Carousel

I haven't gone to any buffets that made me go, "WOW" for a really long time. And a visit to Carousel didn't change that.

We went for the buffet lunch on Saturday ($55++) which was from 12 pm to 2 pm. 

The food stations were spread out and this forces you to walk in between all that eating.

We started off with appetisers and salads.

There were some Assorted Grilled Vegetables which is an interesting (and relatively healthy) addition to the buffet spread.

The Japanese food selection had fresh sashimi. 

The Chilled Seafood section had prawns, crayfish, mussels, oysters etc. However, both my friend and I noted that the crayfish had a rather mushy texture to it and thought that it didn't taste fresh. The rest of the seafood were fine.

 Get to choose your bread to accompany your soup- I chose the Zuppa Di Vongole (Clam Soup) which tasted a little foreign to me. It didn't taste like the typical clam chowder that we are used to.

The selection of Indian food was pretty good- however, the naan was too oily and tasted more like roti prata instead.

We didn't waste our stomach space eating the Chinese food because nothing stood out in particular.

Three dessert fondues- that's a rare sight! However, as I am not a fan of fondue, I didn't try any of these. I tried the ice cream next to it instead- you really can't go wrong with ice cream!

After ice cream, I headed straight to the dessert section which turned out to be a real disappointment. Despite the variety of desserts, there was a sore lack of chocolate desserts. Of course, not everybody enjoys chocolate, but you definitely need some of those on the dessert table! The desserts were also not the most tastefully plated and were not replenished. Less of those desserts in shot glasses and real desserts please!

The yoghurt station is also one novel station that is seldom seen at other buffet places.

There was also a cheese section which really appealed to my cheese-loving friend.

The good thing about this place is that it is Halal certified. Their service is also exceptional- they clear your plates once you leave the seat. The waiters and waitresses are also very friendly. When we were there, they were doing some sort of jingle for those having their birthdays. A very nice gesture. Besides that, while there is quantity in the buffet here, quality is somewhat lacking.

Carousel
Royal Plaza on Scotts
25 Scotts Road
Lobby Level 

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Library @ Orchard

One of my earliest childhood memories was going down the Old National Library Building at Stamford Road. Those were the days you had to queue up and the librarian would stamp the due dates on a sheet of paper glued in the book. The thing I remembered most about the library was the distinct red bricks. Then, it got torn down. 

As I grew up, I slowly realised that with all that school work, a 3 weeks due date wasn't going to be practical. I bought books when they were on discount at Borders and it was a true joy to be flipping through those books and deciding the ones worth spending on. Then, Borders closed down.

Nowadays,  I do my shopping for books online on bookdepository.com or fishpond.com. When Kinokuniya holds their sales, I would go down and buy a few books as well. 

Going to Library @ Orchard didn't give me the nostalgic feel of visiting the library in my younger days. Instead, all I could think of was, things have really changed! Funky design concepts, endless racks of new magazines, it's really many notches up from the good old libraries. 

With the emphasis on personal space nowadays, there are nooks and crannies for people to enjoy the peace of being in a library.

A huge premium is placed on design here. The National Library worked with students and lecturers from the Singapore Polytechnic Design-Thinking Team to develop the spaces and features for the library. The shelves, bamboo floors and chairs were also from a home-grown furniture shop.

Two floors worth of books- I didn't really spend time looking at the catalogue because the design fascinated me way more.

I really like this space- it seems like it would be a good cosy venue for some performance of sorts.

They made use of the space below the stairs to store these disks. Overheard a wife telling her husband, "Please ah, you don't think all these very nice ah. All these collect a lot of dust ah. I am not going to clean all these shelves for you." Singaporeans' practicality at its best.

The magazine collection was also displayed in a reader-friendly fashion- you get to look at all the past issues by opening the cupboards and seeing what was available. Pity though, all the magazines I wanted to read about food and travel were mostly empty!

This place is a more than a library. This place is a design success and a chic place for people to hang out.

With this, libraries are no longer just for the nerds. 

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Arteastiq Boutique Tea House

A day in a life of a tai tai- I will never get to know.

The next best substitute would be going for high tea, sip on some high grade tea and nibble on some dainty food.

Surprisingly, on a weekend afternoon, it wasn't crowded. The place had lots of natural light flooding in and made this place feel cheery.

We got the High Tea Set ($48++).

On the top tier, there are the Crispy Wraps (probiotic prata) and Apple Cake. We opted for chicken filling in the crispy wraps- interesting concept to use prata as the "wrap". The chicken was a tad try. The apple cake was moist and had hints of cinnamon- ultimate comfort food!

On the second tier, there is Atlantic Smoked Salmon, Crab Salad in Volvants and Smoked Turkey Ham. The turkey ham and smoked salmon were pretty run-of-the-mill. We pretty much liked the Crab Salad though.

I choose a Lychee Tea. The lychee taste wasn't strong although the cold tea was a good afternoon thirst quencher.

While it has good ambience, this place really isn't worth the money. If you consider the ingredients used, they are pretty much low-cost items.

Arteastiq Boutique Tea House
Mandarin Gallery
#04-14/15
333A Orchard Road
Tel No: 6235 8370 

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Loving Hut

Walking down the streets of Joo Chiat is always an interesting affair- you get to see all the old establishments, see the new cafes, and see the more seedy side of Joo Chiat. We passed by Loving Hut on one of our walking expeditions and decided to try the food.

All the dishes here are vegan.

A casual laid-back vibe in the restaurant. There are interesting posters on the wall. If you have large gatherings, you may want to consider this place as well!

As starters, I got the Onion Rings ($6.90).  The batter was a little too thick but at least, it was hot and crispy.

I can't resist any form of portabello mushrooms, so I got the Papa's Portobello Burger ($14.90). And their description of this dish hit the nail on the head, "But maybe you just can't turn your back on the classics. That's ok. We understand change can be hard." Exactly.

A grilled, juicy portabello with an onion ring on it, sandwiched between two buns. With portabello burgers, it's really difficult to say that it's outstanding because they are almost always executed well. This was accompanied by salad with balsamic vinegar reduction and some seasoned fries.

As desserts, we got the Banana Boat ($8.90).  Typically, you get to choose 3 flavours but we decided to just get 3 scoops of chocolate ice cream. What I really don't get, is how you make ice cream with brown rice.

That said, the ice cream was obviously lacking the richness of milk (who am I to kid that it tastes like good, wholesome, fat ice cream)? Nonetheless, it was really a good substitute for those seeking a vegan option. Dark chocolatey taste was still present.

I would definitely go back to this place because it is reasonably priced and the food is good.

Service was friendly although it takes some time for the food to be served as it can get pretty busy during weekend lunchtime.

Loving Hut
229 Joo Chiat Road #01-01
Tel No: 6348 6318 

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