21 On Rajah : Mediterranean Food And Communal Dining

Balestier has always been the place for bak kut teh, tar sar biah and your budget hotels but things are changing with the arrival of Days Hotel and the soon to be completed Ramada Hotel at Zhong Shan Park. I love the layout of the small park and there is you'll find 21 on Rajah, the hotel's restaurant.

The minimalistic - white and blue - decor of the restaurant is beautiful in its own simplicity. 21 on Rajah is a gem that serves up fantastic Mediterranean cuisine in the midst of our colourful Singapore dishes. I'll be frank with you, the seafood dishes are the highlight here along with excellent appetizers, ending off on a sweet, decadent note with their wonderful desserts. 

The appetizers fulfilled their role of whetting our appetites and made me even more excited for what's to come.
We had Crostini of Smoked Eel that was smoky and savoury, accompanied by the crunch of the crostini, made this a flavourful starter with enough texture for enjoyment. 

The Poêle of Duck Liver with Sweet Pear (first photo) made me very contented. The duck liver here had a much milder flavour compared to the renowned foie gras and simply melts in your mouth.  
Next up on the appetizer was a little amusing for me, it was Grilled Chicken Satay in Balinese Spices.  Now this is no normal satay. Tender, well seasoned and come paired with the ubiquitous smooth and creamy peanut sauce, this is authentic Balinese satay. Definitely an upmarket satay but the price is justified by its taste.

Lastly we had the Pawn and Bacon Roll. The tempura batter is prepared a la minute so as to ensure every bacon roll comes out of the fryer light and crisp. Good quality control equals quality products, there's no denying this.

Finishing the tantalizing appetizers, I was feeling ravenous about the mains already. The mains came simultaneously and tasting the Moroccan Harira with Chicken and Garbanzo Beans first, I was hit with a wave of aromatic Moroccan spice blend that was concocted by the chef himself. This will be easily accepted by Singaporeans because it reminded me strongly of something homely - curry. A little pity that the chicken was too tough though. 
The Jumbo Prawns with Dill and Saffron Paella touted as a signature dish didn't have a big impact on me. Decent, but not life changing is what I would say.
This little pot of Stewed Fillet of Danish Cold Water Halibut "Lisbon Style" has a long and fancy name but it's there for a reason - the Chef uses quality ingredients - and indeed produces quality dishes. The fish fillets were tender and sweet, very fresh and well cooked indeed.
This pot of Marseilles Seafood Bouillabaisse was the hightlight of the main dishes for me. In laymen terms, this is a pot of seafood stock but a really really delicious pot of seafood goodness it was. Besides the generous portions of seafood, the stock was packed full of the umami flavour from the seafood. A must order when you dine here! 
Now, we all have different stomachs especially when there comes a need to fit in desserts after a meal right? The desserts here were equally impressive as the appetizers and mains. We had a pot of Chocolate Fondue with a platter of goodies. You see the truffles in the centre? Yes I believe they're placed there for a reason and a good reason to be take centre stage too. They're to-die-for. So rich, creamy and chocolatey, it stole my heart.
In addition, we also had Pannetonne Bread and Butter Pudding with Dates that would make for a light and delicious dessert. 

And if you still have space, you can go for the Dark Chocolate Fondant with Raspberry Coulis. The gooey, flowy centre makes my heart skip a beat and is absolutely mouthwatering with the bed of vanilla custard, spoonful of raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream.

I'll go back for another night of dining in a heartbeat, so what are you waiting for?

21 On Rajah
Days Hotel Singapore on Zhongshan Park
1 Jalan Rajah
Singapore 329133
Tel: +65 6808 8847 
Opening Hours
Lunch: 12 – 2.30pm
Dinner: 6 – 10.30pm

1 comments:

Daniel's Food Diary said...

The food seems quite japalang. It's a Mediterranean cuisine restaurant... with Balinese satay? :p

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