My favourite time of the year is finally approaching — Christmas! What better way to celebrate than to spend quality time with your cherished loved ones over an awesome meal!
Kwee Zeen is offering many delectable festive menus to celebrate its first Christmas. The elegant yet casual chic all-day restaurant is well known for Pan Asian dining that consists of Asian, Western and French cuisines. The 218-seater restaurant not only has a sophisticated, elegant interior but also a cool, breezy alfresco area which boasts an impressive view of the South China Sea.
At the helm of the kitchen is Executive Chef Eric Crochetière who has over 26 years of experience in various five star hotels and reputable restaurants. With his boundless creativity and focus on quality, Chef Eric has carefully crafted various festive menus that would appeal to anyone. It’s one of those #firstworldproblems because it’s really hard to decide which menu to go for!
Foie Gras Terrine, Strawberry Gel on Brioche; Chilled Vichyssoise, Smoked Salmon; Wasabi Prawn with Tobiko
The meal began with a few of the restaurant’s famous canapés. The vichyssoise was a surprising pleasant melody of flavours despite it being served chilled. The chilled soup was light and not sharp on the palate as compared to a typical cream of mushroom. There were bits of smoked salmon in the soup which allowed the salmon flavour to be gently infused in the broth.
The wasabi fried prawn with tobiko was pretty much what you’d expect from its name. However, the prawn was beautifully executed as it was wonderfully crispy and not soggy even when topped with the wasabi sauce.
The foie gras terrine was amazing. The foie gras tasted simple and fresh, just like how it’s supposed to be. It was topped with a strawberry gel that added a sweet and sour edge to the foie gras without overwhelming it. (I’m such a sucker for sweet and savoury meat dishes.) The terrine was placed on a light crunchy brioche which gave it another dimension of texture. Furthermore, the terrine looked stunning as it was topped with a shiny gold flake. Very festive indeed!
Fresh Oysters, Fine de Claire and Normandy; Gravlax Salmon Vodka Lemongrass and Orange Infused
I’m not an oyster connoisseur as I can’t differentiate one oyster from another but I’m sure many can tell if an oyster is good or not. The oysters from Kwee Zeen were definitely fresh, in line with Chef Eric’s promise on serving food of the best quality. The Fine de Claire is a famous oyster that is known to be sweeter and fruitier in taste. It is possible that people who initially dislike oysters or have yet to try may come to appreciate the Fine de Claire. As for the Normandy, it tends to be a bit saltier and tastes as true to the sea. I thoroughly enjoyed both oysters as they were extremely fresh and delicious.
However, for the gravlax, though it is salt-cured raw salmon, it was too stale for my liking. Also, I expected a burst of fragrant flavours from the infused vodka lemongrass and orange but what I got was just dull and chewy.
Raspberry Sorbet
The sorbet was both pleasing and refreshing. It was a good interlude to cleanse the palate from the taste of the oysters and prepare guests for the main course.
Beef Wellington Mushroom with Red Wine Sauce; Sous Vide Chicken Breast with Mustard; Garlic Seafood Saffron Pot-au-feu; Sautéed Shrimp with White Wine Garlic Cream
Beef Wellington Mushroom with Red Wine Sauce
Sautéed Shrimp with White Wine Garlic Cream
Garlic Seafood Saffron Pot-au-feu
In a nutshell, I loved everything about the mains. All the proteins were wonderfully cooked and seasoned. The de-shelled shrimps had a nice “crunch” as they were sizeable and sautéed thoroughly. The thick slices of chicken breast were exceptionally tender and retained their juices thanks to the sous-vide process. The pot-au-feu was uniquely inviting as it was made with saffron and seafood such as shrimp, squid and octopus. (It’s usually a stew prepared with meat and vegetables.) Finally, my favourite main was the Beef Wellington. It is pretty poor etiquette to ask for seconds at tastings. But after I tried the Wellington, to heck with etiquette. The pastry was buttery but still crisp and flaky. The duxelles stuffing had a delightful earthy taste that went well with the tender filet of beef. All the respective accompanying sauces were perfect with the proteins which made this main course immensely impressive.
Afternoon Tea à la Francaise - $98++ for two
We were treated to a preview of the Afternoon Tea à la Francaise, another festive menu offered by Kwee Zeen. The Parisian tea set is presented in a beautiful lacquer box which resembled a Vietnamese chest. As the box opened, a jingle started playing like a music box. It was a chest full of drawers that contained both sweet and savoury festive-themed pastries and a lovely selection of chocolates. Also as part of the Afternoon Tea, is a ’55% dark chocolate’ fondue fountain that pairs well with a wide range of fresh fruits. It is definitely a feast fit for royalty and Instagram.
Raspberry Lychee Rose Macaroon, Christmas Fruit Cake, Morello Cherry Cheesecake, Apple Yuzu Log Cake, Cranberry Praline, Minced Pie
The grand finale was a small but spectacular platter of desserts. Each item was aesthetically beautiful and one could tell how much effort was put in to meticulously piece each element together. All the elegant dessert items had a modern twist in terms of taste profiles. It was a sweet conclusion to a very outstanding meal.
Though I visited Kwee Zeen before December, it felt like I was immersed right in the middle of Christmas celebrations and I wanted to bring glad tidings of the meal to my friends and family. Besides the sublime food, both the service and ambience were so incredible that I would definitely recommend Kwee Zeen’s festive menus to you to share with your loved ones this Christmas.
Click here for a comprehensive look at the prices of the different menus, what they entail and operating hours.
Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa
2 Bukit Manis Rd
Singapore 099891
Daily: 6:30am - 12:30am
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Love, Kenneth
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