Dining @ The Kitchen (Macau)

The last time I was here, it was to taste a very special gala dinner prepared by Chef Kishida all the way from Tokyo Quintessence. This time, I wanted to appreciate The Kitchen in it’s own one star glory. Known for it’s selection of beef, just glimpsing the glorious cuts of bovine showcased at the entrance and admiring the different grades of marbling you can choose, meat lovers you know you are in for a treat! Those that are not inclined towards the cow, don’t worry as you are catered for with seafood (fresh fish live from the tank) otherwise there is pork, poultry and lamb for your choices.

Starting with bread that is made fresh in the open kitchen when you arrive. Two types, a chocolate chip brioche (yes choc chip!) and a gorgeous crusty country loaf. No picture as we were too busy tearing into the fresh bread, but let me tell you it was worth allocating stomach space to, especially when there is mango butter to be spread with it.

For appetisers, Mr. C started with grilled abalones. Stealing a bite, I had a pang of food envy. Perfectly cooked and utterly tender paired with a tasty vegetable salsa, crispy ham and a drizzle of chicken jus.

When in Macau, I can’t go past the traditional Caldo Verde. A lovely creamy vegetable soup served in a toasted bread bowl with bites of grilled chorizo on the side.

We originally wanted to order the bone-in-ribeye to be shared between two, but we lucked out as it was all gone. Instead Mr. C decided to go with a 14oz New York sirloin. Grilled to a medium rare with nice char marks, and his sides of sauteed mushrooms, asparagus and a little cup of tomato egg custard?

Since Mr. C ordered steak I decided to choose something different. Fish. Grilled sea bass to exact. They give you a choice of being served a whole fish or if you don’t feel like working for your meal, they can also de-bone it for you. I chose the whole fish and it certainly looks intimidating. Some parts were tender, some parts a little chewy, being grilled does take away some of the juices in the flesh and that is where your choice of sauce will come in handy. Lemon butter sauce is recommended for fish and it added a little zest to the dish.

Apple tarte tartin and creme brulee for dessert.

Presentation of the tarte tartin was pretty, but the actual tartin did not look like I imagined… I was hoping for a big puff pastry with sticky caramelised braised apple slices, but here it looked like a mass made version. Flavour was decent, hints of cinnamon, but a little disappointing.

What makes a creme brulee special is a thick, full bodied creamy custard fragrant with vanilla and coated in a thick caramelised sugar layer that shatters with a satisfying thwack with the back of the spoon. The version served here was a little lackluster, just a thin sugar layer that gave way when a spoon was dipped into it and the custard a little liquidy. Tasted like creme brulee, but it was missing what a few key elements.

I will definitely order steak next time and the bone-in-ribeye has our name on it!

Address:

3/F, Grand Lisboa

Cravings satisfied~@ Nanhai No.1

I have had the biggest craving for suckling pig since I returned from my trip overseas so when I was asked what I wanted for dinner I had no hesitation in voicing my guilty craving :p

Mr. C picked Nanhai No. 1 as our dinner destination. Covering the entire 30th floor of Isquare, the restaurant was surprisingly buzzing for a weeknight. Quite dimly lit with modern decor, it does not seem like your traditional Chinese restaurant and it is correct to assume that as they claim to serve Chinese cuisine contemporary style. Yes, yes I was a little wary about the word ‘contemporary’ too, but judging from all the occupied tables that night and from their one Michelin starred status, customers seem very agreeable to it.
Being such high up, of course they have tables overlooking our gorgeous harbour and for a minimum charge of $500 per person, diners can have a window seat and enjoy the night views throughout their meal.

Looking at the menu, I only had eyes for the suckling pig, but when Mr. C suggested Peking duck I was up for that too haha 😀 Since our meat courses were settled on, it was easy enough to just choose a soup and vegetables to balance out our somewhat heavy meal~

The daily soup was pork and offal with chinese herbs (gum choh). A little overseasoned, but there was a heady depth of flavours.

Suckling pig was next! Roasted a deep golden brown, the skin already looked so alluring… Crunchy, it crackled delightfully in the mouth and the thin layer of fat under the crackling added a richness to the overall taste. Dip it in the sweet hoisin sauce or white sugar for some flavour. Perfect~

The Peking Duck was brought to us whole while we were still enjoying the suckling pig. Beautifully plump and roasted to a beautiful colour, the skin was taut and shiny hinting at its crispness. It was then brought back to us expertly sliced up, with a big steamer of flour pancakes. Spoon a generous amount of sweet hoisin sauce over the thin and chewy pancake, layer on a piece of duck with a sliver of crispy skin, add on as much cucumber and scallions as needed and then consume~ So so good. We actually finished the whole plate of duck it was that good!

The vegetables of the evening was shaved bitter gourd with beancurd, gingko nuts in broth. The gourd still retained its bitter nature, while the gingko nuts were cooked to a mushy softness, eaten together with the flavourful broth it was wonderfully light and a much needed respite from all the meat we had eaten that evening.

A very enjoyable meal, my major craving was satisfied and the Peking duck was wonderful~ Till next time another craving hits 🙂

New chef, different experience @ Tosca

The first time I dined at Tosca was back when the Ritz Carlton had first opened. I remembered having to make a booking one month in advance for a table of two, but left underwhelmed by a mediocre experience, especially by their poor parpadelle dish, soft and limp sheets of pasta should really not be served at a supposed fine dining Italian establishment.

Now a year later, not only has Tosca achieved one Michelin star, the Ritz Carlton has also announced just last month the arrival of Chef Pino Lavarra to take over the reins at Tosca. Chef Lavarra, the once executive chef at the two-starred establishment Rossellinis in Italy, has promised to entice diners with contemporary and innovative dishes reflecting his love for food, and Sunday evening saw Mr. C and I there for dinner hoping to be surprised.

Service was utmost friendly, from the moment the hostess guided us to our table to every waiter/waitress that served us. Menus were given to us straight away as we were seated, and looking through it did seem to have more variety than what I saw on my previous visit. Technically we did not select our courses, rather it was organised for us, which most likely ensured that we would be served their most signature or recommended dishes.

We were offered a glass of Cristal to begin the evening, light and crisp with a hint of sweetness. My favourite kind of champagne 🙂

The bread tray is then proffered to us for selection. Neatly arranged rows of lemon rolls, parmesean topped squid-ink baguettes, flaky-looking butter rolls, rosemary foccacia and cheese and tomato brioche. They certainly looked nice, but a little lacking in the flavour department and most unfortunately were not served warm. I did however like the olive oil they provided for dipping, a little thick with a relatively strong olive aroma.

Our amuse bouche was a crumbed goats cheese on a pool of celery jelly topped with red onion. The goats cheese was very smooth, with a slight sharp kick, but the crumbed coating softened quickly under the watery yet bland jelly. This was just very, very normal.

Our appetiser of San Marzano tomato looked quite typical, bright red tomato on top of a bed of mozzarella cheese and mixed greens with a layer of crisp bread. However, it was not as it seemed. The waitress explained that the tomato was actually a casing of white chocolate dyed from the red essence of the Italian San Marzano tomato and hidden inside was a mixture of diced tomatoes and tomato sorbet. Interesting concept~ This is actually the way the chef serves tomatoes to his children, which goes to show that parents would use any method to ensure their little ones eat enough vegetables 😉 All ingredients were fresh, the mozzarella was oozy, greens were crunchy, but I think I was so occupied with the cracking open and tasting of the tomato, that I did not really focus on the flavours of the other components. However, I did notice there was a sweetness with every mouthful, but this came from the crisp bread itself rather than the unsweetened chocolate.

The next dish was what they termed as a ‘Sea Tiramisu’. Intriguing name, hinting at the use of seafood elements in the making. Essentially the focus was on a carpaccio of Mediterranean red prawn outlined with a parsley-like paste, topped with a seared scallop and a spoonful of caviar. The carpaccio albeit a little chewy portrayed the prawn’s natural sweetness while the green paste was unneccesary as it was bland with a strange rubbery texture. I loved the scallop though, seared to a semi-cooked state, it was perfectly tender~ The tiramisu itself was a base of baked cereal crumble with a cream sea foam sprinkled with tumeric powder, decorated with a dried prawn. I quite liked this, the lightness of the cream melted delicately in the mouth while the cereal had a nutty puffed rice-flavour. However I found it was impossible to eat the dried prawn elegantly as it was too tough to cut with a knife and fork, and even trying to bite off a piece took a lot of effort. Bold presentation, but was only so-so for me.

Pasta was next. A green tangle of basil spaghetti, wrapped with a thin slice of swordfish and adorned with baby squid and flower petals accompanied with smears of black olive oil. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly al dente and both the squid and swordfish were very tender. They were light-handed with the seasoning so it was just right in terms of saltiness without overwhelming the delicate flavours of the other components. Simple, but I really quite enjoyed it~

When I think of raw tuna, especially the cut where the meat is burgundy red, I always recall that it has an overly strong fishy flavour which I immensely dislike. So when we were served a cut of semi-cooked Mediterranean tuna which was still extremely red in the centre I was a little skeptical of my enjoyment of this dish. Taking a bite of the meaty tuna steak, I prepared myself for the fishiness, but was pleasantly surprised that it did not appear. The tuna itself was under seasoned, but pair it with the creamy white eggplant puree you will find all the flavours there. The potato souffle was good as well, soft and not overly heavy, while the caramelised caper was a nice touch. The most unusual item to this dish was actually the big green leaf which was described as an oyster leaf, aptly named it tasted exactly like an oyster, but I could not really sense its connection with the overall dish.

Baby lamb is in season right now and that was what we were served as our last savoury course. Presented as cutlets and lamb bacon, it was accompanied with juicy white asparagus, sauteed crunchy lettuce, a crumbed ball of lamb’s liver and drizzled with a mustard lamb jus. Only one and a half months old, you could see by the size of the cutlets how small the lamb must have been and it was very, very tender. The lamb was perfectly fine, but the crumbed liver really was odd, I bit into it imagining it would be warm and the crumbed coating would be hiding a gush of melted liver, but in reality it was a cold solid ball of mashed liver rolled in crumbs. Really quite unexpected and not in a good way unfortunately.

And then it was time for dessert.

Mr. C and I were served two different items, his was chocolate based while mine was more fruity oriented. When we asked the waitress why the desserts were allocated this way, she described that the chocolate was more heavily flavoured so it would suit the tastes of gentlemen while ladies seem to prefer more fruity elements in their desserts. I would say this is a stereotype and not necessarily true as I know that I would choose chocolate in a heartbeat, but I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Since mine was I guess the lighter dessert, we started on this first. A bed of fruity, sherbet like crumbs adorned with strawberries soaked in sugar syrup, mini meringues, cassis jelly, dollops of raspberry jam, cream and a quenelle of chocolate gelato. Everything just tasted a little too sweet, and after a while it was a little overwhelming, but out of all the components I liked the raspberry jam which was frozen to a solid jelly like state giving a nice sticky texture and the gorgeously dark chocolate gelato most.

Mr. C’s dessert was an articulately structured chocolate box, but upon cracking open the lid it revealed a somewhat messy treasure of rum(?) infused dark chocolate mousse, cubes of coca-cola jelly and a scatter of torn sponge cake. When we tried to spoon up the mousse we were surprised to find it was very hard, and digging into it, we revealed that it had been partially frozen by dried ice. Only after had we each had a spoonful of the mousse did we discover balls of dried ice still inside. Technically, we should have been informed as dried ice can mildly burn skin due to its extreme coldness, but luckily we only experienced a slightly unpleasant sensation on our tongues. But back to the dessert, the mousse was seductively dark and rich, but the coca-cola jelly was really quite out of place.

To finish off a very prettily presented plate of petite fours. A selection of chocolates, macarons and mango jelly ‘floating’ on a cloud of fairy floss. I was actually more excited about the fairy floss than the rest of the petite fours and it was just as I hoped, stickily sweet and sugar-high inducing~ However, a problem with presenting items on a cloud of spun sugar, is that it becomes sticky very quickly and if you are not careful when trying to pick up a chocolate, you could very well upend the rest of the petite fours onto the table which did happen to Mr. C :p Just a note though, if wet towels had been given, that would have been most appreciated.

And please remember to order their latte, it really is quite good 🙂

Overall the experience this time was much better than before, presentation of dishes was more artistic and creative and there was absolutely no faulting the pasta this time. However, I did find that some of the components in certain dishes did not seem to work 100% well together, but maybe that is just my taste. Service was polite and attentive without being intrusive and everything was done with a smile which was really a positive aspect. Worth trying 🙂

Dinner @ Pierre~

I think many people would agree that Mondays are very hard to get through as many of us are still experiencing weekend withdrawal symptoms, but luckily Mr. C organised dinner for us that night so at least I had something to look forward to~

Dinner was to be at Pierre inside the Mandarin Oriental hotel~ This one star establishment is one of Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurants offering diners a taste of modern French cuisine. Upon entering the restaurant, it is very dimly lit, with each table being illuminated by a single spotlight hanging overhead. Although I could not really determine the colour scheme of the restaurant, I could sense the overall design was chic with a touch of contemporary elegance. As it was on the 25th floor, one side of the restaurant had full-length windows which offered pleasant night views of Victoria Harbour.

After being seated at one of the tables with a window view, we were warmly welcomed by the manager (yes because of Mr. C as usual :p) and were offered a glass of champagne to start our evening. While the sommelier brought over the champagne (only for Mr. C, not me as I am not hugely partial to alcohol) we were then served an assortment of canapes to start off the evening.

A spoonful of fresh salmon roe that popped delightfully in the mouth paired with a dab of sour cream, foie gras and a cube of quince jelly with raspberry vinegar. It also came with crumbed ball of black pudding which tasted very similar to sausage rolls. Another plate of canapes consisted of a soft cake of tomato, a stick of celery with olive paste and thin beetroot crisps immersed in thyme olive oil.

As soon as we had finished with the canapes, our menus were given to us to peruse. Although they do not have a huge variety of selection for both appetiser and main course, we were still able to settle on dishes that appealed to our tastes. For Mr. C he chose the Scallop-Crab and Lamb AAA, while I picked Duck and Goose Foie Gras, and Sole-Oyster-Black Truffle.

Once our choices had been noted by the manager, our selection of bread was served. Thin baguette, cheese roll and an olive twist, accompanied by unsalted and chilli butter. I really liked their bread, the crusts were nicely crunchy with soft insides that soaked up the butter easily and surprisingly even Mr. C complimented their baguettes too.

Our amuse bouche was then served. Quail’s egg on a bed of cauliflower cream with a side of 49 month aged jambon. I found the cauliflower cream to have a slightly bitter taste, but the jambon was lovely, soft and not overly salty.

When the appetisers were served, I came to realise Pierre likes to serve their courses as a number of components with a focus on visual presentation, almost like artwork. Mr. C’s Scallop-Crab featured the main item of crab meat coated in Muscat wine jelly, enoki mushrooms and celery, a side of scallop carpaccio mixed with smoked eel and another small dish of roasted scallop with braised pears and turnip. I actually really enjoyed his choice, the crab meat was the epitome of freshness judging by its natural sweetness, the scallops cooked perfectly to a buttery softness and the smoked eel gave a wonderful flavour to the carpaccio.

My Duck and Goose Foie Gras was gorgeous in presentation, a generous serving of goose liver with yellow wine jelly encased in a cut-out brioche decorated with shavings of pickled red and black radish, a rectangular prism of duck liver terrine coated with gingerbread with a side of condiments and a ball of crumbed duck liver croquette. This could have easily been shared by two people as the goose liver although utterly sinful became a little heavy after a while despite the pickled radish helping to refresh the palate. The duck liver terrine was just as smooth with a slightly less gamy taste, but I did like the pairing of condiments, in particular the one made with 15 ingredients which was a little sweet reminding me of hoisin sauce.

Before the mains arrived we were served something from their black truffle menu, compliments of the chef~
Sauteed mushrooms and onion with black truffles on a souffleed biscuit topped with a quenelle of truffled chantilly cream. This was amazing. The souffleed biscuit was pillowy soft and spongy and it just soaked up the essence of chantilly cream which slowly melted over the whole creation leading to the most heavenly truffle fragrance. Something that really needs to be tried~

Our mains took a while to arrive, but it did give us some time to digest the previous dishes. Mr. C’s lamb was perfectly seared to a blushing pink with tamarind juice, socca pancake and tomato marmalade as accompaniments. Two other side dishes was marinated lamb shoulder with eggplant and a crunchy stick of polenta while the other was a little salad of lamb’s lettuce and a slice of roasted ricotta. From the piece of lamb I had, it was tender with a slight bite to it and had a favourable gamy flavour which sometimes I prefer in my lamb.

My sole fish was very generous in size, a whole fillet deboned and seared with hazelnut butter accompanied  with sauteed spinach and champagne sauce. On the side was a duo of oysters in a truffle sauce and a Manchego cheese croquette on artichokes. The oysters were small, but juicily plump and I adored my fish, meaty with a slight bouncy texture it was a pleasure to eat with a smear of creamy sauce. I really enjoyed this, even more so than the lamb.

To be honest, after our mains I was ready to skip dessert due to limited tummy capacity, but Mr. C still wanted to try at least one, so he picked L’Ardechois knowing that the combination would be something I would enjoy too.

Before dessert, we were served our petit fours along with our coffees. A play on sweet and sour, there was a spoon of lemon foam, shortbread with apricot jam, lemon curd wrapped with marzipan, a meringue cup with blackberry coulis, pineapple and blackberry jelly and a dark chocolate ganache with citrus peel.

And then it was time for dessert~
A layered creation of crunchy biscuit base, chestnut ganache and whisky bavarois it was paired with a bitter chocolate and pistachio ice-cream. Despite my previous unwillingness to order dessert, I could not resist a few forkfuls as the richness of the chocolate paired with chestnut and subtle whisky flavour was dangerously addictive. The chocolate ice-cream was definitely more to my preference as the bitter tones was sinfully rich, and although the pistachio flavour was very natural, I found the texture to be too airy for my liking.

Overall, quite a pleasant experience 🙂

Pre-Valentines Dinner @ The Tasting Room :)

I can not believe how quickly the holidays went by and we are already mid-week through the work week. I truly hoped everyone had a fabulous Chinese New Year (I know I did!) and even though I was grumbling about how my company forced everyone to take annual leave to extend the new year break, I was very glad they did. And this year Valentines Day was the day after the new year break, so for those that had to work I hope your special someone spoiled you during or afterwards, while for those lucky ones that were still on break hopefully you did something amazing to celebrate 🙂

This was the first time I have celebrated Valentines Day in two years and originally Mr. C did not think he would get time off on the actual day so he decided to make it up to me by celebrating both pre and belated Valentines with me. We were in Macau for our pre-Valentines celebration and he was sweet enough to book The Tasting Room because he remembered me mentioning wanting to try this restaurant when we were at the City of Dreams a few months ago.

The Tasting Room is incorporated inside the Crown Towers up on level 3 and as we step inside the entrance   we can appreciate the decorations they had prepared for Chinese New Year with the big peach blossom tree that welcomes us into the restaurant. The main dining room is circular and the layout makes it seem like it is segregated into two parts with the focus in the centre where there is an illusion of it being sectioned off by a series of ropes that are strung on the ceiling and semi-enclose the area. There are tables arranged inside of that area as well as along the outer ring where half the tables are next to the windows offering pleasant night views of Macau.

We were lucky to be seated at one of the window tables, and as we were looking through the menu, one of the chefs came out to greet Mr. C and when this happened I knew that we would be in for a surprise menu-wise as they had already organised our meal for that evening.

Their amuse bouche was made up of three petite items, from bottom clockwise, a spoonful of crab salad topped with a bright beetroot foam, a small round of smoked salmon and dill cream cheese and lastly a cone of crisp bread with a foie gras filling.

Our bread basket was then brought to us with baguettes, red pepper foccacia twist and a cereal roll. The breads were all of very good quality, served warm, I particularly liked the super crunchy baguette revealing fluffy insides, while the foccacia was softer with a slight chew to it.

Technically we smelt the next dish before we saw it as it arrived puffing a scented woody smoke from its bowl. Perched on top of a small pile of smoking cherry wood was a Gillardeau oyster covered in a mushroom emulsion and topped with a generous scattering of black truffles. This was gorgeous~ The oyster was very soft and fresh, and you could really taste the faint aroma of cherry wood.

The next course although visually not appealing smelt divine~ The rich scent of foie gras sauce mixed with the heavenly scent of truffles was absolutely mouth watering, while the generous portion of langoustine was perfectly cooked. Mixed in with the langoustine, the morel mushrooms and cubed pieces of foie gras just added to the luxury of this dish. A pleasure to eat.

We were then served their soup course which was a deconstructed artichoke soup. When it was placed in front of me, it was not what I had pictured as it looked more like a pasta dish with the goats cheese ravioli and chunks of artichoke rising up from the shallow lake of liquid. However, taste-wise it was good, but nothing too special. The pasta of the ravioli retained a welcome chewiness enveloping a tangy filling of goats cheese and the creaminess of the artichoke soup was a perfect counterbalance to the sharpness of the cheese.

First main course of the evening was fish. A fillet of John Dory baked at low temperature turned out beautifully, a very meaty texture that was easy to cut through with no hint of fishiness. The perfect type of fish for both Mr. C and I. As accompaniments, chunks of sweet Alaskan crab meat and a lightly seared scallop were perfectly fresh with a few strategically placed baby carrots to add some colour to the dish. On the side we were also given a thinly toasted bread topped with cubes of Balik smoked salmon and caviar. Very prettily presented the smokiness of the salmon went very well with the brininess of the caviar.

Before our meat course was served, we were given a refreshing lime sorbet to refresh the palate. Cool and tangy it really awakened the senses.

Lamb was the focus for our meat dish, and it was served as a cutlet off the bone on top of a circular bed of cous cous mixed with dried fruit and chorizo. The lamb had quite a gamey flavour, which I did not mind at all as it made the meat more flavourful, but it was the cous cous that most intrigued me. I do not often eat cous cous as I find it has a strange flavour, but this time the mix of sweetness from the dried fruit and the savoury chorizo made it strangely addicting.

Another palate cleanser of yuzu sorbet was served prior to dessert and the citrusy flavour helped prepare our second stomach for dessert~

 Dessert was a gorgeous creation with its focus on chocolate. A delicate structure with a crunchy base, sandwiching a layer of biscuit, sliced banana, praline mousse and crowned with a quenelle of bittersweet 100% cocoa sorbet. This was amazing~ I was thinking the addition of banana would be quite strange, but its subtle flavour went very well with the chocolate and praline tones while the sorbet just added a seductiveness to the overall dessert. So so good~

And to end, petite fours~ A selection of thin biscotti, caramels and tarts. I loved the mini raspberry tart with the fragrant vanilla creme patisserie and crisp short crust 🙂

A perfect place to celebrate our special evening~ service was polite and unintrusive and the fact that we enjoyed every single course portrayed that the food was stunning. Definitely recommended!

Surprises @ Cepage~

When dinner was being organised for a get together with Mr. C and Miss. K, Cepage was not the original destination. It was only after my reluctance to go along with Miss K’s suggestion of Spoon that Mr. C offered Cepage as an option.

So the night before the public holiday saw us seated on the second floor of Cepage’s dining room. Situated on Star Street, it is a one Michelin star establishment with its emphasis on a fusion of French and Japanese cuisine. As I entered the restaurant I was greeted by the smiling hostess who then directed me towards the elevator opposite the hostess desk. It was a little odd stepping into the elevator with two staff members who stood facing each other, but at least it was a very short ride up. Once arrived, another waitress led me from the short hall into the main dining room. What struck me was how small the area was, with only five tables generously spaced apart from each other with I think two private rooms around the corner. The ceilings were high which was helpful in opening up the space in an elongated fashion and there was a mix of contemporary and what they term as ‘old world’ touches shown by the sleek tan wood panels on the walls contrasting with the elegant chandeliers dangling high above.

The menu for that night was actually unknown as many of the dishes were organised by the chef, but I can say that he made some fantastic choices.

We were served an assortment of bread to start with a selection of baguettes, anchovy rolls, cheese foccacia, brioche and sour dough. I picked the anchovy roll and baguette, but regretted it as the anchovy smell was extremely fishy, however the crunchiness of the exterior and soft insides showed the quality of the bread.

Our first appetiser was a signature dish. A neat bundle of angel hair pasta well tossed in truffle oil and decorated prettily with caviar, a light sprinkling of truffles and a sprig of basil flowers. We were instructed to pluck the purple basil flowers off the sprig and eat it together with the pasta. This. was. amazing. The angel hair was cooked to a perfect al dente and the truffle oil filled the senses with its wonderfully earthy aroma. The caviar added a touch of saltiness to the dish and the fresh flavour from the flowers helped awaken the palate. This was one of the best dishes of the night~

A plate of scallop maki was served alongside the pasta dish, featuring six delicate rolls of raw scallops wrapped in seaweed and crowned with caviar and a touch of gold foil. The scallops were velvety soft and I would suggest to eat these quite quickly as the seaweed became damp and slightly chewy as they absorbed the moisture from the scallops.I enjoyed this as did Mr. C which was no surprise since he loves scallops, while Miss K thought it was a bit too salty.

The next dish arrived with a very strong smoky aroma which gave me the impression that it was pork related. When the waiter described it as smoked anago, I was quite surprised as the flesh was pink hued, but this was quickly overcome by my anticipation to try it because anago is one of my favourite types of fish~ Three slices of anago were draped over a bed of tomato confit and slices of pan-fried potatoes with the funny addition of a shaving of parmesean cheese. I adored this dish!  The anago was unctuous in texture and its fattiness just made it melt in the mouth.. To refresh the palate a small cup of shiitake consomme was served to relieve the oiliness. I think I was the only one who really enjoyed the anago, as both Mr. C and Miss K ate around it, leaving most of the anago untouched.

Their signature black miso cod was presented simply, wrapped in a hoba leaf with an accompanying side of sweet miso. The flesh was firm, but nicely moist and flaked off easily from the prod of a fork. The cod was apparently marinated using three different types of miso, and the sweetness of the marinade complimented the almost buttery flavour of the cod. This dish was liked by all three of us.

The beef tartare prepared here is a little unsual compared to others I have tried. They termed it ‘tataki’ style where the top of the tartare was bruleed and it was served over a layer of ratatouille. This dish was definitely strongly flavoured and we all agreed that the ratatouille over-powered the taste of the beef. Miss K did not like the taste of the peppers used in the ratatouille, while I found the varying temperatures from the slight warmness of the bruleed top of the beef tartare to the sudden coolness of the ratatouille to be quite strange.

While we were waiting for our next course, my attention was captured by several waiters preparing to provide a gueridon service for the next table involving a gorgeously roasted chicken. Watching them in action, efficiently carving up the chicken was quite interesting and showed no small amount of skill.

No sooner then they had finished, another roasted chicken was wheeled out, this time stopping at our table! So essentially we got the visual action twice and honestly speaking there is something just so tantalising about a simple plate of roast chicken served with a side of fresh lettuce hearts and potatoes. You could tell it was cooked perfectly, the meat was succulent from the juices retained during the roasting process, the thighs were tender and even the white breast meat normally so tough was easy to chew. The highlight would probably be the skin, I normally do not eat chicken skin, but it looked so alluring that I could not resist trying. And I am glad I did, with the excess fats roasted away leaving behind a crispy skin that gave way to an irresistible crackle. Very very good.

All too soon it was time for desserts~ Petite fours came first, a combination of yuzu marshmallow, pear and red wine jelly and a duo of oatmeal cookies. Miss K and I thought the marshmallow was way too sweet, it was also gritty in texture while Mr. C thought it was not bad, but we suspect that he was too busy looking at his phone to actually notice what he was tasting haha… the pear and red wine jelly was quite nice with a slightly chewy texture and I thoroughly agreed with Miss K that it tasted like those dried fruits ‘gar yin ji’ you eat after drinking a very bitter herbal tea. I liked the oatmeal cookies most, light and buttery with a delicate snap when you bit into it.

Alongside our petite fours, a tray of very cute mini eclairs were also served~ They were surprisingly not very sweet and out of the three flavours coffee, dark chocolate and sea-salt caramel, I preferred the dark chocolate most as it had the boldest flavour compared to the other two.

And then we were served the chocolate souffle. This was paired with a gorgeously coloured cherry sorbet which was so striking against the sombre brown of the souffle. To be honest I am generally not partial to souffles because they tend to have an eggy flavour and I like my desserts to be of more substance rather than just a puff of air. This was definitely an exception though. Sinfully rich and dark it was absolutely seductive.. the fluffy top gave way to a semi-set moussey texture and it was so chocolatey that I can guarantee that it would satisfy the cocoa craving of any chocolate fanatic out there. It was an absolute pleasure to eat.. no wonder people consider chocolate as an aphrodisiac hahaha…The cherry sorbet was delightfully sharp and tangy with no fake cherry flavour and it helped to refresh the palate for those that desire a break from all the chocolate. I could not help murmuring how good the souffle was with every spoonful and I must have driven Mr. C and Miss K insane hahaha… I know Mr. C enjoyed his since he likes chocolate as well, but not so much for poor Miss K even though she made a huge effort and finished it 🙂 I would recommend this~

We finished with coffees, cappuccinos for Mr. C and Miss K, while I had my usual skim, decaf latte. I ordered mine extra hot, but when the coffees came, the waiter taking our order must have mixed it up resulting in the cappuccinos being of the higher temperature while mine was normal. Just a small mishap. The coffees were from Nespresso which explained the lack of latte art and weak foam on the cappuccinos, but the flavour of the coffee was quite good.

Aside from the beef tartare, I loved my dining experience at Cepage. The service was attentive, the manager was friendly, not at all intrusive and made small talk at appropriate times. This is definitely somewhere I plan on returning to~