Grazing in Singapore - Harbour Grill & Oyster Bar

The next venue for the ‘Grazing in...’ series is The Harbour Grill and Oyster Bar at the Singapore Hilton. It will change it’s menu in 2 week’s time, so I had to try a few old things before then... any old excuse will do. This stalwart eatery headed by French Chef Emmanuel Soulière, has consistently received good reports in the local press and food guides for food, wine and service. The nation still mourns the lost of an old, favourite classic from the menu – Whole Duck Liver and Truffles sealed in a clay pot. Hot Command Centre and Oyster Bar off to the left. The décor was nautical themed murals. A little mouth amusement: Crab-stuffed cherry tomato, demitasse of creamed tomato soup and homemade root fries. Incredibly translucent fries seasoned with sea salt. You could read newsprint through the fried flakes. Gevrey-Chambertin Vieles Vignes 1997. This red wine for seafood was at the excellent suggestion of the maitre d’. The commercial notes say “mocha” and “chocolate cherry” but I only got, “cherry and toasted oak”, which went very well with (gasp) seafood. This is probably my last bottle of Burgundy until France gets with the programme in Iraq and stops whinging. Note to future historians: This review is written in early 2003. Diner #1 Starter: Spider Crab, Sea Urchin & Ginger timbale, Eggplant Caviar and Sweet Pepper Gelee. None of the different ingredients predominated in smell and taste, which I guess, is what the objective of the mélange was.... Diner #2 Starter: Cepe Mushroom Terrine with Salt Cod, gratinated with Morel Sauce. This was delicious......end of review. No need to wax lyrical about the harmonious fusion of land and sea produce, naturally seasoned and bound by an exquisite amalgamation of luscious brown sauce. The flavours played on the tongue with the same intensity as Freddy Mercury used to play on your ears with, “I want to break free”. I learnt a new cookery term today - ‘Salamander’ which is the heating device used to gratinate the top of the dish. For the wordsmiths, the word originates from Middle English 'salamandre', which was from Old French, which was from Latin 'salamandra', which was from Greek. Diner #1 Main Course: Canadian Lobster sautéed with garlic. There was a choice of Australian Blue or Canadian Lobster. I went for the Canadian with his meaty claw. Then came the amusing exchange between our congenial server and I. She rattled off a list of cooking methods and I asked that the Chef should choose how he wanted to cook the lobster. Wonderment; “You mean Sir would leave the choice to the kitchen?” “Yes, if I needed heart surgery, I do not presume to tell the surgeon what to do...” In the end, the dish sent out was NOT on the list of cooking methods proffered and ‘bloody good’ it was too, especially the yummy sauce made with the “flavoursome” insides of the lobster head. My crafty crustacean was cunningly curled around crisp, crudités-like stir-fried vegetables. Diner #2 Main Course: Grilled sea bass was nothing more...nothing less...”simply the bass” as Tina Turner would say. The veritable ‘jardin’ of vegetables and herbs was a mini-ikebana on a plate, making up for the simplicity of the cooking. Muscat de Baumes de Venise, George Duboeuf 1998 was offered after my first selection (Chateau La Rame, Ste.Croix Du Mont 1996) came up dry in the cellar. The French may not have the stomach to fight but they do have the palate to make wine. All the usual, figs, jasmine and honey evocations followed when paired with ....... Chocolate soufflé, mixed nuts sauce and vanilla ice cream was worth waiting 25 minutes for although it actually did not take as long to appear. The mixed nuts’ sauce alone was delicious but when partnered sinfully with the unctuous soufflé made me throw away all pietas to my diet plan. Grand Marnier and Cointreau liqueurs, as well as espresso, helped to wash down the following petits fours and chocolate..... Mandarin gelee, Pandan sponge cake, Jasmine chocolate and Coffee truffle. The pandan leaf is a Malay plant that can be used to flavour foods. The flavour is, well... ‘green’. Mental picture – click! there you go...you’ll just think “green” pandan from now on. It is from a family of palm-like dioecious trees and shrubs of the genus Pandanus of the Old World tropics, having large prop roots and a crown of narrow spiny leaves that yield a fibre used in weaving mats and similar articles. Also called ‘screw pine’. Conclusion: Once again, Harbour Grill and Oyster Bar provided a great gourmand experience. I have not even touched upon the house specialities – Niman Ranch rib eye steak, fresh shellfish and selection of caviar, which form the ‘grill’ and ‘bar’ parts of its name. Perhaps another time, after the new menu is in place; until then - bon appetit! Pictures and Text copyright Melvyn Teillol-Foo, 2003 MTF ThePuristS.com Wine and Food Discussion Forum  |  ThePuristS.com Home Page We welcome comments, suggestions, and corrections. Copyright January 2003 - MTF and ThePuristS.com - all rights reserved