Oscar's Cafe & Terrace (Conrad)

After my first visit here two years ago, I revisited Oscar's last week. The quality of the food was good but it seemed that the variety was lacking. 

The usual- salad bar. 

Huge slabs of sashimi were placed in the glass counters and would be cut upon your request. I requested for salmon and they cut a thick slice of the salmon which was succulent and very fresh.

If you like frozen seafood, they have scallops, prawns, mussels and crayfish for you to choose from. Surprisingly, the crayfish and prawns retained their juiciness.

There was a counter outside where you had your pick of prawn noodles, laksa, bak kut teh etc. I had such a kick out of eating this prawn noodle. Savoury but not too salty, the prawn noodles soup was balanced and the chilli raised the shiokness of the soup by one notch.

There were also stations for Indian food and Italian food. I didn't try the Indian food because nothing looked too attractive. The Italian food counter had roasted meats, pasta etc.

Desserts time! You must try the their signature Chocolate Royal Hazelnut Crust. Rich chocolate laid on a crunchy and fragrant hazelnut crust- it's a crime not to go for second servings.

On a side note, a few years back, I won a Christmas cake from Conrad for joining some competition- that was when my love-relationship began with Conrad. Sadly, I think they have stopped making the Christmas cake. Every Christmas, I still dream of the whirlwind romance I had with this dense chocolate cake laced with orange flavour.

There was also a waffle-making counter. The waffles were very dark at the bottom, suggesting that they were slightly burnt? But the lady manning the waffles counter said that they weren't. So I took it and asked for a scoop of ice cream on it. Clearly, the waffles were slightly burnt as it was bitter. Nonetheless, the ice cream made up for it, definitely serving good quality ice cream here!

There was a variety of chocolates to choose from- by then, my guilt index had shot up so much that I could no longer convince myself to take a piece of chocolate.

Ended the meal with a cup of cappuccino.

The buffet is definitely above average. At a price tag of $54++, the quality and freshness of the food justify the price, although variety can be improved. Service is also good and friendly.

Oscar's Café & Terrace 
Conrad Centennial
2 Temasek Boulevard, Lobby Level
Tel No: +65 6432 748

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Mount Faber

Mount Faber was out of my radar for a long time, until someone spontaneously decided that we should go up just for the fun of it. We cheated, we drove up midway and walked the rest up. The last time I went up to Mount Faber, we took a bus, carried a few plastic bags of food from Giant (the supermarket at Vivo) and had a little picnic while enjoying the night scenery. Turns out that it is pretty interesting to walk up Mount Faber in the morning as well (sun block is a must)! 

It always seems that some kind of hill is always on my itinerary when I go overseas- most of the time it's free so why not. In Budapest, we went to Gellert Hill. In Prague, we went to Petrin Hill. In Montreal, we went to Mont Royal. In Penang, we went up Penang Hill. 

Mount Faber was known as Telok Blangah Hill initially but was later named after Captain Charles Edward Faber who carved a road up to the summit of the hill- these colonial references never seem to fade!  

One of my favourite childhood memories was sitting in the cable cars . I belonged to the era where they were in multiple colours- blue, green and yellow. The anxiety as you piled into the cable car before it sent you off on an aerial journey. Then it became the black ones with the transparent bottomed cabins. Then all these cable cars are now metallic black. The price is unfortunately prohibitive if you just wanted to sit in the cable car for the fun of it- $26 per person!

We walked further up and lo and behold we saw a Merlion. Many times smaller than the one at Sentosa, but still, it was an interesting encounter. Now, the question is, how many Merlion statues are there in Singapore? Officially, the answer is apparently 5- 2 at Merlion Park, 1 at Sentosa, 1 at Singapore Tourism Board and the last one at Mount Faber. That day, a tourist asked me for directions to the Merlion at Merlion Park. His exact words were, "You know, the dragon?" For the avoidance of doubt, the Merlion is a creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish.

At the peak- just suntanning and taking in the views- is there really anything better than this?

The one Singapore experience you will get out of this is seeing the places that Singaporeans live in. On one hand, there's Reflections at Keppel Bay for the rich.

On the other hand, 80+% of Singaporeans stay in public housing.

If anything, Mount Faber is a place for you to get away from all the high rise buildings in Singapore (and look at them from above instead), and just take in all the sights. Kind reminder: Water and sun block if you are going in the morning!

How to get there. I haven't tried it but you can try the Marang Trail as well. 

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Tong Ah Eating House

The first time we went to Tong Ah, we tried their dinner, zichar style.

This time, we went for breakfast and it is a distinctly different feel. The hot morning air set the background for the eating experience while the server deftly carries plates of eggs, bread and coffee/tea freshly made to the tables where customers wait in anticipation for the first meal of the day.

I don't really drink coffee, so I ordered milo. I don't eat butter, so I asked for the bread without butter. In essence, I would make a person who loves the egg+bread+coffee combination shake his head wondering how much joy I would be missing out.

In any case, the bread was crispy yet fluffy in the inside. With a layer of kaya thinly spread over it, it felt just like a quintessential Singapore breakfast. Apparently they have this kaya toast known as the Grade A Kaya Toast where the bread has been toasted and re-toasted many times so that the bread is super crispy. If not, you can also ask for the steamed kaya bread.

Away from the crowded chains of air-conditioned Ya Kun, this is where you may want to find yourself on a weekend morning to enjoy a good and simple breakfast. Service might be a little slipshod when things start to get busy though.

Tong Ah Eating House 
35 Keong Saik Road
Tel No: 6 567 4000

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Wheeler's Yard

The hipster quotient for this place just shot through the roof. When we first reached, one of us said, "Is this place open?" Turns out it was, just that the entrance was just round the corner. 

Situated in a factory, Wheeler's Yard sells bicycles and food- that's a combination that is probably the first in Singapore.

We went here after lunch so we decided to settle for drinks and desserts, which unfortunately fell flat of our expectations. 

We should have known since the cakes were left at one side of the counter and were not listed on the menu itself. 

The Lemon Tart here was average with the pie crust tasting like it was bought off the shelves of a supermarket. 

The Tiramisu had a proportion of lady fingers : cheese that I didn't like. For the same price, L'Atelier Tiramisu beats this hands down. The coffee taste was weak. A completely forgettable tiramisu.

Service is incredibly slow when they are operating at full capacity. Interesting place, but one visit is more than sufficient.

Wheeler's Yard
28 Lorong Ampas
Tel No: 6 254 9128 

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Department of Caffeine

I'm not a caffeine person but ended up at Department of Caffeine anyway. 

On weekends, reservations are an absolutely must. Otherwise, be prepared to wait. 

I ordered a Fish Finger Sandwich ($14). This reminded me of the Fish Burger at Grub. Incredibly fluffy sandwich with a piece of deep fried (but not oily) fish in between. The texture of the fish was smooth and moist. To sum it up, this is a glam version of Fillet-O-Fish (costing several times the price of eating at Mcdonalds), but more moist, more satisfying and infinitely tastier.

I ordered a Latte ($5). Over the past few months, I have ordered coffee several times voluntarily, even though I still can't appreciate it. I have considered signing up for coffee-appreciation classes but decided that I wasn't going to allow myself to get potentially addicted to the caffeine. The smell of coffee lurking at every corner of CBD is honestly rather intoxicating. Friends tell me that sugar ruin the taste of coffee and I know lots of them who drink black coffee.

Million dollar question- what's the best way to really appreciate coffee?

Department of Caffeine
15 Duxton Road
Tel No. 6 223 3426 

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Flor Patisserie (Duxton Hill)

One thing that stuck in my mind after reading Jeffrey Steingarten's The Man Who Ate Everything was how he made it his personal mission to try everything even if he didn't like it. 

I try very hard to appreciate Japanese pastries but beyond the aesthetic beauty of these desserts, I just can't find a reason for me to say "Wow, this blew my mind". Nobody goes to Le Tao in Hokkaido without being impressed by the cheesecakes- well, except me. 

So, take this review with a pinch of salt if you are into Japanese desserts. 

Located on Duxton Hill, Flor Pastesserie occupies a very small shop space.  

A whole row of cakes beckons- Earl Grey, Napoleon etc.

I tried the Chocolate Noir ($7.85) because it was a safe choice. The Chocolate Millefeuille was topped with the beautifully piped 70% Dark Chocolate. The cake was light and fluffy.

However, perhaps it was the difficulty of trying to eat all the layers at the same time or maybe I just ain't a fan of cream- whatever the case, it just didn't felt like I would come back here for a second serving of this at this price.

Flor Pastisserie (Duxton Hill)
2 Duxton Hill
#01-01
Tel No: 6 223 8626 

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Spices Cafe

For the record, I love crabs. Having a meal at Long Beach or Jumbo is always a treat and I get my hands dirty on those ridiculously fresh, big and juicy crabs. 

Known as Harvest of the Sea Buffet Dinner ($54++), I left work earlier than usual in anticipation of a good meal. 

This is one of the few rare buffet places that is not filled to maximum capacity. 

You get to choose from five kinds of crabs and they will deliver it to your table- you can order all five kinds as many times as you want. Choices of crab include Thai Curry with Basil Leaves Crab, Chili Crab, Black Pepper Crab, Butter & White Pepper Crab and Salted Egg Crab.

We ordered all five to share and my mum really liked the Salted Egg Crab. I found most of the crab choices to be very average. I prefer the versions at the East Coast seafood restaurants anytime over these crabs. Nonetheless, it was quite interesting trying new flavours for the first time- particularly impressionable was the Thai Curry with Basil Leaves Crab.

In general, the crabs didn't taste particularly fresh but nor were they unfresh. It was just that the meat lacked the chewiness and juiciness.

Each person also gets to choose from either a serving of baked half lobster gratinated with cheese or a serving of braised baby abalone with broccoli and mushroom. Unless you love abalones so much, I'm telling you- get the lobster. The lobster was delicious- all that warm melted gooey cheese with the springy lobster meat will make you forget about how your cholesterol is going to rise after this meal.

They also had a section with the seafood laid out on ice. I only tried the scallops here and I have to say that the scallop was pretty bad. It tasted exactly like how scallops would taste like if they were just taken out from the freezer. The scallops were small and dry.

They had a section where the chefs would cook laksa, herbal prawn soup etc.

I tried the Laksa which was pretty good.

The warm food section also had a lot of seafood dishes- Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab, Oats Prawns, Scallops and Broccoli etc. The soft shell crab was very crispy- unfortunately something was missing- the kick of crunching some shells was non-existent. It just felt like limp crab meat hidden below some deep fried goodness.

There was also a salad section. One of the dishes I tried (not in the photograph) was the Chicken Salad with Mango. I couldn't taste or see the mango which was a real pity because it sounded like a good combination.

Thank goodness desserts were fairly decent. I tried the Chocolate Cake and the Lemon Tart. The Chocolate Cake was made of bitter chocolate and didn't have the cheap chocolate cream taste in it. The lemon tart was also refreshing and not sickeningly sweet.

Food here is average, I wouldn't come here to satisfy my seafood craving. Friendly service.

Spices Cafe
Concorde Hotel
100 Orchard Road
Tel: 6 739 8370 

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Rochor Thai

I've been waiting to drop by Rochor Thai for quite some time and Good Friday was the perfect opportunity. Rochor Thai prides itself on serving MSG-free dishes. 

Lots of Thai-related pictures on the walls.

What is a Thai meal without Tom Yum? We ordered a Tom Yum Talay ($14.80) and this was adequately sweet, sour and spicy. A little salty but goes perfect with rice. I don't normally finish my soup but this was too appetising not to wipe it clean. Prawns, sotong and mushrooms - the seafood was fresh. If only it were a little spicier, this version would make me remember it for a long long time- the mean bowl of tom yum at Aroy-Dee has stuck with me since 3 years ago.

If you subscribe to their mailing list, you get either free Spring Roll or Fish Cake. The spring roll was stuffed with lots of crunchy vegetables. Good but nothing fantastic about it.

I'm not sure why the Moo Pad Krapow ($12.80) was marked "Chef's recommendations". The pork taste was a bit strong and while the basil was fragrant, just felt a little one-dimensional.

(update: We took the leftovers back and it tasted so much better when we ate it again. Spicier and more fragrant.)

We also ordered a Tau Hoo Tun Mor Din ($12.80). The tofu and the sauce was great with the rice. Crab meat was nearly non-existent though.

The Kor Moo Yang ($12.80), grilled pork neck, was chewy and not dry. The pork on its own did not have much flavour and it was with the help of the accompanying spicy sauce that it managed to stand out a little more. I felt that the flavours of the sauce could be a little stronger.

This was the best way to round off the meal- the Mango Sticky Rice ($7.80) was so good. Incredibly sweet mangoes and a small portion of glutinous rice with tau suan which provided that additional crunch.

The food here is slightly above average. Very friendly service. There's free parking across the road. If you have an OCBC card, you can get 10% off with minimum spending of $80.

Rochor Thai 
340 Joo Chiat Road
Tel No: 6 440 3270

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Tong Ah Eating House

I think it's always interesting to know the history of streets- I'm thinking of getting this book titled Singapore Street Names: A Study of Toponymics. Anyway Keong Saik Street used to be a red-light district which is now transformed into a hip area crowded with eateries. 

Tong Ah used to be located in an iconic triangular-shaped building down the road but has since shifted here. Being the lazy people we were, we decided to order whatever was recommended and featured in a Channel 8 variety programme.

We ordered the 奇香豆腐 ($8) which had minced pork and chai por laid on the silky tofu. The simplest of ingredients came together to form a very comforting dish.

The 甘香鸡煲 ($10) was something that we have never tried before. Deep fried, the chicken was coated with a rather heavy coating of a slightly spicy sauce. Two or three pieces might be good, but it starts to get a bit gelat after a while.

Another of their famous dish is the 奶皮带子卷 ($15). This dish was an attempt at putting many things together at the same time- lots of mayonnaise, pork floss and scallop. The result is that the mayonnaise and pork floss masked the taste and texture of the scallop. 

The vegetables were a little hard.

The Coffee Pork Ribs were fragrant and the meat was easily separated from the bone.

An inexpensive eatery. Despite ordering the above and an assam fish, the bill came up to less than $20 per person.

Tong Ah Eating House 
35 Keong Saik Road
Tel No: 6 567 4000 

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PasarBella

PasarBella- local term for market, and Italian for "beautiful". 

Indeed, it's not often that you get to see such a diverse mix of food stalls housed under the same roof in Singapore. There were also shops selling flowers, vegetables and fruits etc.

Heard so much about Keith Crackling Roast.

I got the Combo Set ($15) which consists of roasted pork and honey pork.  I think the char siew rice stall at a coffee shop in Tanjong Katong beats this hands down. I have been eating the char siew rice at this coffee shop for more than a decade and it has never disappointed- the queues have never shortened either.

Back to this combo, it is enough for 3 to share, provided this is to be merely an appetiser. The crackling roast was... crackling and crispy and lives up to its name. Now, if only the roast pork were a little sweeter, a little more fat and basically everything bad.

Another popular stall is Le Patio. You can't miss it because there is this big paella pan staring at you with that delicious looking food calling your name.

I ordered a Mixed Seafood Paella ($11.90). This is the first time I'm trying Paella and it's always an interesting experience trying new food. First question is, how do I pronounce this? Google tells me pie-ey-a.

Visually pleasing, the rice was slightly moist and was flavourful- I can't really identify the stock that goes into simmering that rice though. The seafood was unfortunately not that fresh.

To me, PasarBella is indeed one of its kind in Singapore. Worth going to soak in the ambience.

If you want to get to PasarBella without a car, fret not! There are free shuttle bus services to and from a bus stop at Sixth Avenue, Clementi MRT, Toa Payoh MRT and Botanic Gardens MRT. Click here for the timings.

PasarBella @ The Grandstand Bukit Timah
200 Turf Club Road

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