"The Foodielicious World" moved to calvintimo.com, Food Tasting Session: TAB, Orchard Hotel, Singapore

Food Tasting Session: TAB, Orchard Hotel, Singapore

Enjoy Musical Performances with a Gastronomical Delight

Where else can you enjoy a mini concert, seated comfortably with food and drinks to indulge at the same time? You will definitely not find it at the Esplanade or the Indoor Stadium. A new kid on the block in the local nightlife scene, TAB opens at Orchard Hotel with live-music performances with focus on original music across all genres.

Being the first of its kind in Singapore and probably South East Asia, TAB is a place where you can experience live music over good food and drinks. It is a perfect concert experience to have great company over fantastic cocktails and a burger.

Tired of the crowd and queuing up to get into the concert venue? At TAB, about 200 to 250 guests can be seated comfortably or has a maximum standing capacity of 600 guests.

Occupying over three levels of the old Orchard Hotel Galleria, TAB showcases the talents of local and foreign artists alike in a warm, relaxing and up-close setting. It offers a platform to develop up-and-coming local and international artists to showcase their original compositions.

On the second floor of the concert hall lies a cosy lounge area with a bar. This is a private area where guests can chill with the sounds of the concert yet having a good conversation with friends.

There are three full-service bars and a kitchen providing a full selection of food and drinks to allow guests to have a unique concert experience at TAB. At the launch of their full scale menu, TAB aims to be a destination where gastropub classics merge with contemporary American staples.

Pub Grub

Fried Whitebait ($13) - seasoned whitebait deep fried and accompanied by citrus mayo

It is coated with batter gives it a pleasing crunchy texture. Along with the citrus mayo, it complements very well with the lightly battered whitebait by adding in flavour.

Fried Calamari ($12) - Spice-coated squid rings served with citrus mayo

A favourite finger food among many pubs and bars, this fried calamari has a little tangy spice on the batter. It’s a perfect snack to go along with your drinks.

Buffalo Wings ($12) - Crispy deep fried chicken wings with a coat of fiery cayenne pepper sauce

The generous coating of fiery cayenne pepper sauce sure added in a mild spicy kick to the chicken wings. Although the wings were slightly soggy due to the sauce, it remained juicy and tasty.

Cinnamon Sugar Cheese Tortilla ($10) - Cheese-baked tortilla with sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon

This will never fail to excite when you put cinnamon and cheese together with the sweet and salty taste alternating around your palate. Simple yet delightful, this is one appetizer you must try if you’re a cheese lover.

Mains

TAB Burger ($16) - Our very own burger topped with cheddar cheese, cornichons and caramelised onions, with salad and homemade fries on the side

Also known as the R&D burger among TAB’s staffs, lots of effort has been put in come out with this perfect creation. They are very careful with the beef patty to ensure very precise amount of ingredients is used to prepare it.

The beef patty is nicely seasoned with the right amount of herbs and spices to give a mouth watering sensation. The texture of the patty was soft and succulent to the bite. This is an awesome burger and it’s totally superb. I can’t wait to come back again for this burger.

Made using russet potatoes, their homemade fries has a light, unique sweetness. Beneath its crispy outer layer you can taste the tender potato. When dipped with tangy Thai sweet chilli sauce, I would say that it’s a brilliant east-meets-west combination.

Fish & Chips ($16) - Beer-battered Dory fillet with homemade fries and a curry mayo

The crunchy beer-battered dory fillet is something you can’t miss over at TAB. Using Negra Modela beer, it gives the fillet a perfect golden and crispy surface.

Excellent and perfect to the bite, their in-house curry mayo sauce makes it even better with a little spicy and sweet aftertaste.

Chicken Parmigiana ($18) - Breaded chicken breast oven-baked with a topping of marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, with mashed potato and sauteed vegetables.

This is quite a familiar dish and looks like the chicken katsu the Japanese have. The specialty of this breaded chicken breast is the marinara sauce and mozzerella cheese on it, giving it an Italian touch. The combination went pretty well with a little sour and salty taste.

Seafood Marinara Pasta ($20) - Seasonal seafood with pasta in marinara sauce. Choice of linguine, angel hair and spaghetti.

When it was first served on the table, the huge scallops and mussels caught my immediate attention. The seafood on the pasta were fresh and the chunky marinara sauce carries a light spiciness which complements the seafood very well. The only disappointment is that the linguine were a little tough to the bite.

Cocktails

Caipirinha De Maracuja ($18) – Passion Fruit Cairinha - Inspired by the cult from the film ‘City of God; A twist on the classic caipirinha with fresh limes and golden-ripe passion fruit.

This drink is very refreshing with a very strong citrus taste. It’s pretty good to chill and enjoy the little sacs from the passion fruit in every sip.

Hansel & Gretel ($18) - Inspired by the black forest fairy tale featuring two lost kids with a sweet tooth. This union of fruits, jam, cream and vodka takes the cake.

Bittersweet with a hint of chocolate and fruits, this drink is for those who love something sweet yet strong.

Charlie Brown ($18) - The perennial underdog and loser finally gets a fitting tribute - smooth peanut butter and vanilla, spiked with vodka.

I have to admit that I have a sweet tooth and this is my favourite cocktail out of all. I can’t resist the chunky almond chocolate stick which reminds me of my favourite snack when I was young.

First Wives’ Club - What would the planation of tai-tais of the slave trade era drink if they had their afternoon soirees while their husbands were out gallivanting? This lovely blend of bourbon, mangoes and rose of course.

Don’t be fooled by its bright orange colour. This drink has a strong after taste of alcohol.

With so many great finger food, mains, cocktails and great music at TAB, what are you waiting for? Head down to support your favourite artists and be spoiled for choices over the many items of food to choose from on their menu.

Here are some scenes from the past acts which had performed at TAB.