Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog

Tapas 24 is the first Asian outpost of the Barcelonian concept helmed by Michelin-starred Chef Carles Abellán. Though friends who visited the original concept in Barcelona gave praises, I kept my expectations low prior to my visit to the Robertson Quay outlet, mainly due to the mixed reviews online.

Entering the vibrantly coloured all-day restaurant bar, I was hosted by a staff who enthusiastically explained to us most of the dishes in the menu. Even considering that this was a media invite, the service was sincere. Spoilt for choice, we went for most of the recommended dishes. 

Touted as one of the biggest must-try items here, the Tapas 24 Bikini Sandwich ($16) with black truffles, iberico ham and buffalo mozzarella were decently good, but not amazing. I wished the thin fillings were more substantial in amount.

Two types of croquetas (i.e. Spanish croquettes) were on the menu – the Croquetas de Jamon (Spanish ham) ($10) which I would usually pick, and the Croquetas De Pollo ($8) which I decided to go for based on the host’s recommendation. The croquettes are made of slow-braised pulled chicken (yes, hand-pulled) in home-made velouté, then lightly breaded and deep fried. This was a delight as the pollo (chicken) filling was adequately tender and moist, with a crispy batter outer layer. 

We were told that the Crispy Calamares ($16) is a dish less well-received by Asians due to the saffron mayonnaise that might come off as overly rich. And so we just had to order and try it for ourselves. Turned out that the saffron mayonnaise had an interesting taste profile which we liked together with the huge chunks of deep fried battered squid, but might be “gelak” for 1 or 2 pax. Instead, I recommend sharing it between 3 – 5 pax.

The Secreto Iberico ($26) is another one of my favorites in Spanish cuisine. I loved the pairing of flavours with chimichurri and creamy mashed potato in Tapas 24’s version of this dish, but wished the portion size could be larger.

Yet another dish I enjoyed was the Clams “Ajillo” in Sherry ($32) – fresh clams flambeed in sherry wine with garlic, fresh artichoke and iberico ham. Though my partner thought that the clams would go better with white wine than sherry. 

Probably our favorite dish we had was the Gambas Al Ajillo ($18) featuring plump, juicy garlic prawns in olive oil. Order some bread and dip it in the sauce for that extra carb satisfaction. 

As though we did not have enough of gambas and carbs, we proceeded to try the Paella De Gambas Al Ajillo ($40), which came with prawns and paella rice cooked with seafood stock in the Josper oven. Disappointingly, the paella did not match my expectations – I’ve had better ones in other Spanish restaurants in Singapore. We didn’t manage to finish most of it.

Thankfully, there is always a separate stomach for desserts. Between the Chocolate, Sea Salt and Olive Oil ($10) and the Brie Cheesecake ($18), we opted for the former as huge chocolate fans. The 3 dollops of rich and smooth dark chocolate ganache, topped with olive oil roe and sprinkled with sea salt, appealed to and was welcomed very much by our dessert stomachs. 

Though the price point is slightly steep in comparison to the portion sizes, I must admit that most of the dishes we tried were comparable to those of a good Spanish restaurant in Singapore.

Thanks to the Tapas 24 team for the invite and hosting.

60 Robertson Quay

#01-04

The Quayside

Singapore 238252

Tues – Sat 12pm – 11pm, Sun 11am – 11pm (Closed on Mon)

+65 6513 6810/+65 9821 8471

Right after my previous café visit to Tigerlily Patisserie in the Katong area, I planned my next café trip to the same area again – there is just lots to explore in this enclave.

Reaching slightly before 11am on a weekday, I had braced myself but still surprised to find most of the seats filled. Luckily, we managed to settle at the communal table where the centrepiece is situated, with adequate social distancing between patrons.

With no proper doors or windows, the café allows much natural light in in the day, casting light and shadows on the concrete floor, wooden upcycled furniture and plants. Interestingly enough, I also spotted parking lots for bicycles, a play area for kids and a community library for café-goers to deposit or borrow books. This fits in the owners’ vision to bring the local community together while serving F&B. 

There are 2 main sections to the food menu – All Day Breakfast served from 9am onwards, and Mains, served from 11am onwards.

From the former, I just could not resist but order one of the most photographed dishes here – the Soft Scrambled Eggs & Ikura ($14). Even though I would have preferred the scrambled eggs to be creamier, fluffier and less watery, the combination of ikura, truffle cream, chives, sourdough with the eggs made a hearty and visually appealing breakfast dish. 

While my Oat Latte ($6.50) was alright, but the Okumidori Matcha Latte ($7) left a greater impression. I later found out that Okumidori is a ceremonial grade matcha which is considered rare.

As we reached before 11am, the mains were not available yet but we were allowed to place advance orders for them which arrived promptly on our table at 11am. 

We thought that our Beef Cheek Linguine ($24) was rather well-executed, especially with the tender braised beef cheek in beef jus. 

I am not one who would usually go for vegetarian options on the menu, but the Miso Roasted Cauliflower Steak ($18) had caught my eye when I was doing prior research on the café. There was a play of different textures and flavors from its components (i.e. the crispy kale topped with a generous portion of cheese shavings, crunchy nuts and pomegranate seeds, smooth humus, roasted cauliflower, bittersweet espresso vinaigrette). 

The menu also offers a couple of desserts (an affogato, a waffle and ice cream), and daily bakes such as tea cakes are displayed at the counter. We were too stuffed for them. 

There has been a sprout of cafes recently, and I’m glad to have discovered one that is above average. 

336 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 437109

Wed to Mon 8.30am – 6pm, closed on Tues

+65 8899 1143

The East is blooming with new cafes, and I’m taking slow and progressive steps to visit them one at a time. My most recent one was at Tigerlily Patisserie, a bakery-café which started as an online bake-box business. 

Greeted by floral and pastel-themed interiors, I was livened up by the botanical designs and the splash of yellow-orange against a deep forest green along a wall. Surprisingly, the café was fully packed at noon on a weekday, with a line forming in and outside the premises. 

We had some coffee and realized it was on the mild side – my Oat Mocha ($7.50) tasted more like a hot chocolate. The Oat White ($6) was just as mild.

Then Maxine, the owner and head chef, brought out 2 sandwiches to start our meal proper. The Salmon Tzatziki ($14), with ingredients of house-cured salmon gravlax, dill tzatziki, avocado slices and citrus segments between homemade ciabatta bun were light on the palate and made a refreshing appetizer. 

Not just your ordinary homemade grilled kimchi cheese sandwich, the Monsieur Kim ($15) has kimchi and Parma ham sandwiched with a trio of grilled cheeses that made a great combination –  brie, comte and caiocavallo. It felt like an elevation of a simple breakfast dish.

Moving on to the pastries and desserts which I was most excited about, we first had the savory Tomato & Artichoke Tart ($7) – made with heirloom tomatoes baked atop tomato concasse and with pickled artichoke hearts. 

As for the Yellow Peach Danish ($8), while I wished that the danish puff pastry would be airier with flakier layers, the seasonal yellow peaches were soft, mildly sweet, and perfect for summer.

An IG-worthy signature of Tigerlily is the Beehive ($11). Have fun smashing the beehive – within which you can find lemon, thyme and litchi honey jelly, a lemon sponge and honey parfait encased in yuzu mousse. I would recommend to eat the inner layers together with the yellow shell (made of white chocolate) as some may find the combination of ingredients within to be on the sour side. 

Personally, I preferred the Pink Guava & Pear ($10) to the Beehive. This terrazzo-inspired dessert (matching the terrazzo designs of the tables) has pink guava cream and jelly with cubes of fresh pears encased in elderflower liqueur and pear mousse. Loved the sweet-tart, tropical flavors. 

Overall, I was impressed by the intricately presented pastries and desserts and would love to try the rest on my return visit – the Forest Berry Taco, Mochi Blondie, Garlic Herb and Cream Cheese Babka… which were unfortunately wiped off the display around 1.30pm when I ended my meal.

Heartfelt thanks to Teresa and Maxine for hosting us.

350 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427598

Tues to Sun, 9am – 5pm

+65 8887 0988

I took a long break since my last post, but a recent brunch I had at Siri House in Dempsey was scrumptious enough to compel me to write and recommend it to all of you. Launched 2 years ago by Thai property luxury developer Sansiri, Siri House is a lifestyle, social and dining space housed in the former premises of House at Dempsey. 

A short tour through the space revealed a sales gallery doubling up as a bar where guests can enjoy tipples and a private dining session in a replica luxury Sansiri apartment, the main dining area, an outdoor terrace and an art space and shop to feature artists’ works on a rotational basis.

We were there for the new weekend brunch menu featuring Mod-Asian fare, and picked out dishes and drinks which were recommended to us.

From the extensive cocktail menu, we had the – 

Summertime Madness ($12) – a herbaceous and citrusy take on the Aperol Spritz;

9-Volt ($22) – a Szechuan pepper gin drink which fired and awakened our taste buds;

Blush ($22) – which featured clarified tomato juice in elderflower, gin, Seedlip Garden and vodka, and

Hunting Season ($20) – our favorite of the 4 cocktails we tried due to its refreshing kick. It uses Fernet Hunter as a base, together with clarified grapefruit juice, sherry, champagne vinegar, salt, sugar, gin & tonic.

Meanwhile for the food, a side of Scrambled Eggs ($6) arrived first. Without bearing much expectations, we were delightfully surprised by the creaminess and silkiness of the dish that persisted despite a long photo-taking session. Got to be one of the best scrambled eggs I’ve had in a long while.

Seemingly a simple dish (but I reckon not), the SH Salad ($18) made a light and crisp appetizer with a mix of textures from the tiger prawns, candied ikan bilis, Belinjo crackers, mixed greens and soy ginger dressing. The prawns used were really fresh.

Served piping hot from the fryer, the Arancini ($21) made with dashi infused japanese rice mixed with octopus was crunchy on the first bite, and revealed mozzarella in the centre of the rice mixture. The use of Japanese ingredients in this classic Sicilian snack was brilliant. 

The Scallop ($29) caught our eyes with its interesting list of ingredients – wild caught hokkaido scallop carpaccio, yuzu kosho, dashi jelly, smoked ikura, sea grapes, and hamachi bacon. There was a burst of flavor from which element, but we felt that the hamachi bacon topping was overpowering the other tastes and textures.

The star and our favorite dish was the Unagi Risotto ($33). The savory risotto, made with rice infused with a mixture of burnt onion dashi and tomato consomme and seasonal mushrooms, made a great complement to the sweet soy-glazed grilled unagi. It has got me very tempted to attempt a Japanese-style risotto in my kitchen.

For desserts, we had the Bomboloni ($16) – Italian-style doughnuts that are gaining traction in Singapore recently. They came with 2 fillings, namely cashew chocolate ganache and mixed berry jam. 

Compared to the former dessert, we preferred the Tropical “Tau Huey” ($15) which is an Asian take on the panna cotta. (The Bombolinis were heavy on the palate and stomach.) Macerated mango with chilli and passionfruit granita were used to pair with the coconut panna cotta and the tropical flavors were refreshing.

From now till 13 June, Siri House is offering delivery (bit.ly/shdelivery) and takeaway (bit.ly/shtakeaway) options in view of the no dine-in measure.

Special thanks to Natasha and the team for hosting us!

Address: Block 8 D #01-02 Dempsey Road, Dempsey Hill, Singapore 249672

Opening Hours: Mon – Thu 11.30am to 10pm, Fri – Sat 11.30am to 11pm, Sun 11.30am to 4pm

When all three times were the charm. 

Located along the row of shophouses on Bukit Pasoh street, the cafe opened in January this year and since then, I have totalled 3 trips to this bakery cafe to-date with different groups of friends – that says a lot. Priding themselves in the quality of their handcrafted bakes, all bread and pastries here are naturally leavened with sourdough freshly baked in the cafe.

Out of the whole lot I have tried on my visits here, the Sticky Bun ($5) is surprisingly my utmost favorite. Displayed gloriously on the counter as a whole loaf, it was the first thing that caught my eye and settled my first pick. The sticky sweet toffee, mild crunch of walnuts, aromatic hints of cinnamon and soft, pilowy textured sourdough bun made a brilliant pastry that was not cloyingly sweet. 

Seeing that it was the last piece behind the glass counter, I also quickly scooped up the Twiced Baked Hazelnut Croissant ($5.50) into my order. It was crisp, with a substantial hazelnut filling.

Other bread and pastries I have had here include the 

Vegan Banana Bread ($5) – despite being vegan it was rather moist with a distinct flavor; 

Croissant ($4) – unlike the usual croissant since it was made of sourdough. Admittedly, I would have preferred a more buttery, flakier version;

and Palmier ($2.50) – a very crispy, flaky and buttery delight that I wish I had bought home a bag of. I am, however, ashamed to say that I was not acquainted with this French pastry prior my visit.

Apart from the saliva-inducing breads and pastries at the display counter, there is also a proper menu serving sandwiches, build-your-plate dishes and even burgers. Amongst the sandwiches, I had the K Pork Belly ($14) comprising sous-vide pork belly, coffee glaze, garlic chips, kimchi mayo, apples and pears, and the Croque Monsieur ($12) with sauce mornay, smoked ham and gruyere. Both were decent but I preferred the latter for the overflowing, savory layer of gruyere cheese that paired well with the sourdough. 

The Glazed Back Bacon Burger ($14) stood out the most to us in the list of burgers. Not failing my expectations, it came with a generous serving of thick slices of back bacon stuffed between two sourdough buns. The bacon was tender enough, not overly salty and made for a satiating dish.

With the menu selections being satisfying yet affordably priced, I guess it was a no wonder that I have recommended the cafe to many. If you’re feeling a little stuffed, prioritise the pastries and cakes and leave the mains to another occasion. 

Address: 6 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089820

Opening Hours: Wed to Sat 8.30am – 5pm, Sun 8.30am – 4pm

Though several new cafes have popped up on shores post-lockdown era, not quite a few appealed to me. Daizu Cafe became that exception when I was recommended to it – my friends were right when they showed me photos and remarked that the cafe’s aesthetics seemed to be my kind of aesthetics. 

Arriving just before the crowd on a Sunday morning, I managed to grab a window seat and that window of opportunity for a few snaps of the near-empty cafe. Boasting 2 storeys and a small alfresco area, the wooden tables were spaced comfortably in the minimalistic-ally designed cafe. The cafe also appeared welcoming to patrons studying/working “from home”. 

Of the drinks we ordered, I loved my friend’s Dark Mocha ($6.50 hot, $7 iced) for its smoothness, mild acidity and bittersweet tones of chocolate. Unfortunately my order of Uji Matcha Latte ($7 hot, $7.50 iced) with Soy Milk (+$1) felt more of a watered down version of an instant matcha mix. 

While the Drinks, Pastries and Cakes and Tarts are available all day from 10am, the Brunch, Pasta, Rice Bowls and Sides menus run from 11am onwards with a moderate selection of food. We had the Petit Breakfast ($10), Mini Unagi Bowl ($10) and White Truffle Fries ($10). Despite the “Petit” and “Mini” designations, we felt that the portions were generous and sufficiently filling along with a couple of sides. Prices were also on the comfortable range – the rice bowls and pastas were all priced below $20. 

What were memorable: 1. the smooth, creamy scrambled eggs in the Petit Breakfast; 2. the fresh, tender and sweetly glazed grilled unagi from the Unagi Bowl. 

From the small selection of cakes and tart, we picked the Lime Meringue Tart ($8.50) which had a good balance of tartness and sweetness, thus ending our meal on a satisfying note. 

And so, I have been recommending this place to friends looking for weekend brunch at comfort prices. I also reckon it a conducive environment for working/studying on weekdays. Another plus point – in the proximity, you will find more cafes to cafe-hop (Old Hen Coffee, Gather the Misfits, Brunches Cafe, Enchanted Cafe).

Address: 129 Rangoon Road, Singapore 218407

Tel: +65 8155 8233

Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm daily

I’ve long heard of both cafes Choryang 1941 and Choryang 845 – the former being the first established outpost and the latter a new business concept and expansion by the same folks.

Café Choryang 1941 sits within an old Japanese house built in 1941 during the Japanese colonial period, hence its name. Meanwhile, the restaurant-café Choryang 845 is brilliantly (or effortlessly) named after its location itself, being situated in 845-1 Choryang-dong, a quiet, non-touristy neighborhood in Busan.

Despite being on a hill in a less accessible district, getting there was fuss-free since there were direct buses running to and from Busan subway station and Choryang subway station, with not much walking required.

Amazing light and shadows in this biscuit store. Got some sesame crackers back.

Choryang 845 is situated within a building that houses a couple of shops and galleries which I browsed around, being attracted to the raw and minimalistic designs they bore. When I finally entered the café premises, I was in awe at how an old factory container was remodeled into the current chic space of the café. It was hard to grasp the design concept from the mismatched furniture yet it didn’t make me feel unsettled.

I immediately picked a table right by the extensive glass windows. On that clear sunny day with no traces of micro dust in the air, the view overlooking the residential neighborhood of Choryang was comforting.

There were separate sites for ordering food and drinks (+pastries). I ordered the Yuzu Hibiscus Tea (7,000KRW) from the barista by the coffee machine and it came in two pretty layers of red and yellow; I ordered the Korean Set Lunch (13,000KRW) that comes with rice and a variety of side dishes from the counter right in front of the kitchen.

When I was there, I didn’t have time to look up what I was eating so I only recently looked them up again and translated them to English. Looking back at this list, I was reminded of how clean and healthy each dish tasted and how the entire set came together as a wholesome meal. My kind of comfort food for the soul.

(Mainly for my reference since the side dishes change seasonally)

• Perilla Seeds & Radish Leaf Soup
• Multigrain Rice
• Beef Brisket (on a bed of salad)
• Glazed Sweet Potatoes
• Paprika (napa) Cabbage Roll (with Yuzu dressing)
• Vegetable & Mushroom Pancake (made with Kale, Cabbage, Carrot, Shiitake Mushrooms)
• Kimchi (Napa Cabbage)
• Seaweed Salad (topped with dried persimmon)
• Tofu with Vegetables

Other than the set meal, other main courses like pastas and rice dishes are also on the menu, but I would skip the other mains and go for the luxurious set meal again. Regrettably, I didn’t manage to grab dessert at Choryang 1941, but I know I will be back to explore more of this quaint neighborhood.

845-1 Choryang-dong, Dong-gu, Busan, South Korea

11am – 9pm daily (except Wednesdays)

This short trip to the coastal city of Gangwon-do was an impromptu decision made just a week in advance, and it was really impromptu for someone like me who likes to have ample time to plan trips ahead.

We arrived at night in a city, oddly quiet right from the radius of the KTX station itself. The walk to our AirBnB apartment (link here) opposite the station was slightly eerie with dimly lit paths and no one in sight – I couldn’t imagine if I had to be alone then. Thankfully, we arrived to a small but clean, cosy and warm (especially with the ondol floor) apartment that we liked immediately. I had a pretty good 2 nights of sleep despite sleeping on a floor mattress.

1. BTS Bus Stop – Jumunjin Beach

Early in the morning, we headed out to our furthest destination on our roughly planned itinerary – Jumunjin Beach. From Gangneung KTX station, the ride by a public bus took about 45mins and we arrived at a near empty beach that morning.

While we were there, we also took a mandatory shot at the BTS Bus Stop (not an ARMY, but I have been listening to their music since I started listening to kpop).

2. Jumunjin Breakwater

Our next stop, Jumunjin Breakwater, was a tricky one to get to from Jumunjin Beach due to the odd intervals bus arrival times. Eventually, we gave up waiting for the bus and took one hour on foot to arrive at the breakwater. It was a decision we half-regretted – the walk along the coast was soothing initially until our weak bodies started to feel the physical toll.

When we reached, I picked the most decent looking restaurant (called Lobstar) on the spot and entered. From the second level of the restaurant, there was a clear view of the several breakwaters extending out into the aquamarine sea. This included the specific breakwater that appeared in drama Goblin – it’s easily identifiable with a line of people waiting to snap some photos there.

3. Ojukheon

After lunch and a mandatory photo op, we hopped back on a bus to Ojukheon, feeling ever so relieved that we didn’t wait long for it. This attraction is the birthplace and residence of historical figures Shin Saimdang and Yulgok Yi I – try to find them on the 5000KRW note and 50,000KRW note. Also spotted some beautiful trees in the color transition phase.

4. Sonamujib Chodang Soondubu – 354-4 Chodang-dong, Gangneung, Gangwon-do

From Ojukheon, we went to Seongyojang House and spent a very short 15 minutes there before moving on to our planned dinner venue, the Chodang-dong Soondubu Village. By this time, we got pretty jaded from the bus rides and switched to taxis to commute. The ride by cab to the village took less than 15 minutes.

I found out about this village from a friend who highly recommended me the famous soondubu gelato from a store in the village. The unlucky me stumbled upon the ice cream store’s break time as soon as we arrived, so we took a detour on foot to the nearby Gangmun Beach (~15 mins walk) before returning.

We ordered the Soondubu Gelato (3500KRW) and Halla Green Tea Gelato (3500KRW) to share. Tofu has been one of the most essential food in my life (I eat it almost everyday) so I was excited and had high expectations for the soondubu gelato especially. With its smooth texture, aromatic fragrance of tofu and light yet distinctive soondubu flavor, it hit my expectations easily. The green tea gelato was forgettable, on the other hand.

Unsure of which restaurant in the village served the best soondubu, we ate at the same restaurant which operated the gelato store to play it safe. The tofu here reminded me of the tofu my grandmother used to make.

5. Nov 12 Café – 5 Gangneung-daero 202beon-gil, Gangneung, Gangwon-do. 12pm – 9pm daily except Wednesdays

Nov 12 was a charming café and pit stop on the way to Gangneung’s Jungang Market that we looked up online and visited on the spot due to freedom of time on our second day.

This small cosy nook, with its white walls and wooden furniture-filled interior, won our approval from the start when we entered as the first customers of the day.

I had a Latte (5000KRW) and Chocolate Chip Scone (3500KRW), both of which were decently good. Turns out that the beans used are from Manufact Coffee.

I usually visit the Jungang Market as a final stop in each city in Korea and try a couple of snacks from stores that boast long queues. At Gangneung Jungang Market, I tried the garlic bun – the best one I’ve ever tried.