When it comes to having supper in Singapore, Simpang Bedok – a stretch of halal eateries that open till late – immediately comes to mind.

Among them, Spize Supper Club is one of the most famous muslim restaurants serving halal food. Besides Simpang Bedok, it also has another branch at River Valley that caters to the hungry late night club goers.

If you ever find yourself hungry in the middle of the night, Spize halal restaurant at Simpang Bedok is probably your best bet.

It has a very comprehensive menu. From Thai food like Pineapple rice ($9) and Tom Yam Seafood ($10); to Malay food like Mee Goreng ($5.5) and Nasi Ayam ($3.8); and Western food like burgers ($6.5) and steak ($14.9) – there is something for everyone to choose from.

We started with the Spize Burger ($7.5) – chargrilled beef patty with sunny side up, BBQ sauce and cheese. The Mee Goreng ($5.5) came wrapped in an egg omelette. Both dishes were just fine – I mean, how badly could anyone make a burger and fried noodles?

My friend was raving about Spize’s Chicken Wrap ($5.5), so we ordered one to share. I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be rock-my-socks-off-good.

What makes Spize Supper Club so popular? I think it is a combination of cheap food, late night hours, and the atmosphere of eating by the road side. It is one of those places that you come back again and again for late night supper.

I am on a mission to try more Muslim food, so do leave a comment and let me know where are some of your favourite halal restaurants in Singapore.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Spize Supper Club
336/338 Bedok Road
Tel: +65 6445 3211
Daily: 11am – 3am

Sin Hoi Sai (also known as Sin Hoi San) Eating House has been around for ages and they hold a special place in my heart. When I was a kid, my uncle used to bring me there for dinner every month.

As the years went by, we stopped going there for zi char, but I am really happy to see that Sin Hoi Sai has been doing well. Ask any foodie where you can find a popular Zi Char Restaurant for supper and invariably, the name Sin Hoi Sai at Tiong Bahru will prop up.

Back in the days, we used to eat in the alley under the open sky. They have since expanded to the shop house opposite, increasing their seating capacity.

Even though the standard of the food is still decent, the prices have gone up by quite a bit. It really depends on your perspective though. If you see Sin Hoi San as a Chinese Seafood Restaurant, then their prices are probably quite acceptable.

But for me, Sin Hoi San will always be that place where I had my steamed fish at the “al fresco” area. I feel that their current prices are rather steep for a Zi Char Stall.

Considering the fact that Sin Hoi Sai used to be a no-frills Zi Char place and it now provides air-conditioning in the shop house, I can understand the increase in price. We are also paying more as they are operating throughout the night.

Will I go back to Sin Hoi San Seafood Restaurant? Yes, but only if I am looking for a late night supper place. Given that there are plenty of good cze char places that I have yet to explore, I am not in a hurry to come back.

I am sorry Sin Hoi Sai, you’ve changed. It’s not me, it’s you.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Sin Hoi Sai Eating House
55 Tiong Bahru Road (Opposite Link Hotel)
#01-59 Singapore
Tel: +65 6223 0810
Daily: 5pm – 5am

187 East Coast Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6440 6956
Daily: 5pm – 4am

TCC High Tea Set

The Connoisseur Concerto (previously known as The Coffee Connoisseur) is one of the popular Coffee Chains in Singapore. What makes TCC different from its competitors is the unique design at each boutique cafe.

TCC has been rolling out a different high tea set every month, and at just $12.90++, it is one of the most value for money afternoon tea sets. For those of you who are keen to enjoy the promotion at The Connoisseur Concerto, it is available from 2pm to 6pm daily.

The picture of the high tea set above is the one that I had two months ago. The Connoisseur Concerto is currently serving a Spring tea set for March and it comes with different scones, sandwiches and cakes with tea/coffee.

I like the idea that The Coffee Connoisseur TCC is changing the cakes and pastries for the high tea set every month. In addition, the affordable prices make it possible for everyone to enjoy a leisure afternoon tea.

Besides sharing the High Tea Set, we ordered another two desserts from TCC’s ala carte menu.

Two of my friends are big fans of chocolate lava cake, and they have tried many places for this popular dessert. When I asked them where can I get the best molten chocolate lava cake in Singapore, they replied: TCC.

After trying The Coffee Connoisseur’s Dark Chocolate Cake ($11), I have to agree with them that it is amongst the better ones that I’ve had.

DO NOT order TCC’s Bread and butter pudding ($11.5). You have been warned.

* * *

With so many cafes in Singapore, The Connoisseur Concerto is a good place to have a) desserts for afternoon tea, b) a hangout place to meet friends and c) late night dining at their 24 hours outlet located in Orchard road.

I am not too sure about the main course there, but most of my friends who frequently eat at TCC seem to agree that they have pretty decent food. How about you? What do you usually order at The Coffee Connoisseur Cafe?

Singapore Food Blog Review
The Connoisseur Concerto TCC
360 Orchard Road #01-01
International Building Singapore

65 Airport Boulevard, #01-22
Changi Airport Terminal 3 Singapore
Tel: +65 6214 0680

3E River Valley Road, #01-01
Clarke Quay Singapore
Tel: +65 6336 1121

Since opening back in 2007, 2am: Dessert Bar by Chef Janice Wong has been making waves in the Singapore Food scene with her sophisticated “fine dining” desserts.

The dessert restaurant is located at the fringe of Holland Village, and it is the perfect place for a romantic late night dessert treat.

The couch and pillows at 2am Dessert Bar reminds me of Supper Club at Odeon tower. If you prefer sitting, there are also tables in the middle. Otherwise, you can always sit at the bar and watch the chefs prepare the dessert.

Besides serving sophisticated desserts, 2am Dessert Bar also has the “looks” to go along. It is modern-chic and not too pretentious. However, I feel that the place can be a little noisy when crowded, and it is rather difficult to hold a proper conversation.

We went to 2am: Dessert Bar after a simple dinner at Yoshimaru Ramen Bar. It was still relatively early and we managed to get a seat at the bar easily. It took us a while to decide as there were so many desserts to choose from. After ordering, I was so excited that I ignored everyone and stood up from the stool at the bar to watch the chef put the whole dessert together. It was like watching a performance.

Janice’s Pistachio Black Sesame ($14) was built on a four point pivot of orange blossom ice cream, burnt caramel, pistachio sponge and black sesame. Individually, they seemed a little awkward, and yet they managed to blend together.

What I did not like, though, was the texture of the pistachio sponge. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all very interesting, but it just didn’t do it for me.

I think it really boils down to personal preference, but I’d choose the popcorn over the pistachio black sesame.

On 2am Dessert Bar’s menu, the popcorn ($15) was simply: sweet and salty, yuzu. When the nicely plated dessert was served to our table, we discovered that it was actually passionfruit sweet popcorn mousse.

Tangy, refreshing with a yuzu touch, dotted with caramel sauce by the side, and two different popcorn mousse with contrasting sweet and salty flavours were served on opposite ends. We first tasted each ingredient separately. Then, we used the fork to take a bit of everything and placed it at the tip of our tongue. Everything happened in a flash, and the next thing I know, we were licking the fork and scraping the plate clean.

I felt inadequate describing how the desserts at 2am: Dessert Bar taste. The creations are unpredictable and out-of-the-box. I think you need to have a good imagination in order to appreciate them.

Half the time, I was trying to catch up and figure out the reason why Chef Janice Wong decided to pair a particular ingredient with the other.

This is not the place to go if you want to have a sugar-high with a substantial dessert after dinner. This is also not the place where you can get your typical-in-the-face desserts.

Most of the items on 2am: Dessert Bar’s menu are priced from $14 upwards. While they are not exactly cheap, I guess it is okay for us to occasionally splurge on desserts. Yay to having a sweet tooth!

Singapore Food Blog Review
2am: Dessert Bar
21A Lorong Liput
Holland Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6291 9727

Operating Hours:
Mon to Sat 6pm – 2am
(Closed on Sun)

As with my other lists of eating places, I decided to blog about restaurants in Singapore that offer late night dining because my friends always ask me for recommendations. This post will mainly cover restaurants that serve proper food till late night, and I have indicated their last order timing.

Here is my list on the Late Night Eats and Supper Places in Singapore:

There are many people who work till very late, and most of the restaurants are usually closed by then. Who says you have to go home with an empty stomach after a long day of work? There are plenty of options for either a late dinner or supper.

For the night owls, a midnight supper will not be complete without prata, frog leg porridge or dim sum. So I will be doing a separate blog post on supper and 24 hours eating places.

Note: the last order timing is for food only, most of the restaurants still serve drinks after the kitchen closes.

Bliss Waterfront Dining & Bar

Located within Punggol Park, Bliss Waterfront Dining & Bar is a great chill out place to go with a group of friends to have some finger food and drinks. It is also a romantic restaurant to bring your partner for a date.

Late Night Dining Till:
Sun – Thu 12 Midnight (last order 10.30pm)
Fri – Sat 2am (last order for 11pm)

Hougang Avenue 8 Punggol Park Singapore
Tel: +65 6280 3389

Brewerkz

When it comes to good beer in Singapore, many people will think of Brewerkz, Singapore’s award-winning microbrewery restaurant. Brewerkz serves American-style food (they have a famous burger) and a full range of premium beers.

Late Night Dining Till:
Weekday 12 Midnight (last order 11.30pm)
Weekend 1am (last order 12.30am)

30 Merchant Road #01-05/06
Riverside Point Singapore
Tel: +65 6438 7438

Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant

Craving for German food and beer after an early dinner? Get a group of friends and go to Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant at Vivocity for their Pork Knuckle, German sausages and booze.

Late Night Dining Till:
Sun – Thu 12 Midnight (last order 11pm)
Fri – Sat 1am (last order 12pm)

1 Harbourfront Walk #01-149/-151
VivoCity Singapore
Tel: +65 6272 8815

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts at Robertson Quay is a Belgian Bar and bistro set up by Celebrity Chef Emmanuel Stroobant (Saint Pierre Restaurant). Besides Oosters at Capital Square, Brussels Sprouts is the place to go if you are looking for a Belgian restaurant in Singapore.

Late Night Dining Till:
Weekday 12 Midnight (last order 11.45pm)
Weekend 1am (last order 12.45pm)

80 Mohamed Sultan Road #01-12
The Pier @ Robertson Singapore
Tel: +65 6887 4344

Coffee Club

I am not a big fan of Coffee Joint Cafes in Singapore. But if you are hungry after a late night movie in Orchard, Coffee Club at Wheelock is definitely one of the options.

If you are looking for 24 hours restaurants in Orchard Singapore, look no further than The Coffee Connoisseur at International Building (besides Shaw), and Coffee Club at Wheelock.

Late Night Dining Till:
Daily 24 Hours

501 Orchard Road, #01-K1 Wheelock Place
Tel: +65 6836 5383

Crystal Jade Xiaolongbao Steamboat Buffet

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiaolongbao at Holland Village has a rather complicated pricing structure. Here are the details for those of you who are thinking of having steamboat buffet there.

Crystal Jade’s Steamboat Buffet on weekdays: 5pm – 7.15pm ($22.80++), 7.30pm – 9.45pm ($22.80++), 10pm – 12 Midnight ($18.80++). The same time slots apply during weekends, with an increment of $2.

Late Night Dining Till:
Daily 12 Midnight (Last Order 11.30pm)

2 Lorong Mambong Holland Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6463 0968

Crystal Jade Kitchen Holland Village

Amongst the 11 Crystal Jade Kitchen branches in Singapore, the one at Holland Village is the only one that opens till late night. If you don’t feel like having steamboat and xiaolongbao, how about supper at Crystal Jade Kitchen?

Late Night Dining Till:
Fri – Sat 4am (last order 3.30am)
Sun – Thu 3am (last order 2.30am)

2 Lorong Mambong Holland Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6469 0300

Dallas Restaurant

Dallas is one of the few Boat Quay restaurants which stands out with pretty decent food at reasonable prices. They have a great view of the Singapore River, do try their BBQ pork ribs when you are there.

Late Night Dining till:
Weekday 12 Midnight (last order 10.30pm)
Weekend 1am (last order 10.30pm)

31 Boat Quay Boat Quay Conservation Area Singapore
Tel: +65 6532 2131

District 10 Bistro

Even though the kitchen at District 10 Bistro closes at 10.30pm, the al fresco area is a good chill out place to have drinks till midnight.

Late Night Dining Till:
Sun – Thu 12 Midnight (last order 10.30pm)
Fri – Sat 1am (last order 10.30pm)

10 Winstedt Road #01-17 Singapore
Tel: +65 6738 4788

eM by the River

One of the few restaurants in Singapore to serve daily brunch, eM by the River is not only a good place for breakfast food, but they also open till late night during weekdays. There is a 1-for-1 happy hour for Mojito during Saturday night (9pm to 11pm).

eM by the River is a nice late night cafe to have some snacks and drinks, and the kitchen is also available if you are having a late dinner.

Late Night Dining Till:
Weekday 2am (last order 1am)
Weekend 3am (last order 2am)

1 Nanson Road #01-05 The Gallery Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6836 9691

En Japanese Dining Bar

En Japanese Dining Bar has two outlets, with the other one located opposite Bukit Timah Coronation Plaza. As for the branch at River Valley, it has an early bird discount: from 6-8pm enjoy 50% off any sushi, sashimi and handroll from the ala carte menu. Since this post is about the supper eating places in Singapore, you will be happy to know that they open till late during Friday and Saturday.

Late Night Dining Till:

Sun – Thu 12 Midnight (last order 11.20pm)
Fri – Sat 3am (last order 2.20am)

207 River Valley Road #01-57
UE Square Singapore
Tel: +65 6735 2212

Fatboy’s Burger

You know what? I think a burger sounds like the perfect supper food. Stop denying it, you know you WANT a burger.

Late Night Dining Till:
Daily 12 Midnight (last order 11.30pm)

187 Upper Thomson Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6252 8780

Kko Kko Nara Korean Fried Chicken

Kko Kko Nara at Tanjong Pagar is a great supper place for some drinks and Korean Fried Chicken. It is impossible to say no to Korean Fried Chicken, so forget about the idea of quitting your late night eating habits. Let’s have a midnight feast!

Late Night Dining Till:
Daily 3am (last order 2am)

57 Tras Street #01-01 Singapore
Tel: +65 6224 8186

Nectarie Le’Dessert Patisserie

Where to find late night desserts in Singapore? At Nectarie Patisserie of course! The dessert cafe is smacked right in the middle of Clark Quay, the heart and soul of Singapore’s Nightlife.

Have a slice of cake with a cup of coffee after partying, and head nearby to have bak kut teh for supper.

Late Night Dining Till:
Sun – Tue 11pm (last order 10.30pm)
Wed – Sat 2am (last order 1.45am)

3C River Valley Road #01-05 The Cannery, Clarke Quay Singapore
Tel: +65 6305 6728

OverEasy Restaurant

If you are craving for breakfast food during the middle of the night, don’t worry, you are not crazy. It happens to me all the time. And OverEasy restaurant at One Fullerton is the perfect place to satisfy your breakfast food craving because it has an all day breakfast menu.

Okay, maybe we shouldn’t call it all day breakfast since it is available all night long too. OverEasy opens till late night, you can have your eggs benedict and pancakes at 3am during weekends. It sounds great right? This is the late night restaurant to go for food and drinks in the wee hours.

Late Night Dining Till:
Weekday 1am (last order 10.30pm)
Weekend 4.30am (last order 3.30am)

1 Fullerton Road #01-06 One Fullerton Singapore
Tel: +65 6423 0701
Last Order: 10.30pm

Peperoni Pizzeria

I know there are many people who usually crave for Pizza at night, and if you are staying in the West of Singapore,  check out Peperoni Pizzeria at Greenwood Avenue. They recently opened a new outlet at Binja Park which is just a few minutes drive down the road.

Late Night Dining Till:
Daily 12 Midnight (last order 10.30pm)

6 Greenwood Avenue Hillcrest Park Singapore
Tel: +65 6465 6556

Prive Bakery Cafe

Prive Bakery DOES NOT serve brunch at night, I put this photo on purpose to remind you to go there for breakfast on weekends. Anyway, I have always recommended my friends to go Prive whenever they ask me for a place to have coffee and desserts till late. Hint: Prive is very romantic at night.

The last order for food and dessert at the Bakery Cafe is 10.30pm, but you can continue with drinks and snacks at Prive Waterfront Bar untill 1am on weekdays and 2am on weekends.

Late Night Dining Till:
Daily: 12 Midnight (last order 10.30pm)

2 Keppel Bay Vista GF Marina at Keppel Bay Singapore
Tel: +65 6776 0777

PS Cafe

What do we need to say about PS Cafe?

For main course, the kitchen closes at 10.30pm, but you can have desserts and drinks till 11pm on weekdays, and 1am for weekends.

Late Night Dining Till:
Weekday: 12 Midnight (last order 10.30pm)
Weekend: 2am (last order 10.30pm)

28B Harding Road Tanglin Village
(Dempsey Road) Singapore
Tel: +65 6479 3343

Sauce Bar Esplanade

From the people that gave you The Butter Factory, Sauce is a brand new Bar at the former premises of 7atenine restaurant.

Late Night Dining Till:
Sun – Thu: 5pm – 1am
Fri, Sat & Eve of PH: 5pm – 2am

8 Raffles Avenue
#01-10/12 Esplanade Mall
Tel: +65 6837 2959

Serenity Spanish Restaurant

Most of the Vivocity restaurants operate till late, and if you are craving for Spanish food, check out Serenity Spanish restaurant. Note that the last order for paella is slightly earlier.

Late Night Dining Till:
Sun – Tue 11pm (last order 10.15pm)
Wed – Thu 12 Midnight (last order 10.30pm)
Fri – Sat 1am (10.45pm)

1 HarbourFront Walk #01-98/99 VivoCity Singapore
Tel: +65 6376 8185

The Coffee Connoisseur (TCC)

Looking for a coffee joint to hang out at night?

Luckily for us, The Coffee Connoisseur has two 24 hours outlets at Orchard Road and Changi Airport T3 if you are talking about a supper place in the wee hours like 3am. If you are looking for 24 hours restaurants in Orchard Singapore, TCC at International Building (besides Shaw), and Coffee Club at Wheelock opposite are your best bet.

Late Night Dining Till:
Daily 24 Hours

360 Orchard Road #01-01
International Building Singapore

65 Airport Boulevard, #01-22
Changi Airport Terminal 3, Singapore
Tel: +65 6214 0680

Tab Singapore

Tab Singapore is one of the latest live music venues in Singapore, and apparently food is an integral part of the unique concert set up there. If you finish work early, head over for free flow of steak sandwiches & fries during Happy hours from Mon to Fri 5pm – 8pm (for paying customers).

Late Night Dining Till:
Mon – Thu 1am (last order 11pm)
Fri – Sat 3am (last order 12.30am)
Close on Sun

442 Orchard Road #02-29
Orchard Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6493 6952

Timbre

I am sure everyone knows about Timbre, there is nothing quite like a good pizza and beer with live band. The last order for main course is 10.30pm, but the kitchen serve pizzas and some tapas until 12.30am on weekdays and 1.30am on weekends.

Late Night Dining Till:
Weekday 1am (last order 10.30pm)
Weekend 2am (last order 10.30pm)

45 Armenian Street
The Substation Garden Singapore
Tel: +65 6338 8030

The Queen & the Mangosteen

The Queen and Mangosteen is one of the restaurants at Vivocity which has a great waterfront view of Sentosa. The place is a modern interpretation of the quintessential British gourmet pub, the portions of the food are substantial and excellent for sharing.

Late Night Dining Till:
Mon – Thu 12 Midnight (last order 10.45pm)
Fri – Sun 1am (last order 11.45pm)

1 HarbourFront Walk #01-106/107 VivoCity Singapore
Tel: +65 6376 9380

The Bark Cafe

If not for the fact that Bark Cafe is on the other side of the island, I’d go there every weekend to enjoy a late night supper with my friends. For those of you who stay in the East, be sure to check out Bark Cafe at Changi Chapel & museum (near Changi Prison).

Late Night Dining Till:
Weekday 12.30am (last order 10.45pm)
Weekend 1.30am (last order 10.45pm)

1000 Upper Changi Road North Singapore
Tel: +65 6545 4118

The Cheesecake Cafe

Another great option for late night desserts in Singapore.

The Cheesecake Cafe is a dessert cafe in the East of Singapore to chill out over a sliced of cake and drinks. Even though they do not have that many different types of cheesecake on the menu, the prices are reasonable and if you have not been here before, give it a shot.

Late Night Dining Till:
Sun – Thu 12 Midnight
Fri – Sat 12.30am

685 East Coast Road Frankel Estate Singapore
Tel: +65 6448 7725

The Wine Company

Personally, I felt that the food at The Wine Company Dempsey was average, but they have a good selection of affordable wines.

Late Night Dining Till:
Weekday 12 Midnight (last order 10.45pm)
Weekend 1am (last order 11.45pm)

Block 14D Dempsey Road
Tanglin Village (Dempsey Road) Singapore
Tel: +65 6479 9341

Two Fat Men

Two Fat Men is somewhat like the Smok’Inn Frogz Kitchen of the East, if you are looking for cheap and affordable food in the East of Singapore, this is definitely the place to go for supper.

Late Night Dining Till:
Daily 3am

376 East Coast Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6346 0046

2AM Dessert bar

Here is a supper idea for you to consider if you are in Holland Village: go to Crystal Jade for their steamboat buffet, head over to Wala Wala for some drinks and end off the night with a sophisticated dessert from 2AM Dessert Bar. How does that sound?

Late Night Dining Till:
Daily 2am (last order 12.30am)

21A Lorong Liput Holland Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6291 9727

If all options fail, there is always 24 Hours McDonald!

* * *

Do share with us if you know of any other late night dining restaurants or supper places in Singapore. Now, you have the perfect excuse to eat at night, and you can blame everything on me.

7atenine at Esplanade was one of my favorite restaurants in 2009. My last visit was a year ago, and the restaurant has since been re-branded to Southbridge Jazz @ 7atenine. Gone was the lunch unlimited concept. Instead, they also currently serving food with a cosmopolitan local flavor, combining the best of Western and Asian food.

Even though they have a Moroccan chef at helm, the direction of the menu is mainly influenced by their sister restaurant 7atenine Kuala Lumpur. This explains the presence of KL Hokkien Mee, Char Kuay Teow and Laksa on the menu. Interestingly, there are also Indian food alongside the remaining popular tapas and Western dishes that survived the previous menu.

To be frank with you, when I first heard that 7atenine changed the whole dining concept; I thought it was a shame as I really enjoyed the lunch unlimited ‘buffet’. I wasn’t too keen to go for a second time especially since I had such a good experience the last time.

But I must say it’s a very intriguing idea to combine Jazz with food, so I was finally tempted to drop by 7atenine again. Entering the restaurant and looking at the menu, it felt like the restaurant was going through an identity crisis. I couldn’t figure out if they were trying to be a Western restaurant with Jazz music or another ‘atas‘ restaurant that served hawker food?

Imagine this: you are having KL Laksa in a classy Western restaurant that is playing Jazz music in the background. Confused?

Surprisingly, their KL Curry Laksa ($14.70) was actually quite good. The laksa gravy was thick, and robust and addictive. To pay $14 for laksa is insane. But hey, the huge portion is probably enough for three person and you never know when your laksa craving kicks in during the middle of the night. Another item that we had from the Asian Menu was the Beef Fried Rice ($12.70): decent, it was but nothing breathtaking.

The interesting name – 52 degree Salmon ($27.70) – stood out from the other dishes on the menu. It didn’t taste like the usual pan-seared or grilled salmon. Nor was it like raw sashimi. 7atenine’s interpretation of the fish was like salmon at the most natural stage. Every slice just fell off easily and it came close to the crumble-in-your-mouth effect. There’s a problem though – the portion was too small for a main course.

If there’s a dish that will catch everybody’s attention, it will definitely be the Beef Kebab ($50). Even though the meat was slightly cold as I took a long time to take photographs of it; but every bite was so tender, and together with the fries and grilled vegetables, we called this – the date dish – perfect for sharing between a couple.

If you give me an air ticket that flies to any part of the world, I’d definitely choose to go to Spain. I have always been a big fan of the Spanish culture, somehow everything seduces me. From Spanish football, to the magnificent scenery of the country (that I saw on TV), to Spanish food and the tapas culture, please let me wake up and find myself speaking Spanish!

When the Churros ($7.70) arrived on our table, we experienced the phenomenon again. Everyone went quiet and focused on the dessert. Coated with heaps of sugar and cinnamon, the churros were deep-fried and served pipping hot. Dipping it with the nutella-chocolate sauce, oh em gee, this is surely the best-est thing ever! Chocolate, nutella and churros. I can’t think of a better combination. How could flour taste so good?

I just found my new love, her name is Churros with nutella.

I will like to thank Danielle from ate media for the invitation. Southbridge Jazz @ 7atenine is definitely a good chill out places in Singapore for jazz lovers to hang out with their friends over some food and drinks. The al fresco area is cooling at night for dinner. If you must have air-con, there’s a few tables inside as most of the interior area was converted for the jazz bar.

While I am not a very big drinker, we had fun trying out the different types of mojito at 7atenine. The whole new concept is bold and adventurous, but when it comes to the food, prices are not exactly in the affordable range and honestly, I’m not quite sure how people will react to it. So tell me: are you game enough to order Laksa and Hokkien mee in a restaurant? Well, one thing is for sure, I will definitely be back for the churros!

I need some recommendations for good chill out places please!

Restaurant Review
Southbridge Jazz @ 7atenine
8 Raffles Avenue
#01-10/12 Esplanade Mall
Tel: +65 6338 0789

I always wanted to visit The Wine Company as a friend mentioned that it’s pretty affordable to dine there, and they have two good locations in Dempsey Hill and Evans road. I went to the Dempsey road branch and the restaurant was located on the fringe of the more populated area of Dempsey Hill.

We went during the middle of the day for a quick bite. In my personal opinion, most of the items on the menu were more of finger food and drink snacks, not very appealing if you are looking for something substantial. We didn’t have any wine since it does not goes well with burgers, which was a pity as they had an extensive list of wine to choose from.

Even though it was off-peak period when we were there, it took slightly more than 40 minutes, for them to prepare three burgers, and when the burgers came – we were not impressed.

Small would be an understatement – they were tiny!

Given that it was just $10, I wasn’t really expecting much. But the fact that it took so long to come and we were really hungry; you could guess our feeling when we saw the burgers.

It wouldn’t be so bad if you had a full dinner, and the burger was just a snack to go along with drinks. The beef patty was competently done, but I didn’t like the buns. Fries were average, not the type that would make you finish the whole lot of it. Other than that, I liked the idea of having a slice of pineapple in the Chicken Burger ($10).

I wish I could say we loved this place – with the excellent location in Dempsey Hill, a long list of wine and the charming al fresco area. But at the end of the day, the main reason to come to The Wine Company is for drinks. To be fair, we only had two  different burgers so it’s not a good gauge of their food, but the main highlight of the restaurant is still the extensive and affordable wine list.

Restaurant Review
Wine Company
Block 14D Dempsey Road
Tanglin Village (Dempsey Road)
Tel: +65 6479 9341
Open till late

// Dim Joy is no longer in operation

Dim Joy is one of the few places in Singapore that serves all day dim sum. Be it dim sum for lunch, or dim sum for dinner – Dim Joy offers the option till late night! Since most restaurants only serve dim sum during lunch time, I love the idea of being able to have dim sum whenever I want it. Convinced? Take down the address: Dim Joy 80 Neil Road.

The Char siew sous ($3.5 for 3) are baked to a handsome shade of golden brown. It is all about the balance: the crisp snappy pastry and the sweet luscious char siew fillings. This is what I call, the perfect dim sum.

My dining companions enjoyed the King Shrimp Har Gau ($4 for 4) thoroughly and we also had the Barbecued pork & celery in rice rolls ($5). Finely slice celery and thin bits of char siew in rice rolls that were unfortunately, slightly too thick.

Like all Siew Mai ($3.50 for 4), Dim Joy’s rendition was unassuming: an adequate portion of lean meat with chewy shrimp. But unlike the usual steamed pork dumpling, the one here was subtle in taste, to the border of being slightly bland.

I’m not sure if you are aware, but there’s a ritual to follow when it comes to eating Custard buns ($3 for 3). First use a pair of chopsticks, poke a hole at the top of the bun. Watch the golden custard flow out from the peak, like how lava erupts from the volcano. The way the searing custard touches the tip of the tongue – sensational.

Having the custard bun, is almost like a religious experience.

I remember the char siew bao at Dim Joy during my previous visit because of it’s name, Honey Syrup Char Siew Bao ($3 for 3). With such a sweet name, I’d expect nothing less than honey syrup.

The char siew bao seemed to be the same as before. The white fluffy bao was excellent, but the filling was lacking; with just tiny char siew bits and the honey syrup wasn’t as sweet as expected.

Crisp buttery flakes, with eggy custard fillings straight from the oven. I always know there’s two types of egg tarts; the hard crusty ones that always come in an elongated shape, and there’s the thin flaky egg tarts that will crumble all over your shirt.

I know I have a tendency to make an normal egg tart sound like one that has bird nest and gold foil, but trust me, I’m not exaggerating on the Lingnan Egg Tart ($3.50 for 4).

* * *

Compared to the other dim sum restaurants, the ones here are slightly lighter in flavor. Well if you are craving for dim sum during dinner, Dim Joy is definitely the place to go.

Restaurant Review
Dim Joy Restaurant
80 Neil Road
Tel: +65 6220 6986
Open till 10pm (Closed on Tue)

I love a good restaurant. But if there’s one thing I like even more, it’s having good company for dinner together. Dining in a fine-dining restaurant is very nice, but it really depends on the people around you to make it even better. Sometimes we get lucky, it’s an extra bonus when we are dining with nice people, and it happens to be a very romantic restaurant.

Many people always ask me to recommend a romantic restaurant in Singapore, I’d like to tell them: so long you are with your other half, everywhere is romantic. But I can’t possibly do that can I? You want to know a romantic place for your first date, a romantic restaurant for birthday parties, a romantic restaurant for that special occasion, and like today, a romantic restaurant for Valentine’s day; it’s all about the ambiance.

I’m very pleased to ‘stumble upon’ Boathouse, a newly opened Modern European restaurant at Fullerton Water Boat House. Chic decorations that exudes a laid-back and homely feel, gorgeous view that overlooks the Marina Bay area, elegant and simple furniture, oh I love this place.

Fish Chowder Sea Bass Carpaccio ($15)

I had Wagyu beef on a couple of occasions before, but this was the first time that I actually had a Wagyu Beef Ribs. The first bite? It tasted just like pork ribs. The second bite? It’s definitely a lot better than the normal pork ribs. It’s a superior version, no it’s  wrong to even compared it with pork ribs. My dear, you are looking at the Wagyu Beef Ribs with Aged Red Wine Jus ($33).

The meat was so tender that it falls off the bone and melts in your mouth splendidly. Placed together in a plate, the wagyu beef ribs absorbed the aged red wine jus, and in turn the latter captured the essence from the long braising process. How good was it? Catherine wiped the plate clean with bread.

Ju had the Atlantic Pink Snapper ($25) instead of the Wagyu beef ribs. She mentioned that the fish was fabulously fresh, firm, sweet, and didn’t want to share it with us. An excuse to return? I’d think so!

I seems to be having a lot of pasta recently. Boy I’m glad all of them were good quality ones, and the Tagliatelle Wild Mushroom in Truffle Sauce (S$19) was no exception. Every slurp of the tagliatelle was intense, and so flavorful. Some might find it to be too salty and overpowering, but I thought that it was pretty well done.

The Caramel Apple tartlets ($15) were small. Fine, they were tiny. Initially the restaurant told us it was tasting portions, but after confirmation from a few friends who went there for dinner, they were still serve the mini apple tartlets for the full price.

Fifteen bucks for three mini tartlets and ice cream? I wouldn’t pay for this, and neither should you. Please do not order the apple tartlets until the restaurant made changes to it.

The mind is a funny thing. It always play tricks on you, and subconsciously conjured images of things that you wouldn’t want other people to see. Halfway through the meal, my mind decided to play a game with me. Like as though there was a remote control, it pressed the ‘play’ button, and memories of a very good semifreddo that I’ve before started to flash.

Reason #1 why the pastry chef here does not have a sweet tooth.

With the sourish fruit compote to compliment the White Chocolate Semifreddo ($15), it gave the impression of an anti-sweet establishment. Desserts, are after all, meant to be sweet. I tried the semifreddo on it’s own, and it was so good. In order to see the reasoning behind the inclusion of the fruit compote, I reluctantly had a taste of the semifreddo with the tart berries – well it wasn’t so bad, but I’d obviously prefer dessert to be sweet.

In my opinion, a good Panna cotta must have a firm yet wobbly-like texture. This one here was fairly competent, but under the limelight of the excellent semifreddo and creme brulee, the Panna Cotta did not make a statement.

Reason #2 why the pastry chef here does not have a sweet tooth.

The presence of the licorice reduction, with the Creme Brulee. I was told that the evil licorice was planning on taking over the dessert world, in a test-tube-like container.  Okay I exaggerated. You know, the guys (& some girls) who raise their eyebrow at the slightest mention of desserts? The licorice reduction would be perfect for them since it literally reduced the sweetness level, making me wondered why anyone would do that.

Oh well, that aside, I enjoyed the creme brulee very much.

Torched to a magnificent golden-brown, the underlying custard was naturally sweet. The contrasting layer of the cranky caramelized sugar with the beautiful custard: I’m in love with the creme brulee.

My middle name is dessert: apple tart with ice cream, creme brulee, panna cotta, and white chocolate semifreddo.

* * *

This is the second part of a series that I’m doing on the waterfront restaurants in One Fullerton. I’ll like to thank Fullerton Heritage, Sophia and Kannan of Boathouse for arranging and hosting this dinner.

BoatHouse is definitely one of my favorite restaurant now, and I will not be surprised if they are one of the best new restaurants in 2010. There’s a separate rooftop bar on the third floor called Prelude. Stunning, stunning place with an awesome view of the Esplanade and Marina Bay.

Prices range from $20s for pasta to $30s for a main course. For the superb location and wonderful ambiance, Boathouse is offering a very value set lunch; the 2 course set lunch is $22++, while I’d go for their 3 course set lunch at $29++. Most of the items on their set lunches are from the main ala carte menu which make it extremely tempting.

See you at the Boathouse Fullerton.

Restaurant Review
BoatHouse
#03-01 The Fullerton Waterboat House
3 Fullerton Road
Singapore 029415
Tel: +65 6538 9038

Boathouse is listed as one of ladyironchef’s favorite restaurants in Singapore.

I’m head over heels like love with brunch. It’s more like the feeling of being able to slowly enjoy a long extended breakfast plus lunch, while watching time slips by. The idea of an all-day brunch place appeals to me – it’s damn sexy.

Of late, I’m always too busy over the weekends that there wasn’t a chance to have my favorite brunch, and so when I found out that KPO Cafe serves all day brunch during my first visit, I casually suggested to my friend, “let’s have brunch for dinner.” Okay, maybe casually is an understatement; it was a desperate attempt to plot and make her believe that instead of having steak and salad, it’s the norm to have eggs and pancakes for dinner.

Now, I think I’m really a crazy person (having ice cream for dinner) when it comes to food; I mean who in the right mind will want to have brunch during dinner ? Not many. I have pitched the idea to some of my friends, but most of them think that I’m joking. Surprisingly, it’s either my scheme works or my friend is just as crazy as me – we had brunch for dinner.

How can any brunch be without Eggs Benedict? It is like what har hau is to dim sum, or how chili crabs will be without the deep-fried mantou. After my first encounter with eggs benedict, I’m hooked. The thick creamy hollandaise sauce that is drizzled on top of the beautifully poached egg – it’s a truly magnificent sight to behold.

KPO’s Egg Benedict ($13) uses bacon streaks instead of ham or salmon, and together with the poached eggs, they sat prettily on a slice of thick white toast. For $13, I was expecting a lot more, and sadly it did not deliver. Oh, there’s only one poached eggs? I turned to my friend with a we-have-to-share-kind-of-look. On second thoughts, it was actually not that bad, the streaky bacon was a hit with poached eggs, I would however prefer to have muffin or baguette, instead of white toast. Anyway, the hollandaise sauce was pretty awesome too – honey, it’s all about the butter.

Do you want to pancake with me?

And yes, if there’s one thing which I absolutely adored (besides eggs benedict) – it will be Pancakes ($6). Like I said before, eating pancakes required some knowledge, to cut the long story short; just dunked the fluffy pancakes into the bowl of syrup, let it soaked and immerse in the essence of the wonderful liquid, and I guarantee: you will be happy boys and girls.

I know, the pancakes here look rather sad, they are certainly not like what I had before, but what to do? When you are a hungry man craving for brunch in the middle of town, there’s not much options. Well to be fair, it’s not expensive to have two pancakes for six dollars, it’s more like the consistency of the pancake; one is over-toast, and the other one pales in comparison.

Anyway, this time round, the first question that they asked was not credit card or cash. Instead, they went one step further, they brought me the bill (when I did not ask for it) immediately after the eggs benedict arrived on my table. And so if you are one who will be disturbed by such “tiny acts”, I suggest you head to somewhere else instead. As for me? I like the place enough to go back the following weekend after my first visit. All right, maybe I’m intoxicated by the happiness of finally having eggs benedict after such a long time that I’m not making sense now. If you like brunch, go here, here or here.

KPO @ Killney post office
1 Killiney road
Killney Post Office
Tel: 6733 3648

I always dread to have dinner in Orchard, well the place is great for shopping, people-watching, movies, but food? It is always an issue whenever my friends want to meet there and if you ask me, there’s hardly any place that I like in Orchard.

It was a coincidence that both Lingzie and Kenny were in town, so there was a minor crisis in deciding the place for dinner. Initially I wanted to bring them to my favourite place in Orchard, but we ended up at KPO Cafe.

Most people will have thought that KPO stands for Killiney Post office since the cafe is located on the premises of Killiney post office. But the name actually comes about because it’s at the intersection of Killney, Penang, and Orchard road.

We started dinner with the Pizza Yorkshire ($25). The 10 inch thin crust pizza was thoroughly enjoyable; sweet thin slices Yorkshire pork and well-baked crust with mozzarella cheese matched perfectly with the natural crust.

Even though the Grilled juicy mini beef patties were tiny, I love the way they are done – topped with melted Emmental cheese and served in home-made baguette. The Patty Melt ($12) is one of those things that you wish it would come in bigger portions. And oh yes, the home-made chips were great too! But for the kind of price, it’s more like a snack to go along with drinks rather than a main course for dinner.

The KPO Pork Ribs ($23) was the other signature dish of the cafe. A full slab of ribs marinated with the tantalizing sauce, we have to agree that the marination was very done-well. But having tried better pork ribs elsewhere, KPO’s rendition lacked the ultimate melt-in-the-mouth sensation. Still, it was pretty good.

* * *

I have no doubt that KPO, situated right in the middle of town and yet seemingly away from the hustle of the city, will be a success. The location is already a hit, with the chic environment, it is definitely the place-to-be-seen-at. While it’s a great watering-hole, with the food being pretty decent, but they really need to improve on the service.

I got a shock when the first question they asked, was not what I’ll like to order, but whether I’m paying by credit card or cash. No matter how nice the ambience was, or how excellent the food tasted – that was a total turnoff. But oh well, at least there’s no service charge & GST. Anyway, with the good location plus the chill-out atmosphere, I went back again the following Saturday.

KPO @ Killney post office
1 Killiney road
Killney Post Office
Tel: 6733 3648

I know you are the one. Somehow a part of me, know that I will like Oriole even before I come. Make sense? Because love is blind.

Oriole is one those place that is chic and exudes the laid-back vibe. It is smack right in the middle of town, yet most people isn’t aware of it’s existence. Small, cozy, good food, reasonable prices, totally my-kind-of-place. Oriole!

You like fish & chips? You will like the one here, it’s one of the better fish & chips that I’ve recently; the batter wasn’t soggy and oily even though I took a long time taking photographs, it was still crispy and good. The portions were generous too, with three big pieces of fish at 15 bucks, it’s great for sharing! Most of the wedges were slightly burnt, I’m not sure if it’s done intentionally that way, but it sure was tasty to me!

We took a long time to decide the second main, there was a few choices, spaghetti/risotto of the day, banger & mash, or the oriole burger. But in the end we went for the Beef cheek tagliatelle ($15). The staff loosely compared the tagliatelle to our Chinese kuay teow, but I will beg to differ.The pasta isn’t as thick, so if there must be a comparison, I say it’s closer to Mee-pok. I had a good impression of beef cheeks, and this was delicious! Chewy but not to the extend of being overly difficult to bite, every bit of the beef is immersed in the red wine.

* * *

And for once we didn’t have any desserts because we already had other sweets from elsewhere. But I’m keen to try chocolate fudge cake on my next visit.

Oriole Cafe
96 Somerset road
#01-01 Pan Pacific Serviced Suites
(5 minute walk over from Cineleisure)
Tel: 6238 8348

Oriole Cafe is listed as one of ladyironchef’s favorite restaurants in Singapore

In life we have dreams; they are our goals to work towards to, one step by one step, and approached it. I’ve always wanted to visit Spain; the country, with its rich culture and vibrant cities appeal to me, and of course, Spanish food.

I simply love the idea of Tapas; the option of having more variety of food in smaller bite sizes, seduces me. Why have two dishes when we can have four? And so our Spanish adventure started with the Plamuk tod ($12), tempura style calamari rings. Limon did a thinner version using less batter which allowed the taste of the squid. But the amazing thing was the strawberry yoghurt dip which came along with the calamari!

Tartar sauce? That’s so last season. Mayonnaise? That’s so passe. Try strawberry yoghurt dip!

Tapas has many similarities with our Chinese Dim sum; it’s the communal way of sharing food. Both encouraged people to try out more varieties, and at the same time shared the food with others. The Patatas bravas ($10) was essentially Spanish fried potatoes.

A little bit of this, plus a little bit of that

No I’m not talking about our saliva! We get to share food and try a bit of everything without getting full, isn’t that a brillient idea? There’s no beef in the Moo curry ($12), instead there was pork & potato cubes pan-fried, with the red curry sauce being a tad strong.

How come the sausage tasted like brinjar?

It was hilarious when we mistook the eggplant for sausages at first bite, I’m never a fan of the purple plant. The fusion aspect was on display by preparing the Spanish Bibao (sausages) with Thai green curry sauce. Chorizo con curry verde ($14)

Honey, they shrunk the prawns!

I was sceptical when the “king prawns” that they’d mentioned was so tiny, but for what was lacking in size, the prawns more than made up in taste. The “tiny” creature was so prawny and crunchy! With ingredients like olive oil, lemongrass, black pepper, garlic, nameko mushroom; it was a mixture of flavours.

The Gazpacho con vino blanco ($12) was a traditional Spanish cold soup, with the novelty level upped by serving it in a baby coconut husk. The white wine flavour was subtle, but the experience of drinking soup was redefined into drinking coconut!

Tom-kha Guy ($10)

Besides the “coconut soup”, Limon has a few other soup available for selection, and you know I never like such soups, so use your own imagination how it would taste like.

Pumpkin fusion soup with strips of Serrano ham ($13)

Tomato, Orange and lemon soup ($10)

Paella. This was THE dish besides churros that I was looking forward to. And I had problem pronouncing it the whole night, so I came up with a simple way of remembering it, paella (my own pronunciation: Pie-ya). It was done with a Thai twist; incorporating tom-yum with the Spanish paella, there was plentiful of mixed seafood. It was delicious, every grain of rice tasted so good. Since I did not have paella before, there was no way I could make comparison, but it was good enough for me. And the tom-yum flavour wasn’t even strong (at least to me). Paella de tom yum ($20 for main size)

You like fish?

You will definitely love the Bacalao ($36)! The blue cod fillet was so fresh that it seemed alive on my plate, but I would prefer it to be slightly more pan-fried on the surface. Every piece of flesh was so delicate when our utensils touch it, oh baby, I’m gonna eat you up!

The lomo de cordero ($35) was a perfect sight to behold. There’s something about the Rack of lamb, which always make it so sexy! But somehow the ingredients like rosemary, oregano, mint, white wine, lemongrass sauce did not manage to cover the gamey taste.

Lobster, I love lobster! And I’m not going to share with you. No, get your hands off, it’s mine, it’s all mine! I was freaking excited when the Live lobster krapow ($38) arrived on our table. Every bite of the oven-baked lobster was so good, but there wasn’t enough meat for me! Taking a fork, I tilted the lobster head upside down, and dug at the shell beneath it, and yes, there was more lobster meat there!

On first look, I thought it was panna cotta, the Italian dessert. But it wasn’t. The dessert in picture was a Lemon caramel egg custard flan ($10). The texture was very similar to panna cotta, but I couldn’t quite figure out what was the difference.

And yes, I know chocolate cake has nothing to do with Spanish or Thai, but apparently the pastry chef at Limon does such a good chocolate cake that they decided to put it in the menu. And boy, it was true. The Homemade Chocolate cake ($9) paired with vanilla ice cream was a delight! If you could look at the plain chocolate cake up there, there’s the lava-flowing chocolate on top of the moist chocolate cake. Even though it was a pity there wasn’t any vanilla bean ice cream, but a scoop of cold icy one was enough to bring out the best of the chocolate cake.

I love to share food. But somehow the evil twin in me took over when we had the Crema Catalana con frescas ($10). There are times where you eat something that was so good, yet you couldn’t tell what it was, so you just ate, and ate, and ate. This was what I did, I took a spoonful of the egg based cream, put it in my mouth, and I couldn’t taste what it was. And the second bite became even better. So I simply took up the whole glass, dug, and dug further into, until the whole dessert was finished.

* * *

It was a medley of flavours when the Spaniards and the Thais come and play together. This was my first time trying Paella, and I’m glad I tried it! My appreciation to Towie, the owner of Limon, and Nicole for hosting us for the food tasting session.

And now for the good/great/terrific/fantastic news, I’ll be doing a food outing event (yes finally), at Limon on the 10th August for dinner. It would be a public holiday so I hope to see all of you there. The details of the outing will be in my next post.

Limon restaurant
7 Purvis street #01-01
Tel: 6333 9004

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Ate. Nine. Ten.

Esplanade we were at, yet it certainly didn’t feel anything like Esplanade. The al fresco area was within the ground floor, yet while sitting there and people-grazing, the mood was out away from this world.

Service was almost impeccable. Since most of the tapas were off-the-menu, we wanted to know what we were eating and started asking the staff a lot of questions. Initially when they served us the first few appetisers, they were not sure of the names, and the ingredients in it. But they got used to us asking questions, and when they served the rest of the tapas, they made sure they checked the names and ingredients. Well we did make them stress that day, akin like taking a spelling test. Nonetheless, the staffs were always cheerful and friendly.

In the time of recession where people cut down on their expedition, it takes a brave soul to come out with interesting dining concept. The idea that the chef serves whatever he wants, is actually not new. But there just isn’t much places doing it, most people after all, aren’t adventurous enough and want to have a say in what they are eating. 7atenine. Catchy name, check. Unique concept, check. Ambience, check.

There’s something about Salmon which makes them irresistible to ladies. For some unknown reasons which continue to elude me, most ladies seem to love them. The salmon tartare. For the ladies! Fresh crunchy salmon in lemon cream sauce, with walnuts & some leafy greens providing the crunch. What impressed me was the effort entailed in preparing the cucumber. Instead of short slices, the cucumber was peel off vertically, in a long string. This, surely warrant our praise.

What I liked about the Taco cerbice was the simplicity of the dish. The crunchy sour dough plus the smooth octopus meat. Topped with greens, it further beautify and added balance to the appetiser.

Like couples who are always together, ham always comes with cheese. The dish is a basically an appetiser of ham & cheese. Cubes of green apple, cheese, and ham. While there’s nothing intriguing about the combination, it’s a simple dish to kick-start the meal.

I always remember the significant and special food that I’ve before. Like the best mushroom soup, the best dim sum, all those are deeply engraved in my memory. And the Beef roll on hot stone, would definitely be the latest addition to my memorable list. Putting the thinly-sliced beef rolls on the heated up stone, a brilliant idea! The usage of salt to bring out the natural taste of the beef, with the hot stone keeping the beef warm at optimum temperature. Divine.

Tangy, was the best way to describe the lobster gaspach. Shredded lobster fried was good on its own. But having left it too long in the slightly sourish sauce, it was soggy when we tried it. And did I mention I loved the way 7atenine decorated the bowls with a brush of the sauce. A stroke of genius.

With the pairing of cheese and anchovies, the Mozzarella cheese with anchovies certainly let our imagination ran wild. Just exactly what does the humble small salt-water fish and cheese have in common. Well nothing, but that’s what makes the pairing unique. The presence of bell pepper and tomato brighten up the aesthetic aspect. Much as I’m for creative cooking, this dish didn’t exactly impress.

The best. Mushroom Risotto. 7atenine rendition was done close to the porridge form, quite unlike the harder glutinous-rice like version I had before. Boiling several types of mushrooms to get the stock, the end result was a strong mushroom infused flavour in the risotto. The presence of strong cheese taste was a plus. I do not think words alone can describe the goodness of the risotto. Comfort food.

Again, we see the use of raw salt to bring out the natural flavour of food. Poached lightly, the Salmon with potato wrapped bacon was another worth mentioning dish. Even when eaten on its own, the salmon was fresh, but when you dip it with the sauce, it brought it to a brand new level. The bacon bits, by the side, was salty and flavourful. My date enjoyed her roast mini potatoes, although I didn’t quite fancy that.

When ocean meets farm, the Seabass in celery cream. Sprinkled with bits of salt, the seabass reminded me of my mom’s home-cook fish. The fish was better eaten alone, rather than together with the brown sauce. The mesh celery represented the farm.

At first look, we were guessing the ingredient used to “dye” the calamari black. Guess guess, squid ink! An interesting twist to the otherwise boring calamari. The tomato salsa was refreshing, but other than that, there wasn’t much wow factor. The crusted calamari.

A cheesy pasta. The spaghetti with ham symbolised every aspect of the cheese pasta. A simple dish done right. We were wondering what ham was used though.

If 7atenine is all about interesting new dining concept, then the sizzling wings would definitely be the best representative. Using the pegs (for hanging clothes) to hold the chicken wings so that diners were not dirty their hands. Bravo! While the effectiveness of the peg remained to be questioned, we should applause the innovation. On the other hand, the chicken wings were nothing to shout about. I was pretty astonish when they served the wings, since nothing in my dictionary told me that wings were classified under tapas.

The beef flank was the last main course that we had before serving desserts. The meat was tough and inelastic actually. I didn’t touch much of it. Well, a disappointing anti-climax for the main course.

Caffe latte trifle was the first of the three desserts we started with. Everything coffee. From the ice cream, meringue, to the thin layer of sponge, all of them are coffee flavoured. There’s rice krispies on top too.

With a base of berries, there’s the strawberry ice cream and vanilla bean on top. The execution of the simple strawberry gazpacho was enough, for us to end the meal on a sweet note.

We were surprised by the inclusion of vanilla bean ice cream since the sight of the normal walls ice cream was so common everywhere else. I liked the fact that they spreaded some Oreo crust by the side. I can taste vanilla bean, and with some help from the crust, it turned into Oreo ice cream. And oh yes, warm chocolate brownies must always be eaten together with chilled, cold ice cream.

Total bill was $86.58 for 2, lunch unlimited buffet. In my humble opinion, my date and I agreed that 7atenine is the best new restaurant in 2009, that is until i try a better one. Although not all the tapas impressed me, but the food taste is more on the extreme ends, it’s a case of whether you love it or hate it. Personally, I felt food lovers will generally accept this concept better than the rest, especially so if you are the type that are adventurous and love to try new creations.

It is definitely fun to be keep in the suspense, and wondering what is coming next. Of course, with expectations there will be disappointment. I’m sorry if you do not agree with me. But I love this type of dining concept,  the playful presentation of food, the friendly services, bold creations, the ambience and the amazing value. Of course, the company of my date plays a vital part as well. This year, the best meal I had so far, 7atenine!

7atenine
8 Raffles Avenue
#01-10/12 Esplanade Mall
Tel: 6338 0789

7atenine is listed as one of ladyironchef’s favorite restaurants in Singapore

It wasn’t merely a coincidence when the seven of us stepped into Nectarie Patisserie, fate has brought us together. The group of us; all dessert enthusiast, were looking for more after our previous encounter. Our eyes literally light up at the mention of desserts, our saliva flows at the thought of desserts, and our imagination run wild at the sight of desserts.

Just like the number 7, while some sees it as their lucky charm, others dismissed it as pure speculation. Things could gone either way, and our adventure was just the same. Some people could have feel that the place was great with its nice ambience and pretty cakes, while others might have given their verdict that it was crap and terribly expensive for the petite slice of cake. But for us, the company’s was all that matter, even though the cake didn’t exactly deliver, to our lofty expectations.

We were supposed to be in Seventh Heaven, but that failed to materialise, & we found ourselves in Nectarie instead. While the core of us were the original members behind this, we found new friends who shared our common interest.

Choices. Often people had to make their decision in an instant flash. Inside and outside. We were torn between both sides, until reality stuck. The sun had decided for us.

The inside was a long narrow streak, quite unlike what you’ll normally see. The use of mirror and glass to elongate the place, plus the tall table and chairs were clever, and necessary.

We started with the Pistachio white chocolate ($7.50) eagerly, egged on by one of us who was a fan of pistachio. For the pistachio purist, this was unacceptable. The taste of the nut wasn’t strong enough, and the whole cake was sweet. However for the neutralist, the cake was not bad. The green layer did taste more like kaya than pistachio, but the cake was very smooth, i like the thin layer of raspberry jam which contributed to the sweetness of the cake. Althought some might have felt the cake was too sweet, but personally i like the overall subtle taste.

We favoured the Parfait of dark & white chocolate ($7) over its chocolate cousin, the double chocolate mudcake. There was dark chocolate, white chocolate, and the rather chewy layer. Everything seemed perfect, chocolate with chocolate is after all a fail-proof option. But somehow, the whole dessert couldn’t click, something was amiss.

Whether the Granny smith apple crumble ($6) was created by the granny or not, we do not know. But what we know was the crumble skin was crispy and flaky. Served warm, this dish wouldn’t disappoint you. The only gripe, the apple fillings were too little compared to the thick crumble skin.

I have been told that the Caramelized bananas with chocolate ($7.50) here is good. In fact, it ranked among the top 50 cakes by Sunday Times. Undoubtedly the best cake Nectarie has to offer, the banana and white chocolate mousse was velvety and rich. But that wasn’t the best part, eaten together with the crunchy base, the taste was divine. And all of us unanimously agreed it was the star.

If the caramelized banana with chocolate was the best, then the Dark chocolate Opera ($6) would definitely be on the other end of the score sheet, the worst. Even before we got started on this, our dessert enthusiasts already noticed the cake was too dry. Indeed, the texture and taste was almost dehydrated. Disappointing.

We can’t possibly neglect the unique combination of chocolate and coconut in the form of the Chocolate terrine with coconut mousse ($6). I’ve no idea what’s a terrine, my best bet would be chocolate layers. The whole cake was on the sweet side, just like how desserts are supposed to be. The chocolate actually covered the taste of the coconut, so the others were actually eating them layer by layer to discover the coconut mousse.

I have a love-hate relationship with the Tiramisu ($7). I adored them, and they are definitely listed as one of my favourite desserts. Thus I’m always easily satisfied by the simplest and often i ain’t a good judge between an excellent tiramisu and the normal one.

Nectarie’s rendition was unusual for the fact they didn’t have the the typical layers found in others. The sugar & coffee icing were very beautiful indeed. The finger biscuits soaked in kahlua and espresso were right in the middle of the mascarpone cheese. I thought they were too soggy, a fairly average one, just as we suspected.

Total bill was $73 for 7 people, 7 slices of cakes, & 7 beverages. The promotion of 50% off per slice of cake with each drink meant that we need to get 7 beverages to enjoy the discount for our 7 cakes. This is only applicable during weekdays 1-3pm. With most the drinks fairly expensive, it made it seems like we were still paying for the cake, only that it came with a “free” drink.

I’ve noticed one thing, most of the cakes are decorated with raspberry dips on the white plate which made the whole dessert looked pretty. But while it’s nice as a decoration, to have it on every plate of dessert is a tad too much. Simple is beautiful. Yes?

Nectarie Patisserie actually wasn’t that bad, their desserts were generally okay, but for the prices you are just expecting something more, and they failed to come up with that x factor. The ambience is nice. Check. The cakes are pretty. Check. But somehow the taste failed to surprise us. I ain’t sure whether i’ll go back again, but for you people who hasn’t been there, this might just be one cool place to check it out, once.

Nectarie Patisserie
3C River Valley road
#01-05 The Cannery, Clark Quay
Tel: 6305 7628

Check out the rest of the dessert enthusiast entries:
Fen @ sgcake.com
Evan @ bossacafez
Sihan @ Fundamentally-flawed
Vicki @ herlittleblackdress

Until our next dessert enthusiast outing.. Seventh Heaven & choupinette’s calling!