We had read reviews and seen pictures of the nostalgia packed Brunches Cafe and were very much drawn to its decor. So it was with much anticipation that we dropped by one lazy Saturday late morning for brunch.
Just ~ 5 minutes from Farrer Park MRT (parking is very limited), Brunches Cafe's interior is a blast from the past, with nostalgic knick knacks, movie posters, furniture, and a dissected morris mini with its bonnet holding a selection of condiments. A little reminiscent of W39 Bistro and Bakery (which was plain disappointing by the way), just more elaborate.
Nachos with Cheddar Cheese Sauce - The chips tasted bland and straight out of a packet whilst the cheddar cheese dip was rather stingy and watery. I hate to say this but the nachos you get at the cinemas in Singapore (GV, Cathay) taste better because the nachos have a mildly spicy kick to them and the cheese sauce is alot richer.
Shrimp Aglio Olio - Less than al dente but mildly spicy spaghetti coupled with reasonably sized, crunchy but bland prawns made for a very average shrimp aglio olio. Bonus points for the fragrance though.
Baked Egg with Bacon - The baked egg was cooked on the outside but runny inside with an oozing yolk and bits of transparent egg white whilst the bacon was limp and came across as soft and rather fatty - nauseating. Thankfully the side of mushrooms was earthy and the slice of white toast, crisp. Average at best.
Our average brunch for 2 cost to the tune of $41.80, which isn't expensive but food quality doesn't go past average. We were so uninspired by the food that we didn't bother staying for desserts. Service was okay but I don't understand the service charge especially when we had to order and pay at the counter and help ourselves to the iced water. The only thing Brunches Cafe has going for it is its decor but I don't think that's sufficient to warrant a revisit, especially since Jewel Cafe down the road serves slightly better food in my humble opinion.
We are spoilt for choices when it comes to dessert. Luckily, Sheng Kee not only sell desserts but also offer snacks like carrot cake, peanut paste soup, dumplings noodles and braised pork rice. Looking at their menu, we decide to go for their variety of desserts.
Mango Pomelo Herbal Jelly ( $5.30 ) – The actual item is slightly different from menu. The herbal jelly was surrounded more by mango puree than mango cubes. Although the jelly is firm and chewy, the bitter pomelo bits and puree doesn’t seem to complement each other.
Black Glutinous Rice With Coconut Ice Cream & Honey Pearl ( $4.30 ) – This item is worth trying. The glutinous rice was soft and with the creamy coconut ice cream, it makes a perfect combination. The chewy sweet pearl balls added texture to every spoonful.
Lemongrass Jelly With Passion Fruit – Small colourful jelly balls decorated around the chilled jelly. The jelly was soft and not as springy as the herbal jelly.
Rice Ball In Almond Paste ( $4.30 ) – The warm paste was smooth and has a mild almond flavour. The glutinous rice ball was soft and easy to chew.
Overall, service was fast and good. The outlet offers a good range of desserts but in terms of taste and quality, it is average rating but price is considered affordable.
Din Tai Fung has many outlets in Singapore. It is one of the few known food outlets that serve pretty good and fresh steamed pork dumplings ( 小笼包 ). Almost all the outlets will allow customers to witness the making of these dumplings by chefs through a clear glass panel situated near the entrance of the outlet.
We understand that they are offering chilli crab dumpling promotion for our SG50 and decided to try this item. When the wooden steamer arrived on our table, there were 4 pcs of slightly bigger sized dumpling. The fillings looked like shredded crab meat wrapped in minced pork meat. The small spoonful of broth dripping from the dumpling tasted similarly like chilli crab sauce. A taste that goes well with the thin, soft and chewy skin.
Another new item that we tried is Sliced Duck In Spring Onion Pastry ( $7.80 ) – It is actually sliced duck meat with spring onion wrapped in spring roll skin and then deep fried. The crispy skin with the sparsely ingredients seem popular among the diners.
Chives In Fried Wanton Skin ( $8.30 ) – Minced meat mixed with chives and deep fried using wanton skin. The generous ingredients are sealed so perfectly that the minute you bite into it, the balance fillings will dropped on to the plate.
We have dined several times in each of their outlets. The standard of food is consistent and the level of service is good. With attentive staff, it seem that the business is doing well as we always see long queue especially during lunch and dinner.
Back in 2009, we were contemplating between dining at Joël Robuchon (currently the chef with the most Michelin stars to his name - 25 stars) or Guy Savoy in Paris and ended up choosing the latter. 6 years on, we finally stepped foot into Joël Robuchon's first foray into Singapore, the eponymous Joël Robuchon Restaurant (opened in April 2011), for lunch. Gosh, what a long time coming.
If you enter by the main entrance, turning right after the door will bring you to Joël Robuchon Restaurant (left brings you to L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, the more casual outfit). The main dining area strikes one as posh and sombre, with a beautiful chandelier as the centerpiece. The adjourning indoor winter garden strikes a stark contrast with a classy yet cheery appeal, sporting a glass roof to allow plenty of natural light in.
There is a smart elegant dress code but I guess it's not strictly enforced (I spotted some guys wearing t shirts and shorts).
Amuse Bouche - A calamansi jelly flavoured with vanilla, topped with anisette cream; a little too tart for my liking.
Complimentary Homemade Bread - All the bread is homemade and pretty good in my humble opinion, especially the viennoiserie; buttery yet light rolls that reminded me of croissant sans the flakiness. The baguette came across as crusty and went very well with the smooth butter. We were so enamoured with the bread that we jumped at the chance for a second helping. And thankfully we did.
Le King Crabe - Seasoned king crab meat, avocado and crunchy vegetables on tomato coulis. A very well thought out dish with the avocado providing a nice smoothness to the crunchy vegetables and the lightly tart tomato coulis and green apple cubes playing counterpoint to the delightful crustacean sweetness of the king crab. Excellent!
Le Thé de Crevette - "Botan" shrimp in fresh coriander and turmeric infusion. I'm usually adverse to turmeric (or any plant in the ginger family for that matter) but this soup was surprisingly light, mildly sweet yet spicy at the same time and accentuated the sweetness of the crunchy botan shrimp chunks.
La Noix de Saint-Jacques - Pan-fried Hokkaido scallop with spelt risotto and coral emulsion. Undoubtedly the pièce de résistance of the afternoon; a lightly spicy, savoury, creamy sauce base coupled with al dente spelt and a huge, perfectly cooked scallop that was oh so sweet. A pity portion sizes were oh so small.
Le Boeuf "Wagyu" - Wagyu beef hanging tender grilled with medley of aromates and shallots marmalade. Done to a perfect medium rare - tender and juicy. Topped with caramalised shallots for a rather strong sweetness. Good but portions are really small and I personally prefer huge slabs of steak of the salted variant. Served with JR's famous mashed potatoes. Incredibly delicious; silky smooth without coming across as overly dry or moist and with a buttery aftertaste to boot. One of the best "traditional" mashed potatoes I've eaten to date.
Le Minty - And on to desserts. Flowing chocolate Araguani with icy mint sorbet. First impression, it looked more like a layer of cream twirl decorated with a chocolate ring than a molten chocolate cake. But looks can be deceiving because dig beneath that layer of cream to find a scoop of light mint sorbet and a layer of chocolate fondant, complete with a mildly crisp shell and oozing chocolate. Although I don't quite fancy mint but this was quite a treat!
La Pavlova - Lychee lightness, lemongrass mousseline and "Mara de Bois" strawberry. The pavlova was crisp on the outside yet soft and gooey on the inside (like a marshmallow) and carried a pleasantly light lychee flavour and sweetness. Generously adorned with an assortment of berries, including the "Mara de Bois" strawberry (apparently very highly sought after for its flavour and fragrance) to juxtapose the sweetness of the meringue. Very good.
Petit Fours - We ended off with petit fours, which provided an additional sweet ending to our meal. Nothing was memorable here and I did find the raspberry macaron a little lacking in tartness and its shell a wee bit too moist.
Our wonderful lunch for two cost ~ $254 which is definitely at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. However food quality is undeniable and we enjoyed it quite a bit. Service could be a little more personable though.
Remember the mention about being thankful for the second serving of bread earlier on? I kid you not but we had to rely on the bread to fill our tummies because of the tiny portions (my set had an appetiser, a soup, two mains and a dessert by the way). French haute cuisine indeed but very unlike my experience at Guy Savoy Paris. However, having said that, we have already made plans for a return trip in the coming weeks ;)
We were desperate to find dinner for ourselves as most restaurants at Nex shopping centre were packed with long queue. It left us wondering whether there were weekend food promotions that we are not aware of. We passed by and noticed that this restaurant has the shortest queue.
HongGuo is a Chinese restaurant that seem to be managed by a group of young staff and majority of them seem to be from China. We read from their menu write up that they specialised in Si Chuan and Yunan cuisine.
We saw many diners ordering one of their popular items called “ Cross Bridge Vermicelli ( 过桥米线 ) consisting of 7 to 15 items ( depending on price ) to be put into a huge red bowl. We could smell the aroma from the hot milky broth together with small plates of fresh prawns, squid, chicken, quail eggs and vegetables among the items laid on each tray.
As the restaurant is near closing time, we ordered simple dishes :
Bean Minced Pork ( $7.50 ) - Similar to minced pork lettuce wrap dish except this is fried with long beans. The beans are not soggy and has a little crunchiness to it.
Lotus XO Seafood Fried Rice ( $9.50 ) - Well fried with wok hei and tasted delicious. Each grain was fluffy and not oily with the subtle taste of the lotus leaf laid below the rice.
Minced Pork Lettuce Wrap ( $7.50 ) - Good combination of sweet-spicy flavours. The minced meat was mixed with chopped vegetables like capsicum, long beans, corns, etc which give the whole dish a crunchy bite. Wrapped with fresh chilled and crispy lettuce, it was fantastic.
We ordered additional white rice to go with the minced meat and it tasted equally delicious.
We will definitely come back again to try other popular dishes on their menu.
Having patronised one of the 3 different Liang Kee outlets in Singapore on a relatively regular basis, we decided to venture out of our comfort zone and drop by Mu Liang Zai Liang Kee (literally translates to son of Bak Liang) which, as the name suggests, is run by the son (fifth) of the founder, Ng Bak Liang.
Sitting amidst a row of shops along Beo Crescent, MLZ sits along the same stretch as another restaurant bearing a similar name, G7 Liang Kee, which is managed by a Taiwanese former partner. The place isn't big and is reminiscent of a typical air conditioned cze char place, nothing too fanciful.
Teochew Braised Duck - Thickly sliced but tender, the braised duck was decent but I did find the gravy a tad too sweet for my liking. Accompanying beancurd was decent too. Portions are a tad small though.
Stir Fried Broccoli - Though the broccoli was nice and crunchy, it lacked wok hei. I did appreciate the saltiness and mild crunchiness of the ti po (dried sole fish) though.
Beancurd with Minced Meat - MLZ's signature beancurd with minced meat; crisp on the outside whilst smooth and quivery on the inside with a nice savoury taste. I did find the minced meat gravy a little too runny but overall still pretty good.
Silverfish Egg - A simple yet well executed dish, the fried egg came across as fluffy and moist with a nice saltiness (from the silverfish) and wok hei.
Pumpkin Yam Paste - The orh nee came looking like a mess but was surprisingly decent; smooth and fragrant but a wee bit too sweet for my liking. Still, I had two bowls to end off the evening.
A rather filling dinner for the four of us came up to $58.50, which is relatively inexpensive considering the quality and quantity of food. However, having said that, I personally still prefer the food at Liang Kee @ Whampoa. Besides, it's alot nearer to home.
Realised that this restaurant has a few outlets mainly situated in shopping centres. We noticed a long queue at Westgate shopping centre. So while shopping for some electronic stuff at Funan, we saw that this outlet has fewer diners only.
After being ushered by an elderly lady staff, we were told that we need to use the iPad embedded on bottom tray of table to place our order. Our detailed order will then be transmitted wirelessly to the kitchen for processing.
It was less than 20 mins that the staff served the food. The broth was piping hot with peppery taste and some mild herbs. The meat was soft, tender and can be easily removed from the bone. We were quite happy that we do not need to use our hands to tear the meat.
Their in-house crispy dough fritters ( you tiao ) was freshly cut into smaller pieces so that we can dip into the hot soup.
We helped ourselves to a small condiments counter consisting of red chopped chillies, minced garlic, black and light soya sauce.
We also realised that we need not remind the staff to top up our cold soup. It was an automatic gesture that staff will walk around to refill with hot soup. For their attentiveness, we gave them a thumbs up for this service.
We were at Orchard Road running some errands one weekend morning and decided to drop by Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar for brunch since it was in the vicinity.
Nestled within Tanglin Post Office and just behind Swiss Butchery, Nassim Hill's parking is sorely limited. There is the option of "free" parking (< 10 lots) right in front of the eatery but it's park at your own risk (so scramble if you see a warden) or the tiny carpark at the basement of the building (~10 lots) that leaves you stranded on a steep slope should the barrier refuse to lift when the carpark is full. So take public transport if you can, or park somewhere else.
Once you sort out the transportation issues, getting a seat is relatively easy as there are plenty of tables around. The vibe is rather cafe-ish and the abundance of natural light streaming through the full length windows lent the place a certain cheerfulness.
Chilli Crab Pasta - The chilli crab pasta came in 2 portion sizes; half or full. We opted for the former as the plan was to have waffles (lots of carbohydrates!) as well. And I'm glad we did as the half portion was big enough to feed an average eater. Al dente spaghetti coupled with a relatively rich yet mildly sweet and spicy sauce that featured chunks of crab meat and garlic for that additional kick. Very decent in my humble opinion.
Nassim Hill Double Decker Burger - Nassim Hill's namesake burger wasn't impressive to say the least. Although it featured a double patty, both patties lacked a firm texture, a discernible beefy taste and relied on the seasoning and herbs to give it flavour (onion rings added a mild sweetness as well). The bread, all soft and slathered in mayonnaise, could do with time on the griddle whilst the accompanying shoestring fries were a tad hard but pretty decent. Average at best.
Banana Chocolate Waffles - This was meant to be dessert but somehow got served together with our burger and pasta with no offer to take it back and re-serve it later. A bit of a boo boo I must say but seeing that most of the wait staff seemed to be rather green (mostly students I assume), I guess I don't really blame them. But it did prove to be rather annoying as the ice cream was melting rapidly and we had to alternate between mouthfuls of sweet cold dessert and warm burger/pasta at an accelerated pace (we certainly didn't want the waffles swimming in an ice cream puddle).
Grievances aside, I personally liked the waffles quite a fair bit. Lightly crisp along the edges with a rather chewy center and topped with banana slices, sweet chocolate sauce and a huge scoop of real vanilla bean ice cream (as evidenced by the black spots). It's rather pricey at $18 though, especially with only four small waffle rectangles to show for it.
A somewhat decent brunch for the both of us cost almost $59, which is still somewhat acceptable considering the overall quality of food and location of the eatery. Service needs a little polishing and I'll probably drop by again if I'm in the vicinity to try out some other items on the menu.
We wanted to try the food but were told that all tables were taken up. On our next visit, we bought Groupon vouchers and booked a table immediately.
As claimed, it is a Peranakan themed buffet which offers food dishes like beef rendang, pork in soya bean paste ( babi pongteh ), fish maw soup ( hee pioh ), marinated duck ( itik sio ) and the famously chicken in black nuts ( ayam buah keluak )
The hotel coffee house also serves Indonesian, Malay and Chinese cuisine like pastries, kueh, laksa, mee siam and salads.
Food items worth eating are : 1. Beef Rendang – the mild spicy paste covering the tender meat was delicious.
2. Laksa & Mee Siam – prepared by staff with generous ingredients. Smooth noodles that goes well with the thick gravy
3. Kueh – Very soft and chewy and not so sweet. By far, this is the best dessert that we have tasted
4. Fried Sambal Fish – the fish was fresh and with the sambal inserted in between the meat, it gives out a flavourful aroma.
5. Kueh Pie Tee – the most sought item. Once the staff replenished the fried flour cups, people instantly made their way to grab them again.
Food items to avoid : 1. Babi Pongteh – the meat was so hard that we could not even cut into smaller bits. The gravy was also very diluted and salty
2. Fish Maw Soup – More like chicken clear soup as there is hardly any fish maw although friend managed to scoop a tiny piece.
3. Itik Sio – There is barely any meat on each piece. Even if there is meat, it is dry and hard.
4. Ayam Buah Keluak – didn’t taste any buah keluak paste in each chicken meat.
We were quite disappointed with the meat items as most of them were below our expectation.
Spring Court has the honour of being one of the, if not the oldest Chinese restaurant in Singapore. Founded in 1929, it used to be located at Great World Amusement Park (大世界) before finally settling at its current location at Upper Cross Street sometime in 2004.
Housed in a four storey heritage shophouse just opposite Chinatown Point, Spring Court spots white washed walls adorned with pictures and warm lighting, very much typical of a Chinese restaurant. The place is bustling when we arrive, a testament to the popularity of the place I guess?
Braised Beancurd With Scallop - I used to think that serving up beancurd dishes by weight or individual portions were the purview of upmarket Chinese restaurants but clearly, Spring Court has decided to buck that trend. It would have worked if the dish tasted great but unfortunately, it was anything but. The beancurd lacked smoothness and the savouriness that I personally like. Topped with a small piece of scallop and draped over with a mildly starchy meat sauce that had bits of chilli in it. Average.
Deep Fried Prawns With Salted Egg Yolk - The small portion had about 10 prawns or so (charged by weight) and came across as crunchy with a mild egg yolk taste (would have preferred something more pronounced actually). While decent, it lacked that savoury saltiness that is the hallmark of any good egg yolk prawn in my humble opinion.
Stir Fried Broccoli - Cooked just right, the broccoli was neither too hard not soft but could do with some wok hei. Nonetheless, greens are always welcome as they help break the monotony of rich foods.
Roasted Chicken - Mildly crisp skin coupled with moist meat and a good pinch of saltiness; a respectably tasty dish of roasted chicken.
Peking Duck - As part of a tie in with a credit card, a Peking duck was offered to us for a mere 85 cents (with minimum $85 expenditure). We opted to have the meat chopped up and served ($5 extra) over frying it with noodles ($12 extra) and to be honest, it was probably one of the worst Peking ducks I've had in a long while, on par with the sub $20 ones that go for sale at the Ubi area. The skin was mildly crisp but came wrapped in limp and dry crepes whilst the chopped up meat was rather oily and had a strong fowl taste to it amidst flittering hints of herbs. We gave up on it after a while.
Lotus Leaf Rice - Apparently a signature dish of Spring Court and one that required pre-booking, the lotus leaf rice or 荷叶饭 had a slight waxiness to it (which was good) with bits of dried sausage, egg and shrimp. However I did find it a little lacking in fragrance and flavour, coming across as bland and nothing like the delicious 荷叶饭 at Peony Jade Clarke Quay.
Dinner for the 6 of us was a rather inexpensive affair, at just over $190 or ~ $32/pax with decent service. However food quality was average at best as a whole and I really don't understand the hype or seeming popularity (yet another Red Star?) of the place. Sure, Spring Court has a long history but I don't see how that's going to bring it into the future.
1=SGD 0.0587
We had read reviews and seen pictures of the nostalgia packed Brunches Cafe and were very much drawn to its decor. So it was with much anticipation that we dropped by one lazy Saturday late morning for brunch.
Just ~ 5 minutes from Farrer Park MRT (parking is very limited), Brunches Cafe's interior is a blast from the past, with nostalgic knick knacks, movie posters, furniture, and a dissected morris mini with its bonnet holding a selection of condiments. A little reminiscent of W39 Bistro and Bakery (which was plain disappointing by the way), just more elaborate.
Nachos with Cheddar Cheese Sauce - The chips tasted bland and straight out of a packet whilst the cheddar cheese dip was rather stingy and watery. I hate to say this but the nachos you get at the cinemas in Singapore (GV, Cathay) taste better because the nachos have a mildly spicy kick to them and the cheese sauce is alot richer.
Shrimp Aglio Olio - Less than al dente but mildly spicy spaghetti coupled with reasonably sized, crunchy but bland prawns made for a very average shrimp aglio olio. Bonus points for the fragrance though.
Baked Egg with Bacon - The baked egg was cooked on the outside but runny inside with an oozing yolk and bits of transparent egg white whilst the bacon was limp and came across as soft and rather fatty - nauseating. Thankfully the side of mushrooms was earthy and the slice of white toast, crisp. Average at best.
Our average brunch for 2 cost to the tune of $41.80, which isn't expensive but food quality doesn't go past average. We were so uninspired by the food that we didn't bother staying for desserts. Service was okay but I don't understand the service charge especially when we had to order and pay at the counter and help ourselves to the iced water. The only thing Brunches Cafe has going for it is its decor but I don't think that's sufficient to warrant a revisit, especially since Jewel Cafe down the road serves slightly better food in my humble opinion.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
We are spoilt for choices when it comes to dessert. Luckily, Sheng Kee not only sell desserts but also offer snacks like carrot cake, peanut paste soup, dumplings noodles and braised pork rice. Looking at their menu, we decide to go for their variety of desserts.
Mango Pomelo Herbal Jelly ( $5.30 ) – The actual item is slightly different from menu. The herbal jelly was surrounded more by mango puree than mango cubes. Although the jelly is firm and chewy, the bitter pomelo bits and puree doesn’t seem to complement each other.
Black Glutinous Rice With Coconut Ice Cream & Honey Pearl ( $4.30 ) – This item is worth trying. The glutinous rice was soft and with the creamy coconut ice cream, it makes a perfect combination. The chewy sweet pearl balls added texture to every spoonful.
Lemongrass Jelly With Passion Fruit – Small colourful jelly balls decorated around the chilled jelly. The jelly was soft and not as springy as the herbal jelly.
Rice Ball In Almond Paste ( $4.30 ) – The warm paste was smooth and has a mild almond flavour. The glutinous rice ball was soft and easy to chew.
Overall, service was fast and good. The outlet offers a good range of desserts but in terms of taste and quality, it is average rating but price is considered affordable.
Rating given:
Din Tai Fung has many outlets in Singapore. It is one of the few known food outlets that serve pretty good and fresh steamed pork dumplings ( 小笼包 ). Almost all the outlets will allow customers to witness the making of these dumplings by chefs through a clear glass panel situated near the entrance of the outlet.
We understand that they are offering chilli crab dumpling promotion for our SG50 and decided to try this item. When the wooden steamer arrived on our table, there were 4 pcs of slightly bigger sized dumpling. The fillings looked like shredded crab meat wrapped in minced pork meat. The small spoonful of broth dripping from the dumpling tasted similarly like chilli crab sauce. A taste that goes well with the thin, soft and chewy skin.
Another new item that we tried is Sliced Duck In Spring Onion Pastry ( $7.80 ) – It is actually sliced duck meat with spring onion wrapped in spring roll skin and then deep fried. The crispy skin with the sparsely ingredients seem popular among the diners.
Chives In Fried Wanton Skin ( $8.30 ) – Minced meat mixed with chives and deep fried using wanton skin. The generous ingredients are sealed so perfectly that the minute you bite into it, the balance fillings will dropped on to the plate.
We have dined several times in each of their outlets. The standard of food is consistent and the level of service is good. With attentive staff, it seem that the business is doing well as we always see long queue especially during lunch and dinner.
Rating given:
Back in 2009, we were contemplating between dining at Joël Robuchon (currently the chef with the most Michelin stars to his name - 25 stars) or Guy Savoy in Paris and ended up choosing the latter. 6 years on, we finally stepped foot into Joël Robuchon's first foray into Singapore, the eponymous Joël Robuchon Restaurant (opened in April 2011), for lunch. Gosh, what a long time coming.
If you enter by the main entrance, turning right after the door will bring you to Joël Robuchon Restaurant (left brings you to L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, the more casual outfit). The main dining area strikes one as posh and sombre, with a beautiful chandelier as the centerpiece. The adjourning indoor winter garden strikes a stark contrast with a classy yet cheery appeal, sporting a glass roof to allow plenty of natural light in.
There is a smart elegant dress code but I guess it's not strictly enforced (I spotted some guys wearing t shirts and shorts).
Amuse Bouche - A calamansi jelly flavoured with vanilla, topped with anisette cream; a little too tart for my liking.
Complimentary Homemade Bread - All the bread is homemade and pretty good in my humble opinion, especially the viennoiserie; buttery yet light rolls that reminded me of croissant sans the flakiness. The baguette came across as crusty and went very well with the smooth butter. We were so enamoured with the bread that we jumped at the chance for a second helping. And thankfully we did.
Le King Crabe - Seasoned king crab meat, avocado and crunchy vegetables on tomato coulis. A very well thought out dish with the avocado providing a nice smoothness to the crunchy vegetables and the lightly tart tomato coulis and green apple cubes playing counterpoint to the delightful crustacean sweetness of the king crab. Excellent!
Le Thé de Crevette - "Botan" shrimp in fresh coriander and turmeric infusion. I'm usually adverse to turmeric (or any plant in the ginger family for that matter) but this soup was surprisingly light, mildly sweet yet spicy at the same time and accentuated the sweetness of the crunchy botan shrimp chunks.
La Noix de Saint-Jacques - Pan-fried Hokkaido scallop with spelt risotto and coral emulsion. Undoubtedly the pièce de résistance of the afternoon; a lightly spicy, savoury, creamy sauce base coupled with al dente spelt and a huge, perfectly cooked scallop that was oh so sweet. A pity portion sizes were oh so small.
Le Boeuf "Wagyu" - Wagyu beef hanging tender grilled with medley of aromates and shallots marmalade. Done to a perfect medium rare - tender and juicy. Topped with caramalised shallots for a rather strong sweetness. Good but portions are really small and I personally prefer huge slabs of steak of the salted variant. Served with JR's famous mashed potatoes. Incredibly delicious; silky smooth without coming across as overly dry or moist and with a buttery aftertaste to boot. One of the best "traditional" mashed potatoes I've eaten to date.
Le Minty - And on to desserts. Flowing chocolate Araguani with icy mint sorbet. First impression, it looked more like a layer of cream twirl decorated with a chocolate ring than a molten chocolate cake. But looks can be deceiving because dig beneath that layer of cream to find a scoop of light mint sorbet and a layer of chocolate fondant, complete with a mildly crisp shell and oozing chocolate. Although I don't quite fancy mint but this was quite a treat!
La Pavlova - Lychee lightness, lemongrass mousseline and "Mara de Bois" strawberry. The pavlova was crisp on the outside yet soft and gooey on the inside (like a marshmallow) and carried a pleasantly light lychee flavour and sweetness. Generously adorned with an assortment of berries, including the "Mara de Bois" strawberry (apparently very highly sought after for its flavour and fragrance) to juxtapose the sweetness of the meringue. Very good.
Petit Fours - We ended off with petit fours, which provided an additional sweet ending to our meal. Nothing was memorable here and I did find the raspberry macaron a little lacking in tartness and its shell a wee bit too moist.
Our wonderful lunch for two cost ~ $254 which is definitely at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. However food quality is undeniable and we enjoyed it quite a bit. Service could be a little more personable though.
Remember the mention about being thankful for the second serving of bread earlier on? I kid you not but we had to rely on the bread to fill our tummies because of the tiny portions (my set had an appetiser, a soup, two mains and a dessert by the way). French haute cuisine indeed but very unlike my experience at Guy Savoy Paris. However, having said that, we have already made plans for a return trip in the coming weeks ;)
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
We were desperate to find dinner for ourselves as most restaurants at Nex shopping centre were packed with long queue. It left us wondering whether there were weekend food promotions that we are not aware of. We passed by and noticed that this restaurant has the shortest queue.
HongGuo is a Chinese restaurant that seem to be managed by a group of young staff and majority of them seem to be from China. We read from their menu write up that they specialised in Si Chuan and Yunan cuisine.
We saw many diners ordering one of their popular items called “ Cross Bridge Vermicelli ( 过桥米线 ) consisting of 7 to 15 items ( depending on price ) to be put into a huge red bowl. We could smell the aroma from the hot milky broth together with small plates of fresh prawns, squid, chicken, quail eggs and vegetables among the items laid on each tray.
As the restaurant is near closing time, we ordered simple dishes :
Bean Minced Pork ( $7.50 ) - Similar to minced pork lettuce wrap dish except this is fried with long beans. The beans are not soggy and has a little crunchiness to it.
Lotus XO Seafood Fried Rice ( $9.50 ) - Well fried with wok hei and tasted delicious. Each grain was fluffy and not oily with the subtle taste of the lotus leaf laid below the rice.
Minced Pork Lettuce Wrap ( $7.50 ) - Good combination of sweet-spicy flavours. The minced meat was mixed with chopped vegetables like capsicum, long beans, corns, etc which give the whole dish a crunchy bite. Wrapped with fresh chilled and crispy lettuce, it was fantastic.
We ordered additional white rice to go with the minced meat and it tasted equally delicious.
We will definitely come back again to try other popular dishes on their menu.
Rating given:
Having patronised one of the 3 different Liang Kee outlets in Singapore on a relatively regular basis, we decided to venture out of our comfort zone and drop by Mu Liang Zai Liang Kee (literally translates to son of Bak Liang) which, as the name suggests, is run by the son (fifth) of the founder, Ng Bak Liang.
Sitting amidst a row of shops along Beo Crescent, MLZ sits along the same stretch as another restaurant bearing a similar name, G7 Liang Kee, which is managed by a Taiwanese former partner. The place isn't big and is reminiscent of a typical air conditioned cze char place, nothing too fanciful.
Teochew Braised Duck - Thickly sliced but tender, the braised duck was decent but I did find the gravy a tad too sweet for my liking. Accompanying beancurd was decent too. Portions are a tad small though.
Stir Fried Broccoli - Though the broccoli was nice and crunchy, it lacked wok hei. I did appreciate the saltiness and mild crunchiness of the ti po (dried sole fish) though.
Beancurd with Minced Meat - MLZ's signature beancurd with minced meat; crisp on the outside whilst smooth and quivery on the inside with a nice savoury taste. I did find the minced meat gravy a little too runny but overall still pretty good.
Silverfish Egg - A simple yet well executed dish, the fried egg came across as fluffy and moist with a nice saltiness (from the silverfish) and wok hei.
Pumpkin Yam Paste - The orh nee came looking like a mess but was surprisingly decent; smooth and fragrant but a wee bit too sweet for my liking. Still, I had two bowls to end off the evening.
A rather filling dinner for the four of us came up to $58.50, which is relatively inexpensive considering the quality and quantity of food. However, having said that, I personally still prefer the food at Liang Kee @ Whampoa. Besides, it's alot nearer to home.
See all my pictures here.
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Realised that this restaurant has a few outlets mainly situated in shopping centres. We noticed a long queue at Westgate shopping centre. So while shopping for some electronic stuff at Funan, we saw that this outlet has fewer diners only.
After being ushered by an elderly lady staff, we were told that we need to use the iPad embedded on bottom tray of table to place our order. Our detailed order will then be transmitted wirelessly to the kitchen for processing.
It was less than 20 mins that the staff served the food. The broth was piping hot with peppery taste and some mild herbs. The meat was soft, tender and can be easily removed from the bone. We were quite happy that we do not need to use our hands to tear the meat.
Their in-house crispy dough fritters ( you tiao ) was freshly cut into smaller pieces so that we can dip into the hot soup.
We helped ourselves to a small condiments counter consisting of red chopped chillies, minced garlic, black and light soya sauce.
We also realised that we need not remind the staff to top up our cold soup. It was an automatic gesture that staff will walk around to refill with hot soup. For their attentiveness, we gave them a thumbs up for this service.
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We were at Orchard Road running some errands one weekend morning and decided to drop by Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar for brunch since it was in the vicinity.
Nestled within Tanglin Post Office and just behind Swiss Butchery, Nassim Hill's parking is sorely limited. There is the option of "free" parking (< 10 lots) right in front of the eatery but it's park at your own risk (so scramble if you see a warden) or the tiny carpark at the basement of the building (~10 lots) that leaves you stranded on a steep slope should the barrier refuse to lift when the carpark is full. So take public transport if you can, or park somewhere else.
Once you sort out the transportation issues, getting a seat is relatively easy as there are plenty of tables around. The vibe is rather cafe-ish and the abundance of natural light streaming through the full length windows lent the place a certain cheerfulness.
Chilli Crab Pasta - The chilli crab pasta came in 2 portion sizes; half or full. We opted for the former as the plan was to have waffles (lots of carbohydrates!) as well. And I'm glad we did as the half portion was big enough to feed an average eater. Al dente spaghetti coupled with a relatively rich yet mildly sweet and spicy sauce that featured chunks of crab meat and garlic for that additional kick. Very decent in my humble opinion.
Nassim Hill Double Decker Burger - Nassim Hill's namesake burger wasn't impressive to say the least. Although it featured a double patty, both patties lacked a firm texture, a discernible beefy taste and relied on the seasoning and herbs to give it flavour (onion rings added a mild sweetness as well). The bread, all soft and slathered in mayonnaise, could do with time on the griddle whilst the accompanying shoestring fries were a tad hard but pretty decent. Average at best.
Banana Chocolate Waffles - This was meant to be dessert but somehow got served together with our burger and pasta with no offer to take it back and re-serve it later. A bit of a boo boo I must say but seeing that most of the wait staff seemed to be rather green (mostly students I assume), I guess I don't really blame them. But it did prove to be rather annoying as the ice cream was melting rapidly and we had to alternate between mouthfuls of sweet cold dessert and warm burger/pasta at an accelerated pace (we certainly didn't want the waffles swimming in an ice cream puddle).
Grievances aside, I personally liked the waffles quite a fair bit. Lightly crisp along the edges with a rather chewy center and topped with banana slices, sweet chocolate sauce and a huge scoop of real vanilla bean ice cream (as evidenced by the black spots). It's rather pricey at $18 though, especially with only four small waffle rectangles to show for it.
A somewhat decent brunch for the both of us cost almost $59, which is still somewhat acceptable considering the overall quality of food and location of the eatery. Service needs a little polishing and I'll probably drop by again if I'm in the vicinity to try out some other items on the menu.
See all my pictures here.
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We wanted to try the food but were told that all tables were taken up. On our next visit, we bought Groupon vouchers and booked a table immediately.
As claimed, it is a Peranakan themed buffet which offers food dishes like beef rendang, pork in soya bean paste ( babi pongteh ), fish maw soup ( hee pioh ), marinated duck ( itik sio ) and the famously chicken in black nuts ( ayam buah keluak )
The hotel coffee house also serves Indonesian, Malay and Chinese cuisine like pastries, kueh, laksa, mee siam and salads.
Food items worth eating are :
1. Beef Rendang – the mild spicy paste covering the tender meat was delicious.
2. Laksa & Mee Siam – prepared by staff with generous ingredients. Smooth noodles that goes well with the thick gravy
3. Kueh – Very soft and chewy and not so sweet. By far, this is the best dessert that we have tasted
4. Fried Sambal Fish – the fish was fresh and with the sambal inserted in between the meat, it gives out a flavourful aroma.
5. Kueh Pie Tee – the most sought item. Once the staff replenished the fried flour cups, people instantly made their way to grab them again.
Food items to avoid :
1. Babi Pongteh – the meat was so hard that we could not even cut into smaller bits. The gravy was also very diluted and salty
2. Fish Maw Soup – More like chicken clear soup as there is hardly any fish maw although friend managed to scoop a tiny piece.
3. Itik Sio – There is barely any meat on each piece. Even if there is meat, it is dry and hard.
4. Ayam Buah Keluak – didn’t taste any buah keluak paste in each chicken meat.
We were quite disappointed with the meat items as most of them were below our expectation.
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Spring Court has the honour of being one of the, if not the oldest Chinese restaurant in Singapore. Founded in 1929, it used to be located at Great World Amusement Park (大世界) before finally settling at its current location at Upper Cross Street sometime in 2004.
Housed in a four storey heritage shophouse just opposite Chinatown Point, Spring Court spots white washed walls adorned with pictures and warm lighting, very much typical of a Chinese restaurant. The place is bustling when we arrive, a testament to the popularity of the place I guess?
Braised Beancurd With Scallop - I used to think that serving up beancurd dishes by weight or individual portions were the purview of upmarket Chinese restaurants but clearly, Spring Court has decided to buck that trend. It would have worked if the dish tasted great but unfortunately, it was anything but. The beancurd lacked smoothness and the savouriness that I personally like. Topped with a small piece of scallop and draped over with a mildly starchy meat sauce that had bits of chilli in it. Average.
Deep Fried Prawns With Salted Egg Yolk - The small portion had about 10 prawns or so (charged by weight) and came across as crunchy with a mild egg yolk taste (would have preferred something more pronounced actually). While decent, it lacked that savoury saltiness that is the hallmark of any good egg yolk prawn in my humble opinion.
Stir Fried Broccoli - Cooked just right, the broccoli was neither too hard not soft but could do with some wok hei. Nonetheless, greens are always welcome as they help break the monotony of rich foods.
Roasted Chicken - Mildly crisp skin coupled with moist meat and a good pinch of saltiness; a respectably tasty dish of roasted chicken.
Peking Duck - As part of a tie in with a credit card, a Peking duck was offered to us for a mere 85 cents (with minimum $85 expenditure). We opted to have the meat chopped up and served ($5 extra) over frying it with noodles ($12 extra) and to be honest, it was probably one of the worst Peking ducks I've had in a long while, on par with the sub $20 ones that go for sale at the Ubi area. The skin was mildly crisp but came wrapped in limp and dry crepes whilst the chopped up meat was rather oily and had a strong fowl taste to it amidst flittering hints of herbs. We gave up on it after a while.
Lotus Leaf Rice - Apparently a signature dish of Spring Court and one that required pre-booking, the lotus leaf rice or 荷叶饭 had a slight waxiness to it (which was good) with bits of dried sausage, egg and shrimp. However I did find it a little lacking in fragrance and flavour, coming across as bland and nothing like the delicious 荷叶饭 at Peony Jade Clarke Quay.
Dinner for the 6 of us was a rather inexpensive affair, at just over $190 or ~ $32/pax with decent service. However food quality was average at best as a whole and I really don't understand the hype or seeming popularity (yet another Red Star?) of the place. Sure, Spring Court has a long history but I don't see how that's going to bring it into the future.
See all my pictures here.
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