A review of Aura, National Gallery Singapore (4 Hands Kitchen)

👍 Imaginative Dishes, well-balanced flavours and textures. Gorgeous dining area.
👎 Nothing much ... except maybe for the fish.

Last week the darling and I spent a few hours in Aura's super gorgeous dining room, stuffing ourselves on terrific Italian fare from both resident chef Beppe de Vito, and visiting chef Luigi Taglienti (who hails from one-Michelin-starred Lume Restaurant in Milan). Although Aura itself isn't Michelin-starred (yet?), Chef Beppe's other Singapore restaurant - Braci - is also one-starred, so we go in with pretty high expectations!


To start - warm, buttered foccacia bread, served with a delightfully fragrant extra virgin olive oil (though strangely, no balsamic vinegar).


The dinner then properly starts with the first amuse bouche: Chef Luigi's White on White (Passion fruit cream sandwiched by rice crackers & topped with edible flowers). Flowers, as always, are really just for show (they're pretty much tasteless), but the airy, light, crisp rice crackers & just-the-right-hint-of-sour passion fruit cream really do whet the appetite.


Chef Beppe's amuse bouche is the Uni and Scallop, which - as you may have guessed - is Uni and a Hokkaido Scallop. Topped with caviar and wrapped in a shiso leaf. I'm not really sure that Italians traditionally eat uni and scallop like this, but there's no need to complain when the bite tastes this good: Creamy, briny, sweet, salty ... and that nice ever-so-slight pungent flavours from the shiso leaf.


We move on to the first of the hot dishes then, with Chef Luigi serving up a Squid Scampi in Black and White: Tender, juicy scampi with mushroom, sunchoke (jerusalem artichoke) puree and a pork jus. Probably the standout plate of the night for us.


Chef Beppe then serves up his Coho Salmon, White Asparagus and Wild Garlic. The salmon was cooked ever so slightly to a 'barely rare' temperature, which was amazing texture-wise. The asparagus was likewise also delicious. We didn't like the crisp skin, though. It seemed to have been cooked and then flattened in the dehydrator, which did result in it being terrifically crispy, but also tasting too much like scales.


We continue again with Chef Beppe's dish: Lobster Tortelli, Fava Beans, and Yuzu Salmoriglio. This was another terrific hit. Perfectly portioned and textured tortelli with just the right amount of well cooked lobster meat. The accompanying lobster broth was perhaps just a tad bit salty, but nevertheless had an amazing depth of (lobster) flavour.


Chef Luigi's Seabass and Celeriac, however, was a little anti-climactic. The fish itself was juicy and at just the right temperature, but seabass is a very mild tasting fish, and its flavours were totally overpowered here by the strong tanginess of the celariac.


The final hot plate of the night ended with Chef Beppe's Kagoshima Wagyu, Kale and Wasabi Oil. As you'd expect from a proper wagyu steak, it was juicy and sinfully oily, and seasoned with just the right hint of salt. The accompanying kale (crispy and light: probably deep fried) and kale puree were nice, but really our opinions are that good steaks are perfectly able to hold the stage alone without needing any supporting cast at all.


For dessert, chef Luigi's rendition of a Black Truffle Tiramisu was a revelation. The truffle-laced mascarpone cream was came in a chocolate / fingers / biscuit-like casing, sprinkled with chocolate powder and topped with more truffle. Utterly delicious.


And finally to end the night: Chamomile Tea (complimentary) and Petit Fours of Olive Oil macaron, chocolate tart, and limoncello-laced strawberry.


For just under a hundred (nett) per person, we thought that the dinner was good value, and thoroughly enjoyed all the dishes (except for the seabass)!

Aura is on the fifth floor of the National Gallery Singapore (which, by the way, has free entry for Singaporeans and Singapore PRs). Reservations Recommended; Non-Halal.

Look See Eat

Creme Caramel Cake at ESSE DUE (エッセドゥエ) - Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman Episode 10

If you're reading this then you're probably a Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman fan like we are. And like us, you might be thinking of paying a few of the shops a visit on your next trip to Tokyo. To help you a little in your quest, today we bring you a short write-up of the Creme Caramel Cake (Caramel Pudding) at ESSE DUE (エッセドゥエ) from episode 10 of the show!


Follow this link to go back to the master list of all the other dessert shops / cafes.

🍨 I guess Creme Caramel needs no introduction - it's a really popular custard dessert topped with a layer of soft caramel. What's a little different about ESSE DUE's version is that it's served as a slice of cake and topped with whipped cream. Aesthetics aside, though, it's superbly executed: the custard's smooth, jiggly but firm, and the caramel has been cooked/burnt just long enough to impart the perfect amount of bitter. Divine.

🍴 Unlike many of the other shops on Kantaro's list which are dedicated dessert joints, ESSE DUE is first and foremost an Italian restaurant. During our lunch visit we shared a pizza lunch and salad lunch (there's also a pasta lunch option), which comes with pizza, salad, and your choice of cold or hot coffee/tea.


Ultimately, we thought that the food was mediocre/subpar, so ask for the dessert menu if you just want cake!

👥 Crowd: We visited on a Friday lunchtime, and the ground floor dining area shop was around two-thirds full. Do note, though, that ESSE DUE is firmly in the middle of office territory, so it's possible that they are less crowded on weekends.

🚄 Access: As always, directions via Google Maps rarely ever fail me in Tokyo, but if you won't have Internet connectivity then the restaurant is a few minutes walk from exit B6 of the Akasaka Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line).

Tabelog Link for your quick reference on opening days / hours. Reservations not accepted.

Newbie Kitchen: A first-timer's attempt at Traditional Fettuccine Carbonara!

Welcome to our inaugural episode of Newbie Kitchen! In this series of videos we'll tackle a recipe or dish which we've never cooked before, purely with guidance from the almighty Internet! Today, we're trying out two different takes on the traditional way of making Carbonara - i.e. without any dairy. Let's see whether two total newbies can nail it on the first try!


List of Ingredients (for 1 portion):
→ 50-60g Guanciale (cured Italian pork jowl)
→ 30-40g Pecorino Romano (Italian sheep's milk cheese)
→ 60-70g Pasta (we used Fettuccine in this video)
→ 1-2 Egg Yolks
→ Black Pepper
→ Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Tips & Tricks for the Newbie Cook:

#1: You don't need Olive Oil - it depends how much oil your Guanciale (or Pancetta or Bacon) renders out into the pan.


#2: Know your pasta! We didn't know how long to cook this pasta so we just winged it (wang it?); it turned out slightly undercooked.


#3: Heat is not your friend (when blending in the egg yolks). Take your pan off the heat otherwise you risk scrambling the egg yolks instead.


Finished Product & Verdict:


It was pretty damn good! Although we're not exactly too sure how much of that success was down to dumb beginners' luck. Will have to find out later on when we try cooking this dish again with our leftover pork jowl and sheep's cheese, though.

If you enjoyed the video, and/or you'd like to share more tips & tricks, we'd absolutely love to hear from you: Leave us your comment below!

The Best Italian Restaurant in Singapore - Osteria Mozza by Chef Mario Batali, MBS.

Let me preface this post by saying that no, we haven't visited all the hundreds of Italian restaurants in town before concluding that Osteria Mozza is Singapore's best Italian restaurant. The spirit is more than willing but the wallet (and bank account) is weak, so we defer to the experts on San Pellegrino & Acqua Panna's Asia's 50 best restaurants panel - 2015 edition. A total of ten Singapore eateries made the list this year, and Osteria Mozza was the highest-ranked Italian restaurant, so by extension it's the best Italian restaurant in town ... right?


Opened by Celebrity Chef Mario Batali, the restaurant sits proudly opposite the Marina Bay Sands theatre. Decor is a stylish blend of modern chic and traditional wood-panels-everywhere; service is competent and friendly but not quite 'fine dining.' That's OK though, we much prefer the noise and energy in the dining room and not having to worry about whispering to each other over the table.


Let's eat! The amuse-bouche of home made Ricotta Cheese with Olive Tapenade gets chowed down in a single bite - it's a pretty nice introduction to the rest of the food that's on the way.


As is hinted at by the restaurant's name, Osteria Mozza makes a whole lot of fresh cheeses daily - mostly around the Mozzarella variety. The chef-recommended cheese starter is the Burrata with California Sterling Royal Caviar, red onion, egg and chive ($48). If like us you've never heard of burrata, it's an Italian cheese made by combining hot kneaded mozzarella and fresh cream, and tastes like a very stretchy, light mozzarella (with a consistency not unlike mochi). And if like us you've also never heard of California Sterling Royal Caviar, it's the deliciously juicy and slightly briny eggs of farm-raised fully grown white sturgeon. We're absolute newbies to the world of caviar so we've got no idea how this matches up to the actual eggs of wild-caught beluga sturgeon, though.


If the first cheese dish was portioned a little on the small side, the next one - Smoked Buffalo Mozzarella with Prosciutto di Parma - absolutely overcompensates. For $25 we get an entire plate of the luscious Italian ham with a generous dollop of Italian water buffalo cheese. The ham is gorgeously fatty and deliciously salty ... initially. Towards the end we were struggling to finish the salty ham. Too much of a good thing, perhaps?


We move on to primo portions of pasta, and perhaps make a slight mistake in ordering two very similar dishes: Maltagliati with Duck Ragu ($26) and Tagliatelle with Oxtail Ragu ($29). Ragu means meat sauce, and you would need to be a sommelier to detect any major flavour differences in either preparation. Other than the difference in meat, of course.


One slight disappointment - both these pastas are quite a bit on the salty side. Either small portion in isolation would be fine, but when we're eating two salty pastas immediately after polishing down an entire plate of salty Prosciutto ... you probably get the picture. Perhaps the wait staff could have (should have (?)) given us a head's up when taking our orders?


All the pastas are also available in roughly double-priced (and presumably double-sized) secondo portions if you're so inclined. We decided instead to share a gorgeous Pan Roasted Iberico Pork Chop with fennel, onion and sambuca ($68) - cooked medium. Did we already mention it was gorgeous? Both on the plate and in the mouth. The pork was cooked just right, and with the perfect amount of fat to ensure a taste of heaven in every bite.


By the end of the pork chop we were absolutely stuffed and passed on dessert, except for a scoop of candle-lit vanilla gelato - compliments of the house as congratulations for our anniversary.


Food here doesn't come cheap - around $240 for the both of us. We're not quite sure whether this is expensive, to be honest. On one hand $120/pax is a lot of money; on the other hand the food's damn good (except for the sodium overload) and the price tag is a hell of a lot lower than any of the other nine Singaporean entrants on Asia's top 50.

So we conclude that the food here is both pricey and reasonable at the same time (yay indecisiveness!). Price tag aside the pasta here is miles better than that other celebrity restaurant Jamie's Italian, which frankly was somewhat disappointing given Jamie Oliver's immense popularity.

Osteria Mozza is in Marina Bay Sands. Reservations highly recommended - the restaurant is always full even on weekday nights. Non-halal.

Jamie's Italian now Open in Vivocity, Singapore!

Singapore is fast becoming the restaurant capital of Asia, with a staggering seven entries in the Top 20 of the latest Miele Guide, and restaurants opened by multiple Celebrity Chefs island-wide. The vast majority of these are fine dining (i.e. expensive as heck) though, so it's refreshing and exciting that our latest Celebrity Chef to set up shop, Jamie Oliver, has gone for a more accessible route with an outlet of his flagship Jamie's Italian restaurant chain over at Vivocity!


The best way to describe Jamie's Italian is perhaps "casual fine dining" - fine dining without the pretentiousness or the price. The restaurant has a decidedly casual and yet exciting vibe - you can feel the energy especially when seated right next to the impressive ~30 foot long open kitchen. The chef constantly paces up and down pushing his cooks - it's remarkably similar to watching an episode of Hell's Kitchen. Without all the swearing and banging of tables, of course.

"Communicate with each other!"
"How long?"
"Table 45 is up next"
"I need this urgently"
"Yes Chef!"

It's mesmerizing, and I think the darling gave up trying to get my attention after losing it more than once during the meal.


Moving on to the first of our starters, then, the Crispy Squid ($11.50). This squid is battered and deep fried perfectly and is nice and crispy. Some might find it a little lacking in seasoning; understandable given Jamie's focus on simplicity and healthier recipes. After all, the typical East Asian deep fried squid dish usually calls for a heavily seasoned batter (prime example being the Chinese/Taiwanese salt and pepper laden batter).


Our Baked Mushrooms ($12.50) are also relatively lightly seasoned; in my opinion the light seasoning approach works better here as it allows the mushrooms to take center stage. Would definitely order again.


Moving on to our main courses - Jools' Favorite Sicilian Tuna Fusilli ($21.00 for full-sized portion). The tomato-based sauce is slightly spicy and tangy and complements the tuna well. Fusili is a great pasta choice as the many 'ridges' hold the (relatively watery) sauce much better than a 'smooth' pasta would. I'm not entirely convinced about the breadcrumbs though - they add an interesting crunch to the first few mouthfuls but quickly soak up the sauce and so the crunch disappears. Definite must-order if you're a tuna fan.


Brixham Bay Crab Risotto is $19.00 for the small portion pictured below; $28.50 for full size. I thought that the rice was cooked very well - with firm, individually distinct grains held together by that starchy reduced stock without being hard. However I also thought this was a very one-dimensional dish - crab is after all a very delicate tasting meat, and with the very strong flavour from the risotto, it simply fades too far into the background. I would have preferred an accompaniment which either provides some textural contrast or can hold its' own in the flavours department.


At just about $75 for two people, it ends up to be a very reasonable and accessible celebrity chef restaurant, and we'll certainly be back again. Service is pretty good - their aim is to provide a fine dining experience after all (so expect little touches like everyone on the table is served at once, etc). One little snafu - our waitress forgot to send our main courses to the kitchen so we ended up waiting 45 minutes for our mains; but that's totally forgivable as we visited during the training soft launch.

Jamie's Italian is on the first floor of Vivocity - along that stretch of restaurants facing Sentosa Island. Non-halal.

All photos taken with iPhone as I didn't have my camera with me :(

Pasta Fresca da Salvatore and Udders Ice Cream (Upper East Coast Road)

To take advantage of the numerous higher-end landed properties and condominiums along Upper East Coast Road, quite a number of restaurants and eateries have sprouted up serving a mixture of Indian and European delights. Case in point: Pasta Fresca de Salvatore Italian Restaurant.


Opening up with the Parma Ham and Melone (SGD16.90). Having first tried this starter in Nairobi, I find that the version served here in Pasta Fresca is mediocre in comparison. The melon slices were (relatively) dry, and the ham tasted like it hadn't been properly stored before being sliced and served.


For mains, I order the Lasagne Gratinate All'Emiliana (SGD18.40) off the "recommended dishes" portion of the menu, and it turns out pretty bad. Soggy, mushy pasta sheets and bland, poorly cooked-and-put-together meat/sauce - it's pretty shocking that the chefs didn't pay better attention to a dish they recommend. It tasted like it had been fully cooked in the morning and left lying around all day before being microwaved and served up for dinner.


The Pizza Capricciosa (SGD19.90) at least was decent. Heaped with pork salami, ham, artichokes, mushrooms, anchovies and olives, the ingredients on the pizza complemented each other pretty well. I also especially liked the chilli flakes that were served on the side. Crust could have been better though - was sort of an "I can't decide" compromise between thin, crunchy/crispy dough, and fluffier, pan pizza-style dough.


Taking a page out of Eat Drink KL's three-restaurants-per-post book, a short walk away is Udders Ice Cream. This no-frills ice cream shop also has an upstairs seating area and is almost always packed past 8pm.


With a host of fancy self-made flavours such as Lychee Martini, Lemoncello Sorbet (with alcohol!), Mao Shan Wang Durian and Gila Melaka, you'd be hard pressed to find these same combinations elsewhere.

We settle for a double scoop of Snickers Mars Honeycomb Vanilla and Orange Choc Bitters in a cone. The former is rather lacklustre, but the latter ranks among the best ice creams I've ever tasted. Dark, bitter and smooth rich Belgian chocolate Ice Cream spiced with Triple Sec (orange liqeur), I'll definitely be re-ordering this one the next time I'm here.


Pasta Fresca and Udders Ice Cream are 77 and 87 (respectively), Upper East Coast Road. It's not within walking distance from any MRT station, so you'll have to either take a cab, or Bus service #16 from Bedok Interchange. Non-halal.

Pasta de Waraku - Japanese-style Pasta!

The darling and I frequent Changi Airport quite often - thanks to its' relative proximity, and multiple dining options available to the public. I've never done a proper count, but there could easily be three dozen or more separate eateries. Best part is that unlike other airports, prices aren't inflated at all. In fact, retail outlets can even be cheaper than elsewhere thanks to the 7% GST absorption.

Eating at the same joints over and over again can be a bit tiring though, so we venture into a Japanese pasta eatery named Pasta de Waraku. Located at the public areas of Terminal 2, the place offers up a myriad of different pasta dishes - some more Japanified than others.


Each pasta order comes with a mini salad bowl that can at best be described as mediocre. It's got your usual mix of salad greens, a (sour!) cherry tomato, and Wafu (sour/salty vinaigrette) dressing.

For starters, we try the Meatball Teriyaki (SGD8.80 for a half-dozen), which actually tasted pretty good. I'd wager they prepare it almost exactly the same as a Hamburg Steak.


The Fried Potato with Cheese Sauce (SGD4.80) was a little lacklustre, though. Fried potatoes. With nacho cheese sauce. Yes, it tastes exactly like what you'd imagine.

Pasta-wise, the Spaghetti alla Bolognese (SGD14.80) was way too watery for my tastes. I like my bolognese Meaty; this one was just weak and wimpy. As is the case with most mass-market pasta joints, the pasta itself was also overcooked - soft and devoid of that al dente slight chewiness.


The Prawn Spicy Carbonara (SGD16.80) comes with an extremely generous serving of large, fresh, springy prawns. Too bad, then, that the rest of the dish is lacklustre. I think you should also be able to see just how watery the carbonara sauce was. It felt more like carbonara-based soup rather than a real pasta sauce.


Overall, we probably would not return. Prices aren't low enough to accept the unimpressive food, especially when there are so many other superior dining options nearby.

Pasta de Waraku has three outlets around the City - Terminal 2, The Central and Square 2. Non-halal.

No Frills Dining at Kitchen Creatures, Centrepoint Bandar Utama

Of all the people in the world, Malaysians are probably the people on earth most comfortable with the concept of 'no frills' eating. We don't care if the service is crap, or if there are rats scurrying around in the drains while we're seated on plastic chairs on the road, waiting for half an hour for our roti to arrive - as long as the food's good.

It's with this in mind, then, that the darling and I venture into Kitchen Creatures in Centrepoint Bandar Utama, with their tagline of "no frills dining." Sort of like a more upmarket mamak or a hawker centre, I suppose, minus the filth and improperly washed plates, bowls and utensils :)


So ... what exactly is no frills dining? In their words, of course!


Drinks - Coke (MYR3.50) and Limey George (MYR6.80) - which was soda, ribena and lemon.


Fish n Chips (MYR13.00) was passable, being a bit soggy on the inside. I'm also not a huge fan of the "breadcrumbs" style - give me a proper beer batter any day!


My Aglio Olio with Shrimp (MYR15.00) was a huge disappointment. The shrimp weren't fresh and were not de-veined! We had to actually devein it ourselves before eating. Making matters worse was the pasta. Aglio Olio has to be al dente (that means firm but not hard for those of you who don't speak the language of the pretentious foodie :P), but what I got on my plate was the exact opposite. Mushy pasta = no thanks.


So overall, I don't like. Kitchen Creatures does have an interesting concept: pay for the food, and not the service. Sadly to me the food isn't good - it's mediocre at best, and so it doesn't quite live up to its' own definition of no frills dining.

Kitchen Creatures is in Centrepoint, Bandar Utama, and is located directly above the Starbucks.

Legendary Thorn Tree Cafe - Sarova Stanley, Nairobi, Kenya

Today let's travel back in time a bit, back to Nairobi, Kenya - where we find ourselves in the Thorn Tree Cafe in the Sarova Stanley hotel. This was during the "Brazilian Gastronomic Week" (which incidentally, coincided with the Brazilian football team Palmeiras' Under-23 squad tour of Nairobi in late March.

The promotion flyer proudly says "Explore your taste buds with provoking Brazilian delicacies prepared by World renowned Chef Paulo," so explore we shall! Starting off with a decidedly un-Brazilian bun with butter ...


... followed by a Brazilian take on the cream of mushroom soup. This soup was pretty delicious! It wasn't 'creamy,' and smooth - if you can imagine blended/purée'd potatoes, then the soup had that kind of consistency. I had to say though that there was a very strong chicken taste (possibly the chef used chicken stock as a base), which sort of overpowered the mushrooms.


Main course is this chicken dish below. Unfortunately I've forgotten the name of the dish, but not the taste! The gravy is sort of like a kurma, but lighter, creamier, and with a hint of chili and citrus flavours.


Overall, pretty good - but having never tasted any Brazilian food before I don't know how authentic the dishes were.

Moving on to a couple of meals I had in room service - these are also cooked by the Thorn Tree Cafe. The lamb curry was very indian tasting - came with rice and naan bread. Flavorful and aromatic, if perhaps a bit lacking in the spiciness department. Africanized Indian cuisine?


Another indian dish - creamy tomato based chicken curry - served with rice. Tomato flavor was nice and subtle and didn't overpower the curry, but again same criticism that there wasn't enough "kick."


10" stone-baked pizza with chicken, pepperoni and anchovies. I love saltiness of anchovies on pizza. I could probably eat an entire cheese-and-anchovy pizza.


Prices are around 600-800 KSh for starters and 1000-1200 KSh for non-seafood mains. The Sarova Stanley hotel is located on the corner of Kenyatta Avenue and Kimathi Street and is within walking distance of Nairobi's Central Business District.