Cakes from Paris Baguette

 I've read so much about Paris Baguette online - so one weekend afternoon, when Marmalade Pantry's queue was so ridiculously long and we were hankering for some good dessert, we walked over to Wisma Atria to try some cakes from Paris Baguette.

The cafe/restaurant is really more like a food court style kind of place - theres no queue system for the tables - basically you just stand around watching other people eat and once they leave, you rush in to chope your table. We were standing there for some time trying to figure this out and then we realized that everyone was just rushing and sitting down once any of the tables were vacated.

So once you've secured your seat, you can queue at any 2 of the counters - one side has all the breads and bakery offerings (which were were too full to try) and the other has a sandwich stand and you can also order your cakes from there. The whole thing is pretty chaotic and there's so many people loitering around and blocking the displays that I got pretty confused at first and spent a load of time standing near the cakes section before realizing how the ordering system worked.

Anyway, once you've figured everything out, just queue and order your stuff, pay upfront and go back to your table with a number/carry the food back to your table. I dunno how you are going to do this if you're eating by yourself tho - so I personally think that if you're coming here, bring a dining companion to chope a seat ;p

 The 'Oh My Baby Crepe' ($7) - the name makes the cake sound so unappetizing instantly. I suppose their target consumers are females... The good news is that the cake tastes better than its name - it's like those mille crepe cakes from Classic Cakes in Sunset way but studded with strawberries. I think the pricing is about the same. I quite like this cake - peeling away each layer is very entertaining but I think taking a full bite of this cake is a bit too much and the cake texture reminds me of a 'kueh'.

The 'Wow Mango Pie' (or something like that, can't remember the name...) which costs about $8 or $8.50. I didn't quite like this cake cos of the base - it's base is millie feuille pastry (which I don't like) and there's alot of whipped cream inside (which I also don't like). There were some unripe mangoes hidden in the heap of mangoes inside - it's really unpleasant biting into a sour mango >.< I think I'll stick to the other strawberry cakes that they have.

I suppose that the pricing here is pretty steep especially for the drinks. But I think the cakes are pretty alright though I don't think I'll be back anytime soon. Marmalade Pantry's Sticky Date pudding and lemon tart for me anyday!

Paris Baguette Singapore
435 Orchard Road, Wisma Atria
#02-48-53
Tel: 68362010

Kazu Sumiyaki

Best thing about call is the post call - so it's 320pm and I'm bathed and preparing myself for my uber long sleep. 6 more days left! Immensely happifying! Plus I had one of my favourite post call foods - the crabmeat scallop vermicelli from Old Hong Kong - it's extremely delicious and I'd rate this as the second best ever post call food (other than my favourite pu tien soup) and highly recommend everyone to go and try

Tried Kazu as per M Foo's recommendation - definitely will be back again! Despite the pretty steep pricetag!
The chilled crisp cabbage appetiser served with red miso sauce was highly addictive - I wonder if I can buy the normal cabbage from the supermarket and make this?? It was so delicious we ordered an extra serving ($4)

 Garlic Fried Rice ($6) - the portion is pretty small for 6 bucks and it wasn't as garlicky as I liked. I much prefer Megumi's garlic fried rice which has a whole load more garlic (garlic breath alert). This one was really attenuated and not very tasty - plus I disliked the interfering ginger bits.

 And onto the yakitori! The foie gras yakitori ($6.50) is to die for! I would have totally ordered another stick of this intensely rich and creamy foie gras which was grilled to perfection - crispy exterior and a melt in the mouth interior - it's a wonder that it doesn't just fall off the stick. Next time I come here I'm going to make sure that I'll order one whole stick to myself - my LDL is going to be so high and my liver will be as fatty as the foie gras :c

I think the thing at the back was pork belly with enoki mushrooms - I'm not a big fan of animal fats (unless its foie gras) but it was not bad considering I don't like pork belly.

 One of their specials - the yakitori oknonomiyaki ball - it reminds me of a takopachi and inside has lots of chives and was a bit floury - I think I'll stick to my good old tako pachi (my fave brand of takoyaki) - though dressed up with yakitori sauce and mayo it was reasonably good.

The chicken meatball - not bad and pretty affordable at about $2 (if I'm not wrong)
The online reviews I read highly recommended  the grilled pork and apple (tontorio ringo - $4) - I imagined that it would taste great as pork with green apple is always a winning combination. I liked the apple bits but didn't like how fatty the meat was - its chunks of fat and I really don't like pork fats. I think I would appreciate a lean version of this much more.

 This was a wrong order >.< I thought the woman meant the grilled cod but it was actually the cod testes (or sperm, which I think is a wrong term). Just to say - I much prefer the version at Matsuo - though I haven't eaten this for really really long.

 The scallop, mushroom and cheese - fresh and succulent transluecnt scallops mixed with mushroom and cheese - though I do think the price for this dish is pretty steep at $18.

Jidori chicken sashimi ($8)

Spotted this on the menu and knew I had to try it. Jidori chicken is likened to wagyu beef. A Jidori chicken is a fortunate chicken which is reared organically and under very clean conditions and hence can be eaten as sashimi. Obviously there's still a risk of salmonella and campylobacter infections but I suppose since I'm not immunocompromised it's fine. 

The chicken is seared on the outside, but is still cold inside. 

It just tastes like under done chicken and it wasn't particularly delicious but not repulsive either. I didn't like the first bite I had of this dish cos there was lots of chicken fat (which I also do not eat) but once I removed the chicken fats I found the dish much more agreeable. 

For the beef eaters - wagyu beef with enoki mushrooms ($5) - didn't eat this so no comment.

Chicken heart ($2) - I thought this was pretty worth eating cos it s$2 for 6 chicken hearts! Plus the heart has a different taste and texture from usual chicken meat.
The pork jaw ($4) was a bit too fatty for my liking but has a very interesting and juicy texture - though I much prefer the Santouka ramen braised pork cheek.

The Lamb Yaki ($12) for ONE piece. It's really steep but oh so delicious - I love my meat slightly rare (especially missing those slightly bloody steaks cos I don't eat beef) and it has a very subtle lamb smell. Though for $12 I'm not going to get it again.

On the other hand, the roasted sweet potato (Imo, $10) was so good - if you want to order this you should inform your server STAT - because it takes a whole hour for them to slowly roast this - the sweet potato flesh is crumbly and starchy and I think it's great on its own - though they provide butter on the side.

The must eat list from Kazu:
Foie gras yakitori (must must must!)
Sweet potato (worth the 1hr wait)
Lamb (if you have the $$ and like your lamb pink)

I would still like to try the
sweet corn - apparently it's honey sweet!
grilled cod - flakey and oily

My only grouse is that the prices here can be pretty steep and ordering a few of the 'expensive' items on the menu can burn a hole in your pocket. I was really thankful that my server didn't get annoyed when we kept asking how much each item was. We paid about $120 nett for 2 people for the meal.

I've read quite a few reviews on their lousy service - but I didn't feel that this was the case when I visit - they were pretty attentive but perhaps I went for the first seating (from 6-830pm). The setup reminds me of Nanbantei - slightly cramped and narrow and you can definitely hear your neighbor's conversation. I really should go to Nanbantei soon and grab myself some of that value for money set lunch! Haven't visited them for really long!

Kazu Sumiyaki Restaurant
5 Koek Road #04-05 Cuppage Plaza S 228796
Tel 67342492

&made

I was dying to eat a good lamb burger - and prior to this I had gone to the Handburger for their lamb burger to satisfy my craving. However, their lamb burger (though really very affordable) didn't adequately satisfy my lamb burger craving. 

&made is opened by a 3 star Michelin chef Bruno Menard but it's pitched for a much more casual and affordable level of dining. Just as well that someone recommended me this place or I'd have totally not known of its existence. 

Smoked salmon salad ($19++)
We ordered this while waiting for the Fish to trudge down from the far north - I really liked this salad cos the dressing was yogurt (my fave) and cucumber and herb sauce and the onions and radishes were chilled, thinly sliced and extremely crispy. It looks really simple to recreate at home - perhaps I should try when I'm free!

I've started to notice that every since I've started working, I look at food in a different way - and see if I can recreate it at home at a lower price, and if I can, that dish is not worth eating out - I wonder if other people think the same way?

 Toastoo ($16)
It's their 'new generation sandwich' - buckwheat crepes with assorted fillings.
Was feeling hungrily adventurous so we decided to try the Chili crab. Somehow the chili crab and perhaps cream and cheese combination didn't work. The filling was too pasty and sticky for our liking and I think I'll stick to my original old chili crab.
However, their other crepes sound really tasty - such as the Viking ($17) which has smoked salmon, cream cheese, curry and broccoli or their Greek ($15) which has feta cheese, black olives, smoked cheddar and sundried tomatoes.

 And finally, my much awaited lamb burger! It's very appropriately named "The Lamb"($25). It's a nice fat juicy patty - still pink on the inside.

I didn't quite like the sauce which was an interesting combination of raisins and onion jam - found it a bit too sweet for my liking but the lamb was so good.

The toasted sesame bun is light and fluffy and of an appropriate thickness and sturdiness - not soggy nor disintegrating nor overly hard such that my jaw gets tired from chewing (even though my masseters are extremely well trained - probably the strongest muscle in my body).

Of course, being a synthetic truffle oil lover, I upgraded my fries (+$3) to truffle fries, where there was a more than generous lashing of truffle oil (happiness!). Strongly advise everyone to upgrade the fries - its worth it!

The fries come with their very special &made tomato sauce which is more like a chutney/chunky paste and salsa. But in my inexpert opinion - the truffle fries are best eaten alone so that the truffle smell can be savored. (I'm just thinking that they will go exceedingly well with truffle mayo - extra luxurious! Making myself hungry again...) My arteries are all clogged now...

 The Three Little Pigs ($23)
Bacon, pork filet and chorizo patty - this is the star of the dinner and so far the other reviews I've read have all given their stamp of approval for this burger. I didn't order this because being the fussy eater I hesitated because of the yuzu mayonnaise (not sure if they'll change it if you ask?). I did steal a bit of the pork filet which was very juicy and tender. Perhaps I shall eat this the next time I drop by.


The "B" Burger ($18) is their signature beef burger - but of course, I didn't try it cos I'm scared of prions.

The dessert menu here somehow didn't agree with me or my dining companions - one of us didn't like caramel, I don't take citrus (unless it's lemon tart) and so we adjourned to the Canele at Shaw (which was a letdown cos they now do not have my favourite L'amour rose petal and raspberry swirls ice cream - how tragic!)

They also have this very interesting concept of Salads to drink ($9 each) which come in 3 different colours/flavours
Red is a tomato gazpacho, green has green peas, mint and wasabi and yello has carrot, orange and ginger.

Obviously I wasn't brave enough to try any - I hate peas, orange and I'm not a big fan of tomato. If anyone has tried this let me know!

The decor here reminds me of the old school American diner - think Billy Bombers but a slightly more upmarket version. Service is friendly, efficient and warm - would definitely return for more!

Omg I just read this article about &made online - he sounds mega OCD about his food - not that I'm complaining but lucky I didn't ask for the 3 little pigs burger without the yuzu mayo! lol!

&made by Bruno Menard
#01-04 Pacific Plaza, 9 Scotts Road
Singapore 228210
Opens from 8am to 10pm daiy

Pho Stop

I can't wait for the 29th of Nov to be over! Then I'll finally be doing something that I actually want to do for the next 7 months :D Can't wait can't wait! AND I have watched more movies in the last month (a miserable 2) than for the whole year! omg! So I shall be posting more (I've been eating out quite a bit in the last 2 weeks) and trying to revive this dusty blog. 

 Sour plum soda from Pho Stop - this budget friendly little restaurant along Tanjong Pagar. I really like this plum soda thing - when I had this I was thinking how I could recreate this at home - but I don't know which kind of plum to use...

 The fresh vietnamese rice rolls - packed with lots of crunchy veggies, herbs and shredded chicken. I didn't quite like the sauce that came with it - much prefer the thin fish sauce with chilli. I have a penchant for all these rice paper rolls...

 Fish cakes - oily fried goodness, tastes very fresh and not like those frozen and refried kind.

 My main of grilled pork with rice ($8.80) - usually I order pho but I having a meat craving that day. The grilled pork was nicely marinaded, slightly charred and went well with the sunnyside up egg and pickled vegetables.

Their menu is very compact and features pho with either chicken or beef stock. Usually the chicken pho tastes bland and does not match up to their beef counterpart but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the chicken stock 

 Their mains are sub $10 - very budget friendly for a dinner place and the portions are not stingy either.
I don't drink coffee so I can't comment on their Vietnamese Coffee.

 I've finally tried Popaganda ice lollies that I've been reading so much about - it's a locally made dairy free preservative free organic ice cream - sounds too good to be true right - though I am sure it's packed full of sugar (tastes really good). 

I think I had the mixed berries ice lolly (some berry thing at least, I can't remember). It's about $5 per pop and smaller than I expected but each bite is bursting with a refreshing berry flavour.

If I worked in the area, I won't mind dropping by but the food isn't outstandingly great that I would rush down at the next opportunity. So I suppose that this is ideal for the people working in the area - I think the rice rolls and fish cakes will make a great lunch without the risk of having post-prandial-stupor.

Service here was exceptionally good - attentive, knowledgable and quick. Thumbs up for the waitstaff at Pho Stop.

Pho Stop
21Tanjong Pagar Road
#01-01
Te; 62214001

Drips Bakery Cafe

 I can't believe that I hardly ventured out when I was posted near Tiong Baru (maybe cos I was so tired everyday) - I've just discovered Drips (which I've walked past a few times) which is a very nice quiet cafe (compared to Tiong Baru Bakery which is packed to the brim and extremely noisy) - perfect place to chill on a weekend. I've been sleeping super early (just like an old person - by 9pm my eyelids feel extremely heavy and by 10pm I'm lying in bed) so I've now become an old person and I wake up extremely early even on weekends and holidays.

Their sandwiches come with 2 different types of breads - either their home-baked bread of the day (which was cranberry multigrain loaf) or croissant. The sandwich costs about $15 dollars but it's a really large towering sandwich stuffed full of roasted veggies (think eggplant, peppers, zucchinis) and a generous helping of fresh dou-miao.

  

 There were 2 fillings available that day - either corned beef or smoked salmon - and since I don't eat beef I had the smoked salmon which was probably healthier ;) It also comes with a grilled tomato and japanese cucumbers - even the japanese cucumbers on the side is lightly dressed.

 Corned beef sandwich - they have mayo and whole grain mustard so the sandwich is nice and tasty, and not too dry. Best of all - it's really filling and I felt really satisfied for the rest of the afternoon. (Even though I was greedy and ate nachos while watching Perks of being a wallflower - my opinion on that show is to watch it on dvd or something - no special effects so not worth watching on the big screen). 

They have these awesome fresh fruit tarts with a solid shortcrust pastry base and fresh custard. The tarts are about $8 but if you think of the amount of fresh fruits and berries used in each tart - it's really worth it. They're really light and refreshing and I ate the whole thing (before the sandwich). 

The tart in the background is a banana and chocolate tart - lots and lots of fresh banana in there - but I found the chocolate a bit too heavy and rich for my liking (it wasn't too sweet, just too chocolatey) but then again I'm not a big chocolate fan. 

The tarts can also be bought at Fredo Galaxy at Commonwealth Drive (closed on Tuesdays) but I haven't been there before... 

Drips Bakery Cafe
82 Tiong Poh Road
#01-05
Tel 62220400

Halloween dinner

My Halloween costume - ebi sushi since I like sushi so much.
The tutorial can be found here http://m.instructables.com/id/Sushi-Nigiri-Costume-with-Headpiece/


I used a small pillow stitched up at one end and pasted orange felt pieces cos I can't stitch (with the normal needle and thread).


The dinner spread which wkr and Chris made.


Graveyard of dips and ghost eggs.


Jelly with lime.


Butter fingers

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Tiong Baru Bakery

I've been living under a rock for the past few months so it was time to go out and get some sunshine (hopefully no melanomas in the process). And i just had a mega marathon sleep from 5pm to 8am today so im definitely more refreshed than usual. First stop of the day was the insanely crowded tiong baru bakery where I da-paoed and assortment of freshly baked goodies. (Btw thanks to pok for the recommendations!)


Was going out for a movie (perks of being a wallflower -which is not my kind of movie) so I didn't get to try their tarts but I got myself some of their hardier pastries.


So far, I've tried the chocolate almond croissant and the almond brioche. The chocolate croissant is delicious and probably worth all the LDLs in there. The brioche was mehhhh in comparison.
Haven't tried the other two tho! I'm really really full from stuffing my face today.

Btw I have two new life mottos (i cant wait for the new year but decided to start early) which is -
1. why try so hard, why bother (we are communist anyway)
And
2. I shall do more things that improve my health and my wealth
So far I'm achieving the first one and part of the second (not the wealth part yet).

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Kuriya's mountain of uni

Kuriyas monthly special lunch set was this uni set (limited to 10 sets/day) fortunately they still had stock even though our lunch was rather late. No regrets ordering this $50++ set cos it was really a mountain of uni and chopped assorted sashimi. Not as fresh as the kind u get in Japan but pretty close! And the bontan ebi was a joy to eat (even though I'm allergic to raw prawns) - the head was so delightfully crispy and lightly salted that I ate everything except the eyeballs.


The other set was a grilled ?saiyuri fish which was very fresh, and thick sashimi. Both sets came with a salad starter, miso soup and dessert of the day which was pineapple custard and a small scoop of black sesame ice cream.
Though some people will disagree with kuriyas no children under 6 years old dining policy, I, for once am totally for it. No annoying screeches or crying or kids running around and disturbing my peaceful meal of slurping down sweet uni.

Kuriya
Great world city

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Dean and Deluca

Tried Dean and Deluca at Central on a weekday. The queue is insane on weekends. Though I must say that the food is very underwhelming and I was not impressed at all by my bagel cos it was hard and dry and the cream cheese was spread so thinly that I could hardly taste it. The scrambled eggs were a bit too runny but tasted creamy enough.

The pancakes fared much better.
I definitely wont be queuing here. I'm feeling that the local food has been very uninspiring lately and it's extremely expensive for something u could easily make at home. Oh well.
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