Excellent Modern Fusion Food But Inconsistent Service

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 5
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $22 per person.





A spinoff from celebrity chef Willin Low famed Wild Rocket, Relish By Wild Rocket focuses on serving tasty, fun burgers and pasta, incorporating the same style of fusion that Chef Low is known for.

Ambience at Relish By Wild Rocket utilizes high ceilings, open spaces, and natural lighting contrasted by dark colours to give a casual, modern, slightly industrial vibe. Huge oversized lampshades draw the eye, while the standard burger joint blackboard frames a wall. Actual lighting at night is quite dim though.

Service may be inconsistent at Relish By Wild Rocket. Personally, I've only experienced good service, with staff being polite and efficient, but I've seen staff keep other diners wanting to order waiting for 15 minutes, while they collected payment, checked their phones, or stood around. Don't understand why they couldn't take orders first, then settle the rest later, rather than making the diners upset while waiting.

Food at Relish By Wild Rocket is excellent. The burgers are freshly made to order, and comprised of quality cuts of beef such as chuck, shin, or rib-eye. Each item blends some element of Asian influence with Western influence. Portions are decent, and prices are quite affordable. Relish By Wild Rocket also offers all day breakfast / brunch on weekends.





They have a small selection of craft beer on the menu. The Beer Silly Saison wins points for its fun and playful name, a deep amber colour with a thick foam head, and an intense strawberry aroma while being light and sweet. The Beer Blanche Titje has a golden, slighty cloudy appearance, with a light, slightly spicy note with hints of orange and coriander, and a refreshing texture. The Beer Fruli Strawberry is a unique blend of white beer and strawberry juice, with a bright orange amber colour, and a refreshing zesty taste.

Beer Silly Saison

Beer Blanche Titje

Beer Fruli Strawberry

The famous Blue Cheese And William Pear Beef Burger (SGD $18.80) features a thick, juicy beef patty grilled to perfection, paired with sticky, chunky walnut peanut butter, sharp blue auvergne cheese, fresh arugula, and sweet poached pear. Extremely lovely and satisfying, each mouthful an intense flavour burst.

Blue Cheese And William Pear Beef Burger 01

Blue Cheese And William Pear Beef Burger 02

Blue Cheese And William Pear Beef Burger 03

The Soft Shell Chili Crab And Squid Ink Burger (SGD $15.80) combines a crisp fried soft shell crab, fresh lettuce and tomato, masak merah chili crab sauce, all between flavourful squid ink burger buns. Sweet with hints of spicy in the mouth, not too greasy, this is a big winner.

Soft Shell Chili Crab And Squid Ink Burger 01

Soft Shell Chili Crab And Squid Ink Burger 02

Soft Shell Chili Crab And Squid Ink Burger 03

Soft Shell Chili Crab And Squid Ink Burger 04

Loved the crisp Hand Made Milk Batter Onion Rings With Curry Mayo (SGD $7.80), flavourful milk batter gives it a unique taste unlike any other onions rings, and it helps that the onions slices are thick cut as well, retaining some bite without the sharpness. Paired well with the tasty curry mayo.

Hand Made Milk Batter Onion Rings With Curry Mayo 01

Hand Made Milk Batter Onion Rings With Curry Mayo 02

Only available during weekends on their brunch menu, The Breakfast Burger (SGD $18.90) features crisp toasted muffins, fresh tomato and baby spinach on a unique pork and apple sausage patty. At once both savoury and sweet, the pork and apple sausage patty is grilled to perfection. Served alongside baked beans sprinkled with herbs, and sauteed shiitake mushrooms, this is a dish worth waking up for!

The Breakfast Burger 01

The Breakfast Burger 02

The Breakfast Burger 03

In true European style, the Relish Breakfast Platter (SGD $18.90) features perfectly fluffy scrambled eggs, smooth and semi-runny, on a soft English muffin slice, along with warm baked beans that are fragrant with intense tomato sauce flavour, a meaty and thick pork sausage, and soft sauteed field mushrooms. Very good and satisfying!

Relish Breakfast Platter

The Mixed Saute Mushroom & Cheese Beef Burger (SGD $16.40) has a tender, perfectly medium rare, thick beef patty that is well formed and still juicy within! The sauteed mixed mushrooms are fresh and juicy, lending a fragrant, earthy aroma, while the melted cheese just oozes off in strings. Excellent!

Mixed Saute Mushroom & Cheese Beef Burger 01

Mixed Saute Mushroom & Cheese Beef Burger 02

Mixed Saute Mushroom & Cheese Beef Burger 03

The Spicy Corned Beef Spaghettini (SGD $15.80) is rightly a favourite here. Thin, well cooked spaghettini is mixed with corned beef, and livened with a dash of chili. The spicy kick of each mouthful makes this dish interesting to eat, pairing well with the savoury and salty corned beef. Very good!

Spicy Corned Beef Spaghettini 01

Spicy Corned Beef Spaghettini 02

Roosevelt's Diner & Bar
331 New Bridge Road
#01-02 Dorsett Residences

http://roosevelts.com.sg/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roosevelts-DinerBar/245129005658386


Quirky All Day Breakfast Joint By Day, Hip Bar By Night

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $24 per person.


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Located in Dorsett Residences just next to Outram Park MRT Station Exit H, the less than 1 month old Roosevelt's Diner & Bar is already developing a loyal following, especially amongst the residents of nearby Duxton and Outram. Offering gourmet fare at wallet-friendly prices admist a quirky, modern decor, Roosevelt's Diner & Bar looks sets to do well.

Ambience at Roosevelt's Diner & Bar is best described as modern with elements of industrial chic. Star highlights include th 'Engine Table', a glass panel table supported by a race car engine, a vintage orange vespa, and expressive photo canvasas adorning the walls. Furniture is functional, but not all are comfortable. Lighting is a mix of natural sunlight and in-house lights on the high ceiling, with several lightbulbs doubling as decor. Roosevelt's Diner & Bar also offers magazines for browsing.

Service at Roosevelt's Diner & Bar makes an effort to impress. Being new, I'm surprised that service here is efficient, and staff are friendly and quite knowledgable on the menu. Food is prepared relatively quickly as well. I also like that staff sincerely ask for feedback on the dining experience, as well as make recommendations for you.

Roosevelt's Diner & Bar serves artisinal all day breakfast / brunch, along with gourmet coffee. At night, they bring out the extensive wine / beer menu, and serve restaurant quality fare. I love the food here so far, haven't had any bad experiences yet! It also helps that prices are affordable, comparable to other cafes.


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Decor is part of their strong points, and observing all the various elements is a treat in itself.

Roosevelt's Diner & Bar Counter

Roosevelt's Diner & Bar Furniture

Roosevelt's Diner & Bar Magazines And Paintings

Engine Table 01

Engine Table 02

Vespa

The Mocha was rather good, nice well rounded flavour and relatively strong body. The Hot Chocolate was rich but not thick, and I liked the touch of mini marshmallows, some of which I lost while dunking... Loved the rich and thick Salted Caramel Milkshake, quite a unique flavour, and a nice balance of salty and sweet.

Mocha

Hot Chocolate

Salted Caramel Milkshake

The Spanish Beer Estrella Galicia 1906 Red Vintage 'La Colorada' was only invented less than 2 years ago, but has already won widespread acclaim and rave reviews, going as far to win the gold medal in the World Beer Awards 2013, and the silver medal in the International Beer Challenge. And no wonder, for its well balanced, rounded and intense flavour has hints of roasted malt and caramel, with a dark amber colour, and a creamy, smooth, compact texture. At once wild, complex, yet familiar, the Estrella Galicia 1906 Red Vintage 'La Colorada' is one beer you definitely should sample!

Beer Estrella Galicia 1906 Red Vintage La Colorada

The Italian Scanavino Moscato d'Asti is a sweet and refreshing dessert wine, with hints of fresh lychee, peach, apricot, fresh grapes and honey. With an elegant floral aroma and a light straw colour with hints of gold and bubbles, the Scanavino Moscato d'Asti is suitable for all occasions.

Scanavino Moscato d'Asti 01

Scanavino Moscato d'Asti 02

Smooth, creamy eggs in the Eggs Royale With Scrambled Eggs (SGD $17), a special request we ordered. The English muffin pairs well with the smoked ham and scrambled eggs.

Eggs Royale With Scrambled Eggs

The signature Eggs Roosevelt (SGD $17) features a bed of turmeric spiced smashed potatoes and spicy chorizo sausage, topped with 2 softly poached eggs. The yolk when cut just runs down and coats the potatoes and sausages, making it visually messy but so good to eat. The turmeric spice on the potatoes is just right without being too overpowering.

Eggs Roosevelt 01

Eggs Roosevelt 02

Notwithstanding the ginormous portion that would make even Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt proud, the Teddy's Big Breakfast (SGD $23) features the classic 8 different components, all of which are done to perfection. The sausages are perfecyl grilled and meaty with a slightly snapy casing, the cherry tomatoes and mushrooms are sauteed and seasoned well, the salad is fresh and well dressed with balsamic vinegarette, the scrambled eggs are creamy, smooth, and seasoned with herbs, the bacon is crisp, and the bread is fresh and crisp. Truly excellent!

Teddy's Big Breakfast 01

Teddy's Big Breakfast 02

When I order pork ribs from an American styled diner, I expect soft, tender meat that comes clean off the bone easily. And the BBQ Baby Back Ribs (SGD $22 for half slab, $28 for full slab) here didin't disappoint! Fragrant and tender, the meat just falls off the bone. The barbecue sauce is slightly sweeter and less tangy than regular barbecue sauce though, making the overall flavour slightly less savoury. Also loved the freshness of the garden salad and corn salad sides, which had nice dressings.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs 01

BBQ Baby Back Ribs 02

Staff tell me that the Southern Fried Chicken has undergone several rounds of tweaking to the recipe, due to poor feedback at the start. The current version of Southern Fried Chicken (SGD $18) I sampled has crunchy, well spiced flavourful skin, and moist meat within. The meat is not juicy, but not dry either. I was told that the accompanying curry sauce is made from 8 different spices, and while tasty, I thought the salt content was a little high.

Southern Fried Chicken 01

Southern Fried Chicken 02

The signature House Triple Mash (SGD $7) is more accurately described as 'mixed', rather than 'mashed' because it's not. Still, the combination of firm potatoes, soft sweet potatoes, and sweet pumpkin makes this a winner. The huge portion means it's better for sharing, especially if you get it to accompany a main dish rather than on its own.

House Triple Mash

Reserve a table now @ Roosevelt's Diner & Bar

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Fusion Dessert Bakery With Good Pastries

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 6
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $9 per person.





Despite the Italian sounding name, Saint Marc Cafe is actually a Japanese patisserie utilizing French pastry making techniques. Established in 1998 in Tokyo, Saint Marc Cafe has since expanded worldwide, serving a vast variety of pastries, dessert, and drinks at affordable prices.

Ambience at Saint Marc Cafe is casual minimalist, with decor consisting of several small pictures. The surrounding is open, with warm hues making the interior seem inviting. A large display cabinet outside draws attention, though the fake Japanese display is rather un-lifelike.

Saint Marc Cafe believes in self-service, you'll have to queue and place orders at the counter, then collect when ready. Thumbs up for their quick order fulfillment though, you'll rarely have to wait longer than 10 minutes, even despite peak periods.

Saint Marc Cafe specialises in desserts, namely; cakes, parfaits, waffles, and pastries. Made with French pastry techniques, and influenced by French, Italian, and Japanese, their menu is a fusion of east and west flavours. To accompany these, they have a good selection of drinks, especially their coffee which is made fresh daily.





Above average coffee and a comfortable interior means people spend more time chilling here.

Saint Marc Cafe Exterior

Vietnam Coffee

Latte

Hot Chocolate

The Yamitsuki Dog is literally translated as 'Addictive Dog'. Featuring a long, juicy chicken cheese sausage baked inside a soft bread roll, the Yamitsuki Dog is enhanced with spicy black pepper and sharp yellow mustard, making each bite a kick.

Yamitsuki Dog 01

Yamitsuki Dog 02

The signature house speciality is the Chococro Chocolate, featuring a bitter-sweet chocolate made from a blend of Ghana and Ecuador cacao beans, stuffed within a crisp, flaky, buttery croissant that shatters when bit. Lovely and satisfying.

Chococro Chocolate 01

Chococro Chocolate 02

An excellent dessert for those with a sweet tooth, the Little Fuji is named for that famous mountain in Chubu, Japan. A towering swirl of vanilla ice cream sits atop the signature flaky pastry dough, with lashings of thick caramel syrup, making this a decadent dessert.

Little Fuji 01

Little Fuji 02

While visually similar to the kind of crisp biscuits you'll get in Taiwan or Japan, the Bispea Milk is quite terrible, as it seems like it has gone soft from exposure to air. Avoid!

Bispea Milk

Decent Japanese Food, But Rather Expensive

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 5
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 8
Value for Money: 3
Spent about SGD $52 per person.





Master chef Yanase Ryo of Kotobuki is dedicated to ensuring that only ingredients of the finest quality are served in his restaurants, by a team of well-trained staff. And while I certainly commend the fantastic service of Kotobuki, I feel that I didn't really get enough value for money.

Ambience at Kotobuki is styled after a casual Japanese home, with themes of wood and dark muted colours, contrasted by bright, warm lighting. Furniture is functional and comfortable, and tableware and serving plates are well designed.

The service at Kotobuki is among their high points; staff are professional, polite and courteous, quietly assisting to clear empty plates and top up drinks. However, I find their menu knowledge to be decent at best, having only a surface knowledge of menu items.

Food at Kotobuki is decent, with taste being above average because of the use of quality ingredients. However, I find prices at Kotobuki to be expensive, with a meal for 2 costing well over SGD $100, and we mostly had side dishes / appetizers. Kotobuki won't be my choice for Japanese food, as I can get similar quality at more competitive prices elsewhere.





Pretty good Potato Salad, with the potato being smooth and creamy in texture, although I can't get over the addition of low quality vegetables to the mix.

Potato Salad

Loved the Unagi Maki, it had little crisp bits that added a crunch to the freshness of the unagi and well crafted, flavourful sushi rice.

Unagi Maki

The Shimeji Butter Mushrooms were lovely and fresh, though quite unhealthy. Goes well with rice.

Shimeji Butter

The Sake Gekkeikan Kyo No Izumi is a Kyoto based sake, very dry but refreshing, with a slight hint of fruits / grapes. Clear, and semi-strong. I also like that it was served in a traditional Japanese decanter, with appropriate chilling glass. The menu has a good range of various sake available.

Sake Gekkeikan Kyo No Izumi 01

Sake Gekkeikan Kyo No Izumi 02

Sake Gekkeikan Kyo No Izumi 03

Sake Gekkeikan Kyo No Izumi 04

Sake Gekkeikan Kyo No Izumi 05

Not used to the Atsuage, which is a basic recipe of fried tofu, without the sauce. Personally felt this wasn't so good, but it really is a matter of preference.

Atsuage

Loved the Garlic Fried Rice, with the crisp bits of garlic that just explodes in the mouth, and the balance of rice and ingredients. Quite a big portion as well, and suitable for sharing.

Garlic Fried Rice

Super Ring

I totally love the Super Ring cheese snacks, for their intense cheesy flavour, and the way the crumbs and cheese coat your fingers after you're done.

The Super Ring cheese snack is manufactured by Oriental Food Industries Sdn Bhd, in Malacca, Malaysia.









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