Délicieux Food @ Hippopotamus Restaurant Grill

Hi Huneybees,

On Tuesday, I was invited to Hippopotamus Restaurant Grill for a food tasting session. I've always walked past the restaurant and finally that day I got to give it a try.

From the looks of it, you would never notice that this is a French based restaurant, but not looking back at this lighter Hippo, it does reminds me a little of Moulin Rouge. Hippopotamus Restaurant Grill was created in Paris in 1968 and has gained strong reputation, especially in the Paris region.

It has always been the go-to place for meat lovers looking for quality steaks at reasonable prices and a great dining ambience with mouth-watering core menu items such as Prime Ribs, Heart of Sirloin, Hanger and Beef Skewer.

Once settled down, I was already served complimentary home-made chips. The chips are so crispy and addictive that you would want to get second helping! I also ordered a Shirley Temple to drink. Come on! It's Tuesday! Celebrate that the blues was gone right?

There's also a promotion for happy hour when you order drinks. There will be free calamari and I must say that's the best I've had so far.

The purpose of  this food tasting session was held to introduce Hippopotamus's new additions in their menu in Singapore - Cod Fish, Grilled King Prawns, Rack of Lamb!

The Codfish ($36.90) and Grilled King Prawn ($22.90) are very fresh, it's as though you just caught them off the Atlantic Ocean. I would recommend eating them with a dash of lemon as you would want to taste its original freshness and slight marination.

The Rack of Lamb ($36.90) was cooked to the right tenderness and it's so easy to cut the meat up. It's so juicy and goes well with the sides (French Fries, Potato Gratin, Green Beans, Baked Potato, Ratatouille and Steamed Vegtables) and sauces given.

The sides.

The sauces - Barbeque, Bearnaise, Homemade Thai Chilli, Stewed Shallot, Pepper, Roquefort Cheese.

Other than that, we also got to try some of the popular hot sellers at the restaurant.

Starters

The French Onion Soup ($8.90) is a must try. I do not eat onion, but this soup is simply too hard to resist. Crowned with melted cheese bread on top and abundance of onions below, the soup is delectably sweet.

If you are going for a healthier choice, try the Hot Goat Cheese Salad ($9.90) or the Caesar Salad ($8.90). The Hot Goat Cheese Salad is served with goat cheese slathered in a slice of crisp toast, topped with herbs from Provence and olive oil.

As for the Caesar Salad, it is done in classic Hippo fashion, adorned with chicken, parmesan and that is still my favourite salad of all time!

Or, if you are as adventurous as me, you must try the Bone Marrow ($11.90) and Escargots ($16.90). They are both popular french dishes and I guarantee you will not regret having it! I literally sipped the escargots dry, down to its sauce!

Main Courses

The Beef Skewer ($21.90) is my top favourite! You get to try all types of beef (Sirloin, Rump, Skirt and Hanger) and the presentation is simply so fun to look at. I'm not a fan of the dripping blood but the seriously, once you get the beef melting in your mouth, you will be wanting more like a vampire! =X

You could also choose to have a bigger portion of the steak like the Sirloin Steak N.Z. ($22.90) above.

For the non-beef eaters, there's also pork. Taste the Hippo's slow-grilled U.S. Pork Chop ($19.90) that is crisp on the outside and juicy tender meat in the inside or the BBQ Ribs ($19.90), a large portion of luscious pork spare ribs served with barbecue sauce.

The Grilled Game Hen ($21.90) was a cute sight to see chicken being served this way. But that aside, this U.S. imported Cornish Game Hen is nothing I've tasted before. It's so tender and juicy, I just can't stop eating. Trust me ladies, it's so easy to cut through it, you will want to want a white dress for it. =)

Desserts

Do not, I repeat DO NOT leave Hippo without having the desserts. There is not a huge selection, but this few are just enough to make you run the extra runs. 

Every one of these desserts are my favourite. It's simply too hard to choose. Above, I had the Chocolate Mousse ($7.90). It might look like chocolate ice cream, but it's really not very sweet and I love how the mousse simply melts in your mouth and below is every girls' favourite - Creme Brulee ($7.90). It is a classic beauty with silky smooth cream underneath the thin top layer of caramelised brown sugar. Cracking through the torched golden caramel crust is extremely satisfying. 

The next 2 dessert was a top favourite amongst us. Who doesn't love a load of chocolate right? Get the feel of hot and cold with a dish of Warm Chocolate Cake ($11.90) as well as a tangy twist Roasted Pineapple ($7.90). What's good is that the ice cream do not melt fast, so that it doesn't come as a mash by the time the dish reaches your table!

By the end of the meal, I am so satisfied that I have to refrain from licking the plate! 

You should definitely check out Hippopotamus Restaurant Grill and you will know what I mean...

Hippopotamus Restaurant Grill
Marina Square
6 Raffles Boulevard #01-204/205
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 6338 5352

Opening hours: 11am – 10pm daily

Prices listed are subjected to Service Charge and GST Tax.

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[Movie Review] Pixar's BRAVE - The Bravery of a Scotland Princess

Hi Huneybees,

Pixar's BRAVE opened in Singapore cinemas on 8th August and I had the honours of catching it weeks before it's officially opened to public thanks to Nuffnang and Disney.

The Story - Merida (voice of Kelly MacDonald) is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

Directed by Mark Andrews (The Incredibles, Ratatouille, John Carter) and Brenda Chapman (The Lion King, Prince of Egypt), and produced by Katherine Sarafian (Lifted, The Incredibles).

"A grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and signature Pixar humor, “Brave” uncovers a new tale in the mysterious Highlands of Scotland where the impetuous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) defies an age-old custom and inadvertently unleashes chaos, forcing her to discover the meaning of true bravery before it’s too late.”

It is really rare to see an animation so strong on Scottish traditions and so educational. Being in the cinema for that couple of hours was as though I had travelled back in time to ancient Scotland. Moreover, the tour we had before the movie was fun and made me wana run back to my school's military band to play on that flute and piccolo....

During festivities, the whole clan gathers to play games, play on bagpipes and of course gorge on great food. The men wore kilts, that are tartan printed "skirts". They wore that even to war! The pouch on the front, not only acts as a pocket, but also as a protection for the private areas....

The bagpipe is an instrument that plays pretty loud and high octave notes. Air has to be "pumped" into the bag and constant fingering and releasing of air from the bagpipe creates the great music. It works pretty much like a clarinet with a vibrating reed to produce sound. But note, it's a pretty heavy instrument....

Games like Tug-Of-War, arrow shooting, hunting, etc, are common during the festive and the whole village of people are as happy and excited as we were that day. More of this scene can be found in the movie.

 

I used my M.A.C. Tartan printed blusher that day to get in the mood and of course, got myself a kilt (borrowed lah).

Arrow shooting can't be done there, imagine how dangerous it can be. But then again technology is here to save the day!

Of course, me and hubby turned red heads to enter the photo booth for this great moment...

With great friends, time passes super fast and it was time for us to catch the movie.

Caught the movie in 3D with Hubby Dearest...

My take on the movie:

Pixar's animation has always been a breakthrough and when I saw the trailers in the cinemas with Merida's soft, red, curly hair, I was already sold. Being an animator myself, details are what catches my attention. 

Eversince "Once Upon A Time", Disney princesses have had a rough time with the women who run their lives, usually a stepmother. However, one big difference in this movie: the woman who makes the heroine’s life miserable is not her stepmother but her own mom.

Let the wisps lead you there...

This time, together with a female input - Brenda Chapman (Director), not only was the story a huge twist in the middle, the creative tug-of-war between a male and a female director was as though they were doing a Tango in the movie.Not only were there brawny highlands humor - fighting, carousing, spit takes, there was also the primal bonding of a mother and daughter, that touched alot of our hearts and I was caught tearing up in a few scenes.

Moral of the story? Someone we think is a beast may love us to pieces, that teen rebellion can have dreadful consequences and that, sometimes, even a Scots mother can have a Brave heart. 

It's a movie suitable for everyone in the family and trust me, after the movie, you will learn to treasure your mum's nagging even more...

I give the movie 4.5 popcorns out of 5!

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