Swensen's Gastronomic World Tour! - Around The World In More Than 80 Days

This year, Swensen’s introduces a foodie world tour – Around The World in More Than 80 Days – where an exclusive dish, inspired by a country’s cuisine is released each month throughout the year.

Since the beginning of Swensen’s, its quality yet affordable food and cozy ambience has won the hearts of many, letting people from all walks of life carve out a memory at Singapore’s favourite family-friendly restaurant. In 2016, Swensen’s will push boundaries to create a memorable dining adventure for their long-time patrons. Inspired by the novel and movie – Around the World in 80 Days – Swensen’s will be taking their diners on a gastronomic journey beyond the little red dot through monthly new dishes from every continent.

Fans of Swensen’s can look forward to an exclusive dish released each month that is inspired by a country’s unique culinary heritage. The first three delectable releases from January to March 2016 respectively are Hurry Curry Crayfish Pasta, Pineapple Fried Rice Paradise and Essentially Hambagu. These seasonal dishes will tickle your taste buds with authentic country origin flavors complete with Swensen’s local twist.

February 2016

Pineapple Fried Rice Paradise ($15.90)

 This Thailand-inspired mouth-watering combination of sweetpineapple chunks and savoury cashew fried rice represents the best of Thailand. Enjoy the merriment of delicate ocean catch, Wahoo fish fillet, thoroughly coated with Swensen’s rendition of sweet Thai sauce with fragrant pineapple rice that comes with prawn crackers for that extra crunch. As Wahoo fishes are wild ocean catches, so they tend to have a firmer bite as compared to fresh water fishes that are soft and crumbly.

Completed with a zesty Thai salad, this medley of flavours is a taste of the Tropics!

March 2016

Essentially Hambagu ($15.90)

With the influence of the western love for burgers and steaks, and Nihon’s rich ancient culture and heritage, Hambagu is born. Diners are in for a treat as they tuck in freshly grounded beef with chunky sautéed shiitake mushrooms generously mixed within, which are then grilled to a deep brown peak and served with a specially concocted dipping Japanese barbeque sauce. End of the meal by refreshing your taste buds with a light Asian salad and sautéed shiitake mushrooms.

Mad Hatter’s Ciabatta Tea Set is back!

The perfect start to a 3-course menu is with Swensen’s Ciabatta Tea Set that comes with signature baked honey buttercream Ciabatta Rolls, warm and fluffy, paired together with their recently launched, free-flow Custom Roasted Coffee. Coffee beans hailing from Sumatra Mandheling, Tanzania, El Salvador and Brazilian Robusta are given the Full City Plus roast treatment, to produce a coffee blend that boasts a full body finish with hints of earthy notes and caramelized nuts.

If you're not a coffee lover, the free-flow of drinks can be tea or soft drinks!

Swensen’s Mad Hatter’s Ciabatta Tea Set, $5.00 is available at all Swensen’s outlets on weekdays from 2.30pm – 5.00pm only. Price is before GST and service charge.

***

Swensen’s Around the World in more than 80 Days Menu launches in Swensen’s restaurants islandwide from 1st January 2016, and will run till 31st December 2016.

Exclusively for HSBC Cardholders: enjoy 15% off an order of Around the World dish or 10% off the entire bill.

Swensen's SG50 menu (Jan-Mar 2015)

Was invited to food tasting at Swensen's for their upcoming SG50 menu.

Not only that, we tried the special christmas menu available in December as well!

My favourite was the Velvety Christmas Cheer ($6.90) that is a rich blend of red velvet chocolate, milk and milo, crowned with fluffy whipped cream and marshmallows. The perfect drink to get warm and cosy in this festive season :)

Pop Goes the Caramel ($11.50)

This joyously delicious combination just got better! Generous scoops of Salted Caramel ice cream topped with crunchy caramel popcorn and drizzled with luxuriously smooth caramel, this is one magical treat you can't miss.

***

As a local staple family restaurant, Swensen’s has grown and progressed alongside Singapore every step of the way for the past few decades. In conjunction with the momentous SG50 island-wide celebration, Swensen’s presents an inventive menu that pays homage to the nation’s signature flair of Singaporean flavors by reintroducing all-time favourite dishes infused with the essence of local specialties. 

For the whole year of 2015, diners can expect an intriguing dish every month at Swensen’s as part of an ongoing joyous celebration for the nation’s 50 year milestone. These limited edition offerings are bound to please your palettes with their rich, comforting flavors, all at a pocket-friendly price point. 

SG50 Menu: January 2015 – March 2015 

The three entrées will be launched successively in the first quarter of the year, and would satiate any appetite looking to devour savoury dishes with a spicy kick.

January 2015

Laksa Aglio Olio with King Prawns ($14.90)

A Swensen’s original back by popular demand! Putting a local twist on the classic Aglio Olio, this

indulgent creation features succulent king prawns poached in a flavorful Court-Bouillion and tossed in tantalizing Laksa pesto and fragrant Laksa leaves. 

The laksa flavour was pretty much undetectable, but the fragrance of the laksa leaves were definitely heavenly. However, if you're on a first date, do take note of the laksa leaves getting stuck between the teeth :p The Aglio Olio is surprisingly not spicy at all, hence we would recommend having a 'spicy' version for real aglio olio lovers :)

February 2015

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Satay Sauce ($14.90)

One of Singapore’s most enduring dishes with a Swensen’s makeover! This main course features

juicy chicken marinated with chef’s special blend of spices and grilled to tender perfection, accompanied with a delicious homemade satay gravy, which is DA-BOMB if you're craving for satay and don't wanna spend time queueing/waiting for those at food stalls that will eventually come chao-tar, like 90% of the time :/ I can't wait for February to come~!

Complementing the dish perfectly is a side of fragrant pineapple butter rice and refreshing mixed

salad, and crackers.

March 2015

Beef Rendang Baked Rice ($13.90)

Dig into tender beef slices wonderfully basted in delectable homemade spicy Rendang sauce, served

over a bed of aromatic savory rice. The dish is then baked to golden brown perfection with a layer of

delicious melted cheese, and crowned with crispy prawn crackers for that crunchy finish.

I personally find this main course a little too spicy for my taste buds, but wouldn't deny that it is the most flavourful out of the three dishes we sampled.

The SG50 Menu launches in Swensen’s restaurants island-wide from 1st January 2015, and will run till 31st December 2015. Each dish will only be there for a month, so do check them out while available!

Below are addresses of the Swensen's outlets :)

Ang Mo Kio Hub

53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3

#B1-25/26

Bedok Mall

311 New Upper Changi Road

#01-77

Bukit Panjang Plaza

1 Jelebu Road

#03-04

Causeway Point

1 Woodlands Square

#02-08/09

Centrepoint

176 Orchard Road

#02-52/53/54

Compass Point

1 Sengkang Square

#B1-28/29

City Square Mall

180 Kitchener Road

#03-37/38

Clementi Mall

3155 Commonwealth Ave

West #05-31/32/33

E! Hub @ Downtown East

1 Pasir Ris Close #02-121/122

IMM

2 Jurong East Street 21

#01-111

ION Orchard

2 Orchard Turn

#B1-31

Junction 8

9 Bishan Place

#01-39

Jurong Point

63 Jurong West Central 3

#B1-64

Marina Square

6 Raffles Boulevard

#01-206/207

Nex Mall

23 Serangoon Central

#02-07/08

North Point

930 Yishun Avenue 2

#01-16/17

Parkway Parade

80 Marine Parade Road

#B1-33/34

Plaza Singapura

68 Orchard Road

#03-23

Tampines Mall

4 Tampines Central 5

#03-30

The Seletar Mall *NEW*

33 Sengkang Avenue

#02-11/12

Thomson Plaza

301 Upper Thompson Road

#03-23

West Mall

1 Bukit Batok Central Link

#02-05

24 hours Swensen's Outlet

Changi Airport Terminal 2

Mezzanine Level, Arrival Meeting Hall North

Benjamin Browns Bistro & Bakery @ The Forum Shopping Mall

One of the places you can hide from the bustling crowd in town, The Forum Mall.
Tucked far inside the mall, next to the escalator, we found a hidden gem - Benjamin Browns Bistro.
This bistro may easily escape the attention of many people on a crowded weekday peak hour. We chanced upon it while looking through The Entertainer app's map for nearby cafes to chill.

Benjamin Browns Bistro & Bakery

#01-20/21, 583 Orchard Road
Singapore

Tel
6887 4117

Opening Hours
Mon-Thu: 10am - 9pm
Fri: 10am - 10pm
Sat: 9am - 10pm 
Sun: 9am - 9pm

Website
http://benjaminbrowns.com/

The interior of the bistro is kept simple and visually pleasing with classic wainscoting, soft whites and pale browns, and vintage wares. What attracted me to the cafe was the whole tranquil and relaxed feel, and many adorable ang moh kids roaming by.

Chilli Crab Linguine $20
Linguini tossed with crab meat and vodka arrabbiata sauce

This item on the menu caught our eyes with its local twist to an Italian dish. We definitely didn't regret ordering it. The pasta came with generous servings of shredded fresh crabmeat, and some chunky pieces to give us the 'kick'. At only $20, I would prefer this ready-to-eat crabmeat pasta to real chilli crab anytime!






Seafood Aglio Olio $19
Linguini with fresh seafood, lots of garlic, olive oil and chilli



As you can probably tell from the photo, the aglio olio was lavished with various seafood that adds on to the flavour of the dish. The linguine was cooked al dente, though I wish there can be more garlic.



Before going off, we saw these pretty cakes that made me stopped in my tracks.
May go back for high tea some other day!

***

Benjamin Browns Bistro & Bakery

#01-20/21, 583 Orchard Road
Singapore

Tel
6887 4117

Opening Hours
Mon-Thu: 10am - 9pm
Fri: 10am - 10pm
Sat: 9am - 10pm 
Sun: 9am - 9pm

Website
http://benjaminbrowns.com/

The Bank Bar & Bistro @ One Shenton

Met up with some of the fdgm people for a meal as well as to surprise WL at her new work place! :)
We checked out The Bank Bar + Bistro nearby some of our offices, at One Shenton.

 The Bank Bar + Bistro 

 #01-01, One Shenton, 1 Shenton Way 

 Hours Daily: 
11:00 - 00:00 

 Tel:
66362188 

Website
http://www.thebankbar.com




 The Bank Bar + Bistro has an all-day dining and bar concept with premium quality western cuisine and wine for business entertainment. The spacious, lofty and chic ambience works well for after-work unwinding or weekend brunches.





With a beautifully designed, seamless space that houses the bar and dining areas, the sophisticated all-in-one drinking and dining venue is ideal for corporate events besides catering to the different drinking and dining crowd.



Sports aficionados can also gather at this hot spot to catch major sports leagues, and bond over great food and beers/wines.
As stated above, The Bank Bar opens til midnight on both weekdays and weekends, so patrons don't have to worry about searching for another place to hang out after dinner hours.



Service was kind of slow and the waitress had this annoyed look on her face throughout. Overworked?
Seems like the disappointing service affected my friend a lil.
(He sure needs that beer huh.)




As if making up for the (lack of) service though, the food served was very palatable and one will be spoiled for choices with the extensive menu.

The seafood aglio olio I had was extremely favourful, with seafood all so fresh and succulent. The squid especially, was cooked just nice and juicy. We also order barbecued baby ribs that were full of meat and so tender to the point it almost fell off the rib as soon as we touched it. The BBQ sauce was perfect with a smokey and tangy taste. Serving of the pizza was huge and thus very good for sharing.

Here are some pictures of the awesome food we had:

Seafood Aglio Olio $24.50
Comes with succulent prawns, fresh squid, fresh black mussels, garlic, chilli flakes, olive oil and parsley.








Braised Lamb Shank $33.00
with roasted potatoes, asparagus, vine tomato and rosemary sauce



With #laopengyou lol :D




Barbeque Baby Back Ribs $26.00
with mesclun salad and potato wedges




Fungi $23.50
Pizza topped with a generous blend of jalapeno, white button mushroom, mozzarella, onions, capsicum, dry thyme and creamy white sauce



The bunch of us before hopping over to WL's place!



xoxo