Arterial

Nestled in the row of shophouses on Temple Street is Arterial. Despite it's traditional surroundings, this new addition to our cafe culture is no where near traditional. With a menu of "not so cafe" dishes and lots of communal dining recommended, we actually think this new kid on the block seems like a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

Good to share is the Grilled Asparagus, grilled and topped with butter. We enjoyed the fact that the asparagus remained crunchy and wasn't overcooked, and the aroma of the butter came through sustainably. Another crowd pleaser was the Chicken Wing Fries which were fried to golden perfection and came with a housemade garlic mayonnaise dip on the side.

A really unique dish we think is worth a shot is the Pork Aspic Terrine, served cold with lots of bite, flavor and texture within. Our favourite dish of the lot however, was the Chicken Liver Pate which was absolutely divine. The liver pate had an extremely creamy texture without being overly salty and paired perfectly with the slightly toasted herbed focaccia.

For mains, the Squid Ink Aglio Olio was served al dente, with quite a generous amount of squid and prawns on top - we found it a tad too dry for our liking, but the flavours came through and the seafood was fresh.

Dessert lovers should not miss out on the Banana Coconut Parfait packed with fresh blueberries, frozen banana and lots of freshly whipped cream - a perfect ending to the meal. We also think the Mocha Cake with Coffee Glaze that was moist and dense is worth a try.

Though a new kid on the block, we definitely agree that Arterial has a lot of potential, especially since it's currently being consulted by one of Singapore's top Mod-Sin chef, Shen Tan. Will we be back for more? Most definitely.

Arterial

24 Temple Street

Singapore 058569

+65 6222 8598

www.facebook.com/arterial.sg

This was an invited media tasting.

Tandoor : A Collaboration with Chef Tony Bilson

A collaboration with Celebrity Chef, Tony Bilson from Australia known for his creation of mix classic French and modern Australian cuisine, along with the Tandoor’s Head Chef, Suri who travelled through Europe and Asia which inspired his extraordinary creations, Tandoor is the first fine dining restaurant to present authentic Indian cuisine with an alternate method of cooking. Tandoor will be featuring a selection of Tony Bilson’s creations till end January 2015.

To tease our palate off to a great start was the Roomali Red Snapper Chaat - a Carpaccio of Red snapper with tangy chilli and lemon dressing. The lead of the dish was the fresh red snapper, and also shellfish and treasured caviar. As it is a seafood dish, to say that it is fresh is an understatement. If you find yourself scared of tasting fishiness from seafood, you most definitely have nothing to worry about. 

If one is a big fan of scallops, one must not miss the Tawa Scallop - an alternative starter on the menu. It is an Indian spiced pan-seared Norwegian scallop with saffron and fennel sabayon. The freshness and juiciness from the scallop melts in your mouth almost instantly. 

For mains, 4 selections are offered, including popular Australian wildlife. The Pathar Ka Bataer is a stone grilled quail served with butter-poached potatoes and Indian black pepper sauce which was simply amazing. The quail was served boneless, tender, succulent and cooked to perfection. If you are a white meat person, this is would be an excellent choice. 

Next in line is the Vilayati Sarson Gosht - a slow cooked Australian lamb shoulder delicately crusted with grainy mustard marinade, served on basmati pulao with Indian demi glaze. This dish will definitely leave lamb lovers craving for more, with every bit of it. The meat was succulent and flavourful from its seasoning. After all, what is Indian cuisine without lamb and well-cooked basmati rice? 

Last but not least was thee heavenly desserts served with a glass of sweet dessert wine. Fig, an ingredient found in both Indian and Western cuisine, was used in the Caramelised Cardamom Fig Tart where cardamom spiced fresh figs top a warm almond marzipan puff tart, served with raspberry sorbet, espresso mousse. The dessert was divine, with all the fig, crispy puff tart and raspberry sorbet complimenting each other. The other dessert, the Indian Spiced Chocolate wasn't overly sweet with a hint of spice making it unique. 

An alternative choice for dessert is the Fresh Goat Cheese served with Kachamber Salad and Three Valley Dressing, however you must be a cheese lover to enjoy this dish for its richness and acquired taste. Tandoor does not only serve fascinating menu but also a great fine dining experience. Overall, if you’re a Indian cuisine fan, allez-y (go for it).

Tandoor

11 Cavenagh Road
Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre

Singapore 229616

+65 6733 8333

www.tandoor.com.sg

This was an invited media tasting.

Eggs & Berries : The Heavenly Four

Known for serving up all day brunch, Eggs & Berries now offers burgers in coloured buns. The Heavenly Four consists of different kinds of buns baked daily, with a patty of your choice, served with wedges and salad on the side.

Each bun is also said to have health benefits. The Smoked Paprika and Beetroot manages blood pressure, the Charcoal Squid Ink is great for detoxification, the Turmeric Curry is said to boost good skin, and the Spinach Pesto nourishes the eyes and bones. We had a go at all, but felt that the Smoked Paprika and Beetroot (pink in colour) was the fluffiest of the lot and each bread texture differed which each different ingredient.

For the patties, one can opt for Beef, Pork and Sage with Paprika, Provence Herbs Lamb or Cajun Spiced Chicken. While we found the pork to be a little too "porky" for our liking, we did enjoy the Cajun Spiced Chicken very much, as well as the Beef. Each patty was thick and juicy, with a sunny side up on top.

For dessert, one thing you shouldn't miss out would be the Mango Tango, which comes as freshly made pancakes, fresh mangoes and whipped cream served on a plate. With a generous load of maple syrup, i honestly wouldn't mind having it all to myself.

The prices at Eggs & Berries are extremely pocket friendly in our opinion. With burgers costing just a bit more than fast food outlets, one thing's for sure - you are definitely getting better quality here instead. Our only grouse is that their outlets are either at the east or west. The Heavenly Four are available at all 3 outlets - Jurong Point, Westgate and Changi City Point.

Eggs & Berries

1 Jurong West Central 2

Jurong Point, #01-32

Singapore 648886

+65 6790 9195

www.facebook.com/eggs.and.berries

This was an invited media tasting.

Saveur Art

It seems the humble beginnings for Saveur has flourished into a successful exemplification in our local food scene. Nothing has changed nonetheless, even with the newest addition to their Saveur family, their aim still stands to be able to serve affordable and delectable French food at affordable prices.

Their newest addition, Saveur Art, is located at level 4 of Ion Orchard - smack right in the middle of town. Upping their game this time, the menu seemingly feels a bit more first-rate, yet reasonably priced. With posh ingredients such as (freshly shaved) black truffle and wild game, the menu definitely feels a notch higher, as compared to their other restaurants.

For starters, the Egg Confit and Truffle was truly remarkable. We enjoyed every single bit of the truffled potato mousseline, packed with the texture and crunch from the macadamia nuts, with a lavish amount of freshly shaved black truffle atop.

A must-try in our opinion would be the Slow-Cooked Cod in Olive, which was fresh, came perfectly cooked, and moist within. Alongside baby squids, artichokes and paprika foam, we definitely enjoyed the flavours that complimented each other. Another well-prepared dish was the Asian Spiced Braised Short Ribs which was fork-tender and well seasoned, with fresh greens surrounding the very visually appealing dish.

We were pretty spoilt for choice after tasting all their desserts, but if we really had to choose which to recommend, the Chocolate and Pistachio wins hands down with a dark chocolate fondant, paired with an in-house pistachio ice cream - it felt a bit like heaven on earth. We were also fond of the Tropical -a passionfruit sorbet served with mango curd, roasted pineapples and coconut sable.

Also worth a mention is the dealcoholized wine Saveur Art has to offer, which we think is perfect for lunch dates, or if you need to be behind the wheel. We liked how each plate had a lot of appeal visually, and was faultlessly executed. It is after all Saveur we are talking about, and through the years they have honestly offered nothing else but fine and pocket-friendly French cuisine.



Saveur Art
2 Orchard Turn
Ion Orchard, #04-11
Singapore 238801
+65 6634 1141
www.saveur.sg


This was an invited media tasting.

SYNC Korean Tapas Bar

First ever Korean tapas bar in Singapore, SYNC is one that offers modern Korean food with a twist. With their first outlet at Westgate, this outlet at Serangoon Gardens gives off a different more laid-back and casual vibe, and has a different menu altogether.

On the tapas menu, we especially liked the Cracking, which is basically umami cod chips, fried to golden perfection and pairs perfectly with beer. The Sogogi Jowl, a char-grilled beef jowl in hoba garlic confit will definitely leave beef-lovers craving for more, promising tender slices of beef.

Perfect for sharing, the Dak Gar-Bi is a spicy chicken paella with onions, mushroom, cabbage, sasuage and kimchi. Served in a huge pan, we enjoyed the slight spiciness of this dish, as well as the very generous portion. For those who are not a fan of spicy stuff, the Ssam is worth a try, constituting of tender pork ribs, served with lettuce wrap and steamed buns.

Apart from they well known lava cakes, a lovely addition to their dessert menu is the Hotteok - a pan-fried chewy sweet korean pancake with banana foster, topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We found it to be absolutely divine, with all the flavours complimenting each component without being overly sweet.

Perfect for chilling with friends or to unwind a long day, we think SYNC Korean Tapas Bar definitely makes a good addition to our ever growing food scene in Singapore. Prices are kept relatively reasonable and there is no service charge. They open till late and also have on-going promotions from time to time.



SYNC Korean Tapas Bar
12 Maju Lane, Serangoon Gardens Estate
Singapore 556690
+65 6282 0612
www.facebook.com/syncbistro


This was an invited media tasting.

Toasties

Think about what Subway has to offer, but fresher and better. Toasties is a new sub place which offers subs and wraps that are completely Halal, using only the freshest ingredients and bread that are baked on site daily.

The menu is pretty straightforward - choose your bread, fillings, your sides and drinks to make it a complete meal. Their range of bread baked daily includes Crunchy (parmesan and breadcrumbs), Honey Oats, Oregano Parmesan and Premium (white bread). We enjoyed the fluffiness of each so it really boils down to personal preference. 

For the subs, we tried the Grilled Beef, Italian Trio, Chicken Bacon and Turkey Ham. Our favourite of the lot being the Italian Trio, with a generous serving of salami, pepperoni and beef bacon and fresh greens sandwiched between a loaf of fresh and delicious bread. 

Apart from subs, Toasties also has wraps, pizzas and salads to offer for those who are just not a fan of bread. We had a go at the pizza which had an ultra thin and crisp base and thoroughly enjoyed every single bit of it, topped with a generous amount of toppings of smoked chicken breast and pepperoni.

To complete the meal, one can opt for Nachos, Soup or Cheesy Sausages. We recommend the sausages if you really like your cheese, or the nachos if you are a chips kind of person.

As of now, Toasties only has an outlet in the east, and due to space constrain, the place can get crowded and queues may form during peak hours. To be honest, even though Halal does not exactly matter to us, we think we just might ditch the mainstream subs and go for Toasties the next time we need a sub-fix.



Toasties
201D Tampines Street 21, #01-1171
Singapore 524201
https://www.facebook.com/pages/toasties


This was an invited media tasting.