islandhippy

Mum and Holly very kindly offered to look after Olive one evening so Sandy and I could go out for dinner. We didn't fancy travelling far so made a last-minute reservation at Graze in Rochester Park. The restaurant is housed in a converted black and white (the name for the mock Tudor colonial houses in Singapore) but the best tables are outside in the 5,000-square-foot garden. There's even a large white wall for playing movies in the open air.

The resident Australian chef cooks up some great contemporary Asian-influenced dishes. I started with a duck liver pate and wild mushroom risotto with triple brie, green pea and aged parmesan salad 'the best risotto I've had for a long time'. Sandy's entrée was soy lacquered salmon salad with green mango, Asian herbs, cherry tomato and an orange dressing with yoghurt sprinkled with crunchy toasted rice 'very nice and refreshing'. For mains, Sandy opted for osso bucco papadelle with wild mushrooms, onions, garden peas and creamed cooking juices with a crispy onion salad 'very earthy, too big!'. I chose crispy hand-rolled pork hock with spiced plum, cucumber, marinated bean shoot salad and a redcurrant chilli caramel 'delicious, crispy skin and succulent meat with a tangy sauce'. We decided both my dishes were the best but really all of the dishes were very well executed. I lingered over my risotto for so long that the main course dishes arrived as soon as the entrée was cleared, which was pretty annoying. For dessert we shared a huge bowl of sundae, deep fried bananas with a chunky fresh fruit syrup and chocolate ice cream 'I don't get it, why chocolate ice cream? A refreshing coconut ice cream would have been perfect'.

Overall the food was superb and the setting beautiful. We'll certainly be back ... perhaps for Sunday barbecue brunch, which sounds fun.

Graze
4 Rochester Park
Singapore 139215
Reservations: 6775 9000