Cafe Hopping - Ciel Patisserie

After lunch and sending the younger sister to work at far-flung Boon Lay, we drove to Ciel Patisserie at Hougang for dessert and coffee.

CIEL Patisserie

We got the Fuji and a Ginger Brulee Tart to share and a cappuccino each. The place had no fancy coffee machine, so our coffee was made using Nespresso capsules, but they did froth fresh milk to make the foam.

Fuji

The Fuji is a light green tea mousse cake with a lychee gelee centre. I thought the green tea sponge cake base was a little dry, so the slice we had was probably a couple of days old, but it was still decent.

Ginger Brulee Tart

The Ginger Brulee Tart had a nicely caramelised hard shell that broke to reveal a ginger infused custard cream encased in a tart crust.

The cakes and pastries are not overly sweet and prices are lower than at other patisseries. A pretty good option for residents in the area with a sweet tooth.

Ciel Patisserie

Address: Blk 124 Hougang Avenue 1 #01-1444 Singapore 530124

Phone: 6383 0803

Dining Out - SQUE Rotisserie & Alehouse

Met the NOC batchmates at SQUE Rotisserie & Alehouse at Clarke Quay Central for a gathering. We picked the place largely for its Happy Hour deals of 1-for-1 draught beer, ciders and cocktails.

Apart from a round of drinks, we got the SQUE Platter to share.

SQUE Platter

The humongous platter had spring chicken, pork knuckle, st-louis bbq pork ribs, smoked spicy chicken sausage, neurnberger bratswurst, merguez and salad. Everything tasted pretty good but it was meat overload in the end and the 5 of us could not finish everything. We got Profiteroles and Tiramisu for dessert which was pretty decent.

Later in the night, we ordered French Fries with truffle dip and another round of Happy Hour drinks so we could sit and chat some more.

The conveniently located place is great for large group gatherings. Plus the food is decent and the drinks affordable, so what's not to like?

SQUE Rotisserie & Alehouse

Address: #01-70 The Central, 6 Eu Tong Seng Street, Singapore 059817

Phone: 6222 1887

Show Time - Emily of Emerald Hill

Stella Kon's Emily of Emerald Hill is a one-woman play about a Nonya matriarch recollecting her life story from girlhood to her twilight years. The play has been staged many times with esteemed actors such as Margaret Chan and Ivan Heng tackling the role.

Emily of Emerald Hill

In this staging, Karen Tan performs as the eponymous character. It must be tough to act out a 90-minute monologue on a bare set, so I do applaud her for taking on this behemoth task. I thought she gave it a fair shot though I do not think she completely embodied the character. At times, she seemed to be in a rush to deliver her lines, even stumbling over her words on occasion. She shone in the more dramatic scenes when she had to channel anger or grief, but fell short in the more nuanced conversational scenes when it was evident she was just an actress reciting words from memory.

The script showed promise and I could see why it is a classic. I left the theatre wistful, wondering if I would get a chance to see Margaret Chan reprising the critically-acclaimed role and bringing Emily to life on stage.


Emily of Emerald Hill
Event Date: Thu, 2 - Sun, 5 Apr 2015; Thu 8pm; Fri & Sat 3pm & 8pm; Sun 3pm
Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio

Dining Out - Tomo Izakaya

Before our play in the afternoon, SC and I met for lunch at Tomo Izakaya located at Esplanade Mall. We both got the Toku-Jyo Chirashi (Special Assorted Sashimi on Sushi Rice) as we were craving raw seafood.

Toku-Jyo Chirashi

The thick cut slices of sashimi were decent and helped to satisfy my craving for raw fish. But it was a little too pricey in my opinion ($42++).

Sigh. I find myself constantly wishing that I am in Japan so I can eat as much cheap and fresh sashimi to my heart's content.

Tomo Izakaya
Address: #01-09 Esplanade Mall, 8 Raffles Avenue Singapore 039802
Phone: 6333 0012

Cafe Hopping - Murphy's

I have been meaning to try out this fish-and-chips franchise from the UK which is located in Ang Mo Kio ever since I read about it in the 8 Days App and finally got the chance to do so today.

The place is tastefully designed with a section of the cafe devoted to a book exchange project. Bottles of vinegar are placed on every table, which is typical of a Fish & Chips specialty shop.

Murphy's

To share, we got the signature Murphy's Fish and Chips and the Seafood Pasta. 

Murphy's Fish & Chips

I had wanted to request for the special non-oily batter ($1 supplement), but was told that they were out of stock. It did not matter in the end because I did not find the standard batter overly greasy. The batter was flavourful and crispy and the arrowteeth fish fillet used was juicy and flaky. The fish was served atop thick cut chips and with a side of salad. The accompanying vinegar condiments were not tart enough in my opinion. It would have been great if there were HP Sauce; that would have taken me right back to London.

Seafood Pasta

The pasta was decent and they used sizeable morsels of seafood which were plump and cooked just right. But between both dishes we ordered, the Fish & Chips was definitely the tastier option.

Cappuccino

The cappuccino was served in a quaint cup atop a matching saucer and was decent.

This is a hidden gem in the heartlands. But the inaccessible and somewhat hidden location could explain why the place was completely empty when we visited.

Murphy's

Address: Blk 532 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 #01-2495 Singapore 560532

Phone: 6452 9863

Show Time - Beauty and the Beast

I was excited to catch the musical Beauty and the Beast because this was one of my favourite Disney cartoons as a kid.

Beauty and the Beast

The musical did not disappoint. All the actors were on point and played their roles well. I was filled with mirth throughout the experience and my favourite scene was when the song 'Gaston' was performed with the dancers clinking their beer mugs in a fun choreography. 

I am filled with a strange urge to watch my favourite Disney cartoons now.

Beauty and the Beast

Event Date: Sat, 21 Mar - Sun, 3 May 2015; Tue - Fri: 8pm; Sat: 2pm & 8pm; Sun: 1pm & 6pm

Venue: Grand Theatre, Marina Bay Sands

Dining Out - Long Chim

Before catching the musical tonight, we went for dinner at Long Chim, a concept by celebrity chef David Thomson. We were lucky enough to get a table without a prior reservation as the hostess informed me that they were fully booked up till Sunday.

Long Chim

The place served Thai food at surprisingly affordable prices for the setting. Dishes were priced between $8 - $20 mostly and this is similar to what one would pay at BaliThai outlets located in suburban malls.

To share, we ordered Chicken Larb, Papaya Salad, Grilled Chicken and Smashed Prawn Curry.

(Clockwise from Left) Papaya Salad, Grilled Chicken, Smashed Prawn Curry

The Papaya Salad was refreshing and moreish, reminding me of a similar one I had at Som Tam Nua in Bangkok.

The Grilled Chicken was tender and delicious when paired with the accompanying Thai Sweet Chilli. I especially enjoyed the charred parts of the chicken skin.

I found the Smashed Prawn Curry a little too salty on its own, but the thick gravy is tasty when drizzled over steamed jasmine rice.

Chicken Larb

The Chicken Larb was my least favourite dish out of everything we ordered. I found it to be too salty and I also could not handle the spiciness level on this one.

We ended the meal with dessert, sharing Coconut Cake and Sticky Black Rice with Pandan Noodles. Both desserts were alright, they did not wow me in any way.

All in all, I would say Long Chim is a relatively affordable option on the Paiza level of MBS and I would be keen to return to try out the one-dish noodle options.

Long Chim

Address: #02-02 Atrium 2, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue Singapore 018955

Phone: 6688 7299