Thai Cafe @ Circular Road

My fave Thai dish is Fluffy Catfish Mango Salad! :) I first tried it in a hotel in Bangkok, and life is never the same again! I must always have it whenever i travel there. But sadly, i couldn't find it initially in Spore, after scouting many of the popular Thai restaurants such as Thanying. Then one day i found a variant in a little cafe known as Sticky Rice, located at Serangoon Gdns and AMK Hub. Think they use garoupa instead of Catfish. It's not as nice as the authentic version, but it does alright to ease my cravings!

Then i discovered recently that the Thai Cafe @ Circular Road actually serves this Fluffy Catfish Mango Salad @ $8. Not sure if it's Catfish, but it's yummy! I've had it several times!


Beef Noodles. They used an uncommon chewy flat rice noodles, and the beef balls are succulent and very tasty!

Dry Version

Soup Version

Stuffed chicken wings

My half eaten Tom Yam glass noodles

Poopoo - my usual lunch buddy

Their service could be improved. Orders are slow and often mixed up.

NOTE: Cafe has closed. Sigh, one less place to hangout for lunch.

Rating: dd

Bombay Cafe @ Tanjong Katong

Went to my bf's house and decided to pop into this cafe which is nearby and since it appeared in the Top 100 food list in the Straits Times. Note that this is vegetarian Indian, so no meat. I was slightly disappointed when i discovered this fact from the menu :(


Exterior of the cafe.


Walls are plastered with pictures of movie stars.


There's Bollywood musicals screened on the TV. Counters displayed all the Indian sweets and desserts.


Gol Gappa ($6) : Traditionally known as Pani Puri ( Water Puff)
This is so fun to eat! First you gently take one of the puffs, so light and thin, and widen the opening. Stuff with the potato and chickpea filling. Lastly choose between a spicy & sweetish sauce (red one on the right) or the minty sauce (green one on the left), and pour into the puff right to the brim. Lastly, pop into your gaping mouth and enjoy the myriad of flavors coming together.




Fluffy plain naans, Spring onion Paratha and Paneer Makhani ( Thick pieces of cottage cheese draped in a rich cashew and tomato based gravy, make the Paneer Makhani tremendously satisfying)


Rocket Mango Kulfi: Mango 'ice cream' shaped like a rocket. Okay this is my LAST attempt at kulfi: the Indian's variant of the frozen dairy based dessert. I've previously tried the traditional one made with ground cardamom, saffron, and pistachio nuts. And i almost puked. I decided to give it a second chance noting that it is with Mango, my fave fruit flavor. But the minute i put a little in my mouth, i knew that was so wrong. My poor bf decided to finish it for me, despite my many attempts to stop him from doing so.

Will drop by again if i crave for veg indian cuisine, but since i'm a big fan of Murgh Makhani ( Butter chicken)...so chances are low :P I'm too carnivorous :)))

Rating: d

Choco Polvoron

Cornelius gave us this Goldilock Polvoron, handcarried here by his aunt. Polvoron is a popular Filipino dessert. It's a horlicks-taste floury sweet. Quite nice!

Filipino cuisine is something i haven't quite accustomed too. The desserts are too sweet for my tastebuds. The deep-fried intestines and pork knuckles (crispy pata) are not as good - I prefer the german crackling pock knuckles. Even the beer (san muguel) is nowhere compared to German beer (eg erdinger).

And no, i'm not going to try that famous Filipino delicacy, Balut : a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. Horror of horrors! :P

Rating: d

Donut Factory @ Raffles City

For the 1st time i walked past Donut Factory since eternity, the queue is short ie. < 10 ppl. In fact it was only about 6 or 7. I was overjoyed and decided to try their donuts for the first time. My bf suggested buying ONE donut since i was apparantly full. However we were amazed when a staff came by to size up our orders and everyone ordered the max of 2 dozens. I think i'm too embarressed to say "1 donut pls", so i decided to get half a dozen instead - which was fortunate. Cos they were so delicious!

Clockwise from top: Choco Mocha, Apple Cinnamon, Orange White Choco, Blueberry, Coffee Almond, Herb Cheese.

In order of yumminess: Herb Cheese, Apple Cinnamon, Coffee Almond, Orange White Choco, Blueberry, Choco Mocha ( the choco is great but the mocha is way TOO much and too sweet).

Next time i'll buy a dozen of Herb Cheese - the 1st savoury donut i ever tasted! Yum!



Rating: ddd

Cedele Depot @ Raffles City

I like Cedele's Carrot Cake with Walnuts the most! Beats any other Carrot Cake i've tried. I once was so obsessed i had to have it on consecutive days but sadly the branch @ J8 was gone. Today for the 1st time i saw Mango Meringue, so i took a picture. Tried their banana meringue but not mango.

The Celede Cafe @ Wheelock Place serves main courses such as Grilled fish with Millet and salad. Bread is offered with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbed butter. They also serve the usual sandwiches, my fave being Grilled Veg Ciabatta :)

For meals free of Trans Fat and MSG - try Celede. You won't regret!

Ratings: ddd

Soup Spoon @ Raffles Link

Went soup spoon for lunch with PooPoo.

Ordered a Grande Beef Stew (Promo item). I like the tangy taste from the dollop of mustard.
Costs about $7.80 but it's FOC cos i had collected 10 stamps :)


PooPoo and her Hungarian Beef Goulash: This is my top of the list favorite! Better than the Soup Central's Beef Goulash which tasted more like the Russian Borsch soup loaded with cabbages!


Closeup for the Beef Goulash: Very fulfilling bowl of stew :)


another Beef Stew

Rating: ddd

Chicken Rice @ Bishan Central Blk 511

Went for lunch with church friends, the usual routine every sunday afternoon before heading to our DG. We have been eyeing the chicken rice for some time but had always been reluctant to queue. This time we did and it took us slightly more than half an hour.

This spread costs about $30. I love it! :)

Rating: ddd

Muffins @ Mac's

You must be wondering why of all things i posted a muffin from MacDonald's here. The reason is because this is what i would love to eat every Sun morning :) Their muffins are the best! The derived joy from these delicious muffins is enough to last me the entire week! :D

Rating: ddd

Hong Kong St @ Balestier

This little coffeeshop is very near my bf's workplace. He brought my family there one night to try this herbal liquored steamboat. The broth is very good!

The highlight for us is not this dish though, but the Hay Zho ( Prawn meat wrapped in beancurd skin). It's the BEST hay zho i've eaten so far! Very juicy, succulent and the chunks of water chestnut provided the crunch! Not to be missed!

Reservations are necessary esp on weekends. When i was there, it was full house.

Rating: dd

Swissbake @ Taka

It was my mummy's bday and i got her a little strawberry cream cake from Swissbake. I like Swissbake's cakes. And also from Bakerzin and Patissier.

Rating: ddd

Taiwan foodie @ Taka

Was walking past this promotional stall @ Taka basement, when i saw someone ordered this stewed minced meat rice, a popular delicacy in Taiwan. Oh it brought me wonderful memories of the delicious 卤肉饭 i had in Taiwan last year.

卤肉饭 ($4.50): just passable. But the rice they used is normal thai rice, not the japanese sticky rice which is the authentic one. Sigh.


Flour roll with pork floss and egg filling ($4) : Skin is too thick, reminds me of soon kuey.


Crispy Salted Chicken ($5): Nice...this dish cannot go wrong!

My bf ordered noodles which is not very nice. Bubble tea tastes normally.

Rating: dd

Penny Black @ Boat Quay

It's a beautiful friday and the girls decided to have a nice relaxing lunch by the riverside. We decided to pop by this bar nearest to our office.

This is my Steak and Ale pie ($14). It's quite a nice stew, though a little too watery. Could be thicker. I still prefer Molly Malone's Guinness Steak pie :)




Jemelyn's roast beef sandwich (abt $10).




Ann's shepherd pie: abt $13. Quite yummy. The mushrooms are nicely grilled :)
Felix ordered a chicken pie, similar to my steak pie, but not as tasty.

Rating: dd

the Pump Room microbrewery & bistro @ Clarke Quay

Met up with George and ex colleagues at the Pump Room, suggested by Irwin to avoid going to the usual Brewerkz. George says 'new beer and old friends, how better does it get?'


Beer tower


Meihua, matt and george


Baked Barramundi: better than some pub grub, but definitely not of wow factor.

Rating: d

Food Republic @ Suntec

Don't you think this looks like a setting in a restaurant such as crystal jade?
Haha, i'm also quite impressed by the waitresses in Cheongsam, with hair all bun up like a Spore girl (SQ), as my colleague had commented. But the price to pay for all these frills is 20-40% more for your lunch, compared to avg foodcourt prices.

Rating: dd

Starbucks @ OCBC Centre

Went Starbucks after lunch for drinks with PooPoo and Ann. Still flu-ish, so had to take some hot drink: Green Tea Latte (promotional flavor), the green tea's content is a tat too mild for my liking. Green Tea Frappe is much better :)

Joke from my church's elder: You pay star bucks for Starbucks :P Got it?

Rating: dd

Sweet thoughts

I was having a bad runny nose one sunday and couldn't make it to DG. Bf later lovingly brought me a box containing an Oreo muffin baked by Steff, and a piece of bday choco-cheese cake. I was only allowed to bite one mouthful into it - ooohhh it just soooOOO delicious!

Isetan @ Lido Shaw

Sea Grapes (Caulerpa racemosa) also known as Green Caviar, a genus of seaweed.
Dipped in a mild vinegary sauce, and biting into the little grapes gave little bursts of sea-flavored juices! I like it! :)

Tonkichi @ Takashimaya

Went to observe a telesurvey with some colleagues on a Sat opposite Central Mall, wanted to try Waraku de Pasta but ended up in Orchard since the fieldwork ended early. Had some desserts with my colleagues before my Bf came. Was feeling full when my Bf propelled me towards Tonkichi and subtlely hinted of his intention.

Oysters and tonkatsu! Yum! the oysters are juicy & succulent, while crispy on the outside :) The tonkatsu is consistently good and never fails! By the way, their cabbage and rice are freeflow -- but with a normal appetite, one could never venture that far! Though once i sat beside a jap guy who amazingly had 3 servings of rice and cabbage -- i was awed! :P

Supposedly full, i intended to order some salad. But what the heck, i gave in to temptation and greedily ordered the Tonkatsu Curry set. What comfort food! Of cos i had to abandon most of the rice :(

Rating:ddd

Mont Calzone Pizza & Pasta @ Far East Sq

The name of the cafe says it all - they serve calzone, pizza & pasta.

Ann & I went there for lunch on a friday afternoon: ordered a 2-in-1 pizza
Ann ordered Parma ham & Rocket leaves (right); i ordered Smoked Salmon & Rocket leaves (left) - hee, i secretly took this picture :)


we shared this tiramisu for dessert: not nice, too cakey and dry! :(

Rating: dd

SECOND TRY:
It was a temp staff's last day so we decided to head there for a nice meal. This time strictly ordered their pizzas, no desserts! :)

Again, Smoked Salmon & Rocket leaves

And again, Parma ham & Rocket leaves

Forgot what's this, but looks like mushroom and ham and lotsa cheeeese! Yum!

This is a takeaway order of black pepper beef calzone.

Rating: ddd

Elmo

Elmo brightens up my messy workstation!

Jean's Wedding

Took this picture from Jean's album - the reason for the reflective slur of this photo.