Stonehaven Merlot 2006 & Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Time for a barrage of wine posts. *Winks* So here we go.

No doubt if you have followed my posts till now, you'll notice this as the second of such posts and that Stonehaven happens to be a recurring vineyard name. See here for Stonehaven's champagne post. The reason for this is rather simple, Stonehaven was having a promotion at the time and every 2 bottles you got will net you one bottle of merlot free. And best of all, each bottle was going at $17 each at Giant at the time, however, if you check now, you'll realise each bottle has gone up to $20 with nothing free. Just a point of interest if you were wondering.

Stonehaven Background:

Stonehaven is located just 6km south of Padthaway, the gateway to South Australia's Limestone Coast and is just 1 year shy of its 10th year since inception in March 1998. Throughout this time, Stonehaven has garnered numerous awards and was honored by being named 'International Winery of the Year' at the prestigious San Francisco International Wine Competition in the year 2000.

Stonehaven Merlot 2006

Smell: A whiff of this will allows you to find traces of strong spices, olives and black pepper. It is quite easy to ascertain that this is a wine with character and punch.

Taste: True to its smell, the taste will explode in your mouth quite literally. I found it full bodied and very spicy. The acidic taste certainly is evident and it requires a few moments to settle in your mouth. Aftertaste is also spicy and packs only the slightest hint of fruitiness.

Color and Sight: The color is a very deep red which allows very little penetration of light.

Overall: I rather enjoyed the spicy and strong drink by itself but had to portion it with water, cheese or red meats to allow it to be generally palatable. It is difficult to drink on its own due to the intense concentration of spices it embodies. Not suitable as table wine but more towards taste appreciation and food pairing instead. Given free, i would have expected less of this but it proved otherwise. Might have been better if i allowed it time to age further.

Score: 7/10


StoneHaven Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

This came as a surprise to me, pardon my lack of exposure to wine but its the first with 3 combinations i got to try. And once again, cabernet sauvignon is hard to pass by.

Smell: Spices were evident, such as olives and pepper but there was also a strong fruity smell probably due to medium aged pickings for the fruit.

Taste: Initial tastes were spicy at the tip of the tongue and salty towards the sides, however, upon futher tasting, there's an obvious sweetness along the middle portion and the aftertaste is decidedly fruity.

Color and sight: Light penetration for this was easy and its more towards ruby red in color.

Overall: I always prefer fruity aftertastes instead of salty or spicy ones. I suppose its more of a personal preference as opposed to what my friend in Australia likes. Still, i liked this mixture enough to get myself 2 bottles and shared with my gf who also says she likes it quite a bit. I'd recommend it as it works well alone or with food. =)

Score: 8/10

Zambuca Revisited

An extremely long overdue post, we actually visited this place on the same day we visited Iggy's. Which is more or less an accident because Hai Tien Lou happened to be full on the same day, this came as a second choice and thus, with dampened spirits, we trudged onwards. Since this is a revisit, please refer to my first post here.

Address: Pan Pacific Level 3

Telephone: 63378086

Website: www.zambuca.com.sg

Price range: $70-80 per head

(Most pictures courtesy of Fatpig due to the extremely bad camera i had at the time.)

The Sign

Interior

Table Setting

Complimentary Bread

The complimentary bread was warm, soft and fragrant. As i have said in previous posts, high end restaurant serve the best bread and this is no exception. =)

Bruschetta ($14)

Bruschetta was as good as it was in my previous visit. Lightly toasted bread with tomatoes, spices and olive oil.

Beef Carpaccio de Manza ($22)

When this was ordered, i had high expectations since its Zambuca and i simply can't envision myself disliking beef. I was proven very wrong however. What you see is five very finely sliced pieces of beef soaked in olive oil and lightly scattered pieces of permesan cheese. I had one piece or rather half a piece and it was terribly salty with a slight taste of rawness. Not recommended.

Terrine Of Seafood

The first appetizer in the set menu came as a surprise to me. This contains prawn, scallop, mussels and squid encased in what i believe is chilled egg yolk or something close to it. The texture is jellylike and transparent. I quite liked this dish actually, the ingrediants were fresh and very tasty but people might flinch from the jelly casing though.

Blueberry gnocchi, served with braised venison in a red wine

This is a very good dish. I'd recommend trying this if you are here. The venison was nicely done and the gnocchi was fragrant and very tasty indeed. Lets keep this simple, try this.

Lamb Shank

Sorry about the lighting in this photo but like i said. I had a bad camera. This was served medium rare and though palatable, was not what i would expect from them. The shank was stuffed with green pastels which neither added nor enhanced the taste. And since i'm not a fan of mutton, this simply isn't what i would order ever again.

Beef Tenderloin

FatPig had this and i'm pretty sure its much better then my lamb shank. Such a shame, i should have switched my mains as well. Maybe next time.

Warm apple strudel served with a refreshing white chocolate sorbet

This dessert came as part of the set menu and honestly, it isn't as good as i would have liked. The strudel wasn't as flaky nor crispy as it should be and the apple filling was sour. Quite a disappointment really.

Bill

Total bill came up to be about $360 for 4 people. Quite expensive really considering we were still not really full at the end of the meal.

Score:

Ambience: 8/10
Food : 6.5/10
Value for Money: 6/10
Service : 7.5/10
Portion Size: 5.5/10
Overall: 6.7/10

Last Word:
This outing was quite a disappointment for me actually as i'd expected a whole lot more from this place. Still, you can't fault its service and ambiance. Food wise though, i believe a little improvement is in order.

Lee Hup Lee Seafood

Now for the main meal treat before Alvin left for Australia. Its really nothing much, but its nostalgic because it happens to be the first place his mother brought us to when they arrived in Singapore. And honest to goodness, the crab here is pretty big.

Address: Blk 3 #01-50/63 Changi Village Road Singapore 500003

Contact: 96329088/91084624

Price Range: $19 per head

This is pretty much a throw back to times before fine dining and food is simply food with a distinct lack for service choices nor ambiance. One thing i really don't get is, what's with the word "beer garden"?

The Signboard

Coconut Juice ($4)

I have to say, this has got to be the WORST tasting coconut ever. It was sour, watery, lack ANY coconut taste whatsoever and costs $2 a piece. I was first impressed with the size until i drank it. And the meat inside was terrible as well. We bought this from a seperate store and brought over but that doesn't change a thing, this was bad, really really bad.

Orh Jian (Oyster Omelette $8)

Another item we packed from a nearby location. This oyster omelette came across as a little too watery for me. I prefer mine crispy and fragrant. The oyster's were faultless though, they came across as reasonably clean to me and tasty too. The problem was that some parts were cold, probably because the stall man didn't defrost it well enough before cooking so we got him to fry it again. After that, it was really nice with the chilli sauce. An average dish at best but still palatable.

Gong Gong ($12)

Pulling it out

Dipping in sauce

I honestly don't know the English name for this dish but its called Gong Gong which actually means dumb. Its supposed to be some kind of snail i suppose but not knowing what it is might be a blessing i suppose. Its quite a hassle to eat this because you have to firstly spear the tail like portion so that you can finally pull it out before it can be eaten. Al commented that the lady didn't cook it properly and so resulted in quite a few which we could not get out without a struggle. The dish itself isn't really too difficult to do i suppose, apart from frying the buggers with some light marinating sauce, everything else was god given. The freshness and taste is difficult to describe but is pleasant especially with the chilli sauce but i seriously doubt its worth $12. Try it and judge for yourself.

Our Victim for the day


Chilli Crab ($37.26 for 1.035kg)


The Huge Claw


The True Stars of the Day. Buns ($7 for 21)


Al and look at the firm crab claw meat

Actually, this place is known for HUGE crabs but we were unlucky that day. They ran out of Sri Lankan crabs and so we had to settle for its smaller Indonesian cousin which didn't disappoint in the least IMHO. Though smaller, the meat was still firm, fresh and sweet and thats just what good seafood is about. The shell was also a little thinner then its cousin making it much easier to crack and get at the meat. We opted for it to be cooked chilli crab style and the sauce came not as the spicy hot variety but rather more towards being sweet and sour with hints of chilli and eggs. The sauce, i discovered recently, is what makes a great crab better and the sole fact that we ate 21 buns with the sauce is testament that both the fried buns and the sauce complement each other really really well.
(On a side note, i discovered another location which serves great crab but not chilli crab style. They call it Jin Sha Xie or Golden Sand Crab literally and it was awesome. Will do a blog on it one day.)

Chicken Wings ($8.40)

We actually ordered fried dough sticks (you tiao) but they unfortunately have run out of such luxuries so we had to settle for Barbecued Chicken wings instead. This was decent but oily. The meat was a tad dry but otherwise thoroughly cooked. Not too special.

The total bill came up to $64.70 for the main meal. If you add drinks and additional items, this would total about $76.70. Not too expensive for 4 people really.

Score:

Food : 7.5/10 (Based on crab and buns)
Value for Money: 6.5/10
Portion Size: 7/ 10
Service : 6/10

Overall: 6.75/10

Last Word:

Well, great company and freedom of speech and actions made this an extremely casual and enjoyable affair. Food was at least reasonably priced and of an acceptable standard. They pride themselves as crab specialists and though i wouldn't go that far, i'd say they made enough effort to provide good crabs. Try it if you come around to this part of Singapore.

Pelican Pizza and Arnold's Chicken (Call in)

A good friend of mine, Alvin, was leaving for Australia for good, so what do we do? Simple, gave him 2 treats over 3 days before the day he left. The first of which will be posted on the next post and this is the second meal the day before he left. Got him drunk on one shot of Absynth and Khalua that night as well.

Website: http://www.arnoldsfriedchicken.com/
http://www.pelicanpizza.com.sg/abt_us.html

Telephone: Refer to websites for details.

2 Pizzas for $21.90

Delivered in just 30 minutes, this is one efficient pizza company and 2 for the price of one pizza is just great. Add the fact that the pizzas, IMHO, taste better then Pizza Hut and you got a new champion.

Hawaiian Pizza

This needs no introduction, you get your regular tomato based Hawaiian Pizza topped with pineapples, chicken ham and cheese. I like the fact that the crust is thin and easily edible. Its very easy to down 3 or 4 slices without noticing it. I personally found the tomato base too mild though. Prefer it stronger but still a good pizza.

Chicken Mayo

To me, this is a much better pizza then the Hawaiian Pizza they offer because i've always liked mayonnaise and chicken. Topped with green pepper, cheese, tomatoes, pineapples and chicken pieces, this is like an upsized Hawaiian plus mayonnaise. Heaven sent for a pizza. This however, cannot be taken in excess of 3 pieces because the mayonnaise will overwhelm your taste buds.

Delivery for this was even faster. A mere 20 minutes was all it took from order to our house. Of course, the location was Pasir Ris so maybe thats why it was delivered at such a fast speed. Impressive still for a home delivery service.

5 piece chicken and spring chicken + 6 buns + coleslaw and whipped potato ($22.50)

The chicken is well marinated, tender and juicy. Its actually better then KFC home delivery or dine in for that matter. It was delivered piping hot and at a reasonable price as well. The coleslaw and whipped potato doesn't need mention apart from the fact that it was better without them. The buns were soaked in oil and lacked any sauce to go with. However, this is Arnold's chicken and i can safely say it tastes better, is more fragrant and has noticeably less fats and batter used on frying. Definitely try this.

Score:

Service: 7.5/10 (i like my food fast)
Value For Money: 7.5/10
Portion Size: 7/10

Overall:7.33/10 (For both)

Last word:
I'm not a fan of home delivery due to intense waiting times, bad service and missing utensils. These 2 however, proved me wrong and delivered the food fast and tasty. I'd never had none if not for my gf actually but better late then never. Do try if you are lazy to go out for a meal one day, you might end up pleasantly surprised like me.

Ang Mo Kio Hub and S11 Kopitiam

Another post in the budget department. It was a Sunday and so i went out with my parents on a simple family dinner, hopefully this dispels the suspense of whether or not i'm actually well-to-do. Truth to the fact, i'm all Singaporean and generally struggling financially (literally).

Address: Ang Mo Kio HDB Hub and S11 next to Jubilee (You can't miss it!!)

A1 Curry Puffs

Display Box and 'Bite-section' ($1)

To say i'm not a fan of curry puffs would simply be a big lie. Put simply, throw me any kind of puffs, cream puffs, durian puffs, custard puffs etc and i'll pretty much gobble them up before you can blink. However, i miraculously did not touch anything here, my mum did all the gobbling for this 'vegetable puff'. I do know that the puffs are indeed crispy due very much to the deep frying and layered way the puff is made, but for some reason, i still prefer the conventional Old Chang Kee puffs to this.

Don Don Japanese Cuisine (S11)

Kinda just happened to hear from my mom that the food here is good, but of course, good i subjective to what or who my mom heard it from. Still, no harm trying.

Chicken Nuggets ($4)

This is honestly NOT called chicken nuggets but i've unfortunately forgotten what its truthfully called and taste wise, it tastes just like nuggets from Mcdonald's minus the crispiness. Its definitely NOT worth a try though, even at its price.

Curry Katsudon set ($6)

It looked impressive when it came. I would never have expected this many items for $6 bucks. The rice wasn't as soft as it should be, the chicken was quite tender and crispy on the outside but has nothing to rave about taste wise. The curry tasted sweet, sour and not spicy in the least, thats a good thing for me. The miso soup was very very bland and practically tasteless while the toufu was forgettable as well.

Ebi Tempura Set ($6.80)

I'll skip on the toufu and miso since its practically the same. The tempura was obviously not fresh but isn't bad to the point it couldn't be stomached. The prawn didn't taste sweet or anything vaguely near the word good to me but you can't complain about the portion size and number of prawns given the price really.

The bill

$16.80 for a filling meal for me and my sister is decent but food quality wise is just not up to standard, which is disappointing after my mom's recommendation.

Chicken Porridge and Vegetable Mee Soup.

These are what my parents had. Really simple dinner huh? Nothing special, totally Singaporean. =P

Score:

Food : 5/10
Value for Money: 5.25/10

Overall: 5.125/10

Last Word:
Well, what can i say? Its hawker fare and totally nothing about it captures my attention or taste buds. I won't say i won't be back but at least for this particular stall, its just not worth the stomach space.

Flutes @ the Fort

When it was decided that our monthly meal would be at this place, the first question that came to mind was: "What is Australian Cuisine?" Upon further investigation, it turns out it really isn't much different from Western but as the main flutes website has it, Australian cuisine is: "high quality modern Australian cuisine – characterised by fresh local ingredients."

Address: 21 Lewin Terrace, Fort Canning Park

Contact: 66338 8770

Website: http://www.flutesatthefort.com.sg

Entrance

Getting to the entrance isn't a difficult task but it might elude you if you don't pay attention. The flutes valet parking service is highlighted by a small balloon which is pretty much invisible during the peak hours with cars screaming down your neck. Either way, the moment you find your way in, the immediate impression is that you are no longer in Singapore, and that, my dear friends, is priceless.

The elusive valet parking sign

Exterior

Interior

Soft lighting and a suitably colonial architecture built during the early 19th century welcomes you into this little getaway from all the hustle and bustle of daily life. Art pieces adorn the walls of the little restaurant and despite the pictures you see here, the lights are rather dim once you are inside. Oh, no worries about air conditioning after your long walk here for the place is thankfully air conditioned and very cosy.

Menu


Complimentary Bread

Something about these fine dining restaurants which i have come to realize, is that they serve really good bread. Free no less. And this one is pretty well done. Served in loafs instead of single pieces, the sourdough bread here is soft albeit having a nice crispy crust. Personally, i had in excess of 6 pieces of bread and it still wasn't enough. I had to stop before i stuffed myself too full for the coming main courses though. Which is quite a shame. =P

Alaskan King Crab Souffle ($25)

Having arrived very late because i had to direct a dear friend to the location (when i myself didn't know where it was i might add), we missed another appetizer ordered by the group who came earlier but ended up better off since we knew what was good then. This double baked Alaskan King Crab souffle hit the spot just right for me. Although the portion was small, the taste more than satisfied my questions for whether the location would be worth the money. The dish simply tasted cheesy with hints of crab, i believe one crab could have made more than one of these dishes which is a shame we didn't get the whole deal. Still, coupled with the complimentary bread, this was an excellent starter.

Roasted Half Duckling ($38)


Seared Paperbark Scented Petuna Ocean Trout ($36)


Roasted Black Cod ($36)

I got a little taste of almost everything you see here and i must say the ocean trout and black cod is extremly well done. Fragrant, fresh and simply delectable. Worth a try but of course, i'm basing that on just a small spoonful so you may have you reservations before trying. Well, all my friends had their eyes wide open and mouth humming: "Mmmm....." after one bite so you got your review there. I didn't get to try the roasted half duck but i didn't hear any complaints on that either.

Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly ($37)

I got to have a really generous piece of this as well and i must say, its fragrant and tasty...as soon as you get over the fact that the tasty soft portion is all fats of course. Best to let a person who had it as a main course tell you how it really tastes. And this is FatPig in his own words:
"My main course, the Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly. Just to reiterate that Kurobuta Pork is akin to Kobe beef in the pork hierarchy, therefore making it highly prized and expensive. The Kurobuta pork belly was nothing short of excellent, with the fats literally melt in your mouth tender and the meat fibrous yet retaining a certain firmness. Did I mention anything about the skin being crackling crispy as well? The accompanying Sauteed Portobello mushrooms were juicy and soaked up the wonderful Star Aniseed Jus, making for a wonderful and flavourful side. Please be warned that this dish is definitely not for the health conscious."

Grilled Grain Fed Beef Tenderloin ($39)

And yes, i had beef again. Well, i had to make a choice between this and kangaroo loins so naturally i picked something i'm already familiar with to prevent disappointment. Did it disappoint? I'd say no. The beef came nicely grilled to perfection, being nicely cooked on the outside and fresh on the inside thus retaining most of the beef juices i so love. The side of mashed potato gratin was great, the top most layer was little crunchy and very soft on the inside. The sauce deserves special mention as well, it tasted like a mix of japanese teriyaki sauce with chinese soya sauce used in fish dishes. A wierd combination to be sure, but surprisingly compliments the dish making it close to perfection. For me at least. =P

Chocolate Fondant

Fresh Mango and Strawberry Millefeuille

Personally, i did not get to try these 2 but i understand they were acceptable though not extraodinary.

Peach and Vanilla Creme Brulee

A lovely dessert to be sure. However, having tried the same offering in Eden Cafe by Chef Clement, i'd say the creme brulee was good but lacking in the sense that the sugar layer on top was too thick. It actually stuck to the teeth and that dampened spirits somewhat after a satisfying meal. That said though, the layer beneath was still smooth and moderately sweet enough to be good. The ice cream it came with was Mint and Chempedak which is nice and smooth but didn't quite appeal to my tastes. I could have enjoyed a simple vanilla with the creme brulee and it would have been perfect.

Bill

The meal came up to $516 for 7 people. Which isn't too expensive considering it brought me temporarily away from the bustle of daily life and had a generally high quality in its food offerings. Factor in wonderful company and this Aussie meal is just great.

Score:

Ambience: 7.75/10
Food : 7.75/10
Value for Money: 6.5/10
Portion Size: 7/ 10
Service : 7.5/10

Overall: 7.3/10

Last Word:
So far, i've had quite a few meals and this is one of them i could easily recommend to people. The ambience is nice with soft lighting and its rather obscure location. Romantic even if its a quiet evening. When we were there, there was a rather huge rowdy group behind us that made conversation rather difficult. Food-wise, this place works for me and their seasonal offerings mean i could return for different dishes each time. Do try this place out.