Review: 7Adam - Hidden gem for food and art lovers

I love quiet, stylish places where I can spend quiet meals at. At the newly-opened 7Adam seems to tick all the right boxes.

Housed at a charmingly rustic colonial house, it is one of the National University of Singapore Society's Guild Houses. 7Adam also has a bistro-meets-gallery concept where diners can also purchase contemporary paintings and sculptures from. The art works are by a mix of local and regional artists, and will change every eight to 10 weeks.

I visited the 110-seater restaurant and sampled some of their creative dishes.

You should begin your order with one of the cocktails. One of the most indulgent ones I saw on the menu is the Creamilicious Kit Kat, a concoction of Bailey's, Creme de Cacao and milk with Kit Kat flavoured ice-cream. I know, you're drooling already. It's featured in the picture below, second from left.

I ordered a Ladies' Desire for myself, which is a mix of vodka, elderflower syrup and lychee liqueur. If you're the kind who goes for Cosmopolitan or Lychee Martini at the bar, this is probably something you'd love too.

I must say that I'm particularly impressed with their appetisers. These two - Seared Tuna Loin ($16.50) and Crab Cakes ($15) - were pretty awesome.

The tuna is prepared with avocado and salsa, and you could taste a hint of wasabi too. The natural sweetness from the fresh tuna is enhanced with the caviar and avocado, and it goes especially well with a glass of sweet cocktail.

Even better is the Crab Cakes, which is lighter than it looks. Served with tomato chilli jam, I thought it'll go perfectly with a light beer.

My favourite from my tasting menu has to be the Duck Confit ($24). It features a duck leg served with Sze Chuan peppers and laced with mashed potato. I love its crispy exterior and the rich flavours that are enhanced with the peppers. The mashed potato doesn't do much for the dish, but I guess it's always good to have something to munch on while you wait for the desserts to come.

As for desserts, go for the Affogato ($10), and skip coffee after since the Espresso should probably get you going for the rest of the day.

7Adam is located at 7 Adam Park. It's opened from 11am-11pm daily. Call 6467-0777 for the restaurant and 6463-0777 for the gallery. Visit www.7adam.com for more information.

Buffet Town opens at Raffles City

I went to Raffles City a few months ago, wanting to go to Shokudo. Then I found out that it has closed! In its place is Buffet Town. Taking over Shokudo's premises, the place is huge!

I decided to visit it another day and here's my report from the restaurant.

Pictures from the visit - just take note that when I go to buffets, I don't follow any kind of sequence in taking the food. So you'd see salads and fried food on the same plate, sashimi and fried rice placed together - you get the drift!

My very first helping is some friend food, japanese curry, sausages and potato. The curry is pretty good. The rest is just meh.

More fried food, sashimi salad and pizza. Sashimi and pizza are decent. By this plate, I also know that the fried food there can be missed.

The seafood isn't fantastic but is "edible". Go for the sushi instead, they taste pretty okay.

These two are the must-try at Buffet Town: laksa and pasta. Pasta is served at a live station where you can choose the toppings you want to go with the pasta and the type of pasta you want.

On this plate: satays, mee tai mak and sausages. The mee tai mak is okay, the rest are very average.

These are my favourites - the salmon sushi with dark sauce and waffles! The waffles are done on the spot too, and is super crispy. I love my waffles with maple syrup and butter, but you can choose to eat it with chocolate syrup, honey or ice-cream - or all of the above! These toppings and sauces are available at the counter.

Here are a few selection from the dessert counter. The ice-cream completes the meal quite well - it's just really fun to be able to scoop your own ice-cream and decorate it with whatever you like. It made me happy!

Here's me outside the buffet. Check out the pants - new from Malacca. The hip area is slightly puffed, and it has turned up cuffs that show a pretty pattern. I should have worn heels, but it was the weekends and I had enough of heels! My feet need a break :(

Overall, I think it has a few hits and misses. Also, I haven't had time (and stomach space) to check out every single station. There may be more interesting features that I didn't manage to try.

Lunch is from 11.30am to 3pm ($23.80 on weekdays, and $28.80 on weekends and PH eve and PH); dinner is from 6pm to 10.30pm ($33.80 on weekdays, and $38.80 on Friday, weekends, PH eve and PH). It's located at B1-44E, Raffles City.

Do you follow a specific sequence when you pick up items from the buffet line? (e.g. by type of cuisine, or start with salads, end with desserts)

Akari Japanese Dining & Bar launches new Sunday a la carte buffet

Editor's note (updated 7 Sep): Do take note that this promotion is now only available on Saturday and the restaurant will be closed on Sundays. The promotion remains the same though!
 
I was supposed to go for Japanese food today, but ended up with German food. This leaves me with a strong sashimi and sushi craving!

So pardon me while I type and drool while typing this, because the images below will make you crave for nihon ryori as well.

Akari Sunday ala carte buffet.

Fit for a king... or queen! :)

Charles LaFitte champagne

Akari Japanese Dining & Bar, located at Marina Bay Financial Centre, is offering Sunday à la carte buffet with an option for free flow of Charles LaFitte champagne (this is   an award winner champagne with a high wine critic scores of 85/ 100), wine, beer and sake.

Sashimi.

The buffet is available every Sunday for both lunch (12pm-3:00pm) and dinner (5pm-9pm), and offers a selection of over 50 Japanese dishes such as all-you-can-eat premium sushi and sashimi, and Akari’s authentic Japanese favourites including Soki Tatsuta Age (deep fried, soft tender pork rib), Unagi Tofu, Gindara Saikyou Yaki (black cod with miso) and Saikoro Steak.

Desserts galore.

Lunch Buffet (12nn-3pm)
$68++ per person
$98++ per person (with free flow Charles LaFitte champagne, wine, beer and sake)
Dinner Buffet (5pm-9pm)
$78++ per person
$128++ per person (with free flow Charles LaFitte champagne, wine, beer and sake)

Bring your children along because one child under 12 eats for free for every two paying adults (additional children will be charged at $15++ each).

Akari Japanese Dining & Bar is located at #01-02 Marina Bay Link Mall. Call 6634-0100 for reservations.

Editor's note (updated 7 Sep): Do take note that this promotion is now only available on Saturday and the restaurant will be closed on Sundays. The promotion remains the same though!

Fisherman's Market comes to Singapore, at The Central

Fisherman's Market, a premium Japanese-Western seafood buffet restaurant is finally in Singapore, at The Central. The Japanese company that runs this brand has more than 110 food concepts all over the world.

I was invited for its media tasting last week and the first thing that struck me is the massive size of the restaurant. The two-storey restaurant takes up 10,000 sqft in total, and can seat a total of about 360 people.

Another impressive feature of the restaurant is that it boasts of a river view. Most "window seats" that restaurants offer don't really have a very good view, but what Fisherman's Market has is pretty good.

I invited Thaddeus to be my guest at the tasting. He has a blog too, do visit him and show him some love.

And here's me, looking slightly fatigued after a hard day's work.

Let me bring you around the restaurant and have a look at the spread it offers:

The above is the cheese fondue, an a la carte item at the restaurant. Simply make an order by placing pegs that are found on your table at the ordering counter, and the dish will be served hot to your table. The cheese fondue is also one of my favourites at the restaurant. The warm cheese seems to go really well with any food (yes, it's not just limited to the bread, broccoli and potato that it's served with!) so go on and try dipping other foods into it.

No self-respecting seafood restaurant is complete without a good spread of sushi and sashimi. These are made on-the-spot by native Itamae (or sushi chefs). If you're looking for fanciful or "creative" sushi, Fisherman's Market may not be the place to go to, but you'll definitely be satisfied by the all-time-favourites.

Another not-to-miss item at the spread is the DIY ice-cream. I know it sounds really ridiculous to some since ice-cream is not something that most people will look out for at a seafood buffet restaurant. The ice-cream is super creamy and soft and there are many different types of toppings available

By the way, if you're thinking of going for its buffet, remember it's only available for dinner, and it's priced at $39.90++ (Mon-Thu) and $49.90++ (Fri-Sat). At lunch, it offers an a la carte menu consisting of sandwiches and appetizers.

Fisherman's Market is located at #01-15 and #02-17 The Central.

Ramadan Iftar Delights at Asian Market Café

This year's Ramadan is from 1 August to 30 August. And as our Muslim friends break fast in the evening, why not join them at Fairmont's Asian Market Café where the usual buffet spread is made more interesting with Middle Eastern and Malay fare.

Buffet spread at Asian Market  Café  

Dessert spread at Asian Market  Café.  

Look forward to authentic and traditional Middle Eastern specialities such as Harira (Moroccan Soup with Tomato, Lentil and Chickpea); Fattosh Salad (Mixed Vegetables with Pita Bread); “Ouzi-style” Lamb Leg from the live carving station; and Samak Sayyadiyah (Pan-roasted Gulf-style Fish Fillet with Spiced Arabic Cumin Rice).

Ramadan dishes

Besides the more exotic cuisine, you can also feast on delectable Asian highlights comprising Ayam Berempah (Malaysian Roasted Spiced Chicken); Sayor Lemak (Malaysian Mixed Vegetables); and Tiram Daging Lembu (Malaysian Black Pepper Beef). End your sumptuous dining experience with a variety of sweet indulgence such as Umm Ali (Egyptian Bread Pudding); Muhallabi (Turkish Milk Pudding); and Kadayif (Turkish Baked Pastry with Sugar Syrup and Fresh Cream).

Ayam Berempah

Sayor Lemak

Tiram Daging Lembu

The sumptuous buffet is complemented by live action stations and salad, appetiser and dessert stalls - usual highlights at Asian Market Café. To further enhance the traditional breaking fast experience at Asian Market Café, television monitors will be placed around the restaurant indicating Salat al Isha (the time to break fast) and each table will receive a complimentary plate of dates, dried fruits and a serving of Ayran (Yogurt Drink) for diners. To provide additional convenience for diners and guests, Fairmont Singapore offers separate male and female prayer areas adjacent to Asian Market Café. If you ask me, I think that's very thoughtful of the hotel.

Live Carving Station

The Ramadan Buffet is only available for dinner and is available at $55++ per adult / $30++ per child (6 – 12 yrs)

Asian Market Café is located at Level 2, Fairmont Singapore.
Lunch: Daily – 12:00pm to 2:30pm
Dinner: Sun to Thu – 6:00pm to 10:00pm / Fri, Sat & PH – 6:30pm to 10:30pm
High Tea: Sat, Sun & PH – 12:30pm to 4:30pm

Call +65 6431 6156 or email dining.singapore@fairmont.com for reservations.

 

10 at Claymore presents Plates of Pleasure - Thrill of the Grill

10 at Claymore is Pan Pacific Orchard's signature restaurant and it's famous for its Blackmore Full Blood Wagyu Beef, which has a marbling score of 9+. Fyi, the highest rating for wagyu is 11, so 9+ is a very rare and impressive score.

I was there to sample its latest Plates of Pleasure menu. This is an a la minute menu that the bistro provides on top of its regular spread. It changes once every two months and is served straight from the kitchen when you order it. The July-August menu is called "Thrill of the Grill" and consists of  five items: US Petite Black Angus with Malbec Reduction, Blackmore Wagyu Patty with peppered gravy and St. Louis “Fingering” Pork Rib glazed with Vintage BBQ sauce served with Cajun-Fat Chip, Prawn “Fleur de Sel” with Mango Ensenada and Chilli Lemongrass Drizzle and Aussie Farm-Raised Lamb with Sweet Plum Jus. 

Plates of Pleasure - Thrill of the Grill

Of them, my favourite was the US Petite Black Angus. The slightly charred angus steak is juicy, tender and very flavourful. The Boyfriend (who was my guest at the tasting) also liked the Wagyu Patty, however, I found it a little tough and "synthetic" for my liking.

Besides the seasonal Plates of Pleasure menu, you should also check out the restaurant's live oysters and lobsters. These are fresh and naturally sweet. I particularly enjoy the lobsters when seasoned with wasabi mayonnaise. 

The dessert spread, while not exactly extensive, is of superb quality. Remember to check out the cakes, macaroons and chocolate fondue! 

Taken with my phone :)

10 at Claymore is located in Pan Pacific Orchard. For reservations, call 6831-6686 or email eat.sgo@panpacific.com. Dinner is available at $48++ per person, and brunch at $52++ per person. 

Which item on the buffet spread do you look forward to most?