Caffe Beviamo actually manages to catch LIC attention because of its apparent lack of signboard. The first time i know of this self-effacing and laid-back restaurant is during my visit to Tetsu at Tanglin Mall. The Caffe Beviamo there is located on the ground floor and i walked around the restaurant three times trying to spot its name but to no avail.
After knowing that Caffe Beviamo is also available at Paragon level 5, a visit looks to be on the cards. And after some “investigation”, LIC found the signboard for Caffe Beviamo!
Paragon level 5 is hardly a place i’ll go, not that i don’t visit Paragon, but that who goes to level 5? Its always at the first few levels that are most crowded. Therefore its rather a surprise when i reached level 5 and all the seats at Caffe Beviamo is taken.
The area isn’t very big, with rough estimates of at most 40 seaters. The light serene green of the woody seats coupled with white simple tables actually gives an unpretentious feel.
The most amazing thing about Caffe Beviamo is actually its simplicity. The whole cafe is so straightforward in the sense that it has a easy and pleasant ambience, the food they served are your simple and comfort food like sandwiches, toasts, salads and pasta. So much so that they bear a reminiscent of Epicurious.
Linguine ($11.50) Linguine with tomato, basil & bocconcini. There are only two type of pasta available on the menu, with the other being Torchietti. The linguine served here is very simple, not very flavorful in the sense that it does not packs too many type of different ingredients in. Just simple tomato and bocconcini with a hint of basil.
Its rather hard to describe the term “Australian cuisine” as there’s rather few of such places in Singapore. But Caffe Beviamo quintessentially categorize its food as Australian. I’m not sure how “Australian” is the pasta, but its comfort food to me, simple and good.
Chicken Sandwiches ($10.50) Basil pesto, zucchini, poached chicken breast and cheese makes up the chicken sandwich. The chicken sandwich is rather good too, nothing too complicated. I’m rather skeptical about the zucchini initially, but it actually taste quite well together with the chicken breast sandwich in between the bread.
Strawberry Shortcake ($3.5) The strawberry shortcake rendition at Caffe Beviamo is given a make-over, not quite like your usual ones. With a big red juicy strawberry sandwich in between the pastry, it does provides an inspiration with the “playing” of food by constructing them different from the norm.
The desserts are not on the menu, and its rather pick-your-own from the counter. So grab yours fast because once they are out, other different ones will be offered instead. I saw a carrot cake before we started our meal, but after we finished it’s gone!
Cheese Cake ($4) The normal cheese cake at Caffe Beviamo is real good! Cheesy yet not to the extent overwhelming. The biscuit crumb layer underneath the cake provides a different dimension to the soft and fluffy cheese cake. The “oomph” feel immediately make its presence known.
So good! And at 4 bucks, it’s really a steal. Appearance-wise it looks very ordinary, but the taste is definitely not!
Total bill is $31.55 for 2 person. The food and ambience at Caffe Beviamo is bona fide simple, but the simplicity is exactly the beauty of the place. Price-wise its certainly affordable in a cafe style, prices for pastas, sandwiches and salads ranges in the tens, and different varieties of toast at $4.5 each.
I’m not saying the food is excellent, it isn’t. However the comfort and simple food is exactly what you need sometimes after feeling jade from eating. The price won’t hurt you in the pocket, and the place’s nice to hang out with a couple of friends.
Desserts are excellent, although this can come to be rather a big tag since i have only tried two of their desserts. But given the prices, i think they are definitely worth a try, and i’ll be going to the other one at Tanglin Mall again. See you there!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
At the end of the winding South Buona Vista road off Pasir Panjang is Village Centre, a small building with Cold Storage its anchor tenant, and a mix of other restaurants like the familiar Lemongrass Thai restaurant. Besides that, there’s also a hidden gem in the form of Fish Mart Sakuraya, i’m not so sure whether its so much of a hidden find since there might be tons of people knowing its existence already.
Inside you can find groceries, not your normal ones, but with the made-in-japan tag, and on the wrappings you see a written language in the form of Japanese. Think Meidi-ya at Liang court, Isetan supermarket and you will pretty much get the idea.
Besides food stuff, Fish Mart Sakuraya also have cooking materials and seasonings imported from Japan.
Within Fish Mart Sakuraya, besides selling Japanese food stuff, they also have a dine-in area which offers real cheap Japanese food. I didn’t have any on that day but i will look to go back and try next time.
A wide range of fish available to choose from. The chef will cook them on the spot, maintaining the freshness of the fish.
Fish Mart Sakuraya is a gem for people staying in the west and provides an alternative for those who does not want to go all the way to places like Meidi-ya and Isetan supermarket in Town for their Japanese fixes. Besides the one at Village Centre, there’s also another one at Parkway Parade
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Thye Hong is well-known for their Hokkien fried noodles, and is a mainstay in Bread Talk’s Food Republic, with the honor of having the longest queue in the upscale food court. The joke around is if you want to find Thye Hong, just see which stall has the longest queue and there you go, Thye Hong.
The main thing that amaze me about Thye Hong is actually the cook’s ability to churn out so many plates of hokkien mee at one go. The cook will perform for the long queue visible through the transparent glass, dishing out the hokkien mee with the big wok.
It is not easy to get the right taste for a plate of dish, let alone such a big quantity of hokkien mee, which i mean is quite a feat. As always, if you happen to be there when they served finish one round, be prepared to wait up till 15 minutes. While the cook is preparing the noodles, the lines behind is gradually forming up ready for the next round of “assault”.
Thye Hong Hokkien Mee ($4) The renown Thye Hong hokkien mee, comes with different prices of $4, 6, 8. I quite like the hokkien mee here, and being not a fan of food court, the only time i’ll patronise Food Republic is for, well Thye Hong hokkien mee. My companion find the hokkien mee to be on the salty side while i thought it is all right.
There’s different opinion about the chili too, for me i find it quite hot, but as my companion is a chill-eater, the ones here aren’t any kick for her. I tried Thye Hong hokkien mee at other outlets, but sad to say the standards differ. The one at Wisma Food Republic is still the best for Thye Hong.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
It was a visit high strung with expectations. After hearing so much about the famed Wagyu burger from One Ninety, my gf and I popped down for dinner one weekday evening. Ironically, it wasn't the ala carte Wagyu burger option we settled for, but the dinner buffet, which serves up limitless portions of food from a variety of 40 dishes on the small bites dinner menu. Think tapas sizes. According to the manager, this is probably the only western buffet in town which prepares your orders when you place them.
Located at lobby level of the classy Four Seasons Hotel, One Ninety exudes casual chic with its open display kitchen and wooden floors yet retains its warmth and homeliness through the use of ambient lighting. Such a setting makes One Ninety ideal for that intimate dinner for two and group dinners alike.
Complimentary Bread - Its the first time I've seen bread dished up in a pan, or a square pan for that matter, whose main purpose was to keep the bread warm. The bread was of two different variants - the plain bun and the bun with sweet potato filling. Personally I prefered the sweet potato one as it was, well, sweet.
Chicken Consommé with Shrimp Dumplings & Mushroom Cappuccino with Roasted Porcini - Soups to start off our meal. The clear chicken consommé was light on the palate with a slight tinge of tomato after taste which I personally found refreshing. The shrimp dumpling that found its way into the soup was chock full of huge shrimps that were crunchy to the bite. Very good.
The relatively thick mushroom cappuccino hinted very heavily of mushroom (duh!) but did seem a little too bland for my liking. If you like lighter stuff, then this is probably for you. As for me, a dash of salt will do the trick.
Portobello Tempura Fries with Horseradish Dip - This is a rather interesting dish and is essentially portobello mushrooms coated with tempura batter and deep fried. The batter wasn't too thick which meant less oil absorbed and allowed the taste of the portobello to permeate through. Add a drizzle of sweet sauce (Terriyaki I believe) and you have a nice sweet crispy mushroom dish. Great as a snack!
Coriander Tuna with Sesame and Citrus Pea Salad - Cooked on the outside yet rare on the inside, the tuna slices were void of the overwhelming fishy aftertaste that usually plagues tuna dishes. A dash of sesame seeds give it aroma and a slightly oily texture. A nice dish but didn't exactly wow me because for one, I've had better.
Honey Glazed Duck Breast with Périgord Truffle Sauce - I like all things duck so I'm probably biased when I say this dish was quite good. The right amount of chewiness sans the strong fowl taste had me relishing the duck slices. A pity it was a tad too dry.
Risotto Balls with Kikorangi Cheese Dressing - The first disappointment of the day and it had to be the risotto balls. Risotto with Kikorangi cheese (a New Zealand blue cheese) encrusted with flour and deep fried I believe. Terribly bland with the risotto a tad too mashed up for my liking. Between the 2 of us, we finished half a ball. Guess that says a lot, doesn't it?
Angus Beef Cheek with Beetroot Mash and Shiraz Reduction - Melt in the mouth tender and served on a bed of beetroot mash that tasted like a sweet version of mashed potatoes. Whats not to like about the Angus beef cheek?
Green Lip Mussels Casino - The green lip mussel, which hails from New Zealand, was recommended to us by our wait staff. And although I don't really like mussels, I must say that it was a good recommendation. Coated with what seemed like garlic spread and baked till the spread hardened and turned a beautiful golden brown, the mussels had not so much a hint of the raw seafood taste. Only gripe I had was the excessive salt levels in it.
Black Soy Prawns with Pumpkin Confit - Undoubtedly the pièce de résistance of our mains, I am unsure where or how to begin complimenting this dish. The prawns were huge, succulent, sweet and carried tons of bite. And the accompanying sauce gave it a light artificial sweetness which complimented the inherent sweetness of the prawn. Second servings are highly recommended.
Organic Pork Belly on Tropical Asian Salad - The ubiquitous pork belly and a personal favourite of mine. The skin was crackling crispy without the meat being too salty and the fats gave it a nice chewy texture. However, the health conscious me would prefer a leaner cut. Talk about being 自相矛盾.
Crispy Crab Cakes with Black Pepper Sauce and Asian Greens - I'm rather partial towards crab cakes so it didn't bowl me over or anything. Made with real crab meat, the crab cakes were savoury without being too fishy. I guess thats how good crab cakes are supposed to be like, no?
Thinly Sliced Turkey Breast with Blueberry Vinaigrette - Salty. That was the first word that came to mind as I chewed on a slice of turkey breast (more like ham really). The taste of the blueberry vinaigrette was very faint and when eaten with the turkey, virtually non existent. Rocket leaves with walnuts are nice though.
Seared Foie Gras Celeriac Puree and Truffle Foam - Foie Gras is the epitome of sin in terms of food indulging due to its adverse impacts on the waistline and the heart. The seared foie gras offering had a slightly crispy exterior but was a little too soft for my liking. I would like to think that One Ninety's foie gras was worth it but sadly, though decent, it isn't something that I'll want to order again. The health and taste equation just doesn't tally.
Grilled Grain Fed Sirloin with Creamy Fondue and Guinness Sauce - Grilled to medium well instead of medium rare, the sirloin was still reasonably tender and tasty. But it did seem a tad too dry though. Overall a decent but forgettable dish.
Lobster Thermidor - The lobster was fresh and crunchy with a slight milky taste to it. Lacked the distinctive thermidor taste (derived mainly from mustard) though. I would have liked this member of the crustacean family better if it was bigger but hey, its a buffet, so I can order as many as I want, never mind the hassle.
Crispy Cod Fish with Oriental Mango Slaw and Wasabi Aioli - You can seldom go wrong with cod fish as the fish itself has a very smooth texture. This simple dish accentuates the smooth flesh by encrusting the fish in flour to contrast the soft slick smoothness of the flesh to the crispy exterior. Nicely done except that it was a wee bit too oily for my liking.
Seared Scallops with Avocado and Pimento Coulis - Topped with roe, the scallops were a tad too soft for my liking and could have done with more searing in my humble opinion. Honestly, I couldn't quite decide if the pimento coulis (cherry pepper sauce) added any flavour to the scallops.
Peanut Butter Chicken - A very interesting dish created by marrying peanut butter with chicken. The result? Tender chicken cuts dunked in a creamy concoction with the occasional peanut chunk that hinted very strongly of salty peanut butter. Not exactly my cup of tea really as I can't really accept the salt peanut butter combination.
Hazelnut Royaltine Cake - Excellent would be most apt in describing the hazelnut royaltine cake. Crunchy biscuit base with finely toasted hazelnut paste and rich chocolate just the way I like it, not too sweet. The accompanying scoop of ice cream was excellent as well, smooth and milky. As with the soy prawns, second helpings of this is strongly encouraged.
Raspberry Breton with Passion Fruit Sorbet - Another excellent dessert, the raspberry breton had nice smooth mousse slouching atop raspberries and a soft biscuit base with a milky undertone (ps: Can anyone tell me what breton is? I'm guessing its a brand of biscuits). The passion fruit sorbet was sour sour sour!
Traditional Vanilla Crème Brûlée with Wild Berry Compote - I couldn't quite make out the vanilla beans in the Crème Brûlée but I'll give it the benefit of a doubt due to its rather impressive quality. The layer of sugar wasn't too thick or overburnt and didn't stick to my teeth when chewed on while the pudding was smooth and light. On a side note, the wild berry compote tasted sweet.
Warm Chocolate Cake Served with Passion Fruit and Lemon Sorbet - I know of many people who are suckers for warm chocolate cake and yours truly falls within that category. However One Ninety's rendition failed to ignite any sparks. Vicious and not too sweet chocolate enveloped by a semi hard cake crust, the cake's texture tended a little more towards the pudding side which was a little discomforting to me. And yes, I've had better ones.
Folding Layer Mango Tiramisu - The second disappointment for the night and one of my well liked desserts, the humble tiramisu. For starters, the sponge was a little too hard and there was no trace of alcohol whatsoever (I'm an alcoholic). However, what was interesting was that the faint sweetness from the mangoes permeated through. If only the sponge had been moist.
Bitter Chocolate Mousse with Lemon Curd - An unremarkable but decent enough dessert. Smooth and lightly bitter mousse coupled with sour lemon curd which smacked strongly of what tasted like alcohol.
Strawberry and Tomato Cobbler with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream - Another most interesting dessert. The strawberry and tomato cobbler had a nice oven baked flaky pastry covering which revealed a warm mixture of strawberries and tomatoes when broken into. Overall it tasted like very well made apple pie except that it was tomato and strawberries in lieu of apples. I must point out that although I am not a fan of tomatoes, this dish really impressed me. And the icing on the cake came in the form of the smooth and wonderful vanilla ice cream which was made from vanilla beans.
Walnut Napoleon with Espresso Ice Cream - There are only 2 positive things that I can think of with regard to the walnut napoleon. First, the amount of walnuts present was generous. Second, the espresso ice cream was smooth and didn't come down too heavy on the coffee taste. Other then that, this whole dessert tasted normal.
Soy Bean Panna Cotta with Sesame Tuile - To be honest, the panna cotta would have tasted rather bland if not for the red beans, which fortunately, were a little sweet. But therein lies the problem. The taste of the red beans overwhelmed and suddenly, its like eating red bean with pudding! I liked the sweet sesame tuile that came atop the shooter glass of panna cotta though, but not the mochi wannabe that was stuffed with crushed nuts and came across as way too dry.
One of the best dinners I've had this year cost about $122 for 2 pax. I will make no attempts to hide my disdain for buffets but for this case, I'm more than happy to put my prohibitions and reservations aside. From my understanding, this buffet is still under evaluation and will run till the end of July before the management will decide whether to extend its run or take it off. In my humble opinion, with food, variety and aesthetics this good, the buffet is here to stay. Coupled with excellent and non condescending service (especially to a guy who was wearing shorts and flip flops), One Ninety has truly shown its mettle and ranks top on my return list.
What started out in 1953 at Jalan Hang Jebat (a mere 5 minutes from its present location) as a canteen and unofficial mess for the old British army troops in Portsdown Road – it was literally dismantled part-by-part, and reused for the reconstruction of the new COLBAR – Colonial Bar for short, further down along 9A Wessex Estate – to make way for the construction of Ayer Rajah Expressway.
To salvage this part of Singapore’s history, roof tiles, timber screens and solid timber swing doors were reused as treasures for this rejuvenated iconic eating place.
However, to redevelop means to inject new life, and consequently a new outdoor terrace evolve to provide diners with an alternative experience of alfresco dining.
Still a cult hit with the expatriates’ community, this place also seems to attract locals with a pendant for nostalgia.
Essentially a dining place that offers basic staple food in an enchanted setting of large field and colonial houses nearby – it even comes with an old-school tyre swing near a tree that we as kids used to see in our neighbourhood playground.
For $9, we ordered one of their most popular dishes, Chicken Curry (we swap the steam rice for 2 slices of White Bread instead) and honestly I wasn’t impressed. Although ‘lemak’ with coconut milk, it tasted slightly sweet for my liking and portion wise it was pathetic – and my favourite potato was nowhere in sight.
The other popular dish, Pork Chop with Chips and Mushroom ($9) was another disappointment. Although the fries were homemade, its mushrooms were normal canned mushrooms. The pork chops were also slightly tough and tasteless without the gravy except if you chew on the part near its bone – which my dad dutifully took care of it.
Undeterred, we figured the Pork Cutlet ($11) could be better and we would just about right – chips and mushrooms were still the same but taste wise the cutlet version was just slightly tastier. However, the outer layer of bread crumps was all puff up from the meat, which should not be the case as one end up eating the two separately.
We also ordered a few Asian dishes such as the Bee Hoon in Cantonese style ($6). It was bad to be honest as the vermicelli was tasteless and definitely no hint of ‘Wok Hei’ – I would rather eat my own brand of charred version anytime than this tasteless fare.
The Fried Rice Special ($5) was a total joke to be honest. A dollar more from the “normal” version that comes with additional ham and a sunny-side-up, the rice was served lukewarm and probably pre-fried. The only saving grace was probably the runny egg yolk.
The only thing I like about the Fried Bee Hoon ($5) was the generous servings of vegetables, however that is probably to compensate for this very oily dish.
In my opinion, if you can overlook the overpriced yet mediocre food, COLBAR actually provides a very nice environment for families with kids, as well as dog owners to chill in during a lazy Sunday afternoon.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
The Brownie Factory, petite in size but big with brownies. Despite the rather small store at basement two of Takashimaya, do not underrate its brownie, with selections of up to 24 brownies at one go, its hell lots of brownies to choose from.
From what i understand from the person-in-charge, their total brownies assortments stands over 40, and they varies from different festivals. I think its really creative of the Brownie Factory to concoct different types of brownie to suit our fussy taste bud
The prices for the brownies ranges from 2 bucks to 4 bucks, with so many different types of brownies to pick from, its really a headache. Fortunately for my companion and me, we did not have this problem because there's a current promotion which offers us the brownie factory’s best four selling brownie all for the price of 11 bucks.
There’s some other unique brownies like peanut butter, very bitter fudgy chewy gooey brownie, tutti-frutti marshmallow brownie, peppermint brownie and many more.
Fudgy Chewy Gooey Brownie ($3.10) The Brownie Factory #1 bestseller! Fudgy chewy gooey chocolaty and full of walnuts. The name fudge chewy gooey brownie says it all already. The chewy part is true to its name, its the chewiest among the four brownie.
Initially my companion and i like this very much because its very chewy and we find the overall taste to be just right. But as it gets on, the brownie becomes too sweet and threatens to overwhelm the taste bud.
Triple Chocolate Brownie ($2.40) Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with little and semi sweet chocolate chips and walnuts. The name alone suggest the sweetness, being triple chocolate. And thats what we thought so at the outset.
But the triple chocolate brownie (#2 bestseller) is completely opposite to the fudge chewy gooey brownie. The first bite is very sweet, but after tasting all the brownie, we find this not really that sweet after all. And there’s a hint of dark chocolate within, the smooth texture together with the choclate chips and walnuts makes us conclude overall the best brownie among the four.
Original Chocolate Brownie ($2.70) Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with walnut and semi sweet chocolate chips. If you do not have a sweet tooth, then the Original Chocolate brownie (#3 bestseller) is surely the one for you.
The least sweet among the four brownie we had, texture wise and appearance its the most similar to the triple chocolate brownie, less the chocolaty taste.
Fudgy Wudgy Chewy Brownie I rather like the Fudgy wudgy chewy brownie (#4 bestseller) too. The freeze chocolate layer goes well together with the chewy brownie, albeit being rather hard to bite into. The sweetness level is on the high side too, but its a nice alternative to the rest because this one is a cold brownie.
Total bill is $11 for 4 of the bestselling brownies at The Brownie Factory. Brownies are actually meant to be sweet, i guess the main problem is because 2 of us eat 4 brownie at one go, therefore the sweetness rather overwhelm us a bit. But i think eaten each separately, they should be all right.Price wise is rather reasonable given the cheapest is about 2 bucks, with the most expensive ones going at around 4 bucks.
The Brownie Factory has been around for about 6 years already, yet everytime i passed by the area i totally missed out the store, which is really a pity until now. If you are in the area, do try out their brownie! I like the triple chocolate brownie the most, and will definitely look to try some other unique flavours the next time round.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Had a craving for American style thick crust pizzas so ventured to California Pizza Kitchen's (CPK) sole Singapore outlet at Orchard. CPK is actually an international chain with 235 outlets worldwide and is well known for its extensive menu which features everything from creative pizzas to pastas, sandwiches and salads.
Occupying two levels at Forum the Shopping Mall, CPK offers air conditioned dining on both levels and al fresco dining on the lower level as well. Tables are spaced comfortably apart and if you sit downstairs, you can get a partial view of the kitchen and the counter where the pizzas are placed to be served. All in all a family style cosy interior with the option of booth seats if you so wish.
BBQ Chicken Pizza - Branded as a hot favourite amongst customers in the US, the BBQ Chicken pizza has withstood the test of time by being on the menu since the first CPK restaurant opened up in Beverly Hills in 1985. Sizing in at 10 inches and 6 slices, the BBQ chicken was relatively heavy on the tastebuds with BBQ chicken breast cubes (duh!) and onions. Cheese was also plentiful and complemented the mild tomato base which covered the chewy and hearty pizza dough. But it could probably do with alot more ingredients for the price. Heck, pizza hut gives more for roughly the same price!
Hawaiian Pizza - The Hawaiian was much much lighter on the palate then the BBQ chicken, which isn't a bad thing really. Fresh pineapples and bacon coupled with a generous layer of gooey cheese and a moderately thick and chewy crust with lots of bite made for an excellent pizza. But as with the BBQ chicken pizza, the amount of ingredients could have increased.
Chocolate Banana Cheesecake - This is seriously one decadent dessert. Extremely chocolaty and rich from the drizzled triple thick hot fudge, the cake was a tad soft but went very well with the smooth vanilla ice cream. Definitely not recommended for people who can't tolerate high levels of sugar in every mouthful. And at $12 a pop, its not recommended for budget/value for money seekers as well.
I like the food and the place, I can accept the relatively higher price ($60 for 2 pax) but I hate the location (and parking charges as well). Unless CPK can move to the heartlands or I'm around the area, I'll probably have to stick to Canadian Pizza or Pizza Hut for my frequent pizza urges.
Eden Cafe is acknowledged for its delicate florals cuisines to bring a whole new dining experience for the customers’ palate. Owner of the former Helio Cafe at Marina Square, Mr Clement Ng is the brain behind the floral concept at Eden Cafe.
Positioned at Club Street, just beside Ann Siang Hill, Eden Cafe is a quaint flower inspired cafe seated at the F&B robust street with other eminent neighbours like Les Brasseries, Senso Ristorante, Spizza, Seven on Club, Da Paolo II Ristorante, and Indochine restaurant.
There is the make-to-order option for dinner which is very interesting. Contact Mr Clement Ng to custom-made a dinner which is unique for you.
The interior is done in very unsophisticated manner, with soft soothing music as background. The cafe has such a cozy and homely feel that my friend and i can just sit there for the whole day. It is that comfortable, just like home.
Sundried Tomato Omelette ($9.50) Eden’s brunch menu is only available during the weekends and public holiday. It is the draw of the brunch menu which actually brings my visit to Eden. I’m always fascinated by the prospects of eating brunch at some comfy cafe on a laid-back weekend.
The brunch selections here are mostly toast and sandwiches. The omelette is the one which caught my attention. I was rather astonish when the dish came, not that i was expecting a lot, but at almost ten bucks for omelette on a toast, coupled with lots of greens, it do seem a tad expensive.
I understand that many places which offer brunch might be even pricier than this, but still paying ten bucks for the definitely-not-filling brunch do makes ordering lunch seems a more reasonable option.
Nevertheless, the Sundried Tomato omelette is quite good, with a hint of cheese within the egg, and i must commended that not many places actually have such a healthy serving of salads to go along.
Honey Mustard Chicken ($14.90) The main courses at Eden cafe takes longer to serve, with a waiting time of about 20mins. At first sight, the chicken is certainly tiny, with two small pieces of chicken breast, which comes along with again, very generous servings of greens.
The honey mustard flavours the chicken well, although we felt that the use of chicken drumstick can add more zest to the overall dish. At $15, the honey mustard chicken is definitely not filling for folks with big appetite. If only the serving size can be bigger.
Hibiscus Soft Cheesecake ($6.90) Desserts are where Eden really excels at. The Hibiscus soft cheesecake is one of the better cheesecakes i have tasted so far. The cheesy flavor might come a tad too strong for non-cheese lovers, but its still acceptable for me, although towards the end it might be slightly overwhelming if you finish this cake on your own.
Coated with a layer of hibiscus top, and a bright red strawberry on top, the cheesecake is done pleasant to the eye and satisfying to the palates.
Total bill for 2 comes up to $36.70. I still find Eden to be rather expensive given its minuscule serving size, and quintessentially there is nothing that fantastic about the food. The floral concept is unquestionably interesting, with the tranquil ambience of the cafe a positive plus.
But food-wise its done very simple, i guess this is the selling point of Eden’s, which sometimes make you feel that it does not justify the price tag. Nonetheless, Eden’s definitely a great place to chill and sit the whole day, and desserts are excellent which will tempt me into a recurrent visit.
Until the price drop, or with greater serving size, i’ll just come back to Eden’s for their desserts and the nice ambience. And just for information, Eden has a new sister restaurant at the hip Rochester park, Eden Sanctuary.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Was back at Mingles for lunch one weekday afternoon because I wanted to try out their seemingly inexpensive set lunches. It also helped that the place was virtually empty.
Complimentary Bread & Cream of Pumpkin - I didn't think too much of either the complimentary bread or the cream of pumpkin soup. The bread was well, bread that you can get off the shelves at any supermarket. The cream of pumpkin was way too sweet for my liking and I don't know if my tastebuds were playing tricks on me, but the soup actually tasted very strongly of curry powder.
Crispy Salmon with Couscous - I tried a little of this and found it quite decent with the skin pan fried till crispy. There was also a noticeable absence of the overpowering (to me) fishy taste that is common to salmons. I didn't quite fancy the couscous though, but thats just a personal preference.
Crispy Chicken With Yogurt - Served up atop a mound of subtly sweet mashed sweet potato, the crispy chicken was surprisingly quite good with its crisp skin and succulent meat. However the down side to crispy skin is the inordinate amount of oil that comes with it. And I couldn't taste any yogurt at all.
Ice Cream in Waffle Basket - The ice cream tasted rather normal although it was supposed to be from New Zealand. The waffle basket tasted funny though , dry with a kept for too long in the cupboard taste.
2 set lunches set us back by about $48, which puts it in the mid range for set lunch prices. Service is still excellent and the environment is definitely cosy. Will definitely drop by for lunch again.
De Coder’s Cafe is one of the latest board game cafe in town, think along the line of The Mind Cafe, and Settlers Cafe and you pretty much get the picture. Located along Bukit Timah road at Balmoral Plaza, where Waffletown is also situated at.
Like what i mentioned previously, the place is actually quite accessible because its only about ten minutes walk away from Newton MRT. Taking a bus from Orchard road takes a mere ten minutes too.
It is puzzling as to why LIC haven’t been to any board game cafe when Mind, settlers, and De coder’s have open for quite some time, and are available in quite a few locations.
We are here for Claudia’s birthday. The Cafe isn’t very big, in fact its quite a squeeze for about twenty of us. The interior is simple, you can choose to seat at the sofas, or at the tables and chairs which are in red and black theme.
The highlight of De Coder’s cafe is definitely their wide range of board games. And speaking of board games, they aren’t your normal monopoly or you know those usual ones. They have so many different types which we totally haven’t seen before.
Root Beer float ($4.50) The root beer float is really just your normal root beer float. Pour the root beer from a bottle, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To charge $4.50 for it is kind of outrageous, but then again, they don’t charge for the games play, so i suppose their source of revenue will be through the drinks and food.
Pasta ($9.80) We ordered quite a few pasta, like Beefy beefy, ocean catch, mushy mushroom. All their pastas does not really suit our tastebud. Period.
Spicy Drumlets ($5) If their main course doesn’t works, what else is there to eat you ask? Finger food, but again, we tried almost all of their finger food, and most of them can’t quite make it as well.
The spicy drumlets is one of the few that is decent, but the consistency isn’t there. The first round we ordered this the drumlets are still okay, but the second time we ordered this one again, the chicken is kind of soggy, and its supposed to be fried and crispy.
Chicken Cubes ($5) The chicken cubes is definitely on the list of finger food that you should not be ordering. Soggy and tasteless. Period.
Cheesy Wedges ($5) They have two types of wedges, the potato wedges and cheesy wedges. We had both, and i guess the two wedges are still all right.
Americaya ($10) American’s all time favourite chicken burger served with wedges and baked beans. They are right, American favourite is chicken burger, but unfortunately, its not the Americaya served here. I literally had a hard time finishing the burger, and its not because i am full.
All in all, i may seem quite harsh on the food in De Coder’s cafe, but really the food isn’t good. Then again, you are there to play board games, and not because of the food, so we shouldn’t be complaining. But i feel that a board game cafe is a great idea, and to serve simple and good food actually isn’t that difficult.
Desserts like cheesecakes and brownies are decent. Fried food is in fact the easiest food to do it simple and nice, but they mess it up. If only they can improve on the standards of their food, i'll foresee myself making perennial visits, otherwise, stay away from most of the food, maybe just the desserts and drinks.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
1=SGD 0.0587
Caffe Beviamo actually manages to catch LIC attention because of its apparent lack of signboard. The first time i know of this self-effacing and laid-back restaurant is during my visit to Tetsu at Tanglin Mall. The Caffe Beviamo there is located on the ground floor and i walked around the restaurant three times trying to spot its name but to no avail.
After knowing that Caffe Beviamo is also available at Paragon level 5, a visit looks to be on the cards. And after some “investigation”, LIC found the signboard for Caffe Beviamo!
Paragon level 5 is hardly a place i’ll go, not that i don’t visit Paragon, but that who goes to level 5? Its always at the first few levels that are most crowded. Therefore its rather a surprise when i reached level 5 and all the seats at Caffe Beviamo is taken.
The area isn’t very big, with rough estimates of at most 40 seaters. The light serene green of the woody seats coupled with white simple tables actually gives an unpretentious feel.
The most amazing thing about Caffe Beviamo is actually its simplicity. The whole cafe is so straightforward in the sense that it has a easy and pleasant ambience, the food they served are your simple and comfort food like sandwiches, toasts, salads and pasta. So much so that they bear a reminiscent of Epicurious.
Linguine ($11.50)
Linguine with tomato, basil & bocconcini. There are only two type of pasta available on the menu, with the other being Torchietti. The linguine served here is very simple, not very flavorful in the sense that it does not packs too many type of different ingredients in. Just simple tomato and bocconcini with a hint of basil.
Its rather hard to describe the term “Australian cuisine” as there’s rather few of such places in Singapore. But Caffe Beviamo quintessentially categorize its food as Australian. I’m not sure how “Australian” is the pasta, but its comfort food to me, simple and good.
Chicken Sandwiches ($10.50)
Basil pesto, zucchini, poached chicken breast and cheese makes up the chicken sandwich. The chicken sandwich is rather good too, nothing too complicated. I’m rather skeptical about the zucchini initially, but it actually taste quite well together with the chicken breast sandwich in between the bread.
Strawberry Shortcake ($3.5)
The strawberry shortcake rendition at Caffe Beviamo is given a make-over, not quite like your usual ones. With a big red juicy strawberry sandwich in between the pastry, it does provides an inspiration with the “playing” of food by constructing them different from the norm.
The desserts are not on the menu, and its rather pick-your-own from the counter. So grab yours fast because once they are out, other different ones will be offered instead. I saw a carrot cake before we started our meal, but after we finished it’s gone!
Cheese Cake ($4)
The normal cheese cake at Caffe Beviamo is real good! Cheesy yet not to the extent overwhelming. The biscuit crumb layer underneath the cake provides a different dimension to the soft and fluffy cheese cake. The “oomph” feel immediately make its presence known.
So good! And at 4 bucks, it’s really a steal. Appearance-wise it looks very ordinary, but the taste is definitely not!
Total bill is $31.55 for 2 person. The food and ambience at Caffe Beviamo is bona fide simple, but the simplicity is exactly the beauty of the place. Price-wise its certainly affordable in a cafe style, prices for pastas, sandwiches and salads ranges in the tens, and different varieties of toast at $4.5 each.
I’m not saying the food is excellent, it isn’t. However the comfort and simple food is exactly what you need sometimes after feeling jade from eating. The price won’t hurt you in the pocket, and the place’s nice to hang out with a couple of friends.
Desserts are excellent, although this can come to be rather a big tag since i have only tried two of their desserts. But given the prices, i think they are definitely worth a try, and i’ll be going to the other one at Tanglin Mall again. See you there!
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
At the end of the winding South Buona Vista road off Pasir Panjang is Village Centre, a small building with Cold Storage its anchor tenant, and a mix of other restaurants like the familiar Lemongrass Thai restaurant. Besides that, there’s also a hidden gem in the form of Fish Mart Sakuraya, i’m not so sure whether its so much of a hidden find since there might be tons of people knowing its existence already.
Inside you can find groceries, not your normal ones, but with the made-in-japan tag, and on the wrappings you see a written language in the form of Japanese. Think Meidi-ya at Liang court, Isetan supermarket and you will pretty much get the idea.
Besides food stuff, Fish Mart Sakuraya also have cooking materials and seasonings imported from Japan.
Within Fish Mart Sakuraya, besides selling Japanese food stuff, they also have a dine-in area which offers real cheap Japanese food. I didn’t have any on that day but i will look to go back and try next time.
A wide range of fish available to choose from. The chef will cook them on the spot, maintaining the freshness of the fish.
Fish Mart Sakuraya is a gem for people staying in the west and provides an alternative for those who does not want to go all the way to places like Meidi-ya and Isetan supermarket in Town for their Japanese fixes. Besides the one at Village Centre, there’s also another one at Parkway Parade
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
Thye Hong is well-known for their Hokkien fried noodles, and is a mainstay in Bread Talk’s Food Republic, with the honor of having the longest queue in the upscale food court. The joke around is if you want to find Thye Hong, just see which stall has the longest queue and there you go, Thye Hong.
The main thing that amaze me about Thye Hong is actually the cook’s ability to churn out so many plates of hokkien mee at one go. The cook will perform for the long queue visible through the transparent glass, dishing out the hokkien mee with the big wok.
It is not easy to get the right taste for a plate of dish, let alone such a big quantity of hokkien mee, which i mean is quite a feat. As always, if you happen to be there when they served finish one round, be prepared to wait up till 15 minutes. While the cook is preparing the noodles, the lines behind is gradually forming up ready for the next round of “assault”.
Thye Hong Hokkien Mee ($4)
The renown Thye Hong hokkien mee, comes with different prices of $4, 6, 8. I quite like the hokkien mee here, and being not a fan of food court, the only time i’ll patronise Food Republic is for, well Thye Hong hokkien mee. My companion find the hokkien mee to be on the salty side while i thought it is all right.
There’s different opinion about the chili too, for me i find it quite hot, but as my companion is a chill-eater, the ones here aren’t any kick for her. I tried Thye Hong hokkien mee at other outlets, but sad to say the standards differ. The one at Wisma Food Republic is still the best for Thye Hong.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
It was a visit high strung with expectations. After hearing so much about the famed Wagyu burger from One Ninety, my gf and I popped down for dinner one weekday evening. Ironically, it wasn't the ala carte Wagyu burger option we settled for, but the dinner buffet, which serves up limitless portions of food from a variety of 40 dishes on the small bites dinner menu. Think tapas sizes. According to the manager, this is probably the only western buffet in town which prepares your orders when you place them.
Located at lobby level of the classy Four Seasons Hotel, One Ninety exudes casual chic with its open display kitchen and wooden floors yet retains its warmth and homeliness through the use of ambient lighting. Such a setting makes One Ninety ideal for that intimate dinner for two and group dinners alike.
Complimentary Bread - Its the first time I've seen bread dished up in a pan, or a square pan for that matter, whose main purpose was to keep the bread warm. The bread was of two different variants - the plain bun and the bun with sweet potato filling. Personally I prefered the sweet potato one as it was, well, sweet.
Chicken Consommé with Shrimp Dumplings & Mushroom Cappuccino with Roasted Porcini - Soups to start off our meal. The clear chicken consommé was light on the palate with a slight tinge of tomato after taste which I personally found refreshing. The shrimp dumpling that found its way into the soup was chock full of huge shrimps that were crunchy to the bite. Very good.
The relatively thick mushroom cappuccino hinted very heavily of mushroom (duh!) but did seem a little too bland for my liking. If you like lighter stuff, then this is probably for you. As for me, a dash of salt will do the trick.
Portobello Tempura Fries with Horseradish Dip - This is a rather interesting dish and is essentially portobello mushrooms coated with tempura batter and deep fried. The batter wasn't too thick which meant less oil absorbed and allowed the taste of the portobello to permeate through. Add a drizzle of sweet sauce (Terriyaki I believe) and you have a nice sweet crispy mushroom dish. Great as a snack!
Coriander Tuna with Sesame and Citrus Pea Salad - Cooked on the outside yet rare on the inside, the tuna slices were void of the overwhelming fishy aftertaste that usually plagues tuna dishes. A dash of sesame seeds give it aroma and a slightly oily texture. A nice dish but didn't exactly wow me because for one, I've had better.
Honey Glazed Duck Breast with Périgord Truffle Sauce - I like all things duck so I'm probably biased when I say this dish was quite good. The right amount of chewiness sans the strong fowl taste had me relishing the duck slices. A pity it was a tad too dry.
Risotto Balls with Kikorangi Cheese Dressing - The first disappointment of the day and it had to be the risotto balls. Risotto with Kikorangi cheese (a New Zealand blue cheese) encrusted with flour and deep fried I believe. Terribly bland with the risotto a tad too mashed up for my liking. Between the 2 of us, we finished half a ball. Guess that says a lot, doesn't it?
Angus Beef Cheek with Beetroot Mash and Shiraz Reduction - Melt in the mouth tender and served on a bed of beetroot mash that tasted like a sweet version of mashed potatoes. Whats not to like about the Angus beef cheek?
Green Lip Mussels Casino - The green lip mussel, which hails from New Zealand, was recommended to us by our wait staff. And although I don't really like mussels, I must say that it was a good recommendation. Coated with what seemed like garlic spread and baked till the spread hardened and turned a beautiful golden brown, the mussels had not so much a hint of the raw seafood taste. Only gripe I had was the excessive salt levels in it.
Black Soy Prawns with Pumpkin Confit - Undoubtedly the pièce de résistance of our mains, I am unsure where or how to begin complimenting this dish. The prawns were huge, succulent, sweet and carried tons of bite. And the accompanying sauce gave it a light artificial sweetness which complimented the inherent sweetness of the prawn. Second servings are highly recommended.
Organic Pork Belly on Tropical Asian Salad - The ubiquitous pork belly and a personal favourite of mine. The skin was crackling crispy without the meat being too salty and the fats gave it a nice chewy texture. However, the health conscious me would prefer a leaner cut. Talk about being 自相矛盾.
Crispy Crab Cakes with Black Pepper Sauce and Asian Greens - I'm rather partial towards crab cakes so it didn't bowl me over or anything. Made with real crab meat, the crab cakes were savoury without being too fishy. I guess thats how good crab cakes are supposed to be like, no?
Thinly Sliced Turkey Breast with Blueberry Vinaigrette - Salty. That was the first word that came to mind as I chewed on a slice of turkey breast (more like ham really). The taste of the blueberry vinaigrette was very faint and when eaten with the turkey, virtually non existent. Rocket leaves with walnuts are nice though.
Seared Foie Gras Celeriac Puree and Truffle Foam - Foie Gras is the epitome of sin in terms of food indulging due to its adverse impacts on the waistline and the heart. The seared foie gras offering had a slightly crispy exterior but was a little too soft for my liking. I would like to think that One Ninety's foie gras was worth it but sadly, though decent, it isn't something that I'll want to order again. The health and taste equation just doesn't tally.
Grilled Grain Fed Sirloin with Creamy Fondue and Guinness Sauce - Grilled to medium well instead of medium rare, the sirloin was still reasonably tender and tasty. But it did seem a tad too dry though. Overall a decent but forgettable dish.
Lobster Thermidor - The lobster was fresh and crunchy with a slight milky taste to it. Lacked the distinctive thermidor taste (derived mainly from mustard) though. I would have liked this member of the crustacean family better if it was bigger but hey, its a buffet, so I can order as many as I want, never mind the hassle.
Crispy Cod Fish with Oriental Mango Slaw and Wasabi Aioli - You can seldom go wrong with cod fish as the fish itself has a very smooth texture. This simple dish accentuates the smooth flesh by encrusting the fish in flour to contrast the soft slick smoothness of the flesh to the crispy exterior. Nicely done except that it was a wee bit too oily for my liking.
Seared Scallops with Avocado and Pimento Coulis - Topped with roe, the scallops were a tad too soft for my liking and could have done with more searing in my humble opinion. Honestly, I couldn't quite decide if the pimento coulis (cherry pepper sauce) added any flavour to the scallops.
Peanut Butter Chicken - A very interesting dish created by marrying peanut butter with chicken. The result? Tender chicken cuts dunked in a creamy concoction with the occasional peanut chunk that hinted very strongly of salty peanut butter. Not exactly my cup of tea really as I can't really accept the salt peanut butter combination.
Hazelnut Royaltine Cake - Excellent would be most apt in describing the hazelnut royaltine cake. Crunchy biscuit base with finely toasted hazelnut paste and rich chocolate just the way I like it, not too sweet. The accompanying scoop of ice cream was excellent as well, smooth and milky. As with the soy prawns, second helpings of this is strongly encouraged.
Raspberry Breton with Passion Fruit Sorbet - Another excellent dessert, the raspberry breton had nice smooth mousse slouching atop raspberries and a soft biscuit base with a milky undertone (ps: Can anyone tell me what breton is? I'm guessing its a brand of biscuits). The passion fruit sorbet was sour sour sour!
Traditional Vanilla Crème Brûlée with Wild Berry Compote - I couldn't quite make out the vanilla beans in the Crème Brûlée but I'll give it the benefit of a doubt due to its rather impressive quality. The layer of sugar wasn't too thick or overburnt and didn't stick to my teeth when chewed on while the pudding was smooth and light. On a side note, the wild berry compote tasted sweet.
Warm Chocolate Cake Served with Passion Fruit and Lemon Sorbet - I know of many people who are suckers for warm chocolate cake and yours truly falls within that category. However One Ninety's rendition failed to ignite any sparks. Vicious and not too sweet chocolate enveloped by a semi hard cake crust, the cake's texture tended a little more towards the pudding side which was a little discomforting to me. And yes, I've had better ones.
Folding Layer Mango Tiramisu - The second disappointment for the night and one of my well liked desserts, the humble tiramisu. For starters, the sponge was a little too hard and there was no trace of alcohol whatsoever (I'm an alcoholic). However, what was interesting was that the faint sweetness from the mangoes permeated through. If only the sponge had been moist.
Bitter Chocolate Mousse with Lemon Curd - An unremarkable but decent enough dessert. Smooth and lightly bitter mousse coupled with sour lemon curd which smacked strongly of what tasted like alcohol.
Strawberry and Tomato Cobbler with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream - Another most interesting dessert. The strawberry and tomato cobbler had a nice oven baked flaky pastry covering which revealed a warm mixture of strawberries and tomatoes when broken into. Overall it tasted like very well made apple pie except that it was tomato and strawberries in lieu of apples. I must point out that although I am not a fan of tomatoes, this dish really impressed me. And the icing on the cake came in the form of the smooth and wonderful vanilla ice cream which was made from vanilla beans.
Walnut Napoleon with Espresso Ice Cream - There are only 2 positive things that I can think of with regard to the walnut napoleon. First, the amount of walnuts present was generous. Second, the espresso ice cream was smooth and didn't come down too heavy on the coffee taste. Other then that, this whole dessert tasted normal.
Soy Bean Panna Cotta with Sesame Tuile - To be honest, the panna cotta would have tasted rather bland if not for the red beans, which fortunately, were a little sweet. But therein lies the problem. The taste of the red beans overwhelmed and suddenly, its like eating red bean with pudding! I liked the sweet sesame tuile that came atop the shooter glass of panna cotta though, but not the mochi wannabe that was stuffed with crushed nuts and came across as way too dry.
One of the best dinners I've had this year cost about $122 for 2 pax. I will make no attempts to hide my disdain for buffets but for this case, I'm more than happy to put my prohibitions and reservations aside. From my understanding, this buffet is still under evaluation and will run till the end of July before the management will decide whether to extend its run or take it off. In my humble opinion, with food, variety and aesthetics this good, the buffet is here to stay. Coupled with excellent and non condescending service (especially to a guy who was wearing shorts and flip flops), One Ninety has truly shown its mettle and ranks top on my return list.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
What started out in 1953 at Jalan Hang Jebat (a mere 5 minutes from its present location) as a canteen and unofficial mess for the old British army troops in Portsdown Road – it was literally dismantled part-by-part, and reused for the reconstruction of the new COLBAR – Colonial Bar for short, further down along 9A Wessex Estate – to make way for the construction of Ayer Rajah Expressway.
To salvage this part of Singapore’s history, roof tiles, timber screens and solid timber swing doors were reused as treasures for this rejuvenated iconic eating place.
However, to redevelop means to inject new life, and consequently a new outdoor terrace evolve to provide diners with an alternative experience of alfresco dining.
Still a cult hit with the expatriates’ community, this place also seems to attract locals with a pendant for nostalgia.
Essentially a dining place that offers basic staple food in an enchanted setting of large field and colonial houses nearby – it even comes with an old-school tyre swing near a tree that we as kids used to see in our neighbourhood playground.
For $9, we ordered one of their most popular dishes, Chicken Curry (we swap the steam rice for 2 slices of White Bread instead) and honestly I wasn’t impressed. Although ‘lemak’ with coconut milk, it tasted slightly sweet for my liking and portion wise it was pathetic – and my favourite potato was nowhere in sight.
The other popular dish, Pork Chop with Chips and Mushroom ($9) was another disappointment. Although the fries were homemade, its mushrooms were normal canned mushrooms. The pork chops were also slightly tough and tasteless without the gravy except if you chew on the part near its bone – which my dad dutifully took care of it.
Undeterred, we figured the Pork Cutlet ($11) could be better and we would just about right – chips and mushrooms were still the same but taste wise the cutlet version was just slightly tastier. However, the outer layer of bread crumps was all puff up from the meat, which should not be the case as one end up eating the two separately.
We also ordered a few Asian dishes such as the Bee Hoon in Cantonese style ($6). It was bad to be honest as the vermicelli was tasteless and definitely no hint of ‘Wok Hei’ – I would rather eat my own brand of charred version anytime than this tasteless fare.
The Fried Rice Special ($5) was a total joke to be honest. A dollar more from the “normal” version that comes with additional ham and a sunny-side-up, the rice was served lukewarm and probably pre-fried. The only saving grace was probably the runny egg yolk.
The only thing I like about the Fried Bee Hoon ($5) was the generous servings of vegetables, however that is probably to compensate for this very oily dish.
In my opinion, if you can overlook the overpriced yet mediocre food, COLBAR actually provides a very nice environment for families with kids, as well as dog owners to chill in during a lazy Sunday afternoon.
You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.
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The Brownie Factory, petite in size but big with brownies. Despite the rather small store at basement two of Takashimaya, do not underrate its brownie, with selections of up to 24 brownies at one go, its hell lots of brownies to choose from.
From what i understand from the person-in-charge, their total brownies assortments stands over 40, and they varies from different festivals. I think its really creative of the Brownie Factory to concoct different types of brownie to suit our fussy taste bud
The prices for the brownies ranges from 2 bucks to 4 bucks, with so many different types of brownies to pick from, its really a headache. Fortunately for my companion and me, we did not have this problem because there's a current promotion which offers us the brownie factory’s best four selling brownie all for the price of 11 bucks.
There’s some other unique brownies like peanut butter, very bitter fudgy chewy gooey brownie, tutti-frutti marshmallow brownie, peppermint brownie and many more.
Fudgy Chewy Gooey Brownie ($3.10)
The Brownie Factory #1 bestseller! Fudgy chewy gooey chocolaty and full of walnuts. The name fudge chewy gooey brownie says it all already. The chewy part is true to its name, its the chewiest among the four brownie.
Initially my companion and i like this very much because its very chewy and we find the overall taste to be just right. But as it gets on, the brownie becomes too sweet and threatens to overwhelm the taste bud.
Triple Chocolate Brownie ($2.40)
Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with little and semi sweet chocolate chips and walnuts. The name alone suggest the sweetness, being triple chocolate. And thats what we thought so at the outset.
But the triple chocolate brownie (#2 bestseller) is completely opposite to the fudge chewy gooey brownie. The first bite is very sweet, but after tasting all the brownie, we find this not really that sweet after all. And there’s a hint of dark chocolate within, the smooth texture together with the choclate chips and walnuts makes us conclude overall the best brownie among the four.
Original Chocolate Brownie ($2.70)
Dense moist chocolate brownie topped with walnut and semi sweet chocolate chips. If you do not have a sweet tooth, then the Original Chocolate brownie (#3 bestseller) is surely the one for you.
The least sweet among the four brownie we had, texture wise and appearance its the most similar to the triple chocolate brownie, less the chocolaty taste.
Fudgy Wudgy Chewy Brownie
I rather like the Fudgy wudgy chewy brownie (#4 bestseller) too. The freeze chocolate layer goes well together with the chewy brownie, albeit being rather hard to bite into. The sweetness level is on the high side too, but its a nice alternative to the rest because this one is a cold brownie.
Total bill is $11 for 4 of the bestselling brownies at The Brownie Factory. Brownies are actually meant to be sweet, i guess the main problem is because 2 of us eat 4 brownie at one go, therefore the sweetness rather overwhelm us a bit. But i think eaten each separately, they should be all right.Price wise is rather reasonable given the cheapest is about 2 bucks, with the most expensive ones going at around 4 bucks.
The Brownie Factory has been around for about 6 years already, yet everytime i passed by the area i totally missed out the store, which is really a pity until now. If you are in the area, do try out their brownie! I like the triple chocolate brownie the most, and will definitely look to try some other unique flavours the next time round.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
Rating given:
Had a craving for American style thick crust pizzas so ventured to California Pizza Kitchen's (CPK) sole Singapore outlet at Orchard. CPK is actually an international chain with 235 outlets worldwide and is well known for its extensive menu which features everything from creative pizzas to pastas, sandwiches and salads.
Occupying two levels at Forum the Shopping Mall, CPK offers air conditioned dining on both levels and al fresco dining on the lower level as well. Tables are spaced comfortably apart and if you sit downstairs, you can get a partial view of the kitchen and the counter where the pizzas are placed to be served. All in all a family style cosy interior with the option of booth seats if you so wish.
BBQ Chicken Pizza - Branded as a hot favourite amongst customers in the US, the BBQ Chicken pizza has withstood the test of time by being on the menu since the first CPK restaurant opened up in Beverly Hills in 1985. Sizing in at 10 inches and 6 slices, the BBQ chicken was relatively heavy on the tastebuds with BBQ chicken breast cubes (duh!) and onions. Cheese was also plentiful and complemented the mild tomato base which covered the chewy and hearty pizza dough. But it could probably do with alot more ingredients for the price. Heck, pizza hut gives more for roughly the same price!
Hawaiian Pizza - The Hawaiian was much much lighter on the palate then the BBQ chicken, which isn't a bad thing really. Fresh pineapples and bacon coupled with a generous layer of gooey cheese and a moderately thick and chewy crust with lots of bite made for an excellent pizza. But as with the BBQ chicken pizza, the amount of ingredients could have increased.
Chocolate Banana Cheesecake - This is seriously one decadent dessert. Extremely chocolaty and rich from the drizzled triple thick hot fudge, the cake was a tad soft but went very well with the smooth vanilla ice cream. Definitely not recommended for people who can't tolerate high levels of sugar in every mouthful. And at $12 a pop, its not recommended for budget/value for money seekers as well.
I like the food and the place, I can accept the relatively higher price ($60 for 2 pax) but I hate the location (and parking charges as well). Unless CPK can move to the heartlands or I'm around the area, I'll probably have to stick to Canadian Pizza or Pizza Hut for my frequent pizza urges.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Eden Cafe is acknowledged for its delicate florals cuisines to bring a whole new dining experience for the customers’ palate. Owner of the former Helio Cafe at Marina Square, Mr Clement Ng is the brain behind the floral concept at Eden Cafe.
Positioned at Club Street, just beside Ann Siang Hill, Eden Cafe is a quaint flower inspired cafe seated at the F&B robust street with other eminent neighbours like Les Brasseries, Senso Ristorante, Spizza, Seven on Club, Da Paolo II Ristorante, and Indochine restaurant.
There is the make-to-order option for dinner which is very interesting. Contact Mr Clement Ng to custom-made a dinner which is unique for you.
The interior is done in very unsophisticated manner, with soft soothing music as background. The cafe has such a cozy and homely feel that my friend and i can just sit there for the whole day. It is that comfortable, just like home.
Sundried Tomato Omelette ($9.50)
Eden’s brunch menu is only available during the weekends and public holiday. It is the draw of the brunch menu which actually brings my visit to Eden. I’m always fascinated by the prospects of eating brunch at some comfy cafe on a laid-back weekend.
The brunch selections here are mostly toast and sandwiches. The omelette is the one which caught my attention. I was rather astonish when the dish came, not that i was expecting a lot, but at almost ten bucks for omelette on a toast, coupled with lots of greens, it do seem a tad expensive.
I understand that many places which offer brunch might be even pricier than this, but still paying ten bucks for the definitely-not-filling brunch do makes ordering lunch seems a more reasonable option.
Nevertheless, the Sundried Tomato omelette is quite good, with a hint of cheese within the egg, and i must commended that not many places actually have such a healthy serving of salads to go along.
Honey Mustard Chicken ($14.90)
The main courses at Eden cafe takes longer to serve, with a waiting time of about 20mins. At first sight, the chicken is certainly tiny, with two small pieces of chicken breast, which comes along with again, very generous servings of greens.
The honey mustard flavours the chicken well, although we felt that the use of chicken drumstick can add more zest to the overall dish. At $15, the honey mustard chicken is definitely not filling for folks with big appetite. If only the serving size can be bigger.
Hibiscus Soft Cheesecake ($6.90)
Desserts are where Eden really excels at. The Hibiscus soft cheesecake is one of the better cheesecakes i have tasted so far. The cheesy flavor might come a tad too strong for non-cheese lovers, but its still acceptable for me, although towards the end it might be slightly overwhelming if you finish this cake on your own.
Coated with a layer of hibiscus top, and a bright red strawberry on top, the cheesecake is done pleasant to the eye and satisfying to the palates.
Total bill for 2 comes up to $36.70. I still find Eden to be rather expensive given its minuscule serving size, and quintessentially there is nothing that fantastic about the food. The floral concept is unquestionably interesting, with the tranquil ambience of the cafe a positive plus.
But food-wise its done very simple, i guess this is the selling point of Eden’s, which sometimes make you feel that it does not justify the price tag. Nonetheless, Eden’s definitely a great place to chill and sit the whole day, and desserts are excellent which will tempt me into a recurrent visit.
Until the price drop, or with greater serving size, i’ll just come back to Eden’s for their desserts and the nice ambience. And just for information, Eden has a new sister restaurant at the hip Rochester park, Eden Sanctuary.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
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Was back at Mingles for lunch one weekday afternoon because I wanted to try out their seemingly inexpensive set lunches. It also helped that the place was virtually empty.
Complimentary Bread & Cream of Pumpkin - I didn't think too much of either the complimentary bread or the cream of pumpkin soup. The bread was well, bread that you can get off the shelves at any supermarket. The cream of pumpkin was way too sweet for my liking and I don't know if my tastebuds were playing tricks on me, but the soup actually tasted very strongly of curry powder.
Crispy Salmon with Couscous - I tried a little of this and found it quite decent with the skin pan fried till crispy. There was also a noticeable absence of the overpowering (to me) fishy taste that is common to salmons. I didn't quite fancy the couscous though, but thats just a personal preference.
Crispy Chicken With Yogurt - Served up atop a mound of subtly sweet mashed sweet potato, the crispy chicken was surprisingly quite good with its crisp skin and succulent meat. However the down side to crispy skin is the inordinate amount of oil that comes with it. And I couldn't taste any yogurt at all.
Ice Cream in Waffle Basket - The ice cream tasted rather normal although it was supposed to be from New Zealand. The waffle basket tasted funny though , dry with a kept for too long in the cupboard taste.
2 set lunches set us back by about $48, which puts it in the mid range for set lunch prices. Service is still excellent and the environment is definitely cosy. Will definitely drop by for lunch again.
See all my pictures here.
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De Coder’s Cafe is one of the latest board game cafe in town, think along the line of The Mind Cafe, and Settlers Cafe and you pretty much get the picture. Located along Bukit Timah road at Balmoral Plaza, where Waffletown is also situated at.
Like what i mentioned previously, the place is actually quite accessible because its only about ten minutes walk away from Newton MRT. Taking a bus from Orchard road takes a mere ten minutes too.
It is puzzling as to why LIC haven’t been to any board game cafe when Mind, settlers, and De coder’s have open for quite some time, and are available in quite a few locations.
We are here for Claudia’s birthday. The Cafe isn’t very big, in fact its quite a squeeze for about twenty of us. The interior is simple, you can choose to seat at the sofas, or at the tables and chairs which are in red and black theme.
The highlight of De Coder’s cafe is definitely their wide range of board games. And speaking of board games, they aren’t your normal monopoly or you know those usual ones. They have so many different types which we totally haven’t seen before.
Root Beer float ($4.50)
The root beer float is really just your normal root beer float. Pour the root beer from a bottle, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To charge $4.50 for it is kind of outrageous, but then again, they don’t charge for the games play, so i suppose their source of revenue will be through the drinks and food.
Pasta ($9.80)
We ordered quite a few pasta, like Beefy beefy, ocean catch, mushy mushroom. All their pastas does not really suit our tastebud. Period.
Spicy Drumlets ($5)
If their main course doesn’t works, what else is there to eat you ask? Finger food, but again, we tried almost all of their finger food, and most of them can’t quite make it as well.
The spicy drumlets is one of the few that is decent, but the consistency isn’t there. The first round we ordered this the drumlets are still okay, but the second time we ordered this one again, the chicken is kind of soggy, and its supposed to be fried and crispy.
Chicken Cubes ($5)
The chicken cubes is definitely on the list of finger food that you should not be ordering. Soggy and tasteless. Period.
Cheesy Wedges ($5)
They have two types of wedges, the potato wedges and cheesy wedges. We had both, and i guess the two wedges are still all right.
Americaya ($10)
American’s all time favourite chicken burger served with wedges and baked beans. They are right, American favourite is chicken burger, but unfortunately, its not the Americaya served here. I literally had a hard time finishing the burger, and its not because i am full.
All in all, i may seem quite harsh on the food in De Coder’s cafe, but really the food isn’t good. Then again, you are there to play board games, and not because of the food, so we shouldn’t be complaining. But i feel that a board game cafe is a great idea, and to serve simple and good food actually isn’t that difficult.
Desserts like cheesecakes and brownies are decent. Fried food is in fact the easiest food to do it simple and nice, but they mess it up. If only they can improve on the standards of their food, i'll foresee myself making perennial visits, otherwise, stay away from most of the food, maybe just the desserts and drinks.
You are always welcome to visit ladyironchef for a full-up on this trip. Whatever written herein are my genuine feelings expressed in words. Food, my dear, is what they call an adventure!
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