Food and Drink Archives - Page 18 of 214 - Pechluck's Food Adventures

Castagna Explorative Dinner

July 11, 2019 by Pechluck 2 Comments

Castagna has been serving up fine dining prix fixe modern gastronomy menus for two decades now. Castagna and owner Monique Siu and head chef Justin Woordward have been nominated for James Beard Awards under the categories of Outstanding Restaurateur and Best Chef Northwest multiple years in a row. This past spring, they have decided to offer a new alternative to the tasting menus, one that is even more accessible in cost and time commitment. Now, besides the 13-20 course chef’s tasting menu, two days a week on Wednesday and Thursdays there is a new option of a six course Castagna Explorative Dinner Series menu.

For the Explorative Dinner Series, the dinner courses have a theme that changes every two months. During my visit the theme was Surf and Turf (the first themed the series), but the new theme for July 2019 is the Green Menu. Unlike the chef’s tasting menu which sits at $165 with $85 wine pairing extra as an option, a Castagna Explorative Dinner will run $75 per person, with the optional wine pairing featuring west coast wines at $45.

Here’s a look at what a Castagna Explorative Dinner was like for me during my visit to give you an idea of the kind of dishes that might be created for a theme.

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Singapore Sights: Old Hill Street Police Station, Singapore Chili Crab in Clarke Quay

July 2, 2019 by Pechluck 3 Comments

I did go to famous destinations in Singapore during my 4 day visit in June such as Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa, and various hawker centers – I will cover all of these in future posts. But today I wanted to spotlight something I didn’t see in any guidebook but I noticed as a cool sight based on Instagram posts in Singapore: the Old Hill Street Police Station. And, conveniently, it is FREE. And in this same area you can visit JUMBO Seafood for iconic Singapore Chili Crab for lunch or dinner before or after your stop here.

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Dinner at Candlenut for Peranakan Food

June 25, 2019 by Pechluck Leave a Comment

Candlenut is a the world’s first and only Michelin–starred Peranakan restaurant. Peranakan cuisine is unique to southeast Asia and comes from a tradition of Chinese who came to the Malaysian/Indonesian/Singapore area in the 15th and 17th centuries and married the local women here. The culture became intermixed between Chinese an Southeast Asia, including the cuisine. On my recent whirlwind 4 day stay in Singapore, I had a chance to enjoy dinner at Candlenut for Peranakan food.

We ordered from Chef Malcom Lee’s Ahma-kase menu, a play on the Japanese word for omakase which is chef’s choice, and the word for ahma which means grandmother. The Ahma-kase menu is a prix fixe menu which starts with fish crackers, a small sampler of starters, soup, a family style set of dishes to share for a main course to be eaten with rice, then multiple little bites for dessert. There is a also an a la carte menu available, and Candlenut serves both lunch and dinner.

Starters

We started with four intense little small bites served on a wooden plate. In order from top to bottom you see (my favorite were the 2nd and 4th bites for how they were such upgraded refined takes on the familiar southeast Asian classics of curry and satay)

Homemade Kueh Pie Tee Shell with Boston Lobster, Chincalok Dressing, Laksa Leaf

Kueh Bakar Berlauk with Spiced Chicken, Mum’s Curry

Bergedil, Pork Buah Keluak Lemongrass Curry

Charcoal Grilled Maori Lamb Neck Satay, Kicap Manis Glaze

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Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review, Travel Tagged With: Ahma-kase, Buah Keluak, Candlenut, Candlenut restaurant, Fish Maw Soup, Kueh Bakar Berlauk, Kueh Bingkah, Kueh Kosui, Kueh Pie Tee Shell, Kueh Salat, Lamb Satay, Michelin Star, nyonya kueh, Pandan Lepat Pisang, Peranakan cuisine, Peranakan Food, Pork Kapitan Curry, Singapore, Singapore eats, Singapore food, Singapore restaurant, Singapore things to do, Singapore travel, Straits Chinese Food, Stuffed Baby Squid Bakar, Things to do in Singapore, Tiger Beer Battered Soft Shell Prawn, Travel in Singapore, Visit Singapore, Yeye White Curry

Happy Hour at Normandie

June 12, 2019 by Pechluck 4 Comments

Have you checked out Normandie yet? Opened by alumnae of Portland classic Veritable Quandry, and the 2/3 of the co-wonders (one of who is the chef) are women. The food menu has been changing a bit as they tweaked it, but some favorites that were out of the gate when they opened in October last year still have remained. Several of them you can find on the happy hour at Normandie, which runs from 4-6 PM and again 10 PM -12 AM daily. except Sunday and Monday where happy hour is offered all night.

Happy hour at Normandie PDX

Still on the menu is the Chicken Liver Mousse served with Duck Fat Madeleines, Port Poached Plums, Piment d’ Espelette Honey. These are perfect to a creamy start, or also do perfect well as an end of your meal savory dessert

A round of perfect bites comes in the form of Croque Madame Beignets with Fig Jam and Chive Aioli. It manages to be crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, and I admit I’m more partial to that chive aioli.

Duck Fat Madeleines, Port Poached Plums, Piment d’ Espelette Honey available at dinner and happy hour at Normandie PDX

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Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review, Sponsored Post Tagged With: A Supposedly Fun Thing Cocktail, Broiled Oysters, Calvados Cocktails, Chicken Liver Mousse served with Duck Fat Madeleines, Croque Madame Beignets with Fig Jam and Chive Aioli, Everything Spiced cocktail, Floating in a Black Balloon Cocktail, Halcyon cocktail, Hamachi with roasted pineapple, Mucho Takeitaeasy Buddy cocktail, Normandie PDX, Normandie Portland, Oysters with Miso butter, pdx happy hour, Portland happy hour, Smoked Beets, Tiny Toast with Uni Butter

King Tide Fish and Shell, Portland

June 6, 2019 by Pechluck Leave a Comment

It’s only been a little more than a year since King Tide Fish and Shell made its debut along the South Waterfront, within the Riverfront Hotel, replacing the previous Three Degrees Waterfront Bar and Grill. The modern American food has been upgraded to seafood that takes its inspiration from the Pacific Northwest and American classics with intriguing touches of Japanese and Mexican.

Pickled Deviled Eggs with dungeness crab, and smoked salmon roe at King Tide Fish and Shell, Portland.

The patio is my favorite of those offering a view almost literally steps from the Willamette River, while still also having the convenient location of being right downtown. The bar even offers rocking chairs with heaters. Even if dining indoors, floor to ceiling windows provide a view.

King Tide Fish and Shell, Portland