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27 Aug 2015

Bistro 1855 turned one!

I caught sight of Bistro 1855, this time not losing my way like the first time I did. The entrance was clustered with helium balloons. Gold and silver, floating, bouncing against each other randomly or along with the occasional breeze. After a glance for my name on the guest list and collecting a bottle of Moscato as a door gift, I headed in. A quick surveillance around the slightly dim surroundings, I got myself seated at the extreme corner of the bistro, with the other bloggers.
Bistro 1855, the sister of 1855 The Bottle Shop has turned one this month. An occasion that was meant to be celebrated and I was glad to be part of it. A couple of wines were available, as well as tapas that were served to us. (Eg. Iberico ham & melon, Boston Lobster Roll, Squid Ink Otah ; just to name a few.) Some tapas appeared rather unique and would be a perfect pairing with a glass of alcoholic beverage that could either be ordered from the bar counter or bought from 1855 The Bottle Shop (a wine retail/cellar) within the compound. The wine cellar, an interesting selling point which not many bistros out there do not have. Their impressive collection was so wide that you would definitely find something to your liking after consulting with their sommelier.
That day, a photography booth was even set up for selfie/wefies addicts to capture their celebratory happy moments in 1855 The Bottle Shop. I spotted many people, including myself grabbing different props to pose with. The pictures were even printed out for us. Not to forget they have a talented duo singing and playing some of the hippest songs around. Once again, congrats on turning one and thank you for the invite!

(Picture below this time!)
  


 


 
 
 


21 Aug 2015

Curious Palate and Motana Brew Bar

Upon hearing that Curious Palate was one of the newer branch of cafes/bistros hidden around Princep Street, we were curiously drawn in to try its menu. How strange that the entrance doesn't seems like a welcoming one at first. We did not reconsider since we have already targeted this place since that last time we met.
The layout was a little strange, perhaps something new, stretching a long way inwards like a corridor. There were 2 large mirrors with gold frames, an unusual find in a food establishment. I could imagine a lady having some preparation works, touching up and getting ready to pose with her food.
My attempt to keep people curious, actually my mistake of forgetting to record the names of these dishes that my dining buddies and I had consumed.
 
The gold framed mirror and a vase of vibrant flowers proved to be useful as photography props. We immediately took our dishes to placed them from anywhere near that vase, hoping to capture a beautiful shot.
Vet was crazily in love with the Japanese inspired pasta she ordered. The mild saltiness that easily pleases the palate while the taste of konbu was not overly 'fishy'. A perfect balance of east meets west in this dish. 

Honey had this fish dish and before I knew it, she had almost finished half while I just started on mine. The slice was puny, definitely not worth for its price tag. Crisp skin, glistering surface with the flesh being firm but still tender. Was uncertain what the baby carrot and radish were soaked in as they were pretty sour but appetizing. A nice balance with the sweet carrot puree.  

I had the wagyu burger which was the more substantial one since I usually look out for something filling and worthwhile. The thick patty made from minced beef was tender, while the middle portion was slightly medium rare. I have no complains since I loved it that way. The whole portobello was tender, juicy and which I could slice it easily while the pesto on it was quite salty. I was glad that it wasn't ordinary fries that came with the burger! It was sweet potato fries!!! We all enjoyed it since it was sweet, softer than ordinary (potato) fries and felt less sinful too. No time to take nice shots since I was already starving!!   

It would always be good to café hop with other bloggers since they at least have decent photography skills! At least easier to edit... 
 
Omg that load of sweet potato fries! More please!

Slicing small portions out to let my friends try. Standard protocol when café hopping. After our meal, we decided to go to Motana Brew Bar which was located at Pomo for our desserts.

Sad to say the red velvet waffle was quite disappointing for me since it was highly raved by the social media crowd. I felt that it was more like a sculpture for display instead of something to go into my stomach. Being served semi-melted, almost toppling and the waffle tasting so bitter that I thought that I had forgotten to brush my teeth that morning. Haiz, those red bits were cake crumbs for your info.  
 


5 Aug 2015

Sela Modern European Restaurant - Migme Foodie Mig Up

Modern European Restaurant with an Asian twist.
Located at 32 Seah Street. Conveniently located in between multiple Mrt stations.
A Foodie Mig Up session where I met other bloggers who uses Migme application too!
 
The modern interior of the restaurant, greyish tone, casual yet classy.

Procuitto Ham and Melon 16 - Chef Benson explained to us that the melon slices had undergone compression via vacuum. The resulting melon should appear more intense in colour, softer but as for flavour wise, I couldn't tell if it has intensified. (You just need the before and after, side by side for comparison.) A perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness I would say.   

Pan Seared US Scallops 16 - Perfectly seared scallops had a nice pillowy texture which I love sinking my teeth into. The salted egg cream gave a salty touch, almost fooling my taste buds into thinking that I was eating mushy creamy crab roes. We all got curious when we saw 'forbidden rice' from the menu. The deception of caviar look-a-like was actually pulut hitam, also known as black glutinous rice. (Seen at the base of the dish.)

Miso Chilean Seabass 32 - I prefer having a fish dish that had some bite despite being tender, as compared to those which just melt-down in my mouth. Thankfully seabass does fit the bill since its flesh had a certain firmness as compared to other fishes such as cod! I drank a spoonful of the dashi gravy which was a little salty, perfect if I had a bowl of rice! 

Kakuni Style Pork Cheeks 20 - The 'tanned' looking meat arrive looking much like beef. For a moment I couldn't tell. The pork was done Japanese style and steam baked, resulting in the overall tender consistency. My knife felt like a samurai sword which could slash through in a single slice, without the need of the sawing movements. The mix of vegetable helped to prevent 'over-meatiness' of this dish.    

Semolina Cake 12 - The cake was dense and somehow slightly lumpy. My other blogger friend commented that it was sweet which I did not think so... Maybe I have eaten too much sweet stuff? Couldn't really taste the passion fruit curd tartness since it was just a thin layer or was it covered up by the sweetness of the meringue?

Dehydrated Pineapple Pavlova 10 - I really loved this dessert!! The vanilla ice cream tasted unique and slightly caramelized and I couldn't tell it was vanilla at first. The dehydrated pineapple was not totally dried up to that extend that it became crisp, but remained gummy and slightly charred. The herby taste from the thyme, the spice from the paprika, cute meringue cup, everything just compliment well together!

They also serves an affordable 3 course executive lunch set at $15.90+, from 11.30am to 2.30pm as well as a Singapore style brunch menu on Saturdays only (also from 11.30am to 2.30pm)!

From now till the end of August, when you dine in Restaurant Sela , remember to hashtag restaurantsela as well as me!!!!
The picture with the most likes would have a chance to win a private chef experience (worth $500) by chef Benson Tong in the comfort of your own home!

Restaurant SELA
32 Seah Street Singapore 188388
Phone : (65) 6337 6358
Email : enquiry@restaurantsela.com.sg
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/selarestaurant

Thank you Restaurant Sela and Migme for the invite.