Craftsmen Specialty Coffee

It was a lazy weekend afternoon. We decided to find a quiet place to chill. Chanced upon Craftsmen Specialty Coffee at Mohammed Sultan Road and decided this café shall be it. Around for a few years, its presence can also be found at Central, Siglap and Thomson. Loved how the place is bright and spacious with white wall, high ceiling and light let in through the glass frontage (not sure if the lightbulbs would be sufficient at night though). Colourful bottles of soda and beer on wooden and black metal shelves, together with potted plants hanging from above or sitting on a surface, stood out against wooden tables and chairs with black metal legs on concrete floor. As my dining companions and I were not hungry, we shared a slice of cake and had a drink each. Could neither rave about the coffee nor fault its cake.

Tai Cheong Bakery

Have wanted to try Tai Cheong Bakery's first cha chan teng since it opened in Singapore 2 years ago but only managed to finally get round to it recently. This is the Hong Kong brand's first foray into dine-in concept since its first bakery at Lyndhurst Terrace more than 60 years ago. Was in the area on a weekday when we decided to have an early dinner. Located at Holland Village, it has both indoor air-conditioned and outdoor dining area. There are a few tables in the former and we were fortunate to be seated inside. One of my dining companions ordered beef brisket curry rice while another had scrambled egg with chicken chop, choosing po lo bao over toast. Was surprised when the latter arrived as the portion was huge, definitely not a simple breakfast. The omelette was silky smooth, soft and moist while the po lo bao was fluffy like a pillow. And the chicken chop was crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside.

I had instant noodles in chicken (you can choose tomato too) soup with three eggs and ham. Loved the sunny side up though three yolks are too much even for an egg-lover like me, and could neither rave about the fried strips of luncheon meat nor fault the fork-tender beef brisket that had supposedly been braised for a good six hours. We also shared a cup of yuan yang – a good balance between coffee, tea and milk. However, it was not to my liking as I prefer mine to have a tad more coffee and less milk. Though the bakery is well-known for its egg tarts, we did not order it this time since we have tried the ones from this branch and Hong Kong (check out my post on What and Where to Eat in Hong Kong) before. Overall, it was a pleasant meal that was not too salty.

Forbidden Duck

"Demon chef" Alvin Leung, known for his three-Michelin-starred Bo Innovation in Hong Kong, opened Forbidden Duck in Singapore. Located where Crystal Jade Prestige used to be, the contemporary Cantonese restaurant is on the 2nd floor of Marina Bay Link Mall. Take the lift, between Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1 and 3, from the 1st floor and turn left upon exiting. Visited on a weekday for late lunch to try its dim sum and was surprised to see many empty tables for a relatively small but spacious place. Though the Pan Fried Turnip Cake with XO Sauce and Steamed King Prawn Dumpling were not recommended items on the menu, we liked them better than its Pesto Duck Spring Roll that my dining companion hated. Could neither rave about its Pork Siu Mai nor fault the thick but tender and a-tad-sweet slices of Iberico Pork Char Siu, except that the latter was too fatty for our liking. Oh, and the accompanying chilli sauce was very salty.

Mid-Autumn 2018

Yesterday was the light-up ceremony and fireworks displays for Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2018 though it usually takes place after Hungry Ghost Festival – today is the last day. Two more weeks to buy mooncakes as Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 24 Sep (Mon). What stood out at this year's Takashimaya Mooncake Fair was that many added macadamia nuts to their traditional mooncakes without salted egg yolks, and most of the lotus paste was too sweet for my liking. To indulge your loved ones who should not be eating sweet stuff, try the a-tad-sweeter mooncakes from Shangri-La Hotel or The Ritz Carlton. Or get the ones from Mandarin Orchard, Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant by Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel or Golden Peony by Conrad Centennial Singapore if you do not have a sweet tooth. Could not resist the latter's 40% discount and got its Golden Peony Traditional Baked Treasures, choosing the champagne cream box over the crimson red one for the 4 pieces of mooncakes in different flavours. Hoping to reuse the box, just like the one from Man Fu Yuan by Intercontinental Singapore that I bought 2 years ago.

Hokkaido-Ya

Located on the 2nd floor of VivoCity, Hokkaido-Ya is a new conept by Sushi Tei Pte Ltd. Decide what you want using a hardcopy of the menu, so as not to hog the self-ordering kiosk – there are two, at the entrance. The place is more for tech-savvy and literate customers, as you can only order through the kiosk and there is no staff to assist you in the process. Upon placing your order, grab a buzzer and place it a distance away from the camera to take a photo of its QR code. Pay by NETS or credit card at the kiosk, or cash at the counter. Since it opened on 12 June, I have tried its aburi salmon don and truffle bara chirashi don. Preferred the latter as the cubes of sweet tamago and fresh sashimi (salmon, scallop, tuna and prawn) went well with the truffle-oil-coated shiny pearls of rice. Together with crunchy cucumber, roes and tempura batter crisps for a balanced texture. Niigata rice and chilled, not frozen, salmon from Norway are used here.

Mui Kee

Not knowing how long the queue will be at Mui Kee, I have put off visiting the restaurant on the 1st floor of Shaw Centre since it opened in March this year. It started in Mong Kok, Hong Kong in 1979 and was first brought into Singapore by the Les Amis Group as a pop-up stall at the Botanical Garden last year. Decided to try our luck as we were in the area around 9pm yesterday and were seated immediately. Probably because the place closes at 10pm (last order at 9.30pm). My dining companion was not impressed with the sliced fish kway teow soup while I could neither rave about nor fault the homemade pork meatballs congee. The silky smooth congee had a consistency more watery than the Cantonese ones I was used to, was a tad bland but perfect when paired with the well-marinated tender meatballs and crispy dough fritters. Add side dishes such as fried beancurd skin and dace fishcake, or chee cheong fun and claypot dishes respectively for lunch and dinner.

Pince & Pints

Was planning a birthday dinner at Pince & Pints only to realise that the place is closed on Sundays, so I thought of trying it another year. After my plans were thwarted by last-minute changes for the umpteenth times, I decided not to wait for a celebratory occasion. We shall just have dinner at the lobster bar on a weekend. Finally visited the branch at Duxton (it can also be found at Katong) recently, and ordered The Truffle Roll and Live Whole Lobster. Both were served with salad and French fries, the latter with herb butter sauce. The former had truffle shavings and truffle caviar on top of the usual – The Lobster Roll, and truffle butter sauce instead of garlic aioli on the side. Loved the sweet and succulent crustacean stuffed into fluffy-soft bread with a lovely aroma of butter that did not overwhelm, and toasted 'til it is crispy on the outside. Chose grilled over steamed for a char-grilled taste of the fresh, juicy and tender lobster that did not disappoint.

Journey to a Delicious Cup

Read that Common Man Coffee Roasters hope to host a cupping session on the first Friday of every month (instead of every Wednesday) starting from March this year. As the complimentary sessions are held in the mid-afternoon, coffee enthusiasts who do not mind paying may attend other sessions by Papa Palheta located within Chye Seng Huat Hardware or The Coffee Academics. Recently learnt the fundamentals of brewing a great cup of Starbucks Coffee at its Bean to Brew coffee seminar, held at Fullerton Waterboat House – includes storing beans or grinds for freshness, grinding beans according to brewing method, optimum amount of grind and temperature of water to brew a cup as well as how food pairing can accentuate the taste of a brew. Other seminars include An Introduction to Coffee, An Invitation to a Sensory Experience and Brewing the Perfect Cup.

FOO’D by Davide Oldani

It was on a weekday when we had lunch at Italian fine-dining restaurant FOO'D by Davide Oldani, located in Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall. Davide Oldani is a celebrity chef with a one-Michelin-starred restaurant – D'O in Cornaredo, just outside Milan. Started with one of his specialty, caramelised onions with 20 months aged Grana Padano served hot and cold. Our table enjoyed how the sweet and soft onions were balanced by the savoury and creamy Grana Padano, though the standout was the flaky and crispy puff pastry. Could neither rave about nor fault my choice of main course, chicken roulade with truffle sauce. There were mixed reviews for the dessert of lemon curd with meringue, lettuce sorbet and cocoa crumble. I found the lettuce ice-cream bitter with a raw vegetable taste, and gave it a miss. In contrast, the tart lemon curd went well with the sweet meringue and cocoa crumble. Was not impressed with the meal and left the place hungry.

Coriander Leaf

There were noticeably fewer participating restaurants in Singapore Restaurant Week from 24 to 31 Mar. Decided on Coriander Leaf, a Pan-Asian restaurant on the 2nd floor of Chijmes. Could neither rave about its first course of pomelo and green mango in chilli-lime dressing topped with coriander leaf, nor fault the dessert of Alphonso mango sorbet with fresh fruit salsa and meringue. Thai mango salad was followed by second course of tiger prawn tempura, and sweet potato noodles with honsimeji mushrooms and edamame. Do not expect the tempura to be thin and crispy like how it was done in a good Japanese restaurant, or the sweet potato noodles to be springy and chewy like how the Koreans do it. But the sweet prawn and flavourful japchae made up for what this dish lacked, and I liked both the mushroom and edamame. Main course of tender Tandoori chicken, served with cucumber relish and mint chutney, was well-marinated and went well with the butter naan.

Salt Tapas and Bar

There are a few café and restaurants outside the air-conditioned Raffles City Shopping Centre – Costa Coffee faces St Andrew's Cathedral, Brotzeit German Bier Bar and Restaurant and Marché Mövenpick are nearer to Chjimes while Salt Tapas and Bar by Luke Mangan overlooks Raffles Hotel which is currently undergoing renovations. The latter, a slightly more casual extension to Salt Grill and Sky Bar on the 55th floor of Ion Orchard, is a quaint odd-shaped place with red bricks that offers $19 lunch sets (choose from seven main courses and it comes with coffee, tea or soft drinks) and 5 tapas for $50. You can add $3 for sides and $8 for dessert of the day. These are good deals, considering how much the same item costs on the à la carte menu. Visited for lunch on a weekday and sat indoor at one of the 120 seats as the weather was not cooling enough for alfresco dining.

While pork ribs with miso and honey-soy glaze was tender, had to intersperse it with the accompanying pickled cucumber, apple and wasabi slaw. Roasted barramundi – served with mussels, caper berries and fregula in "crazy water", had a crisp skin and was neither mushy nor fishy. Found the Westholme Wagyu brisket sliders with aged cheddar, pickled beetroot and horseradish aioli too gamely for my liking though the fries was good. It was my first time trying lamb kofta with couscous, golden raisins, almonds, yogurt, cucumber, lime and mint. A tad spicy and exotic, not something I would order again. Decided against paying $8 for two scoops of strawberry sorbet and instead went for the churros with dark chocolate sauce, raspberry rose jam and cream. We had better ones before but this was not too bad either.

Esquina

Esquina is, as its name suggests (which means corner in Spanish), tucked away at the corner of Jiak Chun Road and Teck Lim Road. Located off Keong Saik Road, the Spanish tapas restaurant occupies two storeys of a shophouse. Sit at the bar counter on the 1st floor if you want to watch its chefs prepare dishes and do not mind fumes from the open kitchen. Requested for a table on the 2nd floor, which was quiet enough for us to catch up with one another. From the Snacks menu, we had three items – mediocre marinated olives with cardamom, cider vinegar, lemon and Mediterranean herbs, mixed reviews for Iberico bellota "5J" with pan con tomate (Spanish-styled grilled bread with tomato) and raw oyster topped with Jalapeno ponzu, salmon roe and pickled ginger flower that a dining companion raved about. The latter was fresh but not as plump as others I have eaten. Nonetheless, a delicate dish prettily presented with flavours that came very well together.

I liked how the tanginess of the tomato cut the saltiness of the grilled bread, and how perfect it was with the ham. Could not say the same of the sea urchin and lobster paella with saffron aioli and snow peas though. Found the short-grained rice too undercooked for my liking and would prefer it to be a tad dryer. Loved the potato and black truffle gratin with onion sauce, organic egg yolk and iberico ham. The crispy potato was good, both on its own and when paired with other ingredients in this dish. Another of our favourites was the Spanish Suckling Pig served with rhubarb and apple chutney and mulled wine jus – succulent meat with thin crisp skin and just the right amount of fats. While it was lovely on its own, the taste was accentuated with the sauce so delicious a dining companion wanted to buy it. Too full for desserts, we were served with chocolate mousse on thin slices of crispy bread topped with olive oil and sea salt to round up our pleasant meal.

Eight Korean BBQ

Eight Korean BBQ opened its 1st branch on the 2nd floor of Central in 2013 and has since expanded to Shaw Centre. My dining companions and I visited the former for lunch on a weekday, and was surprised there was just another two tables occupied. According to the website, it is named after its 8 Colours Set – pork belly slices in wine, original, garlic, smoked, herb, curry, miso and gochujang flavours (from the lightest to the heaviest). Decided to order its Flower Pork Set of flower pork belly, pork neck steak and pork jowl to try different parts of the Mangalitza hog used here. A rare pig of Hungarian origin often mistaken for sheep due to its thick woolly coat, it can withstand harsh winter as low as -30^oC. Is this why the raw meat was red like beef with marbling twice that of regular pork? Was apprehensive about putting a piece of 100%-fat-looking jowl into my mouth but am glad I did as fats had never taste so good, possibly due to Mangalitza fats melting at a lower temperature than regular pork fats.

There was no gamely smell to both the fats and meat which were tender, juicy and sweet. Every set comes with raw leafy greens that you can use to wrap the grilled meat and mushrooms with kimchi and bean sprouts. And Seafood Bean Paste Stew that started a tad bland (though a dining companion thought it was flavourful enough), was just nice in the middle of our meal but too salty and thick at the end. Could neither rave about the clams nor fault the squids in it though the mussels were not fresh which the staff kindly changed for us. We also ordered a comforting White Ginseng Chicken Soup – taste of the chicken that could be easily torn apart with the Korean metal flat chopsticks and spoon, was accentuated with a dash of the salt and pepper that was served alongside. Of the banchan, our favourite was the thin slices of preserved radish. Oh, and did I mention that the grill plate was tilted to drain away the oil and that you can spray fabric freshener on your clothes before leaving the Korean restaurant?

Greyhound Café

It has been more than a year since Greyhound Café opened in Singapore, on the 1st floor of Paragon. If you are looking for a nice quiet place to chillax in the midst of bustling Orchard (what an oxymoron) and have deep pockets to burn a hole in, this is it. Nice – because of the chic industrial modern minimalist décor with a "glasshouse" in the middle, graphic printed walls and zinc sheets. Quiet, probably due to the prices with items on the menu at double or triple that in Bangkok and higher than most other Thai restaurants here. Says a lot when we can easily get seats without prior reservations for dinner on a weekend, doesn't it? Started as a fashion label in 1980 and expanded into the food business two decades ago with presence now also in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and London among others.

Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine

It has been a year since Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine moved from Takashimaya to Ion Orchard. Located on the 3rd floor, the always-fully-booked Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine was one of the new entrants that made its way into 2017 Michelin Guide Singapore. My dining companions and I finally managed to get seats for dinner yesterday, despite walking in without prior reservations. Thin slices of tender duck meat were poached in a mix of soya sauces and spices that was not too salty, and served on top of marinated beancurd. Skin of the roast pork was a tad thick but still crispy, and there was an equal amount of meat and fats. We also ordered the recommended homemade beancurd with Chinese spinach and mushrooms – not on the menu, and hor fun with sliced pork (instead of beef) in peanut sauce. And I added an individual portion of succulent prawn with lovely egg white in truffle oil that did not overwhelm. Could neither rave about nor fault any of the dishes we ordered.

Magosaburo

Located on the first floor of Tiong Bahru Plaza where Three Little Pigs used to be, Magosaburo is a Japanese Western Café not to be confused with the Japanese BBQ-turned-wagyu-dining restaurant of the same name (sometimes spelt as Magosaburou) on the 5th floor of Ion Orchard. Visited on a weekday for lunch and tried a few dishes. Scoop your spoon through its Salted Konbu and Truffle Chawanmushi to get a mix of ingredients in every mouth so none would be too salty. You have been warned. Sakura Ebi Angel Hair Pasta was a tad spicy but good. Break apart the runny egg yolk and mix it with the al dente angel hair pasta – also known as capellini reminiscent of our local mee kia, if you prefer to eat your food with a little sauce or dressing. And could neither rave about nor fault the Sunny Breakfast.

Tokyo Sundubu

While Sundubu is a Korean tofu stew cooked with vegetables and meat or seafood, I first ate it at a Japanese restaurant that has since closed. The dish supposedly gained popularity after a Korean opened a sundubu restaurant in Los Angeles. There are two branches of Tokyo Sundubu, Japan's largest sundubu restaurant chain, in Singapore – Raffles City Shopping Centre and Suntec City's Eat @ Seven. Though my dining companions and I visited the former on weekdays (once for lunch and once for dinner), waited very long for our orders to arrive if our food was even served. We had Mushroom Sundubu, Kuro-Buta Sundubu, Kuro-Buta Mushroom Sundubu, Seafood Sundubu and Cheese Sundubu. Among us, we also tried different combinations of all its soup bases and levels of spiciness. I liked the salt and ginger soup base at level 1 as its taste was not overwhelmed by the miso and/or spice. Found the portion too small though, and its price a tad high.

Fat Cow

Chose to dine at Fat Cow, located on the 1st floor of Camden Medical Centre, during the recently-ended Singapore Restaurant Week (from 28 Oct to 4 Nov) as I have heard and read many positive reviews about this Japanese restaurant that specialises in Wagyu. Visited on a weekday for lunch and started with an appetiser. Could neither rave about the salad and miso soup nor fault the flavourful and silky smooth chawanmushi. There were two main courses – Fat Cow Donburi and Fat Foa-Gura Don. The former comprises slices of tender charcoal grilled wagyu beef, recommended to be done medium rare, which went well with the perfectly-cooked onsen egg and shredded leeks over rice. Loved the glazed melt-in-the-mouth foie gras in the latter and am not complaining about the not-too-tough wagyu cubes over rice. While both were delicious, they lacked the wow factor. Its dessert of honeycomb ice-cream also failed to impress.

Tsuta

It has been almost a year since the world's only Michelin-starred ramen restaurant, opened by chef-owner Yuki Onishi in 2012, arrived in Singapore. There is always a queue whenever I pass by Tsuta at Pacific Plaza and the only time when I do not see anyone waiting, it is closed. So imagine my delight to spy empty seats in the Japanese restaurant, located on the 1st floor, when I walked past on a weekday. Waited for my turn (there were a few people in front of me) and ordered a Ajitama Shio Soba, adding a Yuzu Wonton, from a big touchscreen. Chose original Japanese taste over less salt for the seafood and chicken broth mixed with Okinawa sea salt and Mongolian rock salt, and served with green olives pureed in truffle oil. The long straight thin noodles were cooked just right in a delicately flavourful broth that was a tad oily, with a subtle aroma and taste of truffle that did not overwhelm. Char Siu was tender and nicely seasoned while flavoured egg had runny yolk the way I liked it. I loved the wonton skin and yuzu so the filling of minced meat was not cloying.

Angelina

More than two years ago, French patisserie Angelina arrived in Singapore at the then-newly-opened Capitol Piazza. Of its 8 branches in France, 6 are in Paris. Established since 1903, the French tearoom can also be found in China, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Another will be opening at Ion Orchard soon. Chanced upon its $13.80++ lunch set and decided to give it a try, on a weekday. My choice of appetiser is appetising, pun intended. The salad was a perfect balance of taste and texture – crunchy nuts, sweet-yet-tart dressing and orange slices, bitter raw greens and red radish thins. Loved the sweet potato fries in my seafood main course, which I could neither rave about nor fault. Have also tried its signature Le Mont-Blanc in Paris before, and was pleasantly surprised how light this delicate dessert could be with the chestnut purée vermicelli on top going very well with the not-too-milky-or-cloyingly-sweet whipped cream and meringue base beneath.