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Arts & Entertainment
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After our rather unsatisfying meal at Tanuki Raw, we popped by Lady M for some desserts to fill that gap in our stomachs. The funny thing is, I've never really been a fan of Lady M and my previous visit to the now defunct outlet at Marina Square (when it first opened in 2013) wasn't quite memorable.
Spanning 2 levels at Orchard Central, Lady M boasts lots of seating and soaring floor to ceiling glass panels to allow for plenty of natural light. Very comfortable in my humble opinion.
Signature Mille Crêpe - Lady M's signature mille crêpe. There's something rather soothing about chomping down on thin layers of not too soggy crepe filled with light pastry cream that didn't threaten to give me a toothache. Very delicate and rather delicious in my humble opinion.
Chocolate Mille Crêpe - The chocolate variant is apparently only available at Lady M's Orchard Central outlet. And it actually tastes similar to that of the signature, albeit filled with chocolate cream and topped with a chocolate ornament. I'm a little biased towards chocolate so I personally preferred this over the original.
Two crêpes cost us ~ $20, which isn't exactly cheap but still acceptable in my humble opinion, given the location and quality. However service came across as rather inconsistent probably due to the relatively young and inexperienced wait staff on duty that afternoon.
See all my pictures here.
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The wife and I were in Orchard Road running some errands on a Saturday late morning and decided to do lunch in the area. A quick search online for Donburi led us to the relatively new Japanese bar & restaurant, Tanuki Raw, started by the same guy who started the relatively successful Standing Sushi Bar, Howard Lo.
Located on the 2nd floor of Orchard Central, Tanuki offers rather closely packed tables amidst an industrial setting. Think cement screed floor, exposed ceiling and halogen lights; not my kind of style. Thankfully there wasn't a crowd when we dropped by.
Bara Chirashi Don - Cubes of reasonably fresh scallop, sea bream, tuna, swordfish, salmon, striped jack salmon roe and tamago served on rice with Tanuki's signature sauce; lacking in bite as the cubes were cut too small while the signature sauce came across as mildly salty with a hint of ginger. Overall a decent bowl of chirashi don but in comparison to that of Hana Hana's, a more expensive (~ $3 more) but less tasty version. In short, if you want value for money chirashi dons, stick with Hana Hana.
Truffle Yakiniku Don - Apparently Tanuki's pièce de résistance and the highly raved about dish (on social media at least), the truffle yakiniku don looked promising at the onset. Black angus short rib slices pan seared till medium that came across as tender with a slight hint of beefiness and topped with a creamy onsen egg. However the truffle soya sauce was way too salty for my liking (had to drink lots of water!) and I only tasted weak, random flashes of truffle oil (no fragrance to speak of). The presence of a rather distinct taste of ginger didn't quite do it for me as well (not a fan of ginger to be honest). All in all, still a decent but rather small serving of yakiniku don.
There is an option to top up $2 for a set lunch which includes a bowl of salad, miso soup and hot tea. The both of us went with this and chalked up a total bill of ~ $40; not too expensive but less than satisfied (ironic that Lady M a few shops down provided that satisfaction instead). Service was okay but I doubt I'll be returning anytime soon.
See all my pictures here.
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We had heard much about Hana Hana (an offshoot of the ever popular Teppei @ Tanjong Pagar) but never really fancied joining the queues (and the hype!) just to dine there. But as luck would have it, we were in the Tanjong Pagar area one Saturday late morning when we caught sight of an almost non existent queue just before opening hours and decided to give it a shot.
Located just next to Teppei at a corner of Orchid Hotel along Tanjong Pagar Road (actually they sorta share the premises and staff), Hana Hana is the cheaper sibling to Teppei and serves up a rather limited menu that includes Teppei's signature Bara Chirashi Don. Seating is restricted to counter seats only and you have a view of the chefs preparing your food.
Bara Chirashi Don ($17.60) - The famous Bara chirashi Don. A rather sizable bowl of fresh pieces of salmon, tuna and swordfish mixed in with a light soy sauce on a bed of rice, topped with roe and strips of seawood; certainly not wow or anything near the best chirashi I've eaten but definitely value for money.
Higawari ($17.60) - The higawari or daily special of grilled wagyu was relatively lacklustre in comparison to the don, coming across as a little overcooked but still tender and relatively juicy, doused in a mildly sweet sauce. The wagyu lacked beefiness and I honestly couldn't tell it was wagyu, not from the lack of marbling. Served with a bowl of rice. Decent but not something I would specially order again.
Advertised prices are nett (even though the bill breaks it down to include service charge and GST) and the both of us spent $35.20 on lunch. In my humble opinion, both the quality of ingredients and the taste aren't great so what draws the crowds and the rave reviews? My guess - very reasonable pricing, limited seating and herd/hype mentality.
See all my pictures here.
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The Singapore outpost of the famed New York bakery, Clinton Street Baking Co, opened without much fanfare a couple of weeks ago in the heart of town. Having tried the original outlet in New York about a year ago, the wife and I were eager to give the outlet in Singapore a shot.
Occupying a small shophouse unit along Purvis Street and playing neighbours to a boutique hotel and a coffeeshop, Clinton Street Baking Co Singapore can seat ~ 60 people, albeit in a rather cramp seating arrangement (the NY outlet can only take 32 pax). The interior isn't much to shout about honestly, coming across as modern at best. No reservations are accepted but when we got there at about 10am on a Saturday morning, the wait was a very manageable 15 minutes.
Crispy Potato Pancakes - We opted for the house smoked salmon option, which came with caviar and lightly tart and refreshing lemon crème fraîche on the side. Taste wise, the potato pancakes had been on the grill for way too long; charred to a slightly uncomfortable degree of bitterness but otherwise bland. The thin slices of salmon were pretty good though; lightly smokey without coming across as too fishy. We gave up on the potato pancakes halfway through.
Pancakes with Warm Maple Butter - There is a choice of wild blueberries, banana walnut or chocolate chunk for your pancakes and we went with the banana walnut since we tried the blueberry variant in New York. Bits of banana and walnut wedged between fluffy pancakes and finished with more walnuts and banana atop. Very good. However, instead of being dusted with icing sugar, granulated sugar was used instead, which gave the whole dish a rather unpolished feel in my humble opinion. The coarseness of the sugar really didn't help with the texture either. But......... the pièce de résistance was definitely the warm maple butter (not so warm actually); smooth with the creamy saltiness of butter and the pleasant sweetness of maple syrup.
So how does it compare to the original? In my humble opinion, very close. The pancakes could do with a little more crustiness on the surface. Still #2 on my pancake list after Pancakes On The Rocks in Sydney.
Sugar Cured Bacon - I enjoyed this sinful side of sugar cured bacon but it did seem a little drier as compared to the one in NY. Delectable nonetheless; lightly sweet while retaining the mild saltiness of the bacon. I would envision bacon bak kwa to be of a similar taste and texture?
Prices at the Singapore branch are similar to those in NY (after factoring in forex) and both of us spent close to $52 for brunch, which is still reasonable in my humble opinion. I'll definitely be back for the pancakes and bacon, nothing else! Oh wait, maybe to try out the signature waffle with chicken (only available for lunch) as well.
See all my pictures here.
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A colleague had recommended Montana Brew Bar (MBB for short) so the wife and I made a trip down after work one evening to give it a shot.
MBB occupies a small space on the first floor of PoMo and plays neighbour to an outlet of Ya Kun Kaya Toast. MBB attempts to distinguish itself by utilising earthy colours in its design and through the placement of warm lights. Seating is rather limited with space for approximately 20 pax or so. How the place works is you place your order and make payment at the counter and the food will be served to you. One small gripe I had was that I couldn't order everything at once and request for dessert to be served later; not particularly flexible in my humble opinion.
Southern Fried Chicken Waffle - This dish inevitably brought about comparisons with The Beast's offering of this classic Southern dish. First up, the chicken. MBB's chicken was a mess of spicy, a tad dry chicken pieces thrown together and topped with spicy mustard coleslaw; clearly in a totally different league from that of The Beast's juicy, flavourful rendition. The waffles were a totally different story altogether though. Whilst The Beast's waffles came across as hard and unpleasantly sourish, MBB's waffles were light and fluffy with a mildly crisp exterior. Maybe both eateries could contemplate working together?
Umami Burger - At $14, this was honestly quite small and came adorned with cheese, mushrooms and bonito flakes. Which was all good because of the various layers of flavour except that the basic beefy taste was a little lacking. I liked the overall flavour but mourned the absence of the beefiness. The bun (apparently it's made from sweet potato) came across as soft and mildly sweet; no great shakes honestly. You have the option of topping up $2 to "upgrade" your fries to truffle fries, which isn't such a great idea in my humble opinion as the quantity of fries is very limited and the fries I had came seriously drenched in truffle oil (where's the QC?) with loads of fragrance but not much of a truffle taste.
Chocolate Banana Waffles - As the waffles were good, we decided to have another waffle for dessert; the chocolate banana waffle. And it came across as decent. The waffle sported the same light, fluffy texture as the one that came with the chicken earlier on except that this was darker in colour and had bits of what seemed like oreo crumbs wedged in random spots within the waffle. No chocolate taste whatsoever. The vanilla bean ice cream was relatively smooth with no discernible ice chips whilst the banana slices could do with more caramelisation. What I found interesting was the Nutella truffle butter that was sprinkled sporadically throughout; in the form of tiny clumps and mildly sweet.
Moral of the story? Stick to the original waffles.
Overall we spent $38 for two waffles and a burger. Not too expensive and overall food quality is still decent. But I would skip the burgers in future and head straight for the waffles.
See all my pictures here.
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La Strada has been around for quite a while but after our rather uninspiring lunch at Les Amis (sister restaurant under the same umbrella) a few months back, I wasn't too keen on dining at La Strada. But as fate would have it, I had an errand to run in the vicinity so decided to drop by for a quick lunch, seeing that the place was relatively empty on a Monday afternoon.
Located just next to Bistro Du Vin (which serves great set lunches by the way), La Strada sports a compact, cosy interior with red tiled floors, wooden tables and chairs against a yellow backdrop. I opted for one of the 3 small tables by the window for a view of the adjourning walkway but do note that means the passersby see you as well.
Carbonara - La Strada's signature Carbonara; didn't look like much but every bit an excellent dish. Beneath the thin, al dente, homemade guitar string pasta lay a confit of egg yolk which added to the creaminess of the dish when the yolk broke. Sprinkled with crisp but a touch overly salty lardo crumble (salumi, an Italian cold cut made by curing strips of pork with herbs and spices) for that extra crunch, this dish also boasted a rich fragrance and earthiness courtesy of the truffle butter sauce. Delicious without coming across as nauseating. But to be fair, I guess that in part has to do with the portion size, which was really quite small. I would probably need at least 2 bowls to fill myself up but at $28 a pop, it's definitely not that affordable. One of the best Carbonara I've had to date.
Tiramisu - Served up in a bowl and dusted with chocolate flakes (not the usual cocoa powder), the mascarpone cheese to sponge ratio was pretty good but unfortunately, the bottom of the sponge came across as very soggy from soaking in too much of the Kahlua. Topped with coffee lookalike, chocolate beans. Decent but not outstanding.
Lunch cost me about $54 and prices are undeniably on the high side for a relatively casual restaurant and the small portions. In this aspect, the set lunch @ $35 does seem like a more viable alternative, just that you won't find the signature Carbonara listed as one of the options. Service came across as rather friendly and good. I'll definitely be happy to return for the Carbonara when the craving hits.
See all my pictures here.
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We had read reviews and seen pictures of the nostalgia packed Brunches Cafe and were very much drawn to its decor. So it was with much anticipation that we dropped by one lazy Saturday late morning for brunch.
Just ~ 5 minutes from Farrer Park MRT (parking is very limited), Brunches Cafe's interior is a blast from the past, with nostalgic knick knacks, movie posters, furniture, and a dissected morris mini with its bonnet holding a selection of condiments. A little reminiscent of W39 Bistro and Bakery (which was plain disappointing by the way), just more elaborate.
Nachos with Cheddar Cheese Sauce - The chips tasted bland and straight out of a packet whilst the cheddar cheese dip was rather stingy and watery. I hate to say this but the nachos you get at the cinemas in Singapore (GV, Cathay) taste better because the nachos have a mildly spicy kick to them and the cheese sauce is alot richer.
Shrimp Aglio Olio - Less than al dente but mildly spicy spaghetti coupled with reasonably sized, crunchy but bland prawns made for a very average shrimp aglio olio. Bonus points for the fragrance though.
Baked Egg with Bacon - The baked egg was cooked on the outside but runny inside with an oozing yolk and bits of transparent egg white whilst the bacon was limp and came across as soft and rather fatty - nauseating. Thankfully the side of mushrooms was earthy and the slice of white toast, crisp. Average at best.
Our average brunch for 2 cost to the tune of $41.80, which isn't expensive but food quality doesn't go past average. We were so uninspired by the food that we didn't bother staying for desserts. Service was okay but I don't understand the service charge especially when we had to order and pay at the counter and help ourselves to the iced water. The only thing Brunches Cafe has going for it is its decor but I don't think that's sufficient to warrant a revisit, especially since Jewel Cafe down the road serves slightly better food in my humble opinion.
See all my pictures here.
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Back in 2009, we were contemplating between dining at Joël Robuchon (currently the chef with the most Michelin stars to his name - 25 stars) or Guy Savoy in Paris and ended up choosing the latter. 6 years on, we finally stepped foot into Joël Robuchon's first foray into Singapore, the eponymous Joël Robuchon Restaurant (opened in April 2011), for lunch. Gosh, what a long time coming.
If you enter by the main entrance, turning right after the door will bring you to Joël Robuchon Restaurant (left brings you to L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, the more casual outfit). The main dining area strikes one as posh and sombre, with a beautiful chandelier as the centerpiece. The adjourning indoor winter garden strikes a stark contrast with a classy yet cheery appeal, sporting a glass roof to allow plenty of natural light in.
There is a smart elegant dress code but I guess it's not strictly enforced (I spotted some guys wearing t shirts and shorts).
Amuse Bouche - A calamansi jelly flavoured with vanilla, topped with anisette cream; a little too tart for my liking.
Complimentary Homemade Bread - All the bread is homemade and pretty good in my humble opinion, especially the viennoiserie; buttery yet light rolls that reminded me of croissant sans the flakiness. The baguette came across as crusty and went very well with the smooth butter. We were so enamoured with the bread that we jumped at the chance for a second helping. And thankfully we did.
Le King Crabe - Seasoned king crab meat, avocado and crunchy vegetables on tomato coulis. A very well thought out dish with the avocado providing a nice smoothness to the crunchy vegetables and the lightly tart tomato coulis and green apple cubes playing counterpoint to the delightful crustacean sweetness of the king crab. Excellent!
Le Thé de Crevette - "Botan" shrimp in fresh coriander and turmeric infusion. I'm usually adverse to turmeric (or any plant in the ginger family for that matter) but this soup was surprisingly light, mildly sweet yet spicy at the same time and accentuated the sweetness of the crunchy botan shrimp chunks.
La Noix de Saint-Jacques - Pan-fried Hokkaido scallop with spelt risotto and coral emulsion. Undoubtedly the pièce de résistance of the afternoon; a lightly spicy, savoury, creamy sauce base coupled with al dente spelt and a huge, perfectly cooked scallop that was oh so sweet. A pity portion sizes were oh so small.
Le Boeuf "Wagyu" - Wagyu beef hanging tender grilled with medley of aromates and shallots marmalade. Done to a perfect medium rare - tender and juicy. Topped with caramalised shallots for a rather strong sweetness. Good but portions are really small and I personally prefer huge slabs of steak of the salted variant. Served with JR's famous mashed potatoes. Incredibly delicious; silky smooth without coming across as overly dry or moist and with a buttery aftertaste to boot. One of the best "traditional" mashed potatoes I've eaten to date.
Le Minty - And on to desserts. Flowing chocolate Araguani with icy mint sorbet. First impression, it looked more like a layer of cream twirl decorated with a chocolate ring than a molten chocolate cake. But looks can be deceiving because dig beneath that layer of cream to find a scoop of light mint sorbet and a layer of chocolate fondant, complete with a mildly crisp shell and oozing chocolate. Although I don't quite fancy mint but this was quite a treat!
La Pavlova - Lychee lightness, lemongrass mousseline and "Mara de Bois" strawberry. The pavlova was crisp on the outside yet soft and gooey on the inside (like a marshmallow) and carried a pleasantly light lychee flavour and sweetness. Generously adorned with an assortment of berries, including the "Mara de Bois" strawberry (apparently very highly sought after for its flavour and fragrance) to juxtapose the sweetness of the meringue. Very good.
Petit Fours - We ended off with petit fours, which provided an additional sweet ending to our meal. Nothing was memorable here and I did find the raspberry macaron a little lacking in tartness and its shell a wee bit too moist.
Our wonderful lunch for two cost ~ $254 which is definitely at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. However food quality is undeniable and we enjoyed it quite a bit. Service could be a little more personable though.
Remember the mention about being thankful for the second serving of bread earlier on? I kid you not but we had to rely on the bread to fill our tummies because of the tiny portions (my set had an appetiser, a soup, two mains and a dessert by the way). French haute cuisine indeed but very unlike my experience at Guy Savoy Paris. However, having said that, we have already made plans for a return trip in the coming weeks ;)
See all my pictures here.
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Having patronised one of the 3 different Liang Kee outlets in Singapore on a relatively regular basis, we decided to venture out of our comfort zone and drop by Mu Liang Zai Liang Kee (literally translates to son of Bak Liang) which, as the name suggests, is run by the son (fifth) of the founder, Ng Bak Liang.
Sitting amidst a row of shops along Beo Crescent, MLZ sits along the same stretch as another restaurant bearing a similar name, G7 Liang Kee, which is managed by a Taiwanese former partner. The place isn't big and is reminiscent of a typical air conditioned cze char place, nothing too fanciful.
Teochew Braised Duck - Thickly sliced but tender, the braised duck was decent but I did find the gravy a tad too sweet for my liking. Accompanying beancurd was decent too. Portions are a tad small though.
Stir Fried Broccoli - Though the broccoli was nice and crunchy, it lacked wok hei. I did appreciate the saltiness and mild crunchiness of the ti po (dried sole fish) though.
Beancurd with Minced Meat - MLZ's signature beancurd with minced meat; crisp on the outside whilst smooth and quivery on the inside with a nice savoury taste. I did find the minced meat gravy a little too runny but overall still pretty good.
Silverfish Egg - A simple yet well executed dish, the fried egg came across as fluffy and moist with a nice saltiness (from the silverfish) and wok hei.
Pumpkin Yam Paste - The orh nee came looking like a mess but was surprisingly decent; smooth and fragrant but a wee bit too sweet for my liking. Still, I had two bowls to end off the evening.
A rather filling dinner for the four of us came up to $58.50, which is relatively inexpensive considering the quality and quantity of food. However, having said that, I personally still prefer the food at Liang Kee @ Whampoa. Besides, it's alot nearer to home.
See all my pictures here.
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We were at Orchard Road running some errands one weekend morning and decided to drop by Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar for brunch since it was in the vicinity.
Nestled within Tanglin Post Office and just behind Swiss Butchery, Nassim Hill's parking is sorely limited. There is the option of "free" parking (< 10 lots) right in front of the eatery but it's park at your own risk (so scramble if you see a warden) or the tiny carpark at the basement of the building (~10 lots) that leaves you stranded on a steep slope should the barrier refuse to lift when the carpark is full. So take public transport if you can, or park somewhere else.
Once you sort out the transportation issues, getting a seat is relatively easy as there are plenty of tables around. The vibe is rather cafe-ish and the abundance of natural light streaming through the full length windows lent the place a certain cheerfulness.
Chilli Crab Pasta - The chilli crab pasta came in 2 portion sizes; half or full. We opted for the former as the plan was to have waffles (lots of carbohydrates!) as well. And I'm glad we did as the half portion was big enough to feed an average eater. Al dente spaghetti coupled with a relatively rich yet mildly sweet and spicy sauce that featured chunks of crab meat and garlic for that additional kick. Very decent in my humble opinion.
Nassim Hill Double Decker Burger - Nassim Hill's namesake burger wasn't impressive to say the least. Although it featured a double patty, both patties lacked a firm texture, a discernible beefy taste and relied on the seasoning and herbs to give it flavour (onion rings added a mild sweetness as well). The bread, all soft and slathered in mayonnaise, could do with time on the griddle whilst the accompanying shoestring fries were a tad hard but pretty decent. Average at best.
Banana Chocolate Waffles - This was meant to be dessert but somehow got served together with our burger and pasta with no offer to take it back and re-serve it later. A bit of a boo boo I must say but seeing that most of the wait staff seemed to be rather green (mostly students I assume), I guess I don't really blame them. But it did prove to be rather annoying as the ice cream was melting rapidly and we had to alternate between mouthfuls of sweet cold dessert and warm burger/pasta at an accelerated pace (we certainly didn't want the waffles swimming in an ice cream puddle).
Grievances aside, I personally liked the waffles quite a fair bit. Lightly crisp along the edges with a rather chewy center and topped with banana slices, sweet chocolate sauce and a huge scoop of real vanilla bean ice cream (as evidenced by the black spots). It's rather pricey at $18 though, especially with only four small waffle rectangles to show for it.
A somewhat decent brunch for the both of us cost almost $59, which is still somewhat acceptable considering the overall quality of food and location of the eatery. Service needs a little polishing and I'll probably drop by again if I'm in the vicinity to try out some other items on the menu.
See all my pictures here.
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