Platters Bistro & Wine Bar

Date : 27 September 2012
Address: 42 Club Street
Opening Hours: Mondays to Saturdays Lunch: 12noon to 3pm; Dinner: 5pm up to 12am
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar / China Town / Raffles Place
Website: Platters  ( please visit their gallery for photos that will tempt your taste buds till they invade your dreams )

MY PHOTOS REALLY MEGA EXTREMELY DO THE FOOD HERE NO JUSTICE. 

These are classic examples of how i have to continue improving but anyway, i'd like to share whatever I have with you and this time we go to Platters! 

Platters has an interesting concept of rotating chefs every 3-4 months and when I visited, the chef was Chef Yen Koh. The food was served on wooden boards,  in very interesting arrangements. How did they taste? Really Really Good. 

Let's Graze seared rib eye with pepper yuzu sauce / butter-glazed asparagus and carrots / roasted honey chef yen’s hot wings with spicy sauce / almond and pretzel crusted chicken / marinated tomatoes - S$ 38 / S$74 

Trying to take good photographs at Platters have made me realized how spoilt I have been with good lighting at the other places. I'm not saying the lighting here isn't good for the ambience, but for a rookie like me? Urgh, a disaster. I was a complete failure and these are my "trying" best ones. 

BUT ANYWAY, you can choose between having the half board or the full board, that's where the prices differ. It's a good idea to me cos it caters to different sizes of groups. 

The meats were a little too dry for my liking, especially since I like my beef medium rare. I did love the almonds with the chicken because they complemented each other so well! I am not a huge fan of nuts so I was pleasantly surprised to find that i liked it. 

Every time I see tomatoes, I always wish they were Roma tomatoes. These weren't so meh, mini personal disappointment. Everything else was pleasant and tasteful. I would give it a 6/10 (?). I'm not too good at ratings but I've had quite a few people requesting that I give ratings so I might just starting rating stuff.............as and when I can actually put a number to it.

Salmon Symphony  salmon belly tartar / seared salmon tataki / green espuma / orange basil dressing / crispy white bait / kelp sprinkle / fresh cabbage coleslaw / toasted foccacia  - S$34 / S$64 

This amazing bunch of things was my favourite of the night. The salmon tataki was smooth, sweet and incredibly tasty. Take a pinch of the green espuma, spread it across the foccacia and taste the goodness in that because I could basically just eat that for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Simple, satisfying and delicious. Foccacia bread was delectable, crunchy and fragrant. The crispy white bait was dismissible because I hardly like fried stuff anymore. I would give this platter a 7/10. 

• Signore Peking  roast duck / thin crust / mozzarella / oriental sauce / crispy wanton skin / spring onion
• S$ 24 / S$ 44 
• This was a miss for me. Compared to the duck pizza that Timbre serves, this was an amateur's version. The chunks of duck meat were meagre and most of what I tasted was the dough (and the fried wanton chips) . This dish could use a lot more duck.  4/10 

Lindemans Krief / Fruit Lambic - S$ 10/ 12 

This, on the other hand, was fruity and a real delight! 

It's a real pussy beer if you ask me but who's judging? 

Chef Yen Koh will only be around till Oct (not too sure when) so if you wanna have a go at these dishes before the menu changes, do go quick! Platters is extremely popular during the weekends, so be sure you give a call to make reservations! 

On the whole, I really enjoyed myself, soaking in the ambience and the company I had. The food didn't exactly disappoint either! 

136 Hong Kong street

Date: 6 September 2012

Address: 291 South Bridge Road 

Opening hours: 11am - 230pm, 5pm - 11:30pm 

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar 

Craving for home cooked food but want something a little more special and worth your money?

I went to this place with a few of my "old" friends and you really have to try their wasabi prawns!!

I have to admit i was a little skeptical at first but once I bit into it..........................just wow. 

Stir -fried French beans - $8/10/12

Good, crunchy and juicy. I love french beans and as long as its not too soggy or anything, it's perfect. It probably thinks only a few minutes to fry plus it has such a delicious texture to it. 

Pork Ribs with Salted Egg -$10/12/16  

You'll be quite surprised how salted egg can make alot of things better and nicer (i'm thinking of custard salted egg buns now) 

I loved it, except for the fact that it was fried. Really not into fried food anymore. 

Home styled rice wine chicken - $10 

Mmmm...Nothing much to rave about. It's one of those bland but tasty dishes, with not much flavor to it except for the sweetness of the chicken, which was amplified by the rice wine. The broth was not too thick but very smooth. 

Wasabi Prawns - $20/30/40

This was really something different! I usually like my prawns either in sweet and sour sauce or in cereal. But this is now my new favorite prawn dish in singapore! 

The wasabi taste was not choking, so we didn't have the brain-squeezing feeling, just the flavor of wasabi. The prawns were big and fresh and very juicy. Even though this was fried it was still soft and tangy. 

This place is right around the corner of china town, just 2/3 doors away from a place with egg tarts my "old" friend swears by. China town is brimming with good food and this is just my first reviewed place. Can't wait for the rest! 

Dessert Bowl

Date: 7 June 2012
Address: 80A Serangoon Garden Way
Opening Hours: Tue–Thu: 12pm – 10.30pm , Fri–Sun: 12pm – 12am, closed on Mondays 
Nearest MRT: Serangoon

A number of my friends have been gushing over this place and its highlight - the durian mousse. 

I'm a huge durian fan, i come from 3 generations of durian lovers so how could I not have a go at a bowl? 

The setting makes you feel comfortable, simple with bold colours and soft light. The place is decorated with these boxes of displays which are just so exquisitely filled with the minute details. There are quite a number of seats around the house as well so no need to worry about having to wait. 

Mango Pomelo dessert - S$4.20

A friend of mine who doesn't like durians ordered her usual mango pomelo dessert. It tasted ordinary, in fact i think i prefer Ah Chew's mango pomelo. 

Durian Mousse - S$5 

THIS was amazing. Forget about the large chunk of durian, the mousse itself was creamy and the taste of durian was strong. It was basically just durian in a creamier form. This chilled bowl of heaven is perfect for any night! It was a bit too much for me to finish so it might be nice to share it with someone. All things taste better when shared (at least to me) 

I hope they make more money so they can open island wide outlets. Its a hassle going to serangoon gardens but i would gladly go again for the durian mousse is WORTHHHHHHHHHH IT.

Flor Patisserie

Date: 3 June 2012

Address: 2 Duxton Hill 

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm 

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar 

'Flor' is 'flower' in portuguese. I never asked why they picked a portuguese name for a japanese cafe though. 

The decor is simple, the cafe is small, there are seats for 6 inside and 4 outside. 

There were so many cakes to pick from. I can't wait to go back and try the rest. 

I picked this to try because it sounded too irresistible. Waguri Millefeurille - S$7.30

Simple and good. 

The pastry part is a little hard to break through but once you've got a hold on all the layers, they harmonize together in A CAKE SONG. If you've ever heard a cake song, erase it from your memory because this is so much better. The "Flaky" part served as the chewy textured layer, the sponge cake was buoyant and fragrant and the chestnut cream worked its way as the binder. I detest cream but this chestnut cream worked its magic on me and i dizzyingly fell for its lightness. 

Cacao Royal - S$6.60

Dark chocolate cake with chocolate cream and assorted fruits. Predictable and unsurprising but nonetheless, a good version of a chocolate cake.

Strawberry Souffle - S$6.60 

Light and creamy. The middle portion is a little denser than sponge cake, as expected. So it's safe to say this cake was pleasant but didn't have a wow factor. Also, I wish they'd excluded the berries cos they were useless - bland and dry. 

 When i asked the chef which was his specialty, his face lit up,  his fingers pointed to the display and he exclaimed " berry berries! "with great pride and pleasure. He had been standing at the corner in the back of the cafe, watching people come in and out, greeting everyone with his hands by his side. 

I admire the japanese for keeping their politeness, bringing their culture along to touch us with their generosity and warmth. 

Cakes here are known to be light but there is no compromising on their flavor. The 2 cakes that i've tried have been of delicate work and are exquisitely tasty. Yet another cafe to make you feel you can fill your life with food, when everything else seems to be falling out of it. 

-------------------------

Revisited : 12 June 2012

I'm becoming a huge fan of Chef Yamashita's cakes so i foresee myself going back to Flor again and again until I've tried all their cakes. Even after that, I'll probably still return regularly to be updated on their new creations. 

Today I ordered the Mont Blanc- S$6.95 to share with a friend.  

It reminded me of the Waguri cake except there wasn't the pastry. I still prefer the Waguri, out of the few cakes I've tried. Next up will be the Napoleon and Berry Berries. 

The Mont blanc cake was light and sweet, filled with chantily cream and topped with strands of french chestnut. I liked how un-oily the cream was. The regular under-the-block cake shops often have cakes with yucky cream that leave an oily layer on your lips. But this is different, the cream is light and sweet and doesn't feel oily. 

I don't know how that happens ( i don't bake for nuts ) but yay to non-oily cream cakes. 

 The lady working today asked if i was writing a review and offered to let us try their new creation. I'd seen it before - the Karai cookies but didn't bother since I wanted to focus on the cakes.

It was such a sensation!!!!!!! At first, you just taste the cheesey flavour and get reminded of Chinese new year cookies because of the texture but after a few more seconds, the spicy powdered flavour comes out and WOW was all I felt. 

I liked it so much i just had to get a packet for myself. I would have gotten 10 but then I wouldn't have any good excuse to return to Flor hahaha. 

Can't wait till my next visit to Flor!!! 

Saveur

Date: 1st May 2012
Address: 5 Purvis street
Opening hours: Daily 12-230pm , 6-9.30pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis/City Hall

I finally got to try this new gem in the city and I am so glad i did! The food is different from anything i've tried and it came at such a reasonable cost. Furthermore, it doesn't charge GST and service charge and it's situated in a centralized location, somewhere in between Bugis and City hall. Seating area is not big but  it could probably fit a big group if you come during non-peak hours. 

I especially like the decor on this wall. It looks like they chose not to plaster bits of the wall and it has turned out to be a unique design. Gives the whole place a different texture. 

Before we stepped in, we read a sign that warned us about having to wait for quite a bit because they were short handed or something like that so, we expected to wait. 

Fortunately, our food came almost immediately (maybe 5-10 mins later) so our stomachs didn't need to wait at all. 

Angel Hair pasta with Tiger prawn and lumpfish caviar. - S$6.9

This was THE dish i had to try, after reading countless of food reviews on Saveur. It did not disappoint AT ALL, in fact it left me wanting more after the first bite. The pasta itself was extremely fragrant, olive oil perhaps (?), i honestly don't know, it was some kind of a wonderful, light but flavorful burst of emotions in my mouth. 

The portion isn't big but for me, it's filling enough. If not, you can always just order 2 dishes because this pasta is freaking 6.90. It tastes SO MUCH MORE than 6.90. Even if this were 16.90, I'd still order it. 

We ordered a starter - the Confit of Salmon with apple and fennel salad - S$8.90

I only have 2 thumbs but i wish i had more to put them up because this was amazing. 

Salmon is already nice on its own, whether raw or cooked, but the black thingy on top gave it a zesty oomph. The whole thing blended smoothly together and made a splendid starter. 

The waitress taking our order told me this was their specialty - Confit of duck with orange segments and saute shittake (mushrooms) - S$8.90. If you're wondering what 'confit' means, it refers to a technique for preserving meats such as goose, duck or pork that involves cooking the meat in its own fat, and then storing the meat in a covered container.

The duck was adequately crispy, almost a little hard but I think its because i took so long to eat (while taking photos) that it turned cold and slightly hard. It still tasted incredibly good though, with the buttered mashed potatoes that came in a generous portion. The mushrooms were too oily for me and the orange segments are a little redundant but not much harm was done. This dish didn't disappoint me at all, it probably exceeded what I had expected anyone can do with duck. 

Barramundi with Crab potato and french beans - S$12.90. The potatoes had a familiar taste to them, my friend said it was something like the "wok's smell." I felt it reminded me of the hashbrown nuggets. The waitress said it contained bits of crab but I couldn't tell. Well anyway, the potatoes tasted unique and good so just go try it! Fish was alright, soft and tasty enough. I didn't like the skin though, it had a very fishy taste. Might have been better if it was fried or just not there at all. 

Pistachio nuts are one of the few nuts i'm okay with and boy i'm glad we tried this!!!! The Pistachio Panna Cotta was a breath of fresh air that warmly rounded up our lunch. The smooth and dense composition of the panna cotta was nicely accompanied by the sweet tasting nuts that had a salty after taste. For ONLY S$6.9 , this is a must try when you visit Saveur. 

Saveur has only been at Purvis street for about a month and it has already won the hearts of many with its good food at extremely affordable prices. They started out like how Astons did, at a humble stall in a coffee shop and have now blossomed into a nice quaint gem located near the CBD. I wish them all the best and hope they'll grow to become more successful. The fact that the owners are only 25 and 28 is impressive and inspiring to all budding entrepreneurs.

Everyone should go to Saveur to have a piece of this treasure!