Corner House @ 1 Cluny Rd, Singapore Botanic Gardens

So Singapore's food scene has gotten more exciting with the Michelin Guide being released, and as my blog name suggests, I went around looking for Michelin Star places to try. In particular I was interested in Corner House, with its newly minted one star Michelin, which offers high-end contemporary (but more Western) cuisine. Tucked inside Singapore Botanic Gardens, Corner House is a quaint colonial house that sits amidst the lush greenery. 

Now getting a reservation for your meal is pretty important as ideal slots are harder to come by, especially with Corner House getting its Michelin Star. I unsuccessfully tried to get a Saturday lunch slot for 3 pax about two weeks before the date. Fortunately I managed Friday lunch for two instead. Do note that like other high-end restaurants, the dinner menu is often more expensive than the lunch. 

So Corner House has a rather "small" menu, so you'll probably end up getting a set, and in this case, I would recommend the Business Luncheon Set below. 

Note that the 3/4 courses courses differ in that you get both appetizers in the latter instead of having just one. I would recommend getting the 4 course set as the appetizers are probably one of the best I've tasted.

Before talking about the food itself, let's talk more about the actual setting of the restaurant. It's quite a quaint place, particularly good for a small group of friends or a couple.The table I got for two people was similar to this but more private as we were hidden in a corner. The view itself was pretty refreshing, as its good to escape the city sights for some greenery. The interior of the restaurant is well-adorned, reminiscent of colonial displays seen in museums. 

Complimentary bread is always welcome, especially when it's fresh. The bread (for those really hungry people, it's refillable) came in two types: the sweetish raisin ones and the plain toasted bread. The butter was pretty nice as it was lightly-salted but it was the presentation of the butter that impressed me. On a side note, Corner House is fully air-conditioned, otherwise the butter would have meet an untimely end.

Appetiser 1: Foie Gras

A pretty good foie gras with a comforting fruity aftertaste. The texture of the foie gras is sufficiently smooth for my liking and the taste is comfortably strong (but this is often a reason why some people avoid or like foie gras).  This taste is achieved through the accompanying ingredients such as the citrus (grapefruit in this case) which help to offset the "raw" taste of the foie gras. The presentation of the meal seen in the picture speaks for itself.

Appetiser 2: Hokkaido Scallop

Probably my favorite dish of the meal. The scallops are completely raw and turned out to have a fine balance of chewiness and firmness. This was to my liking as I find the texture of cooked scallops too chewy. The usage of citrus once again does wonders to keep the brininess of the scallop in check. The tobiko

Main Course 1: Hungarian Mangalitsa Pork

I normally prefer beef as my choice of meat, but I would change sides in a heartbeat if all pork tasted like this. The pork is extremely tender and is easily comparable to kurobuta.  It was pretty amazing how the pork managed to be this tender and not have to compromise by being too thin. Though I wasn't fond of the yellow mustard, it helped to mask the overly meaty flavor that pork tends to have.

Main Course 2: Australian Wagyu Beef

Served medium rare, this wagyu beef is pretty average, although this was because  the earlier pork had already set the standards pretty high. The meat was surprisingly less tender than the pork. The taste of the beef was noticeably less flavorful than wagyu beef offered elsewhere. The fried potato crackers, sitting above the beef, was too firm for my liking.

I would recommend the pork over this, especially since the wagyu is $6 more expensive.

Dessert: Kaya Toast (Left); Japanese Cucumber Sorbet (Right)

The sorbet is unconventional as cucumber is used as the main ingredient. However the sorbet feels too "airy" and I felt that I was eating cool air half the time. Yet it's alright if you just wanted something light but refreshing to end off your dining experience.

Now, the chef's interpretation of kaya toast is an interesting one. It's like an atas sandwich ice cream but instead of taking huge bites of it, you're probably enjoy it more eating it slowly. The cream wedged between the "toasts" is neither too full nor too empty, and is a fine blend of gula melaka and coconut. This was easily the better of the two desserts I tried. 

Overall comments:

The setting of the place is really nice, conducive for a carefree and sunny weekend lunch with a small group of friends and family. The service is excellent, with the waiters meticulously introducing the dishes and its ingredients as well as diligently replacing cutlery and refilling water. (Note: if they ask you whether you want still or sparkling water, you can just opt for iced/warm water)

Overall, Corner House is deserving of its Michelin star in terms of food quality and service. The presentation of the dishes are impeccable and you can forgive them for being a bit small in portion size. Not terribly expensive, although if you opt for dinner, it'll cost a bit more. If you're looking for a nice place to celebrate a more private occasion, I would recommend trying Corner House.

Golden Peony @ Conrad Hotel

So Golden Peony had a 1-for-1 UOB promotion for its set meal, although this was only limited to a small selection of sets. Its normal sets were excluded from the promotion.

Golden Peony is located in the Conrad Hotel, which is considered as mid-high tier and it is to no surprise that the ambiance of the restaurant is quite grand as it is its "intended" atas branding. However, the management of the place leaves much to be desired for. Having read multiple negative online reviews about Golden Peony's notoriously deceptive practices, I had moderated my expectations of the place downwards. True enough, the restaurant met those expectations.

The Bad: 

Even before taking orders, the waitress asked us if we wanted drinks. We asked about the Calamansi Juice listed in the set menu, and it was pointed out that it was not an actual drink and only intended to cleanse the palate. (It was served in shot glasses) This annoys me as it is pretty clear that Golden Peony was trying to pull a fast one and falsely make their menu look more glamorous. 

 Having heard good reviews about the herbal tea and that it was also refillable, my party decided to order two glasses of the Herbal Tea (Lor Hon Gor). Yet as our glasses were later left half empty, we requested for the drinks menu to look for the Herbal Tea description and/or pricing. Having not seen such an item, I asked the staff whether the drink was refillable. The junior staff hesitated for a moment, before commenting that it was refillable and subsequently confirming it with the captain, who then refuted the earlier comment. Addressing the recent online reviews  (dated two weeks from the date of the meal) that the Herbal Tea was refillable, the captain said that it was part of an older set. 

All in all, this just reaffirmed my impression that Golden Peony is deceptive in its practices. If even the staff do not know what the drink is, how do you expect the consumer to know without a well-detailed drinks menu? The restaurant should be more transparent and list all its drinks in a proper menu with prices & descriptions. 

Another unsatisfactory point was that the set had a lot of hidden prawn ingredients but omitted such information in the menu. This could have had disastrous implications as one of my party members is allergic to prawns. We talked to the restaurant manager about this and she later apologized for not reflecting such details in the menu. Towards the end of the meal, the manager gave each member a serving of Golden Peony's signature puff (which we assumed was part of the set), which we later realized was complimentary after checking the bill and the set items. This was a diplomatic way of handling the situation and ended the dining experience on a less sour note. 

The Good:

 The serving sizes are satisfactory. Despite the earlier bad points, Golden Peony does serve pretty appetizing food. The food is generally well-prepared and the serving sizes are satisfactory. However, after my unsatisfactory dining experience with the deceptive practices of Golden Peony, I do not foresee myself returning here even if they have 1-for-1 promotions again in the future.

Herbal Tea (Lor Hon Gor) (Not included in the set)

Charsiew (Left), Deep Fried Prawn (Right)

Not too sure what this was, but I believe it was a replacement of one of the servings of soup

Double Boiled Seafood Soup with Spring Roll

Calamansi Juice (-.-)

Braised Abalone filled in Beancurd, served with Baby Spinach

Fried Rice with Crab Meat, Fish Roe, and Shimeiji Mushroom

On left: The complimentary Golden Peony signature puff
On right: Chilled Avocado Cream with Vanilla Ice Cream

Cherry Garden @ Mandarin Oriental Hotel

This meal was probably eaten about more than a year ago but the food was decent. Service was so-so due to a certain staff who implied that we didn't order enough food.

1) Half Peking Duck- $50

2nd dish- fried rice

2) Soup $12 each (lotus root, hot and spicy)

3) Cod fish fillet -$20 each (2 pax)

4) Spare ribs with - $16 each (2 pax)

5) 3 BBQ meat combo - $35

4) Tofu with monkey head mushroom and spinach - $22

7) Cherry - $12

8) Bean paste pancake with ice cream - $16

Total price: $294 before discount

$250 after

Lawry's The Prime Rib Singapore @ Mandarin Gallery

The second part of the birthday meals was at Lawry's in Mandarin Gallery. There was a 1-for-1 main course weekday lunch promotion and it applied for main courses worth $100 or less. I opted for the Prime Rib Lunch (Specifically the $98++ Lawry's Cut -285g). I also ordered the Traditional Lump Crab Cake (2 pieces -70g each) which were on promotion at $19 instead of the usual $23. So here's what the Prime Rib Lunch included. 

Firstly, the

1) The Famous Original Spinning Bowl Salad

As the name implies, there's some spinning involved. The waitress seen on the left was starting to mix the salad, which was following by the spinning of the bowl on a bed of ice and a short performance whereby she assumed a ballerina pose to pour the dressing. Gotta give Lawry's the presentation points.





The salad was served on a chilled plate and an accompanying fork (which was chilled as well.) Now, as much as I enjoy meat, I do enjoy a good salad, especially one that is savory without an overly creamy dressing. The salad had a healthy variety of romaine and iceberg lettuce, baby spinach, shredded beets, chopped eggs and croutons. Portion size was pretty decent.

Rating: 8/10

2 pieces here

*Side-dish: Traditional Lump Crab Cake

On hindsight, ordering this was overkill but it still turned out to be really good. Now the promotion was basically $19 for these 2 crab cakes. It was well-fried with a healthy layer of crisp without making the crab filling overly dry. It was served with mayonnaise on the side which complimented this rather seemingly petite but filling dish. I would recommend this only if you're not going for the Prime Rib Lunch, simply because after eating this I was already starting to feel full. Would probably be good if you're eating this for tea and not ordering a main.

Rating: 8/10

2) Lawry's Cut (285g) served with Idaho Mashed Potatoes

Now, Lawry's should get an A for presentation. The first picture shows the grill that the chef and manager pushed to my table. The chef started to carve the meat and serve it fresh to me.

One portion

Another portion

As usual, I went for medium rare. This is technically not the steak that people are used to, rather this is meat at its "purest" form. There is very little seasoning (though you can always add the Lawry's signature pepper) which allows you to savor the meat. The meat itself is very tender and is easy cutting. While the meat doesn't pack that oomph that wagyu beef gives, the Lawry's Cut is probably many a meat lover's ideal cut. The mashed potato served is pretty good as well (better than the Bedrock one which I reviewed in an earlier post). Now serving-wise, it is definitely enough for a guy, especially if you also had ordered       the crab cake. 

    Rating: 8/10

3)Yorkshire Pudding
Sounds like a dessert but it's served together with the meat and is meant to be eaten with it. Now the best way to describe this is a cheesier but lighter French toast that is all savory. If the meat and mashed potatoes aren't enough, this is sure to fill your stomach.



Rating: 7.5/10

So to recap, the Prime Rib Lunch includes Items 1, 2 and 3 (Salad, Meat & Mashed Potato, Pudding). My choice of the Lawry's Cut was $98++ although there are cheaper and smaller cuts such as the English Cut (200g @ $83) and the California Cut (160g @ $73).

Overall, as a birthday meal, I enjoyed this meal was more than Bedrock Bar & Grill.  First of all, the one-for-one promotion was well-worth it and Lawry's is considered more high-end. Secondly, the ambiance in Lawry's is better, the place feels more open with a lot of sunlight and a window seat overlooking Orchard Road. Thirdly, the service is good, not to mention the "performances" of the waitresses decked out in the French Maid theme. Bedrock on the other hand seemed a bit more drab with its darker decor and less lively staff.

Food-wise, Lawry's is definitely more filling and you're getting a high grade steak.

Overall rating: 8.5/10 (boosted because of the ambiance, pretty good for lunch dates, and good value if you can use the one-for-one promotion.)

Bedrock Bar & Grill @ Somerset

Wow, a one year break of not writing. Guess I'm back?


Bedrock Bar & Grill (Somerset)

As part of my birthday meals, I went for Bedrock's 3 course lunch set (starter, main, and dessert), as seen below

With a party of 4, we went for 2 steaks and 2 seafood/poultry mains.

 Let's begin with the Starters:

 House Cured Salmon

Quite "pretty" for a starter. It's basically smoked salmon, which turned out pretty good. The portion size is about 3 fairly large slices, embellished with pickled radish and caperberries. The sharpness of the pickles helped to balance out the slightly over-salted salmon. Overall, a decent starter.


Rating: 7.5/10

 Char-grilled Baby Gem
Basically a garden salad, and I would consider it the most "normal" but satisfying of the three starters. I liked this dish because it didn't have the "generic" thick cream salad dressings. But of course, that's a personal preference.




Rating: 8/10

 Classic Lobster Bisque
Perhaps the dish that a lot of people may opt for because of the lobster tag in the name. But being bisque, it's more suitable for people who prefer a "soupier" starter. I found this dish slightly overwhelming especially with the sour cream mixed with the bisque. I would recommend it if you are fond of the lobster taste. Not so much for me though.



Rating: 7/10


Moving on to the Mains:

Woodfire-grilled Sirloin

 Perhaps this was what I was most hyped up about. As usual, I had my steak cooked medium rare. The portion size was decent, especially with a serving of mashed potato (not pictured). Taste was average, while the steak was moderately tender. The steak came with bernaise sauce. I felt that the sharpness of the vinegar complimented the somewhat "conservatively" seasoned grilled steak. However, others felt that the sauce ruined the purity of the steak. The mashed potato was average at best, particular because of the Worcestershire Sauce. Overall this steak was decent, but nothing to write home about.

Rating: 7.5/10

Confit Cornfed Chicken 

An overall good choice for non-beef eaters. The roasted chicken was rather tender and respectfully salted and was well-accompanied by a sausage and egg. I didn't particular find the chicken appealing to me because I prefer beef and I'm still having bad memories of an overdose of cafeteria roasted chicken when travelling in Spain. However, this chicken is definitely more tender than a cafeteria's standard.

Rating: 7.5/10 (if I didn't have bad memories of roasted chicken), otherwise 7/10 due to personal experiences.

 Baked Baramundi Fillet

Another good alternative for non-beef eaters. This dish's presentation is pretty good. Portion size is also good. I've no real criticisms of this dish. The fish was succulent and the salt seasoning was just right. But then again, I'm a fish lover who doesn't enjoy food that is overly seasoned.

Rating: 7.5/10

Wood-grilled Veal Chop
Texture-wise, veal is naturally more tender than normal steak. This was the same case, when compared with the steak mentioned earlier. I felt this veal chop was more appetising as well. However, the actual meat portion was smaller than the steak above but was well-complimented by the big tomatos and fries. However, I must point out that the veal was served to me rare when I asked for medium rare, and as a result the fries turned cold.

Rating: 8/10





Finally, the Desserts:

Toffee Pudding (with Gingernut Icecream), White Chocolate Eclair and Chocolate Tart (from left, clockwise)

The Toffee Pudding was quite well-done and the gingernut icecream complimented the taste and texture of the pudding. The Chocolate Eclair was frozen and was reminiscent of an ice cream cake. Pretty good when it melts in your mouth. The Chocolate Tart was more subtle (and less frozen), but was overall quite good.

Rating: 7.5 for all 3. Basically down to personal preference.

Overall, although Bedrock Bar & Grill didn't impress me with their service (the veal was supposed to be cooked medium rare but it turned out rare; and the waitress looked depressed half the time), the experience was still quite good. Don't get me wrong, the service is still considered average by Singapore standards. Food-wise is average as well, and the pricing is on the high side ($58++ for the steak and $38++ for the seafood and poultry). But I felt the meal overall met my expectations, partially because the 3 courses made the experience last longer. (it was my birthday meal so I wanted a longer meal). 

Overall rating: 7.5/10, 7/10 because the higher price should warrant better than average food.