Story & photos by Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling GourmetTM

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All photos are of real food with no photoshop and no props

The inspiring Travelling Gourmet goes to No.333, Orchard Road to savour the tempting specialities of  Mandarin Orchard’s All Buffet restaurant where the…

MARVELLOUS  King Crab from Russia is so very delicious with a sweet-salty taste and marvellous fine texture and the aftertaste of umami is sheer gastronomic bliss! The Citrus spiked “Kaiser ” Pork Ribs are drop off the bone tender and I cannot get enough of them, Delicious is an understatement! The pork ribs are carefully marinated with a secret mix of citrus juices and rest seductively on a futon of cute corn niblets. Chef de Cuisine Sam Chin who hails from the Pearl of the Orient, namely Penang, is a youthful but skilful Chef who really has a love and passion for his profession. A true gourmet can always tell when the food is cooked with love. Lobster grilled to perfection with green crunchy Edamame Beans…sexily caressed with a light, fluffy, Emulsion of egg, clarified butter and Dijon mustard was for me the ‘piece de resistance’! A true gourmet’s delight!

The emulsion has just the right amount of savouriness to enhance the naturally sweet ocean flavours of the USA spiny lobster. A bold and expressive New Zealand 2012 Sauvignon Blanc “12,000 Miles” bursting with gooseberry flavours and hints of lemon grass on the 3rd nose, matches very well with the ‘fruits de mer’ (fruits of the sea).

Wagyu Beef from Japan with a lovely layer of delicious far and just drizzled with Sesame Sauce and garnished with brunoise of scallions is ‘superbe’.

I relished the beef wih a New Zealand Shiraz which was better than expected, and almost as good as the Old Vine Shiraz from the Barossa Valley of South Australia.

Chef Sam’s style is simple but very appetising, and he brings out the true flavours of the ingredients, and lets them speak for themselves. Salmon just seared so it is still rare in the middle with a dollop Dijon Mustard Emulsion  is another must-try. Wunderschoen!

My favorite table is number 15 where I can see all the ‘action’ in this trendy restaurant and have a view of Singapore’s answer to London’s bustling Bond Street, which is of course, Orchard Road. There are numerous live cooking stations so this is a “Theatre Restaurant” where you have as much fun dining as watching the Chefs do their thing! The Indian section is worthy of mention with a beautiful but not too spicy Chicken Curry, that is not too oily too. Have it with ueber-crispy Poppadom and Garlic Naan and …Tandoori Chicken with that slight tang from the plain yoghurt used to marinate the meat. I always like the sweet chunky Mango Chutney!

I always like this hotel, the Mandarin Orchard. I loved the revolving restaurant, Top of the M with Tournedos Rossini and Cherries Jubilee flambe at table side. The Mandarin Orchard is ‘la grand dame’ of Orchard Road, and the General Manager, Danny Wong is one of the nicest and most capable Hoteliers I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Sweets for the Sweet!

Mind boggling treats like Macarons, ice cream, Brownies, Fruit Tartlets, Yoghurt Cake…and more will delight those with a sweet tooth. I especailly recommend the zesty, sour-sweet Yuzu Sorbet made from that most delightful of Japanese citrus fruits. ‘Red like the lips of sexy Madonna’ Cranberry ice cream  and Vanilla ice cream with little seeds of Vanilla inside are excellent with the Bread & Butter Budding!

Profiteroles are topped with a amber medallion of toffee caramel and garnished with a peaked meringue volcano. Eat, drink and be merry because if you work out the number of seconds in 100 years, it is only…3,136,320,000 seconds. Think about it, it is not a lot…

If you want to be  Champion Survivor in this crazy world, eat well to be well! Outlast, Outplay, Outwit, Outsmart and Outmanouevre, out drink and outtaste…ENJOY! 🙂