17 March, 2009

Post HFB Makan Session 3 Revealed - Desire @ The Scarlet

Chilling at the rooftop alfresco perched atop The Scarlet, Breeze would have been the perfect start to set in motion HFB Makan Session 3, if not for the fact that the sun refused to set even after 7.30pm!

Otherwise under a starlit sky, it would be the ideal setting to get off the ground drinking and bonding with a glass of complimentary cocktail that every guest was entitled for – XOXO (Vodka, Orange Juice, Cherry Syrup) or Caribbean Passion (Rum, Cranberry Juice and Blue Curaçao).

After a quick transition to the 2nd level, every guest was nicely settled down in the private area of Desire (there were 19 of us that evening).

Service was slow initially, but once choice of mains were noted, the complimentary bread rolled into action.

Onion Bread accompanied with Butter was nothing short of excellence! It came nicely warmed and a rip to the bread produced an aromatic whiff that was intense yet not overpowering. Like my previous experience, HFB was wooed even before the first serving was dished up.

HFB did a quick survey around the tables and found that most of them loved the Sous Vide Egg with Spanish Ham, Truffle Salsa and Parmesan Crust – for those that didn’t, they made the mistake of consuming the egg on its own, instead of breaking the yolk and mixing it with the truffle salsa, to act as a ‘dip’ for the ham.

Okay, the controversy of the night – Seared Foie Gras served on Brioche and Mango, Glazed with Aged Balsamic. As Steve would describe it, “the richness of the foie gras with the slippery smoothness of the mango and the crunchiness of the brioche proving the most perfect of partners.” HFB couldn’t agree more. The harmonious pairing of the ingredients worked wonders that night!

While HFB opted for the beef as main, those that sampled the Tataki of Tuna and Cod Fish with Cereal Crust on Seasonal Vegetables Sautéed in Mirin Soyu gave a few thumbs up to the cod fish. However a couple of guests were not accustomed to having tuna done tataki-styled.

Not to be outdoned, HFB’s portion of Grilled Beef Medallion & Beef Cheeks served with Ratte Potato Chips and Grilled Asparagus was similarly noteworthy. Using Wagyu Beef with a Marbling Score of 5/6, the beef medallion was a winner for HFB – it was medium-rare tendered and fully flavoured. However HFB didn’t take too much to the beef cheeks that were braised with Orange Juice. It was a slight reminiscent to the cough mixture we had as kids. High marks though to the texture, as it was well braised to tender.

Although some would prefer a stronger finish to the dinner, HFB thought the Macadamia Praline Parfait with Cinnamon Caramelised Apple was magnificently executed.

It wasn’t too sweet and HFB absolutely fell in love with the bottom layer of biscuit crust. Plus the sweet vs. sour along with soft vs. crunchy combination was exceptionally well balanced.

Thank you to all the babes and hunks that attended that evening (I know I missed out some of you below, sorry!). You guys played a HUGE part in making this HFB makan session a wonderful experience!

You might also be interested in these posts:



View Larger Map

6 comments:

Steve said...

Yay - a great post on a great Makan session. Bring on the next one, I say. Thanks x a million for organising this HFB... the food was truly worthy of a HFB "Shiok" rating!

Anonymous said...

Was looking forward to this review as I had very much wanted to be there. Now I know what I missed ...
Between this and having the Korean BBQ (I was in Seoul that week and BBQ for the whole week!), I would have taken this without a doubt!
Great job, HFB. Looking forward to seeing the next meet up ... and hopefully during a week I am around

Justin

His Food Blog said...

Steve: My pleasure! I'm glad you enjoyed the food and the company that night :)

Justin: Nice to hear from you. Heh I am pretty sure your BBQ wasn't half as bad as it sounded. Indeed I am already storming for new places and ideas for my next makan session - so feel free to throw ideas into the hat! I will be sure to org one when you are around.

Anonymous said...

hahahah how many people turned up? congrats on the successful event :)

His Food Blog said...

Thanks! There were a total of 19 pax.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

thanks for organizing the dinner,
had a good time that night!

Post a Comment

His Food Blog Popular Posts

His Food Blog Food Cloud