It is no secret that Fresh Fruits Lab (FFL) is our go-to cafe in the East of Singapore, and since its opening, we have been loyally patronising the cafe for its ever-satisfying menu.

Of course, we love that the place is nicely done up too. If you haven’t been, what you are missing out on is a colourful space that is decorated to look like the coolest laboratory you will ever see.

As for the food, they will surprise you in ways you’d never imagine – like burgers with a fruit salad, meats and seafood with fruit innuendos, and cold pressed fruit juices in a plethora of combinations. Well, fresh fruits lab, right? Every component is covered.

Readers of Ladyironchef will receive 50% off the second main course during dinner on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from now until 28 Feb 2016 when you flash this post or quote “ladyironchef”. Reservations are required to redeem this promotion (one redemption per table).

Fresh Fruits Lab has recently introduced a new menu and of course we had to be among the firsts to try! Here are the highlights from Fresh Fruits Lab’s new menu.

PORK JERKY (BAK KWA) FUSION PIZZA

For the love of bakkwa! Seriously, this Pork Jerky Fusion Pizza (S$17) is a dream come true for us! Heck, we are so done with pizzas with salami and whatnot! Give us bakkwa! All-time favourite BBQ-ed pork jerky slices sit alongside pineapple and rocket leaves, complete with a balsamic glaze. #PizzaSlay

BEEF SHROOMS PIZZA

Sure, mushroom pizzas isn’t uncommon, but FFL’s version is one not to be missed either. It comes with generous slices of marinated beef and lots of sautéed shiitake mushrooms. Complementing flavours and a touch of red wine sauce, the Beefy Shrooms Pizza (S$19) makes a great dinner option.

PORK SCHNITZEL

Classic deep fried breaded pork loin never goes out of style. Staying true to the cafe’s belief in incorporating fruits into their dishes, the Pork Schnitzel (S$18) at FFL is served with tropical salsa fruit salad and Thai Chilli pomelo sauce. 

SOY COD

We had a hard time deciding which our favourite(s) are, but everyone at the table unanimously agreed that the Soy Cod (S$39) may be the priciest item on the new menu, but is also the best dish.

Soy-glazed cod is beautifully pan-seared, then served with buttered Chinese greens, scallop Israeli couscous, huge prawns and bonito ake – this is one healthy dish that ladies would love, as with anyone who is after a light meal that is still nothing short of flavourful.

SOUS VIDE CHICKEN BREAST

We are not fans of chicken breasts for obvious reasons. But the Sous Vide Chicken Breast (S$17) at FFL won our hearts because it is far from dry and hard! If any, its tender white flesh is actually juicy.

Jazzed up with mashed butternut and pistachio crumble and served with sautéed mixed vegetables in raspberry sauce, this is one chicken breast dish that left an impression on us.

LAB FRUITS CUP

The Lab Fruits Cup (S$14) is Fresh Fruits Lab’s take on acai bowl. You will find chia seed pudding, granola and lemon ice jelly in raspberry sauce, topped with a generous serving of fruits and honey ricotta cream.

FRESH FRUITS LAB’S SIGNATURE DISHES

Regulars to Fresh Fruits Lab can still look forward to the iconic dishes.

On weekdays, the menu’s mainstays include all-time favourites such as Da Bomb Burger (S$19), Fish & Chips (S$19), Chilli Soft Shell Crab Pasta (S$19) and Angus Scotch Fillet (S$39). If you haven’t tried, they also have one of the best Fish & Chips (S$19) in town!

The burger is a handsome stack that comprises a 250g beef patty, slices of crispy bacon, egg and melted cheese. Served with a side of fresh fruits salad and fries, no less! Definitely one of the most value-for-money burgers in town.

WEEKEND BRUNCH

On weekends, FFL is a popular spot for brunch. The cafe sees a full house every Saturday and Sunday, and it is little surprise for the menu is no less reasonably-priced. The dishes are all priced between S$11 to S$17, and it includes the popular brunch fare such as Eggs Benedict (S$13), Bangers And Mash (S$14) and Fruity Berries Pancakes (S$11).

And we need to tell you how we are so addicted to the truffled scrambled eggs that is part of the Messy Breakfast (S$17).

WHY WE RETURN TO FRESH FRUITS LAB AGAIN AND AGAIN

Above these all, Fresh Fruits Lab is one cafe in Singapore that never rest on their laurels. They are constantly experimenting with new dishes, playing around with fruits and coming up with innovative dishes and desserts, and always surprises us with amazing menus at prices that are comfortable enough for us to return time and again.

The cherry on top? Their dedication to aesthetics. Plating is one the crew take pride in, and we are just glad we always have pretty food to post on Instagram when we dine at Fresh Fruits Lab.

50% OFF SECOND MAIN COURSE

Readers of Ladyironchef will receive 50% off your second main course during dinner on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from now until 28 Feb 2016 when you flash this post or quote “ladyironchef”.

This promotion is valid to one redemption per table, and only valid for the second main course of a lower or equal value. Reservations are required to redeem this promotion.

Fresh Fruits Lab
351 Changi Road, Kembangan
Singapore 419818
Tel: +65 6677 6741
Tue to Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri: 11am – 11pm
Sat: 10am – 11pm
Sun: 10am – 10pm

This post is brought to you by Fresh Fruits Lab.

It’s always nice to visit new restaurants run by young and talented chefs who are truly passionate about their food.

I first learned about Keystone Restaurant at Stanley Street a few months ago through my journalist friends. They told me about the excellent work Chef Mark Richards is doing at the restaurant, and it is one of the few places that use sous-vide cooking for most of the dishes on the menu.

I went there a while back, and ever since my visit, I’ve been recommending it to my friends. I’ll cut to the chase. If you like hearty meals with big portions, Keystone Restaurant is probably not suitable for you. But if you enjoy dining in a classy restaurant that serves refined and sophisticated food, this is the place to go.

Keystone has a small menu with just several items under each category. Prices range from $29-34 for appetisers, $40-125 for main courses, and $20-23 for desserts.

We started with the Georges bank sea scallop ($31) which came with confit of cherry tomato and Hummus puree. It was good, but not life-changing. This was followed by the delightful Les Landes foie gras ($34) – a combination of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ goose liver. I particularly loved the yuzu concentrate which gave the dish a good balance.

I was eyeing the confit of duck ($30) under the appetisers menu, but I decided not to be greedy, so we proceeded with the main courses.

The highlight of the meal was the Snake River Farms pork belly ($58). It came highly recommended, and it was indeed very good. The sous-vide pork belly was perfectly cooked. Easily one of the best I’ve ever tasted. My only complain is that the chef could have given more of the delicious yukon chips.

Next up, the Chilean seabass confit ($46). While good, I liked the pork belly a lot more. We also tried the beautiful 58 degrees rangers tournedos ($61) which you see in the first photo of this post. It was well-executed; good but nothing to write home about.

Desserts at Keystone, were equally impressive. I almost wanted to order all five desserts on the menu, but my dining companion managed to convince me to stick with three. We had the nutella bar ($20), acquerello pudding ($21), and Valrhona genoise ($23). My favourite was the nutella Bar – it managed to hit all the sweet notes when it came to taste.

Then, we had the Valrhona genoise, which was nicely paired with a yuzu sorbet.

While I wasn’t a fan of the corn used in the acquerello pudding, the tarragon meringue caught me totally off guard. The foam literally vanished into thin air the moment it came into contact with my tongue. It was like magic.

A meal at Keystone Restaurant is not cheap (Palate card with its 50% discount will come in very handy here). But for the quality of the food, and the wonderful dining experience, I dare say it is worth saving up for that special occasion. The talented Chef Mark Richards and the restaurant definitely deserve your support.

Keystone Restaurant
11 Stanley Street
Tel: +65 6221 0046
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
(Closed on Sun)

Note: This was an invited media tasting, arranged by the good people at Palate. Visit their website to find out more about the membership where you can enjoy up to 50% discount.

I had brunch at Skyve Elementary Bistro & Bar a few weeks ago, and I fell in love with the place the moment I stepped inside. The folks behind Table 66 took over the space which used to belong to District 10 Bistro, and I have to say that I am very impressed by the way they transformed the interior.

It was done in a classy and elegant manner, with glass panels letting in lots of sunlight during the day. I can imagine it to be a very pretty and romantic restaurant when night falls.

The bistro is divided in half. On one side is a casual lounge; on the other, is the bright, airy space which is perfect for a lazy weekend brunch. Skyve Bistro and bar is my new favourite brunch place in Singapore.

They have a breakfast menu (served from 8am – 11am on weekdays, and 11am – 4pm on weekends) serving items like Classic Breakfast ($18), and Croque Madame ($12); and a brunch menu which comes with a list of pizzas ($14-20).

We ordered Ricotta Hotcakes ($12), Sous Vide Eggs Benedict ($12), and Classic Breakfast ($18) to share. My dining companion wasn’t very impressed with the food, but I thought otherwise. They are definitely not out-of-this-world good, but it is decent for the price, and the lovely ambience makes everything better.

The Ricotta Hotcakes came with passionfruit butter, which I absolutely adored. The Eggs Benedict was nicely done with Sous Vide technique; together with the Hollandaise sauce, and sweetcorn – it was the perfect way to start my Saturday afternoon. The Classic Breakfast had everything we wanted: fluffy scrambled eggs, nicely grilled tomatoes, a light and puffy brioche, yummy sautéed mushrooms, and two lean pork sausages.

Skyve Elementary Bistro & Bar is known for using Sous Vide to prepare their food, and from what I see on the menu, they have some interesting dishes like Sous Vide Duck Confit, and Sous Vide Crispy Pork Belly.

The brunch menu is probably not the best indicator of the food standard at Skyve Bistro; I definitely want to come back for dinner to try their main courses.

Naturally, the prices during dinner are much more expensive, with appetisers ranging from $14-24; and main courses are $30 above. For those on a budget, the breakfast/brunch menu is a great option as it allows you to enjoy the ambience of the place without paying so much. For those of you who don’t mind spending a bit more, go there for dinner and let me know how it goes. See you at Skyve Bistro.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Skyve Elementary Bistro & Bar
10 Winstedt Road Blk E #01-17
Tel: +65 6225 6690

Tue to Fri: 8.30am – 12am
Sat, Sun & PH: 10am – 12am
(Closed on Mon)

For more recommendations, read my list of Brunch Places in Singapore