If you were following me on IG, you may have noticed that sometime back my cruise getaway was cancelled last minute due to a positive COVID-19 case on board. I was desperate for a holiday and immediately started searching for a suitable staycation. Unfortunately the suites at Raffles Hotel Singapore and Goodwood Park Hotel were both unavailable at the last minute (mind you it was mid-week). We finally landed on Sofitel Singapore Sentosa since it is the most resort-like without breaking the bank. I had previously stayed at the property before and remembered it to be decent. There are a few staycation packages to choose from and we went with a 3d2n stay with full-board option (without knowing what it really entailed because the t&cs were not clear). 

Sofitel Singapore Sentosa is a 5-star resort by the French Accor Group. The location is away from the hustle and bustle, so you get to enjoy the lush greenery with wildlife (the peacocks are free-roaming) and lots of privacy. Once we stepped onto the hotel grounds, we immediately felt relaxed with the expansive space, and breeze from the South China Sea. However, if you are more into the island life action, you should note that it is a bit of a hassle getting around if you don't drive as the shuttle bus service is quite slow, and it'll take you a while to get to the beach clubs or the integrated resorts. The hotel's own complimentary shuttle service to Vivocity is more reliable imo (every 30mins) and you could easily head out for a better meal, or for some shopping if you wish. 

Accommodation

Our bedroom for 2 nights was in the Luxury Garden Room and this was our view. 

Our room is quite sizeable at 36sqm and features a king-sized bed. A LED Smart TV, digital newspaper and magazines and WiFi access are also provided. There are several powerpoints and USB port for easy charging of your digital devices located next to the writing desk.

 

While there is also a pillow menu that you can choose your pillows from, their firm options were too flimsy for us. Our twin towers of pillows were absolutely useless in providing any decent neck support. 

Stay with a peace of mind knowing that everything is sanitized and wrapped. The standard coffee and tea making facilities are still available, with TWG tea bags and Nespresso capsules wrapped in a package. You could ask for more when you have finished this. The mini bar cabinet has been emptied and sanitised but you could request for it. Orders, requests, and bookings are all made through the hotel app, which i found extremely frustrating as it was either very laggy or didn't work. It was just much easier to call housekeeping/ front desk directly for assistance.

My favorite part of the room was the bathroom. Just check out the spacious bathtub for the perfect bubble bath! I was in a rush and forget to bring my bubbles but that was easily solved with an order from LUSH. There's also a separate rainshower area if you need a quick rinse. 

The bath amenities.

Dining

We were informed that dinners are served at Kwee Zeen and it is buffet style. Unfortunately, buffets only work if there were sufficient diners (and there weren't) and it was a terribly water-down version and a shadow of what i remembered Kwee Zeen to be. We were terribly disappointed with the variety and quality of dishes available- no live stations and the food wasn't fresh or piping hot and tasted really mediocre. The roast beef and soup were probably the more decent dishes and we only ate for sustenance. The a la carte menu certainly looked more appealing as we saw our neighboring diners polished their pizzas. Honestly that's all we needed, a simple pizza or burger instead of a sub-par buffet.

 

Breakfast was a lot better in comparison since it caters to more diners. My recommendations are the congee and laksa station. The nasi lemak is also quite satisfying with the crunchy ikan bilis and peanuts and a fragrant sambal.

 

I suppose our displeasure with the food didn't go unnoticed by the restaurant manager but the service recovery was very spotty as well, which we realized that evening. The manager shared that for our package, dinner is only served at Kwee Zeen (which we swore never to eat dinner there again), and offered to make arrangements for us to dine at The Cliff instead. While we were not really enthused about it, since we had a super meh dinner there not too long ago, we reckon it could not be worse than another lousy dinner so we agreed. That said, when we finally went to dinner that night, we realised that no reservations were made whatsoever, and we ended up being forced to order from the set menu and paid extra as it was considered a top up. Thankfully the food was better than expected and we saw no need to kick up a fuss. 

So back to lunch. As part of our dining entitlement, we could either have the set lunch at Kwee Zen or The Cliff. We went with the Kwee Zeen since they offered the a la carte menu and had more variety and honestly the food was a lot better than the buffet. We enjoyed the Hainanese Chicken Rice with poached chicken, which was smooth and the rice was very fragrant as well.

 

I was also very pleased with the beef burger. Just check out the size of the massive stack layered with ground beef patty, tomatoes, bacon, gherkin, an oozy fried egg & cheese and toasted sesame bun. The fries were fresh and crispy and exactly what was needed for a holiday. 

So The Cliff has been regarded as one of Singapore’s most romantic dining destinations but on this visit we noticed that the dress code wasn't strictly enforced and there were diners in shorts and slippers. Imagine you brought a date to what you thought was a fancy dinner and this happens? I guess they were just trying to fill the tables. 

 

We were made to order a 3 course dinner though we only had faith in their pizzas and pastas. Thankfully the starters delivered as described, though i can't imagine the combination of Heirloom tomatoes with burrata and basil pesto going wrong. 

For mains, we had the fennel sausage pizza with Mozzarella, panna, spring onion, fennel sausage, and fennel pollen; and the Linguine and clams with pancetta, chilli & white wine. Both dishes were seasoned and cooked well and we had no complains. Either we set a super low benchmark, or was really hungry, or it was actually not bad. Desserts did nothing for us, which we wouldn't even have ordered it if we weren't made to. 

Amenities & Activities

You would not miss the 33-metre pool at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa and if possible, i'm sure everyone would spend their entire day here. Unfortunately, each room is limited to one booking per day with a maximum of two hours per visit (which you could extend if it wasn't crowded). 

There's also a gym which is housed in a little shack. We didn't bother with this and headed to our own gyms in town instead. 

 

We took the opportunity to explore Sentosa on bike since Sofitel offers free bike rentals for 2 hours. Their bike was obviously too big for me to handle but i had to make to. We checked out the Fort Siloso exhibition and also went up the Imbiah Nature Trail (i meant to walk here but Jr convinced me that we should just cycle and it was just crazy with the rocks and roots). This was possibly the most exciting part of our stay because we've not experienced these before.  

We also discovered a shortcut to Tanjong Beach from the pool area! It's about 130 steps down to the beach, which we found rather convenient. This makes for easier suntanning at this less crowded beach.

From my review, it's quite clear that the stay was rather lacklustre for a 5 star resort. Skip the full-board package at any opportunity, it's really not worth it. The facilities and rooms are also little worn and not particularly comfortable but a night's stay is still manageable. As for us, i doubt we'd visit Sofitel Singapore Sentosa again. 

Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa

2 Bukit Manis Road

Sentosa 099891

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.

What was your virgin meal post Circuit Breaker? Phase 2 coincided with our #fridate and i was craving for a good fresh burger and that led us across the island to Burger Labo, by Ken Loon of Naked Finn. The burger lab has been experimenting on burgers to produce one of the best burgers i've eaten, the Basic Burger, which is not at all basic #humblebrag LOL

The Basic Burger (120g single/ 240g double, $18/$25) has gone through so many iterations from 2015 and the current version features a patty made with a blend of Black Angus beef & Toriyama Umami Wagyu A4 patty, grilled on cast iron griddle. Damn this is one juicy beast. Go for the double btw, you wouldn't regret it. The condiments all contributed to the perfect bite- crunchy pickled and also jammy caramelised onions, sharp American cheese, house-made bone marrow ‘butter’ and house-made shio kombu mayo-based sauce. Holding it all together is a glistening glossy brioche bun that made the angels sing. The buns are from Brera Bakery, a favorite of mine.  

Wash it down with an alcoholic milkshake. Boy that chocolate bourbon one was wicked!

Now sadly, the Chicken Burger (150g, $20) was sold out by the time by the first seating. SOBS. The recipe is by Julien Royer of Odette and showcases a GG French Poulet boneless leg marinated in yoghurt & spices, grilled on cast iron griddle. I'd probably have to go back for this, and another Basic Burger again.

Have a taste of the vast rolling Basque Country right here at the lush Telok Blangah, at the transformed Alkaff Mansion. In partnership with Basqvium, keeper, curator and tireless advocate of Basque cuisine and culture both in and outside Spain, you will experience every facet of Basque culture and cuisine at the restaurants in Alkaff Mansion- TXA and UNA.

Gone were the claustrophobic and stuffy spaces. Stepping into the mansion, you'd be greeted by the chic open bar/kitchen by TXA. Pintxos (pronounced pin-chos) are served on the open counters, like how they do in the North of Spain. Traditionally, these small bites are skewered onto pieces of bread as pre-meal snacks to be enjoyed with a beer or a glass of wine in a bar before lunch or dinner. At TXA, you get an elevated experience with a mix of bites and other sophisticated plates of morsels. created by Basque chefs Marta Elvira Segalés and Silvana Pascual Romero.

Open your palate to the Basque flavors with the Aceituna Rellena De Vermouth ($2.90), an olive stuffed with vermouth jelly and orange zest, topped with fennel flower. It'll activate your taste buds for the crunchy Crudiente de Jamon ($5) which layers umami Iberico and smoked cod roe sauce between buttery pastry sheets.

If you're a fan of peppers, there are many peppers pintxos at TXA and truth be told, i could hardly tell the difference since they use a variety of peppers with a mix of fish (mostly anchovies and some tuna). Take your pick from the Pintxo Igeldo ($6.90), Boquerones con piperrada ($3.90) and the Piquillos Rellenos de Brandada ($4). My favorite of the lot would be the last, which reminded me of Portugal somehow due to the use of Bacalao (salted cod fish). I do prefer a hot dish as well instead of cold bites but that's a personal preference.

Late to the Magic Square wagon but i've never been one to chase trends. Well now that round 1 of their 12 month-long pop-up at Portsdown is almost over (ends in Apr), and plans for the second round of three new chefs in the works, i've finally paid them a visit. 

The theme for Jan was Japanese and Abel went with the minimalist approach by focusing on 3 core ingredients in each dish. 

The first, a sweet tomato with a slice of plum in a cold savory broth. 

Next, a chilled beef tripe that is seasoned with dried chili, wrapped in pickled cabbage and meant to be eaten like a taco. I'm not a tripe fan but the wrap prevented me from picking things out and made me appreciate the different textures of the gelatinous and crunchy soft bone bits. The little wrap has elements of Korean vegetable wrap and Chinese Peking duck crepe.

Let's put it out there. I like Pollen, and mainly it's because of Executive Chef Steve Allen. He's such a nice, down to earth, funny guy who pays a great amount of detail to his dishes. "A dish without a story, is a food without a soul", said Steve. For Pollen's sixth anniversary, he has put together a six course Stories Tasting Menu that tells of his journey as a chef and Pollen's philosophy of presenting accessible and genuine food from the heart. 

Steve draws inspiration from Southeast Asian chefs and regional agriculture to create his brand of French-Mediterranean cuisine which celebrates the freshness and integrity of produce through simple preparation. He seeks to let the natural flavours of ingredients take centrestage with his dishes.

A series of snacks were fired shortly after we sat down. This chicken liver parfait snack has been on the menu since the beginning and probably the only thing that has stayed because Steve loves changing the menu.  

This has to be the most refreshing egg tart i've eaten. That buttery filo pastry is love and it held a savory egg cream with spring onions and herbs like dill. Strangely, Jr thinks it tasted like Big Mac. We also had another anchovy snack that is wrapped in a leaf and done in the tempura style. 

The snacks just kept coming and we were starting to feel a little full from them even before the start of the meal. Thankfully, a refreshing sour cream in beetroot and pickled cabbage broth with smoked sausage helped freshen our palate and tummies for the meal.

Every meal starts with bread and Pollen has a special "mother dough" recipe for their sourdough made when they opened in 2012. Since then, it is used in the starter to make their fresh bread daily. It's not pictured here because i polished it off with their whipped butter with leek oil before i could photographed it. 

Then, Pollen’s Garden, a Russian salad of sorts according to Steve, made of 16 vegetables done in different ways, with bagna cauda, and topped with a smoking tomato and basil snow. I loved the different textures and flavors in this dish- pickled, raw, baked, compressed, marinated and tempura. It's creamy, tartish, herby and also umami. We heard that the soil is actually made of vegetable peels! For pairing, we had a homemade sparkling "rose" made of rhubarb, basil, and Hendricks gin. The combination of the two certainly left our mouths watering.

We moved on to Langoustine & Lardo, a dish that is conjured of Head Chef Carmine La Garciola's fond memories from his childhood and family in Italy. The ricotta used here is the exact recipe that his grandmother taught him as a child and the lardo comes from the Tuscan region. What's lovely is the combination of sweet tender translucent flesh of the langoustine and salty lardo. An acidic herb juice is prepared tableside and poured on the dish. At this point, i thought that citrus and acid could possibly be another main feature of Pollen's menu. 

Next, Steve's signature dish- Sea & Sand. This dish was inspired by his childhood days in Eastbourne, south coast of England, where he would spend his days eating cockles, prawns and mussels from the pier. This pretty plate made us want to visit his hometown. It's not just the presentation of the dish that brought us to the beach, we could even smell the ocean in this one! The plate of perfectly pink salmon, was complemented with salty sweet bites of ikura, crab, and clam. 

The sand that accompanied the dish tasted like candied furikake but it's made from brown butter solids and a vinegar-sugar "honeycomb". I really loved the sand!

The seafood dishes were paired with an Italian orange wine from the region Emilia Romagna made with Malvasia grapes. It's really dry, and tart and it really doesn't taste or smell much like wine imo.  There's a very strong diesel nose to it. It's our second time drinking orange and we concluded that it's not our thing. 

Arriving in Asia is a dish of beef cheek tea, like a ba kut teh but not quite either. Steve's wife is the one who taught him about Chinese herbs and how to use them to enhance certain flavors. This dish is actually Steve's favorite English dish- boiled beef and carrots but with a local twist. We could taste sweetness of the ba kut teh herbs but the soup wasn’t all that herby. The beef-turnip-herb stock is further infused with Chinese herbs in a siphon before serving. 

The pairing here is with "Michael Jackson", a Black Cow vodka sour with grass jelly, which was yet another sour drink. 

We ended our savory course with Nose to Tail, which featured all parts of the suckling pig. A piece of lovely meat, and a creamy croquette made with all the other parts. This was kinda a symbolic end to the meal and embodies the philosophy of Pollen on food wastage. This is paired with a Pinot Noir from Beaujolais.

Finally desserts. We started with a non-traditional English Tea at Raffles which we couldn’t get enough off! The drink is served cold, with an Earl Grey sphere that pops and mixes with the Osmanthus milk foam. It’s perfectly light and fragrant. 

The Singapore Sling is an iconic Singapore drink, even though most of us would never ever order this drink. Steve has taken the fruits, herbs, and spices in the drink and made it into 2 desserts- A cherry cream and pineapple jam biscuit, and a sorbet dessert.

Both desserts fared better than the darn cocktail IMO. However, we’d have preferred a heavier dessert to anchor the meal but that’s just us. Desserts were served with a Gosnells gluten free Hopped Mead from UK. 

Love the stories at Pollen and the restaurant is magical. It’s perfect for a romantic date night. Thanks Chef Steve Allen for the wonderful experience and also helping with my wedding surprise for Jr! 

The Stories tasting menu is priced at $158 for 6 courses and the pairing is $55 for 5 glasses. I’d recommend getting a good bottle of wine for sharing instead. 

Pollen

Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

18 Marina Gardens Drive, #01-09

Singapore 018953

Tel: +65 6604 9988

Skirt is raising the steaks and is now more than what you'd expect of a regular steakhouse. Using the season's best produce, Skirt is now serving a new menu of modern European cuisine with a distinct Asian overtone.

To prove that it's not just a steakhouse, the first appetizer we had was a Sri Lankan Crab and Caviar with Shellfish bisque and Lemongrass ($32). The cold sweet crab contrasted with the warm umami bisque, which reminds me very much of Thai food, probably due to the aromatics used in the dish. 

Another Asian tasting appetizer was the Marinated Raw Beef with Crispy Rice and Chipotle dressing ($28) which is only available for lunch (Skirt is now open for lunch on Saturday and they serve a bistro style menu). If you like your pungent onion, this spiced beef dish will hit the spot. Me.. well i'm more of a regular beef tartare girl. 

There are other slight twists to the typical steakhouse appetizers, like the Oven Roasted Bone Marrow ($45) which was stuffed with escargot and Café de Skirt Butter. I'm not a fan of bone marrow since there's absolutely no flavor in them are is always very oily. What worked here is garlic butter that flavors the escargot and the bone marrow at the same time. Fresh sourdough is served with this to help you mop up all that mess. 

Sweetbread vs Sweet Bread. Which will you go for? If you got that mixed up, well, you may think that the sweetbread in the Veal Sweetbread and Foie Gras ($45) is a doughy fried carb. Well, brain and pancreas do have that kind texture. I much preferred the pan seared foie gras which was buttery. The richness of the offals is cut by the tangy red wine jus but the mushrooms kinda soaked up all that oil. Definitely not a dish for the faint-hearted. Literally and figuratively.  

Of course, what's a steakhouse without a proper steak! We had the Chef's special, a Grilled Cape Grim Sirloin with celeriac foam, truffle and artichoke caviar. I had mine medium-rare and it was perfect. A similar cut is the Black Market Sirloin ($82) which is on the menu.

To accompany the meat, i'd definitely order the Baby Beets and Blunts with Labneh ($21) because it's cold and refreshing with a lemony burst. 

Eat your greens! The Broccoli Rabe ($11) was buttery and salty but still provided the dose of fibre.

For carbs, i'm likely to go with the Lobster Mac & Cheese ($19) instead of the layered Duck Fat Potatoes ($15) because who can resist gooey cheese! There are some chunks of lobster that required some poking around to find. Share this with company as it's unlikely one can stomach the whole plate, even though the cheese wasn't that rich.  

Dessert was a surprise to us and despite all that food, we all made space for the Banana and Pistachio Pizza ($18) with vanilla bean ice cream. YES WE EACH HAD ONE. Gosh that thin crispy filo pastry base was amazing and when the ice cream melts on it, it turned a little soft and chewy. Plus the pistachio fragrance was amazing.

Some hits and misses at Skirt but the steaks are still great, and there are alternatives for non cow-eating creatures, and boy you MUST have their desserts.

Skirt

W Singapore - Sentosa Cove 

21 Ocean Way Singapore 098374 

Tel: +65 6808 7278

Daily: 6 - 11.30pm
Sat: 12 - 3pm