DBS Amex 1-For-1 Lunch Promotion - 10 at Claymore

Ever since my last visit, I had been spreading words to people and friends around how I loved this place. So back here I am again today.



Upon arriving at the restaurant, I was surprised by the rearragement made to their setups - the chocolate fondue had been shifted close to the entrance while there was a new dessert bar erected to make room for a wider selection to pamper our sweet tooth.

Their salad bar was second to none - all garden greens were fresh and shining, salad dressings were nicely prepared. I couldn't help but made three trips there.





As for the main, instead of laying out a sumptuous spread like what you normally see in other hotel buffets, they have a reasonable selection of dishes, allowing one to have a bit of everything, an ideal spread it should be for a lunch buffet. As its current theme 'East Meets West' suggest, one can expect to indulge in a feast of the best asian delights with a twist of western flavours - Mini Waygu Patties with Orion Gravy, Chinese Roasted Duck with Angelica Herb Sauce, just to name a few. I simply enjoyed every one of them.







The dessert selections didn't disappoint too. Too bad they didn't serve chocolate truffles which I had on my previous visit.





This was probably the best part of the meal - the CHOCOLATE FONDUE! There were marshmallow and freshly cut fruits for one to dip in. The sight alone was enough to blow your mind away.



With DBS Amex 1-for-1 promotion (1 redemption per table), we paid only $34.13 which was evenly split between the two of us. With a good spread of food, cozy and soothing environment and their paramount serivce quality, this is a deal too good to be missed.

Current promotion ends 31 Dec 2009. So hurry and make your reservation today before it's too late. For more details on their on-going pormotions, please visit their website here.



Herein I would like to thank Mr. Md. Iqbal and his service staff then for their hospitality and superb serivce rendered during our visit.


10 at Claymore
10 Claymore Road
Pan Pacific Orchard
Business Hours: Lunch, 12pm - 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.30pm - 10.00pm
Tel: 6831 6686

Molly Malone's Irish Pub @ Circular Road

Molly Malon has been around Boat Quay for years. It is situated right next to UOB Tower, and attracts quite a number of foreigners who want to have a beer and chill out in the heart of the CBD.



It is quite dark inside, with smoking and non smoking corners. Other than beer, Molly Malone serves one of the best Fish & Chips in Singapore. And it was mentioned by Sunday Times as one of the best place in Singapore for Fish & Chips.



As you can see from the menu, more choices are available. But most people come here for their Fish and Chips.



The fish are really crispy. I believe they are beer battered to retain the crispiness. Chips are good too. And do remember to ask for the malt vinegar to go along with the fish. Helps to keep the "oiliness" of the fried fish away.



Molly also serves a special set lunch every weekday at S$25 for a soup, fish and chips and dessert. Ice-water is free of charge here.



And for beef lovers, there is also a choice of the Weekend Roast every weekend afternoon. However I have not tried their roast beef before, as I will automatically order the Fish & Chips whenever I am here. Perhaps someone reading my blog can tell me how their roast beef is?


Molly Malone's Irish Pub
56 Circular Road

Sweet Indulgence (CLOSED)

Despite having numerous reviews on this prominent sponsor for HungryGoWhere, I had trouble finding the place as it is really well-hidden. In fact, I had a few unsuccessful attempts to locate this bistro.

We arrived at around seven when most of the tables had already been filled up. In spite of the crowd, everyone in the restaurant spoke softly, as if being afraid of spoiling its peaceful atmosphere.

Though there was only one service staff then, she was spontaneous and helpful. I was impressed by her friendliness and extreme patience when taking orders.


Salmone Affumicato - $19.50

Fresh salmon in creamy tomato sauce. The chunks of salmon was well done. Tossed with pasta in creamy tomato sauce, my companion fell in love with it.


Aglio Olio E Pepeponncino E Gamberi - $21.50

Pasta in garlic sauce is my second favourite pasta dish after squid ink pasta. Get those mints ready.


Signature Chocolate Lava Cake - $12.00

At a place such as Sweet Indulgence, you will regret walking out without trying their desserts. As recommended by the waitress, we ordered their famous lava cake, which did not disappoint. Soft chocolate cake filled with melted dark chocolate was served on a plate painstakingly decorated by the chef for the delight of diners. Rich dark chocolate oozed out and filled my spoon when it slowly sank into the soft texture of the chocolate cake. Try it with ice cream.


A generous scoop of ice cream, accompanied by roasted almond chips was next. Even after we finished the last bit of it, we wondered about the flavour. We were tempted to ask for a second helping.



Our total bill for the night was $64.25, after 10% discount, for one appetizer, 2 pastas and dessert. I was more than satisfied by what it had offered us - hospitable service staff, quality yet affordable food, tranquil and cozy ambiance. Our dining experience here was overall a memorable one. As a dessert place, Sweet Indulgence lives up to its name. If you are looking for a romantic night out, no doubt this is the place.

I have marked this place down on my organizer.


Sweet Indulgence
2 Stanley Street
Business Hours: Mon-Sat, 10am - 9.30pm
Tel: 6223 7707

Bollicine Restaurant @ The Rivergate

Singaporeans love to wine and dine by the river. Aside from the crowded Clark Quay and Boat Quay, the quieter Robertson Quay is home to quite a few eateries and restaurants which attracts a larger proportion of foreigners compared to locals.



Evenings along Robertson Quay are quiet affairs. One can see residents jogging along the path or diners enjoying a quiet stroll by the river side.



The Bollicine Italian Restaurant is locared just next to the Rvergate condominium. It is actually next to the river and directly opposite the River View Hotel. A bridge connects the hotel to the restaurant. (This is the view from the restaurant)



Bollicine is actually the sister restaurant top the Quattro Stagioni Deli in Liang Court. So the ingredients used in the restaurants can actually be bought from the Deli in Liang Court. The entire setting is laid back. A good place for friends to gather and enjoy the evening together.



Started off the meal with their Soup of the Day (S$8), which was mushroom soup. Soup was pipping hot and there were hints of truffle oil drizzled across the soup.



Tortelli Crema, funghi e prosciutto crudo (S$18) - This is good stuff. Home-made stuffed pasta with cream, parma ham & mushroom sauce. Everything compliments one another and even though the portion is small, but it is designed to be so because the cream and pasta are actually quite rich.



Pan fried beef tenderloin with brandy, green peppercorn and cream (S$24) - the beef quality is not as good as what we expected. It is served with a large piece of potato, which I find is quite good. Perhaps it is safer to order the pasta dishes.



Their tiramisu was good. Some may feel there is not enough ommph, but still I enjoyed this dessert.


Bollicine Restaurant
95 Robertson Quay
#01-19 The Rivergate

Taste Paradise 味之樓 @ ION Orchard

Taste Paradise first opened in 2006 at Chinatown Mosque Street and in 3 years time, it expanded to a chain of restaurants including Seafood Paradise and Paradise Inn.

Now Taste Paradise has opened its flagship shop at ION Orchard.



The restaurant is brightly lit with a soothing wood theme. Tables are spaced quite well apart to ensure maximum comfort.



I like the menu of Taste Paradise. It is beautifully printed on special coated paper. Feels like reading a scroll from the past.



The former Emperors of China sit side by side in the main dining hall, with the 1st Emperor of China sitting in the biggest VIP room.



Our1st appetizer dish was this cuttlefish dish, whcih had hints of Thai elements in it. Nothing spectacular, just something to excite the taste bud.



Taste Paradise is famous for its sharks fin soup in hot pot. The Hot Pot was boiling hot when served, and the quality of sharks fin is very good. However, the stock is not as tasty as what it should have been. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this soup a lot.



BBQ Pork Ribs with Plum sauce. I could taste hints of the plum taste, but the pork was quite fattening. However, it went well with white rice.



Pork chop cooked in 3 taste - I am not sure what the 3 taste are, but I could taste heavy use of garlic and onions. The pork chop is less fattening than the pork ribs, and it also taste great with white rice.



I was in charge of ordering this Crispy Prawns with Laksa leaves and Mango chutney. Personally, I thought this was quite good. There were hints of laksa leaves in the mango sauce. Prawns remain crispy. But as taste is subjective, some of you may not like this version.


Taste Paradise 味之樓
2 Orchard Turn
#04-07
ION Orchard

Yixing Xuan Teahouse

This week my regular lunch companion brought me to this humble-looking teahouse along Tanjong Pagar Road. Modest this place appears, but it offers a wide selections of dim sum dishes all at just $2.50 nett.



At the adjacent teahouse, a wide variety of tea paraphernalia is on display. Most are even on sale. From rare chinese tea leaf selections, to modern bubble teas at $1.50 each, the tea house seems to have EVERYTHING.


烧卖 - $2.50

虾饺 - $2.50

萝卜糕 - $2.50

香脆腐皮虾肉卷 - $2.50
The quality of the dim sum was decent. My companion evidently loved most of them. I had a soft spot for the siew mai though.


蒜香小白菜 - $6.00
This dish of xiao bai cai helped to balance our meaty indulgences. A tad too much garlic, if you ask me. But it was stir-fried to crunchy - what more could you ask for?


豉汁猪肉饭 - $4.50

腊肠滑鸡饭 - $4.50
We ordered two steamed rice. Both the pork and chicken versions were chewy and flavourful, with fresh ingredients, a contrast to the bland factory-belt style lo mai kai you find at coffee shops.



When it was time to settle the bill, I was surprised that there were no GST and 10% service charge. With 9 items, it was merely $29.00 which was happily split among both of us.

Today we found a hidden gem in Tanjong Pagar.


怡心軒 Yixing Xuan Teahouse
30 Tanjong Pagar Road
Business Hours: Daily, 10am - 10pm
Tel: 6224 6961

Marmalade Pantry @ ION Orchard

Marmalade Pantry has shifted to ION Orchard early last month, and it situated in the middle of the shopping mall. Although it looks quite open and small, but when you are inside the seating area, you tend to forget that you are actually in the centre of this busy mall.



The chairs and tables look similar to the one at the old Palais Renaissance. Clean and confortable.



Spicy Tomato with Pinto Beans and Jalapeno - this soup is REALLY SPICY. As the portion is really big, we ordered 1 bowl and split the servings into 2.



Beetroot salad with ricotta and chevre, caramelized walnuts and watercress - They are too generous with the beetroot, and gave too little of the other ingredients. Would prefer more watercress instead. In the end, we had problems finishing up the mountains of beetroot.



300 day grain fed beef cheek guinness pie with celeriac puree - the beef cheek chunks are extremely tender and well marinated. Beef stew lovers should try this!



The Pantry Club with honey baked ham, roast chicken, egg, gem lettuce and roma tomatoes. Bread is toasted and this entire club sandwich is very filling. Served on the side are assorted chips made from yam, sweet potatoes and tapiocca.



Vanilla ice-cream with Salted Caramel Bread Pudding - Marmalade Pantry is famous for their dessert. And this did not disappoint. I especially like their vanilla bean ice-cream. Pure and creamy.



No meal at Marmalade Pantry is complete without eating their famous Sticky Date & Toffee Pudding with vanilla ice-cream. The pudding is sweet yet not annoyingly sweet, and there is a right balance between the pudding and the vanilla bean ice-cream.

Heavenly.


Marmalade Pantry
2 Orchard Turn
#03-22
ION Orchard