I was invited for a food tasting session at Sunrise Bistro & Bar at Big Splash, East Coast Park and was a little hesitant to go at first. You see, I'm currently pregnant and in my first trimester. And this pregnancy is more difficult than my previous one. I have been puking and feeling nauseous on most days and the idea of eating doesn't really entice me right now. Somehow, I discovered that I can stomach more if the cooking is great. So, I decided to give this food tasting session a go. Afterall, the restaurant is helmed by Chef Vincent Teng who has 22 years experience with The Dining Room, Table 66, Skyve & The scarlet Hotel.
Sunrise Bistro & Bar has a rather casual layout, giving it a relaxed, by the beach feel. The decor was minimal and kept simple. We were served the Festive Communal Dining Set specially put together by Chef Vincent for Christmas 2015.
First up was the Chilled Assorted Seafood Platter with Freshly Shucked Australian Coffin Bay Oysters, White Wine Blanched Live Prawns, Australian Blue Mussels, Venus Clams & Salmon Sashimi.
When I saw the oysters and sashimi, I was like. "Oh man, I cannot have these... Oh well." Hubby tried the oyster first and he egged me on to try it. Yes, my hubby is THAT chill about both my pregnancies. Only after finding out that these Australian Coffin Bay Oysters were freshly delivered on that day itself did I eat one. And it was mind blowing. Yes, it felt just like that to me. The oyster was slightly creamy and not briny. The flesh wasn't that creamy until I wouldn't be able to take more than a few. For this one, I can imagine wolfing down 10 or so easily. It was easy on the palate and really tantalizing. I was surprised I didn't feel queasy eating raw oysters despite my terrible morning sickness. In fact, it left me wanting more. The Australian Blue Mussels are also worth raving about. It was fresh and not powdery nor tough. They went really well with the Roasted Tomato Dip that came along with the platter. The rest of the seafood were fresh too but these 2 were my favourites. I definitely won't mind going back for more oysters after giving birth. :P~~
The next dish took quite a while to be served. The Orange Cointreau Fizz ($28+++) helped and hubby was telling me he liked it more than the usual Cointreau drinks.
The main course was the Meat Platter with Whole Red Snapper & Cereal Crust, BBQ Black Angus Beef Ribs & Crispy Pork Belly With Five Spice Salt. It came along with Potato & Pumpkin Mash, Seasonal Sauteed Vegetables and also Truffle Fries with Salt. The condiments for this course were pretty interesting, consisting of Homemade Apple & Smoked Tomato Ketchup, Sweet Chilli & Pineapple Salsa and Honey Mustard Sauce.
I reached for the beef first and oh mine, it was so succulent and tender! It was infused with flavours... Chef Vincent specialises in Sous Vide style of cooking and his skills really showed up with this course. The pork belly was equally delicious with a superbly done skin that was crackling as I bit into it. The red snapper was meant to be paired with he Pineapple salsa but I find that it went very well with the delightful Homemade Apple & Smoked Tomato Ketchup. This sauce tasted somewhat like sambal instead and has an Asian twist to it. The taste was pretty unique and intriguing.
While waiting for the extra dish to be served, the guys at the table mentioned that they would have preferred if the whole platter consisted of meat that were more Western style instead of having the fish which made it somewhat Asian. I felt differently though. The fish was light and balanced off the meat platter for me. I guess the guys just can never get enough of meat. :P
Asian Five Spice Duck Leg Confit ($28++) was next and this is not part of the Festive Communal Dining Set. It is Sunrise Bistro & Bar's signature dish and Chef Vincent wanted us to have a try. I am not a fan of Duck Confit but I can see why this is their signature dish. The meat was really tender and juicy, unlike most duck confits that are usually a little drier. Of course, this was cooked using the Sous Vide technique too for 8 hours and that's how the juice gets retained in the meat, giving it its softness. It went well with the passionfruit sauce served with pomegranate and Mandarin orange. I would have liked this dish better if there was more of the passionfruit sauce or if the taste of the Asian Five Spice was stronger.
By then, all 4 of us at the table had our fill already and were ready for the exciting dessert, Salted Egg Yolk & White Chocolate Fondue.
The fondue came with with Banana, Strawberry, Marshmallow, Panettone & Cookies. And the salted egg chocolate went surprisingly well with all these, except for the banana, which tasted kinda weird to me. I am not one with a sweet tooth so this dessert had the right pairing of savoury and sweet flavour for me. As the chocolate fondue got heated up, it didn't get sweeter as it thickened, so yeah!
The whole dining experience was lovely. The food was great and well done. The portion sans the Duck Confit & Orange Cointreau Fizz, was surprisingly sufficient for 2-3 pax . In fact, I would think that it's a little filling for 2 pax. With the fantastic seafood platter, I find the set at $99++ really worth it. It's really good food with a price that's easy on your pocket. With the communal set, it'll be a great way to share a good meal while catching up with your loved ones this holiday season!
For those who enjoy Asian cooking with a French flair, Sunrise Bistro & Bar is really worth a try this festive season!
For those who enjoy Asian cooking with a French flair, Sunrise Bistro & Bar is really worth a try this festive season!
Sunrise Bistro & Bar
Add: 902 East Coast Parkway
Block B #01-05
Singapore 449874
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