To The 2nd Floor Again!

One evening my brother and I made our way to 2nd Floor Kitchen & Bar@TTDI again. After the enjoyable brunch that we had on a weekend (and not knowing that the lunch and dinner menu is different), we had to return for the dinner menu.

We are both eager beavers when it come to food heh..heh... and we arrived early at the restaurant. The friendly server informed us that the kitchen will be opened at 6:00pm. So there was a 15 minute wait for us which we did not mind at all since it gave us more time to scrutinize the menu.

We took a table at the open area (like before) but I found the smoke coming from the adjacent table too overpowering and hence requested to be seated at the inner dining room.

The menu is not extensive which made it easy for us to pick our choices. I was of course very tempted to order the 2NDFLR Salad again, but I thought we'd give the other appetizers a chance.

After all, we were guilty of over ordering on our last 2 outings (which we do not consider a disaster hah..hah...) and were attempting to be more modest (if that were possible).

I suggested the Crab Beignet (based on Kris' experience) and for our second entree, my brother picked the Goose Foie Gras. Now, both of us have never had foie gras and naturally we were curious. 

Look at that. I had to refer to Kris' post to find out what that crispy meehoon-like coating is called. It's kataifi which is thin threads of phylo pastry. I am not sophisticated at all when it comes to this type of fine dining sort of food. 

The Crab Beignet was very crunchy and inside lay the moist and flavorful crab meat. Yes, I liked it and it would be great if there was a bottle on Lingham chili sauce on the table.

Hey!  This is fine dining territory, so no chili sauce please. The chili jam (which is equivalent to chili sauce) was too little for us and yes, fine palates must not be marred by too much sauce, yes?

You must be laughing at me right now. Fine dining? Is this fine dining? I have come to associate fine dining with big plates, small portions and big prices. That's how jakun I am. 

This next entree is exactly what I am talking about, I mean my perception of fine dining.

See what I mean? The Goose Foie Gras elicited giggles from us (that makes two jakuns) because we were amused by the portion size. Now, the moment of truth. What does foie gras taste like?

We split the foie gras (rosti and all) right down the middle. I cut a piece and put it in my mouth. It was buttery and immediately melted in my mouth. Then chomp went the other half and I still could not form an opinion. What I can say is that it is very rich (fatty) and that is why a small serving is appropriate.

My brother meanwhile, was still working on his half of the foie gras in deep concentration. Our conclusion is that foie gras is an acquired taste and this one experience is adequate for us. I may like my hati ayam but this is something else.

Moving on, we could not resist the Grilled Iberico Pork (finally!) and Seared Duck Breast. I would never ever order chicken breast but I know for a fact that duck breast is in a class of its own.

The much anticipated Iberico pork did not disappoint. It was beautifully grilled (though not as charred as the one Kris had) and my goodness, it was so so moist and tender. It was lip smackingly good and I would not hesitate to order this again.

The pork was served with some salad, roasted potatoes and horseradish which I initially mistook for mustard. Yes, it was very nice indeed eating the meat with horseradish which incidentally is a first for me. Needless to say, my brother and I won't be sharing this Grilled Iberico Pork should we find ourselves here again.

Next up, the Seared Duck Breast. Now, I enjoy duck breast but somehow I found this one a bit, how shall I put it, compact? I mean the meat was on the tough side but not dry. It was not tender as I expected.

But overall the flavors were good and we enjoyed the crispy-on-the-outside-and-soft-on-the-inside Rosti. 

Of course we had to have dessert. We chose the Vanilla & Strawberries and Passion Fruit & Coconut.

This Vanilla & Strawberries was our favorite among the two. It's vanilla panna cotta with strawberry compote and meringue. It was really lovely, the combination of the vanilla panna cotta and refreshing strawberries. The meringue contributed some crunch and texture.

The Passion Fruit & Coconut was a play on taste and textures. There's the creamy coconut anglaise, the cold ice-cream-like passionfruit mousse, spongy marshmallow and crunchy nut crumble. 

Well, that was an satisfying dinner. With the benefit of hindsight, we could have squeezed in the 2NDFLR Salad as the portion sizes here is smaller than what we are used to.

We'll be back (especially for the Iberico Pork oink oink!) to sample more of what 2nd Floor Kitchen & Bar has to offer.