Coyote Tex-Mex Grill & Bar

Solo un poco picante, por favor! For the non-Spanish speakers, that means “just a little spicy please!” and you are well-advised to learn that phrase well if you can’t handle the heat at the newly opened Coyote Tex-Mex Grill & Bar at Phoenix Park. Order a round of shooters and get ready for a brand new Mexican experience!

Tex-Mex night doesn't start proper until nachos are brought to the table!

Live life on the fun side at the live guacamole station! Mash the avocados to your preferred mushiness, throw in some onions, derive some extra kick from chopped chili padi- it’s your way or the highway!

We also recommend the gorgeous Mexican grilled corn rubbed in mayo, Cotija cheese, chili pepper and served with lime wedges. The smoky sweetness of the corn melded nicely with the creamy mayonnaise and the savory but light cotija cheese, and the flavors were given a lift with a squeeze of the lime!

With 6 levels of spiciness to choose from, there is something for every wing lover at Coyote! Dig into finger-licking good fried chicken wings tossed in orange & lime, tequila, jalapeno, chipotle, or habanero sauce, though we would advise having some margarita on standby to douse the fire! For those chili lovers out there, sign on an indemnity form and order the level 6 Scorpion wings, which are tossed in scorpion chili sauce made from one of the spiciest chilies in the world. Be warned: the slow burn is real, and long-lasting.

Organic Healthy Meals at Peach Blossoms

Organic food lovers will love the Organic Healthy Menu that has launched at Peach Blossoms for the month of September. This menu is created by Chef Francis Chong, who was previously with Long Beach. Although there seems to be many items that highlight vegetables, the seafood flavors in the stocks are evident.

Warm the stomach with Double-boiled Sea Whelk Soup with Black Chicken, Fig and Black Garlic 黑蒜螺头无花果炖黑鸡汤 ($16/pax). Black garlic is definitely our favorite type of garlic as it adds a natural sweetness to the broth, plus it has high nutritional value

Need to increase your protein intake? The bean curd items on this menu are certainly impressive. Now what would you choose? The chic black bean curd in Braised Charcoal Bean curd with Garden Green 碧绿千层炭废豆腐 ($24) or the silky elegant bean curd skin in Braised Marrow Gourd with Bean curd Skin, Shimeji Mushroom and Tomatoes 西红柿鲜腐竹松菇烩胜瓜 ($24)? We say BOTH!

A simple dish of vegetables stir-fried with garlic, Stir-fried Lotus root, Celery, Chinese Yam and White Fungus with Organic Pumpkin Puree 有机南瓜茸炒爽菜 ($24) is a good option to have the family (especially the kids!) eating more vegetables.

Skip the Steamed Live Prawns with Black Garlic and Glass Noodles 黑蒜粉丝蒸开边虾 ($28) unless you like mushy prawns and chalky glass noodles. 

Do not miss out on Braised Lala Clams with Chinese Mustard Green served in Claypot 粥水啦啦芥菜煲 ($26). Huge juicy clams, dried scallops and goji maketh this seafood-licious broth. A porridge-like dish, this claypot will be popular with the old and the young.

 

Desserts on the Organic Healthy Menu include Refreshing Lemon Grass Jelly with Peach Gum and Black Chinese Wolfberries 黑杞子桃胶香茅冻 ($12/pax) and Double-boiled Hashima with Honey Locust Fruit and Peach Gum 雪莲子桃胶炖雪蛤 ($18/pax). The former is served with theatrical misty dry ice that looked more refreshing than it tasted. Both desserts were way sweet for our liking. 

 

I would recommend the claypot and beancurd dishes from this Organic Healthy Menu in addition to your dim sum or usual favourites from the main menu. 

-Zen 

Peach Blossoms

Marina Mandarin Singapore

6 Raffles Boulevard Singapore 039594

Tel: +65 6845 1118

Lunch: Mon-Fri 12-3pm; Sat, Sun and PH 11am-3pm

Dinner: 6.30-10.30pm daily

Antoinette Chocolate Fetish Sep - Oct 2016

Fetish Chocolat. Just the sound of it makes me weak in my knees. No naughty thoughts my dear, I’m referring to the Fetish Chocolat at Antoinette that is happening from 1 September till the end of October. Following the success of Fetish Matcha that ended last month, Antoinette has partnered Valrhona (THE chocolate for any chocolate creation) to bring you Fetish Chocolat that promises more savory indulgence.

Artistically plated, Roasted Carrot with Balsamic and Dark Chocolate Dressing ($18) was a light dish to start with. The dish bursts with distinct flavors of Serrano ham, strawberries and feta, and I would have missed the Equatoriale 55% chocolate in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing if I had not read the menu.

Chocolate and pasta do not sound like a match made in heaven but this pairing on Chef Pang’s menu tastes brilliant! In Chocolate Ravioli filled with Wild Mushroom Ragout and cooked in a Light Sausage Cream Sauce ($22), Caraibe 66% chocolate is used as a coloring in the making of the pasta, hence the taste of chocolate is subtle.

In contrast, Braised Wagyu Brisket with Mustard and Dark Chocolate served with Buttered Parpadelle ($30) has strong earthy Guanaja 70% dark chocolate notes in every bite of brisket. Now which will you pick?

Dazzling Cafe New Menu

Dazzling Cafe's natural association with desserts (think thick towering honey toast) is hard to shake off given the insane dessert queue that formed when they first opened. BUT this Taiwan branded cafe is more than just the sweets now that Chef Cliff Tan has taken over the kitchen at the Capitol Piazza outlet! I discounted Dazzling before, but with their new western fusion menu, you can consider me dazzled. 

The new plates at the flagship store use only quality ingredients (carefully sourced and imported, or made from scratch) but are extremely affordably priced (think regular cafe prices).  

A light start to the meal is the Mozzarella & Cucumber Granita Salad ($10). Cool and crunchy it was, with cucumber swirls, cucumber sorbet, loose leaves, beetroot jelly, olive crumble, and balsamic reduction. We could certainly see Chef's past experience in the fine dining scene coming through in his pretty plates.  

What I'd recommend though is the Shrimp Paste Winglets ($11) which is even better than the Har Cheong Gai sold at many zi char stores! Love that pungent and savory fermented prawn paste in that marinate and the CRUNCHY skin and juicy meat. That lemongrass sweet chili sauce was the icing on the cake. LOVE!

We see strong French and Italian cooking in the mains but with well integrated Asian flavors. While the Scallop risotto in prawn miso broth ($24) may be more than al dente (towards the more mushy end of the spectrum), but that rich crustacean broth and perfectly seared fatty pieces of scallop more than compensated for it. 

If you want a creamy based pasta, the Fregola Sarde Grande Pasta ($25) is yums. This is a seldom seen type of pasta which is imported from Italy (of course) and provided a chewy and interested texture to the dish, plus it' so easy to pick up and send into your watering mouth. Simply scoop up some of that pasta with the garlic white wine cream sauce, Parmesan, and that earthy flavorful mushrooms. It may be a vegetarian dish, but it was certainly not lacking in the flavor department. We did not even miss the meat in this one!

Like spice? Then the Spicy Thai Tom Yum Seafood Rigatoni ($21) is a must. The tubular Rigatoni picks up the fiery sauce so well! The sauce is made from scratch btw and I think Chef can open a Thai restaurant if he wants! Very very addictive I say!

 

Boys, if you're worried that cafe food ain't gonna fill you, well, the portions are quite big imo. Also, you can protein load with the hearty meaty meals. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu ($23) has this tendency to be dry because the traditional recipe calls for breast meat. However, there were no issues with this particular rendition due to the use of the French yellow Poulet chicken, and it certainly helped that the meat wasn't deep fried. Expect the cheesy Gruyere flow when you cut into the Parma ham wrapped meat.

The Dazzling Potato Doughnut with Bratwurst filling ($21) looked better than it tasted. #eggporn BUT the dense and slightly undercooked dough, plus oily taste isn't quite worth the calories. 

The Pork bratwurst was also on the dry side and the sauce was kinda sweet. Meh. 

Another dish that showcased Chef's fine dining background is the Butter Poached Salmon ($23)., in terms of the plating that is. I thought the meat was a tad overcooked and thus more flaky.. The squid ink cous cous is made to look like caviar, and this was accompanied by a naturally sweet carrot purée and mustard Beurre Blanc.

Dazzling Cafe is not a bad spot to chill over drinks and sweets as well. Their Forget Me Not iced tea is a refreshing light floral sakura green tea sweetened with brown sugar. For something sweeter, the Rose latte with baileys and espresso is quite wicked. 

But of course, the famous Honey Toasts, which are priced from $17 onwards. Honestly, toast shouldn't be this expensive even if it's tasty or pretty but yea it's quite enjoyable with the filled chocolate center. 

Regardless, I'm dazzled now. Go check Dazzling Cafe out for yourself! 

Dazzling Cafe Mint Singapore 
15 Stamford Road, #01-85 Capitol Piazza, Singapore 178906
Tel: +65 6384 3310
Sun - Thu: 12 - 9.30pm
Fri – Sat: 12 - 10pm

Dazzling Cafe Pink Singapore 
#01-12/13/14 277 Orchard Road Orchard Gateway, Singapore 238858
Sun - Thu: 11am - 9pm
Fri - Sat: 11am - 9.30pm
Tel: +65 65 6385 3639

Pan Pacific Singapore The Edge- Peranakan Buffet

If i were to pick a buffet to bring my relatives, or friends from overseas who wants a taste of local Singapore food in a comfortable setting, i would look no further than The Edge at Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel. Makan Makan is the latest Saturday lunch that Edge has introduced and the regular buffet is further enhanced with new Singaporean flavors and gastronomic Peranakan presentations. 

7 live food kitchens showcase freshly-made Asian and International delicacies including Japanese, Indian, Italian, Chinese and now you can even get Peranakan classics like Babi Pongteh (Stewed Pork Trotters in sweet Vinegar and Ginger- could have more vinegar), Ngo Hiang (minced spiced lobster, prawns and chestnuts encased in crispy beancurd skin), and aromatic Traditional Peranakan Chicken Curry. Top the dishes with the 5 homemade sambal which comes in five different flavours – Honey Mango Sambal Tumis, Salted Fish Sambal, Thai Basil and Pineapple Sambal, Red Balado Sambal and Fried Rice Kampong Sambal. 

Let's go straight into my highlights shall we?

From the live stations, i love love love the Tai Lok Mee, a dark sauce udon type of noodles stir fried with pork and seafood. The wok hei was superb and i am certain it's the magic from the fried pork lard. I'm typically rather health conscious but i devoured a plate of this and craved for more! GASP.

The Oyster Omelette was also one of the better ones i've eaten! The egg was crisp around the edges and fluffy in the middle and it was gelled together by the slightly chewy tapioca flour. I give this my stamp of approval.

Other local snacks like popiah, kueh pie tee (with lobster) and rojak are also made a la minute. 

I love that the Rojak was tangy, citrusy and juicy (with rose apple!). They even grill dried cuttlefish on the spot for that added oomph in the rojak. There's a selection of local dishes like Laksa (piled with ingredients), Nasi Lemak (with satay and otah), Teochew porridge, and even Ba Kut Teh (though i wish they add more flavor to the soup. It has tender meat though). Don't miss the roast pork belly by the way for they are salty, crispy with creamy but firm fats. 

My other favorite section is the Italian with their lovely thin crust crispy pizza that is full of melty stringy cheese! 

I've noted that there is a kaya toast section at the Edge on my several visits but did not have this due to tummy space constraints. Well, i can't believe i did not make the effort to eat this previously! It's super amazing with a cracker like texture despite the rather thick cut of toast (unlike Yakun). 

Go for the rich peanut butter, or the fragrant pandan kaya. This is best paired with the Teh Terik (though a little sweet).

Make sure you save space for desserts, or do like we do and start with that first #FOMO. Desserts are more local focused with the treats such as Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts, Portuguese Egg Tarts, Ice Kachang, and a signature selection of fragrant Durian-based desserts including Durian Puff, Durian Mousse Cake and Durian Pengat. 

We loved the Nyonya kuehs in particular. Lovely chewy mochi like skin encase a variety of filling like peanut, sesame and coconut. The kueh lapis looked dry but was spongy and soft when i bit into it. Have the Pandan Chiffon cake as well (make sure you drizzle gula melaka on it. Don't say i never share).

Brought my mama to Makan Makan and she enjoyed the local dishes, and was especially excited about the Nyonya desserts. Kudos to the chefs for accommodating her diet even (we requested for the noodles without pork and lard and it was done). 2 thumbs up for them! Definitely a great place to bring your folks! 

Makan Makan is available at the Edge every Sat from 12 to 2.30pm.

The Edge
Pan Pacific Singapore 

7 Raffles Boulevard Singapore 039595 

Tel: +65 6336 8111

Maggie Joan's new lunch menu

One of my top faves has given birth to something new! Maggie Joan’s is now open for lunch with sumptuous new specials!

Chef Oliver never fails to please with his modern Mediterranean plates and I was super excited to sample their lunch offerings over dinner tasting.

Special mention to the house-baked Sourdough with beef fat butter, complimentary to all diners. Such glorious meaty creamy churned goodness on that crackly porous  slice. I would be happy with that alone (with that delicious Chianti of course)!!! 

I loved the Cheese Arancini ($9) which is a creamy ball of risotto held together by a blend of cheeses (gorgonzola, epoisse, langres, ricotta). The crunchy exterior gave way to a nice sticky and stringy pull. I thought it was great on its own, with a touch of truffle oil. The sweet Roma tomato chutney with sherry vinegar threw the dish off with its sweetness but the golden balls could be easily saved from the gravy so all's not lost.

My recommendation to start? The Cured salmon tartare ($17) with dill, pickled cucumber and yogurt. The rich smoky Norwegian salmon paired perfectly with the cream cheese-like Greek yogurt and then comes the tangy pop of cucumber. There's even an element of crunch from the house made sourdough croutons (can't stop munching on them).

I was looking forward to the Gypsy style baked egg with chickpea stew & chorizo ($16) because well.. Nothing like a decadent brunch dish for lunch right? Sadly, the chickpea mix was prematurely removed from the stove and had yet to absorb the moisture and flavor of the tomatoes. The chorizo were kind of dry  and disappointing as well. Flavor wise, it was a little one dimension with the Mediterranean spice. 

Skip right to the mains if the starters don't work for you. That Fried Chicken Sandwich ($18) may sound blah, but dayum! The juicy poulet jaune fillet is crusted with Japanese panko and deep-fried. Never have I had a fried chicken breast so tender and juicy without any oily taste. Dressed with a punchy green harissa coleslaw and Pecorino cheese, and sandwiched between a light poofy bread grilled in gd INKA oven, the combination was spectacular. To spruce this meal up further, add on the hand-cut chips with rosemary salt, sherry vinegar & ricotta ($9). Such fragrant triple fried hand-cut Sebago potato chips - steamed, blanched in oil at 140 degrees and deep fried at 220 degrees for that extra crunch. My advice- leave no ricotta behind. 

Now if the chicken was great, the Homemade Pappardelle, lamb ragu and Parmigiano Reggiano ($26) is better. This is perfect comfort food will make you forget your work woes for the rest of the day. The New Zealand lamb shoulder is roasted for 12h and then caramelized and tossed with the hearty chili-tomato paste, and sheets of al dente Parpardelle (one of my fav pasta, also made in house). The balance of the sauce, mint, and meat is perfect, plus there's the sourdough croutons to pick up the remaining sauce... Heavenly. 

Those craving for the dinner menu will  find familiar offerings for lunch – think half roasted duck with carrots and feta, or a 250g stockyard ribeye with jerk seasoning. 

Finally desserts. Dessert of the day ($10) was a crumbly sugar dough lemon tart.  This certainly goes on my best tart list! Cheese and wine also makes for a perfect ending to your mid day. ;)

The lunch menu is available 12pm to 2.30pm on weekdays. This is making me wish that I work in the city. Badly. 

Maggie Joan’s Dining & Bar 

110 Amoy Street #01-01 Singapore 068579

(Entrance from Gemmill Lane) 

Tel: +65 6221 5564 

Weekdays: 12 - 2.30pm, 6 - 11pm

Saturday: 6 - 11pm