Tag Archives: Lunch
Meat Your Greens @ THE LAWN Grill & Salad Café
Fact is, it is not easy to eat clean, be healthy yet still feel satisfied and full. People tend to shun salads because they assume that it is ‘rabbit food’ and not meant as human food. Others on the end of the spectrum, drown their greens with copious amounts of high-fat creamy dressings and cheese, deluding themselves that all salads are healthy and wonder why despite having salads for lunch and dinner, they are still not losing weight.
Well, here at The Lawn Grill & Salad Cafe, you can expect to eat hearty portions of real food, that is full-bodied in flavor, without bursting your calorie count for the day. Owner Jonathan was inspired by salad bars back in California and brought the concept back home here to Singapore. It is all about fresh greens topped with premium grills accompanied by zesty flavorful dressings that are not caloric-laded. The best part? You get to customize your own salad, choosing up to 5 toppings and one of the many homemade dressings that The Lawn’s kitchen has specially concocted for you, all for just $9.90!
All grills are prepared upon order and are still sizzling even as they reach your table.
Looking to add more lean meat and protein to your diet? Go for the chicken breast meat that is done three different ways- a subtly sweet Maple Chicken, the fragrant but slightly dry Chicken with Herb Infusion or the newly added Mojo Cheeken with a tinge of orange zest and Indian spices.
Feel like having fish instead? Try the amazing buttery melt-in-your-mouth Butter Dory or be adventurous with the Fresh Fruit Dory that has a citrus bite. Alternatively, for the vegetarians, fret not because you too have a choice between the char-grilled Asparagus & Eggplant or the plus-sized earthy Portobello Mushroom packed with umami flavor.
Premium cuts such as the Ben’s Beef Rub and Aceto Balsamico Beef Cuts require an additional $2 but remain as one of The Lawn’s top sellers simply because discerning customers appreciate a well prepared steak and are willing to pay for good quality.
We were very fortunate to be able to have a taste of most of their grills and my top pick goes to the Butter Dory that was so delicate and smooth. Loved how the rub of Italian Parsley, Kosher salt and butter brought out the natural sweetness of the John Dory and complimented the firm white flesh that simply melted in my mouth. I always have a soft spot for Portobello Mushrooms and naturally had high expectations, which The Lawn delivered in taste. Thick, ‘meaty’ and grilled to perfection, these babies will have any meat-loving carnivore on his knees, begging for more.
SAVEUR @ Far East Plaza
Saveur has long been synonymous with affordable French cuisine since the successful start-up of their flagship eatery along Purvis Street. With their no reservation policy, the waiting time before one gets a table has been at least half an hour and even up to an hour during peak hours. The full house which is bustling every single night speaks volumes about their popularity and appeal to the masses.
About a month ago, to meet the high demand for Saveur’s recipe of quality French fare at inexpensive prices, owners Joshua Khoo and Dylan Ong opened a second branch right in the heart of town, at level 1 of Far East Plaza. I personally never got down to the Purvis outlet as the queues have been a large deterring factor so I was extremely psyched to hear about a second outlet opening.
Moving onto the food itself…
Saveur’s Pasta $4.90
This highly raved about appetizer, also a Saveur signature, won me over instantly with its elegant presentation and how every single strand of pasta was twirled neatly in its characteristic roll. The key to thoroughly enjoying this exquisite dish is to first ‘untangle’ the pasta before mixing it all up so that every part is covered with the concoction of chilli oil, minced pork sauce and finely-chopped sakura ebi. An extremely refreshing and oriental take on regular pasta and this was sure memorable.
Duck Leg Confit $10.90
My choice of main was a slightly flattened duck leg confit sitting on a bed of homemade potato mash and sauteed shitake mushrooms on the side. A superbly crisp browned skin with succulent salty meat which was also fork tender and delectably delicious. Mmmmm.. I am getting hungry just thinking about it right now! And for just $10.90, this was an absolute steal and a must try! The mashed potatoes too were creamy and smooth, complimenting the French classic perfectly.
Pan-Seared Sea Bass $14.90
My sister’s pan-seared sea bass was another winner with its freshness and rich flavours. I especially enjoyed the diced saute potato crabmeat that added a salty rustic touch to the overall dish. One does not usually get such good quality fresh fish at a mere $14.90 price tag. For a more premium alternative, go for the Cod at $24.90, which is still unbelievably affordable for cod in my opinion.
Tim Ho Wan | Hong Kong’s Michelin Star Dim Sum Restaurant Opens First International Outlet in Singapore
Dubbed as possibly the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world, Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong has earned a reputation for serving up quality dim sum that are made-to-order with an extremely affordable price tag, but not without first braving the long queues that start even before the restaurant itself opens.
Serving up to 2 000 baskets of dim sum everyday in each of its four outlets back in Hong Kong, Tim Ho Wan is set to bring the dim sum frenzy to Singapore when it opens its first international branch today, 10th April 2013 at the Atrium of Plaza Singapura. Chef Mak Kwai Pui, the heavyweight behind the Tim Ho Wan brand says that he hopes to introduce authentic Hong Kong-style dim sum to Singaporeans through this new venture.
The 100-seater eatery space at Plaza Singapura is modest and seems hardly able to accommodate the large crowds of Tim Ho Wan’s fans it is estimated to attract with its opening. To cope with the high volume demand, this Singapore branch, much like its predecessors, will also not take reservations but cater seats via a first-come first-serve basis. But fret not, a SMS queue system has been implemented so you need not physically stand in line and wait for your turn.
Alternatively, the takeaway counter will hopefully take some of the heat off with its express service for customers who would rather avoid the queue and bring home their dim sum to enjoy.
Introducing the ‘Big 4 Heavenly Kings‘ which first put the flagship store in Hong Kong on the map- the Steamed Egg Cake, Vermicelli Roll with Pig’s Liver, Baked Bun with BBQ Pork and Pan-Fried Carrot Cake, are MUST ORDERS here as well.
Delicate, moist and soft, this Steamed Egg Cake $3.80 was easily one of my favourites. Though it could probably be taken as a dessert as well, with its subtle sweet notes and spongy texture, the simplicity and lightness of this traditional dim sum delight was what won me over.
The Pan-Fried Carrot Cake (3 pcs) $4.50 could not have fared better. Sizeable chunks of sweet juicy radish pan fried with a thin crunchy outer layer and a contrasting comforting softness inside, this was delectable and good to eat on its own, without any additional condiments on the side necessary.
COMMUNAL | Diner. Bar. New American Restaurant
COMMUNAL, the newest addition to the CBD area, along the busy North Canal Road, is Singapore-based American chef Ryan Jette’s first restaurant to his name. With a glowing resume and experience from top restaurants all around the world, including New York, San Francisco, London, under his belt and most recently as executive sous chef at The Sentosa Hotel, Chef Ryan hopes to glamorize diner food in his latest venture with quality ingredients and big flavours, all while maintaining pocket-friendly prices.
The menu here though limited, leans towards mostly American comfort/diner food with offerings of Burgers, Mac N Cheese, Fried Chicken and Thick Milkshakes for under $30. The lunch crowd can look forward to a 3 course value set lunch which includes a sandwich, soup/salad and drink, all for $15.
And just its name suggests, half of the seating here is ‘communal’ with a long bar counter table that stretches across the restaurant, where diners sit on black wooden stools facing the open kitchen. The remaining seats in this contemporary-chic themed eatery, with a rustic flair contributed by the red-bricked walls, are booth seats which hold more privacy for conversations.
The Meat & Poultry section is modest with only three choices of Fried Chicken $18, Seared Black Angus Strip Loin $38 and Braised Beef Cheek $24. Three very different ways of cooking three different types of meat with three different price ranges. Clean-cut and straight to the point. We settled for the Braised Beef Cheek just because we felt like it was a beef day.
And it was a great choice. Braised till amazingly tender and moist, with all rounded succulence, these braised beef cheeks were infused with a beautiful rich flavor of oyster sauce that was nicely concentrated. The mashed potato too was a bed of velvety smoothness that was warm and comfortingly indulgent with notes of buttery creaminess.
Made from three types of cheeses- Parmesan, Gyuyere and White Cheddar Cheese, this Lobster Mac and Cheese Gratin $20 is one of COMMUNAL’s signatures. While purists may frown upon the absence of that thick gooey melted cheese sauce, I found that their sauce though less rich in intensity, complimented the elbow macaroni well instead of drowning it. The lobster meat added to the casserole was not scanty either and was instead found in chunks, in almost every spoonful of macaroni we picked up.
Social Sin | Gastrobar & All Day Breakfast Bistro
Social Sin is the latest dining concept by Ministry of Food (MOF), the very same people who brought you MOF @ My Izakaya, Lenas, DANRO Japanese Hot Pot and AmaSoy. This gastrobar offers All Day Breakfast, Happy Hour Drink Specials and even 50% off all 2nd main courses when you dine from 11.30am-8.30pm. With a rustic contemporary theme for the decor and a striking resemblance to House/Skinny Pizza’s menu newspaper style, augmented by Wild Honey’s naming system for their egg-centered breakfast platters such as English and Tunisian, Social Sin offers a plethora of dining experiences all in a single space.
The Light Bites and Snacks section of the menu is considerably straightforward, with choices of Chicken Wings $10, Beef Meatballs $9, Chunky Cut Fries $7, Popcorn Chicken $9 and even Tomato Bruschetta $8, best paired with their beer specials of the day written on the board.
We tried the Sweet Potato Fries $10 and Crunchy Calamari $9, both served in aluminum cans, with dips of tar tar sauce, sweet chilli and wasabi mayo. The latter was so creamy addictive, we could not resist asking for seconds. I liked how we had thick round substantial squid fried with a golden brown batter that remained crisp down to the last piece and a decent chunky cut of sweet potato fries, not too over the top unlike the ones at Skinny Pizza which had an extra coat of white sugar. These two light bite options passed satisfactorily.
We settled for a Parma Ham Pizza (8 inch $17) for our main as recommended by our server. Unfortunately they were out of rocket salad so the kitchen substituted the greens with other types of lettuce. The pizza crust was biscuit-like crisp and almost brittle, extremely enjoyable to munch upon, while the parma ham on the other hand, was missing that quintessential preserved saltiness of dry-cured meat, so that was disappointing. Peperoni still holds top ranks for a good parma ham pizza in my opinion.
