Hoshino Coffee

Elisa:

The Plaza Sg extension has become my family’s favorite dining destination ever since it opened last year to house just so many great Japanese restaurants/café. In particular, Hoshino Coffee is the one place that all of us have a mutual love for (Well, yes we’re a family with vastly different likes and dislikes). With a cozy laid-back environment, accompanied with affordable delectable food that caters to all taste buds, what’s there not to love about it?

We’ve been here countless of times. During our lucky days, we would be the first few in the queue and the waiting time would approximately be 10minutes. Yet, at other unfortunate times, the queues would be snakingly long that the waiting time would be approximately 30minutes. We would disappointedly turn away. And because of that, we greatly try our best to avoid weekends and peak hours at all cost! (Though admittedly, there are exceptions – that is when we were just dying to have their pancakes and soft serves ).

To me, Hoshino Coffee is a place to splurge our calories and just not care for a little while. It’s a comforting and inviting place, where you are (probably) meant to eat as much as you want till your tummy gets filled to the brim and leave satisfied. And yes, you will be willing to order plates and plates and plates, the whole menu even, maybe (Go ahead cause it’s worth it).

“Fuwa-Fuwa” (fluffy) Hoshino Soufflé ($15.80). Other than their well-known Hand-dripped Coffees and Soufflé pancakes, this is the one thing that you must order – regardless of how you feel about the mixing of savoury and sweet. Firstly, you would be enticed by its huge golden puffy top – light and fluffy, yet standing tall and proud without a trace of deflation. Then, dig in to devour all those delicate flavors – grains of rice with bits of mushroom and salty bacon baked in a light tomato sauce, and all smothered with the creamiest foam. I would actually wonder how much egg whites this requires and how long it actually took to whip them all into their fluffiest states. It is definitely a formidable competitor to its sweet counterpart.

“Hoshino” Pot-Baked Curry Rice ($15). The curry was not overly sweet or spicy. And I absolutely love how the egg yolk made the dish all the more creamier. My only complaint would be that it was a rather small pot

Tomato Cream “Omu” Rice with Shrimp & Mozzarella ($15). Again, fluffy eggs enclosing such flavorful rice with bits of mushroom and bacon, surrounded by a creamy tomato sauce. The Mazzarella was absolutely a fresh welcome as it was not only an element of surprise, but it was also able to bind all the sauce together and make it all the more creamier.

Lobster Bisque Soup Spaghetti ($16).  A Western dish with a Japanese touch. Prepared with tomato sauce, the “soup” was creamy and rich enough – just enough that you won’t feel jelak at all. The pasta was cooked al-dente, which is always an extra point of course.

“Arrabiata” Spaghetti with Eggplant & Tomato ($15). A very simple dish, yet comforting in its own way.

Squid Ink Pasta ($15).

Shrimp, Avocado & Egg Toast ($9.80).

Minestrone Soup ($6.50).

Hoshino Coffee is known for its “Hand-Dripped” Coffee, using only selected premium Arabica roasted coffee beans. Indeed, the coffee flavor and aroma is especially distinct – maybe a little stronger than your regular coffee I would say. Perfect to go along with desserts

Hot Cafe Latte ($7). And 50% for a refill! Perfect. 

Iced Café Latte ($7.50). Just like in a coffee shop

 Iced Matcha ($7.50). Just pure green tea. No milk, no sugar. Refreshing indeed. However, I thought the matcha flavour was a slightly stronger at Nana’s Green Tea Cafe.

French Toast ($9.80): with Homemade Whipped Butter & Maple Syrup. This isn’t your regular French Toast. Well firstly, it isn’t a typical brioche bread drenched in custard and then fried. This is probably baked I guess. And it wasn’t dense at all. Yet, I wouldn’t say it was light either. It was soft and chewy in the very slightest bit. I loved how the butter had such a pure flavor yet extremely creamy at the same time. Also, it had a slight vanilla flavor and actually the one type of cream that I would constantly go back for and eat it just on its own. Then again, I would prefer if it was topped with a softee – so it’ll be a perfect match of warm and cold, and also because softees make the world go round ).

Matcha Souffle ($9.80): This French originated dessert is made with a combination of stiffly beaten egg whites added into a smooth & rich custard. The green tea flavor was undoubtedly distinct here. Yet, it was a little too strong for my mum’s palate. She didn’t think it was sweet enough. This is definitely for die-hard-matcha fans. But for the average diners like us, we would definitely appreciate a softee to top it all of. Nonetheless, like its savoury counterpart, the soufflé was light, fluffy, and creamy all at once!

Chocolate Parfait ($12). Anything with chocolate and soft serve is an absolute delight.

Matcha Parfait ($12). This had probably sat out in the counter for too long Sad looking softee. Anyway, I personally thought that the green tea flavor here in the softee was not as strong as that in the soufflé. Hmmmm. And yes, I enjoyed this Matcha dish a lot more!

And well yes, last but not least, Hoshino Coffee’s very own Soufflé Pancakes. The pancakes were warm when it arrived and definitely the perfect vehicle to soak up all that sweetness and goodness from the various toppings. It’s absolutely one gorgeous plate – fluffy, and airy, light and not heavy in any way. However, do note that this will usually take about 30minutes as they are freshly made on the spot. Also, they can only accommodate 6 at any time. So be sure to inform your waiter when you’re halfway through your main course! It’s definitely worth the wait nevertheless.

Pancake Souffle Style ($9.80): Whipped Butter and a Choice of Maple Syrup, Honey or Brown Sugar Syrup

Pancake Souffle Style with & Matcha “Ogura” Bean Paste ($13.50): Whipped Butter and a Choice of Maple Syrup, Honey or Brown Sugar Syrup

Pancake Souffle Style with Mango ($13.50): Whipped Butter and a Choice of Maple Syrup, Honey or Brown Sugar Syrup

Overall, Hoshino Coffee is a place where you would feel at home. While service can definitely be improved as the waiters tend to have lack of awareness at times, this is definitely made up for when you start savoring every scrumptious bit of your food. The snakingly long queues is indeed a testament to their satisfying delicious meal. Nothing fancy, yet simple and done well. It’s definitely worth the wait. Go there for a cup of coffee, or just a softee, then sit back and relax – read a magazine or watch a video – you’ll feel just at home.

Hoshino Coffee
68 Orchard Road
Plaza Singapura
#03-84

Alfero Gelato

Many people often wonder what’s the difference between Ice-cream and Gelato. Personally, we never even really knew the difference. Gelato just seems like the healthier Italian version of ice-cream, right?

Well, according to the World of ice-cream, the main difference between Ice-cream and Gelato is that ice-cream often has air whipped-in to allow for easier scooping and a softer texture. Fresh cream is also used when making ice-cream. On the other hand, Gelato has no air added to it and instead of cream, it uses fresh milk and egg yolks as their main ingredients. However, natural flavourings is a similarity between these two popular desserts. Gelato is typically considered healthier than ice-cream on the account that is uses less cream when it is made. (Hmmm, healthy ice cream – now you can get the best of both worlds )

Having acquired this new knowledge, we were definitely geared up for our visit to the newest branch of Alfero Gelato to try some high-quality Authentic Artisan Gelato for ourselves to see if we would be able to discern the difference.

Upon entering the shop, the first thing we noticed was that unlike any other typical Ice-cream/Gelato parlours, their Gelato isn’t displayed prominently in the display cabinets. This piqued our curiosity, and we made a mental note to ask about this later.

Before we get down to the Gelato, here is some background on the origins of Alfero Gelato: The owner of Alfero Gelato, Marco Alfero, is an Italian with a background in Accounting and Finance. He started as a finance manager in the semiconductor industry in Italy for more than 10 years. However, he’s love for Gelato prompted him to take on a professional approach to fuilfil his passion as he left his thriving finance career to enrol in the prestigious Gelato University of Carpigiani in Italy (hahah, who knew there was even a University specialized in Gelato!). Some years later, he came to Singapore on a business trip and fell right in love with the city-state’s weather, greenery and conducive environment for business. He decided to open his first Gelato cafe in Marina Square in September 2011 as he realised that Singapore would be a good market for true-blue Italian Gelato, given our love for unique desserts and quality ingredients. His other retail shop in MacPherson Lane – which is also a laboratory, not only where Gelato is freshly made daily, but also where he experiments with new flavours –  was opened a month later.

Speaking to Christina from Dann’s Daily, who is a friend of Marco the owner and had introduced us to the Gelato cafe, we grew to understand the amount of dedication and passion that Marco brings to his business. Besides having a hand in making the Gelato daily in the laboratory attached to the shop in Macpherson Lane, Marco also emphasizes the quality of the ingredients that he uses in making the Gelato – to the extent that he imports premium ingredients from different parts of Italy and Europe to ensure that the ingredients he uses are only the best. Indeed, he is fearless and unapologetic of the time and effort required to make a single tub of Gelato. No short cuts.

Also, remember that covered gelato display? As it turns out, Marco decided to import pozzetto cabinets from Italy to store his Gelato, being the only store in Singapore to carry such traditional cabinets and practice such century-old method of storing Gelato. These cabinets are specially customized chillers to store the Gelato and ensures that the temperature is kept constant at an optimal degree in order for the Gelato to remain smooth and easy enough to scoop, instead of becoming too icy or frozen. Furthermore, as light and air can’t enter the chillers, the smooth, creamy and unmistakable taste in each bite of this truly Italian treat is further maintained.

The effectiveness of the pozzetto cabinets was evident when we watched the Gelato being scooped by the staff member. The obvious ease with which he scooped the Gelato was so different from the hacking/stabbing/dragging methods employed by staff members of so many other Ice-cream/Gelato parlours that we had previously observed.

Alfero Gelato also has a mobile version of the pozzetto, called the carretto. This mobile gelato cart carries up to 6 flavours of Gelato and caters to both public and private events (Eg. Weddings etc.) anywhere from between 50 to 500 guests!

Alfero Gelato carries 12 ‘standard’ flavours, such as Chocolate, Vanilla, Raspberry and Durian, across their 3 outlets, with special flavours introduced from time to time. The special flavours that day were Tiramisu and Avocado. Popular flavours include Pistachio, Nuts About You (Hazelnut, Almond, Nougat) and Bacio (Chocolate Hazelnut).

Waffles with Mango, Snow White (Pure Milk) and Nuts About You ($11.50). The waffles were pretty ordinary – cirspy on the outside and fluffy in the inside. Nothing to shout about but it was indeed a good vehicle for us to sponge up the Gelato goodness.

Single Scoop ($4.50 in a cup): Pistachio, Bacio, Tiramisu 

Elisa particularly loved the Tiramisu and Bacio. Tiramisu had a distinct wine flavour, yet subtle and light enough for beginners. Bacio, on the other hand, was made with Dark Chocolate – not overly sweet, yet rich and satisfying at the same time. Also, there were bits and even chunks of hazelnuts all over! Zara’s favourite flavour was Pistachio as she enjoyed the nutty taste of it (It was extremely full-bodied, but maybe a little too strong for Elisa’s palate). We were extremely surprised with its colour as it wasn’t the bright green of Pistachio Ice-cream that we had gotten used to. It was more of a subtle green colour, almost white. We never really realised it but maybe the bright attractive colours of Ice-cream could be from food colouring.

The fruit flavours such as Mango, Raspberry and Passion Fruit Sorbet were all made with the actual fruit and no milk to cater to the lactose intolerant customers. Unique to all of them were their particularly bright colour, with even bits of the actual fruit in them!

The effectiveness of the pozzetto cabinets cannot be doubted as we enjoyed the smooth and creamy texture of the different flavours. It was testament to the lack of preservatives and artificial flavourings used in the making of the Gelato that it started melting almost immediately after being served to us. While this made for a messy Gelato-eating experience as we tried to eat them as fast as we could before it all melted, it was comforting to know that we were only ingesting natural ingredients – no powdered milk, fruit juice concentrates, additives, colouring agents etc.

Overall, a great Gelato-tasting experience with high-quality Gelato! While the location is abit out of the way, you could always visit the other 2 outlets that are slightly more accessible should you ever want to try some of the Gelato –  which we highly recommend you do! (Elisa even bought a tub home) Truth be told, this experience has changed the way we look at other Ice-cream or Gelato parlours. We do admire the passion and dedication that Marco Alfero exudes when ensuring the quality and tastiness of his Gelato, and we’re sure that this is what keeps his customers always coming back for more!

After all, they don’t call this Italian Godfather of Gelato an Artisan for nothing!

Alfero Gelato 
21 Lor Kilat
#01-01 Sun Court, Singapore 598123

http://www.alferogelato.com

Many thanks to Christina for hosting the invite!  

Spicy Thai-Thai Cafe

Elisa:

Spicy Thai-Thai Café is a kind of back alley dining at its best. Well, it is situated at the end of the road, after rows and rows, and blocks and blocks of hawker centers and food markets. And when you’ve finally come to the end of the road – and maybe start to wonder: Hmmm, I think I’m on the wrong track… – you’ll realize Spicy Thai-Thai café’s extremely noticeable signboard and immediately squeal in shock/delight for finally hitting on this hidden gem. “Where taste buds sing”, it says.

When we first walked in, we had initially thought that it was a food court and that we were in the wrong place – well, it certainly looks like one with its stands and round tables and plastic chairs. And at that moment when we finally realized that Spicy Thai-Thai Café’s signboard was just everywhere, a waiter came up to us and offered us a seat (Ok, now we can confidently and safely know that we’re in the correctly place).

Spicy Thai-Thai Café prides itself to offering authentic Thai food. No, not just the typical – slightly commercialized – Thai food that we would usually find in every corner of metropolitan Bangkok or even Chiang Mai, but Thai food at its purest, most local form – those that you find in the villages of Thailand. That said, there are some of the usual symbolic Thai dishes such as Pineapple fried rice and Pad Thai, but of course, done in accordance to the taste of Thailand. From the dried herbs and spices, to even the pot for the BBQ and the charcoal for cooking, almost everything is imported on a regular basis from Thailand.

The menu is absolutely extensive – salads, appetizers, soups, vegetables, fish, meat, noodles, rice, dessert etc. They also serve steamboat and Thai Mookata ($35). On top of that, they have more than 10 varieties of different Thai chili – from sweet to sour, from mild and friendly to extremely spicy – each of which provides a unique flavor and distinct dimension on its own. So imagine, not only would you face difficulties in choosing what to eat, but you’ll also have trouble in choosing which chili to go with your meal! Definitely commendable on their wide selection of food catering to a wide variety of taste buds.

But thanks to Christina who gave us a comprehensive description of each and every dish on the menu, we finally came to a decision and ordered our food.

Thai Iced Tea-O ($2.50). Traditionally in Thailand, this is made with strongly-brewed Ceylon tea – a red-leafed variety – complemented with condensed milk, giving it its bright amber colour. However, these authentic red Thai tea leaves are not only extremely expensive, but also rare to find outside of Thailand. As a result, many restaurants resort to using regular black tea with the addition of red food colouring.  This however, was a distinctive Thai Iced Tea-O – a healthy version I would say. As the name suggests, this has no milk. Yet, it was able to retain that creamy texture, almost like a milk tea. Also, this uses the traditional tea leaves from Thailand with the addition of their homemade pandan syrup. The result is a fragrant drink that is not overly sweet. Not only was it refreshing, but also promising start to our meal! There’s nothing like a sweet, cold Thai Iced Tea as the perfect complement to the hot weather and spicy food.

Raw Long Beans Salad ($6). Raw long beans are usually hard, stalky and extremely crunchy, and so we were a little skeptical when Christina had said that this was a must try. But I’m glad we gave it a try as the long beans were definitely something different to our usual palates. However, I felt that the dish on a whole was a tad too sour. Maybe a little too much fish sauce/vinegar (I don’t know hahah)?

Clear Seafood Tom Yam Soup ($7). I can’t take spicy food. Yup as much as I’m an Indonesian, I can’t take chili. So imagine what happens whenever I have Tom Yam Soup – I sweat and blow my nose as if it’s a waterfall, literally. Hence, it is only logical that I avoid spicy food whenever I’m out in the public. However, as Christina had explained, the cure to a burning tongue is not ice. It is in fact the opposite – warm water is the best solution to cool down a burning tongue. Thus, Spicy Thai-Thai Café capitalizes on this piece information and serves Tom Yam Soup which not offers exceptional Thai flavours, but is also manageable by the customers in terms of its spicyness. This is only possible with the use of charcoal, which enabled the soup to keep simmering hot consistently, without affecting the quality of its flavor. It has a nice balance of hot and sour flavours, coupled with a generous serving of perfectly-cooked fresh seafood.

Hommok ($15): Otak in coconut husk. Now we don’t usually get these in Thai restaurants in Singapore. This isn’t a typical otak made of fish paste. Instead, this is actually egg and fish cooked with coconut milk in a coconut husk. Again, a healthy version I would say No flour. Yet, it was creamy and full-body, and the eggs were somewhat unique. Also, you could eat the fresh coconut meat! Extremely delicious.

Prawn Cake. This was hands down the best we had. There was no flour, but just prawns and egg to bind it all together. So you could imagine how substantial and clean it was – just prawns and nothing else, no cheating. Yumz

Spicy Meatballs ($12): Served with raw vegetables. This was not only a tad too dry for our liking, but also suffered from a lack of flavor. I couldn’t taste anything out of it, and I didn’t know what to either. It wasn’t spicy at all. Apparently you’re supposed to eat the meatballs with the raw vegetables together, but a little strange I guess as the vegetables evidently didn’t provide any flavor either and was maybe a little unnecessary on the plate. Maybe a sauce would do better justice to it.

BBQ Pork Neck ($10). This, I would say, is like an unconventional char siew. On the surface, it certainly seemed like char siew – with its BBQ sauce and flavor, and well, it’s pork! But it was slightly more tender and succulent than a typical char siew. And because it’s cut so thinly, we were constantly going back for more, piece by piece, because one was never enough

Pineapple Rice ($5). I love that there was a generous portion of floss, golden raisins and cashew nuts which provided the much needed texture. This was yummy of course, but again, how much could you go wrong with a simple dish like this? To me, this is like a comfort food of some sort Also, one of the best vegeterian dishes ever hahahahahahaha!

Seafood Hor Fun ($6). Instead of the traditional Pad Thai, we decided to go for the slightly different Thai-version Hor Fun. But honestly, I didn’t get how traditionally “Thai” this was as it was like any common Hor Fun dish you could find anywhere in Singapore. The only difference was that unlike the typical Hor Fun which is usually drowned with a thick sauce, this was the dry, stir-fried version. Unfortunately, this was under-salted and lacking in flavor.

Red Ruby ($2.50)

Lemongrass Jelly with Aloe Vera ($1.50)

Mango Sticky Rice

Desserts to end our meal on a sweet note. While both the Red Ruby and Lemongrass Jelly were especially effective in cooling off the heat, it was the Mango Stick Rice that stood out for me. The mango was sweet and delicate, and the rice was sticky and warm. And there was just the right amount of coconut milk to add just the right amount of sweetness to the dish. To top it all off, there was roasted fragrant sesame seeds which simply raised the enjoyment a bar higher than the rest.

Overall, Spicy Thai-Thai Café is worth the visit if you’re looking for affordable authentic Thai food. Founder and Owner Mr Ron Poh’s dedication to Thai food is distinctly manifested in the food that he prepares – one where quality reigns over quantity, where hard work reigns over compromised work.

Spicy Thai-Thai Cafe
Blk 115 Aljunied Avenue 2
#01-35
Tel: +65 67478558

https://www.facebook.com/SpicyThaiThaiCafe 

Many thanks to Christina for hosting the invite! 

PS. Cafe Dempsey

Elisa:

“We all have, what I like to call, an internal hamster wheel. How fast we run on it depends on the level of stress in our lives. This hamster wheel continuously spins and we, without fail, keep it going with busy schedules, goals and agendas. But on occasion, we get to step down off that wheel and just take in the moment around us. Not the moment that is filled with seconds, minutes, hours and endless to-do lists, but the bigger, overall moment.” – Gracious Pantry

Mmhmm, well said.

And on days I get to step off that internal hamster wheel, I’d look forward to the time spent with my family and friends – although I would have to admit that the former is, for most of the times, much more fulfilling and satisfying, despite all the constant naggings and demands I receive from my parents on a regular basis. The one thing my family has in common is for the love of food. Every week – that is if time permits – we’d go to new places, from the east to the west, and from the north to the south. Yes, we’d give every corner of Singapore a thorough check. If its for food, we’d go the extra mile. Indeed, food has that power to make a gloomy day shine. But more importantly, it has that power to bring people of all sorts of backgrounds together.

In short, food is good.

What better way then, to spend a day off with my best people in the world – mum and dad (I’m sorry sister hehe) – than at PS. Café – my family’s favorite comfort hideout. Therapeutic as it is. (Read PS. Cafe Paragon here!)

We decided to visit the branch at Dempsey (instead of our usual at Palais Renaissance that was more chic and classy) as we were craving for some of the outdoors – fresh air and greenery. We arrived at 12pm and not surprisingly, it was as packed as usual, busier than a fish market, and noisier than a courtroom with judges and the public buzzing over disagreed issues.  Mmhmm, but we were prepared to wait anyway.

And finally, after a good 45min – well spent by walking around Dempsey – we got our table by the window that overlooks the open field. It was also just near the door to the outdoor seating. The perfect seating

Homemade Toasted Muesli Greek yoghurt & berry compote topped with our homemade almond & seed, honey toasted muesli. I love greek yogurt, and I love toasted muesli, which is basically granola. But what makes this so special is because every component was so carefully thought through with the end vision in mind. Texture, colour, flavor, taste – Everything. It was the perfect breakfast/brunch dish The muesli was crunchy, sweet, and was nicely paired with the silky, slightly tart greek yogurt. The berry compote also added some moistness which tied the dish altogether. And of course like any other PS Café plates, this was humongous and beautifully plated. A plus point of course! So I strongly encourage you to get this because it’s not like or average parfait. I could eat it all day, even if my tummy were about to explode.

Blueberry Pancakes Blend of whole wheat & spelt flour, buttermilk & fresh blueberries griddled & served with whipped butter & Vermont maple syrup. My mum has been on a pancake/French toast (Best French toast at Dean & Deluca!) crave lately. If either were on the menu, she’d get it. If both were on the menu, she’d get both. Yup, sugar overload is extremely common (She doesn’t like savory ones unfortunately). I felt that this pancake was alright. It was light and soft, but I felt that it could have been somehow fluffier. The kitchen could be more generous with the blueberries as well. But I absolutely love how you could just drown your pancake in maple syrup and that it would soak all the sweet gooey goodness and you would be delighted with an explosion of a unique sweetness, that no sugar other than maple brings, in your mouth. Maple syrup, when done right, is not overly sweet and thick. It has the ability to cover up any mistakes that a bad pancake has. And therefore, pancake + maple syrup has always been a traditional perfect combination. Whoever came up with this pairing is indeed a genius.

PS. Greenhouse Salad Fresh salad leaves, blueberries, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, mung beans, toasted sunflower seeds & fresh herbs tossed with pomegranate & honey dressing. As simple as it sounds, a salad can be sophisticated and flavorful. A restaurant can even be judged based on how well they do their salads. Good restaurants do not merely toss a few ingredients together and call it a ‘salad’. Instead, they combine together a mixture of fresh ingredients which complement one another not only in taste, but also in texture and colour. So look at this salad, sweet blueberries and pomegranates that burst in your mouth; crunchy baby carrots, that was slightly caramelized, and mung beans; colour from the radiant cherry tomatoes; and freshness from the sunflower seeds and herbs that elevated the entire dish. It was amazing. 

PS. Bolognaise Spaghetti with homemade ground beef, bacon & tomato sauce with and grated Parmesan and crispy basil leaves. A simple dish, but nonetheless tasty and flavourful! It’s comfort food at its best.

As usual, service is one of the best – most genuine and friendly, prompt and efficient. Staffs really do make the effort to go out of their way to make sure your dining experience is as enjoyable as ever. They mingle and chat with guests whenever possible, and their enthusiasm really shine through in their work. Extremely commendable.

Although prices are not exactly cheap, my family and I have never failed to go back to PS Café again and again simply because they offer a holistic experience for the diner – the ambience, the service, and of course the above average and almost top-notch food. It’s definitely a place you can’t get tired off.

PS. Cafe
28B Harding Rd
Tel: +65 9070 8782

http://www.pscafe.com

Eggs and Berries

Zara:

Tucked away into a small little corner of Changi City Point is a restaurant that is particularly popular with the weekend brunch crowd. Or at least that’s what seemed to be the case when I went there with my family last Sunday. The restaurant was almost completely full and the only tables that were available were the ones on the verandah, where it was obviously more humid and uncomfortable (so less people want to sit there, I guess). There were both couples and friends as well as families with toddlers, so the noise level of the place was pretty high.

I really liked the set-up and decoration of the place, as it was homely enough with the comfortable chairs but also not compromising on image as the bar counter set up along one side of the restaurant gave it a very professional feel.

From the get-go the service was pretty bad as we had to wait for menus to be given to us, then wait for our orders to be taken. Also, we had to ask 3 different wait-staff before our glasses of water were served. The popularity of the restaurant did indeed prove detrimental as they were evidently short-handed and the frustration of the customers was palpable.

Trying not to let the bad service ruin our meal, we were looking forward to the food as the menu was pretty comprehensive and everything sounded lovely!

All Time Mushrooms and Eggs ($14.50): 2 types of mushrooms with chipolata, sunny-side-up egg, hashbrown and salad. The description sounded promising enough, but when the actual food came it was sort of a let-down. While the mushrooms were pretty yummy, being a mushroom lover myself, every other component on the plate was disappointing.  The hashbrown was especially bad as it was very oily and soggy. The mushrooms turned out to be the one redeeming part of the dish.

Egg Whites and Veggies ($13.50): Assorted veggies omelette with pancakes, baked beans and salad. I never miss an opportunity to have an omelette as I find it the perfect dish. Lots of protein and such a sturdy vehicle for any fillings that you want to include, I would eat it anyday! Especially if I manage to find a way to make it into a dessert dish. Omelette musings aside, this particular omelette was pretty ordinary. If there was anything I’d like to change, it would be to include more veggies in the omelette as there was very little vegetables! everything else about this dish isn’t really worth mentioning, except the fact that they gave me a slice of french toast instead of pancakes! And  I was so looking forward to the pancakes…

Fish and Chips and Scrambled Eggs ($16.50): Breaded fish, fries, scrambled eggs and salad.  Everyone knows that scrambled eggs are one of the most difficult dishes to cook well, and when done perfectly is like a nice creamy bite of heaven. To our surprise, the scrambled eggs were cooked pretty well, although slightly overdone. The breaded fish, on the other hand, was a disaster as the batter so soooo thick that it literally clung to the fish. It was also  soggy. My poor sister refused to eat the fish and instead happily slopped up the scrambled eggs. another disappointing dish.

Veal Sausage and Eggs ($14.80): Sausage, served with buttermilk pancakes and scrambled eggs. The scrambled eggs in this dish were also done pretty well, which was good! The sausage was declared ‘DECENT’ by my dad. However, we realised that they had forgotten to serve us the pancakes! After informing the waiter of this and waiting about 15minutes more, we were finally served the pancakes. All pancake lovers know that you only have to try a cafe’s basic pancakes to know if the rest of the pancakes will be good, and when I tried these pancakes my expectations of the restaurant sort of took a nose dive. The pancakes were rather flat and unfluffy. Also, the batter was quite thick, making the pancakes rather chewy. Mmmmmmm :/

All in all, a rather disappointing meal which was surprising considering all the pretty good reviews that I had read about the place. Maybe those meals were taken on weekdays when the restaurant would have been less crowded and the waitstaff more attentive, or maybe when they weren’t so short-handed so as to serve food that wasn’t very up to standard.

Oh well, on goes my search for more brunch places in Singapore! have a good week ahead

Eggs and Berries
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
#B1-37/38 Changi City PointTel: +65 6636 4212

https://www.facebook.com/Eggs.and.Berries

Chopsuey Cafe

Elisa:

Chopsuey Cafe is a classy, yet relaxing and inviting establishment – old-school gray and white marble tables adorned with glossy silver cutleries and white dishware that you would typically find in a regular Chinese restaurant. Juxtaposing this gorgeous black and white interior are amber dining chairs and leather maroon menus. The charming effect is completed with the giant vase of beautiful flowers – a unique feature that you would find in all PS Café restaurants.

Chopsuey Cafe is inspired by the fond memories of Westernized Chinese food of owners Peter Teo and Philip Chin. As such, the menu is a mix of classic American-Chinese dishes such as General Tso’s Chicken Drumlets and Sweet Corn & Fresh Egg Drop Soup, as well as contemporary interpretations such as Yam Truffle Ball and Twice Cooked Citrus & Spice Duck Leg or Grain Fed Beef Short Ribs.

However, this hottest addition to the Dempsey culinary scene by the PS Café group hasn’t received much positive reviews. In fact, it has only received a mere 3/5 stars from Singapore food critic Wong Ah Yoke. However, as huge fans of PS Café (my review on PS. Cafe Paragon, PS. Cafe Dempsey), my mum and I, against all odds, crossed our fingers and found our way to this colonial black and white house in the corner of Dempsey Hill one afternoon.

From the time we stepped in, we were treated like Kings and Queens. The host was friendly and cheerful, and service was impeccable. Waiters were interactive and knowledgeable, yet in no way arrogant. Again, a unique plus point for all PS Café restaurants.

 On with the food:

The condiments tray was impressive with each sauce appetizing in its own ways.

Scallop, Crab & Scallion Dumpling ($9). This took ages to arrive. Initially, the chef had forgotten our order. And when it was finally done, it was served to the wrong table. But the waiter was professional and quick to respond by having our dessert on the house (not to say that we should always get free food, but to say commend on the exceptional service and customer care). But anyways, the skin was thick and a little gummy. The filling on the other hand, was substantial and juicy and bursting with flavor that I didn’t even need soy sauce. However, priced at about 3 times the price of the regular Dim Sum you can find in your average Chinese restaurant, diners are definitely expecting something more than spectacular. Yet, I don’t think the Dim Sum here has managed to achieve that standard.

Char Siew Pau ($9). My mum asked the waiter, “How is your Char Siew Pau different from the rest?” He replied, “Both our buns and roast pork are homemade. The sauce is also not as sweet.” And so we decided to give it a try. Indeed, the pork was succulent and the sauce was delicious. It was more savory and not as sweet as your usual Char Siew Pau. The bun was just like the usual buns though. As much as I enjoyed it, maybe slightly more than the usual ones, definitely not worth $9.

Crispy Duck Pow Pockets ($17): Shredded duck confit & pulled roasted pork filled soft white buns served with warm sweet bean sauce. This sounded like my favorite Kong Bak Pau, also known as Chinese Braised Pork Burgers, and I immediately knew that I had to get it. However, I felt that the buns were too thick and the fillings were stingy – only two thin slices of duck. Sigh L The crispy thingies on the top (I couldn’t figure out what it was, maybe the shredded duck confit) added a nice crunch though. Sad.

Pumpkin Soup with Lobster ($16): This was a special of the day. We were definitely expecting something more substantial given the price. However, we were served a tiny little pumpkin with probably only one chunk of lobster and a few pieces of mushrooms. Bleh. What I love about this dish is that you could scoop the pumpkin out of its shell. And yes, I love pumpkin, but not enough to make me feel that my $16 bucks was worth it.

Roasted Spring Chicken with Cinnamon 5 Spice Salt ($36): Spring chicken roasted golden and served with a sweet cinnamon & 5 spice salt. Now I think this is worth $36 bucks. Just look at that huge pile of meat lying in the center of a laaaaaarge handful of chips! The meat was moist and juicy and skin was crispy. One of the best roast chicken I’ve ever tasted. Add if you chose to add the salt, you will definitely be taken into another level of taste and flavor. Yumz.

 Long Life Vegetable Noodle ($14): Wok fried fine wheat flour “Mi Swa” noodles with spinach, snap peas, beansprouts and radicchio. This was delicious and I love how the mixture of vegetables added both colour and crunch. You could choose to add beef short ribs for an additional $8, but we decided to let the vegetables shine on that day.

 Don’t leave without order desserts! They have two full pages of desserts and is definitely worth the calories. Vietnamese Coffee Pudding ($14): A rich coffee pudding on an oreo base drizzled with condensed milk and crispy chocolate rice puffs. The coffee flavor in the silky pudding was distinct. And coupled with the crunchy oreo base, you’ve got a perfect dessert bite that is both irreplaceable in terms of taste and texture. It was just the right amount of sweetness, neither too sweet, nor overpowering in the coffee flavor. The chocolate rice puffs were unnecessary though in my opinion.

Last but not least, Fortune Cookies before we leave. I’ve always love fortune cookies, simply because there’s a little “fortune” inside that is always bound to make you feel excited – a piece of paper with words of wisdom or a vague prophecy. Well yes, even though these ones aren’t of any great meaning, the idea of giving diners Fortune Cookies is indeed a smart technique in emphasizing the Asian-ness in this restaurant. And it does bring back a lot of childhood memories too!

 Overall to be fair, Chopsuey isn’t a place for everyone. Taste-wise for example, my mum is a purist about Chinese cuisine and wasn’t quite convinced as much as I was to Chopsuey’s gourmet take on Anglicized Asian fare found in the West. Well, I love fusion – from American Japanese, Japanese Thai, Spanish American – anything! Yup. I like fusion. Also, dishes here are outlandish expensive for the portions and I wouldn’t say everything was worth it.

Reservations are a must! We were there for lunch and the place was extremely packed with ladies, mostly Caucasians. Well, turns out that it remains a hit for all our ladies.

Chopsuey Cafe
#01 – 23
Block 10
Dempsey Road
Tel: 9224 6611

http://chopsueycafe.com 

Ginza Sushi Ichi

Ginza Sushi Ichi Singapore is the first overseas outpost of the 1 Michelin star Sushi Ichi in Tokyo (Ginza). It is the first in Singapore to offer an exquisite degustation menu featuring top-tier Kyoto Kaiseiki Ryori complemented with premium sushi offerings. The menus are carefully crafted not only based on seasonal ingredients, but also to allow diners experience a delicate series of authentic flavors, textures, smell and appearances.  All ingredients are of the highest quality, imported from Tsukiji market in Japan 4 times a week.

For the lunch menu, there is a choice of Ume ($60), Tsubaki ($110), Sakura ($170), and Omakase ($250). We opted for the Tsubaki.

Japanese leaves with Ham
Sesame dough with salt
Japanese Mackerel with Asparagus 
Chawanmushi. So silky, light and fragrant Never had it been so comforting.

9 pieces Nigiri Sushi:

Flounder
Sea Perch
Amaebi
Mackerel 

Otoro (oopsie no picture A thousand apologies!)
Needle fish with Ginger
Fish Roe with Lemon Zest. As simple as it can get yumz
Anago with Yuzu and Sea Salt
Miso Soup
Tamago. Traditionally, this sweet fluffy egg cake is served at the end of the Sushi Meal as a stand-in for dessert due to its lightness. These here are exception, with a slight caramelization at the ends.
Yuzu Sorbet
Sakura Ice Cream with Seasonal Berries

Every dish here is designed meticulously and flawlessly. When Anthony Bourdain visited Sukiyabashi Jiro, 3 Michelin star restaurant in Tokyo and touted as one of the best sushi bars in the world, he explained that the difference between “utility sushi” and “perfection” is “ingredient, technique, and timing”. (See here) Indeed, I believe that Sushi Ichi has scored high on these, nothing more or less than perfection.

The dinner menu is more sophisticated, starting from Aagi ($210) to Omakase ($450). Also, as it is a really small place, reservation is a must!

Ginza Sushi Ichi
Scotts Square
No.6, Scotts Road, #02-02
Tel: 6299 0014

http://sushichi.com