The Adventures Of A Singaporean Bon Vivant
What you'll find on this blog are all the eateries I've frequented in Singapore and around the world for good food and wine/ drinks. I'm in the process of slowly uploading my photos. Please bear with me, OK?
For more info about me, please go to: www.about.me/KrystynnSG. www.xeeme.com/KrystynnSG
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krystynnsg The World According To KrystynnSG
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If you really want to impress your date/partner/companion, this is definitely the place to bring them to for some impressive views of the Singapore skyline, awesome fine dining experience and, awesome Australian cuisine! Welcome to celebrity-chef (Luke Mangan)’s restaurant at the top of the ION Sky - the Salt Grill and Sky Bar here in Singapore.
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We arrived for dinner just before 7pm to beat the crowd. Initially, we were told that the 8pm seating was full (!!) that weekend and after much persuasion from yours truly, the Manager of the restaurant relented and gave us a table on the condition that we arrive no later than 7pm that evening. O.K., O.K, I’ll admit it. I begged them to give us a table! And they were kind enough to accommodate me. Also, I really wanted to dine here so badly and that was the only available day my friend could make it before flying off for a business trip. So, thank you Salt Grill for bending backwards for us. We really appreciate that kind gesture.
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So here we are! At last. So excited!! At least I was ;-))
Since this is a fine dining Australian restaurant with impeccable standards, do expect to pay fine dining restaurant prices here.
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Above: Our sommelier recommended this $110++ bottle of Pinot Noir to go with our meal.
I apologize if this pic is looking strange! I tried my very best to crop/resize the photo but yet Tumblr did this to my awesome pic! :-( Perhaps you can tilt your head a little when viewing this photo?
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We had soup, appetiser, main dish (Barramundi fish), a few side dishes and a bottle of Australian Pinot Noir. We also had their best desserts but it was “on the house” i.e. the restaurant did not charge us for it. The Manager apologized profusely to have to move us upstairs to the Skybar to have our desserts after our dinner (yes, they were running a full house that evening!) and made it up by not charging us for the expensive desserts. I believe each dessert cost $20.00++ each. So we did not mind ;-)
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Above: My friend’s appetiser: Roasted cherry tomatoes, Burrata cheese, peppers,
grilled bread
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Above: This is my appetiser - Salt and pepper squid with char grilled lime and aioli
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Above: One of our many side dishes - Truffle Oil and Parmesan French Fries.
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Above: These are all the side dishes we ordered - Roasted Mushrooms and Truffled Mash Potato (I really love mash potatoes!)
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All in all, the entire bill came to about $370.00. And we truly enjoyed every minute of our meal experience at Salt Grill. I think I enjoyed it more than my friend ;-)
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Above: Barramundi, burnt butter, capers, tomato and basil
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Above: Their most interesting dessert - Chocolate Three Ways - came highly recommended by the Chef
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Talking Point: If you are in a fix as to which wine to order to go with your meal, fear not! The restaurant has a very trendy and cute resident sommelier to help alleviate your stress. He helped us choose a fine bottle of Pinot Noir ($110++ per bottle!!). And he was pretty attentive to my needs to. 
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Would we come back? Hell yeah!!
I even dined at celebrity-chef, Luke Mangan’s new Spanish restaurant - Salt Tapas! Will be featuring that restaurant and my dining experience in this blog very shortly! Watch this space….!
We left the Skybar at almost 1am that night. A little bit tipsy and feeling totally contented.
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Food Rating (incl Food, Ambience, Service): 4.5/5
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Above: View of Orchard Road from the top of ION Sky where Salt Grill & Sky Bar is located
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How to get to the restaurant and skybar? We had to walk up to the 4th floor of ION Orchard mall to take a private elevator up to the 55th floor where the restaurant is located.
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Address:
SALT GRILL AND SKY BAR
2 Orchard Turn, Level 55 & 56
ION Orchard
Singapore
Tel: +65 6592 5118
URL: http://saltgrill.com
** Their menus are all online.
Opening Hours
Daily: 11.30–2pm, 6pm–10pm
Bar: (Mon–Fri): 6pm – 11.30pm
Bar: (Sat–Sun): 6pm – 1.30am
Here’s an interesting article cum review of the Salt Grill Restaurant and its celebrity chef, Mr Luke Mangan himself - from CNNGo.com: http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/eat/luke-mangan-045766
There is a very special chain of restaurants here in Singapore that will fill you with awe and transport you back in time to the French Renaissance era. Ladies and Gentlemen, you absolutely must check out the Antoinette chain of restaurants! If you thought the Mandarin Gallery outlet was ooh la la, you have not seen their Palais Renaissance outlet, baby!
Antoinette is inspired by the renowned Château de Versailles and its manicured gardens, Le Jardin d’ Antoinette in France. The restaurant comprises four different areas:
- La Boutique showcasing Antoinette’s exquisitely-crafted confectionery and pastries
- Le Jardin furnished with Versailles garden-inspired touches to evoke the feel of a secret garden
- Le Salon d’ Antoinette offering an intimate space accentuated with details like floral print upholstery and wallpaper
- Le Salon l’Elysee which evokes a boudoir feel with a brass chandelier as its dramatic centrepiece.
I came here for breakfast one Saturday morning before a Spa visit…and boy, I was sooo impressed with the restaurant’s ambience, service, it’s breakfast menu and luxurious cakes cum pastries!
Take a peek at their online menu: http://www.antoinette.com.sg/menu.html
Although this is considered an upmarket restaurant, the prices here are extremely competitive and won’t burn a hole in your pocket. It’s way cheaper than Jones The Grocer and Hediard Cafe of France.
Food Rating: 4.5/5
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ABOVE: My Egg Florentine (S$15.00++) which I had for Breakfast. Cooked to perfection!
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ABOVE: My thick Long Black Coffee (S$5.50++). The way I love it!
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ABOVE: My Caramel Coffee Cake (S$8.00++)
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ABOVE: The luxurious cakes available at Antoinette!
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Address:
ANTOINETTE
(Palais Renaissance)
390 Orchard Road, #B1-08/09/10C
Palais Renaissance
Singapore
Tel: +65 6735 6392
URL: http://www.antoinette.com.sg
Opening Hours
Mon–Sun: 11am – 10pm
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Please check out my review of ANTOINETTE at the Mandarin Gallery too! ;-) Here’s the link: http://bonvivantsg.tumblr.com/post/27407033020/tea-at-antoinette-mandarin-gallery
Merci beaucoup! Bon Appétit!
TEA AT ANTOINETTE (MANDARIN GALLERY), SINGAPORE:
Antoinette is the Parisian style tea salon established by the Sugar Daddy Group and helmed by the award winning pastry chef, Pang Kok Keong. Named after Marie-Antoinette, the last Queen of France who was known for her extravagance and fine taste, this restaurant offers classic French sweet and savoury treats set in an elegant boudoir! The meticulously crafted cakes, pastries and fine food will truly spellbind you.
Check out their delectable array of pastries (See photos above).
There’s always a long queue on weekends because this restaurant at the Mandarin Gallery does not take reservations. But it’s worth the wait.
The Restaurant’s specialities includes Antoinette (the dessert), Boeuf Bourguignon, Gnocchi Carbonara, Salade Antoinette.
Here’s their online menu for your perusal: http://www.antoinette.com.sg/menu.html
Food Rating: 4.5/5
ANTOINETTE
(Mandarin Gallery)
333A Orchard Road
#02-33/34 Mandarin Gallery
Singapore 238897
Tel: +65 68369527
URL: http://www.antoinette.com.sg
Operating Hours:
11am to 10pm daily
(Last order - 9.30pm, last seating - 9.45pm)
MARMALADE PANTRY:
Welcome to the ever-popular Marmalade Pantry located at the posh ION Orchard. If you don’t make prior lunch/dinner/high tea reservations, you’d be hard-pressed to get a table here, especially on weekends!
This upmarket restaurant is packed with the hip, trendy and socialite crowd. You’d be hobnobbing with the rich tai-tais (read: socialites) as they exchange juicy details of their lives over high-tea. We were here for lunch and let’s just say I was not very impressed with the service AND food.
First of all, this is an open-concept type of restaurant - smacked right in the middle of busy ION Orchard mall. Can you imagine having curious onlookers peering at you as you try not to slurp on your pasta? It was just a tad too uncomfortable for me. So guys, please take note of my “likes” and “dislikes”. I prefer a nice, quiet place for a meal without having onlookers gawking or peering at you with jealous eyes while you eat, ya know?
The service here is below-average. It takes FOREVER for the servers to notice our frantic waves! Maybe next time I should throw darts at them in order to get noticed? Just thinking aloud here. Or maybe - to be fair to the servers - this eaterie is inadequately-staffed. Hire more servers then, Marmalade Pantry Group Management team! On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d rate the service here a 1.5/5. It’s bad. Nothing to be proud of. Seriously.
Let’s start with the food now: For starters, we had Field Mushroom Soup with Truffled Croutons (S$10.00). It was interesting. But I have tasted better Cream of Mushroom Soup before so….
For salad, we tried their Pan Seared Haloumi - with Roma Tomatoes and Watercress Herb Salad (S$21.00). Unless you have the appetite of a bird, this dish would not fill you up ;-)
Then, my friend raved about their Crabmeat Linguini with Pine Nuts, Tomatoes and Chillis (S$24.00). My verdict? On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d rate this dish 2.5. I don’t see what’s the big deal about this dish. It was not the usual delicious type of Italian pasta that I’ve grown accustomed to.
I had the Seared Scallop Linguini with Tiger Prawn Bisque (S$24.00). It was a mistake to order this dish! It taste like a local dish ie it tastes like “hey bee hiam” on Mee Pok! To translate what I’ve just written in Singlish to English - this dish has a strong shrimp smell/taste. Too much! My taste bud was not used to eating such pasta. I really wanted to send this dish back to the kitchen! And the servers told me it was their speciality dish which many diners order. Seriously, people?! On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d rate this dish a 1/5. I am sure the restaurant was lying about this dish being a hit with the diners. Singaporeans, you see, have exquisite taste in food. They certainly would not pay S$24.00 for such a pasta. I know I won’t.
I heard that the Marmalade Pantry serves some really cool desserts. However, we did not check them out because seriously - after the bad service we encountered and the type of food served, we totally lost our appetite for desserts.
So who said this eaterie deserves high praises? We need to talk!
General Food Rating (incl Service Level, Ambience of Restaurant & Food): 2.5/5
Note: Expect to spend approximately S$60.00 per pax for a 3-course meal (excluding wine/drinks).
The Marmalade Pantry
2 Orchard Turn #03-22
ION Orchard Singapore
Tel: +65 6734 2700
URL: http://themarmaladepantry.com.sg/city
Opening Hours
Mon–Fri: 11.30am – 9.30pm
Sat: 10am – 9.30pm
Sun: 10am – 4pm
