Dining Out - FOC Restaurant

Since I had errands to run in the Clarke Quay area, we popped into FOC Restaurant for lunch. It is a Spanish tapas restaurant conceived by Michelin-starred chef Nandu Jubany.

To share, we ordered:

• Croquetas de Setas (Mushroom Croquettes)
• Arroz negro con mariscos y 'all I oli' (Black Mediterranean Squid Ink Paella)
• Costillas de cerdo a la brasa con pure de calabaza ahumada (Grilled Iberico Pork Ribs & Smoked Pumpkin Puree)
• Vieiras a la brasa con caldo de bonito y caviar de soja (Grilled Scallops with Soy Caviar & Bonito Stock)
• Ostra con salsa Ponzu (Fresh Oyster with Ponzu Sauce).

Fresh Oyster with Ponzu Sauce

I love fresh raw oysters and could easily scarf down a dozen on my own. But since these were $8 a piece, we only got one each. The oyster I ate was fresh and the briny oyster taste was complemented by the accompanying ponzu sauce. This left me wanting more.

Mushroom Croquettes

The mushroom croquettes were served to us hot atop dollops of garlic mayonnaise. The creamy and rich croquettes were studded with chunks of chopped up mushrooms and were scrumptious.

Grilled Scallops with Soy Caviar & Bonito Stock

The scallops were cooked to perfection and I polished off the plump fresh tender scallop in no time even though I tried to nibble on it slowly.

Black Mediterranean Squid Ink Paella

This was my favourite dish. The smoky squid ink-infused al dente rice grains were combined with chopped up chewy bits of fresh squid and garnished with fresh clams and prawns. When the accompanying garlic mayonnaise was mixed in, it gave the paella a different flavour that is no less delicious. It reminded me of my solo vacation in Spain and of the yummy squid ink paella I had in Granada.

Grilled Iberico Pork Ribs & Smoked Pumpkin Puree

This was the last savoury dish we ordered that was served. By then, we were already stuffed but forced ourselves to eat as much of this as we could. The pork ribs were smoky and tender, and I enjoyed each forkful more when I ate it with the pumpkin puree. We only managed to finish the top rack and gave up on the bottom rack since we wanted to save a little space for dessert.

For dessert, we got the Mini hamburguesa de chocolate FOC (FOC Mini Chocolate Burger).

FOC Mini Chocolate Burger

This was absolutely adorable and it tasted as good as it looked. The 'buns' were made of white chocolate mousse, the 'patty' was mik chocolate, the 'cheese' was a thin slice of sweet mango, the 'tomato' a slice of strawberry and the 'lettuce' were fresh mint leaves.

The place had a buzzy vibe and service was attentive without being obtrusive. The decor is hip and eclectic with pepper mills acting as lights above the bar that features a dice-mosaic design. A great find.


FOC Restaurant
Address: 40 Hong Kong Street Singapore 059679
Phone: 6100 4040

Sweet Endings - Milkissimo

After dinner with S & J at Ichiban Boshi at Nex, we adjourned to Milkissimo for dessert. After sampling the gelato to make sure they were not too milky tasting for me, S & I decided to get a 2-flavour cup to share. She let me pick the flavours and I chose Pumpkin and Sweet Potato.

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Gelato

The flavours were rich but after a while I found it a little too sweet. It was also quite pricey for the portion size; we forked over $7.50 for the 2-flavour cup we ordered. There were interesting flavours to choose from at this place, but I don't think I will be craving gelato from this place to warrant repeated visits.

Milkissimo

Address: 02-13A Nex, 23 Serangoon Central Singapore 556083

Cafe Hopping - Brunches Cafe

I went to try out Brunches Cafe located along Rangoon Road. The cafe was decorated whimsically with vintage items displayed all around. There were showpiece seats such as painted cushioned barrels and a sawed up car with the hood functioning as an utensils station.

Whimsical Decor

Wooden Birdhouse Lights

I ordered the Sous Vide Eggs and a cappuccino.

Sous Vide Eggs

Two perfectly runny eggs were immersed in a kombu mushroom broth and accompanied by a slice of crispy toasted bread. I broke both yolks and mixed it into the broth and used it as a dip for the toast. It was pretty tasty but a grouse I have is that the broth could be hotter since the chilled sous vide eggs made the broth barely warm.

Cappuccino

The generous cup of cappuccino was visually pleasing, but I did not enjoy the slightly acidic aftertaste. From the speed at which they served my coffee after I placed my order, I guess they prepared this from coffee they had brewed and left standing for a while instead of using fresh grounds to prepare the coffee. 

Luckily Old Hen Coffee Bar was just a stone's throw away, so I walked over and bought a bottle of their delicious Cold Brew to bring home to savour and satisfy my coffee craving.

Brunches Cafe

Address: 96 Rangoon Road Singapore 218381

Snack Review - Glico Pocky (Azuki)

My mum bought a whole bunch of Japanese snacks from her trip to Hokkaido so my diet (HAHA) is sort of ruined. My favourite snack out of the entire lot is the Azuki (Red Bean) flavoured Pocky.

Pocky (Azuki)

Each box had 4 individual packs (which is not enough if you ask me). Each stick of Hokkaido Azuki flavoured pretzel stick is coated with sweet milk chocolate and crunchy cookie bits. I could not wolf them down fast enough.

Why Hello, Yummy Pocky Sticks!

I asked Mum why she only bought a box and she said she would have bought more but this was the only pack left on the shelf of a 7-11 located atop a snowy mountain. Looks like these rare yummy things were destined to get in ma belly! 

Random iPhone Shots - Bhutan

Some shots from my week in Bhutan.

Iron Chain Bridge

Bhutan's National Animal - Takin

Khamsum Yuley Temple

Adorable Village Child

Cute Horses

Tiger's Nest

Woodcutter

Bhutan is a tranquil place and some of the best moments on our trip were when it was just us alone in the woods or on the mountains. 

Dining Out - Wooloomooloo Steakhouse

Restaurant Week lunch with J today at Wooloomooloo Steakhouse. We were both excited to try the place since we had heard good things about it.

I chose the Thinly Sliced Australian Veal Fillet as my appetizer, paid a $8 supplement to upgrade my steak to a USDA Prime Rib Eye and got the Dark Chocolate Mousse for dessert.

Onion Bread

The complimentary onion bread served to us warm was fluffy, fragrant and tasty. 

Thinly Sliced Australian Veal Fillet

The veal fillet slices were topped with cherry tomatoes, rocket leaves and a creamy tuna-caper dressing. I regretted my choice since I did not particularly like this dish.

USDA Prime Rib Eye

The Prime Rib Eye steak was done medium-rare and served with herb butter, and sides of Caesar salad and roasted rosemary potatoes. This was absolutely delicious, proving yet again that a good cut of steak cooked perfectly can never go wrong.

I had ordered a glass of Malbec to enjoy with my steak. What surprised me was that they did not bother to show me the bottle but instead just brought me a glass of red that had already been poured. This is not acceptable service for a fine-dining establishment especially when they are charging more than $18 a glass alone.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

The Dark Chocolate Mousse was served  atop a feuilletine base with a sliver of candied orange peel as garnish, and sliced bananas atop chocolate soil by the side. It was so-so, nothing remarkable.

Overall, food wise, the well-prepared steak was the redeeming factor for the place. 

I would also not recommend ordering wine at the place for the reason stated earlier. You are probably better off going to a Wine Connection outlet and paying slightly more for a full bottle and getting better service.

Wooloomooloo Steakhouse

Address: 2 Stamford Road, Level 3 Swissotel The Stamford Singapore 178882

Phone: 6338 0261

Cafe Hopping - Artistry

Drove to the Bugis area and decided to try out Artistry. The cafe showcases different art works by local artists and retails locally designed and locally made products. The place has a nice chilled out vibe and most of the patrons in the cafe looked young and hip (with the exception of myself). I ordered the Duck Confit Linguine and my usual cup of coffee.

Duck Confit Aglio Olio

The dish was yummy with al-dente linguine strands tossed in an olive oil and garlic mixture, with shredded duck and cherry tomatoes lending extra oomph and grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Cappuccino

Another day, another cup of great coffee.

Artistry

Address: 17 Jalan Pinang Singapore 199149

Phone: 6298 2420

Dining Out - Ristorante Amarone

S, J & I went to the restaurant earlier to wait for M to come from work. The friendly staff sat us at our reserved table and served us iced water to sip on while we wait.

From the set menu, I ordered the Burrata con pachino e melone (Mixed salad with burrata cheese, cherry tomatoes and melon) as my appetizer, the Costolette di agnello al ginepro (Juniper lamb T-bone in red wine reduction) as my main course and a scoop of chocolate gelato as dessert.

Burrata Con Pachino E Melone

The burrata cheese was very yummy. The accompanying cherry tomatoes were juicy and the melon slices sweet. When I compare it to the appetizer I had at Ristorante Takada, it is obvious to me that this place used ingredients of better quality than that place.

Costolette Di Agnello Al Ginepro

The tender lamb chops were cooked to perfection. I ordered a glass of Chianti to pair with the course and it boosted my enjoyment of the dish. Lamb is a tricky meat to prepare in my opinion and the restaurant has done good with this dish.

Chocolate Gelato & Black Coffee

The chocolate gelato was good, dotted with white and milk chocolate balls which were tasty and crunchy. And a strong black illy coffee to wash it all down.

The place has great ambience and the staff is friendly and attentive. When J requested for an alternative main course since neither option listed was to her liking, they obliged gladly at no extra charge.

Most importantly, it was a night of good food and great conversation with close friends. :)

It had been a while since we were able to meet with M since she is so busy with work and training.

When M sent us home afterwards, we were excitedly making plans in her car, already looking forward to April when V is visiting Singapore and the 5 of us will be reunited once more! 

Ristorante Amarone

Address: 168 Robinson Road, Capital Tower, Singapore 068912

Phone: 6423 0464

Cafe Hopping - Pantler

Restaurant Week dinner with PPZ today! Since our reservation was at 8pm, S, J & I met up at Pantler for a pre-dinner dessert. The place sold all sorts of tempting cakes and pastries which tasted great apart from looking pretty (based on what I had tried).

Pretty & Yummy Cakes

I ordered the Pear & Caramel Cake and a Pear & Starfruit juice. J commented on the fact that there were pears in both items I ordered. So I guess I was in a 'peary' mood?

Everything Arranged on a Nice Wooden Tray

J ordered the Yatsura and S had already polished off a cream puff all by herself prior to our arrival.

Yatsura

You can actually still see the end where J had already dug into the cake. Hurhur. 

It was a hazelnut praline chocolate dream. Or as S had described it when trying to convince J to get it, 'a cross between Ferrero Rocher and Kinder Bueno'.

Pear & Caramel

I thought my cake was yummy too. There were chunks of pear flesh dotting the caramel mousse, which is separated with layers of moist chocolate cake.

Would love to return again to try out more cakes and also grab a cup of coffee.

Pantler

Address: 198 Telok Ayer Street Singapore 068637

Phone: 6221 6223

Cafe Hopping - Sin Lee Foods

Had brunch today at Sin Lee Foods in the Tiong Bahru area. The cafe's decor was hipster chic with a brick feature wall and an art installation of bleached old-school calendars.

Hipster-Chic Art

When I find it a challenge to pick something because the menu offers several innovative and interesting options, I get excited. Apart from my usual cappuccino, I finally decided on a main cheekily called Macklemore.

Macklemore

It's always a good sign when people at the next table stare longingly at your plate of food after it is set down and commenting to each other that "It looks damn good."

The Macklemore features a grilled mackerel fillet lying atop a bed of buttered sweet corn kernels and sliced lap cheong, garnished with bonito fish flakes and drizzled with a jalapeno white sauce dressing. The flavours worked well together and every forkful was a delight.

Cappuccino

The cappuccino was beautifully pulled and tasted good. I must say I am really grateful for the robust cafe scene in Singapore. Good coffee is easy to find these days.

Sin Lee Foods

Address: 4 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee #01-164 Singapore 162004

Phone: 6377 3170

Movie - Chappie

SPOILER ALERT.

WHY IS HUGH JACKMAN A VILLIAN IN THE MOVIE? WHY?
One that you would love to hate at that since he is such a darn good actor.

Baddie Hugh

It's okay Hugh, I still love you. <3

Hottie Hugh

Oh the movie was alright, very violent. I preferred the other robot movie Hugh Jackman was in, Real Steel. 

By now, you should realise that this is just an obsessive post about my favourite actor, Hugh Jackman. Ok bye.

Cafe Hopping - Old Hen Coffee Bar

Many people on my Facebook feed have been raving about Old Hen Coffee Bar's Cold Brew Coffee so I decided to pop by to give it a try.

The place did not have a hot kitchen, so food options were mainly sandwiches prepped at the counter. Apart from ordering a Cold Brew (Creamy White) Coffee, I got the Crab Coleslaw Toast to munch on.

Crab Coleslaw Toast

The simply prepped sandwich tasted good, mostly due to the homemade sweet chili sauce that was used. I thought it was a nice touch to throw sliced strawberries into the accompanying salad.

Cold Brew (Creamy White) Coffee

But the star of the cafe has to be the Cold Brew. It was perfectly chilled in a labelled hipster-chic bottle and the mildly sweetened coffee was smooth and easy to drink. I enjoyed it tremendously. It's probably a good thing the cafe isn't near my house or I might find myself dropping $6.50 on a bottle more often than my wallet would like.

Old Hen Coffee Bar

Address: 88 Rangoon Road Singapore 218374

Phone: 6341 5458

Dining Out - Ristorante Takada

Had my first dinner this 10th Restaurant Week edition with SC at Ristorante Takada. SC made the reservation since we discussed trying this place when it first opened and she remembered.

From the set menu options, I picked the 3 Kinds of Mixed Appetizers, Tagliolino Hokkaido Sea Urchin and Maccha Tiramisu. We were served a complimentary Mushroom Cappuccino as an amuse-bouche.

3 Kinds of Mixed Appetizers

The 3 kinds of appetizers served to us were Tuna Tartare with Guacamole, Burrata Cheese with an Olive Oil Drizzle and a slice of Prosciutto. It tasted alright, nothing exceptional. I have had better versions of all 3 appetizers in other restaurants. To make a platter like this outstanding, the key is to use top-notch ingredients. For the price we were paying, I was not expecting them to use the best (and also equally expensive) ingredients.

Tagliolini Hokkaido Sea Urchin

Since I love Uni, I could not resist ordering the Sea Urchin Tagliolini. For this dish, there was an extra $8 supplement. SC got the same and upon tasting it, we both agreed that it was a little too salty. For an Italian restaurant with Japanese influences, I am surprised the taste was not more carefully managed in line with Japanese cooking philosophy of creating delicate flavours. It would also have been great if they were more generous with the fresh sea urchin.

Maccha Tiramisu

The Maccha Tiramisu was pretty good. I enjoyed the little cubes of rum-soaked cake balanced by the mascarpone cream and a dusting of green tea powder.

Petit Fours

The complimentary Petit Fours were light meringues, cocoa powder dusted soft chocolates and chocolate-dipped cookies.

For $35++. it was a value-for-money meal. I appreciate that this restaurant offered a number of options for mains, giving diners the choice to pay the listed supplement prices rather than opting to place a DiningCity Star in its listing and charge a flat $20++ supplement like 48 of the restaurants out of the list of 100 participating restaurants (YES I COUNTED).

Ristorante Takada

Address: 356 Alexandra Road #01-07 Alexis Singapore 159948

Phone: 6339 3969

Cafe Hopping - Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters Singapore

I have been wanting to try this cafe for a while. But the few times I swung by on the weekends, it was always packed. No such problem on a Tuesday afternoon though there were still a fair amount of customers present.

This spacious bright cafe is decorated in white and wooden hues and plays ambient music which results in a relaxing chilled out vibe. It is a comfortable space to sit and be alone or to linger with friends.

The menu options were interesting and I had difficulty deciding what to get. But in the end, I settled on the Salmon Royale and a 5 oz. White coffee.

Salmon Royale

The Salmon Royale had generous portions of smoked salmon, asparagus, wilted spinach and free range poached eggs laid atop a thick fluffy toasted brioche served with ebiko anchovie hollandaise sauce. The portion size was generous and I was feeling full by the time I was halfway done and utterly stuffed by the time I cleared my plate. But it was delicious and worth the calories. If you're not alone like me, I would suggest that you order the main to share, so you might have space for dessert.

WHITE

The coffee was great, which is expected seeing as the cafe boasts 'Boutique Coffee Roasters' in its name.

I would return again to try out the other Brunch options such as Red Velvet Pancakes and Truffle Benedict. For non-coffee drinkers, the place also offers a interesting range of imported bottled sodas and juices.

This is easily one of the best cafes that I have been to in a while.

Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters Singapore

Address: 185 Upper Thomson Road Singapore 574333

Cafe Hopping - One Man Coffee

I am able to drive again! So I drove myself to the Thomson area to try out One Man Coffee. It shares the space with Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar so to locate the place it is easier to spot the Crust signboard.

I ordered the Gashouse Egg with Bacon Jam & a Cappuccino.

Gashouse Egg with Bacon Jam

The Gashouse Egg was supposed to have a runny egg baked in the centre of the bread, but they overdid mine so it was not as yummy as I expected. I would have preferred less cheese on the bread as well. The only redeeming factor was the accompanying Bacon Jam. It was sweet and smokey and tasted like finely chopped up Bak Kwa.

Pretty Cappuccino

Not a very satisfying meal, but at least the coffee was good.

One Man Coffee

Address: 215R  Upper Thomson Road Singapore 574349

Phone: 9685 1685

Cafe Hopping - Seriously Ice Cream

G, Z & I decided to get dessert at another cafe and after wandering around the Everton Park estate, we found ourselves at Seriously Ice Cream.

We were served by a warm and friendly co-owner who was eager to tell us about the ice cream, how it was made fresh in small batches without preservatives or artificial flavours. He was nice enough to let us sample the different flavours, but first he started us off with a Mystery flavour that would win us a free scoop of ice cream if we got it right within 10 tries.

With the first small spoonful, I knew that the ice cream here was not for me. Because it was way too milky and I personally cannot stand the taste of fresh milk. I tried the Pandan Kaya flavour and also found the fresh milk flavour too overpowering. Since we already decided to share a waffle, I told the ladies to pick whatever ice cream they prefer and just walked away from the ice cream counter since I was not keen to try more.

Waffle with Ice Cream

As I was not too involved in picking out the ice cream flavours, I don't remember what flavour the pink one was but the brown one was Salted Caramel. I did not eat much of the ice cream, but I enjoyed the dense crispy waffle. 

The place was also a retail store displaying a hodgepodge of hipster items curated by the owners. All in all, it was an interesting cafe and I would recommend it to people if they love their ice cream creamy and milky, but it is sadly not the place for me to get my sweet kicks.

Seriously Ice Cream

Address: Blk 4 Everton Park #01-44 Singapore 080004

Phone: 9621 6889

Cafe Hopping - The Provision Shop

Met G & Z for lunch day at The Provision Shop located at the Everton Park neighbourhood. The 2 ladies were late so I got a Bundaberg Guava drink to sip on while I waited. After using the time to study the menu, I decided to order the Butternut Squash & Zucchini Lasagna.

I had actually dined here before when the place opened more than a year ago and had enjoyed the Reuben Sandwich that I had gotten. I was hoping that my choice this time would be equally delicious.

Butternut Squash & Zucchini Lasagna

Lasagna sheets layered with cream sauce sandwiched slices of zucchini and butternut squash. It was pretty tasty but I would have preferred the butternut squash slices to be softer. I did not feel sated after I wolfed it all down since portions were on the small side. But it could also be the fact that I had ordered a vegetarian dish and I was craving for some meat to feel satisfied. I am a proud Omnivore.

Since I finished my main in record speed, I ordered a cappuccino so I have something in front me while the girls slowly polished off their meal.

Pretty Coffee Art

I was impressed with the intricate coffee art and thought it photographed well. 

The place is great because while busy, it was never too packed so we were able to sit and have a leisurely lunch without feeling pressured to vacate our seats for other patrons. The waitstaff were also all friendly and cheerful. Residents of Everton Park are lucky to have this place in their estate.

The Provision Shop

Address: Blk 3 Everton Park #01-79 Singapore 080003

Phone: 6225 9931