Shuwen visited Oomphaticos with her lovely grandma last year, so this time it was my turn! So here's my take on Oomphaticos
Here's the thing that drew me to Oomphaticos in the first place. The design of the place and the quirky furniture! I think it's a girl thing, to be attracted to these decorative things. But that being said, I think it's a perfect setting for girly meetups over hi-tea and all. GIGGLES :)
The calamari salad (I thnk that's what it's called). Really really small portion for something that costs $13. Nothing spectacular about this, panfried squid and a serving of lime mayo with salad. Mehh. Nothing spectacular, a little pricey for what it is in my opinion.
The Farmers Sandwich! okay this one I got to admit was pretty damn good. Avocado, egg, tomatoes, rocket salad, chicken and bacon. Sandwiched between 4 slices of well toasted wholemeal bread. I love sandwiches and this one, I shared with Sarah, and even then that was pretty filling!
Espresso Creme brulee with ice cream(i forgot what flavor but it wasnt vanilla). Not too bad, a wierd consistency for creme brulee but good nonetheless. I think you can almost never go wrong with creme brulee. And the center had espresso creme! Mmm.
Okay, overall. The food at Oomphaticos is nothing fantastic, a little overpriced for what they serve in my opinion. But then again, the ambience is great (especially if you get the chance to sit outdoors or at any of their special unique little tables and couches) and the service is excellent! Friendly staff, fast service (could also be due to the fact that the place wasn't crowded when we visited).
Mmmm. I'd say, go with the girls for a treat. Maybe just once, if it catches your eye.
Greetings from England! This is the first entry from the land of Tea and Scones and a visit to York over the weekend led to me trying authentic Yorkshire tea and scones! The first English Cafe of this blog to be explored: Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms! The fellow cafe-explorers for the day were Anne, Clement (relatives from aussie land) and Hui Min. Bettys is situated in the heart of the charming little town of York (6-8 St. Helen's Square, York, YO1 8QP)- the afternoon tea sets at Bettys are apparently very delicious (and famous)! And I couldn't agree more:
The reception to the tea rooms has a shop filllled with Bettys fudge, chocolate and various (yummy looking) tea items- all of which were quite pricey but I guess the novelty of having and eating a Bettys pastry/dessert item is worth the money (just look at ALL that food).
The decor of the tea rooms reflected the style of the 1930s and it had a very nice Parisian-cum-English-cafe feel to it. The menus were also delightfully colourful! It's nice to see cafes put in effort in designing their menus and adding colour to it (in this case the water-colour drawings of the various pastries offered were nice to look at)- we decided to try the Yorkshire tea set (priced at £7.95 it was the more affordable tea set on the menu- there was a 'celebratory tea set' priced at £50 and wine is included!):
We also ordered an extra pot of Bettys Special Room Blend Tea because one pot is meant for just two people- but honestly one pot for four people would have been enough (had we not been so stuffed from lunch we may have finished both pots of tea). But yes! Two Sultana Scones, Bettys Room Blend Tea and strawberry jam and Yorkshire clotted cream awaited us and I really couldn't wait to try out the two ways of eating scones: jam first, then the cream or vice versa- it's a tough call to make if you haven't tried both ways at one go. After a short wait of about ten minutes the tea set arrived (see how happy Anne and Clement look):
The tea was quite a nice blend- but it didn't taste exceptional; it could have been Lipton tea for all we knew. But Bettys is generous with their sugar cube, hot water and milk portions- I think we each drank about three to four cups of tea. The highlight of the tea set was of course, the scones ... we ate them by halves (you're technically suppose to put the jam and cream in between the two halves of a scone but we were too full to consume two whole scones). Anne then demonstrated the folllowing:
HOW TO EAT A SCONE (clockwise from top left)- Step One: Scoop a lot of jam and spread it out as evenly as possible. Step Two: Scoop out a whole lot of clotted cream. Step Three: Spread the cream evenly on the jam. Step Four: voila! The Jam-first-then-cream Scone!
HOW TO EAT A SCONE (clockwise from top left)- Step One: Scoop a lot of jam and spread it out as evenly as possible. Step Two: Scoop out a whole lot of clotted cream. Step Three: Spread the cream evenly on the jam. Step Four: voila! The Jam-first-then-cream Scone!
We tried the cream-first-then-jam method of eating scones next (see picture below) but all of us agreed that the first way of eating was nicer because having the cream as the bottom layer overwhelms the taste and sweetness of the jam (when the jam is placed as the top layer). And the scone also looks nicer when the jam's on the bottom.
Overall we had a very lovely time at Bettys- I'll definitely go back to that cafe if I ever do head to the midlands of England again. There are several Bettys outlets but the original Bettys or pioneer Bettys is in York. Dining there brings about this atmosphere of nostalgia and it's nice to have a vintage feel when you're having authentic Yorkshire tea and scones. The staff there was exceptionally polite and very warm. Bettys is a strain to the wallet so I don't think I'd have tea there very often but it's definitely a place to check out if you're ever in York- do check out the website for more details (www.bettys.co.uk/cafe) and a peek into the menu will definitely make you crave for scones, pastries and everything about tea!
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This Holland Village fixture was one my last hunt before departing for Little Britain! If you haven't visited Essential Brew (it's located near Fosters), then put it on your list because this tea cafe and restaurant turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise with its quirky-ly named drinks and food. Fiona and Wen Jing were companions for the day!
We decided to order quite a bit of food and drink and boy are the names of these food items quirky.
FIrst up: The Zoc (Fiona's drink)
We decided to order quite a bit of food and drink and boy are the names of these food items quirky.
FIrst up: The Zoc (Fiona's drink)
Wen Jing had the Uva:
And I had good ol' Hot Chocolate:
And the food that we ordered was an exotic fusion of Asia and the West! Firstly, we had Apple Crumble with green tea sauce and then we ordered the Essential Brew classic dish: The Plateau Serenade-which was basically a brownie-based maccademia ice cream dessert (served with cornflakes and chocolate sauce and strawberries!)
The green tea sauce was added a zest of saltiness to the well-baked apple crumble.
This dessert is really worth every cent (it isn't too expensive) but it's one of the most unique desserts I've eaten in a long time.
Overall, Essential Brew has good food and uniquely-named drinks and concoctions. If you are feeling adventurous do pop by this little cafe (it's just two shops away from Fosters). And students will be glad to know that there are student discounts and attractive tea-time packages (do visit their website: www.essentialbrew.com for more details)!
Overall, Essential Brew has good food and uniquely-named drinks and concoctions. If you are feeling adventurous do pop by this little cafe (it's just two shops away from Fosters). And students will be glad to know that there are student discounts and attractive tea-time packages (do visit their website: www.essentialbrew.com for more details)!
The name of this cafe may be a quite a mouthful but it is yet another lovely bakery cum cafe that has escaped the hustle and bustle of the main Orchard Road strip. Located at 57 Killiney Road (it's rightttt at the corner, beside the Police Station and opposite the Singtel building), it's one of those cafes that the working crowd has probably seen but have given it a miss (or I might be wrong). My companion for this brunch outing was Charmaine!
Do not be fooled: Le Bijoux may have the appearance of a regular kopitiam, but the warm and friendly staff immediately made this place have a very English-tea-vibe for some reason. Charmaine and I were hungry and sampled quite a few things. Brunch, being Breakfast + Lunch, we had breakfast set A (there are three breakfast sets)- which consisted of scrambled eggs, a choice of bacon/sausage/ham and there were two slices of bread. We also has two teas (three choices: English Breakfast, Camomile or Earl Grey) and we decided to try the Danish cinnamon pastry ($1.40) and the Jam-doughnut ($1.80).
The scrambled eggs and bacon were average but the bread was amazing! One slice was multi-grain bread while the other piece (the piece on the bottom) is one of the best-selling breads of Le Bijoux; the walnut-raisin bread. The bread, with and without jam and butter, tasted fantastic. The bread was not too fluffy and not too chewy either. The cinnamon pastry was nice and so was the jam-doughnut- pity they were rather small in size but nonetheless its small size make them perfect treat-size snacks.
Next up! We had DESSERT! We ate a slice of Chocolate Cookie Crunch Cake ($5.90) and it was EXTREMELY chcoolate-ty and delicious! It's apparently one of the best-selling cakes of the bakery.
The cake consisted of three layers: the bottom layer was a flourless chocolate layer, the middle consisted of a nectar cum cookie crunch layer and the top was pure chocolat mousse! And the chocolate ball toppings gave it an extra crunch. It was a bit too much for us so we didn't really finish it but it goes right up there on my 'CAKES YOU MUST TRY' list. And at $5.90 a slice it gives most coffee chain cakes a run for their money.
Freshly Baked by Le Bijoux has other pastries that yearned to be tasted and tried- they sell different kinds of bread, biscuits, and cupcakes which are all packeted and can be taken away and savoured at home! There is no Wi-Fi available here so doing your work here is not an option. But at Le Bijoux, the friendly staff will make you feel rightttt at home (the lady there gave me so much information when she served us the food- hence I've included them in this entry). Expect to pay above-average prices though (Our brunch outing cost $23.80) but it's worth your money because all the food is of excellent quality. It would be a real shame if you gave Le Bijoux a miss whenever you're in town. Business hours on weekdays are 8am-8pm and on weekends, 8am-6pm. It's quite a treat to go in the mornings on weekdays (if you do get to have a break from school or work) because it's relatively quiet and pleasant.
I've ALWAYS wondered what it'd be like to eat at Fosters (277 Hollland Avenue- it's rightttt at the end of the whole row of shophouses on the Holland V strip) since I've walked past it many, many times whenever I head to the more affordable and common food places (e.g: the food court or hawker centre or Crystal Jade) in Holland Village. The 'Devonshire Tea-set' chanced upon by Ethel gave us a great opportunity to visit this english rose cafe. Our companions for that day were some classmates of ours! And boy were we excited about the prospect of having a (nearly-very) English tea- complete with scones, muffins and well, tea.
So basically at the nearly very English Fosters cafe (pretty bad 80s-90s karaoke music was playing when we were there- that totally destroyed the 'Englishy' feel), everything IS pricey but the Devonshire Tea set costs $10.95 and we decided to order three sets. Each set had scones, finger sandwiches, fruitcake, and of course a pot of tea to go with all these lovely tea-items.
The butter, cream and jam were appreciated touches to the whole tea-set- the scones were lovely (it's rare to find not-too-hard scones in Singapore) and the different kinds of tea offered were of the usual assortment (English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Camomile .. etc). Overall it was a nice tea experience and there were quite a few pairs of patrons who all ordered the tea set. Pity there weren't any biscuits included (I don't know in my mind I always picture biscuits to be included like those digestive biscuits or even those Marks and Spencer's biscuits but then again this wasn't at M&S so I shan't complain).
So if having a cup of tea with a group of good friends is your idea of a nice afternoon (it is mine and Ethel's anyway), then Fosters is definitely a place to check out for chilling out and having a rather English "pish-posh" tea. It was rather delightful and quite our cup of tea.
So if having a cup of tea with a group of good friends is your idea of a nice afternoon (it is mine and Ethel's anyway), then Fosters is definitely a place to check out for chilling out and having a rather English "pish-posh" tea. It was rather delightful and quite our cup of tea.
One fine Monday afternoon, Ethel and I decided to check out two cafes (one was by chance, while the other was a cafe the whole world seems to be suddenly into). Cafe number 13: FOU DE FAFA! For those who have been following this blog, fou de fafa is Oomphatico's distant cousin! From what we've heard, the lady who runs Fou de fafa used to run Oomphatico's but now she doesn't and she's set up this quirky little eatery in the HEART of the businessy-financial-district of Tanjong Pagar. It's located on the first floor of Capitol Tower (head towards Exit F when you're getting out of Tanjong Pagar MRT Station).
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We weren't feeling very hungry so I just ordered one of the all-day breakfast sets available, aptly titled "I'm Waffled!" ($4.50):
Nearly everything (except for the salads) are served on little blocks of wood! The waffle however was a bit over-done and tremendously crispy- a bit too crispy for my liking. The portions of maple syrup and butter saved it though.
Fou de fafa, like its distant cousin Oomphatico's, is a nice place that should be visited at least once if you're sick and tired of local food. When Ethel and I were there most of the lunch crowd was that of expatriates who probably appreciate the Western cum middle eastern cuisine offered more than the local working crowd. It's a free spirited place and the staff and manager/owner of the cafe (Lara Jay Hequet) are extremely friendly and make all feel welcomed and at home. However the downside of this place is once again the pressure it puts on the wallet (not just students but any wallet I guess)- salads are priced at above $7, sandwiches are priced $8 and above (I recommend the Basil Chicken sandwich it's reallly tender and it was evenly toasted; I managed to try this when my boss bought back lunch for me) and the pizza is priced above $12.
Fou de fafa doesn't disappoint in being a truly indie cafe and its quirkiness makes it (I quote from its namecard) "not perfect" but "totally Fou'd".
Our next stop for the day was a cafe that has been raved about and is still probably being raved about: 1 Caramel (located at the building beside The Cathay at 6 Handy Road). For those who love 'veteran' designer-cake-pioneer Canele, make no mistake: 1 Caramel is no copy of the Canele chain started by Chef Pang.
Fou de fafa doesn't disappoint in being a truly indie cafe and its quirkiness makes it (I quote from its namecard) "not perfect" but "totally Fou'd".
Our next stop for the day was a cafe that has been raved about and is still probably being raved about: 1 Caramel (located at the building beside The Cathay at 6 Handy Road). For those who love 'veteran' designer-cake-pioneer Canele, make no mistake: 1 Caramel is no copy of the Canele chain started by Chef Pang.
Ethel and I braved a thunderstorm to get to 1 Careml that afternoon and when we arrived at the cafe (drenched) the staff were very friendly and they allowed us to take photos of their amazing cake selection! One of the staff even pushed the glass-separator-doors aside to let us take clearer photos- this is truly a first for Ethel and I.
We decided to follow the cake recommendations and we ordered a Cappuccino ($5.00), a slice of carrot cake and a slice of this honey-raspberry cake (I will double check the name of this cake and edit this accordingly in due time). The cappuccino was nothing special but the cakes however were presented in a very nice and creative manner:
(from top) The carrot cake was above average the cake decorations were lovely though. The same can be said for the honey-raspberry cake (on the plate with the beehive design). The cakes were pretty and they tasted good- but nothing really blew us away (besides the cake decorations). The standard for 1 Caramel is comparable to that of Canele's but the cake selection is deiniftley wider than Canele's.
Overall 1 Caramel is a nice dessert place at the end of Orchard Road (we need more AFFORDABLE dessert places in Orchard Road! and not just coffee chains). It's a place that is worth trying out you may return several times just to try alllllll the different cakes that are offered. It's one of the places cake-coholics MUST visit; do also check out their customized-cake-service (see the pictures below to see what we mean):
In celebration of Chye Shu Wen's 19th birthday, a12 girls trooped off for a wonderful birthday lunch at PS cafe at Dempsey hill.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR CHYE SHUWEN
cafe hunting buddies :)
First off, everyone says that Dempsey is convenient only if you have a car, which is untrue! there are many buses that go by that area and you just need to walk up a flight of stairs to get there.
OK now, PS cafe. It's off the central dempsey restaurant area. Hidden in the 'forest', it's like a private secret garden just for PS cafe.
I really can't capture the essence of this place in words, you need to take a trip down yourself and discover the wonder that is PS cafe. So i'll just tell you what we ordered and let the photos speak for themselves.
I am thoroughly in love with PS cafe. Thank you for the very lovely lunch shu. :)
amazing aromatic truffle fries sprinkled with parmesan cheese
fish and chips with fat fat fries
vegetable lasagne (which was surprisingly really good, even if you love meat)
the ps club sandwich which was so-so, but the bread was amazingly crisp
this is double chocolate blackout cake with chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream
THIS IS MY FAVOURITE DESSERT OF ALL FREAKING TIME
seriously. the mega ass huge tall cake is just to die for. Shu and I took a look at it in the display and KNEW we had to have a slice :)
banana crumble!
sticky toffee cake with ice cream and extra caramel
the toffee icing is amazing.
very very very sweet cake, if you really have a sweet tooth.
we also had profiteroles which were drenched (as the menu describes) in dark chocolate sauce and flaked almonds. My pictures are all out of focus so I;'ll wait for shu's then upload.
we also had key lime pie which was a refreshing change from the chocolatey desserts we all ordered.
flowers lining the wooden boardwalk in
PS cafe is a bit on the pricey side, about $25 for a main on average, and $16 for dessert. But dessert is well worth the price. I would say give the mains a skip and just head down for dessert because it is out of this damn world!!!! :)
Ethel has left this little red dot for a great adventure in the US of A! The land of the free beckons for her but we managed to check out a couple more cafes together before she left. This is one of them: SEGAFREDO ZANETTI! (it's quite a mouthful huh) We decided to venture yonder from the town/haji-lane/arba-street/holland-V areas and head to the Chinatown district to check out this Italian Coffee outlet at China Square Plaza (a new shopping centre near Club Street). Ethe's uncle recommended this place and he said that the coffee was expensive but it of EXTREMELY GOOD quality. We just had to try it.
So off we went!
So off we went!
It's a cosy little eatery and the there's no mistaking the smell of good coffee once you step in- the aroma is amazing. There's a huge variety of drinks available and they even sell cigars!! Cigars aside, there were some pastries for sale but the items that we found most interesting were th bite-sized (they're REALLY bite-sized) cheesecakes. There were two flavours on sale when we were there: expresso and the usual oreo cheesecake. We decided to try a mini expresso cheesecake and a Mezzo Mezzo! (it's a mix of coffee, chocolate and milk)!
It REALLY was bite-sized (and kind of pricey as funny as it sounds- at one dollar per cube). It was nice cheesecake by the way. Pity they didn't sell them at the usual cake-sliced sizes.
Segafredo Zanetti is a nice coffee-experience (the coffee IS good) in the outskirts of Chinatown. Good for the coperate crowd but probably a little out of the way for students (but then again nothing's out of the way if you want a good adventure!). If you want to Segafredo, be prepared to pay about $5-9 for coffee and a mini cheesecake! Segadredo Zenetti also does deliveries too! (call them at 6222-6629 or email them at enquiry@cremahound.co for enquries) We may check it out again when Ethel returns for Christmas holidays! Until then go get your dose of segafredo-ness!
Tucked in the corner of the Children's Department of the OG outlet at Orchard sits Hemispheres Cafe! If you look very carefully from the crossing between Centrepoint and Orchard Plaza you'll see the cafe and its two main glass walls overlooking a little bit of Orchard Road! The guest for the day was Darryl (yes a recurring guest! haha).
Presenting Hemispheres Cafe!
Presenting Hemispheres Cafe!
The place was quite quiet- when we arrived there were a few people having a photoshoot at the corner of the eatery. Darryl ordered the set meal while ethel and I just ate main dishes ala carte. Darryl ordered corn soup and a beef aglio olio!
Ethel had the otah-otah (prawn) sandwich while I had a good ol' egg mayo sandwich
I really liked my egg-mayo sandwich; it had just the right amount of mayo! But other than that it was a regular sandwich. The otah sandwich was spicy for me (I don't really eat spicy stuff) but it was a bit small.
This corner of the cafe was nice the seats were very cushiony and comfrotable. Overall Hemispheres cafe is quite a small place but it's truly a gem in Orcahrd Road simply because of it's quiet atmosphere. It's quite surreal; sitting in one of the armchairs and looking out at busy Orchard Road. It's a a bit on the pricey side (most ala carte dishes were priced at least 5.50 e.g the otah sandwich). You could pop by for a drink if you jsut want to get away from the very busy (and already very crowded) Orchard stretch. Hemispheres cafe faces the monster of an Orcahrd Central so the lights may be a bit irritating if you go at night.
OOMPHATICO'S! I've always wanted to try out this quirky eatery (located on the first floor of Tanglin Mall) so I decided to check it out with my grandma after watching Opera in the Park at the Botanic Gardens back in June. And I wasn't let down at all- the furniture, decorations, lights and food were really so quirky and had Marie-Antoinette vibes- it was quite a food revolution!
My grandma and I decided to only eat dessert and the desserts are a bit on the pricey side (they're all priced above $6) but we decided to try out one dish each! My grandma ordered a Tiramisu (it was about $9) and the server told us that it'd be served in a 'rather small cup' but when it was served ...
And I ate the aptly named 'That Expensive Chocolate Dish' (yes that's the name of the dessert) and it cost $13 but the chocolate tasters offered were wonderful
Presenting 'That Expensive Chocolate Dish'!: (from left) Cookies, Olive-Alcoholic Chocolate Mousse, Ice cream with soft biscuit, and the most chocolatey fondant au chocolat.
ANY chocoholic must definitely try out this chocolate of a a feast.
The chocolate just OOOOOZES out it's kind of an overload by the time your'e through with all four chocolat portions!
ANY chocoholic must definitely try out this chocolate of a a feast.
The chocolate just OOOOOZES out it's kind of an overload by the time your'e through with all four chocolat portions!
Oomphatico's is quite a pricey place to eat at- it's about $10-15 a head if you want to just eat a light meal (or just desserts) and it could probably go up to $30-40 a head for a 3-course meal. It is nonetheless a place to check out for all dessert lovers and dining there would transport you to an Alice-in-Wonderland kind of tea party world. It's a pretty big and spacious place and it's suitable for holding parties and large dinners (that is, if you have a lot of cash to spare and feel like treating you friends and family to a quirky food adventure). I may be back again for more Oomphatically good food!
As Ethel said earlier some of the cafes we'll be checking out will be adventures without each other but it's all good! In this chapter I decided to check out B Bakery (15 Bussorah Street) with my friends Yang Wei and Peiyi- it's a little white bakery that is found among the Malay foodfare in the Arab Street area and ahhhh THEY SERVE AWESOME STICKY BUNS but before I launch into that, here are pictures of the lovely bakery!
And this ladies and gentlemen, was the FIRST thing we ordered when we arrived. THE Sticky Bun:
It was fresh from the oven (we arrived at about 10.30am) and it was covered in lovely cinnamon sauce- when we ate it, it just MELTED in your mouth. Really the MUST-TRY item from B Bakery
And this ladies and gentlemen, was the FIRST thing we ordered when we arrived. THE Sticky Bun:
It was fresh from the oven (we arrived at about 10.30am) and it was covered in lovely cinnamon sauce- when we ate it, it just MELTED in your mouth. Really the MUST-TRY item from B Bakery
There are also other pastries and dishes that are sold here but we weren't very hungry so the only other thing that we ordered was the Mushroom puff (priced at only $1.60! and it's not small)
All in all, B Bakery is a nice, minimalist bakery that has lovely pastries- if you just eat pastries be prepared to pay about $5-8. The main courses are slightly more pricey but it seems to be popular among the working crowd who mostly does take-aways. B Bakery isn't a very large place (with about 6 tables- most of which are 4-seaters) but it's a nice place to sit down and chill out at if you happen to be in the haji lane or arab street area. It closes at 6pm on weekdays so you can't pop by for dessert after eating Malay food; but going down to check it out at about 10am is probably the best time (HINT: WARM DELICIOUS STICKY BUNS FRESH F
This chapter, I am without my usual cafe hunting partner. Shu wen and I have decided that we shall post about the cafes that we've individually been to, to spruce things up. There's always so many places to go, we're running out of time!
So my partner for the day was Shannon Tay (on his block leave!)
Prive is very nicely situated at Marina at Keppel Bay. Might feel a little ATAS, if you know what I mean. I mean you are dining with all these private yachts and boats around you. If you happen to get good weather while you're down there, it's perfect. The sea breeze and just the right amount of sun, sitting on their basket woven chairs watching the clouds go by and enjoying your meal. Lunch time isn't all that crowded, so the quiet is nice too :)
this is my prawn and crab wrap which was really nicely toasted, mmm. Nothing spectacular, the portions are quite small but this managed to fill me up nicely. leaving just enough room for desert!
shannons chicken pot pie which is amazing, btw. I love puff pastry, and this one was crispy on the outside, and so buttery soft when you broke through the top. the broth was really tasty as well, smelt so good and served piping hot.
apple crumble for dessert!
again, you can almost never go wrong with apple crumble.
they do have other kinds of pastries too, the chocolate croissant is worth a try. Also, the affogato!
Prive is quite pricey, expect to pay about $18 for a main on average, and about $8 for dessert. It is also not an easy find because there';s a long bridge connecting this place to the main road, so unless you plan to drive or take a cab, be prepared to walk in.
I think I would return here again, maybe at night just to see what it's like at night. Theres a bar next door, with pink tiles lining the walls! :) The atmosphere here is what i'd go for, nothing fantastic about the food, the menu spread is decent and the desserts are the usuals. But just being able to sit by the bay, kick back your heels and just sit in the peace and quiet and enjoy the afternoon. Mmm, really feels like your on a holiday.
So my partner for the day was Shannon Tay (on his block leave!)
Prive is very nicely situated at Marina at Keppel Bay. Might feel a little ATAS, if you know what I mean. I mean you are dining with all these private yachts and boats around you. If you happen to get good weather while you're down there, it's perfect. The sea breeze and just the right amount of sun, sitting on their basket woven chairs watching the clouds go by and enjoying your meal. Lunch time isn't all that crowded, so the quiet is nice too :)
this is my prawn and crab wrap which was really nicely toasted, mmm. Nothing spectacular, the portions are quite small but this managed to fill me up nicely. leaving just enough room for desert!
shannons chicken pot pie which is amazing, btw. I love puff pastry, and this one was crispy on the outside, and so buttery soft when you broke through the top. the broth was really tasty as well, smelt so good and served piping hot.
apple crumble for dessert!
again, you can almost never go wrong with apple crumble.
they do have other kinds of pastries too, the chocolate croissant is worth a try. Also, the affogato!
Prive is quite pricey, expect to pay about $18 for a main on average, and about $8 for dessert. It is also not an easy find because there';s a long bridge connecting this place to the main road, so unless you plan to drive or take a cab, be prepared to walk in.
I think I would return here again, maybe at night just to see what it's like at night. Theres a bar next door, with pink tiles lining the walls! :) The atmosphere here is what i'd go for, nothing fantastic about the food, the menu spread is decent and the desserts are the usuals. But just being able to sit by the bay, kick back your heels and just sit in the peace and quiet and enjoy the afternoon. Mmm, really feels like your on a holiday.
Cafe Diaries part 6!
THIS ONE TOPS IT ALL. I swear, and I came upon this place by chance in this free magazine I picked up, which had a really small feature article on this place. :)
Its called 15 Minutes, located in Laselle School itself. The whole building itself is cool, so you can just imagine what this cafe is like. I think me trying to describe it here would do it no justice whatsoever, so just make a trip down and see for yourself. You will definitely not regret this.
quote unquote Andy Warhol
This was kelly's cream based chicken avocado pasta. Bewarned it is very creamy, if you are into that kind of thing. I personally am not that big a fan of cream based pasta, but this was good.
Des's fish and chips which are absolutely to die for MUST TRY if you are here. Theres a hint of ginger in the batter and it's fried to crispy perfection. MMMM.
wraps! I love how they serve it in the stainless steel bowl with wax paper.
thin crust pizza
affogato, by far one of the best that I have tried
writing feedback on tissue
"Food, friends and fame" -15 minutes
"in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes" -Andy Warhol
This was the line that probably inspired this cafe, (I know this because it's printed on the glass panels) they have a platform stage on the lower level of this cafe, and if you get through auditions you get your 15 minutes of fame! Support local artistes :)
I love everything about this place. From the concrete floors (I love concrete floors) to the communal wooden benches and tables that makes you feel like you're back in your school canteen again, to the chillout couches on the lower level and the high chairs and tables and the big open gigantic glass walls, and the friendly staff, . And the food is so affordable, the best and the cheapest cafe I've been to so far. If you happen to be a laselle student, oh lucky lucky lucky you because that means NO GST! A wrap would then cost $5.90, pizza $7.90, pasta too, fish and chips $9.90.
At night, it turns into more of a proper dining restaurant, no more counter service, your tables are waited on. The dinner menu is slightly different, they serve alcohol for one, there are no more wraps and sandwiches, there is however, beef stew, pasta, pizza, fish n chips, still lots of great food and wide array of choices so no loss :)
It is slightly pricier, about $2 more expensive than lunch, but the portions are also bigger so no worries!
The lights are dimmed and they play great house music (for those of you who are fans) and it does kind of transform into a different place, no longer the afternoon hangout cafe. Do pay it a visit, both in the afternoon and at night if you can, and judge for yourself.
Whatever time of the day it is though, there will always be great food, great prices, great service.
NUMBER ONE on the cafe diaires so far!! :)
I passed my driving after majorly thinking I was going to fail after I made multiple mistakes in the circuit, and my instructor shaking his head and telling me my vertical reverse parking not good, never check blind spot and stuff. :( My heart totally sank after I returned back to the driving centre from the roads. But thank God, really, I got a really good tester, compassionate and really understanding, and there were perfect conditions on the road, no unreasonable drivers or motocyclists, no sudden light changes.. Thank you Lord!
and to celebrate as planned! I TOOK THE A12 GIRLS OUT ON A TRIP. (with my mom sitting in the passenger seat to guide me but i drove! that;s what counts). And we went to Cafe #5! Little Part 1 Cafe at upper thompson road, 15 jasmine road.
Totally agree with this moto
Absolutely true for me!
pretty little pink roses in bottles mmm
yay!~ A12 girls! Feels so good that we're all (kinda) hanging out again aaahh love love love this :)
Guests of the day- Nadia, Phoebe, and Huimin!
Brownie with ice cream (which wasn;t all that great honestly, the brownie was more like a cake, and it was really light, not at all like how a good brownie should be so thumbs down for this one)
I love this photo. credits to phoebe.
poised and ready to attack!
ok this i really love. BBQ wings. So crispy and really well cooked and the sauce is kinda like buffalo wing sauce, that twanngg.
I think it costs $7.90
Apple crumble and ice cream! I have found that you can almost never go wrong with apple crumble this is lovely btw, a must try at this place!
One particular wall was decorated top to bottom with photo frames, absolutely love this wall. It;s right next to the couch seat that we had, and it just felt so nice and homeyy like you were really in your own house.
Bookshelves with many many amazing reads
if you have the time
little part one is a really quaint (i seem to use this word a lot for my cafes) place with a wide range of mains actually, not that big on desert though.
They do have however, lavender flavoured ice cream! MMM. Pity we didn;t get to try the coffee though, the kitchen closes at 3pm and we didn't realise so by the time we wanted to make our 2nd order, we couldnt :(.
So just watch out for that, head there before 3 or after 5.30
I love the decor, especially in the corner that we were lucky to get. Low coffee table, nice comfy couches and the whole mismatched vintage collections and memories thrown together.
A bit out of the way if you are planning to take public transport and do not live near thompson/braddel, it's a small road after thompson plaza. But, if you drive (hahah OMG I CAN SAY THIS LOUD AND PROUD NOW) it just might be worth the trip!
They have lots of photos on the wall right beside the kitchen, and it seems like they do events as well and you can book the whole cafe and throw a themed party or some mega cool birthday party.
Our next food adventure took place at Mykii (17d Lorong Liput, Holland Village- it's located along the Provence-2am dessert bar- stretch of holland V). Mykii (pronounced 'Mee-kai') is a charming Mediterranean eatery. The guest for that day was Hui Min! And we decided to venture out to this relatively quiet restaurant that has LOTS of yummy main courses and desserts to offer
The restaurant is quite spacious and it has comfortable cushioned seats lining its main wall.
The restaurant really has a Greek/Mediterranean feel to it; sitting in there, I really felt like I was not in Singapore.
We decided to try the lunch sets offered- we each got a $9.80 ++ set! Each set came with a soup and a main course.
For starters, we drank tomato and basil soup- it was not too salty but the portion given was not very much
And then the main courses were served!
Ethel ate the curry and mayo sandwich (the potato salad on the side was an unusual purple colour)
The restaurant is quite spacious and it has comfortable cushioned seats lining its main wall.
The restaurant really has a Greek/Mediterranean feel to it; sitting in there, I really felt like I was not in Singapore.
We decided to try the lunch sets offered- we each got a $9.80 ++ set! Each set came with a soup and a main course.
For starters, we drank tomato and basil soup- it was not too salty but the portion given was not very much
And then the main courses were served!
Ethel ate the curry and mayo sandwich (the potato salad on the side was an unusual purple colour)
Mmmmmmm =)
Hui Min chose to eat the 'Forest of Mushrooms' pasta! It was not too rich or tooo creamy
I ate pretty yummy Mushroom baked rice- it was not too cheesy and the amount of chicken and mushrooms with the sauce was just right
If you think the main courses looked good, you should see the desserts:
The Skippy's and Raspberry muffin was recommended by the staff! And it had just the right amount of skippy's peanut butter. The next dessert was highly recommended by food blogs that ethel and I visited to find out more about Mykii prior to our visit
Introducing ... the Granny Smith & Aloe Vera Crumble!!
This is a pricey dessert item ($9.80) but it was worth it- Ethel, Hui Min and I truly savored this and it was a nice sweet touch to end our lunch outing at Mykii!
Mykii is a chill-out, pleasant and quiet place to be at if you happen to be in Holland V or if you just want to get away from this very busy world for awhile. Each person will pay about $15-20 for a complete meal- but honestly it's worth your money. The food experience is something that we wouldn't mind experiencing again but being students, we will probably venture back once every few weeks/ months.
Mykii changes its menu periodically and its menu changes are quite exciting for foodies like us! There are also many other attractive (not just price wise but the variety of food offered is magnifique!) meal offers (e.g Lazy Brunch on weekends) so do check out their website www.mykii.com.sg for more information! Looking at the new menu makes me want to go back for moreeee. Mykii is a charming place that should be given a chance because it's presence adds to the bohemian, chill-out vibe Holland V is so famous for!
Number 3, we are on a roll!
Introducing CASUAL POET!
273B New Bridge Road, Singapore 088749
its located on the 3rd floor of an old shophouse, so keep your eyes peeled for this sign if not you might just walk right by the entrance!
guest for the day- nadia :)
Radiohead, gotta love this
cookie milkshake
it was so-so
drinks here are overpriced
cappucino costs me $5 and it was the worst cup of coffee I have ever tasted, if you can even call it coffee
i think somewhere along the way, the coffee machine ran out of beans, or the lady forgot to put in beans or coffee powder.
it was bland
the milk was not even hot, or frothy, like a decent cappucino should be
way too overpriced for a small cup of coffee, which tasted horrendous
the only decent thing we had that day was this
apple crumble that comes with a scoop of ice cream
and we added one more scoop of chocolate ice cream
mmm this one I reccommend.
the set up of this place is lovely. red wooden chairs, varnished wooden tables, bookshelves lining all the walls with many independent artists selling their work. Books, poetry, handcrafted notebooks, pencil cases, designed masking tape, pencils, erasers.
There is also a library if you want to borrow a book to read while you're in the cafe. Really great books available!
Introducing CASUAL POET!
273B New Bridge Road, Singapore 088749
its located on the 3rd floor of an old shophouse, so keep your eyes peeled for this sign if not you might just walk right by the entrance!
guest for the day- nadia :)
Radiohead, gotta love this
cookie milkshake
it was so-so
drinks here are overpriced
cappucino costs me $5 and it was the worst cup of coffee I have ever tasted, if you can even call it coffee
i think somewhere along the way, the coffee machine ran out of beans, or the lady forgot to put in beans or coffee powder.
it was bland
the milk was not even hot, or frothy, like a decent cappucino should be
way too overpriced for a small cup of coffee, which tasted horrendous
the only decent thing we had that day was this
apple crumble that comes with a scoop of ice cream
and we added one more scoop of chocolate ice cream
mmm this one I reccommend.
the set up of this place is lovely. red wooden chairs, varnished wooden tables, bookshelves lining all the walls with many independent artists selling their work. Books, poetry, handcrafted notebooks, pencil cases, designed masking tape, pencils, erasers.
There is also a library if you want to borrow a book to read while you're in the cafe. Really great books available!
.
Overall, drinks absolutely disappointing.
apple crumble was good, but then again you can hardly ever go wrong with apple crumble
Overall, I think you should pop by just to visit and see the cafe, because it really is quite a gem in Singapore (apart from the food hmm). A great place to just sit down and read (if you get a table by the window if not it's pretty dim) or just hanging out with friends. They have a mini library too with really good reads, the time travellers wife, the bell jar, the great gatsby, love in a time of cholera! :)
Hopefully you're lucky enough to get a table, because there are only about 5 tables in the cafe, and if don't manage to get a table by the window, doing anything else but eating and talking would be challenging because the lighting is pretty dim here.It;s a cafe cum bookshop for independent artists/poets/badgemakers/stationary makers/authors/singers, so come and support these striving artists and check out their work.
Shu and I managed to get quite a lot of good photos this time around. Hooray :)
Our next cafe destination was Food For Thought- located cosily amongst the old school-feel Bugis community (420 North Bridge Road- kind of opposite the National Library!)
First up we had not-too-rich-and-just-nice Red Velvet Cake and a cup of (VERY YUMMMY) Sticky marshmallow brownie with coffee drink (I can't remember the exact name) but it was sooo chocolatey and wonderful
Ethel and her cuppucino and I had Earl Grey tea ...
And phoebe had Hot Chocolate with marshmallows!
Food For Thought is a very cosy indie eatery that has a feel-good atmosphere and friendly staff to boot. It's a cafe that does good too- if I'm not wrong some of the profits of the eatery are channeled to social causes they support (e.g- Environment, education ... etc). If you go at certain time periods (say 11am- 2pm) all coffee drinks are priced at only $2.50!! But I'm not sure what the period is now- they change periodically.
The cafe can seat about twenty five people and the simple wooden chairs and tables add to the simple yet humble cafe's atmosphere. Be prepared to pay about $5-$8 a head (this is on the assumption that you get your own drink and you share the cakes/desserts with your friends).
OVERALL! It's a place Ethel and I will be returning whenever we can because it's lovely cafe that's in the heart of the Bugis belt of shops, schools, hotels, shops and more shops.
So check out Food For Thought for good food and well, food for thought.
First up we had not-too-rich-and-just-nice Red Velvet Cake and a cup of (VERY YUMMMY) Sticky marshmallow brownie with coffee drink (I can't remember the exact name) but it was sooo chocolatey and wonderful
Ethel and her cuppucino and I had Earl Grey tea ...
And phoebe had Hot Chocolate with marshmallows!
Food For Thought is a very cosy indie eatery that has a feel-good atmosphere and friendly staff to boot. It's a cafe that does good too- if I'm not wrong some of the profits of the eatery are channeled to social causes they support (e.g- Environment, education ... etc). If you go at certain time periods (say 11am- 2pm) all coffee drinks are priced at only $2.50!! But I'm not sure what the period is now- they change periodically.
The cafe can seat about twenty five people and the simple wooden chairs and tables add to the simple yet humble cafe's atmosphere. Be prepared to pay about $5-$8 a head (this is on the assumption that you get your own drink and you share the cakes/desserts with your friends).
OVERALL! It's a place Ethel and I will be returning whenever we can because it's lovely cafe that's in the heart of the Bugis belt of shops, schools, hotels, shops and more shops.
So check out Food For Thought for good food and well, food for thought.
Affogato
Really strong kickass coffee here, and the sweet french vanilla went perfectly with the shot of espresso!
Salmon and watercress sandwich with a serving if cream cheese.
I love the crunchy watercress!
Daryls roast beef sandwich with wasabi mayo
Ham and cheese criossant!
happy happy customers
chai latte!
So The Cafe Diaries officially began on 16th May, with our guest for the morning, Darryl :)
We headed out to Robertson Quay for a nice breakfast at a cafe by the river, Kith Cafe! It was one of the best breakfasts I've had outside with friends. It was hidden in a hotel building, pretty far from the main area, but well worth the walk (and getting a little lost as well)
Very friendly staff first off. The area is actually quite small, I think only about 12 people max inside the cafe at one time. I am so jealous of all these angmohs and cool people that live around the area and walk in on a saturday morning after a run or after walking their dog to just grab a cup of coffee and chilaaaxxxx by the river like that, mmm. The Life :)
OVERALL:
Food- simple sandwiches and breakfast items (they had pancakes which we wanted to try but they were sold out :( ) but really nice soft fresh breads and great coffee! Nothing out of the ordinary here, but still great simple food. The ambience is really what I'd go for, especially on a nice saturday morning (or any morning for that matter!) I like the coziness of the place.
Awesome company, great weather, good food= amazing breakfast. :)
Being sick of eating the same old junk repeatedly, being stuck in the same old restaurant or fast food or food court environment, we have begun our journey in search of cafes hidden all over Singapore. (before we finally expand our search to the cafes sprinkled all over the UK and US ;D )
Enjoy :)
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