OP10 • THEEDGE SINGAPORE | october 26, 2009
DINE OUT
Sips & Bites Vanilla Pod is shrouded in greenery
Hope for cancer research Down a Hope Beer and you will be doing a good deed as Brewerkz, the microbrewery restaurant, will donate $1 to the National Cancer Research Fund for every half litre of Hope Beer sold. The donation is part of Brewerkz’s support of its annual non-competitive run, Run for Hope by the National Cancer Research, where all proceeds will go to research for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Hope Beer is a bittersweet nut-brown ale that exudes an invigorating coffee aroma with delightful chocolate notes. Hope Beer is available at Brewerkz’s Riverside Point and Bukit Timah outlets until Nov 22. For more information, call Brewerkz River Point at 6438 7438 or Brewerkz Bukit Timah at 6464 8155. Gusttimo Gelato Gelato aficionados are in for a treat at Gusttimo Gelateria & Trattoria. Enjoy traditional Italian trattoria-style dining, where families and friends gather to savour its famous gelato, which comes in 230 gelato flavours, including tiramisu, chilli chocolate cioccolato and frutti di bosco. Diners can also enjoy wholesome rustic dishes such as the saffron cream pasta. The Gusttimo Gelateria & Trattoria Bar is located at Level 1 of ION Orchard. For reservations, call 6221 6728 or visit www.gusttimo.com.sg.
Supping on the
T
scenery
he rays of sun pierce through the glass walls and reflect off of the wooden furniture. A lone ant makes its way across the windowsill bearing a crumb home. There’s a faint smell of soil and grass in the air. And then, it’s blown away by the aroma of piping hot mushroom broth floating in my direction. I’m at the Mandai Orchid Garden, sitting in a glass house that serves as home to the Vanilla Pod restaurant. Chef Peter Boon has just brought out his Trio Mushroom Soup ($6.50), a creamy blend he has nicknamed “umami goodness with lots of chunky bits”. The elegant shooter glass the soup is served in — a smaller size just for me — seems out of place in the rustic setting of the restaurant. But, it doesn’t detract from the loveliness of it all. Surrounded by greenery spotted with bright orchids, this seems the perfect place to enjoy a lazy Sunday brunch. And, I’m told the view is perfection by night. Dining in this countrified setting will not be everyone’s cup of tea; particularly if you’re used to the steel, glass and pristine qualities of most fashionable establishments today. But, the food is certainly heart-warming. Chef Peter, as he likes to be known, has dedicated Vanilla Pod to serving casual Western dishes, some of which are prepared according to recipes shared by friends, and their grandmothers. A classic example is the Spaghetti in Grandma’s Bolognaise Sauce ($14.50), cajoled and wheedled out of Italian friends.
The Mandai Orchid Garden has a deliciously rustic restaurant, as Joan Ng finds out The tarte flambé is good as a light start to a meal
Vanilla Pod
Mandai Orchid Garden, 200 Mandai Lake Road Tel: 6368 0672 Opening hours: Noon to 10pm
I particularly enjoyed the Tarte Flambé ($8.50), an Alsatian pizza-type dish that has a wonderfully light, thin crust and topped with crème fraîche instead of cheese. This one is sprinkled generously with crisp bacon and sweet onions, making for a fantastic snack I could eat all day. The Crab Cakes ($13.50) are also a good bet — fabulous patties of moist and very juicy Australian crab meat. Chef Peter lightly panfries the cakes to bring out the
flavours and serves them with lobster sauce. Fans of pork knuckle won’t want to pass up on the Crispy + Crackling Pork Knuckle ($25.50) served here. Slow-roasted for 2½ hours, the insides of the knuckle peel apart effortlessly from the bone. Yet, the salty, bubbly skin still crunches in your mouth. And, if you’re looking for an interesting dessert, ask for the VPX. The alcoholic answer to affogato, this scoop of icecream comes with a shot of Pedro Ximénez, a Spanish dessert wine. I found it an agreeable ending to a simple, yet pleasurable meal among leaves and shrubs and a trail of ants seeking remnants of my pork knuckle.
Ergo Orgo Experience the complementary mixture of food and savoury cocktails that will awaken your palate at Orgo, or Organic Chemistry, the latest bar-and-restaurant concept located at the roof terrace of the Esplanade. Celebrity Japanese mixologist Tomoyuki Kitazoe helms the bar, where he replaces processed ingredients like liqueurs and syrup with fresh produce. He has also created a series of cocktails based on fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. The food menu at Orgo focuses on modern European dishes that add an Asian dimension with the use of ingredients from the region. For reservations or enquiries, call 9733 6911. Casual dining concept at Cafeteria il Lido Italian food lovers can now enjoy authentic Italian offerings at il Lido’s casual dining restaurant — Cafeteria il Lido at Suntec City Mall. The latest establishment by renowned restaurateur Beppe de Vito focuses on the cosy, family-style atmosphere as well as reasonably priced dishes, which are offered at $20 or under. The menu includes meat dishes like Grilled Chicken Escalope, Beef Scaloppini Pizzaiola and Pork Milanese, as well as pasta dishes like Cabonara with Crispy Pancetta, Baked Spaghetti Al Fredo, and Seafood Thyme and Lemon Snapper. Cafeteria il Lido is located in the basement of Suntec City Mall. Macallan launches The 1824 Collection Exclusively developed for the global retail market, The 1824 Collection by Macallan is a new family of single malts that comes in four expressions: Select Oak, Whisky Maker’s Edition, Estate Reserve and 1824 Limited Release, which whisky lovers will savour. The 1824 Collection is created by John Ramsey, Master Blender Emeritus for parent company The Edrington Group, and Bob Dalgarno, The Macallan’s Whisky Maker, who together have more than 50 years’ experience making whisky. The 1824 Collection is available at Changi Airport. — Compiled by Ellen Lokajaya