Lavish Buffet

Lavish Buffet

Friday 7 November 2014

Weekend Dim Sum Brunch Buffet at Yan Ting (Level 1U, The St. Regis Singapore, 29 Tanglin Road) Reservation: 6506 6887

Visited on 25 Oct 2014 (Sat). Yan Ting (A Cantonese Fine Dining Restaurant) presents a Weekend Dim Sum Brunch Buffet that showcases its award-winning signature dishes. (Only on Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays) 

Price: $108++ per person = Total bill of $254.25 for 2 pax. 
(Free Flow of Chinese Tea - There're 4 selections of tea: Jasmine, Chrysanthemum, Pu Erh Or Iron Buddha) 

Please note that you're only entitled to 1 type of tea.  Add $4++ if you wish to change to another type of tea.

First Seating: 10:30am to 12:30pm 

Second Seating: 1:00pm to 3:00pm



You can take a seat at the lounge if you're early as Yan Ting will not open its door until 10.30am sharp.








Walkway entrance towards Yan Ting Restaurant


The only "Two Palace" sofa seats near the entrance.



This was where we seated!



Posh and Cosy Interior with warm lightings!



These are the more "privacy" sofa seats with curtain beside.




There's a private dining room in Yan Ting.






Appetiser of the day 
Fried Fish Skin - This was a tad too salty...






One Serving of Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Abalone 
Wow this soup was full of flavor with tender abalone & mushroom, tasty dried scallop, some chicken meat and wolfberries! Yummy Soup!



One Portion of Wok-baked Lobster with Superior Stock
I came here because of this lobster! Haha.. The wok-baked lobster meat was very succulent!!! But the portion was quite small with not much meat.. The superior stock was very tasty but was given too little on it, wish that they can serve with more superior stock. Anyway this is my Favourite dish here!






Braised Fish Maw and Beancurd Broth
You have to order this! Very very thick & tasty broth with tender fish maw and silken beancurd! Wish i had more stomach space for 1 more bowl.. Hehe



Sweet Corn Broth with Cod Fish
The cod fish in the soup was very tender. First time having sweet corn soup with cod fish and it was yummy!






Deep-fried Live 'Soon Hock'
This was deep-fried to perfection. Very crispy exterior with tender fish meat inside. Dip the fish with the soy sauce tasted even better! 



Steamed Live 'Soon Hock' with Sliced Pork & Mushroom
I preferred the above Fried fish version than this steamed fish..



Steamed Sea Perch Fillet with Coral Sauce
The sea perch fillet were quite tender with the special flavorful coral sauce!



Steamed Scallops with Beancurd in XO sauce
The scallops were very small, placed in-between the beancurd and the spicy chilli. This was mediocre..



Deep-fried Prawns coated with Salted Egg Yolk
The salted egg yolk coated onto the prawns was thick and full of flavor! Wish that they can coat more salted egg yolk onto the prawn.. Yummy!


Crispy Roasted Chicken in Garlic Sauce
The crispy roasted chicken was very aromatic and the sauce with the garlic was salty. Some of the meat was tender while some was not that tender and it was not crispy enough, otherwise it will be perfect! Anyway I still love this dish! 


Crispy Roasted Duck in Taro Crust
The crispy roasted duck meat was tender, placed inside the taro crust. The taro crust was really very very crispy and the yam was a tad salty type. Dip with the sweet & sour chilli sauce to enhance the taste!


Sauteed Chicken with Dried Chilli in Kung Pao Sauce
The kung pao sauce was a little sour with a little spicy. The chicken meat was quite tender but was in quite big chunks, hard to eat...


Barbecued Pork Pastry with Almonds
The pastry was nicely baked but without any buttery aromatic taste. I was delighted to see almonds on the pastry but it was only for deco. Overall it was run-out-of-the-mill.



Steamed Salted Egg Yolk Bun
The salted egg yolk custard was very smooth and very aromatic that you'll crave for more! But need to improve on the bun, not that fluffy....


Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumpling with Black Truffles
The shrimps were succulent and with subtle truffles atop to enhance the taste. Not Bad!








Mini Egg Tart

The egg tart was decent, there was not much fragrance in the custard.




Chilled Mango Sago Cream with Pomelo
I love their mango sago - It was thick & creamy! The sweetness was just nice, except some of the mango bits were a tad sour..



Refreshing Aloe Vera Jelly with Fresh Fruits
This was a great dessert to end our brunch buffet, really very refreshing!


Most of the food here were quite good now compared to my previous visit in June 2014. 

There was only a few tables on that day i visited, probably it's due to the price increased from $98++ to $108++ per person now. So the service for me on that day was quite prompt since there's no crowd.

Waiting time for the food was within 10-15 mins while some of the items waited for more than 20 mins. As there was no crowd + the buffet is only for 2 hours, the waiting time for the food was a bit long, hope they can improve in this area. Overall this restaurant is worth a visit with the cosy and very elegant ambience - Good for Special Occasion!


Lift lobby area




St Regis Hotel Lobby




*Recommended*


Note: Complimentary carpark coupon available here!


Website: http://www.yantingrestaurant.com/

Thursday 6 November 2014

Henri Charpentier Singapore (9A Dempsey Road, Singapore 247698) Walk-In Only. Enquiries: 6479 5518

Visited on 19 Oct 2014 (Sun). Renowned French-inspired Japanese Patisserie "Henri Charpentier" has finally opened their first global dessert salon in Singapore in Oct 2014! Henri Charpentier was nestled among lush greenery on the top of Dempsey Hill, just beside "House" restaurant.

Opening Hours: 11.00am - 10.00pm daily

Note: In order to have a better gastronomic experience here, it's best to arrive earlier. Otherwise it will be very crowded, service might not be that good and you can't enjoy the peaceful and relax ambience..








The covered walkway with striking fuchsia carpet!



Henri Charpentier can accommodate 30 guests at the alfresco area















Upon entering the main entrance, you'll be greeted by a merchandising section, with an array of beautifully boxed gifting options..







Beautifully made Japanese sweets!









Henri Charpentier can accommodate up to 50 guests indoors


Luxurious & romantic setting - Suitable for a date with your partner or girls gathering!







Front seats by the window with some alfresco seats outside as well.. I was impressed that their logo was even printed on the arm chairs!



This area by the window is for 1-2 persons..



Relax while enjoying the view of the greenery outside...



The only table-for-4 by the window, is located at the back of the restaurant ..



Full set of their food and beverage menu below 







A Pot of Second Flush Darjeeling Tea ($14++)
The tea was light and refreshing, but the price was too steep...



Flower Temptation ($25++)
Exclusive dessert only available in Singapore! Sautéed pineapple, caramel-flavored chocolate mousse and dark chocolate mousse are placed in a bowl resembling a flower made of sugar. The dessert is finished by being flambéed with orange liqueur. Enjoyed looking at the flames, which are like flowers in bloom. 


The flaming effect was not that prominent as the daylight by the window was too bright...



Upon being doused with the flaming liqueur, the sugar bowl begins to melt away, flowing down the sides of the dessert tower. The sugar bowl was very solid, hard to bite. I like the chocolate mousse, but the liquor was a tad too much so it tasted quite bitter.. This dessert was quite high quality but the taste was not as good as the dome (below).



Short video of the flaming process for Flower Temptation



Dome ($29++)
Exclusive dessert only available in Singapore and also the most expensive dessert here that you have to try!!! 


Upon pouring the warm liquor, the chocolate sphere quickly melts away to unveil the hidden sweet treat!



Tada - The chocolate sphere encloses a chocolate parfait biscuit of fraise d'amande (Strawberries & Almonds)



A little pot of raspberry sauce is served on the side, so you can decide how sweet you want it to be.



No more choco ball... I prefer this dessert - Dome than the flower temptation! The liquor was not that strong so the bitterness was very mild. With the chocolate & rasberry sauce, the whole combination here was excellent with a touch of crunchiness and sweetness! Happy that I've finally had the most expensive dessert in my life! (:



Short video of the flaming process for Dome



My loot from Henri Charpentier!



Les Financiers (5 pcs - $14.30+)
Two almonds (Marcona, Fritz that are rich in aroma) are blended with original cultured butter from Hokkaido. Enjoy the world-quality financier with the aroma of almond and cultured butter. The butter was truly aromatic and leaves a fragrant aftertaste! But it was a little too sweet though... Beautiful and elegant packaging makes this great for gifts.



Petits Gâteaux Assortis (8 pcs - $14.30+)
A fun selection of eight types of cakes which includes bite-sized versions of their leading Financier and Madeleine; the Chocolat de Nancy, made using an abundance of French chocolate; the Pistache, full of succulent pistachios; the Framboise, which gives off the delicate scent of raspberries; the Caramel Boule Sel, which tastes of salt and caramel; the Espresso, with its rich coffee taste; and the Pain D’epis, flavored with honey, lemon, orange, and various spices.



Overall Impression: 

As we were there early, the restaurant was not crowded so the service was quite good. No issues of food delay and ice water was refilled promptly too. The only problem is most of the staff are Japanese except 1 or 2 are local, so the Japanese staff may have some difficulty in understanding you fully. In my case, the staff wrongly packed one of the items I chose, so I had to make a trip back there to exchange.



So far I've only tried the above 2 desserts and the quality was quite good but not mind-blowing so i think it's way over-priced for a small dessert. The prices of their beverages are another killer as well... But.... i think everyone should visit this place at least once or twice to have an experience. I will visit again just to try their sliced cakes to see if it will make me go back the 3rd time!