Singapore - DB Bistro Moderne

Ladies who lunch are fab.  It's been so busy that I've forgotten how to enjoy a leisurely lunch.  And so on the eve of a holiday, it doesn't get better.  

Daniel Boulud, one of the celebrity chefs who've set up shop in Singapore, has his bistro in the newish Sands integrated resort down in Marina Bay.  It's a comfortable place to dine in, with warm lighting, dark wood interiors, reminiscent of a old-style Parisian bistro but with modern fittings.

I ordered a home-made lemonade, which was overly sweet.  And cloyingly so.  I don't know why I didn't send it back since it was almost like drinking undiluted cordial.  Must have been the holiday mood..

Bread Basket

No complaints with the bread basket, which eased the hunger pangs of a late lunch.  Soft, with a nice chewy texture.  If only they used better butter..

Tarte Fine Provencal

I wasn't quite sure about this one.  My favorite bit was the smoked Mozarella melted over the top.  The chewiness of the cheese allowed the savory smokiness to linger and bring what was otherwise lacking in flavor to the tart.  The chopped up tomato and eggplant under the cheese was ratatouille like and while you could tell the 2 ingredients, didn't taste of much more.  Maybe it's just me, but the combination of the 2 just wasn't enough.  The squirt tail of Sauce Vierge on the side didn't add anything either.  Pleasant enough but very person-next-door.  Wouldn't order it again.

The Frenchie Burger

The burger on the other hand was total Yums.  A good quality beef patty topped with a confit pork belly (like bacon but thicker and better)!  The other condiments of caramelised onions, Morbier cheese (a French Mozarella) and cornichons added to the experience but did not distract.  It was really about the 2 meats.  I was a little apprehensive about the black pepper bun at first but happy it did not add too much spice.  And of course the fries were nothing short of good.  Even towards the end of the meal, they retained their crispiness and were extremely full flavored.  Probably deep fried in fat, but that's how you get that quality, so really can't argue with that.

Gourmet burgers are the way to go here so next time I want my fix, I know where to go.  Will I be a lady who lunches again soon enough?

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Avenue
Tel: +65-66888525

Hong Kong - Burgeroom

Burger joints have sprouted up in Hong Kong faster than I can finish a burger.  The obsession with best beef patty, best bun, most innovative burger combi have taken the territory by storm.  Burgeroom's differentiation is burgers and coffee.  They use Illy beans so it's of a better quality than your average coffee stop but it's not spectacular.

So on a hot summer's day, after a workout, the first thing was to make a beeline for the fridge and pick out a cold Bundaberg Ginger Beer, one of my favorite ginger beers in the market.

Since it was our first time, we decided to order 2 burgers and split them so we could try at least 2 offerings.

The first we chose was the Portobello Cheese Burger.  Be warned: the burgers are piled high and no normal person can fit it all between jaws in one sitting.  So be prepared for a completely messy affair.  I hate eating with my hands and regretted not going for the fork and knife option which I saw another woman do.  Oh well..  at least they have a decent albeit small washroom to get presentable again.

The burger was thick and juicy, and generally enjoyable.  It tasted a little more marinated than usual and I thought a little on the salty side to take away from the pure beefy goodness of the patty.  The saltiness could also have been from the cheese - thought they could have used something better than the usual fast-food slices, since the theme seemed to be to be "gourmet burgers".  The winner was the giant portobello which was as thick and juicy, and which balanced the flavors from the patty well.  A very delish combination.

Our other choice was the Ling Fish Egg Burger, which tasted like a breakfast dish on account of the egg.  Generally tasty again on account of the egg and tartar sauce.  Fish was decent although this was not a WOW! by any means.  Still enjoyable though, especially if hungry.

For a burger joint, we were probably most disappointed with the fries.  Perhaps our choice of the Melted Cheese Fries were flawed.  The fries were ok, but the cheese sauce was not melted from real cheese but from the stuff squished out of a bottle.  Overly salty, without hints of real cheese and overall, made the fries extremely sticky, salty and worst of all, flacid too quickly.

Overall, a decent enough experience if you're in the neighborhood but nothing to write home about.  And certainly not worth the wait, as I've heard people have had to endure close to a half hour waits at peak hours since it's a really tiny place but tea time on a relaxing Sunday was pretty doable for me.  I think they had tea sets where you can get mini burgers too.

G/F, 7 Caroline Hill Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong 
Tel: +852-2890 9130

Hong Kong - BLT Burger

No, not bacon lettuce and tomato, although that is on offer.  BLT is Bistro Laurent Tourendel, named for the acclaimed chef and this is his interpretation of a classic American burger joint.  The menu is a fun combination of burgers, milkshakes (spiked and non), salads, and for the non-beef eater, they have chicken, salmon and even a veggie falafel on offer.  Big plus?  A&W root beers!  Bet you haven't had those in a while..

I am boring - I only do burgers at burger joints.  On my first visit, I had the classic, which was certainly promising enough for me to come again.  The burgers are made from a variety of cuts from the cow to deliver a juicy, beefy, yet relatively easy for the lazy to chew on.

Today, I had the Tex Mex.  It is a messy burger to hold in your hands - so stick to the cutlery on offer.  Slathered with chili, jalapenos and melted Montery Jack, it was like having 2 meals.  For those who don't like spice, this is not for you.  But otherwise, it is a fun burger to eat.  The spice and little bit of heat adds to the appetite and so I realise I was fooled, but only after I finished everything.  Oh well, extra hour on the tennis court tomorrow.

And to top it off, wash down with a strawberry milk shake.  This has got to be one of the better ones around.  Full of fresh strawberries, it tasted slightly like a healthy smoothie, but don't be fooled, this is the real McCoy.

My only disappointment were the fat fries.  They were too fat, so weren't tasty enough since there wasn't enough of a crisp skin to go round.  Maybe try the skinny next time, I am not one for waffle fries either.  But you know there's a next time!  Till I get my next burger craving...

Shop 301, Level 3, Ocean Terminal, 
Harbour City, 
17 Canton Road, 
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel: +852-2730 2338

Singapore - Relish

Great idea, fabulous concept but just a little lacking on the execution.

The menu was definitely inviting... burgers of every kind, with yummy toppings, sauces, etc. It was my first time so the test would be the classic bacon and cheese burger. Am not sure about the cut used but I didn't get enough of an affirmation that I was eating beef. I like my beef, be it steak or burger to have a minimum amount of beefiness to it, if that makes any sense. Salt and pepper is all the seasoning I need to enhance it. Overall the burger was tasty enough together with the bacon and cheese, but for a burger joint, I wasn't blown away.



The Hae Bee Spaghetti was cute. But it probably doesn't do much as a dish if one is not Singaporean or have a sweet tooth. Yeah, it was a tad sweet but for me, better sweet than spicy I suppose.




Dessert was competent - the chocolate cake with the lava inside was a good fix to a mediocre meal but not spectacular either.

For the concept, I hope Relish does well. Maybe it just needs a new chef, or a backup just in case the main one is just having a bad day.


Relish
#02-01 Cluny Court (next to Serene Centre)
501 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 259760
Tel: +65 6763 1547