Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog

As it’s name suggests, Artistry is a casual cafe which essentially promotes art. Each period of time features a different exhibition/gallery of art pieces from both local and international artists, on display. But let’s be honest here – I can never seem to appreciate artwork. Never an art person. The frames of work being hung up served merely as decor to me. Still, I love the little space here.

It’s a little further down the road from buzzing Bugis Street till you reach Artistry. The exterior of the cafe is most distinguishable from across the street with its bold purplish-grey painted walls with white windows placed in stark contrast with them. Indoors, it is certainly much more comfortable with cooling air and music playing from the speakers.

On a mid-morning of a Saturday I had managed to spend some quality quiet time with a friend here. The Red Velvet Cake here is no doubt one of the most photogenic ones I’ve ever seen. Thankfully, it tasted quite as well as it looked. The massive spam of coconut frosting sure helped a lot. Overall, not an overly sweet red velvet.

We also had the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake to take a break from its creamy, rich counterpart (red velvet). It was a little dense for a lemon cake but the poppy seeds gave some good texture to the cake. Oh yes, don’t forget to call for a cup of caffeine from the barista.

17 Jalan Pinang

Tuesdays to Sundays 10am – 7pm

One of the greatest grumbles in my life as a foodie so far is the lack of decent cafes in the heartlands where I live. Sure, cafes in heartland areas may never have been a common thing. So why not start the trend? When I first got to know about the opening of a patisserie in Hougang I was undeniably excited and anticipating for future visits. I may not exactly reside there but a group of close friends do which means another place nearby to chill.

Go grab some seats before it gets more popular. Ciel Patisserie has only 3 tables indoors (seating about 10 people) and 2 outdoors. The space here is conceptualized to be simple with white-washed walls, brown wooden tables and a bare cement flooring. Somehow it brings life to the otherwise monotonous row of clinics, provision shops and hardware shops downstairs a HDB block of flats.

On our first visit to Ciel we ordered 5 items just for the 2 of us since we were rather hungry. The Chocolate Caramel Tart ($4.20) may look as simple as can be but surprisingly it was one of our favorite items amongst all. I believe they’ve got the chocolate in this tart very right and suitable for my taste buds. The biscuit crust may be a tad hard but with the chocolate they became a pair.

A special rendition of the Brownie ($3) can be found here. Unlike normal brownies which are chocolate rich and thick, theirs was less rich and dense. What’s more, there are nuts and a subtle layer of what I believe to be salted caramel on the sides of the brownie, making it an instant hit. We later even went on to have another brownie, so that’s 6 items in total.

Bombe ($5.80) (which looks like a bomb) is a chocolate mousse with blueberries in it. Nothing spectacular though.

Next up, meet Scarlet ($5.60) – a raspberry, heart-shaped cheesecake. The cheesecake here is a lot less dense with cheese, somewhat akin to Japanese styles. With a layer of raspberry in the middle, it gives texture and a refreshing feel. By the way they do have teas, coffees and italian sodas on the menu as well.

I guess the only savory item they have here is the Quiche ($3.20) which comes with a nice crumbly crust.  It’s a good break from an overload of sugars, definitely.

From a second trip, we went easier on our stomachs this time. Satine ($4.80) is the normal cheesecake – it’s quite normal. The Opera ($5.80) on the other hand was much loved. It’s rich layers of coffee and chocolate makes it seem rather tiramisu-like, except that the layers are harder.

I also happened to see 3 different macaron flavors at the display (previously there was only the pink one) so I decided to grab all 3 of them. At 3 for $5, there are only 3 flavors currently: Rose, Pineapple Passionfruit and Chocolate Salted Caramel. With harder shells and less creamy ganaches, the macarons here sadly don’t hold a match to my favorites in Singapore. There are differing opinions on them though.

I’m now holding Ciel’s membership card which entitles me to a 10% discount on any visit and a 20% discount for a birthday month visit. The pastries here may not be the most photogenic; the environment here may not be the most extravagant. But, reasonable prices and their desserts being well-received overall makes it one of the many places that I’ll hold on to in my mind.

124 Hougang Avenue 1

#01-1444

Tel: 6383 0803

Tuesdays – Thursdays  11am to 8pm
Fridays – Saturdays 11am to 9pm
Sundays 3pm to 9pm

It’s funny how I’ve passed by this particular hideout once previously. I remember only having a glimpse through a restricted view of it – my curiosity got sparked. Yet I didn’t investigate further. Chapter closed. Then recently I was contacted by the owner (and also the barista) of this cafe, Florence, and without hesitation I decided to drop by. Chapter renewed.

So, I came to find out that the cafe is a springboard for a Gateway Boarding project in Chiang Mai to help youths there in terms of skills and training. Meanwhile, the cafe works with local organisations/schools to either bring in food or to provide them with the cafe space for various events. Essentially it’s great to know that even a cafe can do so much in reaching out to people.

What I found fascinating is that the cafe interiors livened up the monotony of an otherwise dull community centre. On one side of the cafe was a prominent blue wall which was painted after the cafe took over from a defunct snack stall. Dainty light bulbs were strung from the ceiling across the deep blue backdrop. The furniture there was a quirky mixture of wooden tables and chairs with plant decors all around. Clearly not the most typical food stall in your neighbourhood.

When I first asked Florence, “Why here?”, she had replied with a smile on her face, “Why not?” And then it led me to think of the puny significance of such areas in our heartlands today. Other than a place to loan badminton courts and for senior citizens to freshen up their lives, it’s really left with nothing much to mention about. Talk about getting food in the place: you have no choice but to make do with snack bars and vending machines.

If there is anything you must get here it is of course the coffees. Like a usual cafe, there are the usuals: cappuccino, mocha and I got the latte ($3.40) for myself. I’m hardly any coffee expert but I can say that I liked the blend here. Yup, they use a coffee machine to make their coffees too. Then the team at Shebrews served me their main of the day, Shepherd’s Pie ($6.90). Their version here is a rather healthy one and it comes with the feeling of eating comfort home-cooked food. A glass display of desserts at the counter may just be worthy of a second thought. From brownies (supplied from Bakery Hearts of a family service centre in Ang Mo Kio) to homemade waffles ($4.50) with ice cream and chocolate sauce, they do spoil you a little with the choices.

As a barista, Florence also conducts coffee workshops at the cafe itself with small groups of coffee amateurs.

Sure, Shebrews Cafe isn’t your most hipster cafe serving you food from an extensive all day brunch menu, but it is definitely the little corner to relax, cut off from connections and savour life. Ultimately, that’s the motto of this quiet and what they term themselves as a “slow food” cafe.

365 Commonwealth Avenue

Queenstown Community Centre

Mondays to Thursdays 11am – 6pm

Fridays to Sundays 11am – 7pm

Tel: 6474 1681

http://www.shebrews.org

Today, I went on my second trip to Quayside Isle at Sentosa Cove. I’m still keeping the faith that I’ll finish trying all of the cafes/restaurants at this area even though it’s highly impossible. It was definitely not easy trying to choose which eatery to enter on my first visit but I eventually got into Sabio (by the Sea).

I instantly fell in love with the decor. The main brown tones of the place was daringly matched with outbursts of colorful tables and stark red high chairs at the bar. Hanging from the high ceiling were nautical ropes and cool white structures holding light bulbs. My favorite would be the zebras and horses. I don’t know if that’s the case for most people but I find myself being intrigued by animal head decor pieces. Let’s move on to the food.

A small plate of Chorizo Picante ($9), or spicy paprika sausage, to feed hungry mouths while waiting for the highlight of the day…

I was ecstatic to see a page on the menu dedicated on the Weekend Brunch Set ($35) which they have. At $35 for a brunch set by Sentosa Cove I really felt that the price’s acceptable. The set starts off with a warm cup of cappuccino, and then the Sabio Basket of a couple of breakfast items to get your stomachs going: Croissant, chocolate croissant, yogurt and orange juice.

A selection of main courses is there to entice you and you may get spoilt for choice. They’re mostly brunch items of omelettes, toasts and cheese and an item which stood out: the 120g Grilled Ribeye. As a Singaporean I believe in going for the most value-for-money stuffs so it was a choice made in an instant. With chachouka, fried egg and grilled mushrooms to spice up flavors, the ribeye was not too beefy for brunch.

It would be perfect if the brunch set includes desserts as well but I understand how unprofitable that would be for the restaurant. Anyway, my meal ended on a high note with what could possibly be the best Churros ($11) in the country. Extremely crispy yet soft on the inside, these delectable sticks were sprinkled generously with sugar and cinnamon. Don’t forget to add the finishing touch – chocolate sauce.

The menu also claimed that the Sally Butter Caramel Lava Cake ($15) is popular so I went with it. The cake was more dense and of a harder crust compared to the usual lava cake but somehow I found it so apt to go with the thick, caramel lava flowing out of it. In fact it was certainly good but with the churros around it’s hard to get my attention of the churros.

As for now, this area is still pretty clean of people (perhaps due to its location). On one hand I really hope more would find the hidden gems here but on the other hand I’m always afraid of overrated-ness. The wonderful ambience while having quality food makes for my enjoyable meal here. So get here soon before pigeons do.

31 Ocean Way

Quayside Isle

#01-02

Weekend Brunch set from 12pm – 3.30pm on Saturdays

10.30am – 3.30pm on Sundays

If you’ve been following my blog, you might know that I have a love for the new wing of Plaza Singapura, what with 2 satisfying meals at Hoshino and Hifumi previously. Nana’s Green Tea is a newer-comer to the Japanese food scene in PS which I’ve been eyeing on so boy was I excited to finally have a good opportunity to taste their food.

Of course, what other more obvious way is there to start the tasting other than ordering their green teas? On the menu is a few pages featuring their extensive range of green teas. The drinks here come in “thin” and not-so-thin versions as well. Specially for the health-conscious, the “thin” lattes come without milk and sugar in them. Otherwise, you may also hop over to the next page of hojicha lattes which are slightly different from its matcha counterparts. (Pictured above is the matcha latte and hojicha latte. The former comes with red bean paste and mochi as toppings while the latter is topped with chocolate sauce on whipped cream.)

I’ve heard bloggers raving about the Salmon Carpaccio ($8.80) so I knew I had to get my teeth sinking into them. The tender slices of salmon are served as an appetizer which was a great start to our meal. Drizzled heavily with sesame sauce, it became an addictive plate of sashimi-like goodness.

I find it interesting that from green tea drinks and desserts to non-green tea food, Nana’s Green Tea serves them in quality and not just quantity. I find it even more pleasing that with such appetizing mains and sides they come with an affordable price tag.

The Salmon Udon with Cream Sauce ($14.80), unlike the usual udon, is one served in a creamy soup base, reminding me of the creamy carbonara. Yet, the cream sauce used here is thinner and healthier compared to the rich cream of spaghetti which can make us sick of it at times. Coupled with cooked salmon slices, corn and broccoli, the udon was rather light on the tastebuds and certainly not too thick to my liking. I’m even starting to prefer cream udons to plain ones.

Another well-liked dish we had that day would be the Chicken Cutlet Curry Don ($13.80). It’s thick, succulent slabs of chicken nicely breaded and fried, eaten together with thick Japanese curry was a warm comfort which had us going back to the bowl for more.

When it comes to green tea, I’ve slowly became a huge fan of their dessert versions. I’m happy to see the variety of desserts served here, from tall glasses of parfaits to small bowls of jelly with green tea. Of all, the parfaits appeared rather tempting to me so I went ahead with the  Matcha Shiratama Parfait ($11.80) and Banana Chocolate Parfait ($12.80). I liked how the scoop of green tea ice cream on the matcha parfait was not too sweet, considering that the layer of vanilla ice cream in the middle was sweet enough.

Furnished by wooden frames which separates one table from the next, an intimate, cosy corner is available for diners. You get to spend quality time with your family and friends and the food gets to be shared (since they are filling). Let’s not forget the fact that the food are at comfortable prices.

Special thanks to Nana’s Green Tea and Diana from Publicist PR for the invite.

The Atrium @ Orchard

60B Orchard Road

Plaza Singapura #03-80/82

Daily 11am – 10pm

I’m sure Chili’s is no foreign name to you. Well known for their nachos, molten cake and of course their burgers, it’s time to indulge in even more of their goodies! From the whole of next week starting from 24th June to 30th June, Chili’s has a ‘Burger Week Special’ with restaurant discounts, burger – eating challenges and social media giveaways. All these are in conjunction with Chili’s 4th anniversary. All of these would also be happening at each of their 4 outlets in Singapore at Tanglin Mall, Resorts World Sentosa, J-Cube and Central @ Clarke Quay.

The highlight would definitely be the Big Mouth Burger Day on 26th June, Wednesday. At the above mentioned outlets, all Chili’s Big Mouth Burgers (except Big Mouth Bites) will be priced at $8.88 (excluding GST). This is a more than 50% discount off their original prices!

Furthermore, Chili’s will be hosting a group of bloggers during on 26th June, 7pm at Chili’s at Central @ Clarke Quay to challenge selected contestants in creating their own mega Big Mouth Burger by choosing from a list of Big Mouth Burger ingredients. Contestants can cement their place in the Big Mouth Champ contest by participating in Chili’s online social media contests. An online selection will take place from now till 24 June. Both groups will get to judge each other’s creations and 1 winner from each team will be crowned the “Big Mouth Champ”. Winners will receive bragging rights and $250 worth of Chili’s vouchers. All participants will stand to receive Chili’s vouchers and goodies as well.

I am now picking 3 lucky readers to win $50 worth of Chili’s vouchers and 1 lucky reader to have a spot in the competition to create your own Big Mouth Burger!

1. To win Chili’s vouchers, simply leave a comment (next to the title of this post) and name me a Big Mouth Burger you would like to indulge in.

2. To win a spot for Big Mouth Champ, leave a comment and list all the Big Mouth Burgers that are up for a promotional price of $8.88 on Big Mouth Burger Day.

Deadline for the giveaway will be 21 June 2013 at 11.59pm.

Note: Do fill in both your name and email so that I can contact you. Comments will not be shown publicly. A random generator will be used to pick out the lucky winners. All winners will be notified by email latest by 22 June, 11.59pm.

Lastly, head over to both their facebook and twitter pages for more information!

https://www.facebook.com/ChilisSingapore
https://twitter.com/ChilisSingapore

Department of Caffeine, or D.O.C., is the new kid on the block for hippies and hipsters. It’s located on the no lesser than cool Duxton Hill of course. The decor is simple and fuss-free but at the same time having a cool enough vibe for everyone. Seats are also limited (as if you didn’t know already) but don’t worry because they take in reservations (plus point for a cafe!).

Generally, the coffee here is not bad.  We ordered the Caffe Latte ($5) and Iced Mocha ($6.50).

I was pretty reluctant to go for the 8hr Pulled Pork Sandwich ($15) at first, since I’ve not been very accepting of sandwiches. However this one pulled through my expectations with a good spiced up mixture of pulled pork, coleslaw and carrot – a burst of flavors. The sauce which the pork has been marinated in may be a tad salty but it was the x factor, I felt.

A highly raved item on the menu would be the Buttermilk Waffles w/ Vanilla Icecream & Rum Bananas ($12.50) which I obviously could not let slip of. You can actually choose from either rum bananas or blueberry compote to go with the waffles and ice cream but for me, rum bananas seem a whole lot more delectable. From the thick, crispy brown waffle to the soft rum bananas (my highlight for the day), I could continue on with a second serving.

There is an array of cakes and pastries at the counter but oddly enough none were appealing to me except for the Lavender & Honey Cake ($5). As I took a bite into it I was deeply surprised by the immense taste of lavender from those bits. Along with the fluffy textures of the sponge cake, it ended my lunch on a memorable note.

If I had to nitpick, it would be that the portion sizes were somewhat small – I didn’t feel full after the meal, just alright. I guess you can only get that much with that better quality.  That set aside, DOC is the place to go if you haven’t. I just love their all-roundedness for coffee, brunch and vibe.

15 Duxton Road

Weekdays 10.30am – 7.30pm

Weekends 9.30am – 7.30pm

Behold the revival of Taiwanese desserts in Singapore. It has been a while since Blackball started operations, so I’m sure their name wouldn’t have gone unheard. With 6 outlets in Singapore currently, it’s quick expansion over a short period of a year or so shows how much popularity they’ve gained. I hope for continuous expansion too, for the outlet at Bugis+ which I frequent seems to be overcrowding.

If you’re at Blackball, it seems silly not to get the Blackball Signature ($4.90). Mostly found on every table at the outlets, a bowl of the signature consists of pearls, red bean, grass jelly, yam ball, yam, taro, sweet potato and sweet potato balls – basically a combination of every ingredient found on their menu put together into what have won many Singaporeans’ stomachs. You can choose to have it either hot, warm, cold or icy. (For me it’s a mandatory cold/icy.)

As for their drinks, perhaps you may want to think twice. I felt that the pearl milk tea I had was mediocre and not worth its price. I would get my favorite cup of Koi anytime.

Being a person who is more fond of chocolate cakes, ice cream and pies, I’m here to say that I’ve become a fan of the Blackball Signature. Unfortunately for my second visit there half of the ingredients were sold out and I could only make do with what they had left. So, advice is, get there as early as possible for the freshest and most abundant.

201 Victoria Street

Bugis+ #01-14

12pm – 11pm daily