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.

Oasis Taiwan Porridge - Superb shiok comfort food that leaves you wanting more!

It was a night when I felt like having porridge, where it also turned out that we were meeting L &  A for a dinner-turned-supper. And L, the suggestor of good food, recommended Oasis for its delicious sweet potato porridge. 

Me: "SWEET POTATO PORRIDGE?? ON."

Just check that beautiful piece of tuber out:

I love this kind of porridge, where the texture was soft and mashed yet still slightly grainy with a good amount of broth. A plus was the fact that the potato retained a tinge of sweetness, making it a perfect combination with the fermented beancurd ($1.50 per serving) available.

And did I mention the porridge only costs $1.50 for unlimited servings? Really eat until shiok.

Next up, one of the best Braised Pork Intestines I've had for only $8: 

Tender yet firm and very fragrant, with zilch "porky" aftertaste. You know how some intestines leave a bad taste in your mouth after you swallow it right? Be assured, this has none of that and oh dear lords, you just cannot popping them one after another. They were all gone halfway into the meal :'( haha and the pickled vegetables on the side also served as a nice palette cleanser after each bite.

But... the star of the day was definitely the Stewed Pork Belly ($10):

We've always been fans of fatty pork belly and it was truly an orgasmic moment to have this version in our mouths. The meat was wonderfully stewed, as the gelatinious fats complemented the soft pork. Every bite was delightful and we did not get gelat. 

Not even..... o.n.c.e.

Next dish up: Dou Miao ($12):

This was refreshing, crisp and a good change to our "sins" previously haha! But frankly, one does not need vegetables with Porridge though it was nicely done.

Chai poh egg ($8):

Fried to crisp perfection, with a juicy centre and fragrant chai poh. There are some things you just fall in Love with, and this dish was one of them. 

Cockles in sweet & sour sauce  ($9):

I was expecting a drier version with the shells still intact and did not really fancy this though the crustaceans were fresh and plump. I guess it probably goes better with rice!

And viola! 

Our five course supper of the night:

Oasis is definitely recommended and we've been back a 2nd time now! I bet you will enjoy stuffing your faces with the comfort food like we did.

Out, WLF.

Oasis Taiwan Porridge Restaurant:

Toa Payoh Town Park

303 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh

Opening hours:

Daily (yay!) 0700-1500, 1730-0600

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

Good tze char at Two Chefs!

It was a weekday when we were in the Commonwealth area, and since we were feeling peckish at about 530pm, the one driving, G, suggested Two Chefs.

I was game to try as I heard good reviews about the cold cockles dish & G said the place was good. Steady la.

G was in charge of ordering since he tried it before and we ordered:

1) Cold Cockles

I loved this dish, with its refreshing and spicy sauce, topped with lots of fresh chopped garlic and chili padi. The combination kept me going for one cold cockle after another. Hot stuff indeed. I feared having a tummy ache the next day, but thank goodness, the shells were fresh enough..  pass!

2) Sambal Kangkong

Everybody's all time fave, and the sambal belachan was pretty kickass. Good stuff.

3) Butter Pork Ribs

You know how some times, there is more flour than meat in these pork rib dishes? But boy, every piece was lightly coated with a fragrant batter, served with fried milk powder and packed with juicy, succulent meat. Supershiokkk. At first I thought the milk powder was abit weird but the sweetness of it was well juxtaposed with the delicious salty fragrance of good pork meat.... end up cannot stop. Sigh.

4) Steamed beancurd with golden mushrooms

This was my favourite dish of the day, with its savoury sauce drenching soft beancurd (that had a lightly fried skin) & long golden mushrooms with a q bite. I found this pairing heavenly, a little bit like black pearls with milk tea; where anything else seems wrong.

Glad to find a new place, with good comfort food, and be sure to go before the dinner crowd as I heard the queues can be quite crazy.

Location:
116 Commonwealth Crescent
#01-129

Tel no: 64725361

Opening hours:
Mon: 1700 - 2330
Tue - Sun: 1130-1430
Tue - Sun: 1700 - 2330
Closed on every last Mon of the month

Happy eating peeps!

Eating out today, WLF.