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…

The Golden Mile.

Fancy some healthy hawker food?

This plate of char kway teow (fried flat noodles) is probably THE healthiest in town (don’t be deceived by the oil) . Glistening oil aside, this stall at Golden Mile Food Centre on Beach Road doesn’t use pork or lard in their cooking. A majority of char kway teow stalls use pork or lard as a staple ingredient, (as some of us know) thus giving the dish a bad reputation for contributing to sky-high cholesterol levels.
However, stall 91 not only proudly proclaims their adherence to healthy cooking, they demonstrate it with a pile of blanched leafy greens and fried ikan bilis (anchovies) toppings. Each dish comes in $3/$4/$5 portions. Now this is what I’d call almost guilt-free indulgence. Give them a shot after 25 August (they’re closed from 11-25 August ‘08) and find out how char kway teow [****] can still be yummy without the pork or lard. Cockle (batu ham) lovers will be glad to know that stall 91 automatically includes it unless you specify your preference.

For those who need a durian fix, there’s a stall at Golden Mile that sells this:

Yes, it’s durian chee cheong fun (steamed rice roll) [***] you’re looking at. It’s topped with crushed peanuts and stuffed with a durian filling. Though I’m not a fan of durian, I could taste why durian lovers would like it. The cheong fun was permeated with the robust flavour of durian, and was a steal at $2 a plate (as pictured here). Other stalls to consider at Golden Mile would be the original Sweet Stone Parad’Ice outlet – where you can order authentic Belgian waffles fresh from the waffle-maker. I noticed a beef noodles stall that looked rather enticing…I’ll update this post when I’ve got the chance to try it.

In the meantime, try a healthier diet…you may just like it.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 7/10
Price – $
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 5/10
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

Address:
505 Beach Road, Singapore 199583

Opening hours:
11.30 am onwards (daily)

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Lavender

Buses: 961, 145, 100…

Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie – Paragon

Canelé Pâtisserie is fast-becoming Bakerzin’s biggest rival with a new outlet in Paragon in addition to their main one at Roberston Walk! This June, the guys behind Canelé have also opened a new dessert restaurant named Macaron located next to Canelé at Robertson Walk. So who’s the man behind Canelé’s continued success? He’s Executive Pastry Chef Pang Kok Keong

Not many people know this, but I’m a huge fan of Canelé’s breads. Those who know me even better will know that I’m a picky bread-eater. So that must say something about their breads right?

I’d recommend that you try their Croque Madame ($11.50) [****]. It’s a home-made white toast bread with ham & Swiss gruyere cheese, sunny side up and salad with house dressig on the side. Great sandwich.

On our right we’ve got the Club Honey Baked Ham ($12) [***.], another white toast bread sandwich with yummy honey baked ham, omelette, mayonnaise, juicy tomato, chips & greens with house dressing on the side! These aren’t exactly bite-sized and they sure pack quite a mouthful into it. Loved the chips. They make great nibbles for in-between chatting and waiting for friends.

Now if there’s 1 thing you absolutely have to try at Canelé, it’s gotta be their crepes. ANY CREPE. This one over here is their Savoury Crepe
with smoked salmon ($13.50) [****], with red onion, capers and dill cream cheese. Generous portions of smoked salmon, and the cream cheese didn’t overpower the overall taste of the crepe. I’d say this one’s awesome for smoked salmon lovers out there.

If you’re looking for something a little lighter or grabbing a quick bite for lunch, get the Chicken Stew ($11.50) [****] with leek, carrot, button mushroom, onion, perfumed with Provencal herbs. Served with Bread Basket. This “little” stew is deceptively simple in appearance, but it’ll satisfy your hunger pangs real quick.

Last but not least…Canelé’s specialty: Dessert!

Meet my personal favourite: The Strawberry Tart. [****.] I believe this image over here can speak for itself. Don’t forget to try their humble Nutella Pie [****], you won’t regret it. There’s way too many good desserts at this place, so feel free to take your pick at the display counter. I’m not keen on their chocolates though, as I felt that the chocolate couvertures were not great. For chocolates I’d still prefer Prestat Fine Chocolates or Laurent Bernard’s chocolates at The Chocolate Factory.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

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

Locations:
Robertson Walk

11 Unity Street, #01-09
Robertson Walk
Singapore 237995

Email : pang@lesamis.com.sg
Telephone : (65) 6738-8145
Facsimile : (65) 6738-8146
Dress Code: : Casual

Opening Hours
Monday to Wednesday : 10 am – 8 pm
Thursday to Saturday : 10 am – 11 pm
Sunday : 10 am – 6 pm

Paragon

B1-25 Paragon, 290 Orchard Road

Telephone : (65) 6733-8893
Opening Hours : 11am to 10pm daily