 |
||
DISCLAIMER If you have any comments/suggestions/places you think serve great food, do share with us! Email me at qiuyi_ong@hotmail.com or leave a comment in the tag board. Thanks and cheers to future gastronomical adventures! MY TO-GO LIST Au Jardin (Eaten!) Au Petit Salut Buko Nero (Eaten!) Cugini (Eaten!) Forlino (Eaten!) Gunther's Jaan (Eaten!) La Strada Le Bistrot Nicolas Pasta Brava (Eaten!) Sage (Eaten!) Tatsuya Tetsu (Eaten!) I LIKE Cugini Kuriya Le Figue LivinGreens Nanbantei Ootoya Original Sin Pasta Brava Sage Tetsu Valentino PAST ENTRIES May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009
Labels Australia Buffets Chinese Desserts European French Fusion Hong Kong Indian Italian Japanese Korean Macau Mediterranean Mexican Middle East New Zealand Organic Thai Vegetarian Western
|
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Swensen's #2
#B1-33/34, Parkway Parade 6346 1886 It's been years since I stepped into any Swensen's restaurants. I remember how thrilled I would be, as a kid, when my family went to Swensen's for a meal. The cool "earthquake" and "firehouse" sundaes never failed to make us kids go wild with glee. Instead of having desserts this time, I had the Grilled Pesto Salmon ($15.90++).  Now that there's a 1-for-1 lunch promotion, portion was understandably small. The salmon was nice though, with tender flesh and crisp skin. There's really nothing not to like about it!Labels: Western 1:01 PM ---------- Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Little Part 1 Cafe
15 Jasmine Road 6451 7553 The name of the cafe sounds so cute: Little Part 1 Cafe. Where's Part 2? I think it's quite ingenious of the owners to come up with such a name. They can simply increase the number if they ever expand the business.  I don't think any of us like the Mango Udon Roll ($8.90). To me, it was just a cacophony of clashing flavours and textures with the avocado, japanese cucumber, mango and mints. The rice paper also didn't hold the roll intact so everything just collapsed in a messy pile.  I had the Wild Yam and Natto Salad ($15.90) as it's pretty uncommon to find such a combination elsewhere. I just love this! It was so good with the fresh organic mixed greens and lady's fingers, wild yam and japanese natto in a homemade tahini dressing. The flavours really came together very well. Natto is an acquired taste for many but I like it a lot ever since I tried it in Hokkaido. These fermented beans have a powerful smell, strong flavour and sticky, glue-like consistency.  The Smoked Salmon Salad ($15.90) is a new item on the menu. Mixed greens and smoked salmon slices are mixed with parmesan cheese in a shoyu dressing. To me, the salad looked really good and fresh but for others not used to eating salads, this (and other salads) may be considered a little too raw. Not to worry though. There are also other mains on the menu. The Kitsune Udon ($12.90) is served with japanese sweet beancurd, assorted mushroom and pumpkin with a dashi broth. I think this is a somewhat semi-organic cafe as the noodles are organic! Desserts are understandably limited since this is a small cafe. They have a impressive selection of drinks though. The Ugly Mud Pie ($7.50) was served with a scoop of normal vanilla ice cream. This didn't impress us much as the generous consenus was that it was a tad too dry and cakey. Personally, I find it too sweet for my liking. In case you are wondering what's in the background of the photo, it's actually a board game. There's a small selection of games stacked on a bookselves for diners to play after their meals. We did exactly just that over desserts. The guys lost a bet and treated us to the Warm Apple Crumble ($7.50)! This is apparently the house specialty and one of their customers' favourites. And rightly so! I like the fillings which were generous and not too sweet. I can't really on the crust since I don't like pastry crust in general but I reckon it was alright here. The ambience of the cafe is very relaxed and laid back. This is the type of place perfect for winding down with friends after work. My only grouse is its slightly inaccessiblity since it's tucked away in the housing estate just off Thomson Plaza. 7:39 PM ---------- Tuesday, May 19, 2009Sweet Indulgence This was truly a hidden find a short distance away from my workplace. Small and cozy, this restaurant is a good place for a meal with friends after a long day at work.
My Baked Salmon Fillet ($24.50+) was excellent! I specially requested for a slightly undercooked salmon as I want the middle to be soft. The results couldn't have been better. Moist and soft, the fish melted in the mouth! An unlikely star was the mashed potato which was really good, smooth and not too creamy. I think there were even bits of garlic embedded in it, thus raising the fragrance a notch higher. The bowl of orange based salsa on the side was very appetising and refreshing with its tangy dressing. On the whole, everything came together well.
The Pan-fried Sea Bass ($24.50+) was also great! The thick slab of fish was very fresh and succulent. Served with the excellent mashed potato and daily vegetables, this is very much a complete meal by itself.
With such a sweet name, I have rather high hopes for the desserts. Just the name "Warm Chocolate Lava Indulgence" ($10.50+) sounds sinful to boot. Beautifully presented with fresh fruits and vanilla ice cream, the warm chocolate cake was very good with its molten dark chocolate centre. Though it would have been better if there wasn't so much icing sugar sprinkled on top. I loved the vanilla ice cream even more as it was so smooth and there were real specks of real vanilla beans. This ice cream is definitely one of the better ones I've eaten.
There was a slight "mishap" as the chocolate cake served was not warm despite its name. In fact, it was downright cold. I sent it back to the kitchen and while waiting for a new one to be replaced, the owner kindly served us a complementary panna cotta. I'm not a fan of panna cotta as it's essentially cooked cream. I guess this was decent enough since the milk taste was not too strong. Less than halfway through the panna cotta, we discovered a living insect moving around on the plate. I alerted the waiter and he replaced another one for us. I felt quite embarrassing for the owner initially but in the end, we just laughed it off.
 Business seemed to be very slow on a weekday. We were the only occupied table throughout our long and leisure dinner. Luckily, a couple came in just as we were finishing and we heaved a sign of relief for the owner. The owner and staff were very friendly and came to ask for our feedback after clearing the plates from the table. Though prices may be a tad pricey for a simple dinner, there is a promotion now that offers a free dessert with every 2 main courses ordered. Do drop by this place if you have the chance!Labels: Western 7:37 PM ---------- Friday, May 8, 2009
Cafe Oliv
220, East Coast Road 6344 3114 The FAC celebrated Christina's birthday here since she was craving for western food. All of us had the set dinner which comprised of a soup, drink, main and dessert since it was very value for money. The soup of the day was crab bisque. Despite the unappealing colour, the bisque was surprisingly good with its thick, smooth and creamy texture.  The Oliv Mini Trio Meat Burger ($20.90+ for set dinner) is one of the signature dishes. There were grilled mini tenderloin steak, mini cod fish steak and "kong bah" pork stacked on mini burger buns with cheese and bacon served with mesclun salad and wedges. This is perfect for carnivores who want to try a little of everything!  The portion of the salmon pasta ($16.90+ for set dinner) was really generous. Likewise, my Dill Salmon with Coriander Dill Cream ($19.90+) came with 2 thick slabs of salmon. Too bad my camera died out on me at this point. You really need to see it to believe how large a portion I'm talking about. I think there were only 3 desserts on the menu and we got to try all of them. Being a non vanilla lover, I didn't like the creme brulee. It seemed more like an eggy custard and there was scant taste of vanilla.  I liked the brownie as it was studded with lots of walnut pieces. Funny how I'm eating less brownies outside not that I know how easily it is to bake one. But it's always a good choice especially when the warm brownie is paired with a scoop of good ice cream.
The Muddy Mudpie was our favourite out of the 3. It was simple and the ice cream was smooth and creamy. The only grouse I have was that the chocolate sauce drizzled over it was not rich enough. Nevertheless, this beats the one from Coffee Club hands down!
Happy 21st birthday, Na! To many more food outings in future. I love you! Labels: Western 8:51 PM ---------- Friday, April 24, 2009
Coffee Club
48A Lorong Mambong, Holland Village 6466 0296 It's been a long while since I've had a good sandwich. The Omega-3 Bomb ($14.50++) sounded delicious with its description of seared tuna, eggs, olive and basil pesto. But I was rather disappointed with it as the tuna was much too tough and overcooked despite being red in the middle.
The signature dessert, Muddy Mudpie ($8.90++), didn't satisfy my sweet tooth this time. The cappuccino and chocolate ice cream was too frozen with embedded crystals, an unforgivable sin for a good ice cream. Personally, I prefer desserts with a contrasting texture so this was too monotonous to me. Labels: Western 3:52 PM ---------- Saturday, February 14, 2009
White Dog Cafe
#02-131/132 VivoCity 6376 9970 Even though it's Valentine's Day, the cafe still offered their daily set lunches at the same price. Naturally, this attracted many diners since many other restaurants were only offering overpriced "special" couples' menus. Hui Yi and I needed to wait awhile before a table was available.  We decided to share the set lunch ($11.80++) which came with soup, a choice of main course and either coffee or tea. Since I didn't want the cream of chicken, we topped up another $2++ for cream of mushroom. It was hearty and thick with finely chopped mushrooms. This is definitely not the Campbell soup standard! We also ordered an appetiser to share. The Sauteed Wild Mushrooms ($4++) was average. Chopped garlic and parsley lent a fragrance to the otherwise bland slices of mushrooms. Portion size was good though for the price paid.  The choice of main course was Pan-fried Glazed Salmon with Japanese Sauce. This was served with a side salad and butter rice. This reminded me of something I will see served in a hawker centre rather than a cafe. The salmon was too dry but the skin was crispy enough. I suppose I can't expect too much for the price paid.  We topped up another $3.50++ for a slice of White Dog Specialty Cake. The Hazelnut Crunch was the winner after perusing the list of cakes but was an utter disappointment. I think only hazelnut essence was used to bring out the flavour instead of the real deal. Cheap cornflakes were sprinkled on the cake which was much too creamy.  Hui Yi has been telling me about the Warm Chocolate Cake ($5.80++) for ages and I finally got the chance to try it today. It was good but definitely not the best I've eaten.  When the cake was cut, the hot chocolate lava did flow out but not as much as I would have liked to see. The vanilla ice cream was awful! It was too milky and sweet.  I didn't particularly like the service as it could be better. When I requested for the menu a second time and subsequently for a bottle of water, the waitress didn't look too pleased. I was 99% sure a flicker of annoyance passed over her face before she turned away. The lady at the table next to us was unlucky enough to have milk poured accidentally onto her lap and bag. Food wise, there was nothing that would make me come back again. Labels: Western 1:46 PM ---------- Friday, January 23, 2009
Toast
#02-11, Ngee Ann City 6733 8489 Don't be mistaken, I did not go to Toast Box but Toast, a cafe by The Marmalade Group. Hui Yi, Wen Yi and I actually searched for this place last year but it was not open for dinner. This time, we came for a late lunch instead.  As usual, I had difficulty deciding on what to order as there were many interesting items on the menu that I wanted to try. In the end, I settled on the Grilled Vegetable Wrap ($7.50) which had grilled eggplant, butternut and red peppers with hummus on wholewheat tortilla wrap. The toasted wrap was good but could have been better with more generous fillings. Hui Yi polished off her Oven-roasted Chicken Breast Wrap ($7.70), with wood roasted peppers and emmental cheese in a wholemeal tortilla wrap, very quickly! The Tuna Sambal ($6.80) with dried shrimp and rocket on panini was an interesting choice but Wen Yi didn't like it. Hidden in a corner outside the shopping centre, this may be a little hard to find. I think it caters more to the working adults for lunch as the choices were rather limited when we were there in the late afternoon. This is a good alternative place to have a sandwich or a slice of cake without burning the pocket.Labels: Western 2:42 PM ---------- Friday, January 16, 2009
The Soup Spoon #2
#B1-K4/K7, Paragon Shopping Centre 6738 3860 It's official. I am a soup convert now. Not only are they affordable and filling, the versatility of soups means that there are many different varieties to choose from. This time, I tried the Meatless Minestrone ($5.60 for regular) with whole grains roll. Thick with ingredients such as zucchinis, kidney beans, tomatoes and pasta, each mouthful is a burst of various flavours and textures.  I liked Betty's order of Velvety Mushroom Stroganoff ($7.70). It was a very robust and full-bodied with the aroma of mushrooms. However, after a few spoonfuls, it could get a little overwhelming on the stomach as it's creamy. This is really for serious for mushroom lovers!
Betty got an additional half a Roast Beef Sandwich and a glass of iced tea by topping up another $3.90 for a full meal. And almost regretted it because it turned out to be too much. Trust me, if Betty had difficulty finishing everything, it's really a lot of food!
Hui Yi opted for the all time favourite, Roasted Pumpkin with Toasted Almonds. Delicious!
I think older generations like my mom or grandma will think that having a bowl of soup doesn't constitute a full meal because it's just liquid. That's just plain nonsense! They are so big on flavour and satisfying! Labels: Western 8:38 PM ---------- Friday, January 9, 2009
The Soup Spoon #1
#B1-75, Raffles City Shopping Centre 6334 3220 I've passed by The Soup Spoon countless times but have never tried it until today. The place was so packed with the dinner crowd that Hui Yi and I took about 20 mins to find a seat.  The all time favourite Roasted Pumpkin with Toasted Almonds ($5.70 for a regular bowl) was thick and hearty, just the way I like it. The blend of spices made it flavourful and the almonds gave an added crunch. Finally, I can understand why this place is so popular and always filled with people. Not only are the soups affordable, they warm the tummy and leave one completely satiated. I definitely forsee myself coming back here sooner rather than later!Labels: Western 7:59 PM ----------
Bakerzin #2
#03-58/59, Jurong Point Shopping Centre 6791 2155 Jurong Point has recently completed its renovation and a new extension has been added. Hui Yi and I went there after school to check it out and ended up at Bakerzin after seeing their promotional poster.
 The Seafood Flaky Pizza was our main course. I thought this was quite a good deal as it costs $14.80++ if you order it from the ala carte menu. However, the ingredients of squids, mussels and prawns were used sparingly on the puff pastry. Like the soup, this was average and failed to make an impression. The Valrhona Warm Chocolate Cake ($4.90++) was the sole reason why we came to Bakerzin. Until 31st January 2009, Bakerzin is offering its signature dessert at only half the price! Every table I saw ordered at least one serving of this. Trust me, this is a good deal! This was really decadence with every bite! The melt-in-the-mouth chocolate oozed with rich and dark Valrhona chocolate once I cut it in half. Paired with cold homemade vanilla ice cream, orange confit and seasonal berries, the contrast of flavour and texture made me sigh with pleasure. I'm glad that the quality of the desserts is still consistent. But I can't say the same for the main courses. Bakerzin should just stick to what it does best: creating sinful desserts! Labels: Western 1:24 PM ---------- Thursday, January 1, 2009
Cedele by Bakery Depot #4
#03-14, Wheelock Place 6732 8520 Happy new year to everyone! Before we went on our exchange, Hui Yi and I made a pact to meet up on the first day of 2009 after not seeing each other for nearly half a year. It's so nice to see you again, best friend! We went to one of my favourite deli for lunch. I had the Totally Veggie Burger ($11.50++) dashed with roast beetroot red onion chutney. The grilled homemade lentils, tofu and spinach patty was delicious as usual but a little too small though.
The vegetarian soup of the day ($9.50++) was wild mushroom. It's very hearty and wholesome!  With any order of soup, diners can have a free flow of rustic bread at the bread counter. Wen Yi was late as usual and opted for the Old-fashioned Apple Pie ($3.60++). The food at Cedele never fails to please me but I feel that the prices are a little too high. When I was in New Zealand, it was so easy to find a good sandwich at half the price! That said, I would still come back for the yummy treats. And since all food served at Cedele are free of trans fat, it makes indulging more guilt free! Labels: Western 2:03 PM ---------- Thursday, June 26, 2008
Cedele by Bakery Depot #3
#03-14 Wheelock Place 6732 8520 Hui Yi, Wen Yi and I came over to Cedele after being told that we had to wait for 30 minutes for a table at ‘Sun with Moon’ just next door.  I ordered the Grilled Vegetable Supreme ($17.90++) which was very tasty. The platter came with grilled Portobello mushrooms, red peppers, pumpkins, mashed potatoes, roast onion and beetroot chutney, and green salad. Everything tasted good and my favourite is the grilled pumpkin slices which are so sweet and fragrant.
 Wen Yi said that his Grilled Aubergine Coriander Chicken Sandwich ($14.80++) was very good. Grilled chicken and aubergine with homemade coriander pesto are sandwiched between walnut bread, together with melted brie, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato.
Our complementary scoop of Cloud9 ice cream by Cedele—eggless, no transfats and freshly made. There are some interesting flavours like Caramel Sea Salt and Teh Halia but I chose Earl Grey & Fig. It’s quite nice, not too milky and with chunks of figs studded in it. The earl grey flavour could have been stronger though.
Cedele has recently been newly revamped and the café seems to be more spacious now.
Labels: Western 7:56 PM ---------- WELCOME! LOCAL FOODIES' BLOGS Gastronomic Ruminations She Bakes & She Cooks Singapore Daily Makan Photo Small Potatpes Make the Steak Look Bigger The Orthorexic Foodie The Skinny Epicurean Timeless Facade Food Glorious Food FOOD FOR THOUGHT | |
As usual. I didn't like the complementary bread as it was too soft and fluffy. Yes, I don't like such bread though it may be hard to believe.
After all the trouble they've gone to for us, we wanted to show our appreciation. And what better way to satisfy both parties by ordering one more dessert? The portion of the Tiramisu ($10.50+) was extremely generous! There were thick layers of mascarpone cheese and lady fingers soaked in coffee. This was quite good but I was looking for the taste of liquor which was sorely missing. The owner actually used a mixture of liquor such as kahlua, rum and brandy but it was too mild for my liking.
