Hello folks! Sorry for the slow updates. As you know i'm currently based in Canada and guess what! Michelin (not too recently) announced in May that it is expanding into Canada and will start awarding its prestigious stars to restaurants in Toronto! Definitely something to look forward to even though i'm 2h away from Toronto. Fingers crossed that our little bundle will be up for some rides to feed his mama come fall. 

I was told by a gf that i simply HAVE TO visit Restaurant Pearl Morissette (RPM) before i pop. They’ve been recognized as one of the best restaurants not just in Niagara region or Ontario, but the whole of Canada, having come in 4th on the Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list in 2022. P.s. they have been on the list since they opened in 2018.

The kitchen is run by Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson, Ontario-born chefs with experience in Michelin kitchens in Paris and Belgium. The 8+ course French-inspired menu (CA$147/pax) is served blind, carte blanche, and you'll hardly find the same dish presented twice on repeat visits. Sustainability and seasonality are the key features, featuring produce from around the region and also from RPM's own regenerative farm. The tasting experience could be enhanced with an exquisite wine pairing (CA$95, 6 glasses 3oz ea), drawing from international producers and exclusive small-batch wines from PM's winery. For non-drinkers, they also have an interesting seasonal juice pairing (CA$45, 5 glasses 5oz ea).

For summer, the entire operation is moved outdoors to Le Pré, which is next to the farm for a more country casual experience. Despite the informality of the venue, you could still expect the same impeccable but warm fine-dining service. Here's the menu we had on 1 Jul 2022.

Razor clams with green strawberries, dressed with a preserved cucumber and fig leaf oil, and basil. There's a fresh green note to this dish. This was paired with a floral Clos Cibonne Tentations Rosé from Côtes de Provence.

Next up, a chewy sourdough made with red fife and maria widgeon, to be slathered with a rustic roasted sunchoke mixed with whey and browned butter, topped with wild rice puffs. The light sweetness of the dip complemented the sourness from the rustic loaf.

Siri House x Veuve Clicquot presents a stunning new outdoor dining experience on the terrace of SIRI HOUSE. Whether you’re planning a boozy brunch, dinner party or a romantic dinner for 2, dine amidst the lush greenery of Dempsey Hill, complete with garden views, florals for the table and Veuve Clicquot Champagne.

We enjoyed a 4-course individually plated 'Dine at Dusk' dinner ($98/pax, 6-course available at $128/pax) on the idyllic and surprisingly cool outdoor terrace. A trellis is specially designed for the occasion and huge fans are on site to provide you with a cooling dining environment. In fact it felt air-conditioned at night. The 4-course consists of an amuse bouche, appetizer, entrée and dessert, and all menus are complemented by the sparkling effervescence of Veuve Clicquot Champagne.

The amuse bouche is a chef's choice and we had a refreshing kohlrabi snack to start. There are 4 appetizers to choose from (2 hot and 2 cold- you get one of each for the 6-course). 

One thing about pregnancy is that i can't have my soft cheeses and it really kills me. I stole a bite of the Stracciatella with aburi Amaebi and it was heavenly. Chef Leo was kind enough to fully cook my prawn and it was so good with the crispy deep-fried head and creamy cheese. Sansho pepper, thai basil oil and crab fat croutons provided further umami notes to this dish. 

Celebrating the best of Italian summertime steakhouses, GEMMA is the latest concept of Italian Chef-Owner Beppe De Vito of The ilLido Group. Tucked atop National Gallery Singapore, the 68-seater restaurant is full of old-world charm but not stiffy at all and the prices are a lot more reasonable than some of these other steakhouses around. Lunch sets are only $45/pax and even their dinner sharing menu for 2 would only set you back by $208/pair.

I meant to check out Gemma earlier but plans were disrupted several times due to COVID. A random browsing of the Restaurant Week offerings (yes it is still around!) finally provided an opportunity to visit Gemma. The Restaurant Week dinner menu actually looks a lot like their regular lunch set offering ($45/pax, Tue - Sat) with a few upgrades.

We started with a semolina bread with Alpine butter sprinkled with Tarragon. This was followed by an amuse bouche of beef tartare on potato cracker with Mascarpone cheese.

The appetizer was a blue swimmer crab with avocado, ox-tomato gelée, citron remoulade and compressed Sedano. We really enjoyed the refreshing citrus and herb finish with the fresh crab and how the tomato added a little spiciness to the dish.

At French Fold by Merci Mercel, you can have authentic French crepes and galettes all day, every day and as early as 8am at their Telok Ayer outlet. Being an early riser and gym bunny, i greatly appreciate cafes and restaurants that open early and i love how i could still enjoy a wide selection of savory buckwheat and sweet wheat flour pancakes (more than half of their full menu) at French Fold early in the day.

For breakfast, you could dine on small pastries, egg sandwiches, Eggs Benedict, other than galettes and crepes (of course). Come lunch and dinner, a fuller selection of crepes and galettes are available, together with appetizers, salads, cold cuts, and burgers too. 

For a savory start, we went with the crowd favorite, the No. 04. This has practically all the perfect breakfast toppings of savory Chiffonade of ham, organic egg sunny side up, over sautéed mushrooms, and  Comté cheese ($17). We enjoyed the thin crispiness of the galette, which goes well with the running yolk. 

The crepe comes topped with ribbons of ham, tender sauteed mushrooms, Comté, and an organic sunny-side-up egg. The galettes are also much bigger than their sweet crepes so it was perfect for sharing between me and my gf. 

We then went with the No.18 ($10), a chewy wheat flour crepe topped with artisanal Manuka honey, roasted buckwheat seeds, and Hojicha sea salt gelato from Birds of Paradise($10). The ice cream and roasted buckwheat definitely gave this crepe a more savory twist, which we weren't expecting, since we wanted something sweeter. On hindsight, we should have chosen the traditional Classic Butter ($9) but add on our choice of ice cream. 

French Fold is perfect for catching up with your girlfriend over breakfast, or if you could convince your date to have galettes for dinner (i know Jr wouldn't be that excited about it). We found the Telok Ayer outlet to be cozy and chic and very welcoming and it's definitely going to be my regular post-gym refueling stop from now. 

French Fold has also opened a second outlet in Palais Renaissance on Orchard Road.

French Fold

204 Telok Ayer Street

SINGAPORE 068640

Daily: 8am - 10.30pm

#01-02, Palais Renaissance

390 Orchard Road, Singapore 238871

Daily: 11am - 10.30pm

We may not be able to fly to the French Riviera but Mandala Club has brought its best to us, Michelin three-star and current World's Best on the 50 Best list- Mirazur from Menton. The pop-up has extended its run till 12 Sep 2021 no thanks to the dining restrictions in Singapore earlier but that also led me to scoring a table at this exclusive.

This is the first time that diners outside of Menton get to experience Mirazur's reimagined concept which is based on the lunar calendar and its influence on the gardens. The menu revolves around the four "universes"-  Root, Leaf, Flower, and Fruit, and the harmony of the position of the Moon in the sky with the energy concentrated in each part of the plant. The ingredients used as local and seasonal, in line with this philosophy and the team is working with local suppliers like Edible Garden City, Kok Fah Technology Farm, Toh Thye San and Nutrinest for the menu in Singapore. 

The Mirazur team is lead by head chef of the residency Luca Mattioli, who has worked with chef-patron Mauro Colagreco for over five years, and restaurant director Geoffrey Le Mer. 

The 6-course lunch ($388) was a 3 hour affair and we started off with a series of snacks. The 50-layer potato with butter and horseradish was a delightful crunchy popsicle on a twig, and we also enjoyed the burst of jammy flavors in the caramelized onion with Comte cheese. The radish cups were a tad too chunky for us and we thought the combination with trout eggs wasn't complementary. Last of the snacks was the sweet potato cone with pink garlic espuma.

Then we had a flower-shaped bread loaf (which texture was more of a biscuit), served with Mirazur's special infused olive oil, with ingredients from the Mirazur garden. The ginger-citrus flavors were absolutely refreshing and stunning with the bread. I also enjoyed the carrot-shaped Brittany butter infused with carrot jus. 

Radish, Sea Bream, and Citrus- a lovely rose made with layers of radish (red, green and daikon), vegetable jelly (grapefruit, orange and spirulina) with slices of Japanese marinated Sea Bream. This dish is rather Japanese inspired, with a smoky and citrusy dashi to bring the ingredients together. 

Beetroot and Caviar- A signature of Mirazur. The beet is salt-baked till soft and tender and served with the high end caviar. You'd be surprised at how the beet outshine the caviar in this dish. I couldn't get enough of the sweetness of the beet, which dances with the silky cream and ocean flavors of the caviar. 

New Potato and Smoked Eel- little starchy potatoes with Spanish smoked eel and smoked eel emulsion. You know it's delicious when there's a harmony of salt, fat, and acidity in the dish. And how adorable is the ice plant (i really love them). 

The Dark Side of The Moon is a love or hate dish and unfortunately i'm just not a fan of licorice and you get the full-on artificial sweet and bitter flavor. The aged monkfish was fabulous on its own (i scraped away most of the black coating which i wasn't sure was black garlic or licorice), with a cuttlefish flavor and tight meaty flesh. 

Our main was the Celeriac and Guineafowl- the pillars of root vegetables was a visual delight with columns of carrot, sweet potato, celeriac and also Granny Smith apples. The bird was first sous vide then pan roasted and served with an impressive Albufera sauce made with Guineafowl stock with truffle, cream, balsamic vinegar, and 3 types of alcohol- Madeira, Port and Cognac. 

The second serving of the bird was a consommé with ravioli, and a rich confit with espuma which i polished despite all the dishes i've eaten. 

For dessert, the Purple Vitello Potato and Coffee- a visually stunning dessert with the most unique combination of ingredients. I definitely did not expect coffee to go well with potatoes but it did. It was also surprisingly light, thanks to the coffee mousse which helped with our food coma. 

Finally the Mignardises- purple carrot sorbet; chewy ginger Financier; and peanut chocolate (just like Reeses but better).

We left with a souvenir of macarons which are specially created by Janice Wong, extending our Mirazur experience featuring the Moon and four universes of Mirazur. 

It has been a while since my last fine-dining experience. While the service wasn't as attentive, the staff were very friendly and we felt super comfortable to simply be ourselves and enjoy our food and conversation. That said, the food and experience would probably land itself in the 1.5- 2 star category. 

Mirazur at the Mandala Club

31 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089845

Are you the kind of diner who chase celebrity chefs or collect Michelin star eats, or are you the type more likely to support a restaurant for its beliefs? Well if you're never considered the latter, here's introducing Kausmo, an intimate restaurant backed by the Les Amis Group. The restaurant is run by Lisa Tang and Kuah Chew Shian, and the duo aims to elevate your consciousness about sustainable and thoughtful living through their meal. 

If you don't know by now, food wastage is a big thing in Singapore and it starts even before you see the produce at the supermarkets. Kausmo showed us how these ugly unwanted produce could be created into beautiful dishes. Local perennial (think Singapore kampong vegetables), sustainable ingredients and secondary cuts of meat are used as well. Even their tableware are repurposed or upcycled. As the meal unfolded, we can't help but rally to the cause and be more determined in making conscientious choices. 

Kausmo serves a 6-course Carte Blanche menu ($75/pax) based on the availability of produce, with a home-brewed Kombucha tasting at an additional $20. The dishes combine European techniques with Asian influences, and are inspired by thoughtful stories. 

We started with crisp but fluffy Kausmo flat bread served on a Southern Wood Tzatziki, flavored with herb oil and pork rib rillette (which i thought could be saltier). 

Next, a squash gazpacho made with aesthetically-filtered pumpkin. The pumpkin puree tastes exactly like how a pretty looking one. Substance over looks anytime. This was topped with heirloom tomatoes and pistachio with locally grown savory with a flavor profile of marjoram and mint. 

Barossa Bar & Grill has launched its new outlet at VivoCity. I've vaguely heard of the brand before and they've been operating from the Esplanade branch but i've never tried it, i guess partly due to the location (sadly Esplanade isn't known as a food destination). We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of meats at this Australian-inspired restaurant, flown from four renowned Australian farms- Bass Strait, Wanderer, Josdale, and Carrara, each known for different qualities of their cattle.

Not only that. The restaurant also boasts its own dry-ageing fridge to enhance the flavors of their meats. To further elevate the experience, all the meat and seafood are cooked on a Spanish Josper charcoal grill for the perfect golden-brown Maillard reaction. 

For starters, the Barossa Steak Tartare ($26) is one smooth fella. The slightly thicker strips of beef were coated in a mix of smoked oyster aioli, ponzu jelly, pickled red onion, wasabi zuke, and a coagulated egg yolk. 

Ah Hua Kelong's Tiger Prawns ($26) are served charcoal grilled for that extra smoky headiness and further flavored by a shio kombu garlic beurre noisette. The charred kale chips that the prawns sat atop off were a great accompaniment to the juicy crustacean.

I first got a taste of Chef Jérémy Gillon and his Alpine-herb-forward French cuisine five years ago at now defunct Audace. It was certainly the most refreshing French dining i've experienced then. Fast forward to 2021 and Chef has already earned his star with his fine dining Restaurant JAG. Stepping into Restaurant Jag for the first time, we were pleased to see that Chef has remained true to his brand of serving seasonal cuisine inspired by the wild-foraged herbs from Savoie. 

It was yet another refreshing and educational meal with unpredictable flavors using herbs that we have never heard of or were able to pronounce. We went with the well-priced 4 course Executive Set Lunch ($98), which was a delightful experience. Do allow yourself at least 2.5 hours for this. I ended up rescheduling my appointment after because lunch took longer than expected but it was worth it though! If you have even more time to spare, there's also the 6-course Degustation Measured Indulgence Menu ($175). 

We started with a Salsify and Sariette biscuit with the crunch of a potato chip. 

Then a green Kohlrabi juice with Hyssop oil and balsamic. This had notes of apple and celery in it. 

A steamy dark rye was served with a duo of Normandy and herb butter. While we loved the fluffy insides, the dark burnt crust a tad too much to handle after a few bites. Lovely miso notes if you don't mind the char though. 

Reimagine Sichuan flavors at Birds of a Feather with their first-ever tasting menu. I've been a fan of Chef Eugene See's contemporary and European take on Sichuan cuisine since Birds opened and now he has taken it to the next level with some really stunning and elegant dishes that knocked us off our feet. 

Leave your tongue numbing mala expectations at the door. The Reimagine Sichuan menu ($89) showcases the myriad of flavors- salty, aromatic, bitter on the individual plates that are even more refined than the usual communal menu at Birds. There is even a curated wine pairing menu which was an absolute delight, featuring a small batch Telmont Grand Reserve Champagne, Pouilly Fuissé Domaine Cordier Chardonnay, Château Mangot Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (our absolute fav), and a surprise cocktail to be paired with desserts, all for just $60. 

The seven-course gastronomic journey begins with the Homemade Pickled Vegetable Focaccia, served alongside a bright, salty Sichuan 碎米芽菜 pickled mustard green butter. The humble preserved vegetable is full of umami- very similar to kombu or preserved olive vegetables. We tried our hardest to persuade Chef Eugene to bottle this! The focaccia was also an amazing slice with an all rounded crisp and a fluffy center. 

Next, Chef Eugene presents a rotating Bird’s Snack which spotlights the Sichuan burnt chili. A thin chewy ravioli made from gyoza skin is filled with a mix of burnt chili eggplant and foie gras. The spice was very mild and slightly tingly, and further balanced with an earthy celeriac purée. 

Michelin star dining is quite pricey in Singapore unlike in US and Europe so i'm always happy to find a well-priced one- Lerouy is one of the few and they do not stinge on the experience. There's no stuffiness or snootiness at this modern French restaurant by Chef Christophe Lerouy. At Lerouy 2.0, their industrial-chic space was anything but cold as 2 loops of organically shaped counters wind round the open kitchen and diners get a full view of the precise preparation of each dish.

We were in for a surprise for our 7-course grand lunch ($78) with no inkling of what's to come, given the purposeful omission of a menu. The omakase style allows Lerouy to present a mysterious seasonal menu, which adds to the excitement of dining here. 

Four tapas appetisers and petits fours supplement the courses. A crunchy mille feuille style of Bibeleskaes potato with fresh cream and Alsace bacon was the opening act. Followed by a series of refreshing acidity in the lentils with smoked herring and horseradish on a cracker; a lightly spiced Carabinero ceviche with pickled mioga ginger and calamansi espuma, and ending with a Japanese style Asian Beef Tea made using a Japanese dashi base and a touch of keffir lime. 

Next, a generous baby sourdough loaf which was so darn good. Lovely crust with a fluffy interior, the bread came served with 4 butters- regular, beetroot, seaweed and charcoal. The beetroot was surprisingly our favorite with a touch of sweetness and light earthiness. 

The rootedness in French classical cooking continues to present itself in the meal, but the flavors are anything but traditional. The typical buttery richness is balanced with acid and herbs in most dishes. Actually i wouldn't be surprised if acid is the base of the meal. 

Japanese scallops with dashi jelly, Kaviari caviar, green shiso ice cream and a touch of yuzu kosho to brighten up the dish. I consider this quite a bold dish, given that the accompaniments could easily overpower the delicate flesh but somehow the components worked well together and a daring dish was born.