Fine Palate At 51 Waterloo Street

Located at 51 Waterloo Street, Fine Palate is about 5 - 7 minutes walking distance away from Bras Basah MRT Station (CC2). The restaurant is opened by Heather Barrie who is an Australian-born chef staying in Singapore and she has more than 20 years experience in food catering services.

I love the modern contemporary Australian cafe set up of the restaurant which is so cozy and homely for friends and family to get together and enjoy hearty weekend brunch. Although their indoor siting capacity is around 30 pax but they do have outdoor al-fresco sitting on both side of the restaurant too.

BEVERAGES

While waiting for the dishes to be served, I have a glass of freshly squeezed juices - Beetroot And Apple Juice (S$6.00). You could customized your own juice by mixing your desire fruits shown on their juice menu. 

According to Melissa who ordered this Chocolate Brownie (S$10.00) she really loves the taste and texture where bits of brownie could be found in the milkshake too.

Lemon Meringue (S$10.00) which combined or both sweet and sour taste in a glass.This is a special beverage which is well-received by most of the customers so I guess I would try it on my next visit.

APPETIZERS

I love fried calamari especially the one served at the Thai restaurant near my area. However with a twist, FINE palate served Crispy Calamari (S$14.00) with some cucumber curls and tartar sauce which is a refreshing pick to accompany some cold beer for hot afternoon treat.

Their Quiche Of The Day (S$12.00) was rather good which served with some garden salad as side. I love the pastry crust as well as the savory custard which is soft and milky.

{Must Try} Out of the 3 Appetizers served, Crispy Kurobuta Pork Belly (S$16.00) with jalapeno salsa and mirin sauce definitely won a vote from me. Personally I love pork belly especially those which are roasted till crispy outer layer but tender and juice meat when bite. So from the photo above, I am sure you would want to try a bite too.

BITES

For "bites" we start with some crispy golden Fries (S$6.00) that is served with homemade wasabi mayo and ketchup at the side. Their wasabi mayo is quiet mild in taste so you don't have to worry as you won't get "choke" bur rather addict to the wasabi dip. 

{Must Try} All of us love this Crispy Chicken Triangles (S$8.00) with is "Lemon grass" infused chicken that are wrapped in crispy pastry and served together with the sweet chilli sauce. Very refreshing snacks while enjoy it with some girls talk.

When compared with the Crispy Chicken Triangle above, this Mini Chicken Quesadillas (S$8.00) that served with homemade tomato salsa was rather a bit on the lose side. The tortilla skin was rather chewy and the chicken filling is not as flavorsome as the lemongrass chicken.

For those who love burgers, these Trio of Fine Palate burgers (S$15.00) might be something that you would prefer for brunch or even afternoon tea on a sharing basis with friends. You could pick your choice from: Wagyu beef burger that severed with  melted smoked cheddar, crispy bacon, lettuce and gherkin aioli or Teriyaki chicken burger that comes with lettuce and cucumber pickle.

The 3 of us have different opinion on these burgers; for me I love the texture of the bread which was slightly chewy as compared to those soft burger bread. But the wagyu beef patty was slightly a bit tough on that day perhaps due to over cooked or some other reason.  

MAINS

Tuna And Capellini (cold) (S$20.00) serve with seared yellow fin tuna capellini tossed in a sesame shoyu dressing on a bed of angel hair pasta. We all love this light and refreshing dish and the wasabi mayonnaise also added a kick to enhance the taste of this cold dish.

Usually their Catch Of The Day (S$20.00) depends on what fish is fresh and available in the market on that particular day. On that day, we have snapper which is cook in Asian Style and the 3 of us love this dish. The fish is very fresh and the combination sauce blends well with the sides as well.

Duck Leg Confit (S$26.00) with braised red cabbage, roast potatoes and fresh asparagus (additional $6.00 if part of a set) is something that we look forward to. Although the outer skin is crispy as it looks but I find some part of the meat is rather a bit tough and dry.

Salmon Benedict (S$18.00) serve with salmon gravlax, baby spinach, hollandaise sauce and rocket salad on English muffins. This is sure a great choice for brunch menu and those who love poached eggs. But for me, since I don't really like smoke or gravlax salmon I would prefer to go for just their Eggs Benedict without salmon.

DESSERTS

When comes to dessert I am sure no one could resists a slice of freshly Baked Oreo cheesecake (S$10.00) which served with some summer berries. Although the price for their desserts might be slightly pricy for a small piece of cake but I am sure if it is nice, you won't mind paying slightly more for quality.

Lemon tart (S$10.00) with coconut anglaise and raspberry compote is one dessert in their menu too. To me the taste of lemon tart is quiet bland as compared to what I have tired before which is more infused with lemon fragrant as well as taste. But overall this might be a good choice for ladies or someone who prefer a light and refreshing dessert.

Didn't get to try this but Melissa mentioned their Tiramisu (S$10.00) is a "must try" too!

{Must Try} Dessert Of The Day was Mango Penna Cotta (S$10.00) during our visited and since I love mango, automatically that was my pick. Their Mango Penna Cotta was slightly different from the usual one as it taste more mousse like with a light mango fragrant which makes you go for more. But just don't expect the texture to be similar with the usual penna cotta which is smooth and custard like.

During our two hours dining session a couple of weeks back, I notice there are quiet a flow of crowds and most the customers look satisfy with their food and services. So for my personal opinion, I think the dishes and desserts at Fine Palate are pretty decent for the price and after all it still depend on individual's preference and taste buds.

My recommended dishes are Crispy Kurobuta Pork Belly, Crispy Chicken Triangles, Tuna And Capellini, Catch of The Day and Mango Penna Cotta / Tiramisu. Lastly I would like to thank Ananya from Chrysler Communications and Fine Palate for hosting this invite tasting.

Fine Palate
51 Waterloo Street
#01-­‐04/05
Singapore 187969
Reservation: +65 6336 5120
Website: www.finepalate.com.sg

Opening Hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 11am – 4pm (Lunch)
Saturday and Sunday: 10am – 4pm (Lunch/Brunch)
Closed on Monday

Chiso Zanmai Japanese Buffet Restaurant

During June School Holidays we have quiet a number of activities such as the Angry Birds Cable Car Ride (HERE), 6 Days Cruise Trip (HERE), exploring the new Ice Skating Rink at JCube (HERE) and etc. And just a week before the school holidays ends, my brother organized a buffet lunch meetup over at "Chiso Zanmai" since he knows our family loves Japanese cuisine.

Above shows my plating of "Kaiseki" which is a traditional multi-course Japanese cuisine where we just grab a big tray at the counter and pick-up our favourite Kaiseki dishes and enjoy our meal like what the Japanese Emperor did in the olden days. (All photos in this post are taken using iPhone since it is just our causal family gathering)

Chiso Zanmai is a Japanese Buffet Restaurant located at The Central, Clarke Quay which overtakes it's previous owner where Fisherman’s Market used to be. For the price of S$14.90++ to enjoy a Japanese style lunch buffet which serves up more than 80 varieties of food and desserts is definitely worth trying. And moreover Chiso Zanmai is originated from Osaka and this is their first branch outside of Japan.

Appetizers Counter

As usual to start off the buffet, I will pick up some cold dishes from the Appetizer Counter and enjoy it before heading for the hot dishes. For the appetizers, other than the above they also have cha soba, potato salad, mixed salad, deep-fried eggplant with bonito broth and etc. But my favourite choices are those shown above. 

These are my little boy's favourite and indeed they have quiet a good spread of Sushi upon selection too.

Hakkaido Ishikari Nabe is a common seafood and vegetables soup served in Hakkaido and most of us on our table loves this seafood pot with it's sweet and flavousome clear soup broth. As you can see from the photo above, there are prawn, flower crab, tofu, leek and etc in it which makes it prefer to go with steamed rice.

Ramen lover, you can choose between either Tonkotsu or Shoya soup base to go with your Ramen. For me, I will prefer the Tonkotsu which is pork base with a thicker and stronger taste compared to Shoya. Surprisingly the noodles are still quiet springy when bite so overall it still blends well with the broth.

Traditional Japanese Counter

There are basically two sections on the Hot Food Counter where you can grab some Traditional Japanese Cuisine or Teppan. Above shown a selection from Braised Squid with White Radish, Corn Cream Croquette, Stewed Pork And Potato, Crab Shao-mai and etc.

Hot Food

I did not snap much on the Teppan Counter as there are quiet a number of people around queuing for the food. But you can find yummy Takoyaki(octopus balls), Stir Fried Noodles, Tempura, Fried Pumpkin and etc. Above are some of the items from the Hot Food Counter that I love.

Mum loves these Deep Fried Yam which she mentioned is quiet similar taste to our Chinese Abacus Seeds.

Love this crispy and delicious Chicken Karaage that dipped in some Ponzu Sauce (citrus-based sauce) which gives it a similar taste like our Asian Lemon Chicken.

Dessert Counter

After a hearty meal, it's time to pamper yourself with some "sweet" dessert such as cake, tart, pastry or ice-cream. At their Dessert Counter, items are routine frequently through out the buffet and you can find some fresh fruits, cheesecake, mochi, eclair, jelly, ice cream or etc.

Since for the month of June they are having this "Matcha Fair", you could find most of their desserts are made with matcha theme. Out of those shown above, I love their matcha mochi, matcha tofu as well as the matcha tiramisu. Too bad I didn't get a chance to try their Matcha Panna Cotta which might be rotating in their dinner menu instead.

CHISO ZANMAI

6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#02-17
The Central @ Clarke Quay
Reservation: +65 6221 3177

PRICE:
Lunch (12.00pm - 3.00pm)
Monday - Friday
Adult: S$14.90++   Child(below 1m): S$9.90++   Senior (above 60): S$12.90++

Saturday, Sunday And Public Holidays
Adult: S$19.90++   Child(below 1m): S$9.90++   Senior (above 60): S$17.90++


Dinner (6.00 - 10.00pm) SASHIMI (DINNER ONLY)
Sunday - Thursday And Public Holidays
Adult: S$24.90++   Child(below 1m): S$14.90++   Senior (above 60): S$22.90++

Friday, Saturday, Sunday And Public Holidays
Adult: S$29.90++   Child(below 1m): S$14.90++   Senior (above 60): S$27.90++


Top-Up $1.99++ For Free Flow Of Drinks
Cold beverages such as green tea, iced lemon tea, root beer and etc
Hot beverage such as coffee (black, cappuccino, latte) and tea


So if you are looking for some Japanese Style Buffet at an affordable price, perhaps you would want to consider Chiso Zanmai which I personally think it worth what we pay for. Will check what's on their July / August dinner menu soon as I eying on their SASHIMI!!!

Crystal Jade Jiang Nan @ Vivo City

Recently Crystal Jade Jiang Nan (翡翠江南) has returned as a casual eatery in VivoCity (facing Tung Lok Signatures - 同乐经典) at Level 1, #01-52 featuring simple Shanghai, Sichuan, Wu Xi and Guangdong dishes such as homemade noodles, xiao long bao and etc.

And since Aunt's Birthday is approaching in mid-June, I suggest to have an early celebration for her over at Crystal Jade Jiang Nan as well to try out their new menu.

APPETIZERS

餐前小吃

For appetizers Mum and Aunty both suggested to order this "Deep-fried White Bait "Wu Xi" Style (无锡小鱼儿)" where the crispy white baits are tossed with fried garlic, salt and pepper together with a layer of caramelized sugar coating. Indeed this is a wonderful snack to start off while waiting for the main dish to be served.
Price: S$9.80/plate(small)

For something adventure, I decided to try their "Marinated Pig’s Ear with Cucumber (湘江红油顺风)" which is a common appetizer in Zhejiang. These slices of crunchy pig’s ears are spiced with chilli oil, together with fresh cucumbers and sesame oil which helps to further enhance its flavour and texture.
Price: S$8.50/plate (small)

Just a note this "Steamed Beancurd with Egg Yolk, French Bean, Carrot, Black Fungus Served in a Cup (五彩拌豆腐)" is kind of a cold appetizer which is tasteless on it's own. So in order to flavour this dish, you have to adjust the taste using the provided condiments such as chilli oil, shallot oil, extra virgin olive oil and black vinegar.

As you can see from the above, it is such a vibrant appetizer with tofu, egg yolk, carrots and etc added to achieve the colour, fibre and nutrition. Although I have tried to add a bit here and there of the provided condiments but we still find this appetizer not very suitable for my liking but mum said it taste great together with the Deep-fried White Bait.
Price: S$8.00/cup

MAIN DISH

主菜

All along, the traditional Xiao Long Bao from Crystal Jade taste quiet decent with it's juicy filling of minced pork and soft dumpling skin so without hesitate I decided to order their new "Crystal Jade Multi-flavoured Xiao Long Bao (翡翠水晶八式小笼包)" for Aunt's Birthday to create some atmosphere.

Each tray comes with Crystal Jade’s Original Xiao Long Bao, Prawn Xiao Long Bao, Vegetable And Dried Beancurd Xiao Long Bao, Spicy Beef and Spicy Chicken Xiao Long Bao for an authentic Sichuan experience or western flavour such as Foie Gras, Cheese and Black Truffle Xiao Long Bao. To start with try those with a lighter taste(original) before moving on to the stronger flavour such as spicy beef and remember to eat them immediately or else the outer skin will be harden.
Price: S$14.50/serving tray

Another "must try" dish is their "La Mian with Spicy Chicken, Preserved Egg And Cucumber in “Sichuan” Style (重庆口水鸡拉面)" where the springy handmade noodle is served together with cold spicy chicken which makes it a refreshing dish for a change.

Although the "ma la" spicy sauce was a bit too strong(spicy) rather than numbing(ma la) to our taste but overall it still blends well with the cold noodles and tender chicken that leaves us crave for more helpings.
Price: S$11.80/plate(small)

Since their "Not Fried Rice (不是炒饭)" is sold out by the time we arrived (around 1.00pm), we have to sort for another alternative. So from the service staff recommendation, we ordered the "Fried Five Grain Rice With Anchovies" which served in a Korean style stone pot.

The 4 of us simple love this fried rice which is full of nutritious and vibrant colours from the ingredients used such as brown rice, preserved pickles, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, sweetcorn kernel and etc served together with some crispy anchovies on top. 
Price: S$13.00/serving

BEVERAGE AND DESSERT

饮料与甜品

We are amazed by the presentation of this "Hong Kong Style Cold Milk Tea" as it is served in a tall glass flask together with some dry ice flowing from the center of the flask. The overall taste of the milk tea is quiet smooth and fragrant but it could be better if it slightly colder.
Price: S$4.50/serving

To end the lunch, we ordered 3 different types of dessert such as "Pumpkin Cake with Red Bean Paste And Salted Egg Yolk (南瓜饼)" (i made something similar before, HERE) and "Japanese Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Fruit And Cream (白雪红梅)". So if you can't decide on which one to choice, you can order what I did with the combination plate of 2 items each.
Price: S$5.40/plate

They have a few choices on their shaved ice dessert but Aunt prefer this "Green Tea Snow Ice" with toppings such as colourful jelly, kidney beans and etc.
Price: S$4.50/serving

At the end of our meal, we are given a complimentary voucher of "8 pieces of Original Xiao Long Bao" for next return visit. (voucher is given with purchase from any basket of Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao). Shall return again to try their "Not Fried Rice (不是炒饭)" since we didn't get to try it this round plus to enjoy our complimentary Xiao Long Bao.

CRYSTAL JADE JIANG NAN

1 Harbour Front Walk
#01-52 VivoCity
Reservation: +65 6221 1830

Opening Hours:-
Monday to Friday: 11.30am - 10.30pm
Saturday, Sundays and Public Holidays: 11.00am - 10.30pm