Food Reviews Archives - Page 9 of 10

HABITAT COFFEE: Kid-Friendly Cafe, Thomson, Singapore

September 28, 2013 / Food Reviews, Singapore, Thomson / 0 comment

A perfect eggs benedict at Habitat Coffee

They say good service goes a long way in the F&B industry. I absolutely, wholeheartedly, agree. A little place that absolutely blew me away is Habitat Coffee. It’s been around for a little over a year, but is far from where we live, so I never got round to checking it out til last week. I’m really glad I did.

Habitat Coffee is located right near my favourite chicken rice joint Nam Kee. It’s a cosy little cafe that has a comfy couch in a little nook – this section is excellent for kids by the way, so grab it if you have a kid(s) in tow! They can wander around the little area and sit back on the couch, so they don’t feel as constrained as they would in a high chair. Plus, they have direct view of the coffee-making and people-watching, which might keep them quiet for awhile 😉

Our couch in the little nook. Excellent for stuffing Carter in the corner!

Carter and his “will you pick me up, pretty please?” look

I enjoyed the food too. It was very reasonably priced, and arrived swiftly. The Shepherd’s Pie arrived piping hot in a ramekin, and looked small but was actually pretty filling. I enjoyed the buttery and fluffy potato mash, though the filling is a tad salty. I also liked the bruchetta served on the side, with juicy diced tomatoes.

The Shrooms dish (poached eggs and sauteed mushrooms on English muffin, topped with hollandaise sauce) was superb. The eggs were perfectly poached with creamy molten yolks, and the grilled mushrooms make an excellent accompaniment. I actually think I prefer this grilled mushrooms version to the traditional smoked salmon one! On thing is that between the juicy mushrooms, sauce and egg.. you can’t leave this dish standing there for long, or the muffin underneath will get soggy. Something to note if you have kids that need feeding first or require your attention so you eat slowly.

Their Cheesynara was lusciously covered in a cream sauce and dotted with lots of sliced chicken cheese sausage and bacon. And this is incredible to say, but I wish they had given more pasta because there was so much ingredients! It was delish.

Their Latte is smooth, rich and delicious. I loved it! What else can I say?

Latte, served with a yummy biscuit (that Hunter was trying to grab)

I was most impressed with their Plain waffles. At a ridiculous price of $4.50, it was 4 quarters served with a pot of chocolate and a pot of syrup. Man, these Belgium waffles were good! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Perfect. I would absolutely go back and order this again.

Plain waffles served with chocolate and syrup

Upon recommendation, I also had their Warm brownie with salted caramel ice cream. The brownie was done very well – moist and chocolately. I actually don’t remember the ice cream being stand out, but I liked that they were generous with their scoop.

Not satisfied, I ordered yet another dessert – this time for takeaway. It was a GIGANTIC slice of Red velvet cake. It doesn’t look bit in the photo, but trust me, this cake is huge. One of the nicest red velvet cakes I’ve had.. this one was spongey and moist, and absolutely delicious. Only downside is that they put some cherries in there, and I can’t stand fruit in my dessert, but that’s just me!

There’s also a different rendition of red velvet cake, which they call Baileys black velvet. OH MY GOODNESS YOU MUST ORDER THIS.

The Bailey’s gives a punch to the chocolate cake, and the icing is brilliant. It’s moist and full of flavour, and Hunter absolutely loved it (here’s hoping there wasn’t TOO much alcohol in it, hah!).

Hunter gobbling down his waffles. This is him after I went “Hunter, can you give Mummy a ‘cool’ pose?”

Oh yeah, and about the service. They folk working there are simply lovely! They were very good with Hunter when he was wandering around exploring their cafe.. taking the time to talk to him and amuse him. Kind behaviour and willingness to amuse kids goes a L-O-N-G way in my book. They didn’t mind us parking ourselves on the couch, and the kids scrambling around on it. They were patient when cleaning up our table, and very sweet to the kids. That, in my book, is reason enough to go back. And happily, they’re near where our church is, so we can go there for lunch!

Last Bite: Habitat Coffee boasts excellent food and coffee, with friendly staff. It’s a lovely place to chill out with the kids over brunch.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes, though with two or three steps to get in
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Habitat Coffee
223 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574355
Phone: 6456 2567
Prices: $$
Hours: Tue – Fri: 11:00 am – 10:30 pm, Sat – Sun: 10:30 am – 10:30 pm

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

CHILLAX MASSAGE CAFE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Serangoon, Singapore

September 28, 2013 / Food Reviews, Serangoon, Singapore / 0 comment

With a name like Chillax Massage Cafe, I’m thinking it’s something a bit dodgy 😉 But I’d read about it online and was keen to try it out, especially since it’s near our Church and so is convenient for us on a Sunday.

Who needs the gym when you can build your biceps carrying 2 toddlers?

Inside Chillax, complete with photobomb by Nae

Hunter and his new sons+daughters sunnies, from the **Nottoobig** store

Our cool kids, complete with matching **Elly** outifts

One thing that should be noted is that the entire cafe is el fresco. Read: no air-conditioning. Something to take into consideration if you’re there at mid-day and it’s sweltering hot outside. They do have lots of fans blowing though, so even though the sun was out, I didn’t think it was too bad. Then again, I was in a little sundress. Chris, however, was in jeans and a collared polo short, and said he was hot as all hell.

I do like the casual atmosphere and the outdoors aspect means it’s quite child friendly. It was really empty on a weekend though – we were there for Sunday lunch and there was only one other table besides us.

Service is friendly and polite. The food came out pretty quickly and in decent-to-big portions. I was pretty impressed!

My gf’s husband, the nut, ordered a Seared Beef Salad ($14). I don’t even know what to say about this.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s ($16) – check out that perfectly poached egg!

Wagyu Beef Rosti ($22) – can’t tell in this photo, but the portion size was impressive. Pity they charged $1.50 more for some ‘extra sour cream’ without telling us prior!

Carbonara ($16) – Excellent and I would order this again. Creamy, luscious, tasty. It hit the spot!

Brownies with ice cream – lovely presentation! Yummy but not outstanding brownie.

Overall, I thought the food was pretty good. It makes for a nice brunch with friends, and the area is nice for a walkabout afterwards. There’s also a pet store a few shops down that fascinated Hunter to no end, because of all the little dogs leaping around in there (though I always feel sad for animals in pet stores!).

Last Bite: Chillax Massage Cafe has a lovely casual ambience and decent food. It should be noted that there is no air-conditioning, though. Remember to check out the pet store a few shop fronts down!

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

Chillax Massage Cafe
28 Maju Ave
Serangoon Garden Estate
Singapore 556698
Phone: 6244 5529
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon – Thu: 11:00 am – 12:00 am, Fri – Sat: 11:00 am – 2:00 am, Sun: 11:00 am – 12:00 am

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

BENJAMIN BROWNS: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Orchard Road, Singapore

September 27, 2013 / Food Reviews, Forum The Shopping Mall, Orchard Road, Singapore / 0 comment

A perfectly excuted Eggs Benedict at Benjamin Browns

Apart from Casa Tartufo, Uma Uma Ramen, and California Pizza Kitchen, there aren’t many good food options available at Forum. So I was very interested when a new cafe called Benjamin Browns opened last month.

It’s an open-concept cafe adorned with beautiful flowers and plants on their gigantic central table. I really like the casual let’s-do-lunch atmosphere of the cafe. Of particular interest to me is the pastries, cakes and breads by the counter, where the coffee is made.

Love the pop of colour those little boxes bring to the decor

The Mushroom soup came recommended but to be honest, I actually don’t remember what it tasted like now.. so I guess I wasn’t blown away 😉 If I remember, it was the non-creamy version.. with lots of minced mushrooms (I love it when restaurants blend their own fresh mushrooms for soup) in a watery base.

I believe this was called Eggs Benedict or Eggs Royale? I didn’t take notes. Whoops! But see that egg? PERFECTION. Not a whole lot of hollandaise sauce unfortunately but it was still delicious. Oddly, it came on raisin bread (???). On the plus side, it came with a healthy portion of smoked salmon, and a beautifully crisp hashbrown and grilled tomato.

I normally get a bit worried when ordering Spaghetti Carbonara, because sometimes they come out really weak and lacking flavour, or too sticky/claggy for my liking. I like a rich and creamy sauce, but ‘wet’ enough.

But I’m glad I decided to take a chance here. The pasta was coated in a smooth sauce that wasn’t too thick or watery. It was pretty delicious! I would have liked an egg yolk in there to stir through the sauce, but it was still good as is.

The Beef Bolognaise was really impressive. It came out looking way larger than my Spaghetti Carbonara and had a very decent serve of ingredients. My gf polished it off, so I guess it wasn’t bad 😛

I enjoyed my Latte. It was in one of those small cafe cups (man I wish countries would outlaw them and insist on large coffee cups!) but the coffee was creamy and flavourful. Nice touch with a little biscotti on the side!

I reckon Benjamin Browns is a nice spot to pop into for a casual brunch or afternoon tea. And because the cafe is fairly open, it’s also quite baby friendly, which is a big plus for me!

Random photo of Chris’ mini-me.. right down to the work shirt and jeans!

Last Bite: Benjamin Browns offers a relaxing lunch with a menu that’s very kid-friendly, and is open-concept, great if you have a stroller in tow.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes, in the mall
Kids’ menu: No

Benjamin Browns
#01-20/21 The Forum,
583 Orchard Road
Singapore 238884
Phone: 6887 4117
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

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

LATE PLATE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Pasir Panjang, Singapore

September 27, 2013 / Food Reviews, Pasir Panjang, Singapore / 0 comment

A beautifully executed Eggs Benedict at Late Plate

It’s pretty novel to have a cafe nestled away in a university! Mum told me about Late Plate a few months ago, which I’d never heard of before, and I’ve been eager to try it out ever since. You really do need to hunt a bit for it, since there isn’t exactly large signage outside, but the little cafe is actually quite spacious with a lovely open area outside.

They do a lovely latte. Though, I was pretty shocked to see it arrive in a teeny tiny glass for the price. To give them credit, they do put out large jugs of warm and cold water that diners can help themselves to – thumbs up for that.

Hunter was angel-child throughout. Mainly because we were very lucky and there were guys tree cutting just outside the large glass windows. SCORE! Hunter, being the vehicle-and-construction-crazy boy, was absolutely fascinated watching the guys go up and down in the contraption, and sawing the trees, and watching the branches come crashing down.

The lady at the cashier was polite, but nowhere near warm or friendly. Surprising for someone in a customer service roll in a cafe that isn’t busy at all. There was also a guy waiter there, that noticed when I dropped by teaspoon but couldn’t be bothered to pick it up (not that I expect him to immediately, but it does impress me when waiters are sharp enough to notice!). When I picked it up myself, he also didn’t offer to bring me a new one, but just looked away. I had to go up to him to ask for a new teaspoon, but he did oblige with no issues.

I thought their best dish was the Eggs benedict on kalamanta rosemary scones with citron hollandaise and smoked ocean trout. The scones were so tasty! Much better than the traditional english muffins. The poached eggs were cooked to perfection – oozing gooey yellow yolks. I would’ve loved more hollandaise sauce, but overall the dish was delicious and I’d get this again anytime.

We also had the Wild mushroom pasta with garlic and fresh herbs, tossed baby spinach leaves and Parmesan. This was the most reasonably priced at under $12, and for that reason is a recommended dish. It’s modestly sized, but does include lots of mushrooms which makes up for it. It’s a subtle and simple dish that is actually quite nice.

There was also a seasonal dish that we ordered.. something about Pan-seared snapper fillet. I thought this was merely so-so. The fish fillets were pretty thin, and had bones in them! Isn’t the point of a fillet to be bone free? It also meant I had to be super careful when feeding Hunter some 🙁 Apart from that, the dish was alright. Nothing spectacular, but nothing awful either.

Carter was pretty chill the whole time, since we scored their fabulous table with sofas. Love that when you have kids! So I could just prop him up in the corner of the sofa and he was a happy chappy watching us. He likes being ‘in the social circle’, so as long as he’s included, he doesn’t give me grief 😉

“You guys all eat and drink… and all I get is a teether?!”

Hunter, absolutely delighted with the tree-cutters outside!

Last Bite: Late Plate offers a casual brunch with good (albeit tiny) coffee. Try to snag the couch seats in the corner!

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

Late Plate
11 Kent Ridge Drive
#01-03 Shaw Foundation Alumni House
Singapore 119244
Phone: 8328 3127
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon – Wed: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, Thu – Fri: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Sat: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

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

AU CHOCOLAT: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bayfront, Singapore

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

AuChocolate03 — Cozy dining at Au Chocolat

Check out Au Chocolate’s website and you’ll get a pretty accurate feel of the whimsical, beautiful experience that greets you when you enter. It spans across a couple of shopfronts and incorporates a cafe as well as a retail shop selling lollies, chocolates and souvenirs. It’s the exact sort of place that sends me into a frenzy 😉

The interior is warm with soft yellow lighting and a cozy atmosphere. There’s a mini train track running along the ceiling with an adorable mini train circling around – this proved to be absolutely fascinating to Hunter who spent ages checking it out.

Their Chicken and mushroom crepe was done beautifully. It came in a large portion and was totally stuffed chockers with chicken and loads of luscious mushrooms… and drenched in a delicious cream sauce. It hit the spot and was thoroughly enjoyable.

AuChocolate04 — Chicken and mushroom crepe ($18)

The Aebleskivers (Danish pancake pockets filled with crunchy Granny Smith apples compote infused with cinnamo) looked really pretty on the plate but were rather standard. There were only 6 small balls of pancakes.. which I thought was fairly dismal for the price. Would not order this again.

AuChocolate05 — Aebleskivers (Danish pancake pockets filled with crunchy Granny Smith apples compote infused with cinnamo) ($16)

Their Au Chocolat hot fudge was a teacup-sized pot of goodness and warmth. It was, literally, molten chocolate fudge. Not too sweet, which was good.. but rich and creamy. I think it would have been even better if served with a dollop of fresh cream! The $9 price tag is rather surprising though… as the cup isn’t very big.

AuChocolate07 — Au Chocolat hot fudge ($9)

Their selection of sweet stuff to takeaway is pretty astonishing. I spent ages trying to figure out what to get 😉 Everything is beautifully made and presented, and it all looked so enticing!

Walked away with a Raspberry brownie. Normally, it would never have crossed my mind to order a dessert with fruit in it.. but the friendly lady was giving away samples and one bite and I was sold. The raspberry is some sort of powder scattering on top of the brownie, and to be honest, has no taste – which was a relief to me. The brownie itself was EXCELLENT – easily one of the best brownies I’ve had. It was very very moist and dense, with zero nuts (cannot stand nuts in my brownies!) and decadent. I believe this was about $5 which I thought was reasonable. Loved this brownie so much I’d definitely get it again next time I’m at MBS.

AuChocolate09 — Gorgeous packaging for my Raspberry brownie

Last Bite: A cozy cafe with a toy train track attached to the ceiling – a sure-hit with the kids. The crepes are delicious, and their fries are a winner.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes, in the mall
Kids’ menu: No

Au Chocolat
Bay Level L1-03
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Singapore 018972
Phone: 6688 7227
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm

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

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!