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!

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!

Boston | Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel

Meritage has always been on the top of my list of new restaurants to try. Not only does it have great reviews, but many of my friends also recommended me to try it out. To kick off 2011 Boston restaurant week, I decided to visit Meritage right away and figure out why people love it so much.

Located in the 5-star Boston Harbor Hotel, this new American restaurant offers an elegant atmosphere as well as some of the most beautiful waterfront views in Boston. Although we arrived Meritage a bit late, we were quickly seated and greeted by our server. Famous for its extensive collection of fine wines, I ordered additional wine pairing with my restaurant week menu. All three wines were excellent, especially the cabernet sauvignon - even for a white wine lover like me, I cannot put down the glass!

3 Course Wine Pairing

The portion at Meritage was quite generous, considering it was restaurant week menu. For my first course, I had the steamed lobster tail. The strong tangerine fragrance and refreshing citrus taste really whetted my appetite and prepared me for the following courses; however, the lobster itself was a bit over cooked. It could have been divine!

Steamed Maine Lobster Tail on the Half Shell

Buttered Snap Peas and Satsuma Tangerine Essence

Wood Grilled Fillet Mignon with Soft Whipped Potatoes, Horseraddish onion cream

Meritage Syrup

The tasting plate featured three small and playful desserts. The green apple was very tasty, but others were just okay.

White Fruit Tasting Plate of Bread Pudding, Green Apple Sorbet, Lychee Cream Eclair

For some reason, I wasn't exceptionally impressed by Meritage. It was probably because I had too much expectation for this restaurant. Meritage does have great food and attentive service, but it is just like any other fine dining restaurant, noting too special. Oh well, the wine pairing was awesome though!

Meritage, The Restaurant
70 Rowes Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
http://www.meritagetherestaurant.com

Recommendation: 4 Stars
Great fine dining restaurant with good food and service, but nothing too special.
Get their wine pairing!