A Romantic Day in Paris

The last trip to Paris has been a really romantic journey. From arrival to departure, Luc really made me feel like a princess. I arrived on Air France to CDG at 6am and had to wait for my luggages for 40minutes (even with SkyPriority) and that is the longest wait I ever had for a holiday trip. That is one part of traveling that I dislike. As I walked out of the arrival hall, there was already a guy waiting for me with my name and he carried my luggage, and then drove me to the hotel in a nice Mercedes. I was relieved that I don't need to queue for a taxi after a long flight! It was really thoughtful of Luc to arrange that.

We stayed at Hotel Du Louvre which is just next to the Louvre because I told him that I would like to visit it. It was a small, nostalgic but cosy hotel with windows that opened to the streets. That morning I arrived, he arranged for a typical Parisien breakfast to be served in the room. The croissants were really crispy and delicious. And in the evening, after we returned from dinner, a surprise awaits me in the room. There were rose petals on the floor and also on the bed, forming a nice heart shape. On the table, there was a bottle of chilled Krug champagne and it was all arranged by my sweetheart. He knows I like Krug and that was so lovely!

Since Luc knows Paris pretty well, he took me to some places that I had not been. First we wanted an afternoon drink and light food and he took me to Harry's New York Bar which is celebrating its hundredth year anniversary. I know that the name doesn't really ring a bell especially it's located in Paris but this bar is no ordinary bar. This place is filled with old and rare whisky goodies. It's also one of the favourite bar for the whisky boys. The selection that they have is amazing with Macallan dating back to the 50's. They do not serve food before 6pm and they also do not have a menu for the whisky. If you want to know what they have, you will just have to walk to the display cabinets and also the bar. Everything from the deco to the bartender is vintaged.... *smiles

In the evening, Luc made a reservation at Le Baudelaire at Le Burgundy Hotel at Rue Duphot which is just 10 minutes walk from the hotel where we are staying. The restaurant serves a gastronomic cuisine with Parisian influences and it received its one Michelin Star since its opening. We took the Tasting Menu which costs € 210 comes with wine pairing and I must say that the wines are pretty good and I am very satisfied with the wines they served. 

The 1st course of Joel's summer vegetable salad with celery salt, aigo boulido and young salad leaves was well executed and I like the creativity of the chef in the ingredients used as well as the food presentation. He plays with a lot of different salt and soury flavours which unfortunately does not make a tick in my palate. I always like more natural tasting food that uses less salt and that night, I found some of the dishes like the turbot and wagyu beef were a little too salty and some too sour. His style is indeed for the adventurous. But I'm glad the amuse bouche, starters and wines were really good.

When in Paris, do what the Parisiens do. I had to shop. Not to satisfy my shopping cravings but more because I really need to buy some autumn/winter clothing. The weather has not been very kind and it does not help when I arrive there with a suitcase full of summer clothes. We went shopping at Galeries Lafayatte and I came out with a nice fashionable black Moncler jacket and an electric blue Karen Millen coat. Then I wanted to stop by Longchamp and we bought a foldable travel bag which is in their new collection and it came in really handy during our trip to Marbella.

 A customary visit to the Louvre.

People say if you really want to visit the whole Louvre, it will take at least a week!

It was indeed my best trip in Paris. Despite our leisure schedule, we also managed to meet some of Luc's friends and seriously, a few days in Paris seemed too short and we didn't even went on a cruise trip on the Seine river. Well, Paris would still be there and we have already planned to return in Dec!

A fine 2 Michelin Star dining at Nuance @ Duffel, Belgium

I just found out that a small country like Belgium would have a total of 106 Michelin Star restaurants listed in the 2012 guide and in the province of Antwerp itself, there's 15 outlets with 1 & 2 Michelin stars. That's quite impressive isn't it? Looking for a Michelin Star dining outlet back in my country is like fishing for sea urchins in the Klang River because there's none. 

Located on Killaanstraat in Duffel, is a french-belgian fine dining outlet that looked so humble from the exterior but if you have a Michelin guide in hand or if you are residing in Antwerp, you will know that Nuance is a 2 Michelin Star restaurant ran by husband and wife team - Thierry Theys and Sofie Willemarck. Born on the same year as me, Chef Theys has already earned his first Michelin Star when he's 26 years old. Guess what I'm doing when I'm 26?!! My achievements is nothing as compared to this talented young man. Today he heads the kitchen with his wife whom is also the restaurant manager. Together they make a good team in keeping the standards at Nuance.

So what brought me there? Luc has made a reservation for lunch and Thomas and him has been telling me that this is a restaurant that I cannot miss and I have to have a fine meal there. We ordered a set menu which consists of 6-7 dishes with dessert. And even before our first course is served, we were already served with 5 different types of amuse bouche which is not inclusive of the super-tasty freshly baked breads. The amuse bouche is not only a teaser to our tastebuds, it is also a fine food art for the eyes.

 Clams with yellow tomato, mi-confit and verveine.

 Focaccia with salmon and basil, citrus cream and smoked yogurt. 

 Feuilletine of foie gras, strawberry jelly and white balsamic and pepper jam.

Spicy jus of watermelon, spanish anchovies and parmesan cheese.

Aged beef roll, cassava chips and tamarind.

We chose a bottle of D.O Ribera Del Duero, Alion Cosecha 2008 for EUR125. Steven Wullaert, the sommelier at Nuance is also awarded the Best sommelier in Belgium in 2012. He will be the best person to be serving the wines and to ask if you have any doubts about the bottles.

After sampling so many amuse bouche, finally the first course of the set menu arrives. I think I'm already half full from the numerous delicious tastebud teasers.

Mackerel, radish, grapefruit and hibiscus dressing. 

I'm not a big fan of radish but this dish brings a refreshing and light start to the menu.

As you can see, the sight is as appealing as the taste itself. Chef Theys has his own presentation style and he tends to always have them beautifully arranged on one side of the plate. It makes you wonder if there will be more food arriving for the other side of the plate.

 Norway crayfish, garden beans, zucchini rolls and cream, chimichurri (a type of sauce from Argentina made of red peppers, onions and garlic). The crayfish was well-prepared and flavourful without over-cooking and the pairing sauces compliments the dish really well.

 John Dory, sepia (squid), juice of sepia, chips with soufled rice and ink, white asparagus and mayo of Verveine. As you can see, the presentation of the food is really simple but yet stylish in its own way. This dish is well executed and the soup is really tasty.

Luc's main is a Texel Lamb shoulder with a slice of "varnished" eggplant, morilles/morchella (a type of mushroom), cream of ricotta and black garlic. Writing this makes me think of my limited food vocabulary. The only thing I knew would be lamb and eggplant. The rest sounds really foreign to me. The lamb was just tender, juicy and it's not even gamey as I am a little paranoid towards gamey meats and thus I asked for something else instead of having this lamb dish.

I opted for shoulder of veal with "varnished" eggplant, buckwheat, carrots, cream of black garlic. It's exactly the same garnish as the lamb but I had the veal instead and there was not even a single tinge of regret as the veal was grilled medium rare which retained its juiciness of the meat and it was so tender. I really like the cream of black garlic which is something that I've never heard of.

 Finally after plates and plates of savoury courses, the dessert arrives. The Rhubarb and Strawberry dessert looks really delish especially with the use of the different shades of red. The strawberry is slighty yellowish and greenish not because it's unripe but because it's a cross breed between strawberry and pineapple. Isn't that exotic? It's slightly sour and sour is not my favourite taste.

Another Strawberry dessert and also an iced strawberry. It's Belgium and they are really crazy about strawberries! However, I must say that Belgian Strawberries is the best!

The citrus cake with mousse of cucumber, white chocolate, jasmin flower and the Buddha head made of Gin & Tonic. I was surprised when they served me this dessert as I saw something resembling the head of a Buddha. The restaurant has the mould custom-made for this dessert and I absolutely adore the presentation and the refreshing taste of cucumbers. 

After the 3 desserts, we were served another few plates of petite fours. It's like a never-ending journey of culinary display by the talented chef. Every dish was a delicious mixture of tastes, textures and sight which touched the hearts of every foodie like me.

Thomas is really doing a good job as an intern at the restaurant. He has been attentive and was even kind enough to explain the dishes in English for me and in Dutch for his father. And as when I thought we have reached the end of our indulgent afternoon, he came to us with a basket of freshly-baked madeleines. How could I resist that?!! I tried so hard to find a space in my digestive system to fit that wonderful madeleine and I did! I swear that it would be the last piece of food I eat for that afternoon.

After that I requested if I could see the kitchen and meet the Chef Theys and they are so kind to accomodate the request. Visiting the kitchen of a Michelin star restaurant for the first time, I'm really impressed as the kitchen was so in order! It's not big but hygiene and cleanliness is definitely a priority here as I can see the staff climbing onto the stove counter and scrubbing the walls. Apparently they clean the whole kitchen after every lunch or dinner. Wow... this is really a good practice!

Another feature of this restaurant is that they sends you a handwritten bill instead of a printed one! Our set menu are priced at EUR100 each and if you would like a wine pairing, that would be another addition of EUR40/50. In the end, we spent 4 hours dining at this restaurant and we returned home feeling extremely full and satisfied. This is truly a gem in Duffel.

Restaurant Nuance

Killaanstraat, 6-8, 2570 Duffel

Tel: +32(0)1563 4265

Closed on Tues, Wed and Sat noon.

www.resto-nuance.be

Blown Away at Waku Ghin @ Marina Bay Sands Singapore

One of the restaurants that topped my chart of places to dine in Singapore is Waku Ghin at Marina Bay Sands. My first experience at Waku Ghin, the only establishment by Chef Tetsuya Wakuda outside his world-famous Sydney restaurant on Kent St. was so impressive that I subsequently tried to make a reservation at this restaurant several times and eventually the day has come for me to finally experience a complete dinner there last week.

Beware of a long post ahead with many many pictures....

The reception area is also a bar where guests can have pre dinner drinks here before being ushered into the several dining rooms in the restaurant.

These photos are taken during the media invitation at MBS a year ago. Clockwise from top left: 1. A simple yet cosy dining room with a Teppanyaki grill. 2. An asymmetrical hallway leading to the dining rooms and the drawing room. 3. An-inch-thick wines and sake list to satisfy any connoisseurs. 4. The drawing room where the guests would be having their desserts and coffee or even a one-for-the-road before leaving the restaurant.

Hold on to your seats as you'll be blown away with the dining experience at Waku Ghin from the moment you sauntered into the dining room and till the last step you take out of those glass doors. The impeccable service from the serving staff right to the cooking showcase by the chefs are just amazing! Firstly, one of the staff will bring out a tray of fresh seafood which would be served on that evening and they will ask you if you are allergic to any of these ingredients. I eat everything!!!

There will be another staff pouring your choice of water and then you can order your choice of bottle. A sommelier then will serve you the wine/bottle of your choice in a very professional manner. Obviously for me, pictures are obligatory and I took all these photos with my humble iPhone 5. Thus please forgive the quality of the pictures on this post.

It's a celebration of my retirement from employment and also Thomas' first trip to Asia. Of course it has to be nothing less than a Salon 1997 (S$700+) for such a special occasion. My partner and I shared so many of our fond memories with Salon and thus it's our official celebratory champagne. Such a champagne is suitable to be served in wine glasses as the fine bubbles would soften and it could be sipped like a burgundy. The reason why I love this Salon is that the acidity and minerality is very refined, the bubbles are so delicate, it's zesty with hints of grapefruit but it's not too complex and it has a lingering finish.

Kobujime of Sayori with Nanohana and Japanese Strawberry
Made with diced strawberries and pomegranate which gives it an extra crunch texture and the slices of sayori (garfish) was delicate and mild in taste. A fresh and zesty combination that went really well with the champagne.

Marinated Botan Shrimp with Sea Urchin and Oscietra Caviar

Absolutely delicious and I love the crawling seaweed that is crunchy and chewy which decorated the dish. Try not to break the mother of pearl spoon.

Slow-cooked Tasmanian Petuna Ocean Trout with witlof and yuzu

This is something my partner and Thomas would be familiar with. The witlof are also known as Belgian endive and I have had lots of it during my last trip to Antwerpen last month. The Petuna Ocean trout tasted better than salmon due to the firmess of the fless, luscious marbling of the fats and a nice flavour.

The next dish is a very interesting dish which looked to me like a giant mussel. These are actually fresh abalones from Australia. You can still see them alive and breathing as the Chef Kok Hong placed them onto the hot teppanyaki grill. It's seared with grapeseed oil and served with a very nice refreshing soup base made from tomatoes, basil and rocket leaves and fregola which is a type of pasta from Sardinia almost similar to the Israeli's couscous.

Australian Abalone with Fregola and Tomato

I love the chewy yet tender texture of the fresh abalone as compared to the numerous dried abalones I've had at the chinese restaurants. If you would have tried this fresh abalone prepared in such a refreshing way, you would have looked at abalone in a different light. It almost had a texture like squids.

Braised Canadian Lobster with Tarragon

The secret lies in the art of cooking where it is cooked at a low temperature of 60°C in a copper pot to seal the juice in the lobster and then slowly bringing up the temperature again and showered with paprika, garlic mayonnaise, butter and tarragon sauce. It was indeed tasty, succulent and the sauce was not too rich.

From the recommendation of the sommelier, we ordered a bottle of the Waku Ghin exclusive label sake -Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo M byIsojiman Shuzo Corporation (S$500+) was indeed an impressive fine sake with underlying fine notes of rice and subtle sweet notes. What a great sake!

Charcoal-grilled Fillet of Tasmanian Grass Fed Beef with Tetsuya's Wasabi Mustard

The tenderloin from Cape Grim is charcoal-grilled at 600-700°C and thus sealing the meat and keeping it's moisture in the meat with a nice char-grilled outer layer. The meat was not cold at all and remained almost rare in the middle.

Japanese Ohmi Wagyu

The "Japan top three Wagyu" are Matsusaka Ushi, Kobe Beef, and Ohmi Beef cattle raised in the Kansai region of Japan. It's a full blood wagyu raised in the Shiga Perfecture with extreme care in environment and water. It's also one of the meat with such a nice fat viscosity and you can just admire its beautiful marbling. The best way to taste them is to have them lightly seared and it goes really well with the freshy made wasabi. I would have thought the meat would taste fatty but it doesn't at all. Such a tender slice that melts in the mouth.

Consomme with Rice and Snapper

How could one made such a nice combination with such simple ingredients?!! I almost wanted a second helping as it is so much like a comfort food for me! Aromatic and flavourful chicken stock soup.

Somen with Myoga and Junsai

This is a Japanese version of hand-pulled noodles made of wheat. It's cold and soup has hints of shiso and ginger.

Then Chef Kok Hong brewed us some fine green tea from Kyoto called Gyokuro. These variety of tea leaves are harvested in 2-3 weeks and they are still very young. There's no roasting and fermentation  and are picked by hands. The way to brew them is to keep the water temperature at about 40-50°C resulting is a very nice fragrant green tea drank in a room temperature.

After that, we adjourned to the drawing room where desserts are served and we can also have a coffee before we break the bank and pay the bill.

1.Salad of Raspberry with Wasabi and Granita of Honey and Vinegar

2.Chocolate Mousse Cake with Vanilla and Macadamia

Thomas, Chef Sia Kok Hong, Me and Luc

This is one of the best if not the finest restaurant that I have been too judging from the stellar experience I had here. Chef Kok Hong, the chef de partie under the guidance of Tetsuya is one of the shining stars of the restaurant as he made our dinner so enjoyable. The dinner is never boring as the chef is always interacting with his guests and we are also able to ask them questions about the food. Chef Kok Hong hailed from Malacca and he is certainly a man of extreme tidiness and cleanliness which is evident from his constant cleaning of the stainless steel teppanyaki grill eliminating even a speck of dust as he cooks.

At around S$400 a person for a 10 course degustation menu, it's certainly a very expensive affair. However, if you really want to impress and have the best dining experience, you can certainly consider Waku Ghin, listed as the 39th of the World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2012.


Waku Ghin

10 Bayfront Avenue

#02-02 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Tel: +65-66888507