Club Street Social

It was a toss-up between the scrambled eggs and lobster avocado panini at Club Street Social. Both I really wanted to try as bloggers and floggers alike had been raving about them, but forking out more than 30 bucks for a sandwich? I’ll need further convincing first, heh.

So scrambled eggs it was and while it’s quite satisfying (especially if you are into the extremely moist and creamy type), ODP’s legendary rendition remains #1 in my heart. Confit duck panini looked so yummy that I experienced a second of regret not ordering that LAP (decipher from above, haha). The nutella bread pudding was awful imo, a major FAIL in my book; dry, heavy and dense, with too small a scoop of vanilla ice cream (don’t be fooled by the pic below; it’s all about angle, lol). Lots of great comments online about it though, so you may like it.

I didn’t.

At least now I know to skip desserts the next time I’m back, ready to splurge on what’s possibly the most expensive sandwich I’ll ever eat in Singapore!

scrambled eggs, fontina, chives ($12++)

confit duck panini, roasted portobello, balsamic onion ($19++)

nutella bread pudding, ice cream ($12++)

Club Street Social
5 Gemmil Lane
6225 5043

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Majestic Bay Seafood Restaurant

Majestic Restaurant was where I first tried chef Yong Bing Ngen’s dishes and like I said last year, I like that place. Majestic Bay Seafood Restaurant is his new baby, an upmarket dim sum/seafood restaurant located below the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay.

The dim sum is surprisingly very reasonably priced, though the luxurious surroundings may suggest otherwise. For something more exciting than the usual har gow, xiao long bao and char siu bao, go for the chili crab buns! Nicely seared and sprinkled with fragrant white sesame seeds, spicy and sweet crabmeat stuffing, soft and supple golden brown buns, mmm..

Seafood is a must, of course! Don’t miss the signature one and only “Kopi” crab in Singapore, flambed at the table for a spectacular short-lived show. Concocted with different types of coffee beans, the addictive caramel-popcorn-like sauce even had apple jam in it! Another interesting dish was the baked rice, a huge pan of fluffy rice mixed with fresh seafood and covered with melted cheese. Served in a Chinese restaurant, looked like a Spanish paella, tasted like a Japanese curry, this was fusion to the max.

I fondly remembered how yummy the desserts were at Majestic Restaurant so my expectations were high. Sigh, didn’t like the platter of sweets we tried. Pretty run-of-the-mill, I’m skipping them for the better stuff next time!

Seared chili crab buns ($4.50++ for 3)

Shanghai pork dumplings ($4.20++ for 3)

Baked BBQ pork buns ($4.20++ for 3)

Fresh prawn dumplings ($4.80++ for 4); steamed vegetarian dumplings ($3.80++ for 3)

Soup of the day ($18++ for 2-4 pax, $27++ for 5-8 pax)

Steamed live prawns, minced garlic (market price)

Live crabs, Bay’s signature “Kopi” sauce (market price)

Sautéed wild mushrooms, asparagus, minced garlic ($18++ for 2-4 pax, $27++ for 5-8 pax)

Baked rice, assorted seafood ($68++ for 4-6 pax, $88++ for 7-12 pax)

Sweet’s temptation ($20++ for 4 pax)
glutinous rice dumplings, yam paste stuffing, shredded coconut; glutinous rice dumplings, fresh cream stuffing; steamed custard buns, salted egg yolk; red bean paste pancakes

Special thanks to Sherman and Janice from FoodNews for inviting and hosting us for dinner respectively!

Majestic Bay Seafood Restaurant
18 Marina Gardens Drive
Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay
6604 6604

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Group Therapy Coffee Cafe

We were boring that day and ordered the same things; the guys opted for sunny side ups, the girls went for poached eggs. Maybe it was an eggs-overdose week, I wasn’t particularly impressed with brunch at Group Therapy Coffee Cafe. Still, I’d want to come back, for it’s such a nice cafe to chill!

Oh ya, we also tried one of their desserts, but that’s a post for another day… Stay tuned to find out why! Haha.

BLT Croissant Plate ($19+)
freshly baked croissant, grilled back bacon, butterhead lettuce, roma tomatoes, 2 sunny side ups, bratwurst sausage

Poached Eggs ($15+)
thick toast, smoked salmon, gruyere, hollandaise

Same as above, sans my nemesis hollandaise : )

Group Therapy Coffee Cafe
#02-01, 49 Duxton Hill
6222 2554

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Back to Dann’s Daily Pescetarian Cafe!

The name says it all.

Dann’s Daily Pescetarian Cafe is a pescetarian cafe, the first and only in Singapore. I’m a pescetarian too, so I guess that unites us, haha. In layman’s terms, I’m an omnivore who chose not to eat meat, only seafood please. Or in my friend’s terms, I’m a “seafood vegetarian”, lol.

My last meal at Dann’s was more than a year ago so it’s definitely time for a revisit to check out the new expanded menu! The popular toasties are still around, as are the salads and pastas. What intrigued me most among the new additions (tortillas, burgers, QQ noodles etc) was the low carbo set C, an unconventional plate of poached fish and homemade veggie patties. Turned out to be my favourite of the day; the basa fish was wonderfully poached to an almost-cod-ish silky soft texture, and the toothsome patties flavoured with heaps of different spices. I also loved the smoked salmon burger, especially the toasted buns made from easily digestible sprouted wheat. I’m no stranger to chia seeds so the almond and soy chia chia drinks are comfortingly familiar; and the unique steamed cupcakes are a must at Dann’s, very moist, light and fluffy like a Chinese huat kueh!

Soy Chia Chia ($7), Almond Chia Chia ($8)

Low Carbo Set C ($18)
poached premium white fish, curry potato patty, pumpkin zucchini patty

Smoked Salmon Burger Set ($19)
side salad, chips

Earl Grey Almond Steamed Cupcake ($3)
gula melaka cream

Gula Blueberries Coconut Steamed Cupcake ($3)
strawberry cream

Many thanks to Chris, Paul and Kelvin for being such great hosts!

Dann’s Daily Pescetarian Cafe
#01-06, Eastwood Centre
20 Eastwood Road
6449 1355

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Beets Modern Vegetarian

“Vegetarians rejoice!” Not.

Beets Modern Vegetarian, mediocre 3-course set lunch ($29.90++) not worth mentioning in detail, great service though. We lunch-ed in really late, and the staff kindly moved us to all-day dining sister restaurant Addictions Cafe next door while it closed for a short siesta. Sheltered from the heavy downpour, we loitered there till evening and even had double scoops of ice cream on the house, thank you!

For a solid satisfying vegetarian meal, LivinGreens and Original Sin still have my undying loyalty~

Leek & Potato Soup
poached egg, truffle “caviar”

Background: Mint Pea Soup
mint leaf, pita bread

Tofu Burger
homemade seaweed tofu patty, grilled pumpkin, truffle aioli, relish

Mango Chili Salsa Sundae
lime sorbet

Root Beer Baileys Ice Cream ($9++)
compliementary from Addictions Cafe

Beets Modern Vegetarian
22 Dempsey Road
6475 6869

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Chillax Massage Cafe

TGIF = chill out night = dinner at Chillax Massage Cafe

That’s what we did last Friday! Truth be told, the food was “okie-okie” only, but cuz it was a long-awaited Friday night, anything less than perfect was overlooked. The black truffle capellini ain’t so truffled after all; unagi omelette had one rather pathetically small piece of eel hidden under a pile of eggs, hmm.

By the way, I wouldn’t want to be there on a blazing afternoon since there’s no AC (I’m such a typical Singaporean, haha), so remember to check the weather forecast before hopping over!

Black Truffle Capellini ($20+)
signature dish served with black truffle and wild mushrooms

Unagi Omelette ($18+)
cheddar cheese, asparagus, radish, wakame salad

Chillax Massage Cafe
28 Maju Avenue
6244 5529

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Symmetry

Last night, I was talking to another flogger over dinner and somehow, the topic of brunch came up. Both of us agreed that eggs benny or any other eggy dishes shouldn’t cost more than $18. So many new cafes are popping up in Singapore recently, serving overpriced and overhyped eggs. But me being a sucker for new fads, I still relish exploring new brunch places. Have only myself to blame, heh~

So here’s introducing another cafe for you to check out this weekend: Symmetry.

In their own words, it’s “a hip establisment where coffee, food, drinks, music and people sync“. Sounds too cool for me, ha. We were there for a late brunch and the food was imo rather ordinary, though prices were definitely not. Service was great; they offered to make another new set of poached eggs after serving one doused with hollandaise sauce. And that’s without me asking! Niceeee.

Speaking of eggs, what I had were really well done. Well done as in “excellent with incredibly wobbly and translucent whites”, not “overcooked to the point of no runny yolk”. That said, I’m not too anal about poached eggs; as long as I see a yellow river when I poke and break the yolk, I’m happy!

He had the big breakfast ($24++), with scrambled eggs, maple glazed bacon, tomatoes, chicken cheese sausage, hash potatoes, mushrooms, jam and toast. Yours truly ordered a variation of veggie eggs ben: poached eggs, grilled capsicum, pesto, onions and anchovy compote, additional smoked salmon on english muffins ($24++).

Total bill hit almost $60, without drinks.

See? Eggs are so expensive these days, sigh.

Symmetry
9 Jalan Kubor
6291 9901

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Maki San

Maki San is a first-of-its-kind in Singapore; it’s where you can DIY your own sushi rolls (and Japanese-style salads). Since you get to choose what you like, how to not like the end product? That’s why methinks it’s a really clever concept. And it’s especially appealing to a fussy eater like me!

The ordering system is simple and idiot-proof. Grab an order form, tick off whatever catches your fancy, pay at the counter and voilà! Your customised maki roll will be freshly made in front of you, and packaged in a kawaii box of good quality. During dinner, I overheard (not eavesdropping intentionally, haha) the lady at the next table telling her partner that she has collected all 5 boxes!

The DIY sushi and salads come in different sizes; from cutesy-named Little San and Big San (only applicable to salads) to Mega San. Basically, the larger the size, the more ingredients you choose, period. If DIY-ing is not your thing, go for the signature stress-free sushi/salad like Keep on Shrimpin’ or A Thing for Tempura. Both I tried; verdict is I prefer my own tasty DIY sushi and salad more. Where’s the fun in letting others decide what I like for me, right?

It’s easy to like Maki San; sure, it’s nothing gourmet but it’s the kind of healthy casual food I can eat every day. Nothing boring either, unless you choose to be!

DIY Mega San Sushi ($9.90)
brown rice, seaweed, tamagoyaki, roasted mushroom, asparagus, grilled eggplant, tobiko, salmon sashimi, pine nuts, yuzu sesame dressing

Keep on Shrimpin’ ($9.90)
japanese white rice, soy wrap, tempura prawn, asparagus, mayonnaise

DIY Mega San Salad ($11.90)
mixed greens, caramelized japanese sweet potato, roasted pumpkin, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, dried cranberries, grilled unagi, roasted cashew nut bits, sesame sauce

P.S. the sesame dressing is so yummy that I had a second serving!

A Thing for Tempura ($8.90)
mixed lettuce, tempura enoki mushroom, calamari, prawn, caramelized japanese sweet potato

Tempura Soft-Shell Crab ($6.90)
house paprika seasoning

Japanese Hand-cut Fries ($4.90)
smoky cheddar cheese

Thank you, Joseph, for inviting and hosting us for dinner!

Maki San
#B1-17/18, The Cathay
2 Handy Road
6737 8772

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The Big Sheila

I can’t imagine anyone not being charmed by The Big Sheila.

Peek through the large window and be enticed by the colourful trays of artistically prepared food lining the counter. Enter and be immersed in a boisterous atmosphere; it’s a happy little shop with cheerful staff! The menu changes daily; what you see on the black chalkboard is what you get. And there’s plenty of choices for everyone.

One reason why I adore this place so much is that the setup reminds me of Ottolenghi, my favourite bakery-deli in London (and possibly in the whole world).

Another reason is the food itself. Oh yes, what glorious food it was.

We shared the long communal table with a loud (in a good way) group of French businessmen and I think they were startled by the amount of food we ate, lol. Roasted pumpkin salad stood out as a clear favourite among us, so naturally sweet and delicious. I’m having a massive craving for it as I’m writing this! Savoury corn muffin was interesting, not something I’d usually pick but we just had to cuz the friendly lady who took our orders raved about how beautiful it was. Muesli and yogurt may be a strange choice for lunch but this gorgeous crunchy homemade version was so fresh and nutty that I’d get it again without a second thought, be it breakfast/lunch or dinner. Chicken cacciatore was a large casserole of braised chicken pieces slow cooked with olives, carrot, white wine and bay leaves; Aussie lamb cutlets were tender and still pinkish-red in the middle even after turning cold (our bad cuz we talked too much, haha).

Sadly, desserts that day ain’t as stellar. Discounting blueberry muffins (those are not desserts in my dictionary), there were only three options left. Of course, we had them all! The banker cake, one dense block of dark chocolate cake, too rich for its own good; coffee scroll bread & butter pudding, rather dry and had more cinnamon than a good caffeine kick; dark chocolate fondant we liked, though I wish there’s a scoop of ice cream to accompany the warm lava cake instead of cream and caramel sauce. The previous two we left almost untouched, the fondant we licked clean the plate, heh.

I believe The Big Sheila does much better sweets than that; I just had to go on a right day!

Top left, clockwise:

dark chocolate fondant, caramel sauce, cream, raspberries ($14++);

chicken cacciatore, carrot, olives, white wine, bay leaves ($18++);

savoury sweet corn muffin, feta cheese ($5++);

the banker cake, whisky soaked prunes ($7++);

butternut sweetness, eggplant mousse, almonds, pomegranate ($9++);

coffee scroll bread & butter pudding, cream, raspberries ($7++);

breakfast muesli, yogurt, fruits ($7++);

Aussie lamb cutlets, mint, coriander, yogurt, lemon ($10++).

The Big Sheila
15 Swan Lake Avenue
6645 4422

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Let’s Go to Lyon @ db Bistro Moderne!

Following Mondays in Provence, it’s to Lyon we went at db Bistro Moderne this time! For the next couple of months, the new 3-course Mondays in Lyon menu ($68++, additional $32++ for wine pairing) features signature Lyonnaise dishes that are specialities of chef Daniel Boulud’s native city of Lyon, a.k.a. France’s capital of gastronomy.

Dinner began with something out of the tasting menu, addictive crispy morsels of Alsatian flat bread topped with cheese and wild mushrooms (or bacon). The charcuterie came next, such an impressive platter of cured meats that even I believe it’s a dream come true for any hard-core carnivores. One good thing about being a pescetarian is that I had the chance to sample other meat-less items. So while the others enjoyed the meaty stuff, I polished off the simple frisée salad, a veggie version of the chicken livers and bacon salad. Both soups I didn’t like; onion soup was too cheesy, potato and leek too starchy.

The mains were outstanding imo, especially the poached cod, fatteningly tender with classic accruements of fish-cake-like fish mousse quenelles and sauce Nantua, a timeless seafood sauce that reminds me of a thick and decadent lobster bisque. The huge pot of vinegar braised chicken was served with a side of tarragon rice pilaf that had everyone raving about how fluffy and fragrant it was. Besides being an eye candy, my additional main of Boston scallops were nicely seared and juicy. When I read the menu and came across “cardoon”, I googled immediately cuz I’ve got no idea what it was. Wiki saved the day; cardoon is “a thistle-like plant“, akin to artichoke. Though the cardoon gratin was oozing with flavours, I wouldn’t want that as a main course since it got overly rich and heavy after a few hearty bites.

Desserts were the next best thing! It’s really cruel for them to force diners to choose only one out of the three choices, lol. The apple tart was impossibly thin, paired with a killer cognac ice cream that’s solely for adults, no kids allowed. I usually shy away from meringue cuz I don’t like it. I just don’t. It’s just boring sweet sugar to me, so I wasn’t too enthusiastic about the floating island initially. Except that it was meltingly soft and I actually finished it, haha. Favourite favourite favouritest dessert was the valrhona dark chocolate ice cream with candied chestnut, so so sooooooo yummy that I went for a second serving, yay!

Alsace, Provence, Lyon… What’s next?

Tarte Flambée
alsatian flat bread, fromage blanc, onion, bacon or mushroom

Plateau de Charcuterie
cured meats, duck terrine, homemade pickles

Salade Lyonnaise
frisée salad, chicken livers, bacon, poached egg

Frisée Salad
shaved baby vegetables, tomato confit, lemon dressing

Soupe a L’onion
onion and beef consomme, gruyere, croutons

Potato and Leek Soup
fried leek, chives, whipped cream

Cabilleaud Poche
poached cod, fish mousse quenelles, sauce nantua

Poulet au Vinaigre
vinegar braised chicken, tarragon rice pilaf

Gratin de Cardons “Dauphinois”
cardoon & potato gratin, mushroom fricassée

Seared Boston Scallops
cauliflower coulis, romanesco, glazed radish

Ile Flottante
floating island, vanilla creme anglaise, pink praline

Apple Tarte Fine
puff pastry, cognac ice cream

Coupe Chocolat et Marron
valrhona chocolate, candied chestnut

Madeleines
a must at Daniel Boulud’s

Special thanks to Philicia and Elzena from Marina Bay Sands for inviting and hosting us for dinner!

db Bistro Moderne
#B1-48, Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Ave
6688 8525

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