TamPoPo

Third daughter celebrated her birthday in December.  She had completed her degree overseas and will starting work after a week rest.  We held the celebration in Tampopo at Ngee Ann City branch.

Wagyu beef noodles to go with yuzu wasabi, which was spicy hot

Sukiyaki set

Tonkatsu set

Mont Blanc cake from Rive Gauch

SAVEUR

Sauver originated from a corner coffee shop in East Coast, opposite Katong 112, where they took up a small space to cater quality French cuisine to the heartlanders.  It was later relocated to Purvis street and Far East Plaza.  The 2 places have been doing a roaring business and the waiting time to obtain a place was long as no reservation is alloted.

The restaurant has gone uptrend by opening another place in ION Orchard, with reservations allowed.  Although the place is not big and a bit cramp but the food was worth the price.  We celebrated a birthday dinner last night.

It was only 7.30 pm and the place was already 3 quarter filled

Complimentary canapes and truffle creamy soup was served

We had appetizer before the main course  -  truffle pasta with tiger prawn

Lovely creamy and smooth truffle chestnut soup

Crackling roasted pork belly with vegetable pie, but too small a portion for DH.   We had to give him a share of our portion

Popular dish or duck leg confit with a small piece of foie gras.  The duck was cooked to perfection with crispy skin and succulent meat


You can order a 3-course set meal with a starter, 2 main courses and a dessert :

Foamy egg confit and truffle with potatoe chips and nuts

Roasted pigeon with pickled morsels, white lentils and vegetables

Steam cod fish

Molten chocolate cake with 3-flavor ice cream : vanilla, berries and green tea sprinkle with pistachio nuts

Complimentary birthday cake - macaroon and cookie with chocolate chips, a nice gesture.  Thank you!

HALIA

We celebrated our daughter's birthday by having brunch at the Raffles Hotel restaurant HALIA which offers European cuisine with Asian inspirations at affordable price.

A spacious restaurant with green environment and a collection of wood-carved tables.  Large French windows to let in an abundance of daylight. 

Open concept kitchen and bar for great show

Once seated a large basket of assorted bread, scones and pastries was offered served with clotted cream, butter and jam to go with

Hot and cold cinnamon infusions with orange syrup and mint berry mocktai

The Salmon pate ($16) was served in a glass jar topped by roast floret, tomato and cauliflower puree with vanilla. The texture of the pinkish salmon was smooth and served, and to be eaten, together with baguettes

The Oriental Pulled Duck ($18) is light and refreshing. The flavorful duck was served with soba , tossed in sesame oil, which gives a contrasting texture to the meat

Sous vide lamb rack ($49), done to tender medium-rare perfection, is accompanied by a delectable artichoke, green peas and arugula

Must try chilli crab pasta where the thick gravy covered every strain of pasta.  There was real crab meat

A grilled breakfast with poached eggs ($23) that comes with Italian pork sausage, sweetened bacon, portobello mushroom, vine tomato and toasted sourdough

Oriental dish of steamed tender halibut to go with Japanese sesame rice garnished with pickled cucumbers

Pork Square - compacted meatloaf crisply fried with poached eggs, stewed beans, spinach and diced vegetables

A lemon curd cake for birthday girl

XIAO LA JIAO （小 辣 椒）

My birthday dinner was held at a Szechuan restaurant at 112 Katong.  This place, a budget family-style and authentic Szechuan restaurant, gives you value for money and the food is good.  We loved the food having tried it the first time, and decided to celebrate the occasion with hot spicy food. 

Cold dish of boiled white pork dipped in super hot sauce

These dumplings were pan-fried on one side and fully filled with minced meat

Deep fried prawns in griddle pot with potato strips overlaid with peppercorn, chilli oil, onions and spices.  Be caution not to bite into the peppercorn as experienced, it will trigger tingling numbness of the tongue.  It was hot but shiok!

Claypot eggplant was aromatic and soft.  Deliciously flavored with bean and minced meat sauce.

Double fried pork with leeks and spring onions in chilli oil.  The pork was crispy and go well with rice.

Fresh baling gu was simply stir-fried to retain the biting texture and flavor

This hot & sour soup was a knock-out which augmented with red-hot chilly oil.  There were plenty mushrooms, tofu and bamboo shoots in the soup

Freshly steamed cod

Finally, to kill the heat we each had a bowl of cold sweet fungus with lotus seeds soup

We shared the mango pamelo soup which is refreshing and delicious.  The soup was thick with mango puree and should be sweeter as the sour pamelo outshone the mango