Attended the MEGA FLEA 8 organized by T.Cartel over the last weekend @ Suntec City hall 404. I must say this event is one of the best flea events I have ever encountered.
The direction boards leading to the location was well placed as there are many other functions happening at the same location, there was not much pondering and I immediately could find the entrance of the location.
At the entrance there is a photo booth where shoppers can take funky pictures with props and backdrops. Watching participants getting excited and all hyped up made me happy and added a good fun factor to the event.
I was surprised by the scale of the event and how neatly arranged the stalls are. Though crowded, there are ample space for 2 to 3 shoppers to stop and browse while others can walk by. Though you still get some bag slapping action and butt bumming around, its still considered spacious for a flea market when every inch of space is must be accounted for.
While I browse the stores, I realize some of the businesses are those that we hardly see on a normal flea, stuffs such as sale of red wine, fleece blankets, house cleaning services, innovative house hold products, imported foldable bicycles... There were also a good mix of young designers and patisseries, those that launch their special shirt designs, ladies fashionable bags, home made cookies which are rather yummy and even community project handmade retailed items... I was impressed by the good mix of participants and some of these stalls does have the WOW factor.
The crowd is pretty good, yet there is ample space for browsing and hanging around. The ambient temperature and noise level is kept at a pretty healthy level and shopping at this flea market is extremely comfortable and enjoyable. Love to be able to go for more of such well-planned and comprehensive flea markets.
Used to really enjoy going to this outlet mainly because of their free flow freshly baked crusty bread... They used to have this bread counter where they will bring out loafs of freshly baked bread from their oven and you could self serve with loads of butter, olive oil, vinaigrette and other consignments available at the counter.
Yar.. maybe you think that i'm a cheapo that will order a bowl of soup and eat loads of bread and well.... i cannot say this thought never crossed my mind, however when you are there you cannot but be tempted to order the other stuffs on the menu. The BBQ ribs are extremely nice, soft and chewy, full flavored and portion is big. Seafood platter also serves up the ocean, breaded and fried, crispy and portion is definitely good to share. However because the bread is so good, I always indulge myself with too much bread and walk out feeling like a balloon.... Now we are already floating up mid air and I have yet to touch on the dessert and drinks.
Coffee comes in all sorts of styles here and you could get them to be served with ice-cream and so are their sodas and fruit juices.... Its really too many to list. The dessert choices are a headache because everything is just so yummy....
All in all, the menu takes like 15 minutes to digest and another 5 to decide because there are just so many stuffs to choose from.. and always go with a group of friends because you tend to indulge in ordering too much. Just sad that the free flow bread is no more, they do still give you a basket of bread but all the fun of going there to cut it yourself, though the bread all comes back ugly and oddly squeezed, its the fun of doing it yourself that makes the difference..
CAFE CARTEL..... I HOPE YOU HEAR ME.....
" PLEASE BRING BACK THE FREE FLOW BREAD COUNTER!!!"
" I'M LOVING AND MISSING THAT ALOT!!!"
I always walk pass, but rarely walk in, reason being that there's too many choices of food, restaurants and cafe available. But when I always walk pass the outlet, the savoury glistening pies always seemed to be smiling at me...
Though the menu serves up a good variety of heavy meals, light snacks, eastern and western delights, my choices are pretty regular...
For a light meal, I always opt for a beef burger because they make up a very originally tasting burger... which is a slice of patty on toasted buttered bread and onion tomato sauce.. thats it... simple and nostalgia and yummy... like the way i ate it when i was really tiny.
For a slightly heavier meal, I always go for their carbonara pie. Its sought of a chicken pie but BIGGER... The flaky skin is baked till crispy and the filling is a good mix of chicken chunks, potato, carrots and everything else in a light creamy sauce. The entire combination is really yummy and I should say its good to share.
For a good regular meal, I always go for the Hainanese Pork Chop Set meal that comes complete with a soup (usually just so so), a slice of garlic bread, dessert (which could be jello or cake or fruit), sunkist orange juice (my fav.), rice and the hainanese pork chop itself. The hainanese pork chop is really yummy and the chilli is potent... Its a mix of freshly fried pork cutlet in a tomato based sauce with chunks of carrots, potato, i think pear, pineapple, onions and everything else. Its tangy and savory, taste is slightly acidic and goes well with the rice. Its appetizing and the portion is great for one.
For desserts, I always go for the cakes, because I think they are cheap and good and of a good size. They have an array of different flavors, even like pandan fudge, blackforest, etc. The apple crumble or choice of fruit pies are amazing, simple, extremely value for money and of a very very good portion.
In summary, the food is really yummy, affordable and value for money, service is so so but the place is pretty clean. Sits are not really comfy but rather casual and old school, yet its almost always 70% full. The variety on the menu is great, you get to choose even local delights like hor fun. Its very much a self served place so don't expect much service.
Always love to browse M.A.C cosmetic products, I personally find their colour and product range comprehensive and made with really good quality ingredients. I popped by this new outlet at Robinsons, JEM on a weekday evening after work when the crowd has not yet sit in and got a really good experience.
Love the way they display their products, I can only say professional, clean and neat. There are definitely more than hundreds of different kinds of cosmetic products, with different color hues, textures, functions and even make up instruments. Its as though I can turn professional when I get hold of a set of these professional brushes and pots and jars of powders, gel, liquid and anything in between. On top of that, all their products are available for trial. I asked Janette, the friendly staff who served me, if they disinfect these trial cosmetics and she said... "Of Course we do, sometimes many times a day if the store is busy" in a sweet friendly smile :)"
With that I feel much more secured... unlike many places that sells cosmetics, their trial areas are usually messy, littered and you can see broken pieces of pressed powders everywhere, coupled with the damaged casing and the cosmetics itself, reminded me of a used toilet cubicle BOMBED...... and not FLUSHED.... with toilet rolls everywhere.
Here... its so different, she let me try the colors on my hand and even recommended me what is trending while helping me make comparison and advised me my colour tones and beauty must dos... Love the helpful and somewhat entertaining tone coupled with a tinge of humor here and there... 'this trip is indeed very fruitful'. Besides her professional dressing, all the staffs here are kinda dressed in complete black, her makeup looked so natural and eye make up fantastically eye popping 'in a good way of course' . While I asked questions on how I could do similar color blending, Janette offered me some really good information and also if I would like to know more, they can arrange a workshop for me to attend.
While we were discussing on the products, her colleague Junry popped by and I was most mesmerized by her dolly eyes.... Friendly and extremely alluring, she briefly described to me which products she used, how she used them and the other add on products. While I tried to remember the information, she happily offered to add me in her Instagram where she shares her bold look. I am hysterically happy... Finally there is hope for the MAKEUP DISASTER ME!
So I would recommend you gals or guys who would like to buy cosmetics or make up stuffs to go to M.A.C or if you want my kinda experience, you may go to the outlet at JEM Robinsons.. if you are wondering what I bought, of course most of the recommended especially some eye colour for that trending bold look..
A little something extra for you patient readers... I know my post is kinda long.. some prices that are not tagged..
1) Eyebrow shaping - $15
2) Makeover - $50
3) Free Makeover with purchase of $120 worth of products - $120
4) One to One workshop with purchase of $150 worth of products - $150...
I could just roughly remember these as there were so many to remember.. enjoy your colourful journey and thankyou staff of M.A.C... I had a wonderful experience and I don't get that alot these days...
If you are thinking of installing an awning, be sure to engage the right supplier.
Have engaged this company to install awning for me. I was shocked that the awning is so noisy when they row-in and out. The salesman told me all cassette awning are the same so I have to accept it since it is already installed.
Next, I can only turn on the motor 1 or 2 times to row-in/out. The motor will not work after the 3rd attempt. The installer told me I need to let the motor rest after every row in/out operation. I accepted it reluctantly.
Last but not least, the water drip onto my neighbour's car porch. This is a very small issue as they can simply adjust the screw to fine tune the level of the awning, but it took them more than a month to settle it.
It is so difficult to get the message across and the sales person is
always in the meeting ( not sure true or not ). In the end, I have to convey the message via SMS.
The problem lies in the attitude of the staffs and the management. The supervisor did not educate and impart the right concept to the foreign workers who come from a different environment. The anagement did not enforce the service standard to the sales staff to value each and every customer. This industry may not face any difficulty because they are still in boom town, if the attitude did not improve, they will face big problem when time is bad. Meanwhile, we as a consumer just have to look for more sources before committing a purchase.
Was rather intrigued by the name, "The Sleeping Rhino", so decided to drop by one evening with the missus for dinner. It definitely helped that there was a 50% discount courtesy of my palate card.
Located on the ground floor of Klapsons The Boutique Hotel at Tanjong Pagar, The Sleeping Rhino offers a view of the surrounding pedestrian walkway and vehicular roads through towering floor to ceiling windows. For a little more privacy, opt for the booth seats furthest away from the windows.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread roll came a little crusty and warm. Together with a small container of store bought butter, it made for a nice and simple way to start off.
Pomodoro Penne with Cajun Smoked Chicken - Al dente penne tossed in a mildly tart pomodoro sauce and topped with chunks of savoury cajun chicken - simple yet satisfying. The only gripe I had was the lack of smokiness in the chicken.
Wagyu Beef Burger - The beef patty was done up to medium well but seemed a little drier than expected. Flavours were decent and I liked the addition of the runny yolk sunny side up atop, which gave the burger an overall smooth and rich finish. Unfortunately the bun was crisp but dry and tasteless.
Tiramisu - Circular in shape, the tiramisu's portion was rather small with the sponge fingers a little too soaked in kahlua. The mascarpone cheese seemed a little diluted which definitely didn't help matters. All in all a very average rendition of this Italian classic dessert.
Dinner for 2 pax came to almost $38 with a 50% discount ($75.33 without). Overall food quality hovered around the average mark and prices were honestly on the high side for the corresponding quality. Service was good though but that could be due to the fact that we were the only table that evening (although another couple did come in when we were just about to leave).
I enjoy hanging out at this nostalgia 60s looking coffee and toast place, not only because the food is yummy, the furniture and interior deco of the place gives me alot of comfort. The worn out timber stools and wooden tables, old oil lamps hanging by the side and the 70s music playing in the background is what I call a nostalgia hangout for the young ones.
Well when I'm here I never fail to order the lemon grass tea with jelly. I love the refreshing and herbal taste coupled by smooth gooey jello. The mee siam is also fantastically nice. Its sourish and not too spicy... good for my non-tolerant tummy. Also must try the curry chicken and rice, its yummy and of a good portion just enough for one to eat...
Of course the traditional toast, half boiled eggs and coffee are magnificent. Service is fast and good and tables get packed up real fast. On top of whatever chinese cafe stuffs you can get from the bistro counter, you can also buy cakes, buns and bread from the bakery right next to it.
This outlet is usually very crowded on weekends and even weekday evenings and the seats are tight because its not a very large place but you get to see the patisserie chefs baking in a glass kitchen right next to the seating area. Its a nice place to hang and have a cuppa something... If you want proper meal, there are a good choice in the menu...
Having a cuppa sock coffee in this charming spot of West Coast Plaza makes the afternoon a well spent time. Dressed in woody white with victorian styled lamps and custom timber table and chairs simply brings the country feel back to this modernised mall.
This outlet is extremely special, situated at the edge of the stairway near the main entrance of this mall, its almost like a standalone cottage amidst the high ceilings of level 1 and level 2. Rustic and private with a large airy space above... One can even smell the aromatic Singapore brew of maize based coffee on the second level. Love the sight of smoke rising with every pouring of the hot water into the coffee sock and blanched eggs.
Yes, the food selection is great. I think Toast Box serves one of the best traditional kaya toast in thinly sliced toasted to golden brown bread. The butter feels like cheese, thick, creamy and cold infused with smooth and sweet kaya. Love also the peanut butter thick toast which is a creamy and chunky peanut butter layered upon a lightly toasted thick slice of bread.
The food is yummy and setting is nice and rustic. Great place to hang with friends or by yourself with a faithful book.
This outlet opposite hang tang is a life saver... Always love a bite to carry on the diesel fumes filled seating area of the boat on the way to Batam.
The baked products are always yummy and my indon friends love the cookies I bring along in beautifully sealed jars. My favourite will have to be the chocolate pretzi and the Toblerone Chocolate Pastry. I find their pastries crispy and fresh while the breads are hearty with a good mix of fruits and nuts. Grainy and wholesome is what I would describe their products. They are of the right sweetness and I could never imagine search hard wheaty breads could taste so nice.
Pick what you want from the shiny clear plastic cabinate and for every 5 bakery items you can get 1 for free. If you like cakes, they have a good variety of that and of course pastry as well. However this outlet do not carry some of the pies I like.
Service is just on the counter and its more of a buy and go kinda shop. Service was quick and the shop is spick and span... Nothing bad to say about them just that these bakery products are somewhat a comfort to me on my stinky boat trip...
I chanced upon Platypus while shopping at Bugis Junction. Used to be the location of the V8 Cafe, this outlet is carefully tucked near to the little bridge towards the food court. The layout of the restaurant very much resembles V8 however I love the little deco by the side of the walls, the little flowers and wooden decoratives.
The menu they serve is very interesting, service is efficient and always with a smiling face. Love the ongoing promotional set meals, especially the beer cocktails.. really interesting. So we ordered these:
1) Wild mushroom soup ($3.90) - Tasted extremely creamy and savory. Could taste the bits of different kind of mushroom and its blended so smoothly with bits of air bubbles.. Light and fluffy.
2) Roasted Pumpkin soup ($3.90) - I expected something more sweet as the natural taste of pumpkin however this one tasted a tad too salty for me. Though smooth and creamy, this have got rooms for improvement.
3) Lemon Prawn Parpadelle ($16.50) - A very interesting choice of pasta with a zest of a slice of lemon juiced over. The prawn is crunchy and the parpadelle extremely interesting. Springy to the bite, the pasta tasted like extremely fresh dumpling skin. I fell in love with the parpadelle almost immediately. Coated in a tasty tomato based sauce with sweet prawns.. this dish is mouth watering good. It looks good, smells good, taste good and parpadelle packs a good surprise.
4) Seafood Bouillabaisse ($21.90) - It has a choice of cream or tomato based and I always believe that seafood should be zesty to bring out the natural freshness of the ingredients, as such, we chose a tomato based. Stir fried with diced tomato in a light broth is what we get, served with a couple of sliced of toasted bread. I find the portion generous, though it might not look much, yet its filling.. The chunks of salmon and generous slices of seafood such as squid and muscles gives muscles to this dish. Dip in some freshly toasted bread makes a wholesome meal. Not much of a wow factor as with the name given, yet is pretty pleasant to have.
5)Smith's Ale ($9.90) - Is a nice combination of Lager Beer with apples, lemon and passion fruit. Very light, fruity and refreshing and the passion fruit is simply amazing... Love the sizzling passion fruit bits that pops in my mouth. Extremely interesting drink... this is the highlight of my meal. The portion is generous however I wanted MORE :)
6) Momo Lychee Ale ($9.90) - Another Lager Beer, lychee and mint combined cocktail is a more sweetish and delightful drink. Love the splash of beer when you bite into the Lychee.
I had a very good experience at this outlet, the food delicious, price reasonable, especially with the ongoing promotion. Be sure to get the Smith's Ale....
1=SGD 0.0587
Attended the MEGA FLEA 8 organized by T.Cartel over the last weekend @ Suntec City hall 404. I must say this event is one of the best flea events I have ever encountered.
The direction boards leading to the location was well placed as there are many other functions happening at the same location, there was not much pondering and I immediately could find the entrance of the location.
At the entrance there is a photo booth where shoppers can take funky pictures with props and backdrops. Watching participants getting excited and all hyped up made me happy and added a good fun factor to the event.
I was surprised by the scale of the event and how neatly arranged the stalls are. Though crowded, there are ample space for 2 to 3 shoppers to stop and browse while others can walk by. Though you still get some bag slapping action and butt bumming around, its still considered spacious for a flea market when every inch of space is must be accounted for.
While I browse the stores, I realize some of the businesses are those that we hardly see on a normal flea, stuffs such as sale of red wine, fleece blankets, house cleaning services, innovative house hold products, imported foldable bicycles... There were also a good mix of young designers and patisseries, those that launch their special shirt designs, ladies fashionable bags, home made cookies which are rather yummy and even community project handmade retailed items... I was impressed by the good mix of participants and some of these stalls does have the WOW factor.
The crowd is pretty good, yet there is ample space for browsing and hanging around. The ambient temperature and noise level is kept at a pretty healthy level and shopping at this flea market is extremely comfortable and enjoyable. Love to be able to go for more of such well-planned and comprehensive flea markets.
Rating given:
Used to really enjoy going to this outlet mainly because of their free flow freshly baked crusty bread... They used to have this bread counter where they will bring out loafs of freshly baked bread from their oven and you could self serve with loads of butter, olive oil, vinaigrette and other consignments available at the counter.
Yar.. maybe you think that i'm a cheapo that will order a bowl of soup and eat loads of bread and well.... i cannot say this thought never crossed my mind, however when you are there you cannot but be tempted to order the other stuffs on the menu. The BBQ ribs are extremely nice, soft and chewy, full flavored and portion is big. Seafood platter also serves up the ocean, breaded and fried, crispy and portion is definitely good to share. However because the bread is so good, I always indulge myself with too much bread and walk out feeling like a balloon.... Now we are already floating up mid air and I have yet to touch on the dessert and drinks.
Coffee comes in all sorts of styles here and you could get them to be served with ice-cream and so are their sodas and fruit juices.... Its really too many to list. The dessert choices are a headache because everything is just so yummy....
All in all, the menu takes like 15 minutes to digest and another 5 to decide because there are just so many stuffs to choose from.. and always go with a group of friends because you tend to indulge in ordering too much. Just sad that the free flow bread is no more, they do still give you a basket of bread but all the fun of going there to cut it yourself, though the bread all comes back ugly and oddly squeezed, its the fun of doing it yourself that makes the difference..
CAFE CARTEL..... I HOPE YOU HEAR ME.....
" PLEASE BRING BACK THE FREE FLOW BREAD COUNTER!!!"
" I'M LOVING AND MISSING THAT ALOT!!!"
Rating given:
I always walk pass, but rarely walk in, reason being that there's too many choices of food, restaurants and cafe available. But when I always walk pass the outlet, the savoury glistening pies always seemed to be smiling at me...
Though the menu serves up a good variety of heavy meals, light snacks, eastern and western delights, my choices are pretty regular...
For a light meal, I always opt for a beef burger because they make up a very originally tasting burger... which is a slice of patty on toasted buttered bread and onion tomato sauce.. thats it... simple and nostalgia and yummy... like the way i ate it when i was really tiny.
For a slightly heavier meal, I always go for their carbonara pie. Its sought of a chicken pie but BIGGER... The flaky skin is baked till crispy and the filling is a good mix of chicken chunks, potato, carrots and everything else in a light creamy sauce. The entire combination is really yummy and I should say its good to share.
For a good regular meal, I always go for the Hainanese Pork Chop Set meal that comes complete with a soup (usually just so so), a slice of garlic bread, dessert (which could be jello or cake or fruit), sunkist orange juice (my fav.), rice and the hainanese pork chop itself. The hainanese pork chop is really yummy and the chilli is potent... Its a mix of freshly fried pork cutlet in a tomato based sauce with chunks of carrots, potato, i think pear, pineapple, onions and everything else. Its tangy and savory, taste is slightly acidic and goes well with the rice. Its appetizing and the portion is great for one.
For desserts, I always go for the cakes, because I think they are cheap and good and of a good size. They have an array of different flavors, even like pandan fudge, blackforest, etc. The apple crumble or choice of fruit pies are amazing, simple, extremely value for money and of a very very good portion.
In summary, the food is really yummy, affordable and value for money, service is so so but the place is pretty clean. Sits are not really comfy but rather casual and old school, yet its almost always 70% full. The variety on the menu is great, you get to choose even local delights like hor fun. Its very much a self served place so don't expect much service.
Rating given:
Always love to browse M.A.C cosmetic products, I personally find their colour and product range comprehensive and made with really good quality ingredients. I popped by this new outlet at Robinsons, JEM on a weekday evening after work when the crowd has not yet sit in and got a really good experience.
Love the way they display their products, I can only say professional, clean and neat. There are definitely more than hundreds of different kinds of cosmetic products, with different color hues, textures, functions and even make up instruments. Its as though I can turn professional when I get hold of a set of these professional brushes and pots and jars of powders, gel, liquid and anything in between. On top of that, all their products are available for trial. I asked Janette, the friendly staff who served me, if they disinfect these trial cosmetics and she said... "Of Course we do, sometimes many times a day if the store is busy" in a sweet friendly smile :)"
With that I feel much more secured... unlike many places that sells cosmetics, their trial areas are usually messy, littered and you can see broken pieces of pressed powders everywhere, coupled with the damaged casing and the cosmetics itself, reminded me of a used toilet cubicle BOMBED...... and not FLUSHED.... with toilet rolls everywhere.
Here... its so different, she let me try the colors on my hand and even recommended me what is trending while helping me make comparison and advised me my colour tones and beauty must dos... Love the helpful and somewhat entertaining tone coupled with a tinge of humor here and there... 'this trip is indeed very fruitful'. Besides her professional dressing, all the staffs here are kinda dressed in complete black, her makeup looked so natural and eye make up fantastically eye popping 'in a good way of course' . While I asked questions on how I could do similar color blending, Janette offered me some really good information and also if I would like to know more, they can arrange a workshop for me to attend.
While we were discussing on the products, her colleague Junry popped by and I was most mesmerized by her dolly eyes.... Friendly and extremely alluring, she briefly described to me which products she used, how she used them and the other add on products. While I tried to remember the information, she happily offered to add me in her Instagram where she shares her bold look. I am hysterically happy... Finally there is hope for the MAKEUP DISASTER ME!
So I would recommend you gals or guys who would like to buy cosmetics or make up stuffs to go to M.A.C or if you want my kinda experience, you may go to the outlet at JEM Robinsons.. if you are wondering what I bought, of course most of the recommended especially some eye colour for that trending bold look..
A little something extra for you patient readers... I know my post is kinda long.. some prices that are not tagged..
1) Eyebrow shaping - $15
2) Makeover - $50
3) Free Makeover with purchase of $120 worth of products - $120
4) One to One workshop with purchase of $150 worth of products - $150...
I could just roughly remember these as there were so many to remember.. enjoy your colourful journey and thankyou staff of M.A.C... I had a wonderful experience and I don't get that alot these days...
Rating given:
If you are thinking of installing an awning, be sure to engage the right supplier.
Have engaged this company to install awning for me. I was shocked that the awning is so noisy when they row-in and out. The salesman told me all cassette awning are the same so I have to accept it since it is already installed.
Next, I can only turn on the motor 1 or 2 times to row-in/out. The motor will not work after the 3rd attempt. The installer told me I need to let the motor rest after every row in/out operation. I accepted it reluctantly.
Last but not least, the water drip onto my neighbour's car porch. This is a very small issue as they can simply adjust the screw to fine tune the level of the awning, but it took them more than a month to settle it.
It is so difficult to get the message across and the sales person is
always in the meeting ( not sure true or not ). In the end, I have to convey the message via SMS.
The problem lies in the attitude of the staffs and the management. The supervisor did not educate and impart the right concept to the foreign workers who come from a different environment. The anagement did not enforce the service standard to the sales staff to value each and every customer. This industry may not face any difficulty because they are still in boom town, if the attitude did not improve, they will face big problem when time is bad. Meanwhile, we as a consumer just have to look for more sources before committing a purchase.
Rating given:
Was rather intrigued by the name, "The Sleeping Rhino", so decided to drop by one evening with the missus for dinner. It definitely helped that there was a 50% discount courtesy of my palate card.
Located on the ground floor of Klapsons The Boutique Hotel at Tanjong Pagar, The Sleeping Rhino offers a view of the surrounding pedestrian walkway and vehicular roads through towering floor to ceiling windows. For a little more privacy, opt for the booth seats furthest away from the windows.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread roll came a little crusty and warm. Together with a small container of store bought butter, it made for a nice and simple way to start off.
Pomodoro Penne with Cajun Smoked Chicken - Al dente penne tossed in a mildly tart pomodoro sauce and topped with chunks of savoury cajun chicken - simple yet satisfying. The only gripe I had was the lack of smokiness in the chicken.
Wagyu Beef Burger - The beef patty was done up to medium well but seemed a little drier than expected. Flavours were decent and I liked the addition of the runny yolk sunny side up atop, which gave the burger an overall smooth and rich finish. Unfortunately the bun was crisp but dry and tasteless.
Tiramisu - Circular in shape, the tiramisu's portion was rather small with the sponge fingers a little too soaked in kahlua. The mascarpone cheese seemed a little diluted which definitely didn't help matters. All in all a very average rendition of this Italian classic dessert.
Dinner for 2 pax came to almost $38 with a 50% discount ($75.33 without). Overall food quality hovered around the average mark and prices were honestly on the high side for the corresponding quality. Service was good though but that could be due to the fact that we were the only table that evening (although another couple did come in when we were just about to leave).
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
I enjoy hanging out at this nostalgia 60s looking coffee and toast place, not only because the food is yummy, the furniture and interior deco of the place gives me alot of comfort. The worn out timber stools and wooden tables, old oil lamps hanging by the side and the 70s music playing in the background is what I call a nostalgia hangout for the young ones.
Well when I'm here I never fail to order the lemon grass tea with jelly. I love the refreshing and herbal taste coupled by smooth gooey jello. The mee siam is also fantastically nice. Its sourish and not too spicy... good for my non-tolerant tummy. Also must try the curry chicken and rice, its yummy and of a good portion just enough for one to eat...
Of course the traditional toast, half boiled eggs and coffee are magnificent. Service is fast and good and tables get packed up real fast. On top of whatever chinese cafe stuffs you can get from the bistro counter, you can also buy cakes, buns and bread from the bakery right next to it.
This outlet is usually very crowded on weekends and even weekday evenings and the seats are tight because its not a very large place but you get to see the patisserie chefs baking in a glass kitchen right next to the seating area. Its a nice place to hang and have a cuppa something... If you want proper meal, there are a good choice in the menu...
Rating given:
Having a cuppa sock coffee in this charming spot of West Coast Plaza makes the afternoon a well spent time. Dressed in woody white with victorian styled lamps and custom timber table and chairs simply brings the country feel back to this modernised mall.
This outlet is extremely special, situated at the edge of the stairway near the main entrance of this mall, its almost like a standalone cottage amidst the high ceilings of level 1 and level 2. Rustic and private with a large airy space above... One can even smell the aromatic Singapore brew of maize based coffee on the second level. Love the sight of smoke rising with every pouring of the hot water into the coffee sock and blanched eggs.
Yes, the food selection is great. I think Toast Box serves one of the best traditional kaya toast in thinly sliced toasted to golden brown bread. The butter feels like cheese, thick, creamy and cold infused with smooth and sweet kaya. Love also the peanut butter thick toast which is a creamy and chunky peanut butter layered upon a lightly toasted thick slice of bread.
The food is yummy and setting is nice and rustic. Great place to hang with friends or by yourself with a faithful book.
Rating given:
This outlet opposite hang tang is a life saver... Always love a bite to carry on the diesel fumes filled seating area of the boat on the way to Batam.
The baked products are always yummy and my indon friends love the cookies I bring along in beautifully sealed jars. My favourite will have to be the chocolate pretzi and the Toblerone Chocolate Pastry. I find their pastries crispy and fresh while the breads are hearty with a good mix of fruits and nuts. Grainy and wholesome is what I would describe their products. They are of the right sweetness and I could never imagine search hard wheaty breads could taste so nice.
Pick what you want from the shiny clear plastic cabinate and for every 5 bakery items you can get 1 for free. If you like cakes, they have a good variety of that and of course pastry as well. However this outlet do not carry some of the pies I like.
Service is just on the counter and its more of a buy and go kinda shop. Service was quick and the shop is spick and span... Nothing bad to say about them just that these bakery products are somewhat a comfort to me on my stinky boat trip...
Rating given:
I chanced upon Platypus while shopping at Bugis Junction. Used to be the location of the V8 Cafe, this outlet is carefully tucked near to the little bridge towards the food court. The layout of the restaurant very much resembles V8 however I love the little deco by the side of the walls, the little flowers and wooden decoratives.
The menu they serve is very interesting, service is efficient and always with a smiling face. Love the ongoing promotional set meals, especially the beer cocktails.. really interesting. So we ordered these:
1) Wild mushroom soup ($3.90) - Tasted extremely creamy and savory. Could taste the bits of different kind of mushroom and its blended so smoothly with bits of air bubbles.. Light and fluffy.
2) Roasted Pumpkin soup ($3.90) - I expected something more sweet as the natural taste of pumpkin however this one tasted a tad too salty for me. Though smooth and creamy, this have got rooms for improvement.
3) Lemon Prawn Parpadelle ($16.50) - A very interesting choice of pasta with a zest of a slice of lemon juiced over. The prawn is crunchy and the parpadelle extremely interesting. Springy to the bite, the pasta tasted like extremely fresh dumpling skin. I fell in love with the parpadelle almost immediately. Coated in a tasty tomato based sauce with sweet prawns.. this dish is mouth watering good. It looks good, smells good, taste good and parpadelle packs a good surprise.
4) Seafood Bouillabaisse ($21.90) - It has a choice of cream or tomato based and I always believe that seafood should be zesty to bring out the natural freshness of the ingredients, as such, we chose a tomato based. Stir fried with diced tomato in a light broth is what we get, served with a couple of sliced of toasted bread. I find the portion generous, though it might not look much, yet its filling.. The chunks of salmon and generous slices of seafood such as squid and muscles gives muscles to this dish. Dip in some freshly toasted bread makes a wholesome meal. Not much of a wow factor as with the name given, yet is pretty pleasant to have.
5)Smith's Ale ($9.90) - Is a nice combination of Lager Beer with apples, lemon and passion fruit. Very light, fruity and refreshing and the passion fruit is simply amazing... Love the sizzling passion fruit bits that pops in my mouth. Extremely interesting drink... this is the highlight of my meal. The portion is generous however I wanted MORE :)
6) Momo Lychee Ale ($9.90) - Another Lager Beer, lychee and mint combined cocktail is a more sweetish and delightful drink. Love the splash of beer when you bite into the Lychee.
I had a very good experience at this outlet, the food delicious, price reasonable, especially with the ongoing promotion. Be sure to get the Smith's Ale....
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