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Tag Archives: French
The White Rabbit
Brought to you by The Lo & Behold Group (Loof, OverEasy Bar and Diner, The Black Swan), The White Rabbit is probably one of the most understated fine-dining restaurants in the scene. Lauded as the ideal and romantic venue to hold your wedding, The White Rabbit located atop Dempsey Hill and housed within the architectural frame of a 1930s chapel, is everything and more when you step through those majestic tall iron gates. Walls are white-washed with iconic lancet windows while stained glass details and high ceilings complete the "chapel" experience. Suffice to say, The White Rabbit exudes both charm and beauty in its cosy intimate space.
The menu, which is predominately classic European fare, recently received an uplift and revamp of flavours as Head Chef Benjamin Tan sought to introduce cleaner and lighter approaches in his cooking methods for a touch of elegance.
For more on Chef Benjamin and his culinary inspirations, check out our interview with him.
Antoinette Presents Brand New Classic French Menu
I have long been a fan of Antoinette Restaurant, Pâtisserie & Salon de Thé since they opened back in 2011. Founded by the Godfather of desserts- Chef Pang Kok Keong, Antoinette is not only his playground to experiment with a variety of sweet concoctions and creations, but also a full-fledged restaurant that serves timeless French classics. But while I was a frequent patron of their Mandarin Gallery and Palais Renaissance outlets especially for their luscious and creamy scrambled eggs, I never once stepped into their flagship store at Penhas road- not till a few weeks back at least when I made a trip down specially to try their brand new menu of savouries.
No idea what took me this long to visit the Penhas outlet but I am glad I finally did because it was so exquisitely furnished, laced with gold and pastel trimmings, complete with that late-eighteenth century Neo-Classical charm that is so alluring. And yes even though the other 2 restaurants are similarly elegant in aesthetics, dining at the flagship store is an experience in itself.
Onto the food, Antoinette has recently unveiled a brand new classic French menu which features a whole new cast of newcomers but still keeping the familiar favourites around. The all-day expanded menu of savouries and sweets is said to be a tribute to the timeless French dishes that have stood the test of time.
Restaurant Week '14: Clifford, The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore
Our second Restaurant Week visit was to one of The Fullerton Bay Hotel's signature restaurants- Clifford. Touted as one of the most romantic restaurants in Singapore with its 10 metre high ceilings and Victorian-chic interior, further complimented by the spectacular views of the Marina Bay Waterfront, it comes as no surprise that the French Brasserie has been fully booked since its inception into Restaurant Week a few years back.
With the DiningCity Star bestowed upon it, their set lunches had a supplement of $15++ while set dinners were an additional $20++. As I mentioned before in my Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt (OCF) Restaurant Week entry, I was initially not planning on taking part in this Restaurant Week edition. Nonetheless, the lure of an available table which opened up last minute one afternoon was too hard to resist. So we went down to see what the hype was all about!
We were given 2 choices for our starters for the 3 course set lunch- another 3 choices were given if you were willing to add-on and pay more. The Scallop and Lobster Carpaccio with Lime Black Truffle Dressing +$12 was our immediate pick but the waiter informed us that supply had not yet come in. So we settled for the Beetroot Cured Salmon with Wasabi and Salmon Roe, and Basil Pesto Laced Minestrone with Fresh Pasta Ribbons instead- both from the actual Restaurant Week lunch menu.
Restaurant Week '14: Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt (OCF) Singapore
A joint effort between A Thousand Tales (ATT) – the group that brought you Bar Stories, The Crostini Bar, MAD and Table Manners, and Timbre Group, fine-dining French restaurant Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt (OCF) is one of the new entrants for this year's Restaurant Week (March edition).
Truth be told, I was not planning on participating this time round because after having had 2 years and 4 editions worth of experience, I have not been too impressed with some restaurants' haphazard ways of handling the Restaurant Week crowd and the food, being prepared on a large scale, did not usually do justice to what the restaurant had to truly offer.
Nonetheless, OCF piqued my interest and seeing available slots for a 3-course lunch offered at $25++ with no additional charges from the DiningCity Star, I could not resist making a reservation.
Not many know that this one year old restaurant is actually fondly named after Sir Stamford Raffles' first wife- Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt. The 60-seater space is intimate with a refined air of elegance and dignity. Service is prompt and attentive from the moment you step in. An open-concept kitchen steals the show with bar counter seats offering a front row view of the chefs in action while a stage with a grand piano offers a platform for live music to be played in the evenings.
Seasonal Harvests of Autumn/Winter at JAAN
Chef de cuisine Julien Royer is back with an Autumn/Winter menu inspired by the fresh seasonal produce of his hometown of Cantal, France. Featuring the heartiness and rustic nature of the quintessential vegetables and fruits of fall, each of his creations explores and highlights the richness and textures of the season's harvest in its truest organic form.
I had an awe-inspiring experience at my first visit to Jaan last year when I tried Chef Julien's Summer Menu and have since been recommending it to anyone asking me for the best restaurant in Singapore. That dining experience was after all, one of the frontrunners of my 10 Most Memorable Meals of 2013 list. Needless to say, this invite to sample the newly launched artisanal menu was greeted with much anticipation and excitement- I was eager to find out if the food was still as excellent as I remembered.
As usual we start off with some amuse-bouches with compliments from Chef Julien- a platter of miniature Chicken Pastillas, Black Sesame Sponge with Danish eel and Walnut Crackers topped with Cantal cheese presented with crisp rye crackers and homemade hummus dip.
Following this shortly was the thick frothy brew of Wild Mushroom Tea which brought back fond memories from my previous visit with bits of chopped grilled Portobello and Walnuts delivering a touch of earthiness and comfort.
Another mainstay of JAAN's set lunches is their Bread Basket of warm viennoiseries with French butter and sea salt which never disappoints. The Truffle Rolls which I adored were unavailable this time so I settled for the Onion Brioche instead. Buttery, fluffy and a little flaky with a hint of sweetness and tanginess from the onions, I was sold.
You can always trust the French to get their pastries and bread right.