Missing Pierre Hermé

This is a very backdated post, but I felt a strong urge to rave about Pierre Hermé's incredible macarons after an acquaintance of mine posted photos of the Ladureé macarons she had in Paris (she couldn't locate Pierre Hermé's boutique, unfortunately). 

Just one bite is enough for one to understand all the hype. There's no doubt that Pierre Hermé's macarons are the best. Ever. They make my world go round.

 

The macaron shells had gorgeously thin and crisp crusts and delightfully soft and airy innards, which yielded to the most dreamily smooth and creamy fillings in inventive but yet amazingly complementary flavor combinations. Rose, a rose macaron filled with rose petal cream, was definitely my favorite of them all; and the divinely delicious Infiniment caramel version (caramel macaron biscuit with salted butter caramel cream) came a very close second. Milk chocolate and passionfruit make a great pair, and Mogador (Macaron biscuit, milk chocolate and passion fruit ganache) was no exception.

If only the tea macarons from a certain local patisserie were as good as Pierre Hermé's Jasmin, which featured a delightfully fragrant jasmine tea cream. Sigh.

Here's a list of the other flavors I had, which were all lovely as well:
 Huile D'Olive & Vanille: Olive oil, vanilla (Macaron biscuit, olive oil cream and vanilla)
Éden: Peach, apricot and saffron (Macaron biscuit, peach and saffron cream, moist pieces of apricot)

Arabesque: Apricot, pistachio and pistachio praline (Macaron biscuit, apricot cream with moist pieces of apricots, crunchy pistachio praline)
Mosaïc: Pistachio, griottines & cinnamon (Vanilla macaron biscuit, pistachio and cinnamon cream with griottines)
Citron: Lemon (Lemon macaron biscuit, lemon cream)
Chocolat: Pure origin Venezuela Porcelana dark chocolate (Chocolate macaron biscuit with a lush Venezuala Porcelana dark chocolate ganache)
Fragola: Strawberry, balsamic vinegar (Macaron biscuit, balsamic vinegar cream, strawberry compote)

Knowing my love for Pierre Hermé's macarons, my dear cousin carted some of these dainty babies back to Singapore for me some time ago! The shells became a little stale after the 13-hour-long flight back, but the flavors remained just as incredibly delicious as before.

From top: Marron & Thé Vert Matcha - Chestnut & Matcha Green Tea (Pretty good though the green tea flavor could have been more pronounced), Pietra (Hazelnut Praline: Decently nutty), Infiniment Caramel

From top, clockwise:
Rose, Pietra (Hazelnut Praline), Infiniment Caramel,
Dépaysé (Matcha Green Tea, Azuki Red Bean, Lime & Ginger: The matcha element was delightfully intense, though I could barely discern the lime and ginger in the buttercream. A winner!)

AJInoMORI

Nothing beats the thrill of unearthing new waterholes.

When I saw the discount coupon for this new place (izakaya) on hungrydeals.com two weeks ago, I prepared for lunch at Lorong Liput with a few clicks on the mouse.



Read Aji no Mori, this izakaya can accommodate 60 diners. Set in a warm and cosy ambience, one may choose to sit at a regular table in private cubicles, or bare his/her soles on the wooden platform (like the Japanese) for a more authentic feel.



We had a humble start with Salmon Nigiri ($5).



Called Healthy Salmon Veggie Roll ($10), these makis had a healthy twist of alfalfa sprouts instead of rice. While my companion thought the taste was too 'green' for her, I liked the crunch from the grass.



Gyu Karubi (Beef short rib, $12) was as succulent and tender as the best steak I had in recent memory. Grilled to a tantalizing pink on the inside, the mere sight of it was enough to send any beef-loving human go weak in the knees.

Flavoursome juices rushed forth the moment I sank my teeth into the melt-in-month protein, the taste was OMG.



Foie gras toufu steak ($18) was another highlight of the meal.

The rich flavours of the goose liver filled the tofu steak and was an absolute must-try for any foie-gras fan.



Not to forget the staple, Ochazuke ($7), served with crunchy pickles.



We were 'rewarded' this Salmon skin with cod roe as a gesture of good will by the restaurant staff. How nice...



Service was brisk and attentive, and the waitstaff served us with a smile throughout the afternoon, making an already pleasant dining experience even more memorable. We even fixed a date to return before we left.



The night after I got home, I bought another 30% off e-code intended for my future visit, but after some time, I thought it would be more meaningful if it can be passed on to one of my dear readers. (Sorry I only have one as I didn't see this coming. I wish I can do this more often, so let's see). It was therefore decided that the first person to express his/her interest would get it. Let me hear from you soon. This e-code is valid till 21 Aug.
Claimed :)


味の森
17D Lorong Liput
Lunch, 12pm–2.30pm
Dinner, 6pm–11pm
6468 6813

Novus Restaurant & Bar @ National Museum of Singapore

We have always wanted to try out Novus at the beautiful National Museum of Singapore, and on one weekend evening, we made reservations to come down here for a quick dinner before our movie.



As it was housed inside the museum, we thought that the whole place would be very classic looking. But we were surprised at how modern the decor was inside the restaurant. A long bar counter separates the restaurant and the bar.



A look at the exterior of the National Musuem of Singapore at night.



A lovely basket of warm breads were served to us. I like the soft butter sprinkled with pine nuts, adding some crunch to the creamy butter texture.



Iced water is served here to all diners.



Started off this vegetable amuse bouche which had a crunchy toast at the bottom.



Our first appetizer was this White Asparagus Tempura (S$22 Entree) with sauce gribiche & new potatoes. This is the first time I tried a tempura white asparagus, and it was excellent. The white asparagus is crunchy and juicy, plus the tempura outer crust is light and crisp.

An interesting feature here is that before each dish was served, the service staff will put a small tag on the table with the name of the dish and some interesting facts about the ingredients used. Looks like a museum display to me.



Next was Foie Gras Chaud (S$28) - Pan-seared foie gras, white asparagus, pear and PX vinegar reduction. I like the minature toasts used.



The Duck Tea (S$16), made of Duck consomme, quail egg, trumpet & brown enoki mushroom, smoked duck breast, black truffle salsa, was suppose to be one of the signature dish here. However, we find the broth not flavourful enough. Quite a letdown.



Wanted to eat some pork, so ordered the main course Berkshire Pork Meets White Asaparagus & Iberico Ham (S$46) - Roast Berkshire Pork Tenderloin, Iberico ham-wrapped white asparagus, porcini mushrooms, sauce Bearnaise and shallot sauce. Unfortunately, the pork was kind of dry. But the taste was good.



After the dry pork, we were skeptical about the Organic Chicken & Truffle (S$38) - Chicken breast stuffed with truffle salsa, white asparagus, root vegetables, crisp parsley. Since it was made of breast meat, we thought it will be dry. Surprisingly, the meat was moist and tender.



The chicken came with a large pot of potato truffle gratin.



We were rushing for movies, so had to skip desserts. However, all diners here get to take home a cute cupcake each. It was packed in a beautiful paper box with a metal handle.


Novus Restaurant & Bar
93 Stamford Road,
#01-02
National Museum of Singapore

Wooden Spoon

I've been on the hunt for great scones ever since trying Cornish cream tea in England, and am happy to report that Wooden Spoon's version is one of the best I've had in Singapore. Crisp on the edges and crumbly inside, these buttery scones are a steal at a dollar each. And now that Cold Storage 360 Marketplace stocks Rodda's clotted cream, you can replicate the Cornish cream tea experience at home with these scones and some jam!

The light egg cakes also pleased with their moist and fluffy texture. If only they didn't sell out so quickly- they're sometimes all gone after lunchtime! Skip the cookies though- the wide assortment might be tempting, but I found the varieties I tried rather forgettable and pricey.

Wooden Spoon
100 Beach Road
#01-24 Shaw Leisure Gallery

Papa Palheta (CLOSED)

After my visit to The Steeping Room that left me ever so eager to meet the 'PAPA', I found myself knocking at its door twice the following week.

Situated in a row of shophouses and accessible only by the back door, Papa Palheta is a stark contrast to the bustling main road some 10 metres away, offering coffee connoisseurs just the perfectly conducive atmosphere for catching-up with friends over a cuppa aromatic brew, or simply for a care-free weekend unwind.







Call it a café you may, this place isn't quite like the others. For one, there is no cafeteria fare. No dessert, no tea, no kaya toast, but just freshly brewed coffee.

Also, it goes by no billing system. You only need to tip the amount you think your coffee is worth.



As you enter the tasting room, you would be easily taken by a sense of nostalgia. Sporting an eclectic collection of objects of the past, this lovely space makes one feel exceptionally at home.

Still don't see the picture? Snapshots might drop some hints.

















Beans are roasted here every Monday.



A word of advice: Don't let your wallet carry nothing but $50 notes when you visit Papa.


Papa Palheta
140 Bukit Timah Road
Sun, Tue–Fri, 9am – 6pm
Sat, 9am – 7.30pm
Closed on Mondays
9799 0420

Graze @ 38 Martin Road

Martin No. 38 is turning out to be one F&B hotspot in Singapore. Although all 3 (Graze, Kha and Provisions) are all under one company, but the standards have been consistently good.




Over 2 seperate visits to Graze, the different variety of dishes I ordered were fairly good and service was warm too.



On a weekday afternoon, went to Graze for lunch. As you can see, it is quite empty. A contrast to the overwhelming crowd during weekend afternoons.



Started my lunch with the Saffron butternut & cilantro soup, herb garlic toast ($13). The soup was served pipping hot. Just what I needed.



For my mains, ordered a Grilled striploin (200g grass-fed beef), thick chips, dressed seasonal leaves, hearty tomato salsa ($29). This is my first time having their steak, so I was quite surprised at how tasty the steak was. It's cooked till medium rare, which was what I have requested.



Lunch dessert was this unique Chocolate pot, clotted cream, chocolate sauce ($10). A must have for all choco lovers.



As there was still time, ordered the signature Graze De Mocha $5.50 to end my lunch.



On another occassion, I managed to get a table in the evening on a weekday.



As it was still early in the evening, the crowd had not come. But soon, the restaurant was crowded as the sky got darker.



A nice shot of the homely interior of Graze, which will put most diners at ease. It's a great place for friends gatherings.



As usual, I had a bowl of soup - Organic tomato gazpacho, deep fried haloumi ($15). Tomatoes is one of my favourite vegetable (or fruit as some would say). Not too acidic for me.



I know some carnivore friends here do not like the mentioning of the word "salad". However, the Pear & frisee salad, gorgonzola, candied walnuts, balsamic vinaigrette ($18) is a great salad for "beginners". The texture is crisp, and it's sweet tasting, together with cheese and nuts.



Mains for me was the Pan roasted barramundi, orange & beet salad, green chili almond mayo ($32). Very happy to note that the fish was not too dry. A very "summery" dish.



I was very impressed with my dessert - Strawberry & honeycomb ice cream, Swiss chocolate sauce, hokey pokey ($14) . The slightly sourish and acidic strawberries are complimented by the sweet and creamy honeycomb ice-cream.


Graze
38 Martin Road