4 October 2015

Sunrise Bistro & Bar [Media Tasting]


Was invited to chill out at Sunrise Bistro & Bar last week, an impressive restaurant located at a quaint stretch along East Coast Park.


As the name suggests, Sunrise offers both a bistro and a bar, with indoor and alfresco seats.



Helmed by 41 year-old Executive Chef & Owner Vincent Teng with an impressive 22-year culinary experience, Sunrise Bistro & Bar specialises in serving casual fusion dishes - French fare cooked with a contemporary twist and a fine blend of creativity peppered with Asian inspired flavours (the Sous Vide way). This enables diners to experience fine dining at more affordable prices!


There is a live band - The Tripsters - that performs every night at 9pm, and allows you to send song dedications. We definitely had a good time with their performance that evening! All photos credit to molly-mia's camera cos I didn't had mine. We took turns to "work" that night, haha.

We started off our fine dining tasting with a lovely cocktail - Lady in Pink.
Made up of malibu, vodka, cranberry juice, sparkling wine, and topped with sweet, juicy strawberries, I would definitely go back to Sunrise for this anytime!



Seafood Chowder Soup $12
Creamy seafood soup with seasonal fresh seafood, topped with chopped chives and extra virgin olive oil



The seafood chowder didn't come looking like the usual creamy chowder. It was quite orangey as Chef Vincent included tomatoes in the base to give it a more zesty flavour, making it more refreshing as an appetizer. The soup was served with generous amount of seafood and a bread, definitely value-for-money. One of my favourite for the night!


Seared Foie Gras $19
Seared goose liver on brioche bread layered with mango with citrus jam and berry compote



We had half the usual serving-size for the foie gras to leave more tummy space for the rest of the dishes. Sunrise uses goose liver and it was seared to perfection - so fragrant and smooth. The tangy mango slice complements the fatty foie gras flawlessly.


Sunrise "Fish & Chips" $26
Crispy fried red snapper with lemon myrtle pepper served with mango salsa tartare sauce and french fries



Again, this fish & chips was very different from what we had expected. An absolute embodiment of fusion food - Asian dish with Western presentation. I was telling Mia that it tasted like sweet-and-sour fish without the sauce, probably due to the fact that it is fried red snapper instead of the usual battered dory fish.


Cereal Crusted Cod Fish $28
Baked cod fish with cereal crust served with seasonal vegetable braised in sesame oil and giner shoyu broth


This is my favourite main of the evening. 
The cereal crust is so fragrant and crispy, while the texture of the cod fish is tender and flavourful after being soaked in the sesame oil & ginger shoyu broth.


Asian Five Spice Duck Leg Confit $28
Sous vide 8-hour crispy duck leg infused with five spice served with citrus salad & passionfruit sauce



Definitely sous vide for 8 hours as the duck meat was so tender. The skin was totally crispy and fragrant, making me finish up every piece of it.


Marmite Canadian Pork Shoulder $26
Sous vide and grilled pork shoulder with marmite marinate served with seasonal vegetable



The pork shoulder is marinated with marmite before sous vide. This is the first time trying marmite and it was quite good. Not too overwhelming as I had thought. The pork shoulder taste very similar to char siew, without the fattiness, reminding us again of Chef Vincent's fusion culinary approach.


BBQ Beef Short Ribs $32
24-hour Sous vide to tender and roast with homemade BBQ sauce served with seasonal vegetables



This beef short ribs were sous vide for 24 hours making it so tender and juicy. The insides of the ribs remains pink and the meat so succulent.


Tiramisu Semi Freddo $12
Semi frozen mascarpone cheese layered with coffee liquer jelly psonge topped with milo crunch and tuile biscuit



Not the first time having semi-freddo dessert, but it's my first having a semi-freddo version of tiramisu. It went well, especially with the fat, juicy raisin infused with brandy.


Salted Egg Yolk Custard Molten Chocolate Cake $14
Warm chocolate cake with melting salted egg yolk custard in the center served with vanilla ice cream




Another of my favourite for the evening. Chocolate lava cake that oozes salted egg yolk is simply divine!


Sunrise Bistro & Bar

902 East Coast Parkway, Playground @ Big Splash, Block B #01-05
Singapore 6440 9090

Opening Hours

Mon - Thu: 11:30am - 1:00am
Fri: 11:30am - 2:00am
Sat & Eve of Public Holiday: 9:00am - 2:00am
Sun & Public Holiday: 9:00am - 1:00am

Website

http://sunrisebistrobar.com/

28 September 2015

Chicken Legend SG




So in this hazy period, and where everybody is either drinking herbal tea or similar to reduce the harmful impacts on our throats or body in general, I was introduced to an yummy, cooling alternative - coconut steamboat! The steamboat base is from pure coconut water straight out of coconut itself, with no artificial sweeteners added into soup. This unique steamboat eatery can be found at a traditional coffee shop along the Upper East Coast road.




Chicken Legend

15 Upper East Coast Road

Reservation
+65 92950650


 I went for the media tasting by cab as I was in a rush to get there after work. However, after I've arrived, I realised that the stall is actually quite accessible by public transport. It's simply a minute walk away from the bus stop that has buses taking you to various popular stations like Bedok / Tampines :)

Now, let us get started on the food itself!



First, choose your steamboat set + any add-ons!



Here's a simpler illustration of their set menu.



Add-ons:


Set prices start from $20, which is the small set for two. Great for couples who wants to have steamboat by their own yet wanna avoid over-ordering!



The stall also serves its own special sauce which fuses over 10 different herbs, served with fresh condiments such as garlic, chilli and / or lime of your choice.



We had a regular set, seafood combo, as well as the meat combo.


The chicken cubes are from kampung chickens, which are said to have less fat and are healthier for consumption as they are fed with natural ingredients, rather than antibiotics-laced chicken feed. Also, they are usually reared in free-range farms, allowing the chickens to roam freely which translates to healthily ;)



The beef and pork are hand-sliced pretty evenly thin, making them great for sabu sabu ;)



As mentioned, the soup base contains only coconut, with no sugar and water added. The soup on its own is naturally sweet, and becomes more flavourful as the ingredients are added in bit by bit.



(The young, dashing boss showing us the way to enjoy Chicken Legend steamboat!)


Pot of gold!


Even mediacorp Tracy Lee was there for steamboat!



If you're going down to try out Chicken Legend coconut steamboat, do quote "HUI ZI" for 10% discount or free plate of meat worth $6 :)




15 September 2015

Swensens SG50 Moon Gems mooncakes

Mid-Autumn festival is rolling around, and Swensen’s has the perfect seasonal 
offering for annual, warm familial gatherings whilst basking under the pale moonlight. In celebration of Singapore’s 50th birthday, the much-anticipated SG50 Moon Gems mooncakes feature the iconic Merlion emblem to top off the festivities, in reminiscence of how far Singapore has come in the past five decades, and come encased in a beautiful Lantern Box complete with LED lights and batteries.



I have yet to bring the lantern out (cos of the haze arghh), but will be using it to join in the fun with the kids at home!


With the marking of new milestones, comes a brand new pastry skin recipe for the SG50 Moon Gems ice cream mooncakes that promise to deliver happiness with the improved texture. Swensen’s latest ice cream mooncakes feature six delectable options that celebrate some of Singapore’s most popular local flavors. 


In keeping with Swensen’s passion to innovate and surprise with new offerings, the family restaurant introduces three flavors that will be sure to please – Crunchy Milo, Lychee Dreams and Yummy Yam. Fans of their quintessential mooncake range can revel in familiar, all-time-favorites like the Durian Royale and Sticky Chewy Chocolate.

I chose the 2 all-time favourites - Durian and Sticky Chewy Chocolate, a personal favourite - Strawberry Fields Forever and a SG50 new flavour - Crunchy Milo. 


Had wanted Lychee Dreams too, but it was already out of stocks when I visited Swensens. Shows how popular it is!



 Crunchy Milo (*NEW*)


As local as Singaporean flavours go, bite into the Crunchy Milo mooncake that features the rich malty taste of Milo filled with plush marshmallows and crunchy almond. Definitely the choice flavor combination in honor of Singapore’s 50th birthday. Needless to say, this is my new favourite after the strawberry flavour as I LOVEEEEE Swensens' milo ice-cream personally! :)


 Sticky Chewy Chocolate


This Mid-Autumn, fall in love again with the all-time best-selling Swensen’s signature Sticky Chewy Chocolate ice cream. Wrapped in our soft pastry skin, this rich chocolaty goodness will linger in your mouth with every bite. Makes a great gift choice too as you won't go wrong with chocolate ;)


 Durian Royale


Behold the King of Fruits is back! Get ready to savour the rich pungent flavors of D24 durian ice cream. 
But be warned, this aromatic flavor will keep you coming back for more.


 Strawberry Fields Forever


Reminscent of Singapore’s eternal summer days, Swensen’s creamy strawberry ice cream mooncake is abound with fresh ripe strawberries from the sweetest harvest.



 Lychee Dreams (*NEW*)


I really need to get this nearer to MAF, cos the description sounds too tempting!
Get invigorated with the light refreshing taste of the sweet, fragrant translucent white flesh of lychee blended with Swensen’s Lychee ice cream. The unforgettable taste is the stuff of dreams.


 Yummy Yam (*NEW*)


Back by popular demand, Swensen’s signature Yam ice cream returns with its beckoning, all-familiar taste and texture. The aroma and sweet, creamy taste is a definite crowd pleaser and will have you reminiscing of the good old days.

***

Price and Availability 

Swensen’s SG50 Moon Gems Mooncake Collection is priced at $35.80 (inclusive of GST) for a box of 4 (with choice of flavours). Available from 14 August 2015 to 27 September 2015 at all Swensen’s and Earle Swensen’s outlets. No pre-orders are required.

Credit Card Promotions

ANZ, BOC, Citibank, Diners, HSBC, Maybank, OCBC, Standard Chartered Bank, and UOB cardholders can enjoy an early bird special of 15% discount before 15 September 2015 and a 10% discount thereafter till 27 September 2015.

Swensen's Cool Rewards & Kids' Club members can enjoy 20% early bird special before 15 September 2015 & 15% discount thereafter till 27 September 2015.