We are excited to announce our collaboration with the good folk over at SassyMama!
Brunch With My Baby will be supplying reviews of Kid-Friendly Places To Eat for their Dining section. Thank you SassyMama for thinking of us. We are excited to be a regular contributor to SassyMama, our go-to site for all things parenting in Singapore.
Psssst! Have you already put yourself in the running for our Elly giveaway? It ends in 24 hours!!
Boasting Time Out Singapore’s accolade of Best Breakfast in Singapore, Epicurious Cafe has a lot to live up to. Parked at the corner along the Singapore River, it makes for one kickass weekend brunch with the family. The kids can scooter or bike up and down the riverside, whilst you keep an eye on them over a coffee.
The tables are large, wooden, and heavy. And so were the benches we sat on. But that’s all part of the vintage charm of the cafe. Cups and plates are also old school vintage, which I thought was really cute.
We always order the Green Eggs and Ham ($14.60). Apart from sounding cute, the dish is very satisfying. Creamy scrambled egg studded with basil pesto, resting upon thin slices of parma ham. All this, laid upon country bread and scattered with parmesan cheese. Paired with oily but tasty potato chunks, this makes a superb choice for bigger appetites.
We also opted for the age old favourite, Eggs Benedict. It came drenched in Hollandaise sauce, which is a good thing for me because I love the stuff, but may freak out those that aren’t into very heavy and high-calorie breakfasts. I enjoyed the soft English muffins it came on, and the generous portion of smoked salmon.
My only complaint? The eggs were over-poached! This is the reason why I get worried whenever I order Eggs Benedict. I’m always terrified of getting eggs that are over or under done 🙁 These yolks were still soft, fortunately, but were solid and did not have the luscious creamy ooze that I so desire.
Happily, the Choco Nana ($7) was quite the hit. It was pretty as a picture! Perfectly toasted bread, containing melted nutella and bananas. The dish was dusted with icing sugar and topped off with bright red strawberry chunks. What’s not to love?
Their rendition of French Toast will have you (and everyone else at your table) curiously leaning over to take a second look. It’s French Toast…. dipped in corn flakes!! If you like your crispies, like I do, you’ll love it. If you’re a traditionalist, you’re going to think this is way too weird. I did enjoy it, but this is a dish to share, as the 3 fat chunks of bread can get a bit moreish.
The Americano coffee was pleasant but nothing outstanding. I did like their old-style coffee shops cups that they were served in, though!
Remember to come dressed for the outdoors, as the cafe is almost entirely al fresco. It’s a lovely, casual little spot to enjoy the view over the river, and is very popular with families.
My kids loved playing around in the area afterwards!
Oh the simple pleasures of splashing in puddles
Adrenalin junkies
Last Bite: Epicurious Cafe is a lovely spot to chill with your family by the Singapore River. Food is well-portioned and satisfying, and it’s easy to keep an eye on the kids as they run around by the riverside.
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No
Epicurious Cafe
#01-02 The Quayside
60 Robertson Quay
Singapore 238252
Phone: 6734 7720
Prices: $$$
Hours: Tue – Fri: 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Sat – Sun: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
I must’ve driven past My Little Spanish Place at least a hundred times in the past two years in Singapore, but never noticed it. It’s located right next to Coronation Plaza, along a row of shophouses. I’m glad that I discovered it on the Singapore Restaurant Week list, or we’d have never realised this little gem existed.
It’s cozy and the atmosphere is warm when you walk in. They pride themselves on serving authentic Spanish home-style food, with an extensive menu to choose from.
At centre stage is their Jamon Bar. Legs of ham are flown in from Spain, and represent their gourmet charcuterie. It was both impressive and kind of scary to see!
Their Cafe con Leche/Spanish Latte is basically a standard latte, brewed using Spanish beans. It was very mild and quite milky.
I was delighted with our appetizers. Both were incredibly kid friendly!! Our kids slurped it all up with gusto 🙂
The Meatballs in tomato sauce were very well cooked, with soft meatballs and a rich tomato gravy that wasn’t too salty. Bread was provided for mopping up the extra gravy.
The Chicken soup with angel hair pasta would probably be a bit bland and boring for the grown ups, but our kids loved it. In particular, the chickpeas were really soft and we could mush everything down with a fork and spoon it all into waiting mouths.
Apologies for the horrifically poor picture, which belies the fact that this dish was delicious. This is their Fried fresh chorizo with eggs and toasted country bread and the star is, of course, the chorizo. It was cooked to perfection – little juicy chunks that were charred just-right, and packed a real tasty punch. It was paired very well with our creamy scrambled eggs.
We were also pleased with the Jamon, serrano, menchego, with eggs on toasted country bread. The Spanish ham is sliced to order from their Jamon Bar, and the thin slivers are laid carefully on the bread, then topped with two fried eggs. It’s a lovely combination and the portion size was sufficient.
I personally am not a fan of creme caramel desserts so the Creme catalana didn’t excite me. It’s a lemon and orange infused custard dessert with a crunchy burnt caramel crust, and Chris loved it. Hunter wasn’t impressed. Carter gobbled it all up.
I guess we were 50/50 😉
I felt right at home with the warm service at My Little Spanish Place, and I appreciated how food arrived swiftly and was well executed. It does seem like we were at a Spanish friend’s place, and the kids obviously enjoyed themselves as they had zero fussiness and were on top behaviour throughout.
Last Bite: My Little Spanish Place impresses with its home-style Spanish cuisine and warm ambience. Chorizo and jamon are the stars of their menu, though our kids really rated their appetizers.
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No
My Little Spanish Place
619 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 269720
Phone: 6463 2810
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon: 6:30 pm – 11:00 pm, Fri: 6:30 pm – 11:00 pm, Sat – Sun: 9:30 am – 3:00 pm, 6:30 pm – 11:00 pm
It’s funny, the power a new restaurant can have in Singapore. Actually, more like the power food has in Singapore.
When Jamie’s Italian first opened at Vivocity a few months ago in July 2013, it was MADNESS. I was kinda amazed (mostly freaked out) and the psychotic rush to eat there. The restaurant boasted that they were booked-out for months (!) and the queue outside made me wonder if food was being served for free.
But last week, 3 months after they opened, Chris and I walked straight in at dinner time on a weekday. The restaurant was about 70% full. No queue.
What surprised us were the number of children dining at the restaurant. 2 out of every 3 tables had kids there. Being a “celebrity chef restaurant”, I’d expected it to be relatively unpopular with families, but I was wrong. It’s VERY popular with the kids!
The restaurant obviously knows this, and caters well for the children. The kids menu is presented in a Viewfinder toy.
I’ll repeat myself.
THE KIDS MENU IS PRESENTED IN A VIEWFINDER TOY.
How cute is that?!?! Obviously this interests only older kids (Carter was only interested in trying to eat it), but it is a super cute concept and, to be honest, the kids menu photos looked really really enticing.
We got the Crispy squid ($11.50) which came in such a tiny portion I thought the empty half of the plate was empty because a waiter had accidently tipped half the food out. Unfortunately, that really was the size of the dish. That said, the squid was fried to perfection. The squid was tender and easy to chew (I cannot stand rubbery squid), and the batter was delicious crisp and the seasoning was so tasty. A lovely little snack.
The Crispy stuffed risotto balls ($11.50) were more filling, but I thought something in the crispy exterior made the whole thing taste…. raw. Almost like crispy uncooked rice, or something like that. There was very little flavour in the rice and exterior crust, so it relied solely on the stuffing to bring out the flavour, which wasn’t sufficent. Fortunately, it came with a small saucer of salsa which was a refreshing change of taste.
I’d heard complaints that their pasta portions were tiny, so I was a bit wary when we ordered the Jools’ Favourite Silician Tuna Fusili ($21). This was the larger size, you can opt for a smaller size at a cheaper price. It definitely wasn’t a large serving, but it wasn’t teeny tiny either. Sufficient for an average eater, if you order an appetizer or a dessert as well.
The pasta was well-cooked, and I liked the chunks of tuna tossed through the dish. The breadcrumbs were a nice addition and brought texture to the dish. I enjoyed the tomatoes and garlic in the sauce, which wasn’t overpowering but blended well with the flavour of the tuna.
We were undecided about my Basil Iced Tea. I was alright with it, but Chris said something about the flavours just didn’t agree. That said, it was pretty 🙂
Last Bite: Jamie’s Italian is a must for all Jamie Oliver fans. The ambience is casual, it’s popular with families, and food is small-portioned but does hit the spot.
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: Yes
Jamie’s Italian
Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
Singapore 098585
Phone: 6733 5500
Prices: $$$
Hours:
Mon – Thu: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Fri – Sat: 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm, Sun: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
CONGRATULATIONS to Janette Tan, who is the winner of our first giveaway!
She wins an aden + anais muslin sleeping bag of her choice. One very snuggly and comfy bub, coming right up 🙂
Janette, please respond to our email within 48 hours to claim your prize. And congratulations again!
We are so delighted to have you guys around here at Brunch With My Baby Singapore. Thank you for visiting this site and I hope you’ve been enjoying the food reviews!
As a big fat THANK YOU for being a nice reader, Brunch With My Baby Singapore is happy to announce that we will now be hosting WEEKLY GIVEAWAYS! I mean, who can say “no” to cool freebies, right?? Quite a number of companies have been super generous and would like to give you guys their stuff – no catch. Just put yourself in the running and that’s it. And me? I’m just having fun linking up readers with companies I like, and helping organise the freebies.
Our very first giveaway here was by aden+anais (which ends today).
But this week, we have a very exciting giveaway hosted by the fabulous children’s clothing store ELLY! Now this is gonna appeal to those of you with kids ranging from 9 months -> 6 years!
And, no, you’re not getting old season stock.
They are generously giveaway something from their BRAND NEW SEASON! Some of the stuff hasn’t even hit their store yet!
For the girls: Elly have the whimsical Make-Believe collection of dresses (prices from $45-$89) that make me wish they had them in adult sizes 😉 How super sweet are they?
For the boys: Elly has the Construction collection (prices from $45-$49). If you have a real boys boy, he’s gonna go nuts over these prints, like my kids did. Check em out:
So let’s get to the fun bit: Giveaway time!
Elly are very excited to give one winner your choice of 1 item from the new Make-Believe collection or Construction collection!
You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.
a Brunch With My Baby giveaway
Giveaway will run from 18 Oct to 24 Oct 2013 inclusive.
Winner may select and pick up their prize at the Elly boutique.
Prize may be up to the value of $49.
Their new collection’s prints are also featured in their new range of shorts! I personally love Elly shorts because they are thin and soft, yet sturdy. They also hit the knee, which I like as their knees are protected from grazes if they trip. Plus, how adorable are their prints? My kids own 3 prints here and I’m still coveting more. Ahem.
Visit the Elly boutique at Cluny Court (501 Bukit Timah Road, #02-29).
Thank you Elly!!
Tucked in the outside-corner of the Star Vista mall, casual Malaysian diner PapaRich was completely empty when we arrived on a weekday at 11:30AM. This delighted us, because it meant our 3 kids had free reign over the place and we didn’t have to be extra-careful that they wouldn’t disturb other diners.
That said, by the time it came to 12:30PM or so, the cafe was absolutely packed to the brim with diners (mostly office workers). By then, the kids had finished eating and were happily in their high chairs, so we weren’t fussed with the crowd. But just something to note, if you plan to arrive during the lunch time crush.
PapaRich prides itself on serving authentic Malaysian food at reasonable prices. And that they certainly do well. To me, they are very similar to Old Town, but with a more extensive menu.
Our kids spent around 5 minutes running around the (empty) cafe, giggling and climbing on the couch seats. The staff just looked on, bemused by their exuberance. Hunter loves my friend’s daughter, so he was rather pleased that he was on a date with her! (Her older brother was around, but Hunter mostly just ignored him….)
The Chicken Satay was delicious. The chicken was lean and tender, and flame-grilled beautifully. I personally loved the peanut sauce as it wasn’t spicy at all (though this will annoy some folk), and Hunter could eat it too. Who doesn’t love satay? It makes for such a tasty treat, and kids love nibbling on them.
The kids shared this Chicken hor fun in soup. It looks pretty dreadful and bland in the photo, but Hunter loved it and gobbled it all up.
My Nasi Lemak with curry chicken was just….. spot on. I’d order this again in a snap. The rice was moist and fragrant with pandan leaves, the ikan billis (tiny fried fish) were perfectly crisp and tasty, and the curry chicken was lip-smackingly“lemak” (creamy). I adored the sambal chilli sauce it was served with, and I don’t even like chilli normally! But this one had lots of little bits (onion?) in it that made it taste different to regular chilli sauce.
My girl friend opted for the Chicken rice set which came, horrifically, with a plate of bean sprouts. I’m sure people love it and all, but I don’t, and just looking at that plate of bean sprouts made me feel all shuddery inside.
She enjoyed the chicken rice so maybe I’ll get this next time, just without the bean sprouts!
This was a stand-alone serve of Curry chicken. They do a killer curry chicken here. The meat is succulent and moist, and the gravy is absolutely delicious!
My other favourite dish is the Prawn Noodles. It is EXCELLENT. You can smell the richness of the prawn stock from across the table! The broth is incredibly flavourful and I love to slurp it all up. It’s chockers with ingredients too (chicken and prawn) and absolutely hits the spot.
The Roti prata with banana and ice cream was for the kids, so I didn’t have any. We asked for the ice cream to be served later (because as parents, you and I both know that once kids spot ice cream, IT’S ALL OVER RED ROVER!), but errrr.. forgot all about it at the end of the meal!
The roti prata looked a little odd served with a banana on it, but my friend’s son gobbled up the entire dish, so I suppose it was good!
I was very pleased with my Cham drink. This was a 50% coffee and 50% tea drink, and really did taste of both! I had mine served iced (it was a sweltering hot afternoon) and it really hit the spot.
One iPad.
Three kids.
Somehow, this combination worked, even though I was envisioning sparks. And not the fun kind.
The kids were actually pretty well behaved and managed to take turns playing on it. They were pretty fascinated watching the Tayo theme song on the iPad! It kept them occupied for a good 20mins or so, whilst we adults managed to scoff our own meals and have a bit of a chat.
All kids wearing current season clothing from Joules (stocked at nottoobig)
Last Bite: PappaRich is the place to go for affordable Malaysian cuisine. The menu is extensive, and the curry chicken was a winner with us. Go before the lunch crowd to avoid the chaos!
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in mall)
Kids’ menu: No
PapaRich
The Star Vista
1 Vista Exchange Green #01-43
Singapore 138617
Phone: 6684 3373
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Wed: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm, Thu – Sat: 10:00 am – 12:00 am, Sun: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
I’m always so entranced whenever I step into Antoinette at the Palais Renaissance. Situated in the basement of the mall, it’s like stepping into a pretty English garden. The sunlight streams in through the high roof, showing off the beautiful white decor. They place lots of greenery around the restaurant, so it’s not too stark white, and the wooden chairs have blue cushions to soften the look.
The area in the middle is circular and actually excellent for babies and young children, as they somewhat ‘contained’ in that space (just gotta watch they don’t tumble off the step!). Even if you sit outside that circle area, kids can still walk/run laps around – kind of like a race track 😉
Antoinette was quiet when we were there on a weekday lunch, with two other tables there besides us. Just as well, as less chance of diners/wait staff tripping over kids!
I’m so charmed by their high chairs. They’re white wood (of course), with a rattan back and cushioned seat. A refreshing (and luxe!) change from the standard Ikea high chairs. Bonus points: Carter didn’t seem to mind it and managed to sit through lunch before yelling to be taken out.
I had a Ratoutille with fried egg and serrano ham that I completely forgot to photograph, because I was too eager to stuff it into a hungry Carter. He thoroughly enjoyed the soft vegetables mixed in with the fried egg, and ate the entire thing. So, I guess this is a thumbs up!
My main was the Red wine wagyu beef ragout, which floored me. It looked really moreish, more like a dinner item than a lunch!
It was beautifully presented. A thick slab of wagyu beef that rippled with fat, and was soft and moist in the mouth. It was paired well with the plain olive oil tossed pasta, and sat on a bed of creamy mash. The asparagus was tender but still crisp, and lent a pop of bright green to the dish.
A very hearty meal, especially for lunch. But I loved it.
I’m a fan of their coffees here. My Latte came out in a regular coffee cup, which confused me. Aren’t lattes normally in a tall glass? Nevertheless, it was good, and polished off my meal very well.
Last Bite: Antoinette at the Palais Renaissance offers a refined and quiet lunch during weekdays. Their set lunch is a real steal, and staff are extremely accommodating with kids.
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: No
Antoinette
Palais Renaissance
#B1-08/09/10C
390 Orchard Road
Phone: 6735 6392
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 11:00am – 10:00pm
I’ve blogged about GRUB before, but that was over their weekend brunch. This time, we were there for an early dinner!
Here’s a little tip: GRUB opens at 5:30PM. By then, you’ll see the eager beavers skulking around the park, waiting to dash over to grab a table once the cafe opens. So, if you’re already there, you can be an eager beaver too and be seated right on the dot at 5:30PM, meaning you get a table straightaway (GRUB almost always has a queue).
What we do is pop over just before then, and let the kids stretch their legs in the park. That way, even when we get our table, I can do the ordering and the kids can continue playing in the park right up until the food arrives. We waste no time, the kids get maximum playing time, and everybody is happy.
As expected, there are heaps of people lurking around GRUB by the time we are ready to eat. And the kids sure are ready to have their dinner, since they’ve already used up a bunch of energy whizzing around the park.
I love their Crabbies ginger beer. It’s served icy cold and is practically the drink to have after a walk around the park.
We kicked off with their Compressed Tomato Salad, with Feta, Rocket and Pine Nuts (S$7). I’ve heard so many raves for this dish, but never ordered it because it’s… errmm.. salad. I have issues with ordering salad. Salad and I do not agree.
I was surprised by the tomatoes. The reviews are true – they do taste different! I hear they are marinated in a vacuum, thus making the tomatoes ultra juicy, soft and sweet. If you don’t normally like tomatoes, I reckon you’ll like this version.
The rocket leaves were horrific to me, I hate rocket.
Nice scattering of feta cheese and pinenuts, that complemented the tomatoes really well.
I had a Pork steak burger with apples, cashew chimichurri ($12). It’s a popular burger and one of my faves. The bun is super soft and fluffy, and the sauce is a fantastic and interesting mix. But what gets me is the PORK! It’s literally a steak of pork, all chunky and meaty. And it is soooooooooooo freakinnnnn soft. Absolutely tender, my kids can eat it (note: Carter only has two bottom teeth).
I swapped my fries for mashed potato, and you’ll see why later. Frankly, next time I’ll always swap it for the mash, because my kids can eat it, and it’s ridiculously yummy. The fact that it’s made of real potatoes on premises delights me, because I am still grossed out by the fact that most eateries in Singapore used re-constituted/powdered mash potato – I mean, how unappetizing is that? I certainly don’t want my kids eating that kind of food.
I always see people ordering the Grilled chicken leg with honeyed feta, roasted peppers, mash, rocket and corn salsa ($15). I guess it’s a healthy dish, so it appeals? I really like how it’s boneless, so it comes out almost looking like a giant sausage. The chicken is very moist, and the salsa is paired well with it. That said, in general I find chicken a very boring dish so I rarely order it for myself.
This is their signature GRUB cheeseburger with 100% freshly minced beef patty and Monterey Jack cheese ($13). It ain’t a huge burger, but the price point is really good, considering it comes with a big cup of fries. The patty is fresh and tastes distinctly like real beef. I feel the need to point this out since a lot of burger patties taste…. un-meat-like.
One of our favourite dishes? The Slow roasted pork belly with mango sauce, mash, and cherry tomato salsa ($15). A photo of this bad boy always shows up on blogs and social media channels, and I can see why. It’s blimmin’ AWESOME!!!!!
I must caveat – my photo looks positively unappetizing because it kinda got mangled (forgot to take a photo when it first arrived) and the light was not in my favour when we were dining there.. so in fact, most of my food photos don’t look very nice 🙁
But anyway. This pork belly is a real doozy. It is UTRA TENDER with just the right amount of fat through the meat. You can cut it with a fork, it’s that soft. But my favourite is the crisp exterior, which is seasoned to perfection. It’s paired beautifully with their creamy mash, and studded with sweet cherry tomatoes.
Leaving the best for the last, and here it is…….
MENTAIKO FRIES!!!!!
GRUB has just launched these and hooboy, they take the cake over truffle fries for me. You get a big bowl loaded with fries, and they drizzle their homemade mentaiko sauce all over it (they provide a pot of sauce on the side if you’re like us and want mooooorrrrre), then toss on a bunch of seaweed.
The combination is pretty mind blowing.
I find it very hard to describe here, but think fries dipped in a sauce that’s like mayonnaise-on-steroids. It’s creamy, but has a real punch of flavour in it. And coupled with the shreds of seaweed? (note I don’t normally like seaweed) It’s AWESOME.
I can’t wait to go back and order another bout of these.
Obviously, as you can tell from below, the kids loved it.
And since we had an early dinner, the kids still have a bit of time to run around Bishan Park afterwards, while the sun sets.
Oh, to be so young and carefree……
Big kids wearing Elly.
Hunter’s sunglasses by sons+daughters from nottoobig.
Ybike (blue) from Mothercare.
Last Bite: Go to GRUB for an early dinner, and let your kids stretch your legs in Bishan Park at sunset. Their burgers are always spot-on, but our favourite is the slow roasted pork belly.
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes. Strollers and wheelchairs have a gated side entrance.
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No. The premise of the cafe is that kids can eat off the main menu.
GRUB
Bishan Park
510 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 (enter off Sin Ming Ave, opposite Blk 408)
Singapore 569983
Phone: 64595743 (no reservations)
Prices: $$
Hours: Tue-Fri 5:30pm– 10:30pm, Sat-Sun and PH 9:00am–2:30pm 5:30pm–10:30pm
Have you entered our aden+anais sleeping bag giveaway yet? It ends this Friday, and is super easy to join, so hop on over and pop yourself in the running.
GOOD LUCK!