Tried the Hanami Parfait set and really liked it. I would say that the standard of the parfait here is almost as good as the ones in Japan. Every component was executed well. Unless you are a big eater, the portion is good to share among 2, just order an additional beverage. One piece of advice to the cafe though, please use silverware and not disposable wooden cutlery. They actually spoil the flavor of the desserts. Will be back to try the other parfait flavors, as well as the fancy eclairs.
Taking the brand new Downtown Line 2 to this once bustling food haven, I was looking for a light lunch and decided on this chinese la mian xiao long bao stall previously favorably reviewed by ieatishootipost. The folds on the xiao long bao skin were intricate and skin texture was nice even though it felt a bit thicker than those at Ding Tai Fung. The meat filling was also tasty. Only pity was that the broth inside the dumpling was pathetically little, couldn't even fill a third of the soup spoon, so it was quite dry. $7 for 10 dumplings.
The tempura batter was nice and crispy but I couldn't really taste the freshness of the ingredients. Guess I can't be asking for too much at this price. The idea of chicken tempura was a bit odd although it was executed alright. Reminded me of Long John Silver's. Texture and flavor of the chawanmushi was exceptional though.
Ordered the Standard Tonkotsu Ramen with special toppings that included seaweed, flavored egg and additional char siu. Noodle texture was thin and springy which is standard hakata standard. Broth however was overly strong. It lacked the kind of clarity in taste I was looking for as can also be seen in the photo - the soup looks overly oily. The pungent pork bone taste was overpowering, as if they forgot to filter something or add something to tone it down. Flavored egg was boiled to just the right runny yolk texture. Unfortunately they had over flavored the egg, resulting it in being overly salty when paired with the broth. My sis commented the char siu was sliced so thin that it had become shabu shabu pork and I have to say i agree with her. At that thickness, even if the char siu had been nicely roasted, we wouldn't have been able to taste it. Somehow the long queue waiting outside made me wonder if this was just a bad day for the chef and restaurant. But I doubt I will be returning anytime soon.
Hidden among the traditional trading firms and hostels along Hong Kong Street is Ronin, yet another one of those ever-popular industrial chic cafes but with a tinge of Japanese influence (I have yet to come across another cafe that sells Japanese curry rice). Their coffee was strong and aromatic, but a lot less acidic than most strong coffees I have tasted. And though I'm not a big fan of this type of coffee (yet), I can't say it's not good either. My friend and I wanted to order a small dessert, but were disappointed to find very limited choices available at the counter. In the end, we settled on a Salted Caramel Brownie, of which I'm rarely disappointed by anything that is salted caramel. Unfortunately, the brownie turned out to be too wet for our liking, and was basically a wet mush on our plate by the time we decided we had enough of it (and by the way I don't usually leave anything behind on my plate) Worth commending is the service we received from the young waitress at the cashier. Unfortunately, with their not so attractive menu, this cafe might not be seeing much of me unless I happen to be in the vicinity again.
Among the many cafes that dot the hip but not so public-transportation-friendly Martin Road area, my favourite has got to be Common Man Coffee Roasters. In my opinion, apart from Chye Seng Huat Hardware, their decor has got to be the coolest within the industrial chic theme. This was actually my third visit. Their coffee is strong and aromatic, but a little more to the acidic side. According to my friend who has tasted the authentic churros in Spain, their version isn't quite up to standard, but to an undiscerning churro eater like myself, it was good enough, even without the chocolate sauce that came along with it. During my last visit, I enjoyed their crab salad with pomegranate bits tremendously. Common Man Coffee Roasters is one of the few cafes in Singapore that take their food as seriously as their coffee. I'll be back to try their breakfast the next time I have access to a car.
Papa Palheta needs no further introduction by now if you are a religious cafehopper in Singapore. The company behind Chye Seng Huat Hardware is a forerunner in the new wave of cafes on the red dot. This new cafe in Siglap marries good coffee with beautiful two wheelers. I may not have the money to buy one of them but that wouldn't stop me from bringing my trusty Raleigh bike over for servicing one of these days (the cafe offers a bicycle servicing package that includes a complimentary cuppa) I ordered a sour cream cheese brioche toast that everyone seemed to be raving about and it did not disappoint with the mix of sweet and sour flavors. My sister ordered The Coast Breakfast and though nothing to rave about still offered good value for its serving size. I was also pleasantly surprised to spot my original favourite Papa Palheta blend, Terra Firma, on sale too. Next time I will make my way here by bicycle if my knees are up for the slopy terrain.
I've long heard about Dutch Colony Coffee at Pasarbella but never tried it as it was quite out of the way. Now that they have opened close to my new place in the East in a nice chic shophouse, I can't find any excuse not to. The cappuccino here isn't as strong and aromatic as my favourite Papa Palheta's, but still strikes a good enough balance for my palette. And at $4.50 a cup is excellent value. I also ordered a Portobello Road sourdough sandwich ($9) that had pretty fresh ingredients and was of a decent serving size. With such good value in their offerings, this cafe is likely to become a very popular one in this quiet part of the East.
Still my favourite ramen locally despite more and more specialty ramen stores sprouting around Singapore in recent years. The pork cheeks are fatty yet not too greasy which gives it great flavor and texture and the soup is well balanced, neither too bland nor too rich. This will keep me happy while I patiently await Ichiran Ramen to open a branch in Singapore. 👍
Stumbled upon a signboard while searching for a spot for afternoon tea. It said free coffee with purchase of the cake-of-the-day. As it turned out, today's cake was homemade chocolate truffle cake. Initially I was expecting probably a house brew (read: not very fancy coffee) to go with the cake. To my surprise the waiter said I could choose from the menu of italian coffees. Of course, I immediately chose my default Cappuccino. While waiting for my order to arrive, I checked out the surroundings. I really like the ambience. The interior decor emits a very modern European feel despite the fact that this is Marche, the well-known international chain of bistros. Selection of music suited my taste very well too. As for the cake, although I wouldn't say it's anything worth raving about, it was a decent full-sized chocolate cake. Paired with coffee for $8.10, there's really nothing to complain about. Would consider coming again when I'm in the vicinity.
