Singapore | The Disgruntled Chef

The Disgruntled Chef
26B Dempsey Road
Singapore 247693
http://www.disgruntledchef.com/

Price: $$$
Recommendation: 4 Stars

Closely situated next to the Singapore Botanical Garden, the elegant and trendy Dempsey Hill gives urbanistas a place to enjoy fresh air and get away from the jam-packed city lifestyle. While only a short distance away from Orchard, this posh neighbourhood full of restaurants, art galleries, and fashion boutiques possesses a completely different scenery and atmosphere with a very relaxed country vibe. Because of its unique history as once the site of British army barrack and, more recently, Singapore’s national service training base, along the main passage are majestic trees and tropical plants that surround and seclude this suburban area.

The Disgruntled Chef is a hidden gem among the cluster of shops and diners in Dempsey Hill. With its inconspicuous and subtle sign, Howard and I almost missed the restaurant which occupies an one-story colonial house. The contemporary restaurant employs a simple and industrial interior design with gray-scale furnishings that create a clean and stylish atmosphere. Famous for its strong tapas influence with modern twist, The Disgruntled Chef splits its menu into 3 sections: nibbles, small plates, and big plates. Our waitress recommended us to order a few small plates along with one big plate as they are made for sharing.

Thai White Sangria

Citrus Vodka, Lime, Grapefruit, Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime Leaf, Honey & Riesling

I’m usually very hesitant when it comes to white sangrias because of its potentially bland and uninteresting taste, but the bar’s own version of Thai White Sangria completely blew my mind. With a refreshing hint of lemongrass and lime leaves, the Riesling-based alcoholic goodness was pleasantly fragrant and fruity. The light pink and green elements of the sangria also make it the perfect sweet spring cocktail.

Black Truffle Bikini Sandwiches

With Brie

With a sexy name like this appetizer, I was definitely expecting more than just three pieces of bite-size, truffle-scented grilled cheese. Nothing out of the ordinary…

Curried Mussels

With Lemongrass & Deep Fried Buns

Seasoned with exotic spices, the aromatic curry sauce was strong and heavy, which complements the Singaporean favourite - mini fried man tous!

Steak Tartare

With Soft Quail Egg & Truffle Hash Browns

Sadly, the steak tartare did not live up to my expectations as the dish lacks strong flavouring and seasoning to sublime the excellent texture but otherwise bland taste of raw meat. Nonetheless, the mini truffle hash somewhat made up for the disappointing dish. And the runny quail egg yolk, hidden inside the tartare, was a nice surprise.

Papillote of Prawns

Tiger Prawns, Chorizo & Garlic Butter baked in Parchment

The Papillote of Prawns may easily be my favourite dish of the night (besides the Thai white sangria, of course). The tiger prawns and chorizos were placed in alternating orders and baked in parchment, allowing the fresh prawns to soak up the sweet and spicy juice from the Spanish sausages. Served with slices of warm and toasted sour dough, the shrimps were packed with incredible flavours that will keep you going for more.

Pan Roasted Barramundi

With Tapenade Crust & Sauce Vierge

Chocolate Fondant

With Peanut Butter, Banana Brulee & Vanilla Ice Cream

Instead of the typical chocolate filling in lava cakes, the pastry chef mixed a smooth and delicious banana brulee with peanut butter for the Chocolate Fondant. I may be exaggerating a little, but a bite of the fondant cake is a true indulgence for the palate as the holy trinity of chocolate, peanut butter and banana do wonders.

Vodka Berry Bramble

Vodka, Frambroise, Crème de Fraise, Lime Juice, Soda & Fresh Berries

The cocktail was very yummy with lots of summer berries. Great for me who likes to munch on the garnishes in drinks!

Howarddd!!

The dinner was terrific at The Disgruntled Chef, especially when I had such great company (shout out to Howard!!). Along with the fantastic presentation of food and incredible use of different ingredients, the chef’s personal interpretation of modern cooking was spot on!

Miami | BOND ST Lounge

We all know that South Beach, Miami is not known for its affordable food and restaurants. Not only does fancy restaurants cost a fortune, some plain cafes can be pretty pricey as well. Anyways, because of an incredibly terrible food experience the day before (don't even want to think about it...sigh), we wanted to spoil ourselves to ease the painful encounter. Nobu and BOND ST came up to my mind, but since I've been to Nobu twice in LA and New York, I decided to try something new!

BOND ST Lounge, the Miami outpost of the famous Mahanttan sushi restaurant, occupies the lower level of the Town House Hotel in South Beach. Instead of traditional dining tables, BOND ST uses high tables and chairs to create a hip lounge setting. The minimal and simple decor made me feel relaxed and cozy, while I enjoy my green tea martini and have a good time with my friends.

The chef designs dishes that serve traditional Japanese cuisine with a classical French twist. One thing I absolutely love about Japanese fusion restaurants is their to-die-for appetizers - sashimi tartare, carpaccio, beef tataki, asian salads, tempura, grilled small bites......and the list goes on.

I don't know why, but many Japanese chefs seem to like their glasses hanging near the tip of their noses. Looks so pro!

buddies

Cold Appetizers: I normally like seaweed salad, but the one we had was very dry and grassy, even though they used both green and pink seaweeds, which is quite unique in the U.S. The mouth-watering blue fin toro tartare was prepared from very high quality fatty tuna and gave a strong umami and creamy taste.

Seaweed Salad with Ginger Dressing

Blue Fin Toro Tartare Seasoned with Sansho Pepper

Hot Appetizers & Skewers: In addition to hot appetizers, the BOND ST dedicates a section for skewers on their menu. One of their specialties is the Chilean sea bass skewers, which was lightly grilled with sweet miso sauce. When I had a bite of this diced delicacy, it literally melted in my mouth, and a savory aroma followed immediately. I would say the sea bass was the best dish of the night, and I am pretty sure my friends will agree, too! The skewers also came with a side salad, which was great for balancing off the strong and heavy aftertaste of the sauce.

Chilean Sea Bass Skewers with Sweet Miso

Shrimp Skewers with Teriyaki & Grilled Squid with Ginger Soy and Yuzu Mayonnaise

The goat cheese crab cakes tasted nothing like the traditional crab cakes I had before. The crispy crust of the surface layer was chunky and contrasted with the smooth and rich fillings. The chef mixed the right amount of goat cheese with crab meat, which allowed the scents of both to co-exist. Even Jennifer, who hated the smell of goat cheese, had some of the crab cakes. It was a fun and tasty dish to try.

Goat Cheese Crab Cakes with Carrot Lemon Coulis

The last but not least, we ordered the lobster tempura for our hot appetizers. As lavish as it sounded, the golden tempura actually had a pretty humble taste. The lobster meat, as usual, was divine and delicious, but it came with the very American mustard mayonnaise. I personally would call this plate "Popcorn Lobster."

Lobster Tempura with Mustard Mayonnaise

Sushi & Rolls: 

Growing up in Taiwan, I have a very high standard for sashimi, especially for the freshness of the fish. I haven't been to a Japanese restaurant in the States that is on par with those in Taiwan and Japan. However, the creative rolls and sushi, such as the popular rainbow roll, caterpillar roll, and the spider roll, are simply unheard of in Taiwan. It is always fun to order some crazy and interesting rolls.

We ordered 5 different rolls to share (Sorry I can't remember the names of them!). The aesthetic presentation made the rolls looked so tantalizing and appetizing; the tuna sushi was even decorated with real gold leaves. We finished the plate almost immediately!

6 Bond Nigiri: 6 Pieces of Exotic Nigiri Sushi

&

Hot Eel Dice with Sansho Pepper and Sliced Almond

&

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Chocolate Lava Cake

Banana Crepes

I really enjoyed the atmosphere, lounge music, and the service at BOND ST. The chefs of the restaurant prepared many playful and mouth-watering appetizers, skewers, as well as rolls. The exquisite fusion dishes, along with some great friends, made an awesome night.

The dinner reached its height when Pat decided to pay all amount in excess of $250. I should've ordered more...

BOND ST Lounge

150 20th Street

Miami Beach, FL 33139

ttp://www.bondstrestaurant.com/

Recommendation: 4 Star

Great lounge restaurant for eclectic fusion bites and cocktails.

The South Beach location of BOND ST also offers some Miami specialities that you can't find in Manhattan!

also in other location: New York City

Boston | Clink. at the Liberty Hotel

Typically when people say they're going to visit you from another city, they don't actually mean it, or they're just trying to be nice, i.e. it will never happen. However, it is not true for Caroline! A good friend from LA visited me for her spring break. For someone adventurous (or crazy) like her, she wanted to dine at the relatively new restaurant, Clink. at the Liberty Hotel. The now luxury hotel was the former Charles Street Jail, a historic jail built in 1851.

Clink., situated on the lobby level of the hotel, kept the original jail cells in this new American restaurant. Rather than having a creepy prison feeling, the restaurant sends a comfortable and modern vibe. I really like the warm hard wood furnitures and the open kitchen that showcases the preparation of the dishes.

Photo from Hospitalityonline

The Appetizers were perfectly prepared and gave a great start to our meal! The light salad was served with very fresh fatty salmon, torched and lightly glazed with miso sauce. I think I could've eaten another plate of those. The soft scrambled duck egg was delicious, too! The creamy scrambled duck egg (tasted exactly like chicken egg) topped with sauteed savory mushrooms complemented the soft and buttery brioche toast.

Torched Salmon Salad

cucumbers, miso, and shiso

Soft Scrambled Duck Egg

mushrooms and brioche toast

The fully cooked mahi mahi was accompanied by savoy cabbage, fingerling potatoes, smoked bacon, and sweet Maine shrimps.

Mahi Mahi

The green apple and rhubarb crisp differed with typical apple cobblers. The smooth sour taste of green apples added to the flavor of the dessert, and the rum raisin gelato on top just made it even better. I didn't like the butterscotch pots de creme at first, but the more I ate, the more I liked it.

Green Apple and Rhubarb Crisp

Butterscotch Pots De Creme

The dinner was very pleasant, and the staffs took good care of our needs. Caroline and I both had a great time catching up and enjoying the food. The architecture and interior design of this historic landmark hotel is definitely worth checking out!

Clink.

The Liberty Hotel

215 Charles Street

Boston, MA 02114

http://www.clinkrestaurant.com/

Recommendation: 3.5 Stars

Experience the prison life and enjoy fine dining food!