Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Dining

There are days when you want to pretend to be healthy - this was one such day. Since we were in the area, I suggested having some Japanese vegetarian food at Sunshine Plaza. 

Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Dining occupied two shop fronts. Simple furnishing without too much fuss. The other shop front looked more inviting compared to the main shop front.

We tried the Salmon Sashimi ($9). There was no way this tasted like real salmon sashimi but as with most mock meat, they usually don't taste like the real deal in any case. This was chilled, and had a bouncy texture to it.

I much preferred the Vegetable Tendon with Miso Soup ($13.90) which was not inferior to the quality of the tendons in the popular shops in town. There was a variety of deep-fried vegetables, including different kinds of mushrooms, lady's finger, asparagus and eggplant. The vegetables were deep fried just right- not too soft, yet not too crispy to the point of being slightly burnt. 

Reasonably-priced Japanese vegetarian food.

Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Dining 
Sunshine Plaza
91 Bencoolen Street
#01-50
Singapore
Tel No: 6337 7050

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A Noodle Story

A Noodle Story is no stranger to the local food scene as it has been awarded the Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide. It is set up by two former Shatec classmates who have worked at top restaurants in Singapore. 

Unsurprisingly, there was a long queue ahead of us during lunch time. It also took some time for each bowl to be prepared. 

We ordered the small bowl of Singapore-style Ramen ($8), which was rather filling. $8 may be a lot to pay for hawker food, but as I ate, I told my husband, "I will willingly pay $8 for this." 

Although it is called ramen, it is more like wanton noodles. The egg noodles were springy and coated with sauce made of dried shrimps and kelp, with a small dollop of sambal at the side. The sauce was a little too salty for me, but other than that, this innovative dish was a whole new level on its own.

The Char Siew is made using belly pork from Spain and slow-braised for 36 hours, explaining its melt-in-the-mouth texture. The wantons, made with pork and chunks of shrimps, are fresh and bouncy. I left the best for the last- the potato-wrapped prawn. Nobody can resist deep fried potatoes - what more thinly cut deep fried potatoes wrapped around a prawn! 

A Noodle Story recently wrote a post on Facebook explaining its prices and giving a breakdown for each of its ingredients- honestly, even without the explanation, I would have thought that it was totally entitled to charge what it did. 

Bonus: If you hate queuing and can bear to part with a further $2 just to get your food faster than the rest, you can buy a fast pass from Klook and attract all the envious looks of the people queueing.

A Noodle Story 
Amoy Street Food Centre
7 Maxwell Road
#01-39
Singapore 069111
Tel No: 9027 6289 

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Columbus Coffee Co

On a bus ride recently, I noticed that there was a new restaurant along Upper Thomson. I told my husband, "Eh think there's a new cafe called French Toast!" 

Yesterday, my husband rolled his eyes at me after we realised that French Toast was the school teaching French classes, and was not the new cafe, Columbus Coffee! 

Columbus Coffee is owned by the owners of Atlas Coffeehouse and Lunar Coffee Brewers. 

A quick glance of the menu demonstrated serious thought in planning the menu- no run-of-the-mill items, some innovative food and some comfort food. 

Cosy interior, and there is a big table that can suit large groups (probably fits more than 12).

The Soft Shell Crab Burger ($22) caught my attention. Although relatively pricey for a burger, I didn't think it was unfairly priced. This beautifully plated dish came with two substantial pieces of nicely deep fried soft shell crab, and what really perked up this dish was the mango pomegranate salsa - though small, these packed a punch- slightly sour, slightly sweet and the pomegranate added a welcome crunch. The brioche buns are also done just the way I like it- lightly buttered, lightly toasted and fluffy. The generous portion of curly fries were pretty addictive, although they were a little too salty.

It's a nice dining spot serving good food, with friendly service as well.

Columbus Coffee Co 
220 Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574352
Tel No: 6253 6024 

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