Sunday, January 24, 2016

Singapore - To Eat 23Jan2016 (63Celcius, May May)

Singapore - To Stay
Singapore - To Eat
Singapore - To Do
Singapore - To Eat
Like ABBATravel's Facebook Page to get the latest updates and more!
Follow us ABBATRAVEL on Instagram @ABBA_TRAVEL #ABBATRAVEL

63 Celcius
(Near Downtown MRT Station)
 *Located below one of the most beautiful 'green' food court I've ever come across*
I was recommended this place by friend Ruby. A fine dining style of food at, more than reasonable prices. Located in the CBD district, this place mind you is open only from Monday to Fridays only and not available on the weekends. A largely, yuppy crowd and more bar pub joint than fine dining setting.
Ordered On:23Jan2016
Crispy Baby Squid, 63SousVide Egg. Hydrated Enoki Mushroom SGD12

 *Really awesome! Nice crispy and light batter. Probably done with corn flour. The dehydrated golden mushrooms were a really nice touch, giving an Intense flavor and some texture. There's definitely some truffle oil in there as well. A well composed dish, with a nice, ponzu-ish sauce at the dish. The egg as a sauce worked out really well. Something like the dish Careas from Barcelona.)
Squid Ink Tagliolini, Hokkaido Sea Urchin Broccolini, Grated Bottarga - SGD11/SGD21

 *Another home run! A not too sure what the airated froth was, but the fusion of Asian Broccolini and Italian really worked out well. Fairly decent supply of Uni for that umami factor. beautifully presented and great tasting*
Yougurt and Mint Lamb Rack, Caponata, Arugula, Balsamic Sauce - SGD14/26

*Absolutely delectably prepared. I believe the yogurt really tenderizes the meat. There's isn't really a strong Yogurt flavor to it, but it is well spiced. Very well prepared and very tender.*
 Pan- Seared Rougie Foie Gras, Miso, Seasonal Fruits SGD13/22

 *Wow. They did mention there was only one piece for the Tapas size but its a fairly generously sized piece. A nice spiced chutney on-top does give a good balance to the Foie Gras. Absolutely delectable and saved to have that as the last lingering taste in one's mouth.*
Full Blood Waygu Mini Sandwich SGD10
*For SGD10. Well worth. Waygu is undeniable. Strong flavored, good distribution of fat. Simple mayo, chibitta bread and rocket with waygu.* Braised Beef Cheek, Baby Spinach, Mushroom, Shallow SGD19/25
 *This was the additional order but it really wasn't necessary. There was a 1-4-1 offer for it. Beef cheeks were very tender and flavorful but totally paled in comparison to the other dishes. Broth was a little on the thick side but fairly decent. An order than can be skipped in all honesty.*
Salted Egg Custard Lava Cake, Balsamic Berries, Tahiti Vanilla Gelato SGD10
*The salted egg isn't really that strong to be honest. The lava aspect could have been more molten, but the chocolate and salt balance really plays off one another really well. They could have served it on a cold dish to keep the ice-cream from melting quickly. A strong showing and a nice way to end of the meal.*
Total Fed 2 SGD115.23

For this review its going to be split into pros and cons.
Pros:
- Really good, chefy, fancy food at very value prices.
- Interesting fusion dishes that work really well.
Cons:
- Head chef has left establishment as of Jan2016
- Its more of a watering hole with non-sit down air-conditioned dining. There is air coniditioning on the bar on the inside which is vry limited.
- Environment not really for a nice sit down meal with poor lighting outside the establishment in the evenings.

May May
(Near Tanjong Pagar MRT Station)

 (Lunch Menu)
(Dinner Menu)
Located along revitalized Peranakan shop houses, May May has a nice refurbished interior that serves up Asian Fusion which seems to lean towards Vietnamese influence.
Ordered On:
24Jan2016
(From the Lunch Menu)
Homemade Tofu SGD4
Century Egg Sauce, braised peanuts, tobiko
 *Interesting but won't order again. It looks like a desert, but isn't. A little sweet as well but totally strange. The Century Egg sauce, doesn't really work nor stands out in its flavor.*
Lobster Pau SGD9
Wasabi Mayo, Coriander
 *Nice take on using the steamed sweet buns. It worked out nicely and the Wasabi Mayo helps bring out the flavor of the lobster. A little pricey for a single serve but ok.*
Kong Bak Pau SGD6
Pork Belly, Caramel Fish Sauce
*Succulent pork pieces balance with the sweet fish sauce. Kong Ba Bao in a different way. Well composed and worth the order.*
Grilled Squid Salad SGD8
Kecap Manis, Sugar Peas, Baby Corn
 *The BBQ squid and corn are nicely charred. The black sweet sauce is like that used to cook Indonesian BBQ chicken. A mixture of black sauce, lemon grass and sugar to give that distinct char and sweet flavor. A nice take on a squid salad dish*
Beef Rendang SGD18
Kaffir Slaw, Grilled mushrooms, over roasted tomators, pickled lotus root, soft centered egg*Very tender pieces and not spicy*
~~~~Braised Pork Belly SGD16
Wasabi sprouts, asian slaw, oven roasted tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, pickled lotus root, soft centered egg.*The pork is prepared similar to the Kong Ba Pao above just with different saucing*
~~~~
Butter Poached Cod SGD18
Wakame, oven roasted tomatoes grilled mushrooms, pickled lotus root, wasabi sprouts, soft centered egg.*This was very tender and lovely prepared. The fried to-fu cubes had a nice bread crumb exterior and worked well with the dish*
 ~~~~
Grilled Miso Aubergine SGD14
Crispy Tofu, oven roasted tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, pickled lotus root, wasabi sprouts, soft centered egg.*The salty miso balanced nicely with the aubergine. A good vegetarian dish*
 *As one can see, its roughly the same core ingredients of small roasted cheery tomatoes, fresh micro vegetables and an onsen egg, (Similar to Korea's Bim Bim Baps). All of which served atop Japanese rice.
Warm Somen SGD14
Minced Pork, May May Chilli Sauce
 *Somen is traditionally taken cold but this is like Dan Dan Noodles (Pork meat noodles). Texturally its like having angle haired pasta. Pretty decent dish.*
Apple Lime Parfait SGD8
Lemongrass jelly, muscovado crumble.
*An okay dish. The lemon grass flavor isn't really strong in the jelly itself. The cake on the side I think its Pandan mixed with something else. Nice flavor profile but not really wow.*
Pina Colada Donut SGD7
Pineapple, coconut cream
 *Did not work. The donuts just had too much sugar on it. Its a nice fry but the Pineapple, coconut cream, though delicious ought to be cold as opposed to luke warm and somewhat melting.*
Liu Sha Custard Donut SGD7
Salted Egg Yolk Custard
 *Their signature dish. Again, sooooo much sugar on the exterior. The custard was good, but could do with more and with a stronger salted egg flavor. The best had so far still goes to Hong Kong's Fu Xhin's custard buns! Double order over there!*
Thai Milk Tea Mousse SGD8
Coconut parfait, blood orange cremeux
*I personally enjoyed this dish the most! Thai milk tea flavors comes true very strongly and clearly. Nice chocolate balls beneath the coconut parfait with a sweet crumble at the bottom. Simple, delicate and good.*
Their coffees were of good standing as well.
Total SGD198.91 Fed4
Perankan exterior, but with a homely, fusion dining experience. An interesting, fun dining experience. Their lunch and dinner menu options are different and the place is intriguing enough that I'd probably head back to try their evening menu. For this round we ordered pretty much everything on the menu with some a double order as portions were too small for sharing (less 3items am guessing from the lunch menu) .

That's an overkill. For your own visit, with a starter, main and dessert to share, one would expect to pay about 30SGDper pax or less, which I thought was fairly value for something unique and simple food fair.
Click here for ABBA location of May May 65 Tras St, 079004
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Friday, January 22, 2016

London - To Do 20Jan2016 (Speedy Cafe, Welcome Museum, Grant Museum Of Zoology)

London - To Stay
London - To Eat
London - To Do
London - To Do
Like ABBATravel's Facebook Page to get the latest updates and more!
Follow us on Instagram @ABBA_TRAVEL #ABBATRAVEL

Speedy Cafe/On-Screen 221B Baker Street
Euston Square Station
Fans of the popular BBC Series Sherlock Holmes starring (Benedict Cumberbatch and
Martin Freeman star of The Hobbit) can give this BBC Series iconic joint a visit. The location plays home to "221B Baker Street" and offers decent eats to set you on your day ahead.

*Other fans of the show there to take photos*

Season 4 Trailer of Sherlock
The place serves up cooked eats, Sandwiches and full breakfasts. Well they weren't really very forth coming with what dishes they are known for. Primarily the joint serves sandwiches, full breakfast and quick bites. The menu alone is not complete, with specials and other dishes up on their notice boards.
Ordered On:
20Jan2016
Sherlock Wrap
Chicken, Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Cucumber Lettuce, Peppers, Red Onions,
Sweet Chilli, hot Chilli or Mayonaise. £4.50

*Pretty standard fare with nothing to scream about. Nice crisp on the toast and
vegetables relatively fresh. A stomach filler*
£4.10 for take away. £4.50 dine in.
Fed 1
An okay joint for a quick bite but more so for its Iconic film location for BBC's Sherlock Holmes.

Welcome Museum
Free Entry. Opens 10am
Euston Square Station


Online, they showed pictures of preserved animals for viewing (which was what I was gunning for) but that was part of their older exhibit. The Natural History Museum does have a fascinating section showing that off but only through appointment with the front desk, do you get the full walk through. Slots are limited and maybe though to come by. Click here for Natural History Museum review.



*Powedered Art pain stakingly done. A live exhibit.*

That's not to say that the Welcome museum don't have interesting stuff to see. Here the exhibit revolves around the human body and medical sciences. A reasonably sized room with an array of displays. For a free exhibit it is very impressive and informative especially with the free, interactive audio guides and article write-ups.

Grant Museum Of Zoology
Opens 1pm-5pm. Free entry 
Euston Square Station
Something totally different and definitely not for the faint of heart or weak stomached. A single storied space with the concept of a learning, working Museum attached to the college.
An impressive display I must say and its well worth a drop by to see the life sciences from a totally different point of view. Take the time out to appreciate the different techniques used to illustrate different aspects of animal life, from nervous systems, internal organs and skeletal structures. It truly is an interesting experience and worth a pop in.
Posted by at 13 comments:
Labels:

London - To Eat (20thJan2016 Camden Markets Street Eats)

London - To Stay
London - To Eat
London - To Do
London - To Eat
Like ABBATravel's Facebook Page to get the latest updates and more!
Follow us ABBATRAVEL on Instagram @ABBA_TRAVEL #ABBATRAVEL
Camden Markets Street Eats

*To get awesome eat (Cross bridge as seen with the street eats on the ground level*
Click here for ABBA location of Camden Town square eats
Am not saying everything to eat at the Camden markets are good, however there's a square where all home made/somewhat artisan eats are being served up. (Just across the bridge). Boy were they good! Quality product speaks for itself with all the vendors offering fresh off the grill/fryer eats. You get to sample most of their stuff and that's sufficient marketing in itself for you to go back to order more.
Ordered On:
20thJan2016
Kurama Fries (Sweet Potato Fries) £3
*Good fry and nice done sweet fries. Comfort food to warm one up on a cold day.*
Bratthwerst £6.50
*Definitely to Frankfurt street food standards! Good stuff*
Colombian street food Beef Dish £7.50

*The star dish for the day! Made to order steak, fresh out of the chiller.
Fresh of the hot plate, perfectly seasoned, quality steak. Served with rice, potatoes, beans and I think sweet Polenta in a pretty large portion I may add. For the price, you get quality steak, more over than at restaurant setting Flat Iron (London) (Which by the way has the most amazing caramelmoose dessert had.)
Avocado, rocket and chili toast £5

*Only the freshest and quality product here! The toast's exterior is grilled with a knob of
butter on the outside to deliver that nice crisp on the outside. Really simple, but good
stuff! The sandwiches so good like that of The Attendant in London, a victorian toilet,repurposed as a cool eatery.
Pulled Pork £6
*Honestly it was the bottle of Jack Daniels beside it that sold it for me. It's flavor is all in the sauce and it's pretty good. However, perhaps the cold sapped away the heat quickly before we got to it. Meat was a little dry but could have been easily compensated with more Jack Daniels sauce. The pulled pork at Covent Garden Markets are far superior but could be becuase they lathered on more sauce.*
Fed 3 Approx 10pounds each
Go to Camden town (Click here for full review) for the sights and unique shops, but definitely stay for he food! There are so many other options from the sweets category and other eats that I'd be coming back to try for sure if in the area.
Click here for ABBA location of Camden Town square eats
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)