Trattoria Lafiandra

Trattoria Lafiandra

71 Bras Basah Rd  Singapore 189555

6884 4035

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Food 7.5/10

Ambience 6/10

Audience 6/10

Service 6.5/10

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Listening to Moumoon's うつくしい人 (utsukushii hito) as I write this post :)

Trattoria Lafiandra is situated at the Singapore Art Museum,  just next to Bras Basah MRT station. Yet again, this was another Restaurant Week Escapade that was decided hurriedly since a visiting foreign customer indicated his interest to try :)

The decor definitely wasn't shabby (which I was hopefully able to convey via this pic), but the low score (6/10) is due to the (lack of) ventilation, thus allowing the aromas to escape from the kitchen and creep into the dining area. With all the different foods being prepared there, it really hindered my sense of smell and that's not welcome :(
It was also a little too boisterous for fine dining, but this is hardly something the restaurant can control so I'm not gonna grumble about it.

We were first served with some bread, pretty decent and nothing to be disappointed with. It's kinda like Italian pizza crust, just so that friends reading this review may understand it easily. Interesting, since I do not usually go for crunchy food before my appetizer...I'm more of a fluffy good ol' piece of bread person :)

 
Pardon my poor photography skills (it's not quite polite to be getting all into position in front of a customer to take pics during the meal...). Bruschetta with some ham.

The bread was finely toasted and the tomatoes weren't overly moist, while adding a tender fluidity to the monotonous bread.
Only thing I didn't quite understand was the purpose of the ham. The bruschetta was good the way it was and adding ham to the dish was a generous gesture of the chef but unfortunately, nothing much beyond that.

 Lafiandra really offers a decent portion, even for Restaurant Week, as exemplified by the Appetizer Sampler. Usually, no one complains when we get more, but I'm not quite the usual person. There's too much parma ham to go with the rockmelon so they could either reduce the ham or give more rockmelon :D I still enjoyed it anyway.
The calamari, despite my customer's praises, was poor. Some parts were overcooked and others, uncooked. You know how you're enjoying a really comfy ride in a posh car along the coastal line, and then you hit this series of bumps that turns it into a hell ride? That's how it felt for me. But the hardest hit had to come with the presentation of this dish.
No, I am no artsy-fartsy guy who's gonna slam it for artistic reasons, rather, I would have much preferred this dish to be served separately (or in compartments) so that the sauces wouldn't cross over and corrupt the individual tastes. As we say in Spanish, Fatal.

Lafiandra served us plenty of food, so be patient while I go through it.
Pumpkin soup was up next, which can be best summarized with one word - "Sweet". In fact, too sweet for me and unhelped by the cake crumbs. But fret not! A fantastic way to overcome this comes in the form of...a fine sprinkling of black pepper! My customer asked, "How does pepper help the taste?" To which, I replied, "It helps the aroma, and hence the food experience." Arrogant me.

Beware though. There was a considerable lag between the soup and the main course, hence the low score for service (serving speed is a very important factor!

I didn't mind it too much, for my grilled sea bass was very very well done. The meat was tender and juicy, with a nice smoky aroma to tickle the nostrils, and the drop or two of lemon juice does help to refresh your taste/smell organs tremendously. Just do the honor yourself when it comes served with the lemon, will ya?

Hold on just yet, cos I haven't gotten to the skin. Grilled to perfection, the fats underneath the skin envelopes your tongue and spreads out like a gentle wave of richness to go along with the meat. Buonissimo!

Sides were decent and complemented the main without stealing the limelight, especially after sucking up the oils from the fillet. Truly a dish to be enjoyed (fish fats are good!) 

My boss had the Crabmeat and Crayfish Aglio Olio and unfortunately, he did not tell me how good it was (i.e. how did the tastes intertwine, battle it out and reconcile) but one thing he did tell unspokenly was the speed with which he finished the dish, as well as the numerous nods he made during this ritual. If only it were with friends...I coulda asked for a teeny weeny bite :(

Switching the camera view to my colleague's Ribeye. He's a man of few words, dug in quietly like a disciplined soldier and went on with the job as efficiently as always...but there was a notable difference - he was grinning. I guess it meant that he like it ;)

And here's my Panna Cotta. If it sounds foreign to you, fret not. You're not alone. In English, it's kinda like Milk-Pudding-With-Berry-Sauce. But it's Italian ;)
As I'll continue to remind you in future posts, I do not have a thing for sweet stuff. So I'm gonna suck at describing it but perhaps a best gage is if I lapped it up in ecstasy. Did I? Nah...it was too sweet for me nonetheless :P
Please do try it for yourself or come along with me to help me taste the sweet stuff in future :)

As for the rest, they had the Tartufo Ice Cream. In other more familiar words, Truffle Ice Cream. So why truffle huh? Don't you think it resembles a chocolate truffle? With the additional strawberry and some chocolate sauce, yes, but it's filled with 2 different kinds of ice cream goodness on the inside, while being covered in more chocolatey goodness on the outside!
This reminds me of Powerpuff Girls, made of all the nicest things in the world.
My dining companions ignored me for 5 minutes as they were happily enjoying this.

And finally, the Limoncello, a lemon liquer produced in Italy, which was on the house. If you're not impressed by anything in this review, or this blog per se, please just bring this away with you after reading - the owner of Lafiandra is really pretty generous. Oh, and please do not try this in small sips. Take it in a gulp!

This ends my little foodcation at Trattoria Lafiandra.
Plenty of room for improvement. Mains were a lot better than the appetizers and the soup, so if I're to return, it'll be for the mains.
We actually opened a bottle of house white, but it didn't go well with the food so I kinda forgot about it (I don't like to remember un-nice things).
They also serve pizza here so anytime you're popping by the museum and you're looking for a decent eatery nearby, Lafiandra is a consideration ;)
Just don't mind the kitchen aromas. I left smelling like a steak, and smiling like a cow.

Haxenhaus

Haxenhaus

80 Mohamed Sultan Road

#01-13 The Pier at Robertson Quay

Tel: 68357818

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Food 6/10

Ambience 5/10 or *8/10

Audience 7/10

Service 6/10

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*Ambience was rated as 5 on the basis of a fine dining establishment. For a general friends' gathering, I think Haxenhaus deserves an 8 for the bustling tavern it appears to seek to recreate.

Recalling my previous trip to Haxenhaus (again, during restaurant week), this time, for lunch.

I went for the Sommersalat, Wienerschnitzel, Strudel and...a beer, of course :)

Walls @ Haxenhaus

Kitchen (Open concept)

Bar

I liked the walls, which suited the open style of Haxenhaus, and which facilitated the usual heat from sunny Singapore to stir our thirst for some beer.
(I can't imagine how torturous a rainy day must be though :P)
The decor was cleanly simple, without a sense of pretence...almost like visiting a friend's place with a pretty nice eating area to chill out.

The Sommersalat was drenched in dressing. You got that right. It was DRENCHED.
I wasn't so sure if the chef spilled a bottle of it into mine, but a quick check with my friend confirmed that it was probably intentional. Very poorly executed and it made me pretty cross.
For people who know me...it says a lot that I left this dish unfinished.

Bad.

But thankfully, I decided on Haxenhaus cos I was craving Schnitzel \(^o^)~♪
For friends who are unfamiliar with Schnitzels, it's basically a breaded pork chop. Well, originally, it HAD to be made with veal but it's become more accommodating and chicken, turkey, and pork were added to the Schnitzel family :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKgeBCbVGgQ

Enough on the background, on to the taste.
Individually, the schnitzel was a little on the dry side; the potatos were too buttery and the jam too sweet for my liking. Does that mean it's perfectly horrible?
Nah, that's exactly why dining is fun. Have the schnitzel with some very buttered potato to get a smoother texture...squeeze some lemon to "lubricate" the schnitzel...etc, if you thinking what I'm thinking, mix'n'match to get te perfect combo is the key.
My personal favorite combination/sequence for this would be to:
1) Spread some jam on the schnitzel (take care not to spread too much or it'll mess up the balance. What you really want to do here is to have the jam add more colors but the focus should still be on the meat)
2) After having the schnitzel, treat yourself to some potatoes (have the texture transition from tough to normal...)
3) Finish it off with a beer to rid the oiliness you may be feeling from a deep fried dish, while letting the slight bitterness of a beer spur your fondness for a good piece of meat.

The meal was concluded with an apple strudel, but as I am no fan of desserts, I got my friend to give me a review instead (while I probed incessantly with lots of questions).
She felt that the ice cream was not sufficiently cold and melted too quickly.
I agree with her, especially after taking into context our tropical weather.
My salvation came in that it was not too sweet (I could finish it and not feel any after effects!)

After the experience, I had to face the inevitable question: Would I come back again?
Haxenhaus is not meant for fine dining. Instead, it is a place for friends to have a noisy party, which would then pit it against other German eateries e.g. Brotzeit (far more accessible) and Werner's Oven (cheaper, family restaurant).

My answer: Yes. They have a platter for 4 (~$88 before tax) that I've yet to try :)
As much as I was not too impressed with the schnitzel, I feel compelled to try the Schweinhaxe (pork knuckle) before a verdict can/should be reached.

Zafferano

Zafferano
Oceon Financial Centre, Level 43
10 Collyer Quay
Singapore 049315
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Food 7/10
Ambience 7/10
Audience 7/10
Service 8/10
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Been a while since my last update. The multiple business trips have really taken their toll on me.
Back to the more enjoyable aspects of life.

Next stop, Zafferano.

Situated in our favorite financial area, I was frankly expecting to bump into some friends (which I did, but let's leave that aside ^^)

A well-dressed lady greeted us on the ground floor for what would be the first pleasant surprise. The beginning of service is definitely before you reach the restaurant and pertaining this, Zafferano did a nice job. The view wasn't mind blowing (as Singaporeans are already pampered with too many breathtaking views), and my friend felt the air-con was a little chilly.
Personally, it looked chic at first glance but I would have preferred for the jars of bread to be kept from sight. At least...trick me into believing everything was fresh and homemade :)

 

Restaurant Week Menu

Going first to the bread platter...
As you can see in the pic, there're 5 kinds to savor and while personal tastes kick in, I'd say the Focaccia was the best, because...I like Focaccia. It's a personal bias ;)
Some bread for thought:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_breads

On a more serious note, the bread was not overflowing with the aroma of freshly baked bread so that was a let-down. Neither was it warm when served so it lacked a little welcoming homely touch :(

Next up was the Burrata (YAY CHEESE!)
A standard dish in any decent Italian restaurant, you can hardly go wrong with this one.
Yes, I enjoyed the dance by the fragrance of the cheese, the texture made possible by the olive oil as well as the vibrancy of the tomatoes. But...I have one small complaint.
The inner layer of the burrata just wasn't creamy enough. I like it creamy inside cos it illustrates the transition of the tough outer layer 'melting' into a river of goodness. To say I was disappointed would do injustice to the dish, but it is some mark off "perfect".

With my palettes successfully awakened from their slumber, the Lobster Ravioli invaded my table, followed by my mouth.
each piece was perfectly bite-sized and I really liked how the slight bitterness of the asparagus made the sweetness of the lobster filling shine even more as the star.
While one can enjoy 7 different tastes with 7 bites of say, a steak, the same cannot be said for ravioli. But this gave me ~4 different tastes (I discounted if the tastes were similar but were of varying degress of intensity).
Unfortunately, the white I ordered along for this dish in particular did not match it well. I know, white is recommended for seafood but it's not a good match if it doesn't escalate the good ol' lobster to a new realm. This was the highlight dish of the night for me.

To end off the meal in good fashion, I opted for the classic Tiramisu, which came along with some coffee ice cream.
I'm not a fan of desserts, so please expect to see really dull reviews of any dessert I eat.
In essence, it was not overly sweet and the coffee ice cream smoothened the texture of the tiramisu without spoiling the taste.
And as what raspberries do best, they blend well with chocolate :)
Simple, classic, and performed without much difficulty.

Service on the whole was pretty decent.
The staff was generally attentive, non-intrusive and could be more helpful if they go the extra mile to make a guest feel really welcome.
I ask for too much sometimes ^^

On a non-restaurant week day, I would expect to spend $60-80 per pax, and it is worth that range if you consider how the night view lifts the other aspects.

I will consider returning if I am in the area, or if I am looking for a place with a nice view.

Private Affairs
25 Boon Tat Street
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Food 6/10
Ambience 5/10
Audience 7/10
Service 7/10
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And so Restaurant Week commenced, with my first stop being Private Affairs.
After a long tiring day at work, I was really looking forward to some food therapy with nice company...so here we go.

Upon confirming my reservation, I was directed to the elevator with my friend and we went up to where we're supposed to be seated. Kinda like Dim Sum in Hong Kong huh :P
*Ding* the door opens but frankly, there wasn't a wow factor. It was pretty empty since we took an early dinner, and we got a seat near the staff counter.

Anyway, to the deal. Here goes my menu:

Scallop and Oyster Tartar, Yuzu Scent, French Caviar and Apple Sorbet 

Cod Fish with Spiced Crust, Seafood Broth and Pesto

 

 

French Cheese Platter

I'm gonna be a meanie here, but hey, it's my blog so I'll speak my mind.
The appetizer was disappointing.
I tried the scallops and oysters without the sorbet initially to have an idea of the ingredients, and this gave me mixed feelings, especially after mixing with the sorbet/caviar.
The scallops were good, but I didn't quite enjoy the oysters - the unmistakable raw stench was not well handled. I do enjoy my raw oysters (usually with about 3-4 drops of lemon juice, depending on the size) so it would be a crime to accuse me of hating them. Quite the contrary actually. Ironically, this dish also showed that the ingredients are in fact, pretty good. Adding the apple sorbet to it did help salvage the situation, and a little caviar popped by to spruce things up and save the day. *shrug*
They were nice enough to offer a complimentary glass of red wine,  but would have been better if they'd been clearer about its purpose. Like, a drink should go with a dish for most cases. I think service would really be complete if a customer is guided along an experience, unless of course, he/she has his/her own ideas.

Next up, the main - Cod Fish. Sliced off a portion of the fish without any seasoning save a little broth (that was inevitable...). The fish retaliated against my teeth but when the defenses were crushed, a sweet juiciness overflowed my tongue and the tone was set for an anticipated enjoyment. The crust was a little salty, but overall, fish + broth + crust was a little mini semi-pro orchestra trying to piece together a stunning performance but it fell short of top class pedigree cos some flavors're competing rather than being harmoniously amplifying.
I'll try to describe it: the crust was too salty and the cod's texture was uneven. There were hints of overcooking at 2 edges so while it felt decent initially, the shortcomings are quickly exposed. If you're to consider it from a soccer perspective, this was an Atletico Madrid. One stand-out (Falcao) to capture your attention but the eventual slump set in as the season dragged on.

I ended off with a French Cheese Platter, which was the most delightful of all 3 courses (imo). Why? You ask. "QL, why they arrange until so messy and ugly?", said my clerk.
The way I see it, they're trying to create a picture - heights expressed by stacking the apricots and cheeses, a valley arranged using the crackers, and some short huts with the walnuts. Was I imagining things? Art is subjective and abstract. Just let me be and don't bother evaluating it :P
The cheeses tended to be a little on the sweet side, and I really enjoyed my walnuts by taking 2-3 chews of the raw cheeses before popping a walnut in my mouth to stimulate the awareness of the cheeses' hidden tastes. Yum yum. The most outstanding part of this dish though, lies in...
*drumroll* the temperature of the plate. You read that right. The plate was chilled to complement the cheese and that's what kept the cheese at the right state and right temperature to savor as a dessert. Due to this thoughtfulness, I think they deserve a 7 even though most of the service was average.

On the whole, Private Affairs didn't turn out to be as Private as its name suggests. The tables were too close to one another and conversations may clash as a result. Food wise...the potential was obvious through the ingredients, but it was what we termed "softcore porn" (for the lack of a better term). The food arouses your interest, but can't sustain it nor further develop it to beyond an interest. In terms of portions, it's supposed to be fine dining so I didn't expect anything near an American-sized serving, and they were really small as expected.

I don't foresee myself returning for another meal since there are other places around that offer better value for money (portion and taste) in the same range.

Gordon Grill

Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Road Singapore 228221
http://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/gordon-grill-,dining_viewItem_9-en.html

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Food        8.5/10
Ambience 8/10
Audience  7/10
Service    10/10
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*All pictures were taken with an iPhone 4S*

At my brother and sister's recommendation (and treat ^^), I made my maiden trip to Gordon Grill. To be fair, I didn't do any research and being the cynic I am, I didn't buy a single cent of my brother's enthusiasm in his recommendation. Hopefully that helped me maintain an objective outlook (^o^)/

One of the first scenes that greeted us was the professional waiter, Krishna. Yes, professional. For one thing, he actually recognized my sis which added a fuzzy warm touch to the splendid decor reminiscent of a classy dining hall. This was followed by the defining Gordon Grill factor

Beef, Beef, Beef! (And Krishna)

Beef. Unfortunately, I'm not a beef eater as I have the most unpleasant allergy in the world. But hey, as one who takes to the kitchen, boy, can you tell when the meat is good.

Gordon Grill serves a few kinds of beef, notably the Angus cut and the Snake River cut.
*Some background information for friends who are unfamiliar with the Snake River Farm, they produce excellent top grade wagyu without the drugs you would feed at other farms. Their cows are also fed Idaho potatoes. For more information, you can check out their website www.snakeriverfarm.com

My heart skipped a beat as Krishna's knife sank effortlessly into the beef, producing an absolute piece of art that weighed precisely 230g on the scale (as we requested!). Yeah, romantic fantasies aside, it was probably a one-off fluke but this gives away his experience at Gordon Grill.

We ordered 4 mains - 2x Wagyu (Medium Rare), a fish (we ditched the Barramundi but I can't recall the name of the fish they suggested...my bad) and Iberico Pork Chop, Potato and Leek Gratin, Caesar Salad, French Onion Soup, Creamed Spinach, Crepe Suzette, Espresso and a scoop of strawberry ice cream, along with a Chilean Merlot (2010).
That's right. They cater for the non-beef eaters too, and as a general rule-of-thumb, red meat and red wine for the conventional mariage.

Chilled Angel Hair Pasta

On the house were the chilled Angel Hair Pasta and an assortment of freshly baked bread (3 kinds). The former was delightfully petite just enough to whet our appetites and prepare us for the feast ahead.
The butter that came along with the bread was a tad too cold for my liking, but the bread made up for it with its crunchy outer and soft and smooth inner textures. Quite surprisingly, we finished all the bread while dad enjoyed his Caesar salad.

French Onion Soup

As for myself, I had the pleasure of slurping up the devilish creation otherwise known as the French Onion Soup. Great continuation from the pasta (slight tinge of saltiness) as it warmed my tired tummy and the mysterious blend of enhanced saltiness and rich aromas from its ingredients seemed to have stoked my appetite further. Good way to have started with the appetizers.
And of cos, the wine to add the icing to the cake.
I think this works around the world: a simple toast with your loved ones always seem to raise the quality of the time and food. Especially if the food's already great (^^)

I will not be directly reviewing the beef nor fish since I did not try either of them. Instead, let me try to measure it from the reactions of the fellow diners.
Their eyes widened, and bite after bite followed, interrupted only by mutters of "Good! Good!" and a good-natured toast from time to time. As testament to the high quality of the beef, it was still tender-moist and the meat juices would have equalled the Niagara.

Iberico Pork Chop

UmmMMMMMmmmMmmM!!!!
Was my instant reaction. The rich aroma emanated from the delicious dish in front of me, and instantly turned into 2 fingers dragging my nose to it. While it was not as knife-friendly as the beef, I must say it was probably one of the best pork chops I've had in the past 3 years. You'll usually taste the unmaskable musk (hur-hur) of a pig unless it is drenched (or sometimes, EVEN IF it was drenched) in gravy/sauce. Not this one. Were it not that we had excellent fellow guests around (save a table, I'll come to that later), I would have grabbed this meat-art with my hands and chomped away. The sides (Potato-Leek gratin and creamed spinach) were rich, packing the mains with the right sort of punch to raise the game to its climax.
And there was the wine. The Chilean Merlot lent its strong earthly flavor to cradle the meat, further boosting the succulent juices which leaves you with only one image in the mind - Nature's goodness. Needless to say, we finished every bit of our meal...and it's time for dessert.

Crepe Suzette

I'm not quite a dessert person, so I left it to sis to pick one to share, while mum had the strawberry ice cream and dad, the espresso. Crepe Suzette was prepared flambe style, as you would expect. Not quite the fellow guests at the other table, who were so fascinated that they walked over to snap pictures of the waitress preparing the dish. That explained the 3.5 stars at the top of this post, a great injustice to the lovely elderly couple celebrating their anniversary (possibly 50 years? in coincidence with Gordon Grill's own anniversary, albeit the latter's is in July); and the other groups of merrymen who politely had an enjoyable evening without invading others' spaces. I digress. Back to the dish, it was more presentation (Flambe...like what else would you expect?). Since I do not have a sweet tooth, this was not exceptionally satisfying for me, but it would be interesting if you're a guy on a nice date and your date has never tried a flambe. Impress her. Food is after all, taste; smell; and visual entertainment (*o*)

Overall, Gordon Grill provided us with an excellent night of good food and ambience. The non-intrusive staff were a pleasure to have recommending just about enough food. One can taste the quality of their ingredients, and while location may be tricky should it be a raining, it is definitely worth a trip. For durian lovers, I would recommend that you drop by Goodwood Park Hotel's pastry shop nearby for their famous durian-related pastries.
Downside: It can be a tad pricey - we spent >$120 per pax; so reserve it for special occasions if you're a not-exactly-rich foodie like myself.

Oh and I have good news to share! As I've mentioned above, Gordon Grill's celebrating their 50th Anniversary, and you can enjoy a 3-course/4-course lunch at $50++/$60++ throughout the week until July!
For more details...check out http://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/promotions/gordon-grill-50th-anniversary-celebration-,diningOffers_viewItem_116-en.html

Please try and share your experiences too (^o^)
I'll be writing more since it's Restaurant Week from tomorrow...