tesss

~Invited Session~ Root's Mediterranean Bar replaces Dibba Carneka Italian and offers a selection of Spanish, Greek and Italian dishes. Talk about diversification and for a Saturday evening, this was filled with diners. We started with a bread basket and as usual, I over stuff myself at this point. The sundried tomato foccacia made me reach for seconds, as with their bread sticks. So delicious! Tzatziki ($8) Greek dip, yogurt, cucumber, garlic, evoo Tirokafteri ($10) Spicy cheesy spread with yogurt feta cheese and chilli Melinzano Salata ($8) Roasted eggplant dip, lemon, evoo, parsley Hummus ($8) Chickpea cream with sesame paste, lemon and evoo A medley of Greek appetisers to kickstart the feast and I was already sold at this point. I love my dips and the Tirokafteri stood out for its mouthwatering spiciness. Once again, I overloaded with more carbs, those pillowy soft and toasty foccacia slices are irresistible. Spanako Tiropita ($8) Crispy phyllo dough pie with spinach and feta ch...

Vespetta at Boat Quay probably stands out with its red vespa at the entrance and later we realised sitting indoor was not the best with the ventilation situation and we were sweating over the meal. Head outside if needed. Flat Garlic Pizza Focaccia Bread with Rosemary ($10) Pizza base with a sprinkle of garlic and rosemary made this so fragrant and delicious. We were sold on the density of this. Authentic Puglia Creamy Burrata Cheese with Grilled Vegetables ($34) 300 grams of creamy goodness and this trumped alot of other burrata cheeses I have eaten locally. So addictive, I am so glad I went ahead with 300 grams instead of the original 150 grams. Mediterranean Octopus Salad with Wild Rocket and Lemon Dressing ($24) Chopped salad with marinated octopus and we were all sold on the appetisers. Delicious and we had high expectations of the mains already. Authentic Orecchiette Pasta with San Marzano Tomato Sauce and Burrata Cheese ($28) I was already pampered by Bar Cicheti's version...

 Much has been said about Bar Cicheti that is also under the same group as Fynn's, and everytime a restaurant opens I watch and wait for reviews. This particular opening garnered a fair bit of attention and got its stamp of approval - and I was equally curious. Dinner reservations made for a Monday night, it was reasonably filled though not boisterous and I already fell in love with the ambience, jazz tunes all night and we were left with one gap to fill - the food.  Two bread bites and a saucer of olive oil and vinaigrette made us both very happy. Buratina ($25) Greek olive oil, sea salt, burnt onion jam, grilled sour dough Something about burrata that I cannot resist and this was such a lovely creamy one, I'd be glad to sell my soul for cheese alone. More bread continued in this course and the burnt onion jam was the perfect complement. Braised beef tongue ($18) Tuna salsa, onion marmalade I've had so many beef tongue dishes, this was least like beef tongue. More of a b...

I guess I like Alvin Leung's cooking style enough to want to check out his local venture at The Capitol Kempinski. Perhaps it was him, or the menu even so off for dinner I went. The swanky hotel somehow failed to impress me at hello - there was a gap in the perceived and presented luxury. 15 by Stamford is not difficult to find since they are the only food and beverage establishment on the ground floor and even without a signboard, we found ourselves at our reserved table in no time. The restaurant is huge and for the capacity that it has, I wonder how often is it operating at full capacity. The bar itself however is more enticing with cosy corners and that sprawling bar counter - next time I muse. The waiter assigned to our table is incredibly helpful, he gave his honest opinions and recommendations. Chargrilled Singapore Chicken Satay and Peanut Sauce ($18) Truth be told I balked at the price tag because every stick costs $3. They remind me of those presented at The Ampang Kitc...