Entree Kibbles: DB Bistro Moderne (Daniel Boulud) @ Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

DB Bistro Moderne

@ Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

I am not a person who enjoys fine dining.

At least for this very moment of my life, it's mission impossible to see me in a restaurant that requires me to pay more than ~~S$50~~ (after thinking for a while) S$100 a person and observe mealtime decorum that makes eating real painful.

The number of stars given by the reputable Michelin guide is not a valid consideration when food, to me, is only meant to fill my stomach as a basic need. There's only so much i will pay in order to have food that more than satisfy my not-very-picky palate.

When Mr Kon suggested the celebrity restaurant by Daniel Boulud (who earns three Michelin stars for his establishment in New York) in Marina Bay Sands for our Christmas dinner, i was hesitant.

Korny, knowing my disdain for incredibly expensive food, suggested paying for this French-American meal while emphasising that the prices are actually not that exorbitant!

Given my zero knowledge on French and i presume the same goes for most of you; i will give a general translation of what i thought we had in DB Bistro Moderne.

Cavin's Term: Hams

Official Term: Assiette Lyonnaise

Essentially an appetiser with hams, something called terrines (jellied meat loaves) and a plate of warm French country bread.

Terrines were something i have never had before; high quality house-made luncheon meat that was slightly more saltish.

My bad for not being able to truly appreciate this dish.

Cavin's Term: Foie Gras

Official Term: Foie Gras Terrine

Sighz... I am breaking my own promise (please read here)!

This large piece of Foie Gras wasn't very impressive (it's still full of buttery fats though) as i prefer pan-fried foie gras which has a very distinctive and addictive taste.

The accompanying bread; brioche, was another story altogether.

Unlike normal plain bread, this gently toasted bread had a rich buttery content that made it even as delicious without any spread.

Cavin's Term: Seafood Stew

Official Term: John Dory Bouillabaisse

Originating from the French city of Marseille, i found that this plate of fish stew (supposedly) had an overbearing seafood taste that covered every ingredient due to the strong tasting mussels!

By itself, the mussel was plump and super delicious! The whole combination, however, was just not as outstanding.

Cavin's Term: Chicken Stew

Official Term: Coq Au Vin

My suspicion told me this looked exactly like the black soy sauce chicken stew my mom whipped up a few months ago. But this is French-American cuisine!

Of course the taste was not the same.

Wine was added, resulting in a sourish flavour that was both smooth and palatable. The submerged mushrooms in all that dark gravy were also comfort food for mushroom lovers like me. Given two options, my vote would unfortunately still go to my mom's sweet yet flavourful chicken stew.

Spetzle, a bowl of odd looking flour lumps (and tasted like that), was given with the chicken stew.

Cavin's Term: DB Burger

Official Term: DB Burger

A burger that was the deciding factor to dine at DB bistro, this was basically (according to the website) "a Sirloin burger filled with braised short ribs and foie gras on a Parmesan bun".

Cut nicely into four separate pieces, each was a difficult mouthful of delicious juiciness!

While the thick medium-cooked patty was a marvelous piece of art, the tiny portion of foie gras in the middle gave at most a fleeting, almost unnoticeable moment for my taste buds!

Cavin's Term: Chocolate Souffle

Official Term: Cladoutis Tout Chocolat

Authentic chocolate lovers will love this for the chocolatey bitterness i totally dislike! Life's already bitter enough for goodness sake!!! The vanilla ice cream on the side, however, was a total contrast to the souffle; a strong vanilla fragrance that was the best i have experienced!

I was anticipating hot chocolate flowing straight out of the cake with a slight poke of my fork but i took such a long time to take pictures; the chocolate had solidified slightly.

Cavin's Term: Ji Dan Gao

Official Term: Warm Madeleines

Given a reason to patronise DB bistro again, it would have to be their madeleines.

These shell-like pastries had a slightly crisp bite and were impossibly light tasting with a touch of zesty lemon.

By the time this last item arrived on our table, my stomach was at the point of bursting. That said, my right hand just could not resist taking one after another of these tiny cakes (numbering a total of 20) and popping them into my mouth!