Third & Sixth

I'm usually not so familiar with bars and stuff, but glad for fellow foodie friends who do! (: Went to Third & Sixth to celebrate Shan's birthday, thanks to Scott's recommendation, and it really didn't disappoint!! Definitely one of the better burgers I've eaten, and it was really shiokness ;) 

I was scrolling through reviews before we checked out the place, and I pretty much set my mind on what I wanted to order.... :P And so happy that Ngan agreed to share with me! ^^ We ordered the massive ALL-IN!!! ($29) which was a whopping huge burger for any greedy soul. I was starving by the time our food arrived (it was already 8pm!!!) and by the end of it, I was stuffed. The massive burger left us two girls completely satiated. The picture isn't very clear (I forgot to bring my camera! Photos are VSCOCam-ed) but basically, this burger has everything (well, almost) that all the other burgers have. A double patty (one each for us!), chorizo, chilli con carne, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, double fried egg (awesome stuff!), caramelised onion, cheddar, swiss cheese, with onion rings and steak cut fries on the side. It was soooo sumptuous! And I loved every bit of it. It was so difficult to eat, and we just ended up toppling the entire thing and having it in pieces haha. Everything went so well together though. By the way, I was so glad they served the burger king-style type of onion rings. It's a frivolous pleasure, but I do prefer it compared to the full onion version (yucky!) if you know what I mean. 

Because everyone was sitting so far apart, I didn't manage to get a shot of the other burgers we had. I did steal a bite of Sam's Genor's Greatest burger ($16). This was rather unique, with a herbed chicken patty (instead of beef), basil pesto sauce, rocket, parmesan flakes and balsamic reduction. The flavour of the basil stood out the most for me, amidst the other elements of the burger. It was quite interesting but I still prefer beef! 

We also ordered the Wings of Desire ($8) to share, which is essentially fried chicken wings. They were seasoned pretty well, with an in-house marinated blend of herbs, and well-fried too. Though tasty, I could have done without them haha. 

Overall, a very satisfying meal at this bistro & bar!! (: Would be a burger place that I'll come back to if I'm craving some.

Third & Sixth

36 Seah Street

Tel.: +65 6336 1248

Mon-Tue 4pm-12am

Wed-Thu 4pm-1am

Fri 4pm-3am

Sat 6pm-3am

Closed on Sunday

Bar Bar Black Sheep

I have no idea what took me so long to make a visit to Bar Bar Black Sheep. I believe it has been on my foodie list for years. Well, it so happened that we were at Clarke Quay the other day and searching for a place to eat (and drink?) and it suddenly occurred to me that I had this place on my list!! And I can't believe I took so long to discover this lovely place. 

Just to manage your expectations, I wasn't blown away or anything, but we really enjoyed our experience here! And it's definitely a place to consider if you're looking for a place to chill. The ambience was delightful. Right next to the river along Robertson Quay, we picked a seat and dined alfresco. Thank goodness for the good weather that day, because it was way nicer sitting outside. BBBS has an extensive food and drink menu, which is already tempting me to go back for more. We ordered a couple of drinks (Kronenbourg blanc $8 glass/$13 pint) and sat back in our seats to people-watch.

They have at least four different cuisines at this bar - Indian/Thai/Local/Western. I was struggling to decide between Indian or Thai because they both looked so good. Went for Indian in the end since, as Sam says, I rarely eat Indian cuisine otherwise. I've heard some raving reviews about the Butter Chicken ($11) and it didn't disappoint! I'm actually not too sure what is the difference between this and Chicken Tikka Masala ($13) because they both taste pretty much the same to me. Equally tasty that is. And I ordered a serving of Garlic Naan ($3) along with it, and that was the best decision I made that night ;) The garlic naan was done really well! With a super generous amount of fresh garlic sprinkled atop it, the aroma was deeply infused into this favourite Indian bread of mine. Dipped into the the butter chicken sauce for heightened flavour and paired with a cold beer? THE BEST.

Sam ordered the Chargrilled Chicken ($19.90). Boring :P Haha oops. I didn't try it, but the portion looked really satisfying! 

Overall, the food and drinks here were very reasonably priced. Plus the fact that there was no GST/service charge despite the fact that they served the food to us! Now isn't that great ^^ Many reasons to come back for more.

Bar Bar Black Sheep

86 Robertson Quay

Tel.: +65 6836 9255 

Sun-Thu 12pm-12mn

Fri & Sat 12pm-2am

Breakfast weekends from 9.30am

The Black Swan

the movie? nopeeee. rather this dining establishment is the newest in the offerings from the Lo & Behold Group which manages other restaurants such as The White Rabbit and Extra Virgin Pizza, among others. this is actually the first time i've dined at any of their restaurants, and i've gotta say that i'm impressed! ;) 

starting with the ambience - tucked away in a white colonial building at the edge of Cecil Street, its entrance is unassuming, and you might just drive past the building without realising that the interior had been revamped into a restaurant. this exudes a feeling of exclusivity, and once you step through the doors, a hushed buzz invites you in. there is an energy within this place, but it's subtle, almost imperceptible. and that's the beauty of it. it's pretty dim inside (hence pardon the poor picture quality), but the bar looks outstanding amidst the darkness. service is faultless.

we started off with the char grilled beef tartare ($26) and pan-seared foie gras ($28). oh, how i've missed foie gras! :P makes me throwback to 2012 again, when i had so much foie gras (thanks to my numerous food tastings) that it could probably last a lifetime. (well, i could always have more...to last  two lifetimes maybe? :p just kidding)

the foie gras was perfect :') beautifully seared and melting smooth inside, i savoured every bite of it as i rolled it on my tongue. it came with a deliciously fluffy toasted brioche and a fascinating yuzu marmalade (gosh i didn't taste the yuzu, but it was a refreshing accompaniment to the creamy goose liver).

it was my first time trying beef tartare and i absolutely loved it!! USDA 365 days grained fed beef combined with nashi pear and toasted sesame made for a smorgasbord of flavours, and i completely could not taste a hint of any rawness :D great for noobies like me! it came with slices of grilled bread which were awesome as well. (how to they make it so crisp, yet fluffy?!)

for mains, we started with the chilean seabass ($36), which was very light on the palate and came with a bright roasted beetroot, bacon velouté. i loved the combination of beetroot + bacon, which masked the woody flavour of beetroot which i typically detest.

The Black Swan burger ($26) was delicious to say the least. a well-balanced and flavourful piece of art that included a seasoned, oh-so-juicy patty, mature cheddar, a sunny side up egg, streaky bacon, bibb lettuce sandwiched between two lovely fluffy (again!) buns. the thick cut fries that came with it were good too (though i'm not a fan of thick cut fries so i've got not much to comment on it).

and guess what! that ain't all. we ordered drinks as well, and i have to say that i loved loved LOVED my Escape to Amalfi cocktail (all cocktails at $19). just the name itself sounded sexy enough and brought me back to Italy ~ ahhh (: it was a wonderfully refreshing drink with fine bubbled prosecco excited with vodka and topped with a zesty sorbet of organic lemons from Italy's Amalfi Coast (says the menu. wow!) it was sooooo good! mummy & papa ordered Moral Hazard and Cecil Sour, which were both whiskey drinks. and i don't quite fancy whiskey so i've got no comment on that haha. they were pretty generous with the liquor though, which is a plus!

no doubt, this place is pricey. but it's really worth the splurge if you want to treat yourself to a good meal (:

The Black Swan
19 Cecil Street
Tel.: +65 8181 3305
Lunch (Mon-Fri) 11.30am-2.30pm
Dinner (Mon-Sat) 5pm-10.30pm
Supper (Mon-Thu) 10.30pm-1am
(Fri-Sat) 10.30pm-2am

Table Manners

firstly, i've gotta say that this is one inaccessible place to get to. it's literally all the way at one end of Singapore and i didn't even know that Changi Business Park had a mall there! O.o haha sorry, sua ku but i really don't travel all the way to this part of Singapore alright. but the point here is Table Manners is worth the travelling. i absolutely LOVED every single thing we ordered, and there were so many items on the menu that we totally over-ordered for the four of us, and even ordered dessert and drinks on top of everything :p 

we started off with some bar snacks:

i'd heard so much about the mushroom fritters ($8) and we absolutely HAD to order them. and they were so delicious!!!! a very light batter on the outside that was not too oily housed lovely succulent mushrooms that stimulated our tastebuds with their pungency. 

the ebiko mussels ($9) were an absolute delight as well, with surprisingly quite a lot of flesh and generously slathered with the ebiko and some sort of dressing that had a lovely umami flavour.

while i felt the truffle chicken bites ($10) were of pretty good quality - Table Manners does its batters well, keeping it very crisp and light without being too oily, and the interior retains its natural juices, which is great! plus the truffle flavour was quite pronounced, which was a huge plus point - i did think they were still a pretty ordinary dish. perhaps it was because i was already quite full when i started on these though, so my judgement might be slightly impaired :p 

i was so disappointed when i heard that the Truffle Capellini was not available that day because it sounded divine!! but our other mains didn't disappoint ;)

the King's Burger ($20) is made for a monster with its scrumptious ingredients - bacon, onion relish, gherkins, cheddar cheese slices, sliced tomato, lettuce and topped with a sunny side up egg. the combination of all these ingredients produced a smorgasbord of flavours that went perfectly with each other. the truffle fries on the side was a a lovely touch and were pretty good! 

the TM Ribs ($36 for full rack) were reallyyyyy good! absolutely tender - the kind that falls off the bone when you poke it with the fork - and came with a side dish of potato wedges. i still prefer fries > wedges though!!

we also got the Norwegian Baked Salmon ($22) which was a baked just right, with a lightly crisp exterior and fluffy interior, and this sat atop a yummy mash jazzed up by a garlic miso mayo and tasty mushroom ragout! 

it's amazing how EVERY single dish at Table Manners was good, and what's better, their drinks are great too! part of the group that owns Bar Stories as well, which is known for their specialty bespoke cocktails, you can be assured of the quality of the drinks you can find at Table Manners too. you can choose from a list of sweet, spicy, bitter and sour cocktails, and there are even "gentlemen" drinks as well! 

my passionfruit martini was a winner with its tangy flavours and was wonderfully refreshing! loved how there was a slice of fruit in it as well ^^

the Ginger Lemongrass martini was exactly how mummy liked it - spicy. haha yikes >.< this is really an acquired taste i guess! imagine drinking ginger juice laced with alcohol. and a hint of tom yam (haha because of the lemongrass). this is exactly how this drink tasted.

the most visually-exciting drink we ordered was the rosemary cooler! it literally came with the herbs all sticking out, like a herb pot! lol!!! super interesting, and it was quite fascinating how the flavours of the rosemary were infused into the drink.

for those who wanna skip the alcohol, i highly recommend the Calamansi Rose mocktail ($9)!! i really liked how there were really fragrant, lightly sweet notes from the rose, and this was complemented the sourness from the calamansi.

during happy hour (8pm), all cocktails are priced at $13 and bar snacks are $6/7! super good deal!! 

we ended on a high note with the sea salt chocolate caramel tart ($7.50). it was small, but boy, it was GOOD. luscious smooth chocolate with hints of caramel and a tinge of salt that prevented it from being cloyingly sweet. 

such a satisfying meal that was totally worth the calories!!!! i would come back much more often, if only it wasn't so far away!

Table Manners

5 Changi Business Park Central 1

Changi City Point – The Oasis #01-68/69

Tel.: +65 6604 7669

Daily 11.30am-12midnight 

LÈ Restaurant & Asian tapas bar

one of the newest kids in the Chinese dining scene, LÈ distinguishes itself with a contemporary twist on classic favourites. to begin, how about a drink at the bar to kick start your meal at the restaurant? with a slew of house cocktails that are created with asian/singaporean influences, LÈ looks set to change things up with its refreshing offerings.

a chic modern vibe pulsates throughout the bar, and this gives way to a relatively traditional Chinese restaurant setting, updated with cool decor.

let's start with the food first. but before that, thumbs up to the camera-friendly spotlights ;) while the restaurant is dimly lit, i was glad that spotlights directed clear beams right onto the tables, which was not just perfect for photo-taking (good for them!) but of course, for diners to see what they're eating!

having heard raving reviews about LÈ's signature dirty duck ($38 half, $68 whole), i rubbed my hands in anticipation of this dish. and it impressed thoroughly! a modified version of a peking duck dish, this had the actual crispy braised duck meat cucooned in a handmade scallion crepe that was super delicious! (i have to apologise that this post is wayyy overdue so i can't describe the exact flavour very accurately, but it was DEFINITELY good)

the stir-fried asparagus with wild fungus ($20) earned praises even from those who typically don't like asparagus! it was that tasty! the asparagus was fried perfectly, till no trace of the veggie flavour remained, and the variety of mushrooms complemented it well.

one of our favourite dishes was the stir-fried scallop with scrambled egg white in truffle oil ($38). ooh, do you see what attracted us to it? the ambrosial scent of truffle tickled our noses as the dish was placed on our table. every mouthful was a delight, with the fluffy textures of the egg and scallop suffused with the flavour of truffle.

the stir fried angel hair with japanese dried ebi ($28) could be said to be an adaption on the ubiquitous fried beehoon. but i beg to differ. the bouncy strands of pasta tossed in oil had a lovely doneness which i appreciated, and the japanese ebi added a perfumed fragrance which is unbeatable, in my opinion.

the food at LÈ restaurant set high expectations for our after-dinner drinks, but i have to say that i was rather disappointed.

we tried two of the signature creations - autumn evenings ($22) and red concubine ($22). both came with fascinating descriptions, though the taste unfortunately didn't match up. autumn evenings was a blend of chrysanthemum tea, with yuzu juice, elderflower liqueur and soursop with scotch whiskey. as we had ordered this in anticipation of the yuzu juice, it was sad that there was nary a hint of it. probably the strongest flavour was the soursop, which overpowered everything else. my red concubine was just overpoweringly sweet, and i couldn't really distinguish the various accents, though the description seduced with hints of passion fruit, pomegranate and cinnamon.

the selection of bar bites was interesting though! and the mantou burger with braised USDA prime beef ($16) lived up to its name. the beef packed a punch with its juicy goodness!

overall, i really enjoyed the meal at the restaurant and i would love to come back if i had the opportunity to :) on the other hand, i would give the bar a miss. it's signatures were a letdown, and were way too pricey for its quality.

LÈ Restaurant and Asian Tapas Bar
Suntec City Mall #02-314
Daily 11.30am-3pm
6pm-10.30pm

Satsuma Sochu Dining Bar

this is a japanese restaurant that stands out from others in terms of its specialties! - it's famous for its grilled meats and sochu.

so of course we had to try their alcohol when we went to this restaurant! i wouldnt recommend the one we tried though :P the drinks are pretty expensive by the glass, so we decided it would be better to get a bottle to share among the 5 of us. well, it was a little too much after awhile, especially since we didnt really like the flavour we ordered :P the one we got was the Fusa No Tsuyu ($75 for 720ml bottle) - described as having a mild fruity nose of pears, showing harmonious balanced between fruits and grain. perhaps because the texture was rather dry, so we didnt like it much xP

instead of ordering the usual salmon sashimi, the waitress recommended that we try the horse mackeral instead! sounded so exotic :O haha. it's seasonal apparently, so since it was in stock, we decided to order it. pretty expensive though! alright, actually this entire meal was really quite expensive -.- the waitress kept recommending dishes that were pretty pricey. the horse mackeral sashimi was a whopping $55, but considering it was a whole fish, i suppose it was pretty worth it. i liked the taste and slightly crunchy texture! :) kinda reminds me of tuna.

in addition, to make your purchase worth the money, they even deep-fried the bones for us! deliciously crispy and surprisingly with a relatively generous amount of meat, this was quite a yummy dish!

we really loved the stir fry pork belly with kimchi ($18)! :) it was really flavourful, drenched in the kimchi sauce - absolutely wonderful ^^

the japanese yam tea rice ($12) was a really interesting dish! we completely did not expect it to be so soupy :P i thought it was fried rice!!! -.- but it was pretty interesting. felt like a wholesome healthy dish :) the tea soup had a mild flavour, kind of like soup for the soul :)

for grills we had the chicken thigh with leek ($6)

the savoury pancake ($6) was another surprising dish! erm, we didnt really expect the pancake to look like this :P hahaha. it was quite yummy anyway :)

we also liked the mushroom stuffed with minced chicken ($6) which had a good balance of flavours between the meat and mushroom.

Satsuma Sochu Dining Bar

1 Nanson Road

The Gallery Hotel #01-10/#02-10

Tel: +65 6235 3565

Weekdays: 12pm – 2.30pm

Sun to Thu: 6pm – 10.30pm

Fri to Sat: 6pm – 1am

Wine Universe

At Oenotheque, drinks take the centre-stage. But that doesn’t mean that the food is incidental. In fact, all the items on the menu look so mouth-watering that we’re pretty sure you will have a hard time narrowing down your choices. Do not fret however, as the staff here are delightfully affable, and would be glad to share with you their recommendations from the menu, and advise you on the drinks to pair with your food.

Kick-off your meal with a glass of bubbly and some warm bread. A glass of Moscato, with an ever-so-slight sweetness, goes a long way in stimulating your appetite for the meal ahead. The wines from Oenotheque come from all over the world, with the best from Europe – take your pick from the vast selection of Swiss, French, Italian and Spanish wines.

The food served at Oenotheque is primarily French, with some Swiss specialties. And no French meal is ever complete without duck liver. The pan seared Foie Gras was beautifully done, characterized by its supple consistency and succulence. It went well with the sweet toasted brioche, which had a lovely crumbly bite. A light hand of sea salt gave the liver an extra boost of flavour, which contrasted with the pear that was drenched in a saccharine sauce. To wrap it up, the cherries added a tartness that brought all dimensions of the taste spectrum into a single dish.

The food served at Oenotheque is primarily French, with some Swiss specialties. And no French meal is ever complete without duck liver. The pan seared Foie Gras was beautifully done, characterized by its supple consistency and succulence. It went well with the sweet toasted brioche, which had a lovely crumbly bite. A light hand of sea salt gave the liver an extra boost of flavour, which contrasted with the pear that was drenched in a saccharine sauce. To wrap it up, the cherries added a tartness that brought all dimensions of the taste spectrum into a single dish.

You should definitely go for the Swiss specialties for the mains. If you have two or more people, we’ve heard that the Fondue Bourguignonne is a winner at this restaurant! It’s filling though, so make sure there are enough people to share. Alternatively, the Émincé de veau zürichoise is a great choice as well! The veal tenderloin scaloppini, true to its name, is wonderfully tender and brimming with juices. The rosti is of excellent quality, probably the best you can ever get, and its muted aroma complements the savoury meat perfectly. Have this with a glass of full-bodied Pinot noir to draw out the essence of the red meat.

Conclude your meal on a sweet note, with a delectable flute of Moscato – so sweet, that you can catch a whiff of the fragrance as you bring the glass to your lips and which goes beautifully with the fondant au chocolat.

*This is an article i wrote for reserveit.sg (: Try out their online reservation service, and you can check out more articles there!

Oenotheque by Wine Universe 

Millenia Walk #01-109

Tel.: +65 6338 0717

Lunch: Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm

Sat (brunch) 11.30am-3pm

Dinner: Mon-Fri 6pm-11pm

Sat 6pm-10pm

Nosh

Nestled in what almost resembles a giant treehouse in Rochester Park is Nosh. there are actually many food places popping up there! and with the circle line, that area is now so much more accessible :)

started off the meal with this lovely starter which they called fried italian flatbread i'm not wrong. it was sooooooo delicious! if you've ever eaten those pizza biscuits that they sell in grocery stores, this is the bread-version of it! :D deliciously seasoned with various herbs, it had a crispy exterior, and a dense chewy interior that was absolutely lovely.

we ordered some appetizers to share - the seared scallops ($18) was a beautifully harmonized dish. the soft tender scallops melted in my mouth, and they were contrasted with the woody, slightly sweet flavour of crunchy candied walnuts. and this had to be the most yummy spinach i've ever eaten!!!! super melt-in-your-mouth soft, and so flavourful.

the mango avocado creviche ($18) was very interesting to eat! following the instructions of the waitress, we each took a piece of the tortilla chips (crunchy and nicely seasoned!) and plopped a serving of the black cod, heirloom tomatoes, fresh chili, avocado and mango onto it, and into our mouths it went. nice combination of flavours :)

and i really loved my drink!!!! :) this has to be one of the nicest drinks i've ever ordered. usually i'd get a little sick of the alcohol taste after awhile, but my Stay cocktail ($15) made of kaffir lime, yuzu and vodka had the most refreshing taste that i loved it soooo much and i could have more more more :D the sweet-sour flavour of the yuzu was just damn awesome :D

i ordered the braised veal cheek ($25) which came with saffron risotto and was flavoured with various herbs like garlic, cinnamon and clove. this was SO tender that the meat just fell away easily when prodded with a fork, and simply melted in my mouth. a dish rich in flavour, the risotto was creamy and smooth, and added even more body to the meat.

i loved how the kurobuta pork belly ($25) was fried so beautifully, without any hint of any oiliness. it came topped with apple chutney, and very interesting sides - sweet potato mash and sweet potato chips. the chips were thinly sliced, and held a touch of sweetness, distinguishing it from your ordinary potato chips. the sweet potato mash was equally wonderful, very light and easy to eat.

the sambal snapper ($25) was one punchy dish! it was really quite spicy haha. i have to say that i was pretty surprised a western restaurant could do this asian dish so well. the tamarind rice that came with it was nicely flavoured with a variety of spices and tasted delicious!

the braised lamb shank ($29) was not really my cup of tea, since i dont like lamb. but the gamey taste was relatively minimal! and the meat was super tender too.

i liked how the grilled chicken pasta ($24) was relatively easy to digest, considering it was a creamy pasta. usually i shun creamy pastas because i don't like the sauce much, but a mouthful of this pasta, which came with fettucine, caramelized onions, iberico ham and mozzarella, was not just tasty, but easily palatable! :)

Nosh

9 Rochester Park

Tel.: +65 6779 4644

Tues-Sun: 6pm-10.30pm (Dinner)

Sat & Sun: 10.30am-2.30pm (Brunch)