Imperial Treasure 2

You must know what motivates you and why you are doing whatever you are doing now. In other words, what is your passion?


"Find something you love to do so much, you can't wait for the sun to rise to do it all over again." ~ Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness


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We were craving so much for the custard bun that we had to go back to Imperial Treasure Noodle & Congee House after our first visit. Check out our review of the first visit there.


This time round we mainly re-order the siew mai and custard bun and add to that the dishes that we wanted to taste.


Combo Mixed Plate - Char Siew and Roast Pork

The char siew did not disappoint once again. Tender and moist with the correct level of sweetness. It is somewhat tangy which cuts into the fats very nicely. Of course, the charred bits at the extremeties is a rare treat for us. The roast pork belly is fantastic. Nicely marinated with the super crispy skin. The layer of fats is JUST right. Moist and very tender to bite into, this has got to be one of the best and (moderately) less sinful pork belly that we had. The acccompanying sauces, especially the peanut-sesame dip goes superbly with the cuts. At $16, it is at fair value given that it is a restaurant after all. (4.25/5)


Fried Minced Meat Noodles (炸酱面)

This time round, we had to have a carbo dish. The fried minced meat noodles ($7.80) was springy. We thought it tasted ordinary, tasty but ordinary. The serving of the meat in the sauce was generous with little bits of mushroom and if I am not wrong, lard. The cucumber in juliennes is refreshing and adds that crunch to the noodles. Acceptable dish. (3.75/5)


Steamed Rice Roll with Fried Dough Fritters (油条粉肠)

Yes. You did not read this wrongly. It is fried dough fritters wrapped with rice roll ($4.80) and served steamed. This is a very popular dish in HK. A tad expensive for such simple ingredients, but you need to consider that the chef needs to get this absolutely right in terms of serving portions and steaming time. If not, it will be a major disaster. The dough fritters were crispy. To the correct level and not overly hard. The combination of the rice roll, soft and silky and the light soy sauce is a killer combi. Add the crunchiness of the dough fritters, you have a superb dish. Totally enjoyed it. (4.25/5)


Custard Bun （奶皇包）

I cannot emphasise more. This is a MUST order. Get to the place before 530pm where the dim sum menu closes. At $3.60 for a serving of 3 pieces of these treasures, it is absolutely worth it. The salted egg yolk combined with butter and custard is really to die for. (5/5)

Imperial Treasure Noodle & Congee House
2 Orchard Turn, Orchard Ion
#B3-17
+65-6509-8283
Mon - Fri
11am - 10pm
Sat & Sun
1030am - 10pm Read More...

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Forlino

It is one thing to plan and another to execute. We dream all the time, for better or for worse, we fail to put our fantasies in motion. Maybe it's time to put out the first step towards your goal?


So, what do you plan to do today? Outside of whatever you are doing already.


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It had been a while since we wanted to visit Forlino. And when we saw that the 1-for-1 lunch deal is back, we jumped right into it. Following a very relaxing spa treatment at Fullerton we took a leisurely walk across.


It is not easy to find the entrance. A hidden entry of a ex-club, the long corridor is very nicely decorated in Roman theme. From the reception area, we were shown to the dining area which was a sudden explosion of space from the narrow doorway to a spacious dining space. With a great view of the Esplanade bay to boot. Book this space to preview the NDP fireworks if you can. They did offer 1-for-1 dinner set meals last July-August. And from a friend's own experience, totally worth it.


The offer applies only to the "Gourmet" and "Degustation" sets, of which the menu can be found on Forlino's website. They do offer a very economical set lunch too at $38.

While waiting for our orders, we were individually served homemade foccacia. The bread arrived warm, with a very generous drizzle of olive oil. It is crisp on the outside with a tender interior. A tad salty, which helped lift the taste and the sweetness of the bread goes really well with the traditional extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix. Very good start to the meal indeed. (4/5)


Amuse Bouche / Starter

It is embarassing to admit but I forgot what is this dish. Yes, the wife just confirmed that t is a crab cake served on a bed of radish and shoots. This part of the menu is not fixed. I remember it is a delightful dish and even though it is a fried item, it tasted clean and the meat, sweet. A prelude to bigger things to come. (4/5)


Pan Seared Goose Liver with Amaretto and Pumpkin Cream

Yes. A very generous serving of foie gras. No camera tricks here. The sweet almond-ny taste of the amaretto goes absolutely perfect with the pumpkin cream. It is mellow and somewhat light the sweet taste of the sauces accompanies the fatty liver very nicely. The skin is pan-seared to a nice crisp with a slight caramel flavour. The random sprinkling of the green pumpkin seeds adds to the presentation and taste too! A marriage of many flavours, which is apparent in the two dishes we had so far. (4.5/5)


Homemade Spaghetti with Black Cod, Baby Artichokes and Mint

The fresh taste of the pasta is very outstanding in this dish. The lingering taste of the flour from instant pasta is totally absent. Served on green mint sauce, it was a bit scary at first but when we tasted it, it is again a very nice combination of taste. We first thought that the green mint sauce would be very sharp and perhaps overpowering but it proved not to be so. It is well balanced, with the nice level of creaminess and just the right hint of minti-ness. The black cod was oily as how we would expect it to be but we would wish the larger serving pieces could be added instead of the meagre small pieces. Nevertheless a very nice pasta dish. (4/5)


Halibut Fillet with Orange, Green Asparagus and Martini Vermouth Sauce

One of the mains on offer. I had the halibut, another fatty dish which tasted somewhat similar to a very good quality piece of cod. The skin was seared to a nice crisp and the fishy taste/smell is totally none existent. The orange glaze and marinated orange taste added a very nice fruity and zesty zing to the dish which cuts through the oily fish! Love it! The sauce is lightly flavour and lends that subtle classy touch to the whole taste and presentation. (4.5/5)


Wagyu Beef Cheek Braised with Marsala Wine and Herb Mashed Potatoes

I do not take beef and so the wife had this all to herself! According to her, the meat was well braised with the spices from the marsala wine well marinated into the beef but yet not overpowering the taste. Mashed potatoes were creamy and yes, herb-y but didn't really wow her enough to finish it up. The sauce is well made and you could wipe the dish clean with bread! Just like what you would do for a great chilli crab dish. (4.25/5)


Molten Lava Chocolate Cake with Banana Gelato and Rum Sauce

Baked to perfection with the lava chocolate free flowing when the cake was cut. What else do you expect from Forlino? Very rich and not too sweet, just the right level that I like it. The banana gelato was somewhat subtle in taste. Banana and chocolate goes superbly well together but for this particular combination, the rich chocolate totally overpowered the very light tasting gelato. Nevertheless, they taste great on their own. (4/5)


Coffee/ Tea served with Petit Fours

The coffee and tea was normal. Petit fours are just buttery cookies and meringues seen in the picture. Nothing to bellow about but a sweet ending to a very nice meal nevertheless.


All in all a very nice meal on a weekday afternoon. We totally enjoyed the ambience of the place and the fantastic view it had to offer. At 1-for-1, it is still slightly pricey ($98 before GST) but we have got to pamper ourselves (and our loved ones) once in awhile, don't we? 


Watch out for the National Day offers!

Forlino
#02-06 One Fullerton
One Fullerton Road
S(049213)
6877-6995


12pm-230pm
630pm-1030pm Read More...

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