The Coffee Connoisseur (Citylink Mall)

Yet another TCC experience. Only this time, it wasn't a coffee-day but a main course-day.

Menus at TCC vary slightly from place to place. But most of them are the same, other than the one at the Airport - has less food items, more coffee and drinks.

I notice that the food at TCC is rather American/Italian style but extremely localized. The ingredients used in their dishes tend to be common local dish ingredients e.g tofu, chicken, mushrooms, seafood etc. They do more sandwich and pasta, with generous portions of soup serving that's better to be shared between 2, or you'll be so full after the soup you can't finish your main course.

I tried their: Tofu Beef Panini Sandwich Tender slices of beef between the sandwich, along with soft velvet tofu that melts in your mouth. There's fish flakes (I think. The kind they put in your takopachi!) in the sandwich, and along with the sauce that gives it its flavour (which may be a little too salty for some). I found the whole sandwich really messy to eat because it's so huge and has multiple layers. Personally, I didn't quite like the taste of the sandwich. I didn't think the taste went together very well and it was odd having tofu with bread. Nonetheless, it did seem like an attempt at trying to cater to the locals' tastebuds.

Seafood Aglio Olio I liked this pasta because it was spicy! There were visible slices of chilli padi in it. The pasta was topped with prawns and scallop. Eat it while it's hot. This is when it's at its best. However when the pasta turns cold, the spaghetti would lump together and it becomes very dry to the mouth, you start getting sick of eating it. It's a rather oily dish though, and hence left a very uncomfortable feeling around my mouth. I didn't like how it was so oily and yet so dry when it turned cold.

Service: The lay out of this TCC outlet is much better than the one at the Airport. It is definitely not a problem to spot the waiters and vice versa. However I felt that the waiters were not very attentive, hence not that efficient.

On the whole, I feel that TCC is best suited for coffee and desserts only. Their main courses have a weird flavour and is not to the liking of someone like me, who is less adventurous when it comes to food.

Between 2 of us, we had a pasta, a sandwich and a Frappe. The bill came up to slightly more than $40 with GSt. Rather pricey too I would say. If you're looking for a place with good food to dine at, I don't quite recommend this place for the price and quality.

(PS: rating is based on food; their coffee is good!)