Labelled as the chic, elegant bistro-dining place essential for ladies (or Tai Tais) to meet, the Marmalade Group opens its 3rd branch (after Palais Renaissance & Hitachi Tower) of Marmalade Pantry at Holland Village.
Located right next to Aburiya along Lorong Liput, this outlet features the same modern interior design (in white furnishing this time) as the rest of the other two outlets.
We were there for their dessert after our brunch and we promptly decided on the Chocolate Deluxe Cupcake and Cherry Crumble Tart.
As I wanted something sweet and chocolaty that day, the cupcake certainly lives up to its tag of “The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake”. However, perhaps it is an inexperienced me eating a cupcake for the first time, but I do find the cupcake slightly hard – perhaps someone can educate me on it’s supposedly texture.
The Cherry Crumble Tart however is a fine piece of art. Full of cherry flavour and soft in its texture, the taste did not come off to sweet either.
Service was prompt and staff were pretty friendly, but it does comes off a bit noisy to be called a perfect Sunday brunch experience.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Nestled in the midst of Holland Village, Foster – The English Rose Café is the place you would love to spend a lazy afternoon having a heart-to-heart talk with your friends over a cup of piping hot tea. Served from 3pm to 6pm daily, they are famous for its Devonshire Cream Tea that consisted of its signature oven hot Scones, coupled with cake and finger sandwiches and a choice of coffee or tea of your choice.
The good vibe about it lies in the Butter, Homemade Strawberry Preserve and Fresh Cream spread for the scones. Sinful yet delightful, I love the fresh cream with the scones best. The décor and ambience of the place also gets top marks from me, as the old English cottage-styled setting charms one.
But with the pros comes the minuses –the Fruitcake and Sandwiches that come with the set are simply laughable. The cake is similar to those night snack rations the army dishes out and the sandwiches are plain tuna and cheese between two pieces of dry bread.
Where we were seated, the air was also stuffy to the extent warm, and we suspected that they are tight-fisted on their electric bills. Level of service was also found wanting as the waitress did not seem to enthusiastic to serve us.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
For those who craved for the once popular A&W Fried Chicken and it’s nostalgic fixed-stool-table, you can look no further than Waffletown at Balmoral Plaza. This old school American diner charm was once located at the basement of Bukit Timah Plaza and has since assembled a loyal following.
We were there on a Saturday afternoon and the outlet was fully packed with families and students. We ordered a 2 Piece Chicken Meal, coupled with Mash Potato and Coleslaw. Visually, the set did not look appetising at all in its presentation. But after sinking my teeth into the meat, it sets to dispel the notion that the dish is poorly executed. Its no frills approach ensure that the experience you get is one of “homely” feeling and not that of the commercialise KFC. I personally also like the coleslaw, which is not finely chopped – ensuring that every bite comes with a crunch of the cabbage.
However, the mash potato left much to be desired – it is made from powdered mix that does not give one the full-bodied experience of a potato. And if you wondered why we shared a 2-piece set, it is because as the name suggest, they also specialise in Waffles. I have to commend that this is the best waffle that I have tasted for a very long time.
It was freshly made, dished up hot and crisp, served with the opted Vanilla Ice Cream, Whip Cream and Blueberry Puree. The blueberry topping was very well executed – intense in flavour yet not too sweet. Like every wonderful finale to a dining experience, we left the place with a huge smirk on our face - Hmmmmmmm……
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Being located in District 9 but nestled on a hill away from Orchard Road nearby gives Wild Rocket the advantage of being accessible yet far away from it all. But most importantly, Wild Rocket serves what Will and his friends like to eat - basic, fuss-free cooking – simple good food with the best ingredients possible. The meal was kick-started with the complementary bread. Despite being served warm, I felt that the serving was pathetic, and also the lack of Balsamic Vinaigrette to the olive oil dip, disappointing.
I opted for the Salmon Carpaccio with Wasabi Sauce & Ebiko for my starter and I was impressed – the fish was lovely sliced into thin sheets and goes well with the Mayonnaises Sauce, but what I found absent was the lack of wasabi flavour which was pretty much non-existence in this dish.
Having heard so much about it, I naturally choose its signature Wild Rocket Burger with Sun-Dried Tomato Relish as my main dish and boy was I sold. The Beef Patty was excellent – nicely mashed and chopped up, the texture was just right and what’s more it was enormous! Moreover, the sun-dried tomato relish complemented perfectly with the beef – producing a harmonise flavour of salty, sweet and sour all in one bite.
For dessert, I selected the Vanilla Ice Cream with Roasted Black Sesame Sauce – highly recommended by one of my colleagues – and once again, I was amazed by how such a simple combination could produce an excellent dessert. The texture of the sesame sauce was finely grind and produces an amazing flavour, and it was not too sweet which goes extremely well with the vanilla ice cream.
Overall, I will highly recommend this venue for a business lunch.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Located a stone throw away from their flagship outlet, Astons Specialities, sits Astons Prime – a more Atas, or upmarket version of their sister outlet that cater a wider range of premium meat cuts – with bookings and reservations accepted.
The meal started off with the complimentary bread and homemade garlic spread, which my dad and I like it pretty much. While some might argue that the spread was bland and tasteless, I like it for its fragrant while finding some strong tasting ones overpowering, to the point artificial. Unfortunately, that is as good as it goes for the night. The Wild Mushroom Soup although generous with the shrooms, tasted just like any canned soup, and there is really nothing wild about it since the mushrooms used are nothing special. A case of misleading advertising? You tell me.
The main course was the USDA Certified Angus Beef Ribeye Choice Cut that is known for their propensity to produce tender, flavourful beef. They have just the right amount of marbling to insure a juicy, incredible full-bodied flavoured steak. When it finally arrived after a long wait, I was so hungry that any dish you serve me should taste good, but what do you know – first cut to the meat and there was no blood to be seen for a medium rare steak. A second cut that halves the steak shows the same result although mine was slightly better than my dad’s – at least my meat came with a hint of pink on the inside, while my dad's steak came well-done. Thank goodness we did not ordered the Grade 9 Wagyu Beef, which would have been a waste if it was cooked this way.
But more drama was to unfold as halfway through our dinner, we realised that my mum’s Fillet Mignon has not arrived. We checked with the staffs not once, but twice and the response we got was “Sorry but the grill is full, you would have to wait”. I was left wondering for a second whether the staff is implying that it is our problem that their grill is full? It is obviously an oversight that the kitchen has forgotten the order since 5 of us are already halfway through our mains. I wouldn’t be half as angry if he had proceeded to say that he would tell the kitchen to expedite the order, but instead he goes on to mention “other table is also waiting for their steak”. That really left me speechless – What has another table waiting for their steak got to do with us? Is the supposedly "you are not alone" statement suppose to make us feel any better? The manager tried to diffuse the situation by apologising and offered a complimentary oil soaked Chicken Quesadilla, which my bro-in-law had a bite and spit it out saying that it tasted funky. Badly trained staffs coupled with lousy service recovery methods, all these which can only be found Uniquely in Singapore.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
1=SGD 0.0587
Located right next to Aburiya along Lorong Liput, this outlet features the same modern interior design (in white furnishing this time) as the rest of the other two outlets.
We were there for their dessert after our brunch and we promptly decided on the Chocolate Deluxe Cupcake and Cherry Crumble Tart.
As I wanted something sweet and chocolaty that day, the cupcake certainly lives up to its tag of “The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake”. However, perhaps it is an inexperienced me eating a cupcake for the first time, but I do find the cupcake slightly hard – perhaps someone can educate me on it’s supposedly texture.
The Cherry Crumble Tart however is a fine piece of art. Full of cherry flavour and soft in its texture, the taste did not come off to sweet either.
Service was prompt and staff were pretty friendly, but it does comes off a bit noisy to be called a perfect Sunday brunch experience.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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The good vibe about it lies in the Butter, Homemade Strawberry Preserve and Fresh Cream spread for the scones. Sinful yet delightful, I love the fresh cream with the scones best. The décor and ambience of the place also gets top marks from me, as the old English cottage-styled setting charms one.
But with the pros comes the minuses –the Fruitcake and Sandwiches that come with the set are simply laughable. The cake is similar to those night snack rations the army dishes out and the sandwiches are plain tuna and cheese between two pieces of dry bread.
Where we were seated, the air was also stuffy to the extent warm, and we suspected that they are tight-fisted on their electric bills. Level of service was also found wanting as the waitress did not seem to enthusiastic to serve us.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!Maybe will visit one day for the heck of it.
07 Apr 2008 at 9:50 pm
We were there on a Saturday afternoon and the outlet was fully packed with families and students. We ordered a 2 Piece Chicken Meal, coupled with Mash Potato and Coleslaw. Visually, the set did not look appetising at all in its presentation. But after sinking my teeth into the meat, it sets to dispel the notion that the dish is poorly executed. Its no frills approach ensure that the experience you get is one of “homely” feeling and not that of the commercialise KFC. I personally also like the coleslaw, which is not finely chopped – ensuring that every bite comes with a crunch of the cabbage.
However, the mash potato left much to be desired – it is made from powdered mix that does not give one the full-bodied experience of a potato. And if you wondered why we shared a 2-piece set, it is because as the name suggest, they also specialise in Waffles. I have to commend that this is the best waffle that I have tasted for a very long time.
It was freshly made, dished up hot and crisp, served with the opted Vanilla Ice Cream, Whip Cream and Blueberry Puree. The blueberry topping was very well executed – intense in flavour yet not too sweet. Like every wonderful finale to a dining experience, we left the place with a huge smirk on our face - Hmmmmmmm……
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!I WANT to go!
19 Feb 2008 at 10:27 am
yeah yeah... lets do it one day!
19 Feb 2008 at 11:05 am
I opted for the Salmon Carpaccio with Wasabi Sauce & Ebiko for my starter and I was impressed – the fish was lovely sliced into thin sheets and goes well with the Mayonnaises Sauce, but what I found absent was the lack of wasabi flavour which was pretty much non-existence in this dish.
Having heard so much about it, I naturally choose its signature Wild Rocket Burger with Sun-Dried Tomato Relish as my main dish and boy was I sold. The Beef Patty was excellent – nicely mashed and chopped up, the texture was just right and what’s more it was enormous! Moreover, the sun-dried tomato relish complemented perfectly with the beef – producing a harmonise flavour of salty, sweet and sour all in one bite.
For dessert, I selected the Vanilla Ice Cream with Roasted Black Sesame Sauce – highly recommended by one of my colleagues – and once again, I was amazed by how such a simple combination could produce an excellent dessert. The texture of the sesame sauce was finely grind and produces an amazing flavour, and it was not too sweet which goes extremely well with the vanilla ice cream.
Overall, I will highly recommend this venue for a business lunch.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
The meal started off with the complimentary bread and homemade garlic spread, which my dad and I like it pretty much. While some might argue that the spread was bland and tasteless, I like it for its fragrant while finding some strong tasting ones overpowering, to the point artificial. Unfortunately, that is as good as it goes for the night. The Wild Mushroom Soup although generous with the shrooms, tasted just like any canned soup, and there is really nothing wild about it since the mushrooms used are nothing special. A case of misleading advertising? You tell me.
The main course was the USDA Certified Angus Beef Ribeye Choice Cut that is known for their propensity to produce tender, flavourful beef. They have just the right amount of marbling to insure a juicy, incredible full-bodied flavoured steak. When it finally arrived after a long wait, I was so hungry that any dish you serve me should taste good, but what do you know – first cut to the meat and there was no blood to be seen for a medium rare steak. A second cut that halves the steak shows the same result although mine was slightly better than my dad’s – at least my meat came with a hint of pink on the inside, while my dad's steak came well-done. Thank goodness we did not ordered the Grade 9 Wagyu Beef, which would have been a waste if it was cooked this way.
But more drama was to unfold as halfway through our dinner, we realised that my mum’s Fillet Mignon has not arrived. We checked with the staffs not once, but twice and the response we got was “Sorry but the grill is full, you would have to wait”. I was left wondering for a second whether the staff is implying that it is our problem that their grill is full? It is obviously an oversight that the kitchen has forgotten the order since 5 of us are already halfway through our mains. I wouldn’t be half as angry if he had proceeded to say that he would tell the kitchen to expedite the order, but instead he goes on to mention “other table is also waiting for their steak”. That really left me speechless – What has another table waiting for their steak got to do with us? Is the supposedly "you are not alone" statement suppose to make us feel any better? The manager tried to diffuse the situation by apologising and offered a complimentary oil soaked Chicken Quesadilla, which my bro-in-law had a bite and spit it out saying that it tasted funky. Badly trained staffs coupled with lousy service recovery methods, all these which can only be found Uniquely in Singapore.
You can view the photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!