Ms Skinnyfat

A Food & Travel Blog from Singapore

There was a time when ilLido was the top of mind recall when one mentions Italian Fine Dining. Then things went a little down south and they moved out of the Sentosa Golf Club in Aug last year. A revival came in the form of a merge with The Cliff in Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa early this year. Now, diners can pretend to be on the Amalfi coast, indulging in gourmet Italian classics with the gorgeous backdrop of the South China Sea at the new ilLido at the Cliff.
It's easy to forget you're still in Singapore once you step into the luxurious Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa. Breathtaking views and lush tropical greenery conjure the seaside holiday vibe. On a good day, the alfresco area is perfect for enjoying your meal and view without leaving unsightly sweat stains. Otherwise, head indoors to the elegant restaurant where you can feast on the extensive menu featuring seasonal antipasto, pastas, and wholesome Italian mains.
Simple fresh goodness is the Burrata with Rucola and Cherry Tomatoes ($26) with compressed tomato and pesto. The cheese is flown from Italy and has a firmer texture than my usual creamy milky preference but a decent burrata no doubt.
The Grilled Octopus with Roman Artichokes ($28) was skillfully prepared.  No tug of war or jaw-breaking chew to get a piece of this nicely charred octopus into your belly.
I'd recommend the octopus along with the Hokkaido Scallops with Nduja and Sweet Pea Cream ($29). See that golden sear? What you don't see is the light pink succulent center that is so delightfully sweet.
Have a taste of authentic contemporary Shanghainese cuisine at Avenue Joffre, especially with visiting legendary heavyweight Culinary Master Chef Zhou Yuan-Chang from Shanghai helming the kitchen till end May 2016. Chef Zhou's accolades run as longer than the extensive list of dishes that we sampled at this Resorts World Sentosa restaurant that features food from various Chinese cities like Szechuan, Guangdong, and Beijing.
We started with a mix of cold dishes. The sweet and sour spare ribs with dried mandarin peel ($19) was a delicate mix of flavors with a refreshing citrus flavor that was perfect with the meat. I liked how the dish wasn't too saucy/starchy, such that the crispiness of the meat could be enjoyed. 
It was our first time having the Shanghai Smoked fish ($16), a typical Shanghainese dish not often seen in Singapore. That crunchy fish was coated with a light smokey and spicy dark soy and we could certainly do with more of that sauce. 
I wished the Stir-fried prawns with wild garlic ($18) were bigger so that we could better enjoy the sweetness of the meat, along with the fragrant garlic-spring onion soy sauce. Eating the whole (mini) prawn isn't an option since it wasn't crispy enough and the shell is pretty hard in this one.
I cannot imagine anyone heading over to Gillman Barracks for no good reason at all, other than to visit a pop up gallery; you lost your way around; or possibly if you're dating and the boy is trying to impress you with his hipster cafe repertoire (lol). Well, in the last scenario, the said cafe that we visited was the artsy Red Baron, a bakery cafe opened by the same people behind Artistry
The small-ish woodshed set up serves an all day breakfast, snacks, coffee, craft beer, sodas, tarts and cakes. Dress for the weather as the indoor seating is very limited, that or come back at night for a super chill drink.
I was all set to have the highly raved about Gula Melaka French toast ($7) but i was informed that they have stopped selling it due to the crowd that the toast attracted? I wondered what that meant. Perhaps too many accidents have happened with fools placing their food on the road for that perfect IG shot. So instead of that gorgeous carb and sugar breakfast, i settled for the DC Breakfast ($16) because eggs are always the best/next best thing. This Mediterranean plate is a step up from the usual eggs ben- smoky roasted vegetables and mushrooms, with hummus and avocado, Such a wholesome meal with eggs and that fluffy multigrain. 
The Beefy Ploughman ($14) sounded tastier than IRL. The striploin was too thin and dry, and we felt that it was lacking in cheese to bind the ingredients together. In this case, more of everything would definitely have been better (juicy meat please). Skip this, and go for the inventive Quinoa Goreng perhaps. Or simply start and end with desserts pronto. 
The cakes at Red Baron looked amazing- think dense, moist, and rich cakes sitting around looking pretty in the glass display. As stuffed as we were, we had to get a slice of that Purple Carrot Cake ($8). Love those tender chunks of carrot in the cake. It's not as rich as Cedele (LURVE their carrot cake) but this has a light sweetness to it. 
The coffee wasn't as acidic as the Artistry ones so it was still palatable. So fret not if you're stuck at Gillman. You should be well fed by The Naked Finn, and the Red Baron Cafe.
Gillman Barracks, 45 Malan Road, Singapore 109455 
Tues - Sun: 11am - 6pm 
(Closed on PH)
So we heard that SKIRT is featuring a refreshed menu and with it being on my food list of meat places to go to, this provides an added incentive to go. If you're a meat lover, SKIRT is one of the best places in Singapore to feast on premium and unique cuts of meats (think F1 Wagyu and Sher Wagyu..), grilled parilla style, using prime Mesquite wood-fire to bring out a milk smoky flavor of the aged prime cuts.
SKIRT uses the Blackmarket cut from Rangers Valley which is exclusive to them. 
Other featured selections include the Petuna Ocean Tartare, Foie Gras Torchon, Confit Duck Leg. That's if you're not into meat. Seriously who is not into meat. #judge

SKIRT
21 Ocean Way Sentosa Singapore 098374
Tel: +65 6808 7278
Sun - Thu: 6 - 10pm
Fri - Sat, Eve and PH: 6 - 10.30pm

Capella Sentosa is my piece of un-Singapore in Singapore. That ocean view and lush greenery gives Bali a run for her money and the Knolls has a great pool and ocean view the last time I dined there. This time I checked out their fine dining Cantonese restaurant Cassia and sampled some signatures and seasonal dishes. 
The meal started with dimsum and these were lovely crafted pieces of joy. My favorite would have to be the Signature Steamed Barbecued US Kurobuta Pork Bun with Black Truffle 黑松露蚝皇克猪叉烧包 ($4.80 for 2 pcs). It's so hard to get a simple bao skin right but this was light and fluffy and chef nailed the bun to char siew ratio. The truffle perfume was intoxicating when I broke the bun open to reveal that dark brown sauce with black fragments of the prized fungus. Oh and juicy Kurobuta pork... 
I was struck by a serious case of wanderlust (i get that kind of 'attacks' rather frequently) with nowhere to go and that's when i got started on searching for idyllic spa experiences in hope that it'll take that edge away. The search kinda ended at ESPA at Resorts World™ Sentosa, a massive 10,000 sqm spa wonderland with an on-site spa restaurant Tangerine to enhance your outer beauty with inner goodness.  
Well before i got a chance to check myself into the full day spa treatment, i had the opportunity to sample dishes from the the newly created spa menu by Thailand's Iron Chef Ian Kittichai. Chef absolutely shattered the notion that healthy spa food has to be raw and bland with his version of flavorful Thai flavored Western dishes that are low in calories and big on flavors. You can be sure that only the best, wholesome and sustainable ingredients go into your tummy after a relaxing massage. 
There's something magical about watching seafood, i mean fishes swimming around in deep blue. Guess you know what my priorities are (i do dive for leisure though). Nevertheless, it's like watching a ballet, a live performance while dining at the amazing Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora at Resorts World Sentosa Singapore.
Chef Cat Cora returned to Singapore in June to introduce the new dinner set menu at Ocean Restaurant and we had the good fortune to be hosted by Chef herself. The 5 course menu is created by her, together with Chef de Cuisine Yew Eng Tong.
Our dinner started with the amuse bouche of Fresh Oyster with Passion Fruit & Watermelon Salsa.
This is the best dressing that i've had with oysters yet, where the sweet and tanginess fruit salsa refreshes the briny flavor of the shellfish.
The Brown Trout “Farbio” was the same trout that Chef Yew used in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition. This was first torched and paired with a smoked eel wrapped in Shanghai green. Simply drizzled with a caviar vinaigrette and lemon curd, we found it a little too bland for our liking. The curd had the potential of lifting the dish with a refreshing tang but it was sadly dull and bitter. 
The Sautéed Langoustine saved the day with its perfectly juicy, salty-sweet flesh.
The crustacean cream was buttery but light and we mopped up the remainder of the smoky sauce with the delicious olive bread and baguette.
The Blue Swimmer Crab is a signature ingredient at Ocean Restaurant and it is made into a crispy Beignet and dropped into the comforting Charred Corn Soup. Instead of a fritter, the meat would have done better as a topping on its own, on top of the amazingly creamy and rich sweet corn soup. The bacon crumble was redundant in this case as it wasn't smoky or crunchy enough. That said, BEST CORN SOUP i ever had in my life.
Next, a fresh sustainable fish from New Zealand, a cod with crispy skin that crackles. Oily meat in this one but the textures were amazing. Comes paired with crunchy chorizo and smoked potatoes.
For dessert, we enjoyed the Rocky Grand Cru Chocolate, a salty sweet mix of chocolate textures which featured a bitter chocolate rock mousse, salted chocolate crumble, and aerated sponge. A light passion fruit cream and fresh berries helped to cut through the richness of the chocolate. We couldn't ask for a better end to our meal. 
The 5-course Seafood Set Dinner is priced at $168/pax and is currently available at Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora. Definitely a great restaurant for a romantic date.   

Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora
Level B1M, S.E.A. Aquarium
Tel: +65 6577 6688
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 2.30 - 5.30pm, 5.30 - 10.30pm
Things are heating up at Resorts World Sentosa! First there's the reintroduction of the weekend lunches at Joel Robuchon restaurants. Then this weekend, Celebrity Chef Andrew Turner of Hotel Café Royal in London is presenting his specially created dishes (13 to 16 May) alongside resident Chef Scott Webster.
For his collaboration with Osia, Chef Andrew has created several dishes that are based on his style of contemporary European. The set dinner comprises dishes by Chef Scott and Chef Andrew.
We started our set dinner with some Stone Hearth Flat Bread served with extra virgin olive oil, butter and dip. Truffled Kalamata Olive and Macadamia Pesto are the hot favorites here and i enjoyed the fluffy hot bread when it was first served. 
We were then served the Pea and Mint Veloute with Comte Cheese and Thyme Ravioli, Smoked Anchovy Flute. The veloute is was a smooth and creamy broth that is great on its own, or as a base for the goat cheese ravioli. I liked the interaction between the light touch of mint, sourness of the goat cheese and the brininess of the anchovy. Doesn't the  anchovy sticks remind you of Anti:dote?
Osia's Char Grilled Fremantle Octopus with cucumber apple slaw and green chili jam failed to impress with its rubbery texture.  
Osia won me back with their Pan fried Foie Gras by with textures of banana (in espuma and caramelized form), Madagascar vanilla and Jamaican rum. It's a first having bananas paired with foie gras and it was surprisingly a good match due to the savory and salty caramelized bananas. 
The Hokkaido Scallops and Byron Bay Pork Belly served atop Piccalilli Puree, is Chef Turner’s elegant version of a surf and turf. While the scallop was faultless, the pork belly had a strong porky flavor which didn't taste too fresh.
On to the mains, the Grainge Black Angus Beef Fillet MS 2 by Chef Andrew was a lovely piece of fillet mignon served alongside an Oxtail Anna Potato, Pak Choy in a Sweet and Sour Hong Kong sauce. 
Asian twist on this one with chinese sides. The flavors were refreshing enough but overall the dish was kinda oily. 
The signature Osia dish is the Perch with sesame ratte potato, pea tendril, soy milk curd and a shiromiso glaze. Light tasting dish with a little sweetness from the miso. 
I was never a fan of meringue until i tasted the Neaten Mess by Chef Andrew. It was presented like a toadstool of a field of strawberries! 
The only way to eat this is to smash everything and dig into it. Make sure you get bits of the crunchy meringue shell, the smores-like center, cool strawberry and thyme sorbet and the sweet berries of course. I finished every bit of this one!

Enjoy the set menu or pick from the a la carte dishes at Osia. For lunch and dinner, the set menu offers a 3 to 5 course which is priced from $50. Our 4 course dinner was $110++. If you wanna catch Chef Andrew in action, make sure you head down by 16 May! If not, you can always enjoy Osia's signatures anytime. 

Osia Bar & Restaurant
26 Sentosa Gateway #02-140/141, Singapore 098139
Tel: +65 6577 6688
Thu - Tue: 12 - 3pm, 6 - 10.30pm 
Closed Wed
Looking for a classy and indulgent meal without breaking the bank? Look no further. Joel Robuchon Restaurant and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, in Resorts World Sentosa Singapore, are bringing back their weekend lunch with a brand new French haute menu with an extensive selection of dishes for you to choose and customize your experience from. Diners can select a 3 to 5 course menu priced at an amazing $48 onwards at the Atelier and $78 at JR. 
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Quayside Isle on Sentosa Island is fast becoming the chill out spot for the young and fabulous. Sunset dining in the plush and luxurious setting, with a magnificent view of the marina littered with beautiful yachts; it is easy to think that you are on holiday. I recently checked out MUSEO, the sister restaurant of Arteastiq Boutique Tea House.

The vantage point over the marina allows you to people watch from your comfortable sofa seats. I found them rather perfect for hanging out with friends. 


We started with drinks first and Museo selection of cocktails is rather extensive with 30 specialty cocktails that have been created. I say go for their tea infused cocktails if you want something different.

I would certainly recommend the Mezzanine range for sharing. Choose from 12 tapas size bowls at about $12 each.

A good way to sample the various dishes is to customize your own Mezzanine set which allows you a choice of 4 dishes for only $39. Ignoring the pretentious names which are rather irrelevant to the food, the quality is actually not bad. In fact, i thought these were better than the main courses.

My favorite was the Deep fried prawns flavored with lavender. Juicy tempura prawn drizzled with sweet lavender mayo. The texture of the mayo was a bit like the tze char style but it had a light lavender perfume to it. Very delicious. The crispy but tender Smoked Roast Pork Belly also has our votes. The pepper crusted Tuna Tataki was rather refreshing with a tangy vinaigrette. The Soft Shell Chilli Crab packed a punch with the tomato based chili sauce with a hint of sambal in it.

The baked River Prawns and Linguine ($28) was saved by the well flavored aglio olio pasta that was citrusy and savory. The baked prawns didn't gel too well with the cheese and herbs and the meat was also on the dry side.


The Two-way Lamb ($35) that is the Chef's recommendation wasn't all that impressive as well. I found the lamb rack rather bland despite the cherry tomato chutney. The Shepherd pie fared a little better but nonetheless mediocre at best. 

We fast forwarded to tea to conclude our meal because of the disappointing mains. I've always loved the presentation of the tea at Arteastiq and i'm glad Museo kept to that. Don't you love the cups? Of course the teas were very soothing. I enjoyed my Ginger tea very much.

We ordered 3 desserts for sampling and each came with a choice of ice cream. The Green tea brûlée ($12) was obviously not given the TLC that it deserved. The golden caramel top was absent! Instead we had semi melted sugar granules sitting on top a curd that was too dense and gelatinous. 
The red wine stewed strawberries in the Strawberry Crumble ($12) was really sour on first taste but we quickly got used to that refreshing acidity. I liked the crispy and buttery crumble that was light and airy.
The dessert that takes the cake goes to the Vodka Chocolate Lava Cake ($12). Not that the vodka taste was particularly strong but we liked the light bitterness that was brought out in the molten centre.

Hits and misses at this one but if you just stick to the Mezzanine and end with tea and desserts, you should have a rather enjoyable date. Museo also does a weekend high-tea buffet from 1.30 to 5pm. Each diner gets to enjoy an elaborate range of intercontinental dishes, afternoon treats and desserts, complemented by Arteastiq’s signature range of tea sets for just $48 per person.

Museo
31 Ocean Way #01-22 Quayside Isle Singapore 098375
Tel: +65 6734 8066
Monday to Thursday: 2pm to 1am
Friday to Saturday: 1.30pm to 2am
Sunday: 1.30pm to 1am









The long weekend that passed some time ago provided an opportunity to get away. However, our escapade failed because we thought of that too late and tickets were really ex and mostly sold out. In an attempt to satisfy our wanderlust, we headed out of the city to W Hotel at Sentosa Cove for an afternoon of decadent tea.
It is easy to feel like one is out of the country on this off shore island. W may not be the most ideal though. I would suggest Capella because it feels so remote and calm, nothing like the craziness in the city. W still feels like a regular hotel. 

Anyway, we headed to Woobar for their 3 tiered high tea which they have weirdly named DROP THE T². Being a sucker for all things pretty, what got me interested was the presentation of the food. Take a look for yourself. 
Silver bird cages holding the sweet delights line the dining area. Ladies of leisure sip on tea and nibble on little bites while enjoying a bird's eye view of the outdoor marina and yachts. For S$58 for 2 pax, you can feast on the good looking people, not so much the food.
Tea and coffee are free flow and you can change the drinks whenever you want. Fine Dilmah tea is served here and they fared better than the coffee.      
The savory bites were very limited. The 3 pieces were (from left to right) the Chocolate Foie Gras Ganache Tart with Port Wine Jelly and gold leaf, Smoked Chicken Brioche and the Sliced Gravlax Salmon with Soft Goat's Cheese Roll. The foie gras tart was more of a sweet dish than a savory one due to the double combination chocolate and port wine. It wasn't too bad imo but not fantastic either. The brioche was too dry and it's filling pathetic. Of the lot, my favorite was the the smoked salmon and goat cheese roll. The cheese was a little tart but goes well with the smokiness of the salty salmon. I didn't think it was too strong tasting but i love my cheeses so yea..
The sweets were alright if not for the fact that the huge marshmallow balls were disgusting. The airy puffs were waaaaaayyyy too sweet. I can't imagine anyone liking the mint green one unless you like eating toothpaste.

The egg mayonaise sandwich was fine with its almost cake like texture though it was nothing spectacular. A little on the bland side but my friends were ok with it. The Crisp Mango Katafi Roll is kinda like our chinese fried dim sum.

The better items includes the Torched Lemon Meringue Tart which was refreshing and sharp. The crunchy pastry base was buttery enough for my liking. If you like chocolates, there were plenty of big cubes though one was more than enough for me.
I like their scones as well, plain and cranberry were served with passion fruit curd and clotted cream (so they say but i tell you they are whipped for sure). Though the pale looking scones lacked the crunch that i much preferred on the outside, they were dense and had sufficient moisture on the inside. The pairing with the sweet and sour passion fruit curd made them taste way better than they were on their own. 
Now their macarons are actually pretty good. Way better than the regular Antoinette, Bakerzin and Canele. I put them on par with Obolo's and that's something for a locally made macaron. I love the dense chocolate with blueberry center in the blueberry macaron. The Strawberry one was alright as i never fancied cream fillings. 
My verdict? WOOBAR is not a good place for tea. Food isn't great, ambience isn't that fantastic as well. That price will get you better tea somewhere else. If you are in the area, i'd suggest Kith Cafe or another restaurant at Quayside Isle.

WOOBAR
21 Ocean Way, Sentosa Cove, W Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6808 7258
Sun - Thu: 8am - 11pm
Fri - Sat: 8am - 1.30am