Kaixo

In life, it’s all about timing.

If I didn’t go to Lolla the day right after dinner at Kaixo, I’d probably have more positive things to write now. As it is, I can hardly remember Kaixo — it’s that forgettable when compared to the likes of Lolla. Don’t get me wrong, the food is pleasant, nothing awful, just not awesome enough to linger in the mind..

Ham Croquettes ($16++)
croquetas de jamon

Crab Cakes ($12++)
bunuelos de cangrejo

Braised Yellowfin Tuna ($14++)
marmitako de bonito

Atlantic Salt Cod in Pil Pil Sauce ($25++)
bacalao al pil pil

Pintxos (3 for $12++)
spanish tortilla, squid, prawn

White Tiramisu with Orujo ($12++)
orujo is a kind of spanish liqueur, nice!

Vanilla Ice Cream
complimentary cuz the air-con near us was leaking

Kaixo
96 Tanjong Pagar Road
6225 0545

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Saint Pierre, Now at Quayside Isle Sentosa

I feel emotionally affected that Saint Pierre has closed its flagship restaurant at Magazine Road and relocated to Quayside Isle. Because I work in the same building (Central Mall) and there’s now one less lunch option, SADness. Oh well, I hope another French restaurant takes over Saint Pierre’s spot as lunch at Trattoria Gallo D’Oro is getting boring.

So. Saint Pierre officially opened its doors on May 29, and 4 days prior to that, we headed over to Sentosa to sample its Saturday brunch menu. Felt pleasantly surprised that the layout is much more casual, though no less classy. The window seats are the best since you get glorious views of the marina, perfect for a relaxing brunch or a romantic dinner when night falls.

The one-page brunch menu features classic breakfast mainstays with a luxurious Saint Pierre twist (black truffle, caviar, champagne hollandaise, foie gras mousse, see what I mean?) and while ala carte is available, the set menu offers a better deal. $38++ includes assorted breads and choice of juice/main course/coffee or tea, so affordable right! We were given free rein to order and after studying the menu (my favourite pastime when in restaurants haha), decided on 2 brunch sets + 2 more mains, yay!

Homemade breads were not spectacular; in fact, K (a bread snob) was quite aghast by the mediocrity. I was only bothered by the gorgeous looking croissant, which turned out to be not flaky and crisp enough. Mains on the other hand were excellent; I love the mushroom-y scrambled eggs with toast (ironically, this bread was very good! Maybe toasting it makes a world of difference?) and the home-smoked salmon was WOW, one taste and you’d know it’s unlike other smoked salmons (this trumps Smoke Shack to become #1 in my heart)! We DIY-ed and combined both the scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on the toast and it was lovely! Can chef please put that on the menu? Haha. K fancied the eggs benedict (high praise, considering he’s never an eggs ben guy) and while the waffles with rich foie gras mousse was interesting, we prefer ice cream as toppings!

Since this was pre-opening, a few kinks were inevitable. Our juices were forgotten (co-owner Edina was most apologetic) and one of the poached eggs was less than perfect (inconsistent timing). Credits to owner-chef Emmanuel for being so open to feedback and suggestions! I’ve no doubt that they’ve already ironed out the kinks by now. The top restaurants always do.

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Homemade Assorted Breads ($15++)
croissant, sourdough, brioche, homemade jam, farmed butter

Scrambled Eggs ($22++)
black truffle, mushroom duxelle, wild herbs, toasted bread

Smoked Salmon ($18++)
home-smoked salmon, sourdough, wild chives, lemon juice

Eggs Benedict ($24++)
brioche, iberico bellota ham, champagne hollandaise

Waffles ($18++)
foie gras mousse, apple compote, vanilla beans

Special thanks to the Saint Pierre team for the kind invitation!

Saint Pierre
#01-15 Quayside Isle
31 Ocean Way (Sentosa Cove)
6438-0887

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Pistola

Fuss-free, self-service, easy and delicious Asian-Mexican grub; Pistola has great potential.

Check out our colourful feast!

Tikka-style chicken quesadilla ($14), 5 spice pork belly carnitas corn tacos ($14), smoky soy braise tofu tomato rice bowl ($15) and sides of CRS: thai-style toasted coconut Corn cup ($5), herb sesame Rice ($5), asian Slaw with soy-peanut dressing ($4)!

I need to go back again because the coconut-lemongrass fish tacos are calling my name~

P.S. Alcoholics should try the frozen slushie ($14), very potent! And all foodies MUST try the corn cup, trust me!

Pistola
93 Club Street
6438 2185

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Bing Bian (Millenia Walk)

I always laugh at K and his BFF whenever they have ‘grape ice’ at KungFu Paradise for supper so he can objectively vouch that I’m not into shaved ice desserts (prefer ice cream! cakes! souffles! all the more sinful stuff!) at all. But since Umasou commented that I may like Bing Bian after I posted on Blackball, we went to try (now you know how much I value readers’ opinion haha). It’s not bad and I like that it’s not toothachingly sweet. Just a tad pricey for frozen water and cheap toppings. I think the yu yuan balls at Blackball are slightly better, i.e. less chewy (which defeats the point, since they are supposed to be chewy), though I’m still definitely not (and will never be) a fan of those 粉圆 that others seem to be crazy about.

Taro ice set with yu yuan balls, beans, pearls ($4.90); Customised ice set: black sesame base ice with red beans, lotus seeds, konnyaku jelly ($5.80, price depends on the base and toppings you choose )

Bing Bian (Millenia Walk)
#01-­105, Millenia Walk
9 Raffles Boulevard
6337 1391

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Department of Caffeine

I’ll remember Department of Caffeine forever.

Not because of the food, service, ambience..

.. but because we came out of the café and saw the ominous white slip of paper on the dashboard! My first ever parking fine, sob! Actually, K was the one who got fined (not his first time, he was totally cool about it sheesh), I’m just being melodramatic heh. So people, consider yourselves warned. The parking wardens in the Duxton area are very hardworking, don’t play play.

Anyway, on to a happier topic. For once, I didn’t have eggs-anything for brunch! Really liked my boring predictable plate of poached salmon with salads — I determinedly ignored K when he commented that it’s just atas version of IKEA salmon. Whatever~ Haha. Every main (chicken or salmon) comes with either regular or large salad, and you get to mix and match the three salads on the tight menu. This main+salad concept and liberal usage of yogurt somewhat reminded me of Ottolenghi, while the friendly staff and vibe brought Selfish Gene Café to mind. Heard that the roast chicken was really good too, pulled pork sandwich lost to Smoke Shack’s, and breakfast platter was so-so.

Gunning for desserts on our next visit! And we won’t get caught by you again, warden. So there.

Cappuccino ($5)

D.O.C. Breakfast Platter ($18)
scrambled eggs, bacon wrapped meatloaf, toasted brioche, tomato confit, cheese bocconcini

8hrs Pulled Pork Sandwich ($15)
house BBQ sauce, carrot & coriander coleslaw

Salmon with Yogurt & Herb Sauce + Large Salad ($17)
moroccan spiced carrot salad, chargrilled broccoli, soba noodles with wakame

Roast Chicken with Chilli & Dijon Mustard + Regular Salad ($15)
chargrilled broccoli with chilli & garlic

Department of Caffeine
15 Duxton Road
6223 3426

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Cedele: More than Sandwiches & Soups

If you are even remotely into healthy dining (even if it’s once in a blue moon), you’d have heard of Cedele by The Bakery Depot. If you don’t, then now you do haha. It’s been around for 16 years, and I’ve been a HUGE fan since my sec school/JC days! Super love this home-grown brand!

Don’t think that Cedele = sandwiches and soups. It’s got a lot to offer and more. There’s starters (I have to admit, while the mini veggie patties were delicious, they were too expensive at almost $3 a pop!), hearty salad meals, pasta (awesome that there’s a choice between regular or wholewheat carbs!), proper mains, and even all-day breakfast! Be assured that whatever is on the menu is free of trans fat, preservatives, chemical emulsifiers and additives. Every ingredient on the plate is not there by accident; it’s purposeful, be it to add flavour and/or nutrition.

To be honest, I thought most of the items on the tasting menu we had were too… Safe. No impact. Then again, I’m biased cuz I’ve already found my favourite dish and had it for lunch/dinner (again) twice this week! Totally hooked on the yummy portobello-tofu-quinoa “vroomz”! Label me boring all you want, I don’t care haha. Oh ya, one dish which did stand out was the creamy paprika prawn risotto, absolutely delish, even on the subsequent visit! Shocking that I’d pick this as the best dish of the night cuz I’m so not a rice girl. Next was the black pepper crab pasta, which looked bland but flavours were good. Other than those two, the rest was healthy-nice but like I said, no impact. I’d happily stick to my vroomz and beetroot burger anytime!

We were presented with a dessert platter of cakes, such an excellent idea which should be incorporated into the main menu! First timers must try the carrot walnut, which is still my benchmark for a wholesome carrot cake after all these years. Okie, I don’t practise what I preach, because I remember my first ever Cedele cake was the chocolate truffle, followed by chocolate banana espresso. Gotta love Cedele for churning out consistently good cakes! Don’t care much for the strawberry rose, red velvet, and especially the blueberry cheesecake simply cuz I don’t like cheesecakes. Now, I’ve saved the best for the last: black sesame cake with exotic tahini frosting, my favourite! <3

Burmese Shan Tofu ($8.90++)
warm tofu salad, homemade garlic and onion flakes, coriander leaves, balsamic dressing

Chicken & Walnut Grilled & Greens Salad Meal ($15++)
grilled chicken, californian walnuts, housemade orange wholegrain mustard dressing

Vegetarian Stacks ($18++)
grilled vegetarian stacks of eggplant, wild mushrooms, red pepper and potato kumara cake, tomato coulis scented with marjoram

Prawn Paprika Risotto ($17.90++)
grilled prawns spiced with paprika, roasted pumpkin arborio rice

Black Pepper Crab Pasta ($17.50++)
spiced soft shell crab, curry leaves

Lemongrass & Lime Fish Pasta ($17.90++)
grilled sea bass, chilli/lemongrass/lime-infused olive oil, tomato salsa, edamame beans

Dessert Platter
chocolate banana espresso, blueberry hazelnut cheesecake, carrot walnut, strawberry rose cake, red velvet, black sesame tahini

Thank you, Venny and Leen from Touch and Joanne from Cedele, for inviting and hosting!

Cedele
#01-01/02, Great World City
1 Kim Seng Promenade
6836 1426

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Lolla

Since Zagat named Lolla as one of the “10 Hottest Restaurants in the World”, expectations were high. And while it’s too much of a stretch to call it a global “must go”, I’m glad to report that our dinner there was great! Really enjoyed watching our food prepared by the chefs right in front of us, and we could ogle all we wanted heh. Maybe it’s just me, but I thought Lolla seems disturbingly similar to Esquina, from the “no reservation” policy to the bar-counter-facing-open-kitchen and requisite uncomfy stools concept.

The menu is very neat: only 27 items spilt into 7 categories. We had the famous squid ink pudding topped with a generous dollop of fresh creamy sea urchin and it was as good as what others claimed! Tiny it was, but the portion was just right imo. Anything more would be richness overdose and “jerlak-y”. The waiter did a double take when we ordered two egg dishes (he concurred we love eggs thereafter haha), which ended up as our best and worst dish of the night. Scrambled eggs with bottarga was disappointingly normal, while the gently set tortilla with duck fat potatoes and smoked eel was AWESOME. I’d go back to Lolla just for it! Tofu-shimeji salad may seem boring but we liked our greens so no complaints. That was off the special menu, as was the prawn & mackerel ‘burger’ a.k.a. patty. Semi-carbon copy of Arbutus’s squid and mackerel ‘burger’, don’t you think so? Copycat or not, it was nicer than Arbutus’! Firmed packed with seafood, paired with crustacean sauce, this would make a hell of a real burger! Now give me buns.

Sea Urchin Pudding ($19++)

Scrambled Eggs with Bottarga di Muggine ($22+)

Spanish Tortilla with Smoked Eel ($19++)

Egg Tofu with Shimeji Mushroom Salad ($14++)

Prawn & Mackerel Burger ($24++)

Lolla
22 Ann Siang Road
6423 1228

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10 at Claymore: ‘Pacific Plates of Pleasure’

Starting from today, 10 at Claymore presents ‘Pacific Plates of Pleasure’ this June and July!

Though 10 at Claymore is primarily a buffet restaurant, I didn’t pay as much attention to the spread as it deserved so I can’t comment much. Except that the fresh Boston lobsters were superb and the Kapiti lemongrass ice cream was wicked! Haha. Like the gourmet high tea at the Lobby Lounge, the impression I had was that 10 at Claymore’s buffet strategy is “quality over quantity”, good one!

We concentrated on the ‘Plates of Pleasure’, unlimited servings in petite portions that’s available in addition to the choice buffet spread. I can’t decide which is my favourite — the bouncy scallop with an intriguing blue cheese sauce or the spicy king prawn. The latter is a prawnified version of our local chilli crab, complete with fluffy golden fried buns for mopping up the delish sauce! Barramundi was cutely presented in a wooden tube, think refined mousse-like ”otak” paired with sourish tamarind-chincalok on the side, clever.

Full house on a Friday night, 10 at Claymore is clearly popular for buffet among Singaporeans and… Birthday celebrations! While we were there, at least 4 tables broke out in a chorus of “happy birthday to you~ happy birthday to you~~~” throughout dinner. And the sweet service team also sang a belated birthday song for me! How could I not be charmed?!

Canadian Queen Scallop
blue cheese dip, potato crisp

Australian Beef Tenderloin
balsamic red wine reduction, mashed truffle-cauliflower

New Zealand Mountain Range Lamb Rack
mongolian crème, sweet kumara

Vietnamese River King Prawn
garlic, chilli drizzle, golden pillow

Indonesian Coastal Barramundi
tamarind-chincalok, Taiwanese pea sprout

‘Pacific Plates of Pleasure’ is available daily from 3 June 2013 to 31 July 2013 for dinner, at $59++ per adult (Monday to Thursday), $62++ (Friday to Sunday), $68++ (Sunday brunch).

My thanks to Valerie and Abigail from Pan Pacific Orchard for inviting and hosting!

10 at Claymore
10 Claymore Road
Pan Pacific Orchard
6831 6686

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Artichoke, I’m Here Again!

I have very nice and accommodating friends who always let me choose where to eat, no questions asked. So 3 days after the tasting at Overdoughs, my lingering craving for more Middle East food had me herding the group to Artichoke again, for brunch this time!

Not even bothering to read the menu (for once), as I already knew what I wanted: ful mudammas, a national Egyptian dish that’s frustratingly hard to find in Singapore. Hearty bean stew that’s rich in flavours (friends commented it’s curry-like), this one-pot dish hit all the right spots!

Half the group had the mezze platter (selection varies weekly) which I shall gun for on my next visit, while the other half opted for scrambled eggs with haloumi cheese, a safe but not terribly exciting choice.

Ful Mudammas ($17++, above)
“breakfast of Egypt” – cumin spiced fava bean stew, 5 minute egg, sesame sauce, melted butter, pickles, za’atar bread

Mezze Platter ($25++)
“Mediterranean bento” – smoked salmon, hummus, beetroot tzatziki, anchovies, za’atar bread

Scrambled Eggs ($22++)
local organic mushrooms, grilled haloumi cheese, rocket, za’atar bread

Artichoke Cafe & Bar
161 Middle Road
6336 6949

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PARK at Holland Village

PARK at Holland Village has appalling CMI (cannot make it) service.

No one entertained us at the door and we had to ask for coasters. And serviettes. And water. And sugar. The most classic (and awkward) part was when the pastas arrived without any cutleries and his sarcastic “errr, we are finding it a challenge to have our meals” wasn’t even met with an apology. Just a subtle nod. Hello, we are paying the 10% service charge for this?

Fail fail FAIL.

Chef is another fickle minded fellow. My request to have smoked salmon instead of bacon for my eggs benedict was initially given the green light. Then 3 sec later, the waitress came back and said no he changed his mind. I countered with “I’m willing to top up” and suddenly, it’s “ok!” again.

Sheesh, money really makes the world go round.

Food was a hit and miss. I liked my eggs ben; eggs poached well and toasted rounds of bread were good. Likewise, he raved about the ciabatta for his chipotle chicken sandwich. Makes me wonder who supplies the bread to PARK. Taro chips were more addictive than truffle fries (yes it’s possible, truffle doesn’t always win) and unfortunately, their pastas were “not nice” (exact quote!), oh well.

Gotta choose wisely, folks.

Cappuccino ($5.50++)

Truffle Fries ($8.50++)

Eggs Benedict ($13.80++) with Smoked Salmon (additional $2++)

Tiger Prawn Aglio Olio ($17.50++)

Seafood Marinara ($17.50++)

Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta ($11.80++) with Taro Chips

PARK at Holland Village
#01-01, 281 Holland Avenue
9721 3815

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