Chatterbox Singapore

Aloha! We are still alive after such a looonng hiatus. Y'know, cos travelling takes up too much time..... What?? You are not buying it?  Fine, no more excuses for us :( 

So here's one on Chatterbox that we tried recently! In all honesty, Chatterbox is basically an atas cafe serving Singaporean dishes with an inflated price tag, with a certain quality of course. Overall, I would say the meal was enjoyable but definitely not value for money.

First up we had the very expensive Rojak ($17):

It had fresh pineapple and soursop, which were refreshing against crunchy turnips and cucumbers. Drizzled generously with a peanut sauce,  it was one of my favourites that night.

Given the price tag, we also made sure everything was finished.

This was the delicious Honey Shrimp dumplings ($9):

Fried till a crisp, the dumplings reminded me of a fried wanton with a juicy stuffing of succulent prawns and meat. 

Good on its own!

Hokkien Mee ($22):

This dish was one that was wet, smooth and sweet, like a perfect... plate of noodles that is ;)

Gems of scallops, prawns and abalone dominated the dish and that made it very easy to finish!

The cousin, Beef Char Kway Teow ($24):

The wok hei taste was strong in this one, with a characteristic charred sweetness. I did not get to try the beef, but feedback was that it was not that tender. Tough luck I guess! :p

Another main we had was the Nasi Goreng Istimewa ($24):

Which turned out to be a very normal plate of fried rice with a sunny side up. Thank god the satay was delicious, with soft tender meat in a smooth peanut sauce.

Lastly, the Tahu Goreng ($9):

Deceitfully simply, this was one tofu evryone

loved. It was soft, lightly salted with a firm rough skin. This, coupled with a peanut gravy and fresh garnishing, was light and pleasant on thy palette!

Oh, I also had a lychee drink that cost $9. 

It was definitely canned lychees in my glass, with sugar syrup and ice.

No qualms about it.

Lao niang make at home also can leh.

Overall verdict: 

Chatterbox serves up decent food, but with an unjustifiable price tag. That coupled with average service? 

Also, the fact that the original chef of their famous chicken rice left to set up his own stall leaves no compelling reason to go back.

#realreasoniscositstooexpensive

Weelovefood's vote goes to Newton Circus or Satay by the Bay anytime! 

PORK SATAY FTW.

Chatterbox

Mandarin Orchard Hotel 

Level 5

Opening hours: 

Sunday- Thursday: 11am-1am

Friday, Saturday, Public Holidays: 11am -2am

Tel: 6831 6288/91

Mixed feelings about CUT by Wolfgang Puck

After hearing all the rad reviews about this place, we decided we had to come and try for ourselves. Stepping in, we were greeted by friendly staff but I did not feel much enthusiasm from them. Quite.. robotic and simply doing their job if you get what I mean. Laoniang got foodblog one ok?!! Pfffft. (hahaha)

So, despite the fancy place, with most of the food being impeccable, a good ambience, I didn't fancy the place very much. It simply felt it was lacking human warmth and passion. 

I'm a huge sucker for good service.... then good food. 

Lucky I had my favourite person around for company ;)

All the negativity aside, food pic time!

For starters, we had the Bone Marrow Flan:

A delicious pudding that had the subtle fragrance of meat, encased neatly in the bone.

It was quite fun to pick it out and then spreading our "jam" on the buttery brioche bread:

We also tried the shaved truffle pasta but it was a far cry from the heavenly creation of Casa Tartufo so we were quite disappointed as it was simply bland and boring. 

Well, they were generous enough with the black winter truffle.... :

Lucky the meat lived up to its name:

We ordered a 250g piece of US Wagyu Ribeye to share and it was pure carnivorous delight as we sank our jowls into a juicy centre and nicely cooked sides. The meat was flavourful on its own, hardly needing any extra sauces or salt, and we were pretty satisfied even after sharing.

The sides of Sauteed Wild Mushrooms and Potato Puree were equally good. The shrooms were very flavourful and juicy with a buttery aftertaste whereas the mash was soft, grainy with a taste of milk powder. 

(It got a bit gelat after a while, however.)

Also got a glass of red wine to pair the meat with:

It was a good fruity one, though I can't remember the name of it.

(Please refer to receipt picture)

At the end of the meal, we had a nice touch on the dessert, sending a smile to our faces:

Our bill for those interested to go:

Got a cute complimentary "X'mas tree" that was basically a stack of chocolate coated custard puffs, stacked together using glaze haha!

Free cookies by the restaurant:

To sum things up, I would say that CUT is over-hyped and that is probably why both of us felt let down at the whole experience. It could also be a culmination of factors, such as ordering the pasta (hate wasting calories on bad food!!), the X'mas crowd, hectic pace at MBS etc. And not say very cheap some more. 

I guess some things are just not meant to be *emo face*

So, I doubt we'll be back anytime soon as I think there are more steakhouses out there that offer better value for money.

(For the same price, I would very much prefer Skirt at Sentosa Cove if you ask me!)

For now, bye bye puck.

CUT by Wolfgang Puck

#B1-71, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue

Tel: 66888517

Opening hours: 

Sun- Thur: 1800-2200

Fri- Sat: 1800-2300

Casa Tartufo - House of Truffles: Suave Italian food that makes me wanna wax lyrical...

This was an impromptu dinner but what a nice gathering (for our delighted tastebuds) 

it turned out to be! 

Little did I know that this was a restaurant with several accolades to it, with a speciality in truffles found in many of their dishes mmm. They are served according to different periods of the year, namely the Winter Black Truffle (Jan - Mar) , Summer Black Truffle (Apr - Aug) and White Truffle (Sep -Dec).

Casa means home and Tartufo means Truffles, hence "House of Truffles". Nice name. Located in the quiet Forum mall, Casa is filled with soft lights and a welcoming ambience, making it perfect for a romantic date ;)

Upon stepping in, I was put at ease immediately by the friendly (& good looking as well. Sorry baby :p) man who greeted me with a wide smile. I suspect it was Alex, the Italian owner of the restaurant. Read more about their story here.

There were six of us, so it was a perfect excuse to splurge. I mean, order many dishes to share. 

We were served bread in thick squares, with a texture reminiscent of the chinese pancake aka mun chiang kueh. It was neither hot nor crispy but strangely enjoyable with the sour balsamic & olive oil dip on the side.

For starters, we shared the San Daniele - Proscuitto with cheese ($24):

My precious pieces of cold cuts:

Haha I'm not a huge fan of cold cuts, but this was some good aged ham with a nice marbling of fat all around. It was served with Ricotta cheese, providing a firm and tangy bite to the palette every now and then.. wonderfully paired!

Then arrived the Casa Risotto with Sea Urchin & Truffle ($36): 

Merciful lords.. this was so richly infused with truffle that every bite left a lingering scent on my tongue. Who knew sea urchin tasted so good with truffle and risotto? Maybe Casa has the midas touch. Or maybe it was the ambience.. but it was amazing how the soft and slightly firm paste of sandy urchin melted perfectly with each rice grain.. sending oohs of gastronomic joy each time there was urchin discovered. What a worthy dish of decadence indeed!

Next was the Tarjarin Black - Home made egg noodles cooked in Sage and Butter, topped with Shaved Truffle ($34):

Upon tasting these strands of supple noodles, what suddenly striked me was how deceivingly simple every dish looked at first... THEN the pungent flavours explode on your tongue, startling one out of a hazy stupor and into a joy so unbridled that it was almost estatic.

No kidding guys; this pasta was done so well as it seemed to have soaked up the very essence of the truffle, leaving a light earthy aroma in the mouth after each swallow.  

Did I also mention how the rich scent of truffle assailed our senses even before it reached the table? 

This dish is truly a star on its own.

Just imagine my sadness after I finished my portion.. even I am lost for words. :'(

And finally, the crazy Fiorentina - 1 kg T bone steak ($170), served with a side of truffle fries ($12):

This was the picture that sealed the deal for us when L asked for dinner and sent this pic. How lovely to see it in the flesh, then sink our teeth into the meat for real. There was silence as some medium raw carnivorous delight took over for a few moments. I would say the meat was done nicely, and it was juicy with a robust flavour but the other two mains simply outshone this meaty contender. 

After the last piece of steak was polished off, I suppose we all got high on good food and ordered 5 out of the 7 desserts available when the waitress asked us. No wonder my throat never got better.

Featured below is the Pistachio ice cream with Chocolate sauce ($12), where I asked the waitress to hold the pose for me and she gamely obliged to my Singaporean request haha! 

Next to it is ze lemon tart ($12):

The tangy lemon tart came with a thin soft base that crumbled easily, making it very easy to swallow mouthful after mouthful.

Close up of the Pistachio ice cream brownie:

Despite being coated with a thick, dense darkness for a sauce, the nutty dessert was surprisingly light and was well complemented by the chocolate. Afterall, you can't go wrong with nuts and choc!

This, my friends, is the chocolate tart ($12):

Again, Casa serves its food unprententious looking and tried to fool me once more. But this tart packs a punch with each bite of the dense chocolate that is just a tad bitter, making you yearn more.

And of course, one's gotta save the best for the last. See that simple scoop of ice cream in the background? That's Truffle Gelato ($8) for you, and it is simply mindblowing:

I kid you not, there was a collective exclamation by everyone (I'm guessing with the exception of V who commented it tasted like garlic haha!) at the overpowering taste of truffle in the ice cream. It was almost like there was the real thing inside our mouths... and the treasured scoop was gone in a few minutes. 

THIS ONE MUST TRY. 

And I do feel kind of bad for the Tiramisu ($12) that came after, because it was much milder so it seemed bland in comparison despite it being a famed Italian dessert. However, after the initial excitement of the truffle gelato wore off, I found the tiramisu to be of good quality, with a consistent marscarpone cream and crisp fingers. Might stand a fight with the gelato if it was more infused with coffee or alcohol though! 

Or... maybe not.

For truffle lover, I implore you to make a trip down to this place soon. 

The simple yet rich dishes will leave you very happy. 

Warning: Might get breathless occasionally as you get blown away though.

Casa Tartufo

Forum Shopping Mall 

583 Orchard Road #01-17

Tel: 68364647

Opening hours: 

Lunch: 1130am - 230pm

Dinner: 6pm - 10pm

Closed on Mondays

Hope you all get as high as we did.

WLF.

Kraze Burger - Fresh ingredients on doughy goodness

It was a lazy weekend evening and we were in Plaza Singapura, scouring the area for a good dinner location when the name Kraze Burger came up. Since there were already plans to head to MBS for it, we thought, why not here instead? 

So we trooped there in a trio, and got ourselves promptly seated despite quite a crowd. Good job on the spacious seating area KB. The Korean brand specialises in hand made burgers and they were served fast and hot; I like. Luckily we were near the kitchen too, so the waiters got to us in under about ten steps :p

Items ordered to share were:

1) The  Semi Nude ($16)

It was basically a burger served without the top patty, with an egg sitting atop instead. At first I was skeptical, as it looked like any other normal burger but at an inflated price. 

Like...: "Take away one side of my bun and still charge limbeh sixteen dollars, seriously??" 

Ok.. That was the masculine side of me taking over. Anyway. My first bite into the patty got me a mouthful of fresh tasting meat that was easy on the palette. Couple that with the crisped edges of the sunny side up and the special Kraze sauce; it became a symphony on my lips. 

Pretty sauce swirls that cleverly fill up the half empty plate HAHA.

Side view of the semi nude: onions, bacon and egg layered over fresh beef.

2. Idaho Garlic Fries ($8):  

Was expecting thin fries but wuuu weet, in came fat sexy wedges drizzled with a kickass spicy and sweet sauce. The latter had a garlicky aftertaste which didn't overwhelm and   it went surprisingly well with the whipped cream that was served together. Shioknesssss. 

3. The Matiz ($13)

We were intrigued by the name of this as it sounded like "mati" (die) in Malay. Not very auspicious but we forgot about it after a while as we got too greedy eating heh. 

Also forgot to take more pics of it :/ but it was basically a semi- nude with a top bun without the egg. Not very creative here.... but I guess the name comes from the generous servings of sweet potato fries and salad. Full until "mati". Figuratively of course. My say? Go for this as it is definitely more value for money since they use the same patty. Got free fries somemore. WIN.

4. Chili Beef Dip ($5.80)

Sorry for the sore lack of pictures but this is a good dip to try, with it full of big meat chunks in an appetising hot sauce.

Ended off with some sweets from Nana's Green Tea as well: 

Imma sucker for all things green tea and Nana has never failed me thus far ♡

Kraze Burger

Plaza Singapura Atrium 

(aka New wing)

#04-63/67

Opening hours:

Not stated :/

Call for reservations:

656333538

Enjoy!

WLF signing out.

Madam Kwan's @ Vivo, Malaysia famous nasi lemak

We were looking for a good place for dinner last weekend, and walked past Madam Kwan's. 

Boy, what a blessing! 

The restaurant hails from Malaysia (heard the queues can get very crazy, not sure if they can fight with the Hello Kitty ones though ..) 

Spritly Madam Kwan helms the kitchen, but we didn't get to meet her that day.

In we went, and I daresay every item we ordered was delicious.

Must tries are: Otak otak, Fried Chicken, Ikan Bilis Sambal

1. Otak otak ( $15.90)

The serving looked deceivingly small, but we realised each bite was packed densely with fish, spices and juice, so we were very satisfied.

2. Sambal Belachan Kangkong ($10.90)

Fresh, tasty, sweet but there was a tad too much belachan. In fact, the vegetable was almost drowning in it, making it too salty and wet. Alas, this dish would have been perfect if not for belachan overload.

3. Crispy fried chicken drumstick ($7.90)

This was a favourite at the table, with a juicy meat underneath well marinated crispy skin, each bite savoury and deliciously crunchy. It is a tad salty though, so be sure to eat it with lots of rice.

4. Curry chicken ($8.00)

A thick looking sauce covered two fat pieces of breast meat, and I was fooled into thinking that this might be a gelat dish. Upon spooning the gravy into my mouth, I realised it was a rather thin but very tasty sauce, with a fragrant coconut aftertaste that was not overpowering. Good for those who like subtle flavours, I'd say.

5. Curry Laksa ($11.90)

A bit too much curry on the table eh? Greedy us decided to have this soupy dish that was already decadent on its own, as it was filled with chicken meat, taupok and beansprouts. It was a good laksa, with a flavourful milky soup, but best to order it as a main dish though!

6. Sambal ikan bilis ($3.90)

Spicy, tangy, savoury and simply... good on its own. A great accompaniment to the coconut rice! 

7. Coconut rice ($1.00)

It looked plain, but I could smell its fragrance when it was nearing the table, and the rice was grainy and fluffy. Won me over with its lightness as I thought it might overpower the dishes, but it complemented them instead. 

8. Chendol with gula melaka ($4.90)

This was the final act of greed. We were very stuffed by the end of the meal, but when the next table finished this chendol and the WHOLE pot of gula melaka, we had to try it for ourselves. But it turned out so-so, with a pretty normal combination of shaved ice, red beans and green jelly noodles. The gula melaka was very aromatic I must say, and that was the saving grace for the dessert. 

How ouir meal looked like:

Overall, we all left belly happy, although wallet empty. 

Head down soon if you like nasi lemak and want to stuff your face :p

Madam Kwan's

Vivocity

#01-152/154

Tel: 62719989

Opening hours: Daily 1000hrs - 2200hrs

Osia; delectable dining at RWS

Don't we all love weekends? :)

This lovely Saturday found us heading to RWS for some good food after catching the awesome Iron Man 3.
We were still undecided on where to go, and had Joel Robuchon on our list as well.

THEN, b saw Osia at the corner.
That's it. Go in already. Simply cause their Hokkaido scallop from Savour' 13 (will be blogging about that soon) left such a deep impression. Plus got celeb chef, got awards, cannot go wrong la.

Indeed, this choice .... was gooood. 

Upon stepping in, it felt fuss free and had an open kitchen concept where the we could just lean over the countertop to see the chefs working. Nice.

We were ushered to a window seat, with friendly and efficient service, where b commented: " Wah, I didn't notice him placing the water here at all!' Me neither. Stealth mode: Maximum.

Our orders for the day were:

1) Seafood ice experience:

These gems were served in test tubes, and totally reminded me of school lab lessons. Thank goodness they weren't experiments went wrong :p

Basically they were different raw seafood served on beds of ice eaten in the following order : 1) prawn sashimi with sweet crackling ice 2) tuna with tomato ice 3) prawn sashimi with mango/yoghurt ice 4) salmon sashimi with sweet ice 5) crabmeat with beetroot ice and finally 6) Asahkuya oyster with lychee ice, with the last one leaving a wonderful and lasting impression. Why you so fresh and good. THIS ONE DIE ALSO MUST TRY.

2) Flat bread in two flavours:

Black Mushroom Truffle & Macadamia Pesto. It was served with a most fragrant olive oil, soft butter and a stick of Osia macadamia pesto paste. Shiok.

3) Black Angus Tenderloin Steak: 

This was served with mushroom risotto and boy, what a wonderful pair they make! We like our meat medium rare, and Osia served up a piece that was juicy, rare and flavourful. I really enjoyed every bite, with the occasional sprinkle of sea salt present on their table.

4) Sea Perch with Shisomiso paste:

The fish reminded us of Ember, which has a similar dish and luckily, Osia also got standard. It was fat, juicy, fresh and flaked off beautifully... ma ma mia!

5) Kipfler potatoes with chorizo and scallion:

Normally not a potato fan, I liked it very much! The tuber was sweet and had a good bite to it, with the salty chorizo (a harder version of Lap cheong) and scallion further bringing out its natural flavours. What a good marriage and to think I initially scoffed at this seemingly simple dish. My foodie bad.

The overall experience was really good, as the restaurant manager even came over to make small talk, and gave us a copy of an atas cookbook.

Given that I'm such a sucker for good service, pair that with great food... I think we've found a new favourite fine dining place :) 

Osia restaurant
Level 2 Crockford Towers
Operating Hours:
Lunch: 12pm - 3pm (Thu - Tue)
Dinner: 6pm - 10.30pm (Thu - Tue)
Closed on Wed
Tel No: +65 6577 6688