The Terminal Cafe

I wanted to dine near Seletar Aerospace and came across The Terminal Cafe, which was not located within the Seletar Aerospace Park (where all the hip food places are). 

It is located in the Airbus Training Centre. Scandinavian decor, with lots of natural light flooding in. 

We were surprised to find out that only two tables were occupied on a weekend- while the rest of the eateries in Singapore were packed to the brim, here we were on a Saturday afternoon, taking a leisurely and quiet lunch. A rare find! True to its location, there is a table shaped like a plane wing- how cool is that. 

Their menu offers European / Asian food and based on what the cafe uploads on Facebook, the menu seems to frequently change, which means that the people who dine there pretty often will not be bored with the choices available.

The Handmade Tagliatelle with Wild Mushroom in Truffle Sauce ($18) was cooked al dente and the truffle sauce was fragrant, without being overpowering. There was a homely Italian feel to this dish.

We were rather intrigued by the Linguine in Chermoula Sauce & Prawn ($18) and had to google what chermoula sauce was. It turns out that it is a popular sauce in Morocco. The sauce was like a breath of fresh air (because we never tried this before) and the generous portion of prawns was fresh and bouncy.

We also ordered a muffin and a scoop of ice cream thereafter, both of which were decent.

While our initial thoughts were that the prices were a little steep for an office cafeteria, we realised that the standard of the food here was far superior to your usual office cafeteria- this is a serious cafe with serious food and their prices reflect the quality of the food. If you want good food in a relaxing environment without the craze of the usual Saturday lunch crowd, this is for you.

The Terminal Cafe 
12 Seletar Aerospace Crescent
Singapore 797566
Tel No: 6262 5038 

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The Masses

I had wanted to eat at The Masses for the longest time and ended up going there twice in a month. After the Saveur group was sold to their silent partner, co-founder Dylan Ong went on to set up The Masses. 

As starters, I ordered the C&C&C&C Pasta ($10.90 for starter and $15.90 as a main) to share. This interestingly named starter is named as such because it contains crab meat, caviar, clams and chorizo. You also had the option of adding an additional C- the "C" urchin. Served cold (if you want it served hot, just let the waiter know), this C&C&C&C Pasta was a breath of fresh air. The C's were placed separately and the angel hair pasta was swimming in the slightly salty but flavourful lobster bisque. The crunchy texture of the chorizo added some texture to this dish.

I also ordered A Bowl of Dylan's Memories ($17.90). This is essentially premium hainanese pork chop rice. When the dish was served, the waiter introduced each component of the dish and said that it was all meant to be mixed together. My individual preference was, however, to keep them separate, so that the crispy iberico pork chop wouldn't become soggy. The iberico pork chop was crispy and had just the right amount of fats to prevent it from being too dry. It also came with some spicy bacon jam, pickled mushroom, 64 degrees egg and braised savoy. While these were interesting additions to the dish, the star was no doubt the pork chop.

The food here is good. The only problem is that we had to wait rather long for our food both times we were here. Also, if you want to get a seat in the restaurant, do call early to reserve as there was once we reserved too late and ended up sitting outside in the heat.

The Masses 
85 Beach Road
#01-02
Singapore 189694
Tel No: 6266 0061 

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Builders

Builders was in the news last year, but for the wrong reasons. Despite that, my family who had tried the food at the cafe really enjoyed the meals, so we decided to have lunch there on a weekend. Apparently, there is a minimum order for groups exceeding a certain number of people. While we were not informed of that when we were there (not sure if it is because we didn't hit the minimum number or whether the policy is still in place), they had other strange rules like not allowing us to order for 3 people when the fourth person hadn't arrived. That said, it did not stop us from enjoying the food here. 

The soup of the day was the Bacon Minestrone Soup ($7.90). The soup was appetising and tangy, and perfect with little vegetable and bacon bits.

The crispy Golden Wings ($8.90) had potential to not be "yet another starter" because of the curry vinaigrette which was drizzled over the wings. However, the curry taste was not distinct - maybe I was looking forward to dipping these chicken wings in McDonald's curry sauce!

I enjoyed the Panko Herbed Fish Burger ($16.90) which came with a generous piece of lightly breaded fish between two pieces of buttered burger buns.

My mum was raving about the French Toast ($13.90) and said I definitely had to get it. The french toast was caramelised, crispy at the sides and drizzled with a blueberry compote- enjoyable, but definitely not worth its price.

For a cafe located at a heartlands area, the price is a little steep. That said, the food is enjoyable.

Builders 
53 Sims Place
#01-160
Tel No: 6747 1837 

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VENUE By Sebastian

Eating at VENUE By Sebastian is like an ideal relationship- to keep falling in love with the same person over and over again. I last came here around 3 months ago in a professional setting and was a little reserved with taking too much food because well, it was a professional setting. Yesterday, I came with a good friend and it was just no holds barred. Both times, the food was well executed and memorable.

The restaurant is often full for weekday lunches. However, when we came on a Saturday for lunch, there were only a few souls around, which was great because that meant that we didn't have to battle with noise when speaking. The restaurant was bright and inviting, decked out in comfortable neutral colours.

When you get seated, the waiter will ask whether you know how their menu works. Essentially, their dishes are served according to a "sharing concept", where the intention is for guests to order a selection of dishes to be shared.

First up was the Iberico Pork Jowl, Gremolata, Lemon ($18). The thinly sliced pieces of pork jowl was nicely seasoned and had a nice chewy texture. It seemed like a simple dish without fancy embellishment, but it worked well this way.

My friend raved about this Cold pasta, konbu, truffle oil ($23), and there was no way we were going to get through the meal without ordering this. Again, another dish which looks simple but it was very flavourful, say what you may about truffle oil being artificial, but still simply loving that taste which coats every strand of the pasta. The pasta was also cooked al dente.

The Chilean Seabass, mushroom-bacon ragout, truffle yuzu butter sauce ($32) was hands down, my favourite. I liked it so much that I shamelessly told the waitress not to clear the plate as I had not scrapped the remaining mushroom, bacon and sauce from the plate. The fresh seabass was slightly crispy on the outside, and soft and juicy in the inside. Oh, but that sauce. The creamy sauce together with the mushrooms and bacon were a perfect accompaniment to the light-flavoured fish. Just the thought of the dish makes me salivate.

To end off our meal, we ordered the Pear tart, crumble, baileys ice cream ($14), which the waitress told us will take around 30 minutes to be ready. After all the impressive food we have had, the dessert didn't seem to be as outstanding. Despite that, the dessert of sliced pears laid on a flaky and buttery crust was enjoyable- so buttery, we smelt it even before it was served.

There is no way that I am going to deny that we had a enjoyable meal here. While I would pay $32 for the seabass, I am not sure whether I would pay so much for the pasta or the pear tart.

VENUE By Sebastian 
Downtown Gallery
6A Shenton Way
#01-02
Singapore 068815
Tel No: 6904 9688 

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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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Streets of London

Streets of London isn't located in the most prominent of places, despite being in the food haven of Joo Chiat / Katong. Upon my mum's recommendation, we headed to Streets of London for dinner on Sunday. The restaurant seems to keep re-locating, from Bukit Merah to Marina Country Club to here- not sure if there were other locations in between. 

Foot traffic was low when we were there, but this place really deserves better. 

The restaurant is decked out in London-related memorabilia. Red hues dominate in this casual eatery.

This place is essentially a one-man show- the boss himself is the chef, the waiter and the cashier. Food will therefore take a little longer to be prepared and served.

Being the boring me, I decided to go for my all time favourite Fish and Chips ($12.80). The Fish and Chips was executed perfectly. The beer-battered fish was crisped just right, without having the bitterness of being deep fried for too long and it was not oily. The fish was also a rather sizeable portion. Usually, the salads don't really deserve a mention as they are just playing a secondary role but the sweet mint dressing in this salad was refreshing and delightful.

The rest also enjoyed the London Pride IPA Chicken ($12.80).

If you live in the East and enjoy a good meal at affordable prices (no service charge and no GST), do give this place a try. The only thing is that you must be prepared to wait for your food!

Streets of London 
Katong Point Mall
451 Joo Chiat Road
#01-01
Tel No: 9754 7716 

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Thus Coffee

One scorching weekday, I somehow hatched a grand plan to head to Thus Coffee in the sweltering heat. The cafe provided a cool respite, with a nice and cosy ambience to boot. 

I wasn't feeling particularly hungry and ordered the Baked Eggs & Toast ($14). This reminded me of my favourite Wild Honey breakfast- Tunisian. Like Tunisian, the tomato stew was tangy and refreshing, and was slightly spicy. It was a match in heaven with the healthy toasted multigrain bread and had pieces of chunky apple cider sausage topped off with a sous vide egg.

Although I felt tempted to order dessert here, I felt that the prices were on the high side and decided to let the money in my piggy bank stay intact. Otherwise, this was a nice afternoon spot to relax and enjoy some good food.

Thus Coffee 
4 Jalan Kuras
Singapore 577723
Tel No: 8411 7565 

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Fatboy's The Burger Bar (Upper Thomson)

Before moving to my current abode, I used to live near another Fatboy's outlet. But, well, because it looked like I might potentially put on a few kilograms eating their burgers, I wasn't that interested in giving the burgers a try. 

However, as we were on a quest to try all the eateries along Upper Thomson, we decided that it was only right that we tried the burgers at Fatboy's.  

Their menu looked enticing, with a couple of arteries-clogging burgers. But the thing I was truly attracted to was the fact that you could build your own burger, with a good variety of toppings. 

I first chose the healthy sounding honey oat bun ($2), then chose toppings including portabello mushroom ($4.50), fried egg ($1.50), fried onion strings ($1.50), and topped it off with truffle mayo ($1.50). For my dream combination, this burger only cost $11, which is reasonably priced. The honey oat bun was thick and fluffy, the deep fried onion strings were rather addictive (except that it was a tad over deep fried, and a little dry), and the mushroom was juicy. However, the mushroom was slathered with a tad too much balsamic vinegar and it overwhelmed the otherwise earthy taste of the mushroom. All burgers came with fries. Now, if they ever want to expand their menu, please include fish!

If I were craving for burgers, I would bear this place in mind, simply because it is decently priced and the food is reasonably good. The wait for the food can be a little slow because they have delivery orders to handle as well.

Fatboy's The Burger Bar
187 Upper Thomson Road
Tel No: 6252 8780

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Nook & Cranny

One rainy evening, we headed to Nook & Cranny. The ambience is perfect for rainy days. People were just sitting around, using their laptops or doing their assignments. There was one teacher, who was visibly frustrated with the scripts that she was marking. The grief that we inflict upon our teachers. 

They have a seating area outside as well.

We ordered the Nook Wings ($8.50). Yes, these are decent crispy wings, but a little too salty for my liking. Plus, once I had tried Lola's Cafe's Honey Paprika Crispy Wings, these cannot really compare.

As I had over-eaten for the previous meal, I decided to get a simple and hard-to-get-wrong Aglio e Olio ($12.90). The addition of chilli gave the dish some needed punch. I had wished that fresh herbs were used instead of these dried herbs. It was otherwise, again, decent.

My husband got himself the Chicken Bleu ($15.50) which consisted of boneless chicken thigh stuffed with bacon and cheese, served with orzo. The chicken was very easy to tear apart and had a layer of cheese generously spread over it. The first time we ever had Orzo was in Greece. Although it is the size of short grained rice, it is soft and soaks up some of that cheese.

The food here is decent. But if anything, I would be here to spend an entire afternoon just chilling, rather than being here because of good food.

Nook & Cranny
Thomson V One
9 Sin Ming Road
Tel No: 6452 7449 

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Redpan

Redpan is a collaboration between DP Architects and Grub. 

Taking into account the experience of an established homegrown architecture firm with that of a restaurant which knows how to dish out good casual fare, we had high hopes for this place.

The restaurant was spacious and beautifully designed- normal lights are too pedestrian so they got curvy lights instead.

When someone who has artistic genes sets up a restaurant, this is clearly evident, even from the layout of their website.

I know, I know. Truffle fries are just means to cheat people of their money since there is no truffle in truffle oil. But if I like the taste of truffle oil, why not? We ordered the Truffle Floss Fries ($9) - the generous portion of fries came with chicken floss- giving a spin on the otherwise boring truffle fries. Best to be shared by more than 3-4 people.

We ordered the Lup Cheong Iberico Chorizo Paella ($28). This was good enough for at least two to share. The Chinese element in this was the lup cheong which went well with the moist paella rice drizzled with garlic oil. This was in fact a rather genius combination because it was probably meant to taste like claypot rice (along with some slight charred rice). There was really nothing to complain about the dish, except, which is the Iberico chorizo? This was the question that everyone at the table had. Unless we all had issues with understanding what Iberico chorizo is (which we understand to be pork sausage), besides the lup cheong, all we saw and tasted were pieces of chicken.

We also tried the Prawn and Hae Bi Hiam Pasta ($19). The tagliatelle was tossed with a spicy shrimp paste, and accompanied by fresh prawns.

Redpan 
#02-03/04 Marina Square
6 Raffles Boulevard
Tel No: 6884 6884 

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Poulet (Raffles City Shopping Centre)

Poulet is one of those places that we go to when we can't decide what to eat and want something safe. 

Poulet is of course best known for their Roast Chicken with Mushroom Chardonnay. We wanted to try something new and went ahead with the Roast Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce ($30.90). I guess it helps that since their main draw is their roast chicken, they constantly roast a few at the same time, and our order got served very quickly.

We are never disappointed by the roast chicken at Poulet, always timed to perfection - slightly crispy skin and moist inside. The sauce tastes different from the usual black pepper sauce and was mildly peppery. I guess if you wanted, you could eat the peppercorns which would lend a stronger peppery taste- they made this dish look almost Christmasy. Between the Mushroom Chardonnay and the Black Pepper Sauce, I prefer the Mushroom Chardonnay.

We can also never go wrong with the Tiramisu ($9.90) which in this market of over-priced desserts, is one that we think is value for money because of its large portion. It is also not too sweet and has enough soaked lady fingers, instead of some desserts where it is just 90% cream.

Good and attentive service.

Poulet 
Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-65/66
Tel No: 6336 3119 

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Fish & Chicks

Fish and chips in food courts are common. But fish and chips doused in chilli crab sauce and salted egg yolk sauce? 

As we were in a dilemma whether to choose the chilli crab sauce or the salted egg yolk sauce, the only rational thing to do was to order both.

The Best of Both Worlds ($14.80) comprises salted egg and chilli crab sauce over two pieces of fish, together with fries and a choice of side. One portion is good for a hungry teenager. But if you are inching towards 30 like me (or older), it would probably be a good idea to share. The moment my partner took a bite of the fish, he declared that he liked the batter of the fish - not too thick, not too oily and crispy.

Between the chilli crab sauce and the salted egg yolk sauce, I preferred the salted egg yolk sauce because the flavours weren't as overpowering as the chilli crab sauce.

Like my partner, I enjoyed the fish. However, I took issue with the onion rings. There was a grand total of 5 onion rings which tasted frozen. The onion rings were hard and lacking crunch and juiciness.

This is pretty value for money and innovative. They just need to get those onion rings in order.

Fish & Chicks 
Cathay Cineleisure Orchard
8 Grange Road
Basement 1 (Koufu)

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Gills N Shells

We dropped by Gills N Shells one Saturday evening. The foot traffic was pretty low and I think this place certainly deserves more customers. 

We ordered the Hae Bee Hiam Pasta with Soft Shell Crab ($18.90). Sometimes, creating fusion dishes may result in disasters but this was not one of those. The pasta, coated with a generous amount of flavourful and spicy hae bee hiam, was a perfect combination with two relatively large pieces of soft shell crabs. If you are one for spicy and deep fried food, this is for you.

We also ordered the Truffle Infused Cod ($24.90). The pan-seared cod was doused liberally with truffle oil, with chye poh on the cod. While the chye poh added some welcome saltiness to this dish, I felt that it was a little over-fried, resulting in the preserved radish losing its distinct crunch. There was a choice between pilaf rice, fries or mashed potatoes. Since fries and mashed potatoes are so common, we decided to go with the fragrant pilaf rice.

To round off the meal, we ordered a Gills N Shells Tiramisu Jar ($10.90). I was initially a little skeptical when I saw the glass jar as it seemed to consist mostly of cream. To my delight, there were abundance of lady fingers soaked in coffee liquor.

While the service was attentive and the food generally good, we found the portions a little small. 

Gills N Shells 
Hotel Boss
500 Jalan Sultan #01-19
Singapore 199020
Tel No: 6493 2238 

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Lola's Cafe

It's been two years since I last visited Lola's for their main menu items.

They have since taken over the shop space next to theirs and still doing a roaring business. 

I ordered the Smoked Pulled Pork Sanger ($15). I was first exposed to pulled pork in the US and never looked back since. Generous chunks of pulled pork dunked in BBQ sauce were sandwiched between the lightly buttered and fluffy brioche bread. The thinly sliced potato fries were also crispy and addictive- better than McDonald's (I think McDonald's fries are pretty legit).

I always get the Honey Parprika Crispy Wings ($10) when I come to Lola's. It's almost a crime not to get these beautifully deep fried wings. Crispy, yet not oily. With each bite oozes chicken juiciness, paired beautifully with the layer of honey glaze on the chicken. A must order.

Lola's Cafe 
5 and 7 Simon Road
Tel No: 6284 0349 

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Pollen

Pollen is an ideal place to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary or if you are just feeling like going to somewhere with a nice ambience. Imagine being surrounded by the smell of flora and fauna while you eat. 

Pollen offered free buggy services from Marina Bay Sands (you have to give them a call in advance to arrange for the pickup) and it is a nice gesture so that you can arrive in style at the restaurant. The restaurant is in the flower dome, so be prepared to deal with the cool temperature. Even if you do not have a shawl, the friendly waiters in the restaurant are happy to lend a shawl to you.

First up was the complimentary canapes.

I can't remember when I was first exposed to Duck fat chips ($8). Duck fat is apparently healthier than other kinds of animal fats and has a richer flavour. I could not really tell how duck fat added extra flavour but the thickly sliced and crispy fries made for a good munch.

I absolutely loved the Norwegian Salmon ($55). The poached salmon has a consistency different from the other salmon dishes that I have had so far. It is neither chewy like raw salmon nor solid like cooked salmon. Instead, it is in between such that it is smooth and melts in your mouth with each bite.

I am not a fan of gnocchi because it feels like empty carbs to me. However, the inclusion of truffle in gnocchi was novel and I could not give it a miss.

To round off the meal, we had a Salted JAAL ($20), a dessert that sought to combine sweet, salty, sour and bitter together and was executed well.

The dark chocolate cake was surrounded by orange slices and roasted macadamia nuts, with a sprinkle of salt on the cake. Pair this with the coffee ice cream which was nestled on a bed of crushed crunchy cocoa beans. Dessert heaven.

We had some complimentary sweet treats consisting of marshmallows and chocolate macarons. I am not a fan of macarons because they tend to be too sweet but the chocolate macarons here were just fine.

Pollen
#01-09 Flower Dome
Gardens by the Bay
18 Marina Gardens Drive
Tel No: 6604 9988 

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