Maru SG Dine & Bar at ICON Village (Tanjong Pagar)

This is not the first time I've been to Maru. I was introduced to Maru by Janel previously and we had a great time there. This time, we revisited them and they have a greater menu to share. Here's what we ordered. 

First, we had to get some drinks. Their bartender, Denise makes some really serious cocktails which are really enjoyable and pretty too.

(Left) Purple Royale (HH: $12, Regular: $20) is made up of Coconut Rum, Homemade infused lavender syrup and Lemon juice. It is such a enjoyable drink. You first taste the sweetness of the lavender syrup and then a slight sourness from the lemon juice before the aroma of the coconut rum lingers on your palette.

(Right) Reishi (HH: $12, Regular: $20) is made up of Jasmine Tea infused vodka, Lychee liqueur, lemon juice and egg white. I had this the last time i visited and I personally enjoyed it alot. My first concern was the egg white however the taste wasn't present at all. All that I tasted was the delicious lychee and jasmine flavour.

Purple Royale

Reishi

Next up, it's time for some snacks to slowly enjoy the night. 1. Sweet potato fries with garlic dip,  2. Mentaiko Cheese Gyoza, 3. Truffle Chawanmushi. They are each going at $8 and my favourite out of the 3 is the Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Dip!! 

 

I love the sweet potato fries, it remained crispy and they were the thick cut kind which made it so much more enjoyable. You MUST dip it in the garlic dip, we even got seconds for it. The Mentaiko Cheese Gyoza was rather normal, nothing to shout about.

The cutest chawanmushi would be these truffle chawanmushi served in eggshell. The first scoop and you get to savour that shaved truffle and caviar all in one mouthful. SHIOK AH!

If you are looking for something different, something exciting, I would totally recommend the La Paloma (HH: $12, Regular: $20). It is tangy, refreshing with a hint of spice due to the use of Denise's in house Jalapeno infused vodka.

Something for our non-alcoholic friends, Highly recommended to try this Momo cocktail (HH: $12, Regular: $20). It has Peach, Orange and Lemon with a splash of soda. Really enjoyable and pretty!

Maru has different menu for Lunch and Dinner. First let's take a look at two of the items from the lunch menu.

1. Mentaiko Cod Fish ($22) which features a piece of Cod fish covered generously with mentaiko sauce and cheese and then torched to perfection. Resting on top a bed of garlic fried rice.

2. Sashi Hiyashi Somen ($32) is generously topped with fresh Hokkaido Scallops, torched salmon and uni and ikura. The truffle infused sauce and the caviar brought up the whole experience on my palette. 

Dinner Menu:

1. White Tuna Tataki (Small - $22, Large $32). I have not tried white tuna before and I was really impressed with the one I had at Maru. The dish is served with Yuzu jelly bits and Pomegranate and it is recommended for you to eat them all together to get the best experience.

2. Kale Salad ($15) is finely chopped up with hints of mint and tossed together with pine nuts. Served with a wedge of lime to add a little tangy taste. Something for the health conscious friends to try!

3. Spicy Asari Clams (Small - $15, Large - $26) is the BEST dish here and you Must Must MUST order it! The broth is slightly spicy with hints of lemograss and the sweetness from the clams. Each clam is clean thoroughly and it is served with a side of toast which is never enough.

4. Duck Breast ($27)

5. Truffle Beef Cube Don ($25)

6. Bonito Unagi rice ($20) is much like a risotto topped generously with bonito flakes. The ungai flavour explodes in your mouth as you chew on each grain of rice. Amazing.

We got a sneak peek at Maru's Valentine's Menu as well. You may start planning for your Valentine's dinner while planning for CNY as well. Haha.

Maru Valentine's Dinner goes for $68++ per couple.

Appetizers - Camembert Fries with Blueberry Dip, Crispy Avocado Ravioli,

Tuna California Maki, Aburi Salmon Mentai, Tatami Iwashi

Salad - Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, Romaine Lettuce Glazed with Honey Vinaigrette

Main - Grilled Sea Bass, Scallop & Carabinero Prawn Glazed in Yuzu Miso

OR Foie Gras & Striploin Steak, Red Wine Butter, Trio Capsicum Marinated in Balsamic & Potato Wedges

Dessert - Chocolate Mousse Cake Topped with Macadamia Ice Cream

This whole session was hosted by Maru's Team and we thank you for the awesome food and company.

MARU - DINE & BAR

12 Gopeng Street #01-05
Icon Village, S078877

ps: You can make your reservations on Quandoo!


With Love, M♥

Gills N Shells New Steamed Seafood Basket

I'm back again at Gills N Shells. They have a updated menu and a brand new item that you make you say "AHOY MATEY!" Haha.

Gills N Shells is the perfect chill out location that is not in our central area but close by in Lavender area. Just a 5 minutes walk from Lavender MRT Exit B and you will reach Hotel Boss, where Gills N Shells is located.

Gills N Shells, as the name suggests, is all about seafood, from fish to oysters, they do it really well. Featuring the Oyster Shooter ($9.90/shot), it consist of a plump oyster doused in Vodka and lime juice. This is one shooter you will never forget and do not worry, you will not get drunk from this. Haha.

Gills N Shells have daily Happy Hour promotions for you to come visit any day of the week. We cannot miss out those munchies to snack too. Gills N Shells have 2 popular snacks, Fried Salmon Skin ($9.90) and also the Crab Nacho Chips($10.90). The former remains crunchy even until we finished off the last piece. Served with wasabi mayo, it is so good you would not want to stop!

Gills N Shells is the first cafe that I've known to serve Spicy Buffalo Frog Legs($16.90). I have had frog leg porridge before but spicy buffalo frog legs are a first for me. Big, fat, juicy buffalo frog legs are imported from Vietnam and they look like a huge chicken drumstick instead!! Haha. You've definitely got to try this.

Highlight of the night would have to be the All New Steamed Seafood Basket. The one you see is their All in one Steamed Seafood Basket ($88) which consist of a Boston Lobster, Snow Crab Legs, Prawns, Salmon Fillet, Oyster(2pcs), Mussels, White Clams, Scallops and Seasonal Vegetables. Great for sharing with a group of 3-5 friends over some beer & bites.

For couples who would like to try their steamed seafood can opt for a smaller portion to try. Choose the desired seafood and request it to be steamed. It will also be served in a Dim Sum basket, so cute right!!

There are 5 dips to choose from, Garlic Mayo, Wasabi Mayo, Cocktail sauce, Thai Sweet Chilli and my personal favourite, the Zesty Lime Green Chilli sauce. Well, you could always go without the dips as well, it all up to you!

I love the fresh, juicy and crunchy prawns the most as I am a prawn lover. Try it and let me know what is your favourite in the comments below

Gills & Shells

Address: 500 Jalan Sultan #01-19, Hotel BOSS

Opening Hours: 3pm to 1am Daily

Telephone: 6493 2238

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gillsnshells/

Website: http://www.gillsnshells.com.sg/

With Love, M♥

Gills & Shells @ Hotel Boss

I was invited by a friend to visit Gills & Shells for a dinner with my group of friends.

Located at Hotel Boss. it is just a 5 minutes walk away from Lavender MRT. Take Exit B and walk straight out until you see Hotel Boss. It's really not hard to miss this huge and brand new hotel.

So what's with Gills & Shells?

Gills & Shells is A Modern European Restaurant focusing on serving the best and the freshest seafood I what brings Gill & Shells out differently from the rest. Open by couple Jayson and Coreen, it is the perfect spot for locals and tourists to enjoy a cozy meal with its friendly modern ambience. The menu features their Chef's Daily Catch of freshest Seafood, Lobster and Oysters.

½ Dozen Freshly Shucked Oysters - $22.90

Served with homemade marmalade and French red wine vinegar sauce.
Personally I did not try them at all due to my previous experience with oysters bu my diner companions said that the oysters were really fresh & accompanied by the Homemade Marmalade and French Red Wine Vinegar sauce. The Homemade marmalade was so addictive! If you do not like raw oysters like me, Gills & Shells offer Baked oysters too! At the same price!

Wild Mushroom Soup - $6.90

If there is 1 thing to make you visit Gills and Shells, it will be their generous serving of Truffle oil in their dishes. I was like "Wah the truffle oil no need money one ah!" Haha! Their Wild Mushroom Soup is Made Fresh daily, drizzled with Truffle oil and served with In-house made Garlic Focaccia Toast. Souper Shiok la!

Not to be missed out is their Truffle Fries - $10.90 which yet again has generous amount of Truffle oil, which made us go on and on. I would like to highlight Gills & Shells Crab Cakes - $12.90 as well because its full of crabby flavour! It's a pity that I forgot to take a photo of its internal to show you how packed it is!

  

There are 2 sauce options for the Clams & Mussels - $15.90 - Spicy white wine clear broth with herbs, garlic, onions & chilli OR Smoky herb tomato garlic sauce. Both are served with Focaccia Toast. We went for the first option and BOY it was so Good I want to lick the plate dry! Gills & Shells is very generous with their seafood. The homemade toast, when soaked up with the sauce, it is simply divine. I would be back for more!

If you are craving for a Lobster Roll, look no further, Gills & Shells' Lobster Roll - $24.90 is packed with Succulent lobster roll meat tossed in Chef’s specialty sauce! Tucked in a homemade brioche bun, it is a great catch!

Kids and Adults will love this Crab Meat Pasta - $18.90 from Gills & Shells! It is meticulously made with cream, cheese, chunky crabmeat & wild Fungi. The cream is not Ge-lat (cloying) and the generous amount of crabmeat and fungi made me want to finish it on my own. Oops!

While I didn't taste this 200gram of Australian Prime Rib Eye - $25.90, my fellow diners were enjoying it! Grilled to a Medium Rare doneness, no pink was visible but the meat was tender in every bite. 

The Most Creative Dish of the night has to be the Truffle Infused Cod - $24.90. Why creative? It is because, Chef Xavier infused some local flavours into this dish. Nobody would have guessed that it was topped with Chye Poh (Preserved Turnips), something which locals could relate to but we never thought that it would taste so good with the cod! MUST TRY! It is served with a side of Saffron Rice. Oh my god, take me back now~

No meal is complete without desserts. Gills & Shell's Tiramisu - $10.90 (Contains Alcahol) & Brownie with Ice Cream - $10.90 was a great end to the night. The pot of Tiramisu was divine with every mouthful a burst of flavour. 

Thank you to Coreen for the invite and here's a photo pretty Coreen and Chef Xavier, who came to cook despite his leg injury. 

Kudos to him and the team!

Gills & Shells
500 Jalan Sultan
#01-19 Singapore 199020
Tel: 6493 2238

Operating Hours:
1500 - 0100 Daily




With Love, M♥

Michhysaurous Travelogue - BATAM 3D2N December 2014 (PART 2)

Start of Day 2, Breakfast from the Hotel. Simple Fare but Yum Yums. Called for the hotel's Taxi services and while waiting, I saw that it was a beautiful clear sunny day! YAY! A Good sign for a good day, do you feel it ?

Arrived at BCS Mall , Not the biggest mall but also bigger than some of the shopping malls in Singapore! DUH.. 

Lunched at Hongkong Town because I was craving for chinese food and I saw they had rainbow dumplings (xiao long bao). Food was So So, but not very expensive la. haha. 

And in Batam, I Strongly Recommend you to watch Movies there! The tickets are below $4 and their seats and so spacious and so luxurious!! Best of all, not much people one, even on weekends.

And people always say to have seafood when you're at Batam, so we got our driver to recommend us a place for seafood. This place where he drove us to, had live karaoke night, which is something like out Ge Tai here in Singapore one. And also there are huge screens broadcasting live football matches one! So many guys here drinking and watching football! WOW.

There are so many stalls there, so we just anyhow picked and went with this SIAU MAY Live Seafood. Deliciously good dishes and Live seafood that are dealt with on the spot to ensure the freshness. The fish was the highlight of the night man! Delicious!! 

The Next day was go home day.. Went to starbucks to grab some coffee because I needed it. Prices are not VERY cheap la, but still cheaper than in SG! Hehe, I was tempted to buy the tumblers there though, but cannot because luggage had no space already. Hahahaha!

Went to kill time at the arcade and had a quick meal at KFC before heading to take our Ferry home. We did almost everything we could at Batam. Eat seafood, go for Massage and went to the major shopping malls! Good time to just relax and take your own sweet time around.

I'm not the kind who likes to join tours but you can always buy a groupon deal for a day trip in Batam!
Actually I just went on a Batam trip last week but there are not much photos and it was only for 2D1N. Made some new discovery and new restaurants too! Will update that in my Dayre I guess. :)

All the best in your next adventure. See you~

With Love, M♥