For our first stop in 2013, the man decided to have dinner at Equinox. There were 2 different options for each course, so we chose one of each to sample what they had to offer.
Equinox Restaurant is one of the 6 restaurants located at the Equinox Complex in Swissotel the Stamford. It presents diners with an exquisite Modern European culinary experience coupled with breathtaking views overlooking Singapore's busiest district.
The 3-Course Set Dinner cost $55++ per person and if you are keen to get a table by the window, it will be an additional fee of $20.
For this post, it is a combination of photos taken with my iphone and photos taken with the man's Sony RX100. Dim lights and scenery are just incompatible with the iphone, so the difference will be rather stark.
We figured that being on level 70 of the hotel, we should take this opportunity to witness Singapore's transition from day to night. We reached the restaurant at about 6.30pm, right after work. It was really bright and sunny, so we get to enjoy a day view of our beloved island from our seat:
The meal started off with us being served 2 slabs of butter, salted and seaweed-flavoured, and salt:
The waiter will come by with a basket of freshly baked bread and introduce us to the various bread before asking us to make a choice.
We liked the black olive bread, which was complemented well by the butter. The onion and cheese bread was stronger in taste.
Black Olive bread:
Onion and cheese:
We couldn't resist taking another photo of the breathtaking scenery:
We were also presented with a complimentary appetiser, though sadly I was unable to catch and remember the name of it:
For food pairing, we have separately opened a bottle of Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial for the night at the promotional price of SGD99++.
Pre-dinner Toasting while overlooking scenic Singapore:
After much anticipation, our appetisers arrived. I WAS SOLD (I am an appearance-sort-of-person
It was as if you can feel the heart and soul of the chef who has prepared them. The dishes were so sincere and exquisite!
i. Grilled Vegetable Salad, Goat Cheese, Quail Egg, Frisee Lettuce, Horseradish
Special mention to the quail egg, which comes with a beautiful golden runny yolk centre:
After tasting the salad, i must say that grilling has brought out the sweetness of the various vegetables, and the quail egg's yolk was done to perfection. However, the dish in its entirety was not the best salad i have eaten, and appetiser wise, i prefer the tuna tartare (below).
ii. Tuna Tartare, Avocado, Crispy Onion, Soy and Lime Vinaigrette
We love the gorgeous presentation, which makes the food taste even better! The tuna tartare was light, and it was refreshing when paired with avocado:
Another sneak peek at the dimming scenery out there:
As the area turns from a bustling business district to a gorgeous entertainment central, we start our main course:
i. Poached Salmon Fillet, Star Anise Oil, Braised Lettuce, Beetroot Gnocchi, Razor Clam Sauce
It was getting a little too dark to see the dish properly. On the overall, I would not rate this too high, because the star of the main course (salmon) was a little too fishy in my opinion. However, the redeeming factor was that the razor clam was fresh and the braised lettuce and beetroot gnocchi were tastefully done.
[Mental OS] Looking at the presentation, I wonder what has happened to the kokoro ('heart' in Japanese) displayed during the appetisers...
ii. Breast and Thigh of Chicken, Potato Terrine, Morels, Cauliflower, Toasted Almonds, Roasted Onion
I love this, which was much better (in my humble opinion) as compared to the salmon fillet. The potato terrine was well baked, and the chicken paired well with morels.
Next up was desserts!
It was definitely not as sweet as it looked and sounded. It was balanced, and you can experience different textures of the meringue, granite, sable... all intertwined together.
ii. Verbena Apricot, Preserved Blood Peach Jelly, Lemongrass Sorbet
I love the lemongrass sorbet, but i thought that the preserved blood peach jelly and verbena apricot were overly sweet. (actually, at first bite, i thought it was hawthorn and not blood peach *i need to get my tastebuds checked*)
Personally, I think that going to Equinox during restaurant week is very worthwhile, as they maintained their top service quality despite the much lower prices. However, it may be a tad overpriced for the same food quality because there are hits and misses along the way.
If you are running out of dating ideas, why not look out for the next round of restaurant week?
Equinox Restaurant
Swissotel the Stamford
2 Stamford Road
Singapore 178882
Hours:
Brunch on Sunday, 11am - 2.30pm
Lunch on Mon-Sat, 12nn - 2.30pm
High Tea everyday, 3.30pm - 5pm
Dinner everyday, 6.30pm - 10.30pm
Reservations online / phone (68373322) / email (reservations@equinoxcomplex.com)
