food – An Exercise In Trivial Pursuits

A languid 5-course lunch at JAAN (Swissotel)

Posted on August 16, 2013August 14, 2013 by Chloe Happ

The experience can only be described as indulgent and decadent. My wonderful pals Pearlyn, Xianghui and Licia treated me to a deliciously expensive lunch – the 6 of us had a 5 course meal for over S$600. I had their vegetarian set – Jardin Gourmand Lunch (S$118++) and enjoyed every single course.

JARDIN GOURMAND LUNCH at JAAN

Datterini Tomatoes
Trumbetta Zucchini
Jaan’s Garden
Buffalo Ricotta Ravioli
Brie de Meax Truffe (Supplement $25)
‘Mara Des Bois’ Strawberry
Cafe Express

Before the 5 courses started, we were offered several other little appetizers. First up was the amuse-bouche and my favourite was the hummus (lentils from Saint-Flour, Au vergne and Chestnut Paste). Then a mushroom TEA (XH described it as mushroom soup without the creamy texture). And OMG I shouldn’t have but I did… I stuffed myself with the breads. I had 3 of their brioche (delightfully buttery and flaky, with a hint of spring onions – not unlike the scent of Chinese spring onion pancakes) and a nutty-sweet walnut and raisin roll – with lots of butter!

While I was ooohing and aaahhhing over every course, my favourite would be the Jaan’s Garden (my colourful main) and the Buffalo Ricotta Ravioli. And the best part of the supplement (which we ordered 2 portions for 4 of us to share) was not the brie, but the truffle mousse!

On top of that, before the dessert, they even had a pre-dessert (Mango mousse, coconut meringue, tapioca pearls) and if you thought you were done, while sipping your coffee (or tea), they bring out the petite four! I absolutely loved the sorbet and poprocks on a stick and the rosemary-infused chocolate balls!

This was a lunch to remember for a long time! By the end of the meal, I was all truffle-d out! Mmmmm… Jaan certainly spares no expense with the truffles! This meal was worth every single penny (that I didn’t pay but would definitely have shelled out if my friends let me). You definitely will go away filled to the brim and beaming for hours!

Besides the delectable and sublime dishes, my experience was greatly enhanced by lovely company and intimate conversation (read: gossip). I am such a lucky girl!

Jaan

Level 70, Swissotel The Stamford

2 Stamford Road

Singapore 178882

Hours Of Operation

Lunch:
12.00 – 14.00
Sunday and public holidays: closed

Dinner:
Monday to Sunday: 19.00 – 22.00
Public holidays: closed

Reservations: +65 9119 9008; reservations@equinoxcomplex.com

Rants & Raves

Dinner at AquaMarine – Marina Mandarin

Posted on July 21, 2013July 15, 2013 by Chloe Happ

It wasn’t quite Christmas yet and we still have just under 6 months to go but it’s always great to meet my Christmas boys. My friends and I went to AquaMarine (Level 4, Marina Mandarin Hotel) for dinner on Sunday 14 July 2013 to celebrate Glenn’s birthday. It’s been a while since I last saw them and as usual, I love our random conversation topics, sometimes bordering on scandalous. I’ve known most of them for possibly for 15 years or more. These days, we often reminisce about our foolhardy ways of yore where we struggle to remember how we made it to graduate with our degrees when we used to drink ourselves silly and go to the clubs several times a week despite being student poor.

And I digressed, so back to dinner… I read several negative reviews about this Halal buffet restaurant but I didn’t think it was as bad. The spread had variety and it’s basically a seafood lover’s dream. Crabs, mussels, prawns, oysters, sashimi and other creatures of the sea were served. There was a small Japanese section though not authentic in my opinion. Lots of desserts – cakes, ice cream, pralines, nonya kueh; a small selection of cheeses that included Brie and Camembert; Indian food with curries and briyani rice; other local Singaporean staples like Chinese stir-fries, satay, fried rice, kueh pie tee etc; and possibly many other stations I didn’t explore.

A vegetarian could easily fill up here but I didn’t feel like it was worth what we paid per head. After a credit card discount (I think 15%), we still ended up paying about S$69 each. The company though was great, so I enjoyed myself. There were large tables that easily accommodated big groups of 8 (like ours) or more. The seating was generous and spacious so sitting around and chatting for an extended period was comfortable unlike some places where they try to hurry you to finish within 2 hours or gets so noisy you can’t hear each other without raising your voice.

My verdict: 6.5/10 for variety, comfort, and accessible location.

And here are my friends’ opinions:

Kai – 8/10 “because of the crabs”

Felix – 7/10 “There’s no pork or bread pudding! And the ice cream is horrible.”

Daniel – 6.5/10 “Although it seems like a wide selection, there’s no one dish that really stands out”

Markie – 6.5/10 “the crayfish was powdery and there is no pork!”

Glenn – 7/10 “there’s variety but no quality for the price”

Rants & Raves

A Vintage Tea Party – HOUSE @ Dempsey

Posted on July 13, 2013July 12, 2013 by Chloe Happ

My SPArty pals and I went to HOUSE @ Dempsey yesterday for their Vintage Tea Party which happens every Thursday and Friday, 3 to 5.30pm. Dempsey is one of those areas in Singapore I don’t visit often. Too inconvenient for me if I’m not driving. I love the company of my friends and especially my gal pals, so exploring new eateries is always fun when you have the right company.

When we were there, it seemed like many others had the same idea too. It was practically full and the buffet line was constantly crowded. The patrons were a diverse lot. Some were like us – gal pals gathering and gossiping (but a wide age range as there were groups of older ladies in their 50s-60s and some younger girls who looked like they were in their early to mid-20s), there were also couples, at least 2 tables with push-prams and babies, as well as some smaller all-male tables too.

There was good spread of savouries and sweets. I would have loved to have a few more savoury vegetarian options though the truffle mushrooms and cheese platter were yummy. Good thing for me, I love sweets – chocolate cupcakes, cookies, puddings, cheesecakes – bring them all on! For S$22++ per person, I’d say it’s pretty good. I give it a 7.5/10 for ambience, comfort and the tasty options!

Verdict from my friends:

Pixiedub 8/10 “Everything I ate was really yummy! From the burgers to the cakes…”

Cherry 8/10 “I wish there was a wider variety of teas.”

Linda 9/10 “I just wish there was better service.”

Lil Nat 9/10 (actually secretly 10/10 but she didn’t want to look too enthusiastic) “I LOVE CHEEEEESE!”

HOUSE

8D Dempsey Road

Singapore 249672

Call: 64757787 for reservations! MUST book as they get really full!

Rants & Raves

Rants & Raves: The Travelling Cow

Posted on April 30, 2013April 30, 2013 by Chloe Happ

My colleagues and I caught The Travelling C.O.W at lunch today!

Credit goes to Sian Eng for Indian-Chiefing this. Although I brought a mushroom pasta thing I made last night for today’s lunch, a quick Google on what is apparently Singapore’s first food truck piqued my interests. As we made our way to Millenia Walk, I was lamenting about my neglected lunch and complaining that this better be good. Sian Eng said if it wasn’t, she’d buy me Chinese vegetarian from the food court… In the end, she bought me lunch anyway! And it was OMNOMNOMNOM YUM!

The only vegetarian option they had today was the Roasted Vege Quiche. The side “salad” it came with was a few leaves of lettuce and a slice of tomato but all forgiven as really, the $6 was so well spent! It was a thick, juicy patty chock full of veggies! Sian Eng’s only gripe was that there were a lot of onions. I thought it was YUM! I was the first to finish my food! 7.5/10!

Mylene, Diana and Jovin ordered different things and they were good too! Between us, we tried the Roasted Vege Quiche, Chicken Burger, Chili Crab Penne and Wagyu Beef Burger – the most expensive being Diana’s beef burger at $12.

Travelling trucks with good food for a reasonable price! Novel and yummy!!

Rants & Raves

Rants & Raves: Cik Wok’s Popiah Pintal

Posted on August 23, 2012August 23, 2012 by Chloe Happ

Omg I love snacking and I absolutely love Hari Raya festive foods. I mean, I was raving about the Indonesian food I had in Bandung, you know?

Up till today, I have never had Popiah Pintal! This is a snack apparently common during the Hari Raya period. I guess I’m usually too busy stuffing my face with rendang, briyani and ayam masak merah!

It’s like mini shrimp rolls that is commonly seen during the Chinese New Year festivities, you know? Shrimp chopped and mixed with chili and spices, then wrapped in mini popiah skin; knotted up into a twisty bundle and deep fried!!

Email cikwok80@gmail.com to order! It runs out fast because Cik Wok travels all the way from Ipoh, Malaysia with these goodies! Omnomnomnom

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