Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog

Dec 06 2012

Food

Boston Seafood Shack

Singapore’s newest mall in the West, The Star Vista, is a food haven. By chance, I won a set meal also known as “The Lob Mob” during their early days of operation a few months back. A trip down to the mall at Buona Vista is rather convenient and it was pleasing to know that this place is full of F&B stores including new gems that I am going to try soon enough.

Stepping into Boston Seafood Shack, the interiors are well-decorated with the feel of a shack in the imaginary world of Bikini Bottom. The place is bright, airy and much more cooling than the natural aired mall. Wooden tables matched nicely with bright red plates and stools. Altogether it was a colorful sight.

The Lob Mob ($50) consists of 4 premium Boston Lobster Rolls (one for $15 if a la carte) and 2 giant milkshakes. Not being a big fan of lobster, I had doubts but nevertheless, complimentary food is worth the excitement. I took a bite and it turned out not as bad as I imagined. The green spread may throw you off a little but it’s a different story after eating it. The taste of seafood was not that heavy keeping the sandwich refreshing.

We ordered an additional Barramundi N’ Chips ($13.5) (The portion in the picture is not representative of the entire serving). Despite the barramundi being not as flavorful, I loved the thicker cut fries.

Others on the menu include burgers, pastas and soups. Desserts can only be ordered from a kiosk at the outdoor seating area so remember to check them out. It is a self-service system here yet the staff is warm and friendly compared to other self-service eating places.

There were only several people in and out of the restaurant on a weekday lunchtime, which is why I feel that this place deserves more recognition as a cool and casual corner to hang out. Definitely worth a try even if you are in need of a quick meal.

1 Vista Exchange Green

#01-46

The Star Vista

Mondays to Thursdays 1100 – 2200

Fridays & Saturdays 1100 – 2300

Tagged food, seafood, singaporef, west, western

Dec 03 2012

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Food

Bella Pizza

After visiting Robertson Quay several times I was totally charmed by the never-ending dining opportunities there with old favorites still buzzing with customers and new ones getting high scores by food critiques. A ladies’ night out by the quay is always cool with the jibe of nightlife. Bella Pizza (sister restaurant of Bella Pasta next to it) has been well received for good italian food hence the choice.

As its name goes, Bella Pizza is all about the pizzas. Still, the menu featured pastas as well hence the decision for a pasta, a pizza, and desserts and cocktails. Unfortunately, the Linguini Ai Frutti Di Mare ($24) was not to our liking. The seafood was overpowering and the linguini was a tad too dry; it was hard to tell that it was actually in a seafood-tomato sauce.

The types of pizza Bella Pizza had were extensive. Ranging from red pizzas to white pizzas to folded pizzas to sicilian boats (pizza boats), there were just too many to choose from, and too little mouths to pick all at once. Playing it safe, we had the Pizza Bella Pizza ($26) which is a white pizza topped with mozarella, ricotta, salami and spinach. This was our highlight of the night. Unpretentious, original and hearty are three words I would describe it with. Everything a great pizza would need to be.

Crepe Alla Nutella Con Banane ($10) was a petite dessert to end off the meal. Texture-wise, I liked it a lot and I can see why it was made to be in a smaller serving – it keeps the crepes flavorful without the diner to get bored by it.

Of course, we must not forget the all-time favorite Italian dessert (or rather my all-time favorite) Tiramisu ($9). I have always believed that they are a must-try at Italian restaurants and this belief is reaffirmed by the rendition at Bella Pizza. Moisture level was just right. The desserts were finished in no time and I was close to licking sauces off the plates – I just need more of them.

Next stop: Bella Pasta.

30 Robertson Quay

#01-14

Riverside View

Tuesdays to Fridays 1130 – 1400, 1800 – 2300

Weekends 1120 – 2330

Tagged food, italian, robertson quay, singapore

Nov 30 2012

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Food

Ramen Santouka

Indoor dining

I admit that I am not the number #1 fan of ramen but neither am I someone who avoids it. Ramen is one of my favorite alternatives when western food gets too heavy for my stomach and I am not kidding when I call it my favorite alternative. Thanks to friends who are lovers of Japanese cuisine, I was led to the less noisy lane to Cuppage Terrace amidst the buzz in town on a Sunday night. Numerous new ramen stalls pop out nowadays but santouka remains an old favorite for many.

There are 3 different types of soup base you can expect to choose from at Santouka: Shio, Miso and Shoyu. I had shio, which is tonkotsu (pork) based soup with a topping of salt. I also tasted the other soups but preferred shio – it suited the chashu ramen the best.

I liked how the noodles were rather springy with a bit of character. The soup was one of the best I have came across so far. On the other hand, the thick slices of chashu were quite tender, deserving a thumbs up.

Also I opted for the set meal which came with chawanmushi, salad, a rice bowl and a side of fried salmon slices – all of which were prepared conscientiously. This was rather worth the price of 20 over dollars (can’t remember the exact value) I felt.

It seems like the other outlet at the Central is more popular, so I will find another chance to visit the more spacious branch.

Alfresco area

21 Cuppage Road

Cuppage Terrace

Mondays to Saturdays 1200 – 0000

Sundays 1200 – 2130

Tagged food, japanese, ramen, singapore

Nov 26 2012

1 Comment

Food

Le Jardin D’ Antoinette

Antoinette has been making waves in Singapore with its exclusive dining atmosphere and pastry creations. The inconvenient location of the Penhas outlet, together with the too claustrophobic outlet at Mandarin gallery, has created an imaginary barrier stopping me from stepping into them. Then came the latest outlet at the quiet Palais Renaissance which was simply what I was hoping for.

Themed Versailles, this new hideout could be one of my favorite casual dining places now. My favorite part of this outlet, other than its food, is the roofless gazebo which is stunning and that made up for the fact that there is no view of orchard road from the restaurant. Unfortunately I was unable to secure seats in it (even though it seemed empty and reservation-free the whole time I was dining there).

The menu for Antoinette is extensive and offers all day breakfast, french toast, pancakes, main courses, crepes and their signature pastries and teas. To play safe, I opted for Burger Antoinette – consisting of layers of pan-fried apple, chicken leg patty, house dressing, veggies and chips to go along. Preferably I would pick fries to chips to go with the burger – sometimes it’s best to go with the norm. Yet I liked how the ring of apple was decently good when paired with chicken.

The Club Honey Baked Ham was more like a sandwich except that it was huge. This one came with omelette and honey baked ham as main ingredients. Less heavy compared to the burger while eating but it makes you equally full.

Desserts are a must at Antoinette. In fact, I gathered that majority of its patrons want desserts here the most. 3 macarons – Chloe (citrus yogurt and yuzu), Brittany (caramel with fleur de sel) and Passion (Milk chocolate passionfruit ganache). My personal favorite was Chloe. I’ve had many sweet macarons, so I loved how it refreshed and redefined macaron for me. Otherwise, Passion and Brittany were not bad as well.

It’s a cakes galore at Antoinette. Simply too hard to choose the perfect cake at Antoinette, so I go with my girly instincts on the prettiest one. Saint Honore l’Amour (or just call it rose) is composed with choux pastry, rose petals, raspberry, glaze and strawberries. It was not overly sweet but just the right balance of strawberry and cream.

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Antoinette is definitely one of the places to drop by if you’re in the orchard area. Mandarin gallery’s outlet features dim lighting and royal upholstery while Palais’s is classical, romantic and airy. Reservations are recommended.

390 Orchard Road

Palais Renaissance

#B1-08/09/10C

1100 – 2200 daily

Tagged food, french, orchard, singapore, western

Nov 21 2012

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Travel

Bali 2012: Skies to seas

A recent 5-day field study trip to Bali, Indonesia:

That was my first overseas trip with my SLR as my travelling companion so I got pretty excited. I will let pictures speak for themselves – my favorite 36 shots out of 900 over of them.

Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel was not next to a beach, but fab enough. The 4-star hotel had a cool swimming pool enclosed by lush greenery surrounded by bright orange towers.
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Dinner on the first day was at the Legong Restaurant where we had a first sight of the Balinese Legong Dance.

The mangroves near a beach.

Sanur Beach was bustling with locals on that particular holiday. Kids and teens were everywhere and the heat did not seem to get into them.

The Uluwatu Cliff was a sight to behold. It was surreal.

This man was at the bottom of the cliff, doing what he was doing for a living in the sea at low tide. Before that we saw how he slipped out of an opening at the top and disappeared within seconds. Then in minutes he was there. A tiny figure, but it was him alright.

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Staring out from the cliff – what I saw was not a horizon, but The Horizon.

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At the temple on another cliff.

That evening/night, we had dinner at Melasti Cafe by the beach at Jimbaran. Correction, we had barbecued seafood dinner on the beach. One of my most amazing dinners ever – I have probably not seen such a beautiful sunset in my life.

Bajra Sandhi Monument in the morning.

We spent nearly an entire afternoon at an orphanage. I could still remember their faces – happy in the most innocent way. They made friendship bands with us; we taught them English.

The next morning we were at the Singapadu Cultural Village for egg-painting, wood-carving and batik painting.

The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to the breathtaking Mount Batur in Kintamani. When we arrived we had Indonesian buffet with a great scenery across craters.
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A small group of us were driven down to the crater lake of Mount Batur to conduct surveys with the locals. It was incredibly peaceful down there. I would call it the beauty of the soundless. The lake area was full of plantations of tomatoes, chili and cabbage with scattered houses.

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The lake was a nice sky blue matching the sky and that was when nature touches you.

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Last attraction stop was the Bali Bombing site.

And as cliche as it can be, I shall end with a quote.

“We are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known.” – Carson McCullers

Tagged bali, travel

Nov 19 2012

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Food

Sarang Korean Restaurant

I’ve always adored Orchard Central after realizing it houses many hidden gems for a foodie like me. Sarang is located on the 7th level of Orchard Central with an indoor and alfresco area which looked like a brilliant place to hang out especially at night (when you can admire the lights at the heart of Singapore while ordering a couple of cocktails). On the other hand, the air-conditioned section is cozier with wooden furnishings. Featuring modern Korean cuisine, Sarang has been a favorite spot for Korea lovers (plus several Korean stars).

Being indecisive about what to order, both of us opted for a set meal with courses perfect for two persons at $58. Despite the steep price, it’s a great option for newbies to have a little taste of everything in the Korean cuisine. First up we had fresh kimchi with mini sides which are always a great way to start a meal with.

The Japchae, or sweet potato noodles, are stir fried in generous amounts of sesame oil with mixed vegetables.

The texture of the Basak Bulgogi – beef gulgogi on a sizzling hot plate was a tad too hard for my liking but the entire dish was still a good formation with more mixed vegetables.

Haemul tteokboki – rice cakes in spicy sauce with seasonal vegetables. The rice cakes were the type that are soft and easily chewed. Compared to harder, more chewy ones, I think both are worthy to try – each has its own good side.

World star army stew.

Our dessert that day was the korean version of ice kacang with less ice and more fruits. Other than the red beans and fruits, it was rather bland and it definitely looked better than it tasted.

\\ Just recently, Sarang has revamped its menu to give more taste of Seoul. I guess this gives me a reason to be back to experience the cool vibe at Sarang while choosing from more varieties of stews and more.

181 Orchard Central

#07-01

Fridays & Saturdays 1200-2300

Sundays – Thursdays 1200-2200

Tagged korean, restaurant, singapore

Nov 10 2012

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Food

Dean & Deluca: All Day Breakfast

Dean & Deluca has finally reached the shores of Singapore 3 months ago, taking over a small but airy corner of Orchard Central. If unknown to you yet, they are a chain of upscale grocery stores first established in SoHo, then expanding to countries round the globe including Tokyo, Dubai, Taipei and Seoul.

There was a huge hype about it when it first opened. Despite only visiting the place about a few weeks after its opening, we were still greeted by a snaking queue and eventually managed to grab a table after an hour’s wait. The dining area was rather small, accommodating no more than 20 diners at one go. Next to the dining area is a stretch of retail area for specialty foods. Other than its size, I loved the clean and white space.

The menu offers breads, pastries, salads, burgers/sandwiches and their popular all day breakfast. I was taken aback by the so many choices I could make, but I picked a pastry, a savory item and a breakfast item.

The Sticky Bun ($3.4) was a great way to start the meal. Topped on a warm, cinnamon bun was nuts with a sticky sweet paste over it. Coupled with a Hot chocolate ($5.5) seemed like the perfect combination. Also, do not forget to try their coffee.

I saw the mac & cheese ($10) in the glass counter in an odd shape of a cuboid. For $10, it was a rather huge serving. Unfortunately, the cheese was too dry and insufficient to give mac and cheese its flavor. Hence it felt seemingly impossible to finish the entire block.

The most popular section of its menu would be the all day breakfast. Almost every table had either the french toast or pancakes as I made the observation almost immediately. I had the Berries and flapjacks ($18) which was a work of art. The pancakes were dense and very, very sweet, appearing to have been soaked in buttermilk. The mixed berries were added beautifully and even though my pancakes were not stacked neatly, I could not have asked for more. Others on the menu include caramelized french toast, eggs iberico and new york breakfast.

After a hearty meal, take a walk down the gourmet grocery section and you can expect to find sweets, chocolates, baking ingredients (like colored sugars), mugs and gift sets. Dean & Deluca remains on my bucket list and I will expect to find myself there again.

Orchard Central

181 Orchard Road

#04-22/23/24

1100 – 2200 daily

Tagged food, singapore, western

Nov 05 2012

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Food

Eat @ Taipei

Eat At Taipei is located at JCube, the recent place hyped about months back when it opened. It is right beside the popular, featured ice skating rink, giving the place a cool atmosphere. Dining at the “bar” where you can look directly at skaters while eating can be awkward, but I liked it.

I was pretty disappointed with their Pearl milk tea ($2.5). The pearls were a tad too hard for our liking. The milk tea was rather mediocre and it certainly brought down standards of the place a lot, considering that most diners there have it as a must-drink-since-we-are-having-taiwanese-meal.

Also we ordered a must-have taiwanese side: Crispy fried chicken chop ($7.5). The rendition here was not too bad but nothing much could go wrong with fried chicken unless the batter is messed up.

For mains, they offer a range of noodles, rice dishes and bento sets. We opted for Minced pork noodles ($7.5) and Fried fish fillet with egg and tomato ($13.9). I felt that the noodles were too dry and lacked enough sauce as accompaniment of the minced pork. Otherwise, they would make a rather good eat. Their minced pork is of the right consistency, making it a good side for rice and noodles.

For the rice set, I loved how the fried fish dipped completely in tomato sauce with fried egg pieces. It made a better impression than sweet and sour sauce. Set meals here are quite worth the money – they also come with veggie and fruit fix to give you a full, satisfying tummy.

Overall, the food here is a hit and miss. Some cannot be stomached, some are alright and some are plain nice. I believe that gave rise to mixed reviews on this place. I would contemplate on going back there again, although it’s a great spot for skaters watching – an idea which I have come to like.

JCUBE

2 Jurong East Central

#03-03/18

1200 – 2200

Tagged food, singapore, taiwanese

Nov 01 2012

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Food

Smoulder: Mini Molten Mixtures

Craving for lava cakes but you do not have the feeling to dine at a restaurant?

Now you can takeaway mini lava cakes from Smoulder. Giving themselves the name of “Softcore Bakers”, the people behind Smoulder aimed to create lava cakes that were convenient, affordable and small. There are currently 9 main flavors of mini lava cakes, together with special flavors on special occasions and even newer flavors in the making.

This would mean a lot to a fan of lava cakes like me. Now, I can have them on any day of the week without much hassle. I like that the cakes were rather moist. Although it was difficult to achieve a flowy lava core after takeaway home, the now creamy core is still as delectable after reheating.

Intense dark chocolate (top): Despite dark chocolate not being my favorite type of chocolate, I found it alright. Except that it is a tad too intense for dark chocolate.

White chocolate raspberry (middle): This was strawberry shortcake sweet, with even real raspberry bits in it!

White chocolate pistachio (bottom): One of my favorites among the flavors I tried. The pistachio and white chocolate mixture is of consistency with a powering pistachio taste.

Signature dark chocolate (left): This was my favorite and also their most popular lava cake. It was especially good as a lava cake flavor as the bitterness of the dark chocolate cannot be felt.

White chocolate lemon (right): An exotic flavor for a molten cake. Since the cake was mini, it was rather refreshing as a break between the sweeter ones.

Milk chocolate rum and raisin: A more neutral flavor is given as the lesser content of chocolate mixes with raisins soaked in rum. Pleasant, but not a very good rendition for rum and raisin.

The Softcore Bakers call their lava cakes “Bite-sized Pleasures”. It is indeed easily finished with 2-5 normal bites, which gives space to try even more flavors together. Yet, they do not come as affordable as expected. A mini cake costs $3.2 and the cakes come at 3 for $9 and 9 for $25. The verdict is that certain flavors excel, while some are just alright. I would not mind trying new flavors though.

China Square Food Centre

51 Telok Ayer Street

#01-04

Weekdays 0800 – 2000

Saturdays 1100 – 15o0

Tagged cakes, dessert, food, singapore

Oct 28 2012

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Food

L’etoile Cafe

Reading reviews after reviews of L’etoile Cafe got me so excited to hunt it down. There is this joy that cannot be explained when you find a new place on your own, just based on a digital map of grids and grids. But anyways, L’etoile is pretty much accessible from Farrer Park, just a couple of streets away. Being there on a weekday afternoon, I had almost the entire cafe to myself and my eating companion. No wonder it is a favorite hangout for local stars.

The cafe consists of two storeys, with the first storey being more structured like a cafe and the second storey almost a fairytale-like corner with all sorts of furniture. Many would associate L’etoile cafe with their pretty wall decor of bird cages and tree branches, all beautifully painted by hand. A corner re-enacts the scene of a child’s playroom; another by the windows with lace curtains gives it a classic French environment.

L’etoile is a Japanese-French indie cafe serving coffees and simple western dishes. There is an all-day breakfast menu much to patrons’ liking including the usual big breakfast ($14.9) and eggs benedict ($12.9). The Banana nutella toast I had was a simple affair but nothing could go wrong with nutella and sliced bananas on toast. Not a thing seemed out of place and it made for a sinful yet fulfilling breakfast.

Of course, coffees are a must have at indie cafes. I had a cup of latte which came with a piece of old school biscuit. Despite the fact that the coffee was not hot enough for my liking, it was rather a good cup of latte, taste wise. By night, wine is also served, making it a romantic hole. I imagine star and moon gazing through the french windows with laced curtains – I wonder if it is as effective realistically.

Besides the food, L’etoile cafe is also a lifestyle store with all sorts of cute/quirky items which you can choose to purchase. And also, reading while dining in l’etoile seemed to be something that everyone did. The place was a great spot to do so.

160 Owen Road

Tuesday – Friday 1100 to 2200

Saturday – Sunday 0900 to 2200

Tagged Cafe, food, singapore, western

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