Coin du Rhubarb at Wood - great food, great wines, great conversations

What is better than great food, great wines (although I didn't try but judging by all the happy faces and loud voices!, I can't be too far wrong) and the company of friends and new friends?

Coin du Rhubarb is a gathering of chefs and those in the Food & Beverage Industry. They meet once a month at around 3pm at a restaurant in Singapore. I have been to a couple and today, it was held at newly opened restaurant Wood at Vivo City.

Everyone's been raving about the wood fire stoves and the new and innovative style of cooking. I was really excited and definitely not disappointed.

We ate:

Starters

House smoked salmon with Tomme du Cabriolet, sweet soy and basil

Spinach salad, Chinese sausage, quail egg and black vinegar

Wood roasted manila clams, squid and angka prawns with chili, kalamansi and basil

Main course

Shitake and enoki crusted cedar planked salmon

Cardamom coffee 12 hours smoked Wagyu beef brisket

Sides

Oaxacan style grilled Hokkaido corn (Francois eating his corn!)

Cast iron pan roasted wild mushrooms

Dessert

Valrhona chocolate pudding with lavender croutons and sea salt

The chef is Jake Klein, an American from NY. The food was excellent. I ate everything in front of my plate. This is my kind of food. Beautiful flavours, well executed, delicious food. Coupled with great company, I was in heaven! I wish this happened more often.

Lynette

Hua Ting Restaurant disappoints with World Gourmet Summit Menu

The girls and I went to Hua Ting Restaurant at Orchard Hotel on Saturday evening. We decided to try the World Gourmet Summit Menu which featured amazing sounding dishes. In reality, all 5 of us agreed that the words sounded better than it tasted.

Sauteed minced bacon with vegetables in pastry cup accompanied with grilled fresh scallop skewer

(the only redeeming thing is that the scallops were not bad but nothing on that dish went together)

Braised shark's fin wrapped in egg pomegranate topped with fresh crab meat and egg white
(we changed the shark's fin to seafood instead)

The only dish I fully finished

Sauteed chilean sea whelk with honey pea and yellow chive

(this dish was really boring and without flavour. The fish tasted really bland like thinly sliced fish cakes)

Stewed oxtail with whole garlic in brown sauce

(the dish looked really unappetizing and tasted just okay)

Braised fresh water tiger king prawn with ramen in squid ink sauce

(as soon as this dish was served, it not only looked unappetizing but it smelled so fishy and really did taste quite awful. The ramen was glued together. I took one bite and decided to leave it. No one finished this dish. In fact, we complained to the chef about this dish and they agreed to change it for us but we weren't hungry anymore so they gave us more desserts)

A combination of chilled glutinous rice flour rolled with fresh mangoes and baked homemade coconut tart

(only one word for it - not nice!)

This was a complimentary dessert dish which was fruit salad and ice cream in dry ice

Overall it was disappointing. As Wong Ah Yoke says, it's difficult to cook well when you are not in your own kitchen. That's why I rather pay good money to fly to the restaurant and eat there. At least they are familiar with their produce and their kitchen and they can guarantee a better product.

Lynette

Another great children's cooking class/birthday party

On Sunday, Chef Puja Pawa from Paisley & Cream hosted a private kids cooking class/birthday party. They were a bunch of 7 eager 9 year old girls wanting to make and decorate cup cakes and chocolate chip cookies.

They were very well behaved and there was alot of laughter and fun throughout the studio that morning. Here are some of the pictures to prove it For me, I had a great time talking to the birthday girl's grandfather who is Chinese and lives in the UK but was born in Calcutta. He travelled the world as a merchant navy sailor during the 50s and 60s and it was fascinating to listen to his stories.

Smiling kids

Busy hands

Decorated cupcakes

Choc chip cookies

So if you want a different sort of birthday party, you know where to find us!

Lynette

Update - Still no success with Nokia

So from March 5th to April 23rd is now more than 6 weeks, in fact it's close to 8 weeks and still no N95!

I did send a feedback form through the e-mail and they say they will answer in 48 hours but of course still no reply.

I have taken to checking my repair status on line because I just can't bear talking to the customer service staff anymore after they told me "go ahead, call my supervisor. I don't care and here is my name...". It looks like Nokia is deliberately making their customers angry.

My on line status is always the same "your phone is not ready for collection. Check back soon". I wonder if they ever update the status or is it just a gimmick they put there to appease their customers?

I don't know what to do anymore. I think I will donate the phone to Nokia customer service. By the time I get it back, maybe we will no longer be using phones!

Lynette

Essentially Thai

This is our third module of Thai Immersion tonight and we made:

Ginger chicken & coconut soup
Fragrant Thai meatballs
Roasted duck in red curry
Banana pudding

We had a corporate class with Cisco before that and luckily for Angie, we made the same menu so it was easier. We have been cooking Thai food at the studio for the past week so the studio has been smelling wonderful!

A Thai cooking essential tool - the mortar and pestle big and deep enough for making papaya and green mango salad and for pounding the chilies and garlic together to make a basic paste.

We take a break next week as it is a public holiday but we will be back for our 4th Thai Immersion Class on 7th May and we will be making:

Pandanus chicken
Prawn in tamarind sauce
Fried rice with pork
Stewed pumpkin in coconut cream

So do join us as we have so many good Thai recipes to share.

Lynette

Swiss Fondue Cooking Class

For those of you who missed out on this class, we will hold it again very soon. It was a night of fun as we guzzled Prosecco with our melting cheese.

A close look at our cheese fondue pot

The art of dipping bread into the fondue

Angie enjoying her fondue

Lynette

Unhappy with Nokia mobile phones

I really am so angry that I have to tell the few of you that read my blog about my experience with Nokia.

I have been a loyal user of Nokia since my second phone more than 10 years ago and my experience with them has gotten progressively worse as the years go by. I think Nokia started out making really user friendly phones but when they started to add too many features onto the phone, it all went down hill. It doesn't help that competition is so strong and new phones with new features come out on the market like designer fashion labels.

My last three phones were the N93, N95 and N73. The N series in my opinion were a total disaster. Every one of these phones had to be taken to the repair center and it never worked very well. The most common problem was that it switched itself on and off without any reason and sometimes the sound would stop working so the other party couldn't hear you. It's very bad when you use this as a business phone! My latest issue was with my N95. It's still under warranty and unfortunately, it has had so many problems that it has spent more time at the repair center than in my hands. It has been 'hospitalised' 4 times already with the latest for more than 6 weeks. Apparently Nokia outsources their repair centers and therefore do not really know or understand how frustrated customers get. I had to call the repair center faithfully every week to check on my status repair because even though they promised to call me, they never once did. When you become angry at them, they just tell you that they are doing their best. The latest is that they told me last week my phone has finally been repaired and is on the way back from head office to the repair center at Wheelock Place. They promised they will give me a call when it comes in. I didn't hold my breath and lo and behold, it's been one week already and no phone call has come. I don't know how long it takes to send the phone back but I would have paid to go and pick it up myself from head office which just happens to be around the corner from my studio. I don't understand why they don't just give me a new phone as I thought it would have been easier but apparently they think it's better to repair it and inconvenient the customer. Now I know why someone bothered to take them to the Small Claims Tribunal. If I had the time and patience, I would have done the same because they totally deserve it!

Well, I have finally had it with Nokia and I'm boycotting all their products. If anyone has another mobile phone company they can recommend, do let me know because I'm so mad I am willing to take anything except Nokia.

Lynette

Sweet Salty Spicy Food Market & Thai Canteen

Andrea told me off tonight because I hassled him to have dinner at Sweet Salty Spicy Food Market & Thai Canteen at The Rail Mall, Upper Bukit Timah Road. I had read so many good reviews from bloggers and the media and plenty of Aussie friends have recommended it so I had to go check it out for myself.

Having returned from Lotus in HK, I was expecting the same high standard for innovative modern Thai cuisine. Well, I have to say that I am probably the only person in the whole of Singapore that doesn't think Sweet Salty Spicy is the best thing they ever tasted.

The restaurant was really packed so I was glad we made a reservation. It was so noisy we had to shout at each other to get ourselves heard. We ordered the tasting platter for 2, the wagyu beef salad, the hot & sour soup, the Phad Thai and the spicy green papaya salad. The waiter told us we had too much food and suggested that we take one dish off the menu. We agreed to take out the green papaya salad but by the end of the meal,we were still hungry. Andrea thought it was funny that the waiter was so concerned about us having ordered too much.

The tasting platter consisted of crispy rice cakes in curry sauce, soft shelled crabs, fresh rolled spring rolls and pomelo salad on betel leaves. This place is not a place for first time dates or for any romance quite frankly. Since it is so noisy, you better be familiar with your eating partners as you not only have to shout but the tasting platter is best eaten with your hands. It was not a pretty sight as sauce rolled down my wrist and I looked like a pig eating the soft shelled crabs but I must say this was quite a nice platter.

The beef salad was wonderful as well. The hot & sour soup was way too hot for us. We asked for the normal spiciness and we almost died. I had to stop eating half way as my lips just started to burn. There were at least 15 tiny chillies in the small bowl of soup. The much raved about Phad Thai was ordinary and I didn't see what the big deal was.

I think the meal was really not so bad but it was not exceptional either. I was expecting to be blown away by the meal like I was at Lotus but this does not even come close to what we had. The level of sophistication and creativity cannot be compared to what we had eaten in HK.

So when the Phad Thai came at 10pm, we called for the bill straight away because we wanted to beat a hasty retreat to Galbiati Gourmet Deli next door for dessert. We found out they close at 10pm and we didn't want to miss out so we literally chowed down our noodles and ran out the door (after paying of course).

At Galbiati, we ordered a hazelnut chocolate tart and a pine nut tart. We were still hungry so we thought we better order a heavy dessert. Both tarts were great but the pine nut tart was better than the hazelnut one as it was just a tad firm. We were spoilt by Amedei and we knew the tart did not use Amedei chocolate so the pine nut tart was preferred over the hazelnut one. But, yes, we were still hungry so we ate everything, even the custard that came with the tart.

We had a good chat with Roberto, the owner and he told us he had been there for 2.5 years. Business was slow when it first started but it has since picked up from the middle of last year. Most businesses I think picked up around that time based on the strength of the Singapore economy. I'm glad he is doing well. He just opened a catering business as well further down the road. From an entreprenuer to another entreprenuer, I can only say "Good on you mate!"

So the moral of tonight's dining experience:

- never believe reviews! You need to form your own opinions! And that means that you should read my review with a pinch of salt too!

- never believe a waiter who is trying to save you money! You may be disappointed and hungry!

Lynette

For a good cause..

Palate Sensations ranked No 1 in Simply Her Magazine - May 2008 Issue

I was really surprised to learn that we have been ranked No 1 in Singapore for cooking schools by Simply Her Magazine in their May 2008 issue. It's really a nice surprise. For the first time, I think I will frame the article! This ranking was of course only possible because of the hard work and perseverance put in, the dedication of our chefs, sponsors and most importantly, our participants who believed in us and kept coming back for more.

Thanks you. Today, it reaffirmed to me once again that through hard work, perseverance, luck and dedication, we can make it. I am glad that I started the school because we obviously are making an impact and hopefully a positive one for the benefit of many people out there. I feel that I have made the right decision to leave the corporate world to become an entrepreneur.

We have been very lucky that we continue to receive favourable media coverage throughout the years. Today, we were interviewed by Cita Bella for their June issue.

Now that Michelle is on board, I continue to hand over alot of my scheduling and administrative duties but I am still as busy as ever! I don't know where the time is going to. My personal trainer is getting mad at me because I never come to my sessions on time and sometimes I even have to miss a session. In terms of personal fitness, it looks like my recent trip to HK and my inactivity has resulted in no weight loss this week. In fact, if I want to be pessimistic, I would say I am back to where I started! Food is so tempting that it's hard to go on a diet. I refuse to go on a diet but the problem I have is that I am not working out hard enough or regular enough to shed the weight gain from all those fine dining restaurants. I will just have to make time to hit the gym every day for at least half an hour.

I have been working with some MBA students recently as they are using Palate Sensations as a case study. They are doing an analysis of my business and will also give me some advice on what I can do to bring the business to the next level. Having done this before when I was doing my MBA at IMD, I truly value their expertise. I am not afraid to put up my hand to say I need another set of eyes or opinions because I am so close to the business that sometimes, it's hard to see the woods from the trees.

I'm really looking forward to the rest of this year. We have some great classes lined up. My only frustrating factor is working on the electrical upgrade for the school because it has taken about 4 months to get no where! I hope we solve this issue soon so that we can finally have more air conditioning in there.

Lynette

Superb offer from Rubicon Wines

Click on the above to get more details.

You can contact them directly if you are interested in buying.

Lynette

Scanpan specials in April

Click on the image to read the details. If you are interested, do contact us on 6479 9025 or send us an e-mail at info@palatesensations.com.

Lynette

Fish Head Curry Cooking Class

We held our first Fish Head Curry Cooking Class yesterday with Chef Lulu. I'm not really a big fan of fish head but the fish turned out delicious and so did the other dishes. I was so hungry I ate two helpings of the egg dhal curry with rice. I even ate that for lunch today. The sambal prawns were quite spicy but the sambal was so good!

The fish head before it was cooked

The fish head curry

Sambal prawns

My favourite egg dhal curry

We will be holding classes on local Singaporean cuisine in the coming months. They will be called The Local Series and there are 5 classes scheduled in total with 2 classes a month. One will be held during the day and the repeat class will be held in the evening. We intend to cover Malay cuisine such as Nasi Padang and Nasi Lemak as well as local Indian cuisine such as Tandoori chicken so do check out our class schedule if you want to learn some local cuisine to impress your friends.

Lynette

Luxury at its very best in HK

I had lunch with Kevin from GR8 at Aspasia when I was in HK. GR8 is a leisure concept group that owns The Luxe Manor, a boutique hotel at Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui and Knight on Wyndham.

Aspasia is helmed by Executive Chef Roland Schuller, a very respected chef in the culinary world. The restaurant is very classy and decadent. It feels like you are eating in a Parisian 19th century salon. We had once again, exceptional service and the food was really nice. I ate some cold cuts with burata cheese. I just pounced on this since it is quite hard to find burata in Singapore. I then followed it up with veal cheeks which I loved because I am always a sucker for veal cheeks having been spoilt by Chef Jusman at Sage. As it was a business lunch, dessert was just some freshly cut fruit with gelato, a very delightful way to end the meal. This restaurant definately deserves to have more patrons so I think a little more marketing would do wonders to bring them in. The food is certainly innovative and well executed enough to warrant it.

Afterwards, Kevin showed me around the themed suites which will be opening in the next few months. They are all on one floor and the rooms are much bigger as they come with a sitting room. All of them are unique and wonderfully decorated. If you have been to The Majestic Hotel or Scarlett Hotel in Singapore, you will know what I mean.

We then left to take a peak at the service apartments at Knight on Wyndham. There are only 12 service apartment, one on each floor and is located right in the heart of Lan Kwai Fong. The service apartments are large one bedrooms and great for bachelors. After staying at V, I've got to say this one is much nicer and so much roomier. The price is also quite affordable (as affordable in HK as one can get!). If I had to choose a place to stay with all the conveniences, I would choose this one hands down. Each apartment is exactly the same in layout but the decor is slightly different.

GR8 Leisure Concept has some fantastic refreshing concepts that makes living and eating so much fun. It's not the same old same old cookie cutter hotel and dining places. They plan to take these concepts and their vision to expand in China. Now I wish they would offer me a job in HK. I would be so excited and go there in a heart beat! Hint Hint!

Lynette

Visit to Spoon in Hong Kong

We hadn't seen Sean for quite a long time and when he found out from Facebook that I was in HK and he was on the way to HK for the weekend, we decided to meet up for Sunday lunch at Spoon. Spoon is an Alain Ducasse restaurant so I guess I can just stop right there. What is so impressive is not just the food which goes without saying but the impeccable service. I have never had better service. The staff were so attentive and knowledgeable it's a refreshing change from restaurants who don't invest in service and think that they can get by with their food. Nothing turns me away more than crappy service. A good front line is necessary to the overall success of a restaurant. From an Alain Ducasse restaurant, we expected the very best and we were not disappointed. This restaurant was my one indulgence during this trip. We booked before I got there to ensure it was not booked out.

The wonderful view from the restaurant (foggy as usual!)

The ceiling of the restaurant is decorated with spoons

The entrees were amazing. There were at least 15 little spoon items to choose from. I threw my diet out the window and ate all of them.

They had a cold cut station and a cheese station but I was so full that I had to skip the cheese.

Wonderful speck, salami and Parma ham

Although we could help ourselves to the entrees, the cheese, cold cuts and wines, we had to order a main dish from the set menu.

Trio of mini hamburgers which were gobbled up before I could even say 'can i try some?'

Beef Wellington which Sean enjoyed so much he didn't want to share

My tender lamb rack which was great but was probably the most boring thing on the menu. It was the waiter's fault - he told me to order it ;-)

The desserts were served in the Pastry Room. This is probably the closest we will get to their kitchen. It was a small spread but substantial enough for me to eat every single one of them and ingest about 10,000 calories in 20 minutes.

The Pastry Room with irresistible desserts

Sean was not much of a dessert fan but he only left me a tiny morsel of the lemon tart. The pastries were so delicate and refined. It was probably the best dessert I had eaten ever.

Afterwards, I had to crawl home and just go to sleep for a while. The Sunday lunch was HKD558 with a glass of champagne. I thought it was really quite reasonable when you compare it to Sunday brunches in Singapore. There was definitely enough food without going over board. I don't like buffets because I always over eat. This one was just right.

I want to go back for dinner where they serve an 8 course degustation menu. It's priced at roughly HKD1,000 which is fine with me because I know it's going to be worth it! But maybe not so soon otherwise another 10,000 calories will certainly ruin me and make my personal trainer angrier.

Lynette

More food trails in HK

I was in HK for about 4 days over the weekend and although I said I will refrain, I still ate like a starving person! It's hard to resist the abundant good restaurants in HK. As we were staying at The Mid Levels, having moved out of the tiny serviced apartment at Causeway Bay, we spent most of our time walking down to Lan Kwai Fong and the Soho area for our dining experiences.

We went to Super Star Restaurant again but this time at Lan Kwai Fong for dim sum. The restaurant was smaller but it was still packed.

We ate some of their promotional items such as the crab and penguin dumplings. They were very cute and tasted delicious too.

The Press Room is an impressive French brasserie. It's extremely noisy and is often so packed that we could only secure a place for dinner at 10pm. When we got there, people were still streaming in for dinner. The restaurant is on the ground level and is next to their sister restaurant Classified which serves mainly cheese and cold cuts. We decided to eat at The Press Room proper because of course I was starving and wanted to devour everything in sight. In the end, we settled for the following items on the menu:

Fresh oysters
Warm globe artichoke with truffle vinaigrette

Bouillabaisse Provencale
Moules Frites (steamed black mussels)

Tarte tatin aux poires (for 2)

I had the artichoke which came as a whole piece. I had to pick it apart one by one and lick every bit of truffle vinaigrette sauce. Delicious! I haven't been able to find one of these in Singapore. Usually it comes already all cut up. I also had the bouillabaisse which was so yummy I ate every last drop. The cod flaked easily and blended into the soup. I just used a spoon to eat this dish. The only dish I didn't really like was the tarte. I love tarte tatin but this one was served quite soggy. I am not sure if it is suppose to be like this but I thought it should be abit more crisp. Well, I guess I could be wrong! Overall, it didn't mar the dinner experience at all. The food was simple French fare but executed so well that I want to go back! Alas, there are so many places to try so I will have to see if I go back there anytime soon.

If you have a chance, go visit Il Bel Paese, an Italian deli located at The Peak, Happy Valley, Mid Levels and Wanchai. The Mid Levels deli was located along the walk back to the apartment for us so we naturally had to stop for a coffee. I love visiting delis. This one was really nice because they have the store with all their retail products and a small sitting area where you can order some food to eat. I bought some products I couldn't find in Singapore such as Chili pasta from Casa Rinaldi and farro. I also bought the magazine Taste Italia which is from the UK and is a magazine dedicated to imparting knowledge on authentic Italian cuisine. I am going to try out some recipes from there very soon (if I ever find the time!) The store is quite small but very comprehensive. You can buy cold food such as cold cuts and cheeses as well as dry goods such as pasta and a variety of Italian breads. If I lived in HK, I think I would shop there almost exclusively.

This shop is located at The Peak and the photo was taken off their website. This was the first deli I came across when we visited The Peak on my last visit to HK

Over the weekend, we went to a birthday party at Black Sheep Restaurant at Shek O. At first, I wasn't so keen to go all the way to Shek O because it was at least a half hour taxi ride away from Mid Levels. We went anyway because we had already promised Alessandro we would be there for dinner. I have never been to Shek O before. It's a sleepy back water of a place with a huge beach. When we got there at dusk, the place was packed with locals barbecuing away at the barbecue pits. The whole area feels like we are in fishing village. Walking from the beach to Black Sheep Restaurant feels like you are meandering through the back streets of Venice and the white wash houses on Santorini. The houses are built right beside narrow pathways and are on ground level so you can't help but peak right into their houses when you walk past. The houses seem to have been built without any urban planning in mind because they are not very orderly. Beautifully renovated concrete villas share their walls with lean tos that smell very heavily of urine. Everywhere you go, you can smell sea salt and hear the sound of the waves. It feels like time has stood still.

The food at the restaurant was surprisingly good. They are well known for their pizzas which are thin and crispy. Since there were at least 20 of us, and they had a tiny kitchen, we had a long wait for our pizzas as they seemed only able to make one at a time. Still, the wait didn't seem that long because we had good conversations while we waited. If you want to experience a different part of HK, do make a trip to Shek O and certainly pay a visit to Black Sheep. You will not be disappointed.

For my next trip to HK, I vow I will not eat so much but I know I won't be taking myself too seriously!

Lynette

Weber barbecue

I bought a barbecue for the school so that we can cook our meats the right way and without smoking out the interior! It's a nifty barbecue. I bought it without the stand (it comes separately) and it now sits very nicely on our balcony table. I also took out the 2 flaps on the side so it's now nice and small and compact. It has a very large surface area for the grill though and I think we can easily grill about 12 to 15 steaks so it's perfect for our classes! The students love it too since barbecued meat always taste so much better!

We hope to use the barbecue for a sausage sizzle when we have our next open day which should be coming up real soon!

Lynette

HK revisted

I've been working out at the gym almost every single day the past 2 weeks. My personal trainer has been whipping me twice a week to work harder. I still look at the mirror every day and think not one inch of fat and cellulite has budged but alas, the scales speak for itself. It seems that I have lost 1 kg. I have no idea where that 1kg disappeared to because all my clothes still feel tight.

The point I want to make is that we finally moved out of the tiny 10sqm service apartment into a temporary apartment 5 times bigger at Mid Levels. No amount of cardiovascular work has prepared me for walking up these flights of stairs from Ladder Street all the way to Castle Road. Somehow, the apartment is not near the giant escalators so today, I took a leisurely walk down to Queens Road Central but the walk up was really terrible. Old men virtually raced up the stairs while I puffed and panted all the way. I had to stop half way to a Park N Shop to cool down! So although I missed walking upt 268 steps to The Grand Buddha, I sure made up for it with my walk up the stairs today.

Mid Levels, where apartments are so close together you can virtually have a conversation with your neighbour out your window!

It's amazing what you find when you meander along the streets. Carpenter shops with men sawing their wood outside their store co-exist next door to a shop selling plates and on the other side, a shop selling olive oils from Italy. Apartment blocks spring up all around you with Kumon tuition centers, hair dressers, art galleries and property agents dotted around the surrounding streets. A Chinese Temple springs up in the middle of no where and looks out of place. Everything is alittle run down, a little old. It's just abit mysterious.

Kids in school uniform play in basket ball courts while a TVB camera crew film some actors for a movie right outside amidst all the noise and the drilling from the near by construction site and traffic. I was able to admire all this before I got tired from walking up the stairs.

On the 16th floor, the air seems fresher and cooler. The traffic noise is a distant sound. From the balcony window, the lights from the apartment blocks twinkle and the harbour looks absolutely beautiful, even though it's forever foggy. The views are nevertheless smashing.

I feel quietly excited to be here.

Lynette

Pietrasanta, The Italian Restaurant

I promised Loris (previously of La Braceria) I would go and eat at his restaurant when it opened. Its located next to my block at the old Judo Federation building on Portsdown Road. This whole building has been renamed Wessex Village Square. It will officially open on Saturday 12th April. Our area is much more laid back and less frantic than Dempsey Road. The restaurant is really beautiful and casual and the balcony is the best place to sit. It reminded us of Tuscany which is where we are suppose to be when we eat there!

It has been opened less than a week and most people always avoid restaurant openings but I went on Friday night anyway. We were there late (as usual!) and there were few diners. Loris served us himself and we ate on his recommendation. We had:

Tagliere di salumi
Mix delicious cold cuts consisting of fresh tomaotes, pecorino cheese, grilled eggplants, lard, red cabbage bruschetta and ventresca (cured meat)
The red cabbage was really delicious and a refreshing change from the usual bruschetta with pomodoro

Ravioli di ricotta espinaci con burroe salvia
Home made ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta cheese served with butter and sage

Penne al pomodoro con rosticciana
Penne with tomato sauce and pork ribs

Ostia di frolla con ricotta mele e uvetta
Savoury short crust pastry with fresh ricotta cheese, caramelised apple and raisins

I am not just saying the food was excellent because Loris is a friend of mine. The food was really great because we didn't eat the usual Italian dishes. I reallly liked the penne with pork ribs. The dessert was also a refreshing change from the usual tiramisu and pannacotta. The bread rolls are all made on the premises so if you like bread, eat, eat, eat! It's wonderful! We ate 2 basketfuls between us so there goes the diet! Loris showed us his kitchen afterwards. It's of a very good size for a smallish restaurant. I wish my studio had the electrical power he has (3 Phase 100 Amps) but we don't and we ain't getting it anytime soon as well unfortunately so I need to make some adjustments as to how many new equipment I can take on for the studio when we renovate.

I suspect this restaurant is going to get really popular very soon and then I will have to make a reservation to eat there the next time. Check it out and let me know if you agree with me.

Pietrasanta The Italian Restaurant
5B Portsdown Road #01-03
www.ristorante-pietrasanta.com
E-mail: pietrasanta@singnet.com.sg
Tel: 6479 9521

Lynette

Black Box Challenge & a bunch of consultants

What do you get when you put together a bunch of Bain consultants loaded up with the best MBAs from the around the world and one of the highest IQs around, in a corporate team bonding class?

A bunch of serious and highly organised guys!

And hungry boys who can't wait till the end so they ended up stealing our dinner at the back kitchen

And alot of sizzle when they make the chicken with cashew nut

When it came to the Black Box Challenge, they were most innovative and took on the task with relish. Here is one team with their black box challenge dish on the left and their springrolls on the right.

A close up of their black box challenge. This one says I Love Bain!

This one is an attempt at a strategy chart

This one is a colourful and innovative poached egg. They were almost too late because they only had 1 pan and had to poach the egg first which took longer than expected. They made it with a second to spare as they also had to sear their shrimps for the dish. Since they put in so much effort, this was the winning dish we chose. Taste.. was another matter..

It always makes me happy when they enjoy their classes. Here they are tucking into their meal.

So if your company is looking for some serious fun, do contact us! We will take care of the rest.

Lynette

Advanced Skills Module 2 - Italian Cuisine

We held our second Advanced Skills Class this past weekend. It was our Italian Class with Chef Francois Mermilliod, Executive Chef, Flutes at The Fort. During this class, we were also visited by Cassandra from the radio station food program Buon Appetito at 938 Live. She was here to experience a class and to interview Francois and I about what we do and how our cooking classes are conducted. During this cooking class, our participants made the following delightful menu:

Stuffed grilled squid with mesclun salad & balsamic reduction sauce

Veal osso bucco with home made gnocchi with butter and sage sauce

Mascarpone & blueberry tart

Our next Advanced Skills Class is on Saturday 12th April and it will be on Classic French Cuisine. Do join us if you are interested! We are starting at 3pm.

Lynette

Nicolas Le Restaurant

Now this is my first pig out here after starting my gym and personal training sessions. Before going out to eat at Nicolas today, I did a cardio work out at the gym first just in case I over indulged!

Michel invited me for lunch today so we went to Nicolas Le Restaurant at 35 Keong Saik Road. Nicolas just returned from a 4 year stint in Thailand after leaving Les Saisons in Singapore. Now he is back in Singapore with his own restaurant Nicolas Le Restaurant.

The interior is simple and pleasant with cream walls and wood beams across the ceiling. Michel also invited Pascal who is the Export Manager for Familie Quiot, a wine maker from Aix En Provence in France. He was on his Asian tour and he joined us for lunch. We sampled his wines throughout the lunch. My Studio Manager Michelle was also with us but she had to leave after 3 courses since we had a class starting at 3pm today. Now I must say that's why I have a Studio Manager! It means that I can stay on and indulge like the piglet that I am these days.

The meal was really really good. I'm not saying this because I was invited. I'm saying this because it's really really good. Nicolas changes his menu every few weeks so the menu is very small. We ate:

Spanish Jamon

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Hotate Scallop

Canneloni of blue prawn

Beetroot chips and Spanish saffron bouillon

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A small plate of poached quails egg, asparagus with Spanish jamon and a bite of home made ravioli

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Tasmanian field rack of lamb

Fava bean and tomato ragout

Parmesan crisp

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Cheese platter (from the cheese board)

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Crunchy Pralinosa

Vanilla ice cream

And of course copious wines. As you know, I don't hardly drink at all but I am starting to drink now although still tasting portions only. The bill came to about $370 for 4 people.

If you want good Western food, do go and check this restaurant out. I read some pretty bad reviews about this place but I think they must have gone when it first opened. It's now 3 months later and it looks like they have ironed out their service standards.

Nicolas Le Restaurant
35 Keong Saik Road
Tel: 6224 2404
contact@restaurantnicolas.com

Lunch Mon to Fri 12pm to 2pm
Dinner Mon to Sat 6.30pm to 10pm

Nicolas joined our table after the restaurant closed and we discussed the restaurant scene in Bangkok, Singapore and HK. Apparently Bangkok is like 5 years behind HK. HK came up tops and I'm glad someone else agrees with me that the food scene and the diners are more sophisticated and educated (in terms of appreciating a broad range of international cuisine) so they are prepared to pay more and not complain.

I read some reviews on hungry go where where some diners complained about paying $60 for 2 people for dinner at a restaurant for Valentine's Day and that the portions were too small. I can't help but think.. hello.. you pay for what you get.

Lynette

Three P's in one day - Picotin, Persimmon & PS Cafe

Yes one day last month, I went to eat lunch at Picotin, followed by dinner at Persimmon and a chill out drink and dessert at PS Cafe afterwards.

Picotin is housed in converted stables on the way to Turf City. It's easy to miss even though there is a big sign because the corner is so sharp you don't know there is an entrance there. We went on a super busy Saturday and the tables were completely full. The Manager basically said to us that if don't sit at the bar, we can just leave because they are just that busy and they sure were. They had a private lunch on that day plus a full house for the restaurant. We decided to stay since we had come all this way. We sat at a high seat and ordered 2 salads. The service staff looked very harassed and not one of them could concentrate on the order. We had to ask many different service staff for our bottled water because they kept forgetting to bring it. I don't understand why they don't assign service staff to a certain area to look after a certain number of tables because that way, the customers will know who their waiter is and what to expect. When the food finally came, one of the dishes was not what we had ordered. What we did order did not taste all that good either I must say. Since it was last month, I can't even remember what we ate because it was that memorable. All I remember is that a Greek Salad does not look or taste like that. All I know is that we paid less than $40 for it and it was probably the best thing. I am not sure if I will go back anytime soon. The food is very French brasserie and does not really stand out from other French brasserie restaurants. Since they are so packed, I rather go somewhere quiet with better service. Although I must say, I am probably the only one writing such a review because you don't pack them in if patrons don't like your food. Maybe we came at the wrong time.

In the evening, I went to a wine dinner hosted by Rubicon Reserve Wines and Vynfields Martinborough and held at Persimmon at Link Hotel. Persimmon is owned by the same girls behind Epicurious. After Picotin, it was a refreshing change to eat at Persimmon. They do alot of Peranakan & Local Cuisine fusion food. I am not much of a wine drinker but I really enjoyed the wine pairing dinner. One of the wine owners was at the dinner and spoke about the wines when each dish was introduced. The wines were so fresh and refreshing and went really well with the food. We ate and drank:

Vynfields Classic Riesling 2004

Chicken salad: Hainanese style poached chicken; fresh local herbs and mesclun greens; rice crisps; chili, garlic, ginger, soy and lime; sesame and olive oils

Calamari fritti with chili lemon mayo

I liked both these dishes - utterly simple but delicious. The chicken salad was definitely innovative.

Vynfields Pinot Rose 2007

Crabcakes: crab claw meat, white pepper, garlic, ginger, spring onion, chili

Fisherman's pie: scallop, prawn, fish & 'tau pok' spicy coconut and crabmeat gravy; puff pastry top

The pie was absolutely huge and and could have been a meal in itself. It completely filled me up and I couldn't enjoy the rest that came afterwards. I thought the crab cakes was rather ordinary but I still ate everything and left nothing on the plate! The wine was divine but they have no stock so we couldn't buy any!

Vynfields Pinot Noir 2004

Braised beef ribs: slow braised with hoisin and red wine, parmesan risotto cake

Australian wagyu ribeye with carrot cake, XO and balsamic

I am not much of a meat eater so this dish was already going to get off the wrong foot with me. I felt this was totally fusion confusion. Nothing on the plate matched and the flavours were so individual that they did not blend or compliment each other. It also didn't help that the wine was quite bitter and I was already quite full.

Bella Ridge Estate Kyoho 2004

Duck Foie Gras:pan fried duck liver; caramelized pineapple

Pannacotta: coconut cream, gula Melaka, sago pearls, yam and sweet potato

The wine was sweet and tasted just like Ribena. It was really smooth and together with my friends, we bought 6 bottles between us. The foie gras was really too filling to serve at the end of the meal. I couldn't eat anymore but I had a separate stomach for the pannacotta so I gobbled that up. Now that was indeed yummilicious!

Generally I thought the food was innovative and I want to come back to just enjoy the food by itself. It's menu is quite extensive and there's more things I want to try. I'm abit tired of the laksa pesto pasta that was popularised by Wild Rocket but is now a stable fusion cuisine in fusion restaurants. If you compare this cuisine to Opia and Lotus in HK, there is no comparison because Opia and Lotus wins hands down for sophistication, complexity and presentation. It is still good food though although abit simple and unsophisticated. I do want to come back and give it another go.

Afterwards, even when we were stuffed, we went to PS Cafe at Dempsey Road and chilled out with a cup of tea and another cake! It's always nice to chill out there. The music is good and the magazines plentiful. The sofas are comfy if you sit inside.

Now you know why I really need to lose the extra 8 kgs I have been carrying around. My indulgence has just gone too far so I am no longer going to eat like a pig anymore and I must say I am a complete piggy in both the literal and figurative sense.

Lynette