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.

UNA @ One Rochester (Buona Vista)

 UNA is a Spanish restaurant located near Rochester Mall in Buona Vista in a little "village" of mid to high end restaurants. The ambience of the place is quite quaint as the restaurant is a colonial house with plenty of garden space and outside seating.

Normal bread (complimentary)

Starters: "Generic" Bread
I didn't know that they were serving complimentary bread, otherwise I may not have ordered the Pan con tomate. However, the complimentary bread were of different shapes and sizes, including bread sticks. Most were lightly toasted and was served with olive oil. A pretty good starter, and the bread is refillable.


Price: Complimentary

Pan con tomate

Pan con tomate (Lightly toasted bread with fresh tomatoes & herbs)

The main difference between this and the one above is the tomato "sauce" and the type of bread. This bread is crispier and tastes lighter (not a bad thing). But the highlight is the "sauce" which is not overly thick and provides a comforting "cold" that contrasts well with the warm bread. The tomato is light on the flavoring and is mainly there for the texture.


Price: $11

Pimentos de padron (Sweet Spanish peppers – fried & sprinkled with sea salt)

Quite a good starter if you like vegetables. The crunchiness of the lightly grilled pepper and the sprinkled salt makes this a must-try.


Price: $15

Grilled octopus (Smoky tender grilled octopus on a bed of ratte potatoes with paprika) 

The octopus reminded me of a more tender (and less chewy) abalone. Quite a unique taste. While the octopus was nice to eat and I would recommend ordering this, be warned that this dish's portion is ridiculously small and its price is on the high side. 

Price: $32

Suckling Pig

Suckling Pig (Crispy roast suckling pig served with mashed potatoes & quince jelly)

The skin was exceptionally crispy while the meat was very tender. Portion size is decent (the picture doesn't do it much justice). This is better than My Little Spanish Place's suckling pig.


Price: $38

Pluma Iberica

Pluma Ibérica (Grilled pluma Ibérico pork with a smoky sweet marinade)

It's supposed to be pork but it tasted more like those overly tenderized (and fake-tasting) beef. But to be fair, it was because I didn't like the sweet marinade. I would definitely recommend the suckling pig over this.

Rating: $40

Pluma Iberiuca (left) Pluma Iberica (right)

 Grilled whole sea bass (sea bass slow-grilled with a dry rub of sea salt, garlic, shallots, lemon & green chilli)

The "highlight" of my meal. The sea bass was supposed to be like a baked sea salt type dish but unfortunately it it was uneven salted at certain parts. However, this was compensated by the crisp of the fish skin.  I like eating fish and I would recommend this for anyone with similar taste. This particular fish unfortunately had a fishy smell, but nonetheless was overall still enjoyable.

Price: $55

 Pork belly chop with charred rosemary (Pork belly slow-braised till tender & smoky)

Please don't order this unless you enjoy overly fat meat.

Price: $33

House wine:
The wine glass and the amount of wine given is extremely small. I do not recommend it given its price unless you truly love wine.

Price: $15

Churros & chocolat (Crispy churros with dark chocolate sauce & light honey ice cream)

I've tried quite a few churros in Singapore and this has quite good presentation. Hopefully taste-wise it was quite underwhelming as the inside of the churros were slightly uncooked. The ice-cream and chocolate dip helped mitigate this though. Maybe this batch just happened to be slightly under-cooked.

Price: $14

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Overall UNA is quite a chill place to have a meal and the ambiance is particularly good for dinner. Quality of the food is generally quite good and is representative of Spanish cuisine. However, prices of the dishes are on the high end and the portion sizes are generally quite small.

Prive Grill @ Keppel Bay (Restaurant Week)

Prive Grill @ Keppel Bay (Restaurant Week) 

This is a backdated review of Prive Grill's Restaurant Week meal in October. I'll let the set lunch menu below do some of the talking. 

 Toasted Bread with Olive Oil
The bread came in several shapes and was nicely toasted. Texture was crisp but not too hard. A respectable "appetizer", especially since it was complimentary.

 Toasted Salmon Belly Tartare (Starter 1)
This is a good starter, especially if you're fond of raw fish. The two bread sticks acted as a good "base" to complement the fish. Only qualm I had with this was that the portion size was too small ._. but it is expected since this is only a starter.


Rating: 7.5/10

 Beef Consomme (Starter 2)
This was basically beef stock/clear soup. Although I'm a fan of beef and herbal stuff I felt that this starter was too overpowering. However, it's ideal for someone who wants to slowly savour a starter while waiting for the main course.


Rating: 6.5/10

 300-day Grain Fed Rangers Valley Rump Cap (Main 1)
This was easily the highlight of the meal and it is by far one of the best steaks I've eaten in the past few years. Yes, it was that good, that tender flesh that melts in your mouth. I particularly liked the sauce that complemented the richness of the meat itself. Portion size was decent although I wish I had more.


Rating: 9/10

 Roasted Maine Scallops
Basically a dish with risotto, duck confit and of course the scallops. The scallops was lightly roasted and seasoned, which really brought out the freshness of the flesh. The actual size of the scallop were quite big. The duck confit happily melted in my mouth and was extremely savoury. But I understand that some may have find it as overpowering. Now with the risotto..., erm I guess it was a nice filler to balance out the dish? The risotto was a bit too mushy for my liking.

Rating: 8/10

  Warm Chocolate & Peanut Butter Fondant (Dessert 1)
The chocolate was basically a lava cake with peanut butter filling. As I'm not a fan of peanut butter, I would have preferred chocolate filling. However, the slightly too sweet peanut butter was complemented by the relatively more "bland" vanilla bean ice cream, marrying a wholesome union of hot and cold.


Rating: 8/10

Banoffee Pie (Dessert 2)
As the name implies, it's a pie with bananas and coffee flavoring, topped off with chocolate shavings. I didn't like the mushy bananas in this dessert and I felt that the first dessert was a better choice as this dessert was lacking in flavor and a real identity. Props to the presentation though.


Rating: 7/10

This was a pretty good Restaurant Week meal as I enjoyed all of the dishes and particularly the beef!
The ambiance of the restaurant was suitable for a weekend lunch. The proximity to the yachts and the Keppel Bay exuded a very holiday vibe which made me happier.  If you're interested in trying this place, I would suggest going for dinner instead for the better ambiance. I feel that the lights of the surroundings would liven up the place even more. Highly suitable for a date. However, I must caution anyone who doesn't have a car as this place would otherwise be highly inaccessible without one.

Overall rating: 8.5/10

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.)