It feels a little awkward for me to admit that the best tiramisu I ever had was at an African restaurant. Have I not been to enough Italian restaurants? Does nobody know how to make a good tiramisu? Do I have terrible taste? I bombard myself with these questions while I enjoy the wonder of the tiramizulu at Out of Africa.

Yes, it is real tiramisu - with Amarula and brandy; I think tiramisu without alcohol is a sham!

It's a tiny little portion, but delicious enough that the RM22 is worth it. Just the right balance of cake base and mascarpone cheese that makes everything light and fluffy; but it would all mean nothing if the cake base isn't soaked with Amarula (which gives a strong coffee-taste) and brandy (which gives caramelish sweetness and a woody aroma). Of course, the right amount of cocoa powder is important too, and they didn't fall short here either.

The final product is the initial creaminess, quickly followed by powdery chocolate texture and flavour, then the light cheese taste, followed by an intense burst of what tastes like caramel coffee with a strangely pleasant bitter aftertaste. It's that bitter aftertaste that makes you wanna dig in to counter with more sweetness - and that's the vicious delicious cycle.

*bows*

I like my beef lean, which makes rump meat a good choice for me. One of the leanest parts of the cow, and a relatively inexpensive cut. The problem with rump is that it's usually a little tough (but still juicy and wonderful), which is good for those who prefer their meat with a little bite. Personally, I don't prefer the relative toughness but the flavour and lower price makes it worth it.

At Out of Africa, they serve their rump as a kebab (but still ordered like a steak - with your choice of done-ness). I like mine medium-rare. It took me a little effort to eat (due to my problematic teeth), but the flavour of rump meat was so ruggedly meaty. Given the option of several sauces, I immediately jumped at the option of blue cheese sauce which I think is strong, yet the rump meat stood up against it very well.

Side dishes include wilted spinach, carrots, and mash. I loved the wilted spinach - it was so buttery and creamy, it almost didn't occur to me that I was eating green vegetables. So, so good.

The mash is smooth and dense, the way it should be. To me there's never a good excuse to mess up a mash - it's too simple and should always be done right (and they did).

Probably wouldn't be my prime choice if I wanted beef or steak, but nevertheless a good choice when location or price are among the factors influencing my destination for beef.

Veloute of butternut pumpkin is an interesting soup - probably not something that you would commonly find many other restaurants' menus, though I wouldn't think it to be something very unusual.

Velvety-smooth with sweet and nutty characters, the soup itself feels almost creamy in texture but not flavour. It's a little like pumpkin but weaker and sweeter. The seared fresh scallops play an important role in ensuring the soup doesn't feel just like a sauce with no purpose. I just love how the fresh scallops are just a little bit bouncy to the bite, yet quickly crumbles in flakiness.

A really good soup, but not quite cheap for a soup.

If you like carbonara (the American-style that we see everywhere, made with heavy cream), you will love boscaiola. I've not noticed this in any other place besides On The Table. It is basically like the (American-style) carbonara that we're familiar with, but I find it more like heavy gravy and not just a sauce, with lots and lots of mushrooms (gotta love mushrooms).

The taste is predominantly mushroomy, but also has a "secret" aromaticness that I cannot identify. It's so addictive that even though I generally am not a fan of carbonara, I could just keep eating the boscaoiola.

Come to think of it, I think I did see something similar like this but it wasn't listed as boscaiola on the menu. Where? That's a secret that will be revealed through my reviews (it could be past or future, so read them all!).

When I say "halal siew mai", what comes to mind? Traditional siew mai made with prawn and/or chicken instead of pork? Typically, most halal dim sum places would take that approach. How about abalone encased in a whole scallop and topped off with salmon roe?

That is the kind of halal siew mai you get at Celestial Court. None of that "replace pork with chicken/prawn" nonsense. Complete reinventions, new renditions, and completely new conceptions.

This rendition of siew mai was juicy, and tasted very fresh. It's very obvious that there was no compromise in the choice of ingredients.This squid ink seafood dumpling in "sea treasure broth" fits every definition of dim sum, however is completely unlike anything I've ever seen or eaten in other restaurants, halal or otherwise. It's also very juicy and fresh, and the seafood broth (at the bottom of the little cup) gives it an extra intense seafood-rich kick.They even have more "traditional" dishes, though not necessarily dim sum. I love the river prawn (sang har) fried with oats and curry leaves. Again, super fresh, and accentuated with earthy-nutty flavours (from the oats) and aroma (from the curry leaves, and I think butter).

I wouldn't say the meal is very cheap, but it's very good... however if you have a Starwood card like me, it's actually pretty well-priced