“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well“ - Virginia Woolf

bar, bistro, cocktails, decadent desserts, dinner, drinks, harbourfront, live music, lunch, restaurant, serenity, south, spanish, tea, vivo city, wines

Serenity Spanish Restaurant & Bar

In decadent desserts, places to chill, randoms on July 11, 2009 at 7:18 pm

Forging ahead with a new identity after celebrating their 1st year anniversary, Serenity Restaurant & Bistro, previously known for their Mediterranean cuisine is now branded as Serenity Spanish Restaurant & Bar. Serenity’s owner and director, Rona, chose a Spanish identity for her restaurant because of its holistic appeal. Spanish culture encompasses a vibrant experience which marries dining, music, and festive dancing—one that suits their waterfront location at Vivo City perfectly. The restaurant boasts a seating capacity of 210 (including alfresco seating), open-concept dining, and provides a variety of latin, acoustic, and jazz music live every night from 7.30 pm. Everything down to Serenity’s staff uniforms (influenced by Ibiza’s laidback party lifestyle) reflect their new image. Most importantly, their Spanish menu offers an extensive array of Spanish cuisines from different regions, with chief offerings from Spain’s third largest city, Valencia.

Before Serenity’s Spanish menu was launched in February this year, Valencian Chef Andrea was specially invited in December 2008 to provide rigorous training for Serenity’s culinary team, as well as tasting sessions to ensure the authencity of all dishes.

Thereafter, Serenity’s Executive Chef, Alvin Tan, introduced his interpretations of selected dishes – tweaking them to suit local tastebuds without compromising their authenticity. A large number of ingredients are also sourced from Spanish food suppliers, such as their chorizo and especially bomba rice which is a staple for their signature Paella Valenciana, other paella dishes, and Arroz con Leche dessert because of its good absorbency (3x its volume). Taking things a step further, Serenity is on the look out for more wines (and possibly beer) from various Spanish suppliers to add to their collection of Spanish liquors (such as 14 flavours of schnapps), after-meal drink Patcharan Olave and even Spanish coffee which contains kahlua. Brandy aficionados will be thrilled to see the 100-year-old Brandy Casajuana ($32, $118, $700), of which only slightly over 1000 bottles are produced and in Singapore it’s sold exclusively at Serenity.

K and I started our lunch with a zesty Sangria ($15) [***.] done Valencian-style with orange peel and lemon slices, and Mama Mia ($8) [****] - a refreshingly light mocktail made of lychee fruit, mango juice and grenadine. Both drinks went very well with our recommended tapas because they were fruit-based and not too heavy on the brandy or gin for the Sangria. While Mama Mia is Serenity’s own concoction, the Sangria and another called Spanish Bullfrog ($15) are authentically Spanish.

Our first two tapas – Croqueta de Pollo ($9) [***] and Spanish Tuna Piquillo ($10) [***] were hot and cold respectively. The former is a spanish chicken croquet, while the latter consists of roasted and chilled piquillo peppers stuffed with tuna and prawn. For those who are worried that the peppers may be too hot to handle, fret not because they’ve been de-seeded and peeled beforehand. Another tapas, Empanadillas or Spanish Tuna Puff ($11) [***] is available on the late-night menu together with the two above. It is a Spanish take on our local curry puff, only this one is baked and filled with tuna, egg, a little red wine, and possibly a hint of potato.

The last 3 tapas are my personal favourites of the lot – the Gambas al Ajillo ($12) [****.], Pan con Alioli ($6) [****] , and Jamón Ibérico ($18 – 25 grams) [****]. Simply seasoned with garlic, olive oil, dried red chilli and parsley, the prawns were succulent and tasty. Pan con Alioli is actually freshly-baked herb bread with sundried tomatoes served with Serenity’s home-made alioli dip (garlic, salt, olive oil, milk) which melts smoothly on the palate. Last but certainly not least of the three, is jamón ibérico or Iberian ham, which is fast-becoming an attraction on Spanish restaurant menus. This special cerdo negro (black pig) is salted for days and cured for 24 months in a secluded mountain cave used exclusively for that purpose. Therefore, the price of this thinly-sliced cured ham whose salty flavour lingers on your tastebuds…is self-explanatory. Our friendly and attentive waitress, Ellen, is pictured carving those coveted slices here.

Next up, our main course was Serenity’s signature Paella Valenciana ($40 – 2 pax / $80 – 4 pax) [****.], which has notably won the Singapore Top 100 Signature Dish Award 2009. Every serving of this colourful assortment takes 30-40 min to prepare, so it’s advisable to order this first even if you’re undecided on the rest of your meal. Serenity’s version is traditionally Valencian, prepared with bomba rice, prawns, half shell mussels, squid, chorizo, chicken, and saffron. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of peas you see here if you’re not a fan of them, I assure you that they taste nothing like frozen/half-frozen peas. Due to the long preparation time, every grain of bomba rice soaks up the individual flavours of the ingredients cooked with it, and is bursting with savoury goodness.

Accompanying our paella, we had the Lubina a la Sal [****] from Serenity’s Chef’s menu. For this weekend only (10-12 July), it is offered as part of a special 1-for-1 promotion for dine in only. Like the Paella Valenciana, this baked whole-seabass requires 30 min preparation time. The fish is hidden beneath a pile of fine sea salt and fresh bay leaves and served with a potato and salad on the side. I’ll let the photos show you how it is served at your table…all you have to do is pick up your fork. While the Spanish prefer to eat the crisp baked skin, I think it’s a tad too salty for our tastebuds. However, the flesh was soft and smooth and very light in taste. A very healthy choice for a main course I must say.

Now moving on to our (for some of us) highly-anticipated desserts…we tried the Peras al Vino Tinto ($9) [****.] and Arroz con Leche ($9) [****]. Tasting the Arroz con Leche was an interesting experience for me. It was one that reminded me very much of Thai mango sticky rice, or traditional Chinese glutinous rice desserts, only this was a traditional Spanish favourite. It consists of bomba rice cooked in milk, cream, and cinnamon (maybe a hint of custard too), served with vanilla ice-cream and garnished with mint leaf. All in all, it was a hearty, wholesome dessert that was surprisingly light.

Peras al Vino Tinto is apparently a popular choice among Serenity’s patrons because of its fruity and thus healthy properties. Poached pear drenched in red wine with vanilla ice-cream on the side is a decadent match in dessert heaven.

Serenity has my thumbs up.

Credit Card Promotions: AMEX cardholders are entitled to 15% off the ala carte menu | Standard Chartered cardholders are also entitled to 15% off.

In-house Promotions:

Mon & Tue (11-3pm) | 2-for-1 ala carte: order 3 dishes & get 1 free

High Tea (2-6pm daily):

Set A | order 1 Tapas/1 Dessert + Free flow of drinks (Student $8.80 | Adult $10.80)

Set B | order 2 Tapas/2 Desserts OR 1 Tapas + 1 Dessert & free flow of drinks (Student $11.80 | Adult $13.80)

3-course set lunches are also available from 11-3pm daily: Pasta Set ($10.90) | Executive Set ($16.90)

/all prices are subject to 10% svc charge & 7% GST

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $$-$$$$
Service – 10/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 9/10

Address:
No.1 Harbourfront Walk #01-98/99
VivoCity Singapore 098585

Tel: +65 6376 8185

Website: http://www.serenity.com.sg

Opening hours:
Sun to Thu (11am – 11pm) Fri & Sat (11am -12am)

Dress code: Casual or Smart Casual

Nearest MRT: Harborfront (NEL)

Buses: 57, 145, 143, 65, 61, 855…

brunch, bukit timah, dinner, don quijote, lunch, paella, sangria, spanish, tapas, west

Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant

In luxurious food therapy, randoms, the big date on June 18, 2009 at 12:57 am

Today I discovered a different side to the quiet and laidback area of Jalan Jurong Kechil. Lorong Kilat runs a lane before Chun Tin Road (where the homely Sup Sip & Vis-a-Vis resides) and is slowly welcoming new F&B establishments like Don Quijote which I visited for lunch today. Don Quijote has been around since January 2009 and will soon have a new neighbour – U.d.d.e.r.s opening on 19 June 2009. The Spanish restaurant is tucked away behind Shell station and faces Poh Tai Kok Temple on Lorong Kilat. Enticed by rave reviews about their paella and sangrias, K and I made a trip to satisfy our long-overdue paella craving. And I must say, we were not disappointed. Don Quijote has branches in Singapore and Macao, and their menu boasts more than 25 tapas and traditional Spanish fare like Paella Valencia, and the rare Jamón Ibérico (Iberian ham).

While deliberating our already evident choice for lunch, we ordered red and white Sangrias ($12/gls) [****] to accompany our welcome bread which we promptly dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

After placing our order for Don Quijote’s Special Paella [****.] for 2-4 pax ($54), we were told that preparation and cooking will take 20-25 minutes…which is totally understandable because they use really fresh ingredients and paella is always made to order. For a moment I considered ordering some tapas to start us off, but recalled the waitress telling us their medium portion was pretty big. In any case, our waitresses for the day were very attentive and furnished us with another basket of bread the moment we were done. What they said was a 20-25 minute wait was really a lot shorter.

And to my delight, the rice was yellow. Not orange or red, but yellow. Which can only mean that they definitely used saffron. Hence the price tag. If it were tomato-based, the rice grains will be orangey-red which is typical of some of the many variations of this popular staple in the Spanish diet. Earlier on, we could choose to have our rice done al dente or soft, and we picked al dente. However, it turned out rather soft though it was still very good.

I loved the rice which was thoroughly infused with savoury flavours, light spices, and rich broth. Every grain oozed seafood goodness. The assortment of seafood comprised clams, mussels, king prawns, and squid rings. Beneath this pile of seafood you see here, the rice was mixed with small chunks of chicken and yet more prawns. A real hearty seafood meal. The best part for me was the bottom of the pan where the rice grains were slightly charred (not burnt) and the small prawns that absorbed the myriad of flavours. Every mouthful had the succulent taste of fresh seafood.

So despite the price, we were getting great quality paella in generous portions. By the end of the meal I was too stuffed for dessert or more tapas, and I believe I speak for K as well. Don Quijote has 3-course lunch sets and other promotions, so do check out their website for more details. Well, one thing’s for sure – I’ll definitely come back for more.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $$$
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Address:
17 Lorong Kilat, #01-09 Singapore 598139

Tel: +65 6465 1811

Website: http://www.don-quijote-restaurants.com

Opening hours:
Open from Tuesdays to Sundays
Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.00pm to 10.30pm
Sunday Brunch: 11.30am to 3.00pm

Dress code: Casual or Smart Casual

Nearest MRT: Clementi

Buses: 985, 157, 61…

chinese, christmas, dinner, gingerbread, home cooked, south indian, tapas, western

Yuletide Feasting

In char's cooking on December 29, 2008 at 10:50 pm

Merry Christmas everyone! After all the merry-making of the holiday season, I’ve finally found the time to update you on the festive feasting. I’ve had an abundance of lamb, turkey, canapes and such at various abodes…but today’s entry will be about a simple Christmas dinner I cooked for my close friends. Now let me tell you the story behind my dinner…this year, I thought of giving my friends something different from the usual presents and such, so I devised a question to ask them on the pretext of it being for Charlinary.com:

“What is the 1 thing you could eat every day for the rest of your life?”

These were their answers:

KIS: Masala Chicken from Samy’s Curry
KW: Apple Pork Rib Soup
KY: Boon Tong Kee’s Chicken Rice
R: Vegetarian Bee Hoon from a Whampoa hawker centre stall

I actually had a fifth guest, but asking her the same question out of the blue would’ve roused suspicion, so I decided on prawns for her. Chicken rice and vegetarian bee hoon were excluded from the menu and replaced by Cajun Fish and Bangers & Mash respectively in order to suit the festive menu. Here’s my menu for the night:

Appetizer
Gambas a la Plancha

Baby Spinach Salad with Cherry Tomatoes & Bacon Bits

Soup
Apple Pork Ribs Soup with Sliced Pear

Entrées
Masala Chicken & Papadum from Samy’s Curry

Bangers & Mash

Cajun Fish Fillet

Dessert
Gingerbread Boy & Girl from Chocz (image taken from Chocz)

It has always been my wish to have a nice quiet dinner with my friends, and I’m glad we managed to have one this Christmas. Thank you all for being present and I hope dinner was to your liking. Rest assured that there’ll be more dinners to come…to my other friends out there, you’ll certainly get a taste of my cooking (once I’ve improved). You can expect recipes from me this 2009 so happy reading! May you all have a awesome year ahead!

/ the images above were taken by KIS & KY.

aircon, boon keng, chinese, cold crab, dinner, set menu, teochew

Ban Heng Air Conditioned Restaurant

In nostalgic eats, randoms on December 3, 2008 at 3:50 pm

Prior to my recent visit for my mum’s birthday, I last visited Ban Heng in my childhood when my grandpa was still around. It has changed a lot since then, with the renovations and powerful Carrier (“The Carrier Man Can”) airconditioning. Most of Ban Heng’s menu consists of sets with a la carte dishes, but it’s comparatively cheaper to order the set menu. Ban Heng’s specialty is their Teochew Cold Crab (priced per gram), and we called to enquire if pre-ordering was necessary.

This is the point where I account our unpleasant experience with one of their waiters. We were informed that pre-ordering wasn’t necessary because their cold crab was available throughout dinner (we were there on a Thursday night at 7 pm). Upon arrival, their waiter mildly rebuked us for not pre-ordering, citing reasons like the dish’s preparation time (2 hours). Logically speaking, a restaurant’s specialty should be available at all times unless otherwise (explicitly) specified. The irony was that this very waiter who rebuked us, was the one who took our reservation – yet he was insistent that he advised us contrary to our phone conversation. In any case, we shelved the matter after the manager tried to smooth things over (my mum was very disappointed to say the least) and settled for some of their set menus.

With prices ranging from $19.80-$39.80 per person for 7 courses, it was very affordable. We picked 2 variations: the Superior Shark’s Fin Set Menu ($33.80/person, min. 2 persons) and the Mini Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Set Menu ($39.80/person, min. 2 persons).

The Superior Shark’s Fin Set Menu had the following: Prawn Salad with Mango, Braised Superior Shark’s Fin, Smoked Sliced Goose Meat, Steamed Cod Fish with Minced Garlic & Black Bean, Fried Vegetables with Garlic, Fried Noodles and Dessert.
The Mini Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Set Menu had the following: Prawn Salad with Mango, Mini Buddha Jump Over the Wall, Steamed Cod Fish with Diced ‘Chye Poh’ (dried preserved radish) & Garlic, Smoked Sliced Goose Meat, Fried Vegetables with Garlic, Fried Noodles and Dessert.

2 dishes differentiate the 2 sets (those in italics) and the 2 cod fish dishes are pictured here. I preferred the Steamed Cod Fish with Diced ‘Chye Poh’ (dried preserved radish) & Garlic [****] which had a spicy tinge to because of the chillis and peppers. It wasn’t too oily too, because the cod itself is steamed beforehand. The Superior Shark’s Fin [***] and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall [***.] are both delicacies in their own right, especially with expensive ingredients like sea cucumber, shark’s fin, abalone, and fish maw among others. The former was done Teochew-style, with vegetables, while the latter had a broth infused with herbs.

On the left, we’ve got the Smoked Sliced Goose Meat [****] wrapped in a thin, delicate flour skin with cucumber and plum sauce. Very much like the Peking Duck in terms of taste (with the exception of leek and smoked meat instead of roasted meat).

Other than the abovementioned dishes, the Prawn Salad with Mango, Fried Noodles, and Fried Vegetables with Garlic were commonplace – albeit with too much mayonnaise for the salad.

Dessert was a little more fascinating thankfully, for we ordered their Deep Fried Ice-Cream [****]. I loved the crisp combination of hot dough fritter and cold vanilla ice-cream. It was either this, or Yam Paste for dessert.

Our dinner was fairly good on the whole, but I expect a lot more in terms of service. Hopefully, my next attempt to try their signature Teochew Cold Crab will not be another disappointment.

/ no service charge, prices stated above are subject to GST

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 6.5/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 4/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Tel: +65 6291 0407

Address:
Blk 22 Boon Keng Road, #01-21
Singapore 330022

Opening hours:
11.30am to 3.00pm & 6.00pm to 10.00pm Daily

Website: http://banhengrestaurant.com

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Boon Keng (NEL)

Buses: 31, 133, 147, 985, 66, 23, 65, 64, 13…

asian, dinner, fruits, fusion, healthy, lunch, novena, organic, western

OrganiCafeXperience

In randoms on November 29, 2008 at 1:10 am

My friend S brought me to OrganiCafeXperience on friday night for a nice organic dinner. I must admit that I had reservations about how tasty organic food could be, but this place pretty much dispelled them. Helmed by Chef Colin (previously from Hotel Phoenix), OrganiCafeXperience prides themselves in serving up thoroughly healthy fare with 100% fresh organic condiments. Located on the ground floor of Novena Square’s Velocity (in a corner next to MOS Burger), seating capacity ia about 20-ish. They have an interesting selection for their set meals ($17.90). But I only had eyes for the Seafood Aglio Olio ($13.90) [****] which was highly recommended by S. It’s common knowledge among my friends that aglio olio is my ultimate pasta favourite. I love it in any form, purist or not.

These are the main criteria to pass my aglio olio taste test:
1) how well the pasta is done al dente
2) quantity & quality of olive oil
3) combination of ingredients

I’ve had my fair share of sloppy aglio olio, so I’m rather stringent with compliments. Spagheddies serves a great chicken primavera and a decent bacon & ham aglio olio, Food Addict Cafe has one that’s cheap and relatively good, My Secret Garden has an abundance of succulent seafood, and Basil Alcove’s was passable. Before Turquoise Room closed their shutters, they were 1 of my favourites…now, I’ve added Organicafe’s to my list.

Spruced with alfafa sprouts, this aglio olio on the left has ample portions of prawns, mussels, scallops, mushroom, and even ham guaranteed to leave you satisfied. The spaghetti was good on its own with the right al dente texture, there was adequate olive oil, and the overall combination was harmonious.

Thereafter, we shared a wonderful Raspberry Yoghurt with very healthy (presumably organic) ingredients – plum & green apple slices, sunflower seeds, strawberries, raspberries and raisins atop a very light plain yoghurt. Mmmm….

Organic food isn’t ‘just vegetarian’, ‘plain’, or ‘oatmeal & wheat grains’…In fact, there’s meat and many others that our tastebuds are accustomed to. Next time you’re thinking of having a healthy meal, check out OrganiCafeXperience which has 3 outlets (Tampines, Novena & a third which I can’t recall) and let me know your impression! In the meantime, I intend to try their set meal on my next visit…

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Address:
238 Thomson Road
#01-53 Velocity, Novena Square

Tel: +65 6352 7837

Opening hours:
11am – 9.30 pm (last order) daily

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Novena

Buses: 21, 131, 56, 57, 166, 980, 54…

alfresco, asian, decadent desserts, dinner, fusion, ginger garden, halia, javanese, lunch, romantic, singapore botanic gardens, western

Halia Restaurant

In luxurious food therapy, the big date on September 22, 2008 at 1:28 am

halia's alfresco dining area
Last night, I went to Halia Restaurant in the scenic Botanic Gardens for my birthday dinner with the boyfriend. Halia (which means ginger in malay) is a 7-year old restaurant located within the Ginger Garden. Nestled in the heart of lush foliage, Halia’s alfresco area was an idyllic spot for a romantic dinner. With fans overhead and ample greenery, heat and humidity were successfully kept at bay. From the moment we were greeted till the moment we left, we received wonderful service from Halia’s staff – they were friendly and attentive to our needs throughout dinner.

We were recommended Halia’s signature Crisp Black Pepper Soft Shell Crab ($18) [****.], and I was eager to try it after hearing so much about it. This dish was paired with wasabi mayonnaise (decorated here on the plate), and their staff are prompt in offering you more wasabi mayo. In fact, the waitress who attended to us was insistent on it, and for good reason too – it tasted lip-smackingly good. The wasabi taste wasn’t overpowering, and the mayo balanced out the slight spicyness of the black pepper.

Our main courses were up next and my boyfriend had the 200-day grain fed Ribeye Steak ($45) [****.] which was served with french beans, potato and brown mushrooms on the side as pictured here (the cut’s a tad bigger than it looks here). He paired with Halia’s house Cabernet Sauvignon. I pinched a morsel of steak from him and it was juicy. The texture of the meat was consistent in its tenderness, with slightly above-average marbling (in my opinion).

As pictured above, we’ve got the Seafood Bouillabaisse ($42) [****.] which I ordered to go with the Sauvignon Blanc I was having. Halia’s version consists of 3 of each of the following – fresh scallops, mussels, prawns, sea perch fillet and squid infused with Asian spices such as lemongrass and chinese parsley among others.

Bouillabaisse
[BOOL-yuh-BAYZ, BOOL-yuh-BEHZ]
is defined as a celebrated seafood stew from Provence, made with an assortment of fish and shellfish, onions, tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, garlic, saffron and herbs. The stew is ladled over thick slices of French bread.

Dessert was a pleasant surprise because we ended up with not 1, but 2. The Chocolate Torte with kirsch strawberries ($15) [***.] came first. Halia’s menu states that this dessert will take 15 mins’ preparation so do order this some time in advance. Commonly paired with chocolate torte – vanilla ice-cream – together with the kirsch strawberries were a pleasant combination. The torte was crisp on the edges around the bottom, and the warm chocolate oozed out easily.

Our final dessert was Halia’s signature Teh Tarik Halia [****.] – caramel tea crème brulee with ginger sorbet, a dessert specially created in tribute to the Ginger Garden. My favourite of the 2 desserts. I’m not a fan of ginger, but I really liked the lightness of the sorbet, and the crème brulee was really unique because it was infused with tea.

Halia is a fantastic choice for the upcoming anniversary, or a big date…it was a memorable experience for me. I’m certain it’ll be one for you too.

/ prices stated above not inclusive of ++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $$$ to $$$$
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Tel: +65 6476 6711

Address:
1 Cluny Road, Ginger Garden
(enter via Tyersall Avenue)
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Singapore 259569

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday
(except public holidays):
11am to 11pm
Saturday, Sunday &
public holidays:
9am to 11pm

Website: http://www.halia.com.sg

Dress code: Smart Casual

Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT (soon-to-be Botanic Gardens MRT – Circle Line)

Buses: SBS Transit 7, 105, 123, 174, 502 | SMRT 75, 77, 106

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dinner, home cooked, japanese, sushi

A Homemade Japanese Feast

In randoms on September 1, 2008 at 9:58 pm

My mum, brother, and sister combined efforts to put together an awesome Japanese meal for dinner tonight…just thought I’d share it with everyone in an attempt to spark the trend of home-cooked meals. It’s real fun for a private get-together with friends or family. I’m thinking of holding a popiah (spring roll) & kueh pie tee (crispy shells with turnip fillings) party for my friends myself. All it takes is a little patience, fresh ingredients, recipes (these are optional really..) and help to just wing it! To spice it all up, you could even have nice table decorations, a vase of fresh flowers, glasses, cutlery etc. to create the mood or theme you want. Without further delay, I present some photos for you to feast your eyes upon…

Tempura Prawns lovingly fried by mum

Agedashi Tofu – my mum’s favourite (she’s psyched about finally getting it right)

Cha Soba (a nice cold addition to your carb intake)

Tamago Zensai made by my talented little brother (I’m hoping he’ll be a chef someday)

California Handrolls (without the avocado) wrapped by my brother

Assorted Mushroom Pot – a mix of enoki, straw, and shitake mushrooms (that layer of ‘oil’ is actually butter)

It’s a pity I didn’t take photos of our complete setting – we had individual Japanese bowls and plates for all the food. Well there’s always next time…So what are you waiting for? Try your hand at playing host some time too.

beef, dinner, killiney road, lunch, mango salad, noodles, pho, prawn roll, somerset, vietnamese

The Orange Lantern

In randoms on August 11, 2008 at 3:03 am

Today I craved Vietnamese food – a good bowl of beef pho in particular. That was how I ended up at The Orange Lantern at Killiney Road. I’ve seen their restaurant many times, but only decided to step into their warm, inviting interiors just now. They’ve been around since March 2005, and have other branches in Hougang Mall and Harborfront. Somehow, I’m attracted to the warm shophouse vibe that their original Killiney branch emits, so I opted for that location instead. Once I stepped inside, their extensive menu of Vietnamese delights kept my eyes busy for a bit. Their list of appetizers alone was pretty impressive. They had bacon wrapped in squid paste, spring rolls, vietnamese salads and so much more. After much debate, I settled on their Fresh Prawn Rolls ($6.50) [***] and Prawn Mango Salad ($7.90) [****] for appetisers.

The prawn rolls (pictured above) was accompanied by a light sauce that was mildly sweet and tangy. The vegetables were fresh, and the overall combination didn’t taste too raw. The skin wasn’t too dry and the taste of mint wasn’t overpowering. All in all a good appetiser to whet your tastebuds.

Next came the prawn mango salad. Unlike its Thai couterpart, this Vietnamese version of the mango salad wasn’t spicy, resulting in a rather zesty combination of flavours. Topped with fried onions, this salad wasn’t soggy with mango juices, and the mango was fresh. I’d say the same for the prawns too.

Beef Pho with Chilli Soup

For my main course, I decided on Sliced Beef Pho in Chilli Soup ($7.90) [****]. This pho came with a spicy broth brimming with chilli flakes but it tasted oh-so-good…(no MSG added too). The sliced beef was tender and wasn’t overcooked, while the dish was peppered with floating onion slices and beansprouts. On the side, we’ve got a dish of raw beansprouts, chilli sauces, and fresh lime to go with the pho. I was very satisfied with my beef pho. Ever since Nick’s Kitchen on Thomson Road closed down years back, I’ve not had a decent bowl of beef pho. Kudos to The Orange Lantern for rekindling my love for Vietnamese pho. I guess my next stop for Vietnamese will be Va Va Voom over on 36 Seah Street.

/ prices stated above not inclusive of ++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Tel: +65 6732 8032

Address:
73 Killiney Rd

Opening hours:
11 am – 10 pm daily

Website:
http://www.orange-lantern.com/Home/main.htm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Somerset

alfresco, bistro, cocktails, dinner, drinks, fusion, happy hour, harbourfront, lunch, mediterranean, restaurant, serenity, tapas, vivocity

Serenity Restaurant & Bistro

In places to chill, popular reads, the big date on July 13, 2008 at 2:00 am

Photobucket Today was a lazy Saturday afternoon spent with S at VivoCity. And just around mid-day, we got hungry. Our search for food ensued. We stopped at Corduroy Candy (now-defunct) to grab some chocolate-coated apricots and raisins, and ended up at Serenity Restaurant & Bistro for their Crazy Hour special.

Serenity serves Mediterranean fusion cuisine (but now specialises in Spanish cuisine as of Feb 2009), and I’ve been yearning to pay them a visit. Their laidback interiors in cool tones are a good match with Vivo city’s waterfront image.

From 3-6 pm daily, Serenity offers 50% off all tapas and cocktails.

Our eyes lit up when we saw 2 things on their tapas menu – Soy Tomato Bruschetta and Gambas Picantes. These 2 sealed the deal for us.

One of the things I like about this place was their attractive menu. It came leather-bound, with brightly-coloured pages. Presentation is key, and Serenity does get that message across. I must say their tapas (a variety of appetisers) selection was an interesting one. But we had our tummies set on Gambas Picantes ($10) [****] and Soy Tomato Bruschetta ($8) [*****].

Gambas Picantes is pictured here on the left. It is actually wok-charred tiger prawns in a spicy sweet sauce, topped with white sesame seeds on a bed of greens. The prawns were fresh and sustained a lingering charred taste after being served. The spicy sweet sauce it was dressed with wasn’t cloying, so it matched the prawns well.

On the other hand, the Soy Tomato Bruschetta was listed as a recommendation, so we were curious to taste how good it was. Of the 2, I’ve got to say I liked this one better. It was a tough call, but this simple tapas won my heart. Generous toppings of diced tomatoes marinated with soy, coriander, and ginger adorned each piece of toasted baguette. Tomato and soy make a great combination because soy adds a mildly salty tinge to the otherwise zesty flavour of tomatoes. As for the ginger and coriander, they balance out the overall flavour with their slightly bittersweet notes.

Both tapas are healthy and delicious must-tries for a start to any meal, or great as snacks between cocktails. Looks like I’ll be back for more delish tapas at Serenity during their crazy hour…and dinner should be on the cards before year-end. For those who are looking for something a little different for a date or special occasion, Mediterranean fusion cuisine would be an interesting way to go…so give Serenity a shot and let me know how it turns out.

/ Prices stated above are before 50% off and subject to GST & service charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Tel: +65 6376 8185

Website: http://www.serenity.com.sg

Address:
1 HarbourFront Walk, VivoCity, #01-98/99

Opening hours:
Sun to Thu (11am – 11pm) Fri & Sat (11am -12am)

Dress code: Casual or Smart Casual

Nearest MRT: HarbourFront (NEL)

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café, cakes, central, decadent desserts, dinner, food, lunch, mudpie, pasta, tea, toa payoh, western

Food Addict Cafe | now defunct

In decadent desserts, randoms on July 10, 2008 at 8:39 pm

Food Addict Cafe

Food Addict Cafe first joined the Toa Payoh Central neighbourhood in 2007. They are situated along a row of shophouses facing the library, next to a florist. I’ve tried their desserts some time back, but yesterday was the first time I tried their food. B and I were there for his belated birthday lunch, so we decided to get their cake set (+$6) in addition to our main courses. For an additional $6, you’ll get any slice of cake on the menu or that’s on display, plus a drink.

When we were going through the appetisers, Little Miss Toadstool ($5) stood out, but it was a pity that they sold out. Since it’s highly recommended by B, I’ll try it another day. B decided on one of Food Addict’s popular mains – Hot Chix ($9) [***.], a blueberry soda, and Dark Chocolate Cake [***] for his lunch. After much deliberation (I was torn between fish, spaghetti pesto and prawn aglio olio), I settled for the Prawn Aglio Olio ($8.50) [***]- mainly because B wanted my opinion on how good it was. For my choice of cake and drink, I had a strawberry soda and Mango Mousse Cake [***.]. I must say it’s tough picking a cake when you’re faced with a revolving display like the one you’re looking at now.

Hot Chix

After a relatively short wait, Hot Chix arrived first. The piping hot oven-baked chicken breast smelled really good. The flesh was tender and juicy with minimal oil. After a few morsels of B’s chicken, I established somewhat that the marinade had a light teriyaki tinge to it. Hot Chix makes a hearty, healthy meal I’d say.

I must also commend Food Addict for their wonderful service. The waiters were very attentive, topping up our glasses of water frequently, and were pretty helpful in their dessert recommendations. It’s a small place so their staff recognise regulars like B.

Prawn Aglio Olio

My Prawn Aglio Olio came shortly after, so the wait wasn’t long at all. Presentation-wise, I felt that the pasta could’ve been tossed better. But I’ve learnt from experience not to judge a dish by its looks, so I picked up my fork, twirled it, and took my first bite.

The first thing I tasted was the tabasco sauce, followed by the olive oil. Food Addict’s version has onions, garlic, chillis, mushrooms, and prawns. Do ask them to adjust the spiciness of the dish, because aglio olio typically has chilli flakes or cut chilli added to it. I asked for mine to be slightly spicier, so there were chilli seeds aplenty. The aglio olio would’ve tasted better with a little more garlic, but the overall taste was flavourful. I’m difficult to please when it comes to this particular pasta simply because it’s my favourite. They did nail the al dente portion though, so kudos for that.

Mango Mousse Cake

Food Addict’s desserts are value-for-money and utterly scrumptious. I love their mudpies that come oozing with sinful chocolate sauce, vanilla ice-cream and chocolate chips. The Mango Mousse Cake is very light, with a great sponge cake base, mango filling and mango jelly layer. Perfect after a filling meal. Their Dark Chocolate Cake is worth a try too.

/ No GST and Service Charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 6/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Tel/Fax: +65 6259 4218

Address:
Blk 185 Toa Payoh Central, #01-324, Singapore 310185

Website: http://foodaddictcafe.blogspot.com

Email: addictedtoit@gmail.com

Opening hours:
Mondays: 12pm – 5pm
Tuesday to Sunday: 12pm – 10pm

Dress code: Casual
Buses: 238, 142, 31, 26, 8, 88, 159, 90…

Nearest MRT: Toa Payoh

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alfresco, charlinary, creperie des arts, crepes, decadent desserts, dinner, french, restaurant, romantic

Crêperie des Arts

In decadent desserts, the big date on January 15, 2008 at 12:31 am

Crêperie des Arts was started in November 2007 by French Chef Johan Aubertin, who hails from Brittany, on the west coast of France. Coincidentally, Brittany is the very place where the world smelled the very first wafts of lovely French crêpes. The sounds of French music pulsates throughout this quaint little restaurant the moment you step inside. Their waitresses are very friendly and attentive, so do ask them for their recommendations.
You will find sweet and savoury galettes (the name given in most French crêperies to savoury buckwheat crêpes), as well as simply delightful desserts on their menu. My boyfriend and I started our dinner with a cup of traditional French apple cider (Valderance Cider – Doux, 2% alc.) in hand. However, the very first sip prompted us to order a bottle instead. The cider is also available in Brut (5% alc.), priced at $7/cup, and $24/bottle (75 cl). If you are looking for a salad that is different, go ahead and try Seguin ($13.90), a mesclun salad of toasted goat cheese with herbs, sauteed bacon, and vinaigrette for an appetizer.

When it come to entrees, there is no shortage of variety with galettes and crêpes that encompasses meat, seafood, and vegetable fillings. I ordered their Saint Caradec ($17.90) [****.], a galette filled with scallops flambéed with lambic (a type of beer brewed only in the Pajottenland region of Belgium), and topped with a creamy leek fondue. The unique combination of flavours was nicely contrasted against its buckwheat base, and went perfectly well with the apple cider.

Meat lovers should tuck into Pont-Scorff ($16.90) [****.], a galette paired with delicious ground beef, onions, freshly-made tomato sauce, and mushrooms. One thing to bear in mind while dining at Crêperie des Arts is that you should always leave room for dessert. You will not regret it.

Even the simplest crêpe on the menu, a humble Salted Caramel Butter crêpe ($8.90) [*****], can elicit a pleasurable response. All dessert crêpes are made from wheat flour, whilst the galettes are made from buckwheat flour (no gluten). Therefore, you need not worry too much about excessive calories just yet. Bring your girlfriends here for an evening tête-à-tête and savour famous French dessert offerings like Crêpes Suzette, or simply unwind after a long day’s work with your loved ones.

/prices stated not incl. 7% GST & 10% Svc Charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 9/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Tel: 6333 5330 (call for lunch reservations)

Address:
44 Prinsep Street
Singapore 188673

Opening hours:
weekdays: 5-11pm
weekends: 4.30-11.30pm
/Closed Mondays

Dress code: casual
Buses: 857, 65, 147, 131…
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut

alfresco, dinner, french, restaurant

Les Bouchons

In the big date on November 22, 2007 at 5:23 pm

Les Bouchons is a quaint French restaurant tucked away in a lil nook at the edge of Robertson Quay. It is located within metres of the Singapore Tyler Print Institute, overlooking the river. This restaurant took over the premises from now-defunct Rivercafe, a restaurant that served authentic Australian cuisine. As you can see, the cosy decor has a Parisian street vibe going on, a departure from the norms of uber-chic French dining. A huge chandelier of sorts hangs overhead, with fake candles that create an illusory vision of warmth in the restaurant. In line with their humble decor, Les Bouchons serves up humble French fare as well, together with the staples of French cuisine like foie gras. I had my birthday dinner here with my boyfriend, who wisely picked a great place without my prompting. Kudos to him.

First up, we ordered their infamous Plats ($28) for main courses. This one on your right is the Ribeye with Vigneron Butter [****.], served with a mountain of irresistable fries, one of the best I’ve ever tasted (Good news is: It’s free-flow fries if you order a plat!) Each morsel of steak oozed delectable appeal, leaving you hungry for more with each bite. It was juicy, well-marinated in wine and their house recipe, tenderised, and grilled to perfection. 2 thumbs & 2 pinkies up for this steak, cos you should be calling to make a dinner reservation here the next chance you get!

Another steak to consider would be the Sirloin steak [****.], another plat that is served in a similar manner, with the stamp of a skilled griller on its side. You might want to note that Les Bouchons’ House Red goes wonderfully well with all the steaks. Food for thought: beef sirloin is cut from the lower portion of the ribs, and is divided into several types of steak. The top sirloin is the most prized of these. The bottom sirloin is less tender, much larger, and is what you would typically find in supermarkets when you do your grocery shopping. On the other hand, the ribeye is a beef steak from the beef rib. When cut into steaks, the ribeye is one of the most popular, juiciest, and expensive steaks on the market. Meat from the rib section is tender and fattier (the meat is said to be “marbled”) than other cuts of beef. This extra fat makes ribeye steaks and roasts especially tender and flavorful.

So calling all meat-lovers & carnivores! These steaks make great dinner.

++All definitions were taken from http://en.wikipedia.org

//Prices not inclusive of +++

Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $$$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Tel: 6733 4414

Address:
Singapore Tyler Print Institute #01-01
41 Robertson Quay (S)238236

Opening hours:
Lunch: 12pm – 2pm
Dinner: 7pm – 10pm

Dress code: smart casual
Buses: 143, 64, 123…
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NEL)

dinner, french, restaurant, romantic, thai

Sup Sip / Vis-a-Vis

In the big date on July 20, 2007 at 12:53 am

For the benefit of those who might not know this: Sup Sip Thai Cuisine is part of Vis-a-Vis Fine French Dining. Both menus are offered to patrons on the restaurant’s premises. One might find the location of this cosy lil nook rather obscure. The restaurant is a 2-storey shophouse unit sandwiched between small pubs. However do not be quick to judge, as Vis-a-Vis has been around for 15 years. In their present location, they’ve successfully built up a pool of regular patrons with their excellent cuisine and wonderful service over the years.

I brought the boyfriend here to celebrate an early birthday for him. We had the intention of having french for dinner, but was gently persuaded otherwise by our waiter for the night. His name was Francis and he gave us excellent service from the moment we stepped in, till we left. First of all he recommended a entirely fresh fruit blend of pink grapefruit, banana & zesty orange – priced at $6.50/gls It was a huge glass of juice though, so don’t underestimate it. That drink was not only very refreshing, it was also the reason why our tummies didn’t make it to dessert.

We ordered a 4-pc Thai crispy prawn tofu appetizer ($8) [****], to start off our meal. It was served with a tangy-sweet Thai sauce that complemented the tofu very well. The dish may look rather ordinary here, but the beancurd skin was light & crispy. And most importantly, not oily. This 1 has my thumbs up.

Fans of my favourite meat rejoice! Sup Sip’s Beef Jaek [****] or beef steak was a pleasant surprise. I was half-expecting the meat to be slightly dry, because beef if overcooked with spices can end up with that result. In comparison to the beef dishes I’ve tried in Bangkok, this was a zesty combination of a number of spices. Each slice of beef was thinly-sliced and soaked in gravy. The gravy was slightly peppery and tasted a lil of lime. It all went very well with white rice.

This Red Snapper ($24) [*****] was so highly-recommended by Francis, that we could not resist ordering it. I must say that we were not disappointed. This fish was served crispy, immersed in a gravy that doubles up as a soup! No kidding. In fact, Francis told us that many patrons often order this dish to eliminate the need to order a soup to go with their meal. Rest assured that your fish & “soup” will remain hot & spicy all night long – it’s kept warm by a flame below. Well not exactly a flame, because the heat emitted from it makes the centre of the dish boil slightly. Caution: Slurp-worthy Thai Tom-Yam/Zesty-Lime gravy is mildly spicy but served piping hot! I know, you must be thinking: Tom Yam? Now put that thought aside, because I used those words for a lack of a better substitute. It tasted nothing like tom yam! The taste was uniquely different from the typical thai food we’re used to.

I’ll end this entry with a few tips:

1. Visit Vis-a-Vis if you want to impress a date, cos you can order from their French AND Thai menus.

2. Book this place if you’re planning a private function for close friends & family. They’ve got an upper floor to accomodate approx. 80 pax & a cosy, intimate dining experience to offer along with AWESOME service!

3. Grab a business lunch with a client at this place with their set lunch specials that change daily. Call them to find out more!

/all prices stated not incl. of +++
restaurant images are by Robert Steiner, taken from Streetdirectory.com

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 9/10
Price – $$$
Service – 10/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Tel: 6468 7433

Address:
12 Chun Tin Road Singapore 599599
(Opposite Beauty World)

Email: vins@pacific.net.sg
Website: Vis-a-Vis

Opening hours:
9am to 10.30pm daily

Dress code: smart casual
Buses: 985, 985W, 61, 157, 184…

dinner, italian, private party, restaurant, romantic, western

My Secret Garden

In decadent desserts, the big date on May 13, 2007 at 7:48 pm

Are you someone who craves for an intimate dining experience in a quiet, idyllic environment? If the answer is a resounding YES! then this place is perfect for you. Contrary to what the owners of My Secret Garden may think, their lil secret nook isn’t that much of a secret anymore now that they’ve been featured on the locally telly. However I’m certain that discerning foodies who’ve long discovered this hidden location have counted themselves as 1 of their regular clientele. To your left, we have the alfresco dining area. For the benefit of those who require a smoking area, I’m afraid there isn’t one. Their indoor seating capacity is able to accomodate approx. 60 pax, but I wouldn’t count on it if I were you. Make a reservation!

The Seafood Aglio Olio ($20) [****.] came with generous portions of succulent scallops, mussels, prawns, squid & clams. Each strand of pasta was coated with just the right amount of olive oil. Personally this is something that I look out for whenever I taste an aglio olio pasta. Some restaurants tend to drench the pasta in olive oil, treating it like a sauce. A good aglio olio should be lightly coated with it and done al dente with a hint of garlic & parsley.

If you are a fan of white meats, do give the Pan-seared Cilantro Chicken ($18) [****.] a shot. It is a refreshing change from your typical chicken chop with a tangy-sweet mango dressing, topped with bell peppers and zucchini. Select from a choice of chicken thigh or chicken breast, accompanied by mashed potatoes. I must add that the mashed potatoes make a very yummy side! Very healthy main course we have here. If you’re someone who loves their staple main course such as the Ribeye Steak ($25) [****], theirs will not disappoint. The delicious sauce that tops your steak is a house blend made with red wine & a savoury brown sauce, grilled to perfection. I would recommend that you order the house red wine ($12/gls), a malbec that’s selected specially to complement your steak.

Now let’s introduce dessert! In my opinion, the desserts on the menu outshine most of the items on the menu. The Blueberry Cheese Cake ($7) [*****] is an absolute must-try! It is by far THE BEST blueberry cheese cake I’ve tried, ever. The biscotti crust is thick, and the cheese is light and fluffy. You will not taste any whipped cream, and their homemade blueberry dressing is made with the freshest blueberries. This lovely dessert you see on your right is Berry in Love ($8) [*****] - only available during dinner. It is fresh strawberries with mascarpone cheese, mint, sugar icing mixed with a raspberry vinaigrette. ++Mascarpone is a triple-creme cheese, made from a generally low-fat (25%) content fresh cream. It’s made from the milk of cows that have been fed special grasses filled with fresh herbs and flowers. A dessert that’s simply divine, it will tease your tastebuds and make you want more…

Need I say more? Visit this joint anytime you need a place to celebrate a special occasion!

//prices stated not inclusive of +++

++definition taken from http://www.heavenlytiramisu.com

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 7.5/10

Tel: 6334 8334

Address:
161 Middle Road Singapore 188978

Website: http://www.mysg.com.sg

Opening hours:
Sun-Thur / 11am – 11pm
Fri & Sat / 11am – 1am
P.H. days / 6pm – 11pm

Dress code: smart casual
Buses: 857, 162, 171, 77, 174, 56, 16, 124…

western, seafood, dinner

Crab Shack

In late-night cravings, nostalgic eats on April 16, 2007 at 10:52 pm

Don’t be fooled by this place by day just because it resembles your typial kopitiam. By night, the tables will line the corridor and they’ll look exactly like what you see here:
That quirky wooden table plaque has a different fast fact about crabs carved at the bottom. It reminded me of Snapple bottle caps…and rest assured, your table will also be stocked with all the crab-shelling tools you’ll need for your meal!

Crab Shack has a very enticing menu in store for crab aficionados. The ONLY non-crab dish happens to be a Chef’s Recommendation, and that would be their 1/2 dozen Gratinated Oysters ($8.90) – topped with mayonnaise & breadcrumbs then baked. However how was I to be tempted by that when I could order the Crab Au Gratin ($3.20) [****.] and the 6-pc Crab Croquettes ($2.95) [***.] amongst MANY MANY other mouth-watering steals?! The Crab Au Gratin was an interesting appetiser that consisted of flower crabmeat with creamy mayo, waterchestnut & cheese grilled to perfection. The grilled cheese formed a thin slightly crisp crust, juxtaposing the deliciously creamy centre within. Check it out in the picture below: Next up, their Crab Spaghetti ($7.50)! [***] This dish didn’t give me a good first impression. But we all know that first impressions hardly matter these days…and it turned out better than I expected taste-wise. What I didn’t particularly like about the spaghetti sauce was that it was a tad too sweet, but great nonetheless because I’m a fan of sundried tomatoes. There were rather generous portions of crabmeat in the spaghetti too. If you have the chance, do give their 2-pc Softshell Crab ($5.80) [****] a try: it’s topped with chicken floss, a rather interesting combination I must say. For those who love their rice, tease your tastebuds with the Crab Baked Rice ($6.50) [***.].

At this point, I was flipping through the part of the menu where it all started to resemble a MacDonald’s Value Meal selection, only better. Choose from an option of a 2-pc ($5.95), 3-pc ($7.95) or 8-pc ($21.95) value meal – complete with a selection of sides such as crinkle-cut fries, corn on a cob & baked beans. The 8-pc set comes with a choice of 2 sides + croquettes to boot. The picture below features their 3-pc set.
The crabs are indeed very sweet & fresh, steamed and drizzled with a hint of lemon to bring out the taste of the meat. Their self-made tangy-sweet chilli sauce will complement your value meal rather well in my opinion. Kudos to the owner Mr Elger Kua, 26, who catches the flower crabs for your dinner from a kelong off Pasir Ris Park, near Pulau Ubin every other day.

Go ahead, visit this place at least once. It’s got my thumbs up.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)

Tel: +65 9451 9040

Address:
Crab Shack in the City – 12 Prince Edward Road, Bestway Building

Opening hours:
Dinner only: 5 pm – 12 midnight daily

Dress code: casual
Buses: 162, 167, 410, 163…

chinese, dinner, italian, lunch, vegetarian, western

Miss Clarity Café

In places to chill on January 31, 2007 at 6:42 pm

Honestly, my first impression of this place was simply put – a jaw-dropping one. I did not take too well to their more-than-cheery decor, and by this I’m referring to highlighter-coloured walls, tables & chairs. However I’ve learnt never to judge at first sight…so I was won over by their delectable menu and in my opinion, very cheap prices. As Miss Clarity says, it is the place “where happy people meet” – hence the colour scheme of the place…trust me it’s quite difficult to feel sad where there’s an added bonus of free wireless broadband. I must thank my best friend B for introducing Miss Clarity Café to me.

Are you a fan of Western food? If you are, this is the place where you can find it CHEAP. Over here you can have a Steam-Baked Sea Bass fillet with smoked bacon sauce [***] for $9 nett. Something like this would cost at least $14 elsewhere. Add a soup/salad+drink+dessert to each main course for only $3! or select from a variety of Set Lunches at $8. Bite into their Chicken Ballotine ($8) [****] and taste the crisp oven-baked chicken thigh, breaded & stuffed with shitake mushroom…feel the delicious mushroom sauce oozing with each bite.

For those who have a ferocious appetite that’s not easily satisfied with 1 main course AND still have room for dessert, Old MacDonald Had A Farm ($15) [****] is your answer! Picture this: a platter of steak, lamb chop, crispy breaded chicken, chipolata sausage, bacon, ham, potato wedges & egg. Chipolata sausages are tiny coarse-textured pork sausages are highly spiced with thyme, chives, coriander, cloves and sometimes hot red-pepper flakes.

After this, proceed to order their Chef’s Recommendation Mud Ooze ($4.50) [***.]- soft chocolate cake brimming with chocolate lava, topped with vanilla ice-cream. This seemingly innocent cup of cake is a yummy dessert not to be missed!

++All definitions were taken from http://www.epicurious.com
© Copyright Barron’s Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

//photo credits to dee & location map taken fr. Miss Clarity Café

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Tel: +65 6339 4803

Address:
5 Purvis Street, #01-04
Singapore 188584

Website: http://www.missclaritycafe.com
Opening hours:
Mon-Sat / 11am – 11pm
Closed on Sun
P.H. days / 5pm – 11pm

Dress code: casual
Nearest MRT: Bugis MRT & City Hall MRT

image taken from www.chubbyhubby.net

dhoby ghaut, dinner, halal, kebab, lunch, middle eastern, peace centre, roll, takeaway, turkish

Sultan Kebab

In randoms on January 29, 2007 at 9:35 pm

Have you ever wondered what you should eat when you’re in a hurry? I bet you have. For the sake of maintaining the well-being of your tummy & tastebuds, I highly recommend that you avoid fastfood like the plague. Go for a healthier alternative instead, like Turkish sandwiches & meat rolls at Peace Centre.

Meet the brothers behind this Turkish takeaway joint: (from left) Suat and Safak

They hail from Antalya, Turkey, and have been living in Singapore for a year now. The brothers have made several trips to our sunny lil isle since 2001, and have since moved here to set up a food business with their uncle. Sultan Kebab was opened in June 2006. Their uncle Mehmet is an experienced chef, and the maker of their house sauce used in their dishes. Owner Safak spent 4 long months trying to find an ideal location, before discovering this lil corner at the edge of town. Some of the reasons why he picked this location include the proximity to offices, educational institutes and town. He disclosed that there are plans to set up another outlet once they find a good location.

Despite being small in size, Sultan Kebab’s space is effectively maximised with a sleek takeaway counter (complete with stools) for those who are on-the-go, and tables for dine-ins. The menu here consists of Turkish favourites like kebab rolls and iskender. Iskender is actually small cubes of bread with meat, yogurt & tomatoes topped with their secret-recipe sauce. Pick from a choice of chicken/beef -in a sandwich ($5.50), roll ($5.50) [*****], with rice ($7.50) or an iskender kebab.

Are you thinking that the menu is a tad too simple? Don’t be too quick to judge.
Their Beef sells out by 2-3 pm daily. Safak believes that it is better to focus on a simple menu, and have your food taste good. kudos to that. An interesting thing to note is how they prepare their meats. It takes
2 whole days to thaw & marinate their meats once their daily supply comes in. Yes, they prepare them on a daily basis. All this meat is then transferred onto skewers to be cooked & served by the kilos. 10 kilos worth of meat can feed an approx. 50-60 pax, according to Suat who adds that they offer a catering service on the side.

Personally, I loved their chicken roll (as seen below)..juicy morsels of tender chicken coupled with lots of lettuce, butter & that zesty secret-recipe.

I believe this place will go a looooong way with their good Turkish meats at affordable prices…so do drop by for a visit!

//all prices are nett. hooray to that!

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 8/10

Address:
1 Sophia Road, #01-15
Peace Centre
Singapore 228149

Tel: +65 6338 8750

Website: http://www.sultankebab.com.sg

Opening hours: Open daily from 11am till they sell-out
Dress code: casual
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut
Buses: 65, 64, 857, 131, 139, 147…

dinner, drinks, lunch, mexican, restaurant

El Patio Mexican Restaurant & Wine Bar

In randoms on January 23, 2007 at 9:23 pm

Most people would toss a coin to decide on where to go to eat, take a majority vote in a group or even be a dictator and not consult anyone. But not us. My boyfriend and I headed down to Holland V and took a walk around to see what appealed to our heightened senses (a result of the onslaught of hunger pangs). This is where we were faced with a dilemma: El Patio or Cha Cha Cha for mexican? In the end, rainbow-coloured table cloths, imported mexican handicrafts and a cosy air-conditioned dining area won the day. I present to you El Patio!

Before visiting El Patio I’ve heard about that mexican place in Singapore that serves frozen magaritas in jam jars. Little did I know that this was the place. Over here you can order Hot Mexican Favourites such as quesadillas, burritos, chimichangas, nachos and fajitas – while you sip on salt-rimmed jam jars containing frozen magaritas ($48/jug, $12/gls). If magaritas aint your thing, they’ve got your staple mexican beers: Corona & San Miguel. They even have Chivas Magaritas & Jim Beam Magaritas for those who like whiskey concoctions. Ah yes, the friendly waiters will also serve you iced water and a bowl of plains nachos (with a salsa dip) that they will readily refill upon request. That’s the life.

I crave food for many reasons. Today, it was prawn fajitas (pronounced fa-hee-tas)that I so desperately craved for. But no, I didn’t give in…I managed to suppress that urge and I chose to order the house specialty Mexican Grill Fajitas ($24.50) [****] It is a combination of Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Salmon & Prawns…cooked with white wine, a drizzle of tequila, onions and spices on a hot plate. Trust me, order this & you won’t regret it. Juicy morsels of meat accompanied by tortilla wraps, sour cream & guacamole & “mutant” green chillis. Throw in a smattering of nachos+salsa. Mmmmmmm…bliss.

After selecting the fajita, we decided that we wanted something other than the usual burritos and nachos..and so we ordered the Beef Enchiladas ($12.50) [****]. This dish was served with a bean paste on the side, lettuce, “mutant” green chillis and the enchiladas filled with minced beef, topped with oodles of cheese. The minced beef wasn’t the typical kind you’d find in the supermarket mind you, it was minced chunks of beef marinated in their house recipe. Great homemade tortilla wrap as well – better than Cafe Iguana’s I’d say.

Other house specialities include – the Chicken Fajita ($20.50), served with peppers, onions & guacamole. Cheese Quesadillas ($12.50), with jalapenos, onion & tomato in a flour tortilla.

This place has my thumbs up.

//prices stated not inclusive of +++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Tel: +65 6468 1520

Address:
Holland Village
34 Lorong Mambong
Singapore 277691

Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 5pm-11pm // Sat+Sun: 11am-11pm
Dress code: casual
Buses: 61, 48, 106, 75, 200

coffeeshop, decadent desserts, dinner, french, restaurant, tea

The French Stall

In decadent desserts, randoms on January 2, 2007 at 6:13 pm

That night, I had an early Christmas dinner at The French Stall with my family. It’s located off Serangoon Road after Little India, diagonally opposite the Indian Temple, along North Sturdee Rd. If you look to your right while travelling along the main road, you can’t miss it. I’ve long heard about how their french food is good & affordable, so I was pretty psyched about going there. But before that, my parents had to rub salt to wound about the fact that they visited the place before me. ha.

Anyways a friendly waitress gave us her utmost attention all night. For starters she recommended that we try their French Onion Soup ($3.80) [****] – sweet stuff and their escargot.

Escargot with garlic & butter ($8) [****] It was served in portions of a half dozen. The musky-grainy taste of improperly-cleaned escargot was thankfully absent. After passing my initial taste test, I proceeded to dip each morsel into their killer garlic-butter-olive oil-parsley combination…and it was gooood. I’d say Be adventurous! give this a try. YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE. Banish the thought that snails are disgusting cos these aint garden snails, they’re totally safe for consumption.

Introducing…the Mains.

Roast Duck Leg with orange sauce & risotto ($15.80) [****] Ooh..where do I begin? Let’s just say I couldn’t quit nibbling off my mum’s plate (this was hers). The duck was crisp & well-roasted, and the tangy orange sauce lent a sweet taste tht complemented the savoury duck well. Risotto was a good choice because it balanced the salty taste of the duck. (Risotto is the European version of our ‘mui fan‘)

Veal Shank ‘Marengo’ style with french beans & carrots ($14.80) [****.] This was my pick for mains. I had a preconceived notion that it’ll look like grilled veal with a french sauce. But it turned out to be a Drool-worthy stew with tender chunks of veal. In fact, ‘Marengo‘ refers to a veal/chicken dish in which the meat is sautéed in olive oil, then braised with tomatoes, onions, olives, garlic, white wine or brandy and seasonings. Sometimes scrambled eggs accompany the dish. It’s said to have been created by Napoleon’s chef after the 1800 Battle of Marengo. Don’t underestimate this seemingly small portion of veal, it’s very filling!

Beef Fondue for 2 ($15.80/pax) [***.] What you see here is called Fondue bourguignonne, whereby cubes of raw beef are cooked in a pot of hot oil, then dipped into various savory sauces. The oil in the pot is olive oil. Perfectly healthy. We were given lil skewers to cook the marinated beef, potatoes, onions & carrots. The entire set is accompanied by 3 sauces that tasted remotely like Thousand Island, French sauce & something I couldn’t place. There’ll be a gas canister under the table and the oil is preheated so that cooking can be done without the fire later on. This dish does sound expensive, but who’s stopping 3 or more people from sharing? hee. It’ll be lots of fun I promise.

Grilled Lamb Chop with eggplant & tomato ($15.80) [****] Great grilled lamb. ‘Nuff said. All you carnivores out there, look no further…order this!

Others not mentioned include their Tagliatelle with ceps & black trompettes sauce ($10.80), suitable for those who desperately need to curb the tummy’s call for carbs. It’s a cream-based pasta just so you know..I wouldn’t want someone who is lactose intolerant to be trying this..

Guanaja Chocolate Souffle ($5.80): AWESOME Dessert in 3 words. A close competitor would be the Profiteroles. They’ve also got other desserts like Tiramisu and a dessert tht tastes like crème brûlée.

//Prices not inclusive of Svc charge & cess. No GST

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $$ to $$$ (I’d call this VERY affordable French food)
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 6.5/10

Tel: (65) 6299 3544

Address:
544 Serangoon Road (next to Kerrisdale Condo)
Singapore 218166

Website: http://www.thefrenchstall.com.sg

Opening hours: 3pm-6pm (Desserts only) / 6pm-10pm (Dinner only)
Dress code: casual
Buses: 21, 23, 64, 65, 66, 67, 125, 130, 139, 147, 857
MRT: Farrer Park (NEL), Exit G.

dinner, fish, fusion, italian, lunch, otah, restaurant, seafood, western

Hooked! (moved to Upp Thomson)

In randoms on November 23, 2006 at 11:58 pm

Last Monday I had dinner at Hooked! at The Rail Mall in Upper Bukit Timah Rd. For those of you who don’t have a clue about what this place looks like, don’t worry…look below. I’ve been wanting to visit this place for quite some time..glad I finally got the chance.

Please remember that Hooked! is in the next building tht looks similar to this one..walk in the direction of the bus stop you see in the picture above. I took this whilst standing on the overhead bridge.

What you see here is their entrance and the interior of the place..nice cheery feel. Puts you in the mood for fish I felt haha. That day we had the intention of trying out Rocky’s Pizza next door..but decided against it because we liked the way Hooked! looked. Rocky’s paled in comparison with a very dull appearance..but I do intend to visit them sometime in the near future. Heard their pizza is great.

While I poured through their brightly-coloured menu peppered with interesting facts about fish, their Panfried Linguine with Mackerel Otah ($9.50) [****] screamed “Pick Me!” So how could I resist right? The dish was served with my favourite tri-coloured peppers, mushrooms and a wonderful homemade mackerel otah. The linguine was done aglio olio, with just the right amount of olive oil. I ordered a Value Top-up ($3.60) with this. It includes a soft drink and soup-of-the-day. I must say that otah coupled with aglio olio linguine tasted really good..those who can’t take chilli & spice might find this dish a tad spicy.

My boyfriend had a Value Top-up as well together with the Panfried Fish Fillet ($7.90) [***.] which was a Tilapia fillet dressed with butter, peppercorn & basil leaves and linguine & steamed veg on the side. Be forewarned, the fillet had a fair bit of bones. The skin was nicely panfried, but a lil too oily for my liking..I had to pat dry the oil before trying it. Just so you know, you can opt to add herbed potatoes ($0.80) as a side. It was a generous portion which complemented our main course well. It was a pity that we didn’t order their appetiser specialty Otah Toast ($4.80). We were too stuffed…the meal was value-for-money. Hooked! also has daily promotions (2.30-5.30pm), so check out their board while you’re there. If my memory serves correct…it’s 1-for-1 Fish & Chips on Thursday. For Fridays it’s 1-for-1 pasta!

//Prices are subjected to GST, no svc charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 7/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 5/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Tel: +65 6765 5336
Address: 390 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, The Rail Mall

Opening hours: 12pm-10pm daily except Tuesday.

Getting there: Buses 171, 170, 67, 75

café, chill-out, decadent desserts, dinner, italian, lunch, pasta, restaurant, toys, western

Mint Café

In places to chill, the big date on November 17, 2006 at 11:10 pm

Meet my personal 5-star rated café, the only one to date. MINT is more than just a café, in fact it’s a Café-Restaurant-Wine bar in the basement of a 5-storey building that houses the World’s first purpose-built museum for toys. This contemporary building was designed by well-known Singapore architectural firm SCDA Architects. MINT (Moment of Imagination & Nostalgia with Toys), opened in Singapore in May 2006. The museum showcases an extensive collection of vintage & collectors’ toys from the mid-19th century to mid-20th century. You’ll see toys like Peter Rabbit, Felix the Cat and a James Bond board game amongst many others.

What’s really unique about this place is that they offer a variety of dining options accompanied by a delectable menu. MINT caters for Corporate Events, Birthday Celebrations, Wedding Anniversaries etc. including complimentary entry to the Museum. For holidays like Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve & other special occasions, all 4 floors of the Museum will be opened for dining among the toys.

I had dinner there with my best friend B earlier because the building piqued my interest when I passed by on Tuesday. The interior of the building was FMAZING. You’ll need to descend a flight of stairs to reach what you see in the picture above. Frankly speaking, their seating capacity is limited to what you see here plus a lil bit more. But that further enhances the quaint dining experience you’ll experience. We got the opportunity to have a chat with Chef Ronson Lim and their Manager Marcus, who gave us a complimentary tour of the 3rd floor of their museum AND 30% off our total bill.

I’ve got fifteen 30% discount passes valid for multiple visits UP FOR GRABS so ask me!

They’ve also got Set Lunches ($13.80) that include a Soup-of-the-Day, Main course, Beverage & Cake-of-the-Day.
Main course options are – Chicken Lasagna, Beer Battered Fish & Chips, Primavera Sandwich, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Beef Stew Spaghetti & Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Dinner consisted of the Seafood Arrabiata ($16) [****.] as shown here. I strongly resisted the urge to order my pasta favourite so that I can be unbiased as a food reviewer. Good thing I did too, because it was 1 of the best arrabiattas I’ve tried so far. The arrabiatta sauce was light & it tasted nothing like canned tomato puree, and the fresh seafood included mussels+prawns+squid+fish. I must say that the natural flavour of the prawns was not lost despite it being dressed with arrabitta sauce.

Ben ordered the Penne Al Funghi ($16) [***], which he found good because the cream sauce wasn’t overly rich. However he felt that the penne tasted a lil plain. I had a taste of it and I liked how the cream sauce slid down my throat without me feeling jelak- malay for squeamish after consumption of excessively oily/rich food. It also complemented the mushrooms well.

Then came dessert…drum roll please.

Chef Ronson Lim shared with us that although they do create their own desserts, some of their desserts are outsourced from Les Amis, 1 of Singapore’s Top French Restaurants. This is due to constraints like their kitchen size. But fret not, dessert was a gastronomical affair.

On your right is the Missisippi Mudpie ($5.80) [****]which is from Les Amis. There was nothing ‘muddy’ about it surprisingly, since it didn’t ooze chocolate from its pores. On the contrary, it had a cheesecake-like biscuit base with a layer of hardened dark chocolate, topped off with chocolate meringue (crisp & chewy chocolate rich in cocoa) and complete with vanilla whipped cream on the side.

B’s Pecan Pie ($5.80) [***] was 1 of Mint’s dessert creations. He had a hard time deciding between this and their Nutella Pie, but a pretty waitress persuaded him otherwise. For many, this Pecan Pie will taste familiar…it’s got a slight local flavour to it but you won’t be able to place it. We couldn’t place it until we asked Ronson, but I shall not tell you what it is..taste it for yourself & let me know. Although I do not have a penchant for nuts & such, I found the pie delightful.

//All prices are subjected to ++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 8.5/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 9.5/10
Ambience – 9.5/10
Accessibility – 8/10
/you might wanna call beforehand in case they’re booked for functions.

Tel: +65 6339 6266
Address: 26 Seah Street, Singapore 188382

Opening hours:
MINT Museum Opening hours / 9.30am to 6.30pm daily
MINT Café Opening hours / 9.30am to 10.30pm daily

Getting there:
Take the MRT to City Hall Station (NS25/EW13) and walk towards Raffles Hotel or Bras Basah Complex. The Museum is next to Raffles Hotel and opposite Bras Basah Complex.

ann siang road, boutique hotel, chinatown, dinner, french, restaurant, romantic, scarlet hotel, western

Desire

In luxurious food therapy, the big date on November 7, 2006 at 12:23 am

This is Desire at The Scarlet Hotel. It is one third of the 3 options you have for dining & chilling at the Scarlet Hotel in Erskine Rd. The other 2 are Bold & Breeze. This restaurant bears precious memories of a wonderful birthday spent with the him this year. Not only are their service standards impeccable, the food was fawesome too.

Interestingly, their menus come in the form of black & red leather-bound books: red for the lady, black for the men. When I flipped the 1st page, I saw a toned torso of an unknown male. Anyone wanna venture any guesses on what theme the restaurant has? C’mon, it’s blatantly obvious. Too bad for the men though, their menus aint the same. Each dish on the menu is simply named, but all have a description describing them as aphrodisiacs of sorts..food that will DEFINITELY tantalise our taste buds in other words. Soon I found myself ordering their house specialities: Cream of Escargot, Tenderloin of Beef & Lamb Rack.

The Cream of Escargot ($12) [****] was rich & creamy with generous morsels of escargot. The taste of the escargot wasn’t overpowering so no worries there. Personally, I felt that it was a little to rich for my liking..but then again, I’m just being fussy.

This here is their Tenderloin of Beef ($38) [****]. Although the portion looked small at first..he realised later on that it did it’s job well filling his tummy. The beef was well-done and it’s taste was sealed off with a unique blend of a somewhat tangy-sweet-savoury light sauce.

This Lamb Rack ($38) [****.] my friends, is to-die-for. It won me over with the first bite. Now bear in mind that char doesn’t like lamb. But I gamely decided to order it because it was highly recommended by the nice Filipino waitress who attended to us. The lamb was accompanied by lentils on the side & a serving of mushrooms. It was fmazing, do try it. They’re a worthy rival of the Hyatt’s Mezzanine.

//All prices are subjected to +++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 8.5/10
Price – $$$ to $$$$
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 6.5/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)

Tel: +65 6511 3333

Address: 33 Erskine Road, Singapore 069333

Website: http://www.thescarlethotel.com

Dress code: smart casual
Getting there: Up the hill next to Maxwell food centre.

alfresco, dinner, drinks, italian, private party, restaurant, romantic, western

The Turquoise Room (now defunt)

In places to chill, the big date on November 5, 2006 at 11:06 pm

This place is a quiet sanctuary away from town. It’s perfect if you feel like being alone, or if you want a romantic setting for that special dinner you’ve got planned..What impressed me about the place was the excellent service I had that night. We had the owner’s lil girl bidding us goodbye at the door and attentive waitresses all night. Aside from that, I also loved the way they painted the walls and put together that laidback, breezy feel..the restaurant is kept cool by fans because the area is very breezy. There’s also alfresco dining available on a wooden patio outside, complete with trees in the background. I’m a tree-lover, don’t mind me.

The Turquoise Room also has a sister outlet known at The Turquoise Bistro located at 902 East Coast Parkway, Tel: 6247 7677 (now defunct). I haven’t had a chance to visit it yet, so do let me know how your visit goes if you check it out. Now let’s introduce the food…

I couldn’t resist the urge to order something familiar yet different..so I tried their Prawn & Arugula Linguine [*****] as shown here

Arugula is actually a.k.a Rocket in the US..it’s an aromatic salad green that tastes bitter on its own. Therefore I was pleasantly surprised to taste how well it complemented my pasta! yums. A combination of aglio olio pasta with almost anything goes wonderfully well I suppose. Yes yes, I’m a Purist when it comes to my pasta.

Over here we’ve got the Chicken Pesto with sundried tomatoes [****].

If you’re one who thinks that pesto pasta is always creamy, you’ll be surprised to find out otherwise. This chicken pesto pasta has juicy tender chicken with a mixture of sundried tomatoes that lent the dish a mild sweet-sour note that balanced out the overall taste. I can safely say that these 2 pastas we ordered are very different from what most Singaporeans are used to, so I’d say give it a shot.

Other than pasta, The Turqoise Room also serves up thin-crust Italian-style pizzas and specialities like their Lamb Rack ($29). Oh yes, how can I forget. They’ve got great Strawberry Smoothies ($6)…and amazingly, their Bellini was affordably priced at $10.

//All prices are subjected to ++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 8/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Tel: (65) 6473 3655

Address:
7 Lock Road, Gilman Village

Opening hours:
12pm-11pm / Mon-Thur
12pm-2am / Fri-Sat
10am-10pm / Sun
*Brunch: 10am-12pm

Dress code: casual
Getting there: Nearest MRT is HarbourFront transfer to bus 97 or 100.

austrian, decadent desserts, dinner, lunch, restaurant, tea

Wiener Kaffeehaus (renamed ‘Oktober Fest’- relocated)

In the big date on November 2, 2006 at 4:05 pm

If you’re craving for something a lil different to eat on our lil isle, Wiener Kaffeehaus would make a wonderful start. It’s a quaint lil place tucked away at Outram that serves up great Set Lunches and even better dessert. Did I also mention that the place is owned by a charming Austrian named Anton? On my first visit to Wiener Kaffeehaus, I got lost. Only to realise just how ‘far’ I actually was from their front porch (I was just across the road). I fell in love with the place the moment I stepped in. Somehow my hunger seemed to dissipate just for that moment when Anton extended a warm welcome to his restaurant.

We were surrounded by paintings, a mirrored wall, dark wood furnishing and warm-coloured walls…they’ve got free wireless all-day to boot. What’s special about the place is not only the decór, but also the layout of this very unique shophouse unit. After waiting several months upon months for numerous building permits to be approved, Anton finally got the look he wanted: a raised level with stairs leading up to it and another short flight of stairs leading down to the restroom and kitchen. Once you’re on the raised level, there’s a back door that leads out onto a small balcony area where one can hold a small quiet dinner amongst friends.

When you look down, you’ll see the $14,000 in-house roastery that was specially imported from Austria.

Here’s what I’ve tried: their Wiener Schnitzel ($16.50) [****]-featured here, Wiener Saft Gulasch ($9.50) [***.]and Potato Dumpling ($3) [***]-it tasted nothing like potato which was interesting for lunch. Do check out their daily lunch specials ($12), they offer different things all the time.

Next up, dessert was to-die-for. I tried their Sacher Torte ($4.80) [*****]-yes you’re looking at it and Apple Strudel ($4.80) [****] Personally, I prefer my Sacher Torte served cold..because the chocolate will harden and it goes better with the layer of manuka honey in the cake. But so as to be impartial, I’ve also tried the cake served warm and I still prefer it otherwise ha. The apple strudel was a soft pastry variation, with a generous apple filling.

//all prices are nett & free wireless all-day!

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 8/10
Price – $$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 6.5/10

Address: Blk 335, Smith Street, Chinatown Market & Food Centre, #02-83, Singapore 050335

Tel: 65 9150 4628

Opening hours: 10 am -10 pm

Dress code: casual

Nearest MRT: Chinatown Stn (NEL)

Buses: 143, 124, 147…

chill-out, dinner, drinks, italian, late-night cravings, live music, western

Timbré at Substation

In late-night cravings, places to chill on November 2, 2006 at 12:07 am

I cannot believe that I took more than a year to stumble upon this place. Timbré is a bistro music bar that was started in July 2005. The place features local bands as part of their music line-up. On Wednesday nights they’ve got EIC! -cue huge grin- Juan & I were lost in their music just a while ago..they did songs by Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Hootie & the Blowfish, Barenaked Ladies, Red Hot Chilli Peppers & Augustana. For that alone, you ought to visit the place. For weekends, we have been forewarned: you should make reservations at http://www.timbre.com.sg

Their drinks menu looked decent enough, though their Cosmopolitan wasn’t strong. I tried their champagne cocktail Sweet Lady ($12) and their Red Ruby Martini ($10) their martini special for tonight. Kudos to them for a great champagne cocktail!

Inevitably, Juan & I got hungry after all the drinks..so I ‘grudgingly’ agreed to compromise with Ms. Carnivore & order Timbré’s Chicken Fingers ($8) [***.]. The portion was enough for 2. The chicken was encrusted in a lightly spiced batter. yums.
I’d check out their webby for their ongoing promotions..cos they’ve got pretty good deals for those dining in groups. Last but not lease, Timbre’s thin-crust pizzas are not to be missed! [****.]

//prices are subjected to +++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 8/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 6.5/10

Address: 45 Armenian Street, Singapore 179936 (Substation Garden)
Email: info@timbre.com.sg

Opening hours: open daily from 6pm except Sunday
Dress code: casual
Buses: 16, 147, 857, 162..

beer, bistro, dinner, japanese, koek road, late-night cravings, lunch, ramen, supper

Ken Ramen House

In late-night cravings on October 11, 2006 at 12:59 am

Ken Ramen House, or more affectionately known as Noodle House Ken, is an authentic Japanese ramen place in a relatively obscure part of town. Lemme point you in the right direction. It’s along Koek Rd, beneath an overhead bridge of sorts connected to Cuppage Plaza. In other words, cross the road from OG Orchard Point, turn left & walk straight down. It’s easy peasy.
They’ve got outdoor seating, a really small indoor seating capacity AND an air-conditioned area elsewhere (bar seating, not tables). If you’re expecting chicken karaage ramen or tempura ramen, you aint gonna find it here. This place serves up the real deal with little fancy ingredients. Yeah that’s right, they don’t really care all that much about local preferences..which is what sets them apart.

I felt like I wasn’t in Singapore, to be honest. The place didn’t have the typical feel of a local eatery. Anyways we set our eyes on their 1. Stewed Egg Ramen ($13.20) [****.] and the 2. Miso Ramen ($13.20) [****].

1. For this the noodles were springy and tasted NOTHING like maggi mee, egg noodle or any other strange substitute that other places often use to rip us off. The soup has been known to be double-boiled for 8 hrs. Hmm..well it lacked punch for me though & my date agreed likewise. Kudos to them though for a great Japanese stewed egg!

2.This Miso Ramen over here, was yummy I must say. Taking into consideration the fact that my date had already eaten his dinner & yet he polished clean the entire bowl. There’s chunks of meat, corn, spring onions & bamboo shoot & ramen in this bowl if you can’t tell from the picture.

//prices stated above are inclusive of 10% svc charge

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 8/10
Price – $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 6.5/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Address: Orchard Plaza #01-17/18 (opp cuppage plaza)
Tel: 6235 5540

Opening hours:
Weekdays Lunch 12pm-2.30pm
Weekdays Dinner 6pm-2am
Sat 12pm-2am
Sun/PH 12pm-10pm

▶ View 4 Comments

dinner, italian, restaurant, romantic

Il Gladiatore (now defunt)

In the big date on October 8, 2006 at 9:34 pm

Italian cuisine is becoming increasingly popular with Singaporeans who are a carbohydrate-loving bunch. With ‘favoured‘ pastas like carbonara and spaghetti bolognaise that are served at numerous restaurants island-wide. In order to stand out from the crowd, owner-chef Fabio Iannone decided to transform his modern Italian restaurant Fuenti into the present-day Il Gladiatore. The restaurant now focuses on a Roman theme with floor-to-ceiling columns reminiscent of olden-day Roman architecture. Another interesting thing about the place is their staff, who are dressed in the long flowy robes & armour of the Romans on weekends.

What you see here is the raised level dining area of the restaurant on the left, and the main dining area on the right. The former is only available to diners on weekends, upon request or for private functions. Alfresco dining is also available.
Here at Il Gladiatore, they recreate the taste of ancient Roman cuisine with the use of ingredients like artichokes, fava beans, herbs, olive oil and vinegar. With the origins of Roman cuisine dating back thousands of years, it is no surprise that these simple ingredients are used to flavour grilled meats – a staple in the Roman diet back in those days.

I visited the place on a saturday in July to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday. Before dinner I was frantically calling the restaurant to confirm my reservation and to ask if I could bring a cake. I wanted to ensure that I wasn’t in breach of some undisclosed restaurant policy that will eventually lead to my embarassment during dinner. To my delight, restaurant manager Mark Anthonisz, together with his staff were extremely helpful in decreasing my anxiety levels. They schemed together with me to transport the cake from the fridge right up to our VIP table. Kudos to them for great service!

We had their Traditional Fava Beans Soup ($10) [****], Three Mixed Meats ($38) [*****] -a combo of Argentinean beef tenderloin, charcoal-grilled lamb shoulder & home-made fennel pork sausage and Crayfish with Prawns ($32) [****] as seen here. The portion of the grilled meats was deceptively small, but it turned out to be more than sufficient for one. If you’re a carnivore at heart, I strongly recommend that you try their grilled meats which are tender, juicy and flavourful in all the right places. The Crayfish with Prawns was a little too dry for my liking, but good nonetheless.

However, you might wanna order an additional pasta to share because their seafood portions run rather small. If you’re interested, their tagliatelle with braised oxtail ($20), ravioli with spinach and cheese with artichoke sauce ($18) and cream-free spaghetti carbonara ($16) passed the taste-test of AsiaOne.

“If you’re feeling ravenous and want to eat all the way, go Roman to the Maximus, as it were, with the whole family. Il Gladiatore offers a Sunday brunch with unlimited servings of eight signature dishes, including a soup, four starters, a pasta dish, a main and dessert – all for $38. There are also two set lunch options on weekdays, at $18 and $28.” – says Geoffrey Eu on The Business Times, 6 Mar, 2006

//prices stated above are subjected to +++.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 7/10
Price – $$$
Service – 9/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)

Address:
207 River Valley Road,
UE Square #01-61.
S(238275)

Tel: (65) 6333-8875

Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11.00am-2.30pm
Dinner: 6.30pm-11.00pm

Dress code: Smart casual

Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NEL) or Dhoby Ghaut MRT
Buses: 123, 143, 64
Driving directions:
Opposite Liang Court at the junction of Clemenceau Ave