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Showing posts with label Peranakan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peranakan. Show all posts

September 22, 2015

Lime Restaurant @Park Royal at Pickering

We had full of hopes for this beautiful place after visiting it during a wedding fair. And after, you know, the Hit man: Agent 47 movie, as one of the scenes was shot in their beautiful Presidential Suite.



The place!

There were hits and misses.




Of course, the lovely decoration and ambiance is a definite 10/10 hit. It's one of the classiest hotel around. We love the restrooms especially. All the wood, shouting eco-friendliness. There weren't much people around on a Sunday, but the wait staff were quite attentive.

There was a special Peranakan feature in the buffet line, which is partly why we were there, for our Peranakan mother's birthday. Sadly, only the Durian desert made the mark, but the rest were pretty average.

The Peranakan spread...

No fancy Alaskan King Crab legs, but there were ample freshly shucked oysters. Tuna sashimi was not fantastic, tasting kind of rubbery, but the Salmon did its job alright.

The Western section is good, with live carving station of pork belly, which surprisingly, wasn't tough at all. There is a live cooking station of pasta, where they even serve Squid Ink pasta. You get to have as much cheese as you like. Oomph!

There's the usual Chinese, Indian section as well. Desserts is good, especially their Chocolate cake. They have their full and small cakes on display just beside their buffet section. A pretty smart idea, I thought, as guests would probably be tempted to purchase the beautifully decorated cake, and quite affordable (think of full-sized birthday cakes at only $45 for delicious chocolate or tiramisu!), while walking to get their food.

Whole Cakes at only $45!

As a friend was celebrating her birthday, I told the hotel about it, and the wait staff was especially thoughtful. She only waited for the birthday to leave the table and asked me questions like, when should the surprise cake be served etc. I was initially worried she'd ask me in front of the birthday girl and it wouldn't be a surprise anymore!

And... Yes, they did it! They brought the cake in from her back and she looked truly delighted at the singing staff and beautiful cake with a lit-up candle. The trio of staff and us sang her a birthday song happily, and of course, we are all happy customers.

There were quite a few customers celebrating their birthday as well, as they did the same for all. It was really sweet.

I wouldn't go back again for the food, unless they had a one-for-one promo, but the ambiance and interior of the restaurant and the service of the wait staff is certainly one-of-a-kind.


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Verdict:
Food: 1/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 2/5
Total Score: 1/5
[1- Never visit again, 2-Won't visit unless there's no other option, 3-Perhaps, 4 & 5- Yes!]

Good for? Couples, Groups, Family

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About it:
Lime Restaurant
Address: PARKROYAL on Pickering, a PARKROYAL Collection hotel, 3 Upper Pickering Street, Singapore 058289
Prices:
Adult
(SGD)
Children 
(Six to 12 years old)
(SGD)
Lunch
Mondays to Fridays
48
24
Saturdays
52
26
Dinner
Mondays to Thursdays
62
31
Fridays to Sundays
68
34
Brunch
Sundays
98
138 (inclusive of Champagne and house wines)
49



June 21, 2014

Candlenut Kitchen @Outram

Hidden in Dorsett hotel, this quaint place could be easily missed.

But behold the food, for these Peranakan food are top-notch. We brought our Peranakan mummy to this place and she was raving about it. Though the portions could be slightly small to share, don't worry, they have free-flow white rice to fill your tummies. The servers are quite friendly and prompt with requests as well.

Sambal Kacang Petai ($14)
Stir fried stinky petai beans w tamarind and chilli sambal, crispy shallots

Crispy Pork Belly ($16)
w mustard greens, sambal chincalok


Babi Pongteh ($14)
Tender pork belly braised in fragrant preserved soy beans gravy topped with chillis


Rendang ($24)
Dry aromatic coconut curry w kaffir lime leaves and roasted coconut
French duck breast, grilled and served pin

Yellow Coconut Curry of Crab ($24)
Blue swimmer crab meat, turmeric, galangal, kaffir lime leaf
Inspired by the classic prawn nanas dish

Banana Caramel Pudding ($9)
Steamed banana cake, caramelized banana, ginger crumble
w gula melaka ice cream

Curry Leaf with Soda

The Crispy Pork Belly ($16) with mustard greens, sambal chincalok is a must-try! The skin is really crispy, and the meat really tender. One of the best roasted meats we have savoured with such a price tag. Do ask for more sambal chincalok for they go really well with their fragrant rice.

Their Babi Pongteh ($14), tender pork belly braised in fragrant preserved soy beans gravy topped with chillis, is a sweeter version, but still tasty nonetheless. Again, the meat was braised really tender and flavorful.

While their Sambal Kacang Petai ($14), stir fried stinky petai beans w tamarind and chilli sambal, crispy shallots, is a pretty average dish, the portion is great for 4 persons to share with rice.

Rendang ($24), dry aromatic coconut curry w kaffir lime leaves and roasted coconut with French duck breast, grilled and served pink, is a unique dish, a great fusion between French and Peranakan. The duck meat took a bit more to chew, it was not as tasty as we'd expected, but the presentation and concept was really interesting.

Inspired by the classic prawn nanas dish, the Yellow Coconut Curry of Crab ($24) using blue swimmer crab meat, turmeric, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, is another sweet dish, the crab meat was generous and fresh. The yellow curry is an extremely great accompaniment to the rice.

Banana Caramel Pudding ($9), a steamed banana cake, caramelized banana, ginger crumble topped with gula melaka ice cream. Gula Melaka ice cream is like everywhere now, and this place does it quite well too. The main character, their steamed banana, is soft and moist. A perfect dessert to end our dinner!

They have also interesting drinks which you'd never have thought of mixing together. Curry Leaf with Soda, and many other varieties.

I'd definitely be back here with my Peranakan foodies!



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Verdict:
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Total Score: 5/5
[1- Never visit again, 2-Won't visit unless there's no other option, 3-Perhaps, 4 & 5- Yes!]

Good for? Groups, Family

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About it:
Candlenut Kitchen
Address: Dorsett Residences, 331 New Bridge Road, #01-03, Singapore 088764
Menu: http://www.candlenut.com.sg/wordpress-candlenut/wp-content/themes/candlenut-v1-wp/images/menus/2014_04_12_a_la_carte.pdf