Burpple Beyond!

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

This was one unique cold dish that we had and enjoyed surprisingly. It felt like there was a lot going on; cold, chewy octopus chunks paired with some spiciness from the sambal, saltiness and umami punch from the cincalok and a sweet element from the strawberry sitting on top. Just as we thought the strawberry was firm but it was actually soft and as we broke it apart, it appeared somewhat like a purée instead.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we enjoyed 2 mains at the price of 1!

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

We also had a recommended starter, the grilled sourdough with pistachio butter. I don’t usually prefer sourdough bread due to its sharp tanginess, but I didn’t mind this grilled version at all. Exuding a nice smokiness from the slightly charred edges with some degree of chewiness, it was perfect to pair the rich creamy, nutty pistachio butter with. Such decadence, but could come across slightly sweet.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we enjoyed 2 mains at the price of 1!

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

Celebrated my dear friend’s birthday this year at @eatat.baste where the dining concept revolves around Modern Asian-tapas, marrying Asian and Western flavours.

Started off dinner with a cold dish, the truffle capellini served with olive vegetable, chives, and a familiar Japanese umami touch of ikura. What was tantalising was the addition of Goji berry, famous for its health benefits and used widely in Asian cuisine. Although it served more as a topping, the Goji berries were essential to deliver sweetness amidst the umaminess. The capellini was al dente, coated deliciously with the earthy truffle, and complemented by the deeply savoury, earthy olive vegetable. Never imagined the olive vegetable could be paired this way, since it is a specialty of Teochew cuisine.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we enjoyed 2 mains at the price of 1!

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

Ever since R&B tea closed down in JEM, our next favorite bubble tea is AtTea, which is popularly known as the bubble tea chain by Taiwanese artiste Jam Hsiao. Having tried their milk tea series, we decided to opt for the Passionfruit Green Tea with Oolong Jelly in Jam’s special. A rather refreshing drink made using some tangy passionfruit which blends well with the light earthy green tea, finished off with a slight fermented taste from the smooth oolong jelly. While it was worthwhile with 2 large drinks at the price of 1, we couldn’t understand why we were restricted to the same drink for both even when we wanted to choose a cheaper drink for the 2nd option.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we have been frequenting AtTea for their teas at half price! Do note that there’s a limited selection of drinks that you could opt for with Burpple Beyond.

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

Unfortunately, I found the vongole here to be on a dry side, although I was expecting the usual white wine characteristic. They also seemed to have used linguine instead of spaghetti which was stated in the menu. Noting the Japanese fusion element, the topping of ikura, in my opinion, destroyed the dish as they imparted an overwhelming fishiness, even stronger than the briny clams.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we enjoyed 2 appetisers and 2 pastas at the price of 1 each! Made my belated birthday celebration even sweeter!

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

Featuring a homemade tagliolini tossed in a house-made seafood stock, the Gary’s signature seafood pasta had seafood that includes baby squid, lobster, mussels and clams flambéed with brandy. An abundance of the seafood was very much appreciated, along with the robust flavors of the seafood stock.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we enjoyed 2 appetisers and 2 pastas at the price of 1 each! Made my belated birthday celebration even sweeter!

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

We also had the red prawn tartare, possibly the only tartare that I will ever try. Made with Botan ebi and Gambero Rosso prawns, I could taste the sweetness and melting texture of the shrimps. Definitely an umami bomb with the embellishment of uni, ikura and caviar, especially enjoyable with an extra creaminess from the uni. The crunchy watercress also lifted the overall freshness.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we enjoyed 2 appetisers and 2 pastas at the price of 1 each! Made my belated birthday celebration even sweeter!

1-for-1 with #burpplebeyond!

Nested in the picturesque area of Rochester Park, @gary’s offers contemporary Italian fine-dining cuisine with Japanese elements at an affordable price. Located in a 2-storey heritage bungalow, Gary’s an ideal choice no matter for a romantic date night or a casual dinner with alfresco seating.

Started dinner with some succulent pan seared Hokkaido scallops that were extremely mouthwatering since the exquisite sweetness and creamy texture were well delivered. Served with cress, lemon dressing and a saffron potato cream, which I thought, adds a flavor complexity in its pairing to the mollusks.

Thanks to #burpplebeyond, we enjoyed 2 appetisers and 2 pastas at the price of 1 each! Made my belated birthday celebration even sweeter!

•HOSTED TASTING•

Traditionally, Hong Zao Ji is a dish served during confinement due to the use of red glutinous rice wine, ginger, and black vinegar which can help to expel wind and improve blood circulation for women who have just conceived. The rich aroma and taste of the rice glutinous rice wine, coupled with the bright reddish-brown color, is probably the reason behind why this dish can be polarising.

A Hakka traditional dish, the Hong Zao Ji served here was indeed aromatic with the generous amount of rice wine used in a small claypot filled with chunks of tender chicken meat. Despite so, we all agreed in harmony that the rendition by Enjoy eating house was a tad too salty, such that it is difficult to have the dish on its own. If you wish to order it, it is highly recommended to request for white rice to go along with.

Thank you @burpple and @enjoyeatinghouse for the invitation! Enjoy Eating House and Bar is a Burpple Beyond partner where you can also enjoy some awesome 1-for-1 main dish, and 30% off total bill deals.

•HOSTED TASTING•

It is very seldom that I come across a whole deep-fried fish served with thick sauces like this. But this deep-fried barramundi was well executed, beginning with its freshness since it’s being delivered to the restaurant daily. The fish is then skillfully filleted, so you actually get to taste the fish chunks by the skeleton hassle-free. What was really stunning in this dish was Chef Joel’s red coconut-based curry sauce, exuding nothing but Spicy notes alongside coconut milk. It is rich, creamy and comes with long beans and onions, topped with saffron-like red chili strips. A unique interpretation of fish curry. So good that it would really have been wiped out if there was rice to go with.

Thank you @burpple and @enjoyeatinghouse for the invitation! Enjoy Eating House and Bar is a Burpple Beyond partner where you can also enjoy some awesome 1-for-1 main dish, and 30% off total bill deals.

•HOSTED TASTING•

A new appetiser on the menu is the Har Jeong Sotong Kia made by deep frying baby squid coated in a fermented prawn paste batter. I adored the crisp and slight fishiness added to the mollusc, but like many others on the table, perhaps the batter could be reduced as it felt like we were tasting more batter than squid. In fact the accompanying dip was intriguing; a custardy sauce that had the tart and tang of mayonnaise coupled with oyster sauce. I was actually taken aback by the fact that the briny flavour was pretty evident.

Thank you @burpple and @enjoyeatinghouse for the invitation! Enjoy Eating House and Bar is a Burpple Beyond partner where you can also enjoy some awesome 1-for-1 main dish, and 30% off total bill deals.

•HOSTED TASTING•

Star of the night was definitely the ugly cabbage in fish sauce as everyone was in awe by how its unassuming looks (therefore ugly) delivered a heavily wok hei-infused flavour. Besides, the inherent sweetness of the crunchy cabbage complemented with the savoury flavours from the fried garlic and fish sauce unexpectedly. Addictive umaminess explains why its so good that I can simply just have it with a bowl of rice.

Thank you @burpple and @enjoyeatinghouse for the invitation! Enjoy Eating House and Bar is a Burpple Beyond partner where you can also enjoy some awesome 1-for-1 main dish, and 30% off total bill deals.