Journey to the Far East Part 3 - The Coastal Settlement

So if you thought that our food journey ended there, you were wrong! 

 Feeble attempt to try to use up some of the calories we consumed previously

And of course failed. Had this awesome chocolate lava cake on top of vanilla ice cream from Chocolate Origin - do give it a try - the chocolate is really good - even I, a non chocolate lover, find this dessert very irresistible.

 Was hot from cycling, so decided to cool off with some cider.

We went back and slept at about 11pm (would have been later but I was so sleepy cos it was past my bedtime). Kept yawning and then made everyone else sleepy by looking so comfortable lying in bed.

 And the next day, woke up bright and early, and went over to the Coastal Settlement for my second breakfast.

Truffle fries, portobello fries (really really nice!) with truffle mayonnaise. Best thing to clog my arteries on first thing in the morning.

The big breakfast, which was really very average, standard unremarkable cafe fare.

And the mind blowing XO prawn aglio olio pasta. Really good - umami taste from the xo sauce, lots of garlic and just enough chilli for spiciness which doesn't overpower the entire dish. The pasta was cooked just right. This dish is a winner. I might just trudge all the way back to the far east for this.

 The Coastal settlement has a really big seating area.

 It was empty when we first got in. But very quickly filled up, until there was no more space left.

I hate the small tiles in this area though - just something I'm uncomfortable with like how some people have trypophobia. I think I just don't like the idea of dirt getting caught or mould growing in between the tiles. But unfortunately for me, it was the area with the best sunlight (for photo taking purposes) and no one else at my table wanted to budge after sitting down.

Somehow the whole place reminds me of this scene from Howl's Moving Castle. Maybe cos there so many things cramped into such a small space.

Ok that's the end of my very lardy staycation.

The Coastal Settlement
200 Netheravon Road
Singapore 508529
Tel 64750200

The Lokal - Brunch

 Went for a really satisfying post call brunch at the Lokal. It's a hipster cafe located at Neil road just opposite the Pinnacle at Duxton and Bukit Pasoh Road.

Most of us had the pick and mix breakfast - I personally think it's an awesome idea, since I am really fussy about food and whenever I order the 'big breakfast' there will bound to be stuff that I don't eat (i.e. baked beans, bacon, hash brown etc)

I had the poached eggs - egg were slightly overcooked (if I remember correctly). I don't see why the bread (I picked sourdough, but there's a choice of rye or pumpernickel) costs $4.50.
I really liked

Since their ricotta was made from scratch, I definitely had to try it. I haven't eaten ricotta cheese for the longest time, but it went really well with my bread.

 Their maple smoked bacon - super crispy, nitrite free cos it's made in house. I'm still not a fan of bacon though these tasted more like spam fries (minus the salt).

 The scrambled eggs, which looked lovely and not overdone.

The most impressive dish of the day was the French toast, which came topped with a huge dollop of maple cream (super delicious) and bacon. The French toast was nothing short of spectacular - the brioche was fluffy, buttery and not soggy. 

I would strongly recommend everyone trying this dish - if you're a savoury breakfast person like me, just share it with your friends!

The Lokal
136 Neil Road
Tel 64239918
Monday - Friday 9am to 6pm
Saturday - Sunday 9am to 4pm

Croute

Went for a post call brunch at Croute, which is the sister restaurant of the now defunct Hummerstons (which serves delicious poutines). It's located in a very very sleepy Valley Point, which has so many renovations. I don't know why people go there cos there's hardly anything to do (besides to do yoga). 

Actually, Croute only opened at 10, so we went over to Lins Smoodees first (legs too tired after not sleeping the whole night). Of course, after eating, we have negated all the antioxidant benefits of the green smoothie...

 I had the pulled pork sandwich, which had really nicely marinated pork, coleslaw and a crusty bread. Not bad ( I think this was about $13 or $14?) though it was a bit messy to eat cos of all the sauce.

Extremely messy I must emphasise - I was eating like a barbarian with my hands...

 The bread platter was better than expected - we were crazy over that green dip in the middle, which is actually edamame with truffle oil. Who would have guessed that such a combination would be so heavenly! If I have the luxury of time, and not have to sleep early, I would love to  have to buy a jar of this stuff home, lie on my sofa and watch a good movie.

The other dips were not bad, but compared to the edamame dip, paled in comparison. The babaganoush (eggplant) dip was not bad. The hummus was too garlicky for my liking (if you're looking for good hummus I would suggest Pita Pan, which has awesomely creamy hummus)

The truffle carbonara pasta looked really strange, with the egg being more of a scrambled egg - but taste wise it was tasty, with lots of truffle and mushroom.

Croute (by Hummerstons)
#01-11 Valley Point
491 River Valley Road
Tel9740781
Monday to Sunday 10am to 8pm

Penny University

 Penny University is one of the many brunch cafes popping up like mushrooms. It was pretty darn crowded on a weekend morning, and we had to wait about 20min for  a seat. It's a self service counter, so you have to secure a table first, then queue up to order your food, which will then be served to you.

Their brunch menu - pretty simple, and prices are reasonable. 

 I had the Turkish Eggs ($8) which comes with whipped yogurt, 2 poached eggs, olive oil, and harissa sauce. There was some confusion over the harissa sauce when I asked the cashier what exactly it was. It's this very strong smelling spice (ah the wonders of Wikipedia). Topped up $3.50 for the smoked salmon.

 I also had the lemon strawberry tart. It was really good, especially the tart base. I found the lemon filling a little bit too tart and not as creamy as I would have liked, but the strawberries and the flamed cream made it a bit more interesting. I still like Marmalade Pantry's heavier Lemon Brûlée tart more than this one.

It's places like these which make me wonder why I should pay so much (like $20++) for brunch elsewhere. And the standard is still pretty okay.

Btw the Snickers tart tastes exactly like Group Therapy's! I wonder if they share the same supplier??

Needless to say, the food was not bad (considering the prices). But I couldn't enjoy it cos of my unfortunate luck of being seated opposite some 6-7 year old kid and his grotty parents. The kid was sick and vomited over the saucer and the table and the floor (it was chunky and brown btw). His parents stopped eating, moved the kid away (who said he was feeling fine!). The waitress then brought some paper towels over.And the parents just cleaned the kid up. And left the chunky brown vomit festering on the table for the next 15 minutes. Waiting for the waitress to clean it up! If your dog poops in the park don't you clean it up? (Poor unfortunate waitress - you could see the disgust on her face - I don't blame her - she came back wearing disposable gloves).

Plus I thought it was damn inconsiderate cos it was a communal table and EVERYONE had to smell and stare at his chunky vomit. They didn't even have the decency to at least use a napkin to cover up the vomitus. Gross max. The kid was perfectly fine after vomitting, and the parents could even finish up their meal. So it wasn't as if the kid was so septic and sick and lolling around that they were 'busy'.

Note to self - to try to avoid communal tables next time! Btw the communal table is this very rustic woody looking table with lots of ridges (like a tree trunk). I'm sure some of the vomit is still embedded in some of the ridges there. Yucks.

Penny University
402 East Coast Road Singaproe 428997
Tel 9008 9314

La Ristrettos

I've been back to La Ristrettos twice since my first visit in January this year, even though it's really nearby the whole idea of communal seating bugs me (I don't want to hear other people's conversations and I don't want them to listen to mine). Plus I'm not a coffee-drinker, so other than the food and hot chocolate, there's no additional draw for me.

They were having a special crab cake dish the last time I visited. Nicely poached egg, on top of half an avocado, crab cake, wilted spinach and rosti. Very daintily assembled. The crab cake was nice and crispy, with lots of tender crab meat and spices inside.  It's reasonably priced at $14. No hidden GST or service charge. I hope they put it in their menu permanently. It's a perfect mid-afternoon tea/snack (but I do know people who will be extremely full after this - it's a matter of perspective).

The panini cotoletta ($11) is the other dish I've tried - it's a generous serving of breaded deep fried chicken, avocado, cheese and a side salad. Very satisfying and perfect for brunch.

Plus, since it's hidden in the recesses of Novena Medical centre, there's much less human traffic after the breakfast and lunch peak hours, and if you go there in the late afternoon, it's nice and quiet, and the scenery is really calming and peaceful - nice bamboo garden with water channels.

La Ristrettos
10 Sinaran Drive #08-37 Singapore 307506
Novena Medical Centre
Tel 63977165

Cafe Gavroche

Tried Cafe Gavroche on Julie's recommendation - it's a very prettily decorated French cafe at Tras street - with a very nice skylight in the middle. Makes you feel as if you're not in Singapore. 

Smoked salmon eggs benedict ($25)
Prices were a bit steep for the amount of food, though I must say that it was very well executed - perfectly poached eggs, thick Hollandaise sauce and lots of salmon. It could do with a bit more Hollandaise sauce. The potatoes were pretty impressive - nicely seasoned with crispy edges.

I must have gone to Cafe Gavroche when the chef was having a bad day, cos I seem to be the only one who wasn't impressed by the Croque Madame. Every online review has raved about the Croque Madame, and it even made it to the 50 things to eat before you die in Singapore list -.-

Unimpressive Croque Madame ($18)

Gyurere cheese and ham I can taste, but where was the bechamel sauce? No doubt the two thick slices of white bread was cottony soft and fluffy, the egg nicely cooked and still runny, but it was very dry. I might consider revisiting but it's such a pain to get to Tras street especially on weekdays.

Fromage Blanc with Apricot Compote ($8)

I first tried Fromage Blanc at Frensh (which is now closed - used to be my fave store to go for tartines).
Its a simple French dessert, made from fresh cheese and usually a fruit jam. It's pretty similar to greek yogurt, very thick, creamy and slightly sourish (but less so than yogurt). I really liked this dessert, but my other dining companions thought that it was very underwhelming.

The dessert of the day was creme brulee ($11) comes in a nice shallow dish, so that there's more surface area for the burnt sugar.

Very smooth and luscious. Tastes as good as Au Petit Salut's.

The whole time I'm thinking of Kitchenette (not sure if they've raised the prices cos I haven't been there for eons, but I'll be re-visiting them in the first week of Nov!). It's a nice cafe especially if you work in the CBD area, but it's a bit out of the way for me, and the parking here is really a pain. 

Cafe Gavroche

69 Tras Street, Singapore 079005

Tel 62254869

Kitchenette - More breakfast-ses

Kitchenette starts serving breakfast at 9am - one of the earlier places around so I managed to grab breakfast there a couple of times when I started work later. It actually opens at 830am for those who want to grab a coffee and pastry but their warm breakfasts start at 9am.
The blood sausage (it's all pork) which doesn't taste as bloody, just looks very black, with poached eggs.

Coffee (not mine!). Acc to my friend and colleagues, the coffee at La Ristrettos is much better but since the food there was barely passable the last time I went, I'll stick to Kitchenette!

The waffle breakfast - which looks super filling. I think I'll get this if I'm massively hungry next time!

Their breakfasts are so awesome, tasty and affordable. I'm so glad that it's near my workplace, since convenience is of prime importance to me.

Kitchenette (Novena)
51 Goldhill Plaza
#01-01 Goldhill Plaza
Tel 63527484

The Orange Thimble

"Wear a thimble daily to protect yourself from the daily pricks in life"

Chicken Shepherd's pie - I think this was sub $10, not bad but I won't be going out of my way to get it again.

 The scone was better than expected - especially since it looked quite sad and plain when it first arrived at our table.

I can't for the life of me remember what this is called but it's hae bee hiam (spicy dried prawns) stuffed into a toasted, buttered bread. Pretty interesting but the portion is quite small.

Nice chillout place, and a good alternative to TBB (so crowded and noisy, despite it being only 9+ on a weekday morning.

The Orange Thimble
Blk 56 01-68 Eng Hoon Street
Tiong Baru
(just further down from Tiong Baru Bakery)

Kitchenette

Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates - was busy stuffing my chicken(s) and stuffing myself :p I've decided not to be so lardy and to update a bit more (I've been having great inertia in typing out my posts even though I have my photos up on blogger already!)

I shall end this year with a nice post on Kitchenette which is one of my best finds this year (too bad it was so late in the year!) Hope that everyone has a great new years celebration! :D 

Went to Kitchenette for brunch again - the menu has changed a bit but they still have their really nice eggs benedict (with a side of either salad or soup, $11.50++), their nicely roasted new potatoes and a cup of tea/coffee. 

 Soup of the day - pumpkin soup $8 with a very tasty garlic bread
Somehow this wasn't as thick as my vegetable roux the last time, but still homely - nice and thick with some rustic spices. I really liked the crispy garlic bread which was adequately buttered and with enough garlic to be called a respectable piece of garlic bread (unlike some places where there's more butter than bread)

 Chicken sandwich - lots of crusty bread and vegetables (I think this was about $15?) as far as crusty sandwiches go, I think it's hard to beat Drip's - partly cos I like the humungous servings of vegetables (roasted and fresh! and watercress too!) so I thought that this paled in comparison. Though to be fair, it's not a bad sandwich - just that I have tasted better.

 My croque madame ($8) with lots of emmental cheese and ham stuffed between 2 thick fluffy pieces of bread, and a runny fried egg. I think I like this more than the eggs ben - and I would get this again the next time I'm at Kitchenette. (I've been having mega cravings for this the past few days! Urghh need to walk over there one day when I'm free to satisfy my cravings)

Berry tart - not as good as Drips' but it comes close with the buttery shortcrust pastry and creamy custard base. Ok I think I just need to go back to drips and eat their nice sandwiches... but the croque madame is fantastic! For $8 it's really a steal! (On another side note - I really like Kitchenette and I hope it won't be too crowded and overpopulated just like everywhere else - that's just the selfish part of me talking...)

Kitchenette
51 Goldhill Plaza
#01-01 Goldhill Plaza
Tel 63527484

The Plain

Tried this Australian style cafe after reading a glowing review in the newspapers (a few months back, just that I'm a professional procrastinator and didn't blog about it). We must have trudged up and down Craig road at least 5 times and walking past the cafe even more times before we actually found it. And to think that we parked at Craig place which is literally opposite the Plain.
Trudging up and down in Singapore's weather makes one extremely hot and thirsty. And in want of airconditioning. They're coffee is supposed to be fantastic but too bad I don't drink coffee except for the occasional ice blended ones... So instead, this is the iced chocolate with real chocolate painted onto the sides of the glass. Not bad but I've defnitely had better.
Their speciality is their sourdough bread with a variety of toppings. We tried their Dean's breakfast - poached eggs on melted cheese & vegemite on sourdough toast. Being a fan of vegemite and cheese, I quite liked this dish though the stingy in me thought of ways to obtain sourdough bread and make it in the comfort of my home...

We also had the Darling's eggs. It's poached eggs with ham, cheese & roma tomatoes on sourdough toast.

I preferred the Dean's breakfast cos of the vegemite but I think it would be supberb to have everything on one like a full house sandwich i.e. cheese, vegemite, tomatoes, ham and eggs all stacked on top of each other :P

The chilled Fruit salad came with a bright and colourful array of fruits, and a side of honey-infused yogurt.

The concept and decor really reminds me of Fourty Hands. If it was nearer my house, I won't mind going to the Plain again but it's really a pain to queue up fro food on a nice weekend morning as the cafe is extremely popular and the seating is very limited.

The Plain Cafe

50 Craig Road #01-01
http://www.theplain.com.sg/