Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog

I’ve heard some rave reviews about this restaurant, even two friends asked me out there one after the other. P.S Sorry I didn’t go with you GX, another group of friends tagged me first. Hatched is an all-day brunch restaurant at Evans Lodge, near Bukit Timah road.  The most interesting thing is that it serves egg-based dishes! You can’t ever get enough of eggs. It’s menu was a cute starter for us already!

Now, this place may not be very accessible if you don’t live around the area, there are no train stations or bus stops near it, the nearest being Botanic Gardens. It was after that when I found out that the residential area behind the restaurant is a hostel. Even though we went on a weekday, the place was crowded and we had to wait for a seat. It would be advisable to make a reservation first, as it’s interior can fit no more than 30 people.

POACHED EGG: A rising to fame brunch item would be eggs benedict. The Sir Benedict ($12 for one, $18 for two) was quite good (as stated by my buddies). However it is advisable to have two eggs since the portion size of an egg benny is not enough to satisfy your tummy.

SUNNY SIDE UP: I ordered the Croque Madame ($14) which is grilled egg, cheese and ham sandwich with greens. I felt that the sandwich bread was nicely grilled till a crispy interior and fluffy exterior. The goodness of a sandwich is when all the ingredients in it suit each other and I believe that this combination of egg, cheese and ham is better than a hamburger of steak and egg. The garden greens were refreshing too. The serving size was just right for a very satisfying and filling brunch/lunch. Mmm.

SCRAMBLED EGG: The Papillote ($14) looked gorgeous, what with the color of fresh salmon complementing the sunny yellow of scrambled eggs. One thing to note is not to ignore the firmly shaped tomato, it tastes great.

Even from the exterior of the restaurant, it looked like a cosy and the right place to be. Now, I might contemplate whether to visit this place or not again. The decent brunch food is great and the ambience is casual and comfortable (especially if you get a table by the window). And if you didn’t know, my mouth has been bombarded by tons of eggs since young.

26 Evans Road

#01-06 Evans Lodge

Singapore 259367

Unfortunately this post does not contain any trace of steak. My family is more of a chicken-pork-burger type while I’m the chicken-pasta-pizza-dessert type. But since this place is called Ministry of Steak, I’m guessing it’s steak got to be of some quality? I realised that the Serangoon Gardens Estate area has aplenty of steak houses and I am still trying to figure that out.

The verdict: ordinary food, ordinary prices.

I was disappointed that my Chic Burger ($6.50) didn’t come with fluffy buns. The bottom bun was a tad dry and hard, honestly. I felt that this burger was nothing but an ordinary burger, as it says by its wrinkled appearance. I thought I was supposed to choose a side salad that came with the burger but I made a mistake and ended up buying a side dish as a la carte… Potato Salad ($1.50).  Maybe cold potato salad is not for me, I would choose piping hot mashed potato with gravy anytime!

I think my dessert fetish is going to switch to Lava Cake ($6.90) anytime soon! Warm, rich chocolate cake…. and when you break it open you find a stream of chocolate gushing out. With a scoop of vanilla ice-cream jealously looking down upon it. Perrrfect. It would have been better if the chocolate sauce in it would be more molten and less solid. The vanilla ice cream was from a local brand and I would definitely love it 10x more if it used one with more substance.

Even though the Banana Split ($6.90) looked appetising with the chocolate sauce drizzled over it but I still do not like how their ice cream used were from ordinary brands. It made me feel that the food was not worth it.

 Chicken & sausage Combo ($13.90) that came with chosen sides of mashed potato and crabmeat & corn. They tasted ordinary.

Those living in the Serangoon Gardens Estates are quite lucky to have a fare of local food as well as these steakhouses for them to choose anytime! Maybe I should have tried the steak over here?

Serangoon Garden Estate

4 Maju Avenue, S556682

My current fetish are for cheesecakes. The cheese and the crumb crusted cake. Irrestible.

Bakerzin is becoming a household name recently, especially for it’s array of desserts. I have not yet to try their mains and light bites as I was more eager to taste its sweeter side so do urge me to try if you feel that their mains are worthy as well. The previous time when I got to Bakerzin I tried their Oreo cheesecake which is currently the best oreo cheesecake I ever had. So this time I really felt like having it again but I told myself to always try new stuff.

Even though I feel that the oreo cheesecake tasted better, the New York Cheesecake ($6.50) was something to brag about too. I love how both cheesecakes are creamy rich in texture but not with an overpowering flavor. I also loved how it was soft enough for eating and not like some I tried which were harder and not as creamy.

 Blackforest cheesecake ($6.50)

Bakerzin’s selection of cakes are priced reasonably and maybe even considered cheap if you compare it with other big names. If you’re a food connoiseur just starting an adventure out there, Bakerzin should be your first few places to visit!

1 HarbourFront Walk

#01-207 Vivocity

Singapore 098585

Han’s is a casual place for quick lunch and dinner that serves mainly Western food with some Asian delights as well. It is just a normal cafe with very affordable prices so you would not like to expect too delicious food. My friends and I went to the Novena Square outlet. I once dined at the outlet at Suntec City and unlike that place, this outlet is self service when it comes to ordering your food. I also realised that the place was rather noisy, and hence the ambience of a local food court instead.

It is definitely more worth it if you order their All Day Set Meals than A La Carte items off the menu as it comes with a drink, dessert and soup of the day. The Grilled Dory Fish set ($9.80) I ordered was mediocre. I guess it would be wiser to have their pasta dishes. The soup served was cream of chicken which tasted just like Pizza Hut’s which I really liked but I would love it even more if they could add in chicken chunks like Pizza Hut does.

 I got disappointed when I realised that by dessert they meant a slice of watermelon for each person. I think it’s controversial but I don’t classify fruits under dessert. Even though it’s healthier I would still prefer my usual, sinful slice of cake or glass of ice cream. Even if they do want to use fruits for dessert, a puny slice of watermelon for a person is not doing justice to people.

 The main (grilled dory) tasted fine, but I get the feeling that it is lightly battered rather than grilled. What I would call a simple dish that’s not too oily.

Well I guess it’s alright for people who wants something quick but are not picky over their food, but I really do wonder if it’s as noisy as it was on the day I went.

Han’s

Novena Square

238 Thomson Road #01-20/21

63527478

Alright, after posts of the Western/Italian cuisine, this shall be my first post of a Japanese restaurant. I first fell in love with the Japanese cuisine when I toured central Japan last year. So far I find that the Japanese food in Singapore cannot meet up with the authentic Japan food but that won’t stop me from dining Japanese style.

After church service on a Sunday afternoon, we were wandering round the Serangoon Gardens area hunting for a lunch place. Then we came upon myVillage, a small and quiet sort of mall, and that was where we chancedd upon Shin Kushiya. I love it’s cool and black interior, and how the seats for each table could accomodate a large number of patrons.

There is a current lunch promotion where the second lunch set bought go at half price. The lunch sets come with a few other side dishes like fruits and veggies. My brother ordered the Chicken Teriyaki set (original price $16.80). According to my mom and brother the chicken tasted ordinary and not outstanding enough, and that Sakae Sushi has better teriyaki.

I ordered the Oyako Don set (original price $16.80) which consisted of the main dish of chicken and egg in a rice bowl. I find it rather filling. It would be beetter if there was more meat and eggs and less rice.

The Cream Brulee ($4.80) would definitely sound nicer if it goes by it’s original name of Creme Brulee on the menu, but I understand that it is pretty weird to have a French delight in a Japanese restaurant already. Egg custard has never tasted so sweet and good. Want perfection? Have the strawberry, egg custard and caramelized crust in a spoonful and devour them all together.

Overall the food here is not bad but prices can be quite expensive for some ala carte items. The ambience and service is good and you might consider myVillage for some casual dining if you prefer quiet places. Other restaurants here includes Chinese cuisine like the Old Hong Kong Restaurant and western cuisine like Bakerzin and Relish.

myVillage @ Serangoon Garden

1 Maju Ave

#02-03/04/05/06

Tel: 66342816

Let’s just say I did not have the best lunch experience at this cafe, but I guess it could be blamed on my poor choice of food and just recovered stomach (from a gastric flu) on the day I patronised it. Gastric flu’s a terrible thing. You lose appetite for whatever food and you seem to feel full after a few mouthfuls of the best thing in the world. All you want to do is lie on the couch and sleep. Anyway, I digress.

Blue Mountain Cafe gives you a comfy feel as you pass by it, what with the brown furniture. However I don’t like how they use blue cups to contrast with the brown table thinking it’s a good combination. It serves affordable and mainly western food but you may not want to expect too much out of it.

I thought that the Sweet & Sour Fish Baked Rice ($12.90) sounded special enough so I went with it. Unfortunately I am not really a sweet-and-sour person so I ddid not have the appetite to polish off the plate. For lovers, this may just be right for now. My first bite into this dish was really heavenly, especially since it came piping hot from the oven. I find it a good fusion of western and chinese cuisine.

I did not feel like ordering any more food but not buying a dessert is not doing justice to myself. The Chocolate Heaven ($5.20) was basically just a chocolate cake full of nothing but chocolate. Some complete chocolatey cakes can pull off and give a strong but not sick flavor however it wasn’t really the case for this cake. I don’t like how the chocolate cream that takes up most of the cake taste ordinary as house brand chocolate and made me feel sick after a few more bites. If that was the case, they should have more sponge layers of cake in between the creamy chocolate.

Affordable prices, decent food. Up to you.

IKEA is a good place to go even if you may not want to buy furniture or home-ware. It’s just a comfy place to be, what with the heavy smell of oak wood and sounds of families spending time together. At the same time, it is definitely a heaven for its cheap yet good food. By cheap I do not mean the cheapest, as the portion sizes are smaller; and by good I don’t mean the best either. However some items on the menu are really worth a try.

Their promotion for this month features the Chicken Breast w/ Pasta going on the menu for $3.50 at a discount of 4 dollars from its original price. This dish should come with a ‘Healthier Choice’ label – its chicken breast was lightly fried with not much oil and suitable for people like me who avoid deep fried meat cutlets at all costs, the small serving of penne was coated with a vegetable sauce that I didn’t like very much but I believe there’s a first for everything. The penne was tried to be cooked al dente but got overdone and tasted a tad too firm.

IKEA’s all time signature dish – SWEDISH MEATBALLS ($5.40 for 10 pieces) ! I guess there’s not much to say about them. Yum yum for my tum. The lingonberry jam and cream sauce that came with them perfect it and complements any other food. I was just pretty disappointed that it came with fries on the plate instead of the usual baked potatoes.

I especially loved the top layer of butterscotch of the Almond Cake ($3) as it was sweet in a non-chocolaty way and sweet in such a gooooood way. I love its size and proportion so that it doesn’t make you feel sick after eating it a while, and that is a huge factor for bakers to fret over.

On the second level, you can expect to find stores selling Swedish foodstuff like chocolates and sweets as well as a bistro which is famous for its Hot Dog buns that go for a dollar each and soft serve Vanilla cone ice-cream which used to be at a dollar and a half but is just going for 50 cents now. Nicer and cheaper than McDonalds. A great deal.

I guess there’s really not a reason to dislike IKEA. You drool at the model designer rooms and meaty beef & pork balls and get to try all of them at the same time.

A few months ago I had a voucher that entitled me to some privileges at Modesto’s restaurants but being quite a lazy person I past its expiry date. Even so, I got tempted to pay the restaurant a visit since I had already checked out its menu.

The place feels airy and spacious, with both indoor and outdoor seatings available. In the breezy afternoon, it felt casual and just the right ambience for some good lunch and chat.

Complimentary focaccia with olive oil

 When the Salsiccia E Scarmoza ($21.50 for regular size) pizza first came to the table its appearance made my expectations seem too high. I was definitely expecting it to look more appetising. It’s taste however, was a different story. The pork was the main lead. It was certainly very chewy and meaty, and especially filling.

The Crepes Alle Fragole ($13) was nothing very much special, with strawberry ice-cream wrapped in the crepe served with berries.

All in all, their food is not bad, but the prices are quite high for the quality.

Modesto’s @ Vivo

1 HarbourFront Walk #01-166/167 VivoCity
Singapore 098585
Open daily from 12:00pm – 10:00pm
For reservations and enquiries, please call: 6376 9808