Liang Court Wednesdays' Food Tasting Trails: Marutama Ramen and Saizeriya

Liang Court is currently having an event called Wednesdays' Food Tasting Trails which will be held till 7 August 2013. Diners can purchase the Food Trail Coupon for $30 at the Customer Service Counter and get to enjoy 3 different set meals from 3 different restaurants in Liang Court and also a free beer. 

Wednesdays' Food Tasting Trails Coupon & Food Trail Guide

The first restaurant  has been pre-selected, diners can choose their second and third stops from  any of the remaining 11 participating F&B shops. I received a copy of the Food Trail Guide and two complimentary Wednesdays' Food Tasting Trails Coupons. As shown above, the coupon shows that my first restaurant (pre-selected) is Tamoya. 

Marutama Ramen

Looking through all the set meals in the Guide, I decide to try Marutama Ramen first (there is no need to utilise the coupon in sequence). 

Marutama Ramen

The Liang Court's Wednesdays' Food Trail Coupon allowed me to try the Zenbu-nose (U.P. $18). It was essentially the signature Marutama Ramen with all toppings! The toppings are the Kakuni (Stewed Pork Belly), Sliced Roasted Pork, Aosa (Seaweed), Negi (Spring Onions) and Half-Boiled Seasoned Egg. 

Those who frequent Marutama Ramen would know that the signature Marutama Ramen (without toppings) would have cost $12 and an addition $6 is required if all toppings were added. 

Zenbu-nose

 The Zenbu-nose; with all toppings added!

Roasted Pork (Char Siew)

Three big pieces of Sliced Roasted Pork (Char Siew) were given. The roasted pork had quite a good balance of lean meat and fat ratio. So much so that it was tender.

Kakuni (Stewed Pork Belly)

The Kakuni (Stewed Pork Belly) as it should be had a higher proportion of fats to lean meat compared to the Char Siew.

Half-boiled Seasoned Egg

The Half-boiled Seasoned Egg would have been perfect if its yolk was runny as they had got the marination right. It was a pity that it was slightly overcooked and the yolk was not runny.

Zenbu-nose

This bowl of Zenbu-nose ramen came with lots of ingredients like how it should be. If you were to take the cost of the Food Trail Coupon (i.e. $30) and divide by 3 restaurants, it means that essentially, you are paying for $10 per restaurant (do not forget, there's a free beer too).

Chew on this: Having this bowl of Zenbu-nose ramen would have covered more than 50% of your purchase of the coupon. 

The Italian Restaurant Saizeriya is one of the 12 participating restaurants.

Diners with Liang Court's Wednesdays' Food Trail Coupon can get to try the US Sirlion Steak (U.P. $11.90) with Salad and Free-flow Drink Bar (U.P. $3.90).

US Sirloin Steak

The amount of food served with this coupon was astonishing. So generous! There was even a plate of rice!

Salad

 The salad which was served almost immediately after I had ordered the food.

US Sirloin Steak

The US Sirloin Steak was average. It was the most expensive on Saizeriya's menu. I felt that the steak was a tad too dry and hard. The portion of the serving was big considering the price.

So far I have tried the set meals at two participating outlets. I am impressed by the portions. I would have expected that the servings would likely be 'downsized'. But well, I was wrong. I am glad that the serving was the same as what a normal customer (without coupon) would have been served. Kudos to Liang Court and participating restaurants! The little things that matters.

I must say, this Wednesdays' Food Trail Coupon is value for money. If you had not bought it and are interested in buying this coupon, its not too late. You can still utilise the vouchers on 31st July and 7 August 2013! I am definitely going back to try the other restaurants on 7 Aug!

Thank you Kase  from AsiaMalls Management for the two coupons. 

Liang Court Wednesdays' Food Tasting Trails: Marutama Ramen and Saizeriya
Liang Court, 177 River Valley Road
Singapore 179030
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Cocotte at Wanderlust Hotel (Little India)

Cocotte a 2 year old French restaurant located at the lobby of Wanderlust Hotel, is located in between Bugis and Little India MRT stations along 2 Dickson Road. I took about 15 minutes to walk over from Bugis MRT station cutting through Rochor Centre. 

Wanderlust Hotel

The restaurant managed by Head Chef Anthony Yeoh was recently named as one of the top 500 restaurants in the 2013 edition of the Miele Guide.

Cocotte had a unique environment. An assortment of chairs with different colours and rustic timbre tables of brown and white colour. It gave a bight cheerful and country style ambience. 

Pastry Counter

Cocotte has recently opened a Pastry Counter and will be serving Brunch everyday. The Pastry Counter will be opened from Monday to Saturday from 12pm to 10pm and on Sunday from 12pm to 3pm. 

Pastry Menu

The Pastry Counter offers a wide variety of choices with its prices displayed clearly next to it.

Our table dining table, I like the brown timbre table. 

Shredded Pork Confit $15

Shredded Pork Confit $15

The Shredded Pork Confit Sandwich - Confited Free Range Australian Pork Shoulder, Wholegrain Mustard Dressing, Fresh Tarragon, Parsley & Cucumber with Toasted Country Baguette. The filling in the sandwich were delicious. However, the downside was that the toasted country baguette was too hard compared to the tender soft fillings. The shredded pork confit deserved a special mentioned. Coming from the pork shoulder, it was tasty, moist and incredibly soft and tender. In addition, the cucumber provided a nice crunch. 

French Onion "Soup" Sandwich $10

French Onion "Soup" Sandwich $10

The French inspired French Onion "Soup" Sandwich blew me away. It consisted of Caramelised Onion Confit, Melted Gruyere Cheese, Thyme Leaves and Toasted Country Baguette. Instead of a soup, you get the dry version which is probably grilled with gruyere cheese on top so that it melts. I believe that gruyere cheese was used not only because it is 'the' cheese which is traditionally used in French Onion Soup but also because of its rich, creamy, slightly smokey and nutty taste. If you are a fan of French Onion Soup, you have got to try this! 

Grilled Boneless Chicken Leg With Fresh Herb & Garlic Butter $12

Grilled Boneless Chicken Leg With Fresh Herb & Garlic Butter $12

The Grilled Boneless Chicken Leg was served with Garlic Roasted Potatoes and French Beans. As the whole the dish was well executed. The boneless chicken leg was grilled perfectly. Crisp cracking chicken skin with juicy tender meat. The partner and I also particularly like the roasted potato. At $12, it is cheaper in price than most of restaurants and I would consider this quite value for money considering the quality! 

Left to right: Chocolate Tart, Pistachio Creme Brulee, Nectarine Tart, Citron Lemon Tart

For desserts, we tried the Chocolate Tart, Pistachio Creme Brulee, Nectarine Tart and Citron Lemon Tart.

The Citron Lemon Tart was their best seller. On the first bite, it had a tangy sour taste that was too strong for my liking. The main reason was because this was made from lemon. However, I started to like it from the second bite downwards  It is a light dessert and is the type that the more you dig into it, the more you will like it. Among the four, this was our favourite. This is best accompanied by a cup of hot tea!

The Chocolate Tart was made of 72% Valrhona - dark chocolate. Chocolate fans will love as it is made of intense thick dark chocolate; not diluted. The bitterness of the chocolate is followed by a slight hint of sweetness. Best to share this!

Overall, I enjoyed the dining ambience at Cocotte. Quiet and cozy, Cocotte is a good place for a chat among friends or for a date. Foodwise, the quality of food was top notch. I am still thinking (craving) of the French Onion "Soup" Sandwich.

Thank you Grace for the invite.

Cocotte at Wanderlust Hotel (Little India)

2 Dickson Road

Singapore 209494

Tel: 6298 1188

Opening Hours: Mon to Thur 12pm - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm

                         Fri 12pm - 230pm, 630pm - 11pm

                         Sat 1130am - 3pm, 630pm - 11pm

                         Sun 1130am - 3pm

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Bliss Restaurant (Ang Mo Kio)

Bliss Restaurant used to be located at Punggol Park. One and a half years ago, they relocated to Chengsan Community Centre which is just a stone throw away from Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Less than 10 minutes walk away from the station, most of which was through a sheltered walk way.

Air-conditioned  - indoor (left), Alfresco area - outdoor  (right) 

Bliss Restaurant offers customers with both indoor - air conditioned and outdoor - alfresco dining areas with a seating capacity of 300! On the day of visit, I noticed that more than half of the customers were seated at the alfresco dining area. Maybe it was because it was a cold day as it was raining an hour earlier.

Customers will be spoil for choice as Bliss Restaurant offers an extensive choice of dishes ranging from Starters, Appetizers, Sides, Pasta, Meat, Ocean,  Dessert, Waffle, Sundae and Drinks (Coffee, Tea, Hot & Cold Beverages, Float, Cocktail, Beer, Liquor).  As I had a hard time deciding what to order, I decided to seek recommendations from the staff. Click here to view their menu.

Ham & Cheese Stick $6.90

The Ham & Cheese Stick has been a Bliss Specialty Since 2001. It consisted of breaded chicken ham rolled with cheddar cheese. It was topped with fried curry leaves.

Ham & Cheese Stick $6.90

I was quite impressed with the Ham & Cheese Stick. Cutting it into half and stuffing a piece of curry leaf into it heightened the aroma to a whole new different level. The only issue I have is that the cheese seems to 'solidify' pretty fast. Maybe we took too long taking photos of it.

Mussel In White Wine (1 Dozen) $13.90

The Mussel In White Wine, a dozen of half shell mussels cooked with white wine, garlic and parsley. The mussels were big, fat, juicy and fresh.

Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle $12.90

The Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck was strongly recommended by the staff. I decided to order that but decided to order another type of pasta, which was the Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle.

Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle $12.90

Duck meat is normally tough. However, in this case, Bliss Restaurant's Smoked Pepper Duck was soft and tender (I wonder how they cooked it). As a whole, I thought that this dish was well-executed. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise the squid ink pasta did not taste have a very strong squid ink taste which could have overwhelmed the flavours from the Aglio Olio!

Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90

The Gratin RibEye Steak accompanied by baby potatoes and greens, was served with mushroom sauce  on sizzling a sotplate. Normally, it is served with cheddar cheese, however, we decided to switch it to mushroom sauce as the starter we had earlier already had cheddar cheese in it.

Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90 - Baby Potatoes

Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90 - greens

Was pleasantly surprised by the generosity of the ingredients given. Lots of greens, baby potatoes, onions (at the bottom of the steak) and a big piece of steak!

The mushroom sauce was heavenly. It had the right blend of sweetness, fragrant and seems to be accompanied by a slight herbal taste. A perfect complement for the steak, potatoes and onions. I polished off this whole plate!  The only 'glitch' was that the carrots were a tad too hard; could have been cooked a little longer.

Traditional Italian Tiramisu $6.90

Traditional Italian Tiramisu $6.90

The Traditional Italian Tiramisu, another Bliss Specialty Since 2001 was decent. Soft, moist and creamy with the right balance in taste.

Sea Salt Caramel Banana $7.90

Sea Salt Caramel Banana $7.90

The Sea Salt Caramel Banana consisted of sliced banana tossed with salty caramel sauce topped over freshly made waffle. Unlike most waffles I have eaten so far, Bliss Restaurant's version was was thick and fluffy. The whole waffle was topped with slices of bananas and sea salt caramel sauce. How I wish I could add a scope of ice cream over it!

Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark (Alcoholic Sundae) $7.90

Leaving the best for the last, the Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark; an alcoholic sundae was essentially dark chocolate ice cream swimming in kahlua bath accompanied with wholesome chunky rich brownies cubes and drizzled with chocolate fudge. I have never try / seen / hear of something like this before (mountain tortoise) and I am not a fan of alcoholic stuff. But yet the Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark stole the show! The more you dig into it, the more you will love it. Outstanding!

Overall, I was impressed with the dining experience at Bliss Restaurant. The food was good and the prices are reasonable too. Good news for those staying in the North., there's another place to visit! I am so glad that they have relocated to Ang Mo Kio!

Thanks Pamela for invite and hosting us. 

Bliss Restaurant (Ang Mo Kio)

6 Ang Mo Kio Street 53 

#01-01 Chengsan Community Centre 

Tel: 6280 3389

Opening Hours: Sun to Thur 3pm -12am
                         Fri to Sat 3pm - 2am                     

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Majestic Bay Seafood Restaurant (Gardens By The Bay)

Majestic Bay Seafood Restaurant is the third and newest baby of Chef Yong Bing Ngen. It is located at Gardens By The Bay, just below the Flower Dome, opposite the entrance of Cloud Forest. 

Exterior

Interior

The 110-seater restaurant is cozy with a nautical theme to resemble a ship deck. Rounds mirrors line the wall to resemble the potholes with light oak floors and the corporate colour is auqamarine. 

Private Room

There is also a private room available for booking for up to 14 diners. 

As you walk into the restaurant, you will be greeted by a wide variety of live (fresh) seafood in the water tanks ranging from Crabs, Fish (Empura, Turbot), Geo Duck Clams, Bamboo Clams to Lobsters. 

I like the setting of the restaurant. Neat, clean, modern and elegant! Just the place to go to if you need to impress someone without breaking the bank.

Assorted Seafood Soup (Whole Young Coconut, Bamboo Piths) $18

Assorted Seafood Soup (Whole Young Coconut, Bamboo Pith) $18

The Assorted Seafood Soup was served in a whole young coconut. In it, there were mushroom, prawn, scallop and bamboo pith. The soup was tasty with the sweetness of the scallop and prawn extracted into the soup. In addition, there was a light mushroom and coconut flavour. The ingredients used were fresh. The mushroom used was fresh and not the dried version. Similarly, the scallop used was the fresh version. It was big and chunky, so much so that when I bite into it, the flavour of the scallop could still be savoured. I would have though that the prawn in this case would be overcook. But I was wrong. It was cooked just right and was firm and fresh. The best part is that after drinking all the soup, you can use a spoon and scrap off the coconut flesh easily. =)

Bay's Signature 'Kopi' Sauce Crab

You would not have been to Majestic Bay Seafood Restaurant if you did not order their signature crab;  Bay's Signature 'Kopi' Sauce Crab. Having said that, of course there are other ways to savour your crab if you prefer; Chilli Sauce, Black Pepper, Steamed with Shao Xing, Sauted with Spring Onions and Ginger or Stewed with Bee Hoon. 

Bay's Signature 'Kopi' Sauce Crab was created by Chef Yong and there is no doubt that this is a uniquely created in Singapore Dish. It is cooked with a blend of 3 varieties of coffee beans, along with apple jam, orange juice and marmalade. At the serving table, it is set alight with a alcoholic mixture to give an extra oomph of  fragrance and caramelisation. 

Bay's Signature 'Kopi' Sauce Crab

I must say that this is a very unique way of cooking a crab. Although I am not a coffee person, I found the 'Kopi' sauce extremely addictive. The intense coffee flavour couple with the sweetness left me longing for more. The crab was fresh and meaty. Its meat could be easily pull out and was firm. Coffee lovers (addicted to coffee/ requiring at least a cup of caffeine fix a day) will definitely love this! 

Braised Baby Abalone Mee Sua ($24 for 2-4 pax, $36 for 5-8 pax)

The Braised Baby Abalone Mee Sua stole the show. It was simple yet delicious. The braised baby abalone was so soft, tender and flavourful. The Mee Sua was tasty having absorbed the rich, tasty and creamy broth. It was so irresistible that I finish the whole bowl (including the broth). Mee Sua is my type of comfort food! 

Doubled-boiled Peach Gum and Chinese Pear (cold) $5

Doubled-boiled Peach Gum and Chinese Pear (cold) $5

The Doubled-Boiled Peach Gum and Chinese Pear was served cold. The sweetness from the different ingredients were extracted. The Peach Gum deserved a special mention as it was soft yet flavourful and sweet.

Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Fresh Cream Stuff ($4.50 for 3 pieces)

Although I am not a fan of fresh cream, the Glutinous Rice Dumpling was saved by the skin of the Glutinous Rice Dumpling (Yes, you read this correctly! The skin!). The skin was extremely soft. It was made from scratch by Chef Li Shou Tao who is their Dim Sum Chef with over 20 years of experience! Wow man! I can't wait to try their Dim Sum one day!

Entrance

Overall, I must say that I have tried several unique dishes during this visit, some of them for the first time in my life (now I sound like a suaku). It is interesting to see the innovative way the different ingredients are combined to create a dish. It is hard choosing the best 2 dishes I ate that day. But if I have to recommend 2 dishes, it would be the Braised Baby Abalone Mee Sua and Bay's Signature 'Kopi' Sauce Crab. I hope that I get to try their Dim Sum one day. If you have tried it before do let me know. 

If you are wondering where to eat at Gardens By The Bay, well this is it!

Thanks Janice and Sherman from Foodnews for invite and hosting. 

ps: It is advisable to make reservations during weekends.

Majestic Bay Seafood Restaurant (Gardens By The Bay)

18 Marina Gardens Drive, #01-10

Flower Dome, Gardens By The Bay

Tel: 6604 6604

Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 1145am - 230pm, 545pm - 930pm (last order)

                         Sat, Sun & PH 1130am - 230pm, 545pm - 930pm (last order)

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