Restaurant Week Oct 2014: Laurent@Portsdown (from Hweecat's perspective)

Hweecat meow. I'm back after a busy schedule of rehearsals for Beautiful Sunday concert with RACO. (:

Now, time to finish my backlog. Sorry Cat. :P

The theme for this edition of Restaurant Week (25 October 2014 - 2 November 2014) is "Chocolate" - good news for chocolate lovers like me. My roomie, being a foodie, had earlier sent me photos of food from her dinner at Laurent@Portsdown and raved about the chocolate tart. As I looked through the reviews on DiningCity trying to find a restaurant to book for the weekend, my roomie buzzed me up on Whatsapp saying that she made another dinner booking for 2 at the same restaurant - for me and Cat! :D

Since Laurent@Portsdown is located close to the end of Portsdown Road and about 20 minutes away from one-north MRT by foot, we suggest taking a nice stroll to the restaurant when the sun is still up. As we walked down Portsdown Road, we saw plenty of trees and greenery, as well as high-rise buildings from afar. We also spotted avid runners along the road. There were few cars, hence we had a relatively quiet stroll and plenty of fresh air on the way.

Restaurant Interior - Spot the Eiffel Tower display!

The restaurant has a generally more casual feel compared with WOLF, with the service staff dressed more casually in shirt and jeans. Interior decorations have a lighter tone, with tasteful decorations which provide a more homely and casual feel to this French restaurant. The patrons are also dressed more casually - there seems to be no specified dress code, which is good news for comfort-loving Cat. (:

A young female service staff ushered us to our table and passed the menu to us. We have a choice between two starters and two mains; there is only one choice of dessert. We were also promptly asked if we would like a glass of house wine for $10; we declined politely. As we were deciding from the drinks menu, I spotted two young women from the other table pouring from a large jar of what seemed to be citrus juice into their cups. "Look behind!" I told Cat excitedly, pointing behind him.

"Look behind!"

He turned behind and looked curiously, then turned back and told the young female service staff that we want one each from the starters and the mains and "we want one of these *points in the direction of the jar* whatever you call it". Bemused, she explained to us that the drink is called Laurent's Lemonade, which is their famous house lemonade made with lemons and grapefruit.

Laurent's Lemonade - freshly made

The Laurent's Lemonade is served in a big jar filled with lemons and grapefruit (I think). It is an exciting experience for both of us as this is the first time we are having lemonade from such a big jar! The lemonade tasted not too sour with a tad bit of bitter taste from the peel. Overall, a very refreshing drink.

Prawn Cocktail with Guacamole of Avocado

The starters are seafood-based, which is awesome news for seafood lovers like me. The Prawn Cocktail with Guacamole of Avocado was above average. Guacamole is sufficiently creamy with a slight bit of spice and goes well with the salsa.

Traditional Lobster Bisque

The Traditional Lobster Bisque came paired with bread. The seafood taste is a tad bit overwhelming, hence Cat donated most of the lobster bisque to me.

Crispy Duck Leg Confit with Orange Zest Sauce

For mains, Cat ordered Crispy Duck Leg Confit with Orange Zest Sauce. The duck meat looks reddish, but is cooked with such tenderness that it melts into the mouth. If there is something that we would pick on, it would be the skin which seemed a bit too oily. After all, Cat is a fan of Saveur's incredibly crispy duck confit.

Snapper with Brandy and Lobster Sauce

I ordered Snapper with Brandy and Lobster Sauce for mains. The snapper fillet is firm such that it does not disintegrate when cut, yet tender enough to glide around my tongue gently as its layers come off one by one. I am pleasantly surprised not to detect any fishy taste in my snapper - either those "snappers" out there in the market are mislabelled, or the chef really did an awesome job in his treatment of the snapper. The brandy and lobster sauce consists of ratatouille, which is a traditional Provençal stewed vegetable dish made popular by the namesake movie. I loved the sauce so much that I requested for a spoon to scoop the sauce clean - if etiquette is not a concern, I would have literally licked the plate clean.

Chocolate Tarte

Finally, the highlight of our dinner: Chocolate Tarte! This chocolate tart is so incredibly delicious that it is a MUST-TRY! Everything about it is so so perfect - from the creamy dark chocolate layer that is not too sweet and not too bitter, the peanut butter and crispy hazelnut crust, the flawless transition of taste and texture between the layers and so on. The sour berries at the side also complement the taste of the chocolate tart perfectly, providing some zest to the dense layers of chocolate and peanut butter crust. The chocolate tart is flawless to the finest detail - deserving of full marks even from a chocolate fan like me! (:

Look at the layers!

Here's a close-up cross-section of the chocolate tart. Just look at the rich layers of chocolate, peanut butter and hazelnut crust!

Before we left the restaurant, we requested the female service staff who served us to help us take a photo. She cheerfully obliged and said that Cat and I look quite cute together. Cat and I felt flattered by the comment. :P

One thing for sure: We'll be back to Laurent for the desserts, especially the chocolate tart. :D

Laurent@Portsdown
5B Portsdown Rd
#01-02

Opening Hours:
Tuesdays - Thursday 10am - 10pm
Fridays - Saturdays 10am - 11pm
Sundays 9am - 10pm
Closed on Mondays

Side Quest: Raffles Alumni Chinese Orchestra Beautiful Sunday Concert

Cat meow.


Today we take a break from food as a side quest to talk about Hweecat's involvement in the Raffles Alumni Chinese Orchestra (RACO) Beautiful Sunday concert at the Esplanade.


About a month or more ago, Hweecat received an invitation from her JC's alumni CO group to be part of the free concert that is what happened two days ago. She enquired about the repertoire and found it interesting. In particular, the opportunity to perform at the Durian Shell Theatre (Esplanade) was not to be taken for granted.


No thanks to this commitment, like pageant in Hall or university, Hweecat's personal and social life was greatly affected. Besides the obvious time commitment, the practice sessions were at everyone's favourite time of Saturday mornings and afternoons, which is especially precious to us because we have a weekly gathering of friends for dragon hunting game (Dungeons & Dragons). The logistics especially in the last one week were also tiring both for Hweecat and for her faithful cat, that is, me.


Most particularly, Cat spent the whole of Friday night and Saturday afternoon doing nothing much except to give my Hweecat the maximum support. This involved not having any activity on these two time slots that are normally good as gold.


The morning rush today was also not to be underestimated. As Hweecat needs to fall in at 9.30am, I was there at the same time and I have to find something to do for the next four hours. I decided to start with breakfast at Toast Box, whereon I glanced across to Coffee Bean and happened to spot a very pretty girl in a white dress. A year ago I would totally have approached her to try and strike a conversation. Today however I was far more concerned with getting my nasi lemak and wondering whether Hweecat will have her lunch sorted out. Assuming her to be some full time actress or singer, I moved on with my food.


I went to the library after breakfast. To be exact, I improvised a LAN shop in the library and started playing all my favourite video games. How ironic that I was so engrossed in them that I forgot the time, and left myself with no time for lunch and only a tea and toilet break. So much for whining about the injustice of being forced to arrive four hours early.


The line to enter the concert hall was already one concourse long by the time I joined. Still, the wait was long and honestly boring, not least because the Esplanade has no reception for phones and therefore I could not do my own work.


As the performers filed in eventually, I looked keenly like a cat sitting like a vase for a pretty girl in a long maxi dress. Eventually I saw her, flanked to the left, right and front by two erhu style instruments and to the back by a grand piano. A grand piano? In a CO setting?


The concert started with the first three arrangements being not bad at all. The music was professionally arranged and most particularly they were not the mundane type of CO songs.


The climax of the concert was when a soloist was to enter to sing a long medley. To my surprise, the soloist was someone I have met earlier in the day, for she was the white dress girl I saw at Coffee Bean in the morning.


A year ago I would have immediately after the concert attempted to approach her to strike a conversation with the readily available topic of "I saw you earlier today." Today however I rushed out straight after the concert to look for my Hweecat, though strangely she too happened to be right next to my Hweecat when I did find her.


Having greeted a few of Hweecat's old friends and after a little bit of cocktail post reception, Hweecat and I being anti-social cats for the right reasons, decided to head straight for dinner. I then just realized that the Esplanade is directly accessible to our favourite sushi place - Sushi Express.


My comments about the concert as a whole: WELL DONE.


1. A good attempt to popularize Chinese Orchestra.
2. CO has a name for being overly traditional in a lot of bad ways but the RJ alumni has certainly done a very good job in changing this image. After all, what do you expect from RJ people?
3. The songs are well arranged not just in terms of the methods of musical logic but also the choice of instruments and the balance of sound.
4. There was appropriate use of pageant charisma. The performers of the front line including my Hweecat, it was clear they took special effort to dress up, and look good yet appropriate. They looked like musicians, not something sleazy, which people often could not tell the difference.
5. The choice of songs really makes me on hindsight think that the people who I invited but chose to not make it a priority, really missed out a lot.


After the concert, we went to write our first wish ball. Here's our wishes:

(Yes, please like our Facebook page too!)

Here's Hweecat with the wish ball. Cat meow. (:

Restaurant Week Oct 2014: Laurent@Portsdown (from Cat's perspective)

Cat meow.

When we two cats were recommended to this place by Hweecat's roommiecat who used to share a basket with her during the best days of our lives, the first thing we discussed was the pronunciation of the name. Finally decided on pronouncing it the same way as a famed mathematician, we entered the restaurant to find out that there was also a chocolate chef by the same name (Laurent Bernard) and this is a cafe-restaurant under his chocolate brand. 

Hweecat and I have the unwritten and unspoken agreement that I pay during the weekdays and she pays during the weekends. Usually I end up paying more, but this time round it breaks even. 

It was worth it though. The menu was easy to order from. We had a choice of two appetizers and two main courses. Easy. One each. The drinks? While thinking, Hweecat pointed behind Cat. I turned behind, looked and saw this: 

We told the service staff, "One each *points to menu* and we want one of these whatever u call it". She told us that it is their house lemonade made with lemons and grapefruit.

The appetizer was a choice of two real and distinct types of seafood. There was Prawn Cocktail with Guacamole of Avocado and Traditional Lobster Bisque which is great for seafood loving cats like a Hweecat, so Cat happily donated most of the lobster bisque to the pretty Hweecat sitting opposite. 

The main course: Crispy Duck Leg Confit with Orange Zest Sauce for Cat and a very tender Snapper with Brandy and Lobster Sauce for Hweecat. How nice? Well, Cat usually does not like this particular type of fish due to a strong specific taste but decided to give an exception. That is what we told the service staff. 

Chocolate Tart

The dessert - chocolate tart - is a MUST TRY. Everything about it is so perfect from the dark chocolate that is not bitter, to the peanut butter crust, and the flawless transition, not forgetting the fruits beside it. 

Cat gives the food distinction, the chocolate tart full marks, and the house lemonade a certificate of special mention. 

As we left the restaurant, a sense of great contentment came to us. Cat slipped into Hweecat paws, and we crawled a long way into Holland Drive for tea and had a long chat till late into the night. 

Totally worth skipping evening chess for. 

Laurent@Portsdown
5B Portsdown Rd
#01-02

Opening Hours:
Tuesdays - Thursday 10am - 10pm
Fridays - Saturdays 10am - 11pm
Sundays 9am - 10pm
Closed on Mondays

Restaurant Week Oct 2014: WOLF Nose to Tail Dining (from Hweecat's perspective)

Update: WOLF has been replaced with Bar-A-Thym. The awesome female chef is now cooking at Meatsmith.

Hweecat meow.

I usually look forward to the bi-annual Restaurant Week, as it is the time where participating restaurants come up with set meals at promotion prices (and probably the rare times when I could afford to try those usually-more-than-$30-for-mains restaurants). As day no. 300 coincides with Restaurant Week this October, it makes for a good opportunity (and excuse) for us to celebrate with a dinner set at a more pricey casual fine-dining restaurant.

Based on my roomie's recommendation, I made a 7pm dinner reservation for two person at WOLF through the DiningCity Restaurant Week website (http://www.restaurantweek.sg). It took a few days before there were seats available for me to make the reservation. Cat was initially sceptical when I told him that we would be having pork chops at WOLF for Restaurant Week, as he is fond of neither pork chops nor restaurant dining in general. Nevertheless, he agreed to try the pork chops together with me upon realizing that we would be paying significantly less than usual a la carte prices during Restaurant Week.

Restaurant Week Oct 2014: WOLF Nose to Tail Dining (from Cat's perspective)

Update: WOLF has been replaced with Bar-A-Thym. The awesome female chef is now cooking at Meatsmith.

Cat meow.

Cat and Hweecat went to WOLF for Restaurant Week combined with our 300th day celebration yesterday meow.

The food we were served was premium in every sense - especially the pork.

We first suspected something fishy, or rather extremely right, when the staff member (I hesitate to call them waiters and waitresses because they dress more smartly than any of the guests) asked me whether I would like my pork medium. I asked her what she meant by medium. It is not that I did not know the word, but I thought it was out of context. Medium must obviously refer to rarity of meat, but isn't that something that we use to grade beef, not pork? Immaterial though, myself not being a fan of beef anyway, I asked her to advise me on the recommended rarity. 

Cat's appetizer: Foie Gras Parfait

The Foie Gras Parfait appetizer served to us was the biggest I have seen so far. The foie gras came with artisan bread and housemade orange marmalade, and was meant to be served as "butter" on it, making the already deliciously creamy foie gras "double" in taste. Usually, I like my food gobbled down in large amounts at high speed. This time, I actually felt like nibbling.

Cat and Hweecat's mains: Mangalica Pork Chop

The Mangalica Pork Chop that was served came with maple-glazed sweet potatoes and a bit of salad, but the highlight was the pork chop itself. When I was told by Hweecat that we would be eating pork chops, I was expecting something a lot more like what is served in the school canteen. It turned out however, that the pork tasted and felt more like beef than pork in every good way in taste, smell and texture with none of the offensive properties (that I find) of beef, not forgetting that beef is considered a higher grade meat than pork. Hence, to compare pork to beef is already a great compliment from me. I was provided with a big knife which proved necessary for cutting the huge piece of meat. As I placed the first piece of pork into my mouth, I became immediately aware of the juicy richness of the fatty meat. My long-conditioned health subconscious (no pun intended) recoiled, but immediately I realized that I would not be tasting something this delicious in a long time, nor is it as though I would get to binge on this many calories any time soon.

I ate greedily and at high speed, finding myself feeling full before I know it. As I approached the end of the main course, I commented that roast pork out there is totally a waste of money and time.

Right on cue, a staff member approached us to seek our feedback on the pork. Immediately I replied that after eating the pork, I will want to stay off roast pork in the neighbourhood for 3 weeks at least, and save the money, time and most importantly calorie allowance to eat another of these. I also told him to please tell the chef my compliments. He thanked us and left Hweecat to finish her food. 

Cat's dessert: Pear Tarte Tatin

For dessert, I had the Pear Tarte Tatin. The dessert was sweet and really crispy. The sweet pear dessert that I ordered was particularly accentuated by the crust and vanilla ice cream it came with. You'll have to try this wonderful pear dessert yourself to believe the taste I described, and that is coming from someone who teaches in country clubs routinely.

Perhaps, what makes the encounter perfect is the review of the a la carte price of the food that we ate today. We paid S$35++ per person for the set dinner, but a review of the a la carte menu revealed that the amount that we would normally have spent is closer to S$80++ per person. Last but not least, the restaurant itself earns a few bonus points because high-class places are rarely frequented by this many young people, but we saw quite a number of them when we visited yesterday.

WOLF: Nose to Tail Dining
18 Gemmill Lane
Singapore 069255

Opening Hours:
Mondays - Fridays: 11.30am - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
Saturdays: 6pm - 12am

Geylang Claypot Rice Lor 33

Hweecat meow.

Just a disclaimer before I begin: This is Cat's recommendation and he rarely recommends food that cost more than $10. Nevertheless, our taste buds will still make the final judgement when reviewing the food.

I have a love-hate relationship with claypot rice. I love how the claypot keeps the food warm and I enjoy eating the slightly burnt rice and the lup cheong (腊肠 or Chinese pork sausages), but it's frustrating when the person mixing the rice with the sauce can't mix the rice effectively and ends up with a significant amount of charred carbonized rice. Oh, and the chicken pieces with more bone than meat makes eating claypot chicken rice such a chore. :O

I was fairly sceptical when Cat suggested that I should give Geylang Claypot Rice at Geylang Lorong 33 a try, as Cat shares the same dislike of eating meat with bones as I do. He also cautioned about the long waiting time and estimated food cost ("definitely more than $10 per person if you include the zi char items"), but assured that the food quality and quantity would justify the slight premium in cost and long wait.

Indeed, I observed that the claypots served on the tables are relatively larger than those served at other claypot rice stalls. There was a lady who was eating claypot rice alone and the claypot she was served looked as if it could satisfy two persons!

Geylang Claypot Rice for two - probably more!

We ordered claypot rice (estimated S$8 per person) for two persons, as well as their long-time speciality Lotus Duck. What we got was more than enough for two - the serving size could probably feed three or even four persons! The chicken pieces taste nicely marinated - not too plain yet not too salty. The lup cheong and lun cheong (肝肠 or duck liver sausages) taste superior and take on a slight sweetness - probably the best waxed sausages I have ever tasted. The bits of crispy salted fish provide the delightful crunch and saltiness in the claypot rice. :D My only grouse is that it is still fairly troublesome to de-bone the chicken pieces, though I doubt the chefs would have the luxury of time to do so given the high volume of orders. The special claypot rice sauce is, thankfully, not terribly salty - actually we control how much sauce we want in our claypot rice and one of the lady servers is kind enough to help us mix the rice and sauce. (:

Lotus Duck

I really love the slightly thick sauce for the Lotus Duck (estimated S$14)! It goes so well with rice - I would recommend ordering Lotus Duck if you don't like dry food and need sauce to go with claypot rice. The duck meat tastes so tender that it could be mistaken for chicken. However, there could have been more lotus pieces - the lotus pieces are so tender but sorely lacking in quantity!

Very apt disclaimer

Waiting time is long as their claypot rice needs at least 25 minutes to prepare from scratch. At least they have kindly included ordering instructions and a disclaimer for their customers. 

Overall, the claypot rice at Geylang Lor 33 is arguably the best claypot rice in Singapore in terms of quality and quantity, and is worth the 30-minute wait. It would have been more ideal if the Lotus Duck has more lotus pieces to go with the claypot rice. If you don't like the idea of waiting for 30 minutes for claypot rice, you can call them to pre-order! ;)

This is Cat waiting for our non pre-ordered claypot rice. We waited for 30 minutes.

Geylang Claypot Rice

639 Geylang Rd, Lorong 33

Singapore 389570 
Telephone: 6744 4574 / 6744 3619

Opening hours:

Tuesdays - Sundays: 11.30am to 3.30pm (Lunch), 5pm to 12am (Dinner)

Real Food at The Central

I have a confession to make: I am a sucker for anything related to healthy eating. While I love eating a wide variety of food, I prefer indulging in healthy and wholesome meals which are delicious and guilt-free on the stomach. I'm also interested in non-conventional menus as well as food which involve minimal chemical processing. (:

One major qualm I have about conventional food is that I don't know the food source and how the plants and animals are treated and fed in farms. On the other hand, food that are healthy/vegan/organic/gluten-free/non-conventional tend to be more expensive compared to conventional food. ):

Is organic/vegan food always = more pricey?

Let's compare with cafes, for a start.