Fine Palette

Was introduced to this place by a friend of mine and was talking to my sister, Adelene, when she told me she had been there before too. So we decided to bring the glutTAN family there for brunch. I am a little reluctant to share this place because it's such a nice hidden gem and I would hate for it to become another crowded Sunday brunch hangout!

Fine Palette started out as a gourmet catering company more than 20 years ago and strives to make your parties as stress free as possible for you as a host by taking the task of food preparation and presentation away from you, thus freeing up time for you to actually mingle and entertain your guest. If you've hosted a party of some sort, I'm sure you're no stranger to so-stressed-with-food-you-want-to-pull-out-your-hair kinda situations. They've also catered for many corporate events, so I'm won't be surprised if you've actually had their food before.

The finally expanded (in a perfect spot if I may say) their business to allow people like us to enjoy such artful food (everything is made from scratch!) without having to cater! What I liked was the fact that the food was fresh and not processed in some central kitchen. It really made a difference to the taste of the food!

Here's some potato goodness baking in the oven

 The place is separated into 3 sections - the catering kitchen (out of sight mostly), the presentation showroom, and the cafe itself that extends out into a covered walkway/corridor and this is definitely my favourite part! I loves the interior (a mix of modern and raw industrial) and the overall feel of the place. It was nice, quiet, quaint, comfortable and very homely.

Starters to share

Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are a favourite of  glutTAN No.3 Eunice. These came is pretite bite sizes, and was gobbled up pretty quickly. Kinda easy to order lots of food when there are so many of us.

Ham and Cheese croquets
I am not really a fan of croquet so no brilliant reviews of it. This was nicely fried - crisp on the outside, leaving the insides moist and warm.

This is how our brunch table typically looks like - grandparents in between the 2 kids to perform their "lunch duties" of feeding them. A little chaotic with so many people, but fun and yummy meals always make you forget about the mess.
Tea from TWG is also served by the pot (SGD$6) and is refillable.

Mains

Looks pretty good!

Salmon Benedict
 Salmon gravlax, hollandaise sauce and rocket salad. Served on an English muffin.
Very well done. Organic eggs were used and they were very very nicely poached - runny and very fresh. I also liked that they had 2 different choices - Eggs benedict that comes with double smoked ham, and this that comes with salmon.

Breakfast Cook up
Two eggs any style, bacon, apple and sage sausage, mushrooms, vine cherry tomato, brunch potatoes and wholemeal toast
glutTAN No. 4 - Jane seems to always go for the "healthier" choice by making sure there are tomatoes or some fruits in her food choices. Something unhealthy made to look healthy.

Debut contribution by my bro-in-law - glutTAN No. 1 + 1
Steak and Eggs
Sirloin steak, egg any style, mushroom, brunch potatoes, tomato chutney and wholemeal toast
Steak was surprisingly good. Tender but tasty. It was nicely done, pink and cool to the touch in the middle, but well-charred on the outside.

I actually do not remember what this is.

Such happy babies :)

The food was good and the atmosphere was very comfy. I liked how homely everything felt.

I think we all enjoyed brunch very much.

Canopy Garden Dining & Bar

After many many week of visiting other more urban and well, basically crowded brunch spots, we chose one that was set amongst lush greenery, right smack in Bishan Park. Canopy, the latest addition to the Aramsa Lifestyle Group, serves up Australian style café food and promises to bring a unique dining experience in a peaceful garden setting.  Was a little skeptical at first cause it was in Bishan/AMK - which isn't really known for their brunch spots, but I was proven wrong!

Just a short walk from the carpark and we arrived at a cosy alfresco joint. Thankfully we made a reservation because the place was packed! 

glutTAN No. 2 - Soo Lin at the entrance waiting to be seated.

Sat inside. A picture of their outdoor seating.

As packed as it was, it wasn't overly crowded and the large space was a huge relief from the many tiny brunch spots popping out.

We've got the youngest glutTan in the family - Annika - deciding on the food for the day! She sure looks excited!

 After getting over her cuteness we finally got down to food proper. 

BabyBoss Barnaby waiting for his food. 

Creamy Avocado - avocado, soy milk & maple syrup 

This is a great drink for people who are lactose intolerant! Pleasantly surprised as not many places serve their drinks made with soy milk, especially not for an avocado smoothie. It was rich, thick and very creamy indeed! We liked it so much we ordered more. After all, it just feels healthier even though its made with maple syrup. Even after my meal, the smoothie was still nice and thick, so thumbs up for tasting good and not melting!

Pineapple Sorbet

Sorbet in an actual Pineapple! It was really refreshing and sweet. A very good appetizer and a good wake-me-up for that lazy Sunday morning. The sobet was smooth and had the right balance of sour&sweet. Kinda big so probably a god idea to share this. Anyway it's almost $10, so I'm pretty sure you will share.

Canopy Beef Burger

 Will need to be filled in by my BIL

 Eggs Benedict

 Soft Poached Eggs on english muffin with cooked ham, mixed salad and hollandaise sauce

This was pretty well done - eggs were nice and runny, and the hollandaise sauce had a buttery smooth taste & texture. The toasted muffin soaked up the hollandaise sauce, and was nicely complimented by the ham. Again, salad on the side to promote healthy eating.

Buttermilk Pancake

glutTAN No. 4 - Jane, chose to have her pancakes with bananas (choice of bananas or strawberries). I was expecting the bananas to come sliced on top of the pancakes and drizzled with maple syrup, but instead everything came separately. Pretty thoughtful of them though, as everyone prefers a different level of sweetness. Pancakes were pretty normal - though a little on the 'heavy' side, i.e not fluffy enough.

Smoked Duck with Apple Salad

Crabmeat Aglio Olio

Mini Burger Sampler

cod fish, wagyu beef, chicken satay - served in homemade mantou buns with fries and garden greens  

Sounded too cute! I liked that it came in 3 small servings - great for tasting. Of all 3, chicken satay was the most interesting - never though of pairing satay with bread (or rather mantous). It tasted pretty good - meat was soft and sauce was tasty. Taste wise, the wagyu was great! The beef was tender and flavourful. The cod however, didn't leave much of an impression.

 Serving is pretty small so not recommended for the big eaters.

glutTAN Gong gong tempting Annie with food! She's so greedy!

Barnaby enjoying his favourite food - Bread. If baffles me why he likes bread so much!

Yummy babies served too!

The place gets a thumbs up from glutTAN fatty Annika :)

Pet owners will be very happy to know that they welcome pets! You can now bring your dog along for Sunday Brunch instead of leaving them at home alone. Pretty convenient as a rest stop while walking your dog in the park.

Overall an enjoyable brunch away from the hustle of most Sunday brunch spots. A relaxing spot for chilling and just hanging out with friends and family on an idle day too. Do check out their wines and dessert when you visit - we were too full and decided to give it a miss.

Eunice, Mummy, Jane, Pa, Jacqueline, Soo Lin

Part of the glutTANs family!

Canopy Garden Dining & Bar 

Bishan Park 2 

1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 

Singapore 569931 

Tel: 6556 1533 

Email: ditp@asmaralifestyle.com

Sky on 57

Dinner venue: Sky on 57

I first heard of Sky on 57 on a food review segment on local radio. First thought: It didn't sound very convincing - Asian food and local delights, married with an European influence, and charged at a premium! I was very shocked that a plate of Hokkien Mee cost $45SGD as compared to the $3-$4SGD ones usually found at hawker centers. But I confess, while I was appalled,  I was drawn to the idea of it being a celebrity chef restaurant, what more one that's opened by Justin Quek - one of Singapore's most accomplished chefs (click here to read about him).  After some discussion, the glutTANs decided we should check it out for ourselves.

Perched atop the Marina Bay Sands Tower 1, the 12,000 square foot restaurant offers an amazing view of the Singapore skyline. It seems Singaporeans (glutTANs included) are very intrigued and drawn to the idea of having our new found (man-made and carefully planned) skyline along the Marina Bay area as a backdrop during our meals!

The decor was modern, clean and sleek. If you want to guarantee yourself a view, please request for a table by the full length windows.

The weather that day was a little rainy and chilly causing the glass to frost up and prevented a good view. Due to last minute reservations, this is the closest table to the edge at we managed to get.

There are outdoor seats available, but more for after dinner drinks, where you can enjoy the cool breeze and relax while taking in the views.

Decided on the set dinner - Inspired by Asia.

Service was a little slow and staff didn't seem very attentive. At times we were left waiting for up to 10 mins for a glass of water to arrive.  We asked how long dinner would take and the waitress gave an estimate of 1.5 hours. We ended up eating for 3 whole hours!

 

While waiting for our food to be served, a guy got down on one knee and proposed! I watched as she smiled and said yes :) Simple, no frills proposal.

Dinner leans more towards French fusion than European-influenced Asian cuisine.

JQ's signature fresh mushroom "Cappuccino"

Mushroom soup that's meant to be drunk like a drink, instead of using a spoon. This small cup sure packs a punch - the soup was rich, creamy and smooth. No overwhelming taste of mushroom and definitely freshly made! News Update: Eating Canned Soups Significantly Raises BPA Levels in your Body! A nice warm drink to warm the tummy in the cold weather. Wish it had some mushroom chunks though.

Duo of Foie Gras - Thumbs up!

(1) Sauteed duck foie gras and roasted black figs

 I personally thought this was the best dish that night - partly because I love foie gras. I hate foie gras that is too soft and watery. This was nicely sauteed and crisp on the edges, and it's taste was very nicely brought out by some salt.

(2) Goose foie gras royale, truffle jus (Left)

 This actually comes together with the above Sauteed duck foie gras and roasted black figs. Tasted great too! Melts in your mouth kinda nice :) Would not recommend this for those who prefer something less intense as this combines 2 strong flavours. However, it wasn't overwhelming IMHO.

Nordic King crab (Right) 

Steamed, champagne emulsion, micro greens

Very forgettable, nothing fantastic. The sweetness of the fresh crab was not brought out at all. Sometimes the simplest cooking methods bring out the best of a dish. Classic case of how complicating things can spoil it's taste instead - a  pity how a piece of "Premium produce" had gone to waste.

Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao

The Asian dumpling infused with delectable goose liver was a little disappointing. Definitely not something I would order again. Pretty normal tasting and why pay so much when you can get it for a fraction of the price at Ding Tai Fung.

Kagoshima Koroushi Wagyu 

Seared Japanese beef, spring vegetables, natural jus and Sichuan pepper oil

The Wagyu did not disappoint. I love Wagyu! The meat was tender, juicy and succulent. If not for the fact that I was already starting to feel full, I would have polished it off!

Lobster Fried Hokkien Mee

One word: disappointing. 

Do not be deceived. The lobster claws are very small.  For those who prefer the dry-er version of this local dish, you're in for some disappointment. The noodles were watery and lacked much flavour. For $45SGD, I'd say save the money and visit the local hawker stalls for 10 awesome plates of this.

Fresh Seafood (Right)

Cooked in superior broth with steamed Jasmine rice and Asian herbs

A little disappointed as the ingredients in this dish did not compliment each other at all. It was as though every ingredient was an individual instead of coming together to make the dish whole.

Vodka emulsion with Iced Lime Sorbet (Left)

  A pre-dessert. The foam on top is pretty interesting. The citrus notes worked as a palate cleanser. 

Suitable even for those who do not drink as I could hardly taste any hints of Vodka.

glutTAN No. 2 with her red wine  

Desserts

glutTAN No.1 - Adelene with her husband James (Tan too!)

Because they do not accept children, the kids had to stay home.

Overall a nice place with the awesome views that they have. However, food was a little disappointing. The fusion of Asian food with the chef's European influence seemed to act as a stumbling block rather than working to his advantage. There lacked a binding element in the taste of the food. Service was a tad below expectations too. I do have high hopes for Justin Quek, and hope that the next time we visit, we will be pleasantly surprised.

Sky on 57

Marina Bay Sands Skypark

Tower One