AMEX Restaurant Week Day 4: The Knolls

When I booked this restaurant, I had no idea it was all the way at Sentosa and that it was at the Capella hotel. To be honest, I thought it was quite a drag traveling all the way there especially on a weekday after work. However pictures of the place looked nice and after my horrendous meal at Novous the night before, I was determined to have my restaurant week experience right back on track. Capella itself, for anyone who has been there, is a lovely hotel. I love the space around it and the colonial design, perched up on a hill. The hotel is grand and has a certain elegance about it. I have only been to Capella for wedding dinners and each time I am rushing to beat the bride and groom so I never really wandered around the hotel to take it all in. The circular ballroom with its high ceiling definitely had its splendour and the traveling to Sentosa made those weddings memorable in its own way. But for the first time, I was here for a casual dinner and so I took my time to walk around some parts of the premises. It’s really quite beautiful and I like the open air lounge that overlooks the pool and the vast greenery surrounding it.Quaint and just what one needs away from the city. The Knolls itself has a very modern interior design, using pine wood as its base. There is a somewhat Balinese feel to it, and I know I may not make sense saying this, but it’s almost like a modern resort feel. Kinda like an in-between. It didn’t have the pretentiousness of a fine dining restaurant yet it wasn’t entirely a warm family restaurant.As a whole, I thought the place was good for a casual dinner with a group of friends on a weekend. Just to chill and enjoy each others’ company. I’d imagine it would be perfect for a Sunday brunch, followed by a relaxing afternoon at the open air lounge, sipping champs or drinking tea whilst listening to the live band. Really quite the luxury….mmm…maybe I should give that thought a try.

The food is pretty good. Nothing distinctively outstanding yet nothing bad either. The breadsticks were good and the presentation of the food was inviting. Every dish was tasty and well executed. The best part for me had to be the pricing. I took a look at the regular ala carte menu and I was impressed with how everything seemed so reasonably priced. Given the 6-star standing of the restaurant and the fine furnishings, Imust say I expected the food to be more expensive. I was pleasantly surprised and in fact, that is probably the pulling factor for me. It is in Sentosa afterall, so if I am thinking of an afternoon with the girls or perhaps with the man (when that happens), this would be quite the perfect way to laze a Sunday afternoon.

HSBC Commercial

Following the success of You are the Apple of My Eye, HSBC did a commercial using the film as the skeleton. I like it.

You are the Apple of My Eye

This show came highly recommended by many friends especially Duan, my JC mate. I didn’t have much expectations going into the theatre and perhaps it was apt that I watched it with my secondary school classmates. The show was heart felt and kinda takes you back to when things were much simpler. A time of innocence. The show made me reflect on how much I have changed from those times and if I like what I have become…haha all this from some teeny movie. Not bad huh? Enjoy!

AMEX Restaurant Week Day 3: NOVOUS

I have actually been to Novous at the National Museum before with some girlfriends and we tried their degustation menu at the full price. I recall not liking it and finding the menu a little too interesting for my taste buds so I really can’t fathom what ‘possessed’ me into making a reservation here again for Restaurant Week. 2nd chance perhaps? Whatever the reason, the verdict is the same, possibly with more conviction this time. I came with 2 different girlfriends and they echo my thoughts.

The ambience at Novous is actually really nice which makes it quite a pity that their food just isn’t up to standard. The decor is classy, cosy and quite perfect for a romantic dinner or a girly night out. The high ceiling makes it rather grand and the terrace outside makes for a good post-dinner chillout. The bar is also has a rather exquisite vibe to it, and the place doesn’t feel local.

So what’s wrong with the food? I think the chef tries to be creative and combines a unique mix of ingredients with every dish. Each item on the menu has your familiar basics but prepared in a way that just doesn’t work. Everything tastes either bad, bland or weird. It was just difficult to enjoy the food. I remember when the main course came, I barely touched it. I believe I took 2 spoons and told the waiter to clear it. I don’t like to waste food, especially not when I am paying so much for it (there was an additional for Novous so it was at $55++/head)! But I just couldn’t eat it.

Whilst the staff weren’t particularly rude, they also lacked an enthusiasm or positive energy. I get it that it is a fine dining restaurant and I wasn’t expecting the waiters to be jumping and hopping around, but I guess there was just a lack of “life”; everyone just seemed listless and going with the motion.

I did like how they have a piece of cardboard explaining each dish they served. I thought that was a nice touch.

I’m really sorry to be giving this verdict but Novous is a no-go for me. I won’t be going back and I won’t recommend it. Maybe for drinks.

Bounce by Calvin Harris featuring Kelis

Love this track. For those of you who enjoy this sort of music and love to dance to R&B hip hop/ Top 40s…DJ Stas who plays at Filter Members Club is AWESOME!

AMEX Restaurant Week Day 2: LeBon Marche

I picked LeBon to take my family as I was looking for French cuisine. I had never been to LeBon before and seeing that it was located in Bukit Timah, I figured it might be one of those restaurants hidden in a residential estate, homely and unpretentious just like Valentinos. Well, I was pretty darn close.

Le Bon is actually much easier to find as compared to Valentinos. It is along the main road and is not difficult to spot. The decor and layout is simple and casual. The entire restaurant feels somewhat like a cafe/deli. There is even a counter selling fresh meat and cheese I believe. Honestly, when I first arrived, it wasn’t quite what I expected. I guess I wasn’t expecting a posh fine dining sort, but I was looking for a more intimate, cosy, family restaurant type. Perhaps with dimmer lighting and cosy seats. But I was there and the set offered was at $35/pax so I wasn’t about to just walk out.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. The food served was amazing. Each dish was done immaculately and tasted divine. Probably more so considering the price tag. The foie gras was delectable, nicely fried to a healthy burnt dark shade on the outside whilst soft on the inside. Love the way it just melts on your tongue. The pork belly, which wouldn’t have been my instinctive choice given I don’t particularly take to pork, was amazing. It was one of the best Korubuta Pork Belly I have ever had. Again, it was burnt slightly crisp and there was just the right amount of fat to give it that UMPH whilst it melts away once you put in your mouth. It was extremely tasty and really quite a bit of heaven right there. The fish was good although not as outstanding as the pork. The dessert was a little strange. I wasn’t quite sure if I liked the taste of it. It didn’t suck but it was an interesting combination. All in all, it was an excellent meal and we left full and satisfied. I really appreciated how they came up with such a good set meal without having us pay extras like some of the other restaurants. It was more than decent for the price paid and quality was definitely not compromised. Thumbs up from me!