Farmers' Market by The Pantry

Farmers’ Market by The Pantry – 75 Loewen Road

If heaven were a place on earth, it’d be a farmers’ market. I can’t quite fathom anything that trumps fresh produce and great food at (usually) reasonable prices in a beautiful outdoor setting. As such, I earmarked a Saturday to check out the farmers’ market hosted by The Pantry Cookery School at its campus in Loewen Gardens near Dempsey from 8am to 2.30pm two Saturdays a month. To my knowledge, it is the only one of its kind on the island.

The almost exclusively expatriate crowd brought about two conflicting emotions in me: firstly disappointment that locals are – as usual – unreceptive to yet another wonderful concept and secondly glee as expats typically indicate authentic and top-notch grub. Adorable Caucasian toddlers were cavorting around with infectious energy, making for an exuberant yet relaxing mood.

The first thing that arrested my attention was a gorgeous tablescape comprising a substantial selection of what the matronly purveyor described as “authentic English pastries”.

Bearing my dining companion’s sage advice to pace myself, I settled on a Cornish Pasty ($6). A thick, buttery pastry shell sealed a solid mass of mince, flavoured intensely with sweet and pungent onions. Extremely satisfying, it would probably have tasted a million times better fresh from the oven rather than just shy of stone cold.

The undisputed highlight of the market would be the paella cooked by an arresting Spanish lass right before your eyes in a traditional cast-iron pan perched precariously atop a back-to-basics gas burner. I’ll try to walk you through the whole breathtaking affair with the pictures below.

Deftly and daintily, she liberates pepper sweetness, garlic pungency and onion sweetness in olive oil.

With a hiss, a load of plump, juicy vine-ripened tomatoes hit the pan.

The key flavouring agents are put into play: sweet paprika and saffron.

No skimping here, the saffron filaments enter as a massive clump.

Whole shrimp and squid release their marine salt into the air as they sizzle merrily away. Chicken chunks add weight and texture while chorizo accords further paprika warmth and fat richness.

A close eye is kept on their colour as the seafood is cooked to a pliant chew. They become sponges for the smoky spice duo through the vector of tomato moisture.

Green peas were a verdant explosion among the warm hues, an utterly gorgeous image.

Clams open like glossy flowers in bloom.

A copious amount of stock is finally added, fluffy grains soaking in a wealth of flavour as it is allowed to reduce.

When the tin foil is peeled away after a 15 minute rest, the luxuriantly aromatic steam billows out, attracting a line of hungry customers the way no advertisement can.

The Large Order of Paella ($10) was a flavour-packed trip to Valencia. The combination of flavours from paprika, saffron and stock was almost explosive when a mouthful of delicate grains hit my tongue. While the chorizo accent was a tad subtle, the generous amount of softly chewy squid, crunchy shrimp, meaty clams and tender chicken more than redeemed that.

Insatiable as always, I was led by my nose to an old-school grill. An overturned metal mixing bowl serves as an improvised yet effective smoker. I’ve got an idea or two for my future kitchen from that!

I went with the recommendation of Bacon Butties ($9.80) and was not disappointed. Char-grilled and smoked rashers bacon crowned a crisp, grill-toasted bap liberally speckled with sesame seeds. The sweet warmth and delicate spice of tomato relish balanced out the bacon salinity for an utterly amazing result!

As evinced in that bright-red beret, this guy was enthusiastic about his Jamón Ibérico ($0.25 a gram). While we initially balked at the price, he gradually swayed us with his loving description of how the hams are dry-cured for three whole years under strictly controlled conditions. (Keep reading for details on the resulting flavour.)

A Junior College Literature teacher moonlighting as a maverick organic grocer topped my list of quirky personalities at the fair but his offerings eclipsed even that! Next to adolescent carrots (midway between baby carrots and full grown specimens) and Swiss chard were fire-engine-red vine tomatoes.

A crate of massive Portobello caps permeated the air with a richly earthy smell.

The crown jewel of the lot was a tray of Organic Figs ($2 apiece). Already difficult to find unpreserved, these figs were plump and downright irresistible.

Having that ham with the figs was the eventual plan and boy was it a good one! The Black ham had a milky, cheesy flavour to its marbling that melds beautifully with its intensely porcine character. This was juxtaposed against the light, clean taste of the figs reminiscent almost of watermelon.

The heat of the day was establishing itself as somewhat of a party-pooper at that point, until I spied the drinks on display. East of Avalon Wines had a booth with a military parade of ciders and beers that my dining companion pounced on, picking out 5 bottles with gusto.

Being the designated driver, I allowed myself just the small indulgence of a glass of Sangria ($5). Sweet, tart and refreshing splashed over ice; I was reminded that this was one cooler I haven’t explored enough.

Still withering in the heat, I spied the following ice-cream freezer.

Brownice is set to eclipse frozen yogurt and gelato in my book with its selection of fully vegan ice creams made from rice milk and natural ingredients. I was kindly allowed to sample all that they had including an off-menu pumpkin that could only be described as “created to mess with your head”, in a good way. In the absence of dairy creaminess, the respective flavour truly takes centre-stage for an unparalleled depth which I absolutely love. My dining companion did request toning down on the sweetness though.

The two flavours that won out and which I eventually ordered were Chocolate as well as Peanut-Butter and Caramel ($3.80 per 100g). The chocolate could have been created just for me as it was dark, rich and deliciously intense. The peanut butter and caramel was nutty, rich and had a dash of salt which intensified the warm sweetness of the caramel in a classic combination.

Smokeinnfrogz

Smokeinnfrogz - 879 Cherry Avenue, Bukit Timah

Beer garden by night, bistro by day; this cosy little eatery zeroes in on typical male (gastronomical) desires. Offering quintessential man-fare like burgers or fish and chips, it fills the sorry dearth of unapologetically unrefined and oh-so-gratifying pub grub. At $31, my lunch at Smokeinnfrogz was an absolute steal too!

The brew on offer for the day was Blue Tongue Premium Lager or Light ($5 for any 2 bottles). The lager was crisp on the tongue and had a clean finish - just like my favourite Stella Artois - thus perfect to wash down anything and cleanse the palate. The light had an even more subtle flavour but steered well clear of the wateriness that afflicts many lesser light beers.

I opted for the Homemade Beef Burger with Cheese ($13) which has garnered a cult following since a newspaper review published awhile back. Retaining that coarse, mealy feel of the mince from which it was constructed; the patty made it immediately clear that I was sinking my teeth into a REAL beef burger. The cheese and lettuce garnish simply faded into near-imperceptibility next to that carnivorous glory.

Another wildly popular offering on the menu would be the Beer Battered Fish & Chips ($13). The moist, meaty and creamy flakes of fish had a golden brown sheath that was crispy, light and not at all oily. A generous smear of garlicky aioli on the thick-cut fries plunged me into a storm inarticulate pleasure.

P.S. Café

P.S. Café – 28B Harding Road, Tanglin Village (Dempsey)

It always strikes me as tragic when an eatery, fantastic on your previous visit, is commercialised into barely a shadow of its former self. This is especially true when the eatery in question had held as much promise as P.S. Cafe once did. However, frenzied franchising, too much hype and over-popularity have since severed its roots as a cosy, intimate chill-out place.

Our greeting at the door - if it can even be deemed one - was brusque and rude as a surly hostess barked at me to get in line when I inquired about a table for 3. When we were finally seated, we placed our orders only to have them lost - along with whoever took them - not once but twice. I can forgive one misplaced order on an admittedly brisk day but a waiter quizzing me on what I wanted for the third time and asking me to point out the pony-tailed waitress and shaven-pated waiter who each took my order once before sorely tests my patience. The food also took ages to come despite us ordering off the ready-to-serve cakestand. Furthermore – shortly after all that waiting - they shoved the exorbitant $46.75 bill at us when we weren't even nearly done with a muttered "Please pay, our cashier's closing." at 5pm, not exactly closing time. If I may, P.S. Cafe's pretty setting is the only thing left remotely laudable.

My Berry Chocolate Cheesecake ($13.90) was Ms Forgetful Waitress' hesitant recommendation when I asked for one. The initially pleasant amalgam grew swiftly cloying as the scant studding of tart berries was insufficient to counterbalance the twin heavyweights of a rich if mildly flavoured cheesecake atop a dense chocolate cake layer that was arguably even richer.

The Cheddar Crust Apple Pie ($12.90) fared little better with its barely-perceptible apple filling possessing neither tartness nor spice. Curiously, I detected no cheddar at all but was caught off guard by a sudden, fleeting yet intense note of jasmine at first bite. My dining companions' blank looks when I mentioned it led me to wonder if something had fallen into my morsel.

The only decent offering came in the form of Sticky Date Pudding with Lashings of Toffee Sauce ($12.90). The 'lashings' actually came as a massive moat surrounding the monolithic pudding. Appearances were deceiving though for the pudding was magically impervious to the buttery toffee sauce so you could decide just how much sauce you wanted in your mouthful. The moist pudding itself accurately captured that warm sugariness of dates. The only conceptual flaw was perching the ice cream atop the hot pudding so it melted rapidly.