KITCHEN CULTURE's CELEBRATORY DINNER @ Grand Ballroom,CAPELLA Singapore - Friday 22 July 2011

Guessed "it's better late then never !" ;-) Another "Special Event" Invite from my good friend - WEE LI to celebrate his company's KITCHEN CULTURE's successful IPO launch !!! Well done BRO !!!

Excellent event arrangements by his "hard working & creative" MarComms Team !
It was excellent choice at the Capella Sentosa ! And of course we enjoyed CHEF LEE's Signature Creations :





Double-boiled Shark's Fin Soup With Sea Whelk & Winter Melon stuffed with Whole Conpoy

Stewed Bai Ling & Flower Mushrooms with Garden Greens in Abalone Sauce

Baked Chilean Sea Bass with Golden Garlic Sauce & Garden Greens

Pan-fried Scallop with Spinach Noodles In Clear Soup

Combination of Chilled Cream of Mango with Pomelo & Sago topped with Vanilla Ice Cream

Always enjoyable & always looking forward for more KITCHEN CULTURE's Special Events !!!

Cheers !!!
Andrew ;-)

KITCHEN CULTURE - where life revolves around the kitchen
Showroom :
Singapore - 2 Leng Kee Road #01-02/05 & #01-07 Thye Hong Centre Singapore 159086
Tel: +65 6473 6776
Website : http://www.kitchenculture.com/

ENOTECA L'OPERETTA @ BOAT QUAY - "Introduction Tasting For JANSEN & KAORI !!!"

It have been awhile since my last enjoyable meal @ L'Operetta ! So I was most
Happy to introduced this stylish Japanese Italian Eats - to my very good friend - JANSEN EK ( also our last lunch was a long time ago ! ) And also to my Japanese friend KAORI !!! ;-)

I booked in advance with their GM - TAKA-san for my Fav table for our Special Lunch ! At the same I also alerted their "Opera & Wine loving" Owner - MIZUTANI-san ! Once i arrived,I greeted my Fav Japanese Chef - SEITA-san & requested for a Special Introduction Omakaze Menu which later it really impressed both JANSEN & KAORI !!! ;-)

Enjoyed Their Bread Selection !

For this Special Lunch - my good friend - JANSEN will BYO from his Wine & now he also have Champagne collection,so we enjoy both Red Wine & Champagne ! And that made it more enjoyable and memorable atmosphere :

And here's our Specially Created Omakase Lunch by Chef SEITA :

Then not long our good Japanese Owner - MIZUTANI-san arrived to joined our Lunch Party celebrations with his "contributions" from their large Wine Collection -

And maybe after he saw our lunch,he became "hungry" so he wanted to introduce to my "guests" their Specially Created "thinned Italian style" PIZZAs - In my 1st posting about L'Operetta - I posted about their Special Imported Wood-Fired Oven & using the best quality flour from Italy,their Pizza Crust texture & bite is chewy & bread like ! And best eaten when it served & of course enjoy it with Red Wine !!! ;-) -

Of course such a wonderful Lunch Party,there must have a Sweet Finale with their Desserts which is created by another Japanese Chef & it tasted so delicious that it have been on my mind & I want more !!! -

My good friend JANSEN "couldn't refused this because it tasted so delicious !!!"
It was truly another Enjoyable & Memorable Lunch with him ! A Great Friend always !!! ;-)

Cheers & Enjoy Life !!!
ANDREW ;-)

ENMARU @ Laguna National Golf & Country Club - "1st Lunch Tastings" - Year 2011

After reading a few impressive reviews on ENMARU ( the owners - PJ Partners which also owned some of my Favs - SALT GRILL,GINZA BAIRIN and TAKUMI TOKYO ) & it was also recommended by good friend E Lee,i decided to check it out after my Golf @ TMCC Tampines nearby.

And probably with the hunger from early light breakfast,then my "usual enjoyable matchplay with my Best Golf Buddy - JL"...and i was probably over excited about my 1st visit to ENMARU ( and also minimal assistance from their Japanese manager ) i may have over ordered :

Recommended Selection of Fresh Sashimi - Enjoyed this !!!

Early Start to my TGIF celebrations with my Fav Japanese Beer !!!

Yakitori Sampler with Cabbage

Luv UNAGI !!!

After enjoying all of the above,there was really no more "room" to taste any of their Desserts !

I felt that it will be good for the Laguna members that will enjoy "discounts" or those whose offices are located nearby for business entertainment !

And i will only return only if my Golf Buddy - JL is keen to share & taste their Must Trys - Signature ENMARU ROLL ! Or their Yakiniku ( I told the Japanese manager that my Fav is YAZAWA YAKINIKU but he boasted that the quality of the Beer is the best !....So i told him i will try only if i also enjoy Laguna Member's discounts !!! ;-)...hmm....I should have mentioned that to Laguna's owner - Peter Kwee when i saw him there ! ;-))  )

Cheers & Enjoy !!!
Andrew ;-)

Contact : +65 6248 1722
Website : www.lagunanational.com/dining-1

"ENMARU Yakitori @ ION Orchard,Singapore" - 1st Lunch Tastings - October 2011

Since I have already been to their - ENMARU @ Laguna National Golf & Country Club a few months ago,so when my No.1 good Foodie friend - KIE checked if there were any Latest Eats to check out together. At first i suggested ANNAM Vietnamese Eats first ( but since was newly opened but it was Fully booked ! Have a look @ our 1st Lunch Tastings in my BLOG ! ) So the ENMARU was actually our Plan.B ( because our Fav Japanese Yakitori will always be - No1 FAV -NANBANTEI ( also featured in my BLOG ! ) @ Far East nearby ! ;-)

I only noticed the above recently when i was on the way to my No.1 Fav HK style Steamboat - IMPERIAL TREASURE ( already expanded from Triple One @ Somerset & now opened @ ION - Check out on my BLOG ! ) i noticed the above was "quite packed" ( maybe because it was Newly Opened & also it was TGIF nite ! )

But to my surprise today during our lunch ( wednesday ) - "it was disappointting because there was liked only few tables spread out...." When I met the Manager Jose from Imperial Treasure,he told that"this was actually the situation during lunch hours @ ION !!!  ;-(

Anyway since we already have arrived @ ION,we thought that we just do a Tasting to make comparison with our Fav - NANBANTEI ! ( At the start of our Lunch,I was Disappointed that @ their outlet @ ENMARU ION - there was No sampler order because I complained to the young & understanding waitress that it was available @ LAGUNA and then every item - min order - 2 sticks ! She agreed & told me that she already feedback to the management on this matter ! ;-( 

Here's my Personal Thoughts ( Sorry to disappoint,it's mostly Negative ;-( Hopefully it will improve later on ! ) on ENMARU @ ION as follows :

- DECOR - the lighting may be a bit too dark if you like have a good look at both the Menu & your Order !
- SERVICE - need to improve ( maybe it's newly opened or slow business the staff looked not very motivated ! And when i waved to one of the Staff at the Kitchen,he actually pretended he didn't see me at all ! ;-(  )
- FINALLY since Yakitori is the "main event or the Star Performer" but somehow the Decor looked otherwise just liked a normal Family style Japanese Restaurant !

Cheers & Enjoy !!!
AnDreW ;-)

ps.If you Google the above - "you can only find mostly their Laguna outlet !"

ANNAM Vietnamese Cuisine @ Shaw Centre,Scotts Road,Singapore - 1st Lunch Tastings - October 2011 - ( CLOSED )

After reading another of my good friend - Geoffrey Eu's interesting review on Soshiok ( "Vietnamese comfort food goes upscale at Annam -The Business Times - Oct 18 2011 ) & also his Soshiok colleague - Chen Jingwen ( "Annam's mean beef Pho costs more than $30" ) and other Reviews including one from http://www.asiatatlerdining.com/ ) It made me to "check out & taste" this 50 Seater New Vietnamese Eats located @ Shaw Centre ( a Old Building that badly need Upgrading ! Their Shopping Centre need a boost up ! And it's a Flagship for the Les Amis Group with several of Expensive Eats there ! ;- ( )

DESIGN - i was attracted by their unique French Vietnamese Bistro frontage & the DECOR - cosy homely wooden interior design - floor tiled with marble-top tables with their Pink Lotus Lamps & photo collection from Nam & a fewViet artwork that create a interesting dining experience ! ( Guessed the only Minus are - sometimes the moving traffic & the small dining area that is too close to other tables to enjoy a meal conversation because it can be "very noisey" at times especially when it's packed !!! ;-( )

Actually earlier this week i had already tried twice for a table for late lunch but their malay manager politely told me that "it have been fully booked since it opened and another day he told me that the CHEF NAM told him that there was no more food supplies in the kitchen so they can't cope with more orders !!!...so i thought - WoW ! this New Vietnamese Eats is really happening & their Chef's cooking must be really delicious !...So I decided to book immediately for a table for a Tasting lunch the next day !" ;-)

Since it will be the 1st Lunch Tasting,then of course it must be with my Best & Regular Foodie Friend - KIE ( who told me about his craving for his Fav Pho from Vietnamese Eats in Melbourne,Australia...so he was actually hoping that the above will be just as good or even better ! Then after our Tastings - I guessed from his expressions - he was not too impressed because first he felt that the taste of their Pho Soup was rather mild ! ( their Vietnamese Manager then tried to explain that there are sauces provided to adjust the taste but it was a bit late as she could have told us when serving ! ) And after reading reviews & looking at their MENU - we agreed that the prices are very expensive !!! ;-(

So for our Tasting Lunch,from their MENU - here are few of their "Must Taste" as follows :

CHA GIO - Southern Rolls,Prawn,Pork,Fish cake - $18

TOM BAO MIA - Prawn Sugar Cane - $22.00

BANH XEO - Sizzling Pancake,Prawns,Pork,Bean Sprouts - $22.00

PHO BO - Beef Noodle Soup - $28.00

Desserts - CHE CHUOI CHUNG - Bananas,Sago Pearls,Coconut Milk - $7.00

CHE BA MAU - 3 Color Desserts - $7.00

Coffee - Viet Style

Maybe it will be a good idea that while waiting for CHEF NAM to Improve & Expand the MENU - meanwhile I would check out to check out & taste another Vietnamese Eats @ Orchard Central to do a comparison ! So stay tuned for more !!! ;-)

Cheers & Enjoy !!!
ANdReW ;-)

ADDRESS : Shaw Centre, #02-11 1 Scotts Road Singapore 228208
CONTACT : +65 6735 6656
WEBSITE : http://www.annam.com.sg/
CLOSED ON MONDAYS

Other ANNAM EATS REVIEWS That I Read :

- "Vietnamese Food Goes Upscale" by GEOFFREY EU - DINING OUT - The Business Times October 17 2011 - RATING : 7/10

- "Annam Charm" by WONG AH YOKE - TASTE - TheSundayTimes November 20 2011

- "Vietnamese Gone Upscale" by ANNETTE TAN - WINE & DINE - TODAY November 25 2011

- "Beyond Pho" - from EPICURE -December 2011

- "Viet Start-Up Resonating With Familiar Taste" CELINE ASRIL - TIMEOUT Singapore - January 2012 - Rating : 3/5 - Looking forward to read more reviews by Celine Asril !!! ;-)

EAST OCEAN @ SHAW CENTRE ( MOVED ) - "FAV Eats For Teochew Porridge / Daily & Double Boiled Soup / Special Premium Set Lunch MENU" - September to December 2011

Diced Pork With Dried Beancurd

Stir-Fried Chives With Salted Pork

Sliced Pomfret With Black Olive

Recently I have been lunching @ EAST OCEAN more ever since the Ex-Manageress Serene moved over from The China Club ! And whenever I feel liked enjoying bowls of plain hot porridge to complement with their popular Teochew Eats liked the above -  above Cold Crab,Braised Goose,Long Beans & other above "slightly salty" Eats that Serene recommended !!! ;-)

And @ EAST OCEAN - i especially enjoy their Daily Double Boiled HK style Cantonese Soups and here are some that we have tasted in recent lunches -

Old Yellow Cucumber With Pork Ribs

Their DECOR looked so Outdated ( it's liked those Oldie But Yummy Eats in Hong Kong ) But from the packed tables during lunch,EAST OCEAN is still a very popular especially on sunday yum cha ( see my earlier posting please ! ;-) ) And I especially like and enjoy their service is good ( especially we enjoyed even better VIP treatment by ex-Lei Garden managers there ! ) ;-)

And here are both their Premium Special Lunch Set Menu below - 1st Set Menu with their Special CLAYPOT Shark's Fins :

Then the Next Set Menu With the Double Boiled Mini Buddha Jump Over The Wall Soup & Almond Cream With Bird Nest Dessert Special Menu which we also enjoyed very much :

Pan Fried Goose Liver

Double Boiled Mini Buddha Jump Over The Wall

Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab With Salad

Homemade Almond Cream With Bird Nest

Cheers & Enjoy !!!
Andrew ;-)

Address : 1 Scotts Road, #02-18 Shaw Centre Singapore 228208
Website : http://www.eastocean.com.sg/
Contact : +65 6235 9088

Special Note : Here's a Simple Fried Soya Sauce Noodles that I enjoy the Taste very much !!! :