For me, that would most certainly be Rochester Park. Whether it is the 1930s heritage colonial bungalows or the lush garden setting, the environment is one-of-a-kind. In terms of unique ambience, I would be hard-pressed to find another place that comes close.

The last time I visited One Rochester, one of the 8 tenants at Rochester Park, it was a wine bar where drinks were the main draw. With the introduction of Roast, a full-fledged restaurant, that is set to change. On invitation, we drop by to try out the food and the communal dining concept.

Dining Areas

Like the other restaurants at Rochester Park, Roast boasts of several dining coves, both indoor and outdoor. If you go before sunset, you can watch the sky turn a deeper blue as the light recedes and the fairy lights amidst the foliage come on.

There’s alfresco dining by the candlelight, seating on sofas and lounges. Plus, check this out:

A tent canopy pavilion! In the words of Marilyn Monroe, “I think that’s just elegant!”

Then, there’s also the lounge area that features a bar within the colonial bungalow. It’s less fun but hey, there’s air conditioning! Still, I would definitely opt for the alfresco dining, weather permits. People don’t come to a place like Rochester Park and dine indoor like every other restaurant in Singapore.

Communal Dining

The communal set menu comes with entree platters, pastas, roasts, salads, desserts/cheeses all designed to be shared with good company.

First on the menu is the Nibble Platter, an assortment of quick bites to prep the tastebuds.

Nibble Platter

Clockwise from top left: Crudites (raw fresh vegetables) with tapenade and yogurt dips, cured hams and pickles, herb crumbed stuffed olives, Foie Gras parfait, potato skins with sour cream and ocean trout caviar

The goose liver parfait is extremely rich and creamy with that distinctive, uh, liver taste. I always maintain that it’s a waste to serve foie gras to someone like me because I can neither appreciate the flavor nor the culinary value of this French delicacy. But I can imagine someone else would love it.

Out of the lot, we enjoy the baby potatoes with dots of ocean trout caviar the most.

Braised Wagyu beef brisket with creamy Paris mashed potato

For our main courses, we opt for the braised Wagyu beef brisket and scallop risotto. Based on appearance alone, the beef already looks like it’s gonna be good! Sure enough, the taste test comes back positive! The portion is huge, the flavor is amazing and texture is literally melt-in-your-mouth tender! The picture above so does not do it justice, but that’s all on me.

Friendly head chef Jeffrey Tan, even comes out to mingle with the guests. Because we are so impressed, we decide to ask him about the beef brisket. Turns out that it’s braised over a period of 24 hours and the total preparation time takes a day and a half!

This dish is also available on the ala carte menu, as are most of the other dishes on the communal menu. Highly recommended!

Seared King scallops with smoked sea urchin risotto

Seafood fans can go for the seared King scallops risotto. The four scallops are ample-sized and seafood sweet, but the rest of this item is rather mild-flavored and ordinary.

Cauliflower cheese gratin (rosemary potatoes in the background)

Served along with the main courses are the trio of herb leaf salad, cauliflower cheese gratin and rosemary potatoes. Cauliflower is, by default, a no-no for me, so I surprised myself by actually loving the cheese gratin!

One thing I should highlight is that the serving for every dish here is HUGE. This is nothing like those restaurants that serve small portions of pretentious food on huge plates (no offense). Midway through the main courses, we are already feeling quite stuffed!

Petite sized desserts

The meal ends with a choice between artisanal cheeses or Grande Assiette, which is a selection of petite-sized desserts. Having already had a chorus of dishes with cheese, we go for the latter.

As you can see, “petite-sized” may be a little misleading. The dessert portions are hardly petite!

Presentation-wise, we are most impressed with this. The slim slice of decorative candy on top appears to be malt sugar candy, better known in Chinese as Mai Ya Tang. As a matter of fact, the whole dessert looks to be made of sugar, thus giving a literal meaning to the term sugar high.

Our favorite dessert of the night is the flourless chocolate ripple cake, with alternating layers of mascarpone cheese and raspberries atop. The bits of gold are such a meticulous touch of detail!

Fancy a drink or two?

Looking at the drinks menu, we are surprised to find a nice selection of teas from renowned home-grown company TWG Tea. It is the first time we have seen any restaurant serving TWG Tea, aside from TWG itself. Are there any others?

TWG Tea 1837 black tea
SGD8++

A pot of the signature 1837 black tea never disappoints. The sweet scent of flowers, berries, anise and caramel truly lingers! We like this so much that we order two pots of it to share, all in the spirit of communal dining.

For cocktails, we sip on the Winter Cake. This is a concoction of cognac, butterscotch schnapps, orange and cinnamon. Belying its sweet-sounding name, the drink is pretty stiff!

If one drink isn’t enough, One Rochester also has an attractive Martini Mayhem promotion going on daily that promises 3 hours of free-flowing martinis at SGD58++. I’m so there!

Have Your Say!

Aside from Rochester Park, are there any other unique dining enclaves in Singapore that you prefer? What is your most memorable dining experience? Share with us below!

One Rochester
1 Rochester Park
Singapore 139212
(65) 6773 0070 | Website
Service:

Opening hours:
6pm – 1am (Mon – Fri and Sun)
6pm – 2am (Sat and Eve of Public Holidays)
9:30am – 3pm (Sunday brunch)

Many thanks to Audrey Rabarot of One Rochester for the kind invitation.

Posted by Veron in Food category | alfresco/outdoor dining, Australian, bar, fine dining, poll, restobar, Rochester Park, Western

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Photo by zoovee108

This time round, I brought along two very important persons with me — james, the big boss of tomorrow.sg and U-Zyn, the big boss of ping.sg.

Besides the awesome food, ambience and service, I was thrilled that Matthew Lawdorn, the head chef, still remembers me. I spotted him from a mile away and we finally got to have an actual proper conversation!

And boy, does he really take extra care of his customers. Barely after we had placed orders for our food, we were served complimentary oyster shooters!

Photo by graze

Ginger Wine Oyster Shooter
SGD8++

These oysters were soaked in ginger wine and cucumber oil, with a hint of wasabi when you get to the bottom of it. Nice, small and very tasty. I had never been a fan of oysters (I’m the muscles, I’m sorry, mussels kind of girl). But after sampling these shooters, I was completely sold! All three of us loved it!

What a great way to start a meal. I went for the butter fish as my main course.

Prosciutto Wrapped Butter Fish
SGD32++

Look at those generous portions of the white fish! Matthew had personally recommended the dish, which I fell in love with immediately. Every part of it was excellent! Whether it was the tenderness of the fish, the salty ham, or the sweet and sour vanilla pear vinaigrette, the different flavors complemented each other perfectly.

There was black olive mash and shaved radish black sesame too. Now, how do chefs come up with these concoctions?

Seared Lamb Loin and Spring Vegetables
SGD36++

That’s the seared lamb loin served with spring vegetables. U-Zyn felt that the lamb didn’t exactly retain much of its original flavor. Too much seasoning, perhaps? It had parsley mash, tomato, black olive and fetta salad with a mango citrus vinaigrette.

Perhaps the most Asian dish on the menu, the tuna sashimi was another recommended dish. James tried this and said that it was good. But what struck me most was how pretty it looked! With that delicious multitude of colors, it’s practically art on a plate!

The best surprise of the night came when we were presented with a dessert platter after we were done with our main courses. “it has every item on the dessert menu,” said our favorite waiter. Wow!

What was impressive wasn’t just the huge spread of desserts in front of us, but the fact that our waiter knew his stuff so well. He could name and describe each and every single dessert on the platter in detail without faltering.

Every item on the platter was good. And I’m not just saying it because it was complimentary :)

This is my favorite dessert — chocolate lava cake (no surprises there). It forms one half of graze’s popular black and white pudding plate, a dessert that is highly raved about by people who have tried it. Love the dark chocolatey goodness oozing out of the rich chocolate cake. Ahhh…

Matthew said that they would be having special plans for Christmas and new year’s. Last year’s Christmas dinner at graze proved to be one heck of an experience; it made me fall in love with the place, and made Christmas really magical too.

They still amaze.

graze
4 Rochester Park
Singapore 139215
(65) 6775 9000
Service:
www.graze.sg

Posted by Veron in Food category | alfresco/outdoor dining, Australian, fine dining, Rochester Park, Western

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As you guys know, I decided to spice things up a little. I wanted a blog reader to be my date at the party and asked you guys to email me if you were interested.

It was fun noting the people who did drop me an email. Out of the 30 odd people, I selected DK!

I thought it might also be fun to rate this date out of 10. The idea came to me only as I was writing this post, and DK sportingly agreed to let me do it! I would start him off with 5 points by default, adding or deducting points throughout the date. Yay! This post is going to be so much fun!

For example, he offered to pick me up before the party [+1]. Unfortunately, he was also 15 minutes late [-1]. Bad start!

From the moment we arrived at graze, we had ushers and waiters serving us. I love the kind of treatment that graze diners get to enjoy! The great service was what made my Christmas dinner perfect last year. Can you tell that I’m totally infatuated with this place?

The event photographer took our picture and even wrote our names down. (that probably meant that we looked good together [+1]!) we’re gonna appear in some magazine!

Photo by graze

Mint is the lounge bar at graze. It has that whole vibe of being very chic, with all the unusual art instalments and paintings. The lounge seats and ambient music make it extra relaxing, although the same dim lighting that makes it cosy also resulted in my lousy camera not taking any good shots.

Besides their first anniversary, the party also celebrated the fact that graze had been listed in the condé nast traveler hot tables 2007. Only two Singapore restaurants made it to the list. Well done!

Head chef matthew langdon made use of this night to roll out the new graze menu. Guests had the rare opportunity to sample his new food items in the form of canapés.

There were crab, tuna, smoked salmon, Turkey satay, scallop, steak and chocolate tartines. For some reason, the chocolate tartines were not too popular, while the rest were pretty darn good! My favorites were the scallop canapés and the affigato!

I swear, the affigato is one of the best things I’ve had in a long time. The thick layer of creamy chocolate at the bottom was irresistible!

Photo by graze

Okay, back to DK and the date! I was pretty impressed that his eyes didn’t wander around the room to check out other babes [+2] (I only caught him once). Other than that he was looking at me the whole time. Good eye contact, this is something that guys must, must, must master, even if there were 100 other beautiful people milling about.

Then there was the free-flowing champagne. I had many to drink, obviously. He did too. But it was good that he didn’t start talking nonsense or acting drunk (okay, it’s just champagne). Guys should know how to hold their liquor [+1]! And he was able to drive me home after that [+1].

So what’s the final score? I lost count! Anyway we were there for the good food and have a good time celebrating the first year anniversary of my favorite restaurant. We accomplished both things! In fact, DK blurted out midway through the date that he was there simply for the food, not the girl [-10]!

Haha that was fun! Bear in mind that this whole rating thing is done tongue-in-cheek and should not be taken seriously!

June 23, 2007: this post has been nominated for the “most entertaining post” in the ping.sg 1st anniversary blog awards.

graze

Posted by Veron in Food category | alfresco/outdoor dining, Australian, fine dining, Rochester Park, Western

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You have read my rave review, now here’s the chance to actually sample matthew’s cooking! The party is this coming Tuesday (may 8) from 7:30pm onwards. I would be bringing one of my blog readers as a guest!

If you would like to be my date for an evening of great food (and hopefully great company), do drop me an email with your name and contact number. All guys and gals are welcome, but existing long time blog readers of mine would definitely stand a better chance!

I came to know of graze only in December last year. That’s where I had my Christmas dinner. The excellent food, service and overall ambience made it a particularly memorable evening which I can still vividly remember.

In fact, I was so charmed that in my list of best (& worst) restaurants in Singapore for 2006, graze snagged both the “best restaurant of the year” and “best service” awards!

Don’t forget to check out my review of graze for more details and pictures! I would select the lucky blog reader tomorrow!

Posted by Veron in Contests category | Rochester Park

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Comparing Rochester Park in daytime and nighttime, I have to say that there is a stark contrast. In the day, this place seemed almost lifeless with few customers, if any, even during lunch hours. The alfresco dining areas at graze and da paolo are not even open, with chairs flipped over and tables blanketed with canvas. My advice is to visit Rochester Park only at night, because that’s when it becomes much sexier and livelier. I plan to check out the very chic bar called “one rochester” soon!

But for now, let’s just take a look at da paolo bistro bar.

This isn’t da paolo’s first restaurant. It has a few other successes in places like club street and holland village. But the Rochester Park branch definitely has the winning design. Like the other restaurants at Rochester Park, it is housed in a restored colonial bungalow. The courtyard has been converted into a charming alfresco dining area, and the old swimming pool is now an outdoor bar!

Besides the huge expanse of space dedicated to outdoor dining, the bungalow itself offers indoor dining with its own bar so that people may wine and dine in comfort.

Bruschetta con Melanzane e Acciughe
(Braised eggplant, garlic and anchovies on grilled bread)
SGD10++

We had a few appetisers, with this bruschetta con melanzane e acciughe being the most interesting one. The bread had been grilled just right and the eggplant, garlic and anchovies combined to form a nice topping.

Melanzane alla Parmigiano
(Eggplant layered with mozzarella, tomatoes, parmesan cheese and basil)
SGD14++

Okay I’m pretty sure I got the name of this dish wrong, but it looked and tasted pretty much like lasagna. It was very flavorful and rich in cheese.

Calamari
SGD17++

As for the fried calamari rings, I feel that it is a staple dish in all Western meals. This particular one was unfortunately too chewy and rubbery in texture. And to add salt to the wound, the miserly portion of calamari cost a hefty $17! It was more expensive than most of the main courses in the menu! What’s up with that, da paolo? Were those famous squids or something?

Lasagne alla Bolognese
SGD15++

The main course I ordered was the lasagna bolognese. This is one of those dishes that can’t go wrong. (no wonder it’s garfield’s favorite food!) but because of the generous amount of mozzarella cheese, I felt full pretty quickly. And yes, I know it’s minced beef and all and I’m no longer eating beef. But I couldn’t find any vegetarian, chicken or seafood dish that I liked on the menu. This is the first time I had eaten beef in a year, or perhaps even longer.

Tuna Spaghetti (fish of the day)
SGD?++

The fish dish of the day was tuna spaghetti. Now, I’m extremely picky when it comes to fish, and the only ones I eat are cod, salmon and dory. Tuna has never been a personal favorite. So it was rather surprising that I actually kind of liked the tuna spaghetti.

Cannelloni con Spinaci e Ricotta
(Home made pasta rolled with spinach and ricotta)
SGD16++

Okay this is another dish that I’m pretty sure I got the name wrong. I apologise but I really struggle with long dish names especially when they aren’t in a familiar language. Anyway when it was served we all commented that it looked like one huge tofu with gravy! Also, it kind of looked like my lasagna don’t you think?

The fusilli pasta turned out to be the most pricey dish of the day. Who would have thought?

Tiramisu
SGD10++

After an ensemble of starters and mains, it’s time for desserts! The tiramisu was a little on the bland side.

Torta al Cioccolato (Flourless chocolate cake)
SGD10++

But fortunately, the flourless chocolate cake fared way better! The flourless part sounded rather intriguing — great news for all the atkins and South beach dieters! As it turned out, this chocolate cake was marvelous and for me, it was the best part of the entire meal.

So the food at the bistro bar didn’t fare exceptionally well, which is understandable since it appears to be more of a bar than a restaurant. For those who want a reprieve from work, over some nice wine and candlelight, this would be the perfect place. But if you’re looking for a good and satisfying meal, any of the other da paolo restaurants would probably be a much better option.

Da Paolo Bistro Bar
3 Rochester Park
Singapore 139214
(65) 6774 5537
Service:
www.dapaolo.com.sg

Posted by Veron in Food category | alfresco/outdoor dining, bar, Italian, restobar, Rochester Park

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Only when I arrived at the place did I realise it was nothing like holland village! Houses that were formerly colonial bungalows had been converted into standalone pubs and restaurants. Currently there are five of them there but I think there are more opening up soon. We went to this restaurant called graze which was a charming place helmed by an Aussie head chef, Matthew Lawdorn.

Photo by graze

This place is awesome. The first thing you would notice is the greenery and water features that run through the place. Waiters dressed smartly in black usher guests right to their table. They have this way of making diners feel like royalty. I felt at home almost immediately.

Photo by graze

Alfresco dining is available at its outdoor pavilion, with candlelights and all. There’s also a long communal table tucked away in a more private area for families and group gatherings. (okay the nice photos were stolen from their website. My camera obviously can’t manage such beautiful pictures.)

We started the night with champagne and canapés. There were mussels, breaded prawns, cheese, etc.

Appetisers included salad, cold cuts, chilled prawns, scallops and more. The prawns were so juicy! Yum!

Seared black cod fillet was my main course. Served along with carrots, mashed peas and baby potatoes, the fish was the most tender and succulent thing! Loved it!

At this point I should probably pause to highlight that the service here is, without a doubt, five stars. All the waiters are so professional, prompt and dedicated. Never rude, never in a hurry, and never intrusive. Napkins are folded back neatly and placed on the armrest whenever a guest leaves the table. At one point a waiter walked past and moved my glass away to make sure I had enough room to eat. How thoughtful!

Desserts were served bar-style. Being a picky eater, I asked if they had chocolate mousse. Yum! Well they didn’t, but the chef gamely suggested chocolate pudding instead. Wow! Had an Australian trifle meanwhile, which was fruity and topped with cream. Very sinful but worth dying for.

And then there was the chocolate pudding that the chef specially made for me. Served with mustard, chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Nice!

Then, we heard the most beautiful and angelic singing. A choir had started singing Christmas carols. Ahhh… Graze really did everything to make this a wonderful and complete Christmas experience. I was at the peak of my Christmasy mood right there and then.

Photo by graze

One very unique concept that graze employs is its alfresco movie screenings. Black and white movies from the 50s can be enjoyed in the comfort of sofas. I asked if they had any Marilyn Monroe movie and according to the head chef they have a whole bunch of it! I am so going back!

Loved the Christmas tree too. It was towering right beside our table. The best part is that it’s a real tree, huge and rooted to the soil. It had been elegantly decorated for Christmas, complete with a star on top! I was so charmed!

This was a fabulous dining experience throughout, and certainly my best restaurant experience for the year 2006. It’s clearly a night to remember! Thanks mate!

graze
4 Rochester Park Singapore 139215 [map]
(65) 6775 9000
Service:
www.graze.sg

February 3, 2007: My list of Best (& Worst) Restaurants in Singapore for 2006
- Winner of “Best Restaurant of the Year”
- Winner of “Best Service”
- Nominated for “Best Ambience”

Posted by Veron in Food category | alfresco/outdoor dining, Australian, fine dining, Rochester Park, Western

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