sandwiches and salads @ simply sandwich

True to its name, Simply Sandwich offers mostly sandwiches. I love the minimalism concept of the interior of the tiny shop. Raw brick walls and cement floor coupled with elderly sandwich makers behind the counter can really make one feels good. This shop is located at Millenia Walk, at the external facade of the mall.

We ordered loads of food, from the most basic Ham & Cheese Sandwich to salads and granola. Mind you, expect only the simplest build up of a sandwich here. Nothing fancy. I'd think the key here is simple and fresh.

Biting into layers of shredded ham and flavorful premium slice of cheddar cheese with fresh lettuce in a baguette bread is as good as it gets for a Ham & Cheese Sandwich. It will set you back for slightly over S$10 but you are simply paying for fresh and premium ingredients.

ham and cheese baguette sandwich

The to-go triangle sandwich trio, consists of Roast Beef, Chunky Egg and BLT. I simply love the packaging. These ingredients are sandwiched between 3 different types of bread, brown, white and whole meal which could possibly provide a more balanced meal. Nothing to should about, but this sandwich again reflects the simplicity of a sandwich in Simply Sandwich.

The Trio : Roast Beef, Chunky Egg and BLT

A sandwich meal is usually complemented by a nice serving of salads. Instead of the common caesar salads, we chose the Chicken Salads with Balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The greens are very fresh, croutons are crunchy and the chunky mayo chicken cubes provide that additional dose of protein that I need for the day. All these, tossed in balsamic vinaigrette dressing can make the cut of a guilt-free, balanced lunch for me. For this portioning and quality, S$10.50 is not too much to ask for.

Chicken salads with balsamic vinaigrette

Orange Fantan, a very unique name, is a muffin-like bread. It is the shape that caught my eyes and hence wanted to give it a try. Textured like bread and infused with tangy and sweet orange flavor, this would be a nice pairing for a cup of brewed coffee. Priced at S$1.80.

My soft spot for products has always been its packaging. This small plastic container that contains granola, cranberry and sunflower seeds calls out for me from the chilled case. Nice combination of softened granola and cranberry with sunflower seeds soaked in the tart greek yogurt. This would make a nice and healthy breakfast option.

Granola, cranberry with sunflower seeds

Simply Sandwich
Milenia Walk, #01-92.
T: 6336 6846/ 6336 6846    
F: 6339 6859

taiwanese desserts @ Koi & Snowflakes

Koi, Singapore

Koi, not the fish, but one of the many Taiwanese bubble tea chain stores here in Singapore. I've heard much about it before I finally get to taste it.

What is unique about Koi bubble tea is that you get to customize the sweetness. One can opt for 0%, 25%, 50% or 75% sweetness. So, for those health conscious junkie, you can feel better when indulging in this by choosing less sweet option.

The milk tea is smooth and silky with aromatic flavor of black tea. When paired with the chewy, smaller-than-usual slightly sweetened pearls, it forms a delicious concoction of this drink made popular by the Taiwanese.

koi bubble milk tea

Snowflakes, Pavilion, KL

I landed at Snowflakes, thanks to my sister's introduction after few hours of window shopping at Pavilion, KL. It is, yet another dessert shop from Taiwan, or inspired by the Taiwanese dessert trend.

.

snowflakes kiosk at pavilion, kl

Self-service, you got to go upfront to the counter to check out their lighted box menu. I ordered the Snowflakes Best-seller, a combination of grass jelly, grass jelly infused ice, taro balls, sweet potato balls and creamer.

The taro and sweet potato balls are addictive! They are chewy with subtle hints of sweetness and unpretentious flavors of taro and sweet potatoes. I wish they could give more to feed my addiction. All these for RM6.50.

Next on the list is Lemon Jelly Ice. As you can see below, it's shaved iced topped with jelly infused with lemon flavor and finished with a thin slice of lemon. Jelly is chewy and has nice texture without being overly sweet. This is so simple and straightforward that it is so refreshing. A good option for lemon lovers at the price of RM5.50.

Lemon Jelly Ice

Last but not any less impressive than the above 2, we chose to have Winter Stringz. It was featured on promotional banner right beside the kiosk.

The stringy jelly is really chewy with a tinge of sweetness and is paired perfectly with the winter melon drink. You can get hold for a cup for RM5.50.

Winter Stringz

Koi Cafe

Koi Cafe Ang Mo Kio
Blk 704 Ang Mo Kio Central #01-2545 Tel: begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +65 6459 1518      end_of_the_skype_highlighting+65 6459 1518

Koi Cafe Bishan
513 Bishan street 13 #01-503 Tel: +6258 1729

Koi Cafe Illuma
201 Victoria Street #01-15 Iluma At Bugis Tel: begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +6884 6817      end_of_the_skype_highlighting+6884 6817

Koi Cafe People’s Park
1 Park Road #01-16 People’s Park Complex Tel: begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +65 6536 8330      end_of_the_skype_highlighting+65 6536 8330

Koi Cafe Marine Parade
Blk 83 Marine Parade Central #01-562 Tel: begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +65 6440 4869      end_of_the_skype_highlighting+65 6440 4869

Koi Cafe Toa Payoh
190A Toa Payoh Central #01-562 Tel: begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +65 6256 1169      

 +65 6256 1169

Snowflakes

P4.01.00 & E4.01.00
Pavilion KL
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
(outside Padini Concept Store)

 
No.61A, First Floor,
Jalan SS15/8A,
47500 Subang Jaya,
Selangor.
Tel: 017-623 8966   

it's all about desserts and ramen!! featuring P.S. Cafe, TCC, Marutama & Ippudo

It's been a while since I last post anything here. Blame it on World Cup, blame it on Paul the Octopus, blame it on Spain, blame it on Inception, blame it on Twilight and everything else that kept me busy and obviously that was also because I was going places, savoring delicious food. :)

I'm just going to keep this short and sweet as there are so many food pics to share . :)

P.S. Cafe, Dempsey Hill

Let's start with P.S Cafe; a charming, contemporary cafe built with mostly glass in the Dempsey Hill cluster of restaurants and bars.

Famous for their desserts, I picked the popular key lime pie and i guess the other slice is a chocolate cheesecake. If my memory doesn't fail me, it should cost from S$8 onwards per slice.

key lime pie

chocolate cheese cake

Key lime pie is very tangy in flavor with a subtle sweet after-taste, which I love because it is a perfect finishing to a satisfying meal.

Chocolate cheese cake on the other hand, is very rich and indulgent. It is rich both in flavor and texture with a creamy finishing. I particularly like the cookie crust at the bottom.

The Coffee Connoisseur (TCC)

Since I am already at it, I'll just continue to talk on desserts, this time at TCC (please excuse the error in name for the picture below, sometimes I get confused between TCC and Coffee Club :p). The colorful beverage below is named Fruitti Delight. True to its name, it is very refreshing and fruity. The perfect blend of soda and citrusy concentrate brings the ohh-ahhs to the person savoring it.

fruitti delight

chocolate affogato (with rum)

devil-misu

I've always like affogato, but Chocolate Affogato with rum is something worth trying! It was a perfect marriage of chocolate ice-cream and intense shot of espresso with additional kick from the rum.

To know if one is good in dessert, you just have to try their tiramisu. Called Devil-misu here (Devil misses you?!?!) at TCC, it's slightly disappointed after having a great cup of chocolate affogato. As with many other tiramisu, it is lack of rum taste and the coffee flavor is a little flat.

Prices of the above range from S$10-S$15.

Marutama Ramen, Liang Court

A dimly-lit, quaint little ramen shop, Marutama only features a menu of an A4 laminate paper, with only 3 types or ramen and perhaps another 3 types of side.

Patronized predominantly by Japanese, this should be a good bet for authentic Tokyo ramen. Although ramen is good, with very flavorful chicken broth and nicely-done egg, hard boiled egg white and 3/4 cooked egg yolk (I wonder how they do this), I highly recommend that you try the Char Siew. It really melts in your mouth (this is second Char Siew I've tried that melts in mouth)!!. The ramen is stringy and chewy and the broth is not as thick and rich as the pork-based broth, yet as delicious. One bowl for S$12. Char siew as side for S$4 for 3 thin slices.

Also a side dish, try the mini beef rice bowl. The beef slices are tender and juicy. If you are a really small eater then this could be a good option for a meal. Steamed gyoza is also good, smooth skin with succulent meat and vegetables as fillings. Perfect when dipped into the combination of shredded ginger and vinegar.

marutama ramen (with spicy chicken broth)

 marutama ramen (after tossing and adding more chili flakes)

mini yakiniku beef rice (a side dish)

steamed gyoza

Ippudo, Mandarin Gallery, Orchard

Now, let's move on to Ippudo. Ippudo is a famous ramen shop with its root in Tokyo, Japan. It's broth is made of pork bone and there are 2 types of ramen; Hokkaido and Kyushu (I think). As with steak, you can choose how the ramen is done; i.e. soft, medium or hard.

I had Shiromaru Classic, as standard as it gets, it features half an egg and sliced pork loin besides the key ingredients, ramen and tonkatsu broth. The broth is very rich, creamy and flavorful. Perhaps this is the reason it cost S$17 a bowl and  worth to queue in a 10-15 deep line.

shiromaru classic

For me, the highlight is the Bakuretsu Tofu, spicy tofu with crispy noodle in japanese curry served in a mini hotpot. I believe there is cheese in it too as it tastes really creamy. At S$7, this is a must-try.

bakuretsu tofu

P.S Cafe

28B Harding Road
249549
9070 8782

Open Mon-Thu 11:30am-12am; Fri 11:30am-2am; Sat 9:30am-2am; Sun 9:30am-12am

The Coffee Connoisseur (TCC)

You're bound to walk into one as they are everywhere in Singapore

Marutama Ramen
177 River Valley Road #02
Liang Court Shopping Centre

Ippudo Ramen
Mandarin Gallery 
333A Orchard Road 
#04-02/03/04 
Singapore 238867


Mondays to Saturdays
11am-11pm
Last order at 10pm

Sundays 
11am-10pm
Last order at 9pm

dim sum @ victoria peak

Dim sum has always been a weekend morning affair. It's no different this time as we head on to Victoria Peak Restaurant at Orchard Central, one of the newer malls along the Orchard shopping belt.

Entrance to Victoria Peak, Orchard Central

Orchard Central's version of Alice in Wonderland, right outside Victoria Peak Restaurant

Victoria Peak, as its name indicated, located at the 'peak' of Orchard Central, a unique architecture which look especially charming at night when the lights come alive. You can get bird's eye view of some parts of Singapore from here. It has been speculated that Victoria Peak is a premium spin-off from the popular East Ocean at Shaw, Orchard.

Back to the food. Dim sum assortment resembles the one at East Ocean. Just check out the following pictures and comments for my thoughts on the food here.

Siu Mai, made with fresh and crunchy prawns and tender pork.

Fung Jau - tender and flavorful, could be better if served piping hot.

Siu Loong Bau.

Jiu Yim Tofu, crunchy and tasty coat of flour with salt and chilli flakes.

X.O Stir Fried Cheung Fun, one of my favorite and must-eat HK food, they did it just the way I like it.

Cheung Fun with Prawns and Fu Juk, a nice fusion, and different from Ja Leung

Cheung Fun with Char Siew, nice texture and thickness though Char Siew could have been better

Siu Yuk, succulent pork made to melt in your mouth

Pei Tan, my 3rd attempt to change my perception of pei tan since my first unpleasant experience of pei tan in KL years ago. A taste of pei tan in HK's Yung Kee gave me the confidence to try again. This one, although not as yummy as the one in HK, but still way better than the ones in KL.

All in all, if the food can be served warmer than it was its quality could be on par with that of East Ocean. I still like the Yum Cha atmosphere in East Ocean where you can practically hear the conversations of your neighboring tables and the dim sum servers yelling 'Char Siu Bau, Siu Mai, Har Kau'. That completes the whole dim sum experience.

Victoria Peak Restaurant

#11-01-02, Orchard Central

181 Orchard Road

Tel: +65-6238 7666

Opening hours

Mon–Sat 11.30am–3pm, 6pm–10.30pm Sun & PH 11am–3pm, 6pm–10.30pm

italian delight @ basilico

A friend's belated birthday dinner brought me to the Basilico, at The Regent Hotel in Singapore.


Basilico serves fresh and authentic Italian cuisine. You can order an a la carte entree or opt to pay extra to add a buffet appetizer and dessert. 


I opted for Pappardelle with baked duck slices. Pappardelle are broad, wide fettuccine. The ones I had were about 2 inches wide. Portion was just nice and the tomato based sauce made the dish more refreshing. Duck slices were tender and moist.

Top: Tenderloin with freshly and thinly shaved Black Truffles, Bottom: Pappardelle with tomato baked duck

My friends ordered Tenderloin with freshly shaved Black Truffles, Grilled Cod Fish and Brocolli in Aglio Olio and Lamb Leg.


Tenderloin was tender and moist, nicely done and Cod Fish was fresh and juicy.

Top: Self-tossed arugula with balsamic vinaigrette and sundried tomatoes, Bottom: my selection of appetizers - smoked salmon, scallops with herbs, parma ham, grilled asparagus, stuffed peppers and grilled mushrooms.

However, we kind of over-indulged with the spread of Italian-style appetizers. Huge blocks of cheeses and stuffed cherry tomatoes occupied our plates.

Top: Self-assembled cheese, honey and cracker platter, Center: Second helping of appetizer - alaskan king crab, more scallops and mixed nuts with cranberries, Bottom: Grilled Cod Fish and Brocolli in Aglio Olio.

Had quite a few helpings of scallops and alaskan king crabs myself.


Over and all, it was a nice and quiet Italian experience although an expensive one at S$80 per pax.


Basilico at 1 Cuscaden Road, Level 2, The Regent Singapore

rock salt cheese tea @ happy lemon

Happy Lemon is a tiny store, squeezed in between many other snacks and specialty food outlets at the basement of ION Shopping Mall in Orchard. It is the first in South East Asia after making their mark in China and Hong Kong.

What was thought to be just another Taiwanese Bubble Tea Shop begs to differ by offering a very adventurous range of iced tea. 

What caught my attention was the Rock Salt Cheese tea series. Being curious as usual, I got hold of a regular cup of Rock Salt Cheese Green Tea for S$3.50.

Living up to its name, first sip (no straws please, as recommended by the staff there) was like eating light cheese mousse. It looks like a layer of foam (sorry, I was too busy sipping hence didn't manage to take picture of the drink) with sprinkles of rock salt.

After mixing the cheese and tea, it tasted like salty milk tea. I am only recommending this for hard core cheese lovers, otherwise please stick to your good old favorite bubble milk tea.

Good or not, up to your own taste buds, but it's definitely one of its kind!

Happy Lemon is located at #B4-35 ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn.

marina bay sands at night

Whole day of walking at Orchard and we ended up in the Circle Line train at about 9pm, heading towards Promenade after deciding to drop by Marina Bay Sands (MBS) to experience one of the two Integrated Resorts in Singapore, the other being Resorts World in Sentosa.

To get there, simply take the latest Circle Line to Promenade station. Take Exit A at the Promenade station and turn left. MBS is right ahead of you. It takes about 10 mins to reach from the MRT station. The walk was a scenic one, especially so at night, hence it's recommended to take this route if you're on public transport.

You can choose to walk along the pedestrian side walk by the expressway or the nice pedestrian bridge running parallel to the side walk. Both will lead you to MBS's casino and retail area.

As you walk closer to MBS, you'll realize how massive the structure is. The Skypark (world's tallest observatory deck) looks like a Noah's Ark landed on three huge trees or some kind of spaceship to me.

A little note for casino visitors, no shorts and slippers/sandals are permitted for male. Dress code for ladies is more relaxed.

The casino is bigger and a little brighter than the one in Resorts World. I can't really comment on the gaming experience as I don't really gamble. 

Retail shopping arcade is huge. Many international designer brands will be opening the doors soon, including Louis Vuitton, Prada, Miu Miu, Chanel, Gucci and the likes. This will be a new shopping destination for those who love Orchard for its array of designer brands.

My recommendation would be to visit MBS only later this year as many shops are still not opened.

Skypark is due to open on June 23, while the Lion King & theaters and museum in Oct and Dec 2010 respectively.

Marina Bay Sands is located at Bayfront Avenue, Marina South in Singapore.

cakes @ kki

kki ~ simple yet sumptious

Located at Ann Siang Hill, neighboring Chinatown in Singapore, kki is a quiet and low-profile cake shop with heavy Japanese influences.

adjacent to kki is de little drom store, offering knick knacks of yesteryear such as five-stones

Tucked at a corner of an intersection between rows of retail shops, kki offers high quality cakes. There are only a handful choices of cakes and beverages, but good enough to satisfy my sweet cravings.

Antoinette, the white chocolate mousse cake with mango centered fillings is refreshing and you just can't stop digging into it. S$8.00

Kinabaru (not too sure if i got this right), is a heavenly marriage of coconut mousse and passionfruit curd. Light and delightful. S$7.50

To sum it all, simple and delightful cakes, friendly and knowledgeable staff and clean and bright ambience.

Kki, 7 Ann Siang Hill, tel: 6225-6650. Opening hours: Sundays to Fridays, 10am to 9pm, Saturdays, 10am to 4pm.

Patissier, another dessert shop at Ann Siang Hill.