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Showing posts from April, 2014

Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie, Paragon

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I hardly ever do afternoon tea. I've just never been the type to while my time away clinking on dainty teacups and nibbling on scones and cakes. Besides, I've always preferred the savoury over the sweet. BUT, I've always loved the pastries at Canele , and the timing was just right for tea break.  Canele 's very value-for-money Afternoon Tea ($12) comprises 8 small bites, and a tea or coffee. Sufficient for a light snack, but not too much that it'll spoil your appetite for dinner.And so easy on the wallet. 1 of 2 savouries, the Crab Canape was my favourite, with its refreshingly sweet mayo-ed crabmeat topping and flaky shortcrust pastry base. The Smoked Salmon Canape was twirled around a crunchy asparagus stalk and set atop a dill mayo spread. Well balanced. I loved the subtly creamy Creme Fraiche , and it complemented the could-be-sweeter Strawberry . The tear-inducing sour notes of the Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry were countered by the ri

[Invited Tasting & Revisit] Madame Patisserie, Mackenzie Rd

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I'd gotten a flyer from Madame Patisserie in my mailbox when it'd first opened its second outlet, a bistro on the fringes of Orchard as opposed to its cafe at Boat Quay, but had only gotten off my butt to sample their wares at an invited tasting from the good people of HungryGoWhere. Having dined on their menu thrice (the first at the tasting, and subsequent second and third visits on our own), I'd definitely recommend this to people living/working in/around the vicinity. Their meat dishes are done with aplomb, and their well-priced menu makes for a Atkins dieter's very affordable dream, even if their pastas require a fair bit of tuning and desserts were a little weak. The Hubs and I are now fans, and we regularly dabao from here because it's quite close to home. Service is friendly and sincere, and the 2-odd-men-serving-staff is efficient enough, but I suspect it's also because the bistro hasn't quite taken off yet. 3 times I've been here, the tin

Menya Musashi, The Star Vista

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The famed Tokyo-based ramen import Menya Musashi has sprouted yet another outlet, this time at The Star Vista .  The low-frills Japanese izakaya-esque eatery, with its utilitarian style, stark fluorescent lighting, poor ventilation, and squeezy booth seats is one of those places to dine-and-go (not dine-and-dash). Evidently, lingering isn't encouraged. It didn't help that the air-conditioning was leaky, and we walked out with our hair and clothes reeking of the kitchen. But, the long line of folks are here for the food, and Menya Musashi 's style of ramen is rich, but subtle and layered, which sets it apart from the robust oomph of some of the other popular ramen joints. The pick of the litter, their Black Cha Shu Ramen ($14.90), which stock boasts rounded charred accents of roasted garlic and fermented onions, is unforgettably flavourful and unique. The pork belly was meltingly tender, boiled egg well done, while black fungus added a lovely crunch. A most awesome

Peony Jade Restaurant, Keppel Club

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The Amex-HungryGoWhere 30licious $30 Deals In 30 Days promotion is now on. Till tomorrow at least. With an impressive stable of reputable restaurants participating in the promotion such as Da Paolo Bistrobar , Golden Peony , Gyu Kaku , The Song of India, and Peony Jade , diners will be spoilt for choice. You can eat very well for very cheap for the entire month! We were at the Keppel Club branch of revered Cantonese stalwart Peony Jade Restaurant last night to sample their 30Licious 6-Course Set Dinner ($30 per person). I was very relieved to secure a booking late in that afternoon (we're not the type to plan our meals in advance, you see), through an idiot-proof online reservation system . To be honest, I was initially skeptical about dinner, thinking that the food would turn out a pale shadow of the ala carte fare, but I thought, how bad could the lauded Peony Jade get? Turns out, not bad at all! The restaurant, resplendent in its cheesy 70's decor replete with plas

JB Ah Meng, Geylang Lor 23

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I'd seen a friend's frequent (and tantalizing) facebook posts about JB Ah Meng , a cze char eatery in Geylang. As soon as I could gather the troops, we trudged on down to ever "colourful" Geylang for dinner. JB Ah Meng is located in one of the busier parts of Geylang, where heavy foot traffic guarantees a PG-13 people-watching travelling show. My littlest brother spent most of dinner transfixed by the various "working girl transactions" going on around us, while we were "entertained" by the occasional sight of a rat scurrying away into the drains flanking the sidewalk. For those keen on keeping their dinner down, my advice is to avoid looking at the ground, or at the other tables, or at other people around you. Heck, just keep your eye on your dinner or your dinner companions.  For a cze char joint (where service usually ranges from the indifferent to the surly), service was surprisingly pleasant. The lady proprietor was smiley, chatty and acc

The Disgruntled Chef

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I wouldn't have thought to dine at a restaurant helmed by a self-confessed disgruntled chef, but I was hooked after a taste of their braised pork cheeks at Savour 2014 . I suppose the epithet's meant to be an irony stilted in truth, where food is created with a disaffected flair. Just like how the quaint colonial setup in the lush Dempsey dining enclave appears, at first brush, formal and totally chi-chi but is actually refreshingly casual and boasts a relaxed, down-to-earth vibe. In line with its breezy form, you'll be glad to know that you can actually dine here in berms and slippers! The service staff were perfectly lovely folk, so I actually feel bad for saying that, notwithstanding the warm consideration shown to us at dinner (the manager had very thoughtfully enquired if we wanted our eggs thoroughly scrambled instead of runny because he'd observed that Beeps was preggers), service was choppy and inefficient. There were inordinately long lapses between our cou