Gunther's

Restaurant Week 

X and I didn't make any reservations this Restaurant Week after having been to 8 places during the last 2 Restaurant Weeks haha. We have tried every restaurant that we wanted to except that I really wanted to go to Gunther's! Gunther's is new on the list and I wanted to go really badly but X was super busy during Restaurant Week ): BUT, thank God for fellow food bloggers! 

Charleen, Derrick, Nicole and I met at Gunther's for lunch. We were notified earlier on that we only had an hour to dine. Our reservation was at 11.15 and I only got there at 11.40! I almost panicked haha




Warm and fragrant mini baguette


Cold Angel Hair Pasta, Tomato, Mozzarella, Ham

A simpler rendition of their signature Cold Angel Hair Pasta, Oscietra Caviar. Even without the caviar, this dish was delicious right down to the last strand. Cold and springy pasta with paper-thin savory ham and chewy small blocks of mozzarella, heaven was never closer. Quite a generous portion for a starter but it was definitely insufficient! We were all craving for more!


Carpaccio Wagyu Beef, Tartare Style

Top quality beef that not everyone will take too. It's too raw for me but Derrick loved it!


Pan-roasted Foie Gras, "a la dragees" (additional $15)

Perfectly roasted and tantalizing foie gras that is topped with crunchy almond bits. The almond complemented the roasted foie gras so well and enhanced the taste of the lightly crisp and melt-in-your-mouth slab of happiness.




Love it to bits.


Pork Ribs, Provencale Style

A giant piece of pork rib coupled with extremely delicious tomato omu rice. The tomato omu rice was rich and tasty with hints of spices that do not overwhelm your tastebuds. Every bite of the pork rib was joy and you really can't help but relish it. Brilliant and impeccable.


Grilled Brittany Cod Fish, Couscous of vegetables

The cod fish pales a little in comparison to the pork ribs in terms of its portion and taste. The fresh cod fish was delicious with the creamy mushroom based sauce that it was partnered with. It does not leave as strong an impression as the pork ribs though!


English Breakfast Tea Bavarois, Salty Caramel

The pudding like Bavarois sits in a lemongrass infused sauce that tasted a little too strong on its own but was immaculate with the bavarois and the oh-so-good salty caramel. I took really long to eat this as I savoured every mouthful. Pure goodness.


Petit Fours

The thin almond cracker was fragrant and crunchy and the dark chocolate praline was really good. The madelaine was buttery and plain and probably the least outstanding but it was a simple end to the meal


Coffee

Gunther's is incredible, superb and just downright impressive. They're elaborate in every aspect, from the plating to service. For the cold angel hair pasta, the dish that it was served in was cold. The pasta was, thus, kept at its optimum temperature for consumption. For the pork ribs and bavarois, the dishes were warm. I was really impressed! The restaurant is cozy and unpretentious with a smart casual dress code. And service was top-notch. The chef also spoke to us personally asking us how we found the food. We were initially told that we only had an hour to dine but the dishes weren't served all that quickly so the meal was extended but we never felt pressured to rush into our food. It was truly a wonderful dining experience!

36 Purvis Street

#01-03

Mon - Sat: 12:00 - 15:00
Mon - Sat: 18:30 - 22:30

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Love, K

K's rating of Gunther's : 9.5/10

(CLOSED)Equinox

Restaurant Week

Located at Swissotel The Stamford, I'm sure everyone has heard of Equinox
It has long been famous for its unparalleled view and being the "tallest" restaurant in Singapore
This was our final dining destination of Restaurant Week. A little sad that it was coming to an end ]:

Parking spaces are available in Raffles City. Parking charges are relatively cheap for a Saturday evening.

Private lift








The receptionist told us that we were very lucky because there was only one table by the window left. And we were like "Wow!" And she proceeded to tell us that the window seats will cost an additional $20. And guess what... We took it HAHA. And a few months earlier, we met the folks from Food PHD who told us about the $20 charge which they thought was ridiculous and X and I agreed readily with them and now, we wilingly paid for SEATS. HAHA




Really fantastic view. Feels good being so high up


The design seems to be Chinese-inspired or something



 
Our table!


Complimentary tomato juice


Two different baguettes! Didn't get what the waiter said about the difference haha but the darker one tasted a little more bitter


X got himself a glass of white wine - $24
and he really liked it haha


Cream of Button Mushroom soup with Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

Every mouthful was fragrant and filled with tiny bits of mushrooms. I love mushroom soup and I really liked this! Not too creamy nor does it reek too heavily of mushrooms. Everything about it was just right.


Slow Braised Pork Belly, Sage Scented Apple Puree, Celeriac Remoulade

The pork belly was tender and flavourful but the highlight has got to be the apple puree! It's really yummy!




Pan Seared Seabass with Ratatouille, Pesto and Black Olive Tapenade

The skin of the seabass was crisp, albeit a little burnt. The fish was fresh and does not carry the fishy taste. The black olive tapenade did not quite suit our tastebuds though. It was a queer kind of salty haha


Confit of Duck Leg, Creamed Ouy Lentils with Lardons and baby Onions

The duck confit was alright. The duck meat was a tad too dry and I felt that this dish looked somewhat boring and unappealing


Night view




William Poire Caramel Creme Brulee

I failed to capture the flame ]:



The creme brulee was delicious! Crunchy caramelised sugar atop a soft custard body! The portion was pretty huge!


Grand Cru Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch with Madagascar Vanilla Icecream

The hazelnut crunch was indeed crunchy and was an absolute delight when paired with the chocolate cream and vanilla icecream. The chocolate cream was not overly rich or overpowering and the vanilla icecream was great on its own. Chocolate and vanilla is a heavenly pair that can hardly go wrong. The bits beneath the vanilla icecream were soft and fluffy and they carried a tint of nuttiness and added an unique edge to the whole dessert





Service was good even though the staff weren't that fluent in English and sometimes we had difficulty understanding what they were saying. But they were, nonetheless, attentive and all smiles. It was nice dining with an extraordinary view in front of us. The night view of the city is beautiful



Total cost: $181 +

Level 70, Equinox Complex
Swissotel The Stamford

 Lunch
Monday - Saturday: 12.00pm - 2.30pm

Brunch
Sunday: 11.00am - 2.30pm

High Tea
Monday - Sunday: 3.30pm - 5.00pm

Dinner
Monday - Sunday: 6.30pm - 10.30pm

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Love, K

K's rating of Equinox: 8/10

The Lighthouse

Restaurant Week

Lighthouse was one of the restaurants that K wanted and we were lucky to be able to get most of the places that we wanted to dine at.



 
A private lift to the restaurant on the 8th storey.





 
Lift landing within the restaurant


Waiting area


View from Lighthouse


Hazy day but unobstructed view of our most iconic skyscraper




I like the simplicity of Lighthouse. The white theme fits my expectation of a perfect lunch place.



Our reservation was at 230 but Lighthouse called me in the morning and told us the last order was at 2pm. So we tried our best to rush there but only got there around 215. Once we were seated, we were served immediately.

The whole meal felt really rushed. The starter came before the bread did.

Cappon Magro di pesci al basilico
Marinated seafood salad with crispy seasonal vegetable on cream bread and basil dressing

The taste of raw veggie and the sweetness of seafood is a good combination. Definitely a good way to start your meal.


The assortment of bread was average and it wasn't warm


Pici saltati in ragu'd'oca con le briciole e spinaci
Homemade pici in wine and spices braised duck ragout with wilted spinach and aromatic crumbs

Super filling main course! We could hardly finish everything. I supposed this dish is fine as a lunch item, but I would be disappointed if it came for a dinner course.

Dessert was supposed to be classic Venetian styled tiramisu but we were served brownies instead. We were not informed that the dessert had been changed.



Was looking forward to their tiramisu but the brownie was a good replacement. I like how it was subtly moist and chewy on the inside. Thats how I like my brownies to be. But still cant help but wonder how good their tiramisu would be.


Fullerton blend

We did not have a choice in any of the three courses. It'd be nice if they had offered a selection.

Overall, I like the ambience of the Lighthouse. The white interior under the afternoon sun-rays is quite a sight to behold. Not to mention, it comes with an unobstructed view of the entire marina area.The food was pretty decent but I was more captivated by the place itself. A recommended place for a good laid back lunch.

Total cost : $94+

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EDITED BY K
Here's something that happened at The Lighthouse that sent both of us bursting into laughter. When we were leaving the restaurant, we entered the private lift and the door closed. So X asked me how many levels are there in Fullerton. Being a really poor judge of height, I said something like "I don't know? Twenty levels?" HAHAHA and X was like"?!?!? How can Fullerton be 20 levels? There's only 8 levels!" And I replied "Oh, is it. Then why is it that we're in the lift for so long and haven't reached yet?" And thats when we both looked at the panel of buttons on the lift and realised that I didn't press 8. HAHAHAHAH and we both burst out laughing. Can you imagine the receptionist dying of laughter because she could hear whatever we were saying. Haha

Hope this made your day better [: 
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1 Fullerton Square

#08-00 Fullerton Hotel

Mon - Fri: 12:00 - 14:30
Daily: 18:30 - 22:30

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Love, X

X's rating of The Lighthouse : 7.5/10