Ember: the smoldering remains of a fire.

Restaurant Ember
Hotel 1929
50 Keong Saik Road
Singapore 089154

em.ber
Pronunciation: 'em-b&r
Function: nounEtymology: Middle English eymere, from Old Norse eimyrja; akin to Old English [AE]merge ashes, Latin urere to burn

1. : a glowing fragment (as of coal) from a fire; especially : one smoldering in ashes
2. plural : the smoldering remains of a fire
3. plural : slowly dying or fading emotions, memories, ideas, or responses still capable of being revived.

Source: www.onlinedictionary.com

With all the raving reviews that it had received and the award of best new restaurant 2003, i was really really really excited about going to restaurant ember. Furthermore, the last time i tried to make a reservation on a saturday evening, it was fully booked and so we had to go somewhere else. So with all that hype, it had to be pretty good right?

Since it was our first time to restaurant ember, we elected to go with the Chef's Table, which is a 8 course menu ($75+++/person) that is planned by the chef on a daily basis. This is what we were served:

1. Soft Shell Crab with Wasabi Aioli
2. Beef Carpaccio
3. Parma Ham with Figs
4. Foie Gras served with peaches and a port reduction
5. Seafood Linguini
6. Lamb Loin
7. Chilean Sea Bass with Porcini Mushroom Ragout
8. Dessert Platter

Honestly, i don't know if i enjoyed dinner. Maybe my expectations were too high. I read a review online who claimed that Ember just might serve the best lamb loin in Singapore. Perhaps, perhaps? It was alright. My main gripe is that i don't feel that the food was hot enough, the only dish that was served hot was the Chilean Sea Bass, the rest of the dishes were bordering on lukewarm. Furthermore, i didn't feel particularly impressed by anything. The food wasn't bad, but i just don't think it was that good.

The dessert platter was interesting. Creatively interesting. They served a warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, banana tart with lavander ice cream, fig tart with thyme ice cream and lastly a apple strudel with cardamon ice cream. I was rather impressed at all the funky flavours, but, lavander ice cream just tastes strange. I looooooooove ice cream, but i thought i was eating aromatherapy. Thyme flavoured ice cream on the other hand was pleasant, the flavour was mild and gentle but yet interesting for the palate.

For me, Restaurant Ember is too much hype, and it no longer burns with flames.

p/s. Portions are small if you are a big eater. We considered swinging by MacDonalds on our way home.