The Royal Mail

Serving contemporary British cuisine, The Royal Mail is celebrating her 3rd birthday with a revamped menu featuring brand new dishes.

For starters, the flavourful bouillabaisse boasts a bright tangy broth brimming with seafood goodness – red snapper, langoustine and blue mussels are the key ingredients that make this stew tick. Skip the unexciting trio of tomatoes; I’d rather you try the refreshingly light duo of scallop carpaccio and lightly-seared tuna. Mains and roasts of the menu see additions such as the whole roasted Japanese yellow sea bream, which is specially flown in from Japan and huge enough for 2 pax! K’s honey glazed kurobuta pork was juicy and succulent while my miso black cod was equally enjoyable – tender and fatty (though I’d prefer it to be less sweet). The only main which I didn’t like was the porcini and bacon risotto – such a heavy dish; I don’t know how anyone can finish it at one go. Among all the desserts, the bergamot earl grey jelly was my favourite. Lots of different textures and flavours in the parfait from the soft jelly to the smooth frozen yoghurt and tangy passion fruit coulis. Other worthy-to-try options include the classic eton mess and cutely presented peanut butter jelly!

I’m glad that The Royal Mail is under the Palate Card program so yes, I’ll definitely be back again!

Scallop Carpaccio and Tuna ($26++)
hokkaido scallop carpaccio, lightly-seared tuna, capers, olive, coriander, preserved lemon, fresh vegetables ribbon

Trio of Tomatoes ($18++)
cherry tomato confit, semi-dried tomato, fresh yellow cherry tomato, bocconcini, pesto

Seafood Bouillabaisse ($28++)
red malabar snapper, whole langoustine, blue mussel, bouillabaisse broth

Honey Glazed Kurobuta Pork ($56++)
mesclun salad, white wine apple, apple butter sauce

Porcini & Bacon Risotto ($32++)
aged parmesan cheese

Miso Black Cod ($42++)
leek fondue, seaweed butter, sesame tuille, bonito flakes

Roasted Whole Japanese Yellow Sea Bream ($78++)
lemon, garlic confit, scallion

Chocolate Fondant ($24++)
molten chocolate cake, tahitian vanilla ice-cream

Peanut Butter Jelly ($18++)
toasted brioche, cranberry jelly, chocolate ganache, caramelised banana

Eton Mess ($18++)
strawberries, meringue, hazelnut crunch, salted caramel, devon cream

Enhanced Bergamot Earl Grey Jelly ($15++)
frozen yoghurt, passionfruit coulis, macerated berries

Many thanks to Amanda and Jaslyn for the invitation!

The Royal Mail Restaurant & Bar
Ascott Raffles Place Singapore
2 Finlayson Green
6509 3589

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Special Menu at Tandoor Restaurant

Dinner at Tandoor last Friday was interesting, to say the least. The menu was not an ordinary one as Australia’s celebrity chef Tony Bilson has joined hands with Head Chef Vaibhav Suri to craft dishes fusing authentic Indian flavours with western influences such as sous vide cooking and usage of non-traditional ingredients. Think of it as a form of elevated contemporary Indian cuisine!

Tawa Scallops
indian spiced pan seared deep sea scallops with saffron and fennel sabayon

Highlights for me are definitely the appetisers of red snapper carpaccio and pan seared scallops. The former was simply a sight for sore eyes – beautifully plated, vibrant colours, fresh light and tasty! The latter was quite surreal because it did not taste like scallop at all! So plump, soft and almost translucent, amazing.

Roomali Red Snapper Chaat
carpaccio of red snapper, shellfish and caviar with tangy chilli and lemon dressing

One of the best aspects of dining at an Indian restaurant is knowing that vegetarians will never be forgotten by the chefs (because I’m half a vegetarian haha)! Instead of snapper, the chefs put together an equally gorgeous carpaccio made entirely of thinly sliced tropical fruits. The veggie mains were my favourite though – smokey tandoori broccoli and nutty stuffed zucchini flower!

Roomali Fruit Chaat
carpaccio of dragon fruit, watermelon, papaya, pineapple with tangy chilli and lemon dressing

Meat-wise, it seems like everyone had their own preferences – my dining partner and chef Suri were all praises for the tender slow cooked lamb shoulder (second servings were requested and granted yay!) while chef Tony (so glad to catch him before he left yesterday) liked the marinated duck leg most. Popular Australian wildbirds are also included on the menu with the tandoori squab (young pigeon) and stone grilled quail!

Main Course (Meat)
marinated duck leg stuffed with foie gras, pea puree and mushroom; australian squab with traditional tandoori marinade, garlic tempered spinach and crispy potato; slow cooked australian lamb shoulder crusted with grainy mustard marinade, basmati pulao with indian demi glaze

Main Course (Vegetarian)
cottage cheese stuffed with spiced green peas, garlic tempered mustard leaves; zucchini flower stuffed with nuts, cooked in tandoor; tandoori broccoli with tangy marinade, indian black pepper sauce

Dessert was quite puzzling. The description read “puff tart shell” and “caramelized fresh figs” but we were served the “tart” in a creme brulee form with dried fig instead. No issue, since it was pretty good all the same (and honestly, I was stuffed by then). Especially the rich and dark chocolate mousse with a hint of spices!

Caramelized Cardamon Fig Tart
puff tart shell with almond marzipan, caramelized cardamon fresh figs, raspberry sorbet, espresso mousse and indian spiced chocolate

Lunch Set Menu: $48++ per person (12noon to 2.30pm)
Dinner Set Menus: $58++ or $88++ per person (7pm to 10.30pm)
Tandoor will feature a selection of Tony Bilson’s dishes til end January 2014.

Thanks Yan for arranging dinner!

Tandoor Restaurant
#B1, Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
11 Cavenagh Road
6730 0153

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