I've always had a soft spot for quiche. There's something about a creamy, savoury custard in a buttery pastry shell that renders it immediately comforting and satisfying. As such, when the quiche from this joint in my neighbourhood was lauded in the newspapers, I could not but check it out. Prices are very reasonable if pitched at the upper rungs of heartland clientele, two slices of quiche and a dessert apiece for my friend and I amounted to $29.80.
We waited awhile for our slices of Three Mushroom & Scallion Quiche ($4) to be warmed and it was well worth it. The rich, earthy umaminess of the different mushrooms was amplified by a firm, creamy custard. The flaky, buttery pastry was dense, rendering it quite substantial.
We followed this with slices of the classic Quiche Lorraine ($4) which were quite sweet from the inclusion of caramelised onions. The bacon did not overwhelm with its porcine character but rather seeped into the smooth custard as an accent.
Hankering for something sweet, I was delighted to find Mille Crepe ($6.60) on display. This would be the Occidental version of kueh lapis with countless alternating layers of custard and crepe. Rich, eggy and moist with a lovely burnt sugar crust a-la creme brûlée, the painstaking construct had a simple, accessible flavour profile. The custard layers were thin so the already heavy dessert did not prove too much.
Apple Mille Crepe ($7.20) came highly recommended and proved a very different creature from its base form. All that comforting simplicity was given flair with tart, cinnamon-laced apples lending added bite and character. It all came together extremely well.
Arteastiq by Marxx – 333A Orchard Road, #04-14/15 Mandarin Gallery
I love booze and I love tea so when a place offers both, I’m quite naturally interested. Arteastiq by Marxx at Mandarin gallery is an eclectically decorated tea lounge which offers alcoholic teas on weekends if you want something more than your usual weekday cuppa. Given its location and the ambience, my $41.67 bill was a pleasant surprise.
I gravitated immediately toward the Hot Whisky Ginger Spice ($14) for those three elements more or less profile my tastes apart from chocolate. The strong brew is heady and stupor-inducing with pleasure, threatening to overwhelm the senses. Like fireworks, it offers a dazzling yet harmonious display between the oaky smoke of whisky, astringent ginger tang and perfumed spice of cinnamon; all couched in the medium of strong tea.
Tea calls for nibbles so we ordered the intriguingly-named Flying Carpet ($12.90) with an equally eyebrow-quirking description of “2 scoops of gelato with an Arteastiq Probiotic crispy prata”. Out of a pretty unusual selection, we picked Cointreau Bitter Chocolate and Champagne Vanilla. The former clearly stole the show with smooth, creamy and rich bitter chocolate accorded an elegant honeyed citrus note on the finish. The Champagne Vanilla was less balanced with the subtle vanilla flavour eclipsed by a rather raw, too-strong infusion of champagne. Well the prata was pretty much what you'd expect and was left in the shadows by the gorgeous chocolate ice cream, forgotten till we came round to mopping up the molten goo.
To round things off, we ordered an additional Adam ($8.50) which turned out to be an extremely crumbly spiced apple cake. The apple layer was clearly distinct from the cake, the two coming apart in a shower of crumbs whenever one tries to cut out a morsel. Mess aside, it was pretty good stuff!
Always on the lookout for things that intrigue and inspire the palate, I headed down to Al Qasr for Lebanese food; a cuisine I had yet to try. I found this alfresco corner shop a laidback place with enticingly exotic food. My party of two racked up a mere $71.90 for a multi course meal with wine for one.
I started off with a glass of Ksara ($12), a wine imported from Lebanon. Subtly sweet with a rich tannic finish, it had an amazing mix of plum and cherry notes as well as delicate accents of cinnamon and clove.
The Amuse Bouche was a plate of assorted pickles crafted to tease as well serve as palate cleansers later in the meal. All generously salty, the peppers were delightfully spicy while the brine-pickled olives had a lovely bitter tang that made them clearly distinct from those encountered in Italian cuisine.
The Set Lunches ($15) here are a godsend for curious foodies on a budget. They start you off with a lightly spiced Lentil Soup that was wonderfully smooth and creamy. The lemon wedges are not just for aesthetics as a hesitant spritz totally transformed my soup, giving it life with a vibrant citrus kick.
This was followed by a trio of starters which gave a good sketch of Middle-Eastern finger food. Tabbuoleh is a light and herby salad of parsley, burghul wheat, tomatoes, onions, mint, lemon juice and olive oil. I adored the Falafel; crisp, moist and bursting with a robust nuttiness. However, the Hummus was what tied it all together as the creamy, tangy universal dip of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil.
My dining partner opted for the Lamb Kebabs which came with sizable chops as well. Very compact, the kebabs had excellent bite but could've had a more liberal use of spice. The lamb chop fared far better with a relatively subtle lamb flavour couched in smoky char and floral herbs.
I explored the other option of Chicken Kebabs and was pleasantly surprised. The kebabs themselves shattered my preconceived notion of typically dry, bland rotisserie-cooked chicken. I was bowled over by the generous use of cumin and coriander which lent the usually unexciting meat character and finesse. The juicy chicken chunks in a creamy yoghurt-based marinade were even better. A small wedge of pita served as the balancing factor, stuffed with a deliciously piquant and spicy chilli-onion relish.
The description of Kebbeh Nayeh ($15) had me intrigued - raw, fresh lamb meat with burghul wheat, mint, spices, garlic, mayonnaise and extra virgin olive oil. I count beef Carpaccio as one of my favourites and therefore had high hopes for another raw dish, but that was not to be. Definitely an acquired taste, a strong ovine flavour pervades it. Not resembling meat at all, the thick, grey meat-gruel was lumpy and mealy in equal parts.
Every set came with a small Maamool for dessert, a melt-in-your-mouth butter cookie with traces of nuts and spice.
As my sweet tooth was still unsatisfied, I ordered an Umali ($5) which turned out to be a pleasantly soggier version of bread and butter pudding. Apparently it is composed of puff pastry, milk, cream, nuts and desiccated coconut; the last of which accorded wonderful flavour and texture.
I must say that I’m relatively new to the foodblogging scene with just over 50 posts and 6 months under my belt. However, I’ve had the privilege of dining at restaurants from a young age and have – at least – a rough idea of what drives the centuries-old food and beverage industry. Now, if I were to whittle all that down to one axiomatic precept, it’d be this: diners pay the establishment to feed them.
Simple right? Apparently not.
With the advent of citizen journalism, a new class of diners have entered the fray: foodbloggers; a diverse mix of people with the simple goal of sharing their love of food with the online community. As a way of showing their thanks and perhaps get a little publicity, some restaurants even go so far as to offer discounts or occasional invited food tastings.
However, a problem has recently arisen because some bloggers misconstrue the magnanimous actions of these restaurants to be their God-given right. They get it into their heads that they deserve to eat for free by waving their ‘status’ of foodblogger about like a meal ticket or discount voucher. This atrociously erroneous notion not only reflects badly on them and causes needless trouble for eateries but also sullies the reputation of the entire foodblogging community. On the most basic level, it completely contradicts the aforementioned informal axiom of dining and leaves me fuming besides.
This audacity is not restricted to newcomers whose ignorance might be remotely forgivable but also long-established members of the foodblogging community. The incident that incensed me to write this post actually involved an eatery I patronised at Joo Chiat and a foodblogger who has garnered numerous accolades and whose page I often visit. Unhappy with the already gracious waiving of the bill for 2 out of his party of 4, he kicked up a stink and virtually flung his credit card at the wait staff. Talk about bad form.
This post is not intended to slime so no names will be mentioned. However, I hope that this sort of behaviour can be nipped in the bud lest restaurants begin turning DSLR-toting diners away.
Spanish food has always resonated with me. The passion and sensuality of this people have left a distinct mark on their cuisine which is replete with rich flavours and heady spices. As such, it was with much glee that I paid 6 month old My Little Spanish Place - a stone's throw from my home - a visit.
I knew I was in for a remarkably authentic taste of Spain when the table adjacent to mine was filled by a trio of striking Spanish women. They were likely regulars, quickly roping an equally attractive Spanish waitress into a familiar, rapid-fire discussion in their native tongue. This had me sold even before I met the gregarious, dynamic Filipino manager Edward who kindly painted us a background of his Sino-Spanish ancestry. He - in turn - drew my attention to their chef Maria Sevillano who hails from Castille Y Leon in Spain and even brought out her framed birth certificate (pictured below) for dramatic effect; she stopped by our table later for a personal touch to boot. This sheer enthusiasm and eagerness to please truly bowled me over, rendering the substantial bill of $163.68 one I gladly paid.
As advised, we swiftly placed our paella order with a few choices from the array of tapas to tide us over till it arrived. The Tortilla de Patata con Alioli ($6) came highly recommended as Spain's national dish. The fluffy potato omelette was moist, light and pillowy; excellent when coated generously with a creamy, delicately garlicky alioli.
Croquetas ($6 for 3) arrived next in quick succession, chunks of Jamon ham according the smooth, creamy croquette filling with depth and flavour.
Next on the list was Gambas al Ajillo ($12.90), shrimp in garlic and white wine. The rather firm, thoroughly-cooked shrimp were perhaps an indicator of how the Spanish like their seafood a little more done than what I'm used to. The sauce could've had a stronger note of garlic pungency but was good nonetheless.
The Albondigas ($10.50) were arguably the tapas show-stealer. The three meatballs were magnificently massive! Excellently constructed to strike a textural balance between meaty solidity and tenderness, they were absolutely juicy despite being laudably lean. If that was not enough, they were coated in a thick, hearty tomato sauce with lovely herby accents.
Completing our round of Tapas were Filetes Russos con Pimientoy Mahon ($9.50); mini burgers composed of Russian filets, bell peppers and Mahon according to an heirloom Spanish recipe. The burgers’ elegant size belied extremely satisfying, compact patties that were superbly juicy and possessing a divine trinity of rich cheesiness, intense beefiness and smoky char.
To my dismay the house paella was unavailable due to a shortage of crucial chorizo (likely warranting a second visit), so we settled for the equally popular Paella Arroz Negra ($39 for 2 pax). The rich, pungent Umami of squid ink was absorbed magnificently by moist rice cooked to al dente, individual and separate grains. The raven mass studded with the odd squid ring and crowned with large, sweet shrimp was a sight to behold. A squeeze of lemon juice accords the paella with burst a citrus life that refreshes the palate and renders the sizable portion manageable with a clean finish. The base of the cast iron pan was free of any burnt grains and I was glad I did not have to contend with the typical unpleasant bitter tang usually associated with this dish.
Complementing our paella were two unusual sangrias. Familiar with the traditional red sangria by now, I was intrigued by the White Wine Sangria ($10.90) which proved very fruity and extremely light.
Emboldened, I tried the Cova Sangria ($12.90) and fell in love with this sparkly alcopop. With a little more weight than the white, it had a robust tartness and a floral-citrus twist which - together with its sparkle - gave the impression of a playful party drink.
Sworn off carbohydrates; one of my dining partners started off with the Salmorejo ($7.50), a creamy yet sour variation of Gazpacho cold soup brimming with chopped hard-boiled eggs and flavourful jamon ham for an interesting result.
He followed this with Pinchos Morunos ($19); well-spiced, smoky barbecued pork skewers that were gorgeous with the sweet heat of pepper pickles.
We simply could not resist trying a dessert or two despite being quite full so we ordered a pair to share. The Crema Catalana ($7) turned out to be a lighter, less eggy crème brûlée with a delicate yet refreshing infusion of lemon and orange. The crisp caramelised sugar crust was wonderfully paper-thin and barely-there.
The best was truly left for last in the form of Leche Frita ($8) or fried milk. Crisp fritters oozing with rich custard and dusted liberally with cinnamon were paired with airy whipped cream for a decadent result. It is no surprise that this centuries-old recipe has stood the test of time, it looks beautiful too!
My cousin just returned from a 6-month exchange programme in Israel and I though it’d be fun to have a kosher cookout. The menu was as authentic as we could make it, including staples like Beef Brisket and utilised ingredients hand-carried back like the date honey we marinated the chicken in. Anyway, two of the more interesting dishes I whipped up were Challah – a 6-braided loaf of bread – and a traditional Honeycake; both turned out beautifully and I thought some people might want to try their hand at making them. The recipes are adapted from allrecipes.com and the smittenkitchen food-blog I frequent respectively; do check these sites out for more interesting recipes!
1.In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1½ hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
2.Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board.
3.Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into sixths and roll into long, thin rope.
4.Pinch the ends of the 6 snakes together firmly and braid by taking the right-most strip, bringing it under the two adjacent and looping it back around the third; repeat this on the left side and alternate till you run out of dough. Fold messy ends back underneath the loaf.
5.Grease two baking trays and place a finished braid on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
6.Preheat oven to 190°C.
7.Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with seeds if desired.
8.Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup warm coffee or strong tea
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup rye or whiskey
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)
1.Fits in three loaf pans, two 9-inch square or round cake pans, one 9 or 10 inch tube or bundt cake pan, or one 9 by 13 inch sheet cake. I made mine in two full-size loaf pans plus two miniature ones.
2.Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. For tube or angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper, cut to fit.
3.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, orange juice and rye or whiskey, if using. (If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out.)
4.Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a thick, well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.
5.Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle top of cake(s) evenly with almonds, if using. Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the cake interior and top).
6.Bake until cake tests done, that is, it springs back when you gently touch the cake center. For angel and tube cake pans, this will take 60 to 75 minutes, loaf cakes, about 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet style cakes, baking time is 40 to 45 minutes.
7.Let cake stand fifteen minutes before removing from pan.
The Swiss Grill –587 Bukit Timah Road, CoronationPlaza #01-05
As I’ve mentioned before, the humble burger is quite likely my favourite food. No, not that Burger King Whopper or McDonald’s double cheeseburger that invariably pops into the minds of most; I’ve moved somewhat beyond the charred, greasy offerings at run-of-the-mill fast food franchises. Better burger joints have thankfully been taking root on this lump of rock recently, allowing me to satisfy my craving for a quality patty of juicy, medium-rare beef.
Now, I can’t think of a better place for good beef - and thus burgers - than at a butcher’s. The Swiss Butchery obviously thought along the same lines when they conceptualised The Swiss Grill, a burger bar attached to their outlet at CoronationPlaza. Their burgers are extremely reasonably priced for the sheer quality you’re getting and it was not lost on me that they weighed and wrapped my massive order of brisket (I’ll blog about my kosher extravaganza soon) while I was having my brunch. A meal for two set us back just over $40, roughly deducting the cost of the beef from a conveniently combined bill.
I zeroed in on the Burger with the Lot ($14.90); no hungry carnivore could resist a name so simultaneously blunt and seductive. A massive masterpiece of bacon rashers, runny sunny-side-up eggs, creamy cheddar, tangy gherkins and a grilled patty of premium chuck beef; I had barely the restraint to photograph this beauty before tucking in. The robust beefiness of the moist, compact patty swept me away from the first bite while the successive waves of garlicky aioli, crispy bacon and an explosion of gooey yolk kept me munching away till I was shocked to find myself licking juice from the fingers of empty hands. The wonderfully thick fries were crisp on the outside with a generous mealy-moist interior, soaking up any drippings for an unglamorous and sinful treat. Few things in life can be so pleasure-packed to make my typically fastidious nature evaporate in such a fashion.
My dining partner went for the somewhat unusual Lamb Burger ($15.90), its lean mince sourced from the leg cut. Done to a lovely, juicy medium rare, the burger’s potentially overpowering ovine flavours were coaxed into submission by a wonderfully herby mustard. Crowning this bit of gastronomic engineering was a delightful combination of sweet balsamic-pickled onions, bacon and subtle Gruyere.
Ever health-conscious, my dining partner opted for a special order of Sautéed Vegetables ($8.90) which was not exactly on the menu, instead of the typical sides. The diverse melange of roasted bell peppers, zucchini, crisp and sweet onions as well as plump grilled cherry tomatoes was mercifully guiltless after our otherwise indulgent meal.
Few things can conjure that warm fuzzy feeling that a comforting breakfast does. The minds behind Wild Honey were obviously struck by this epiphany and turned it into a business which has since garnered rave reviews, including this one. Owner Guy Wachs was accommodating enough to enter a brief email correspondence to explain his brainchild which is included in the appendix.
The restaurant stays true to its tagline “NO PLACE LIKE HOME” in the multinational selection of all-day-breakfasts and also its décor. A juxtaposition against the stark, minimalist-chic of its Mandarin Gallery location; stepping into Wild Honey is indeed like coming home. An eclectic mix of plush armchairs and bar stools seemingly transplanted from a suburban kitchen counter make the place seem more like a house squeezed cosily into a shop space rather than a restaurant. The warm tones of wood, brick and orange lamplight also accord a cosy, den-like feel. Even the chatty gaggle of mothers with strollers and a sophisticated teen crowd make it seem like a massive, reasonably affluent family gathering. Prices are slightly beyond comfortable with a luxurious brunch for 2 costing $91.80, good for when you've had a bad week and need some pampering.
The menu is an extensive selection of breakfast sets from the world over; comforting expatriates a long way from home or tantalizing the palate of locals. I opted for a Tunisian ($18) which comprised a lightly-dressed salad of tomato and cucumber cubes as well as chopped Italian parsley. Thick, soft, cake-like brioche slices were perfect to soak up hearty tomato stew as well as soft, runny eggs topped with chives and flavoured robustly with the smokily sweet spice of chorizo.
Guy himself recommended drink pairings and said my eggs would be excellent with a Queen Bee ($9). Tart fresh grapefruit juice was taken to the next level with the sweet scent of Elderflowers, cutting through the richness of my breakfast and cleansing my palate gorgeously. Perfectly sweet-sour without any unpleasantly strong bitter tang, it was so light and refreshing that even Blair Waldorf would probably approve.
My dining partner opted for the Scandinavian ($24), composed of rosti and grilled salmon. The golden-brown rosti was not oily in the least, soaking up a most amazing Hollandaise for a crisp and mealy treat. Needless to say, the salmon was the harmony to the existing symphony, according a depth of rich, nuanced flavour.
Another spectacular food-drink pairing was offered in the way of a massive Mandarin Wilder ($9). A slushy concoction of raspberry sorbet, banana and mandarins, it was absolutely light and guiltless with an oh-so-subtle sweetness. This danced around the fragile flavours of the Scandinavian rather than masking them.
In the curious limbo between peckishness and satiation, my dining partner and I threw restraint to the wind and ordered the European ($18), a most wise decision. If eggs dressed to kill, this is how they'd do it: already perfectly poached to delicately firm white and runny yolk, they would be sheathed in meatily-pungent prosciutto, shawled with cheese, accessorized with lovely herby notes of thyme and dolled up in earthy mushroom tones. In my opinion this was a perfect cross between Eggs Benedict and Croque Monsieur.
Appendix
When I sent Mr Wachs an email, requesting him to expound on the inspiration behind the restaurant, possible menu changes and his attitude towards food, this is what he had to say:
“We chose the name NO PLACE LIKE HOME because it’s a universal concept that everybody understands and identifies with; it creates a very strong emotion of intimacy, peacefulness and happiness.
Through my travels in the hotel industry over 20 years, I was always interested in the different breakfast traditions of the countries I was working in (for example Italians do not eat breakfast). I collected recipes from my travels, my parents and from my wife Stephanie. We choose those recipes we felt would hit the hearts of Singaporeans (90% of our clientele is Singaporean!).
Yes, the menu changes daily and we have more coming. We believe that living healthily includes exercise (for me it’s yoga and swimming) and eating healthy, top quality ingredients including fruits and vegetables. Everything we sell is home made including our breads, jams, yoghurt, granola and tarts.
We believe in working with the local community to improve the quality of lifestyle and are involved in the farmers market once monthly and are partners with At SunRiceCulinarySchool and have students training in our kitchen. We also use recyclable materials - no plastic - because we feel we should be kind to our planet so we do see ourselves as an environmentally friendly brand.”
