Contributed By Yong Te Chong
Mushroom “Sous Vide” Chicken Breast with Mushroom Brown Rice.
Located at Marina Square, The Tastings Room is built around the concept of pairing each dish with options of wine; a good proposition for wine lovers, but since I was not one, we went straight for the main fare—modern European with a twist. The ambience is no-fuss and minimalist, adopting a “less is more” concept.
We had a four-course meal to share, which opened with the TTR Signature Tomato Salad. The greens were pretty fresh and nicely presented, a light version of a Caprese salad. The White Truffle Salted House Fries sounded like a simple dish yet it turned out to be a hit at our table, most likely attributed to the fact that the Idaho potatoes were well-fried and evenly tossed with truffle salt and truffle oil. My dining companion loved it so much that she finished up the whole bowl in no time. Addictive, those fries. The Spicy Chicken Wing was done a la Thai-style, very crispy and very juicy; a great finger food to start with, albeit on the spicy side.
From the brunch selection, we had the Mushroom “Sous Vide” Chicken Breast with Mushroom Brown Rice. The chicken breast was cooked to perfection, tender and moist, but the Mushroom Brown Rice was the delight: the fusion of sesame oil and sesame seeds, along with thin, delicate slices of mushroom was hearty comfort food.
Vanilla Crème Brulee.
For the mains, our Riesling Coq Au Vin was a good attempt, the chicken cooked “sous vide” style, rendering a super-tender texture. The same cannot be said for the Duck Two Ways; the breast meat was tough and a bit too gamey for me. The duck confit, however was done well, with crispy skin sitting atop meat that fell off the bone at the slightest pull of the fork. The pasta was not bad either—our Linguine ai Frutti di Mare (pasta with crayfish and seafood) was al dente, served in a flavorful sauce.
Linguine ai Frutti di Mare.
As for the desserts, we loved the Vanilla Crème Brulee—instead of going the easy route and piling on the sugar, the chef used real vanilla pods to impart a creamy vanilla fragrance to the creation. The Chocolate D24 Durian Cake was deeply satisfying as well, boasting a creamy texture rather than a mousse-like one. Given that it’s not the best season for durian now, the chef did an awesome job, for the durian came across incredibly pungent, as all good durians should. The Warm Banana Cake with Ice Cream, with lemongrass and ginger flavors, was an intriguing creation, well worth a try if you are adventurous.
With the reasonable pricing, this makes a good place for marriage ceremonies, small parties and brunches, in addition to the usual lunch and dinner—a good place to initiate your palate to modern European cuisine without burning a hole in your pocket.
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The Tastings Room
6 Raffles Boulevard,
Marina Square #01-08,
Singapore 039594
+65 6338 1829
