[Media Food Tasting] An Exciting New Menu At Swensen's Awaits To Delight Your Senses

Great new readers!


Swensen’s launches an exciting new menu this July, serving unique breakfast options, an extensive array of delectable main courses, and sweet treats guaranteed to delight your senses. 

When I received the media food tasting invite from the awesome people in Touch PR & Events, I immediately rsvp so that I could try the food and update everyone here.  Thanks Swensen's and Touch PR & Events for the kind invite!

As the Swensen's in ION Orchard located at unit B1-31 doesn't serve the salted egg lava rolls, I didn't have a chance to test it out but here is a photo of it.  Just looking at the photo makes me want to go Swensen's to eat this right now!

I tried the Chicken N Waffle ($13.90) as my first choice after looking at the new menu offerings.

This dish comprises of chunks of fried chicken stacked on a golden waffle, drizzled with butter lime dressing. It is also served with buttered potatoes, creamy mushrooms and cheesy sausages. 

Even though the chicken was fried, they didn't taste oily at all.  Hence the waffle which was placed at the bottom didn't become soggy even after I took some time to take some photos of the dish.  It was still crispy and went very well with the maple syrup.

I also tried the BBQ Chicken (S$15.20).  it is grilled chicken generously brushed with BBQ sauce infused with guava, served with buttery mashed potatoes and vegetable-of-the-day.  The guava balanced out the sweetness of the BBQ sauce such that one can finish the chicken without the sweet clogging taste.  The chicken thigh meat was tender so I could easily finish the whole plate.

Another hot favourite for me was the Teriyaki Salmon (S$17.90).  The Grilled salmon was topped with julienne ginger and leek and glazed with umami teriyaki sauce. At the side was mashed potatoes and vegetables-of-the-day.  The salmon was done perfection such that the meat flaked off nicely and it was soft to the bite.  The teriyaki sauce was not the usual super sweet type but instead it had different nuances of umami flavour which gave the salmon more character. 

And when you thought that a hawaiian pizza is too common, Swensen's brings it to a higher level with its Hawaiian Special (S$15.90).  Chicken ham, green peppers, pineapples, mushrooms, onions and cheese on charcoal dough crust... what more can I ask for?

Swensen's was super generous with the cheese.  Just by looking at the goofy cheese made me so happy as I am a cheese lover! 

A visit to Swensen's is definitely not completed without checking out the sundaes.  On the new menu were new creations like Yummy Sticky Coco Yam Sundae (S$11.80) and Salty Eggy Creamy Sundae (S$11.80)

It was so hard to make a choice so I decided to try both!

Coconut yam ice cream layered with fragrant Thai sticky rice, red beans, coconut bits and fresh coconut milk is perfect for people who love coconut and yam and prefer a taste which is more familiar.

Salted egg ice cream sandwiched between layers of waffle cubes, topped with salted egg pieces and butterscotch was a very innovative creation and surprisingly the salted egg ice cream tasted amazing, with the light fragrance of salted egg without being overpowering.

Besides the above dishes, Swensen's new menu also offers Seafood Arrabbiata Pasta ($16.20) made for the seafood aficionado.  I considered this dish as comfort food which will never go wrong.  The spicy tomato cream sauce might be too overwhelming for some so if you prefer something mild, you can ask the kitchen to go easy with the chilli.  Again, Swensen's is generous with the ingredients like fresh blue mussels and succulent prawns, which makes this dish value for money.

Indulge in tummy rumbling additions to the Swensen’s menu such as Pulled Chicken Salad ($12.50) for a healthier option and not forgetting the crowd pleaser Meatballs in Tomato Sauce ($9.60). 

The Swensen’s New Menu is available at all Swensen’s outlets island wide from 1st July 2016. 

Swensen’s Outlets

Ang Mo Kio Hub 53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 #B1-25/26	Bedok Mall 311 New Upper Changi Road #01-77	Bugis Junction 200 Victoria Street #01-68
Bukit Panjang Plaza 1 Jelebu Road #03-04	Causeway Point 1 Woodlands Square #02-08/09	City Square Mall 180 Kitchener Road #03-37/38
Clementi Mall 3155 Commonwealth Ave West #05-31/32/33	E! Hub @ Downtown East 1 Pasir Ris Close #02-121/122	IMM 2 Jurong East Street 21 #01-111
ION Orchard 2 Orchard Turn #B1-31	Junction 8 9 Bishan Place #01-39	Jurong Point 63 Jurong West Central 3 #B1-64
Marina Square 6 Raffles Boulevard #01-206/207	Nex Mall 23 Serangoon Central #02-07/08	Parkway Parade 80 Marine Parade Road #B1-33/34
Plaza Singapura 68 Orchard Road #03-23	Tampines Mall 4 Tampines Central 5 #03-30	The Seletar Mall 33 Sengkang Avenue #02-11/12
The Sun Plaza 30 Sembawang Drive #02-21/22	Thomson Plaza 301 Upper Thompson Road #03-23	Waterway Point 83 Punggol Central #02-35
West Mall 1 Bukit Batok Central Link #02-05	Compass One *NEW (Opening September 2016)	Northpoint *NEW (Opening end 2016)

24 hours Swensen's Outlet

Changi Airport Terminal 2
Mezzanine Level, Arrival Meeting Hall North

Spend time with loved ones today over a scrumptious meal in Swensen’s fun and friendly casual-dining atmosphere, with its exciting new menu offerings.

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Swensen's

Food Tasting Review at Perbacco Restaurant on 29 Feb 2016

Many Italian restaurants do not make their sauces and pasta from scratch nowadays due to the increasing cost of food ingredient as well as the number of manhours required.

I am glad that PerBacco restaurant, located at 20 Craig Road, #01-03 Craig Place, makes its pasta and sauces from scratch, the true italian style, according to the restaurant owner.

PerBacco's decor has a very simple rustic feel, with its high ceiling, brownish touches and warm lighting, giving it a cozy inviting feel.

A lovely drink bar greeted me when i walked into the restaurant.  There were many different types of Italian wines, prosecco, alcohol, aperitifs etc on the display hence diners have many choices when it comes to drinks.  The bar also serves non-alcoholic drinks, if you do not touch alcohol.

I would strongly recommend a glass of Prosecco with some antipasti before the start of your dinner to chill and relax.  This is a great place to catch up with friends as the atmosphere was relaxed and serene.

I tried a total of three antipasti that evening and this was my favourite... Strudel di Verdure e Fonduta di Formaggio (Grilled Vegetables & Mozzarella Strudel with Cheese Fondue) which cost S$18.  I am a big cheese lover and the soft eggplants and vegetable against the crispy baked pastry provided an excellent contrast to the texture of this dish.

Frittelle Soffici e Involtini al Prosciutto e Scamorza or better known as Smoked Scamorza Cheese Wrapped with Italian ham and soft Fritters was also pretty interesting.  It is best to cut a bit of the Italian ham cheese wrapped together with a bit of the soft fritter and eat them together.  This dish costs S$18. 

Another antipasti which I tried was Crocchette al Granchio ($12) which is Crab Meat Crocchette with Spicy Tuna Sauce.  I was pleasantly surprised that crab and tuna could go well together.  The crocchette was breaded and deep fried yet they didn't taste oily.

After three antipasti, it was time to proceed with pasta tasting.

This has got to be my favourite of the two pasta which were served.  Linguine alla Carbonara di Astice(Linguine with Lobster and Egg Yolk Cream Sauce) which costs $28.  The restaurant owner mentioned that real authentic carbonara sauce is made of eye yolk , instead of those sauce made from cream which you find in other restaurants.  The Boston lobster tasted so fresh that you would still have that lingering seafood taste in your mouth long after you chewed on it.  The lobster flesh was crunchy and sweet, creating a good contrast to the linguine done in close to 'al dente' style.  Al Dente is Italian for 'to the teeth' and it refers to pasta that is cooked just long enough that it is neither crunchy nor too soft, and its texture appeals to the teeth.  The restaurant owner mentioned that locals are not quite used to true Italian 'al dente' style and some customers thought that the pasta wasn't cooked and requested for the kitchen to cook it longer.  However, 'Al Dente' is the best way to cook pasta, giving it the best texture, in my own opinion.

A glass of white Italian wine to go with the food anytime!

Another pasta which I tasted was Gnocchi di Patata con Coda di Manzo Brasata e Tartufo (Potato Gnocchi with Braised Oxtail and Truffle Essence) which is priced at S$28.  Gnocchi are thick, soft dough dumplings that may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, egg, cheese, potato, breadcrumbs, or similar ingredients.  

This dish was pretty interesting as the gnocchi soaked up the oxtail sauce to give it some flavour.  It is pretty similar to Korean spicy fried rice cakes just that this is not spicy at all.

 

Here come the main courses.  First up was Dentice al Forno con Sugo di Pomodorini e Burrata(Oven Baked Red Snapper Fillet, Cherry Tomato Sauce and Fresh Burrata) which costs S$32.  I was surprised that burrata cheese was paired with fish as normally burrito cheese usually appears as an antipasti together with ham. 

The fish was tender and succulent even though it was pan fried.  The cheery tomato sauce gave it a sweet and sour flavour and that worked well with the burrata cheese so that it does not taste overly overwhelming.

Guanciale di Vitello Brasato al Vino Rosso(Braised Veal Cheek in red wine with Cannellini Beans) was next in the menu.  This was priced at S$34.  The veal cheek was so soft that the meat just tore off when you sunk the fork into the meat.

After the main course, the desserts were served.  By then, I was extremely full but I couldn't resist but try this dessert, cheesecake alla Ricotta e Pesche Sciroppate(Ricotta Cheese Tart with Peach Compote) S$14.

The peach compote was made from scratch and it wasn't overly sweet like those readily available in cans.  It proved to be a great add-on to the cheesecake, with a good balance of creamy cheese and sweetness.

 

The last dessert of the day was Pannacotta alle Nocciole Caramellate(Caramelized Hazelnuts Pannacotta) priced at S$12.  The smoothness of the pannacotta against the crunchness of the hazelnuts was a perfect match in heaven.  

Want to try the above Italian cuisine and much more?  Visit PerBacco restaurant, which is within walking distance from Tanjong Pagar MRT station.  For more details on the menu which the restaurant offers, check out the website at www.perbacco.sg.  Make your reservations today!

Love,
Elaine Heng

Corporate Website: www.elaineheng.com

Get Cash back shopping: www.SingaporeMart.com

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Review of J65 Sunday Super Brunch Buffet at Hotel Jen

What better way to start the new year 2016 than to have a Sunday Super Brunch Buffet with free flow of champagne, wine, juices and soft drinks from 12 noon to 3pm?  Thanks to all the love from Hotel Jen's marketing communication team, Juliana and Hailey, who invited me to try out the buffet at J65, the new restaurant with a local farmer's market look and feel.  This new all day dining buffet restaurant is opened from breakfast through the day.  You can enjoy an eclectic mix of Deli style food, with a focus on authentic South East Asian flavours, creatively prepared and served in abundant portions.  

Hotel Jen's chic lobby also houses Jen’s Kitchen On-the-Go – a café and snack bar offering Singapore’s finest artisan products including locally roasted coffee and many open lounging areas to meet the growing social needs of the next generation traveller.  

Hailey told me the restaurant got its name J65 from the letter 'J' of word 'Jen' and 65 is from the country code of Singapore.  Very interesting and I didn't realise it till Halley explained the origin of the name.

When I reached Hotel Jen's lobby, I was greeted with melodious singing from a local band.  Hotel Jen invites local talents on certain weekends to perform so that diners can enjoy their food and listen to music at the same time.  The singer that weekend was Claudia and she could remember me from a Chijmes event which I attended many months back.  That's very sweet of her!

Hailey showed me around the buffet spread and mentioned that there are more food offerings during Sunday super brunch than during the lunch and dinner timing.  Wow... super lucky me to be able to enjoy the extensive spread of food.

Check this out.... the fruit punch drinks are nicely bottled so that you can bring them to your table and don't have to keep walking to the vending drink machine to refill your glass.

I love the presentation for their iced lemon tea and iced water too.

If you are worried of putting on weight, fret not.  You can head over to the veggie and salad section.  J65 caters to those who are health conscious but yet want to enjoy a great time with their loved ones and friends.  You can choose the type of vegetables and condiments and whip up a salad of your own creation in no time.

If you prefer to sit back and relax, you can also choose from the many salad concoctions by the chef.

The sashimi spread is super wow!  I am a fan of sashimi and J65 serves an extensive array of sashimi from tuna, salmon, octopus, etc.

Just look at the sushi spread.... yummy!  Great for those who are not into sashimi but want to have some Japanese food.

Hailey mentioned to me that different types of meat is offered at the craving station on different weekend.  That week I was there... roasted beef was offered.  Just look at how huge the beef leg is.  It took about 8 hours of roasting to reach the succulent juicy level.  I am wondering how big oven is to fit this in to roast it.  The yorkshire pudding tastes wonderful too.

The baked salmon fish is yummy too  if you do not take beef.  The salmon fish is huge too.

The ham is fantastic too!

There's also turkey for those who are suffering from post christmas food withdrawal syndrome and craving for some turkey meat.

Iberico ham and fruits are the best combination!  I love the abundant offering of cut honeydew, kiwi and strawberries.

The cold cut section offering is extensive as well.

Those who love cheese, you are in luck!  I love how well the cheese goes with the free flow of champagne.

The hot food section warms up any tummies in no minute, if you prefer that.

The chilli crab is awesome!  Goes superbly well with the champagne and wine!

The cold seafood selection is amazing, with crabs, prawns, mussels, boston lobsters, crayfishes, scallops and etc.

 After going one round to take a look at the spread, I decided to start with Boston lobster together with Perrier Jouet champagne, followed by all the wonderful food offered by above and much more.  Continue to read on to find what other food is available.

I was super impressed with this noodle station which offers 6 different types of laksa for diners to choose from.  I tried both the Singapore and Sarawak laksa and I love the Sarawak laksa which is pretty similar to the Singapore version but it has a lot more punch to it due to the balachan.

This is the Singapore laksa which most Singaporean are very familiar with.

This is the Sarawak laksa which looks similar but the soup base looks darker.

The 3 meat combination comprising of roast chicken, roast duck and roast suckling pig meat is so yummy.  I love the crispy skin of the suckling pig!

Champagne, iberico ham, cheese and fruits are the best combination for a lazy sunday afternoon!

Sure a wonderful and relaxing Sunday with free flow of Perrier Jouet champagne!

You can also try your hand at making kueh pie tie!

After filling my stomach with those amazing food, it is time for desserts!

Just look at the flavours offered with strawberry, cookies & cream, saffron, vanilla and green tea.  All look so good that I am not sure which one to start first.  Best part is the ice cream are already scooped and placed into individual cups to make it easier for diners.

The ice-cream selection also comes with so many condiments so that diners can create their own special ice-cream concoction.

Champagne also goes well with desserts too!

 Here's the pretty and friendly Hailey from Hotel Jen.  Thanks Hailey for hosting me at J65!

 J65 is in Hotel Jen Tanglin which is located at 1A Cuscaden Road.

*Nett Pricing for Adults:
Lunch(mon-fri, 12noon-2.30pm) -S$29 or S$15 (prix fix-single buffet serving)
Lunch(sat, 12noon-3pm) -S$58
Dinner(sun-wed, 6-9.30pm)-S$58
Dinner(Thurs-Sat ~ Seafood Night, 6-10pm)-S$78
*Nett price inclusive of service charge and prevailing tax

Sunday Super Brunch for Adults cost:

$88.00 nett with free flow of juices and soft drinks 
$128.00 nett with free flow of juices, soft drinks, beers, wine and sparkling wine 

Best part is all guests will receive at 15% discount off all buffet prices when reservation are made online (https://www.hoteljen.com/singapore/tanglin/taste/restaurants/j65/) 

So if you are looking for a place for an intimate celebration, a gathering or a place to relax, try J65.  You won't regret it!

Love,
Elaine Heng

Corporate Website: www.elaineheng.com

Get Cash back shopping: www.SingaporeMart.com

Let’s network at:

Blog: http://www.elaineheng.blogspot.com

ig: mselaineheng

twitter: Elaine Heng

facebook: Elaine Heng

LinkedIn: Elaine Heng

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