January 01, 2013

BEST 5 Unforgettable Meals of 2012 & More in 2013!



Year 2012 has been a year of delightful gastronomical journey for me! It's an open secret among friends who know me that the way into my heart is always food. I'm not one who drink or club or adventurous for outdoor activities, but mention food, you'd see how my eyes light up almost instantly. Most meetups with friends centered around food outings and some meals are simply unforgettable.
Fantastic company, tasty food, great ambiance, impeccable service, all of these makes together an awesome dining experience which lingers on way beyond after the meal is over.

As I recap my Best 5 Unforgettable Meals of 2012, I look forward to even greater ones in 2013!

May 2013 be an awesome year of great food in abundance for you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Let's Eat!

大家一起吃!

Bon Appétit!

いただきま!


                                           1 ~ Fat Cow                                           
 Address: 1 Orchard Boulevard, #01-01/02, Camden Medical Centre, Singapore 248649
Contact: +65 6735 0308

Ask me where is my favorite place for beef and I would not hesitate to answer: "Fat Cow"!!! Oh my, not only is this cow fat, it's impressive to the max! Choose your preferred cut and have it cooked the way you want ~ shabu shabu, charcoal grilled, teppanyaki or sukiyaki. Be warn of the steep prices though, premium meat comes with a equally premium price tag. Prices aside, indulgence rules when it's time to give this PinkyPiggu's tummy a treat. The excellent marbling and delicate flavor of the wagyu from Kagoshima prefecture is perfect for swishing in shabu shabu, and waste not the sweetened leftover broth which was made into a simple but most luxurious tasting porridge. Each piece of my charcoal grilled Australian ribeye is meltingly tender with slightly charred edges and perfumed with a smoky aroma. I experienced L.O.V.E at every single bite. The gravy accompanying the braised ox tendon and pan seared foie gras is so rich and tasty, I've to refrain myself from licking the bowl clean. Chawanmushi, the very simple dish of steamed egg tofu is upped to aristocrat status immediately with a touch of black truffles. Everything I ordered that evening, from starters to main to desserts to cocktails, none of it disappoints.
Ever heard of the term "foodgasm"? This is the very epitome of it!

Welcome to Fat Cow, the moo moo heaven! and entry to it would be your fat wallet :)

Japanese Beef Grade A5 (from Kagoshima Prefecture)
Apart from the numerous awards, this beef also boosts the most tender texture. The signature intense marbling also gives the meat a subtle sweetness.

 Shabu Shabu
Thinly sliced beef quickly immersed in a delicate simmering broth, retaining all the beautiful natural flavours.

Porridge
Made from the sweetened leftover shabu shabu broth, this is the most luxurious tasting porridge!

Australian Beef Grade MS A8 (from Blackmore Ranch)
Australia’s premium pure-blood wagyu with fine and evenly dispersed marbling and a pronounced beef flavor that lingers on the palate.


Charcoal Grill
Dating back to the Edo period, the hot burning grill of the Binchotan creates a pure heat with a distinctively smoky and flavourful charred crust

Wagyu Ox Tendon & Foie Gras
Slow cooked wagyu ox tendon with pan-seared foie gras and braised daikon
 

Zucchini Blossom Tempura
Tempura Zucchini blossoms stuffed with Hokkaido Scallop and Kegani

Kegani Chawanmushi
House-made silken hairy crab egg tofu with truffle dressing

Warabi Mochi
House-made warabi mocha seasoned with green tea and roasted soy bean flour


                                              2 ~ Halia                                             
Address: 1 Cluny Road, Ginger Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 259569
Contact: +65  6476 6711

The first thing about Halia that impressed me is the impeccable service. As I approached the beautiful restaurant set among the lush greenery of Singapore Botanical Gardens, the greeter welcomed me with a warm smile and ushered me to the al fresco area of the restaurant where I enjoyed their specialty drink of sun-dried ginger and wild mountain honey. The drink is very cool and refreshing, even more so as I had a walk in the gardens before arriving. The servers were very knowledgeable about the food and are able to answer my questions effortlessly. Service is very attentive but not intrusive.  Did I mentioned that the server addressed me by my name throughout the whole evening? "Miss Nicole, would you like... Miss Nicole, this is....". It is a nice touch which made a guest feel special, the only other time when I experienced similar service was when I flew SQ Business. The food is notable for marrying European traditions with Asian touches. I had a great time enjoying each dish and trying the very unusual Halia's Rojak.

A place for a romantic evening, a place where you wanna impress someone,
a place when you wanna give yourself a little treat,
Halia would be the place!


 Ice Halia Infusion
House specialty of sun-dried ginger and wild mountain honey

 Pan-seared Foie Gras
On gelee of vine ripe tomato water, ice wine gelee on toasted brioche fingers

Hokkaido Scallop
In olive oil and green lime dressing, with aromatic pink peppercorn, chervil and purple shiso

Sauteed sliced Rangers Valley Beef Tenderloin
With kaffir lime leaf, black pepper curry leaf infused beef jus, coriander potato puree, edamame bean and edible flower

  2006 Inniskillin Icewine Gold Oak-Aged Vidal, Ontario Canada

 Braised Sarawak Pineapple, Coconut Sorbet, Peanut, Pineapple Sauce and Chilli Lime Foam

Halia’s Rojak
Fresh fruits and berries, chilli chocolate sauce, chopped peanuts, white sesame seed, nori crisp, homemade ginger flower sherbet 
 

                                      3 ~ The Red Chef                                     
Address: 91 Bukit Batok West Avenue 2, #03-04 Civil Service Club, Singapore 659206
Contact: +65 68966577

Helmed by Celebrity Chef Eric Teo who is a familiar face in the local culinary scene, The Red Chef is a restaurant serving home styled dishes at wallet friendly prices in the western heartland of Singapore. The location may be too remote for some, but no where is too far for us to travel in this tiny island. My two friends and I visit the restaurant one evening when Chef Eric was there and it turned out to be a very memorable visit of catch-up conversations, laughter and of course, good food! Nothing can be faulted of the few dishes which Chef Eric had recommended. I particularly enjoyed the Manuka Honey Pork Spare-ribs, which underwent hours of marinating, steaming, deep frying and braising before making its appearance on the dining table. The result is ribs of a most juicy bite and tender texture, deeply flavored and paired with a sweet, tangy, appetite whetting sauce which went great with my bowl of white rice. Despite his celebrity chef status, Chef Eric is so humble as he went around chatting to the diners and acceding to photos requests readily. I see him even helping to clear the tables together with his workers! The Red Chef is currently taking a break at the moment, but I believe Chef Eric would be back with something even better.

Let's all look forward to it!

Crispy Deep Fried Fish Skin

Marinated Kampong Kitchen

Fresh Crab Meat Omelette

Braised Tian Jing Cabbage with Wolfberry Cream Sauce

Manuka Honey Pork Spare-ribs


                            4 ~ Ristorante Da Valentino                           
Address: 200 Turf Club Road, #01-19 The Grandstand, Singapore 287994
Contact: +65 6462 0555
Website:  http://www.valentino.sg/

This is my favorite place for Italian food! I excitedly checked out Ristorante Da Valentino's new premises at Turf City Shopping Mall one evening, and fall in love with it all over again as I experienced once more the awesome food and warm hospitality which has remained consistent throughout these years. The restaurant is furbished like an Italian home, creating a warm and inviting ambiance.
Headed by Chef Valentino and with his sister, Perla, heading the pastry boutique, alongside with family members helping in the kitchen and dining area, it is indeed an Italian affair!

For authentic Italian food in a homely setting, look no further!

Read more about it at: http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2012/12/ristorante-da-valentino-falling-in-lve.html

Tomino
Pan Fried Tomino Cheese with Parma Ham

Mussel Veraci
Mussels and Clams in Tomato Sauce

Linguini Aglio Olio ai Frutti di Mare
Seafood Linguine Aglio Olio

Beef Florentine
 Grilled Florentine styled T-bone steak

Tiramisu
Classic Italian Dessert


Stracciatella
Vanilla ice cream topped with swirls of caramelised hazelnuts and cocoa powder

Chef Valentino & Chef Perla


                         5 ~ Moonlight Teahouse (玥飲軒)                      
Address: Taipei, WenZhou Street, No. 80, Taiwan (台北市溫州街80號)
Contact:+886 2 8369-3963

Bubble Milk Tea Hotpot ~ 珍珠奶茶火鍋, a weird sounding dish which elicits strange looks and reactions whenever I tell my friends about it. But trust me, this little hot pot overflows with much more goodness than it sounds. The chewy black pearls (which you always find in your bubble tea drink) is coupled with a savory milk and pork broth. Infused with soft, aromatic afternotes of tea, the light creamy soup goes amazing well with the array of accompanying ingredients which you always find in your usual steamboat.

This turns out to be a highlight of my Taiwan trip.

Read more about it at:  http://www.pinkypiggu.com/2012/10/whats-bubbling-milk-tea-hotpot.html





3 comments:

  1. Great food and photos. To a more amazing 2013! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wonder if Valentino still close for the entire month of June since they moved to the Grandstand

    ReplyDelete