Braise

Be warned about the footwear code.

It was our 10th wedding anniversary yesterday, and hubby and I were booked into a hotel on Sentosa to celebrate. It was a toss-up between seafood and steak, but Hubby decided he wanted steak for dinner so we chose Braise.

I wanted to see the restaurant while it was still light outside, so we reserved a table for 6.30 p.m. and requested a sea view. The staff who answered the phone asked if it was our first time to the restaurant and, though I said yes, did not mention that there was any dress code - instead, she belaboured the point that all the tables with a sea view were fully booked, and that if she gave us one we would have to depart by 8 - no, by 7.45 - as there was a reservation for 8.

We arrived promptly at 6.30 only to have my footwear frowned upon: I was wearing my Fitflops. I had just been strolling on the beach, not too farfetched as Sentosa's a beach resort island and the restaurant is on a beach front. Teva sandals must be OK, as hubby's were not commented on. Bermudas and shorts are acceptable, just not slippers. I understand the need for establishments to maintain an image, but couldn't they have mentioned it when I called? At the very least, a smile would have helped. The staff member who confronted me about the footwear did so unsmilingly, then banished us to the non-scenic part of the restaurant where we would be less noticeable to suitably shod patrons. But there weren't any other patrons then. The restaurant was empty save for us two.

Nonetheless, we were celebrating a special anniversary and did not fuss as we didn't wish to spoil the mood. We looked on the bright side - no sea view, but we could see vegetation, beach, peahens and a glimpse of bay. I tried not to think of the empty tables with the seaview where we should have been seated. Once it got dark we wouldn't be able to see it anyway.

What compensated for my footwear fiasco was that the other staff that served us were pleasant and professional. Also, the capellini with lobster that I ordered as a starter was good - the lobster chunks were generous and not overcooked: juicy still, and with a delectable crunch to the bite. Hubby found his lobster bisque OK. They served him a soup plate that was empty save for tiny lobster bits on the bottom, then poured half a small jug of soup over it. We supposed they were demonstrating that there really was lobster in it; but showing us a full jug only to serve us half of it made the portion seem more miserly than it was. One ends up thinking about the remaining soup in the jug that one has been deprived of.

The disappointment of the night was the steak that had brought us to Braise in the first place. Well, the first disappointment was when he could not find anything on the menu that was just steak, pure and simple. He wanted a steak that took centerstage - a nice slab of tenderloin done medium. He had to settle for a steak that shared the limelight with beef cheeks and savoy cabbage, which he has absolutely no interest in. In the end, I volunteered to eat the beef cheeks, and he would share my cod.

The beef fillet arrived the right shade of pink, but it was unforgivably tough. As he sawed his way through it with his knife and chewed it manfully, I knew it was a failure. It doesn't matter how good a steak tastes when it overworks your jaws.

The beef cheeks with savoy cabbage were tender, the meat braised till it had fallen apart. Wholesome comfort food. However, it filled me up so completely that I barely had room for my cod fish.

We are fairly small eaters, so in retrospect we should have shared a starter and each had a main. We overstuffed ourselves to the point that we could not even think of dessert.

Even though we were seated in disgrace next to the bustle of the kitchen, it was fairly peaceful because the restaurant remained completely empty until just before we called for the bill at 8 pm, when one casually-dressed but appropriately-shod couple arrived. It thus seemed to me that for one-and-a-half hours, my slippers had been an affront to the sensibilities of the staff and no one else.

Hubby had a pleasant surprise when he serendipitously used his Citibank Visa to pay and received a discount. No thanks to the staff, who did not inform us about the promotions available before we decided which credit card to use.

Since hubby is a steak man and service matters to us even more than food quality, we're not likely to go there again, with or without approved footwear.

It's a pity this restaurant opens for dinner only at 6.30pm as the view of the beach is quite pretty. This is wasted as one can't see anything outside at night. Perhaps they should consider opening earlier for cocktails...

As for the food, there were some hits and a few misses. The pasta with lobster and lobster oil was delicious. My husband and I just couldn't have enough of it. In addition to our set dinners, we also ordered the wagyu beef to share. It wasn't too bad. The only problem was that instead of serving the beef or the main course first, they brought them both out together. As we sent the beef back to the warmer til after we finished our main course, it came back a tad too well done for our taste.

Service was rather attentive but nothing special.

I would definitely return for lunch to enjoy the view.

If you enjoy Sunday brunch buffets which leave you crawling out of the room after undoing a few buttons on your pants, this isn't the one for you. What you get at Braise is a luxe experience, with good food thrown in in small portions. It's not all about the food. Not to say that the food is bad. Most of it is very good. But it is really about the entire experience, from the white-hued, chic and modern furnishings to the natural light filtering through the floor to ceiling windows, to a leisurely read of the morning papers while stirring your coffee. It's about living the good life.

Here's the run down of what we had:
Free flow appetizers:
Soup of the Day - Chicken consomme with foie gras ravioli
Caesar Salad
Seared Scallop with Spiced Crust and Wakame Pasta
Spanish Olive and Parma Ham
Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Orange-Ginger Dressing
Pan Fried Crab Cake with Curry Aioli
Pan Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Banana and Chocolate Sauce

Eggs:
Eggs Benedict - hubby's choice
Eggs in Crispy filo pastry - my choice
Both served with Sausage, Bacon and Cured Salmon

Main course:
Oven-Baked Codfish with Tapenade Crust, Mustard Beurre Blanc - my choice
Duck Leg Confit with Gratin Potato and Orange Sauce - hubby's choice

Dessert:
Classic Tiramisu - hubby's choice
Chocolate Lava Cake with Coffee Ice Cream - my choice

The crab cakes were fabulous. These little babies were made of real crab meat and bursting with flavour. Pity they were so tiny. The seared scallops were plump and juicy. The pairing with the wakame pasta was inspired with the tartness of the sesame and soy sauce dressing enhancing the natural flavour of the scallops. The codfish was done perfectly, simply melt in the mouth deliciousness. The pan fried foie gras was competently handled but combining it with the caramelized banana was a strange choice as the banana completely overwhelmed all other flavours.

The chicken consomme with foie gras ravioli was not a good complement to the rest of the appetisers. The mildness of the flavour stood in stark contrast to the stronger flavours of the crabcakes and scallops, and left me with a very confused palate. The eggs in filo pastry was a modern take on the traditional roti prata, and was quite tasty. While the duck leg confit was nicely done and the orange sauce was delicious, hubby complained that the meat wasn't fatty enough.

Both desserts were delicious. There's nothing like a perfectly prepared chocolate lava cake to end a meal. Better still when it's served with coffee ice cream and a cup of coffee.

Service was friendly and professional. My only gripe was that they didn't change our plates between appetisers - which meant that as you took food from the serving platter onto your own, there would still be the residual sauce from the previous item. Besides not ensuring a clean taste, it also looks messy. There were only 2 baby chairs in the entire restaurant and there were at least 5 small children when we were there. The management should really invest in more baby chairs and children's cutlery as more parents are bringing their kids out for nice meals and a key consideration for their patronage will be the availability of kid-friendly facilities.

The food service was slow, but I didn't have a problem with that. It just made the pace a lot more leisurely and it gave us the time to enjoy the food and conversation. Although the view outdoors of the Palawan Beach wasn't the best - with hordes of Singaporeans and tourists in various states of undress frolicking in the sun.

Hubby and I agreed that it was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon and would probably be back.

I liked the format of the Sunday brunch, where you are served (at the table) unlimited portions of entrees, then choose 1 egg/pancake dish, 1 main and 1 dessert. So you do get to try a fairly wide range of food that's presented to you pleasingly (rather than you having to go to the buffet line to load up your own plate by yourself).

As with most brunches, there are good and not-so-good dishes, and the ones that stood out for me (for the former) were the cod (nice and buttery) and the Spanish ham (lovely, smoky flavour; I liked the combination with the slightly vinegary artichokes). But generally, everything was tasty.

I was impressed that when it came to settling the bill, the server took the initiative to tell us that there was a 15% discount with Citibank and charged the bill to 3 separate credit cards with no questions asked.

They've obviously taken pains with the ambience of the place, which is relaxed and airy. A downside of the airiness is that there are quite a few flies, which is why I have only given Braise my default 7 in that category. But it really was a lovely place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Make a dinner reservation for one of the weekday. In the phone, I just briefly mentioned that it was meant to be a birthday dinner and the person really take note of my remarks. Without any further instruction, they decorated the dessert that we had ordered to share. Very detailed..

As for the food, the bread is very nice. My husband and I ate quite a few actually although we were quite full from the meal... Just can't resist...

For the ambience and decor, nicely done up. However, it is a pity that we couldn't really see the view outside at night.. As for the music, it can be a little more softer... Too loud for the atmosphere...

Seen so much good reviews about the place. I personally don't have much to praise. Was there one day before Valentine's day, did not choose the costly Valentine's day set. We chose a la carte.

Prices too high for a casual dining restaurant. If it's for fine dining, I don't even feel like it's one. Decor is quite simple, you can even walk into the place in your berms and t-shirt after a good suntan in the afternoon, and you will not look out of place. Food is quite good. Still I can find similar quality of food at half its price. We paid over S$200 for one appetizer to share, 2 main course, one dessert to share and a bottle of wine. No view to boot about if it's for dinner, it's pitch black outside. Definitely won't go back there again, not worth for my money.

The only thing that feels like a fine dining setting is probably the service. Staff are friendly, polite and even walks you to your toilet. I don't mind paying lesser without all that.
Not to mention, the restaurant is inconspicuously located, we had a hard time looking for it. To think that we walked past the area many times in the past and never notice this restaurant.

We headed to Braise on the back of a recommendation from a friend. I personally have been meaning to try the restaurant for the longest time as I am a huge fan of Ember’s modern European fare and by association I’d like to think that Braise would be on the money.
Not exactly the most convenient place to dine at - Braise does not benefit from being located in a no-car zone and the signage at Sentosa is unfortunately nothing to shout about. We initially a bit lost having walked the wrong way out of the Beach carpark (the recommended place to park your car).

I have to say top marks for interior design and ambience at Braise. With the high ceiling, black-and-white theme with walls covered in a brown, ropey/fibrous kind of material, the restaurant has looks befitting to be showcased in a décor magazine with its modern almost minimalist setting akin to a loft. I loved how it evoked a great modern chic with a nice casualness to it without any associated pretentiousness. The place obviously benefits from having a beachfront location (Braise is also set on the second floor) and the place was rather quiet which makes for a great intimate dinner.
We were only too happy to have the tasting menu which contained three appetizers starting off with the delightful Cold Artichoke Pasta with Abalone and Truffle Miso Dressing. The artichoke pasta was an all-to wonderful vehicle for the truffle miso dressing and this dish was all too easy to wolf down in seconds. A winner was the Fried Pork Tails with Ravigote Sauce. Therein lies the beauty of tasting menus as this dish is not something I’d normally order given its rather ambiguous sounding description. However this dish turned out to be innocuous and indeed very savoury – it really is mealy/flaky-textured pork meat coated in a nice golden crumbly shell served with the slightly sourish French ravigote sauce. The Pan Seared Foie Gras with Sweet Bread was also interestingly paired with a Curry-Infused Veal Sauce but not something I’d order again.

For the main we had the Pan Seared French Sea Bass with Bourgogne and Balsamic, Port Wine Reduction - I thought the fish was very well executed - the skin was at golden crisp at its best and went very well with the wine reduction – married together the sea bass became less of the more boring tasting fish that I’ve always thought it to be.

For dessert we had the Summer Berry Consommé with Earl Grey Tea Sorbet – found the consommé a bit too sharp and contrasting with the very lovely sorbet. I could easily have had another scoop of it.

Braise’s décor, beautiful view and good food makes it stand out from other fine dining places in Singapore. And provides us all a timely reminder that fine dining in Sentosa is not all about that Italian restaurant with the Philippe Starck chairs. This place is great to wine and dine a special someone (Valentine’s Day, anyone?). The downside is that at night you won’t get to enjoy the views of the Palawan Beach and the South China sea (as everything is pitch black outside of sea-facing front covered in wall-to-ceiling glass) but the lighting and ambience creates a certain glowing luminance – and ladies this can only be a good thing. Would love to return for their weekend brunch and see the restaurant in a different light.

Braise - A collaborative effort between Loh Lik Peng of Hotel 1929 and New Majestic Hotel and Chef Sebastian Ng of Ember Restaurant that opened in March 2008. Helmed by Chef Desmond Lee, who had stints at Raffles Hotel, Saint Julien and the now defunct Fig Leaf as well as an attachment with celebrity Chef Gordan Ramsay, this modern European restaurant offers classic French food with a modern lift.

Sitting pretty on the 2nd level of an old monorail station along Palawan beach, Braise plays neighbour to Amara Sanctuary's Silk Road of the Sea, which is located on the ground floor. The interior of Braise is nothing short of breathtaking, offering a splendid view of the surrounding Palawan beach through floor to ceilings windows throughout the entire place - very reminiscent of a green house actually. Temperatures are kept to a comfortable low through the use of powerful airconditioning. Essentially the place offers the best of both worlds - bright and cheery with a view in the comfort of an airconditioned environment.

The complimentary bread was served warm and had bits of herbs in it, coming across as crusty on the outside while soft on the outside. Overall a mildly flavourful piece of dough that saw me asking for seconds.

Pressed Duck and Potato Terrine with Mix Greens and Balsamic Onion - Wrapped up with a flimsy layer of lettuce, the duck had a lightly salted smokey aftertaste that went well with the smoothness of the potato. Subtly pleasing to the tastebuds but not exactly my idea of a fantastic appetiser though as it failed to open up my appetite.

Pan Seared Foie Gras, Lentils Fricassee and Red Wine Sauce - I would gladly sacrifice my health for another piece of this foie gras. Though smallish, the foie gras was pan seared till the exterior was a tad crisp yet remaining soft and quivery on the inside. Equally outstanding was the lentil stew with red wine sauce which lent its savouries to the foie gras and created one of the best foie gras dishes I've had this year.

Turkey Breast, Braised Vegetables, Honey Spiced Sauce - Turkey, especially the breast portion, tends to be associated with toughness. However Braise's rendition was, on the contrary, surprisingly tender without losing its fibrous texture. A pity the sauce was a little lacklustre, coming across merely as a little sweet from the honey.

Venison with Braised Vegetables, Cassis Sauce - Believe it or not, this is the first time I'm having venison in a non Chinese restaurant and I am suitably impressed with what Braise presented. Well seasoned and grilled till the meat retained but a nice pinkish hue, it tasted rather similar to a well done piece of steak, albeit more tender. Buttery overtones carrying a pepperish tinge complemented the sweetness of the meat and left me lamenting about the portion size. The only gripe I had about this dish was the sauce, which tasted like cough syrup to me.

Tout Chocolate Combination - Comprising a scoop of chocolate ice cream topped with chocolate balls, a slice of chocolate cake and chocolate mousse on a biscuit base, this dessert didn't exactly involve much aesthetics and looked rather haphazard if you ask me. However, I must say that I enjoyed it quite a bit. The chocolate ice cream was smooth and more bitter then sweet (great for those who don't like too sweet stuff) with the chocolate balls giving it an extra crunch. The sponge layers on the cake were moist and compact while the chocolate layers gelled everything together for a nice and simple chocolate cake. As for the mousse, it had a nice bitter hazelnut taste on a crunchy biscuit base.

Vanilla Creme Brulee, Figs, Passion Fruit Sorbet - I thought that the creme brulee was quite decent save for the fact that the sugar layer was overly thick. Made from real vanilla beans, as evident by the black vanilla seeds in the pudding, this dessert didn't overwhelm with its sweetness and had a smooth and almost creamy texture. The passion fruit sorbet provided the sourish contrast to the pudding's sweetness, allowing for a more varied taste sensation.

Lunch for 2 almost broke the bank at $93 after a $4 discount from some promotion that Sentosa is currently running in which diners will be reimbursed for their entrance fee to the island if they dine at certain F&B outlets. Having said that, I see this amount as money well spent for the quality of food, ambience and service. A revisit to this charming little restaurant beckons. This time under the moon's pale glow of course.

See all my pictures here.

Finally found a mate who'll actually make the "overseas" trip to try this place out! Everyone else didn't seem keen when they heard its on Sentosa...its still Singapore for goodness sake. Whatever happened to "got food will travel"?

I had high expectations having read above average reviews from a few sources and track record of the other sister restaurants under LLP's belt. Made a reservation for a Thursday night thinking it might actually have a decent crowd. Got there just slightly past 8pm and I think even the fly on the wall was dozing. We were the only two diners the entire night!

The place was spacious enough that we didn't have to whisper our conversations and cosy enough to not feel lost even if there's only 2 of us. I reckon it would be absolutely stunning in the day with the sea view. You could hardly see anything at night.

The menu was quite extensive with a nice balance of meats and seafood offerings. Mate and I was a tad greedy and decided to share 3 appetizers. They were actually very nice full palm sized portions that offers enough of a taster to leave you satisfied.

Angel Hair pasta with sauteed french crevette: My first word when asked what I thought.. "it taste chinese". I couldn't describe it any other way. The chef will so absolutely cringe at this. The lobster oil and little specks of something in there gave it a bit of a salty "chye poh-like" taste and the sauteed french crevette...which is essentially shrimps with the shells still on reminded me of the some fried thai snack I had before. I like :)

Capelini with seared hokkaido scallops: This was a bit milder than the angel hair and tasted more "ang moh"

Pressed Foie Gras with Sauternes and Camomile jelly: This was the best of the 3 hands down! Gotta have it!!

And for mains...

Lamb rump for the mate and I had to go with the 3 way pork since it came highly recommended on several reviews. Only thing is...I was given a 2 way as they ran out of pig's tail. I didn't mind...porky's tail didn't quite seem appetizing and I have an image of a braised wiggly tail sitting on my plate *gulp*

My 2 way pork consisted of 2 pieces of pork cheeks (in place of the tail) and roasted pork belly. I like the "sio bak"...the pork cheek was a tad dry.

The lamb was a better choice. One up for the mate.

Dessert was a quick obvious choice...Pear tart for mate and chocolate lava cake for me. I'll say...go with the pear tart...you wouldn't regret it. I've had better chocolate lava cake.

I'll say expectations are just met on the whole. I'll like to see how they fair with a crowd though. Next time I come back...will have to be for brunch..just to do the view justice.

Before I begin, I thought I better put in a disclaimer to be fair to the restaurant - 'I ordered the most BORING dishes from the menu'!

1st things 1st: Wine list was VERY marked up

Starters:

Being a fanatical Oyster Fan, I ordered half a dozen Fin De Claires. I guess I was disappointed as I was expecting Fat Juicy Oysters. The oysters were fresh no doubt, but it was definitely not fat and juicy.(FYI - If you are an oyster fan like me, you should try the buffet brunch at St Regis' Las Saveurs - really really good oysters. I must have eaten at least 16 in 1 go because it was so addictive!)

I also had a taste of my friend's pressed Foie Gras Pate - it was good!

These were the comments given by my friends who tried:
Angel Hair Pasta (GOOD) ; Capelini with seared scallops (Good); Frog Leg ravioli (OK)

Main:
Had the trout which was cooked very well (meat was pink and tender), but i felt the seasoning/sauce which accompanied it was a bit weak in flavour.

Had a bite of friend's trio of pork - Good!

Impression I had from friends who ordered other fish dish was that it ok, but nothing special.

Dessert:
Had a taste of 3 desserts which we shared.

Chocolate Lava Cake - It is just like any other chocolate lava cakes i have tried. Nice but ordinary

Grand Marnier Souffle - Biggest disappointment of the nice. Did not really enjoy it.

Pear Tart with Ice Cream - The best of the 3 desserts tried. Pretty Good!

Service:
Think the staff need a bit more training as they lack the detail and etiquette of a fine dining restaurant. Staff also needs to be more attentive. Restaurant was pretty empty when I was there for dinner, but staff seemed to be hiding at the other end of restaurant, we had to wave for minutes before we got anyone's attention. Waitress also served me the wrong main dish which I ignorantly ate before I realised was the wrong dish (ordered Cod, got served trout).

Other than that, I thought the menu selection looked pretty interesting, I would probably return to try the other dishes.