[FOOD] Claudine - Michelin Guide French Restaurant @ Singapore

Happy Birthday (to me)! ❤ 

It was such a blessing to be able to celebrate yet another birthday in Singapore, and this round, in a highly raved Michelin Guide French restaurant - Claudine. 

Claudine is a classic French brasserie, a sister restaurant of the famed Odette (located in National Gallery Singapore), the home of a 1930s restored colonial chapel tucked away atop Dempsey Hill, with an open kitchen at one end and a bar at the other.  

Upon arrival, we were greeted with a warm and cosy ambiance of the restaurant, coupled with the attention-to-detail service from the waitstaff. It felt like an intimate space there, suitable for small group dining over wine and bubbles.  

Tucked at one end of the restaurant is the bar counter with bottles on it, in front of a stained glass window. Perfect spot for beautiful pictures before the sky turns dark!

The thoughtfully crafted French fare offered here is something that I have been hearing great things about. And I am so glad to sample some of the comforting French classics here. 

Complimentary House Bread with Iberico Pork Butter

We were welcomed with a basket of complimentary house bread (refillable) served with very rich and heavy slab of Iberico Pork Butter. The butter definitely stole the show, thanks to its rich, nutty flavour. 

French Snails in Garlic Butter

"Nomade des Jardins" snails, pink garlic, croûtons

For the entrée, we were smitten by the bite-sized French escargots drenched in garlic butter, served on a crispy thin crouton. The combination of light, flaky pastry and savoury escargot filling gave us a rich, flavourful experience.

Pacific Black Cod

Ratte potatoes, Bordier seaweed butter, coquillages

Moving on to the main course, we loved the way the chef transformed the rich and delicate black cod into sweet-savory deliciousness. The intensely rich, buttery flavour was simply amazing, especially when complemented with the unique nutty flavour from the Ratte potato.

Brown Mushroom and Morels Ravioli

Parsley puree, old sherry vinegar, parmesan, pine nut

The showstopper of the evening was the vegetarian-friendly ravioli which the flavours were already outstanding, and needed nothing more than a light drizzle of vinegar, some pine nuts and a sprinkle of parmesan. I gotta say this is the best ravioli I ever had in my life! ❤ 

Here comes the birthday surprise....

Thanks to my love for arranging the celebratory cake on this special occasion. Made with chocolate joconde, cocoa nibs feuilletine, almond streusel, vanilla tonka crémeux, guanaja chocolate mousse and exotic jelly; the birthday cake was a pure indulgence on its own. 

The staff even offered to take a photograph of us and printed the hardcopy photograph for us to take home as a piece of memory. Thanks for the impeccable service; it perfected our dining experience here. 

Thank you for the beautiful memories. ❤

Claudine Restaurant

39C Harding Road,

Singapore 249541.

Reservation: www.claudinerestaurant.com/reservations

Website: www.claudinerestaurant.com

Facebook: fb.com/claudinerestaurant

Instagram: @claudinerestaurant

Business Hours:

11:30-15:00

18:00-22:00

Michelin-Starred French-Japanese Valentine's Dinner @ Whitegrass, Chijmes

Valentine's Date Night ❤

It was a special Valentine's Day for us this year, and we decided to make it memorable by celebrating this beautiful day at Whitegrass, the renowned Michelin-starred French-Japanese restaurant in Chijmes.

Beautiful exterior of Chijmes | Lovely romantic setting in Whitegrass

Being awarded the 1-Michelin Star for 3 consecutive years, Whitegrass is known for its French-Japanese dishes which are inspired by nature and perfected by passion, resembling Chef Takuya Yamashita's culinary style of “La Cuisine Naturelle” (or cuisine of the natural body in French). 

With the freshest ingredients meticulously sourced from the chef's home of Japan, Whitegrass' Valentine's Day menu was nothing short of pleasant surprises and thrills for us.

Pour Commencer | Amuse Bouche

Our 5-course degustation dinner menu started with the amuse bouche made up of four bite-sized pieces of joy. Our favourites were the incredibly sweet taste and crunchy botan ebi, as well as the rich, deeply-flavoured truffle toast which make a great wine-pairing starter. 

Complimentary House Bread | Focaccia with Salted Butter

Anyone familiar with Whitegrass knows and loves its crunchy-to-the-bite focaccia. The focaccia was baked for two hours with olive oil and then served hot from the oven with house-made salted butter. We were impressed by their ability to create something so light on the inside yet so crispy on the outside. 

Complimentary House Bread | Sesame Brioche

Little did we know, the next item which further elevated our experience here was the black sesame brioche, which was served without any need for adding butter - thanks to the glorious texture and aroma created by 60% black and 40% white sesame seeds. So crispy on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside!  

 

Entrée | Lobster with Amera Tomato and Orange

My all-time favourite is always the oceanic dish - Steamed and Aburi Lobster, accompanied by blanched vegetables sourced from Kyoto, rich hazelnut sauce with roasted hazelnuts, and a delightful amera tomato mousse. Every bite of this beautiful masterpiece was bursting with flavor and texture.

Happy food, happy soul ❤

Entrée | Maple Leaf Duck with Raisin and Sauce Diable

Suitably seduced, our senses were rewarded with a wonderfully rich, savoury, complex myriad of flavours from the Maple Leaf Duck along with the accompanying sauce. The umami of this dish was definitely more intense than the rest.  

Poisson | Poisson du jour with uni and sauce beurre noisette

Crowned with a large dollop of sea urchin, the fish, on its own, looked pretty unassuming. Until we took a bite of the luscious fish, we were blown by the freshness of the fish. Well done to the chefs who had presented the taste of the fish as pure as possible so that the diners could enjoy it at the freshest. 

Plat Principal | Joselito Iberico Pluma with Hatcho Miso and Kurata Pepper

As for the mains, it was my first time sampling the premium Joselito Iberico Pluma meat - the world's most prized hams made from acorn-fed pigs from Spain - cured in Joselito's artisanal process. The pairing with earthy Kurata Pepper, intensely flavorful Hatcho Miso sauce and pumpkin mousse was unique and delightful for me.

 

Palate Cleanser 

Doux | Avant Dessert - Œufs à la neige with Setoka & Fromage Blanc

While the Valentine's Day coincided with the Chinese New Year celebration this year, Chef Takuya's special dessert exuded lots of festive vibes. The plated dessert was citrusy and light on the palate. 

Doux | Mignardise

Last but not least, the finale of the meal came beautifully assembled in a wooden box. The Ichigo Daifuku was so soft and light with crunchy bits of frozen strawberries in it - something so different from the usual strawberry mochi we have. 

Whereas the Financier, again, was mindblowingly good. For a whole experience, take a bite immediately on arrival; the financier is hot and compact, and then another taste after five minutes to feel how dramatic the change in texture as it becomes crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  

To sum up, it was indeed an amazing dining experience in Whitegrass.

Would love to be back and go for the wine pairing menu next time.

Thanks for the memories ❤ // Je t'aime.

❤❤❤

Whitegrass Restaurant

30 Victoria St, #01-26/27

CHIJMES, Singapore 187996

Reservation: +65 6837 0402 

Email: reservations@whitegrass.com.sg

Website: www.whitegrass.com.sg

Facebook: fb.com/whitegrasssg

Instagram: @whitegrass.sg

U.S. Potato Culinary Festival Menu @ Brasserie Fritz, WOLO Bukit Bintang, KL

If you don't hang around the city centre often enough, you probably would've missed this modern bakery cum restaurant and bar called Brasserie Fritz, located on the intersection of the city's busiest streets in Bukit Bintang.

The reason we are here at this beautiful Parisian-themed space is to try out the exclusive menu in conjunction to the annual U.S. Potato Culinary Festival.

This year, U.S. Potato Board collaborates with 14 restaurants in Klang Valley to serve an exclusive limited-time menu featuring U.S. fresh and frozen potatoes. Do you know that U.S. potatoes yield only 110 calories per serving? Not only that, it is rich in potassium (more than banana!), Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. It is also free from fat, sodium and cholesterol.

The interior of Brasserie Fritz just mutes my senses as soon as I step into this elegant space.

Brasserie Fritz' 6-seater seafood counter 

Open as early as 8am, Brasserie Fritz kickstarts the day with an Australian-style hearty breakfast menu. Throughout the day, it welcomes patrons with a delicious menu that fuses traditional French cuisine with global influences, and a 6-seater seafood counter where you can indulge in the fresh air-flown Japanese ingredients prepared using European cooking techniques.

Brasserie Fritz' exclusively-designed Royal Selangor Pewter bar

As the sun sets, the two cocktail bars in the restaurant come alive

as patrons get their boozes and chill by the bar till late.

That's the creation of the masterminds behind Troika Sky Dining who made their names in bringing us Kuala Lumpur's best restaurants and bars, such as Fuego, Strato, Cantaloupe, and Mr. Chew’s Chino Latino Bar.

Brasserie Fritz has never compromised on the quality of ingredients used to prepare all the dishes, condiments, fresh bakes and desserts from scratch. Particularly on the potatoes, it uses only the premium U.S. potatoes.

In conjunction to the culinary festival, Brasserie Fritz's innovative take on U.S. russet potatoes is shown in the two dishes: Patata Bravas and Duck Confit.

Patata Bravas - U.S. Crispy potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke puree, shaved parmesan, chives, ground coffee

As soon as our appetizer is served onto the table, we are overwhelmed by the delicious whiffs of the crisp deep-fried U.S. russet potatoes with hints of cheesy goodness. Each of the potato bites yield an extremely crisp texture on the outside, and creamy soft on the inside. 

While the generous topping of shaved parmesan cheese enhances the flavours, we are surprised to taste a hint of coffee flavour of the artichoke puree base. A truly intriguing appetizer to kickstart our sumptuous dinner. Definitely great for communal sharing and pairing with boozes. 

Duck Confit - Duck leg, U.S. mashed potato cake, mustard sauce

For the mains, we have the French famous duck confit. While we appreciate the tender and succulent meat of the duck, we are a tad overwhelmed by the saltiness. But it is married perfectly well with the U.S. russet potato mash that balances out the flavours. 

Look at the beautiful presentation of the potato mash --

it is, again, crisp on top and bottom, with creamy soft mash in the middle.

As part of the culinary festival, you can pick either one of the above U.S. potato featured dishes at Brasserie Fritz and win awesome prizes! More details as below.

#MYPotatoesUSA 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗞𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗔 𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗣𝗨𝗥

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗘

🥔 Order one U.S. Potato Culinary Festival dish from one of the participating outlets

🥔 Follow MY Potatoes USA Facebook Page

🥔 Post a creative caption and photo of the U.S. Potatoes dish

with hashtag #MYPotatoesUSA and “Check In” to the participating outlet 

🥔 Remember to set post or profile to Public

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗪𝗜𝗡

🍟 Judges will select the MOST creative post

🍟 Five (5) Weekly Prizes and three (3) Grand Prizes of iPad 9.7 inch 32GB WiFi

🍟 Contest period: 15 June till 30 July 2018

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗦

❤ Fuego, Troika Sky Dining

❤ The Three Stooges

❤ Kingstreet Café

❤ Anne Elizabeth

❤ Brasserie Fritz

❤ Michelangelo

❤ Jibby and Co

❤ Brew House

❤ Coffee Club

❤ Delicious

❤ Macaroni

❤ Piccolino

❤ Roulette

❤ Pietro

More information on Facebook: fb.com/MYpotatoesUSA

Our gastronomical journey at Brasserie Fritz does not just end there. We have a jolly time tucking into the delicious array of appetizers and main dishes, each of which is very creative, well-executed and satisfies our tummy. 

Feel free to check them out and enjoy the food and drinks from as early as 8am till 12 midnight everyday! Drop by for the Happy Hours (4pm - 8pm daily) for white wine, red wine, Heineken draft beer, spritz, classic gin and tonic at only RM15 per glass! 

Overall, Brasserie Fritz is a one-fit-all venue be it casual dining, celebrations or parties / events.

Brasserie Fritz
Ground Floor,
Wolo Bukit Bintang,
Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Contact: +603-4065 0876
Reservation: frontdesk@brasseriefritz.com

Website: www.brasseriefritz.com
Facebook: fb.com/brasseriefritzkl
Instagram: @brasseriefritz

Business Hours: 8am - 12 midnight daily

2OX French Bistro Bar's "Good France" Menu @ The Row, KL

It's the time of the year to celebrate the world's greatest French dinner event, Good France again!

In the spirit of Good France that falls on 21st of March 2018, more than 3,000 chefs from 150 countries will cook dinner to pay tribute to the excellence of French cuisine and its capacity to unite people around the common values of sharing. Of course, Malaysia is no exception.

This year, we see 18 participating chefs and restaurants across the country serving the Good France menu for a limited time.

For a complete French gastronomical journey in KL, we have visited 2OX French Bistro which is tucked along The Heritage Row in the heart of the city, to try out the Good France menu exclusively prepared by Chef Phillippe Murray Dominic.

With over 10 years of culinary experience, Chef Phillippe often experiments with dishes to heighten the culinary experience with modern presentation and taste without losing the authenticity of French cuisine.

Good France

March 21, 23, 24, 25.

Appetizer + Main Course + Fromage + Dessert

RM150++ per pax

*Subject to 10% service charge and 6% GST

Please note that wine is not included in the 4-course meal. 

APPETIZER

Cepe Mushroom Soup - Duxelles - Toasted Brioche

Our 4-course meal begins with the appetizer which comes with 2 options: warm soup or cold terrine. As luscious and fluffy the house bread creations are, nothing compares to the utter bliss we feel when we taste the cepe mushroom soup for the first time.

Just pour the warm soup onto the finely chopped mushroom duxelles, and let the flavours blend together in the hearty concoction.  This dish is definitely the stuff of dreams, composed to comfort those taste buds.

Poached Tiger Prawns Terrine - Confit Garlic and Kelp Espuma - Summer Peas

Alternatively, the refreshing combination of prawn terrine and creamy, earthy espuma makes a perfect appetizer to tantalize the palate before we move on to the main course. It is a beautiful medley of textures and flavours although I would appreciate a more generous helping of the espuma that pairs well with the oceanic sweetness of the prawns. 

MAINS

Roasted Barramundi Fillet - Turnips Puree - Wilted Spinach

When the main course arrives, we are delighted to see a hugely portioned roasted barramundi sitting on a bed of creamy, thick turnip puree along with some wilted spinach. While the flaky, fresh roasted barramundi is the star of the evening, we also appreciate how well the turnip puree works as a nice variation from the usual mashed potato base as it is lighter in texture and sweeter to our liking.

Slow-cooked Chicken - Truffle Emulsion - Fava Beans Ragout

If you are not a fan of seafood, you can opt for poultry instead. The slow-cooked chicken tastes a tad subtle for my liking. Served with truffle flavoured sauce, the dish is pretty ordinary if not for the ridiculously tasty fava beans ragout on it.       

CHEESE / FROMAGE

Brie with Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Orange Marmalade

Taking the traditional French culture seriously, 2OX serves cheese after the main course in a creative way. We love how the brie is paired with orange marmalade that lends an intense and slightly acidic flavour without overwhelming the cheesy nuances of brie. Excellent course before we indulge into the sweet finale of the evening. 

DESSERT

Dark Chocolate Mousse - Pecan Praline - Banana Ice Cream - Almond Sable

As a finale, the beautifully constructed dessert appears - a scoop of banana ice cream and crunchy pecan praline sitting pristinely atop the creamy smooth dark chocolate mousse laced with chocolate foam on the side. I take a bite of this indulgently sweet (and sinful) dessert, and wash it down with a sip of wine. Disarming indeed.

If you feel like staying a little longer after meal, feel free to head to the bar and

enjoy a sip or two amidst the beautiful modern French setting. 

 If you prefer a more lively ambiance with upbeat music playing in background along The Row,

feel free to make a move to the al fresco dining area and enjoy the cool breezes in the evening.

Verdict: If you are up for a traditional French gastronomical experience amidst a modern bar-style ambiance, 2OX is an ideal place for the great food and drinks with friends and family alike.

2OX French Bistro Bar
54G and 56G, Jalan Doraisamy,
50300 Kuala Lumpur.
Contact: +603-2692 2233
Facebook: fb.com/2OXKL

Business Hours:

Mon - Fri: 11.30am - 3pm; 6pm - 11.30pm

Sat - Sun: 11.30am - Midnight