FOO’D by Davide Oldani

It was on a weekday when we had lunch at Italian fine-dining restaurant FOO'D by Davide Oldani, located in Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall. Davide Oldani is a celebrity chef with a one-Michelin-starred restaurant – D'O in Cornaredo, just outside Milan. Started with one of his specialty, caramelised onions with 20 months aged Grana Padano served hot and cold. Our table enjoyed how the sweet and soft onions were balanced by the savoury and creamy Grana Padano, though the standout was the flaky and crispy puff pastry. Could neither rave about nor fault my choice of main course, chicken roulade with truffle sauce. There were mixed reviews for the dessert of lemon curd with meringue, lettuce sorbet and cocoa crumble. I found the lettuce ice-cream bitter with a raw vegetable taste, and gave it a miss. In contrast, the tart lemon curd went well with the sweet meringue and cocoa crumble. Was not impressed with the meal and left the place hungry.

Coriander Leaf

There were noticeably fewer participating restaurants in Singapore Restaurant Week from 24 to 31 Mar. Decided on Coriander Leaf, a Pan-Asian restaurant on the 2nd floor of Chijmes. Could neither rave about its first course of pomelo and green mango in chilli-lime dressing topped with coriander leaf, nor fault the dessert of Alphonso mango sorbet with fresh fruit salsa and meringue. Thai mango salad was followed by second course of tiger prawn tempura, and sweet potato noodles with honsimeji mushrooms and edamame. Do not expect the tempura to be thin and crispy like how it was done in a good Japanese restaurant, or the sweet potato noodles to be springy and chewy like how the Koreans do it. But the sweet prawn and flavourful japchae made up for what this dish lacked, and I liked both the mushroom and edamame. Main course of tender Tandoori chicken, served with cucumber relish and mint chutney, was well-marinated and went well with the butter naan.

Salt Tapas and Bar

There are a few café and restaurants outside the air-conditioned Raffles City Shopping Centre – Costa Coffee faces St Andrew's Cathedral, Brotzeit German Bier Bar and Restaurant and Marché Mövenpick are nearer to Chjimes while Salt Tapas and Bar by Luke Mangan overlooks Raffles Hotel which is currently undergoing renovations. The latter, a slightly more casual extension to Salt Grill and Sky Bar on the 55th floor of Ion Orchard, is a quaint odd-shaped place with red bricks that offers $19 lunch sets (choose from seven main courses and it comes with coffee, tea or soft drinks) and 5 tapas for $50. You can add $3 for sides and $8 for dessert of the day. These are good deals, considering how much the same item costs on the à la carte menu. Visited for lunch on a weekday and sat indoor at one of the 120 seats as the weather was not cooling enough for alfresco dining.

While pork ribs with miso and honey-soy glaze was tender, had to intersperse it with the accompanying pickled cucumber, apple and wasabi slaw. Roasted barramundi – served with mussels, caper berries and fregula in "crazy water", had a crisp skin and was neither mushy nor fishy. Found the Westholme Wagyu brisket sliders with aged cheddar, pickled beetroot and horseradish aioli too gamely for my liking though the fries was good. It was my first time trying lamb kofta with couscous, golden raisins, almonds, yogurt, cucumber, lime and mint. A tad spicy and exotic, not something I would order again. Decided against paying $8 for two scoops of strawberry sorbet and instead went for the churros with dark chocolate sauce, raspberry rose jam and cream. We had better ones before but this was not too bad either.

Tokyo Sundubu

While Sundubu is a Korean tofu stew cooked with vegetables and meat or seafood, I first ate it at a Japanese restaurant that has since closed. The dish supposedly gained popularity after a Korean opened a sundubu restaurant in Los Angeles. There are two branches of Tokyo Sundubu, Japan's largest sundubu restaurant chain, in Singapore – Raffles City Shopping Centre and Suntec City's Eat @ Seven. Though my dining companions and I visited the former on weekdays (once for lunch and once for dinner), waited very long for our orders to arrive if our food was even served. We had Mushroom Sundubu, Kuro-Buta Sundubu, Kuro-Buta Mushroom Sundubu, Seafood Sundubu and Cheese Sundubu. Among us, we also tried different combinations of all its soup bases and levels of spiciness. I liked the salt and ginger soup base at level 1 as its taste was not overwhelmed by the miso and/or spice. Found the portion too small though, and its price a tad high.

Angelina

More than two years ago, French patisserie Angelina arrived in Singapore at the then-newly-opened Capitol Piazza. Of its 8 branches in France, 6 are in Paris. Established since 1903, the French tearoom can also be found in China, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Another will be opening at Ion Orchard soon. Chanced upon its $13.80++ lunch set and decided to give it a try, on a weekday. My choice of appetiser is appetising, pun intended. The salad was a perfect balance of taste and texture – crunchy nuts, sweet-yet-tart dressing and orange slices, bitter raw greens and red radish thins. Loved the sweet potato fries in my seafood main course, which I could neither rave about nor fault. Have also tried its signature Le Mont-Blanc in Paris before, and was pleasantly surprised how light this delicate dessert could be with the chestnut purée vermicelli on top going very well with the not-too-milky-or-cloyingly-sweet whipped cream and meringue base beneath.

The Coffee Academics Revisited

We went Raffles City Shopping Centre over the weekend to have late lunch, and decided on the coffee specialty store from Hong Kong. Saw customers at the table beside me eating Crispy Fish Fillet Tacos, which looked delicious so I ordered that. Crunchy taco shells went well with the fish fillet topped with chipotle mayonnaise that was not too cloying. Taste was accentuated by the fresh mango salsa – both sweet and tart at the same time, and coriander leaves. While I could neither rave about the accompanying seasonal greens nor fault the crispy curly fries, they were perfect when interspersed between mouthfuls (or bites, if you prefer) of tacos. My dining companion, who has not tried The Coffee Academics before, went for the Academics Breakfast. A hard-to-go-wrong dish consisting of pork bockwurst sausage, Pio Tosini Prosciutto di Parma, homemade baked beans, roasted baby potatoes and choice of eggs served with toasted bread and seasonal garden greens.

The Coffee Academics

The Coffee Academics opened a 2nd branch in Singapore after Scotts Square, beside Tiong Bahru Bakery at the basement of Raffles City Shopping Centre. A dining companion chose this highly-rated coffee specialty store from Hong Kong only because of its lunch sets, consisting a pasta or pizza (choose from 3 options) and coffee/tea. As the Academics Breakfast was priced almost twice that of the lunch set, we settled for the obvious. Three of us shared the Fungi Pizza, Shrimps Arrabiata and Academics Cinnamon Churros. We could neither rave about the thin crust tomato-based pizza with succulent shiitake mushrooms and mozzarella cheese, nor fault the al dente spaghetti with spicy tomato sauce and small frozen shrimps. The four churros, served with a scoop of lovely TCA blend gelato and too-watery chocolate dipping sauce, cost more than a lunch set and was not worth the amount we paid for it. Both the Long Black and Cappuccino did not disappoint – smooth, medium-bodied and not too acidic.

Naughty Nuri’s

Naughty Nuri's is an Indonesian grill house famed for its ribs and martini in Ubud, Bali. It has since expanded to more than 10 locations including Australia, Malaysia and Singapore – Capitol Piazza and Tanjong Katong. Its décor at the former looks nothing "Warung" as it took over the 1st floor space vacated by Japanese restaurant Zaku beside Dazzling Café.  I have been wanting to visit the restaurant for a while and finally dropped by recently, for lunch on a weekday. My dining companions and I ordered a Christmas Set consisting of its Signature St. Louis Full Rack, Crispy Pig Ears and two bottles of Bintang beers as well as an Orang Dua Platter for sharing.

Jaan

Upon hearing that Jaan was awarded one Michelin star in the inaugural edition of Michelin Guide Singapore last month, was hoping very hard that I still have a chance to try (have wanted to for the longest time but never got down to doing so). Located on the 70th floor of Swissotel the Stamford, Jaan is derived from the ancient Sanskrit word for "bowl". As my dining companion made a reservation more than two months in advance, we were seated at a table by the window. It was a weekday night and according to the website, "only 7 and 10 course menus will be available during dinner service". We settled for the former, choosing Menu Prestige over Jardin Gourmand (vegetarian) and neither topped up for the finest cheese selection and condiments nor wine pairing. While all guests at the table are expected to order the same menu, dishes can be modified or replaced according to different guests' dietary requirements.

the BetterField

It was an impromptu lunch on a weekday at the BetterField, a café that opened at Waterloo last year and moved to The Treasury in May this year. There is no GST and service charge at this sparse space with wooden tables and chairs against high ceiling, white walls and cement floor. Ordered a lunch set, which comes with soup-of-the-day and drink (Seasons ice lemon/peach tea) – pan-seared sashimi-grade salmon with roasted potatoes and salad in vinaigrette. Soup on the day of our visit was mushroom soup. Served in a cup filled to the halfway mark, the peppery soup had a strong aroma of mushrooms and was not too creamy for me. Could neither rave about the salad nor fault the salmon though the potatoes were a tad oily and I did not like the accompanying mustard. While my order was the most expensive lunch set, was glad of my choice as dining companions who ate others were not satisfied with theirs.

Note: The café has closed.

Andong Zzimdak

Read about Andong Zzimdak, located at the basement of Raffles City Shopping Centre, and have wanted to try the Korean place despite its limited menu. The name plays on the word "jjimdak", a braised chicken dish from Gyeongsangbukdo, Andong. As I have never tried jimdak before and the smallest portion here is good for two to three people, have been apprehensive in suggesting the place to my dining companions in case we did not like it. Until I recently found out about its $12.90 lunch sets, and decided to visit on a weekday. Had the Andong Jjimdak set, which is one of the four main dishes on the à la carte menu (the rest are boneless, seafood and spicy versions) and also one of the four lunch sets available.

Equilibrium

It was an impromptu decison to join in for lunch at Equilibrium, located on the 1st floor of Capitol Piazza between Dazzling Café and Ryu's Dining & Bar. From the outside, the décor of this duplex space looks nothing like a modern Italian bacaro and ristorante. By The Crea8 Group who founded Demand & Supply at Esplanade and Orchard Gateway, and is also behind The East Bureau at Marina Square. I chose Aglio Olio with Shrimps from the Executive Set Lunch menu that comes with lovely handmade bread and trio-of-the-day – assaggio piccolo, petite antipasto and cheese. Could neither rave about nor fault the al dente pasta with fresh and succulent shrimps tossed in hot olive oil, splash of homemade broth, sprinkle of chilli and pepper. With both minced garlic bits and thin garlic slices in the dish topped with parsley, the amount of garlic was copious as aptly described and would seem like overkill if you dislike it. While I loved the aroma, it was a tad overwhelming.

Ryu’s Dining & Bar

Walked by Ryu's Dining & Bar many times, almost always after meals but never when I was looking for food. Reminded myself to try this Japanese restaurant, located on the 1st floor of Capitol Piazza beside Taiwanese Dazzling Café and Italian Equilibrium, and finally remembered last weekend. Made reservations for dinner, not that it was necessary but we did not want to make a wasted trip down. Started with a complimentary cold soup, followed by three types of sashimi from Tsukiji Market – thick slices of chutoro, long tail fish and sakuramasu (grilled) were fresh and succulent. While a dining companion was disappointed that the swordfish sashimi was not available, I loved how the charred taste accentuated the sakuramasu or cherry salmon. Tsunami Tree, an assortment of Japanese bites, was lovingly presented on a two-tiered display. On the upper wooden tray were seaweed with minced ginger in a lacquered cup, bacon potato salad in a square container and mackerel with onions.

Asia Grand Restaurant

Having heard many rave about the good but expensive dim sum at Asia Grand Restaurant, I finally made my way to the Cantonese restaurant at Odeon Towers (opposite Raffles Hotel) recently. Not sure whether it would be packed for lunch on a weekday, we decided to call that morning to make reservations before making our way there. Promptly seated and asked what tea we would like, as the appetiser of assorted pickled capsicum and cucumber with fishcakes was served. Different from the usual braised or roasted peanuts, this was surprisingly addictive even for someone who does not eat capsicum and cucumber. Service was professional, and we did not have to wait long for our orders upon placing them. As mango and prawn go well together, Fried Mango Shrimp Roll is a hard-to-go-wrong dish except that it can sometimes be too oily. But here, it was not too greasy.

Kaiserhaus

Singapore Restaurant Week is back this year, from 19 to 26 Mar, with set lunches and dinners at $28++ and $38++ ($40++ and $58++ for restaurants awarded with DiningCity Star) respectively. No different from previous editions, I decided to try a participating restaurant I have never been to before. This time, my choice was Kaiserhaus on the 2nd and 3rd floor of the refurbished Capitol Theatre. According to its website, the restaurant-café-bar offers authentic culinary delights from the former Habsburg Empire extending over Austria, Hungary, Northern Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and parts of Poland, Serbia, Romania and the Ukraine, at the end of the 19th century. With a supposedly exquisite dining menu fit for an Emperor, items on the menu include handmade pastries and cakes by renowned Austrian pâtisserie Zauner founded in 1832, craft beer and unique boutique wines from Central Europe.

Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant

It has been almost a year since Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant opened on the 2nd floor of Capitol Piazza, which has seen the closure of Phô Tai and Zaku. Within a month of its opening, London Fat Duck opened at Scotts Square, another quiet mall where Crystal Jade Pristine and Marukin Ramen have since closed while Sushi Ichi moved next door. Both claim to be serving the popular roasted duck from London's Four Seasons though only the former is by the original eatery. With presence in Shanghai and Bangkok (at Siam Paragon) too, it was brought in by the Royal China Group. According to its website, the ducks are "thoroughly dried before being marinated with a special mix of herbs and spices". They are then air-dried, roasted and air-dried again.

Oriole Coffee + Bar

Tucked away in a corner furthest from the restrooms on the 2nd floor of Capitol Piazza, Oriole Coffee + Bar was quiet. Too quiet, in fact, considering it was time for dinner on a weekend. No signs of wait staff to show us our seats or menu on any table. With no lack of available tables, we had the luxury of choosing where we wanted to sit. Sat at a cushioned bench seat and got the menus from the counter. Upon deciding, we went to the counter to order and pay. While waiting for our food and drinks which took ages to arrive, we helped ourselves to the complimentary water. Could not fault my order of Cubano Sandwich – well-marinated tender slow-roasted pork collar and seared sous vide pork belly with pickled cucumber, green chilli mayo and mustard between grilled Panini bread. Loved the Oriole-spiced fries, crispy on the outside, but not the tossed greens, both served on the side. My dining companions' opinions on their Fully Loaded All Day Breakfast were divided though.

You may also be interested in Oriole Café and Bar at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites or Oriole Espresso and Brew Bar at Republic Plaza.

Dazzling Café

A queue started at 8.30am even though Dazzling Café was supposed to start operating from noon. As the only tenant opened on the first floor of Capitol Piazza, there were hoardings all around as its neighbours were still undergoing construction/renovation works. Yes, this is the hype of the Taiwanese café known for its instagram-worthy thick toast. With no intention of sniffling glue and eating dust, I waited 'til this month to finally drop by. It was for lunch on a weekday and we could be seated immediately. Ordered a main course each as well as an appetiser and two desserts for sharing. Pleasantly surprised that most of the dishes were better than expected – could neither rave about nor fault The Usuals (poached eggs, cream spinach and parma ham on brioche toast with hollandaise and micro herbs) and the recommended Mentaiko Spaghetti in Cream Sauce.

Phô Tai

One of the first to open at Capitol Piazza, Pho Tai is a family-owned Vietnamese restaurant located at B2. Originated in Paris more than 10 years ago, it is opened by a Vietnam-born Chinese family who moved there. Though the menu does not boost an extensive range of items, everything here is supposedly homemade. For example, the broth is freshly boiled with bones, meat and herbs for hours every day. Visited twice, both times for dinner on weekdays – ordered beef steak slices phô on my 1st and dry vermicelli (or bùn) with marinated pork during the 2nd. While the phô was silky smooth and herbal soup rich yet light, the tender beef slices tasted too gamely for my liking. The latter was served with a glass flask of flavourful fish sauce, atypical of commercially available ones, which accentuated the dish. I loved the aroma and crunch of crushed peanuts atop the well-marinated tender meat and springy vermicelli, reminiscent of local thick mee hoon in laksa.

Update: The restaurant has closed.

Comnam Vietnamese Street Eats

Located at the basement of Raffles City Shopping Centre beside Nam Nam Noodles Bar is Comnam, another Vietnamese restaurant founded by chef-owner Nam Quoc Nguyen with the Les Amis group. The former which serves phô and báhn mì can also be found at Plaza Singapura, Resorts World™ Sentosa, Suntec City and Wheelock Place. Although this is the only branch of Comnam Vietnamese Street Eats, it is rarely packed. And the focus here is South Vietnamese staple of supposedly lower-grade broken rice, previously meant for poorer people, with less fibre and nutrients. My choice of lunch set was rice bowl of kimchi fried brown rice with tender and flavourful pork simmered in caramelised shrimp paste sauce, pickles and Vietnamese steamed egg with pork and fungus so salty I cringed with every bite. Could neither rave about the Vietnamese black coffee nor fault its soup of the day. Similarly for the crispy vegetable spring rolls and shrimp paste sticks that I also tried.