Come to think of it, I so rarely eat steak. A mean ‘ol slab of steak. I suppose it’s because I wouldn’t grill it myself at home (not convinced I can cook it properly and no way am I wasting it!), and if I’m out in a restaurant, I inevitably end up choosing something else off the menu.

But when one is at Les Bouchons, a restaurant specifically for steak, one orders STEAK.

I was recommended a Farnese Fantini red wine ($16) and it was smooth and delightful.

We were served a linen-lined basket of warm bread rolls. What a lovely touch!

The steaks all come with a garden salad, which is refreshing and a lovely accompaniment. It’s not drenched with dressing, which is a big plus.

There were 5 condiments to go with the steak. I preferred the grained mustard the most!

This is our Grilled rib eye steak with vigneron butter ($38.80). The steam was more medium-rare than the medium we ordered, so I found that it was a bit chewy and tendon-y. The meat was lovely and with a fantastic charred flavour, but was not meltingly soft.

The vigneron butter was luscious, though! I wished it came in a large pot on the side, to slather on as much as we please 😉

The Extra tender beef filet ($42) was, yes, more tender than the rib-eye. I’ve had more tender steaks, but this was still pretty good. It was a very small chunk, smaller than the palm of my hand, but had less tendons and fat than the rib-eye.

Special mention to their hand-cut fries, which are cooked fresh and absolutely DIVINE. They are tender on the inside, crisp on the outside, and retain the most gorgeous flavour that frozen fries cannot achieve.

They are FREE FLOW!!!!

That said, there is a very generous portion served with each plate, so we felt no need to request for more.

 
Last Bite: Les Bouchons specialises in steak, but it’s their hand-cut fries that truly impress. They’re free flow to boot!
 
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Les Bouchons
7 Ann Siang Rd
Singapore 069689
Phone: 6423 0737
Prices: $$$$
Hours:
Mon – Fri: 12:00 – 14:00
Mon – Fri: 19:00 – 22:00
Sat: 19:00 – 22:00
 
 

Department Of Caffeine is lies behind an innocuous door along Duxton Road, so much so that it’s pretty easy to walk straight past without realising that there’s a cafe there.

I wasn’t impressed with their service. This makes or breaks an F&B joint, in my book.

My girl friend and I arrived just after 10AM, and they open at 10:30AM. Fair enough. They were setting up, and since she’s pregnant and can’t stand for long, I poked my head in and asked if they would mind if we sneak a chair and sit down until they open.

The young man there was having none of it. Zero smile, zero apologetic note in his voice. He abruptly just said “No. We open at 10:30” and turned his back on us. That’s a real shame, because it gave me a very bad opinion of the cafe almost immediately. Normally, I’d have told him off for his rude behaviour and never return, but I didn’t want to drag my pregnant gf around to hunt for another place, so we actually did wait until they opened.

Some of the pre-made food is on display in the glass counter near the cashier. It’s a great idea because I love being able to see what I’m about to order.

I decided on a Soy latte ($5.60) and regretted that decision when it arrived. It looked miserable, with no coffee art (I know this is not a necessity, but it is nice and shows pride in a barista’s work). Perhaps it’s because it was soy milk, which can’t make coffee art? It was my first time ordering soy milk, so I can’t be sure if that was the reason, or if the barista was just lazy.

The Orange, fresh mint, elderflower ($5.50) drink fared much better. It was bang on AWESOME! Refreshing and fizzy, this really hit the spot on a hot day.

The Crispy chicken fingers with house made tangy spiced mayo ($7.50) were recommended by my cousin, and I’m glad we got this. The chicken was tender and moist, encased in a crunchy batter. The dipping sauce was the perfect accompaniment. Only downside was the pool of oil at the bottom of the bowl, as the chicken was not drained well.

Their Breakfast quiche comes in a pleasingly large portion, served with a scattering of salad greens.I didn’t try this, so I can’t comment on how good it was.

The Poached salmon with dill and mint sauce with two side salads ($15) is precooked, yet is absolute PERFECTION. The salmon isn’t fishy, but meltingly tender and creamy. It was delicious with the sauce, and was an exquisite, healthy meal.

Special shout out for their roasted butternut squash, which is one of the side salad choices. The squash was cut in thick fingers, and they were sweet as well as beautifully tender.

I was SO eager to try the Sundried tomato & herb waffles with streaky bacon, scrambled eggs and maple bacon jam ($17), which sounded amazing. But, I was horrified when I realised the scrambled eggs were BADLY over-salted. So bad that the eggs were completely inedible, and left behind on the plate (no one asked how the food was, or why the eggs were uneaten).

The bacon was okay – I cannot think of any other descriptive word here.

The waffles were delicious though, cooked well and with a lovely savory flavour.

The bacon jam we were promised on the menu was either invisible, or omitted. Instead, we got a pot of syrup. And no explanation as to why the bacon jam was missing.

Last Bite: Department Of Caffeine has some hit and miss dishes, but offers a cozy and relaxed atmosphere. Just don’t expect excellent service here!

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

Department Of Caffeine
15 Duxton Road
Singapore 089481
Phone: 6223 3426
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon – Tue: 10:30 am – 7:30 pm
Thu – Fri: 10:30 am – 10:30 pm
Sat – Sun: 9:30 am – 7:30 pm

SPR MRKT has a simple premise – food, retail and art mingled together in one adorable shop front. It is predominantly a bistro, and secondarily a place where you can pick up a few bits and bobs of groceries, as well as knick knacks. They strongly believe in all things fresh and natural, and so have a daily menu that changes to feature what the fresh produce is that day.

I was delighted that, upon entering, I spotted a table smack bang in the middle of the cafe, offering complimentary chilled water flavoured with fruit and herbs – what a lovely touch! Classy move.

I got distracted with the “shopping” part of the bistro, and started poking around the goods for sale – all displayed in shelving against one wall. There isn’t a huge selection, but features some lovely beers, chips, produce, etc.

On a small table was also stacks of gourmet chocolate, as well as a basket with baked goods. I felt that the baked goods was pretty pricey for the size, so didn’t opt to take-away any back home.

Their menu is displayed up on the blackboard, and is pretty reasonably priced – though the Extras really do add up if you opt for those!

I was impressed with me Flat White ($5), which was smooth and cream with no bitterness.

The Garlic beef and Kurobuta pork sausages with fork-masked potatoes ($16) looked absolutely delightful when it arrived – the sausages were fat and juicy and glistening, with an onion relish draped on top. However, both sausages were actually pretty dry and tough. We’d expected juicy and tender sausages so we were a little disappointed with this. It’s not bad, but I wouldn’t order it again.

The Eggs Royale ($17), however, was fantastic. I enjoyed the English muffins that the generous slices of smoked salmon was laid on, and the eggs were poached perfectly. The hollandaise sauce was creamy but not overpowering, and I felt this dish was a real winner.

 
Last Bite: SPR MRKT has a unique food/retail/art approach that makes the charming cafe a lovely spot for a casual brunch. Their Eggs Royale were a winner!
 
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

SPR MRKT
2 Mccallum Street
Singapore 069043
Phone: 6221 2105
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Fri: 8:00 am – 9:00 pm, Sat: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
 
 

I’m cheating a little here… I’m doing a shout-out about Trattoria Nonna Lina as a kid-friendly place to go to, but I actually went there without kids! So full disclosure here: I was actually there on a dinner date, but was charmed by the homeliness of the restaurant and warm ambiance that I felt it would be totally somewhere I would bring the kids to. Not to mention how excellent their food is.. I know my kids would go nuts over their pasta!

Nonna Lina is a small and cozy restaurant tucked away in the Tanjong Pagar area. The Italian owner was outside and we felt like we’d stepped into an Italian family’s home when we entered.

We were served some complimentary bruschetta, which was a very lovely touch. The tomatoes were fresh and creamy, and it was a nice little filler whilst we waited for our dishes to arrive.

I adored the Homemade pappardelle with Italian sausages in creamy gorgonzola sauce ($27). Admittedly, it was a total artery-clogging dish, but it was so well executed! The thick pappardelle was cooked al dente and doused in the most gorgeous and luscious gorgonzola… oh how I love smelly cheese. The sausage (which was actually sausage meat) was tasty and chunky. I’d expected the dish to be a lot bigger, considering the price, but in retrospect it’s probably best it wasn’t since it was so rich.

Their version of Finely sliced veal with truffle essence and porcini mushrooms, served with homemade potato mash ($31) surprised us because we thought they’d given us the wrong dish when it arrived. I’d expected the veal to be thin slices, escalope style. Instead, it was more like little thin slivers of veal – not that it was a negative thing, but we just didn’t expect it.

This dish looked terrible (definitely not photo-worthy!) but it was a gorgeous dish – the veal was unbelievably tender, and the mushrooms plump and juicy. It was paired very well with the extra-creamy mashed potatoes.

The STAR dish of the night was the dessert, Traditional homemade Italian chocolate and rum pudding with homemade caramel sauce ($16).

WOW.

I don’t think I’ve tasted a better chocolate pudding.

The chocolate and rum pudding was dense yet not overpowering, silky smooth and slightly chilled. The flavour of the rum really came through, and lended a lovely potent kick to the dessert. The caramel sauce cut through the rum and the mix of the flavours was just top notch.

This was brilliant and one of the best desserts I’ve had. An absolute must order!!!

 
Last Bite: Trattoria Nonna Lina is the place to go for some homestyle Italian cooking. Their dishes are rich and flavourful, but it was their homemade Italian chocolate and rum pudding with homemade caramel sauce that really knocked our socks off!
 
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Trattoria Nonna Lina
4 Craig Road
Singapore 089664
Phone: 6222 0930
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
 
 

Let me apologise: PHO 99 Vietnamese Delights isn’t actually child friendly. It is cramped and crowded, has terrible parking in the area, and you’re expected to be in-and-out within minutes (because there are others waiting for your table). I didn’t even go there with kids!

So why am I writing about it?

Because at some point, you might be kid-free, right?? (I hope?)

In the off-chance that you are sans kids, get yourself down to PHO 99 Vietnamese Delights asap. I did, reveling in the tough-to-find parking situation on Amoy St, the small and narrow steps to walk into the cafe, the cramped atmosphere, the no-frills order/eat/leave ambiance, the tiny tables, and just the sheer NO KID-NESS of it all. Hey, this sort of stuff excites me nowadays – I felt like I was really walking on the WILD side!!

I arrived at 11:30 and it was virtually empty. By 12PM, it was packed to the rafters with office workers. The place is cramped, so go early.

The menu is pretty basic. There are the usual rice paper rolls and spring rolls, and vermicelli or rice or pho for their main, etc.

But I was there for their namesake, the Pho Tai ($11). It arrived quickly, a large steaming hot bowl of delicious goodness.

AND OH MY, IT WAS GOOOOOOD!!!!

The broth was light and not oily, with lots of slippery smooth rice noodles. There was a generous amount of thinly sliced (amazingly tender) beef, so much so that I didn’t ration them out properly and ended up with a pile of beef at the end, with not much noodles left to eat it with.

What impressed me was the dry chili (in a pot) that was on the table. I’m not even keen on chili, but I found that a dollop of the stuff on my sliced beef gave the dish a fantastic kick of flavour.

I actually reckon this place serves up the best Pho I’ve had in Singapore so far!

And, psssttttt! Walk down the same road (Amoy St) to Matt’s The Chocolate Shop. It’s a pretty nondescript place that hides away a FANTASTIC chocolate cake – pretty much their only offering there. I got the individual serve for $4 and was very impressed with the light and airy cake, which wasn’t dense enough to be overpowering, yet retained a richness of the chocolate flavour. The fudge icing on top was a welcome wetness to the cake, and the combination was divine.

Last Bite: PHO 99 is the place to go when you don’t have kids in tow. Their Pho Tai is one of the best we’ve had in Singapore! Go before noon to avoid the lunch crowd.

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

PHO 99 Vietnamese Delights
57 Amoy St
Singapore 069883
Phone: 9768 8735
Prices: $
Hours: Mon – Fri: 10:00 – 21:00, Sat – Sun: 10:00 – 20:00