On the stretch of road right in the middle of town, at Singapore’s very own Fifth Avenue. Our shopping paradise. Before the new contender Ion takes over, the crown belongs to Paragon. Standing at the cross junction, we found ourselves lost, clearly it seems the journey to finding the spice wasn’t as easy as we thought. Heading up towards Mount E, we scaled on, in search of our final destination, Blue Basil.
Addiction for salmon. We ordered the Norwegian Salmon ($19.90) almost spilt seconds after seeing it on the menu. With the choice of sauce being their signature blue basil pesto, bonquet of vegetables and roasted baby potatoes as companions. The Norwegian salmon was fresh, the sweetness of the fish twittered on our tongue. The blue basil pesto did not completely brought out the freshness of the salmon, something was amiss, I couldn’t make out what.
Addiction for pasta. My cravings for the Italian staple saw us ordering the Linguini Ragout Pollo ($15.90). While there wasn’t any exotic ingredients, a good home-made chicken Bolognese was always a welcome. The taste of fresh tomatoes, not those cans type was a relief. The pasta section at Blue basil isn’t very comprehensive, but this one, have done enough.
Addiction for ice cream & baileys. A close fight between the raspberry cream bruleé and the Baileys gelato served on crushed ice & baileys liqueur ($9.90), with the latter winning of course. The baileys and ice-cream expert gave her verdict that this was good stuff, so it was. The baileys gelato, were pure, and the baileys used were generous, unlike some places which served diluted versions. And eating crushed ice with gelato brought the novelty to another level. Your happy booster.
Total bill was $48.90 for the food with a 7% GST, and no service charge. Blue basil met my expectations, with its use of the spice in almost all their dishes. Prices are affordable for the range of variety it provided, and being right in the middle of town, they offered you with a very good option, albeit you must take a 10minutes walk from Paragon. Actually i like their location because although it’s in town, but not many people know about the place, and it eludes the your-own-place-feel. Well, it’s certainly not a bad place for an romantic dinner, but for taking photo-wise, it isn’t very friendly. I’ll probably make a perennial visit for lunch instead. 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!
My heart skipped a beat when i saw it from afar. Deep down, I thought “no way man!”, it couldn’t be. As i approached it nearer and nearer, the sight of the two pure white kitchenaid further excited me. And the name was just the perfect icing on the cake, The icing room! The pinkish-white colour domination which so reminded me of Twelve one, with the adorable ornament, everything was perfect, until i spotted the name Breadtalk on one of the cake box.
Boy, the coup de grâce was performed when i then noticed the Chinese name, Dan gao si yu, which was so Breadtalk (mian bao wu yu), and a branch of Breadtalk and toastbox just beside it. Now don’t get me wrong, I have totally nothing against Breadtalk. It’s just that i wasn’t expecting Breadtalk to behind the icing room concept.
When i thought the stagnant Breadtalk is down and out, they managed to turn the table around and pulled a rabbit from the hat. Voilà! You’ve to give credit to Mr. George Quek and his team for coming out with this, although the icing room has yet to prove itself, they managed to capture me on the first impression, and that’s all it mattered.
The idea which i always had in mind, a place to do-it-yourself cakes. This, is one very good idea. The crowd surrounding the store gave a very good indicator, for just $11.90, they provided you with a small cream cake, and you get the pleasure to decorate your very own cake on the spot. Its that simple, no need to buy ingredients, no need to get your hands dirty, and no need to wash up.
Like what the chef there mentioned, “It’s like fulfilling a child’s dream”. I’ll like to add something to that, i bet adults would also love to play with the cake, a very nice gift for your loved ones.
Now to put everything to test, i picked the Apricotte ($3.80). A layer of caramel on top, with apricot mousse in between the cake. I couldn’t get the taste on my first try, so i took another bite. And this was followed by eating the different layers separately. Everything, just tasted so, ordinary! I must admit i’m fairly disappointed with the cake, not that i was expecting much though. And the berry was sour.
If you thought that everything was a surprise so far, wait until you see this. Lo & behold, Macarons! And this is Breadtalk which we are talking about. Bread alright, but macarons?
I couldn’t resist buying a few to try out, not when they are only $1.50 each. There’s five different flavours available, matcha, strawberry, chocolate, passion fruit, and yam. However, i wasn’t adventurous enough to try out the yam option. Play safe, think baby steps.
And when it was time to try them out, my first bite went to the strawberry macaron ($1.50). The opening nibble was still alright. But as time goes on as it surely will, the whole taste becomes overly sweet. Well I’m not exactly a macaron expert, the brittle shell wasn’t chewy enough, and the slightly sour strawberry fillings wasn’t to my liking.
Well if I’m not wrong, macaron does not involve the use of milk in the process. But for some strange reasons, there’s a strong milk taste which covered the matcha, or maybe it’s just my taste bud). Needless to say, the matcha flavour was weak, and this one was out as well. Their macarons are all small (not as tiny as Carousel though), and everything was just too sweet.
So when everything fails, you go to your comfort zone, the safe option yes? The chocolate macaron was what i’ve in mind just in case everything else don’t work out. And the results were played out in a totally unfashionable manner, somebody forgot to tell the jam within the macaron to follow the script. It gave a sour-sweet contrast with the chocolate macaron, but it wasn’t what i was looking for.
Now, the conclusion. Interesting concept, with a fascinating set-up, and i was surprised they didn’t incorporate a dine-in area, which would provide some competition in this Canele-dominated area. Well, Breadtalk clearly has the financial muscles to provide some fight, but first, they need to improve, make changes to their bakes. Otherwise, everything is just talk. And my dear, talk is cheap.
Oh yes, in my excitement, i forgot to mention the icing room is located at the new building of Jurong Point (JP2). Lots of new stores, plenty of boring old faces, but there are some concepts which caught my attention. So do check it out for yourself!
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!
I love roasted duck. I really do. When it comes to their other half, braised duck, its a different story all together. Roasted ducks are really good, and i always craved for them, but when it comes to braise duck, i didn’t have them for very long already! It’s case when it comes to choosing between roasted and braised duck, i’ll definitely go for the former.
Since there aren’t any roasted duck stalls at the Whampoa market that caught my attention, for once i decided to have the braised duck instead. And i’m fairly surprised. The yam rice was very fragrant, and i thought that the portion was quite generous, althought i’ll never say no to more duck meat.
You know whenever we brought half a duck home, my mom will always use the leftover meats and the bones to cook with porridge, and its fantastic! I didn’t really try duck porridge outside before, so the next time, i’m probably going for duck porridge instead of rice. There’s always a first time for everything.
Its impossible to roast your own duck at home, but with some good recipe, braising duck is certainly do-able. I tried many home-made braised duck before, and i must say most of them are better than the ones i’ve outside. While it could also be due to the possibility that there’s no limit to how much duck meat i can eat. Well i’m always on the lookout for roasted duck that i really have no idea about which places serve excellent braised ducks, let me know won’t you?
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!
If you remember, I wrote on the Joo Chiat wanton mee saga in Whampoa market before, with the two stalls claiming that they are the original from Joo Chiat. This time round, I saw this Long Ji stall which is on the outside row of the market. Since i’ve both the Joo Chiat stalls (middle row of market), I decided to give this a try.
The wanton mee was disappointing. The pictures looked nice yes, this was my first time testing out my new macro lens back then, so I had this way back in November! The two key factors in a good wanton, the springy noodle, and the good char siew were sorely missing. To be frank, the wanton mee was so mediocre that I couldn’t really remember how it tasted like.
There’s another wanton mee stall in the market if i’m not mistaken, will try that the next time! I think you’ll be better off trying either one of the Joo Chiat stalls than Long Ji’s. Well, i may be wrong, since it’s my personal preference, if you’ve try this one before let me hear from you!
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!
Rojak is a very special type of food, and certainly warrants a place as one of Singapore local food, alongside chicken rice, white pepper crab, laksa and the rest. Just like how our local culture, where the different religion and races mixed in harmony with each other, the perfect mixture between the different ingredients in a rojak brings about the perfect balance. Uniquely Singapore.
Hoover Rojak’s my personal favourite place for rojak in Singapore. Well if i may say so, i’ll consider it as one of the best i tried so far, not that i tried a lot, but i’ve the other famous Brothers rojak at Clementi and wasn’t too impressed with it. Hoover’s rendition always uses fresh and juicy fruits, with the crispy you tiao. But that’s not the reason why Hoover rojak is so good. The key lies in their sauce, there’s a slightly sourish tang which other rojaks don’t have, and that’s the beauty of a simple lime.
’ll eat Hoover rojak whenever i visited Whampoo market, countless times to the extent that i always forgot that they do not open on Tuesday, and i made three fruitless visits so far. Well to visit Whampoo market without trying Hoover, please don’t tell anybody that you been 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!
Dozo - the upscale sibling of Tao's Restaurant that dabbles in fine modern Japanese cuisine. Dozo, which means please in Japanese, operates very much like its little sister, offering only 6 or 7 course set menus with no ala carte option.
Located on the 2nd level of Valley Point along River Valley Road, Dozo's interior oozes sublime chic and sophistication with mainly red velvety plush chairs amidst a black backdrop. Floor to ceilings windows offer a somewhat muted view of the surroundings. Apparently the 3 window side seats on the elevated wooden platform is a hot favourite amongst couples so be sure to make your reservations early.
Flour Sticks & Drink Shots - The flour sticks were, well, flour sticks dusted with chilli flakes and the likes. Nothing too fancy here. As for the 2 shots of mango juice with tons of crushed ice, lets just say I had a hard time trying to get a reasonable amount of liquid into my mouth initially.
Appetiser - You don't get to choose the first course and everyone gets the same thing - scallop, foie gras and smoked salmon, which wasn't too bad really. The scallop was nicely seared with a crisp layer atop but lacked the firm texture that I was looking for. Apart from the foie gras being really small, I thought it was decent but could have been more quivery. I thought that the smoked salmon was quite well done though. Not mind blowingly salty with a nice taut texture sans the raw fishy aftertaste.
Infusion of Cepes Mushroom and Truffle & Crab Bisque - The mushroom soup had bits of mushroom in it and 1 lone black truffle served on a little flat tea spoon by the side, which you can choose to plonk it into the soup or nibble on it individually. I chose the former, which didn't seem to make much of a difference to the soup. Overall still quite decent though but a tad too watery for my liking. I thought that the crab bisque was rather watered down as well and tasted rather limp even though there were signs of crab meat in the soup.
Tempura Battered Soft Shell Crab on Galette of Mash - The tempura batter was decently thin but lacked any flavour, which made it really bland. On the upside, the crab wasn't too oily and the sesame vinaigrette alongside helped alot in ensuring its palatability.
Gratinated Escargots Topped with Yuzu Butter - A group of 3 escargots came with cheese and Yuzu butter while a solitary one was presented with garlic. Personally I preferred the ones in the cheese as it came across as creamy with a slight chewy texture. The garlic one needed a stronger dose of garlic in my humble opinion.
Beef Tataki with Shaved Parmesan and Truffle Mayo Mosaic - The beef tataki certainly didn't do itself any favours with its dryness but interestingly, a few slices of the beef were wrapped around a crispy flour cylindrical cone which was something different, especially with the truffle mayo. But I can't say that I enjoyed it very much as the beef was bland and relied on the mayo to give it flavour.
Succulent King Crab Claw Salad Drizzled with Sesame Vinaigrette - Freshly succulent, the crab meat (purportedly from Alaska) was complemented by chopped onions and sweet mango, which made it sweet and "oniony" (for lack of a better word) at the same time. With such a delightful centrepiece, who needs vegetables?
Baked Atlantic Cod Fillet on Puff Pastry - This dish is interesting in the sense that the cod fillet is literally stuck onto the puff pastry, which can be a pain if you don't wish to have the pastry, especially when its rather tough and unyielding to begin with. However, I've got to give the fish credit for being fresh and firm with a nice crispy layer of skin to boot.
Beef Tenderloin on "Pu Ye" & Granite Hot Stone - To be honest, I am unable to make an accurate judgment on the beef as by the time I was done taking my lousy shots, the 200 degrees celsius slab of granite stone had already cooled considerably and the beef just wasn't sizzling anymore. Maybe due to that, the beef slices turned out soft but still juicy and rather tasteless. A shame really, especially with the excellent asthetics.
Freshly Baked Warm Chocolate Cake Served with Ice Cream - Puny would probably be one of the adjectives to describe the chocolate cake. The crust was nice but a tad thick while the molten chocolate was of the runny kind. Decent but not really outstanding.
Dozo's "Mo Cha" Creme Brulee - The sugar layer on the creme brulee was a tad too burnt but I appreciated the rather evident green tea taste of the creme brulee. A welcome change from the usual vanilla ones.
Dinner cost $59.80 /pax ($70.40 after taxes), which did come across as a tad steep even though service and ambience were top notch. Food quality wise, there is still ample room for improvement in my humble opinion and if Dozo can work on this, I'm sure it will be a hit.
Esplanade we were at, yet it certainly didn’t feel anything like Esplanade. The al fresco area was within the ground floor, yet while sitting there and people-grazing, the mood was out away from this world.
Service was almost impeccable. Since most of the tapas were off-the-menu, we wanted to know what we were eating and started asking the staff a lot of questions. Initially when they served us the first few appetisers, they were not sure of the names, and the ingredients in it. But they got used to us asking questions, and when they served the rest of the tapas, they made sure they checked the names and ingredients. Well we did make them stress that day, akin like taking a spelling test. Nonetheless, the staffs were always cheerful and friendly.
In the time of recession where people cut down on their expedition, it takes a brave soul to come out with interesting dining concept. The idea that the chef serves whatever he wants, is actually not new. But there just isn’t much places doing it, most people after all, aren’t adventurous enough and want to have a say in what they are eating. 7atenine. Catchy name, check. Unique concept, check. Ambience, check.
There’s something about Salmon which makes them irresistible to ladies. For some unknown reasons which continue to elude me, most ladies seem to love them. The salmon tartare. For the ladies! Fresh crunchy salmon in lemon cream sauce, with walnuts & some leafy greens providing the crunch. What impressed me was the effort entailed in preparing the cucumber. Instead of short slices, the cucumber was peel off vertically, in a long string. This, surely warrant our praise.
What I liked about the Taco cerbice was the simplicity of the dish. The crunchy sour dough plus the smooth octopus meat. Topped with greens, it further beautify and added balance to the appetiser.
Like couples who are always together, ham always comes with cheese. The dish is a basically an appetiser of ham & cheese. Cubes of green apple, cheese, and ham. While there’s nothing intriguing about the combination, it’s a simple dish to kick-start the meal.
I always remember the significant and special food that I’ve before. Like the best mushroom soup, the best dim sum, all those are deeply engraved in my memory. And the Beef roll on hot stone, would definitely be the latest addition to my memorable list. Putting the thinly-sliced beef rolls on the heated up stone, a brilliant idea! The usage of salt to bring out the natural taste of the beef, with the hot stone keeping the beef warm at optimum temperature. Divine.
Tangy, was the best way to describe the lobster gaspach. Shredded lobster fried was good on its own. But having left it too long in the slightly sourish sauce, it was soggy when we tried it. And did I mention I loved the way 7atenine decorated the bowls with a brush of the sauce. A stroke of genius.
With the pairing of cheese and anchovies, the Mozzarella cheese with anchovies certainly let our imagination ran wild. Just exactly what does the humble small salt-water fish and cheese have in common. Well nothing, but that’s what makes the pairing unique. The presence of bell pepper and tomato brighten up the aesthetic aspect. Much as I’m for creative cooking, this dish didn’t exactly impress.
The best. Mushroom Risotto. 7atenine rendition was done close to the porridge form, quite unlike the harder glutinous-rice like version I had before. Boiling several types of mushrooms to get the stock, the end result was a strong mushroom infused flavour in the risotto. The presence of strong cheese taste was a plus. I do not think words alone can describe the goodness of the risotto. Comfort food.
Again, we see the use of raw salt to bring out the natural flavour of food. Poached lightly, the Salmon with potato wrapped bacon was another worth mentioning dish. Even when eaten on its own, the salmon was fresh, but when you dip it with the sauce, it brought it to a brand new level. The bacon bits, by the side, was salty and flavourful. My date enjoyed her roast mini potatoes, although I didn’t quite fancy that.
When ocean meets farm, the Seabass in celery cream. Sprinkled with bits of salt, the seabass reminded me of my mom’s home-cook fish. The fish was better eaten alone, rather than together with the brown sauce. The mesh celery represented the farm.
At first look, we were guessing the ingredient used to “dye” the calamari black. Guess guess, squid ink! An interesting twist to the otherwise boring calamari. The tomato salsa was refreshing, but other than that, there wasn’t much wow factor. The crusted calamari.
A cheesy pasta. The spaghetti with ham symbolised every aspect of the cheese pasta. A simple dish done right. We were wondering what ham was used though.
If 7atenine is all about interesting new dining concept, then the sizzling wings would definitely be the best representative. Using the pegs (for hanging clothes) to hold the chicken wings so that diners were not dirty their hands. Bravo! While the effectiveness of the peg remained to be questioned, we should applause the innovation. On the other hand, the chicken wings were nothing to shout about. I was pretty astonished when they served the wings, since nothing in my dictionary told me that wings were classified under tapas.
The beef flank was the last main course that we had before serving desserts. The meat was tough and inelastic actually. I didn’t touch much of it. Well, a disappointing anti-climax for the main course.
Caffe latte trifle was the first of the three desserts we started with. Everything coffee. From the ice cream, meringue, to the thin layer of sponge, all of them are coffee flavoured. There’s rice krispies on top too.
With a base of berries, there’s the strawberry ice cream and vanilla bean on top. The execution of the simple strawberry gazpacho was enough, for us to end the meal on a sweet note.
We were surprised by the inclusion of vanilla bean ice cream since the sight of the normal walls ice cream was so common everywhere else. I liked the fact that they spreaded some Oreo crust by the side. I can taste vanilla bean, and with some help from the crust, it turned into Oreo ice cream. And oh yes, warm chocolate brownies must always be eaten together with chilled, cold ice cream.
Total bill was $86.58 for 2, lunch unlimited buffet. In my humble opinion, my date and I agreed that 7atenine is the best new restaurant in 2009, that is until i try a better one. Although not all the tapas impressed me, but the food taste is more on the extreme ends, it’s a case of whether you love it or hate it. Personally, I felt food lovers will generally accept this concept better than the rest, especially so if you are the type that are adventurous and love to try new creations.
It is definitely fun to be keep in the suspense, and wondering what is coming next. Of course, with expectations there will be disappointment. I’m sorry if you do not agree with me. But I love this type of dining concept, the playful presentation of food, the friendly services, bold creations, the ambience and the amazing value. Of course, the company of my date plays a vital part as well. This year, the best meal I had so far, 7atenine!
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!
The distinguished Desire voted one of Wine and Dine Singapore’s Top Restaurant in 2008 is sited at The Scarlet, a charismatic boutique hotel that oozes a sense of stylish elegance.
Not without its own accolades, the hotel is crowned one of 2008 Singapore Tatler’s Best Boutique Hotels and Singapore Tourism Awards 2008 for Best Accommodation Experience under the Best Superior Hotel category.
Hidden at the side of the hotel, the restaurant’s alfresco area is one of affectionate charming ambience.
Upon seated, the restaurant further seeks to tease one’s sensory experience with its element of naughtiness by presenting a menu, 'book of Desire', full of suggestive sexual connotations – the appetiser section, for instance, is labelled ‘foreplay’ while the entrees are titled under ‘main affair’.
However, ordering ala carte was not the order of the day as Executive Chef Vincent Teng, previously from My Dining Room in Club Street, specially created a $100 menu for each of us that evening.
The Complimentary Bread served set the right tone immediately for that evening. Between the Olive and Walnut Bread (or was it Almond?), it was a tough choice – but the service staff came to the rescue by suggesting “Why not both?” and both it was. Both bread were served warm and tasted wonderful with its own merits. Coupled with the extravagant Truffle Butter, HFB certainly didn’t look back. HFB rates this experience a tad better than Morton’s Onion Loaf.
The appetiser was Iberico Ham & Sous Vide Egg with Truffle Salsa, and the soft poached egg was only achieved through modelling after the French method of cooking using vacuum bags placed in hot water.
A dish that at first glance seemed detach between the two ingredients, one is however encouraged to fuse the dish together by breaking the egg yolk and eating it with the ham and the salsa. However, who could resist the wobbly egg yolk and HFB took a naughty nibble at it, before letting the yolk oozed all over. On its own, the Iberico ham, imported only from Spain, was velvety in texture. Coupled with the egg yolk, the harmonious combination was such a joy to consume. HFB certainly rates the ham better than the Italian's Prosciutto.
The Seared Foie Gras with Scampi on Toasted Brioche paired with Sliced Mango, Mango Coulis and Balsamic Reduction was up next. Although HFB would prefer the foie gras to be seared crustier, credits could not be taken away from the liver. One could never go wrong with the savoury and sweet combination between the foie gras and the mango coulis, but the scampi was slight over-grilled resulting in a dry and rubbery texture for the shrimp.
And if one thinks the sous vide method of cooking is only meant for eggs, then Chef Vincent seeks to prove you wrong with another dish of Sous Vide of Kurobuta Pork Belly with Crackling Skin, Braise Pork Cheeks on Fennel Salad tossed with Mustard Miso. A distinctive dish that enables one to experience two unique textural in one go – the pork belly was very well tendered being fatty but the skin was so wonderfully seared resulting in a cracking crisp with every bite, although one might frowned on the idea of paying top money for “Roast Pork” in a restaurant. If the pork belly played on texture, then the braised pork cheeks touched on taste. Not denying the truth that it was marvellous simmered till soft, it was the intense flavour, nicely captured by the meat that won HFB over – it was comparable to the Beef Cheek from Sage.
A nice surprise came with the palate cleanser of Tomato Essence. 'Revitalising' is probably the best word to describe the experience as the concoction immediately rids the tongue of any heavy aftertaste. HFB absolutely loves the refreshing tang!
The Grilled Wagyu Beef Tenderloin on Truffle Pomme Puree, Seasonal Vegetables was another delectable meat dish. With a marbling score of 5/6, it was surprisingly still very tender despite being grilled close to medium than medium rare. The Truffle Pomme Puree was another delight – the potato mash was really smooth and the tint of truffle gave it an added lift – this was another symphony of ingredients that worked really well in HFB’s opinion.
The dinner was rounded up with the Hazelnut Mille Feuille, or layers of Hazelnut Mousse, Salted Caramel and Feuilletine Crust. Although HFB felt that the hazelnut option was slightly heavy for a dessert, and would preferred something lighter on his palate, the robust hazelnut cream was something praiseworthy.
Yet Con is a familiar name in the Hainanese culinary scene and is probably the oldest Hainanese restaurant in Singapore, dating back to 1940 when it was founded. Thats a whopping 79 years, even older then independent Singapore itself!
Located along the historic Purvis street, Yet Con's interior takes you back in time to the days when policemen still wore shorts - ceramic tiles on walls with the quintessential wooden frame mirror with Chinese inscriptions and large, albeit dirty wooden tables coupled with dated wooden chairs. Even the signboard fronting the eatery looks like a piece of relic, weathering the sun and rain for countless years. The only modern thing in this place is probably the air conditioning.
Steamboat - The 3 of us ordered the smallest steamboat serving ($8) which came with tiny fishballs, a smattering of pork, squid, prawns , chicken etc and an additional plate of rather unfresh beef ($8). No choices were given for the soup base, which was chicken stock.
Beancurd - I'm inclined to think that most cze char places make this beancurd dish the same way, braised with lots of egg gravy atop. The beancurd wasn't outstanding even though it was placed under the recommended section of the menu. Simple and no frills and something I can easily find at most cze char stalls.
Hainanese Chicken - No trip to a Hainanese eatery is complete without ordering their namesake Hainanese chicken. Yet Con's rendition was void of any oily residue that is known to plague this dish without compromising on the tenderness of the meat. The only gripe I had was that the meat was a wee bit too dry.
The 3 of us chalked up about $43 for this relatively simple and filling meal. If you hanker for a simple, no fuss food at average pricing, then Yet Con would probably work for you.
Indulge in a filling breakfast early in the morning, in the outdoors with fresh air surrounding you!
As are most diners, hidden in a corner in Dempsey Road along Harding Road I believe, is PS Cafe. A great place that's somewhat secluded, and so allows you to enjoy the peace and serenity - something you seldom get in our little over-crowded city. Nonetheless, I do understand that the place is much more crowded by noon, which I believe you will not experience it so long as you're there and leave before 11 or so?
Also, they allow you the choice of an indoor pseudo-outdoor experience with the air-con and slow-turning fans or the real open air outside, with smoking and non-smoking area. Despite being a non-smoker, and would really hate it if someone was gonna smoke there, the smoker's corner was really pretty cool with some yellow chairs that look real good to laze in and coffee tables in the middle.
When I was there in the morning, it wasn't packed yet. Only the tables outside at the non-smoking corner (probably also because the smoker's corner does not have proper dining tables) were fully occupied. However, there seemed to be quite a reasonable number of waiters around who were pretty quick to respond to your needs. Efficient waiters make a hungry man happy.
Along with my breakfast buddy, we had, to share, a big breakfast and blueberry pancakes. Save for the "blueberry", it really does sound like 2 portions of Macdonalds' breakfast meal (that's a joke of course).
Let me begin with my favourite - the blueberry pancake. Simple as it was, garnished with blueberries and strawberries, it tasted oh-so-good. Credits go to not just the maple syrup, but the pancakes itself too. The maple syrup was good in that it wasn't too sweet and so doesn't totally cover the taste of the blueberry pancake. Also, the pancakes were absolutely delectable. It was soft, came with quite some blueberry jam/ blueberries in the pancake itself and served in a generous portion of 3 large slices. It was so tasy (and again, not too sweet) that you could eat it without the maple syrup.
The big breakfast did not pale in comparison either. Again, another reasonably large serving. The breakfast came with scrambled eggs (or other choice of eggs eg poached/fried eggs), bread under the eggs, a stick of roasted asparagus, beef sausages, English bacon, roasted tomato dressed with basil leaves and a little serving of baked beans. The bread was buttery and tasty; the egg was nicely done and not over-scrambled, and went really nicely with tomato sauce (!); beef sausage was not salty nor tough. I didn't eat the asparagus nor tomato, but it seemed like my breakfast buddy enjoyed it. Baked beans didn't seem out of the can, as it wasn't as sweet as those.
All in all, I thought the breakfast was good as the flavour of the food served wasn't too strong for the first meal of the day. And being outdoors made it even more refreshing (despite the occasional falling leaves). Along with a mocha and hot chocolate, the breakfast was complete. (Of course this was only based on my breakfast experience, I didn't try their desserts/ lunch etc).
Although I may have sound like I enjoyed my time there, it really isn't a place I'd go to everyday. The bill came up to just over $60 for 2 and I think that explains my previous line. Apart from that, it is not a very accessible place for a person who doesn't drive. Nonetheless, if you're planning on going, do not worry as PS Cafe has impressed me by the provision of a card with all the numbers you can call to get yourself a taxi out of the place. Interesting and impressing.
So if you're looking to pamper yourself for a day, after a look week of hard work perhaps, maybe PS Cafe would be nice, albeit not an everyday-place.
1=SGD 0.0587
On the stretch of road right in the middle of town, at Singapore’s very own Fifth Avenue. Our shopping paradise. Before the new contender Ion takes over, the crown belongs to Paragon. Standing at the cross junction, we found ourselves lost, clearly it seems the journey to finding the spice wasn’t as easy as we thought. Heading up towards Mount E, we scaled on, in search of our final destination, Blue Basil.
Addiction for salmon. We ordered the Norwegian Salmon ($19.90) almost spilt seconds after seeing it on the menu. With the choice of sauce being their signature blue basil pesto, bonquet of vegetables and roasted baby potatoes as companions. The Norwegian salmon was fresh, the sweetness of the fish twittered on our tongue. The blue basil pesto did not completely brought out the freshness of the salmon, something was amiss, I couldn’t make out what.
Addiction for pasta. My cravings for the Italian staple saw us ordering the Linguini Ragout Pollo ($15.90). While there wasn’t any exotic ingredients, a good home-made chicken Bolognese was always a welcome. The taste of fresh tomatoes, not those cans type was a relief. The pasta section at Blue basil isn’t very comprehensive, but this one, have done enough.
Addiction for ice cream & baileys. A close fight between the raspberry cream bruleé and the Baileys gelato served on crushed ice & baileys liqueur ($9.90), with the latter winning of course. The baileys and ice-cream expert gave her verdict that this was good stuff, so it was. The baileys gelato, were pure, and the baileys used were generous, unlike some places which served diluted versions. And eating crushed ice with gelato brought the novelty to another level. Your happy booster.
Total bill was $48.90 for the food with a 7% GST, and no service charge. Blue basil met my expectations, with its use of the spice in almost all their dishes. Prices are affordable for the range of variety it provided, and being right in the middle of town, they offered you with a very good option, albeit you must take a 10minutes walk from Paragon. Actually i like their location because although it’s in town, but not many people know about the place, and it eludes the your-own-place-feel. Well, it’s certainly not a bad place for an romantic dinner, but for taking photo-wise, it isn’t very friendly. I’ll probably make a perennial visit for lunch instead. 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:
My heart skipped a beat when i saw it from afar. Deep down, I thought “no way man!”, it couldn’t be. As i approached it nearer and nearer, the sight of the two pure white kitchenaid further excited me. And the name was just the perfect icing on the cake, The icing room! The pinkish-white colour domination which so reminded me of Twelve one, with the adorable ornament, everything was perfect, until i spotted the name Breadtalk on one of the cake box.
Boy, the coup de grâce was performed when i then noticed the Chinese name, Dan gao si yu, which was so Breadtalk (mian bao wu yu), and a branch of Breadtalk and toastbox just beside it. Now don’t get me wrong, I have totally nothing against Breadtalk. It’s just that i wasn’t expecting Breadtalk to behind the icing room concept.
When i thought the stagnant Breadtalk is down and out, they managed to turn the table around and pulled a rabbit from the hat. Voilà! You’ve to give credit to Mr. George Quek and his team for coming out with this, although the icing room has yet to prove itself, they managed to capture me on the first impression, and that’s all it mattered.
The idea which i always had in mind, a place to do-it-yourself cakes. This, is one very good idea. The crowd surrounding the store gave a very good indicator, for just $11.90, they provided you with a small cream cake, and you get the pleasure to decorate your very own cake on the spot. Its that simple, no need to buy ingredients, no need to get your hands dirty, and no need to wash up.
Like what the chef there mentioned, “It’s like fulfilling a child’s dream”. I’ll like to add something to that, i bet adults would also love to play with the cake, a very nice gift for your loved ones.
Now to put everything to test, i picked the Apricotte ($3.80). A layer of caramel on top, with apricot mousse in between the cake. I couldn’t get the taste on my first try, so i took another bite. And this was followed by eating the different layers separately. Everything, just tasted so, ordinary! I must admit i’m fairly disappointed with the cake, not that i was expecting much though. And the berry was sour.
If you thought that everything was a surprise so far, wait until you see this. Lo & behold, Macarons! And this is Breadtalk which we are talking about. Bread alright, but macarons?
I couldn’t resist buying a few to try out, not when they are only $1.50 each. There’s five different flavours available, matcha, strawberry, chocolate, passion fruit, and yam. However, i wasn’t adventurous enough to try out the yam option. Play safe, think baby steps.
And when it was time to try them out, my first bite went to the strawberry macaron ($1.50). The opening nibble was still alright. But as time goes on as it surely will, the whole taste becomes overly sweet. Well I’m not exactly a macaron expert, the brittle shell wasn’t chewy enough, and the slightly sour strawberry fillings wasn’t to my liking.
Well if I’m not wrong, macaron does not involve the use of milk in the process. But for some strange reasons, there’s a strong milk taste which covered the matcha, or maybe it’s just my taste bud). Needless to say, the matcha flavour was weak, and this one was out as well. Their macarons are all small (not as tiny as Carousel though), and everything was just too sweet.
So when everything fails, you go to your comfort zone, the safe option yes? The chocolate macaron was what i’ve in mind just in case everything else don’t work out. And the results were played out in a totally unfashionable manner, somebody forgot to tell the jam within the macaron to follow the script. It gave a sour-sweet contrast with the chocolate macaron, but it wasn’t what i was looking for.
Now, the conclusion. Interesting concept, with a fascinating set-up, and i was surprised they didn’t incorporate a dine-in area, which would provide some competition in this Canele-dominated area. Well, Breadtalk clearly has the financial muscles to provide some fight, but first, they need to improve, make changes to their bakes. Otherwise, everything is just talk. And my dear, talk is cheap.
Oh yes, in my excitement, i forgot to mention the icing room is located at the new building of Jurong Point (JP2). Lots of new stores, plenty of boring old faces, but there are some concepts which caught my attention. So do check it out for yourself!
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:
I love roasted duck. I really do. When it comes to their other half, braised duck, its a different story all together. Roasted ducks are really good, and i always craved for them, but when it comes to braise duck, i didn’t have them for very long already! It’s case when it comes to choosing between roasted and braised duck, i’ll definitely go for the former.
Since there aren’t any roasted duck stalls at the Whampoa market that caught my attention, for once i decided to have the braised duck instead. And i’m fairly surprised. The yam rice was very fragrant, and i thought that the portion was quite generous, althought i’ll never say no to more duck meat.
You know whenever we brought half a duck home, my mom will always use the leftover meats and the bones to cook with porridge, and its fantastic! I didn’t really try duck porridge outside before, so the next time, i’m probably going for duck porridge instead of rice. There’s always a first time for everything.
Its impossible to roast your own duck at home, but with some good recipe, braising duck is certainly do-able. I tried many home-made braised duck before, and i must say most of them are better than the ones i’ve outside. While it could also be due to the possibility that there’s no limit to how much duck meat i can eat. Well i’m always on the lookout for roasted duck that i really have no idea about which places serve excellent braised ducks, let me know won’t you?
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:
If you remember, I wrote on the Joo Chiat wanton mee saga in Whampoa market before, with the two stalls claiming that they are the original from Joo Chiat. This time round, I saw this Long Ji stall which is on the outside row of the market. Since i’ve both the Joo Chiat stalls (middle row of market), I decided to give this a try.
The wanton mee was disappointing. The pictures looked nice yes, this was my first time testing out my new macro lens back then, so I had this way back in November! The two key factors in a good wanton, the springy noodle, and the good char siew were sorely missing. To be frank, the wanton mee was so mediocre that I couldn’t really remember how it tasted like.
There’s another wanton mee stall in the market if i’m not mistaken, will try that the next time! I think you’ll be better off trying either one of the Joo Chiat stalls than Long Ji’s. Well, i may be wrong, since it’s my personal preference, if you’ve try this one before let me hear from you!
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:
Rojak is a very special type of food, and certainly warrants a place as one of Singapore local food, alongside chicken rice, white pepper crab, laksa and the rest. Just like how our local culture, where the different religion and races mixed in harmony with each other, the perfect mixture between the different ingredients in a rojak brings about the perfect balance. Uniquely Singapore.
Hoover Rojak’s my personal favourite place for rojak in Singapore. Well if i may say so, i’ll consider it as one of the best i tried so far, not that i tried a lot, but i’ve the other famous Brothers rojak at Clementi and wasn’t too impressed with it. Hoover’s rendition always uses fresh and juicy fruits, with the crispy you tiao. But that’s not the reason why Hoover rojak is so good. The key lies in their sauce, there’s a slightly sourish tang which other rojaks don’t have, and that’s the beauty of a simple lime.
’ll eat Hoover rojak whenever i visited Whampoo market, countless times to the extent that i always forgot that they do not open on Tuesday, and i made three fruitless visits so far. Well to visit Whampoo market without trying Hoover, please don’t tell anybody that you been 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:
Dozo - the upscale sibling of Tao's Restaurant that dabbles in fine modern Japanese cuisine. Dozo, which means please in Japanese, operates very much like its little sister, offering only 6 or 7 course set menus with no ala carte option.
Located on the 2nd level of Valley Point along River Valley Road, Dozo's interior oozes sublime chic and sophistication with mainly red velvety plush chairs amidst a black backdrop. Floor to ceilings windows offer a somewhat muted view of the surroundings. Apparently the 3 window side seats on the elevated wooden platform is a hot favourite amongst couples so be sure to make your reservations early.
Flour Sticks & Drink Shots - The flour sticks were, well, flour sticks dusted with chilli flakes and the likes. Nothing too fancy here. As for the 2 shots of mango juice with tons of crushed ice, lets just say I had a hard time trying to get a reasonable amount of liquid into my mouth initially.
Appetiser - You don't get to choose the first course and everyone gets the same thing - scallop, foie gras and smoked salmon, which wasn't too bad really. The scallop was nicely seared with a crisp layer atop but lacked the firm texture that I was looking for. Apart from the foie gras being really small, I thought it was decent but could have been more quivery. I thought that the smoked salmon was quite well done though. Not mind blowingly salty with a nice taut texture sans the raw fishy aftertaste.
Infusion of Cepes Mushroom and Truffle & Crab Bisque - The mushroom soup had bits of mushroom in it and 1 lone black truffle served on a little flat tea spoon by the side, which you can choose to plonk it into the soup or nibble on it individually. I chose the former, which didn't seem to make much of a difference to the soup. Overall still quite decent though but a tad too watery for my liking.
I thought that the crab bisque was rather watered down as well and tasted rather limp even though there were signs of crab meat in the soup.
Tempura Battered Soft Shell Crab on Galette of Mash - The tempura batter was decently thin but lacked any flavour, which made it really bland. On the upside, the crab wasn't too oily and the sesame vinaigrette alongside helped alot in ensuring its palatability.
Gratinated Escargots Topped with Yuzu Butter - A group of 3 escargots came with cheese and Yuzu butter while a solitary one was presented with garlic. Personally I preferred the ones in the cheese as it came across as creamy with a slight chewy texture. The garlic one needed a stronger dose of garlic in my humble opinion.
Beef Tataki with Shaved Parmesan and Truffle Mayo Mosaic - The beef tataki certainly didn't do itself any favours with its dryness but interestingly, a few slices of the beef were wrapped around a crispy flour cylindrical cone which was something different, especially with the truffle mayo. But I can't say that I enjoyed it very much as the beef was bland and relied on the mayo to give it flavour.
Succulent King Crab Claw Salad Drizzled with Sesame Vinaigrette - Freshly succulent, the crab meat (purportedly from Alaska) was complemented by chopped onions and sweet mango, which made it sweet and "oniony" (for lack of a better word) at the same time. With such a delightful centrepiece, who needs vegetables?
Baked Atlantic Cod Fillet on Puff Pastry - This dish is interesting in the sense that the cod fillet is literally stuck onto the puff pastry, which can be a pain if you don't wish to have the pastry, especially when its rather tough and unyielding to begin with. However, I've got to give the fish credit for being fresh and firm with a nice crispy layer of skin to boot.
Beef Tenderloin on "Pu Ye" & Granite Hot Stone - To be honest, I am unable to make an accurate judgment on the beef as by the time I was done taking my lousy shots, the 200 degrees celsius slab of granite stone had already cooled considerably and the beef just wasn't sizzling anymore. Maybe due to that, the beef slices turned out soft but still juicy and rather tasteless. A shame really, especially with the excellent asthetics.
Freshly Baked Warm Chocolate Cake Served with Ice Cream - Puny would probably be one of the adjectives to describe the chocolate cake. The crust was nice but a tad thick while the molten chocolate was of the runny kind. Decent but not really outstanding.
Dozo's "Mo Cha" Creme Brulee - The sugar layer on the creme brulee was a tad too burnt but I appreciated the rather evident green tea taste of the creme brulee. A welcome change from the usual vanilla ones.
Dinner cost $59.80 /pax ($70.40 after taxes), which did come across as a tad steep even though service and ambience were top notch. Food quality wise, there is still ample room for improvement in my humble opinion and if Dozo can work on this, I'm sure it will be a hit.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Ate. Nine. Ten.
Esplanade we were at, yet it certainly didn’t feel anything like Esplanade. The al fresco area was within the ground floor, yet while sitting there and people-grazing, the mood was out away from this world.
Service was almost impeccable. Since most of the tapas were off-the-menu, we wanted to know what we were eating and started asking the staff a lot of questions. Initially when they served us the first few appetisers, they were not sure of the names, and the ingredients in it. But they got used to us asking questions, and when they served the rest of the tapas, they made sure they checked the names and ingredients. Well we did make them stress that day, akin like taking a spelling test. Nonetheless, the staffs were always cheerful and friendly.
In the time of recession where people cut down on their expedition, it takes a brave soul to come out with interesting dining concept. The idea that the chef serves whatever he wants, is actually not new. But there just isn’t much places doing it, most people after all, aren’t adventurous enough and want to have a say in what they are eating. 7atenine. Catchy name, check. Unique concept, check. Ambience, check.
There’s something about Salmon which makes them irresistible to ladies. For some unknown reasons which continue to elude me, most ladies seem to love them. The salmon tartare. For the ladies! Fresh crunchy salmon in lemon cream sauce, with walnuts & some leafy greens providing the crunch. What impressed me was the effort entailed in preparing the cucumber. Instead of short slices, the cucumber was peel off vertically, in a long string. This, surely warrant our praise.
What I liked about the Taco cerbice was the simplicity of the dish. The crunchy sour dough plus the smooth octopus meat. Topped with greens, it further beautify and added balance to the appetiser.
Like couples who are always together, ham always comes with cheese. The dish is a basically an appetiser of ham & cheese. Cubes of green apple, cheese, and ham. While there’s nothing intriguing about the combination, it’s a simple dish to kick-start the meal.
I always remember the significant and special food that I’ve before. Like the best mushroom soup, the best dim sum, all those are deeply engraved in my memory. And the Beef roll on hot stone, would definitely be the latest addition to my memorable list. Putting the thinly-sliced beef rolls on the heated up stone, a brilliant idea! The usage of salt to bring out the natural taste of the beef, with the hot stone keeping the beef warm at optimum temperature. Divine.
Tangy, was the best way to describe the lobster gaspach. Shredded lobster fried was good on its own. But having left it too long in the slightly sourish sauce, it was soggy when we tried it. And did I mention I loved the way 7atenine decorated the bowls with a brush of the sauce. A stroke of genius.
With the pairing of cheese and anchovies, the Mozzarella cheese with anchovies certainly let our imagination ran wild. Just exactly what does the humble small salt-water fish and cheese have in common. Well nothing, but that’s what makes the pairing unique. The presence of bell pepper and tomato brighten up the aesthetic aspect. Much as I’m for creative cooking, this dish didn’t exactly impress.
The best. Mushroom Risotto. 7atenine rendition was done close to the porridge form, quite unlike the harder glutinous-rice like version I had before. Boiling several types of mushrooms to get the stock, the end result was a strong mushroom infused flavour in the risotto. The presence of strong cheese taste was a plus. I do not think words alone can describe the goodness of the risotto. Comfort food.
Again, we see the use of raw salt to bring out the natural flavour of food. Poached lightly, the Salmon with potato wrapped bacon was another worth mentioning dish. Even when eaten on its own, the salmon was fresh, but when you dip it with the sauce, it brought it to a brand new level. The bacon bits, by the side, was salty and flavourful. My date enjoyed her roast mini potatoes, although I didn’t quite fancy that.
When ocean meets farm, the Seabass in celery cream. Sprinkled with bits of salt, the seabass reminded me of my mom’s home-cook fish. The fish was better eaten alone, rather than together with the brown sauce. The mesh celery represented the farm.
At first look, we were guessing the ingredient used to “dye” the calamari black. Guess guess, squid ink! An interesting twist to the otherwise boring calamari. The tomato salsa was refreshing, but other than that, there wasn’t much wow factor. The crusted calamari.
A cheesy pasta. The spaghetti with ham symbolised every aspect of the cheese pasta. A simple dish done right. We were wondering what ham was used though.
If 7atenine is all about interesting new dining concept, then the sizzling wings would definitely be the best representative. Using the pegs (for hanging clothes) to hold the chicken wings so that diners were not dirty their hands. Bravo! While the effectiveness of the peg remained to be questioned, we should applause the innovation. On the other hand, the chicken wings were nothing to shout about. I was pretty astonished when they served the wings, since nothing in my dictionary told me that wings were classified under tapas.
The beef flank was the last main course that we had before serving desserts. The meat was tough and inelastic actually. I didn’t touch much of it. Well, a disappointing anti-climax for the main course.
Caffe latte trifle was the first of the three desserts we started with. Everything coffee. From the ice cream, meringue, to the thin layer of sponge, all of them are coffee flavoured. There’s rice krispies on top too.
With a base of berries, there’s the strawberry ice cream and vanilla bean on top. The execution of the simple strawberry gazpacho was enough, for us to end the meal on a sweet note.
We were surprised by the inclusion of vanilla bean ice cream since the sight of the normal walls ice cream was so common everywhere else. I liked the fact that they spreaded some Oreo crust by the side. I can taste vanilla bean, and with some help from the crust, it turned into Oreo ice cream. And oh yes, warm chocolate brownies must always be eaten together with chilled, cold ice cream.
Total bill was $86.58 for 2, lunch unlimited buffet. In my humble opinion, my date and I agreed that 7atenine is the best new restaurant in 2009, that is until i try a better one. Although not all the tapas impressed me, but the food taste is more on the extreme ends, it’s a case of whether you love it or hate it. Personally, I felt food lovers will generally accept this concept better than the rest, especially so if you are the type that are adventurous and love to try new creations.
It is definitely fun to be keep in the suspense, and wondering what is coming next. Of course, with expectations there will be disappointment. I’m sorry if you do not agree with me. But I love this type of dining concept, the playful presentation of food, the friendly services, bold creations, the ambience and the amazing value. Of course, the company of my date plays a vital part as well. This year, the best meal I had so far, 7atenine!
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:
The distinguished Desire voted one of Wine and Dine Singapore’s Top Restaurant in 2008 is sited at The Scarlet, a charismatic boutique hotel that oozes a sense of stylish elegance.
Not without its own accolades, the hotel is crowned one of 2008 Singapore Tatler’s Best Boutique Hotels and Singapore Tourism Awards 2008 for Best Accommodation Experience under the Best Superior Hotel category.
Hidden at the side of the hotel, the restaurant’s alfresco area is one of affectionate charming ambience.
Upon seated, the restaurant further seeks to tease one’s sensory experience with its element of naughtiness by presenting a menu, 'book of Desire', full of suggestive sexual connotations – the appetiser section, for instance, is labelled ‘foreplay’ while the entrees are titled under ‘main affair’.
However, ordering ala carte was not the order of the day as Executive Chef Vincent Teng, previously from My Dining Room in Club Street, specially created a $100 menu for each of us that evening.
The Complimentary Bread served set the right tone immediately for that evening. Between the Olive and Walnut Bread (or was it Almond?), it was a tough choice – but the service staff came to the rescue by suggesting “Why not both?” and both it was. Both bread were served warm and tasted wonderful with its own merits. Coupled with the extravagant Truffle Butter, HFB certainly didn’t look back. HFB rates this experience a tad better than Morton’s Onion Loaf.
The appetiser was Iberico Ham & Sous Vide Egg with Truffle Salsa, and the soft poached egg was only achieved through modelling after the French method of cooking using vacuum bags placed in hot water.
A dish that at first glance seemed detach between the two ingredients, one is however encouraged to fuse the dish together by breaking the egg yolk and eating it with the ham and the salsa. However, who could resist the wobbly egg yolk and HFB took a naughty nibble at it, before letting the yolk oozed all over. On its own, the Iberico ham, imported only from Spain, was velvety in texture. Coupled with the egg yolk, the harmonious combination was such a joy to consume. HFB certainly rates the ham better than the Italian's Prosciutto.
The Seared Foie Gras with Scampi on Toasted Brioche paired with Sliced Mango, Mango Coulis and Balsamic Reduction was up next. Although HFB would prefer the foie gras to be seared crustier, credits could not be taken away from the liver. One could never go wrong with the savoury and sweet combination between the foie gras and the mango coulis, but the scampi was slight over-grilled resulting in a dry and rubbery texture for the shrimp.
And if one thinks the sous vide method of cooking is only meant for eggs, then Chef Vincent seeks to prove you wrong with another dish of Sous Vide of Kurobuta Pork Belly with Crackling Skin, Braise Pork Cheeks on Fennel Salad tossed with Mustard Miso. A distinctive dish that enables one to experience two unique textural in one go – the pork belly was very well tendered being fatty but the skin was so wonderfully seared resulting in a cracking crisp with every bite, although one might frowned on the idea of paying top money for “Roast Pork” in a restaurant. If the pork belly played on texture, then the braised pork cheeks touched on taste. Not denying the truth that it was marvellous simmered till soft, it was the intense flavour, nicely captured by the meat that won HFB over – it was comparable to the Beef Cheek from Sage.
A nice surprise came with the palate cleanser of Tomato Essence. 'Revitalising' is probably the best word to describe the experience as the concoction immediately rids the tongue of any heavy aftertaste. HFB absolutely loves the refreshing tang!
The Grilled Wagyu Beef Tenderloin on Truffle Pomme Puree, Seasonal Vegetables was another delectable meat dish. With a marbling score of 5/6, it was surprisingly still very tender despite being grilled close to medium than medium rare. The Truffle Pomme Puree was another delight – the potato mash was really smooth and the tint of truffle gave it an added lift – this was another symphony of ingredients that worked really well in HFB’s opinion.
The dinner was rounded up with the Hazelnut Mille Feuille, or layers of Hazelnut Mousse, Salted Caramel and Feuilletine Crust. Although HFB felt that the hazelnut option was slightly heavy for a dessert, and would preferred something lighter on his palate, the robust hazelnut cream was something praiseworthy.
You can view all the photos here.
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Yet Con is a familiar name in the Hainanese culinary scene and is probably the oldest Hainanese restaurant in Singapore, dating back to 1940 when it was founded. Thats a whopping 79 years, even older then independent Singapore itself!
Located along the historic Purvis street, Yet Con's interior takes you back in time to the days when policemen still wore shorts - ceramic tiles on walls with the quintessential wooden frame mirror with Chinese inscriptions and large, albeit dirty wooden tables coupled with dated wooden chairs. Even the signboard fronting the eatery looks like a piece of relic, weathering the sun and rain for countless years. The only modern thing in this place is probably the air conditioning.
Steamboat - The 3 of us ordered the smallest steamboat serving ($8) which came with tiny fishballs, a smattering of pork, squid, prawns , chicken etc and an additional plate of rather unfresh beef ($8). No choices were given for the soup base, which was chicken stock.
Beancurd - I'm inclined to think that most cze char places make this beancurd dish the same way, braised with lots of egg gravy atop. The beancurd wasn't outstanding even though it was placed under the recommended section of the menu. Simple and no frills and something I can easily find at most cze char stalls.
Hainanese Chicken - No trip to a Hainanese eatery is complete without ordering their namesake Hainanese chicken. Yet Con's rendition was void of any oily residue that is known to plague this dish without compromising on the tenderness of the meat. The only gripe I had was that the meat was a wee bit too dry.
The 3 of us chalked up about $43 for this relatively simple and filling meal. If you hanker for a simple, no fuss food at average pricing, then Yet Con would probably work for you.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Indulge in a filling breakfast early in the morning, in the outdoors with fresh air surrounding you!
As are most diners, hidden in a corner in Dempsey Road along Harding Road I believe, is PS Cafe. A great place that's somewhat secluded, and so allows you to enjoy the peace and serenity - something you seldom get in our little over-crowded city. Nonetheless, I do understand that the place is much more crowded by noon, which I believe you will not experience it so long as you're there and leave before 11 or so?
Also, they allow you the choice of an indoor pseudo-outdoor experience with the air-con and slow-turning fans or the real open air outside, with smoking and non-smoking area. Despite being a non-smoker, and would really hate it if someone was gonna smoke there, the smoker's corner was really pretty cool with some yellow chairs that look real good to laze in and coffee tables in the middle.
When I was there in the morning, it wasn't packed yet. Only the tables outside at the non-smoking corner (probably also because the smoker's corner does not have proper dining tables) were fully occupied. However, there seemed to be quite a reasonable number of waiters around who were pretty quick to respond to your needs. Efficient waiters make a hungry man happy.
Along with my breakfast buddy, we had, to share, a big breakfast and blueberry pancakes. Save for the "blueberry", it really does sound like 2 portions of Macdonalds' breakfast meal (that's a joke of course).
Let me begin with my favourite - the blueberry pancake. Simple as it was, garnished with blueberries and strawberries, it tasted oh-so-good. Credits go to not just the maple syrup, but the pancakes itself too. The maple syrup was good in that it wasn't too sweet and so doesn't totally cover the taste of the blueberry pancake. Also, the pancakes were absolutely delectable. It was soft, came with quite some blueberry jam/ blueberries in the pancake itself and served in a generous portion of 3 large slices. It was so tasy (and again, not too sweet) that you could eat it without the maple syrup.
The big breakfast did not pale in comparison either. Again, another reasonably large serving. The breakfast came with scrambled eggs (or other choice of eggs eg poached/fried eggs), bread under the eggs, a stick of roasted asparagus, beef sausages, English bacon, roasted tomato dressed with basil leaves and a little serving of baked beans. The bread was buttery and tasty; the egg was nicely done and not over-scrambled, and went really nicely with tomato sauce (!); beef sausage was not salty nor tough. I didn't eat the asparagus nor tomato, but it seemed like my breakfast buddy enjoyed it. Baked beans didn't seem out of the can, as it wasn't as sweet as those.
All in all, I thought the breakfast was good as the flavour of the food served wasn't too strong for the first meal of the day. And being outdoors made it even more refreshing (despite the occasional falling leaves). Along with a mocha and hot chocolate, the breakfast was complete. (Of course this was only based on my breakfast experience, I didn't try their desserts/ lunch etc).
Although I may have sound like I enjoyed my time there, it really isn't a place I'd go to everyday. The bill came up to just over $60 for 2 and I think that explains my previous line. Apart from that, it is not a very accessible place for a person who doesn't drive. Nonetheless, if you're planning on going, do not worry as PS Cafe has impressed me by the provision of a card with all the numbers you can call to get yourself a taxi out of the place. Interesting and impressing.
So if you're looking to pamper yourself for a day, after a look week of hard work perhaps, maybe PS Cafe would be nice, albeit not an everyday-place.
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