OrganiCafeXperience

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

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)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

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…

Halia Restaurant

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.

© Copyright Barron’s Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

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

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)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

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

Serenity Restaurant & Bistro

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

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)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

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)

Hooked! (moved to Upp Thomson)

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

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)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

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