21 Aug 2015
Curious Palate and Motana Brew Bar
Upon hearing that Curious Palate was one of the newer branch of cafes/bistros hidden around Princep Street, we were curiously drawn in to try its menu. How strange that the entrance doesn't seems like a welcoming one at first. We did not reconsider since we have already targeted this place since that last time we met.
The layout was a little strange, perhaps something new, stretching a long way inwards like a corridor. There were 2 large mirrors with gold frames, an unusual find in a food establishment. I could imagine a lady having some preparation works, touching up and getting ready to pose with her food.
My attempt to keep people curious, actually my mistake of forgetting to record the names of these dishes that my dining buddies and I had consumed.
The layout was a little strange, perhaps something new, stretching a long way inwards like a corridor. There were 2 large mirrors with gold frames, an unusual find in a food establishment. I could imagine a lady having some preparation works, touching up and getting ready to pose with her food.
My attempt to keep people curious, actually my mistake of forgetting to record the names of these dishes that my dining buddies and I had consumed.
The gold framed mirror and a vase of vibrant flowers proved to be useful as photography props. We immediately took our dishes to placed them from anywhere near that vase, hoping to capture a beautiful shot.
Vet was crazily in love with the Japanese inspired pasta she ordered. The mild saltiness that easily pleases the palate while the taste of konbu was not overly 'fishy'. A perfect balance of east meets west in this dish.
Honey had this fish dish and before I knew it, she had almost finished half while I just started on mine. The slice was puny, definitely not worth for its price tag. Crisp skin, glistering surface with the flesh being firm but still tender. Was uncertain what the baby carrot and radish were soaked in as they were pretty sour but appetizing. A nice balance with the sweet carrot puree.
I had the wagyu burger which was the more substantial one since I usually look out for something filling and worthwhile. The thick patty made from minced beef was tender, while the middle portion was slightly medium rare. I have no complains since I loved it that way. The whole portobello was tender, juicy and which I could slice it easily while the pesto on it was quite salty. I was glad that it wasn't ordinary fries that came with the burger! It was sweet potato fries!!! We all enjoyed it since it was sweet, softer than ordinary (potato) fries and felt less sinful too. No time to take nice shots since I was already starving!!
It would always be good to café hop with other bloggers since they at least have decent photography skills! At least easier to edit...
Omg that load of sweet potato fries! More please!
Slicing small portions out to let my friends try. Standard protocol when café hopping. After our meal, we decided to go to Motana Brew Bar which was located at Pomo for our desserts.
Sad to say the red velvet waffle was quite disappointing for me since it was highly raved by the social media crowd. I felt that it was more like a sculpture for display instead of something to go into my stomach. Being served semi-melted, almost toppling and the waffle tasting so bitter that I thought that I had forgotten to brush my teeth that morning. Haiz, those red bits were cake crumbs for your info.
5 Aug 2015
Sela Modern European Restaurant - Migme Foodie Mig Up
Modern European Restaurant with an Asian twist.
Located at 32 Seah Street. Conveniently located in between multiple Mrt stations.
A Foodie Mig Up session where I met other bloggers who uses Migme application too!
Located at 32 Seah Street. Conveniently located in between multiple Mrt stations.
A Foodie Mig Up session where I met other bloggers who uses Migme application too!
The modern interior of the restaurant, greyish tone, casual yet classy.
Procuitto Ham and Melon 16 - Chef Benson explained to us that the melon slices had undergone compression via vacuum. The resulting melon should appear more intense in colour, softer but as for flavour wise, I couldn't tell if it has intensified. (You just need the before and after, side by side for comparison.) A perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness I would say.
Pan Seared US Scallops 16 - Perfectly seared scallops had a nice pillowy texture which I love sinking my teeth into. The salted egg cream gave a salty touch, almost fooling my taste buds into thinking that I was eating mushy creamy crab roes. We all got curious when we saw 'forbidden rice' from the menu. The deception of caviar look-a-like was actually pulut hitam, also known as black glutinous rice. (Seen at the base of the dish.)
Miso Chilean Seabass 32 - I prefer having a fish dish that had some bite despite being tender, as compared to those which just melt-down in my mouth. Thankfully seabass does fit the bill since its flesh had a certain firmness as compared to other fishes such as cod! I drank a spoonful of the dashi gravy which was a little salty, perfect if I had a bowl of rice!
Kakuni Style Pork Cheeks 20 - The 'tanned' looking meat arrive looking much like beef. For a moment I couldn't tell. The pork was done Japanese style and steam baked, resulting in the overall tender consistency. My knife felt like a samurai sword which could slash through in a single slice, without the need of the sawing movements. The mix of vegetable helped to prevent 'over-meatiness' of this dish.
Semolina Cake 12 - The cake was dense and somehow slightly lumpy. My other blogger friend commented that it was sweet which I did not think so... Maybe I have eaten too much sweet stuff? Couldn't really taste the passion fruit curd tartness since it was just a thin layer or was it covered up by the sweetness of the meringue?
Dehydrated Pineapple Pavlova 10 - I really loved this dessert!! The vanilla ice cream tasted unique and slightly caramelized and I couldn't tell it was vanilla at first. The dehydrated pineapple was not totally dried up to that extend that it became crisp, but remained gummy and slightly charred. The herby taste from the thyme, the spice from the paprika, cute meringue cup, everything just compliment well together!
They also serves an affordable 3 course executive lunch set at $15.90+, from 11.30am to 2.30pm as well as a Singapore style brunch menu on Saturdays only (also from 11.30am to 2.30pm)!
From now till the end of August, when you dine in Restaurant Sela , remember to hashtag restaurantsela as well as me!!!!
The picture with the most likes would have a chance to win a private chef experience (worth $500) by chef Benson Tong in the comfort of your own home!
Restaurant SELA
32 Seah Street Singapore 188388
Phone : (65) 6337 6358
Email : enquiry@restaurantsela.com.sg
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/selarestaurant
Thank you Restaurant Sela and Migme for the invite.
28 Jul 2015
More opinions on Cafe Hopping (Food deals definitely attract my attention!)
Despite blogging for almost 3 years, I still felt that my blog is still lacking of something, something that would stand out from the pool of other food blogs out there. I tried limiting my blog to focus on desserts, partly because I am lazy since I tend to edit every single picture via Photoshop and adding in my own logo at the bottom of every picture. So does a dessert theme blog work? I doubt so since my rate of consuming desserts has been dropping due to being a bit health conscious these days as age is catching up on me. I wouldn't mind sharing my sugar diet with others but sadly, among my network of friends, I am considered the hardcore spender on food itself. Maybe once in a long while... Strangely, most people I know don't usually eat dessert!? Why is that so?
Another reason could be that café hopping is an expensive hobby. In order to survive the high rental rates in Singapore (to break even?) leads to expensive food and there is a need to keep an eye on our spending. I tried café hopping on a solo mode a couple of times, not that I did not manage to get any café kakis to accompany me. There is NOTHING wrong to be alone at times, which many people would find awkward or afraid that others might think they had no friends. I just enjoy my alone time at times.
Right now, instead of the usual picture + description type of posts I usually did during my early entries when I first started my blog, I felt that there was a need to express myself more since I worked in the food and beverage field before but decided to leave. (More stories other time)
Some pictures of my solo café hopping mode below. (I self timer those selfies.) Every cake / dessert felt so mundane nowadays. Easy to guess the name of those desserts just by looking at the picture at times.
Another reason could be that café hopping is an expensive hobby. In order to survive the high rental rates in Singapore (to break even?) leads to expensive food and there is a need to keep an eye on our spending. I tried café hopping on a solo mode a couple of times, not that I did not manage to get any café kakis to accompany me. There is NOTHING wrong to be alone at times, which many people would find awkward or afraid that others might think they had no friends. I just enjoy my alone time at times.
Right now, instead of the usual picture + description type of posts I usually did during my early entries when I first started my blog, I felt that there was a need to express myself more since I worked in the food and beverage field before but decided to leave. (More stories other time)
Some pictures of my solo café hopping mode below. (I self timer those selfies.) Every cake / dessert felt so mundane nowadays. Easy to guess the name of those desserts just by looking at the picture at times.
Café: Room for Desserts
Very small café with just 2 tables.
Café: Butter Studio
Bing Bing Ice Cream gallery (United Square outlet)
Bailey flavour
It definitely must be peer pressure from my friends that restrict me from café hopping and spending too much. However, in order to save a bit, I love scanning through those deals that has a % discounts where I don't have to pay the full amount! It is just normal of us to be cheapskate savvy, probably trying to get the best deal out of everything.
Criollo Cocoa Cafe - Nuffnang Lovin' Invite
I attended my first 'Nuffnang Lovin'' Event (hosted by Nuffnang) last Saturday at Orchard Gateway and am glad bring a +1 along. Dragged my blogger friend who had to book in to camp that night. My opinions will be as usual, based on my personal experience and nothing against anyone. Why I state that? You will find out right below.
Before the first dish arrive, the chef made the effort to explain to us about the first dish as seen below. Mainly about the description as well as the ingredients used in this dish. I wasn't exactly attentive to the details since the taste would be what matters to me most.
(Note each dish is shared among 4-6 people)
Together with the crispy bread, it was comfort food to me.
So far this dish fared much better as compared to the rest in my opinion. The laksa inspired pasta was rich, had that kick of spiciness as well as fragrant from the coconut cream or milk. I would prefer this dish to be serve warm and not room temperature for a better taste. (Not quite sure how long it was on the table as my group went to view and had a bit of hands-on with latte art.)
Before the first dish arrive, the chef made the effort to explain to us about the first dish as seen below. Mainly about the description as well as the ingredients used in this dish. I wasn't exactly attentive to the details since the taste would be what matters to me most.
(Note each dish is shared among 4-6 people)
Breaking through the hard cheesy surface laid the watery-soupy tomato-based vegetables. Mainly the taste of green pepper which I did not mind. I felt like I was having minestrone soup since there were identical resemblance of the two. The yolks were over and did not exhibit fluidity as expected.
A vegetarian option since the patty was actually portobello mushroom overlaid with cubed-cut vegetables (tomato, pepper, etc) and covered by a slice of cheese. (Double check if the dressing is mayo.) A smart move to prevent the cubed ingredients from toppling all over, provided if its for a single pax. As for the fries, the salt was slightly too generous...
The lovely red hues from the strawberries was eye catching but my eyes went towards the waffle since it was chocolate. I wondered if cocoa powder was used? It definitely acts as a drying agent in this waffle recipe, resulting in crisp, almost biscuit-like texture. Average chocolate ice cream with the passionfruit flavour macaroon being soft.
The other table had this plain waffle that could be drenched with syrup. Like a 'fruit basket' to me and I won't judge something I have not try.
The barista was really friendly and patient as she taught us how to do latte art in groups. One of the cuter designs she did was the 3 bears shown here. I did not try the coffee since I wasn't a coffee person but I did try doing the latte art too! (Picture still in my friend's camera.)
I enjoyed myself getting to know some of the other bloggers. However, my friend was pissed off with the service staff. He requested for a refill of water and the service staff told him to take the jug of water from the other table of bloggers. I even had to request for them to clear the table after watching them placing the waffle and going off without clearing the few empty plates that hog the table space.
Anyway,
Criollo Cocoa Café is offering SG 50 promotion right now! Quote ''Nuffnangxcriollo'' to enjoy 20% discount of your total bill!
Thank you #CriolloCocoaCafe and #Nuffnangsg for the invite.
5 Jul 2015
Cafe Hopping with Another Blogger #1 - Little Ice Cream Kafe
The term café hopping is already so mainstream, especially among teenagers? Not quite, but young adults who are more than willing to indulge into good food. At the same time, capturing insta-worthy images to boast a little.
''Oh, I have been to that café, check out my instagram images.''
''I had brunch there the other day with who-n-who and the waffles were so darn good that I would definitely go back!''
''Must choose the outdoor seatings! See my drool worthy pictures? All thanks to the natural lighting!''
Admit it, such typical statements of café hoppers which include me of course. Many other non-café hoppers would have only thought about the above point - The boasting rights. Seriously, there are other more meaningful reason other than that. The one and main thing I seek from sitting in a café is the interactivity part instead of the food. Sorry to say most places serves mundane food or copies that has no juxtaposition. I am totally bored and have zero interest in what's new in the menu. It's just about compositions and add on of ingredients.
Anyway, I went to meet another blogger friend of mine for a casual hopping session the other day. We knew each other on instagram and mutually know each other through our blog. Still stuck with the 2 years duty to serve the country, which makes him younger than me, just by a little. Edward, who blog on thedessertprince was also a hard core café hopper before he got bored of the now-stagnant trend. His posts are more towards the 'family orientated',emo, or should I say sentimental style?
It is not often that I café hop with someone who I do not know... or should I say it is always fun to try something new? I picked Little Ice Cream Kafe since I have wanted to try an ice cream buffet for quite a while. My second time travelling to Tanjong Katong area because it was so out of the way. I was early after reaching Paya Lebar MRT and thus decided to walk over. Walking over is not ideal and advisable unless you are prepared to perspire a little.
''Oh, I have been to that café, check out my instagram images.''
''I had brunch there the other day with who-n-who and the waffles were so darn good that I would definitely go back!''
''Must choose the outdoor seatings! See my drool worthy pictures? All thanks to the natural lighting!''
Admit it, such typical statements of café hoppers which include me of course. Many other non-café hoppers would have only thought about the above point - The boasting rights. Seriously, there are other more meaningful reason other than that. The one and main thing I seek from sitting in a café is the interactivity part instead of the food. Sorry to say most places serves mundane food or copies that has no juxtaposition. I am totally bored and have zero interest in what's new in the menu. It's just about compositions and add on of ingredients.
Anyway, I went to meet another blogger friend of mine for a casual hopping session the other day. We knew each other on instagram and mutually know each other through our blog. Still stuck with the 2 years duty to serve the country, which makes him younger than me, just by a little. Edward, who blog on thedessertprince was also a hard core café hopper before he got bored of the now-stagnant trend. His posts are more towards the 'family orientated',
It is not often that I café hop with someone who I do not know... or should I say it is always fun to try something new? I picked Little Ice Cream Kafe since I have wanted to try an ice cream buffet for quite a while. My second time travelling to Tanjong Katong area because it was so out of the way. I was early after reaching Paya Lebar MRT and thus decided to walk over. Walking over is not ideal and advisable unless you are prepared to perspire a little.
I was still early and decided to take a selfie....
When he finally arrived, we chatted a little before heading to be overwhelmed by the selections of ice cream! Alright, he was gyming before heading over to meet me to indulge in our icy guilty pleasure. At least I also exercised by walking over right?
I couldn't recall exactly every flavours that I had eaten.
(The order which I ate)
When he finally arrived, we chatted a little before heading to be overwhelmed by the selections of ice cream! Alright, he was gyming before heading over to meet me to indulge in our icy guilty pleasure. At least I also exercised by walking over right?
I couldn't recall exactly every flavours that I had eaten.
(The order which I ate)
Green Tea Oreo - I would prefer pure green tea because the oreo was just too sweet
Black Sesame - Kind of decent and less sweet
Lychee Martini - The lychee taste was just too subtle, same for the really light alcoholic kick
Chocolate Brandy - Not chocolaty enough, alcohol not strong enough as well (I am not even an alcohol person)
Frosty Watermelon - Not my liking since watermelon is just not a popular type of flavour
Thai Milk Tea - I am just bias towards 'tea' desserts and I love them all
Creamy Caramel Crunch - It was just extremely salty that I couldn't continue after 2 mouthful
Butterscotch - Overly sweet for me
D24 Durian - Just average (best to eat last)
Just some random pictures despite them being just ice cream. How fanciful can a scoop of ice cream look anyway? We take pictures just because we are bloggers?
Thanks for helping me take selfies! I know you don't take any since you hardly have any pictures of yourself in your blog..
Anyway, not forgetting to mention that the waffles were really to my liking. Crisp, fluffy, those usual descriptions everybody just used repetitively in almost every food blogs? I won't deny the fact that the vocabulary used to describe is just limited.
Time just flies when we were eating and chatting. 2 hours of camping in this ice cream café. For those who are interested, the buffet is only available on Fridays from 2 - 4pm or 6 - 8pm. Each pax is about $12 (couldn't remember the exact amount). We had our fill of desserts, but still, a proper meal after that. Yes, dinner after desserts. Typical desserts/food bloggers!
15 May 2015
Bistro 1855 - Salad Bar by Day, Wine Bistro by Night
Salad Bar by Day
Wine Bistro by Night
An interesting double concept.
Salad bar buffet with more than 50 items to choose from for lunch. Or you could enjoy the buffet with your main course. By nightfall, it is transformed into a wine bar, serving tapas, mains as well as sharing platters, paired perfectly with their 1000+ labels in their wine cellar. What's best would definitely be costumers are allowed to select their choice of wines from the cellar and drinking in at Bistro 1855, at pocket friendly retail pricing.
Check out their selection of wines available!
Having a large table would mean a privilege for group gatherings. Especially to unwind and relax after a stressful day at work. Hmm that large screen projector would definitely be useful for company's meeting as well as for soccer screenings...
How about a random wefie shot with Samuel before I carry on babbling about the food!?
Rustic Fries made from 100% russet potatoes was a pretty decent appetiser to start the meal with. The accompanying signature 1855 sauce is said to be a combination of sweet, tangy, spicy, smokey and savoury, all at once. Since I am a low spicy tolerance person, I felt that the spiciness being dominant, followed by the lovely smokiness.
The next finger food that would easily compliment well with alcohol would be the 1855 chicken wings! Going through 24 hours of marination before being deep fried to a super crispy exterior while retaining its juices within, I swear I could finish the whole basket of wings easily.
Not so much of a cheese person, the cheese board served with 4 different types of cheese. As we know the taste of each cheese is unique and it is also an acquired taste. Either you learn to enjoy them or don't bother eating them at all.
Crispy Pork Belly have always been one of my favourite type of dish. Not to mention Bistro 1855's version has super crispy skin! Not melt in the mouth but still tender meat, layered with that glistering fats, I definitely wanted more.
The Duck Confit that day was kind of disappointing. The duck leg was kind of dry and tough, perhaps too scrawny to begin with. There was also an unusual gamey taste and being cured could be the reason.
My favourite among all would definitely be the Lamb Shank! Slow braised in red wine and much to our delight, extremely tender and fall off the bone easily. I tried hard to detect even the slightest hint of gaminess but to no avail. Give me some bread and I could wipe the plate clean of its gravy! Definitely the highlight of the menu.
My theory of enjoyment over glamness! I would love to use my hand to pick up the shank and bite the tender flesh off the bone. (Bone for posing purpose in here.) I actually did bite off some small bits from the leftover bone...
Unleashed the carnivore in me!
Not forgetting the 2 performers who entertained us with a couple of lovely songs!
Posing with the 1855 background!!! Like a graffiti wall! Thank you Samuel for letting me use his camera since mine sucks due to dim lighting conditions.
If this post already made your mouth water from all those delicious food, why not check out The Entertainer app to explore more 1 for 1 restaurant, leisure, body as well as travel deals!?
The retail pricing for The Entertainer (Singapore) app is $60 and The Entertainer Singapore book is at $75.
For a further 10% discount, remember to key in the promo code 2015ALVIN when you purchase!
If you need a tutorial on how to use the app, click this link here!
Thank you Bistro 1855 as well as the Entertainer App for the invite!