Lavish Buffet

Lavish Buffet

Friday, 20 March 2015

Restaurant Week Lunch at Violet Herbs (81 Tras Street, Singapore 079020) Reservation: 6221 3988

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Visited on 14 March 2015 (Sat) during Restaurant Week Lunch.

(No 7% GST Charge Here!)

Violet Herbs is a new age semi-formal fine dining restaurant, serving modern european cuisine in Singapore’s well known business district, Tanjong Pagar from Jan 2015. Fine dining is often perceived as luxurious and extravagant. Violet Herbs aims to reach out to more people to enjoy fine dining cuisine without burning a hole in their pocket. Now you don't have to go to fancy restaurant to enjoy good food!

The restaurant was opened by Chef Edward Hoe, who previously held executive roles in Fish Market & Bistro, Restaurant Ember and The American Club Singapore with 19 years of experience. In preparation for Violet Herbs, Chef Edward challenges himself to re-invent European cuisines with the combination of varied herbs.






Violet Herbs houses a 2-storey, 70 seater restaurant where the colour theme of the 2-storey are totally different. Ladies will definitely be attracted by this purple themed ground floor, including myself! Haha.. Feel like a royal without having to be too classy in their purple themed ground floor OR 


Take the flight of stairs up to their more nature themed second floor.










We started with warm Rosemary bread and we loved the bread so much. The rosemary was so aromatic and I regretted not asking for 1 more.. 


Appetizer: Scallops infused Lemon Verbena
(With Purple Potato Puree, Pomegranate,  Bacon Beurre Blanc)
I enjoyed the lightly chared exterior of the scallops. Purple potatoes and pomegranate made an interesting contrast of soft and crunchy textures too. 


Appetizer: Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute
(With Crispy Duck, Truffle Oil, Micro Herb)

This dish was very interesting as it was the first time I've tasted artichoke done in a cream style. The texture was creamy but a little bland. But that also made the hints of truffle oil and crispy duck slices stand out. A unique creation :-)




Main Course: Sous Vide 36 Hours Duck Confit
(With Baby Spinach, Herb Potato, Duck Jus Reduction)
Duck was very tender, with crispy skin and the meat slides off the bones! Sitting on a bed of soft baby spinach and herb potatoes, dressed with flavorful reduced duck sauce. This dish tasted as good as it looks. 



Main Course: Marinated Cod Fillet
(With Nameko Mushroom, Baby Spinach, Sesame Seed, Ginger Broth)
Marinating is a great way to intensify the flavour of food and this cod fillet was marinated so well! Honey-baked marinated cod that tasted not too sweet, just the right amount of sweetness.. the fillet was quite tender, but it would be perfect if it can be more tender.. Overall, I was totally obsessed with this cod fillet and just can't get enough of it... I'm a person who don't like ginger taste but thankfully the ginger broth here was quite light that I can consume it happily. :)



Dessert: Lemon Grass Panna Cotta 
(With Rosemary Ice Cream, Palm Sugar Coconut Sauce with Sago)


I was quite taken aback by the strong lemongrass taste in the panna cotta. And the rosemary ice-cream atop was too light that I can't really taste the rosemary. I felt that since the panna cotta was of a bigger portion than the ice cream, the bigger panna cotta should be lighter while the smaller portioned ice cream should have more taste. This would have balanced out the 2 flavors.. 



Dessert: Figs & Thyme Cake
(With Thyme Ice Cream, Mix fruit and Edible Flower)
My first time trying figs & thyme cake, the taste was not bad but not everyone will like this type of dessert so it's quite risky...



Overall Impression: As we arrived quite early around 11.30am, we did not receive a smiley-warm reception from the staff upon arrival (perhaps it was still early and the staff had not warmed up yet) But the service started to get better after that so not a big issue to us.. The staff will explain the contents of the dish when served and water was refilled promptly.

Their food quality ranged from average to slightly above average. But dessert has some room for improvement as their 2 dessert did not impress us. They seemed to be unique creations but just didn't win our hearts.. I'm a super dessert lover so was a tad disappointed in the last course. 

If you're looking for fairly good quality food at wallet-friendly prices with admirable semi-formal fine-dining ambience, this place would suit you to a tee!

The parking here are all roadside parallel parking lots so be prepared to bring enough parking coupons ya!

Note: The above menu and prices is only during Restaurant Week. Please refer to their website below for their different types of menu and prices.

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday
11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm


Website: http://www.violetherbs.com.sg/weekday-set-dinner/


Sunday, 15 March 2015

Jumbo Seafood at Dempsey Hill (Blk 11 #01-16 Dempsey Road Singapore 249673)

It's such a hassle to make reservation through phone - Book now through Chope for Instant Reservations!


Visited on 24 Feb 2015 (Tues) with my colleagues on "Chu 6" during CNY. Whenever people think of eating seafood, Jumbo will usually be among the first to come to mind! As this dinner was with my colleagues, I did not plan to blog about this place, so i didn't bring my good camera. But the crab here were really good, so i just had to blog about this place! Pardon the lower quality photos.. taken with my old mobile phone.


Alfresco seating (Photo from Jumbo)



Indoor seating (Photo from Jumbo)



As a Jumbo member, we received a complimentary Yusheng voucher through mail! We used it on this occasion. Very fresh Yusheng and fantastic sauce here!


Crispy-Fried Baby Squid
The baby squid were fried till super crunchy, coated with sticky sweet marinated sauce and sprinkled with some sesame seeds. All my colleagues regretted not ordering a bigger portion... Haha!


Scallop Wrapped In Yam Ring
A signature dish at Jumbo Seafood! I like the flaky crust of the yam ring. But personally, I felt that the scallop and yam didn't really complemented that well with each other.. I found this dish just average..



Spinach Beancurd with Mushrooms and Broccoli
I'm not a vege person... so by eating tofu with some spinach atop, at least I can eat two healthy stuff at a time! Hehe... The tofu was soft and the gravy made everything come together well.



Roasted Chicken 
The whole group of us kept praising this roasted chicken. Very crisp with aromatic skin and tender meat, even including the breast meat! Just can't get enough of this.... Must-Try!




Australian Lobster 

I can't remember the exact price as my colleague foot the bill. But I know this Australian Lobster cost above $200++!!! You can order Boston lobster (Smaller lobster) for above $100++ if the Australian is too ex for you... About 7-8 pieces of meat, baked with cheese. Wah I love lobster baked with cheese! Perhaps you can try to order this for special occasion - Must try at least once in our whole life mah! Haha..



Salted Egg Yolk Crab
I think this salted egg yolk is not their specialty so the whole group of us shared the same sentiments - Will Not order this next time (The salted egg yolk tasted quite terrible)... 




Award-Winning Chilli Crab
The BEST Chilli Crab and Sauce that I had in my life! No wonder its named as Award-Winning Chilli Crab! The crabs here were very fresh with very firm meat! Warning: Unlike others were mostly sweet-spicy sauce, this is really real spicy sauce that tasted very shiok!! 

Note: There are 2 selections for crab here - Sri Lanka OR Canadian Crab! We chose Canada crab, slightly bigger..


Signature Black Pepper Crab
Another BEST super real spicy black pepper crab! The black pepper was damn good and HOT! Get ready your cold drink!



Yam Paste with Sweet Potato
We find it a tad too sweet.. 




Overall the food were very good except their salted egg yolk crab! Service was prompt too! Will definitely come back again for their real spicy crabs!



JUMBO Seafood @ NSRCC



10 Changi Coast Walk
SAFRA Resort, Singapore 499739 
Tel : 6552-3435 | Fax : 6214-0321

Monday to Saturday
Lunch : 11.30am – 3pm (last order at 2.15pm) 
Dinner : 6pm – 11pm (last order at 10.15pm)

Sunday & P.H.
Lunch : 10am – 3pm (last order at 2.15pm) 
Dinner : 6pm – 11pm (last order at 10.15pm)

Dim Sum available during lunch daily

JUMBO Seafood has arrived at SAFRA Resort. Nestled among the greens of the peaceful Country Club, this outlet is a superb choice for events and gatherings. 




JUMBO Seafood @Riverside Point


30 Merchant Road # 01-01/02 
Riverside Point, Singapore 058282 
Tel : 6532-3435 Fax : 6538-3433

Lunch : 12pm – 3pm (last order at 2.15pm)

Dinner : 6pm – 12am (last order at 11.15pm)

This outlet is located in the Central Business District along the beautiful historic Singapore River.




JUMBO Seafood @The Riverwalk



20 Upper Circular Road, #B1-48 
The Riverwalk, Singapore 058416
Tel : 6534-3435 Fax : 6536-3836

Lunch : 12pm – 3pm (last order at 2.15pm)
Dinner : 6pm – 12am (last order at 11.15pm)

JUMBO Seafood Gallery is located in the heart of the city. Situated along the Singapore River, They're just minutes away from Clarke Quay MRT station, Boat Quay and Funan Centre. Themed as the “Gallery”, JUMBO Seafood Gallery will also serve as a display of art works. This outlet serves Lamb Chop, and BBQ delicacies like BBQ King Prawns, Satay and Otah too.


*Highly Recommended*

Wednesday, 4 March 2015

Weekday English Afternoon Tea at The Knolls (Capella Singapore, 1 The Knolls - Sentosa Island, Singapore 098297) Reservation: 6591 5046

It's such a hassle to make reservation through phone - Book now through Chope for Instant Reservations!

Weekday Afternoon Tea is available from 3-5pm on Mondays-Fridays.

(3 Tier Stand + Complimentary Free Flow of Tea)

Price: $39.90++ per person  (Items are non-refillable)


Capella Singapore
Quiet and Beautiful Capella in a colonial building



The knolls is located downstairs near the pool at the right side from this photo ---->


Inspired by its seafront setting, enjoy a refreshing Mediterranean dining experience in an intimate and inviting atmosphere at The Knolls at Capella Singapore.









Window seat with pool view!







Top Tier: From left to right - Horseradish Salmon Sandwich with Salmon Caviar (My Most Favourite!), Egg Croissant Toast, Salmon Burrito with Olive Oil Caviar, Cream Cheese with Pesto, Fresh Tomato & Cheese Lavosh



Second Tier: From left to right: Passion Fruit Macaroon, Cranberry Scone, Green Tea Pound Cake (My Most Favourite -  It was very aromatic!)



Bottom Tier: From left to right: Lemon Tart Meringue (My Most Favourite!) , Chocolate Pastry Cream Eclair, Fruit Tart, Opera Cake


I have to rave about the afternoon tea here - This was one of the BEST that we had! We enjoyed every single item as they were all very high quality, really nothing to complain about. 

*Highly Recommended*

Afternoon Tea at Capella Singapore:

Mondays to Fridays - Only available at The Knolls from 3-5pm (English Afternoon Tea)

Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays - Only available at Cassia from 3-5pm (English Afternoon Tea / Oriental Dim Sum Afternoon Tea)


Link to Weekend Afternoon Tea at Cassia:




All Day Ala Carte Bistronomy Menu
(Updated Nov 2015)


MEDITERRANEAN SUNDAY BRUNCH
Experience the true taste of the Mediterranean at The Knolls’ Sunday Brunch. Catch a whiff of authentic Mediterranean herbs and spices, enjoy fine gourmet food created a la minute by their talented chefs and dance to the rhythm of their live band. Highlights include fresh seafood, fine-cut meats, a wide selection of cheeses and an extensive dessert buffet.

Sunday Brunch buffet is available every Sunday

Time: 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm.

Price:     

$258++ per Adult with free flow of Vintage Taittinger Champagne, boutique wines, international beers and specialty cocktails

$178++ per Adult with free flow of Taittinger Champagne, Specialty cocktails, and Wines

$148++ per Adult with free flow of Wines and Specialty cocktails only (no Champagne)

$128++ per Adult with free flow of Specialty mocktails, soft drinks, and fresh juices (no alcohol)

$78++ per Child with free flow of Specialty mocktails, soft drinks, and fresh juices ( 7-12 yrs old)

$48++ per Child with free flow of Specialty mocktails, soft drinks, and fresh juices (4-6 yrs old)


Note: Complimentry Carpark Coupon available!



It's such a hassle to make reservation through phone - Book now through Chope for Instant Reservations!