Les Amis, #02-16, Shaw Centre, Scotts Road

Les Amis is one restaurant that comes to mind when we talk about French cuisine in Singapore. The homegrown restaurant, which means "the friends" in French, continues to do well since opening in Shaw Centre in 1996.

I went there for lunch on Oct 2, 2010 and yes, it was bon appetit.

The first dish I had was the crispy tete de veau (fourth picture). Tete du veau comprises meat from a calf's head. Les Amis prepared the meat with basil vinaigrette, char-grilled Spanish octopus and tomato. The dish is fattening but as you take your first bite, there is a feel-good lushness.

Next was risotto iberico (third picture). The dish comprises creamy rice with Iberian ham, mushrooms and lettuce.

The third dish was slow-roasted lamb shoulder (second picture). Served with confit vegetables, spinach and sauce persillade, the dish is incredibly tender and juicy.

As my tummy wasn't well that day, I asked for black tea (first picture). And my, was I impressed with the presentation. Raw and white sugar was served on a small black tray, with the sugar molded into heart-shaped structures!

Restaurant Hoshigaoka

JP Pepperdine, which owns Jack's Place, Eatzi Gourmet and Seafood Harvest, has acquired Restaurant Hoshigaoka.

As part of the acquisition, Restaurant Hoshigaoka's outlet in Isetan Scotts has had its interiors redesigned. The menu also has more variety and better value-for-money offerings.

The redesign was planned to keep in line with the principles of Hoshigaoka's founder, Kitaoji Rosanjin, an epicurean who aimed to cook good food for his diners.

On Sept 30, 2010, I went to Hoshigaoka for lunch and was impressed with the tastiness of the dishes.

Dessert was apple pie with macha ice cream (left). The dessert was tasty, albeit filling.








The tempura udon consists of soupy rice noodles served with a mixture of tempura. Hoshigaoka's dried fish flakes are directly imported from Japan to prepare the soup base.

The ishiyaki (tenderloin) steak is sweet and juicy. Hoshigaoka's New Zealand tenderloin steaks are served on a hot stone plate and topped with the restaurant's homemade fruit sauce. The steaks, which are chilled, prime steer cuts and sourced from natural-fed cows, are directly shipped from NZ Silver Fern Farms. These steaks are thus, served from the very batch of steaks that Jack's Place imports!

The hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi (above) is firm and fresh. It is flown in from Japan twice a week.

The unagi kabayaki (grilled eel) (left) is sweet and tender. The meat is steamed with green tea to make it tender.