Coming up!

We've just tasted 2 bottles of wine today, one of which is a sparkling. Check us out soon for our reviews:)

And... of course, not forgetting to introduce you a new chillout area in Robertson Quay, "Incontro" !!!

I'm Back!~

Hey people, sorry that i've been away for so long.. Well, i've gotta higher calling for the past year to serve the country! haha!!

Anyway, i'm now back again with more foodie entries! so if you've got a new restaurant, a new location that you wanna tryout, email us @ foodnwinelovers@gmail.com

Hear from you soon!

EVER TRIED BLENDING YOUR OWN COFFEE?

Yes, now you've got a chance to do that!

Check out "KOPI KHAKI", a new concept showroom in Haji Lane when you are allowed to blend your own coffee and name it yours!!

Locate them @
34, Haji Lane
S189227

Or visit http://kopikhaki.blogspot.com

WOOD Restaurant & Bar @ VivoCity

PRESENTING TO YOU HUNGRY "FOODNWINELOVERS"......

WOOD Restaurant & Bar

One of the hippest dining enclaves to hit Singapore, WOOD Restaurant & Bar, a newly adapted concept of incorporating cooking over wood is definitely here in TOWN to bring the art of cooking to a greater height!

With compliments from Wood Restaurant & Bar, we were treated to a 4 course tasting Menu prepared by Celestine and her team of Chefs!

Tasting Menu...

Starters
Wood Smoked Scallops, Leek Puree & Salted Black Beans $19

The best thing about this dish was that the scallops were really thick and juicy, and the portion was generous, so stop worrying if you can ever have enough! The scent of wood was distinctive with each bite of the scallop, overall it was a good dish in opening one’s appetite.

Yummy Scale: 3.5/ 5

Wood Roasted Asparagus Soup $14

To me it felt like a soup that has all the ingredients in the exact right amount, no more no less. It was not too thick yet had a strong focus on the flavor itself. Definitely a healthy choice!

Yummy scale: 3.5/5

Smoked Foie Gras Pizza with Grape $25

A MUST TRY! this was my favorite dish of the night. My first time trying such a pizza and I really enjoyed it very much. Though the foie gras was limited, its flavor was really intense, might possibly bring you to a state of euphoria! a perfect match with the thin and crunchy pizza crust with a hint of "charred" wood infused through the coking process.

Yummy scale: 4/5

Main Course
Stone Grilled Rice with Clams, Prawns, Fresh Tomato and Ginger $28

It definitely looks like an interesting dish when the stone pot arrived at our table, i would say just by the presentation, it already won my heart over! Just by tasting it, one could easily sense the aromatic flavors by the mingling of tomato and seafood juice, if you like a little spiciness to it, just inform the friendly staff to add some chili in for you:)

Yummy Scale: 3.5/ 5

Cardamom Coffee 12 Hours Smoked Wagyu Beef Brisket $32

Personally, i feel that the beef is quite a lackluster compared to the previous dish, the beef was a little over- cooked, thus causing the meat to be a little too tough for a Wagyu Beef. However, the sauce did make quite a difference, one could taste the ingredients used in the sauce, one prominent ingredient is definitely COFFEE!

Yummy scale: 3/5

Sides
Ginger Salt Baked Sri Lankan Mud Crab *Market Price

A very unique way of cooking a crab. I mean, how many times have you seen a crab covered in salt crystals and Ginger, wood baked in the oven. I guess that must be the reason why the crab had such a homogeneous taste. Maintaining its moisture and freshness of the crab, one could not miss the chunky flesh of the crab.... Slurps!!

Yummy scale: 4/5

Oaxacan Style Grilled Hokkaido Corn on the Cob $9

Pleasantly surprised by the sweetness of the corn. These Hokkaido corns really made me a happy girl all over again! Not forgetting the mozzarella cheese shavings which are not only visually pleasurable but also further highlighted the sweetness of the corns. Indeed a good blend of ingredients.

Yummy scale: 3.5/5

Desserts

Lychee Mint Granite with Framboise Jelly $10

Honestly, I was never a mint lover. The only mint I eat is probably "Clorets" (if they are mint at all). I was very surprised by how well the lychee and mint blended as one, and how their flavors complemented one another. It tasted genuinely refreshing after a long and heavy, not forgetting carbo-intensive dinner.

Yummy scale: 4/5

Food aside, the great ambience (with the view into Sentosa!) and the friendly service staffs were definitely another plus point to Woods. It was definitely a delightful dining experience we have had. Personally this is not my 1st time dining in Woods, however, it just seems that whenever i come, it's always another new experience for me. I was truthfully impressed by not only the food itself, but also the thoughts and efforts put into the many small details which recurrently triggered the “ooooooo”s, the ‘ahhhhhhhhh”s and the “wow!” from us.

Just a little bit more info...
Walking into Wood is just like entering a 5 star hotel, be entertained by the young and friendly host who'll head you through the narrow and subtly lit passage to WOOD and be awaited by a 3 meter high wine tower that impressively stores 500 bottles of wines waiting for you to choose from.

Once you enter main dining area, one could easily feel a sense of classiness and coziness while you are seated by the host. Not a second will you not be entertained by the whole layout and design of the restaurant with a full view of the open glass concept kitchen while overlooking the Cruise Bay separating Singapore from Sentosa.... More info, click HERE

Most importantly, if you're in for some romantic dinner or a simple lunch for the weekly bestie dates, check out the PRIVATE DINING area in WOOD Restaurant! Give them a ring and I'm sure you're in for something INTERESTING:)

*Indeed the perfect setting for couples!

For more information:

http://www.woodrestaurant.com

Wood Restaurant & Bar

No.1 Harbourfront, VivoCity, #01- 53

Operating Hours: Open Daily

Lunch: 11.30am- 2.30pm

Dinner: 6.30pm- 10.30pm

Bar: 11.30am- midnight (weekdays)

11.30am- 1am (weekends)

Reservations: +65 63759663
Email: info@woodsrestaurant.com

We're heading to Wood Restaurant!

Hey people, we'll be heading to WOOD RESTAURANT on Friday, 4th July 2008 for a tasting session. So sit back, relax and be pampered with our reviews soon!

HELLO HELLO FOODNWINE LOVERS! :) Really...

HELLO HELLO FOODNWINE LOVERS! :)

Really really SORRY for delaying this mouth-watering post in regards to our trip to "FRIENDS" @ Serangoon Garden Village! Well no worries at all dear all! This post is not gonna disappoint ya all at all! :) Just in case your not sure of the location, its right smack between THE COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF and CAFE CARTEL!

Friends

Friends @ Serangoon Garden Village

The few of us weren't exactly that hungry untill the glorious FOOD were served, and YES! We couldn't resist it simply because it was oh-so-yummyy!

STARTER

Portobello

Grilled Portobello Mushroom

(served with cheese, mesclun and tomato)

We were simply wowed by this amazing dish because the flavour of the mushrooms was so rich that it really made us crave for more! To me, i felt that it was the sauce and garlic that really complemented the mushrooms! :)

YUMMY SCALE: 4/5

MAIN COURSE

Lambshank

Braised Lamb Shank in Red Wine

(served with mashed potato and tomato sauce)

Lamb probably is a very individual dish since mutton has a very strong taste. But what we tried at FRIENDS was really awesome! The red wine really cut into the lamb so nicely and on top of that, the meat was really tender! :)

YUMMY SCALE: 4/5

Cod

Oven Baked Cod

(served with roasted potatoes, *ratatouille, white wine cream)

MY OH MY! Cod is my favourite choice of fish and i'm pretty sure FRIENDS would be my favourite restaurant to dine at when i crave for it! The texture of the fish was baked to perfection since it was really juicy and sweet. I must say the roasted potatoes were really good and together with the unique white wine cream, it definitely enhanced the overall taste of the cod. 20,000 thumbs up for Chef Kenneth's signature COD DISH! :)

*ratatouille - a mixture of fresh summer vegetables usually tomatoes, garlic, onions, zucchini, aubergine, bell peppers and herbs!

YUMMY SCALE: 5/5

Wagyubeef

Braised Wagyu Beef

(steak in aged port wine served with sweet potato mousse, spinach and cured tomato)

This is a MUST TRY @ FRIENDS! The beef was super tender and SWEET! The sauce was awesome, it was both sweet and salty which really brought the flavour outta the wagyu beef together with the sweet potato mousse! It's really something different from your usual choice of beef steak! :)

YUMMY SCALE: 5/5

DESSERT

Chocomousse

Rich Chocolate Mousse

Seeing is BELIEVING my friends! Don't you just agree that you're practically droooooling buckets upon viewing this?! I totally LOVE chocolate mousse and this really is the BEST i've tasted. The oh-so-SMOOTH and RICH texture made it feel like it was heaven! HAHA! whats more i could really taste the richness of the ingredients of this dish and most importantly, the sweetness level was perfecto! OOO baby i'm craving for more! :)

YUMMY SCALE: 5/5

Lavacake

Warm Varlhona Chocolate Lave Cake

(served with vanilla ice cream)

Believe me when i say NOTHING went wrong during our meal at FRIENDS that night! Not to mention, the heavenly choco lava cake, mmmm mmmm! I really enjoyed the fact that the cake was slightly bittersweet because i love bittersweet chocolate! What's more when you cut your fork into that lovely piece of cake, the chocolate slowly oozes out enabling JUST the SIGHT of this dessert to die for! Vanilla ice cream sure went well with this dessert, BUT! I would love to try bailey's irish cream ice cream with this :)

YUMMY SCALE: 5/5

WINE

WHOOHOO! And YES! What's a fantastic meal without the company of fine WINE!

Let's check out the choice of wine we FOODNWINE LOVERS selected from FRIENDS' great selection of WINE!

And no worries dear readers, we will provide you with FULL DETAILS and an in depth description about the WINE too! :)

Shiraz

35 South Shiraz

Vintage 2006

(90% Shiraz and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon)

Awards:

• Bronze Medal, International Wine Challenge, London 2003 (02)
• Silver Medal, Catad’ or Hyatt 2002 (01)

Right in the Central Valley of Chile lays a winery by the name of San Pedro which is the second largest Wine producer in Chile producing wines such as Cabo De Horno , the prestigious, if not, the best wine from San Pedro. Fortunately, today, we had the opportunity to taste one of the wines from San Pedro which is the 2006 vintage 35 South Shiraz!

Colour: Intense violet, vivid blackish tones.

Nose: Typical Shiraz’s spiciness, deep blackcurrants on the nose, with hint of cured meats. However, the smell of oak which I was hoping to smell wasn’t that apparent.

Taste: Silky, light bodied, crisp, gentle tannins, fresh fruits, spicy, short finish with a hint of oak.

Finish: short, oaky aftertaste.

Comments: Good wine to start off the evening with a bunch of friends who are out for some relaxation. Relatively friendly on the palate, not too harsh, fruit forward, definitely something not too strong for someone who can’t hold their liquor. Can even be drunk when you’re having a fish!

Bazzani

Bazzani Shiraz Cabernet

Vintage 2005

(70% Shiraz, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon)

Ratings: 89 points by James Halliday

Located in Pyrenees wine region of western Victoria, Warrenmang wines are well known for their quality and long- term cellaring potential. With grapes from the low- yielding 30- year old vines, they definitely produce one of the finest quality Pyrenees wines.

With regards to that, I can definitely vouch for its quality and long- term cellaring potential after tasting it.

Colour: Dark intense purple

Nose: Fruit- forward (typical of New World Wines), clove spice, ripe berry fruit, hint of mint and white pepper, oaky

Taste: Medium- bodied wine, relatively harsh tannins, astringent, crisp, spicy.

Finish: relatively long aftertaste with hints of mint

Comments: Slightly higher then a regular medium- bodied wine, relatively harsh tannins, acidic with a hint of spice and pepper. Good to go with beef or lamb with a sweet brown sauce and allow the acidity of the wine to cuts through the fats. I’ll recommend you to decant the wine and let it breathe for approximately 10- 15 minutes, taste it and tell me how you feel about it, it’ll definitely taste better! I reckon that this wine can hold another year or 2 with its level of acidity and tannins.

Winebar

Chef kenneth

ALRIGHTS! SO you've viewed the heavenly photos and read our food reviews regarding FRIENDS. Now its time to meet the one and only CHEF KENNETH! The man behind all the mouth-watering dishes :) He's a really nice and friendly guy with a hearty sense of humour! HAHA! Someone whom all foodnwine lovers should ADORE, muahaha :)

That's about it my dear readers! But dont fret, our appetites are getting bigger and bigger and so we WILL keep you posted regarding the restaurants, bars and bistros YOU as FOODNWINE LOVERS must must must visit so as to cast the WIDEST SMILE on your faces! But for now, you really gotta head down to "FRIENDS" @ Serangoon Garden Village! NIGHTY NIGHT and LOVELOVELOVE to the world! :)))

For more information:

http://www.friendsfoodandwine.com/index.html

Friends @ Serangoon Garden Village
1 Maju Avenue #01-01A
Serangoon Garden Village Singapore 556679
(private parking available)

Tel: +65 6289 2600
Fax: +65 6289 0665
Email: enquiry@friendsfoodandwine.com

Just a Glimpse!

Hey people, sorry to have kept you waiting:)

Our Blogger is now Busy in Thailand enjoying the Sun and the Sea and of course her Wine with great company! But before i bore you with a "picture-less" entry, here's a glimpse of 2 of the....... i lost count of how many dishes we tasted at "FRIENDS @ Serangoon Gardens Village":)

Just Some appetizer for you.....

WAIT! Don't wet your Keyboard!! hahahahah!

We're Having a new Concept:)

Just for the members who view our Blog regularly, we'll be using the BLOG for the purpose of food review after every tastings we have.

As for the Facebook Group, it'll remain to be the place for all the latest promotions and updates of the food and beverage scene!

Just a little update for all of you readers, we're in the interview stage with munkysuperstars for further collaboration in the media scene! So wish us all the best!

Hopefully we'll bring you some good reviews over the media soon:)

Sooooo.... Stay tune to us!

Low's Chicken Rice

Check out the Family- owned Hainanese Chicken Rice by "L.C.R"

Focusing on the Finest quality and highest standards, our Chef Jeannie would definitely produce the best Hainanese Chicken Rice to fill that grouchy tummy of yours!

To check them out, Click HERE

Promotions @ MAGMA WINE BISTRO + SHOP

Feeling bored and you've got no plans for the weekends?

Logo

Join us down on Sunday, 15th June 2008, 6.00pm at MAGMA wine bistro + shop for a Wine tasting and Education Evening from Simon-Buerkle, a wine maker from the wine region Hessische Bergstrasse with a selection of hearty and refreshing Rieslings, Chardonnay and Pinot blanc.
All of these for just $20++/ Free for the members of Magma wine club
On top of that, you'll get a 5% off your shopping goodies if you were to purchase a Wine from the shop!

If this doesn't satisfy your grouchy tummy, how about Indulging yourself to some refreshing Seafood dishes paired with Mosel Riesling Wines which will happen on Sunday, 29th June 2008, 6.00pm!
With just $59++/ Members of MAGMA wine club will be entitled to a 5% discount, you'll get to enjoy 5 DELICIOUS dishes with 5 EXCELLENT wines!

So, why wait any longer?

Get your reservations fast before you get disappointed!

Reservations: reservations@magmatc.com.sg
Website: www.magmatc.com.
Tel: 6221 0634