Dazzling Cafe

Decked in Tiffany blue, Dazzling Cafe had long queues forming when it first opened at Capitol Piazza. Dazzling Cafe originates from Taiwan and is known for its shibuya toasts. 

This is your typical pretty cafe- little pots of flowers, whimsical decoration and random quotes on the wall.

We ordered a Black Chocolate Honey Toast ($17.90) to share which consisted of strawberries and a scoop of chocolate ice cream. I very much preferred the shibuya toast at After You in Bangkok. The shibuya toast here was decent but a little dry and not fluffy. Also, I don't know whether it was because we were sitting directly under the sun that the ice cream melted at an astounding rate such that a pool of chocolate liquid quickly formed on the toast.

It's a place where you can take pretty pictures to your heart's content, but I wouldn't come here again for its desserts.

Dazzling Cafe
Capitol Piazza
15 Stamford Road
#01-85

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Pollen

Pollen is an ideal place to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary or if you are just feeling like going to somewhere with a nice ambience. Imagine being surrounded by the smell of flora and fauna while you eat. 

Pollen offered free buggy services from Marina Bay Sands (you have to give them a call in advance to arrange for the pickup) and it is a nice gesture so that you can arrive in style at the restaurant. The restaurant is in the flower dome, so be prepared to deal with the cool temperature. Even if you do not have a shawl, the friendly waiters in the restaurant are happy to lend a shawl to you.

First up was the complimentary canapes.

I can't remember when I was first exposed to Duck fat chips ($8). Duck fat is apparently healthier than other kinds of animal fats and has a richer flavour. I could not really tell how duck fat added extra flavour but the thickly sliced and crispy fries made for a good munch.

I absolutely loved the Norwegian Salmon ($55). The poached salmon has a consistency different from the other salmon dishes that I have had so far. It is neither chewy like raw salmon nor solid like cooked salmon. Instead, it is in between such that it is smooth and melts in your mouth with each bite.

I am not a fan of gnocchi because it feels like empty carbs to me. However, the inclusion of truffle in gnocchi was novel and I could not give it a miss.

To round off the meal, we had a Salted JAAL ($20), a dessert that sought to combine sweet, salty, sour and bitter together and was executed well.

The dark chocolate cake was surrounded by orange slices and roasted macadamia nuts, with a sprinkle of salt on the cake. Pair this with the coffee ice cream which was nestled on a bed of crushed crunchy cocoa beans. Dessert heaven.

We had some complimentary sweet treats consisting of marshmallows and chocolate macarons. I am not a fan of macarons because they tend to be too sweet but the chocolate macarons here were just fine.

Pollen
#01-09 Flower Dome
Gardens by the Bay
18 Marina Gardens Drive
Tel No: 6604 9988 

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Mikuni

Few hours after leaving Mikuni, I was still mumbling to myself, "What a good meal... what a good meal..." With the blessings of an Amex card, we enjoyed 50% off the total bill. 

It was fully packed on a Friday evening and if you booked early, you could decide whether to sit at the counters or at the "proper" sitting areas. Their ventilation is pretty powerful, I didn't smell like smoke after the meal even though I sat at the teppanyaki counter for the entire meal.

First, we had some complimentary thinly-sliced crackers with sprinkles of seaweed. It had gone a little soft though.

What is a Japanese meal without some Salmon ($20)? These thick slabs of salmon were fresh and creamy.

I was having an internal debate whether to order the Hokkaido Sweet Corn ($15). It is a little insane to pay so much for corn but I decided I had to get it since it says "Hokkaido". Hokkaido has fantastic fresh produce and I simply couldn't resist being the fool who pays $15 for corn. I haven't reached the stage of fishing out $100 for a Hokkaido musk melon though. The sweet, buttered corns were huge and lightly buttered, making each bite a delight. There was also some salt at the side- I didn't know that corn went well with salt!

We ordered some Hokkaido Scallops ($32). Chunks of plump scallops were swimming in butter sauce.

We also had the Kurobuta Pork Rib ($40). The portions were far too much for 2 to share. I don't often describe pork as tender because it often isn't. But here, the pork was tender, and had a thin layer of fat which didn't feel all that sinful at all. Simple flavours but delicious all the same.

The lobster ($48) covered in lots of roe and melted cheese was juicy and sweet. I would have preferred it with less cheese though because the cheese became a little gelat after a while.

We ordered the King Crab Fried Rice ($18). Aside from the fact that the rice was on the salty side, this fried rice was definitely worth ordering. There was so much crab meat in this that you would get some crab meat with every mouth of rice. The rice grains were also distinct without being too dry.

To round off the meal, we got the Ice Mochi Assortment ($28). The mochi flavours were vanilla, green tea and an unidentified flavour. There was nothing special about the dessert and this was the only dish I wished I hadn't ordered.

Overall, a memorable meal.

Mikuni
Level 3
Fairmont Singapore
80 Bras Basah Road
Tel No: 6431 6156

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