Vegetarian. Vegan. Organic. Natural. Healthy. So many words to describe Brownice. But honestly, DELICIOUS was the last thing on my mind when I knew I was going for a vegan meal. I was SO wrong.
How do you pronounce Brownice? Actually I forgot. My friend’s little kid was repeating it the whole time we were there but I still can’t remember. Is it “brown-nice” or “brown-nies”? Whatever it is, the food was beyond our expectations and it is definitely one place I will go back for more.
One thing though, it is not cheap considering its location and ambience. A pizza that feeds 1 hungry person is priced at about S$16 to S$18. But good stuff never comes cheap anyway.
To make it easier for people to understand, all ingredients used DO NOT come from any living animal or even insect. So no eggs and no milk. They would use vegetable products, soy…etc…
There were like 8 different pizza flavours. We tried a few and loved the Otah Otah and Spinach. Their pizzas come with a thin crust.
Hawaiian PizzaSpinach PizzaOtah Otah Pizza
And finally, ice cream. I was told that Brownice is one of the only places that sell vegan ice cream. And it tasted really good. Especially with a waffle.
Vegan Ice Cream
Brownice
Sin Ming Centre
8 Sin Ming Road #01-03
Singapore 575628
Tel: 6456 6431
I tried my first lobster roll out of a food truck from Luke’s in New York. I simply loved it. Singapore caught that clawed bug many months back and a whole wave of lobster offerings bombarded our palates and also our Facebook feeds.The latest outfit to jump onto this gourmet bandwagon is , you won’t believe it, Swensen’s with their Rolling In The Deep promotion, featuring a Boston Lobster Roll for S$21.80 and a Slipper Lobster Roll for S$16.80.
The Boston Lobster Roll includes chucks of lobster meat from one full lobster. It is lightly seasoned with honey lime and sandwiched between soft buttery toasted buns. The lobster flesh is succulent and tasty, and the seasoning is just right, not overpowering.If the lobster is the hero, then the bun must be its super sidekick because it complements the dish perfectly. Most importantly, at S$21.80, this lobster roll is great value for money and includes a generous portion of Swensen’s signature U.S. fries plus a musclun salad. It is quite a substantial serving and I didn’t think S$21.80 was over priced.
As for the Slipper Lobster Roll, my verdict is to top-up S$5 and go for the Boston Lobster Roll. Despite its name, slipper lobsters are not consider true lobsters. A common type of slipper lobster is the crayfish. In terms of taste and texture, the Boston lobster wins hands down.
The lobster roll promotion is available at all Swensen’s restaurants including the 24-hr outlet in Changi Airport Terminal Two so you can easily settle your lobster roll craving. Plus it is Halal so your Muslim friends and colleagues can enjoy it too.
Swensen’s is an American casual-dining restaurant concept, popular for their ice cream sundaes like Coit Tower, Banana Split and Earthquake, as well as western delights like their Fish and Chips, Baked Rice and Crayfish Pasta. It is also my childhood hang out when I used to reward myself with huge servings of Earthquake ice cream. Another favourite dessert would be the Coit Tower.
The Rolling In The Deep promotion runs from 15th October to 30th November 2015 and OCBC credit card holders enjoy an exclusive 15% discount for this promotion.
Don’t get fooled by its name. One Man Coffee has many men and women working to get you that perfect cup of coffee. Their coffee was good. Strong and aromatic.
I usually take a mocha. They dripped cocoa sauce at the inside of the clear cup to give a visual treat. Simple trick but it made my drink taste better. I am so easy to please.
Mocha
But what blew me away was their food. Seriously good.
Something sweet to kickstart the tastebuds. The soft and moist toasted Brioche French Toast (S$10) was lightly dusted with castor sugar and accompanied with a slap of fresh cream and homemade berry compote plus candied walnuts. You have to take a bit of everything and put it in your mouth. Heavenly. Shared among 2-3 as a starter or eat it on your own as a main.
Brioche French Toast
Every breakfast joint must have that standard “big breakfast”. Their Big Brekkie (S$12) comes with 2 x 6-minute eggs (huh?), honey ham, roasted cherry tomatoes, baby spinach with pesto and a slice of grilled sourdough rye bread. I can’t say much about this breakfast set. It was simple and safe. Oh, add S$2 for Butter Mushrooms or Candied Bacon.
Big Brekkie with Butter Mushrooms
The item that had the most talking points was the Gashouse Egg with Bacon Jam (Egg-In-The-Bread-With-The-Hole-In-The-Middle) (S$10). That’s exactly how the menu describes it. A savory version of a chocolate lava cake! You slice it and semi-liquid egg oozes out! So fun. And it was crazily tasty. Don’t forget about that little dark brown bacon jam on the side. It tasted like minced bah kwa, on a soft and crispy muffin-like pastry. I SO liked it that I had it again on my second visit, and even had curious customers beside me asking about it. This is a must-try!
One Man Coffee also serves cakes and pastries in a cute cabinet. The cakes were not bad, but definitely not their specialty. But I’ll give them 80/100 points for visual merchandising.
Red Velvet CakeAlmond Croissant
Now, here’s the interesting part. One Man Coffee shares their space with Crust Pizza. I remember Crust opening some years back and I tried it then and was not particularly impressed. It was not air-con then… I wonder if that had anything to do with it. Hahaha. But seriously, somehow, the pizza tasted a lot better now. The beauty about it is that you can get all those special stuff I just mentioned, and a pizza at the same time. You have to order at a separate counter though.
We chose their “Upper Crust” range with 4 choices – Wagyu Beef & Prawn (S$38), Moroccan Lamb (S$28), Roast Duck (S$30) or White Prosciutto (S$29). You are allowed to chose 2 flavours (half-half) but you pay the price of the more expensive pizza. We went with 1/2 Moroccan Lamb and 1/2 White Prosciutto. The lamb was the clear winner.
White Prosciutto / Moroccan Lamb Pizza
One Man Coffee
215R Upper Thomson Road
Singapore 574349
Opens daily from 9am to 5pm
“Just imagine you are eating with your eyes closed… like sleeping”, said a friend. Yes, the experience in NOX is probably what I would call Sleep-eating. Or dreaming. And what a good dream it was.
Some years back, I was invited to try a similar concept but this was an organised event that wanted to raise awareness among abled people, on how it felt to be blind. Hence eating in the dark. I regret not attending that event but I am glad that I was able to experience it in NOX. And unlike an event, they are here to stay.
Pre-Dinner cocktails in NOX’s lounge
Though NOX does not profess to promote the restaurant from a charity angle, they do employ visually-impaired staff as waiters/hosts. We spoke with our host a bit and he shared with us some of the difficulties he continues to face, as a visually-impaired person living in Singapore. One simple challenge is that not all our traffic lights have audio/sound indication for pedestrians to cross. I took for granted that the sound at traffic lights was just an audio reminder for us to cross quickly. For the visually-impaired, that’s the only sign they get. So the next time you see a visually-impaired person walking along the pavement, please go up to them and lend them that extra hand and share our sight with them.
Here is the ONLY food item we got to see before we were plunged into darkness. A tasty Amuse Bouche as a mini appetizer to the great 3-course prix-fixe meal (S$88++ per person).
Amuse Bouche
NOX received the Best New Concept 2013 as well as 2 stars in WINE & DINE magazine’s “Singapore Top Restaurants 2013”. I feel it is an ideal venue for social or corporate gatherings that wants to be a little different. And because there is NO distraction from our mobile devices, the level of engagement among guests is amazingly high.
NOX – Dine in the Dark
269 Beach Road (junction of Bussorah Street),
Singapore 199546
For reservations, call +65 6298 0708.
As the weekend approaches, Saint Pierre at Quayside Isle is one place you can chill out and enjoy a good breakfast or brunch by the quay. Among the many outlets in Quayside Isle, Saint Pierre is one of the only few with an air-conditioned area. So if you are a typical Singaporean like me, and dislike the hot and humid weather, this place is for you.
I am a late bloomer when it comes to the appreciation of eggs benedict. But ever since I took my first maybe almost 10 years ago, it has been a favourite must-have for breakfast. And I just tried the BEST eggs benedict so far. I haven’t tried enough to say it is the BEST in Singapore so please feel free to recommend me more places serving excellent eggs benedict.
Saint Pierre offers their Eggs Benedict with Iberico ham and champagne hollandaise. Double the Wow factor! The Iberico ham was the hero with a distinct rich taste and subtle tenderness. The hollandaise sauce played second fiddle but was totally complementary and never overwhelming. The garnishing of greens and flower petals didn’t only make it look pretty, it also gave it a little added bite.
Eggs Benedict with Iberico Ham & Champagne Hollandaise
Saint Pierre also offers a six-course Degustation Brunch Menu (S$68++ per person, minimum two people). You can read more about my experience on this degustation brunch menu from SuperAdrianMe.com. But I must highlight one particular dish in this menu that blew me away. It was the second course of Japanese eggplant puree, topped with delectable uni, ikura, crunchy pumpkin seeds, croutons and micro-cress. It was a heavenly mix of taste and texture. If I didn’t have another 4 courses to go, I would have ordered an ala carte portion of this.
Japanese Eggplant Puree with toppings
Brunch is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11.30am to 3pm (last order at 2.30pm)
Saint Pierre
31 Ocean Way
#01-15, Quayside Isle
Singapore 098375
For Reservations, please call +65 6438 0887 or email info@saintpierre.com.sg
Robinsons Orchard (The Heeren), has a Gyoza place in its basement. Called Gyoza-Ya, its décor is typical of a Japanese diner but it was really the Gyoza plus other interesting dishes that qualifies it for many more visits. And they had great service too… another big plus.
Both the Yaki Gyoza Park (S$4.80) and Yaki Ebi Gyoza (S$5.80) were delectable. Pan fried to perfection so that the skin on one side is darkened and crispy while the skin on the bottom/sides, is soft and moist. And tastily juicy inside.
Yaki Gyoza (Pork & Ebi)
Though we all try to have “less carbo” but what is a meal without carbo. The good thing is the menu serves a relatively small bowl of Jya Jya Men (S$6.50), one of their signature dishes. Thick noodles with minced pork and their special Meso, served dry. But wait… nothing stays dry… after you have savoured half or 3/4 of the noodles, they will then give you a half-boiled egg, more Miso sauce and SOUP, for your noodles. So you get a 2-in-1 experience. Start Dry, end Wet. Haha. Loved it.
Jya Jya Men (Dry)Jya Jya Men (with Soup)
Now comes my favourite. The Torinankotsu Tatsutaag (S$3.80). I am not sure if this is the right name cause I can’t find it on the menu but it is on my receipt. Anyway, this is fried chicken but chicken cartilage… with some meat of course. If you love chewing off the cartilage from the ends of your chicken wings, then this is like a mega mega MEGA treat for you. I would go back just for this!
Nestled in the lush Bishan Park, GRUB is definitely a hard find, literally. We took 30 minutes circling around Bishan park trying to find this chic and casual outfit. But I must admit, it was well worth it.
It is truly a gem. Quiet, relaxed and friendly would be my first description of its ambience. A young and vibrant crowd makes it all the more exciting for a 40-year-old uncle like myself. Ok Ok, 41 to be precise.
I liked the place enough to have gone back again within a few days. My first visit was for a weekday lunch which they just started serving since May this year and my second was for a late breakfast on a Saturday. On both occasions, the indoor air-con seating became full within minutes after I was seated. I must have brought in the crowd with me. Heh.
For lunch, I tried their signature Sakura Ebi Pasta (S$17) plus a side of Mentaiko Fries (S$9). The linguine’s texture was perfect, al dente! Topped with prawns and fried ebi, the sauce wasn’t over-powering so you tasted much of the ebi and also the hint of Mentaiko.
Prawn Ebi Pasta
The fries were a little salty on its own but with the sweet Mentaiko sauce/dip, the taste balances well. The quality of the fries was excellent. The seaweed garnish didn’t do much for taste but was a welcomed visual element. My lunch kaki and I dipped the fries with sauce and then rolled it around the seaweed to make little trees. Darn, no picture to illustrate but it was quite a cheap thrill. And who said not to play with your food?!
Mentaiko Fries
It was a hot day so the refreshing Yuzu Mint Soda (S$4.50) helped. It was not too sweet so it’s great for weight watchers, though I felt the Yuzu taste could have been a little stronger.
Yuzu Mint Soda
For the weekend brunch, The GRUB Breakfast Set (S$15, includes a drink) seemed popular. The pork sausage was crunchy and tasty. The rest of the dish was okay.
GRUB Big Breakfast
The Pork Streak Burger (S$13) with a grilled pineapple, was juicy. Well, the juiciness didn’t only come from the fruit so you know you need a 40-min run soon. But what is pork without a bit of fat right? I liked it… explains my size.
Pork Steak Burger
Beyond pigs, try the Chicken Cheese Chilli Dog (S$12). Everything you like in a hot-dog – cheesy, juicy, crunchy, mildly spicy. It was just a little pricey for a hotdog. But truly good comfort food.
Chicken Chilli Dog
Now for dessert! GRUB’s Churros (S$9) was very popular… everyone seemed to be ordering it. It’s sugar-covered and crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. It comes with 2 chocolate dips – dark and white chocolate. If you prefer it a little bitter and less sweet, choose the dark. If like me, you are a sweet person (of course you are), go for the white chocolate. Or, just go neat. Good for sharing among 2-3 persons.
GRUB
510 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
Bishan Park 1
Singapore 569983
(Park at the public car park along Sin Ming Ave).
Tel: +65 6459-5743 (No reservations) Www.grub.com.sg
Opening hours:
Tues – Fri: 11am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Sat, Sun, Public holiday: 9am – 4pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Closed every Monday and every last Tuesday of the month.
Who is this fabulous baker boy? I have heard of the brand, but only recently managed to try it. A very catchy name indeed. My curiosity led me to their website and ah… The fab boy is Juwanda Hassim… And no, I don’t know him but yes, I recalled where I heard/saw of him… from a friend’s Facebook. The power of social media.
Ok, let’s focus on the food. I only got to try the cakes as I was there for coffee and dessert.
I was told they renovated to air-condition a bigger part of the seating area, a wise move considering how hot and humid Singapore is.
Here are the few cakes we tasted.
Raspberry Lemon (S$8.50)
Raspberry filling topped with lemony cream cheese covered with puff pastry. Loved the puff pastry topping.
Raspberry Lemon
Hummingbird (S$9)
Banana cake with pineapple chucks and pecan nuts. I love bananas, so the strong banana taste was a big plus for me. The pineapple and nuts gave it a good bite. It was my favorite. Anyway, I was sold just by its name. I’m easy to please 😉
HummingBird
The Ristretto (S$8.50)
A Valrhona chocolate cake covered with coffee cream. Looked impressive but it was quite mediocre. But I guess you can’t go wrong with such a combination so try it when you are in a less adventurous mood… Or if you need that mild caffeine pick-me-up.
The Ristretto
Apple Cider (S$8.50)
Apparently they have cakes that are chilled, stored in the chiller beside the main cake display area. I missed it totally. But thankfully a friend pointed out and ordered this chilled Apple Cider cake. For those who like something lighter in taste, this would be perfect. It uses homemade organic apple sauce and is filled / topped with salted caramel cream cheese. It didn’t stand out once you put it together with the other stronger/heavier cakes so go solo with this.
Apple Cider
Green Tea Praline (S$7.50)
This cake was the sweetest among all, and it was quite creamy. Its matcha butter cream will satisfy your green tea cravings… Hmmm… then again, who craves for green tea? Well, let’s just say if you want something Asian…
Green Tea Praline
Try going early if you want to catch their best sellers. I was told their best sellers were Red Velvet, Carrot Cake and Valrhona Chocolate. I didn’t get to try any. Looks like I need to make another trip soon.
They also serve a generous menu of savouries – salads, starters, pies, mains, pasta…etc. Check out their website for more information – TheFabulousBakerBoy.com
And oh… very good coffee too, and super friendly Barista.
The Fabulous Baker Boy
The Foothills, 70 River Valley Road, #01-15, Singapore 179037 (If you are driving, park at Clarke Quay or Liang Court, and cross the main road. There is a small carpark near the café, but it is supposed to be for “authorised vehicles only”)
Opening Hours: Closed on Monday Closed from 4:30 pm to 6 pm Daily Tue to Thurs : 11am to 10 pm Fri : 11 am to 11pm Sat : 11 am to 11 pm Sun : 9 am to 5pm
Brunch/Lunch Till 2:30 pm Tea Till 4:30 pm Dinner till 9 pm
I had the privilege to attend a food tasting at The Cliff at the Singapore Resort and Spa Sentosa last week. Visiting Michelin-star Chef Pascal Aussignac introduced a French menu with a tinge of English influence. It was a great gourmet experience, especially when it was shared with wonderful company.
Though Chef Pascal has left Singapore by now, there are another 2 Michelin-star chefs coming to The Cliff in June and July 2014. Read more about it in SuperAdrianMe.com
One of the more interesting dishes that evening was a stuffed tulip. Yes, a tulip flower. Chef Pascal explained that tulips are actually edible. You steam them. He advises to choose tulips that are not so colourful because after you steam the tulip, the colour in the vibrantly coloured ones tend to be less appealing. Ironic huh… but a good tip. You can stuff anything in its petal but of course, cook it first. It’s a dish that would wow your dinner guests! Off to the flower shop… or just visit Gardens by the Bay.
Tulip, Saffron & Mouclade
The Cliff
Singapore Resort and Spa Sentosa
2 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa, 099891
Opening Hours: 6.30pm – 12.00am
Last Order: 10.00pm
Tel: (65) 6371 1425
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Many many months ago, I had a sweet pie from Windowsill Pies’ temporary kiosk in a mall and I simply loved it. It was only later that I found out they had a very much talked about shop along Horne Road. It is in this vicinity that you will find some other interesting cafes like Chye Seng Huat Hardware (150 Tyrwhitt Road) and the first Antoinette (30 Penhas Road).
Windowsill Pies’ interesting shop facade definitely stands out amongst the old shop-houses along the same stretch. It faces the Jalan Besar stadium and that is where you might find parking if you were driving.
Immediately after you step inside, you will be welcomed by a good showcase of pies amidst cute, trendy and warm decor, plus young and friendly staff.
We chose the Funny Apple (S$7.50), Cherry (S$8), Strawberry Lemon (S$7) and S’mores (S$8). My favorite was S’mores. I was telling my not-so-little-anymore cousin Trudy a few days later that I visited Windowsills and her first exclamation was “S’mores!”. Okay… so I am not the only fan. Heh…
If you like something tart, the Cherry will be a good choice. And if you want something safe and non-chocolate, definitely the Funny Apple. I only tried 4 flavours but there were 9-10 on display so there should be something for every palate. Visit their website for a full description of their different pies (www.windowsillpies.sg).
(Top to Bottom) Funny Apple, Cherry, Strawberry Lemon & S’mores
They offer a reasonable range of coffee, tea and drinks to complement your pies. But if you want to save on the calories, they also serve plain chilled water, which interestingly, is kept in a retro-chic yellow fridge and you can help yourself if you need refills. I thought this was quite cool.
eatmekevin 