The Clan - No Complaint at All

Date:  Aug 25, 2012

Our long awaited gathering happened at The Clan, after Ms. Toh failed to booked the Le Bistrot Du Sommelier (my favourite restaurant).  It's been almost half a year, the whole gang have not sit down and eat together.  

(Picture a bit blur, because the waiter hands are really shaky!)

This is the restaurant we ate.  

The reviews are mostly good according to Ms. Toh.  and they just change their menu on Aug 24.

The restaurant is at Bukit Pasoh Road, just beside The Gan Clan office.  I parked at the Pinnacle HDB car park.  But be careful of those pillars.  I scratched my car for the first time there.  HaHaHaHaHa  

All of us were so busy this year, and we can hardly have the whole gang gathered together.  Even the usual party, the last one was during Chinese New Year!  So, this year, we decided to pre-booked Dec 24 as the usual party, it shall be a BBQ party at the Lim's apartment.

The Clan served Fusion Food.  Not a particular food that I like.   Let's take a look at some photos.

The bread is nice.  The kids loves it.  The adults likes the truffle garlic sauce.

This Apple Juice is extremely refreshing and every one likes it.  One thing to mentioned…. There is no rules in this restaurant.  The waiter see that the kid likes the drink, he automatically bring up another glass for the kid without charging extra.  He sees that the kids like the bread, he bring more bread.

The Chef's starter.  I love the "Salmon" Ice Cream on the right.  It is a little bit salty but it goes very well with the crunchy cone.  The Chawanmushi is different, a bit looks like jelly when you shake it.  But the Chawanmushi is the same.  The scallop is all right.

By the way, we ordered the WINE PAIRING, so you pay $20 each and you get 3 glass of supposedly 75ml each glass of wine pairing sample.  Later I will talk about the wine.  All the wine goes well with the food somewhat.  Good choice. 

This is the close shot of the scallop.  I don't really like the soup like bubbles… but the scallop is just all right.  

The salmon cone looks and taste amazing.

Most of the food are decorated nicely.

I did not ordered the Oysters.  It consists of a fresh, one with salsa, and one with a fresh raw quill egg (Yeak!  My wife had it, and they said very nice!).

This is what I ordered.  A Alaskan Crab Meat.  It is just a stick of crab leg.  From the appearance, I kept commenting the crab leg.  Until the first sip of its meat.  I think they soak it in fresh sea water.  You can taste the salty salty taste from the fresh sea within the crab meat.  It is amazing.  Even in Tampopo I never taste such a salty taste.  The salty taste of the crab meat is really nice.  Sorry, my English is so bad, I don't know how to describe but I like the dish.

Then, my next dish is a deep fried Foire Gras with reduced balsamic sauce (that three red dots).  This dish is ok.  The batter is exactly like those goreng pisang one, and the Foire Gras has been fried a bit dry.  So, the oiliness of the foire gras has gone a little bit.  But it is a good try.  Except that it does not give you the melt in your mouth feeling.

My wife ordered the "snail".  Escargot.  Taste OK too.  But because it is fusion food, it is about how you mix match different food materials.  So, the crunchy crunchy mix with the escargot is just nice.

That looks like a pork belly.  Did not really try that.  But looks nice.  I think Ms. Toh had that.

Here comes my soup.  That is a crab bisque.  I still think Greenwood served the best crab bisque.  This one OK.  Not as tasty as the one served in Greenwood.  The fried wonton looks like a stick there.  Soak it in the soup, and the taste match.

Gambai and Cheers.

The star for tonight (I think after a few sip of wine wine), he go berserk happy.  He is happy for the whole session.  Enjoying his dinner, playing with Jay Jay, and enjoying taking photos using his daddy $3K++++ Leica camera.  hahahaha

You can see he sits in that corner and enjoy all the food his mommy and daddy gives.

Come Justin, give a funny face to uncle.

The Tangs.

One of the wine pairing wine is this 2005 blend from Rhone Valley.  It blends I think with GSM grapes.  So, when I saw it from the wine menu, without much thinking, I say go ahead with it.  The waiter explained that not many of his customer likes it.  So, I doubt and asked further.  Then he refine his answers… 1)  No complaint from Ang-moh so far on this bottle and the DOC white wine from Italy.  2) Out of 10 Singaporean customers, 7-8 will complaint the wine.  

They wanted to change the wine to Australian Shiraz and Cab Sav.  I said NO.  Bring me the Rhone Valley.

(Remember, I went to 10 days of wine class… see the pairing notes here…  http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2011/09/class-notes-science-art-business-of.html)

I advise him that he should keep this wine.  So, when he brought this wine here at the table (75ml).  We taste it, it smell great, and it goes very well with my lamb shank.  Then, the waiter see we like the wine so much, aiya, he bring the whole bottle and pour us more wine FOC.  hahahahahahahaha

I explained to him that The Rhone Valley is a blended red wine.  So, every few minutes or 10 minutes, the aroma and taste is different.  The longer it waits, the the good taste will come.  That is why many people likes the French blend.

So, I am guessing his previous "Singaporean" customers may not used to these French wine.  They probably will go for the Australian wine as it is smooth drinking and light, even though it is a Shiraz.

The waiter then pour me a big glass of Australian Shiraz, and I taste it, it is OK too, will be smooth.  And easy drinking for the "Singaporean".

The dessert wine is not bad too.  It is a German Riesling.  Very sweet and goes well with all dessert.

The Tengs.

The Lims.

Here comes the beef.

Wow… looks like a Marble 8/9 Wagyu.  You have to cook yourself from raw to well done.. hahaha I taste a piece.  It does not have the real meat taste.  I felt in love with real beef meat.  The Wagyu I found it too fat and lose the beef raw taste.  That is why I did not order this.  But my wife loves it.

See I told you… Justin is enjoying every single moment tonight.

This is what I ordered.  Too dark cannot see.  It is a Lamb Shank.  I am betting on this as I love Lamb Shank with no smell.

That is the big bone lamb leg.

The white powder is the Olive Powder.  I tasted the first bite, and confirm, NO SMELL.  I think they marinated it with herbs that got rid of most of the smell, and the stew it to very soft, and it is really nice.  I love it.

Ms.  Toh had the black pig.  She said it was nice.

The waiter scared that we don't have enough to eat.  So, he asked the chefs to cook two plate of pasta for us to try.  It is very nice mix of pasta.  Well done.  Spicy and crunchy from the dried shrimp.  And it is FOC. 

My Chocholate lava.  VERY NICE.  The warm and the cold mixed well.  Jay Jay eaten 80% of it.  hahahaha

Terry performed magic trick.

Mommy had a chocolate fudge cake.

Justin still happy at the end.

So, the restaurant service is tip top.  The waiter keep serving food and wine for us without charging more.  hahaha

The food itself mostly are good acceptable.  The dessert is nice.  The lamb shank is nice.  Every one likes it.

And me and my wife has decided to book the place for next week to taste other food, and for celebrating our 14th anniversary.

And where is KayKay?  He just sleep on this two chair for the whole 3.5 hours sessions.  hahahaha he was too tired.  hhahahaha

The Clan.