Blisshouse Theme Restaurant

I suppose this place has been instagrammed many more times than an average restaurant- the interior is so fairy-tale like that it's difficult not to resist taking too many photographs of this place! 

But fairy tales are after all, fairy tales.

Occupying a very large area on the 3rd floor of Central, this place felt very spacious.

I had the Chicken Roulade ($20). The mushroom in the supposed wild mushroom puree didn't have any of the mushroom goodness- you could see the mushroom but you couldn't taste them. The sweet chilli aioli had a strong mayonnaise taste to it without any hint of sweet chilli. The mashed potatoes were too buttery, which clashed with the mayonnaise. Thank goodness the chicken was not dry and the bacon was not too fatty.

The price of the dish probably includes the price of having the fairy tale theme. However, life is far from a fairy tale and the reality is that the food here isn't worth its price.

Blisshouse Theme Restaurant
The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-21
Tel No. 6 225 5532 

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L'Atelier Tiramisu

Tiramisu in Italian means "pick me up" or "make me happy". In an ideal world, all tiramisus should taste like this. Countless of tiramisus have come and gone, but only this, is worthy of praise. 

Occupying an extremely small shop space, you can ask for takeaway or make do with whatever limited space you have. 

We had the Classico ($6.80) and Lychee ($6.80). As with most food, the original is always the most comforting and endearing. Yet, the lychee tiramisu is not too shabby either. What really makes me impressed about the tiramisu here is that it does not disintegrate into an unidentifiable mess once the fork comes into contact with the tiramisu even though the lady fingers were so moist. Plus, finally it feels like someone has finally got the proportion of mascaporne cheese to lady fingers right.

The Classico had a aromatic coffee taste and it was suitably bitter-sweet. The Lychee, on the other hand, is like the younger sibling of the Classico, free and happy, without a care in the world.

Everything here is so simple yet so complicated. It takes a lot to perfect the skill to make tiramisus. Yet, the simplicity of it all (as seen from the layout of the shop and its website) also stands out. If you need a tiramisu fix, there's no where else you should be.

L'Atelier Tiramisu 
The Central & Clarke Quay
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#B1-09 

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Kith Cafe (Park Mall)

Somehow, brunch always goes right with this particular friend. Once, it was at Wild Honey where I had the insanely good Tunisian breakfast, another time it was at Penny University which had affordable brunch options. This time, we found ourselves at Park Mall. 

I had the Chicken Mushroom Sandwich ($12). My philosophy towards dishes containing mushrooms is give me plenty of them, sautee them well and the rest doesn't matter anymore. Indeed, the mushrooms were lovely and the grilled chicken was juicy. The thing that was unfortunately wrong in this dish- the chips! Been kept for too long and tasted a little stale. 

You may have to share tables with others as the queue list can get quite long- if you are okay with sharing (indirectly) you life stories with the stranger next to you or listening to that stranger's life stories (i heard that they are doing theatre studies), then why not! 

Kith Cafe 

Park Mall

9 Penang Road

#01-01E

Tel No: 6 338 8611 

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Just Like It!

Our radar for ice cream is always switched on- who doesn't love a good ice cream after a satisfying meal? Couple that with the novelty factor of a chemistry lab and we are sold. 

Made using liquid nitrogen, you get to choose the flavour of your ice cream and they make the ice cream before you.

Reminiscent of our schooling days when all kinds of mishaps happened in the chemistry lab!

A short introduction on how they make the ice cream.

I got the Durian Ice cream ($6.90). This price is far too expensive for a scoop of ice cream. But for an experience, I guess $6.90 was fine. The verdict- not worth it. It lacks the intensity of the durian flavour and is also less dense than those sold at the good ice cream stalls.

It was an interesting experience but I would always go back to the tried-and-tested ice cream stores.

Just Like It 
Resorts World Sentosa
26 Sentosa Gateway
#01-201 

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Nara Thai

Many foodies were excited when they heard that Nara Thai Cuisine was coming to the Singapore shores. Afterall, this is a place which was voted Thailand's best restaurant since 2007.  

Starting from the entrance of Nara Thai, you will realise that many of the servers are Thai- we knew we were going to have polite service that day. 

We tried the Hors d'oeuvre Nara ($17.90). This is a platter for those who want to try everything but don't want to eat too much of everything, consisting of Thai fish cake, pandan chicken and satay (you can opt for either chicken or pork). The fish cake was a little hard, the pandan chicken was aromatic and nicely charred while staying juicy, the satay was ordinary, the pomelo salad was basically pomelo and cashew nuts with a drizzle of what I believe was fish sauce.

The Pad Thai Phu Nim ($15.90) was pad thai with soft shell crab. The soft shell crab was a little oily and the flavours of the pad thai was pretty standard.

The Kuey Tiew Kom Yum Kung ($14.90) was spicy but it hasn't quite reached the level of Aroy-Dee. This was spicy with a hint of milkiness. The prawns were gigantic and were chewy.

I would say that it's pretty average fare here and that I would opt for the cheaper option of places like Ah Loy Thai anytime. Service was good.

Nara Thai Restaurant
ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#B3-21
Tel: 6 634 5787 

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Tung Lok Signatures (Changi City Point)

Tung Lok used to be a place that we would go if we wanted the best dim sum. Unfortunately, it has disappeared from our radar for a while because there are simply too many dim sum places to try. Lunch at Tung Lok today, however, was rather average. 

The Century Egg Porridge ($6) was enough to fill 4 small bowls. Plain, old, healthy tasting porridge.

The Tempura Prawns with Wasabi ($4.50) were average- the wasabi taste was muted.

The Crisp Banana Roll ($4.20) was essentially goreng pisang with lotus paste in it- this wasn't the best combination because the sweetness of the lotus paste was competing with the sweetness of the bananas. The texture of both also added to the mushy factor of the roll. It would have been better if they just stuck to the banana without the lotus paste.

The Shrimp Dumplings ($5.50) were average- big and bouncy prawns but they weren't juicy or exceptionally fresh.

Inevitably, comparisons with Tim Ho Wan would arise when eating the Baked Honey Pork Bun ($4.80). We unanimously agreed that those at Tim Ho Wan are better- softer interior and sweeter pork fillings at Tim Ho Wan.

Lastly, the Lotus Paste Pancake ($10) was average.

The Baked Mini Egg Tarts ($4.20) were also over-baked.

All in all, you could find better dim sum at other places at this price. Two places that I will definitely recommend at a similar budget are Summer Pavilion and Royal China.

Tung Lok Signatures (Changi City Point)
Changi City Point
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
#01-26/27 

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The Sushi Bar

With the blogosphere raving about the famed salmon aburi, the queue simply didn't deter us from visiting The Sushi Bar. We shared a long table with another four other people and we heard their conversations throughout the entire meal and vice versa. Which isn't a bad thing actually, you get to listen to the stories of other people's lives without actually having to know them- similar to the art of people watching. 

We waited for half an hour on a Friday night which was actually pretty quick considering that the queue was long when we went. 

We had the Chawanmushi ($2.80) which was pretty average- smooth with one piece of mushroom and crabstick.

I had mixed thoughts about the Wafu Spaghetti ($10.90). I found it pretty addictive but I think half the portion was enough before it starts to turn a little gelat.

The Scallop Mentaiyaki ($13.90) was so delicately sliced- each thin piece of scallop is an envelop of freshness and subtle sweetness.

The Ebi Fry Salmon Aburi Roll ($16.90) was what we came here for and I was glad it didn't disappoint. The salmon pieces were torched and had a melt-in-the-mouth consistency. Coupled with the crispy prawn fritter in the sushi, this is something that you have to order.

The food here is definitely value-for-money. They don't have enough servers and the wait for your food can be quite long.

The Sushi Bar
Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road
#03-89 

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Lola's Cafe

We can all talk about having dreams and aspirations- but how many of us actually put that into reality? It's therefore always impressive when young people decide to give it their all and push the boundaries. Set up by a couple who met on exchange in the Netherlands, this place was crowded when we visited on a Sunday afternoon. 

I ordered a Lola's Full Monty Breakfast ($15 nett). I thought the portion would be rather huge but it turns out to be just right. If there's anything that I remember about this dish, it's how all the meat has a sweet tinge to it- honey baked ham and honey bacon. The brioche was a little too small for my liking and the scrambled eggs a little too buttery for me.

I would say the food is decent but unless I'm in the Kovan area and craving brunch food, I wouldn't make a trip down just for the food. Service was friendly and interesting decor.

Lola's Cafe 
5 Simon Road
Tel No: 6 343 1808 

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Tamoya (Liang Court)

There are plenty of ramen specialty shops in Singapore but udon? Here you have Tamoya, established in Kagawa in 1996. Udon noodles are typically served chilled in the summer and hot in the winter. In a fast-food chain setup, you first decide on the kind of udon you want. Then, choose the additional toppings you want. Lastly, pay! 

I got a Kake Udon ($4.80 for regular sized). This is the most basic type of udon which is in a light dashi stock. It may look like a small portion, but after all that extra ingredients that you are going to add, it will not be as small as it looks! The udon is made from 3 different types of flour and is very chewy.

Like excited school children seeing plates of golden deep fried goodness, we loaded these deep fried food on our plates to share. Deep fried mushrooms, deep fried eggplants, deep fried everything. There was a slight problem here though- some of the food has been left in the open for too long and had therefore turned cold and lost its crisp. 

The tempura prawn ($2.50) is addictive. Larger than usual prawn tempuras, this is something you can't miss.

After sharing all the deep fried items, it came up to about $8 per person. How's that for a good and cheap Japanese meal?

Tamoya (Liang Court)
Liang Court Shopping Centre
177 River Valley Road
#01-00
Tel No: 6 377 0301 

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Au Chocolat

If you want to get a table at Au Chocolat without waiting, I suggest you click here. If you go without reservations, you may have to wait for at least half an hour (which was what happened to us).

I like the decor of this place- whimsical with an eye for detail.

Nobody should miss the Truffle Fries ($15) here. Piping hot crispy strips of potatoes with a very strong aromatic smell of truffle oil, served with mayonnaise and BBQ Sauce. The serving is ridiculously big though. If you intend to order a main course, this might be too much even for four to share. Your mind ceases to work and your hand mindlessly stretches over to get one more, just one more, just one more, one last one... no, just one more...

We were disappointed with the Duck Confit ($28). Served with mashed potato, white wine poached pear and set on a chocolate-orange sauce. The duck was far too salty. Of course some saltiness is expected since confit is prepared using preservation methods that consists of using salt to cure the duck, but this just made my blood pressure shoot up. The orange-chocolate sauce, while interesting, also failed to impress us.

Truffle fries were addictive, didn't take a liking to the duck confit. Excellent service which made the meal worthwhile after all.

Au Chocolat
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Avenue
#01-03
Tel No: 6 688 7227 

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Hakata Ikkousha (Tanjong Pagar Plaza)

Having secured the title of Ultimate Ramen Champion for 2 years, Hakata Ikkousha now has a shop at Tanjong Pagar Plaza. While the shop space might be relatively small, we didn't wait for long on a Friday night to enter the shop. Check out this video which explains their mission and how every detail in the ramen is taken care of.  

I decided to get the safe choice of Tonkotsu Ramen ($12). The noodles are thinner than the usual ramen noodles but unsurprisingly, are springy. You get to choose the amount of oil and the amount of saltiness- one thing I've learnt is that I should go for either the normal version or the most unhealthy version. Some of the flavour of the broth had been lost presumably through my opting of a healthier version. The char siew was also leaner than the usual char siew in ramen. 

I attribute the lack of kick of eating the ramen to my choice of making a healthier option- so they can't be faulted. Despite that, the ramen was of course still decent (the runny Flavoured Boiled Eggs ($2) added much needed flavour). Service was friendly. 

Hakata Ikkousha

Tanjong Pagar Plaza
#01-104B
Tel No: 6 538 1880 

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Singapore Biennale 2013: If the World Changed

After much procrastination, I have finally managed to drag my lazy self down to the Singapore Biennale before it ends on 16 February 2014. Entrance fee is $10 for adults (free admission for many categories- e.g. students / NSF etc.)

Here are some of my favourites at the Singapore Biennale 2013.

1) Most meaningful 

I really liked Telok Blangah by Ahmad Abu Bakar. It features a fisherman's boat filled with a thousand glass bottles with messages from male prison inmates in Singapore, describing their hopes and aspirations. Many of these messages were touching- they express their longing for their families, their regrets and their resolve to take the right path after being released. You can write to one of them, in response to their message, to provide some hope and encouragement. 

2) Most cheem 

Sometimes, artworks can be described in such abstract and complex ways. For this installation, there is a huge puddle of chinese ink. According to the description of this installation by Nguyen Huy An, it is meant to portray the fact that beneath the illustrious and rich Chinese culture, there are secrets and corruption. Beats me how he actually thought about this, but his thought process is pretty interesting (even if the exhibit itself was not particularly interesting). 

Credit: Singapore Biennale 

3) Most interesting

Let me put this straight- I absolutely loved this installation so much that I actually laughed. The foreigner next to me must be thinking what was so funny about this. A video installation by Boo Junfeng, he imagines a Singapore that is still part of Malaysia. I didn't know about this, but it appears there was a song "Happy And Free" which was commissioned in 1963 to commission this merger. You can't miss this installation! 

4) Most controversial 

At the National Museum, there is the installation where the work comprises of chandeliers. The work by Ken Yonetani and Julia Yonetani was conceived in response to the nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011. The chandelier frames have been refitted with uranium glass and UV lighting and the UV bulbs cause the glass beads to glow in green. What's so controversial about this? Visitors have complained that no signs have been put up to caution against the radiation. 

5) Most playful 

Art does not have to be heavy going- Irwan Ahmett and Tita Salina will tell you that. In this series of videos, the artists (and/or pranksters) show how they bring play into everyday life- for example, placing a squeaky toy beneath the pavements so that it squeaks when pedestrians walk past, or making a massive ball using food wrappers. 

Conclusion

Overall, I would say that 2-3 hours will be sufficient to cover the Singapore Art Museum + SAM at 8Q. The bulk of the exhibits/installations are there. If you have nothing over the weekend, make a trip down! 

Click here for website. 

Tickets on sale:

Singapore Art Museum, SAM at 8Q, National Museum of Singapore, Peranakan Museum and Sistic. 

Validity of tickets:

Visit the SAM and SAM at 8Q on the same day. Venues at National Museum and Peranakan Museum can be accessed on a different day. 

Guide book?

A Short Guide will be provided upon the purchase of a ticket. 

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MOF @ My Izakaya (Bugis Junction)

Gone were the secondary school days where a few of us would go to Bugis Junction during the school holidays to meet up. Having not gone to Bugis Junction for quite some time, I realised that it has undergone quite a bit of revamp. 

Ministry of Food takes up a pretty large floor area and it was fully packed at dinner time. 

The first thing that hits me is how extensive the menu is. Which made perfect sense for me to save on time on flipping the menu and instead ask my friends who were there earlier what they were getting and simply follow suit. And like the good old days, the favourite phrase we used when we were young- they chime "copycat..."

I got a Soft Shell Crab Pasta where you could choose the sauce and type of pasta you wanted. This was surprisingly good and very filling. The soft shell crab while crispy and hot was not greasy- and a generous portion at that!

MOF @ My Izakaya (Bugis Junction)
Bugis Junction
200 Victoria Street
#02-45
Tel No: 6 338 6466 

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Mis en Place

I googled and found out that Mise en place means "putting in place", and is used in professional kitchens to refer to organising and arranging the ingredients.

While wandering in the East Coast area last week, we decided to drop by here because the set meal looked pretty worth it. We ordered a three course lunch set at $18.

Ahh what did I say about liking eateries that have interesting quotes on their walls!

For our first course, we got a Mushroom Soup. The lady (whom I presume is the lady boss) told us that it's without cream but still has the creamy flavour to it. Now, that sounds slightly intriguing. When it came, it was just as she described. Although it tasted slightly dilute because of the lack of cream to add to the thick texture of the soup, it was light on the tastebuds and the mushroom flavours were spot on.

For the main course, I ordered the Chicken Milanese which was breaded chicken leg stuffed with mushrooms. The crispy chicken was juicy and the stuffed mushrooms was an interesting addition to the chicken leg.

I also tried the Tilapia Fish & Chips which wasn't that great because it was a little dry. Anyone well-versed in doing fish and chips- what is the best fish to use? My understanding is that haddock / halibut is quite often used, but not sure if the type of fish affects the final product.

For dessert, we had Stollen with ice cream even though Christmas is over!

Food was decent, wait for food was a little long. Service very friendly.

Mis En Place
39 East Coast Road
Tel No: 6 345 8381 

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