Braise - Sunday Brunch

UPDATE: This restaurant is now CLOSED.

What is more relaxing than a Sunday branch in Sentosa within a bright and spacious environment facing the beach, well served with free-flow French delicacies and champagne? It might sound too good to be true, but after spending my Sunday afternoon at Braise, I have only good things to say about it. Efficient, friendly and discreet service accompanied by succulent food, a stunning view and a beautiful architecture. I provided large pictures that you click-on and enlarge to be tempted.


There is no better way to start than a couple of fresh oysters. They came garnished and seasoned with a vinegary dressing. Slightly on the sour side for my taste, but they did taste fresh and juicy. These were not mentioned on the menu and I am not sure they are regularly served.

Following the oysters, we were served a couple of appetising salads. The first one was a 'Scallop wrapped in Parma ham with rocket salad and honey balsamic dressing'. The scallops tasted fresh and juicy, and the Parma ham wrap was so thin thin and crispy that it didn't spoil the texture of the scallop. A few slices of yellow and ruby oranges added color and flavour.

The 'Caesar salad' was well dressed, with crunchy bits of caramelised bacon which gave a twist to this popular dish.

The 'escargot with herb crust' was particularly flavoursome, topped with a thin layer of herbs gently baked to perfection.

I particularly liked the 'pan seared foie gras with caramelised banana'. You don't often get 'eat as much as you like' foie gras, especially of this quality. It was very moist, melting to the cut, with a thin crispy outer layer and accompanied by a moderately sweet caramelised banana.

I am not a big fan of cocktail sauce, but the prawns in this 'king prawn cocktail salad' were very succulent and juicy.

'Sundried tomato and spinach olive and Parma ham' was a classic Italian appetizer, with abundant sweet and tender slices of Parma ham accompanied by an assortment of preserved vegetables, olives and fresh tomatoes. Very refreshing.

This was my favourite starter overall, the 'pan fried crab cake with curry alioli'. The texture of shredded crab was very well preserved together with the subtle flavour. The sauce was an interesting addition for those who find pure crab too plain, although these 'crab balls' could well be enjoyed with no extra seasoning.

There is an outdoor 'break' area where you can sit down and relax after you are done with your starter, waiting for the eggs. It is well ventilated, with a wide sofa and chairs and a beautiful view over the beach. It is used as a smoking area for those who need a cigarette break.

Egg benedict is one of my favourite French dishes, and yet one dish that I haven't eaten for very long. This is a very classic version, with salmon served on the side. Maybe it's the fact that I didn't have it for so long, but I found this traditional, simple dish the best of all. Great, delicate sauce, fantastic warm bread and well, salmon was my pick. Alternatively, you can have it served with sausage, bacon or 'herbs tomato'.

At this point, I would say that anyone with a regular stomach capacity will be full enough to call it off and have a dessert. The main dish is optional, or you can choose to have the main instead of the egg. I don't recommend having both eggs and main unless you have been starved for a couple of days.

The 'Beef tenderloin with French beans and potato gratin and Bernaise sauce' was a good choice. Well cooked, quality beef topped with a delicate foamy sauce and accompanied by greens and a classic, crispy potato gratin.

The 'Duck confit with gratin potato and orange sauce' had a nice crispy skin and delicately seasoned. The duck was not too dry and perfectly matched with moist potato layers.

I am a matcha lover and I am always intrigued by green tea flavoured food. Unfortunately, I have never actually tasted green tea in most of my attempts outside of Japan. This was another failed attempt. Besides the fact that this 'Green tea Creme Brulee with margarita sorbet' didn't particularly taste of green tea, it was a fabulous Creme Brulee, accompanied by a light, sour sorbet that will wash your palate from the Creme Brulee's creamy residuals.

The 'Chocolate lava cake with coffee ice-cream' was served nice and warm, with hot chocolate oozing out of the spongy cake. Not too sweet, just perfect, and balanced by the coffee ice cream provided on the side.

Having a chat with the restaurant manager, it seems like at Braise they have all the right ideas. They are planning for Sunday kids entertainment, to give some free time to their parents while tasting this wonderful brunch. They are also planning for free-flow sparkling wine in the near future. With such a sumptuous brunch priced at $55++, I can only say Braise is excellent value for money. I will definitely be back for dinner to give their dinner menu a good try.

Kha - Modern Thai

Kha is a modern Thai restaurant located in Hort Park. The setting is quite interesting, although I would only recommend the outdoor tables on next to the main entrance.

The menu is actually quite traditional as in any other Thai restaurant, except the "Chef's recommendations" menu, which has a collection of more inventive dishes. Please refer to their website for more information: http://www.kha.sg/
Apologies for the pathetic pictures, but this was a dinner and the ambient light was so dim that producing appetising photos would have been a real challenge.

We were served a complimentary starter of rice crackers with a curry sauce for dipping.

























As a starter, we chose 'hor muk salmon', described as spicy grilled salmon souffle on lemongrass with pomelo salad and red curry dressing. Although the description sounded quite 'modern', the dish tasted quite authentically Thai. The salmon souffle' was actually a typical salmon fishcake accompanied by a nice foamy sauce.













The second starter was a salad called 'yam nua wagyu' and described as rare grilled red curry rubbed Wagyu beef, papaya salad, yogurt and chili jam. This also tasted quite typically That, with the exception of the Wagyu beef that didn't taste like Wagyu at all. The beef was of average quality and it was nothing like Wagyu beef and didn't look it either. If you forget about the 'Wagyu' bit, then you can probably start appreciating this dish.

The 'pla salmon yang', a grilled salmon fillet served on green mango, ginger, Thai herb salad with citrus oyster sauce dressing was an enticing combination, but a rather disappointing find. On the positive side, the salmon was only lightly seared. Being a sashimi appreciator as I am I can only be pleasantly surprised by that, but I can also imagine lots of un-entertained faces biting into what they expect to be a cooked salmon fillet to actually feel a thick chunk of raw meat as they start chewing. Writing 'seared' on the description might help. There was nothing wrong with the way the dish was cooked, but it just didn't work. Perhaps a different fish would have made this a successful combination, but salmon really didn't work with that set of ingredients.


Finally we had the 'nua moun' - a beef tenderloin wrapped around enoki mushrooms with seasonal vegetables, spicy sour tomato puree' and green leaves. This dish was OK, the beef being not particularly tender, but well marinated into its Thai tasting sauce.

The dessert selection was not incredibly inviting as in any Thai restaurants. I had the 'sung kaya fuk thong', a coconut mousse with poached pumpkin in jasmine syrup. I wasn't particularly impressed by what was actually not a mousse but a coconut pannacotta topped with coconut meat and garnished with caramelised strips of pumpkin.



















Overall, I was highly unimpressed by Kha for a number of reasons. Starting from the environment, which looked pretty impressive on picture, while in reality it didn't meet my expectations. The outdoor terrace at the back where I was first seated was very noisy and right next to the roadside, so I asked to be moved inside. The service was rather poor for a restaurant at this price range. There was a continuous storming of waiters coming in and out of the restaurant to serve the outdoor tables. The fact that a couple of waiters kept rushing through the door to suddenly come to a halt only 1 meter next to our table and stand right there in order to take their order using their portable palmtop became rather disturbing after a while, to the extent that I had to communicate it to the manager. After my complaint, the waiters were redirected to the counter in order to complete their orders. My guess is that their palmtops have a very short reception and the waiters are unable to use them outside, so they have to rush into the restaurant and stop as soon as they get reception. Not very well thought, and they'd better sort it out fast considering that they will be losing customers because of this.
The fact that the dishes weren't accurately described in order to make them sound 'fine dining': a salmon mousse that is actually a fishcake, a coconut mousse that is a pannacotta, a salmon steak that is a raw seared chunk of salmon, a 'Wagyu' beef that is a normal slice of beef. The restaurant is overpriced and it does not deliver the right level of ambiance, service and food to justify the bill.

Tonkichi

I admit that Tonkatsu is not the kind of food that I can eat regularly. Even so, I am a tonkatsu lover when the experience makes it worth it. Tonkichi is well known in Singapore for its Tonkatsu, as it specialises in it just the way they do in Japan. I visited the "Ngee Ann City" branch. For more information, this is their website: http://www.pokkafood.com.sg/tonkichi/


As in any respectable Tonkatsu restaurant, there are two things you can't live without: free-flow cabbage, and grind-it-yourself goma. Tonkichi delivers both. It's nice to smell the sesame seeds as you grind them, as it stimulates your appetite in preparation for what's going to be served next.

The potato salad was rather tasteless and not as tasty as the ones I had in Japan. Perhaps lacking in mayo, possibly healthier, but not really worth ordering at my next visit.

The horenso goma ae, spinach with sesame sauce, was rather strong in flavour, too sweet for my taste and lacked of balance. A dish you might want to order if you are a spinach lover, but you might be disappointed if you ever experienced what a proper version of it should taste like.

Now, this is what you come here for: the Tonkatzu. There are two versions: Hire and Rosu. The one in the picture is a rosu tonkatzu with oroshi (grated Daikon - white radish) on the side. I usually prefer Rosu, which is fatter, juicier and tastier, while hire tends to be leaner and drier. I have o confess that both cuts were equally good in different ways so perhaps the first time you visit this place it might be worth ordering a combo platter which includes both. It will give you a chance to taste both and compare them.

The tonkatzu was of good quality, although the battered coating was slightly too think for my taste. Their style is to make the coating quite thick and crunchy, to add an outer layer of texture and maintain the meat juicier in the inside. Some prefer this style. My preference would be a thinner coating (which is not as filling) preserving the same juiciness of the meat, while enhancing its flavour without suffocating it with an 'over-bread-crumby' texture.

Tonkichi is regarded as the place to go for Tonkatzu in Singapore. Although it might give you the best value for money, I would rather enjoy my kurobuta tonkatzu at Tomton (see separate review). Perhaps slightly most expensive, but worthwile the calories.

Summer Pavilion - Dim Sum

What's better than a sumptuous Sunday lunch Dim Sum. The Summer Pavilion is located at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, and they serve dim sum at lunchtime. Their menu is traditional yet innovative, offering relatively cheap ($30 dollars per person) and delicious dim sum in an elegant setting.

Tapioca crisps - This is what you will find ready at your table as you sit down. It's a snack to keep you busy while you order and wait for your food. It's a well presented snack that sets the theme of the restaurant: innovation within tradition.

Pan-fried shredded yam with pumpkin - I haven't seen this dish elsewhere and I love it as much as I love pumpkin. The crunchy texture of the outer layer is interleaved by two layers of soft shredded yam and one of sweet shredded pumpkin. A must try.

Steamed Lily bulbs dumpling with water chestnut, snow pea and mushrooms (left) - This dumpling has a very delicate flavour, with spikes of sweetness when you bite into the lily bulbs. Water chestnuts just add that crunchiness to the otherwise uniform texture.

Steamed rice skin roll with vegetarian ham, assorted mushroom and vegetable (right) - This is a rather original version of the traditional chow-fun. The unconventional filling is interleaved by vegetables and topped with a crunchy decoration.

Pan-fried crab meat dumpling with prawn, chicken, chives and mushrooms (left) - I didn't think that the ingredients composing the filling were particularly recognisable, but a pan fried dumpling adds variety to your dim-sum selection.

Steamed Squid with XO sauce (right) - This squid is as soft as it can get, delicately engraved to enable the savoury sauce to permeate its slippery surface. Highly recommended to squid lovers.

Steamed lobster dumpling with mushroom, Chinese parsley and onion - This was by far the best steamed dumpling. The meaty lobster texture is quite pronounced, while the shiitake mushroom flavour is quite dominant.

Baked chicken puff with onion in curry sauce (front) - The pastry is quite rich and thick, while the filling lacks of body. This wouldn't be my first choice overall, being quite filling and less rewarding than the other dishes.

Pan-fried chicken dumpling with dried shrimp, mushroom, preserved vegetables and chives (background) - An original version of the dried dumpling, with a string flavour of chives and mushrooms. The dough is dry on the outside but it reveals a moist, soft inner body when bitten into.

Overall, I highly recommend the "summer pavilion" as a dim-sum venue. the luxury of being properly served at a 5 stars hotel standard is accompanied by delicious, inventive food at an affordable price. It's definitely the kind of place that I would love to patronise regularly.

Cugini

I am extremely fussy about food, and being Italian I am even worse when it comes to Italian food. After several frustrating trips to all the most expensive Italian restaurants in Singapore, I had given up on having proper Italian food in this country.
I have been patronising this restaurant regularly since I discovered it. It has been a touching experience being able to taste superb Italian food in Singapore for a very reasonable price. If you have a chat with the Cugini's, you will quickly realise that pride and passion are the motivating factor for what they do. They are not there just to make money by taking shortcuts, but rather to offer the best they can. This, for a foodie such as me, is a very fundamental factor. I have to say that everything that comes out of their kitchen is of very high quality, although my personal preference is the pastas primarily because in from my experience no other restaurant in Singapore is able to deliver the same quality, consistency, innovation and authenticity as Cugini can do when it comes to "primi piatti".
Although I have tried all of their pastas, this particular review will only cover a few sampled dishes.



Burrata - This was a special this weekend, and a sweet surprise too. I haven't eaten burrata for about 3 years. For those who don't know, burrata is a fresh cheese that might resemble mozzarella, but texture and flavour are quite different. Being able to taste such a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth burrata in Singapore was rather surprising. The simple but tasty condiment of seasoned chopped tomatoes adds that classic Italian flavour to the dish.

Spaghetti integrali all'amatriciana - This is one of the most classic Italian dishes and one of my favourites, originated from Rome. Not many would believe me if I say that even in Rome it would not be easy to find a plate of such pasta as good as you can have it at Cugini's. I went on a trip to Rome a few years ago, and I was regularly disappointed with the amatriciana's I had in most restaurants. Try this, and you will understand.

Ravioli Neri with seabass filling and lobster sauce - this is a special that might not always be available and I had it tonight for the first time. I feel that fish filled ravioli is a particularly challenging dish to prepare, as fish does not have the same richness in taste/texture as meat and cheeses do, when used as a filling. Maintaining the texture and subtle flavour of seabass when preparing it this way is a harder job. However, this dish is a successful concert of subtle flavours and textures that must be tried by all pasta and fish lovers.

Risotto with lobster, asparagus and Granny Smith - I am not a huge fun of risotto's, but after trying all their pastas, I was interested in experiencing something different. Risotto's can be boring, but this one isn't. The combination of various ingredients and textures - chunks of lobster, crunchy asparagus, buttery overtones - are enhanced by a sharp white wine fragrance (prosecco, according to the Chef), to achieve perfect balance. I have never appreciated seafood risotto's, but there is always a first time.

Overall, I can only recommend Cugini's. I have not reviewed their main dishes and they are just as good, but when it comes to pasta I would be happy to challenge anyone to find such quality elsewhere in Singapore. If you do, let me know and I will rush to try it :)

Cugini is located at Robertson Walk: http://www.cugini.com.sg/

Tom Ton

This restaurant is now CLOSED
This is one of my favourite Japanese restaurants. It is a place where they care for what they do, and they can do it well. Their main focus is pork dishes - Kurobuta in particular. Tonkatzu, Butajiru (pork soup), Shabu Shabu, and Kurobuta soba with Yuzu. This last dish is what this particular visit is all about.


Starting from the Chu-toro sashimi. Absolutely fantastic both in freshness and distribution of fat, but not cheap (priced at $40 for 5 slices). I would have preferred thicker slices, as this thickness leaves me slightly unsatisfied for my $8 dollar per slice worth.

The Mizuna Salad can't get any better. It comes in a few varieties, with dry prawns (pictured), soft tofu or salmon sashimi. The Mizuna is fresh and crunchy, well balanced in condiment and ingredients.

Now we get to the masterpiece: zaru-soba accompanied with kurobuta soup and Yuzu. Probably my favourite way of having soba. This Yuzu is superb. It adds that spicy tanginess to the soup, making it tasty and sharp. The soba is of high quality, very well cooked, spread evenly and "al dente", just the way Italians like noodles to be. The kurobuta pork is thinly sliced and there's plenty of it to accompany your soba. The sharpness of the soup guarantees that you won't taste the 'greasy' part of the fat. You will just feel the softness of it, while it dissolves in your mouth.
I give this dish a 10. Some might rate it less than that, as the soup is only tepid. This is intentional as it preserves the delicate flavours, but probably not appreciated by those who expect a very hot soup, so beware.

I never walk out dissatisfied when visiting Tom Ton. Their love for food can be seen and tasted.

Shibaken - A French/Japanese Rendez-Vous

Shibaken is a clever combination of Japanese Kaiseki and French cuisine, designed for the palates of the numerous Japanese customers staying at the Gallery Hotel. Located on the second floor, it's a well decorate boutique-restaurant with a central counter and a few tables surrounding it. The atmosphere is rather formal as you would expect from this class of restaurant, and so is the service. It is worth noting that this is not Japanese fusion. The food is not a mix of French and Japanese, but rather a course of classic Japanese and French dishes.

There are two degustation menus at the moment, the "Moody Course" ($88++) and the "Elegance Course" ($138++). We selected the "Moody Course".
Apologies for the picture quality, but the lighting was rather dim!

Home made bean curd with Japanese Yam - this is a very traditional tasting dish, worthy of classic kaiseki. The tofu is actually gomadofu (sesame tofu), and it's rich in little cubes of crunchy raw and fresh yam. A good opening.


Extrafine pasta with mascarpone cheese and hairy crab, yellow amberjack tartar with balsamic vinegar sauce - Let's start with the bad note. While their chefs are definitely capable, pasta is not their business. This pasta reminded me of microwaved pasta at the cheap cafe's in Milan when I was a student. And even then I was suffering. It's inundated with cream, which kill the taste of the crab. A waste of a precious ingredient. Not that I expected first quality pasta, but this was definitely not at the right level and should be taken off the menu. the tartare, on the other hand, was exquisite. Texture and flavour were well balanced, and you'd definitely want some more...

Charcoal grilled sweet corn cold soup with cappuccino - I was rather skeptical of this dish when I first read its description. Once I tasted it, I found it to be a sweet surprise. Don't be mislead by the "cappuccino" bit. There is actually no coffee, only a gentle foam on top of the soup. I rate this dish quite highly, the secret being the gentle sweetness of the corn balanced by a charcoal undertone and texturised by the foam on top.

Black pork pate' with organic salad - not much to say about the salad, but the pate' was incredibly light and as flaky as a tuna pate'. What didn't help was the tough bread below it. I would have preferred a freshly toasted warm slice.

Oven baked seabass, sea urchin mousse and spinach covered with pie. Choron sauce - I am not a big fan of this combination. The sea urchin is unrecognisable (if there was any), while the delicate texture and flavour of the seabass are overwhelmed respectively by the flaky, dry pastry and the tangy and creamy sauce. Too many elements blended into an unsuccessful arrangement.

Hot fishcake and scallop clear soup with bamboo shoot and chopped Japanese lady finger - as the rest of the Japanese dishes, this is no disappointment. The dashi releases its purest aroma, enriched by a good combination of fresh ingredients. An unmissable dish for any proper kaiseki.Cold buckwheat noodles with grated dry mullet roe - I was rather curious by the description of this dish. Italian as I am, being a big fan of "Bottarga di Muggine" and knowing how popular this is in Japan (they have their own version from Kyushu called Karasumi in Japanese, basically identical to the Italian one), I can only be interested in having this delicacy grated over noodles rather than the usual pasta. This dish was a success. Being overcritical, the noodles were slightly overcooked. If they had a bit more texture, this dish would have been heaven on earth. Nevertheless, I have no complaints due to the quality of the "karasumi", very generously spread over the noodles. No other seasoning added. Japanese cooking at its purest!

Pan fried veal fillet stuffed with Parma ham and sage in veal sauce, stewed vegetable and aubergine gratin with mozzarella cheese - a rather long description for a classic french flavour. The veil was tender and tasty, surrounded by a crispy Parma ham slice and covered in a typical French meat sauce, with a refreshing sage flavoured stuffing. While the stewed vegetable are mainly decorative, the aubergine gratin lacks of body and contrasts in texture.

Black vinegar sushi with horse mackerel, with red miso soup and pickles - once again, a Japanese classic with the only difference that balsamic vinegar was used in place of rice vinegar to season the sushi rice. Fish was of the best quality, served at the right temperature.

Home made chocolate fondant, white peach sherbet and fruit - Overall a nice, well presented dessert although not spectacular. The chocolate fondant (served at room temperature) is quite rich as you would expect, but the small portion makes it approachable. The peach sorbet tastes very natural and it's for everyone's palate.

Some might prefer to choose either a Kaiseki restaurant or a French one, and my impression is that this restaurant was designed to cater for those Japanese customers who are attached to their cuisine while willing to experience some western flavours. The Japanese dishes are indeed well executed, while the French ones are a bit of a hit and miss. Overall, Shibaken is a positive experience and although (as with any set course) you might not like all the dishes, it is reasonably priced for this kind of fine dining.