This is located in the food court of VivoCity (shopping mall). We love the food courts and hawker centres in Singapore! The food selection is huge and each meal usually costs under $5.
Pictured above: +++ Kueh Tutu – peanut or coconut filling (SGD $0.7 each or SGD $3 for five pieces) [These cakes used to be steamed over a device that made a “tutu” sound, hence it’s name, Kueh (cake) Tutu. The outer layer was a little powdery and chewy and didn’t have much taste while the interior was sweet. Jeff liked the coconut filling more while Lynn preferred the peanut.]
Pictured above: Egg Puff ($3) [Also known as bubble waffle. This is our favourite type of waffle, but not many places in Boston sell it. It tastes buttery and has cake-like texture. We would have preferred it if the exterior was more crispy and interior was more soft and chewy.]
We really like L’Espalier and would probably go more often if it’s cheaper. We got their 3-course brunch for $65pp (served on Saturdays and Sundays). On Wednesday to Friday, they serve their 5-course lunch for $68pp and you also have the option of ordering from their a la carte menu. If you ever go, remember to take their 20% off coupon on your way out for your next visit.
We find a lot of food (especially in the U.S.) to be either too salty or sweet to the extent that we can’t appreciate the taste of the dish. This is one of the rare places where we find food seasoned to our liking, which is why we gave it such a high rating. We generally liked all their dishes except one of the desserts (see below).
Brunch:
Amuse Bouche, Chef Jacob’s smoothe, First, Main, Dessert ($65pp. some selections require a $10 supplement)
Flavoured butter (amuse-bouche) [The flavour was extremely subtle and it tasted like regular butter.]Cranberry muffin & thyme scone (amuse-bouche) [We liked both their muffin and scone. Jeff prefers the muffin while Lynn prefers the scone. We weren’t sure if the butter (above) was meant for these since they were already quite buttery.]Chef Jacob’s smoothie – banana, pineapple & clementine [Jeff found it a little weird while Lynn liked it. We are not sure what they put in it but Lynn tasted a cheesy flavour while Jeff tasted some sort of herb.]+++ Lobster bisque – maine lobster / melted leeks [It was on the sour side, but it tasted really good. Jeff’s only complaint is that there was too little lobster meat.]+++ Roasted hudson valley foie gras – bitter almond pancake / roasted pear ($10 supplement) [We are both big foie gras fans and we really liked everything about this dish. The pancake and pear were not overly sweet or strong and they complemented the perfectly seared foie gras really well.]+++ Roasted loch etive trout – spring peas / fried capers / asparagus [If you’ve never had trout, it tastes and look very similar to salmon. The trout was cooked to our preference where the middle was a little rare. It also went extremely well with their sauce.] +++ Ribeye – truffled eggs / sunchoke / roasted salsify ($10 supplement) [Our favourite part of ribeye is actually the ribeye cap, but this ribeye didn’t have a cap.. Apart from that, everything tasted really good. It almost seemed like the chef made sure every single ingredient was there for a reason, and at the perfect proportion.]– – – Jelly donut – filled cranberry-orange jam / ricotta ice-cream [The ricotta icecream was good, but their donut was a huge disappointment. It tasted like donut that was fried and left out on the table for 2 days. The exterior was not crispy and the dough was hard. We noticed several people who also did not finish their donuts.]Chocolate pot de creme – shortbread cookie / vanilla ice cream [We requested to have their chai spice icecream substituted with something else. We forgot to confirm what they substitute it with but we think it’s vanilla. We have to say this is a very unique chocolate pot de creme. It was more savoury than sweet. Jeff liked it but Lynn prefers her chocolate sweet.]
Overall taste: 7.5/10 | 2016 | Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 104 S Market St, Boston, MA 02109
Beef short rib (price depends on the size of the rib, pictured above is $10) [We really liked the taste of the meat. It’s well marinated and yet not over-powering. However, some parts can be quite tough, especially when it’s not cut against the grain.]
We were invited here for a complimentary meal, but we try to stay objective in your review.
To be honest, we didn’t think we’d come back to this restaurant again since it’s 40min away from where we live. BUT after trying their gnocchi pesto (which, at the moment, is our favourite gnocchi dish of all time), that 40min drive is totally worth it!
+++ Espresso martini – stoli vanilla, kahlua, baileys, frangelico and espresso ($10) [This drink was perfect and there was nothing we would change about it!]– – – Breath of fresh pear – tito’s vodka, pear liqueur, pear puree and lemon topped with prosecco [We didn’t like the amount of sparkling wine they put in here; it almost felt like we were drinking soda.]Ultimate antipasto platter – parma prosciutto, speck, parmigiano, ricotta salata, grilled sausage, fig marmalde, olives, oil cured vegetables ($18) [This is not something we’d personally order since we only liked half of the stuff in the platter, namely their sausage, parmagiano, and ricotta salata. We are huge fans of prosciutto but felt that their prosciutto wasn’t meaty enough.]Arancine – fried risotto ball with mozzarella and parmigiano cheese served with marinara sauce ($10) [This was alright but would have prefer it if it was more cheesy and more moist on the inside.] Meatballs – classic combination of beef, pork and veal served in marinara sauce with a sprinkle of parmigiano cheese ($8) [The meatballs were yummy! They were meaty, tender and juicy. We don’t like marinara sauce in general and would have preferred it without the sauce. We just think that it distracts us from tasting the meatball itself.] +++ Gnocchi – with pesto ($18) [OMG WE LOVED THIS! The gnocchi was delicious and went so well with their pesto sauce! This is the dish that totally stole our hearts.]+++ Trofie & scallops – Tofie pasta with fresh scallops in pesto ($20) [This would be our 2nd favourite dish after their gnocchi with pesto (maybe we just really like their pesto!). This dish would have been better if the scallops had that crisp golden crust on the outside.]Gnocchi – with bolognese ($20) [This was alright. We liked it a lot more with their pesto.]Porcini pappardelle & chicken – pappardelle pasta in porcini sauce and grilled chicken breast. [The pappardelle pasta and porcini sauce were really good. We would have preferred it if they focused more on the flavor of mushroom, like using portobello instead of chicken breast.]+++ Sausage – tomato sauce, mozzarella, caramelized onion, sweet sausage, fresh ricotta cheese. ($16) [Our favourite pizza.It had a generous amount of ricotta cheese (looks like whipped cream in the picture) mozzarella and caramelized onion – everything that we love! We personally don’t care for the sweet sausage that much and would probably order it without the sausage in the future.]
Margherita – tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, extra virgin olive oil ($13)White Devil – hot salami, mozzarella, provolone, shaved parmigiano, extra virgin olive oil ($15)
Figs and gorgonzola – figs, gorgonzola, caramelized onion, arugula ($16) [Lynn liked it but Jeff felt that the gorgonzola cheese was too strong for him.]+++ Nutella pizza – pizza dough filled with nutella and ricotta, finished in wood oven (Duo for $10. Family for $14 (pictured). Add fruit for $2) [This is their signature dessert. Jeff is crazy about nutella and likes anything with it. Lynn usually finds nutella to be too sweet but really liked this pizza because the ricotta cheese (which isn’t sweet) goes really well with the nutella.]
Overall taste: 7.75/10 | 2017 | 412 W Broadway, Boston, MA 02127
+++ = highly recommend | – – – = do not recommend
This place was really crowded when we were there on Sunday for brunch. We’ve also read reviews where people had to wait 1.5 hours for seats during dinner, so be sure to make reservations ahead of time!
+++ Brewed awakening – vanilla vodka / rumchata / kahlua / cinnamon-nutmeg cold brew ($11) [We really liked this drink and would come back just for it! It was sweet and creamy with mild coffee and alcohol flavour.]Sea bass ceviche – pickled papaya / roasted habanero and agave / passion fruit / salsa verde ($12) [We thought that this was too sweet and tasted very much like a dessert. Lynn liked to eat the sea bass with the salsa verde, which was savory. Jeff wasn’t a fan of it as it had cilantro.]+++ Tuna crudo tostada – aji amarillo leche de tigre / avocado / lime crema / pickled serrano peppers ($14) [The tuna was fresh and had the right amount of seasoning.]– – – Carne asada – painted hills flank steak / chimichurri / pico / green mole / queso fresco / avocado ($12) [The steak was tough and dry. It was also too charred for our liking.]+++ Baja fried fish – charred jalapeno and pineapple aioli / pickled cabbage / avocado ($12) [This was great! The fish was well-fried and went really well their pickled cabbage and aioli.]Fried chicken and waffles – jalapeno cornbread waffle / chile maple butter sauce ($14) [Brunch only. We mainly ordered this because we’ve never had chicken and waffles.. haha. We don’t have a comparison but we think it’s pretty good. The chicken could have less batter though. This was a generous serving for $14.]
This is a media event held in Mayflower Cranberries and is hosted by Mirbeau Inn and Spa. See our first post on Mirbeau Inn and Spa: The Bistro & Bar – Mirbeau Inn & Spa
We really loved the view! During sunset, you can see the reflection of the sun on the bog (pictured above). This is also the first time we’ve had outdoor fine dining. If you’re interested, find out more here.
As for the food, they tried to incorporate cranberries in all their dishes. We thought that all the appetisers were amazing, but their main course was average.
Cranberry Bog [We got to go into the bog, which was awesome!]\Champagne & assortment of cheeses Terrine with cranberry sauce Lamb chopsOutdoor table setupPumpkin cranberry soupBrussels sprouts. PotatoesSlow braised short ribs, kale with cranberry cheeseRed and white wineCranberry cheesecakeCranberry s’mores Cranberry sorbet push pop with pop rocks
Mirbeau Inn & Spa is one hour drive away from Boston. It is a great spot for a staycation where you can indulge in their spa services and good food: http://plymouth.mirbeau.com/
They hold several events such as the Cranberry Bog Dinner. It is also an ideal location for a semi-destination wedding!
The accommodation and food were complimentary, but we try to be objective in our review.
Wood-roasted plymouth rock oyster – portuguese chorizo butter / espelette pepper / charred lime ($19) [This was delicious. It was cooked just right and the seasoning complimented the oysters very well.]Artisanal cheeses from near and far – sea salt crackers / summer peach jam / poppy seed honey ($18) [We really liked the selection of cheeses, which were varied and none of them was overly pungent.]Plymouth rock oyster on ice – banyuls mignonette / bistro hot sauce / horseradish cocktail ($18) [Very fresh oysters, but definitely on the pricey side.]We’ve taken additional pictures of the inn to share with you guys. Overall, Mirbeau inn has a very relaxing atmosphere. Most of the guests utilise their spa services (you’d see many people wearing bath robes).
Main entrance LobbyPond with live Koi fish – the patio to the left is where we dinedPondGardenBridge
Yes, we got to swim at the top of the world! Okay, we exaggerated.
The pool menu is from Spago by Wolfgang puck. The taste rating might not be that accurate since we only had two drinks.
Pina colada – plantation white rum, malibu, pineapple (SGD $22) [This is on the expensive side but it’s soooo good.]The Garden of Eden – mango black tea infused vodka, lemon sour (SGD $23) [We found this average and wouldn’t recommend it.]
Read on to find out who won the competition, and who our personal winner is.
EARLS KITCHEN + BAR – Old bay chowdah – clams, shrimp, andouille sausage, corn, potatoes & old bay spice [We didn’t really like this. There were way too many ingredients that didn’t particularly complement each other. We would have preferred it if they focus on less ingredients.]OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE – New England clam chowder [This was okay. It was on the salty side, and had a spicy kick from cayenne pepper.]TONY C’S – Tony’s clam chowder[This was our favourite. It was creamy, and the ingredients were simple. We could taste the subtle flavor of the clams.]RIVER BAR – Chicken bacon ranch chowder[Winner of the competition. The flavor of the bacon is strong and the chicken is mainly there for texture. The wanton strips on top were delicious. We’re not big fans of bacon, so this is our #2.]SOUTHERN KIN COOKHOUSE – Scallop corn chowder[We’re both huge scallop fans but hated this soup. The scallops were literally tasteless. The soup had a strong smokey flavour, which we didn’t like. The only thing we liked was the pork rind on top]AMERICAN FRESH BREWHOUSE – Jalapeno bacon chowder[Our least favourite chowder on the list.]
Yummy Ventures 