Ochre Restaurant & Bar

Saturday lunch promo

All-you-can-eat Pizzas & Pastas

Complimentary PIECE of foccacia bread

1st coffee of the day

Proscuitto pizza

A classic Italian pizza with tomatoes, parma ham, mozzarella & wild rocket, the parma ham adds a nice saltiness to the pizza. The pizza base is thin and crusty, but turns a little hard if left outside for some time.

Linguine with seafood in white wine sauce

The pasta is done al dente, and pretty fragrant from the use of chopped garlic in the sauce. Seafood is pretty average, fresh enough, but pretty bland. Portions of pasta vs ingredients are just nice.

Spaghetti Amatriciana, Bacon & Onion Tomato Sauce

I prefer the slight tanginess of this tomato sauce pasta, coupled with the al dente spaghetti and the slightly salty & crispy bacon pieces.

Overall, the pizza & pasta are of reasonable standard, and this promo is good for a good group size of people (at least 3-4 people) to share, and chit-chat the time away.

OChre Restaurant & Bar

11th Floor, Orchard Central

Restaurant Week Part 4: Nazt Bistro & Lounge

This new establishment along Club Street may not look esteemingly posh from the outside, and you probably won't expect too much from a "bistro", but this little restaurant was founded by a partnership between a manager which trained under Les Amis & the 1 Rochester Group, and Head Chef Alvin, and aims to cultivate flavours and a service style which is "uniquely theirs".

Restaurant week dinner menu

Complimentary bread with all-so-familiar balsamic vinagrette

Cream of roasted butternut squash

Pretty average, lacking the sweetness of pumpkin soup. Sunflower soups also a little redundant.

Grilled Sea Tiger Prawn risotto

Not nice at all. Prawn is too small, and risotto is not fully-cooked. I couldnt bring myself to finish even half of the small portion.

Pan-fried King Salmon

I don't take cooked salmon, so this main course was for my dining partner. However, it took me by surprise. It was the pinkest cooked salmon i have ever seen, and the meat was cooked just right, with it being totally cooked but still retaining its moistness and freshness. The slightly tangy mango sauce also adds a different dimension of taste to it.

Chargrilled Yorkshire Pork

After trying a bite of the moist cooked salmon, my pork dish pales in comparison. The pork was a little too tough and dry, and i don't taste any hint of raspberry in the raspberry sauce?

Apple fenilles de brick

Loosely translated to "leaves of brick", its actually pastry sheets (the "leaves") wrapped around caramelised apples into a "brick" shape. Served with a fig & honey ice cream, it tastes like a lighter form of warm apple pie filling with cold creamy ice cream. Not too bad, but nothing to wow about.

Other than the salmon, the rest of the dishes are very average and doesnt entice me to come back and try the other dishes.

Nazt Bistro & Lounge

54/56 Club St

http://www.nazt.sg/nazt.html

Restaurant Week Part 3: Capricci Italian Restaurant

Located along the quieter part of Tanjong Pagar Road, next to Play Club, this Italian restaurant is known for their fine Italian cuisine, impeccable service (the restaurant owner was at the main door welcoming his customers in) and friendly head chef (managed to catch a glimpse of him when he came out to recommend a few items on the menu to a typical Chinese "hao lian" boss who was entertaining his guests next to me).

Many choices on the menu is always a love-hate relationship with diners. You get both the freedom of choice, and the stress of decision-making.

Complimentary foccacia bread with olive oil-balsamic vinegar dip

I have never realised that a balsamic vinagrette goes so well with soft and warm foccacia bread, i think i shall have a whole portion of it with a big bowl of warm soup for one of my weekend brunches at home one day!

Appetiser: Orange perfumed Maguro tuna tartare with avocado

A common choice for an appetiser would usually either be a raw dish, or a light seafood dish (as further affirmed by my waiter who said i made a good choice), so between the raw tuna and raw beef, i chose the former. However, i wasn't too amazed by this dish, as the tuna didnt have much sweetness on its own to begin with, and was further masked by the richness of the mashed avocado. I personally didnt think i made a good choice though.

Main course: Pistachio-crusted lamb cutlets with limoncello liquor & cream sauce served with mashed potato

This was supposedly one of their famous dishes, as raved about by many online food reviewers, so i decided to choose it as my main course. Maybe after seeing so many recommendations about this, my expectations were further increased, and so i was a little disappointed with this course. For a lamb dish, it is reasonably tender, but not as tender as i wished it to be (especially after i had a pretty good lamb dish at Table 66). Coupling with a fish knife lookalike (the staff told me thats the sharpest "steak" knife they have), i had to use a little strength to cut through the lamb cutlets. However, the limoncello cream sauce helped to cut through the very slight "lamb-y" taste many people are afraid of. As i am not a nut lover, i would rather they do away with the pistachio crust (as i don't feel that it served any purpose other than adding some crunch to the not-so-tender lamb), and maybe replace it with a stronger marinade to add more flavours?

Dessert: Panna cotta drizzled with strawberry coulis

close-up of the smooth panna cotta

The panna cotta was really smooth, and slides easily through your throat. The tartness of the strawberries also helped to cut through a little of the richness of the panna cotta. However, i feel that the eggy taste of the panna cotta is too strong, making it similar to a firmer version of a creme brulee without the burnt sugar. Maybe they can play around with other flavours for the panna cotta and use soy-milk instead?

Overall, i may come back again to try the other dishes, but only with a reasonable good promotion, as i don't feel that their items are worth a fine-dining price as yet.

Capricci Italian Restaurant

27 Tanjong Pagar Road

http://www.capricci.com.sg/

Restaurant Week Part 2: Al Dente Trattoria

The 2nd restaurant i am reviewing, is a casual Italian restaurant  that prides itself for serving all-time traditional flavours from various regions and provinces in Italy. In this Esplanade branch, they also offer an option of a rooftop alfresco dining, which will give you views of Marina Bay while you dine away. However, i didnt manage to get a place there, because my dining partner felt it is too warm. Oh well.

This is the set dinner menu for Restaurant Week, with a total of 5 courses for $35++

Amuse Bouche: Pan-seared King Scallop

Looks clean & nice, but scallops are too small to be called King Scallops, and the seasoning is a little too salty.

1st Entree: Double-boiled consomme with Oxtail Ravioli

Soup was not as oily as it looks, not very strong in flavour, but luckily not bland. Those who like subtle flavours should like this. The oxtail ravioli was average, the pasta skin was a little too firm, and the meat could be a little more tender.

2nd Entree: Marinated Tuna with Tomato Salad & Sweet Pepper Oil

I didnt really like this dish. The tuna was too cooked and too firm to look like a tataki (looks can be deceiving), i like mine more raw in the centre. The sweet pepper oil (or should i say sauce?) tastes more like chilli than pepper. Salad was just a small heap of raw greens.

Main Course 1: Oven-roasted Wagyu Beef Tenderloin with Pumpkin Mash & Onion Confit

Easily the best course of the night, i was pleased with my choice of Main course. The beef was done just the way i wanted it, medium rare & pink in the centre with juices oozing out with every slice i cut. It was so good, my dining partner who chose the fish course couldnt resist trying more and more of the beef. The pumpkin mash & onion confit were not too bad too, sweet but not cloyingly sweet. Nice accompaninent!

Main course 2: Pan-seared King Salmon on Sauteed Summer Vegetables with Warm Tomato Vinaigrette

I didnt try this dish, but my dining partner didnt think it was nice, and the meat was a little too dry.

I guess overall, they still fare better in the meat dishes, as compared to their seafood ones so far.

Dessert: Lavender-infused Ivory Mousse on Strawberry & Mint Salad

Another average dessert, with a few strips of strawberry and mint leaves placed on a small block of vanilla(?)mousse cake. I don't taste or smell any lavender though.

All in all, for the beef, i will consider making a trip down here again. But this time, i will try to get the rooftop alfresco seats! :)

Al Dente Trattoria

Esplanade Mall - Colours By the Bay

http://www.aldente.com.sg/

Restaurant Week Part 1: Table 66

Its the time of the year again, where a group of casual & fine-dining restaurants participate in a week-long affair, and dish out a 3-course lunch & dinner for a very affordable price of $25/$40 (lunch) & $35/$55 (dinner). In case you are wondering, the disparity in prices is because certain fine-dining restaurants are awarded a special star, and is allowed to add an additional $15 for their lunch & $20 for their dinner sets (think high-class places like Forlino, Yan Ting, Stellar, etc). I missed the past few years' events, so am really glad to be able to enjoy the event this year. It is also a good opportunity to entice new diners (like myself) to try the food at the participating restaurants, because it is now much more affordable for them, as compared to their usual menu prices.

So first up, Table 66!

A small cosy restaurant nestled among the row of pubs and bridal shops along Tras St, it serves Modern European food (which to me, roughly translates to French+Italian+Spanish) at casual prices.

Special Restaurant Week Dinner Menu ($35++)

I am not a fan of bread, so i just tried half of this bread roll, but i think its pretty good! Imagine warm and soft freshly-baked bread (i cant tell what type of bread it is though) served with cold butter? Yup, thats the feeling you get.

Although i was very tempted to try the other starter, i didnt wanna risk trying raw beef slices on an empty stomach yet, so decided to go for the scallop tataki instead. And i was very pretty pleased with my choice. The scallops, although not as huge as those you see in Japanese restaurants, is still fresh and juicy, with the chilli marinade on it giving an exciting "kick" to it. The mound of vegetables below the scallops tastes like a Western take on achar, but its pretty refreshing and goes very well with the slightly spicy scallops. Nice!

Decided to choose lamb over fish for the mains, mainly because i wanted something more hearty, and i m pretty pleased with my choice too. For the 1st time, i was asked on my preferred doneness for my lamb, so of coz i went for medium! When the lamb finally arrived, i must say the doneness of the meat was very good, exactly what i wanted it to be! (I would have tried to take a picture of the gorgeously pink centre if i had a better camera) And there isnt any sign of the "lamb smell" that most people don't like, in fact it tastes like beef! My only grouch is that the surface of the lamb cutlets can be a little less grilled, so it won't taste so hard and burnt. The sweet potato puree and grilled vegetables are well, just accompaniments to the lamb, so just pretty average tasting. All-in-all, definitely one of the better tasting lamb chops/cutlets i have tried so far!

The dessert of the day is Bread pudding with Vanilla ice cream. After being very satisfied with the 1st 2 courses, i was a little disappointed with the dessert. Firstly, the Bread pudding wasn't the traditional one from England which i was familiar with. It just looked and tasted like bits of bread stacked together, stuffed with chocolate and re-baked in an oven, resulting in a texture which was a little too firm and dry. Luckily the creaminess of the ice cream and the sauce helped to soften the bread pudding to a comfortable texture. Secondly, the ice cream is lacking in the fragrant Vanilla taste which can only be brought out using top-grade vanilla pods. This one, although still showing very slight specks of black, tastes similar to a Haagen-Dazs kinda vanilla ice cream?

Overall, for the price i paid, the quality of the food is pretty worth it, and i will consider coming back again to try their other items on the menu (when there are promotions of course!).

Table 66

66 Tras St

http://www.table66.com.sg/index.html

Maharajah North Indian Restaurant

To add some "spice" (pardon the pun) to my alphabet list, we decided to go Indian for "M". I am not too sure what "maharajah" actually means, but it sounds like royalty (because of "rajah"?) to me, and since it is situated in Orchard road district, i didnt expect the prices to go easy on my wallet anyway. And boy, it sure didnt!

a normal pick-me-up which costs $6 (i think)

Complimentary papadum crackers and 2 accompanying dips (i prefer the orange colour sweet & sour one)

Dinner in a plate

In order to try abit of various tandoori items, we tried the Tandoori Sampler for 2 ($25.90), which consists of 2 pieces of chicken tikka, 2 pieces of sheekh kebab(spicy minced mutton rolls), 2 pieces of tandoori fish & 2 pieces of malai kebab (chicken marinated in cream & cheese). Each item was pretty ok on its own, but nothing to rave about. Overall, it was pretty average, not something i will order again.

This greenish and not-so-appetising looking dish is Aloo Saag ($11.90), which is  potatoes cooked in spinach, Punjabi-style. It is pretty bland for an indian dish, but at least the potatoes are not mushy, and still retain their shapes. I couldnt really taste the spinach though. Also not a dish i will order again.

The fish masala($16.90) is a little spicy, but is prob the best dish of the 3. Not too salty, but not bland, this dish goes well with rice, which costs $3.50 per portion (which is a pretty big plate).

Personally, i don't think the standard of the food is worth the hefty price tag (especially after i had a $20 Indian buffet the next day with similar standard and more food!), so i most probably won't go back again. Well, unless i am entertaining an Indian client in town, then probably so, just because of the prestige and service (which is not too bad i guess).

Maharajah North Indian Tandoori Restaurant

30 Cuppage Terrace

http://www.maharajah.com.sg/

Lawry's The Prime Rib

A place that most Singaporeans would probably think of trying at least once in their lifetime during special occasions, Lawry's is known for its impeccable service and quality roast beef (and of coz, high prices too). All thanks to a 1-for-1 main course coupon by DBS that a friend has, we both got to try this much-talked-about "atas" place without having to cook up a "special occasion" reason.

Lawrys-brand seasoned salt and pepper

freshly-baked bread (i didnt catch the names of the bread coz the waitress was speaking very softly)

We tried their special Lawry's Prime Rib dinner, which allows you to choose your cut of roast beef (i.e. choose your size) according to how much you would like to eat (or pay), which also comes with a salad, mash & yorkshire pudding. As we are not very big eaters, we had the smallest cut, the California Cut.

For the salad, the waitress will bring a tray to your table, with a cold metal bowl filled with salad vegetables on a bowl of ice, another small metal container (i cant remember the proper kitchen name for it) containing the salad dressing (i didnt catch the name of the dressing coz the waitress was speaking very softly again), a plate of halved cherry tomatoes, and 2 cold plates to serve the salad on. What happens is that the waitress will pour the dressing onto to the salad vegetables from a height, and spin the metal salad bowl on the bowl of ice (thats how you get the name) while mixing up the vegetables and the dressing with a metal spoon & fork. After its done, she will serve up the salad on individual plates, add in the cherry tomatoes & croutons, and serve. The nicest salad delivery i have ever seen.

Spinning bowl salad with seasoned pepper (as recommmended by waitress)

Personally, i don't like salad. But for the efforts of the waitress in making my salad, and keeping my salad cool by fridging the salad plates before serving, i finished 3/4 of my salad plate.

Lawry's Prime Rib trolley

For the main part of the dish, the Lawry's Prime rib, a trolley containing 3 slabs of roast beef on metal skewers (imagine fat short kebabs) kept warm by in-built induction warmers, and a few metal pots (also kept warm by internal warmers) containing sauces and mash, comes to your table with a waitress & a chef in hand. The waitress will confirm the cut you ordered, ask you for your preferred doneness, whether you would like your fat trimmed or left on, and relay your requirements to the chef, who will then proceed to prepare your order on the spot. Very interesting.

California Cut ($62.90)

I had mine medium-rare, with fats trimmed (picture above is my dining partner's, with fats left on, as i was too eager to tuck into mine without snapping a pic). The pinkish park was really medium-rare (with a very slight bloody taste), and has a meaty 饱实感 that makes meat-lovers pretty satisfied. The browner area next to it is slightly softer, but also saltier (i dunno if its done on purpose, or was it a case of uneven marination, as the whole piece came from the same slab?). The mash with gravy was very nice, without being too buttery, and still retaining the potato flavours, and the gravy wasn't too saltish.

horseradish dip

The waitress also brought 2 types of horseradish dips (1 mild, 1 spicy) to the table, to accompany the roast beef. I don't like horseradish, so i didnt touch that. But my dining partner felt that the mild was too mild, and the spicy was too spicy, no point trying.

Yorkshire pudding

The last side that came with the roast beef was a Yorkshire pudding. Yorkshire pudding originated from Yorkshire, England (which is how it got its name), and is made from a batter containing flour, eggs & milk, and fried with butter. It is usually served with roast beef and gravy (as it is done now). It goes pretty well with either the sauce that came with the roast beef or the gravy that came with the mash, but it is a little oily when eaten on its own. Personally, i prefer the mash to this.

Lawry's English trifle ($10.90)

As the dinner didnt come with dessert, and i wanted the review to have a sweet ending, we decided to order a dessert to squeeze into our almost-stuffed stomachs. There were limited dessert choices, so we decided on the English trifle, which is similar to the Japanese strawberry shortcake, containing slices of sponge cake piled between layers of sliced strawberries and light cream, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a slice of strawberry and drizzled with strawberry sauce. The sponge cake was soft and moist (probably drenched in liquid before serving) and the slight tartness of the strawberries and sweetness of the strawberry sauce added another dimension to the otherwise plain sponge cake.

Overall, Lawry's has been an interesting experience with good service and well-behaved diners, and i do see myself coming back again (probably for a special occasion one day) to try other items on the menu.

Lawry's The Prime Rib

#04-01/31 Mandarin Gallery

http://www.lawrys.com.sg/index.php/contactus/