of the colourful drawings of a crown and a mangosteen.

While waiting for our food, I asked Joone about the strange name. She said that it was supposedly because Queen Victoria was apparently very fond of Mangosteens. Interesting. I guess their intent was to differentiate themselves from other English pubs by giving themselves a posh sounding name to "match" the gourmet pub grub served.

Grilled Brie, Avocado & Portobello Mushroom Sandwich @ S$22
served with Chips

Joone wanted a light meal, so she ordered one of the healthiest options on the menu, a Sandwich of Grilled Brie, Avocado & Portobello Mushroom. The only unhealthy bit about this dish, was the little bucket of golden chips, I like this dish already! This was the first dish to arrive so I nibbled on the chips while waiting for the rest of the dishes. The chips were freshly fried and had a fluffy interior with a crisp exterior. I loved eating them with mustard.

Mixed Seafood Deli Board @ S$26
Fried Whitebait, Beer Battered Fish, Crayfish & Chilled Prawns served with various dips

Foodies dining together are always a dangerous combination, as far as ANY diet plans are concerned. I wanted to try almost everything on the menu but I had to pace myself. There'll be more opportunities to eat at this gastropub in future. Joone mentioned that the Fried Whitebait was good. I wanted to try that as well as the Beer Battered Fish. Oh...whatever, let's try them both and more! We ordered the Mixed Seafood Deli Board.

The Fried Whitebait was good as the batter was crisp, while the juvenile fish were firm and moist. The Beer Battered Fish was absolutely delicious! I loved the light, crisp batter and how it yielded to sweet, succulent chunks of fish. The Beer Battered Fish are definitely a Must-Try! I didn't try the Crayfish and Prawns as I was too lazy to peel them.

The dips that accompanied the dish were (from left to right): Thai Chili Sauce, Curry Tartare, Lemongrass & Chili Aioli and Marie Rose Dip. I liked the Curry Tartare and Lemongrass & Chili Aioli best amongst the 4 dips served. However, in all I still prefer mustard as a complement to fried food.

Bangers & Mash @ S$26 served with Caramelised Onion Gravy & Onion Rings

I couldn't resist ordering Bangers & Mash. I love sausages and mashed potatoes so this dish counts as one of my favourite comfort foods. The Cumberland Sausages were well-grilled with smoky browned surfaces and a savoury, slightly spicy flavour. The mashed potatoes were moist and fluffy. Though I generally do not like thick gravies or onions, I loved the Caramelised Onion Gravy together with the mashed potatoes. The lightly battered Onion Rings that topped the combo were delicious too, especially with mustard and gravy. This is a Must-Try!

I loved their thick napkins. One gripe about this place was the slow service. Not recommended if you're trying to do lunch within 45 minutes.

The Queen & Mangosteen
#01-106/107 VivoCity
1 Harbourfront Walk
Singapore 098585
(close to Lift Lobby E & Lift Lobby F)
Tel: +65 6376-9380
Email: enquiries@queenandmangosteen.com

Operating Hours:
Sundays to Thursdays: 11 am to midnight
Fridays, Saturdays & Eve of Public Holidays: 11 am to 1 am