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The rains, oh, it rains. It is that-time-of-the-year-again.
I like rainy days, I really do. It’s perfect for snuggling in bed, surfing food blogs with a cup of hot chocolate, and a slice of that-very-delicious-carrot-cake.
If you have not tried Cedele’s carrot cake yet, you are definitely missing out on some of the nice things in life. You don’t like carrots? Give them a try first, it’s never too late to split it out if you really detest the taste. The thick cream cheese frosting on top of the moist carrot cake was sweet, but not to the extent of cloyingly sweet – the balance was just right.
Honey, they shrink the cake!
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but Queen C (what I call Cedele’s carrot cake) seems to be much smaller than before, oh well, I’ll just get another slice of it then.
Long story short, if you like my review please do come by ladyironchef . . . for the delicious in you
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There’s no other meat that can get me excited like kurobuta pork, not even wagyu. I know the Japanese beef is great, but my heart is already stolen the first time I had kurobuta.
I was skeptical when I saw that Grill-out is offering the kurobuta T-bone as part of their set lunch at only $11.50. Admittedly, the cut is T-bone and not the prized collar bone, but still, it’s kurobuta – the pork version of Kobe beef. Is this some gimmick? No, wait, cancel the last part.
Ho ho, just look at that piece of meat up there! It looks so sexy right? All my doubts were gone the moment I had the first bite. The pork was everything you could ask for; tender, juicy, with the fats providing the melt-in-the-mouth sensation: it was good!
You have to try kurobuta pork unless a) you absolutely hate and will not touch pork, or b) you want to save it for me. Aww.. Jokes aside, I think it’s important that you understand my point – get your hands on a piece of kurobuta pork, now!
Despite being very hungry, we only ordered one main course to share as we had an eye for the desserts next door. But I will definitely come back for the other premium meats they offered. If you are a meat-lover, here’s the place for you!
Long story short, if you like my review please do come by ladyironchef . . . for the delicious in you
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It was in our interest that we decided to give Pete's Place a shot, having acquired recently, a 1 for 1 set dinner voucher. Holed up at the basement of Grand Hyatt, the name of the restaurant gave it a more personal and casual connotation as opposed to that of a swanky fine dining Italian restaurant usually found in hotels.
And living up to its casual billing, Pete's Place boasts brick walls coupled with checkered table cloths and an open kitchen where the chefs prepare your food. Being underground, there are no windows to speak off but the place oozes a nice comfortable feeling, one that evokes memories of sitting by a fireplace while having your meal.
You can help yourself to the limited variety of bread at the tiny bread station. None of the bread struck me as fantastic but gives you something to chew on while you wait for your food. There is of course the salad bar as well, which I thought to be pretty decent.
Seafood Pasta - The pasta wasn't al dente, coming across as a tad too soft while the tomato base sauce was a little too runny for my liking. I appreciated the generous serving of sweet, crunchy prawns as well as delectable and sizable scallops. A little less salt would have been ideal though.
Saltimbocca Alla Romana - This veal dish is apparently a classic Roman dish that counts fresh sage as one of its main ingredients. Honestly, this is the first time I've eating this and I can't say that I'm a big fan of it. Firstly, I thought that it was overly salty and though tender, the meat had a weird "coated with flour and steamed" like texture. I did like the mashed potato though - finely whipped with a seductively strong hint of butter. Nice.
Tiramisu - Well it was between this and a scoop of ice cream. It was a no brainer for me really. But the tiramisu turned out to be a flop, unfortunately. Too much sponge, too little mascarpone cheese. And a teetotaler version to boot. At least there was the vanilla bean sauce with the occasional sighting of a bean or two in it.
Thank god for the 50%, paring what would have been an unreasonable amount of money to pay ($153 after tax) for such average food to something more manageable ($77). Even then, I don't find it exactly value for money. On the upside, service was reliable, benefiting from the experience of the wait staff, most of whom seemed to be in the older age bracket.
See all my pictures here.
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This is a story of boy meets love, and you should know up front, this is definitely a love story. Boy meets dessert, boy fall in love, oh yes, this is a happily-ever-after ending.
The Tart pudding was highly raved upon by the staff at Tampopo Deli; we decided to get it since there’s no harm trying – I mean how bad can custard and tart be? It’s almost like an egg tart, albeit in an Japanese manner, so lets just call this the Japanese egg tart. I enjoyed every bite of the crispy tart, with the soft eggy custard sitting on top; it was not wow, but pretty good.
Meet Chiffon, she’s terrific, if I may: light, moist and airy in all the right places. The texture of the chiffon is amazingly soft, and it’s one of those things that you have totally no idea of what you are eating, and you just keep putting more into your mouth, until it’s gone. And there’s the shredded cheese which gave the light chiffon an additional distinct taste. This is it.
Cream puff is one of my all-time favourite dessert – they are incredible. Like really really incredible. The sweet Japanese cream within the crispy choux pastry was amazing, I took a bite and I don’t know if there’s any thing else that can make me feel so happy. I swear – Tampopo Deli has one of the best cream puffs!
Apparently, the cream puffs are in such great demand that they get sold out very fast. Either make a call to reserve them, or go on the hourly spot (they baked each batch by the hour). There’s no denying that I have a massive sweet tooth. Cookies, chocolate, fudge cake, cheesecake, give them to me, give them all to me. Can you ever say no to them? In short, I like anything sweet, I’m definitely a dessert-holic! It’s so tempting to just order every single dessert from the shelf, and for now, boy will meet love in the dreams.
Long story short, if you like my review please do come by ladyironchef . . . for the delicious in you
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We all have our own bad hair days, at times where you have to deal with unreasonable people when you rather be sitting down in front of your computer to read at food blogs. At times where you are working your ass off, and it seems work will never end. You know what I mean, and that is why we always look forward to lunch.
My choice of a dining place usually depends on the-craving-of-the-moment, and for this occasion, my dining companion was yearning for some Bak ku teh (bkt), and she brought me to one of her favourite place. I’m a self-proclaimed pig-lover; from roast pork, bacons, to bak kwa; there’s nothing that I don’t like about pork. I know many people refuse to take pig intestines; they are not exactly healthy but they sure are tasty.
The presence of the distinct herbal taste was characteristic of the bkt here. My dining companion had the pork ribs ($5 per bowl) while I had the combination bowl of pork ribs and a mix of pork offals like the intestines, liver, and stomach. I have a love-hate relationship with pork ribs. On one hand I always complain that the ribs are not meaty enough, but I like to gnaw on the bones to finish every bite of the meat, and suck the sweetness of the bones. And the pork liver was cooked nicely, retaining a tinge of pink.
Long story short, if you like my review please do come by ladyironchef . . . for the delicious in you
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Had dinner with a couple of my relatives at Tai Seng Restaurant, one of the long standing traditional Teochew restaurants still around in this era of fast food and modern Chinese cuisine. Established in 1933, it used to be located at Outram (if my memory serves me correctly) and was apparently very popular back then.
Currently located not too far from its original location, on the top floor of People's Park Centre, Tai Seng looks just like your typical nostalgic restaurant from yesteryear. Think Red Star or Yan Palace.
Prawn Roll - Our dinner trotted off to a good start with the prawn roll or Har Zhor, which was crisp without involving too much oil or fatty meat in the equation. Dipped into the plum sauce, it was a nice blend of sweet and salty.
Cabbage Braised with Mushroom - A traditional Teochew dish, the braised cabbage isn't exactly my cup of tea because of the way it is prepared - very soft from being soaked in the gravy. But that's just a personal preference. My parents liked it though.
Deep Fried Crayfish - I loved this dish for its flavour - salty carrying a hint of spiciness and its crisp and dry texture. The presence of fried garlic provided a whiff of fragrance as well as the nice garlicky after taste. Very good!
Braised Sea Cucumber with Fish Maw - The sea cucumber didn't come across as too gelatin or slimy, which upped the appetising factor (for me at least). Coupled with mushrooms and fish maw that didn't gross me out by being too slimy, it was simple yet good.
Goose Meat - One of the few yardsticks I use to measure Teochew cuisine and also one of my personal favourites, the goose failed to make the cut, to say the very least. It had a rather gamy taste and did seem a little dry. What piqued my interest was the inclusion of the neck, something which I rarely see nowadays. But its just a mere novelty.
Steamed Pomfret - Teochew cuisine is famed for its steamed pomfret, which is steamed with mushrooms, tomatos, sour plums and the likes. Tai Seng's rendition was excellent if I may say. The rather sizeable fish was very fresh, sweet and steamed to perfection. The gravy was nice and light and complemented the fish very well.
Yam & Pumpkin - My other yardstick for guaging Teochew food - the humble yet labouriously intensive to prepare, yam paste aka Orh Nee. Besides being a little too sweet for my liking, the yam paste lacked fragrance probably due to the reduced usage of lard. At least it was smooth and definitely palatable.
$216 for a dinner for 7 is relatively value for money considering the food that we got. Quality of food is a case of hits and misses and service is patchy but decent. Overall a decent place to try if you want Teochew food and are looking to avoid the crowds in the other more popular Teochew restaurants like Huat Kee and the likes.
See all my pictures here.
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I always dread to have dinner in Orchard, well the place is great for shopping, people-watching, movies, but food? It is always an issue whenever my friends want to meet there and if you ask me, there’s hardly any place that I like in Orchard.
Most people will have thought that KPO stands for Killiney Post office since the cafe is located on the premises of Killiney post office. But the name actually comes about because it’s at the intersection of Killney, Penang, and Orchard road.
We started dinner with the Pizza Yorkshire ($25). The 10 inch thin crust pizza was thoroughly enjoyable; sweet thin slices Yorkshire pork and well-baked crust with mozzarella cheese matched perfectly with the natural crust.
Even though the Grilled juicy mini beef patties were tiny, I love the way they are done – topped with melted Emmental cheese and served in home-made baguette. The Patty Melt ($12) is one of those things that you wish it would come in bigger portions. And oh yes, the home-made chips were great too! But for the kind of price, it’s more like a snack to go along with drinks rather than a main course for dinner.
The KPO Pork Ribs ($23) was the other signature dish of the cafe. A full slab of ribs marinated with the tantalizing sauce, we have to agree that the marination was very done-well. But having tried better pork ribs elsewhere, KPO’s rendition lacked the ultimate melt-in-the-mouth sensation. Still, it was pretty good.
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I have no doubt that KPO, situated right in the middle of town and yet seemingly away from the hustle of the city, will be a success. The location is already a hit, with the chic environment, it is definitely the place-to-be-seen-at. While it’s a great watering-hole, with the food being pretty decent, but they really need to improve on the service.
I got a shock when the first question they asked, was not what I’ll like to order, but whether I’m paying by credit card or cash. No matter how nice the ambience was, or how excellent the food tasted – that was a total turnoff. But oh well, at least there’s no service charge & GST. Anyway, with the good location plus the chill-out atmosphere, I went back again the following Saturday.
Long story short, if you like my review please do come by ladyironchef . . . for the delicious in you
Rating given:
Canopy, located within lush gardens of Aramsa Spa in Bishan Park is positioned as an Australia style café that provides the perfect getaway for families, couples and pet lovers alike.
The new outdoor Canopy Bar also provides a unique setting for one to lounge and enjoy a mug of beer, or glass of wine with friends and loved ones.
HFB was served first the Trio of Hot Prawns Cocktail ($16.00 for usual serving), Smoked Pepper Duck ($16.00 for usual serving) and Eggs Benedict ($12.00 for usual serving).
The only thing that HFB could remember on the prawns was the accompanied Avocado and Mango, nothing memorable to say the least. At least the eggs was decent with a runny yolk, but he did find the Hollandaise sauce slightly salty. The skin of the smoked duck was nicely seared and retained that nibble of fats, giving it a juicy bite.
Next up, we were served a series of mains to share. The Grilled Pork Rack ($25.00) wow HFB with its serving size. One would get a perfect thick piece of meat for a good bite. However, what would make it more awesome if Kurobuta Pork was used instead – the juicy layer of fats would definitely enhance and ensured a more luscious finish. Alas, it was not to be and HFB did find their meat a tad dry for his liking.
HFB do not usually order fish for his mains (only on this instance), and the Red Snapper Fillet ($26.00) didn’t do anything that would change that. It was another decent dish that didn’t register an impression. Enough said.
“Twirl it round a fork and slurp it up” – at least that’s what their menu suggest one to do it when you order their Crabmeat Aglio Olio ($19.00). However, HFB would advise against it – this dish was clearly thumbs down for him. Close to saying it wasn’t fresh; the crabmeat didn’t have that clean, bright taste of the sea. Pasta wasn’t as al dente as he loved it to be.
Canopy also served vegetarian menu from the Green Room Café next door, where one can also have a healthy obsession for quality ingredients with playful exuberance on their table. They strived to change the way one view vegetarian cuisine forever, and HFB applauded that they did. Their Curry “Lamb” Pie ($14.00) made of mushroom and carrot filling served with Vine Tomato Sauce really did tasted like lamb – so much so that one of the participants commented that it was something she never quite tasted before even though she was a vegetarian for 12 years! The curry was flavoursome and nicely spiced. Bravo!
The WOW dish of the day was their Gnocchi, made of Pumpkin, Spinach served with Parmesan Cheese and Semi Dried Tomato. HFB never really liked gnocchi as the starch fills him up quickly. Usually made from ordinary wheat flour, potato, bread crumbs, or similar ingredients, their version however dominantly used pumpkin, that gives it a more sweet tasting flavour and a less starchy finished. Paired it with the semi dried tomato, and the sweet and savoury combination works harmoniously. This dish was addictive!
The brunch was wrapped up with desserts of Homemade Sticky Date Pudding and Old Fashion Apple Crumble ($10.00 each).
While the former tasted delightful with the butterscotch sauce and a pretty warm and moist texture, the latter paled in comparison with its slightly dry finishing and lacklustre taste.
You can view all the photos here.
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Spruce is about simplicity and quality of raw products – or at least that’s what it strive to achieve from their food offerings.
Helmed by owner Chef Travis Masiero, who is an American, his cuisine is said to pay homage to his humble American roots, influenced by the smell of Mediterranean, North Africa and continental Europe.
Stepped past the entrance and one would be greeted by the casual yet sophisticated ambience in the heart of Orchard Road (Tanglin Road, Phoenix Park to be exact).
While Spruce is opened 7 days a week from morning till night, HFB was there for dinner. We were ushered to the private dining area which sits approximately 10 to 12 pax – nicely suited for business lunches or dinner.
While waiting for the others, we ordered the Hand Cut Chips with Sage ($5.00) to fill our growling tummies.
Thick and crisply fried, it was straightforward comfort food. Simply addictive! We also had another side of Creamy Macaroni and Cheese ($7.00), which HFB thought while aesthetically boring, it was decent enough.
Interestingly enough, their menu has a section titled “To share or not” – which offers simple solid dishes to go around. Order was made for 3 of them including – Three Dips with Assorted Toast and Crisp ($16.00), Warm Spruce Olives with Fennel, Thyme and Orange Rind ($12.00) along with Ahi Tuna Tartar with Toasted Ciabatta and Avocado ($21.00).
HFB is not a fan of olive, thus wasn’t able to comment on it, but the dips and the tuna tartar is a must order if you have a table big enough to share! The dips were packed with awesome flavours and goes really well with the toast and the tuna tartar was really good – very fresh and goes well on its own or with the bread, but best when one tried it with the avocado. HFB did and it was divine!
For the main, HFB opted for the Prawn Pasta with Zucchini and Parmigiano Cheese ($22.00), and all excitement looking forward to sample the dish was gone the moment it was served up. It was probably his fault that he didn’t enquire beforehand, but he certainly wasn’t expecting a bowl of orecchetti pasta served up in a bowl looking like a serving of breakfast cereal with a table spoon. Secondly, He was half anticipating a couple of huge-ass king prawns looking all juicy and ready to be chomped, but alas it wasn’t meant to be – the prawns although plentiful, were halved and thus lacked bite. Gone in a flash (how long does one need to down a bowl of cereal honestly) – HFB wasn’t feeling quite satisfy with his main to be honest (he prefers to “interact” with his food more) and ended up waiting for the rest to finish their mains before we moved on to dessert. What a pity!
Warm Ginger Date Pudding with Chocolate Toffee Sauce ($12.00) was the dessert for the night. With a tint of ginger that doesn’t put many off, the combination with the ice cream was good. And by right coupled it with the sauce should send it up higher by a few notches, but regrettably the toffee sauce was too sweet for consumption.
The sweetness simply overwhelmed the whole dish, and when feedback, Chef Travis mentioned that desserts are meant to be sweet and that’s how they eat it America – anybody care to shed some light into this?
You can view all the photos here.
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Had the opportunity to indulge in a food tasting session at Petals & Leaves Bistro one grey Saturday afternoon, courtesy of the bistro's management, which runs Garden Asia, an event management cum landscaping company.
The place proves quite a hassle to get to, hidden deep within the wilderness of Kranji. Housed within the premises of Garden Asia, Petals & Leaves is the epitome of idyllic-ness. A large sheltered al fresco dining area flanked by a pond amidst lush flora and fauna, with only the light patter of raindrops breaking the tranquility - the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The Works Platter - We started off with The Works Platter, which consisted of sausages, chicken wings and cheese sticks - typical pub grub which I personally fancy quite a bit. Nothing came across as particularly outstanding though. The sausages were alright but a little on the bland side. The cheese sticks didn't have the gooey cheese oozing out of the sticks and the taste of deep fried flour threatened to overwhelm the already faint taste of the cheese. As for the wings, I personally felt that they lacked marination and chomping on one was akin to chewing on flour.
Chicken - The piece of chicken thigh looked really well grilled and most appetising. However its appearance belied the fact that marination was lacking and the texture tended more towards the rubbery side. The sauce did seem a little weak as well.
The Bull's Eye - A slab of beautifully grilled medium rare ribeye, topped with red wine pepper sauce and apparently a signature dish of the eatery. A pity it was rather lacklustre, coming across as a little too tough sans the inherent sweetness of the beef. What I thought was mildy interesting was the side of sliced potatos which were coated with potato flour then deep fried, giving rise to something that tasted a little similar to potato tempura.
Oreo Tiramisu - Oreo Tiramisu
I 've always been a fan of oreos and tiramisu. Put this two elements together and I would expect something explosive, if not decent at least. The truth be told, it wasn't fantastic but at least it was palatable. The sponge fingers had little icicles in it probably due to water being present during the freezing stage of the tiramisu and that affected the overall texture. Apparently there was Baileys in it but I couldn't make any out probably due to my alcohol desensitized taste buds. Last but not least, the mascarpone cheese leaned towards the heavy side - a little too much egg yolk maybe? The oreos didn't make much of a difference to the dessert in my humble opinion.
Well, I wouldn't say that the food was totally bad but it certainly has lots of room for improvement. I like the ambience of the place though, charmingly serene and tranquil - perfect for whiling the morning/afternoon away with a nice cup of tea/coffee in hand. Please allow me to end off by thanking Petals & Leaves for kindly extending their invitation to me. Thank you.
See all my pictures here.
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