Cafe Hopping - Artisan Boulangerie Co.

Met up with NOC batch mates today for brunch at Artisan Boulangerie Co. After a round of jokes about my broken arm, we fell into catch-up mode.

I got the Shakshouka Skillet and my usual coffee - Cappuccino. The warm Turkish pide bread was delightful and went well with the skillet of two eggs baked in spiced tomato sauce. The accompanying Tahini was fragrant and nutty, but I preferred dipping my bread in the tomato and runny egg mixture. I thought the coffee was so-so as I would have preferred it to be stronger.

Shakshouka Skillet

There was a wide selection of sandwiches, pies, quiches, pastries and desserts on display. But I was too stuffed after finishing my main to order something sweet to end the meal with.

The café had a nice chill vibe and even though it was a Saturday afternoon, the place was buzzing but not overly packed. A good café to sit down in and hide away in town.

Artisan Boulangerie Co.

Address: 118 Killiney Road, Singapore 239555
Phone: 6444 8130

Show Time - Don't Dress for Dinner

It is the first Playmates outing since I returned to Singapore with my broken arm! We had high hopes for this originally French comedy that ran for over two years in Paris and six in London. But while it has the occasional funny moment, it was not exactly a home run which is a pity because the script showed promise.

Don't Dress for Dinner

S, H & J were quite distracted by the native accents of the leads and I agree that sometimes when they go off in a lengthy monologue or spoke too quickly, their words became barely audible, lost in their accents. Additionally, the actor playing Robert also obviously forgot his lines on a few occasions.

My biggest takeaway from the play is that the French have all sorts of illicit liaisons.

Don't Dress for Dinner
Event Date: Wed, 25 - Sat, 28 Feb 2015: 8PM
Venue: DBS Arts Centre - Home of SRT

Cafe Hopping - Pies & Coffee

After leaving Spathe Public House grumpy because our tummies were not filled, we walked by Pies & Coffee and decided to grab a quick bite there to supplement our earlier meal.

H picked out a Duck Confit Pie that came with a side of mashed potatoes. I grabbed a small bite of both and it tasted decent.

Duck Confit Pie

J convinced herself that the Orange Flourless Cake that came with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream was carb-free and she went to town with it. Again, I sneaked a bite and it tasted pretty yummy.

Orange Flourless Cake

I was tempted by a few items displayed in the dessert chiller, but eventually decided on the Earl Grey Tea Cake coupled with a cup of Cappuccino. In my humble opinion, my choice was the most delicious. The cake had been warmed and the glaze paired nicely with the moist cake. The base of the cake was studded with yellow raisins and overall it was not overly cloying.

Earl Grey Tea Cake & Cappuccino

Perhaps it was a good thing our main course did not get served at Spathe, for it had lead to yummier things for us. Or at the very least for me.

Pies & Coffee

Address: Robertson Walk, 11 Unity Street #01-25, Singapore 237995

Phone: 6733 9272

Dining Out - Spathe Public House

Met the Playmates to catch Don't Dress for Dinner tonight. I suggested dinner at Spathe Public House and it turned out to be a bad choice because our order of the barramundi main was forgotten and the wait staff only realised after we checked with them.

We managed to try the Garlic Fries, which was yummy and moreish. J succumbed to temptation and ordered the Mac & Cheese Burger which was a bit of a disappointment since the Mac & Cheese croquettes which replaced the usual buns were rather tasteless and could do with better seasoning.

Garlic Fries

Mac & Cheese Burger

We left the restaurant not really sated and the general sentiments of my dining companions are that they will not return anytime soon.

Spathe Public House

Address: 8 Mohamed Sultan Rd #01-01, Singapore 238958

Phone: 6735 1035

Cafe Hopping - Little Prince Creamery

After lunch at Studio Café SG (Ayam Penyet & Nasi Goreng), we popped over to Little Prince Creamery for dessert and coffee.

The café pays homage to the beloved book, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Illustrations from the book adorn the walls and floor and different versions of the books are arranged by the side of the long table by the window.

Copies of 'The Little Prince' Neatly Lined Up

As always, we got a cappuccino each and then ordered a waffle to share. We topped it with Samba Rumba (Rum & Café Latte) Ice Cream and Avocado Gula Melaka Ice Cream. Being the dessert alcoholic and coffee-lover that I am, I really enjoyed the Samba Rumba. The barista forgot our coffee order, but after I reminded her, she served us beautifully pulled cups of cappuccinos that tasted great.

The Cafe's Logo is NOT a Hat

Dining at this café, I was reminded of the central themes of the book. It is one of my all time favourite books and even now I can memorise quotes from the book off the top of my head. My favourite quote has to be "What is essential is invisible to the eye."

The Little Prince Creamery

Address: Blk 47 Lor 6 Toa Payoh #01-134 Singapore 310047

Phone: 8684 8218

Cafe Hopping - PLY Baked Goods

While running errands in the Thomson area today, we had time for a quick coffee before we had to pick up the petulant child from school. So we stopped at PLY Baked Goods and got ourselves cappuccinos and a slice of Royal Chempedak Cake to share.

Royal Chempedak Cake

The cake was absolutely delicious. It was not overly sweet and the chempedak mousse was studded with bits of chempedak flesh which added texture to the cake. The coffee was decent and served with a piece of Valrhona dark chocolate on the side, which was nice.

The shop was just a stone's throw from where Ah Ma's House used to be. I could imagine our family ordering cake for all occasions from here if we had still lived there.

PLY Baked Goods

Address: 95 Soo Chow Walk Singapore 575382
Phone: 6451 1866

Cafe Hopping - Oblong

After dinner, my greedy family decided to drive out for dessert. We went to Oblong at Serangoon Gardens to try out their famed ice cream waffles.

We got the Red Velvet Waffles with Cream Cheese topped with Salted Caramel Pistachio Ice Cream, Matcha Waffles with Azuki Beans topped with Earl Grey Lavender Ice Cream, Bamboo Charcoal Waffles with Lemon Curd topped with Matcha Azuki Ice Cream and 2 additional scoops of ice cream (Spooky Dark Chocolate and Ginger Cinnamon).

We attacked all the waffles as soon as they were set down like we have been starved for days. Says a lot about how greedy we are considering the fact that we were actually all pretty stuffed from dinner.

I only managed to snap a photo in all the melee.

Bamboo Charcoal Waffles with Lemon Curd & Matcha Azuki Ice Cream

It was agreed that the waffles were the highlight and that the ice cream played second fiddle. Our favourite was the Red Velvet Waffles with Cream Cheese. None of us particularly enjoyed the Ginger Cinnamon Ice Cream and we left that to melt after trying to consume as much of it as we can tolerate.

I am definitely returning to try out other waffles and ice cream flavours. Oh my poor expanding waistline.

Oblong

Address: 10 Maju Ave Serangoon Garden Estate Singapore 556688

Phone: 6858 2320

Dining Out - Chotto Matte

We were going to try out The Clan Restaurant this afternoon but after driving around in circles and failing to locate a parking spot, we drove away and decided to try our luck at the first interesting place we can spot that would present less of a challenge in terms of locating parking.

We ended up at Chotto Matte, a modern Japanese restaurant/bar. According to the staff, they were in the midst of changing their menu, hence many of the items printed on the paper placemat menus were unavailable. I ended up ordering the Chirashi Set Lunch ($39.90++) which came with a salad, a side of salmon sashimi and a bowl of Japanese rice with an assortment of fresh sashimi arranged prettily on top.

Chirashi Set Lunch at Chotto Matte

When it comes to Japanese sashimi, freshness is key. I enjoyed what I was served and would be keen to return to try out the cooked food options.

Chotto Matte
Address: 54 Blair Road Singapore 089954
Phone: 6222 8846

Random iPhone Shots

爱心饼干

 



CNY goodies lovingly baked by J and her mum for me. Her mum even improved on the recipe for the Coffee Cookies by adding in more coffee flavour because I mentioned previously that I would have preferred it to be more intense. :)

 

 

 

TIME SUCKING GAME COMPLETED

 

I am a little ashamed to admit that I got hooked on Civilisation III again for days on end, but I got one of my best results ever! Elizabeth the Great! :D

 

 

 

CNY Reunion Dinner Dishes

 

These seemingly simple looking dishes are actually tedious to prepare and oh so very yummy.



 

 

 

Hottie to Usher in the Year of the Goat

 

This is the cutest CNY greeting I received thus far.

Snack Review - General Mills Dulce de Leche Cheerios

When browsing Meidi-Ya Supermarket, my heart skipped a beat when I chanced upon my favourite Banana Nut Cheerios which I snacked on incessantly while working in the States. But alas, the boxes on sale were due to expire soon. However, I was slightly cheered when I saw that they had Dulce de Leche Cheerios on sale, which I had not tried before.

Dulce de Leche Cheerios

The darker-coloured cheerios held a more intense caramel flavour while the paler-coloured cheerios were more milky sweet. Since I am not a big fan of milky-tasting food, this box of cereal did not exactly blow me away like its Banana Nut counterpart. Which is probably a good thing since I recall I was able to snack on an entire box of Banana Nut Cheerios a day in the past. Yikes.
 

Dining Out - iSteaks Diner

For Valentine's Day this year, PPZ celebrated it together. Or rather, we made use of the day to celebrate Princess J's birthday. As J craved steak for her cheat day, we decided to go to iSteaks Diner located in myVillage mall at Serangoon Gardens.

I ordered a 180g cut of Australian Ribeye done Medium-Rare and chose Buttered Corn Kernels and Macaroni & Cheese as my sides. The steak was perfectly done and really yummy topped with the mushroom sauce. The only thing I did not really enjoy was the Macaroni & Cheese as it tasted like instant cheese sauce poured over the boiled pasta, so it was not really flavourful. I actually suspect it is Kraft Instant Macaroni & Cheese. But still I finished it (which in hindsight I regret).

J got the Australian Wagyu Ribeye, S got the Norwegian Salmon Fillet and M got the Pepper Chicken. We all liked our own selection except for poor M. We also got an order of Escargot with Garlic Bread to share and that was pretty decent too. A big plus is that prices are affordable.

Skilled Shot of Our Food by S

Even now writing this at 12.52AM in bed, I am having a serious craving for the steak. Damn it. Definitely going back again soon and next time I will be ordering the 250g cut instead.

iSteaks Diner

Address: 1 Maju Avenue, Serangoon Gardens, #02-03, Singapore 556679

Phone:6285 8839

Dining Out - Sorrel

SC, my foodie friend asked me to try out Sorrel with her. It is one of the latest ventures backed by hotelier-restauranteur, Loh Lik Peng.

For dinner, there was a choice between a 5-course (S$88) or 7-course (S$118) tasting menu. Being the gluttons that are, we opted for the more extensive option. SC, even splurged on a wine pairing while I chose to be kinder to my wallet.

The chef and his team tried to present innovative ingredients and cooking methods in a deconstructed manner (as is the trend these days), but from what I remembered, nothing really stood out for me. I appreciate the effort but the truth is I have had better elsewhere. Perhaps the new restaurant still needed time to iron out its teething problems.

Snapshot of the 7-Course Tasting Menu

Sorrel

Address: 21 Boon Tat Street, Singapore 069620

Telephone: 6221 1911

Website: http://www.sorrel.sg





Cafe Hopping - Workbench Bistro

Found out about a new café in the Ang Mo Kio area through the 8 Days Eat App and decided to try it out.

Choices for mains were limited as is common with small cafes. In the end, I went with the Crab Meat Linguine while Mum ordered the Chicken Aglio Olio. They were alright, passable pasta dishes for a café.

Crab Meat Linguine

 Chicken Aglio Olio

We ordered a waffle with Gula Melaka and Earl Grey flavoured ice cream to share for dessert and a cappuccino each. Pretty good, but nothing to shout about.

 Waffle with Ice Cream & Cappuccinos

If this was conveniently located within walking distance from my housing estate, I would not mind popping in for the occasional ice cream waffle, but it is not a place I would make a special drive down for.

Workbench Bistro

Address: Block 332 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 #01-1881 Singapore 560332

Phone: 8484 2488





Snack Review - Tivoli Chibon Hazumi-No (Pumpkin, Sweet Potato & Almond Flavoured)

Sandwiched between a Pumpkin & Almond cookie and thin wafer is a sweet potato white chocolate layer resulting in another interesting combination of flavours.

Tivoli Chibon Hazumi-No (Pumpkin, Sweet Potato & Almond)

 

I found it a tad too sweet as compared to the Peanut & Sesame Milk Chocolate version of this snack. As such, it would be more enjoyable paired with a cup of unsweetened tea rather than on its own.

Snack Review - Tivoli Chibon Hazumi-No (Peanut & Sesame Flavoured)

Each biscuit is made up of a thin layer of peanut sesame cookie and wafer sandwiching a sweet milk chocolate layer. The pairing is brilliant and the flavours are complementary.

Tivoli Chibon Hazumi-No (Peanut & Sesame)

 

 

Brewed myself a cup of Matcha to go along with it and I could almost kid myself that I was enjoying all of it at a nice Japanese teahouse. The Channel 8 drama blaring on the television ruined the illusion though.



Snack Review - Meiji Pucca (Milk Coffee Flavoured)

In Junior College, I was obsessed with Pucca. I thought they were healthier-tasting compared to Meiji Panda biscuits because the pretzel shell was non-greasy. Even though the calorie-count for both snacks are almost identical, I somehow believed I was making a healthier snack choice when I picked the fish-shaped snacks over their panda-shaped counterparts.

I also love coffee-flavoured anything. So this new gem from Meiji is such a delight to scarf down.

Meiji Pucca (Milk Coffee)

Random iPhone Shots

These things below made me laugh/smile this week.

Meme Sent via Whatsapp from a Friend

Still not quite sure how I should feel about this.

Blue 'Ah Beng' Floor Lighting in Friend's Car

I can't look at her in the same light now.

Venetian-Themed Musical Box 

My sister bought it back as a gift for me from Taiwan. Totally useless. But cute.

Snack Review - Kettle Sweet Potato Chips (Lightly Salted)

Let me just start by saying it is easy to finish a pack of this in one sitting. Not saying that I did, but that it is easy to.

Since they were baked, the chips were non-greasy. The natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes also shone through because the chips were lightly salted.

Kettle Sweet Potato Chips (Lightly Salted)

A great alternative to regular chips if you ask me, though portion control might be an issue. You have been warned.

Snack Review - Kabaya Paris Biscuits (Garlic Flavoured)

Shopped at Yamakawa Super and bought a bunch of Japanese snacks.

When I returned home from dinner with friends tonight, I was informed that my nieces had tore into this baguette-shaped snack because they thought they were eating garlic bread biscuits. But they were sweet enough to save some for me.

Tasting it, I realised how they could have almost finished the entire packet between the 2 of them (saving only 3 pieces for me). The garlic taste wasn't overpowering, and the subtle hint of flavour made the snack very moreish.

Kabaya Paris Biscuits (Garlic)

Snack Review - Nabisco Picola (Crème Brûlée Flavour)

These Japanese version of Julie's Love Letters were delightful. I enjoyed them with a cup of Dilmah Italian Almond Tea and I could almost pretend I was scarfing down a Crème Brûlée at a fancy dessert place.

Nabisco Picola (Crème Brûlée)

Cafe Hopping - Real Food

Had to submit my original medical invoices to my insurer today, so had lunch at a cafe located at Clarke Quay.

This was not my first time at Real Food, located at B1 of The Central mall. Mum also recalled that we were here previously with Dad because they served healthy wholesome organic food prepared upon order.

I ordered Pumpkin Pancakes from the All-Day Breakfast menu and got a glass of Celery Carrot Pineapple juice to go along with my meal. The pancakes were nothing to shout about but they were not cloying when paired with the accompany pineapple cubes, orange wedges and saucer of maple syrup.

#eatclean

Real Food

Address: B1-52/53 The Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen St, Clarke Quay, Singapore 059817

Phone: 6224 4492

Random iPhone Shots

These inanimate objects make me happy, which is no surprise since they are food and bubbly.

Raspberry Heart

Tempus Two Copper Series Moscato 2013

Ah, the Moscato reminds me of the lovely time I had in Hunter Valley just last December.

Happy times indeed.

Snack Review - Kabaya Saku Saku Panda Biscuits (Caramel Flavour)

Japanese snacks (Okashi) are a major major weakness of mine. I feel compelled to buy and try each new variety I come across in supermarkets or specialty shops.

Bought Kabaya Saku Saku Panda Biscuits at Fairprice Finest in Thomson Plaza. It is of course no surprise that they are tasty (Japanese snacks rarely disappoint). The caramel-flavoured chocolate paired well with the chocolate biscuit. There are different expressions on each biscuit if you take the time to lovingly examine them before you hardheartedly chow them down.

 Kabaya Saku Saku Panda Biscuits (Caramel)

A most scrumptious way to feast on this endangered animal if you ask me.

Cafe Hopping - Top Deck

After brunch at Pasta J, the Mum and I went hunting for a post-meal coffee.
We ended up at Top Deck, which is located above Habitat Coffee.

The space is a hipster's idea of heaven. Apart from a few tables for patrons, a central display table held all sorts of interesting knick-knacks for sale, though they were rather pricey in my humble opinion.

Painfully hip

The cappuccino was delish and beautifully pulled. Strong, just the way I like it.

The baby's breath in recycled bottle instantly elevates this shot, no?

Top Deck

Address: 223 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574355

Phone: 6707 8119

It all started with m**** g*****

So my dear friend S has been nagging at me to start blogging because she thinks I can possibly make a living out of blogging. I beg to differ, but I am doing it anyway because she challenged me to overcome my laziness and actually write something.

We had made plans to exercise together, then have a carb-free dinner. But alas, we got lazy and not only did we not exercise, we had a carb-rich dinner at The Roti Prata House at Thomson. Crispy Prata, Maggi Goreng & Teh Tarik. Unhealthy, but oh so satisfying.

FAT FRIENDS FOREVER

The Roti Prata House
Address: 246M Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574370
Phone: 6459 5260