Alkaff Mansion High Tea

 Went to Alkaff Mansion for a lazy brunch on a Saturday afternoon. I was glad that I was seated indoors, and not in one of those outdoor tents.

 Starter of iced tea (apparently English breakfast, though it was too sweet for me to taste anything else) and bruschetta. The pasta was from the semi-buffet station - cream and bacon penne with a dash of truffle oil.

 Crepe Suzette
I know that crepe suzette is cooked with orange juice and liqueur , but it was all ready made, and just warmed up in the pan. I don't really have issues with that just as long as they serve it warm. However, when I requested for them to just warm up the crepe alone without all the orange juice, the server refused. Seriously it's not as if it'll be a fire hazard. I don't see why they are so inflexible.

 Condiments - jam and butter

The three tiered tea set (not refillable)
Bottom Tier:
The smoked salmon sandwich was sad and dry - so dry that I knew after eyeballing it that it had been left out for too long.
The other sandwich was a beef loin, with tuna, which I didn't eat.
There was a weird foie gras pate with apple compote and some weird dry bread which was yellow in colour (that no one ate). There was also a filler of a skewered piece of ham with a small chunk of pineapple.
Middle Tier: 
Some cupcake which looked rather plain and sad
Some berry (vague 'berry' - the waitstaff didn't know what kind of berry it was) cupcake
Blackberry-pseudo macaroon - custard- lookalike thingy
Macaroon
Top tier:
Scones (didn't try, the others said it was average)

The high tea includes a small buffet spread of the pasta (seen above), crepes, and some small cakes/bites.

The whole time, it was an amazing challenge to get the waitstaff to explain what was on the tiers. Even the manager didn't know what flavour macaroon it was (probably came out from a box, so can't really blame her). I have never felt such absurd difficulty getting them to explain the dishes to me. Ever. This was the first.

Plus, initially we ordered 3 pots of Gryphon tea (to share amongst 4 people) - one of which was the White Royal Peony (white tea, apricot, English rose), which I really liked. Somehow after about 4-5 pots of the same tea (I did try some of the other teas, but didn't particularly fancy them), they gave me a new pot of White Royal Peony, which was a totally different colour (dark brown instead of a light yellow) and taste. Assuming that they might have made a mistake, I informed the server, who said that he would check to confirm.

He brought back a supposedly new pot of tea, which was the same dismal brown colour, and insisted that this was the white peony tea that I had been drinking the whole afternoon. I didn't touch it after that.

At $47 nett, and with such a wide selection and unlimited changes/refills of tea, I suppose it sort of made it more worth it, though their food selection and service has lots of room for improvement. The dining area is really quaint, there was live music (violin + cello), and there was no worry about expiring carpark coupons and carpark fees. If the food and service was up to par, I would have strongly recommend this place, but it definitely wasn't and I doubt that I would be back anytime soon. Which is a great pity cos the ambience is really nice.

Go at your own risk:
Alkaff Mansion
10 Telok Blangah Green Singaproe 109178
Tel: 65103068

Double Bay Restaurant

Double Bay's manager screwed up our seating. We called in on the Friday morning itself, and were told that we could only get a table for 3 at 8.30pm.

We arrived early for our dinner - at 750pm, cos we were tired of shopping and wanted to try our luck. We were told that our table wasn't ready, but we could sit outisde on one of their high tables in the meantime. After about 15min, the manager came to our table and asked if we had specified any preference for seating (they have both indoors and al fresco seats). My friend who made the reservation said that she was not asked, but our preference was for indoor seating. The manager then continued on to say that "since you didn't specify what kind of seating you want, we only have outdoor tables for you".

Firstly, this is the problem with her staff who took the call.
More importanly, she was implying that it was our fault that we couldn't get indoor seating because we didnt' specify where we wanted to seat, when it was really the restaurant's fault.
She didn't even bother to apologise, and instead tried to shift the blame.

When 830 came, we asked another waitress if our table was ready - a resonable request since we had made a booking for 830pm. She pointed to an empty 2 seater table inside, which was beside another 2seater table occupied by a Caucasian couple and said that the empty table was ours, and we had to wait for the Caucasian couple to finish eating.

I then asked why was the couple not informed that they would have to give up the their table by 830, since the table was reserved for us. All other restaurants would inform you what time you had to vacate the table, if they are expecting customers with reservation. She then said that they had informed the couple, but since they were still eating, there was nothing that the restaurant could do about it. She then suggested that I speak with her manager.

Of course, the manager herself never turned up - but we were finally ushered to the empty 6 seater table (which was empty since we arrived) without any apology or explaination.
Kurobuta Pork Belly ($12) wth apple sauce.
The pork belly was pretty good - tastes like Chinese Roast pork, just that it had apple sauce.

For the fish and chips, a miserable portion as pictured above ranges from $21 to $26, depending on the type of fish you pick. Between the three of us, we tried the Snapper ($21.90++), Grouper aka Barred Cod ($24.90++) and the Chilean Seabass ($26.90++). You get to choose the type of batter - we all choose beer battered.

Obviously, you're supposed to fill yourself with lots of carbo cos there's a tonne of thick cut fries on the plate. They should just rename the dish Chips and Fish, since there's so much more chips and a meager portion of fish.

We actually wanted to share 2 desserts amongst the three of us, but then being the greedy people we were, we were unable to decide which two desserts to pick (cos all of them are 'Australian' desserts, or had the word 'Australian' in them, so we felt compelled to try all).

We came to the unanimous conclusion that the pavalova (I think it was about $12, all the desserts were around the same price) was the best tasting of the lot. Refreshingly tangy berry sorbet, fresh cut berries embedded over a smooth and creamy lemon curd, on top of a palm sized pavalova. The pavalova was crispy on the outside, and it crumbled into a chewy sticky mess when eaten with the lemon curd and sorbet.
The 'Australian' apple pie was so-so - the tart was made from shortcrust pastry which was really quite thick, and the apples and sauce reminded me of the applepie from Macdonalds. Not very inspiring - it was served with normal vanilla flavoured ice cream.

The 'Australian' Sticky Date Pudding was a dissappointment. Marmalade Pantry's sticky date pudding ia a million times better. This just tasted like kueh, and had the texture of kueh, and had hardly any dates inside. If this was my first sticky date pudding, I'd have refused to try anymore cos it was so tasteless and unspiring and completely not sticky at all.

My unbiased recommendation for the food (food only, not service): Come here for the Pavalova - the rest aren't worth eating. If you're craving for Fish and Chips, go to either Fisherios at the Takashimaya Basement Food Court (less than 10 bucks can get you a great Beer Battered Fish and Chips - though I haven't been there recently so I'm not sure of the standard now, but I shall go and try soon) or Fish and Co!

Double Bay Restaurant

252 North Bridge Road

#01-22A Raffles City Shopping Centre

Tel: 6334 6530
(Facing Raffles Hotel, right next to the main road, so unless you want all the pollution and dirt to get into your food, call early and specify that you want a table INSIDE, cos their incompetent staff will not ask you).

AVOID the Tippling Club

Went for lunch on Good Friday with ice at Tippling Club. It totally spoilt my Good Friday! I am recommending everyone to avoid the 8D area in Dempsey.

First up, we walked into the restaurant which was completely empty. I was pretty suprised since it was a public holiday. Eventually, there were 2 other small groups of diners. When we enquired about having three 2-course set meals for the two of us, instead of two 3-course set meals (since it is cheaper by $11, and we actually get an extra glass of wine), and the waiter rudly said "the chef does not want people to dictate his menu" (in the waiter's own words himself). Okaaaaaaaaay.

In fact, according to him, the portions of food from the 2-course set menu is larger than the 3-course set menu - but the portions of the 3-course set menu is so precise that we will not feel terribly full at the end of the meal since it was 'just enough'. Alright.... but I think I can if I'm full better than the chef can tell me if I'm full, and if I was full, I would just stop eating. So what's the big deal about the portion sizes being too big if we order three 2-course set meals for the two of us? So essentially, is he trying to tell us that 2 course set meals are more worth it? It doesn't make sense cos he's saying that I'll get a bigger portion, extra glass of wine and pay less!

And mind you, we were merely asking, and we were asking it very politely. The waiter was so agitated and curt you would think we were trying to get a meal for free.

When the food came, we were informed that we were NOT allowed to take photos by a bald waiter. And that this bald guy would be fired by the chef if diners went against the chef's rules. Right. So how come there are so many photos online for lunch - see here, here and here from other diners, and yet this bald guy isn't fired yet? After that, when the chef did come, they told us that it was ok to take pictures during lunch, but not dinner. wth.

Grilled capsicum with squid ink batter, to be eaten with forceps. I really don't see whats the big deal about it. Doesn't taste that good and I don't find it the least bit exciting to eat anything with forceps. Cheap thrill.

The orange thing at the back is miso soy wasabi dip, and was very salty.

Calamari Rings with Basil Emulsion
The calamari rings were painfully anaeroxic - they were so thin that at first, I just thought that they were onion rings (but no onion taste, just an oily batter). The murky green thing in the straw is super salty basil emulsion.

I wonder if they re-use that plastic hosing. Hope they sterilize it properly! Cos it's just like reusing straws.

Fizzy grapes infused with bourbon

I was pretty excited about this one, when I read about it online. But my grapes were pretty "lao hong" (ie NOT fizzy).

Truffle soup? I was sold instantly. In fact, I was already sold to the Tippling club even before I went, cos of the rave reviews online by some enthusiastic bloggers. Damn. Shouldn't have read such rave reviews - the whole dining experience was bleagggggh!The soup comes in a conical flask, and is poured over freeze dried foie gras. Boring as it sounds, I think I like my foie gras as it is, not freeze dried with viral wart treatment. There's also some onions and mushroom paste (which looks exactly like chestnut puree). Of which, you have to stir up to get your normal mushroom soup. The foiegras taste is completely lost. And all that remains is the little bits of black truffles.

The end result was a luke-warm watery and thin soup. I take all my liquids either hot or cold, but not in between. Unless I'm absolutely dying from thirst. Luke-warm soup = yucks.

Smoked Salmon caesar salad
The salmon was ok, portion was small. The salmon looks almost raw - not an issue with me since my favourite salmon dish is sashimi. Unlike commercial smoked salmon, this one isn't overly salted (I don't think it's salted at all) and was extremely tender.

The brown stuff's dehydrated bacon (crispy, extremely salty and hard). Caesar salad dressing was good. Mashed potato was so-so. Actually, it's closer to a 3.5 leaf garnish than salad. Unless you're subsisting on a diet of one lettuce leaf (and diet coke) per day diet.

White wine that was included in the set lunch.

The brown crumbly stuff reminds me vaguely of Ritz Cheese crackers. As much as I like goats cheese, the Goats cheese was soso. The dark red film thing didn't taste of anything - just a bit plastic-ky. I don't know if it's supposed to be beetroot or what. It looks like the Uncle Toby's fruit film, just that it doesn't taste of anything.

The deconstructed chocolate tart 2009 was pretty good. Probably the best part of the meal. Luckily ice decided to order it or we'd be both stuck with with ritz bitz crackers and cheese. It comes with white chocolate ice cream and 'thickened milk' (which just tastes like cream).

This pict is for people who hate tiny portions - it's not that tiny, just that the plate is uber huge.
The last straw from the waiter came in the form of petit fours, when we refused coffee/tea (what for pay so much for a cup of tea - I don't even take my tea with milk or sugar). When the waiter served petit fours, he cockily told us that the petit fours go brilliantly with coffee/tea but since we didn't want to order it, they will just give it to us.

These ang-moh-philic attitude - completely not worth patronizing. Skip it - there are so many other place with more professional service.

Though the bill came in a cute little wooden box, with dried spices, the whole dining experience just left us fuming.

Tippling Club is stuck in the neo-colonial era where your order of precidence is
1. Caucasian
2. Local girl with Caucasian boyfriend
3. Animal
4. Normal Singaporean

So much for "fine dining without the snobbery". For those ppl who are too busy to click the link, the essence of it is here : What are Clift's hopes for The Tippling Bar? 'It's fine dining without the snobbery,' he says. 'We're trying to make fine-dining fun, so the food will also be 'interactive'. Food is about enjoyment, having fun and being pleasantly surprised.'

I was suprised alright, by the incredibly shitty service and unamazing food.

You can read more about our shitty dining experience at ice's blog. She summed it up much better than I did!

The Tippling Club
8D Dempsey Road
Tel: 6475

First Thai - First the WORST!

Went to First Thai in between lectures today - with the intention of having some good thai food.
The six of us got there around 11.50am, and we were the first customers there. We were shown to a table wedged in a corner, underneath the staircase, even though the rest of the restaurant was empty. This table wasn't even under a fan. And it was so cramped that the waitress had to literally pull the table out so that the last person could sit against the wall.

My friends were looking at the menu (on the table closest to the door) and decided that they did not want to eat here (we didn't even sit down yet, the waitress was showing 2 of us to the the table while the other 4 were looking at the menu since they don't display it outside).
My friends weren't keen to try it, plus they didn't want to let us sit elsewhere even though I requested for them to give us another table.

I then returned about 3 min later wanting to takeaway some food, and when I went in, I was chased away by the woman.

She said that I was not allowed to order because I had 'hurt her feelings' by being the first customer and not getting anything.

If i'm your first customer, and I come back, I am still the first customer - excuse me can you count? She's in fact chasing away her first customer twice!

I respect people's superstitions, but then they didn't even make the effort to tell us. If they had said that we are their first customers and it's bad luck, we would have definitely stayed. What I cannot stand is that they didn't even bother to tell us.

In Thailand, if you're their first customer, they will inform you and ask you to please get something, but here, they're can't even get off their asses to tell us.

Seriously, I'll give this place a miss - the service is shites and from the Land of Smiles, they are definitely coming from the rectum. Golden Mile has authentic thai food for half the price.

I feel like going back there tomorrow and walking in and out and being her "first customer"D:<

If all hospitals could do it to unreasonable patients, life would be darn good!

House - Dempsy Road

Happy (Belated) New Year everybody! I am finally having my well deserved break - and to start it all off after patho, we went to Dempsy for tea (cos it was too late for lunch after the lects...)

As recommended by the Queen, we were debating between Karma Kettle Rhapsody and house, both of which are located at Dempsy. But House won cos of the famous White Truffle Oil Fries, which everybody wanted to try.

Their menus are really unique and cute, and my menu even had a circled "served all day long!" for the fries, cos during tea (2.30 to 5.30pm) they only serve sandwiches and desserts.

We ordered 3 different desserts - the green tea tofu tiramisu ($8.50++) , Carrot Cake ($8 something) and the chendol panna cotta ($11.50++).
If you order 3 desserts, you'll get 10% off, and if you order 6, you'll get 15% off

I didn't really taste enough of the green tea tofu tiramisu so i can't really comment other than that it's quite ok for the price, and the carrot cake has little crispy bits inside and yummy cream cheese icing.
The chendol panna cotta was what I ordered cos it sounded so interesting! and I like gula melaka but not the red beans. The pannacotta was creamy and smooth and there's lots of chendol on top - there better be cos it's really expensive!
There's even attap chee inside!And the famous White Truffle Oil Fries ($6). As you can see, House likes to serve their stuff in mess tins. You must be warned, however, that after eating these golden crispy fries infused in white truffle oil, no other fries will taste the same as your tastebuds will want more of these high-class fries whenever you eat normal fries. I wonder who came up with the brilliant idea of having white truffle oil over fries - truffle oil taste delicious with mashed potatoes too! ahhh I want to get a bottle of truffle oil for myself too :D
House
8D Dempsy Road

Ikea's Rubberized Fish and Chips

Ikea's rubberized fish and chips -on Fridays. I've eaten this twice, and both times they tasted the same - greasy, slightly soggy and rubberized. Its quite amazing how the Ikea food store is so crowded during lunch times - the food is overpriced and tastes terrible. The only thing that i find vaguely palatable is the salmon - and it's grossly overpriced for such a little sliver of salmon.
Furthermore, you have to que like mad to get a table, even on weekday lunch times. Sometimes i wonder how come all these people don't have tastebuds. Anyway, my major gripe is that they make you pay for tartar sauce, which I consider to be a staple for fish and chips! That little portion (it's quite runny) costs 30 cents. It's the only saving grace for the rubberized batter - I seriously wonder how they get it into that consistency - no where else can you get rubberized fsh and chips.

Seriously, save your money and go and get it from the AH canteen - it's so much better and they actually give you proper tartar sauce.