Posts Tagged Restaurant
Review – Iggy’s, Singapore
We heard a lot about this place and it has an interesting story. The restaurant is named after its founder, award-winning Sommelier and restaurateur Igantius Chan. His dream of opening his own restaurant was realized in 2004 and ever since, the cuisine has been based on his favorite travel and dining experiences. There is no head chef here, but rather a culinary team that creates the masterpieces good enough to earn them a second place in Miele’s 2009/2010 Guide and #45 in The S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. No doubt, we had high expectations for our dinner.
We booked the counter seating at this restaurant and it is worth requesting as its open counter like atmosphere is very different. The L-shaped counter seats 13 and it felt like eating at a sushi bar. Not quite an open kitchen, but a narrow glass opening gave us a good view of all the action inside.
There were only two choices for the fixed menu – take it or leave it. No à la carte and we were just presented with an eight course menu. However, they did try to accommodate and asked us if there was anything on the menu that we didn’t eat. We chose a bottle of wine to go well with all the courses, and went for a Burgundy – Domaine Arlaud 2004 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru. A very good choice.
The amuse bouche looked like just a bowl full of foam (coriander actually). Underneath was something crunchy and it turned out to be pan fried shirako (cod fish sperm sac)! Well, not bad – surprisingly spicy and it helped wake up our palates.
Thin raw slices of Hirame (flounder) were mixed with burrata cheese, tomatoes and avocado. A good refreshing start to our gastronomic journey. The White Asparagus that followed was covered with a strong sauce (from duck, rocket leaves, Parmesan cheese and truffle) that slightly over powered the freshness of the asparagus. The Kokotxas (cod cheeks) reminded us of Chinese steamed fish with black beans; nevertheless the fish was very soft and ‘slimy’ in a positive sense. The highlight of the evening was the Lobster that was served with spaghettini in tomato and basil sauce…very fresh. The next dish was called Egg. Need we say more? Poached and mixed with white truffle powder, poultry jus and deep fried chicken skin, the combination was amazing. After R finished taking the photo, C had almost finished the dish! But this time, R was not far behind and both were gone very quickly. The main course was the Pigeon, which was unfortunately only so so. Nothing bad, but nothing great. However, the presentation with the pea purée created a work of art.
The pre-dessert was a Sweet and Sour. The strawberry sorbet and meringue was to cleanse our palates for the dessert. The name for the dessert, Soil, sounded a bit weird…and it was. It kind of reminded us of the “Soil” from the Krug Room. In this case, the soil was coffee and walnut powder mixed together. Served with banana and walnut ice cream, it was an interesting combination.
The petit fours was actually the best. A marshmallow covered with fine peanut powder. Yummy. A good end to an enjoyable dinner.
Maybe it’s always better to not read too much in the reviews and rankings. High expectations may not be a good thing. But it’s always best to try for ourselves.
– 17/20
Iggy’s
The Regent Singapore
Level 3
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
T: +65 6732 2234
E: marcom@iggys.com.sg
W: www.iggys.com.sg
100403 Iggy's - Main entrance
100403 Iggy's - Bar dining area
100403 Iggy's - Logo
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Review – one-thirtyone, Hong Kong
Updated April 16, 2010 – website back online
If we just showed you pictures of this place, not in a million years would you guess that this small restaurant is in Hong Kong. Located in Sai Kung, New Territories, it took us only about 40 minutes to drive from Central on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning. Top down in our C’s Z4 made the drive even more enjoyable.
Recognized as one of Asia’s finest restaurants in the Miele Guide 2009/2010, we haven’t been back here for years. Not sure how the food will fare, but at least the environment will not disappoint. It was such a nice day we asked whether we could sit outside. We didn’t mind the sun and the waiters kindly moved our table out onto the patio. The restaurant has only four tables inside and two outside. It ended up that everyone wanted to sit outside, leaving the main indoors dining room empty.
Garlic lovers rejoice. Even before lunch started, we were given plenty of fresh garlic to liven up our palates. Soaked in olive oil, it made a great dip for the fresh bread that accompanied it. The lunch menu was set (HK$500/US$64 per person) and no à la carte. However, they did ask us our dietary preferences when we made the booking (and reservations are a MUST).
We couldn’t resist some wine in such a beautiful setting. But since we had to drive, we ordered a half bottle of Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2006. Just right for the warm spring afternoon. We started off with a block of duck foie gras that was a bit hard at first, but once at room temperature it was perfect – very smooth and buttery. Great with the brioche. The truffle-scented port jelly was very strong on the port. A bit overwhelming, but refreshing, perfect for the 27 degree weather. The side duck confit was also very nice.
We knew the cappuccino soup of wild mushroom was arriving as we could smell the French black truffles miles away. Very fragrant and smooth. Lovely. Before the main course, a Calamansi Sorbet was served to cleanse our palates…C of course passed. The slow cooked USDA prime beef sirloin was very juicy, but the Australian Wagyu beef cheek was out of this world…even better than what we had at Otto e Mezzo. It was so tender and soft it almost melted just when cutting it not to mention when it reached our mouths.
C enjoyed a fine selection of French cheeses as her dessert while R had the Cointreau macerated Californian long-stem strawberries with clover-honey ice yogurt. A nice finish to a perfect afternoon.
This was no doubt an excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Everything was perfect. We wonder why it took us so long to revisit this place. We must make this a frequent routine from now on.
– 18.5/20
one-thirtyone
131 Tseng Tau Village
Shap Sze Heung
Sai Kung, Hong Kong
T: +852 2791 2684
E: onethirtyoneinhk@gmail.com
W: www.one-thirtyone.com
Closed Mondays
100321 one-thirtyone - Gate entrance through Garden Farm
100321 one-thirtyone - Entrance to the restaurant
100321 one-thirtyone - Indoor dining area
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Review – Otto e Mezzo (8½), Hong Kong
We were delighted to hear that Umberto Bombana, the chef from Toscana at the Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong, recently opened up a new place at the Alexandra House in Central. We loved Toscana and missed it ever since the Ritz closed down in 2008. As with many new restaurants, we had to make bookings more than a week in advance. Not a problem, just book and wait…we’re used to it.
The decor is modern with an irregular shaped mirror ceiling, which made the dining area seem larger, but unfortunately echoed the conversations from the diners. It made it too noisy for a restaurant of this caliber, maybe not be the best place for a candlelit dinner. We sat near the entrance, which was next to their Ageing Cellar housing aged hams and cheeses. We couldn’t stop noticing the room every time the door was opened, as the smell was quite pungent.
We started immediately with the amuse-bouche – even before we ordered. A lentil bean soup with mozzarella was not bad as the beans were well blended so that there were no whole beans left. You can tell we’re not fond of beans. The bread was incredible. We just had to refrain ourselves from filling ourselves with it.
The sommelier recommended the 2000 Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Superiore from Tuscany, which fulfilled our requirement for a full bodied wine and showed a resemblance to Bordeaux, which we love.
We ordered the Marinated Beef Tenderloin as appetizer. Essentially, this was beef carpaccio with a fancy name. Large crispy Parmesan cheese flakes replaced the normally shaved type. Accompanied with sun dried tomatoes, this was good, but not spectacular.
The main course, Braised Veal Cheek and Veal Fillet on porcini mushroom and barley risotto was amazing. The veal cheek was so tender and soft, it just melted in our mouths. And the barley risotto was very nice, no rice but replaced with just barley. A nice twist that worked well.
For dessert, C tried the Coffee Trio, which contained a Tiramisu, a warm coffee tart and a crunchy coffee ice cream. The tasty trio’s strong coffee flavor almost had her skip her Cappuccino. And we had to try the Crispy Pear Tart. This was R’s favorite dish at Toscana. Although it was still wafer-thin, it could have used a few more minutes in the oven. It wasn’t uncooked, but a slightly browned crust would have made it much better.
The food was good but maybe we had high expectations, so we expected a bit more. Since the restaurant is quite new, we hope that time will iron out the small imperfections. The portions were small for à la carte, but that means that there will be room for dessert(s) 
– 17/20
Otto e Mezzo (8½)
Shop 202, 2/F, Alexandra House
18 Chater Road
Central, Hong Kong
T: +852 2537 8859
E: info@otto-e-mezzo.com
W: www.otto-e-mezzo.com
100319 Otto e Mezzo - Main entrance on 2/F
100319 Otto e Mezzo - By Chef Umberto Bombana
100319 Otto e Mezzo - Amuse-bouche, lentil bean soup
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Review – Jamie’s Italian (Canary Wharf), London, England
We were taken to this place by R’s university friends and it was because C is a fan of Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks. We didn’t even notice that it was Jamie’s restaurant until we saw all the cookbooks and Jamie branded merchandise lining up the walls.
The philosophy behind Jamie’s Italian was to re-create fantastic, rustic Italian dishes, using recipes that have been tried, tested and loved! The environment was very casual and created a “neighborhood” feel. The restaurant’s open and friendly attitude emphasized that no bookings were necessary, but in reality, that meant going early to get a seat as it was fully packed.
We must have over eaten these past few days, so our appetite was not up to par. So we started off with a vegetable antipasti plank (£6.65/US$10 a head) which was placed on top of two cans of Italian peeled tomatoes. Very rustic. The crispy squid would normally be considered a small portion, but it was just right. The highlight was that it came with “really garlicky mayo” (£5.10/US$7.75) – nice, but for garlic addicts like us, it was a bit mild. Our main course was the linguine alle vongole (£12.25/US$18.60), made from south coast clams – very fresh.
Overall, the food was nice and simple, once again reinforcing that food doesn’t have to be fancy to taste good. Prices were very reasonable too, for London standards. Moreover, the casual atmosphere made it a great casual place to catch up with old friends.
– 16/20
Jamie’s Italian
Canary Wharf
Unit 17, 2 Churchill Place
Canary Wharf
London, E14 5RB
England
T: +44 (020) 3002 5252
W: www.jamieoliver.com/italian/canary-wharf
100217 Jamie's Italian - Canary Wharf entrance
100217 Jamie's Italian - Canary Wharf entrance
100217 Jamie's Italian - Napkin or dish cloth?
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Review – Galvin at Windows, London, England
Opened since May 2006, Head Chef André Garrett and Chef Patron Chris Galvin, Galvin at Windows ha recently been awarded its first Michelin star, we were off to try this place for lunch. Located on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane, it was very close to our hotel, the Mandarin Oriental. Being so high up (there aren’t many tall buildings around) meant great views overlooking Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and beyond.
We tried their Menu du Jour with two courses for £19.50 (US$29.30). Both R & C had the cream of cauliflower velouté for appetizers and shared the baked fillet of cod and braised pork cheeks for their main course. Maybe a bit heavy for lunch, especially all the chocolate for the petit fours. Nevertheless, the food was nice and next time we’ll have to come back for dinner.
– 16/20
Galvin at Windows Restaurant
London Hilton
28th Floor
22 Park Lane
London, W1K 1BE
England
T: +44 (020) 7208 4021
W: www.galvinrestaurants.com
100217 Galvin at Windows - Menu cover
100217 Galvin at Windows - Dining area
100217 Galvin at Windows - Table with a view
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