Antoinette, Lavender

What's it with brunch places and pretentious fops? I've noticed that brunch spots are typically filled with a whole lot of pretentious, hoity-toity people who are there to see and be seen. Sure, they may be deceptively dressed down, but if you look closely, it's the little things that give them away. From the tiny nondescript handbags with the famous interlocking-C or standalone-H logos, the limited edition leather clad wrist watches that cost the same as the downpayment of a small condo, right down to the immaculately coiffured and pedicured toes, the people who brunch are the people who look at what you're wearing. So, you better make sure you're dressed to the nines, albeit casually, when you brunch. I suppose that's what contributes to the frue-frue, snobby attitude of most brunch spots. I'm not giving up hope yet, here's crossing my fingers that I'll find a brunch spot with a down-to-earth atmosphere, and corresponding down-to-earth patronage.

Antoinette, with its frue-frue personality and uppity French cafe backstory, certainly looks out-of-place in its arguably middle-class Lavender location. It could be the low-rents of the area, a prudent business decision of the Sugar Daddy group (they also own Pique Nique), helmed by the ex-pastry chef of Canele, which in turn is an offshoot of the Les Amis Group.  I have noticed that the Sugar Daddy group has been quite aggressive in their foray and expansion into the F&B business. If they keep up the good food, I won't be surprised if they become a worthy Les Amis competitor.

While the pretentious clientele is quite off-putting, the food speaks volumes. Buns and I takeaway from Antoinette quite a bit, mostly because they offer all-day breakfast eggs and yummy French bistro classics. We had brunch at Antoinette today with Ray & Pat, and enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. There wasn't a single bad dish. In fact, almost every dish shone. Be sure to make reservations though, the restaurant is fairly small and consequently packed to the rafters all the time. Portions are reasonable, but prices are a wee bit on the luxurious end. Also, we appreciated that service was professional and attentive, plates were cleared efficiently and water glasses were filled frequently. The restaurant may be sorta outta way, but good food is good food, and Singaporeans will travel far and wide to eat good food. (in this regard, there's another Antoinette at the much more convenient and centrally located Mandarin Gallery)

We started off with Ray's fave type of greens, the Salade Lyonnaise ($13.50) with thick strips of hot bacon, cubes of buttered croutons, layered with frisee and mixed greens tossed in a mustard vinaigrette and topped with a perfectly poached egg that ran when poked. I really don't like mustard, and much preferred the piquant balsamic-based house dressing instead.

We sampled 2 egg dishes, the first of which was the Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Duck Breast ($13.50) fluffy, airy and moist, with sauteed mushrooms and herbs, a thick toasty homemade Pain de Mie and side salad with house dressing.I liked the smoked duck, salty, tender and fresh.

I loved the Scrambled Egg Gratin ($15), layered with tomato fondue, Paris ham, sauteed mushrooms, Parmesan cheese and served alongside homemade Pain de Mie toast. This was like the eggy version of lasagna. Hands down, this was the better egg dish, and an absolute must-try. We all loved this. Heck, I'll venture this is the best egg dish here.

This was Pat's favourite dish of brunch, Blinis with Blueberries ($10), thick, soft and fluffy pancakes laden generously with loads of sweet and juicy blueberries, both mashed and whole, drizzled with maple syrup, icing sugar and a trio of creme chantilly.

We also loved the Wild Mushroom Risotto ($24) creamy arborio rice done al dente, simmered with exotic field mushrooms and white wine for an earthy but delicately light flavour, and topped with crispy serrano ham. Generously proportioned but great to the last bite.

This was Buns' favourite for obvious reasons (he, like every other Korean, loves his beef) the Beouf Bourguignon ($32) a thick slab of Burgundy-style braised wagyu beef brisket in red wine served with pomme puree (that's just a fancy name for mashed potatoes) and par-boiled baby French beans. The beef was incredibly fork tender and rich and complex in flavour, a little sweet, a little rich, and a little intense. What stood out exceptionally (for me, at least) were the mashed potatoes, creamy and smooth but interspersed with tiny lumps for texture.

Antoinette
30 Penhas Road
Tel: 6293 3121
Open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 10pm;
Fridays & eve of PH from 11am to 11pm;
Saturdays from 10am to 11pm;
Sundays & PH from 10am to 10pm
Website: www.antoinette.com.sg

NYDC, Bugis Junction

The good thing about staying so close to Bugis is that we can always get our dessert craving satiated late at night at NYDC. They open till late, and their desserts are super value-for-money, generously portioned, and delicious.

We got 2 desserts to share, starting with the Boo Boo ($6.80), a mousse-y chocolate cake that's sweet but not rich, creamy but not cloying, and it managed a lightness of texture that was very refreshing.

Although NYDC doesn't have chocolate lava cakes, That Boney Cake ($9.80) is a fabulous substitute, with the yummylicious chocolate Elmer Fudge cake served warm and contrasted against the icy creamy vanilla ice-cream ($3 for the extra scoop). This has gotta be NYDC's best dessert, hands down. It's huge, and memorably delicious, and the bonus is that it's so unbelievably cheap.

We also shared a Mocha ($6.50), a potent dose of espresso topped with vanilla ice-cream and whipped cream, and a dusting of cocoa powder. A bit of a sugar-overload for me, but Buns loved it all the same.

NYDC 
200 Victoria Street
#02-47/48
Parco Bugis Junction
Tel: 6333 3161
Open Sundays to Thursdays from 11.30am to 10.30pm, and Fridays to Saturdays from 11.30am to 12midnight
Website: www.nydc.com.sg/

Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck, Asia Square

Now that there's a branch of the critically-favored and popular Imperial Treasure restaurant within walking distance from my office, it's so so sooooo convenient when the craving for dim sum hits. I'm really appreciating the development of the Marina Bay area into the newest A-list financial hub of the CBD. There's suddenly an exponential increase in restaurants (of every type and cuisine) set up around the area to cater to the corresponding increase in professionals working and frequenting the area.

Dim sum is great when you've got a craving but aren't looking to overeat. Dim sum is served in small portions so you can also indulge even with 2 diners, and the best part is that the bill surprisingly ends up being really wallet-friendly. You'd think that eating at a restaurant like this is reserved for special occasions, but nooooo, I had lunch there last week and only paid about $25 per person.

The other good thing about this restaurant is that they are super efficient. Service is brisk but genuinely friendly. Dishes arrived soon after orders were taken, and in quick succession. No worries about getting back to the office within the lunch hour. This really is the best place to have dim sum in the CBD area.

We started off with the Double Boiled Soup of the Day ($15) which was sea whelk with chicken. The sea whelk accented the clear and delicate broth with an umami taste.

The Steamed Diced Mushroom Dumpling ($3.80) is quite a treat for the health-conscious, what with the diced carrots and celery and greens stuffed into the chewy, translucent dumpling skin. The crunch of the vegetables and the chewiness of the skin made for a contrast in textures.

A close-up shot of the 3 main ingredients, celery, carrots and mushrooms, in the dumpling.

Imperial Treasure does this classic very well. The Pan-fried Carrot Cake ($3.50) is soft and moist, interlaced with julienned radish, dried shrimp and Chinese sausages for flavour and texture, with a nicely charred crust.

The Baked BBQ Pork Pastry ($3.60) is also commendable, with a buttery flaky crust and filled with a sweet and rich barbecued pork stuffing.

The Fried Banana and Red Bean Roll ($3.60) is like a twist on our local goreng pisang dessert, with a layer of crushed and sweetened red bean between the soft banana and crisp fritter.

Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck
8 Marina View
Asia Square Tower 1
Asia Square Food Garden #02-08
Tel: 6636 1868
Open daily from 11.30am to 10pm

3 Inch Sin, Millenia Walk

We felt like a little something sweet to round off dinner at Soup Restaurant. Having been here 3 times in the last month, I have to say that I've never ever seen this place filled. In fact, it's almost empty every time I have dessert here. Which is such a pity. Their molten lava cakes are to-die-for, in a mind-boggling variety of flavours, and really quite value-for-money. Each mini molten lava cake is a well-portioned 3 inches wide, just nice to satisfy a sweet craving but not enough to sicken you. It could be that Millenia Walk is notoriously lacking in foot traffic, and also that this unassuming hole-in-the-wall cafe is lagging behind in the requisite marketing.

Today, we had the Bitter Orange Molten Cake ($6.50) with Vanilla Ice-Cream ($3). I don't usually like orange-flavoured desserts, but the tinge of bitterness helped lift the typically intensely sweet orange taste.

The inside of the pristine cake reveals a complex mush of devilishly delicious gooey goodness.

I really liked the Lemon Molten Cake ($6.50) with Vanilla Ice-Cream ($3), the fresh tart lemon provided a refreshingly light accent to the decadence of the rich chocolate. Compared to the raspberry and orange varieties, the lemon has gotta be my favourite flavour.

3 Inch Sin
9 Raffles Boulevard
Millenia Walk #01-103
Tel: 6333 4562
Open daily from 11.30am to 9.30pm
Website: www.3inchsin.com

Soup Restaurant, Suntec

We were on our way to the gym when we realized that silly ol' me forgot to bring along Buns' gym gear. So, after making that close-to-one-hour car ride from the office to the gym, we turned back around and went to Suntec for dinner instead. OMG, I'm such a bumbling mess. It's really all because of work, I tell ya, it's been quite crazy recently.

On our way to Suntec, Ernie called to join in on our dinner. We'd originally wanted to go to Crystal Jade Kitchen, but since Ernie said he'd just dined there that very afternoon, we chose Soup Restaurant instead. As you can well see, we're super accommodating to our friends. In any case, Soup Restaurant serves up really comforting and familiar local Chinese cze char fare and we weren't too particular about what we ate anyway.

We started off with Soup Restaurant's signature dish, the Samsui Ginger Chicken ($15.90 for small) with delicately poached chicken, served cool and fanned out in a pretty assemble. The chicken is smooth, light and almost refreshing. What sets Soup Restaurant's poached chicken apart from anywhere else is the potent and aromatic ginger and sesame oil dip, such a wonderful accompaniment to the chicken.

Our obligatory greens, the non-spicy Ah Por Fan Shu Leaves ($8.50), loosely translated to "grandma's sweet potato leaves". The soft greens were stir-fried simply with a rich black soya sauce, a little sweetish tinge to the savoury.

Soup Restaurant's Steamed Hand-Chopped Minced Pork ($8.90) is the best anywhere, the soft and chewy mince is contrasted with the crunch of the diced water chestnuts rolled into the mix. A sliced boiled salted egg yolk topped the homestyled dish and a light soy sauce provides a pool of flavour.

The Stewed Chicken Breast ($10.90) is nice paired with white rice, mostly because of the rich braising oyster sauce gravy, and the plentiful roasted pork chunking up the claypot.

Today's appetizer of Braised Peanuts ($2) arrived steaming hot, a welcome change to the usually tepid starter.

Soup Restaurant
3 Temasek Boulevard
Suntec City Mall #B1-059
Tel: 6333 9886
Open daily from 11.30am to 2.30pm for lunch; and 6pm to 10pm for dinner
Website: www.souprestaurant.com.sg

Nando's, Bugis Junction

Nando's introduced Singapore to the concept of peri-peri chicken. This world famous casual dining chain, with outlets spanning every continent, serves cuisine centered around the deceptively tiny but potent African peri-peri chilli. The peri-peri sauce, comprising different grades of spiciness to cater to every tastebud, is a proprietary concoction of aromatics such as onions, garlic, acids such as lemon juice, citrus peel, herbs such as paprika, bay leaves, tarragon, oregano, basil, pimento, and of course, peri-peri chillis. The distinctive and versatile sauce is an explosive balance of the sweet, sour, piquant and spicy flavours, which complements and never overwhelms the flavour of the dishes.

Although the menu isn't that extensive (everything on the menu is chicken, even the burgers, and the sides are a little limited and honestly, quite forgettable), they do their chicken right. Very right. Yums. Also, the restaurant's air-conditioning was way too cold. The food turned tepid very quickly, especially the sides (because we were busy eating the chicken first), and we didn't finish the sides because they were just nasty when cold. 

Bear in mind the restaurant doesn't accept reservations, so you'll have to eat early to avoid queuing. The weekends will find this restaurant a bustling full-house with a long queue, and while service is pleasant and generally friendly, they can be a bit harried and inconsistent (2 of our quartered chickens didn't arrive until we were finished our meal and checked in with the waiter). Maybe that's why we usually do takeaways from Nando's instead. 

As there were 4 of us, we ordered the Full Platter ($85) set consisting 6 quarter chickens, i.e. one and a half chicken, 4 large side dishes, 2 salads and 2 pieces of bread. Best to order the platters if you have a bunch of boys eating with you. Nando's grilled chicken is the best of the best, and the juiciness of their chickens are unparalleled anywhere on the island. I dare you to find another place that does chicken breast as moist as Nando's (but must be of the same price or less). We do feel that the lemon-and-herb flavour is the nicest, it's got a very light, fresh, herb-y taste that's so mouthwateringly yummy. Besides, you can always customise your preferred level of spiciness with the various bottles of peri peri sauces at your table.

I loved the aromatic herbs-and-olive oil Portuguese vinaigrette accompanying the Portuguese Salad ($7.90 from ala carte menu) which was a mix of rocket and mesclun leaves, romaine lettuce, tomato wedges, green and red coral, green olives. Simple and uncomplicated but the fragrant dressing has gotta be the star.

The Peri Potato Salad ($5.85 for large from ala carte menu) utilised baby potatoes with skins on, creamy but not too rich and with a hint of spiced pepper providing a lift to the creamy potatoes. I don't usually like potato salads but this was done well.

The Peri Chips ($5.85 for large from ala carte menu) were very commendable. Thick and crisp, the peri spiced powder lent a nice savoury kick. Please make sure you eat this before it turns cold, it's awful when cold.

The Mediterranean Rice ($5.85 for large from ala carte menu) was a little lacking in flavour even though it was fragrant. I wanted a little more kick, a little more zing, a little more richness to this.

The Grilled Vegetables ($5.85 for large from ala carte menu) were, despite the lack of salt, was a very low-sodium way of getting some greens to even the picky vegetable-haters. I liked the softened zucchinis.

The Peri Corn ($5.85 for large from ala carte menu) was just alright. It can't beat the really sweet ones at Chili's but this was juicy enough.

The Bolo Bread, a Portuguese crunchy and crusty wholewheat bread was very very plain and needed a lot of butter to get through. This was pretty much left alone mostly because we were stuffed by the time we got to this.

Nando's
200 Victoria Street
Bugis Junction #01-85
Tel: 6338 6555
Open daily from 10am to 10pm
Website: www.nandos.com.sg