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.

What is more relaxing than a Sunday branch within a bright and spacious environment facing the beach, well served with free-flow French delicacies and champagne? It might sound too good to be true, but after spending my Sunday afternoon at Braise, I have only good things to say about it. Efficient, friendly and discreet service accompanied by succulent food, a stunning view and a beautiful architecture. I provided large pictures that you click-on and enlarge to be tempted. My full review can be found at: http://foodieah.blogspot.com/2008/09/braise-sunday-bruch.html

There is no better way to start than a couple of fresh oysters. They came garnished and seasoned with a vinegary dressing. Slightly on the sour side for my taste, but they did taste fresh and juicy. These were not mentioned on the menu and I am not sure they are regularly served.

Following the oysters, we were served a couple of appetising salads. The first one was a 'Scallop wrapped in Parma ham with rocket salad and honey balsamic dressing'. The scallops tasted fresh and juicy, and the Parma ham wrap was so thin thin and crispy that it didn't spoil the texture of the scallop. A few slices of yellow and ruby oranges added color and flavour.

The 'Caesar salad' was well dressed, with crunchy bits of caramelised bacon which gave a twist to this popular dish.

The 'escargot with herb crust' was particularly flavoursome, topped with a thin layer of herbs gently baked to perfection.

I particularly liked the 'pan seared foie gras with caramelised banana'. You don't often get 'eat as much as you like' foie gras, especially of this quality. It was very moist, melting to the cut, with a thin crispy outer layer and accompanied by a not too sweet caramelised banana.

I am not a big fan of cocktail sauce, but the prawns in this 'king prawn cocktail salad' were very succulent and juicy.

'Sundried tomato and spinach olive and Parma ham' was a classic Italian appetizer, with abundant sweet and tender slices of Parma ham accompanied by an assortment of preserved vegetables, olives and fresh tomatoes. Very refreshing.

This was my favourite starter overall, the 'pan fried crab cake with curry alioli'. The texture of shredded crab was very well preserved together with the subtle flavour. The sauce was an interesting addition for those who find pure crab too plain, although these 'crab balls' could well be enjoyed with no extra seasoning.

There is an outdoor 'break' area where you can sit down and relax after you are done with your starter, waiting for the eggs. It is well ventilated, with a wide sofa and chairs and a beautiful view over the beach. It is used as a smoking area for those who need a cigarette break.

Egg benedict is one of my favourite French dishes, and yet one dish that I haven't eaten for very long. This is a very classic version, with salmon served on the side. Maybe it's the fact that I didn't have it for so long, but I found this traditional, simple dish the best of all. Great, delicate sauce, fantastic warm bread and well, salmon was my pick. Alternatively, you can have it served with sausage, bacon or 'herbs tomato'.

At this point, I would say that anyone with a regular stomach capacity will be full enough to call it off and have a dessert. The main dish is optional, or you can choose to have the main instead of the egg. I don't recommend having both eggs and main unless you have been starved for a couple of days.

The 'Beef tenderloin with French beans and potato gratin and Bernaise sauce' was a good choice. Well cooked, quality beef topped with a delicate foamy sauce and accompanied by greens and a classic, crispy potato gratin.

The 'Duck confit with gratin potato and orange sauce' had a nice crispy skin and delicately seasoned. The duck was not too dry and perfectly matched with moist potato layers.

I am a matcha lover and I am always intrigued by green tea flavoured food. Unfortunately, I have never actually tasted green tea in most of my attempts outside of Japan. This was another failed attempt. Besides the fact that this 'Green tea Creme Brulee with margarita sorbet' didn't particularly taste of green tea, it was a fabulous Creme Brulee, accompanied by a light, sour sorbet that will wash your palate from the Creme Brulee's creamy residuals.

The 'Chocolate lava cake with coffee ice-cream' was served nice and warm, with hot chocolate oozing out of the spongy cake. Not too sweet, just perfect, and balanced by the coffee ice cream provided on the side.

Having a chat with the restaurant manager, it seems like at Braise they have all the right ideas. They are planning for Sunday kids entertainment, to give some free time to their parents while tasting this wonderful brunch. They are also planning for free-flow sparkling wine in the near future. With such a sumptuous brunch priced at $55++, I can only say Braise is excellent value for money. I will definitely be back for dinner to give their dinner menu a good try.

Very friendly service with a small but exquisite selection of food. I had the Capelinis with Scalops as a starter and got the best flavor I have ever had. The "pork three ways" a must but also a interesting and unusual combination. In the week not very packed, unfortunately very cold AC, good view onto the water and difficult to get a cap. Nice ambient with beatiful combination of plain colors. Clear and straight forward, like the food.