Dallas Restaurant & Bar @ Boat Quay

I first came across this restaurant in an advertisement. Being a huge fan of American food (and French food and Italian food and general food), I decided to give it a try. This is situated in the stretch of Boay Quay, just a few steps down from UOB Plaza, facing the Singapore River.

When we reached there, we were ushered to the second floor where the restaurant is. Now I know why it is highly recommended. The interior has dim lighting and really great for small get-togethers! Besides, there is a bar downstairs and an open area right by the river.

We were seated at a place right by the window, overlooking fantastic views of the river and the colonial-style buildings from across the river. It makes a wonderful view in the night sky!

The open area of the restaurant, flanked by the river

The Asian Civilisations Museum across the river

The seats of the restaurant

The table setting

 

Being an American restaurant, they specialise in ribs - baby back and prime. However, none of us ordered ribs. We ordered a variety of Portobelle mushrooms, fish and beef. The food is good with big servings and the price is very reasonable!

Cream of Pumpkin

Ribeye steak
(it was supposed to be medium rare but the steak turned out too well done)

Pan-fried Barramundi

Portobelle Mushrooms

Classic Beer-battered Fish & Chips
(which became too big of a serving)

This is one place that is very suitable for a romantic date. I will sure go back again, at least to try the ribs!

Cuisine : American
Food : 3.5 out of 5
Ambience : 4.5 out of 5
Price : 4 out of 5

The White Rabbit @ Dempsey

Last night, we were at The White Rabbit at Dempsey. I have long heard about this place, especially since it is a popular place for weddings, but have never been there. The moment I stepped in, I can see why it is such a popular place for weddings! Converted from a colonial church, the stained glass windows and high ceilings make it a regal place for exchanging vows.

Interior of the White Rabbit

The table setting makes for a cosy place for intimate gatherings. It has the usual - wine glasses, water glasses, butter plate, knives and forks, napkins and plates for the main dishes. Whenever I enter a restaurant, I always check out the table setting. If the table setting is right, normally the food and ambience will not go wrong.

The table setting

Some remnants of the old stuff still remains.

The food is average, not fantastically delicious. We ordered a mixture of appetisers, soups and mains. The servings are a tad small. For the price we paid, it is not worth it!

Tomato and Pumpkin Soup

Tuna with Caviar

Scallops

Linguine with Scallops

Beef Tenderloin

White Rabbit Mac & Cheese (main)

Macaroni and Cheese (side)

Vegetarian Pasta

In short, this is a restaurant with nice ambience for cosy and casual dates, if you are prepared to indulge a bit more.

Cuisine : Mediterranean
Food : 3 out of 5
Ambience : 4 out of 5
Price : 2.5 out of 5

The Cooking Book

I found another "treasure" yesterday! After I saw this cookbook of all cookbooks at a friend's place, I have been wanting to get my hands on it. This is the absolute bible for cooking beginners. Every recipe is illustrated, ie there is a picture of every ingredient used, how the dishes turn out, and it comes equipped with a shopping list stating how many servings in how much quantity of ingredients, as well as a DVD on cooking demonstration!

What can be better than that - a cookbook with practical instructions and detailed pictures so you can never get the overall output wrong? I cannot wait to try out the French Onion Soup recipe and compare it to that one in the Le Cordon Bleu cookbook I have!

Here are some samples of recipes from the pages.

Sago Gula Melaka

Sago Gula Melaka has always been one of my favourite desserts, ever since I first ate it at the then-Do Re Mi restaurant opposite Yamaha at the old Plaza Singapura. That place sells the best fried chicken wings and sago gula melaka I have ever eaten in my life! I wonder if that place is still around? It will be a great pity if such a nice cafeteria is no longer operating.

Since then, I have not been able to find much sago gula melaka here. Seems like it is not a popular dish. I wonder why? It is not as if the dish is that complicated, it is easy to prepare with just a few ingredients, able to prepare in advance and makes a good dessert after all the food and partying. So why do more eating places not have it?

This was the recipe I used :

2 packets or 600 grams of sago seeds
1 litre of water
1 kilograms of grated coconut
3 packets or 600 grams of gula melaka (brown sugar)
6 pandan leaves
2 teaspoons of salt
More water (for gula melaka and coconut)

1. Place the sago seeds into 1 litre of water and submerge for ten minutes.

2. Heat the sago seeds in the water under a low heat, stirring all the way until the mixture thickens.

3. Simmer the sago mixture.

4. Squeeze 250 mililitres of coconut milk from the grated coconut.

5. Pour the coconut milk with one teaspoon of salt into the sago mixture.

6. Stir until the mixture thickens until it cannot be stirred anymore.

7. Ladle out the sago mixture into individual containers and chill.

8. Melt the gula melaka in 600 mililitres of water and four pandan leaves, stirring the mixture along.

9. Once the sugar is all melted, strain the syrup into a bowl and leave it to settle.

10. Take the remaining coconut and drain out 500 mililitres of coconut milk.

11. Tie 2 pandan leaves into a knot and pour the coconut milk into a pot together with the pandan leaves.

13. Add in one teaspoon of salt into the coconut milk and heat it until the smell of the pandan leaves have been absorbed.

14. Pour the coconut milk into a bowl and leave it to set.

15. To serve, pour one tablespoon of gula melaka into each sago and top it off with some coconut milk.

As with every recipe, this is just a guide. We can always try and then adapt according to taste and sweetness!

Sapphire At The Jewel Box @ Mount Faber

The group of restaurants on top of Mount Faber, The Jewel Box, is having its annual Christmas show, consisting of the lighting of the world's tallest Christmas tree (as claimed), and a snow and light show. Now that the cable cars are being upgraded, free shuttles are provided at the harbour front up to Mount Faber. So we reserved a table for dinner yesterday.

It took less than ten minutes to reach the top. The exterior of the Jewel Box looks like an underground bunk where the soldiers do battle. I almost thought I could see a cannon in front of it!

Close-up of the entrance of the Jewel Box

However when we stepped in, the interior looked chic and classy. The ground floor consists of a small tea room called The Diamond Chateau, and a private dining room called The Diamond Palace. In between these two rooms is the iconic restroom, so-called because apparently the restroom became the world's best restroom according to one French magazine (as displayed on the walls).

The restaurant we were going was called Sapphire, the alfresco casual dining place of The Jewel Box, where we can dine in open air in candlelight. Next to Sapphire is the more formal glass-enclosed candlelight dining area called Black Opal.

Entrance to the Black Opal

The view from the second floor is spectacular!

Some views of the harbour from the second floor of the Jewel Box

The Sapphire restaurant leads out to a lawn behind the dining area. There is a shed that is the washroom, a decorated tree with thrones and a bell during Christmas and an open area consisting of a pavement and koi pond.

The Sapphire restroom

Decorative tree

The bell and thrones

View of the harbour at sun set

The Sapphire restaurant

Table setting

The Sapphire menu

My Jewel Club Sandwich

His Prawn Aglio Olio

We were there at seven, and the food came around half-past seven. The show started at eight - the lighting up of the tree, thrones and bell, the fake snow falling down, and the lighting up of the world's tallest Christmas tree (which unfortunately we were not able to see it from where we were sitting as it is outside the Jewel Box).

The "snow" falling down

The decorative tree after it was lit up

The thrones at night

The bell at night

The thrones and bell together

We left around half-past eight. Since it was very crowded, we decided to hitch a cab. The staff at the ground floor was very helpful, he helped us call for a cab by texting it, and the cab arrived within five minutes.

While waiting, I took the opportunity to go into the iconic restroom, and I must say, it really does not look like a restroom!

The Christmas tree at the second floor landing

The Jewel Box at night

This is a place I will sure come again, especially since it has a few other nice restaurants there!

Cuisine : Mediterranean
Food : 3.5 out of 5
Ambience : 3 out of 5
Price : 3 out of 5