It was a beautiful day of fluffy clouds at the barrage.
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Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog
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Author Archives: Crystal Wee
Kungfu Paradise [Closed]
Kungfu Paradise is under the Paradise group of restaurants in Singapore of Chinese origin. A very distinct difference from the others (Canton Paradise, Taste Paradise, Paradise Pavillion, Seafood Paradise, etc) will be its much more casual form of dining which operates over midnight in several outlets. It also serves food of an Asian and Western fusion, very much appealing to the crowd of different tastebuds, or what they refer to as cosmopolitan tastebuds. Basically, they serve Hong Kong cuisine incorporating some Western choices as well.
The menu here consists of different ranges of food to choose from, from dimsum to noodles and rice dishes to Western creations to desserts. After a few visits, I believe that they are all equally as good as each other despite the fact that Kungfu Paradise is supposedly under an Asian group. It was pleasant to know that the Western sector served rather popular dishes of their own. Several choices of pasta and meat combos are offered, not forgetting Western desserts like their chocolate lava cake. Some soup noodles dishes and appetizers/sides like the steamed custard lava buns and wings are also recommended.
I was surprised to find that the fish and chicken combo, at just $10.90, was a steal. Portion wise, that long dish of food was definitely worth more than its price. They may be a casual dining place but the food is of quality. That’s what I love about Kungfu Paradise – casual and afforable enough for small talk over a meal yet serving good stuff that appetize.
A happy thing to know would be that Kungfu Paradise is expanding. It’s newest outlet is located at JCube at Jurong East, so now people on both east and west ends of Singapore will have a great refuge for late nights in the neighbourhood.
2 Tampines Central 5
#01-37 Century Square
Singapore 529509
Operates daily from morning to night (excluding public holidays)
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OverEasy Bar & Restaurant
I’ve always wanted to see the line of classy restaurants such as Jing and Forlino along the bay at One Fullerton. Amongst them, online reviews and the site of OverEasy has made it seem to die for. So when I had the chance to be at Fullerton for a photography session, I was pleased to have dinner there as well! It seems like a habit of mine to grab every opportunity to check out dining places while on another course or task in the area.
May I say that OverEasy is added to my all-time favorites list?
To dine directly opposite the Marina Bay Sands is an amazing thing. I refuse to dine in the interiors of the restaurant for that matter. Evening was perfect.
OverEasy’s menu is extensive and mouth-watering. They were Western favorites put in a special recipe. Not only that, but I like how the menu appeals to me. It’s either the blue and black fonts or something. It was hard to decide, but I ended up with the Steak Frites with Bearnaise sauce & truffle fries ($32). Looks wise, it was brilliant. I loved how well the bearnaise sauce (similar to hollandaise sauce) went with both steak and fries. Then I realised that thin, short and crispy truffle fries like OverEasy’s make the best truffle fries. I assure it tastes better than it looks.
Desserts wise, I guess it was an even harder decision, all of them sounded one of a kind! The Blueberry waffle with crunchy streusel & vanilla ice cream ($12) was unlike a normal waffle. It’s interior were fluffy and filled with blueberries, on the other hand, the toppings were a good symphony. Mmm.
You would also be happy to know that be it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, supper or drinks, this place is suited for any of the above. All day breakfast items are available, the large and small plates make up an appetizing meal and their late-night promotions always keep the buzz of patrons going on and on throughout the night.
One Fullerton Road
#01-06 One Fullerton
Singapore 049213
Operates weekdays 1130-1430, 1700-0100
weekends 1700-0400
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Ya Kun Kaya Toast
One thing that Singaporeans love is the choice of a variety of breakfast to start your day. Amongst all, our very own traditional breakfast have come a long way since old times.
As much as I love a good, Western breakfast of savoury and sweet indulgence, I can never forget my childhood of kaya toasts and half boiled eggs in those coffee shops. Of all, Ya Kun is one of the more popular chain serving our traditional style of breakfast in shopping centres even.
I can never get enough of kaya and french toasts! I would not proclaim I lurvee them but they make satisfactory breakfast. My only complain is that the slices at Ya Kun are too small, one plate is not enough to to fill me up.
So it really doesn’t matter to forget English tea and brekkie for a day and head for toasts and kopi-o! With aplenty of franchises found all over Singapore, it’s merely the choice.
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The Chocolate Bar – Marina Bay Sands Singapore
When you feel like having chocolate, eat it.
This started as an impulse, but the thought of a chocolate buffet is simply too irresistible. And hard to push away as well.
The Chocolate Bar operates from 8pm to 10pm daily at The Club at level 57 of the Marina Bay Sands and that’s a winning factor already. It’s location is gorgeous among the Sands Skypark and beside the lusting Infinity Pool. It was fascinating when we were led all the way up, out onto the deck by the pool of the skypark and eventually to the atmosphere of rustic charm.
To be honest, I didn’t know where to start as I stared at the massive array of mini dessert creations – 57 chocolate themed desserts exactly, created by executive pastry chef Alejandro Luna and his team. Seemed a little like heaven to me. Selections were vast, a regret of mine was that I couldn’t get my tastebuds over all of the desserts!
I grabbed some macarons. Three flavors were available: coconut, milk chocolate passion and raspberry. The coconut made an impression on me.
The dark chocolate raspberry mousse (below) was an excellent combination of bitter sweet dark chocolate and the slight sour of raspberry, I felt that it was a unique creation, soft and easily melting.
Two other items which I still remember distinctly would be chocolate bread pudding (shown below) and banana steamed chocolate, steamed with banana leaves. The former has started to become popular in the local food scene and I realized why. The soft mash of bread with chocolate can nearly melt in my mouth. The latter looked like a chocolate flavored “kueh”, but when bitten into it releases a strong banana accent which is amazing.
Other creations include glass shooters of tiramisu, alcoholic desserts, dark and milk chocolate cookies, pralines, an assortment of nuts, pistachios, chocolates and macadamias.
The dining experience was intimate with dimly-lit hues, akin to a candlelight dinner. Step right out and you would be offered a panoramic view of the city lights in Singapore. It was a great time lazing by the infinity pool after the full buffet. Yes, a downside of a full dessert cum chocolate themed buffet would be the heavy lingering of chocolate afterwards that stops sweet cravings for days. But it was an experience worthwhile, a chocolate haven at the top of the city.
The Club at Marina Bay Sands
Sands SkyPark (Level 57, Hotel Tower 2)
Operates 8pm to 12am daily
S$38++ per person ($54++ per person, including a glass of champagne)
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Raindrops Cafe
A quaint, cosy cafe tucked away from the bustling and hustling of Scape at Somerset in Singapore, Raindrops Cafe is indeed neatly and not so cleverly hidden behind the entertainment centre in town. Having read some friendly reviews on it, and shopping round the area, I recommended it to my friend for dinner.
I would have to say that it was a very relaxing dinner over at Raindrops, which serves mainly western creations including a selection of mains, pastas, sandwiches and desserts. Being in the mood for some hearty pasta, I had the Light Brown Beef fettucine (below), while my dining companion had the Mushroom Carbonara (further below). I noticed that mushrooms are a common ingredient in their dishes, so do head down if you’re a mushroom fan!
Both pastas were of cream base, with the mushroom carbonara being a lot creamier, while the fettucine I had was a lot drier, which I thought would be better if more moistened. Moreover, the beef was not as “light” as expected. The pasta made me quite full, so it was a hearty dinner I wanted indeed. What I like is the dining atmosphere in the cafe, everything was done simple yet incorporated with a unique touch. It was like a glasshouse amidst a casual landscape of green and brown and the feel is enhanced especially on a light rainy day full of Raindrops. Having a small interior also made the cafe seem a lot cosier, with a few tables in the alfresco area.
All in all, I wouldn’t say that the food was absolutely fantastic, but I’ll definitely drop by while around the area to have a take on some of their more popular Western mains and pizzas and to experience it’s dining charm again.
2 Orchard Link
*Scape
#02-38
Singapore 237978
Operates 11am – 1am daily
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Billy Bombers American Diner
I’ve always loved the idea of an American meal. It sounds comfortable. This resolves around retro red plushies, milkshakes, burgers and floats. With a casual, chatty background. There are a few outlets of Billy Bombers in Singapore and I’ve always felt that they are sort of underrated, you could have seen it numerous of times but not even heard of it. Comfort food, comfort surroundings and at comfort prices, that’s pretty much everything we would bargain for.
The American hound dog ($11.90) might not look like a big serving here, but actually it’s an American serving. Now that’s legit. The accompanying coleslaw and potato wedges were satisfactory but even I wouldn’t find anything amiss if the dog was to be served on its own.
American brownie ($7.90) – this one came doubly sweet and chocolaty, the brownie was overflowing of chocolate and chocolate and chocolate. Generous stripes of caramel and chocolate criss-crossed one another on the big dish: a reason why you should not stop until you literally licked off every corner of the plate. Extremely chocolaty brownies are an addiction, their small squares of portion would keep you craving for more.
The location at The Central for this outlet is great. Besides chilling in the air-conditioned dining area, you can head out for scenery overlooking the Singapore River and the colourful blocks of restaurants on the other end. Go for the burgers, beef, hot dogs and a root beer float to top it off! There’s nothing as good as living the American dream, is there?
The Central @ Clarke Quay
#02-78
Singapore 059817
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Fish & Co.
Fish & Co has been a long-lasting semi fast food restaurant as far as I know. It has undergone modernization in recent times and is nowadays, becoming a trendy venue for casual, chatty meals and even birthday events. I love their specialty and tagline of SEAFOOD IN A PAN. You literally eat out of a pan. Yep, this was my very first time in fish and co despite the many years; I’ve had doubts if they were just selling overpriced fast food. But I guess you can never judge a book by its cover.
Seafood Platter for 1 ($19.95) – a great deal and you can have it all for yourself! Besides, the prawns, fillet and calamari is served atop a serving of paella rice and fries or mashed potatoes, so I reckon it’s a great steal for seafood lovers. However, I do find it weird that rice is served with potatoes over here – the double intake of similar carbs seem like a dangerous idea.
White Fish & Salmon ($18.95)
Whenever the word ‘fish’ appears, fish and chips automatically registers in my brain. The New York Fish & Chips ($15.95) took me by surprise, it was unlike those I’ve had at everywhere else. It’s crisp outer layer was satisfyingly thin and you will find that the battered fish is so soft to penetrate through. The meat was incredibly tender. In it, generous stuffing of parmesan cheese. There are aplenty of choices of fish and chips such as the Italian, Singapore, Arctic and Danish (which all sound attractive as well). New York would be their all time classic favourite.
I was recommended the Chocolate Pecan Cluster ($6.95) by a waiter as my original order of key lime cheesecake was not available and when it arrived, I thought it was oddly shaped enough. That didn’t matter much soon as I thoroughly enjoyed the explosion of thick chocolate fudge and nuts in my mouth. Serving size was not too much to deter a too-much-chocolate-attack and so it ended my meal perfectly.
I have to say that with their extensive range of categories and many choices available under the menu, dining at Fish & Co can be a little tricky as you’ll be spoilt for choice. New items like pasta have also been added to the menu, but don’t forget the legendary seafood and fish.
Ion Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#B3-20
Singapore 238801
Opening hours:
11:30am to 10pm daily
(and 13 other outlets island wide in Singapore)
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Laurent’s Cafe and Chocolate Bar
I had a pretty good brunch that day at eM by the River. I knew Laurent’s Cafe and Chocolate Bar, or Laurent Bernard’s Chocolatier. From the outside, it is easy to walk past Laurent’s Cafe and Chocolate Bar on a sunny day where your eyes are insensitive to the dull. Already having the initial plan to indulge in chocolate desserts there, I had to walk up and down the street several times before spotting it.
The interior bears a cosy and pretty decor and allows only around 10 patrons to be seated. Alfresco dining is available with comfortable, cushioned seats with unnaturally grown palm trees wafting atop. I find it a little weird that photography of the cafe itself was not permitted, there is even a sign bearing the warning.
On that fateful day, their specialty – the souffle – was not available as they had just opened for business and so it was only available at later times. Waiting around 30-45 minutes for a souffle would already be a huge sacrifice, a few more hours of waiting time would be a no-no.
I had the Crispy Chocolate Tart ($7.80) which turned out to be dark chocolate. Being a sweet and savoury person, I am not a fan of dark chocolate but it was a different story in this case, in which the tinge of dark chocolate was what made me give it a thumbs up.
The Profiterole ($12) was atop three large scoops of vanilla bean ice-cream, and I thought that it was a light and refreshing choice in contrast to the chocolate tart. The only loophole was my expectation of the pastry ball to be softer. The icing on the icing would be the miniature teapot of chocolate sauce. Or it shall be called the chocolate pot. You know, everything is better with chocolate.
80 Mohammad Sultan Road
The Pier @ Robertson Quay
#01-11
Singapore 239013
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Pepper Lunch: Go Curry!
(Curry Rice with Seafood)
If you’re a local, you can’t not have heard of Pepper Lunch.
Originating in Japan where there are about 200 outlets located, Pepper Lunch has been brought to the Asia-Pacific region and its waves have reached onshore of our tiny island. Since then, outlets sprung up everywhere. From full-fledged Pepper Lunch restaurants to the express version in food courts, it is almost impossible not to spot any of them once you step out for shopping.
I guess their attraction points go to the fun of “cooking” your lunch in those sizzling iron plates (which are patented in Japan). What’s better, the smell of your lunch sizzling along with the sizzle. You may come out smelling like you went to a barbecue but I guess that’s not the point. I believe their reasonably priced items make it an ideal place for people especially teenagers nowadays to have a quick lunch. Last but not least, it will be Pepper Lunch’s well formulated pepper rice. There’s just something about the rice with pepper that makes Pepper Lunch, Pepper Lunch. The weirdest thing would be that I have a friend who orders pepper lunch without the pepper.
With more and more additions of items to their menu, I’m nearly spoilt for choice. Or maybe I really am. Recently, I had the Curry Rice with Beef & Hamburg Steak ($11.90), and I found that the Japanese curry used did nothing but good! Japanese curry is mainly sweet rather than spicy and is much thicker than normal curry. Also, with a supplement of $2, you get to choose a side. In my opinion, the miso soup would be the best choice. The more popular items would be their hamburg steak, which is considered quite a cheap bargain for a good piece of steak.
Now, there’s even pepper pasta available at the restaurants!
3 Temasek Boulevard
Suntec City Mall #B1-010
Singapore 038983
Tel: 6884-9828
Fax: 6884-5759
Hours: 11am – 10pm
*Plus 7 other restaurants and 24 express stalls
Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog 