Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant: Splendid Spanish Surprises

Address: 17 Lorong Kilat, Singapore 598139 | Tel: 6465 1811

There has been a bit of a talk about visiting Spain. So the girlfriend brought me to this obscure restaurant for some Spanish fare. Don Quijote isn't exactly accessible by public transport, (with exception of the taxi, that is) but it is worth the walk from the bus stops at Jalan Jurong Kechil and Upper Bukit Timah Road.

First Impressions

The restaurant is nicely done up with nice warm lighting. No deliberate and pretentious welcome phrase from the wait staff, (doubly awful if it is in badly pronounced Espagnol) just a dignified greeting and we were ushered to our seats. Family friendly and Romantic at the same time.


Jamón Ibérico de Bellota (Acorn)
Spanish Free-Range Acorn-Feed Iberian Pig Ham that has been cured for 36 months

I added this item to my "to eat" list after a few travel and dining shows and articles featuring Spain and her legendary ham. Curiosity had the better of me and I decided to give it a try. I like it for the way the rich individual flavours from the fat and fibres permeate the palate. The fat seems to melt in the mouth, releasing this pleasant, nutty flavour. The meat fibres provides this firm, resilient texture that you would play on your tongue for a while before swallowing. Definitely an experiential food.

It costs $27 for 5 paper thin slices and a few sprigs of salad greens. Not bad, considering it is actually bits of a 3-year-old pig carcass.


Berenjenas al Horo
Oven-Baked Eggplant

The girlfriend and I thought this would a "dry" dish consisting of the main event (the eggplant) with a little thick gravy on top. What the kitchen served up looked more like an oven-baked crockpot of clear vegetable soup with a halved eggplant. This dish was surprisingly flavourful. The eggplant was soft and mushy as it should be and the clear soup provided the needed taste for what would be a plain tasting dish.
The only grouses: This dish was quite oily and the skin on the eggplant was rather tough. I'm guessing the eggplant was deep fried or sauteed with lots of oil before going into the oven.
Nevertheless, an enjoyable dish.


Paella Negra
Spanish Style Seafood Rice with Shrimp and Squid, in Ink

I like to think paella as the Spanish equivalent of the local claypot rice. At first look, this dish looks like rice with with too much blackened poison. Mixing the rice around reveals the generous condiments of shrimp and squid. The squid ink blackened rice had a nice, unique and robust seafood taste to it. Some might find this taste a little over-powering and tasting like some stale seafood. But if strong flavours are your thing, paella negra is for you. Of course, the fun part of all squid ink dishes is always about achieving that timeless blackened lips and teeth look.


Sangría Tinto (Red)

Yum. This alcoholic drink was fruity, tasty and surprisingly potent. The slight fizziness and the chunky bits of fruit was refreshing with the generally heavy tasting food. Best to avoid it if you are driving. It would have knocked both of us out if not for sharing.


Last words

I think Don Quijote serves up pretty decent Spanish fare at reasonable prices. Service is brisk and unpretentious. Dishes like paella will require waiting (25 - 35 mins) as advised in the menu. Bring friends if you like to try a variety of dishes.

Must Tries: Paella, Iberico, Sangria

Chendol Melaka

Once you've tried the chendol in Melaka, you wouldn't want to touch other versions. Chendol Melaka sets itself apart with the generous use of gula melaka which is that fragrant brown coconut sugar as well as the thick, undiluted coconut milk. Both ingredients are almost always diluted to the point of mediocrity elsewhere.

Especially for this stall in Jonker Walk, the gula melaka has the consistency of honey. It slowly runs down the little mountain of coconut milk drenched ice as its viscosity resists being absorbed. Best of all, it sticks to the spoon so that its fragrance can be savoured as it is licked off. The result is a little bowl of awesomeness that will leave you knowing you never want to go for chendol knockoffs.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls at Chop Chung Wah

The herd mentality is works pretty well in finding good food anywhere, in Asian countries at least. While in Melaka, I spotted an unassuming kopi-tiam that was filled with customers and had people queuing out in the open.

The herd mentality naturally suggests that there is something good there. So I went in for look...

The full house of customers can't be wrong, so I sat down to order what everybody else ordered...

Ok, so I wasn't exactly alone to have ordered 2 chickens. Anyway, I am here to talk about how different and good this chicken rice is from the Singaporean version.

Starting off with the chicken, the texture of the meat was a different firm, juicy and had that natural sweetness only found in free range chickens. There was significantly less fat under the skin too. The sauce drizzled all over the meat gave a nice fragrance of sesame oil to it.

The ping-pong ball-sized rice balls were heavenly. At first bite, it was literally a burst of flavors. There was an extra oomph that was distinctly from the chicken fat that went into the making of the rice. Plus, it was such a joy to eat them, I wish didn't have to limit myself from having one too many.

Overall, this is probably one of the best chicken rice ever.

On a side note, there is another chicken rice balls restaurant chain (with 2 branches) by the name of A'Famosa Chicken Rice Balls (or something like that) that's more atas. Heard they aren't as fantastic as expected according to some who have tried. So don't go for substitutes, go for Chung Wah!

B Bakery - A Quaint Little Find

Some time back I visited this quaint little restaurant (less than 10 tables inside and 4 outside) in Bussorah Street which is within the Arab Street network for a friend's birthday dinner. The food was pretty decent and I liked the fact that the owners took effort to ask for the group's (10 of us) food order in advance so that they can handle the orders, as well as providing a non-public menu for our selection. Not too sure if this menu is now printed, so when you do go, ask the staff about it.

The food was served rather quickly thanks to good planning by the restaurant even for such a small group. These are what I managed to try.

Grilled Vegetables & Hummus Platter - $5

A very interesting starter. Deceptively simple in preparation. All the vegetables used were grilled just right for that soft mashable texture. Though some of the vegetables were quite badly charred, like the onion on the 9 o'clock position. But still worth the mention was its surprising sweetness and the absence of spiciness. The hummus in the middle was great with the default basket of bread. A colourful, cheerful, healthy appetiser. I do wish that the portion would be larger. But at $5, maybe I will order 2.

Water Melon, Feta Cheese & Rocket Salad - $5

I almost forgotten about photographing this! Nevertheless, I must say is is a wonderful salad that cleverly combined watermelon with feta cheese. The strong taste of the former was nicely complimented by the refreshing crunch and sweetness of the latter. Both together made the salad eating extra enjoyable and fun. Clearly another happy and comforting dish.

Braised lamb shank in wine sauce, mashed potato, sauteed vegetables - $20

What's this thing about braised lamb shank that every restaurant seems to be serving? Not that I am complaining, though. Anyway, the one here tasted pretty much like every other decent braised lamb shank with exception to the wine sauce which tasted sharper and might take a little getting used to. The fibres of meat could have been more tender and moist, but if the texture is your thing, it was done just right. I do wish the lamb shank had a little bit more of the tendons though.

Salmon papilote (oven baked in paper), vegetables, capers - $18

The salmon was nice, moist and flaky thanks to the way it was prepared. Unfortunately, zesty sauce used was not necessarily the best thing to go along with it, in my opinion. The saltiness from the pickled capers masked taste the fish by a bit too.

As for ambience, I like it for being small, quiet and personal. Perhaps the name, B Bakery also wanted to suggest its humility.

Lastly, the recommendation is to make reservations and order in advance as their inventory for dinner is quite limited.

Also note that they are open for dinner from Thursdays to Saturdays, 6pm - 10pm only.

Absolute Haven - not all that impressive

Thanks to the good folks at HGW, the girlfriend and I managed to give Absolute Haven a try. I was expecting something refreshing, cheerful and something close to "fireworks-on-the-palate" after so many positive reviews.

The menu of the day was a revamped one, so in a way we were all guinea pigs sent into an experiment. Which is actually more fun actually, as there would not be any references. Best of all, we get to dine at a fraction of the usual price. (Yes, I am plugging for the next HGW outing, check this forum thread)

Anyway, on with the food review and photos.

Soup - Cream of Rocket

We started off with cream of rocket which was quite nicely done. The soup was not overly smooth so that bits of its potato base (my assumption) could be felt. It is a nice thoughtful touch to have added that dimension in the texture. For me, perhaps lacking was a tinge of the rocket's bitterness to authenticate the dish itself. Maybe a bit of minced or chopped rocket might have added a little character to the soup?

Starter - I tried Panchetta Ham & Smoked Salmon Roll

I like the combination of the smoky panchetta ham and salmon with the greens wrapped in them. The textures of the meat and leafy greens stood out for themselves with every bite and distinctive flavours complimented each other really well. The smoky meats provided the punch while the greens cleared the palate for the next piece. My only grouse is the saltiness from the ham, but I am sure it can be easily neutralised with more of the salad greens.

Starter - The Girlfriend tried Duck Breast Salad with Berry Sauce

I liked the sweet and tangy taste, but foresee it may be too overpowering as one progresses to consume more of this salad. This is perhaps catered to those with a sweet tooth.

Main Course - I tried the Pan-seared Seabass with Poached Egg, Miso Braised Daikon and Olive Pilaf Rice, served with Lemon Cream Sauce

High scores on the presentation, but average in taste. The fish wasn't exactly fresh and was over-cooked with edges totally burnt and bitter. Rest of the fish was tough and dry by my standards. Taste-wise, the fish was very plain with the minuscule amount of lemon cream sauce. Overall, it felt like the dish was conjured by a randomised process where you pick cards for every accompanying item and a poor excuse for a fusion dish. Every item did nothing to each other or for each other in terms of taste.

Main Course - The Girlfriend tried the Oven-Roasted Yorkshire Pork Rack with Herb Potato, Vegetables Ratatouille, Fresh Mesclum Salad, served with Coffee Chocolate Sauce

The pork rack was nicely done with a tinge of pink in the centre and tender to the bite. The marinate was done just right to allow the freshness of the pork to be tasted. However, the coffee chocolate sauce with meat combination reminded me too much about the coffee ribs available from the tze char stalls. The girlfriend mentioned that the pork could have been better used, i.e. prepared in better ways.
The ratatouille seemed out of place because of its "heavy" flavour was more of a clash with the pork and it just felt additionally pretentious thanks to the movie. The use of fresh cut fruits like lychees, longans, dragonfruits, pears would have provided a refreshing edge and balance to the dish.

Dessert - I tried Victorian Creme Brulee

I liken this to the Hong Kong steamed egg pudding, but mushier. Well done for that important crusty top layer of caramelised sugar. Unfortunately it tasted pretty plain for a place where I expected more of. No exciting layers of surprised or infused floral scents. Or perhaps that was what the "Victorian" stood for - old, traditional and outdated.

Dessert - The Girlfriend tried Passionfruit Panna Cotta

Here at Absolute Haven, Panna Cotta has a texture of curdled cheese and plenty of zesty punch from passionfruit, orange peel and berries. I can't be sure if I like this dessert as it didn't taste bad, but neither did it taste fantastic.

Overall, the food just didn't wow me as I had expected more thoughtful, cleverer, refreshing combinations in ingredients.

Service

The staff was friendly but rather slow with service and response and lacking in initiative. However the worst part has to be their failure to prioritise. The girlfriend and I had to run off for another appointment, so we asked for the food to be served slightly faster. Our expectation was only to be served with the first batch of the dish we ordered, but they weren't even able to do that. Worst, for a group of over 20 people, they failed badly at coordinating for the food to be served together, making patrons without their food stare blankly at those who do. Some had even finished their food before their partner's had arrived. That is totally unacceptable.

Messing around at Mint Bar @ Graze

We weren't too impressed with Bistro @ Da Paolo's. So we came over here to try out the potent concoctions the Girlfriend and I got really "happy" with. As usual, the Mint Bar @ Graze is a place nobody ever notices, which is good, because we get to have the whole place to ourselves over half the time.

From the last time I visited, which was nearly a year ago, they made plenty of updates in the interior decor. It's nevertheless still as cozy as ever. The Mint Specialties are still as good and potent and we got to try out their Mini Wagyu Burgers which was delicious. A highly recommended place for a quiet chill out.

Click on any photo to view the whole album

Review: The Pump Room

The girlfriend's pals were gracious enough to let me in on their gathering at The Pump Room. So we got there early to get ourselves a table.

For the uninitiated, The Pump Room is a microbrewery and bistro. So we ordered our beers and sides first while we waited for the rest to arrive. We were ushered to a table and presented the menu. I took my time to look through the menu for something that might inspire me...

Beer

Personally, I prefer dark beers whenever come to a beer place. I have this preconception that dark beers from a place specializing in beers would offer something interesting. Plus dark beers usually meant more dimensions in terms of the flavor, which would be better experience compared the fizzy, foamy, bitter and pale stuff.

I settled for their Scottish ale, a dark beer with a nice taste of roasted malt. It goes down slightly more bitter at first, but ends sweetly.

Sides

Our appetite was growing as we waited for the others. So we decided to order some sides to keep our mouths occupied. I was disappointed that there wasn't anything like buffalo wings on the finger food menu. The best they could muster were a few potato-based sides and garlic bread. The rest of the table did set their eyes on something else...

Creamy Mashed Potato was pretty good. I did wish there was some bacon crisps mixed into it. Would have been a great combination of textures.

Sauteed Shitake Mushrooms with herbs was nice too. Although it was on the salty side. The chunky garlic was a nice touch which I liked.

Still waiting, I decided to entertain myself and the "early-birds" with my camera...

More of the interior

And the fascinating "optic fibre" lighting which changes color...

Service

We were rather taken aback when we realized that the staff had failed to inform us about their special offers for their brewed beers. We thought fine, since we never asked.

Then we got really annoyed that many of the wait staff were selective of who they wanted to serve. There was this group of Caucasians that took the table in front of us and were given a VIP treatment while the other tables like mine were conveniently neglected and ignored. I then realized the wait staff were consistently tipped by that table for every item served. Talk about spoil market!

But I guess I shouldn't harp on that. I mean, there are other stuff to be peeved by. Like the wait staff's snail-like and begrudging response times for plain water. It seems like they convenient forget your requests. Not like we won't order other stuff, right?

Main Courses

I found the Linguine with Prawns, Mussels, Scallops and Squid Aglio Olio style was pleasantly spicy with black peppercorns. The seafood was fresh done just right, with the exception of the mussels which were really raw. I think it is because we are so used to the well-cooked mussels in chilli.

One can hardly go wrong with The Pump Room's Special Steak Burger with Salad and Chips. But it does lack the necessary punch to live up to its "Special" status.

Beer-Battered Pacific Dory with Chips, Tartare Sauce and Mesclun Saladwas nothing special, though the chips were pretty good.

My order was the Hickory smoked BBQ Baby Back Ribs in Special Beer Marinade. It was a rather standard and ordinary quality. nothing to shout about.

The verdict for mains collectively would be somewhere between mediocre and average.

Desserts

The plan had been to stay to catch the live band perform. So we needed to "buy ourselves some more time" in the form of desserts.

The Warm Chocolate Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream was fantastic! The warm, thick chocolate pudding was probably oven toasted to achieve a crispy outer crust with a slightly charred taste. Every mouthful of the thick melted chocolate and the crispy crust was a luxurious experience.

Soft Centered Pavlova with Tropical Fruits and Passionfruit Curd was a light, zesty dessert thanks to the fruits involved at the sides. Pretty enjoyable if you just love the sugar. Personally, I found it a little too sweet, but nevertheless, it had a good mix of textures to be experienced with every little bit placed into the mouth.

There is a sudden realization that one can't really go wrong with a Cheese Platter. With very distinctive textures and tastes, it will instantly turn one into a cheese connoisseur.

By the time we wipe off everything on the plates, the band started their act. Plenty of 80's and 90's music to dance the night away.

Last but not least, the toilet was pretty decent, a good thing to have with all the booze going around.

Tom's Palette

Tucked in a quiet corner of Shaw Leisure Gallery is a little surprise called Tom's Palette which sells home-made ice cream.

When curious me entered their premises for the first time, I was greeted by sincere counter staff who are really proud of their little ice cream parlour and their flavours. That pretty much scared me away, plus I had no intention for ice cream that day.

So a few hours ago, I decided to go for it. I stepped in to the ice cream parlour, got greeted by the rather sweet lady boss (I think), tasted the Oreo Cheesecake flavour, which was good, but settled for their Pisang Honey Walnut and Horlicks flavours in a small cup. You get to taste 2 flavours in a small cup at no extra charge and each cup is $2.80, which is considerably cheaper than other ice cream places. I thought it is a good tactic, to create a sense of value that the customer can taste 2 flavours for the price of one. It definitely helps those who can't decide between flavour 1 and flavour 2.

Their ice cream is definitely one of the better ones I've tasted. Rich in flavour and really smooth texture, slightly creamier than the Japanese ice creams. I really enjoyed their Horlicks flavour which I believe had extra amounts of the ingredient to pack the extra punch. The Pisang Honey Walnut though only managed to leave a mild impression with a weak banana flavour. But at least they were generous with the walnuts. The Cherry Almond was a refreshing mix which I really enjoyed. The Apple Pie lived up to its name with real chunks of apple, pie crust and a rich undertone of cinnamon. And if you love cheesecakes, their Blueberry Cheesecake and Oreo Cheesecake are to die for.

Anyway, overheard a conversation between the staff and a customer, there was apparently a batch of cockles flavoured ice cream... see-hum ice cream? Ice cream mai hum? mai hum, mai hum, hai hum...

Address: 100 Beach Road, #01-25 Shaw Leisure Gallery Singapore 189702

Ministry Of Food Finally Got It Right!

If you do remember, I had ravaged MOF for their lousy food and lack of variety in an earlier review. Somehow and for some reason, somebody did give a damn (I am assuming this) about that bad review, or maybe the management was really not proud of what they had to offer at the Marina Square branch. And since they couldn't "re-brand" their stupidest name in the world, they probably thought it would be the best move to concentrate on selling their good stuff. Which is probably the only best thing that came out of MOF, by the way.

Simply said, the Girlfriend and I loved that just-you-and-me moment with the Macha Sundae (seen in picture). For S$6, you get soft-serve ice-cream with a scoop of their very good green tea red bean ice-cream and a whole lot of other toppings like green tea sauce, cereal, jelly, azuki red bean, peaches, waffle, watermelon wedges and cherry. We thought it was a very good deal if compared to places like Ben & Jerry's or Häagen-Dazs. On another occasion, I tried the item with their green tea ice-cream, rice dumplings and red bean paste (which they claim to use red beans imported from Japan). The rich flavour from the green tea ice-cream was really pleasant and the rice dumplings were chewy with just the right texture. The red bean paste was unfortunately still a little too sweet to my liking. But overall, it was an enjoyable takeaway dessert. The menu has also been bumped up, which only means more choices and that's a good thing. Do give the items recommended in the menu a try, you may just be pleasantly surprised too.

What's after Chilli Crabs?

So what do you do after you get bored of chilli crabs?

Well, lucky for you, some places have come up with Salted Egg Crab. I was impressed by the thick and fragrant gravy which contains curry leaves and bits of salted egg yolk. It goes very well with the sweet and juicy flesh of the crab.

Anyway, I feel the need to plug for this place which serves very good crab dishes in my neighbourhood (Choa Chu Kang). It is situated at Sunshine Place, on the outside of the food court. It has got a lightbox which says "Crab Specialist" along the road.

Personally, I think the quality of the crab is the best I've come across. I have never been disappointed by the quality of the crabs served, all of which have been solid and meaty. If I remember correctly, the place even guarantees your crab will be solid and full of meat.

So if you come by Choa Chu Kang, do give this place a shot.

Review: Botak Jones

Location:
Kopitiam
Blk 325, Clementi Ave 5
#01-129
Singapore 120325
Tel/Fax: 6774 1225
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 10pm (Closed on Mondays)

Cajun Chicken by Botak Jones

The girlfriend and I finally managed to try out Botak Jones at Clementi and we were quite pleasantly surprised by the quality of food. The cajun chicken we ordered was a surprisingly tasty piece of chicken breast. It was well-marinated and not dry. Every bite was bursting with flavor. The best part was it wasn't oily as it was grilled. It is has how good food should be.

Another look of the cajun chicken

On a separate occasion, I ordered their Botak Burger. I was served with a generous beef patty that is well-marinated and juicy. Personally, I thought the beef may have been too finely ground. I would have liked chunks of beef within the patty for a more interesting texture.

I would also like to make special mention for their fries, which is crispy and well-flavored with their spicy seasoning. It is a welcome change from the usual salt. I wiped the mountain of fries when I had the cajun chicken, but was unable to do the same at the sitting for the Botak Burger, but that's because I didn't have them with a drink.

So far, I have to say that the food I've gotten at the Clementi outlet has been good. The fries do well to make one full while their mains left a good impression on me.

Service-wise, I appreciate their efforts to ask customers for feedback, though I think that was probably the stakeholder. Waiting time still needs to be improved. The wait during peak and off-peak hours is still around 30 minutes. I suspect this is due to the processes in the kitchen.

Then there are other areas I hope they could improve. For one thing, they brought in a restaurant system which does not really work for a kopitiam setting. It basically gets customers to see the flaws of their process because people have to queue up before the system to order. The menu contains too much text of the same size and too much narratives. I had a bit of a problem identifying the items. Yes, it is visually irritating.

So if you do go down to Botak Jones, be mentally prepared for the wait. I guess I was ok, thanks to the "training" I had been through at The Donut Factory. After you've been through that kind of a queue, this is just a walk in the park.

The queue when you come in the evening.

HK Kim Gary Restaurant - Yet another Hong Kong cuisine restaurant, only slightly better

Location:
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-128 VivoCity
Singapore 098585

Dining out with a group of friends means I can sample many dishes and take many pictures.

But before that, some general thoughts on the quality of food, service and ambience.

Quality of Food
I would say slightly better, since each item does come in larger portions and the presentation is better thought out, compared to other restaurants serving the same fare. Though I don't really understand why the long queue.
Taste-wise is pretty much like the standard Hong Kong fare of baked rice, overpriced instant noodles, Hong Kong-styled western food and extra thick toast.
Brownie points for using hot plates to serve their western food and bamboo steamer baskets for baked rice.

Service
The thing about being there with a group of friends is that we find humour in any possible manner. It was quite amusing that the waitress taking our order got confused. But being a helpful bunch, we always pro-actively help to clarify any confusion. I think they are improving though. My friend had ordered the some baked rice with "twin sauce" but the meat in it tasted stale. After informing the waitress, the manager came by to explain the taste meant to be that way, but gladly cancelled that order from the bill since he didn't like it.

Ambience
Noisy, much like those Hong Kong restaurants seen on TV. Great for a lively crowd, no volume restriction. Rather cramped though, but it's really the same anywhere else.

And now, pictures of the food my friends and I ordered.

Almond Tea and Longan Aloe Vera

Nice fragrant Almond Tea. Longan Aloe Vera Drink was enjoyable as well.

Korean Noodle with Fried Egg

My friend didn't like this one. It is once again the instant noodle shock.

Roasted Spare Ribs with Honey Glaze

Pretty good as well, but the meat doesn't come off the bone like good ribs should.

Pork Chop Cutlet with Red Sauce

Baked Rice

Comes in red or white. Red one is tomato based and has a sweetness from tomatoes. White one is very rich in cheese and butter. Comes with fish or chicken or maybe something else as well.

Herb Lamb Chop with Garlic Sauce

That lamb taste is very strong in this one and the cuts are very fatty with chunks of bone. Pretty challenging to deal with. Had to resort to using hands to eat it cleanly.

Airline Food Tasting - Jet Airways

This entry is written for youth.sg

So you want to travel to India to soak up the culture. Here's a suggestion, start off with a flight on Jet Airways for a completely Indian holiday. Especially since it has recently gone through an extreme makeover of sorts. New aircrafts, new cabins, new cabin crew uniforms, better comfort, better in-flight entertainment (Bollywood movies included) and new menu.

I am not trained as a traditional media writer, though I contribute my 2 cents worth in a bid to improve the quality of food in Singapore. So when Youth.sg provided an opportunity to cover an airline food tasting session, I volunteered to cover it. Of course, this being a Media Lunch, there was an overload (at least for me) of information in the form of the press kit/media junket or whatever you might call it. From what I gather at the event and according to the press releases, Jet Airways is expanding, buying new aircrafts, revamping its image, zhng-ing its cabins (i.e. making their cabins for spacious and comfortable) and whipping up new food for their passengers.

For the uninitiated, Jet Airways is an India-based airline. So to provide a unique experience, the menu they serve is authentic Indian food. Curiosity was also one other reason why I went for this. I was thinking, "How good or bad can Indian airline food get?"

The Media Lunch would be held at the SATS Inflight Catering Centre 2. For practical reasons which I am ignorant of, security clearance was required. After filling out the indemnity form to certify that I am free from germs and contagious diseases, I exchanged my IC (with very old and chubby picture) for a visitor pass and proceeded to a press briefing room.

The speaker proceeded with the briefing which informed the attendees about important numbers, strategic plans and details of changes to the airline. Basically it got the audience pretty excited about flying to India with daily flights, more comfort in all classes of seats, better in-flight entertainment and better food. With that we were ushered to the food displays for an introduction to the new menus that will be served on board the flights.

The chef starts off with the economy class food. Jet Airways is known for the Indian cuisine served on board their flights. So it didn't come as a surprise that they also put in a lot of effort to revamp the menu. From taste to aesthetics, we were pleasantly surprised to see what was offered. Ok, less talk, more pictures.

If the economy class wasn't appealing enough, the chef carried on to present to us their Club Premier menu. Every dish is meticulously set on exquisite plates and bowls for the mile high fine dining experience. So for some of us who have never travelled on first class, this is a glimpse of what it will be like.

First up, the Club Premier breakfast on the Singapore-Chennai flight.

And then the menu on the Singapore-Delhi flight

Finally, the menu on the Singapore-Bombay flight, which we will be tasting.

Can't wait! But the kitchen was still busy getting the food ready. So in the meantime, some near-press-quality pictures, with the help of a more experienced photographer.

We then proceeded to the dining area. Unlike the actual cabin, we had the luxury of a dining table as well as the freedom of a buffet.

Jet Airways is renowned for the Indian cuisine they serve on board and a revamped menu is something that the attendees were really looking forward to, especially since it had been a see-no-taste affair earlier and well, it was the only tangible thing the attendees were going to get about the Jet Airways experience on that day.

I started out with the puree of green asparagus, a smooth, creamy soup with bite-sized stalks of crunchy asparagus. The sweetness of the asparagus in the soup with the crunchiness of the stalks was a pleasant match. Despite the creamy texture, it was not too heavy.

I proceeded to the hot snacks, as stated in the menu handouts. There were 2 options, vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Of course, here, I got to try them both. All the items were surprisingly spicy but not over-powering. I could fully taste the spices and at the same time taste the original taste of the main ingredients. Truly a work of art.

Next up were the main courses, again with the option of vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Very good stuff as well. I never knew mushrooms could taste so good spicy or chicken and spinach could marry so well together as a dish.

A little bit of questioning revealed that trick was to use the whole spices or coarsely ground spices instead of powdered or processed spices as the latter will effect the ingredients too quickly, resulting in an overpowering spiciness that will have you rushing for water. Whole spices and coarsely ground spices on the other hand, work more slowly, retaining the taste of the ingredients for longer, perfect for the in-flights meals.

The international fare received many compliments as well, the non-vegetarian set was a like a fusion of Chinese and Western food and the vegetarian was oriental-styled noodles and stir-fried mushrooms and vegetables. Both equally pleasant on the palate.

I was also curious about the how altitude might alter the taste of food. As it turns out, altitude either dulls or intensifies its taste, which is the another reason for the choice of spices used in the preparation.

It is apparent that Jet Airways is selling an experience of a New India. Curiosity thus got the better of me when I had to ask, "Do you show Bollywood movies since Jet Airways seems to be all about a unique Indian experience?"

It got one of the spokesperson rather excited as she shared that it was exactly what Jet Airways had intended and some frequent flyers would even consult the entertainment guide before determining when they would fly so that they can get to watch the shows they never had time to go for on the ground!

Finally, dessert! A slice of banana cheese cake topped with a halved strawberry, complimented with mixed berry compote and coconut sauce. The taste of banana uplifted the usually heavy nature of cheesecake. When paired with the compote and coconut sauce, the only possible descriptions were heavenly and divine. It was definitely the best dessert I have had ever. And like a typical Singaporean, I wished I had asked for takeaways.

Speaking of desserts, some attendees noticed the omission of Indian sweets, especially since the meal had demonstrated the quality Indian food served on board. The spokesperson replied that it was being considered. The topic of sugar also led to a short discussion on their special meals, diabetic meals, vegetarian meals and even religious meals which cater to passengers who travel for pilgrimages. Best of all, all dishes, including the perennial ones are low in fat, salt and sugar. Plus, you can have the meal on demand, eat some for now, save the rest for later. So gorging is not required.

As with most meals, the dessert marked the end of a unique meal and the Jet Airways experience. Now all that's left is the actual flight to India. Any takers?