0 Pollen pleases with much pleasures

We had an amazing afternoon at Gardens by the Bay, starting with a fancy lunch at Pollen. The Mediterranean-European restaurant, helmed by British Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton, was a perfect match to my dining preferences; it joined my radar list the moment I read about its opening a few months ago. I'm really thankful that the family could have a nice lunch together, a rare event these days, in the comforts of the majestic Flower Dome. The food was nothing short of awesome. Every dish was not only perfect balance of flavours, textures, but beautifully plated. The set lunch at 55 pax is quite a good steal, considering you'd get free entry into the Flower Dome, which would otherwise cost 12 bucks.

Rye sourdough with codiments: cod-potato dip and green olives

Roasted beetroot, goats cheese and beet leaves. Beets and goats cheese are a classic pairing but they are paired for a reason. The earthy tones of the roasted beets (which came in purple, golden and orange) accentuated the creamy sweets notes of the goats cheese. Simple yet satisfying.

Smoked salmon with wasabi-like accompainment. Have you ever seen such a hunk of smoked salmon? I'd imagine thin slices of salty salmon a la carpaccio-style, but this meaty slab delivered a pleasant surprise. I had a slice of Mum's salmon; lightly smoked and not too heavy-handed on the salt (my pet peeve of smoked salmon), the flesh was between a raw and flaky texture. This would definitely provide the daily recommended dose of omega-3.

Pan-seard John Dory, prawn minestrone, baby courgettes, coco beans and edamame. Although slightly disappointed the cod was not on the menu, the pan-seared John Dory did not disappoint. The execution of the searing could not be more perfectly done; it yielded a skin so crisp you could feel it crackle at the slightest pressure, unveiling smooth tender flaky white flesh. It's so easy to overcook white fish, but as mentioned, the timing here couldn't be better (I'd imagine the chef had a ticking timer beside him!). The foamed sauce of prawn minestrone was poured over the fish upon serving; it looks deceptively light, but was potent with the umami taste of the crustaceans. I loved the beans and edamame that came with it. Overall, a stunning fish dish.

Most awesome risotto ever: turffle & sorrel risotto. It was creamy but not heavy (no jer lak aftermath) and bursting with mushrooms and truffle jus! I shared this and the John Dory with my sister, so we could enjoy the best of both worlds :)

All good things must come to an end, and the divine desserts helped to end it right, leaving us with sweet memories (pun intended).

Peanut butter and cherry yuzu sorbet. It was my first time having desserts in a deconstructed form, so I wasn't sure if the different components were meant to be enjoyed separately or combined into a mess. So I sampled the them individually first: the cherry yuzu sorbet was tart but refreshing. The "peanut" part of the dessert was delivered in multifarious forms - as a peanut mousse, peanut parfait, peanut crocante and crunchy peanut butter - which resulted in a complex but complementary play of tart and sweet, smooth and crunchy.

You may need an acquired taste to enjoy the goats cheese ice cream, but I'm sure no one can deny on the artistic appeal of this dessert. So pretty and pink!

Chocolate roast cocoa nib ice cream, lavender parfait and cherry. Again I had a bit of Mum's dessert; the crushed cocoa nibs with ice cream reminded me of oreos atas style. This was on the sweeter side compared to other desserts, but still oh-so-good.

Overall, this was one of the most memorable meals I had, for the food, company and ambience. Delivering fresh and clean flavours amid a modern flowery setting, I look forward to many more returns - if only I had the money. (Total bill racked up to approx 300 for 4, thanks to the charges for the bottled water.)

Some pictures of the setting:

After that we had a walk around the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, which will be featured in the next post!

2 Medz about mediterranean

A lonesome Sunday lunch at the Medz, tucked in a far corner of Orchard Central B2. This has a dining concept similar to Marche where you get a card which captures your orders, except that the food has a Mediterranean focus. The various stalls were ordered by cuisines of Mediterranean countries such as Greek, French, Tunisian, Italian etc.

I had the vegetable tagine with couscous ($8+). I was hoping it would come in those cute tagine earthenware pots but sadly, it was served without the lid. The stew was hearty and mildly spicy, with chunks of tender braised broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, tomato, corn and peas. The couscous was topped with a simple but delicious sweet golden raisins. Overall a very heartwarming dish, although the gravy was a bit oily and salty.

A view of the restaurant from the corner where I was sitting. I wouldn't mind a return visit to check out the paellas and kebab station, which looked really tempting.

8 Boo to moo: vegetarian moussaka

When you are carte blanche, what will you do? For me, cooking is a form of relaxation, a practice of science, and an expression of creativity all at the same time. Even before the exams ended, my hands have been itching to cook up a storm. I set out to conquer the moussaka today, my most ambitious culinary endevour to date. It is a Mediterranean (Greek?) dish and typically consists of eggplants, ground meat, tomatoes & vegetables and topped with a white sauce. Although I knew moussaka is time-consuming, still, I totally underestimated the the recipe. But the toil and effort is absolutely worth every vegetable peel. And to set another record, I have incorporated real butter and cheese into the recipe, and not the vegan forms, for the richness of 'authentic' moussaka. A little goes a long way, although I doubt they'll become staples in my diet anytime soon.

Be prepared for a wealth of ingredients and instructions.

Vegetarian Moussaka (serves 4-6)

A colorful mix of golden potatoes, purple sweet potatoes and orange chickpeas take the place of meat. The bechamel sauce is lightened with the use of soy milk, but with the complexity of flavours going on, you won't miss the richness!

Ingredients

"The Layers"

1 tbsp salt

1 eggplant (globe), peeled and thinly sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small potato, peeled and thinly sliced

1 purple sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced

"The Sauce"

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar (I subbed with raspberry balsamic vinegar)

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup chopped tomatoes (Waitrose chopped tomatoes with chopped herbs)

1 cup cooked chickpeas, skins removed and roughly chopped (Waitrose chickpeas in water)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder (I subbed 1 tsp chicken seasoning for the onion & garlic powder)

1/4 tsp cumin

2 tbsp black olives, minced

1 cup fresh arugula

2 tbsp fresh basil

"Bechamel topping"

2 tbsp butter (Lurpak)

3/4 cup non-dairy milk (Silk soy, unsweetened)

1 tbsp flour (Bob's Red Mill spelt flour)

Generous sprinkle of nutmeg

1 egg white, beatened

Ground black pepper

1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

Directions
"Pre-preparations"
1. Preheat oven to 375 F (180 C).
2. Grease a baking dish (6.75" x 10") with olive oil.
3. Place eggplant slices on kitchen tissues and generously rub with salt to draw out moisture. Let sit for 30 min.
4. Glaze potatoes & sweet potato slices with 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Bake for 10 min.

"The Sauce"
5. Heat 1/2 tbsp oilive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion for 3-5 min until translucent. 6. Add in garlic and cook 30s until fragrant.
7. Add red wine vinegar, lemon juice, tomatoes, chickpeas, oregano, onion & garlic powder and cumin.
8. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 min.

9. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Brown eggplant slices, about 2-3 min each side. Set aside.

"Assembly"
10. Line casserole according to the following layers: 1/2 of eggplant, 1/2 potato mixture, 1/2 basil, arugula & olives, 1/2 sauce. Repeat (it should be enough to make two of such layers).
11. Bake for 25 min.

"Bechamel Topping"
11. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
12. Add milk & flour. Whisk well to combine. 13. Bring to slow boil until thickened and reduced.
13. Season with nutmeg and black pepper.
14. Cool 5 min, then whisk in egg whites.
15. After moussaka has baked 25 min, remove, pour cream mix on top.
16. Top with mozzarella and bake another 15-20 min.

This seemingly endless recipe left me all sweaty and hungry after 3 hours, yes 3 hours in the oven-like kitchen. I started at 12 and ended about 3+. After quickly snapping some (mandatory) photos, I couldn't wait to see how it turned out.... it was a flavour bomb! I can't really tease out the taste of each ingredients; no one flavor dominated, but they melded to form a harmonious new blend of je nai se quoi. I believe the only other time I had moussaka was at Whole Foods in London, and this is quite comparable, if not better, since I get mine piping hot (at Whole Foods it was served chilled I think).

3 First Sunday

Today I visited Holy Trinity Brompton Church with Charlene and her friend, Lionel. It's an Anglican church, and thus supposedly very traditional with a strict order of service. However, it turned out to be very informal, almost like Wesley's Prayer & Praise. There were also a good international mix there, with Koreans, Chinese and Asians. Maybe next week we'll go Wesley?

After church, I finally made my trip down to Whole Foods Market at High Street Kensington. I think after seeing all the artisanal breads, cheeses and nuts (they even have a make-your-own-muesli-mix counter!) I cannot shop at Tesco anymore. Boo. Anyway, I ground my own salted peanut butter and it was so fun! We also dined at their in-store marketplace. I had the kid's portion of Mezze platter. For 3.49 pounds, you get to choose 3 dishes. I chose the couscous, moussaka and grilled vegetables (eggplant, red bell peppers & caramelized onions). There was also a side stack of pita bread. It was so filling, even for a kid's meal!

Then it was down to Kensington Gardens. We had a nice stroll. The animals there seem larger than life: squirrels with impossibly bushy tails, obese pigeons that waddle about, ducks that actually fly as a herd, and graceful swans. We passed the glided Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall on our way out.

Tomorrow is enrollment day!

Currently I'm surviving on pasta with store-bought tomato & basil sauce and salmon from tesco. Need to start making more impressive meals soon.