Blue Jasmine Halal Thai Restaurant

It's been a while since i explored the Farrer Park area since i moved out of the North Eastern part of Singapore. Well Park Hotel Farrer Park was constructed while i was busy exploring other parts of Singapore (mostly the East) and in it i found Blue Jasmine, a Thai restaurant currently helmed by a petite female Thai chef!

Classic Thai dishes are served here but regional specialties are also dished out here and i got to eat my favorite Esarn (Northeastern Thai cuisine) dishes!

Start with the Cha-Om Fried Egg ($12), which is served rolled up at Blue Jasmine. The rolls of thin acacia leaves omelette is fragrant on its own but if you feel like it needs more kick, the classic Thai dip named Nam Prik Kapi based on fermented shrimp paste and fiery birds’ eye chillies will pack that punch you want. I loved this dish! 

We're used to Tom Yum and that's available at Blue Jasmine too. However, do give Sea Bass Poh Tek ($30), an Esarn style hot and spicy traditional soup, a try. The flavour profile sounds similar to Tom Yum and could, in fact, be considered a type of Tom Yum but Poh Tek is made with a different proportion of spices and ingredients, with the addition of deep-fried sea bass, offering a different dining experience to the classic. Sweetness and a lovely spice. Love the refreshing aromatics. Firm fried fish with a light batter that isn’t too soggy either.

Do not miss the Roast Chicken Esarn Style ($16), which is a double roasted chicken for that extra crispiness. Despite being cooked twice, it is super juicy. The marinate is made of an Esarn paste of galangal, lemongrass, coriander, garlic, turmeric, fish sauce and palm sugar, and is well absorbed by the chicken overnight. Accompanying the chicken is a spicy dipping sauce made with roasted glutinous rice with fried kaffir. The overall flavor is like that of a satay with moderate sweetness. 

Holy Basil KAPRAO (Squid, $24) is made for basil lovers. The fragrance permeates through every bite. It's classic Thai stir-fry and you can choose to have the succulent squid, or even kampong chicken and beef ribeye. 

InterContinental Singapore Afternoon Tea 2018

Afternoon Tea, my long-lost love. How i've missed you. Is it me or has this idyllic event fallen out of favor? Whatever the case, InterContinental Singapore's new Afternoon Tea: Checkmate will make you fall in love again. From now to 31 January 2019, the Lobby Lounge at the hotel will showcase Pastry Chef Ben Goh's collaboration with world-renowned premium chocolate manufacturer Valrhona’s Master Pastry Chef Brice Konan- Ferrand's chess-inspired chocolate-based desserts, alongside some savory bites.

The set is priced at $88 for two persons, inclusive of a fine selection of loose-leaf teas and coffee. You can indulge with a half-bottle Taittinger Brut Champagne (375ml), along with everything else at $138/set.

I'm a traditionalist when it comes to tea and was surprised that we were served sweets first as Chef Ben wanted to focus on the sweets in the afternoon tea set. However, you can always request for a change in order of presentation, or to have both served at the same time (which i recommend). 

3 of the chess desserts are created by Chef Ben- The King, Pawn, and Bishop, while Chef Brice created the Queen, Rook, and Knight.

Opus Grill and Bar

We meat lovers can always count on Opus Bar & Grill to satisfy our carnivorous cravings. This season, the restaurant has introduced new premium butcher’s cuts that are perfect for sharing. 

The new Premium Butcher's cuts showcase a variety of textures and flavors with 4 types of meat cuts on one platter. The platter is meant for two people but i really think that it's good for 4. Plus, it's only priced at $128, which i feel is a steal for the amount and quality of meats served. 

The platter includes 500 - 600g Rangers Valley Angus OP rib which has been dry-aged in-house between 18 to 36 days, which to me, is the highlight of this platter. There's also a 150g Margaret River wagyu flank steak cooked on open fire, best paired with the homemade smoked chili glaze. I loved the texture of the grain-fed beef short ribs (400 - 500g) with a marble score of three, however, even though it was braised with aromatic spices, the meat didn't have much flavor. All was saved by the barbeque sauce though. There are also sausages which have been grilled over Jarrah Wood for additional smokiness, however, they were kinda dry imo. 

Other sharing plates are worthy of your choice as well. I'd go for the Wagyu Sirloin with Boston lobster sharing platter ($138). While the lobster is on the smaller side, i loved the smoky umami flavors, plus the meat was super sweet and flavorful. The Wagyu Sirloin cut here was executed flawlessly as well. Other than meats, Opus serves Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)’s Chain of Custody certified seafood which are sustainably caught- the live Boston Lobster being one of them.

Not to be missed is also the new kelong local green mussels steamed in lemongrass fumes. There's a hint of Thai green curry in this with an aromatic perfume. 

If you just want your steak and want it bloody, I highly recommend the 1 to 1.2kg whiskey-aged U.S. California Tomahawk steak which is 365 days grain-fed ($153).  

A touch of flamed bourbon provided a light sweetness to the juicy steak before service. If you're not in the sharing mood, there are also prime grade cuts steaks from U.S. Greater Omaha, priced from $58.

As usual, there's a special wine package with two hours of select free-flow wines from Sunday to Thursday, or 50 percent off wine by the bottle on Friday and Saturday. 

Opus Bar & Grill 

581 Orchard Road, Singapore 238883 

Lobby Level, Hilton Singapore 

Tel: +65 6730 3390

Grill Daily: 6.30 – 10.30pm

Bar Daily: 10am – 12am 

Crossroads Cuisine at Nouri

I've heard interesting things about Nouri in the past year, prior to them earning their first Michelin star. Unfortunately (or fortunately), it took the star for us to check out Chef Ivan Brehm's crossroads cooking, only because we've been too busy with life (moving in, preparing to get married and all). In anticipation of the meal, I studied Chef Ivan's menu and i was very curious as to how our meal will turned out because of the strange mix of ingredients and flavors and how they don't conform to a type of cuisine.

After polishing the pretty plates that Chef Ivan sent out and also listening to his stories behind the dishes, I guess we got a sense of what crossroads cooking means. At Nouri, you'll taste universally good food- no matter where you're from, or where the food takes inspiration from, you'll be able to identify familiar flavors that strike a chord or bring back some fond memories. Well at least that's what i took away from my meal.

For dinner, there's the option of a 5 or 7 course Chef Tasting Menu ($145/$175). Lunch tasting is also available at $85 for 5 course. The portions aren't very big, but our dinner party of 4 (3 boys and me) were rather satisfied at the end of our 5 course meal. Wine pairing is available at an additional $90 with some interesting pairing choices from lesser known regions and producers. We were very impressed with how knowledgeable the staff are of the food and wines served. A girlfriend who visited Nouri earlier noted that their sake pairing is excellent as well. 

Dinner started proper with the Bread and Broth, featuring rye sourdough bread served with a bowl of silken cheese topped with extra virgin olive oil and 25 years old balsamic sauce; and a shot of bone and 7-vegetables broth.