Absinthe

Restaurant Week

X had wanted to go to Absinthe for the longest time. He checked the Restaurant Week website everyday, hoping for seats to be freed up hahaha and FINALLY, we managed to get a reservation at a timing that we both could make it! Tuesday dinner!

We had difficulty finding a parking lot and circled the area numerous times before chancing upon a parallel-parking lot by the road. Yay! You can park at the UOB building or a public car park nearby too!

We had to walk a distance to Absinthe



















The bread was too hard but the butter was very nice!


Carpaccio of Hokkaido Scallops,
Fava beans, hazelnut, Soy-Argan oil dressing

The scallops were fresh, juicy and tasted really good with the hazelnut!


Cognac scented lobster bisque

Thick, tasty and appetizing


Crispy Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly,
Star Aniseed Jus, Beans and Potatoes

The pork belly was crazy tender! Really well-cooked! But the portion was too small


Black Cod,
Prawn-crushed potato, Chervil Emulsion

The cod was slightly crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside. The prawn-crushed potato was delicious and really complemented the cod!


Valrhona Chocolate Tart,
Coffee Cream

The tart was simple. The ganache was smooth and bittersweet. I thought the highlight was the coffee cream haha


Coffee - additional $6
The coffee was not very fragrant


Sugar from Paris

We had a pretty pleasant dining experience at Absinthe. They seemed to be really understaffed because they took pretty long to pass us the menu, or serve us and they seem to be in a hurry going round. Despite the slow service, the waiters were really polite and tried their best to make sure everything was perfect.

The chef came out of the kitchen and went to every table to speak to the diners personally. I thought that was really sweet! Also, he's very humourous and friendly. It's nice that they take such personal interest in the thoughts of their customers!

If you're looking for unpretentious French fare, Absinthe is the place for you!


Total cost: $143

72 Boat Quay
Lunch : 12pm - 2:30pm (Mon - Fri)
Dinner : 6:30pm - 11:00pm (Mon - Sun)
---

Love, K

K's rating of Absinthe : 7.5/10

Latte E Miele

Invited Food Tasting

Latte E Miele(formerly known as Frigidarium) is located at the new Grand Stand at Turf Club Road. It has gelato, beverages, cakes and waffles and many more!

X and I went to try out their gelato one Saturday afternoon. The gelato at Latte E Miele is handmade daily using only the finest ingredients.







Playground for kids






Their most popular flavours are chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, ferrero and cookies and cream!

They have unique flavours like William Pear and Snickers too!

The gelato comes in 2 sizes : Piccolo or Grande
Piccolo is priced at $4.50 and it is encouraged that you choose only one flavour for it
Grande is priced at $7.50 and you can choose up to 3 flavours!

Grande: Snickers and Chocolate
I love chomping on the nuts in the Snickers gelato! The Chocolate gelato was really rich, and more on the bitter side as compared to the Milky Chocolate Gelato as it is made of dark chocolate



Piccolo: William Pear
The William Pear gelato was refreshing and a real joy!

We tried almost all the flavours and we have to say that the gelato at Latte E Miele is really pretty damn awesome! The texture is really smooth and the gelato are all very rich!

Parking is free and readily available in the carpark just opposite Latte E Miele!

If you're looking for a quality cup of fresh artisan gelato, Latte E Miele is the place for you!

200 Turf Club Road
#01-34B
Monday- Friday : 11am- 9pm
Saturday -Sunday : 10am - 10pm

---
Love, K

Clifford

After a disappointing lunch at Forlino, X and I caught Taken 2 before heading to Clifford for dinner.
Fullerton Bay Hotel is really pretty damn impressive!






The high ceilings make the place look and feel grand












Bread with butter and duck rilette
Bread was warm and very fragrant. Coupled with the light and smooth butter, this was a great start to the meal! Not forgetting the special duck rilette which was yummy and a real delight!


French Onion Soup
Traditional Caramelized Onions in their Bouillon with Melted Gruyere Cheese Crouton

This was really appetizing and really good!


Frisee Avec Poitrine
Pickled Frisee Lettuce, Diced Sauteed Potatoes, Crisp Pork Belly, Soft Boiled Egg and Warm Vinaigrette


The pork belly was crispy and tender. I can't help but nod my head in happiness when I bit into it. Haha. As interesting and delicious as this dish was, the egg and potatoes were not warm and felt like they were pre-cooked and just placed on the plate


Wagyu Beef Cheek
Slow Braised in Red Wine with Sweet Carrots and Garlic Gremolata


The beef cheek was tender but it reeked too heavily of the "beef" taste. The mashed potato was really good!


Baked Ombrina Fillet
Roasted pepper, Broad Beans Ragout with Tapenade and Potatoes

The fish was well-cooked and was very fresh! The skin was crispy and the meat was tender. The potatoes were a little on the cold side and I felt that the taste didn't quite complement that of the fillet


Clifford Lemon Lime Tart
Italian Meringue and Berries Coulis


This has gotta be one of the best lemon tarts in Singapore.
The lemon curd has the right sweetness and sourness. Neither was too overpowering. If you eat it together with the meringue, the tart tastes sweeter and if you eat it with the berries, the tart tastes more sour. I thought it was brilliant how they could play this dish to the liking of people who have a sweet palate or who prefer sour flavours! The meringue was of great texture and really was a perfect fit with the lemon tart. For someone who doesn't take berries, I tried the tart with the berries coulis and actually really liked it! Last but not least, the thin crust was really good!
Really awesome. Wish I could have more of it!


Petits Fours
Macarons, pralines and kueh lapis
I thought the kueh lapis were quite out of place but X likes kueh lapis so he kept saying that they're not out of place haha. The macarons were yummy and the pralines were smooth and they melt in your mouth and makes you want more!


Fullerton Bay Blend of Coffee
Strong and aromatic



It was a really wonderful and pleasant experience to dine here. Not only is the place beautiful, the service is top-notch. The waiters and waitresses are efficient and polite. They asked us how the food was, if we needed anything else and basically just really made us feel welcomed and comfortable. They also kind of speak with liveliness in their voices and wear wide smiles on their faces. Haha so it made me like them more!

X and I were discussing whether we liked Clifford so much because we were comparing it to the terrible lunch at Forlino. But we realised that we really like Clifford because it's just really fantastic.

Total Cost: $129+

80 Collyer Quay
The Fullerton Bay Hotel

---

Love, K

K's rating of Clifford: 9/10

Forlino

Restaurant Week 

X and I made a reservation at Forlino for lunch to kick start the second Restaurant Week of the year. I was really excited because I've been wanting to go to Forlino for a long time! And I guess my excitement rubbed off on X and he was quite excited too haha

Route to the restaurant



















The staff took quite a long time to get our orders and we noticed that the utensils looked really old and were dirty.


Bread
The bread was fragrant and nicely warmed. It was a little too oily though


Raspadura cheese
I'm not a fan of cheese but X took a liking to the combination of the cheese and bread


Orrecchiette Pasta with Broccolini Sauce
To be honest, this looks grossly cheap and unappetizing.
The pasta was too hard and it wasn't very good.
It was quite a huge portion and we both did not finish it


Seabass Filet with Potatoes 'Novelle' and Pesto Genovese
The fish was fresh and this was pretty decent


Roasted Beef Flank with Polenta and Balsamic Vinegar Sauce
The three beef slices were tender but they were really thin. The polenta was also too buttery.


White Chocolate Pannacotta with Melon Coulis
The taste of white chocolate was lacking in the sturdy panna cotta.


Caffe e Chiacchere
Coffee.


Served with savory crackers
We would have liked something sweet to go along with our coffee instead of the savory crackers.

X and I were really disappointed with our lunch. Not only was the food a borderline average, service was quite terrible. They did not clean our tables until before our dessert arrived. Also, the waitress didn't do a good job as she left quite a huge amount of crumbs lying on the table. It was as if she was just doing it for the sake of it. Also, there was no differentiation in the utensils for main course or dessert. Lastly, they took what seemed like a million years to pass us our bill even though we were one of the only two tables occupied.

I guess we just expected better.

Total cost: $94+


#02-06 One Fullerton
Daily :
Lunch: 12pm-2:30pm
Dinner: 6:30pm-10:30pm


---
Love, K

K's rating of Forlino: 5.5/10