My friend and I decided to go and see Titanic Exhibition during its final days last April in Singapore. But what got my attention on the way there. I never get to see this kind of Mediterranean/Turkish restaurants easily in other malls. So I knew I had to try it. I courted my friend to try out with me and good thing she didn’t back out.
I got their main stuff like the falafel pockets. You get to choose whether you’d want to get half or the full pocket. Then some few options for the falafel like: basil, sun-dried tomatoes -which I had, then they fill this pocket with different kinds of vegetables of your choosing. They’ve got probably around 15 options. You can pick any as long as it still fits in your pocket. So for vegetables I picked, alfalfa sprouts, sautéed carrots, cherry tomatoes and caramelized onion. I was intrigued by the green chilies so I thought it’s a definitely must-go-in!
It was good! The sauce was a great thing and it really does help liven it the whole thing, or else the usual scare with falafel is its dryness. The combination of lively vegetables did help too.
Then from the moment I saw the picture of their shakshouka. I couldn’t take my mind off it. Tomatoes + eggs -those are enough to mesmerize me. I found theirs a bit conservative with the taste. I would have preferred something that has more kick to it, probably some more sourness from tomatoes or pepper. Or some fresh crushed black pepper or chilies, I’d welcome both ideas.
Pita Pan
L1 Bay Level The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore
Filed under pita pan marina bay sands turkish nediterranean falafel pita pockets vegetables vegetarian hummus chickpeas shakshouka egg tomato singapore
You can find these xiao long bao dumplings everywhere in Singapore, from good ones to not-so-good-ones and better one to the best ones. Everyone will have their opinion on who does it best.
Crystal Jade has been one of the pioneers and household names when it comes to these soupy dumplings. My friends and I thought of having to try out these local restaurants which they deem to be like a staple place to go to with family on a weekday, or something like that.
I was the first one to get to the place and so I thought of getting some stuff so they don’t have to wait when they arrive. And I knew I couldn’t go wrong with xiao long baos. We also got some more else but let’s start with this famous dumpling. It’s juicy and tastes good. According to majority, it tastes better than Din Tai Fung. I couldn’t compare it from Paradise Inn’s because I forgot how it tasted like but most likely they are probably tied up.
Then the spinach sautéed with three kinds of eggs was a great dish for me. Best version I’ve tried so far.
For carbs, we got the hot stone five-grain fried rice which was also good. It might not be your typical preference of soft white rice but its a healthier option.
Every dish we ordered was good. And I think it’s hard to go wrong when you’re a Chinese restaurant and you have outlets everywhere. Talk about safe-choice.
Crystal Jade La Mian Xioa Long Bao
Holland Village
241 Holland Avenue
Singapore
Filed under xiao long bao crystal jade holland village holland singapore dumplings dimsum chinese cuisine
I spotted this cute place while walking around Chinatown. Being a hole-in-the-whole made it a must-try for me. Though I was a bit disappointed with their service, because they weren’t paying attention well into efficiency though the place was cute and nice.
I got myself their buttermilk pancakes. I added some apple cinnamon on top of it but I guess I should’ve known myself better. I would’ve loved the pancakes on its own, without any taste distraction. So I didn’t know why I got the accessories. I was probably too hungry. After a couple of hours walking, pancake wasn’t really the thing I wanted to eat that time. I was hungry and craving for some heavy and juicy protein, something salty or peppery. Though the pancakes tasted good, I wasn’t satisfied. But I’d be glad to go back to this place but make sure I’m grabbing breakfast.
This whole thing is my mistake.
The Loft
268A South Bridge Road
Singapore
Filed under pancakes buttermilk buttermilk pancakes chinatown singapore brunch breakfast apple cinnamon latte coffee
I was craving for some sautéed mushrooms and particularly Portobello so I decided to settle on this Mushroom Crepe after having circled the place by two rounds (or probably three) -and I already consider that as quite fast. I added some chicken bits for some texture in there. They served it with this creamy mushroom sauce that did have the distinct mushroom flavor. The crepe was juicy, mouthful and tasty! It’s a complete meal; you’ve got your dairy, protein and greens. There would be some days as I would want to head back to Marche just to have this. And I definitely would.
Marche
#03-14 Vivo City
1 HarbourFront
Singapore
Filed under crepe fresh food marche mushroom portobello savory crepe singapore swiss vegetables vivo city sauteed mushroom chicken arugula red cabbage rockets
If you’re not a fan of the distinct taste of blue cheese then better steer clear of this. This soup consists of 3 main ingredients: cauliflower, lentil and blue cheese. It’s a good soup for some light dining at night, or when you don’t have any appetite or something. It’s good at few sips but a big bowl might get you feeling not-too-good. I found it boring halfway through it though. Well the taste is something you can handle only so much. Unless you’re a real blue cheese addict.
I paired it with a wrap which I could pick the flavor that I want and I picked falafel. It was tasteless and too dry. I think any falafel wraps or sandwiches would definitely need some sauce.
The Soup Spoon
#B3-18 Ion Mall
2 Orchard Turn
Singapore
Filed under the soup spoon blue cheese soup lentil falafel cauliflower ion mall ion singapore orchard
I love how the dough of the bun came out crunchy resulting from light-frying it. I seem to have a thing for dual textures –soft & crunchy or toasty. The insides were a tasty mix of pork with onions. The meat was moist so it didn’t give you that dry bite of a bun. It’s reminiscent of a true good Chinese cuisine.
Even if the siew mai cost a little more than what is on the market, it’s also better-tasting than most that I have tried. And their display trays are looking so nice well-stacked, but it breaks my heart seeing them serve everything on some thick Styrofoam –whether your buying a single small dumpling to a snack that’s obviously going to be gone in less than a minute, they put everything in some Styrofoam and they end up so soon in the bin. I just hope for some more environment-conscious mindsets out there.
Aster Pau
#B2-38 AMK Hub
53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3
Singapore
Filed under aster pau amk hub singapore chinese buns siopao small pau big pau siomai siew mai dumpling chinese dumplings dim sum
This is what happened one night. Merely experimenting and I discovered some great combination. Its garlic & chives cream cheese topped with sun-dried tomatoes.
Filed under sun-dried tomatoes cream cheese garlic & chives multi-grain bread singapore davao sandwich open-faced sandwich healthy nutritious
This is one of my favorite foods here in Singapore. These orange fritters are actually being sold on most Taiwanese-inspired shops but in my opinion, I Love Taimei does it best -taste-wise and bite-wise. I have tried the others but nothing compares to how satisfied I am after finishing one serving.
They call it Sour Plum Sweet Potato (fries). I love that they’re thick-cut and really yummy when it’s still a bit warm. It’s sweet potato with a hint of sourness from the plum powder. It’s a great combination and good flavor! I keep going back for these!
I Love Taimei
#ABFL-21 Bugis Village
5B Queen Street
Singapore
Filed under sweet potato sour plum sweet potato fries wedges singapore taiwanese ssnack taiwanese snack bugis street bugis bugis village bugis junction
I like it because it’s mushroom but I don’t like the whole thing. The bread…or crust is too wimpy for me. It would’ve been better if it has more bite to it. The mushroom tastes a bit flat too. So the whole thing just doesn’t work.
Bread Society
#B2-10 Ion
2 Ochard Turn
Singapore
Filed under mushroom straw mushrrom pizza bread society buns singapore ion bread talk
Weekends are for strolling and my feet brought me over to the place that keeps my toes always curious –Raffles Place. Every time I walk by the area, seeing the bustle of people on weekdays or the almost-ghostly tall buildings on weekends, I always think how life is when you’re working there. The fact that I’m not makes it a good place for me to occupy my free time. Or else if I was, I’d stay as far as this place as possible.
I thought of finally checking out the area which I was always curious to try –One Shenton. The short string of food shops are aligned so neat. After checking out, I thought of settling on a Japanese sandwich bar but I wanted some coffee so I figured to just take out a cup of brew from the neighboring shop. Upon ordering, they made me pick which type of brew I would want. Two options: one was bitter-chocolatey and the other has strong-acidity or something, they called the latter Huila, Columbia Coffee. I figured to try that. They serve all their brews –double shot and while waiting by the cashier, I got the chance to ask them about their menu. This guy who took over the talking appears to be very approachable so I was enticed to ask more. I inquired about what their best-sellers are. For their pasta, he told me it’s a variety of mushrooms with blah blah blah, shaved parmigiano regiannoand truffle oil. My thoughts of some Japanese sandwich totally evaporated. Well he got me on the “truffle oil”.
The pasta was mushroomy great! At first bite, all I could muster was “ooooh”. Fresh sautéed mushrooms, linguine plus the sharp edge of parmesan was a good combination.
First sip of my latte –I loved it. The milk didn’t overpower the espresso; it was a good balance of coffee and milk. Plus I thought their mug was a perfect -with a flat top on its handle, easier for the thumb to maneuver the cup.
A guy sat beside me on the long high-table -he was the guy behind the counter, so I asked him more about the place. He was very accommodating and humble, turns out he owns the place and has been a banker for 20 years before he opened this 10-month old coffee shop. I thought, oh great for the blog. But I told myself, not to focus on the result but rather enjoy the moment itself. So I pushed away the thought and just spoke to him sincerely. Well someone who studied the mastery of making coffee should come up with a good cup, no wonder. He brought all he learned and the machines which are said to be the best in the market –altogether create this wonderful place.
I fell in love with the place, great coffee plus some good food. There are actually more on their menu which I know one day I’ll definitely try.
Jewel Coffee
#01-07 One Shenton
1 Shenton Way
Singapore
Filed under jewel coffee coffee columbian beans espresso pasta mushroom pasta mushrooms breakfast brunch double shot one shenton raffles place singapore
