Birthday Celebration at Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora, July 2016

Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora
Address: 8 Sentosa Gateway, S.E.A. Aquarium Level B1M, Singapore 098269
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am - 2.30pm (Last Order at 2.15pm), 6.00pm - 10.30pm (Last Order at 10pm)
Contact: +65 6577 6688
Email: dining@rwsentosa.com
Website: http://www.rwsentosa.com/Homepage/Restaurants/CelebrityChefs/OceanRestaurantbyCatCora

To get here
1) By car: Drive towards B1 West Car Park and follow the directions to the restaurant
2) From S.E.A. Aquarium: Entrance is on the left of Open Ocean Gallery

Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora Menu

OCEAN 6 Parts at SGD 168++

OCEAN 4 Parts at SGD 118++

We took the OCEAN 6 Parts menu as we would like to have more variety of food. As I'm allergic to lobster, I requested for a change and they swapped my third course with Crispy Skin Barramundi after consulting the chef. (By the way, I noticed that their menu has changed on the website. The new menu has more flexibility for each course.)

Table Setting

We were seated at the most left "front-row" table next to the Open Ocean. Our view was 'cut-off' on the left though. =/

Table next to us, with a better view, was not occupied yet

Empty tables at the back

Champagne for our dinner

Average bread and nice butter

There was only 2 types of bread to choose from. We took 1 type each as we really didn't want to stuff ourselves with carbo and not having enough stomach space for the courses later.


First Course

42°C Sous Vide Salmon (Salmon Tartare, Citrus Minestrone, Ikura, Fennel)

42°C Sous Vide Salmon

It tasted as expected from how it was presented. Salmon and ikura was fresh, nothing extraordinary to brag about. We rated this dish average.

Tiny cup of nice snack

Second Course

Smoked Eel (Sunchoke Textures, Duck Foie Gras Terrine)

Smoked Eel

Smoked Eel with Sunchoke Textures and Duck Foie Gras Terrine

Thankfully, the second course was a saving grace. The combination was well selected and tasty.


Third Course

Lobster Dumpling & Croquette (Coral Cream, Uni-mash, Carrots) for YH;
Crispy Skin Barramundi (Fermented Black Bean Paste, Sauteed Baby Vegetables, Pepper Salsa, Green Pepper Juice) for me

Lobster Dumpling & Croquette

YH enjoyed this dish very much. The lobster flesh was huge and delicious according to him.

Crispy Skin Barramundi

Living up to its name, the skin of the Barramundi was indeed crispy! I think it would be lovely if they use cod fish instead.

NOISY!

While we were dining halfway, a large group came in and threefold the noise level in the restaurant! A couple (in the picture above) even came next to our table to snap pictures for at least 5 minutes. They were not the only one! >.<  I really find it disturbing for this to happen in a fine dining restaurant. I wouldn't mind if it's just one or two pictures. But 5 minutes? Come on, if you wish to take so many pictures, perhaps you should go to the S.E.A. Aquarium? *Don't block my view* 

Fourth Course

Beef Wagyu Striploin MS6 (Parmesan Mash, Mushroom Duxcelle, Smoked Onion Puree, Cep 'Soil')

Beef Wagyu Striploin MS6

After dining at Pollen and recently crowned Michelin 3-Star Joël Robuchon, my taste bud for beef has been terribly spoilt. Despite that, I would say this medium-rare beef wagyu striploin was pretty good! The beef by itself was decent, mixing it up with the other ingredients resulted in a better taste.

Another one..

One of the female staff was very warm and friendly. She offered to help us take a picture with the marine creatures and she took quite a few shots too - because I said I want a pictures with stingrays. =D


Fifth Course

Citrus Refresh (Limoncino Mousseline, Lemongrass Milk Espuma, Mascarpone Lime Sorbet)

Citrus Refresh

I guess the Citrus Refresh served as a palette cleanser? Quite a decent refresher I would say.


Sixth Course

Green & Red (Pistachio French Toast, Textures of Strawberry, Balsamic & Strawberry Sorbet)

Green & Red

Honestly, I think that french toast was too heavy to finish off the meal as a dessert. =/ I could not finish this plate of Green & Red. Taste wise, it's alright. BF finished his though.


Birthday Cake

Yay, I got my birthday cake this year!! Happy Birthday to me!! Another year older, another year wiser? I hope so. My perception really does change along the years and thankfully in a better way. I grew to be less sensitive towards negativity, contribute to the society (donations + taxes) and learn to know who are the true friends around me. Especially those who remembers my birthday by memory. Thank you! Last but not least, my family! <3

Thank you for the cake, Ocean Restaurant!

Making the same wishes every year

By the way, I had salad / less-carbo meals for one whole week before this day so that I can look better in the dress. Verdict? Don't do it. I weighed the same and 'suffered' for nothing. JUST EAT AND BE HAPPY. Exercise too!

Entrance from S.E.A. Aquarium

Peeped into S.E.A. Aquarium Open Ocean Gallery

There is something about the rays that kept my eyes occupied for quite a while during the meal. They calmed my nerves and somehow has a little hypnotizing effect. I wish I could have them in my house! Before I got slammed by netizens, NO I wouldn't do that. They deserve to roam freely in the real ocean. This tank is definitely not big enough. =(

Mesmerizing

Oh hello!

Entrance from Car Park

Thank you for my birthday planning. From River Safari in the day to dining at Ocean Restaurant in the night, I must say it was a very ocean-blue day with all the marine animals!

As for Ocean Restaurant, I would say that it has an interesting concept with incredible view of the sea creatures. Service was up to standard. However, in terms of fine-dining, food was average and the ambience was disrupted by the large group. The moment the large group came in, it felt more like Din Tai Fung / Putien than a fine-dining restaurant. Don't get me wrong, I love and frequent both Din Tai Fung and Putien. My view is, if the price is 10-20x higher than the usual restaurants, the expectation will be at least 10-20x higher too.

For those who are eager to try, I would suggest you to go during lunch time as their lunch menu is cheaper. Don't expect too much on the food. Go for the experience.

Joël Robuchon Restaurant

*OLD/Expired* TIP: To get SGD 50 'off' your bill at Resort World Sentosa star and celebrity chef restaurants (Feng Shui Inn, Forest森, Joël Robuchon Restaurant, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora, Osia, Starz Restaurant, Syun and Tangerine), apply for a 'RWS Invites Silver Membership' at SGD 150 and pick RWS Dining Vouchers as your welcome package. You can simply apply it before your meal at the RWS Invites counter just in front of Hershey's, next to USS entrance. The RWS Dining Vouchers are worth $200 (10 x $20 Voucher) and you can use them all at one go. Furthermore, you can earn up to 20% rebate on dining which you could use to exchange for complimentary parking with 1.50 INVITES$. You are welcome. (Not sure if this is still valid)

Joël Robuchon Restaurant

Address: Level 1, Hotel Michael (Resorts World Sentosa), 8 Sentosa Gateway, 098269

Contact:  +65 6577 7888 or +65 6577 6688

Opening Hours: Sat - Lunch:12pm-2.30pm; Tue-Sat - Dinner: 6pm-10.30pm; Closed on Sun and Mon (except Public Holiday)

Email: Robuchon@RWSentosa.com or dining@rwsentosa.com

Website: http://www.rwsentosa.com/Homepage/Restaurants/CelebrityChefs/Jo%C3%ABlRobuchonRestaurant

Upon arrival, we received warm welcome at the lobby and was quickly ushered to our table at the corner nearest to the entrance of Joël Robuchon Restaurant (fine dining) on the right of the lobby, whereas L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (casual dining) is on the left. My first impression of the restaurant interior was 'WOW!'. Our table has a strategic location where we could see the entire view of our section and we love our couch! The spacing between tables is far enough that you would not be able to "eavesdrop" properly, unless that person is a loudhailer. Nobody can miss the chandelier hanging gracefully in the middle of the restaurant. 

There was a major difference between our menu - mine has no price. This is the second restaurant we have been to with no pricing on the lady's menu; we are unable to recall which was the first. 老了... As a result, I picked what I would really like to have without factoring the price. Indeed, a few of my choices have to add $$ on top of the set price. Oops. The white wine (Condrieu 2010) I picked actually costs $46++ each. I would strongly oppose that if I knew the price.... OUCH!

My menu with no indication of $$

Our gastronomic experience began with a friendly waiter pushing over a trolley of breads and started slicing butter in front of our table. 

He posed for my picture and said he wanted a copy too. Here you go~

Butter and Sea Salt

10 different types of really GOOD breads!

We ate 8 of those delicious breads which we kinda regretted as they took up quite a portion of space in our stomachs. But but, it's a sin not to eat.. FIRST WORLD PROBLEM

Chef's Surprise (Something fried potato, couldn't remember... It tasted alright.)

L’Amuse-bouche (Fruit juice sorta feel; the pistachio added a different taste)

Appetizers

For our set menu, we were allowed to select 2 different appetizers from either of the hot/cold appetizers menu. Both of us selected Le King Crabe from the cold menu, BF picked his second appetizer Le Haricot Vert from the same cold appetizers menu and I chose L’Œuf de Poule from the hot appetizers menu.

Le King Crabe en cannelloni à l’avocat aux saveurs d’agrumes

King crab and avocado cannelloni, citrus and vanilla condiment

Le King Crabe en cannelloni à l’avocat aux saveurs d’agrumes was excellent. Imagine a whole chunk of king crab meat wrapped in avocado! The king crab flesh tasted truly sweet and fresh. 

Le Haricot Vert en duo mêlé de parmesan aux copeaux de foie gras

Green bean with foie gras and parmesan cheese shavings

Le Haricot Vert en duo mêlé de parmesan aux copeaux de foie gras, another cold appetizer that my boyfriend is very fond of. Notice a few lime green strips 'drawn' on the plate? They are made of wasabi which added a unique flavour to the dish.

L’Œuf de Poule mollet et friand au caviar Imperial et au saumon fumé (Suppl.$30)

Crispy soft boiled egg with salmon and imperial caviar (Suppl.$30)

Unknown to the fact that $30++ has to be added to the bill, I ordered L’Œuf de Poule mollet et friand au caviar Imperial et au saumon fumé innocently. Oh boy, I love the CAVIER!!! The best part of this hot appetizer is undeniably the caviar. Soft boiled egg was hidden in the 'nest', which glorified the aesthetic of the dish when the egg yolk oozed out. I would make the same choice even if I am footing the bill.


Mains

I had a strong debate in my mind to decide between ordering the Black Cod or Wagyu Beef from Kagoshima. As he already picked the Black Cod, I chose the latter in medium rare. I did not expect much from the beef as none of the beef I tasted could surpass or meet the standard of the experience I had at Pollen on my birthday in 2014.

Le Bœuf “Kagoshima” grillé macaroni “Candele” fine farce aux morilles mitonnées et copeaux de parmesan (Suppl.$45)

Grilled Wagyu beef, Candele macaroni pasta with morels and parmesan shavings (Suppl.$45)

After I took the first bite, I fell in love with it immediately, to the point that I nearly teared. Finally something worth mentioning after almost 2 years! The Wagyu Beef was terrifically tender and juicy! What a divine delicacy on earth! On the contrary, the sides did not shine as bright. I did not really fancy the macaroni pasta. Nevertheless, this dish was still the star of the night. Credits to the remarkably well cooked beef and the chef of course. The beef has highly exceeded my expectation. Woohoo! =D

Le Black Cod caramélisé et relevé d’un jus perlé au poivre noir de ″Malabar ″ et pak choy

Caramelized black cod with bok choy and Malabar black pepper sauce

The Black Cod was awesome. It was so fresh that minimal effort was needed to slice the fish. The only downside was the slightly-too-salty sauce, but it was easily 'resolved' by dipping less sauce on the fish. I would be happy if I picked this as my main too.

Le Signature Joël Robuchon's Mashed Potato

Yippie! We got to try the signature mashed potato that Joël Robuchon was well-known for, one each. Indeed, the mashed potato lived up to its fame - smooth with a fragrant buttery after-taste! 

Palate cleanser

Coconut or passion fruit sorbet? We both presumed that we could only choose one, I was leaning towards the passion fruit sorbet. The waitress politely advised that we could have both flavours, so why not? =) We shared the same sentiment that the coconut sorbet tasted better in comparison with the passion fruit sorbet.

Desserts

Desserts Menu

La waitress recommended the second and third desserts on the menu. We took her recommendations and ordered both. Le Parfum Des Iles for me and Les Herbes for him.

Le Parfum Des Iles onctuosité aux fruist de la passion, granité au rhum ambré et à la noix de coco (Smooth passion fruit, amber rum granite, light coconut foam)

As I am not a fan of rum, the rum tasted too strong for my liking. I would prefer Les Herbes over Le Parfum Des Iles.

Les Herbes au sabayon à la chartreuse verte, ananas à la vanille de Tahiti (Fresh herbs and chartreuse verte sabayon, pineapple flavored with Tahitian vanilla)

Les Herbes may look simple yet it tasted great if you scoop deeper and devour all the ingredients together. By this point, we were 100% full. We would gladly end our dinner here.


Tea

Camomile Tea

Restaurant at full capacity

Delicious cake made up of sorbet

Gold flake!

Rahhh even the cake was delicious! We got 2 slices out of the cake and wondered what happened to the rest of the cake. Do they throw it away or give it to their staff? Hmmm. I hope they won't waste the cake! I would gladly bring it home!


Desserts Part 2

Oh my god. Another trolley came to our table. This time round it was filled with a great variety of delectable desserts! Shoot me please. I had been aiming for the mille-feuille since I saw the trolley appearing on other tables earlier on. But the dessert compartment in my stomach could hardly tank any more food. ='(

Dessert Trolley

Mille-feuille

Mmmmmmmmm so YUMMEH! A pity I could not fully appreciate the mille-feuille as I was too full. I must say that this mille-feuille was incredible.

Coffee puff

As I couldn't take coffee, I did not try this puff. He took this and rated it average. He selected mixed fruit at first but changed his mind to take the coffee puff instead as it looks cute. Lol.


Desserts Part 3

Just as we thought that we have finished our meal and even asked for the bill, ANOTHER TROLLEY CAME. Bet the waitress saw the stunned look on our face and reassured us that this would be the last. Haha! We could pick whatever we want from the trolley!

My selection - Coconut Chocolate Truffle, Lemon Tart and Raspberry Macaron

Coconut chocolate truffle was mehhhh, probably because I am not a big fan of coconut-chocolate mix. Lemon tart was good. Ohhh the macaron was flawless! The softness and easy-to-bite-through-ness of the raspberry macaron proved that the chef has perfected the recipe. Moreover, it was not as sweet as how the usual macarons tasted in other bakeries. <3

Now, I am proud of myself 'overbooking' (or overloading) my stomach to above 100% of its capacity. All the calories were SO WORTH IT.


We were given a gift takeaway at the lobby before we leave. It's a black sesame brioche baked in-house on the day and it expires the next day! No preservative was added! Undoubtedly, it was superb.

We spent a good ~3.5hr immersing ourselves in a marvellous fine dining experience at Joël Robuchon Restaurant. I have to say this is one of the best restaurant I have ever been to, so far, with fabulous food and top notch service standards.