KU DÉ TA: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bayfront, Singapore

September 27, 2013 / Bayfront, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Let’s be honest. You go to KU DÉ TA for the stunning views. Situated high in the sky at the Marina Bay Sands Sky Park, you’re presented with a beautiful and unobstructed view of Singapore. Normally, you’d pay $20 for the priviledge of going up to the SkyPark, but this fee is waived if you’re eating at this Modern Asian restaurant. If you’re now wondering if the food comes at inflated prices to ‘absorb’ this fee, you’d be right. The food is not cheap, even the set menu items. The price itself (ranges from $38-58 for the set lunches) is high but reasonable for fine dining, however the portions are really small.. if you have a hefty appetite, it won’t be sufficient.

That said, they do some beautiful dishes and I thought it was overall a nice place to have lunch at, especially for a celebration – we were there for Mum and Dad’s wedding anniversary 🙂

Kudeta02 — Hunter having his super healthy, unsalted homecooked food made by his personal chef (ie. my Mum).. because he still largely refuses table food!

Kudeta04 — Carter found a very lovely spot to enjoy the view 😉

The cheaper ($38) lunch set is their Bento Box, which is always pretty exciting because who doesn’t like picking through a selection of little tidbits?! The food it contained was very well cooked and presented, but nothing outstanding. Be warned, too, that this portion size is pretty small..

For the Tasting Menu ($58), the food was served in courses. The portion sizes were still pretty petite, especially the ‘main course’. That said, I suppose it will do for a light lunch.

For the starter, the Crunchy mesclun salad with young ginger and citrus sakura was.. well, a salad. Very standard scattering of lettuce and that was about it. I guess you can’t really fancy up a salad 😉

I enjoyed the Chopped hon maguro tuna tartare with soya-pickled wasabi and ginger blossom much more. After all, sashimi anything always makes me happy! The portion was about a table-spoon’s worth, which was a bit sad as this was really lovely.

Kudeta05 — Crunchy mesclun salad with young ginger and citrus sakura, Chopped hon maguro tuna tartare with soya-pickled wasabi and ginger blossom

I seriously did NOT like the De raza iberico pork belly steamed with shaoxing wine with braised bamboo shoots and soymilk mustard. To be fair, it’s due to my personal taste.. I don’t like this sort of gelatinous pork belly that is 80%+ fat, which tastes really weird and has a horrific squishy texture to me. I found this absolutely inedible.

Kudeta07 — De raza iberico pork belly steamed with shaoxing wine with braised bamboo shoots and soymilk mustard

All was saved with the Norwegian salmon roasted over charcoal with chinese dates, choya and yamasa shoyu. It was OUTSTANDING! The salmon was perfectly seared and charcoaled, with a beautiful brown exterior and a very tender interior.. almost sous vide style. An excellent dish which left me yearning for a portion 3 times larger.

The Braised shitake mushrooms with brown butter and fresh thyme leaf was also an absolute stunner. I loved the fat and juicy mushrooms that were bursting with buttery flavour. Gorgeous.

We also were served with a bowl of Northern Japanese organic rice, which is supposed to be really special but just tasted like… rice. Perhaps I am not a rice connoisseur to be able to tell the difference 😛

Kudeta09 — Northern Japanese organic rice, Braised shitake mushrooms with brown butter and fresh thyme leaf

Dessert was a very very small but pretty selection of Orange cake, sauvignon blanc jelly, soya ice cream and coriander mousse. It was cute to pick at the little morsels, but nothing overly exciting.

Kudeta10 — Orange cake, sauvignon blanc jelly, soya ice cream and coriander mousse

The Bento Box’s dessert proved to be a little more interesting to me.. mainly because it contained chocolate 😉 The chocolate fudge cake was excellent – moist and slightly chewy, but was the teeniest little square 🙁 It was served with a strong Bailey’s mousse, vanilla bean ice cream, and mandarin jelly.

Kudeta12 — Hunter having his own dessert, baby yogurt drops

Kudeta13 — Carter impersonating a sausage roll

I think KU DÉ TA is lovely for a scenic and lazy lunch, and the food is really not too bad. However, if you’re after value for money, then you’d be left sorely disappointed. Still worth a visit at least once though, just to enjoy the view!

Last Bite: A quiet spot for brunch with kids, overlooking all of Singapore. Take them to the balcony outside afterwards to stretch their legs and check out the scenery.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

KU DÉ TA
1 Bayfront Avenue
SkyPark at Marina Bay Sands, North Tower
Singapore 018971
Phone: 6688 7688
Prices: $$$$
Hours: Mon-Fri 12-3pm, Mon-Sun 6pm-11pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3:30pm

This food review was first published at Beverly’s Adventures!

SPATHE PUBLIC HOUSE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, River Valley, Singapore

September 27, 2013 / Food Reviews, River Valley, Singapore / 0 comment

Spathe garlic fries – sinful but delicious

The name Spathe Public House makes me think it’s some sort of baths. In actual fact, it’s a restaurant serving up food catered for groups. Best to go with a party of 4 or more, since their feature point is the share-able menu!

I was charmed by their interior, which featured a lot of brick work and pre-war era fixtures. It’s quiet on weekday lunches, which is when my girl friend and I visited. We had our kids in tow, and were pleasantly surprised that the place was pretty baby friendly – mostly due to the fact that it was largely empty and kids could run around undisturbed and without being too annoying. We also discovered that their weekday set lunch is very kid-friendly.

A bowl of fake fruit on the table, which served as great amusement for the kids.

I kicked it off by immediately zero-ing on the Watermelon lemonade cocktail. Made with fresh watermelon, freshly-squeezed lemonade, vodka, and soda, it was kickass good. Yes, it was brunchtime but I never say no to a cocktail 😉

Watermelon lemonade cocktail – fresh watermelon, freshly-squeezed lemonade, vodka, soda ($18)

The Spathe garlic fries came recommended and I was delighted that it came in a basket with lots of fries! More than enough for the two of us, especially since there were so more-ish. I think I have a love/hate relationship with these fries – I can’t quite figure out if I like or dislike them! I like the fact that they were SUPER tasty and had lots of garlic clustered all over it, but I disliked the heavy handed use of salt/seasoning that made it difficult to eat (you see, I like to eat my fries in very large quantities, and with these, I felt compelled to chug down on glasses of water after each bite).

The Pumpkin soup was part of the lunch set and came in a petite serving, great for a toddler. She seemed to enjoy it 🙂

The main for the set lunch was the Mixed mushroom ravioli with basil pesto and it was a fairly petite portion, but alright for a female and/or small eater. It was, inexplicably, scattered with chilli flakes.. so we had to dig it all out before feeding the kids. They ate the pasta without complaint!

The most Asian dish on the menu is the Yellow fin tuna poke, which is essentially tuna carpaccio and fresh avocado. It was small, so small I practically had to squint to see it. I can’t understand how this can be a main meal. If I’d ordered this, I’d have been hungry and angry.

Yellow fin tuna poke – crispy shallots, avocado, shiso and yuzu vinagrette ($18)

My Chicken and the sea dish was served in a deep dish, but only had a very thin layer of paella in it. The serving size is WAY too small for the price, and definitely not enough to fill me. Thankfully, I’d pigged out on those garlic fries earlier and my belly was sloshing with the cocktail, so I didn’t complain. The rice had a lot of spice to it, which surprised me as it wasn’t labelled a spicy dish on the menu. Unfortunately, this meant the kids couldn’t have any 🙁

The New Zealand mussels that came with the dish was the star item – succulent and luscious, they were flat out amazing. In retrospect, I should’ve ordered their NZ Mussels dish and not bother with this paella.

Chicken and the sea – Spanish paella rice, NZ mussels, squid, chorizo, chicken, saffron ($25)

Their hazelnut chocolate cake was tops! Dense and rich, with creamy frosting between the layers, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I suspect Spathe Public House would be a lot more reasonably priced if we had come with a larger group and gone for the sharing platters instead. But it’s not worth the money for individual dishes, because of the relatively high price point and extremely petite portions. The food itself was reasonable but nothing particularly blew me away.

That said, we really appreciated the service. The staff were prompt, courteous, and attentive.

Last Bite: Spathe Public House makes for a lovely, quiet weekday lunch. It’s best to go in a group to share food, as individual portions can get pricey.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes (though there are 1-2 small steps you need to navigate up)
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Spathe Public House
8 Mohamed Sultan Road #01-01
Singapore 238958
Phone: 6735 1035
Prices: $$$$
Hours: Mon – Fri: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm, Sat: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm, Sun: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

This food review was first published at Beverly’s Adventures!

MARMALADE PANTRY @ THE STABLES: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bukit Timah, Singapore

September 27, 2013 / Bukit Timah, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Marmalade Pantry whips up one of the best carbonara pastas

I’ve only been to Marmalade Pantry at The Stables once before, since it’s in a bit of a stand-alone random location, and I’m normally at their branch in ION mall. The difference is that the branch at The Stables is more of a proper sit-down restaurant, has a wider menu, and has a nice outdoor area if you don’t mind sitting in the heat. The service here is really nice, and the staff were a great help since Chris and I were juggling 2 kids (you have to walk up/down a set of stairs to get in).

Going out with 2 kids under 2 can get really manic, starting from just trying to leave the house! But we managed to get ourselves together and lucked out because Carter slept through the whole thing and Hunter was pretty well-behaved. Whew.

I absolutely love the drinks at Marmalade Pantry, though they are stupendously expensive. Really wish they would be reasonable about their prices! One of my faves is their Iced latte, and also their Strawberry milkshake. The latter is a deliciously creamy blend of strawberries and vanilla ice cream.. utterly decadent but so worth it 🙂

Their rendition of Spaghetti carbonara is one of the best I’ve had in Singapore. The sauce is creamy but not too sticky/rich, and it comes with a perfectly poached egg perched on top. One poke of the fork and all the creamy yolk drizzles into the pasta.. OH SO GOOOOOOD!!!! And, as you can see in the photo below, Hunter was dead eager to get his lil hands on the pasta, and he loved it too 😉

The Steak sandwich comes with 2 pieces of steak, pretty impressive! The steak was tender and juicy, and pretty spot-on for a fab steak sandwich. I didn’t like the wasabi mayo that came with it, but that’s just personal preference because I’m a bit of a wuss and can’t handle spice or chilli.

The Egg breakfast looked very colourful and fun, but seemed pretty standard. Then again, I didn’t try any of it so I can’t quite comment on how good it was. I suppose it was nice enough for a good brunch place? The portion size was pretty impressive to boot.

The Crabmeat linguini is actually the only dish I’ve ever ordered every time I’ve been to Marmalade Pantry previously. It’s always excellent. The portion of pasta is sufficient to fill my belly, and the amount crabmeat is really generous. Be wary though – their version is pretty spicy, so if you don’t like it so, just ask them for less or no spice.

We decided that our brunch is not completely without dessert, though the boys weren’t that eager for it 😉 I really enjoyed the Bananas and berries hotcakes, which came out looking so pretty. They were stacked in a tower thanks to slices of bananas… and Hunter’s eyes went WIDE when the dish appeared at our table. The hotcakes were fluffy and the fruit were a nice addition. A must-order if you’re a pancake fan!

My girl friend decided to get the Caramelised pear and salted caramel bread pudding to share with the table. I was a bit “EHHH??” when she picked it, because it was something I’d never think of ordering. It was a bit strange in terms of texture and taste.. almost like a wet sponge cake? It was also wrapped in some sort of filo pastry I think. But despite thinking it was a bit of a strange dish, it was actually good 🙂 The boys also thought it was way better than the Hotcakes. It was a unique creation which is always nice to see in a restaurant!

I really like this branch of Marmalade Pantry because it seems quieter and somewhat more child-friendly. It just feels more chill since it’s a standalone restaurant, compared to the other branch in ION mall. That said, it’s always good to eat in a mall, because then there’s something to do afterwards.. whereas when we come here, we pretty much go home straight after 😉

Last Bite: Marmalade Pantry is the place du jour for a chill brunch with family and friends. They aren’t cheap, but do serve up delicious food.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes (albeit with a handful of steps you need to go up)
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Marmalade Pantry
55 Fairways Drive
Singapore 286846
Phone: 6467 7748
Prices: $$$$$
Hours: Tue-Fri 3pm-10pm, Sat-Sun 10am-11pm

This food review was first published at Beverly’s Adventures!

HATCHED: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Holland Village, Singapore

September 27, 2013 / Food Reviews, Holland Village, Singapore / 0 comment

Hatched first opened near the Singapore Botanic Gardens, but since you have to walk/drive there from the Gardens, I’d just never made the effort to go despite wanting to check it out. So I was really pleased when they opened in Holland Village a few weeks ago!

They had a full house on a Sunday morning for brunch, though they do have an upper floor that I didn’t see. The staff there are really lovely and friendly, and the food came out promptly. I also really like their small, cartoony menus, with pictures of the food (I’m a visual kinda person).

I immediately got the Iced Latte, a bit of a staple drink for me wherever I go. It came out looking very nice, but was so so so weak! I’m not sure if it’s because they use just 1 shot or if their coffee is just weak, but I basically couldn’t taste any coffee. As Chris put it, “I can taste the plain milk, and plain milk barely has any flavour in the first place!”. Very disappointing.

I had the French onion sandwich – caramelised onions and cheese, filled with a juicy steak on ciabatta, served with homemade mash and….. just….. WOW. Ranks right up there with one of the best steak sandwiches I’ve had. The steak was actually fairly thick (many steak sandwiches use super-thin steak that’s almost nonexistent), and so tender! The dish actually looked pretty uninteresting, but it was totally delicious. Massive thumbs up and this is a definite re-order.

The Burly Benedict – poached eggs and corned beef on English muffins sounds a bit strange with the corned beef and all, but it worked. I don’t think I’ve had corned beef before, and Mum said that in the old days, some people would eat corned beef at home because it was really cheap yet tasty. I can see why – it’s similar to sausage or spam in taste, and I think it comes in a can as well? Anyway, it’s super tasty!! It gave the whole dish a bit of a kick and was a nice substitute to regular smoked salmon Eggs Benedict (though you can order that traditional version at Hatched as well).

The Sleepover Hatched special – French brioche drizzled with maple syrup, grilled bananas and streaky bacon sounded so good on the menu, and tasted good too. The Brioche was really fat and moist, and the combination with bacon and bananas was really good. Only downsides were, 1) bananas were over ripe so were black on the inside, 2) maple syrup may not have been 100% pure maple syrup but rather the flavoured stuff (not sure, can anyone confirm?). Still, the whole thing was tasty and I enjoyed it 🙂

I’d definitely go to Hatched again for their French Onion Sandwich, or to try other items on their menu. Only problem is that since they did such a bad/weak Latte, I’m a bit hesitant to as coffee is a critical part of my brunch 😉 They’re still pretty new though, so I’ll give them some time and go back again in a couple of weeks!

Last Bite: A fun little cafe nestled in the Holland Village area, that’s very cutesy for the kids. Hatched serves up a decent brunch, with very friendly and patient staff.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Hatched
267 Holland Avenue
Singapore 278989
Phone: 6463 0012
Prices: $$$
Hours: Tue-Sun 9am to 11pm

This food review was first published at Beverly’s Adventures!

ARBITE: Kid-Friendly Cafe, Serangoon, Singapore

September 27, 2013 / Food Reviews, Serangoon, Singapore / 0 comment

Arbite has been getting quite a lot of coverage and good reviews, and I can see why. We were in the area over the last weekend and so decided to check it out after a girl friend mentioned it. I’ve been in the area before, but didn’t even know this cafe existed. It’s tucked away on the 2nd floor, with a very small nondescript entrance on ground floor. You really have to know you want to go there, or you’ll miss it!

The cafe is spacious and beautifully sun-lit, with very attentive service and it wasn’t too noisy on a weekend brunch, which we liked. They have little toys and legos for the kids, a very nice touch.

I thought their drinks were VERY reasonably priced. My Strawberry milkshake came in a large glass and was fantastic!! Not too sweet, not too tart, lovely and cold. Chris’ latte was in a sizable tall glass too, and was rich and flavourful. So happy 🙂

I think the Arbite Breakfast – scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans, grilled tomato, veal bratwurst, sauteed mushrooms, pommes noisettes is one of their best value-for-money items on the menu… which could be why basically every table ordered it. It was packed with a variety of food, and ALL of the food on the plate was good. It actually surprised me, because I normally am a bit dubious about these ‘big breakfast’ type plates… often they come out somewhat lacking and I’m almost never impressed.

Arbite’s version, however, was very good. The eggs were softly scrambled (Hunter loved them), I liked the baked beans in BBQ sauce, the bacon was super-crispy, the bread was fluffy and warm, the pommes noisettes were crisp and tasty, the mushrooms were juicy, the grilled tomato was perfectly cooked, and ohhhhhhhhh that sausage was awesome!! So so so juicy and tasty without being overly salty. This dish is their signature dish and a must-order for brunch.

In comparison, the Gardener French Toast – stuffed ciabatta french toast with a dark chocolate and almond ganache served with candied bacon, maple syrup and fresh berries looked like really POOR VALUE. It was more expensive than the Arbite Breakfast (above), yet was way way way smaller! It featured 2 small pieces of French toast and that was about it.

It was, however, really good. I suppose French toast injected with ganache can’t really go wrong 😉 It was fluffy yet rich, and very very yummy. The candied bacon was very random IMHO so it was left untouched. Frankly, they need to cut the price of this by 50%, or double (or triple) the amount of French toast on the plate to justify.

I’d definitely go back to Arbite again for brunch if I’m in the area. Their pancakes looked amazing when I saw it on another table. The Lunch/Dinner menu also looked really enticing! It’s a shame they don’t have a branch in the City….
Last Bite: Arbite serves up a delectable brunch in a lovely cafe that’s kid-friendly. Shame about the narrow steps you have to go up to get there.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: No
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Arbite
66A Serangoon Garden Way
Singapore 555962
Phone: 6287 0430
Prices: $$$
Hours: Tue-Fri: 11:30am-11pm, Sat: 11am-11pm, Sun: 9am-9pm
This food review was first published at Beverly’s Adventures!

KITH CAFE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, River Valley, Singapore

September 26, 2013 / Food Reviews, River Valley, Singapore / 1 Comment

I’m such a sucker for little cafes, especially if they’re family and kid-friendly. One in particular that I visited recently really tickled my fancy, so much so that I ended up there twice in the same week!

Kith Cafe is situated right on the Singapore river, and is a teeny tiny cafe with predominantly outdoor dining. The best spots are the lil wooden tables and chairs in the outdoor grassy area, for people-watching and a bit of el fresco dining. Obviously, with Singapore’s heat, it’s best to go there early-ish for breakfast or brunch.

They do a good coffee. I had the Latte and it was spot on. I learned the regular takeaway cups have a double-shot, and the large ones have a triple-shot, so I suppose that’s why they’re fantastically rich and full-flavoured.

I was really impressed with their Spaghetti and meatballs. It was an impressive portion of pasta with a simple tomato sauce that wasn’t too salty. But it was the fat meatballs that I liked most – they had a very homemade flavour to them, they were very moist, and were absolutely delicious. I’ve never been impressed with spaghetti and meatballs at cafes, but this one really did it for me. That said, I must note that Chris wasn’t particularly impressed with it.. declaring that it tasted “like canned spaghetti”. It didn’t for me!

But my absolute fave dish there is their Steak sandwich. Hooboy this is good!! Thin slices of steak that’s superbly tender and perfectly cooked both times I’ve ordered it, with a scattering of rocket leaves, a thin slice of cheese (wish they would triple the portion), and served with a side of yummy corn chips. If you had to pick just one dish, I reckon you should go for this 🙂

The Lava brioche was $4 which is pretty pricey, but at least it was really good. It looked pretty uninteresting when served, but the inside of the brioche was buttery and fluffy, with a very enticing-looking liquid chocolate center. It only has a small bit of chocolate though, wish it had heaps more!

Hunter gave their Muesli with yogurt and strawberries a BIG thumbs up, and I was so impressed when the staff kindly gave him an extra pot of yogurt, complimentary.

I couldn’t resist the Strawberry yogurt milkshake and it didn’t disappoint. They used big fresh strawberries and scoops of frozen yogurt, all whizzed together. SO nice on a hot day!

Muesli with yogurt and strawberries (top-left), Strawberry and yogurt milkshake (bottom right)

Of course, the best bit is that since it’s outdoors, kids can run around and stretch their legs without disturbing others. Our lil ones took full advantage of that 😉

Last Bite: A wonderful kid-friendly cafe by the Singapore River, serving up great food and an excellent coffee. Chill outside whilst your kids play on the grass or with the box of toys.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Kith Cafe
7 Rodyk Street, #01-28
Watermark Condominiu, Robertson Quay
Singapore 238215
Phone: 6341 9407
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon-Sun: 7am-7pm

This food review was first published at Beverly’s Adventures!

CHOUPINETTE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bukit Timah, Singapore

September 26, 2013 / Bukit Timah, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

I’d heard about Choupinette via a couple of girl friends and was keen to check it out, but it took me a couple of months to get there because it’s in a bit of a random location. It’s not in a shopping mall (always my favoured place to dine, because I can push Hunter around in his stroller afterwards whilst he naps), and not even in the middle of the city. I’m glad we finally made our way there though, because I really enjoyed it!

It was pretty packed on a Sunday afternoon, so I’d recommend going on a weekday if you can, or early on a weekend. The staff, however, were really friendly and prompt, which made for a great experience. I liked the vintage-feel of the decor and wood furniture, and the casual vibe of the place.

The menu isn’t huge, but it does the job and we thoroughly enjoyed the food. Not cheap, but not expensive either. The Eggs Royale set was priced at $21 and came with Eggs on toast with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce, with a hot beverage and juice.

The Hot chocolate came out in a large cup and was lovely and creamy – I liked it, though Chris found it merely ‘alright’. The Pineapple juice was more disappointing to me, as it was basically the carton/cordial type, and nothing to shout about. At least they gave free flow of complimentary chilled water 😉

The Eggs on toast with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce was awesome. Yes, it IS simple as you can see in the photo, but they do the eggs perfectly. It’s not easy to get perfectly-done poached eggs in Singapore for some reason, so I was impressed with Choupinette’s. Beautifully creamy and runny, without being undercooked. The smoked salmon was lovely and fresh, and brought a nice punch of flavour to the creamy eggs and bread. Tops!

The Croque Madame wasn’t exactly on the cheap side at $18, but at least it was superb! 2 thin slices of bread sandwiching lashings of ham and bechamel sauce, and grilled with a sunny side-up egg on top. The sandwich was really tasty without being overly salty, and the fried egg was luscious. Will definitely order this one again!

The Palais Royale is a dense chocolate mousse that’s rich and creamy, with a very full-bodied chocolate flavour. It’s fab. The base has some crispy hazelnut(?) bits in it and is the perfect accompaniment to the smooth mousse.

We also got the Chocolate-covered donut which was fantastic – creamy, good quality chocolate on a soft doughy donut. I normally don’t like these things because they taste really synthetic or overly sweet, but this was lovely.

The Marmalade donut was the same donut base but shaped in a ball, dusted with sugar and with a squirt of jam inside. I thought it was alright, but hard for me to compare as I normally don’t order this.

And, of course, I got the Chocolate croissant ($2.90). I simply cannot resist these and always get them at every cafe that has these babies 😉 It was fluffy, buttery, and lovely.

I’d go back to Choupinette for sure. Lovely food, great service, and an all-round good experience. Just wish they were in the middle of Orchard Road!

Last Bite: A lovely French cafe serving tasty cuisine, that’s casual and cheerful. It gets pretty packed, so go early.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Choupinette
607 Bukit Timah Rd #01-01
Singapore 269708
Phone: 6466 0613
Prices: $$$
Hours: Tue-Sat: 8am-8pm, Sun: 8am-6pm

This food review was first published at Beverly’s Adventures!

Spuni Review and GIVEAWAY

September 25, 2013 / Giveaways, New York Food, Product Reviews / 18 Comments

I’ve gone through a lot of baby cutlery with Cheese, with both good results (i.e. spoon helps shovel food into her mouth) and bad (i.e. food spills off the sides before spoon lands in her mouth), so I was super excited to hear about the new spoons by Spuni.

Spuni are ergonomic spoons designed to be the perfect fit for infants’ mouths, resulting in easier feeding for Baby, and less mess for Mom to clean up. Spuni is the perfect tool to help your baby transition to solid food. The recommended age for using Spuni is when the parent believes the infant is ready to make this transition — usually around 6 months and up.

The spoon’s handle length is just right for feeding infants — an infant spoon needs to be long enough for a parent to maneuver (the short and stubby ones are great for toddlers, but not infants) — plus it is easy for a parent to hold (and not too skinny like other spoons I have tried).

But what really makes this spoon special is the spoon tip. The unique tulip design makes it easier for babies to slurp food off of it.

Now, Missy Cheese is older than the target age, but boy do I wish I’d had this spoon when she was younger, as it’s a million times nicer to use than the ones I used while she was on her first solids. Here why:

It doesn’t fade or yellow with use.
It fits just the right amount of food (not too much or too little) for a toddler-sized bite.
It’s dishwasher-friendly.
It’s comfortable for an adult’s hand to hold.
It’s sold enough for a young toddler to use to feed themselves.
It’s really attractive (the colors are so pretty).

Cheese really loved the spoon. Like me, she was attracted like a bird to the beautiful colours (ours came in Giggle Green and Peekaboo Purple). She’s using toddler cutlery pretty confidently these days, and was excited to use her spoon to “chop chop” her eggs, and then placed the eggs on it to eat.

You can buy your own Spunis from spuni.com or Amazon for $18 a pair of spoons. Follow Spuni on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Google +.

GIVEAWAY

The kind folks over at Spuni have offered Brunch With My Baby readers the chance to win one of two sets of their awesome new spoons. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

Competition opens Sept 25th to Tues Oct 1, 11:59pm.

Entry open to US mailing addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We were given a set of Spunis to aid in our review. All opinions are our own.

Beauty & Essex: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Lower East Side, NY

September 24, 2013 / Lower East Side, Manhattan Munchies, New York Food / 3 Comments

Beauty & Essex is the type of restaurant you’d usually visit with a few friends for a champagne brunch — adult friends, I might add. I didn’t know this when friends suggested we go for brunch (a departure from my usual hyper-organized self).

We arrived to some confusion with our party of six adults and one energetic toddler for a Sunday brunch. We thought we’d reserved a table via Open Table, but it turned out the booking hadn’t gone through, and we were left table-less at peak brunch hour.

Even though they were fully booked, they quickly found a table for us and set up a high chair – not a squishy table out of the way, but a large, centrally placed table under a skylight, with plenty of room for our large party. Score. The stroller wasn’t an issue either – after we collapsed it, someone whisked it away and checked it with our other bags.

While the staff were setting up a table, I realized that we had a diaper “situation” that needed to be dealt with, and fast. Walking down stairs to the restroom, I was dreading what I might find there – picturing a tiny, dark bathroom (the kind you usually find at restaurants and bars on the Lower East Side) and wondering if I’d need to put my toddler, whose nickname is “Cheese”, on the dirty floor. Amazement doesn’t cover how I felt when I opened the door and saw a huge lounge room, with a giant chaise, perfect for our urgent needs.

Back at the table, our server introduced himself – and made a beeline for Cheese to say hello. While Cheese was a bit overwhelmed with the attention, our server was so welcoming to her that any doubts I had about bringing the only child under the age of 10 to this restaurant were immediately dissolved.

If you’ve never brunched at Beauty & Essex before, this is what you need to know: Brunch here is all about the shared experience. It’s really designed for groups to share a delicious meal together, and to enjoy the communal experience. The menu has lots of options to suit the fussiest of eaters, including the two vegetarians at the table, and a special gluten-free menu for another member of our party. Each plate is actually tiny, and arrives with enough small portions for everyone to have a taste. Some dishes you’ll need to order two of (the pancakes, for example, come in servings of three small pancakes. If you want a pancake each for a table of six, you’ll need to order two servings). Actually ordering the right amount of food requires a strategic approach, so designate one person to organise your group – and who can figure out the right amount of food for the table (two to three dishes per person) – more if you’re all big eaters.

The dishes come out in a special order — eggs first, followed by any other savoury dishes, and the sweet dishes last. They also have a dessert menu that looks amazing (but for which we had almost no more room in our bellies), so save room if you love the sweet stuff like I do.

We ordered the following dishes: Oven Baked Frittata (with grilled vegetables & goat cheese, $14), 3 Eggs & 1 Yolk (skillet baked, with grilled asparagus, roasted tomato, goat cheese, $14), Lemon Blackberry Pancakes (with sweet ricotta, $11), Vanilla Beignets (with raspberry jam, $8), Free Range Scrambled Eggs (with sweet roasted tomatoes & cheddar cheese, $11, with spicy merguez sausage +$3). The star dishes were the Free Range Scrambled Eggs, which were creamy, fluffy and flavorful, thanks to the roasted tomatoes; the Vanilla Beignets, which resembled tiny little donuts dusted in icing sugar, and the Lemon Blackberry Pancakes – light and fluffy, topped with a sweet ricotta, and with a surprise blackberry compote underneath the pancake.

We ordered a few sides as well: Skillet Roasted Potatoes (with roasted peppers, herb sea salt), Salt & Vinegar Fries, Roasted Sweet Corn (with avocado, lime, manchego), Lobster & Chorizo Hash (with peruvian potatoes, cilantro butter) and the Mac & Cheese (with pancetta, tomato, sicilian-style bread crumbs). The favorites among the sides included the Roasted Sweet Corn, with its perfect combination of sweet and tanginess, and the Skillet Roasted Potatoes, which has a great punch via the roasted peppers sprinkled over the outsides while they were baking.

This may seem like an insane amount of food, and at first we thought we had over ordered when we kept seeing dish after dish appear on the table. We devoured every dish, however, and each diner reported feeling perfectly satiated rather than overstuffed. The perfect brunch had been achieved.

What was our toddler doing, you may ask, during this parade of dishes? Cheese was on her best behaviour (lucky for us!) and was amused by new Elmo stickers, iPhone apps (her favorites are “Endless Alphabet” and “Beck and Bo”), the food (she inhaled my portion of scrambled eggs and loved the fries) and our obliging server, who repeatedly checked back in with us, not just to see how we were doing, but to specifically ask our toddler how SHE was doing.

The last happy surprise for the day was when the bill arrived. The menu had sounded expensive when we browsed it initially, but the total per person (including a cocktail for five of the six adults), was $33 each before tip. You really can’t do better than a restaurant that’s incredibly stylish, that serves decadent cuisine, that is welcoming to people of all ages, AND doesn’t put a huge dent in your weekly budget. Beauty & Essex — we will be back for more (especially more of those Vanilla Beignets!)

Last Bite: For a brunch venue that will please discerning adults and toddlers alike, Beauty & Essex delivers fine food for sharing fun.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes, but bring a stroller that folds. Our stroller was “checked” and whisked away somewhere magical.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No, but there’s a large lounge in the women’s restroom area that is perfect for changing babies if you need it.
Kids’ menu: No.

Beauty & Essex
146 Essex St
New York, NY
Prices: $$
Phone: (212) 614-0146
Hours: Mon-Fri 5pm-1am, Sat-Sun 11:30am-1am
Reservations: opentable.com

THE BANK BAR + BISTRO: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bayfront, Singapore

September 24, 2013 / Bayfront, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Is The Bank Bar + Bistro really a restaurant, or is it a play gym?

We felt super special two weekends ago… because we had the pleasure of checking out The Bank Bar + Bistro‘s brand new Brunch menu!

I admit, just the word “weekend brunch” already has me in a bit of a tizzy. I just love the whole concept of having a long and lazy family brunch – bonus points if the kids are kept well entertained and behave like angels.

And, the stars aligned, because THE KIDS DID EXACTLY THAT!!!

*fist pump*

I super duper hate it (in a cringing “I’m soooo sorry my kids are making a ruckus” kinda way) when I have a fussy kid or two when we’re at a restaurant… particularly so if the place is UN baby friendly. For this reason, Chris and I just about fainted with pleasure when we discovered The Bank Bar + Bistro had a fully fledged play room for kids! It’s an enclosed private room converted into a child safe area, with padded mats, plus sofas, and thoughtful toys. Psssstttttt… the toys are rented so they have fresh ones monthly!

I also really liked the “gentleman’s club” vibe of The Bank Bar + Bistro (think whiskey and cigars). The dark wood, sexy bar, and dark leather sofas would be awesome for a dinner date. But in the daytime, it’s also lovely thanks to huge glass-pane windows where the sunlight can stream in.

Huge glass-panes at The Bank Bar + Bistro

So yes. They were launching their new Brunch menu that very day and invited us to check it out. Chris’ first reaction? “Man, the prices are great!” He’s not wrong. The dishes are cheaper than a lot of western brunch places around, with the same size portions. Off the top of my head, the Brunch menu was $10-15, whereas many other places are in the $20-25 mark for the same sort of ambience/quality.

I particularly enjoyed my Latte, which was executed well and full of flavour. Could have probably had two of these.. Chris and Hunter drained their orange juice (Hunter’s was included in his kids meal) but I’m not a fan of juice so I can’t comment.

Carter looking rather unhappy that all of us have a drink, except for him.

The Eggs Benedict was cooked to perfection. Just look at the food porn picture below. Creamy egg yolk oozing out of plump round egg white balls. The smoked salmon added a lovely punch of flavour, and the brioche was soft and fluffy.

We particularly enjoyed the vine tomatoes, they were succulent and so sweet and fresh. The small pot of baked beans provided a different taste and texture to the meal, but wasn’t that exciting.

I opted for the 2-course Weekend Roast for $25. Get this if you have a robust appetite. It’s excellent value for money. My plate came laden with food! I opted for the beef striploin which was served in thick slices and perfectly pink. It was accompanied with juicy buttered corn, steamed carrots and broccoli, more of those excellent vine tomatoes, and a homemade Yorkshire pudding (much to my excitement).

Normally I steer clear of roast meat, because it’s often a bit tough and, heaven forbid, stringy and dry. Eeeek! But this version was perfectly moist, very tender and all round excellent. I’d get this dish again any day, especially because it filled me right up!

A photo of me very unattractively chowing down on my corn.

And, get this, KIDS GET A FREE SET MEAL when you order a main meal for yourself.

This is the most insane and ridiculous notion ever, because the kids meal is a fully fledged proper menu with good food (ie. what the adult menu would have), with large portions, and come with a free drink and dessert. When I see the words “free kids meal”, I assume it’ll be some bits of frozen fish fingers or something. If you think like me, you’ll be really (pleasantly) shocked with this restaurant.

The fish & chips I initially didn’t want to order, because all I think is, yep, a scattering of frozen fish fingers and chips – how un-nutritious is that?! But Hunter insisted he wanted it. We were pretty surprised when the fish was THICK and moist and done beautifully.

To give you an idea of the kids meal quality – many of you know by now that Hunter is both a reluctant and disinterested eater, with a tiny appetite. Well, he polished off the entire fish (I did remove most of the batter though). AND ate half of the Eggs Benedict we’d ordered. Pretty high praise coming from Mr Picky Eater 😉

The entire kids menu was complimentary with an adult main course purchased.

Kiddy meal fish & chips. Rather taken back with how fat and chunky the fish was, and a large portion to boot!

I ordered the French Toast for dessert, though it’s listed as a main meal in the Brunch selection. It was made with brioche, I believe, because the bread was really fluffy and soft, with the aroma of butter. It wasn’t sugary (maple syrup was served on the side) and came studded with poached pears and fresh berries, as well as a lovely fruit coulis.

The mini Chocolate praline cake (I don’t really know the exact name) came as part of my 2-course Weekend Brunch. It was a petite serving but was alright with me as I was pretty full from my main meal! The cake was very rich and dense, so I don’t think I could’ve had more. I really liked the creamy mousse, and most of all, the deliciously crisp and crunchy layers within. So lovely!

Cake that came with my 2-course Weekend Brunch

Gigantic alcohol menu for the evening crowd

The Bank Bar + Bistro nails it for a reasonably priced but high quality brunch. I thought the food was good, and my Weekend Roast was simply divine. We were also SO impressed with how child-friendly it is.. with the free kids meals, excellent quality food, and awesome play room.

And, if you don’t have kids, you’ll also breathe a sigh of relief that kids around you will no doubt get chucked into the play room which means less fussing within ear distance of you 😉

We will most definitely be back… this time with another family or two in tow.. so we can make use of that play room again!

The only downside of this place is the location. It’s probably excellent for the working crowds (hence why it’s always chockers on weekday evenings after work), but not easy for us to get to on weekends.. simply because it’s not located within a mall where we can let the kids nap in strollers afterwards.

Though, we were pleasantly surprised to find out it’s about a 10mins walk from MBS mall – so that’s not too bad!

PS. Some pictures nicked off The Bank Bar + Bistro’s facebook page.

Last Bite: The Bank Bar + Bistro nails it for a reasonably priced but high quality brunch. Extremely kid-friendly, the play room will be a hit with younger kids!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: Yes

The Bank Bar + Bistro
1 Shenton Way
One Shenton #01-01
Singapore 068803
Phone: 66362188
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon-Thu: 11am-12am, Fri: 11am-1am, Sat-Sun: 9am-12am

This food review was first published at Beverly’s Adventures!

Month: September 2013

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