I have a friend, his name is Jones. He is a grocer, and he ain’t a normal grocer. Gourmet products, that’s right. All the customers would drop by and waved, “Hello Jones!”. And the kids would peeked around curiously, and oh yes, they had a song which goes something like this;
Jones the grocer, Can we eat it? Jones the grocer, Yes we can!
Jones the grocer, I want some food! Jones the grocer, Come and get it!
My latest breakfast-brunch crave brought me to Jones the grocer, because they are one of the few that serves brunch during weekdays (the other few being Prive, Rider’s, and Casa Verde).
Much as I liked having brunch on a lazy Sunday morning, but the idea of having it during a WEEKDAY enthrals me even more! Well the rest of the world rushed off to work, I’m slowly sipping a cup of coffee, having my favourite eggs, and reading the newspaper. You get the idea?
I want breakfast. I want eggs. I want pancakes.
Pancakes we wanted, and Coconut pancakes ($12.5) we got! Sour mango wasn’t exactly what we expected, but it presented a contrast with the syrup, well they called it the palm sugar syrup here. Whatever, all the syrup tasted the same to me, sweet and sweet!
And did you see what I saw? Vanilla beans! Tiny speaks of vanilla beans! I’m not going to go into the story of how excited I’ll become when I saw the beans, but, I’m excited! It was nice having vanilla beans with pancakes, but we did felt that it would be better to have it with butter and syrup for breakfast at least. And oh ya, the pancakes here are one of the thickest-I-ever-came-across.
Jones english breakfast ($20). I’ll like to call it the best-of-everything. Poached eggs, grilled bacon, pork sausages, sautéed mushroom, and even slow roasted tomato for some nutritional balance! What is there not to like?
I can never resist the golden-yellow egg yolk flowing out of the pure egg white: striptease - stop playing with me or I’ll eat you up! I put the poached eggs, bacon, and mushroom on top of the sourdough (the sausage was too huge to fit in on top), and I tried to put everything in one bite.
Well I failed of course, but that’s obviously what I intended to; in this way I could repeat and repeat the same full-mouth-process until I finished the whole thing, and wanting more.
Total bill was $35.75 for the brunch, they had 10% service charge but the 7% GST was already included in the bill. Was it expensive? No, for the mere thought that I was having my breakfast while the rest of the world were busy slogging it out in the office, that’s something priceless.
But for weekday brunch, I’ll prefer Rider’s and Prive if you have your own transport, not that it is easy to get to dempsey either.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
53 - the newly opened dining collaboration between lawyer turned chef, Michael Han and the Les Amis group. Chef Han, who trained at the prestigious Fat Duck in England, brought along Fat Duck's 2nd pastry chef, Leoandro, to helm 53's pastry department. What makes this restaurant stand out is that there is no ala carte menu, which means the chef decides, to a certain extent, what you eat.
Aptly located at 53 Armenian Street, the restaurant is situated in a double story shophouse with the private dining room and kitchen located on the first level and the main dining hall and wine cellar on the second. The place is tiny and sparsely furnished with simple tables and chairs and the main dining area can probably only accommodate about 5 tables for a total capacity of 20. Hence reservations are of utmost importance. Try making them at least 2 weeks in advance.
I thought that the sky juice (no still or sparkling nonsense) deserved a mention because the serving jug has a piece of charcoal in it, which is said to remove the harmful particles in water and allow good minerals that are essential to the body to pass through. Reminds me of charcoal tablets.
Potato Crisps - A most interesting appetiser, the potato crisps were served on a charcoal holding stand and dusted with vinegar. The crisps were, well, crisp and not too dry with a light sourish hint of vinegar. Great way to start off.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary buckwheat (from Manitoba, Canada) bread came served in a sack that promised to keep the bread warm for 20 minutes. The secret lies at the bottom of the sack, which contains pebbles that are heated before the bread is served and dissipates heat to keep the bread warm. Ingenious! The bread looked like a muffin but outside was hard while inside was rather spongy. Served alongside was a dish of buttermilk butter that was sprinkled with buckwheat. Very nice!
Air Cured Wagyu and Hibiscus, Beetroot and Apple - I thought the pairing of cured wagyu and beetroot was rather interesting, if outlandish. 53 proved me wrong though. The wagyu had a nice salty tinge to it while the beetroot gave it a mild sweetness. Nice subtle contrast. The beetroot sorbet added an almost surreal chilling dimension to the dish. Mind boggling!
Scallop and Buckwheat, Chicken "Oysters" ( $10) - I'm guessing the chicken pieces look like oyster hence the name? And they were probably the best chicken pieces I've eaten in a long long time. They were extremely tender and tasty but the less then generous portions kept my cravings in check. The scallops were seared to perfection with the right texture and came across as very flavourful as well.
Beef Cheeks and Onion, Pearl Barley and Watercress - This dish was a little of a let down. I couldn't quite make out any inherent beefy taste and the beef cheek was all shredded and almost pulp like. It was just salty with a little sweetness, probably from the barley. A nausea inducing dish.
Barramundi, Blackberries and Green Beans - The fish was freshly sweet with the skin nicely crisp but a tad salty. I am guessing the extra salt is useful and delightful in contrasting the sweetness from the blackberry and pear jam thats smeared alongside. And the whole dish was topped with a slice of amazingly thin Ciabatta that rendered me speechless.
Szechuan Peppercorn Ice Cream, Roasted Figs and Olive Puree -
I've never been a fan of figs but this one was surprisingly acceptable to me (I only managed to finish 1 slice though). What was interesting was the ice cream, which came across as very "perfumy" so to speak with a mild numbing sensation from the szechuan peppercorn. The little black speckles atop were actually olive sprinkles that gave it a light savoury taste. Very interesting combination.
Chocolate Caramel, Enoki and Raspberries - Another interesting piece of dessert. The chocolate caramel was gooey and came with enoki mushrooms which surprisingly accentuated the taste of the caramel. Dried raspberry cubes by the side complemented the dash of peanut butter very well and was almost reminiscent of the peanuts in a peanut butter spread. And to top everything off, there was the raspberry sorbet for a sourish and chilled finish.
Apple Risotto and Rosemary - Tiny cubes of apple cooked the risotto way, with constant adding of apple juice - that's how this dessert was made. I thought that it was nice and mildly sweet with a subtle lingering taste of ginger. The risotto texture was crunchy and the rosemary foam was light as air and hinted of rosemary. Interesting to say the least.
Petit Fours - The perfect Gin and Tonic sweet is what 53 calls its petit fours and rightly so. How the sweet works is this. You place it on your tongue and let it slowly dissolve to release the gin tonic taste. When you decide that its too strong for you, just wash it away with water. Quite a novelty I must say.
It was without a doubt, a most excellent lunch that definitely warrants revisits, especially for dinner. But prices are steep, with lunch costing the 2 of us just over $140 and that's with 2 pots of complimentary tea that would have gone for $12 a pot from the menu. Quality of food is top notch and so is service. And there is an air of exclusivity around it as tables are limited.
This place is almost fully packed all the time and I pretty liked the idea of keeping the place small and cosy. The first time i was brought to this place it felt very traditional jap road side cafe feel... but as you dine, the cosy-ness slowly sits in.
Waiters were attentive however not smiling.... but its good enough.... Lets go straight to the food..
I however feel that the spread was not comprehensive enough for a buffet with regards to the price per head. The raw stuffs were fresh and juicy. The plating of the dishes were only normal and not extra interesting... However the tempura and grilled squid was nice.... As we know squid could feel very rubbery if overdone and this one was just nice... The sauce not too sweet and very yummy.
Tempura was usually good with plenty of sauce offered. I love handrolls however not to be consumed so much as the rice fills up alot of space.
I personally like the idea of the served up buffet style, instead of the usual buffet bar... Being served feels more spectecular....
I bought one of the GaGa Girl's Belated 21st Birthday Cake here... Every year is a belated 21st birthday, I kinda forgotten how old they are already.... In anyway... we shall remain under 25 till the end of our lives....
Though I did not dine here, the time i spent walking around the shop and playing with all the display there is more then the experience of eating there. I was desperate for a beautiful cake, something special and is not too filling and when i enquired, what truelly attracted me was the lady's description. She told me she would bring for me a freshly baked cheese cake, manually put in the creme and fill them up with FRESH Strawberries....... I love the sound of fresh strawberries.... How many of you can find freshly decorated cake with fresh, juicy, springy, bright red strawberries with beads of fresh dew on them?
Its to die for yar... after hearing that i IMMEDIATELY say.... BRING ME ONE OF THOSE CAKES BABE! While i watch them carefully decorating my cake, i soon discovered to my delight beautifully crafted in cupcakes in various yummy flavours.... They are so pretty.. I wonder who can bear to eat them up... They are affordable.. I mean if somebody were to look at their bright euro shop deco with chandeliers and intrisic designed shop front, many would think its such a expensive place and too doll house for anybody, however I must tell you the prices for the item is AFFORDABLE....
The service was great too.. With bright smiling faces and helpful attitude, the staffs there make me feel so welcome, loved and pampered.... However situated at a corner with lousy human traffic but busy road traffic, this place is a great place for high teas or a quiet tea alone with a book while watching the world go by.
Look out for this nice glass shop at the corner of chinatown and clarke quay with the GREAN PAISLEY sign.. Its Paisley.. not Parsley... Its a glass house... not a GRASS House
I do not know the name of this store, but I saw the address of a basement store when I was walking to the car park after makan. I thought it is worth recommending and I can still remember the store unit#, therefore I give it a name.
I came to this hawker centre after buying some plastic mesh from Kelantan Road. I do not know what to eat but wanted something with low 'C'. Walking around the food centre and looking for store that has long queue. Suprisingly, there are quite a few store with long queue. One of them is turtle soup and the other is this Mei Xin Fish.
Since Turtle soup is of High 'C', I can easily make up my mind and join in the 'Fish' queue. It is not my usual style to queue for food even if it is nice. I queue up because I find this fish soup a little unique, at least I have not seen or tried this.
The menu is very simple. White set meal and white & black set meal. It took me sometime to digest what is white and black&white. Finally, it is referring to fish slice ( white ) or fried fish ( black ).
White is more expensive than black & white.
To be on the safe side, I ordered white and black - small at $4.00. The queue is quite long, about 10 person. But it moves very fast. They have 4 persons. One lady standing next to the queue to collect order and money. One lady inside arranging the food. One man inside preparing the food and another lady doing nothing at that time.
All orders are standard. Therefore the preparation is very easy. All he has to do is to pour the soup inside the bowl. In less than 10 mins, I have my food collected.
I look at the bowl, there is fried fish, slice steam fish and vegetable. What a good balance. The fried fish is nice and is boneless. The steam fish is nice and is fresh. The veg is normal because it is veg. The soup is tasty and the chilly is hot.
Now I understand why additional chilli cost $0.30 and add soup cost $0.50.
I am very satisfied with this simple hawker food. Must recommend. Of course, it would be even better if they can add fried egg. ( oops, it will increase the C then ).
i like the name WARAKU.... if you say it slow with a singaporean slang, it kinda sounds like Wah... La... Good!!!. I strongly feel that the food is indeed.. WAH LAU Eh.. Good! and the View is Wah Lau Eh.... Damn Good! I mean in Singapore, you can only find a handful of places with a mountain and water view yar!
I love the lunchtime set meals they offer... Dual Minis... You can taste 2 main dishes however they come in mini sizes so its like half of each main dish ordered. The prices are reasonable, however sits hard to get. So do make sure you be there early or call for a reservation and most importantly, if you are coming in groups, make sure all is present if not do the "She's in the toilet" trick.... Especially during dinner time.
I had many different stuffs to eat however my favourites will be:
1) Pizza - Nice and crispy, not too filling and loads of toppings
2) Beef Hot Pot - This is a big order especially when you order the set... Beef sooo Sweet I'm afraid my sweet tooth might fall out...
3) Sashimi - If everything in the menu fails to attract you, always go for the regular favourites. Raw fish is ALWAYs Yummy!
4) Sake - Reasonbly priced and good starter for amature drinkers like me
5) Sashimi Salad - Best for both gluttons and dieters alike.... Healthy, Juicy and Refreshing
6) Mochi - The mochis are so nice and creamy.... The wierd thing is... they never get stuck on my teeth like others do...... Funny Thing.
Its THE Place to go for if you wanna eat till you drop or have a quick high tea with your friends. Great variety of selections and flexibility.. A must visit place for all your overseas pals.... Especially with a great view like the clarke quay river....
I totally agree with slimshady that the restaurant's customer services personnals need more improvement. I was there a couple of months back with my gang of friends and we weren't happy with the treatment we got at the entrance.
There were 8 of us and the restaurant was not fully occupied. We were browsing at the menu while some of us standing around talking and waited for somebody to come out and say Hi to us however, in 10 minutues, nobody reacted. The waitresses and waiters just go about their usual business while whispering and shooting THE EYE at each other and nobody served us..
Finally after about 10 minutes somebody came, mumbled something not so audible and my friend asked if the dinner buffet was on and we wanted a table for 8... The waiter mumbled something again and we do not feel welcomed. Instead of eating here, we went to the japanese restaurant nearby.
The deco and the food displayed in the menu looked good and price I find affordable however on the high side. Perhaps one would be more willing to try it out, however with a more warm welcoming spirit would be great for business.
What economic crisis is there to talk about when a restaurant like this; located in a high rental zone with high overhead is not doing anything to attract more business?
Cassia is a tree that is related to Cinnamon and from which the spice, cassiabark, is derived from. It also happens to be the name of the newly opened Chinese restaurant at Capella Singapore, which offers traditional Chinese cuisine blended with haute Cantonese techniques. In short, modern Chinese cuisine. The place is helmed by Executive Chef Ooi Soon Lock, who had stints in HK, Malaysia and Ritz Carlton Singapore.
Located at the upmarket Capella Hotel at Sentosa (where rooms start at $650/night), Cassia sits on the 3rd story of this stunning colonial style hotel complete with a sprawling driveway. The restaurant in itself is another work of art, with its lime stone lined entrance and intricately cut black lamp shades that provide a nice warm glow to the place. Seats are comfortable with plush cushions and the cutlery reads Narumi and Christofle - really expensive stuff.
Amuse Bouche - Served chilled, the amuse bouche of dragonfruit, pork belly and mango was quite a novel way to start off. The pork was surprisingly firm with a mild hint of barbecue sauce but the fruits didn't quite feature in the overall taste.
Steamed Milk Custard Bun with Salted Egg Yolk - The custard bun didn't come in the customary bun shape but in a oblong dumpling shape. It was evidently hand made from the nips in the skin. The custard filling was smooth with traces of egg yolk sediment but reminded me uncomfortably of kaya(coconut jam). There was an overload of flour as well.
Deep Fried Spring Roll with Prawn, Garlic and Mozzarella Cheese - I thought this dish was quite decent, with the spring rolls crisp without coming across as too oily. The prawns were crunchy but I couldn't quite make out the taste of cheese though. Nice as a finger food.
Pan Fried Bean Curd Skin Rolls with Chicken and French Foie Gras - Foie gras is the key here but sadly, I couldn't quite make out any in the rolls. The beancurd skin was limp and not the least bit crisp but at least the prawns were evident and crunchy. Now where's my foie gras?
Wok Fried Carrot Cake with Crisp Garlic in Pi Fong Tang Style - Honestly, I have no idea what constitutes Pi Fong Tang Style but I do know this. The carrot cake was too soft and mashy. And honestly, it could really do with a little more flavour. On the upside, it wasn't excessively oily and deep fried garlic is always nice, albeit irritating as it tends to stick to your teeth when chewing.
Steamed Barbecued US Berkshire Pork Buns - I must admit that I enjoyed the pork buns aka char siew bao. The char siew filling wasn't cloyingly sweet and the meat pieces were plump and juicy. The skin was soft and moist too, just that there was a little too much flour.
Crispy Prawn Dumplings with Wasabi Mayo - Comfort food to say the very least, the crispy prawn dumplings weren't out of the ordinary but competent enough to warrant a decent grade. The wanton skin was crackling crispy and the prawn huge and sweet. It was served on a cucumber spread with a thick layer of wasabi mayo that didn't threaten to overwhelm.
Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumplings with Bamboo Shoot and Celery - The quintessential dim sum dish - har gao. The skin was thin and slightly elastic while the whole prawn was fresh and crunchy. The addition of bamboo shoots and celery gave it an extra crunch but thats about it.
Deep Fried Thai Papaya Puff - This is actually quite interesting stuff and I must admit that its the first time I'm having something like that. The pastry was flaky and inside was mashed papaya that came across as mildly sweet. Would probably be more suitable as a dessert in my humble opinion.
Pan Fried Australian Minced Wagyu Beef Bun with Truffle and Water Chestnut - I have mentioned this countless times and I shall say this again. Mincing wagyu beef is a blatant and shameful waste of good beef. And this was no exception. The bun was speckled with sesame seeds and then pan fried till the seeds turned golden brown. There was no inherent beefy taste and in its place, a strong taste of spring onion. The water chestnut gave it a nice crunchy texture though. In case you are questioning where the truffle went to, I have that same question in mind.
Steamed Sui Mai Dumplings, topped with Norwegian Salmon Roe - The filling in the siew mai was probably part pork, part prawn paste, hence the noticeable absence of the porky taste. However, the salmon roe proved to be a little too fishy for me and this dish in general. I wonder if the roe could have been better utilised?
Baked Farm Egg Tart - I thought that the egg tarts were quite decent, albeit rather smallish in size. The crust wasn't too flaky and had a oat aftertaste (oat flour?) while the custard was quivery and not too sweet. Nice, but not that nice.
An uninspiring and partially filling dim sum session set the 3 of us back by about $72, which isn't alot of money. Food hovers around average to slightly above average but with the quality and quantity, I'll be hard pressed to find a reason to return. Maybe only for the ambience and exclusivity? And even if I do, I'll probably just stick to the dim sum. I mean, with prices like $12/pax for tea or $5/bowl of rice, one would be either have to be obnoxiously rich or simply deranged to actually do dinner.
I love that look, as I loved the look on your face when you grazed upon the slab of peanut butter chocolate, the same look on my face when I slurped down a cup of hot chocolate, the slice of rich chocolate truffle cake. It’s a gaze of wonder: the same look you see on children’s faces when they are given chocolate, and it is always a joy to see the happy smiles. Down memory lane one ninety one, one of the finest there is, Laurent Bernard Chocolatier.
The problem with eating good food means that after you tried the best, there’s no way you can accept something inferior. Tiny specks of real vanilla seeds imparted a fragrance that no artificial flavouring can match. I loved vanilla bean ice cream ($4.50 one scoop), and what am I going to do with those King’s ice cream in the fridge?
We eyed the Chocolate tart ($7.80 ). After some hasty shots, I gave up in my attempts to take a perfect shot. The thinly pastry crust, the layer of hazelnut praline above it, the rich and sweet chocolate - what’s there not to like? It would be perfect if the whipped cream is replaced with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
The density of the chocolate. I just kept going and going, I don’t want to share this with anyone else. So simple, yet so, so good. Chocolate truffle ($6.80 ).
It was unfortunate that we did not get to try the highly acclaimed Chocolate soufflé - the very one that prompted our visit to Laurent’s. And even though I only tried two of their desserts, I must say the array of chocolate desserts look very tempting, and I will certainly come back to try some of the other cakes.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
It was a long time coming and I finally made a trip to try out Eden Sanctuary, the younger sibling of Eden Cafe at Club Street, which has since ceased operations. Like its sibling, Eden Sanctuary promises simple healthy cuisine with floral and herbal influences.
Wedged right at the end of the upmarket Rochester Park, Eden shares the compound with Body with Soul, a health care centre that offers physiotherapy treatment, nutrition advice and the likes. So in a certain sense, both outfits complement each other. Eden comprises mostly al fresco seating with probably about 3 -4 tables indoor. The entire place exudes laid back comfort amidst the shadow of the HDB flat towering behind, a small oasis next to the urban jungle.
Creamless Mushroom Soup - This has got to be the healthiest mushroom soup that I've ever drank. Its essentially 4 types of mushroom and chicken stock blended together and served with 2 small strips of wholemeal bread. Not that it tasted bad. In fact, I found it very satisfying with chunks of mushroom and the pure unadulterated mushroom taste sans the creaminess.
Pear Rocket Salad - The salad was huge and could have passed off as a main for a relatively moderate eater. Its a simple salad with slices of pear, orange, arugula, feta cheese and drizzled with a calamansi, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and honey concoction. The sauce was noticeably light and all in all the salad was a good way to start off.
Ginger Leek Peanut Butter Fish - To be honest, the fish didn't look the least bit appetising. However, it was actually quite good even though I really hate ginger to the core. At least the ginger wasn't too prominent in the peanut butter sauce. Whats interesting is that the sauce is coated onto the butter fish and baked, leaving a semi solid paste that hinted of ginger and peanut butter.
Tarragon Garlic Chicken - Tarragon is actually a relative of the sunflower family and carries a somewhat bitter anise flavour to it. This was not very evident in the chicken and I couldn't quite make out any garlic as well. But to give credit where its due, the chicken was deboned thigh meat that came across as very tender and juicy. Great execution but probably a little too light for my preference.
Tofu Cheesecake - The sour cream in this cheesecake is replaced by tofu, which gives it an interesting tofu taste and ups the health factor. Throw in a base made solely from digestive biscuits and you have a light yet tasty cheesecake that wouldn't pose too much of a problem to your health.
Chocolate Banana Oreo Cheesecake - As sinful as this dessert sounds, its actually not that rich. On the contrary, it was rather light on the palate even with the bananas and chocolate. You get the nice soft texture of banana coupled with a mild chocolaty sweetness amidst layers of foamy light cheesecake. Very good!
With a 10% discount, the bill came up to almost $109 for a soup, a salad, 2 mains and 3 desserts, which is a little on the high side but take away the cost of the teas and the price drops to a more manageable $90. Food quality is decent and I can forsee future visits when my health conscious side appeals to me.
1=SGD 0.0587
I have a friend, his name is Jones. He is a grocer, and he ain’t a normal grocer. Gourmet products, that’s right. All the customers would drop by and waved, “Hello Jones!”. And the kids would peeked around curiously, and oh yes, they had a song which goes something like this;
Jones the grocer, Can we eat it?
Jones the grocer, Yes we can!
Jones the grocer, I want some food!
Jones the grocer, Come and get it!
My latest breakfast-brunch crave brought me to Jones the grocer, because they are one of the few that serves brunch during weekdays (the other few being Prive, Rider’s, and Casa Verde).
Much as I liked having brunch on a lazy Sunday morning, but the idea of having it during a WEEKDAY enthrals me even more! Well the rest of the world rushed off to work, I’m slowly sipping a cup of coffee, having my favourite eggs, and reading the newspaper. You get the idea?
I want breakfast. I want eggs. I want pancakes.
Pancakes we wanted, and Coconut pancakes ($12.5) we got! Sour mango wasn’t exactly what we expected, but it presented a contrast with the syrup, well they called it the palm sugar syrup here. Whatever, all the syrup tasted the same to me, sweet and sweet!
And did you see what I saw? Vanilla beans! Tiny speaks of vanilla beans! I’m not going to go into the story of how excited I’ll become when I saw the beans, but, I’m excited! It was nice having vanilla beans with pancakes, but we did felt that it would be better to have it with butter and syrup for breakfast at least. And oh ya, the pancakes here are one of the thickest-I-ever-came-across.
Jones english breakfast ($20). I’ll like to call it the best-of-everything. Poached eggs, grilled bacon, pork sausages, sautéed mushroom, and even slow roasted tomato for some nutritional balance! What is there not to like?
I can never resist the golden-yellow egg yolk flowing out of the pure egg white: striptease - stop playing with me or I’ll eat you up! I put the poached eggs, bacon, and mushroom on top of the sourdough (the sausage was too huge to fit in on top), and I tried to put everything in one bite.
Well I failed of course, but that’s obviously what I intended to; in this way I could repeat and repeat the same full-mouth-process until I finished the whole thing, and wanting more.
Total bill was $35.75 for the brunch, they had 10% service charge but the 7% GST was already included in the bill. Was it expensive? No, for the mere thought that I was having my breakfast while the rest of the world were busy slogging it out in the office, that’s something priceless.
But for weekday brunch, I’ll prefer Rider’s and Prive if you have your own transport, not that it is easy to get to dempsey either.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
53 - the newly opened dining collaboration between lawyer turned chef, Michael Han and the Les Amis group. Chef Han, who trained at the prestigious Fat Duck in England, brought along Fat Duck's 2nd pastry chef, Leoandro, to helm 53's pastry department. What makes this restaurant stand out is that there is no ala carte menu, which means the chef decides, to a certain extent, what you eat.
Aptly located at 53 Armenian Street, the restaurant is situated in a double story shophouse with the private dining room and kitchen located on the first level and the main dining hall and wine cellar on the second. The place is tiny and sparsely furnished with simple tables and chairs and the main dining area can probably only accommodate about 5 tables for a total capacity of 20. Hence reservations are of utmost importance. Try making them at least 2 weeks in advance.
I thought that the sky juice (no still or sparkling nonsense) deserved a mention because the serving jug has a piece of charcoal in it, which is said to remove the harmful particles in water and allow good minerals that are essential to the body to pass through. Reminds me of charcoal tablets.
Potato Crisps - A most interesting appetiser, the potato crisps were served on a charcoal holding stand and dusted with vinegar. The crisps were, well, crisp and not too dry with a light sourish hint of vinegar. Great way to start off.
Complimentary Bread - The complimentary buckwheat (from Manitoba, Canada) bread came served in a sack that promised to keep the bread warm for 20 minutes. The secret lies at the bottom of the sack, which contains pebbles that are heated before the bread is served and dissipates heat to keep the bread warm. Ingenious! The bread looked like a muffin but outside was hard while inside was rather spongy. Served alongside was a dish of buttermilk butter that was sprinkled with buckwheat. Very nice!
Air Cured Wagyu and Hibiscus, Beetroot and Apple - I thought the pairing of cured wagyu and beetroot was rather interesting, if outlandish. 53 proved me wrong though. The wagyu had a nice salty tinge to it while the beetroot gave it a mild sweetness. Nice subtle contrast. The beetroot sorbet added an almost surreal chilling dimension to the dish. Mind boggling!
Scallop and Buckwheat, Chicken "Oysters" ( $10) - I'm guessing the chicken pieces look like oyster hence the name? And they were probably the best chicken pieces I've eaten in a long long time. They were extremely tender and tasty but the less then generous portions kept my cravings in check. The scallops were seared to perfection with the right texture and came across as very flavourful as well.
Beef Cheeks and Onion, Pearl Barley and Watercress - This dish was a little of a let down. I couldn't quite make out any inherent beefy taste and the beef cheek was all shredded and almost pulp like. It was just salty with a little sweetness, probably from the barley. A nausea inducing dish.
Barramundi, Blackberries and Green Beans - The fish was freshly sweet with the skin nicely crisp but a tad salty. I am guessing the extra salt is useful and delightful in contrasting the sweetness from the blackberry and pear jam thats smeared alongside. And the whole dish was topped with a slice of amazingly thin Ciabatta that rendered me speechless.
Szechuan Peppercorn Ice Cream, Roasted Figs and Olive Puree -
I've never been a fan of figs but this one was surprisingly acceptable to me (I only managed to finish 1 slice though). What was interesting was the ice cream, which came across as very "perfumy" so to speak with a mild numbing sensation from the szechuan peppercorn. The little black speckles atop were actually olive sprinkles that gave it a light savoury taste. Very interesting combination.
Chocolate Caramel, Enoki and Raspberries - Another interesting piece of dessert. The chocolate caramel was gooey and came with enoki mushrooms which surprisingly accentuated the taste of the caramel. Dried raspberry cubes by the side complemented the dash of peanut butter very well and was almost reminiscent of the peanuts in a peanut butter spread. And to top everything off, there was the raspberry sorbet for a sourish and chilled finish.
Apple Risotto and Rosemary - Tiny cubes of apple cooked the risotto way, with constant adding of apple juice - that's how this dessert was made. I thought that it was nice and mildly sweet with a subtle lingering taste of ginger. The risotto texture was crunchy and the rosemary foam was light as air and hinted of rosemary. Interesting to say the least.
Petit Fours - The perfect Gin and Tonic sweet is what 53 calls its petit fours and rightly so. How the sweet works is this. You place it on your tongue and let it slowly dissolve to release the gin tonic taste. When you decide that its too strong for you, just wash it away with water. Quite a novelty I must say.
It was without a doubt, a most excellent lunch that definitely warrants revisits, especially for dinner. But prices are steep, with lunch costing the 2 of us just over $140 and that's with 2 pots of complimentary tea that would have gone for $12 a pot from the menu. Quality of food is top notch and so is service. And there is an air of exclusivity around it as tables are limited.
See all my pictures here.
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This place is almost fully packed all the time and I pretty liked the idea of keeping the place small and cosy. The first time i was brought to this place it felt very traditional jap road side cafe feel... but as you dine, the cosy-ness slowly sits in.
Waiters were attentive however not smiling.... but its good enough.... Lets go straight to the food..
I however feel that the spread was not comprehensive enough for a buffet with regards to the price per head. The raw stuffs were fresh and juicy. The plating of the dishes were only normal and not extra interesting... However the tempura and grilled squid was nice.... As we know squid could feel very rubbery if overdone and this one was just nice... The sauce not too sweet and very yummy.
Tempura was usually good with plenty of sauce offered. I love handrolls however not to be consumed so much as the rice fills up alot of space.
I personally like the idea of the served up buffet style, instead of the usual buffet bar... Being served feels more spectecular....
A must try....
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I bought one of the GaGa Girl's Belated 21st Birthday Cake here... Every year is a belated 21st birthday, I kinda forgotten how old they are already.... In anyway... we shall remain under 25 till the end of our lives....
Though I did not dine here, the time i spent walking around the shop and playing with all the display there is more then the experience of eating there. I was desperate for a beautiful cake, something special and is not too filling and when i enquired, what truelly attracted me was the lady's description. She told me she would bring for me a freshly baked cheese cake, manually put in the creme and fill them up with FRESH Strawberries....... I love the sound of fresh strawberries.... How many of you can find freshly decorated cake with fresh, juicy, springy, bright red strawberries with beads of fresh dew on them?
Its to die for yar... after hearing that i IMMEDIATELY say.... BRING ME ONE OF THOSE CAKES BABE! While i watch them carefully decorating my cake, i soon discovered to my delight beautifully crafted in cupcakes in various yummy flavours.... They are so pretty.. I wonder who can bear to eat them up... They are affordable.. I mean if somebody were to look at their bright euro shop deco with chandeliers and intrisic designed shop front, many would think its such a expensive place and too doll house for anybody, however I must tell you the prices for the item is AFFORDABLE....
The service was great too.. With bright smiling faces and helpful attitude, the staffs there make me feel so welcome, loved and pampered.... However situated at a corner with lousy human traffic but busy road traffic, this place is a great place for high teas or a quiet tea alone with a book while watching the world go by.
Look out for this nice glass shop at the corner of chinatown and clarke quay with the GREAN PAISLEY sign.. Its Paisley.. not Parsley... Its a glass house... not a GRASS House
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I do not know the name of this store, but I saw the address of a basement store when I was walking to the car park after makan. I thought it is worth recommending and I can still remember the store unit#, therefore I give it a name.
I came to this hawker centre after buying some plastic mesh from Kelantan Road. I do not know what to eat but wanted something with low 'C'. Walking around the food centre and looking for store that has long queue. Suprisingly, there are quite a few store with long queue. One of them is turtle soup and the other is this Mei Xin Fish.
Since Turtle soup is of High 'C', I can easily make up my mind and join in the 'Fish' queue. It is not my usual style to queue for food even if it is nice. I queue up because I find this fish soup a little unique, at least I have not seen or tried this.
The menu is very simple. White set meal and white & black set meal. It took me sometime to digest what is white and black&white. Finally, it is referring to fish slice ( white ) or fried fish ( black ).
White is more expensive than black & white.
To be on the safe side, I ordered white and black - small at $4.00. The queue is quite long, about 10 person. But it moves very fast. They have 4 persons. One lady standing next to the queue to collect order and money. One lady inside arranging the food. One man inside preparing the food and another lady doing nothing at that time.
All orders are standard. Therefore the preparation is very easy. All he has to do is to pour the soup inside the bowl. In less than 10 mins, I have my food collected.
I look at the bowl, there is fried fish, slice steam fish and vegetable. What a good balance. The fried fish is nice and is boneless. The steam fish is nice and is fresh. The veg is normal because it is veg. The soup is tasty and the chilly is hot.
Now I understand why additional chilli cost $0.30 and add soup cost $0.50.
I am very satisfied with this simple hawker food. Must recommend. Of course, it would be even better if they can add fried egg. ( oops, it will increase the C then ).
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i like the name WARAKU.... if you say it slow with a singaporean slang, it kinda sounds like Wah... La... Good!!!. I strongly feel that the food is indeed.. WAH LAU Eh.. Good! and the View is Wah Lau Eh.... Damn Good! I mean in Singapore, you can only find a handful of places with a mountain and water view yar!
I love the lunchtime set meals they offer... Dual Minis... You can taste 2 main dishes however they come in mini sizes so its like half of each main dish ordered. The prices are reasonable, however sits hard to get. So do make sure you be there early or call for a reservation and most importantly, if you are coming in groups, make sure all is present if not do the "She's in the toilet" trick.... Especially during dinner time.
I had many different stuffs to eat however my favourites will be:
1) Pizza - Nice and crispy, not too filling and loads of toppings
2) Beef Hot Pot - This is a big order especially when you order the set... Beef sooo Sweet I'm afraid my sweet tooth might fall out...
3) Sashimi - If everything in the menu fails to attract you, always go for the regular favourites. Raw fish is ALWAYs Yummy!
4) Sake - Reasonbly priced and good starter for amature drinkers like me
5) Sashimi Salad - Best for both gluttons and dieters alike.... Healthy, Juicy and Refreshing
6) Mochi - The mochis are so nice and creamy.... The wierd thing is... they never get stuck on my teeth like others do...... Funny Thing.
Its THE Place to go for if you wanna eat till you drop or have a quick high tea with your friends. Great variety of selections and flexibility.. A must visit place for all your overseas pals.... Especially with a great view like the clarke quay river....
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I totally agree with slimshady that the restaurant's customer services personnals need more improvement. I was there a couple of months back with my gang of friends and we weren't happy with the treatment we got at the entrance.
There were 8 of us and the restaurant was not fully occupied. We were browsing at the menu while some of us standing around talking and waited for somebody to come out and say Hi to us however, in 10 minutues, nobody reacted. The waitresses and waiters just go about their usual business while whispering and shooting THE EYE at each other and nobody served us..
Finally after about 10 minutes somebody came, mumbled something not so audible and my friend asked if the dinner buffet was on and we wanted a table for 8... The waiter mumbled something again and we do not feel welcomed. Instead of eating here, we went to the japanese restaurant nearby.
The deco and the food displayed in the menu looked good and price I find affordable however on the high side. Perhaps one would be more willing to try it out, however with a more warm welcoming spirit would be great for business.
What economic crisis is there to talk about when a restaurant like this; located in a high rental zone with high overhead is not doing anything to attract more business?
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Cassia is a tree that is related to Cinnamon and from which the spice, cassiabark, is derived from. It also happens to be the name of the newly opened Chinese restaurant at Capella Singapore, which offers traditional Chinese cuisine blended with haute Cantonese techniques. In short, modern Chinese cuisine. The place is helmed by Executive Chef Ooi Soon Lock, who had stints in HK, Malaysia and Ritz Carlton Singapore.
Located at the upmarket Capella Hotel at Sentosa (where rooms start at $650/night), Cassia sits on the 3rd story of this stunning colonial style hotel complete with a sprawling driveway. The restaurant in itself is another work of art, with its lime stone lined entrance and intricately cut black lamp shades that provide a nice warm glow to the place. Seats are comfortable with plush cushions and the cutlery reads Narumi and Christofle - really expensive stuff.
Amuse Bouche - Served chilled, the amuse bouche of dragonfruit, pork belly and mango was quite a novel way to start off. The pork was surprisingly firm with a mild hint of barbecue sauce but the fruits didn't quite feature in the overall taste.
Steamed Milk Custard Bun with Salted Egg Yolk - The custard bun didn't come in the customary bun shape but in a oblong dumpling shape. It was evidently hand made from the nips in the skin. The custard filling was smooth with traces of egg yolk sediment but reminded me uncomfortably of kaya(coconut jam). There was an overload of flour as well.
Deep Fried Spring Roll with Prawn, Garlic and Mozzarella Cheese - I thought this dish was quite decent, with the spring rolls crisp without coming across as too oily. The prawns were crunchy but I couldn't quite make out the taste of cheese though. Nice as a finger food.
Pan Fried Bean Curd Skin Rolls with Chicken and French Foie Gras - Foie gras is the key here but sadly, I couldn't quite make out any in the rolls. The beancurd skin was limp and not the least bit crisp but at least the prawns were evident and crunchy. Now where's my foie gras?
Wok Fried Carrot Cake with Crisp Garlic in Pi Fong Tang Style - Honestly, I have no idea what constitutes Pi Fong Tang Style but I do know this. The carrot cake was too soft and mashy. And honestly, it could really do with a little more flavour. On the upside, it wasn't excessively oily and deep fried garlic is always nice, albeit irritating as it tends to stick to your teeth when chewing.
Steamed Barbecued US Berkshire Pork Buns - I must admit that I enjoyed the pork buns aka char siew bao. The char siew filling wasn't cloyingly sweet and the meat pieces were plump and juicy. The skin was soft and moist too, just that there was a little too much flour.
Crispy Prawn Dumplings with Wasabi Mayo - Comfort food to say the very least, the crispy prawn dumplings weren't out of the ordinary but competent enough to warrant a decent grade. The wanton skin was crackling crispy and the prawn huge and sweet. It was served on a cucumber spread with a thick layer of wasabi mayo that didn't threaten to overwhelm.
Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumplings with Bamboo Shoot and Celery - The quintessential dim sum dish - har gao. The skin was thin and slightly elastic while the whole prawn was fresh and crunchy. The addition of bamboo shoots and celery gave it an extra crunch but thats about it.
Deep Fried Thai Papaya Puff - This is actually quite interesting stuff and I must admit that its the first time I'm having something like that. The pastry was flaky and inside was mashed papaya that came across as mildly sweet. Would probably be more suitable as a dessert in my humble opinion.
Pan Fried Australian Minced Wagyu Beef Bun with Truffle and Water Chestnut - I have mentioned this countless times and I shall say this again. Mincing wagyu beef is a blatant and shameful waste of good beef. And this was no exception. The bun was speckled with sesame seeds and then pan fried till the seeds turned golden brown. There was no inherent beefy taste and in its place, a strong taste of spring onion. The water chestnut gave it a nice crunchy texture though. In case you are questioning where the truffle went to, I have that same question in mind.
Steamed Sui Mai Dumplings, topped with Norwegian Salmon Roe - The filling in the siew mai was probably part pork, part prawn paste, hence the noticeable absence of the porky taste. However, the salmon roe proved to be a little too fishy for me and this dish in general. I wonder if the roe could have been better utilised?
Baked Farm Egg Tart - I thought that the egg tarts were quite decent, albeit rather smallish in size. The crust wasn't too flaky and had a oat aftertaste (oat flour?) while the custard was quivery and not too sweet. Nice, but not that nice.
An uninspiring and partially filling dim sum session set the 3 of us back by about $72, which isn't alot of money. Food hovers around average to slightly above average but with the quality and quantity, I'll be hard pressed to find a reason to return. Maybe only for the ambience and exclusivity? And even if I do, I'll probably just stick to the dim sum. I mean, with prices like $12/pax for tea or $5/bowl of rice, one would be either have to be obnoxiously rich or simply deranged to actually do dinner.
See all my pictures here.
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I love that look, as I loved the look on your face when you grazed upon the slab of peanut butter chocolate, the same look on my face when I slurped down a cup of hot chocolate, the slice of rich chocolate truffle cake. It’s a gaze of wonder: the same look you see on children’s faces when they are given chocolate, and it is always a joy to see the happy smiles. Down memory lane one ninety one, one of the finest there is, Laurent Bernard Chocolatier.
The problem with eating good food means that after you tried the best, there’s no way you can accept something inferior. Tiny specks of real vanilla seeds imparted a fragrance that no artificial flavouring can match. I loved vanilla bean ice cream ($4.50 one scoop), and what am I going to do with those King’s ice cream in the fridge?
We eyed the Chocolate tart ($7.80 ). After some hasty shots, I gave up in my attempts to take a perfect shot. The thinly pastry crust, the layer of hazelnut praline above it, the rich and sweet chocolate - what’s there not to like? It would be perfect if the whipped cream is replaced with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
The density of the chocolate. I just kept going and going, I don’t want to share this with anyone else. So simple, yet so, so good. Chocolate truffle ($6.80 ).
It was unfortunate that we did not get to try the highly acclaimed Chocolate soufflé - the very one that prompted our visit to Laurent’s. And even though I only tried two of their desserts, I must say the array of chocolate desserts look very tempting, and I will certainly come back to try some of the other cakes.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
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It was a long time coming and I finally made a trip to try out Eden Sanctuary, the younger sibling of Eden Cafe at Club Street, which has since ceased operations. Like its sibling, Eden Sanctuary promises simple healthy cuisine with floral and herbal influences.
Wedged right at the end of the upmarket Rochester Park, Eden shares the compound with Body with Soul, a health care centre that offers physiotherapy treatment, nutrition advice and the likes. So in a certain sense, both outfits complement each other. Eden comprises mostly al fresco seating with probably about 3 -4 tables indoor. The entire place exudes laid back comfort amidst the shadow of the HDB flat towering behind, a small oasis next to the urban jungle.
Creamless Mushroom Soup - This has got to be the healthiest mushroom soup that I've ever drank. Its essentially 4 types of mushroom and chicken stock blended together and served with 2 small strips of wholemeal bread. Not that it tasted bad. In fact, I found it very satisfying with chunks of mushroom and the pure unadulterated mushroom taste sans the creaminess.
Pear Rocket Salad - The salad was huge and could have passed off as a main for a relatively moderate eater. Its a simple salad with slices of pear, orange, arugula, feta cheese and drizzled with a calamansi, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and honey concoction. The sauce was noticeably light and all in all the salad was a good way to start off.
Ginger Leek Peanut Butter Fish - To be honest, the fish didn't look the least bit appetising. However, it was actually quite good even though I really hate ginger to the core. At least the ginger wasn't too prominent in the peanut butter sauce. Whats interesting is that the sauce is coated onto the butter fish and baked, leaving a semi solid paste that hinted of ginger and peanut butter.
Tarragon Garlic Chicken - Tarragon is actually a relative of the sunflower family and carries a somewhat bitter anise flavour to it. This was not very evident in the chicken and I couldn't quite make out any garlic as well. But to give credit where its due, the chicken was deboned thigh meat that came across as very tender and juicy. Great execution but probably a little too light for my preference.
Tofu Cheesecake - The sour cream in this cheesecake is replaced by tofu, which gives it an interesting tofu taste and ups the health factor. Throw in a base made solely from digestive biscuits and you have a light yet tasty cheesecake that wouldn't pose too much of a problem to your health.
Chocolate Banana Oreo Cheesecake - As sinful as this dessert sounds, its actually not that rich. On the contrary, it was rather light on the palate even with the bananas and chocolate. You get the nice soft texture of banana coupled with a mild chocolaty sweetness amidst layers of foamy light cheesecake. Very good!
With a 10% discount, the bill came up to almost $109 for a soup, a salad, 2 mains and 3 desserts, which is a little on the high side but take away the cost of the teas and the price drops to a more manageable $90. Food quality is decent and I can forsee future visits when my health conscious side appeals to me.
See all my pictures here.
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