Travel

GIVEAWAY: Win one of two $50 vouchers at BabyAtt (+15% off for everyone)!

May 1, 2014 / Giveaways, Singapore / 2 Comments

It’s rare to find a clothing brand that offers quality materials AND a lot of fine detail in their clothing. So I was squealing with pleasure when I saw the stuff BabyAtt stocks in real life!

BabyAtt are all about childrens apparel with a quirky twist. Inspired by stories, fueled by imagination.

Basically, they are REALLY. FREAKIN’ CUTE.

Check out the BabyAtt dress shirts for boys below! (psstttt… they also have the girls versions. Prepare to have your mind blown with cuteness overload).

The materials used in BabyAtt clothing are eco-friendly and pure organic. The details are all hand-sewn. The clothing is incredibly durable, due to a stringent 4-stitch sewing technique instead of the usual 2-or 3-stitch.

In real life, the quality and attention to detail is top notch.

For kids, the clothes are a real magnet because the details and bits and bobs on the clothing means the kids are excited putting on the tees – it’s very novel for them. When they’re in the shirts, other kids will go up to them to have a look, and other parents have also asked where we got the shirts from.

BabyAtt are giving away two $50 vouchers!

a BWMB giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaways will run from 2-8 May 2014 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).

Use code BWMB to receive 15% off storewide at BabyAtt!

Code valid from 2 May – 2 June.

Just to point out, both my kids are wearing the 24M size. They are 20 months old and 3 years old, both weighing 14KG.

Here’s a closeup of the BabyAtt ‘cloudy apple’ shirt that Carter is wearing. Made with 100% organic cotton, it looks really different because of the slanted row of wooden buttons. I love this detail! 3 clouds are also tightly sewn on and provide cuteness and texture to the shirt.

Carter’s wearing it with denim jeans, but I reckon it’d also look fab with crisp white shorts for a smart-casual summertime look!

Here’s Hunter in the BabyAtt ‘fly me to the moon’ shirt, also featuring 100% organic cotton. This one looks a tad more formal to me, because of the white base colour. It’s like a cute version of Daddy’s work shirt, so Hunter finds this quite amusing!

Check out those BALLOONS!! I can’t stand how cute they are. Various fabric cutouts form the balloons, with strings dangling from them (don’t worry, they are very securely fastened down).

I’m really happy with these BabyAtt shirts because both kids are comfortable in them. They are roomy enough to move around in, yet not overly baggy. And, I’m delighted with how the one size can fit a 20 month old and a 3 year old – it means I”ll get HEAPS of wear out of them!

Thanks BabyAtt!

DEPARTMENT OF CAFFEINE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Tanjong Pagar, Singapore

May 1, 2014 / Food Reviews, Singapore, Tanjong Pagar / 1 Comment

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

THREE HANDS COFFEE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bukit Timah, Singapore

April 26, 2014 / Bukit Timah, Food Reviews, Singapore / 1 Comment

Three Hands Coffee has just opened its doors at Binjai Park, in the Upper Bukit Timah Area!

I’m completely delighted because there aren’t that many coffee places in the West side of Singapore, so I always welcome a new one.

It shares premises with Taberna Wine Academy (which opens in the evening), and thus Three Hands Coffee is only open in the daytime. It’s not immediately obvious that this place exists (they’re still working on getting signage up), so you have to poke around for a bit!

The interior is spacious and very comfortable. Check out all those sofas! SO good for kids to chill out on.

Despite the incredible rows and rows of wine bottles all around the cafe, Carter didn’t knock or smash any (whew), and spent most of the time lounging around on the comfortable sofas like he owned the place.

This small counter area is where the magic happens. They brew their coffee here, and also heat up some pastries and savory dishes.

On the side wall is a few drawers crammed with pastries galore.

Their coffee, brewed from beans by Papa Palheta, is done very carefully. Each morning, the barista calibrates the machine just-so, because the beans vary.

The result is a balanced, rich cup of coffee. I know there’s zero bitterness, because I drank this with no sugar. I never drink coffee with no sugar.

They are still in the process of bringing in a proper savory menu.

For now, we were treated to a little off-the-menu goody – a toasted butter croissant with shaved ham, cheese and greens.

It was very fresh, and I loved the golden croissant, which wasn’t oily at all.

We also had their Almond croissant, which we thoroughly enjoyed because it wasn’t too sugary. It was flaky, yet moist inside, and the almonds were crunchy and fresh.

Last Bite: Three Hands Coffee is new on the block, and already wows with their carefully-brewed coffee and fresh pastries.

Highchairs: No (in the process of getting them)
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Three Hands Coffee
17 Binjai Park
Singapore 589825
Phone: n/a
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

GIVEAWAY: Win one of five SunMoon goody bags (worth $30 each)!

April 24, 2014 / Giveaways, Singapore / 0 comment

I was a bit hesitant to try my kids out on SunMoon fruit products.

Let me be more specific.

I was a bit hesitant to try Hunter out on SunMoon fruit products.

You see, Carter (1.5 years old) is an eat-with-gusto kinda kid. He’s awesome with food. I can chuck anything vaguely edible in front of him, and he will gobble it up with SO much glee that he makes eating steamed carrots look like the most delicious chocolate on earth. No, I had no worries about Carter there.

But Hunter. Hunter (3 years old) is very good with fruit – that part is true. My kids are both pretty deprived of sugary snacks, so to Hunter, fruit is a total snack attack! BUT, he’s very picky and petulant. One day he’ll like kiwi, the next day he won’t. Ad infinitum with all other fruits. So I was very interested to see how a picky eater would fare with SunMoon fruit products.

But guess what we have here?

Eating fruit! With gusto! Self-feeding, even!! TRIPLE WHAMMY, WHAM BAM THANK YOU MAAM!!

I am very pleased, and you can read on below for detailed reviews of their products, as well as my tips on more exciting ways to eat their fruit cups.

But for now, we have some goody bags to giveaway!!

SunMoon are giving away five goody bags (worth $30 each)!

a BWMB giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaways will run from 25 April – 1 May 2014 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).
Winner may collect their goody bag at the SunMoon office in Singapore.

So, above, we have the boys tussling over one packet of SunMoon fruit crisps. Carter (obviously) loves them. But the weird thing is that Hunter loves them too. And I mean, LOVE. Why is this weird? It’s weird because Hunter doesn’t actually like dried fruit – I’ve never had any success introducing it to him.

But when I wave a packet of these babies around, he gets all excited and will pretty much do anything to get his hot lil hands on a packet. Inside consists of 100% fresh fruit that has been freeze dried. This means it preserves all the nutritional goodness of the fresh fruit without the use of any preservatives and flavorings. Basically, it’s feeding your kids whole fruit – inclusive of all the fibre goodness.

Also, he particularly adores the packets with strawberries in it. Weird again, because he hates fresh strawberries! But he will eagerly pick out allllll the strawberries in the packet and stuff them into his mouth with a happy grin. I’m actually very pleased about this fact, because we all know how berries are really good for young kids (and adults), so it’s my sneaky way of making sure he eats his berries.

Then there’s the SunMoon fruit cups. With no articial preservatives, flavouring, or colourings, and ZERO sugar added, these are a fab little healthy snack of juicy goodness. They come in convenient little grab-and-go disposable cups with spoons attached.

Sold in a twin-pack at SG$1.90. Flavours include Peach, Seasonal Mixed Fruits, Mandarin Orange.

I tried to take a shot of the SunMoon fruit cup, but by now, Hunter and Carter were privvy to the goodness of this brand (they’d already had the fruit crisps), and were climbing over my back (!!!) to grab these.

So this photo was the best one I got.

They’re pretty kid-proof when sealed, so Hunter couldn’t open it up by himself. Just as well because the fruit chunks come floating in 100% apple juice, which I didn’t want spilling everywhere.

The fruit is juicy, sweet, and refreshing. I always imagined pre-packaged fruit to be mushy and have a weird taste or aftertaste, but this has none. The cute individual cup packaging kinda tricks my kids into thinking they’re awesome snacks, so they gobble up their fruit oh-so-merrily.

Here’s what I like to do with our SunMoon fruit cups:

Eat them as-is – well, duh!
Mix in yogurt – I mix with plain greek yogurt because the fruit adds a lovely sweetness to it, and it’s a super healthy breakfast.
Sprinkle on top of cereal – fruit on cornflakes, mixed with a bit of milk. Yummy power breakfast!
Sprinkle on top of vanilla ice cream – for a real decadent after-dinner treat.
Make a fruity milkshake – simply pop it in the blender with some milk or yogurt, and a squeeze of honey.

And guess what? From 18 April to 9 May, you can Buy 2 and Get 1 FREE at all Sheng Shiong & NTUC Fair Price outlets.

The SunMoon fruit cups and fruit crisps range is available at Sheng Siong, NTUC Fairprice, selected SPC & Caltex stations, SunMoon retail and online stores.

Thanks SunMoon!

THE FRENCH LADLE: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Bukit Timah, Singapore

April 22, 2014 / Bukit Timah, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

I have such a soft spot for The French Ladle. It’s pretty close to where we live, and is what I consider to be a kickass French restaurant in a neighbourhood area. The service is good. Always good. And their food? It never fails to impress us, and I’ve been there almost ten times!

The inside feels really homely, and seats just a few tables. It’s busy on weekday lunches and weekends, but is quieter on weekday evenings. Specials are written up on the blackboard.

Look! Hunter was presented with some paper and a set of coloured pencils to draw with. He loved scribbling away, and I was delighted that he was kept amused during the meal.

Complimentary warm baguette with salted butter. There is much to be said about a restaurant that serves complimentary chilled water AND a bread basket. It is SO appreciated, especially because we all know about kids and their insane obsession with carbs….. Hunter self-buttered each slice and… errr…. ate the whole basket.

Their Mushroom soup comes thick with mushrooms, and is served piping hot.

I was initially disinterested with the Mushroom risotto when it arrived. It’s a vegetarian dish – not my cup of tea 😉 But…. I LOVED it when I had a bite, and proceeded to scoop more onto my plate 😉 The dish was laden with fat chunky mushrooms (of various varieties), draped with creamy risotto rice and perked up with shaved Parmesan. Oooo… it was delicious! The sweetness of the mushrooms really came through, contrasting with the softness of the buttery risotto.

We were so impressed with their Steak frites. The shoestring fries were a hit with Hunter (no surprise there), but it was the steak that I loved. It was meaty, and a great bite, and was served with just a small dollop of herbed butter so the beef flavour really came through. It was cooked to perfection. Served at a sizeable portion, this is great if you’re into red meat.

And… what I thought was the best dish.. the Duck confit pasta. I think this is one of the best pastas I’ve eaten – ever. The spaghetti was cooled el dente, enveloped in a light cream sauce (that was not too thick or overpowering), and scattered with Parmesan. But it was the duck confit that had us reeling – it was astonishingly tender and moist, and in FAT chunks! In fact, I ended up with lots of duck left over, and not much noodles to go around 😉

An absolute must-order!

Last Bite: The French Ladle offers home-style French food that is absolutely delicious. We never fail to leave impressed. Their Duck confit pasta is a winner in our book!

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

The French Ladle
2 Pandan Valley
Pandan Valley Condominium #01-206
Singapore 597626
Phone: 6467 7505
Prices: $$$
Hours:
Tue – Fri: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sat: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sun: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

THE LIVING CAFE (re-visited): Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bukit Timah, Singapore

April 21, 2014 / Bukit Timah, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Remember I visited The Living Cafe a couple of weeks ago? Back then, all I had was a Soy latte, which is a pretty poor effort for a food review 😉

Well, I went back! With Chris in tow! He was both horrified and interested at The Living Cafe, after learning that they do no red meat, no cow dairy, no white sugar, no preservatives, no additives, no artificial colorings and include gluten free alternatives on the menu. The specialise in raw food, or raw-fusion food. And that sort of spiel is enough to make a grown man shudder 😉

And it was surprisingly packed out on a weekend brunch. Almost every table consisted of at least one foreigner, so I suppose it’s pretty hot with the expat community. I don’t think your typical ‘ol local Singaporean auntie or uncle is going to be able to stomach this kind of food.

I didn’t realise the last time I went, but the cafe provides colouring paper and crayons for kids, which is popped on a small stool near the front entrance. It’s actually the kids menu (which looks good), but Carter had a grand ol time scribbling all over it with gusto.

I had a Flat white with hazelnut milk ($5.50) and, I gotta say, it’s way better than soy milk. It basically tasted like it was made with regular milk! Sadly though, no nice foam art so the coffee looked pretty basic, and it was served in a tiny cup.

The 6th Avenue rosti ($20) Sweet potato rosti, smoked salmon, avocado, poached egg, wasabi mayo was outstanding. TRULY AMAZING. I personally thought it was one of the best brunch rostis I’ve had. The sweet potato used is a winner (as compared to the regular potato version), and the egg was poached to perfection. The avocado (it was originally asparagus but I swapped it to avocado) was perfectly ripened, and the whole dish was a luscious explosion of sweet and salty, crisp and creamy.

The portion size is very small, and would be best made 50% larger, but at least it is kick-ass amazing.

Chris opted for the Hormone free chicken, onions, goats cheese, cashew cheese pizza ($20), and it actually did come out looking like a pizza! The base, however, didn’t taste like a regular pizza base. It has more of a pita texture and floppiness (it’s very thin), and very grainy because of all the wholemeal flour used. I’m not saying this is bad, but it was just very different to regular pizza dough. If you’re aware of this and embrace the fact, you’ll like it 🙂

The toppings were delicious – the chicken was tender and chunky, and the cheese gave it the necessary kick of flavour. The pesto was a little on the skimpy side, so the edges became a tad dry (because, again, the wholemeal flour is different to regular pizza dough).

Still, a very impressive effort to recreate a healthy wholemeal pizza, and it was pretty good!

Oh boy, their Raw chocolate ganache tart ($8.90) is fabulous. Ask for it to arrive with your food, and set it aside to come to room temperature by the time you finish your mains. It’s not chocolate, it’s cacao, but it damn near tastes just like chocolate! Very rich, very creamy chocolate, in fact.

The base is a mix of nuts and coconut oil, so it does give off a strong coconut flavour. I normally don’t like coconut, but this sat well with me. It’s a bit chewy, a bit crumbly, and very good paired with the rich creamy chocolate.

Last Bite: The Living Cafe’s brunch menu truly impressed us with it’s thoughtfully cooked and delicious food. Their 6th Avenue Rosti is a mustorder!

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

The Living Cafe
779 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 268759
Phone: 6762 8029
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm, Tue – Fri: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm, Sat: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm, Sun: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm

MY AWESOME CAFE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Telok Ayer, Singapore

April 19, 2014 / Food Reviews, Singapore, Telok Ayer / 2 Comments

I always walk past this cafe after my training at Bodytec each week, wondering why it’s always so bustling (mostly with office workers in the late-morning when I walk past), and why there is no signage except for some big Chinese letters on the white walls and columns outside. It’s actually completely confusing, and this is what makes it the ultimate hipster hangout.

It’s called My Awesome Cafe 真棒堂.

Even more surprisingly, it’s owned by a French guy! And a super beefy one at that. I imagine he looks far more ‘normal’ looking in a gym, than running around serving food and drinks in a cafe 😉 He is SUPER nice, as is the rest of his staff. I’ve been there three times now, and all three times, I’ve left so delighted with the service that I’m already planning my next trip back.

The interior is dark. And, oddly, it’s even dark when it’s bright daylight outside. It adds to the moody, hipster atmosphere of the cafe… and actually makes it look really underground-trendy when I went back at night with Chris and it had a bit of a nightclub vibe with pumping music and beers and wine galore.

The outside benches and chairs are made from wooden planks on top of red-painted pipes. It adds a pop of colour to the cafe and is pretty cute.

So… is the self-dubbed My Awesome Cafe any good?

The menu contains many various of similar items, and prices are all very affordable.

I kicked off with a surprise (and complimentary) juice shot… of which contents I am not sure of, because I’ve forgotten! I’ve never had a free shot of anything in a cafe in Singapore – ever. What a way to delight your customers!

My Croissant with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and cheese ($8.50) was quite a deal IMHO, when many other cafes charge double the price for the same thing. The croissant was a little on the tiny side, but I loved the chilled smoked salmon and creamy scrambled eggs that came with it. It was excellent comfort food and the salmon added a perfect tinge of saltiness to the subtle flavour of the eggs.

On a side note, I’ve also had their Duck Rilettes Sandwich ($14) which is perfection. The duck is just salty enough, but balanced well against the crisp baguette. Fresh mixed greens are added, as well as a generous spread of pesto, which brings the whole sandwich together into a delicious symphony of tastes. Would order this again any time!

I also love their Upside-down Pineapple Cake ($5), which has that perfect crumbly cake texture that is still moist, topped with sweet pineapples. Could be the best rendition I’ve tried in Singapore.

My Flat white arrived with very curious coffee art. Can anyone figure out what it’s supposed to be??

The coffee was rich and delicious, and I really love the vintage glassware that is used in this cafe. It’s a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, yet is so crowded during the day (and late into the night), so obviously people that know about this place, know!

Last Bite: My Awesome Cafe doesn’t look like much from the outside, but houses a hipster cafe serving up superb food and coffee. Their croissant dishes are great, as is their duck rilettes sandwich!

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

My Awesome Cafe 真棒堂
202 Telok Ayer
Singapore 068630
Phone: 8428 0102
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon – Tue: 7:45 am – 9:00 pm
Wed – Fri: 7:45 am – 12:00 am
Sat – Sun: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

GIVEAWAY: Win one of five products from Mustela’s 9 Months range for mums!

April 18, 2014 / Giveaways, Singapore / 0 comment

Mustela have a lovely range, called Mustela 9 Months, catered for new and expecting mothers. The suite of products are designed for women to use during pregnancy as well as after childbirth. They target a mother’s skin and various body issues to keep women comfortable and able to enjoy their pregnancy.

There are THREE particular products that we will be featuring today, and the winners can choose one of the products below as their prize 🙂

1) Stretch Marks Double Action – SG$59.90

Specially formulated for expectant mothers, Mustela 9 Months Stretch Marks Double Action helps prevent and reduce stretch marks thanks to its innovative combination of naturally-derived active ingredients:

A patented anti-stretch marks formula activates the production of fibers that strengthen the skin. The skin becomes more supple, elastic, and resistant to the causes of stretch marks.
A restructuring complex based on sophora japonica and oligo-elements promotes cell renewal and the regeneration of the skin.
Avocado peptides and hydrating shea butter provide the skin with immediate relief and lasting nourishment.

2) Stretch Marks Care Oil – SG$39.50

Specifically formulated for pregnant women and young mothers, Mustela 9 Months Stretch Mark Oil helps prevent stretch marks using an exclusive combination of 100% vegetable oils and a natural active ingredient:

The production of fibres that strengthen the skin is activated by lupeol, a natural, patented active ingredient. Skin elasticity is improved, helping it to cope better with stretching.
Skin is nourished and softened using luxurious pomegranate seed, musk rose and baobab oils.
Skin is nourished, moisturized and protected using avocado oil and sunflower oil.

3) Body Restructuring Gel – SG$52.50

Specially formulated for post-partum skin care, Mustela 9 Months Post-Partum Body Restructuring Gel firms up slackened skin and reduces unsightly puffiness with its naturally-derived ingredients:

Restores firmness to skin tissue thanks to its combination of Elastoregulator, lupeol and centella asiatica.
Remodels body contours thanks to a combination of plant extracts including sophora japonica with its draining and diuretic properties.
Improves skin quality thanks to avocado peptides with their soothing, lipid-replenishing properties.

Mustela are giving away one product
from the 9 Months range to FIVE winners!

a BWMBgiveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaways will run from 18-24 April 2014 inclusive.
Winner may select one of the three listed products in this giveaway.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).

Mustela is available at all Kiddy Palace outlets, Takashimaya Department Store (Baby department), Robinsons, OG, Mums & Babe, Motherswork, selected – Spring Maternity, Watsons and Guardian.

WAFFLE SLAYER: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Tiong Bahru, Singapore

April 17, 2014 / Food Reviews, Singapore, Tiong Bahru / 0 comment

We were originally planning on hitting Strangers Reunion, but it was jam packed with people and we had four kids in tow, so we headed to the cafe next door instead, called Waffle Slayer. Turned out, they’re owned by the Strangers Reunion folk anyway!

The industrial chic cafe has almost zero signage, and the glass doors reflect very well.. so I actually walked straight past the cafe without realising what it was. The door panels that open up are fairly narrow – something to note if you have a very wide pram.

The narrow but long space is jam packed with tables and chairs, with most of the patrons being female (the guys were all there with their female counterparts, no tables were men-only).

Service is pretty quick, and very friendly, despite looking a bit short-staffed.

Complimentary water for the table, served in a big bottle. Major props!

The cafe is crowded on weekends, and not great for kids to run around in. Though I’d imagine the enclosed place would be alright when not as crowded on weekdays.

The older kids were kept occupied watching a movie on the iPhone.

We ordered the Za’atar-spiced eggplant fritters with lemon yogurt ($12.90) which I forgot to photograph – whoops! The kids enjoyed this because it was cut like fat chips, and they were really tasty. A great appetizer/snack to share.

Our Red velvet buttermilk waffle with pistachio tuile, chocolate fudge and vanilla ice cream ($14.90) disappointed me at first, because the entire waffle was soft and floppy and soggy. To me, a good waffle is crisp on the outside, and yields to a fluffy moist interior. But this texture was almost exactly like a microwaved waffle (despite it being freshly cooked in their waffle maker – I assume).

Fortunately, it did taste nice. Not blow-me-away fantastic, because of the miserable texture, but nice. The red velvet flavour actually wasn’t very strong, but the waffle had a lovely flavour and the large dollop of vanilla ice cream went down well.

Last Bite: Waffle Slayer specialises in, you guessed it, waffles! Ours arrived rather floppy and soggy, but their (large selection of) other dishes satisfied us.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes (though be warned of the narrow entrance)
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Waffle Slayer
37 Kampong Bahru Road
Singapore 169356
Phone: 6222 4869
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

HIGHLANDER COFFEE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Tiong Bahru, Singapore

April 16, 2014 / Food Reviews, Singapore, Tiong Bahru / 0 comment

It was by recommendation of a girl friend, who said they had “excellent coffee”, that brought us here to Highlander Coffee. The cafe is tiny and houses only a few tables, but we were fortunate to score the corner ones since we had four (!) kids in tow.

You see, Highlander Coffee isn’t a place you go for food. It’s a coffee place, first and foremost. Founded a decade ago by two brothers, they are a hands-on barista workshop (located in a separate room at the back of the cafe) as well as a coffee appreciation workshop.

Apart from the impressive coffee equipment around the cafe (which is also for sale), the cafe decor and tables/chairs are about as basic and simple as you can get. It’s pretty stark, with plain stools and round white tables. It’s obvious people go there just for the coffee.

And of course their coffee is lovely. My Flat White has a gorgeous creamy layer of crema, and the flavour is subtle but still flavourful. The Iced latte is impressive, because it still packs a powerful punch of coffee flavour, which often lacks in other cafes’ iced coffees (as they get too diluted due to the ice cubes melting).

Food-wise, it is clearly not Highlander Coffee’s forte and we find the food all edible, but nothing to shout about. Everything is pre-made and, if necessary, zapped in the toaster or microwave.

The Chicken salad croissant is happily packed with lots of fresh-looking salad, which I appreciate. The chicken is moist and tender, and I would consider this dish very similar to Delifrance’s version.

The Lasagne is tasty and full of melted cheese, so it’s pretty popular with the kids. There is not one single vegetable detectable in this dish though, so I’m pretty sure it’s not exactly up there in the Healthy Foods To Eat category..

Their pies are pre-made and popped into the toaster oven to reheat, but the Chicken pie is still pretty good. It’s a shame it’s not served with a side salad or on a proper plate (it arrives unceremoniously on a paper plate), which would have elevated it into more of a real cafe dish instead of looking like a I-grabbed-this-at-the-petrol-station quickie.

The Tuna sandwich looked the most basic and homemade out of all the dishes. It was even served on plain old white bread, not even croissant or homebaked bread or focaccia or anything! Fine to order if you’re desperate, but fair warning here that you’ll be completely unimpressed.

The Pasta bolognaise is pretty much exactly like the Lasagne above, except with macaroni pasta. It’s a bit on the oily side, due to all the cheese, but Hunter likes it so I won’t complain.

Last Bite: Higherlander Coffee may not offer freshly-cooked or impressive food, but it’s their outstanding coffee (and expertise) that people go for. Their Iced latte is excellent!