Nam Nam noodle bar - 27 March 2013

Yes, tis true. Today I have gone from cafe to noodle bar with barely an hour in between.

I did stop for a browse in a bookstore, a novelty for me cause I have a kindle and also cause actual book stores are harder to find now adays. Sometimes I wish I didn't get my kindle cause the feel and smell of paper, to me, is lovely.

So here I am at Nam Nam noodle bar at Raffles City. Their other one is in the basement of Wheelock Place. I had to come now cause I have to pick up my little darling at 12.30. And anytime after 12, the line is horrendous.

Probly because Singapore is as obsessed with this place as I am. As mentioned in a previous post, I have a few Vietnamese friends who make the best food in the world! But when I need a fix and they haven't been labouring over their pho pot for a day, Nam Nam will do just fine.

Today $9.90 has gotten me the lunch set of southern rolls, beef pho and a refreshing iced lotus tea. They make their soups with no MSG, boiling it for over 24 hours and it is tasty, peppery and really comforting. Their southern rolls are fresh, tightly rolled (you should see my attempts at rolling fresh rolls) and rather good too.

With Andrea Bocelli blaring out of the CD store behind me, I'm rather happy to be here, my only regret is that I won't have room in my ample belly for one of Nam Nam's banh mi's. They are pretty good though the bun/filling ratio is a bit off and I prefer real baguette's (like at Sandwhich Saigon) instead of their soft bread rolls. Still. I am sad to not be able to have one today... Or will I?!

The crowd is starting to build up, people lining up behind me. Whoever did Nam Nam's concept and branding couldn't have done a better job. It's trendy enough to be seen at, casual enough to feel like the food will be good, priced well enough for a weekday lunch and the service is great even though you do most of it yourself.
They have you in and out in 1/2 an hour cause though the surrounds are nice, it's crammed enough for you to not linger. Which is what I have been doing. And I best get out of here and let one of the hungry masses in line take my seat.

Soho Coffee - 27 March 2013

I love it when I find a new sweet spot. And this place is truly sweet. It's lovely and cosy and tucked away off Armenian Street.

I had been here before a year ago and it was crowded and noisy but they have given it a revamp and now it's my kind of place. Beautifully styled and really good coffee. I could while away an entire morning here with my laptop and indeed, I think I'll do that tomorrow.

What's brought me here was the drama camp I have my little one in at the substation. And since I felt it was a horrible waste to pay $1.00 for 1/2 hr parking and only use 5 minutes for a drop off, I wandered down this alley, remembering this cafe we came to a year ago.

I was so excited by their revamp that yesterday I almost left without paying (having ordered a take away).

At pick up time, I thought I would try it again for lunch. They don't have an extensive menu but the toasted ham and cheese on wholewheat ciabatta was great. Even my little munchkin who I dragged along ate it and pronounced it ok.

So today I'm here for a sit down coffee. Chilling with smooth jazz and a beautifully made flat white.

Will come tomorrow and try their breakfast menu.

Loysel's Toy - 20 March 2013

We used to frequent this place on a Sunday, during and after the kids were in Little League. The ladies would be there first for a lovely quiet coffee and chat until we were joined by the hordes of children and the boys. Back then they had cosy chairs inside and the outdoor seating meant the kids had a bit of space. But now, they've replaced the comfy chairs inside with stark flimsy tables though the atmosphere is still cosy and lovely, especially because there are not that many people here at 10am on a weekday morning.

 

Loysel's is tucked away by the Kallang River and in a spot you would never expect to find a cafe. I loved this place then and i still love it now. (My hubby doesn't share the same love for this spot, probably because he only ever came when it was crowded and with all the kids who would already be hyped up from running around a field. But on a quiet morning, it is relaxing and serene.)

Ignore the dodgy tour busses and piles of trash that line the road on the way to the cafe. Once you get back to the 7 or 8 storey stand alone building, there is a park by the river and the ambience of the cafe helps you forget what you passed on the way. 

 

I got their muesli and yoghurt, so pretty in the glass cup, layered with berries and fruit on top. I like their muesli cause it's not very sweet at all. And the berries gave it a nice zing, though i left the beautifully sliced apples on the side because people who know me will know that i just can't do fruit like that. 

I decided to have a hand pulled coffee because i've never had one. The girl at the counter could tell that i was a novice on the finer points of coffee making cause i asked her – is it like percolated coffee? That stuff i used to drink all the time in college which i would make in the morning, then drink all day cause it'd sit there on the hot plate and stay warmish. Piled with sugar and cream. 

But no, this hand pulled coffee is something special. It took a full 5 minutes for them to make it. Lovingly letting it drip from top bit to bottom jug before finally pouring it into a heated mug and presented to me with a ginger cookie.

And it was a rather nice coffee, though i usually do a latte or flat white, the hand pulled is smooth, black and very drinkable. I didn't even put anything into it. Just drank it. And i think it took me less time to drink it than they took to make it.

I left with a bag of their Signature beans to try in my own espresso maker.

About Loysel's Toy:
Kid friendly - somewhat cause the outdoor area gives them room to run around, though you better keep an eye out that they don't get hit by a car or fall off the platform that they so can sometimes run up on.
Opening hours – Tues to Fri: 9am-6pm; Sat and Sun: 9am-7.30pm
Location – 66 Kampong Bugis, Ture 01-02. There's parking around and about for 50c per 1/2 hour.

Back to Baci

 

Not too long ago, this was my most regular breakfast place. If you wanted to find me on any given weekday morning, this would have been your best bet. People would stop me if they saw me elsewhere and ask why i wasn't at Baci. The staff got to know us - we even had a morning where the barista ran down to get low fat milk just for us.

But mummies who brunch are such fickle things. I think we stopped visiting here because they had changed the menu and didn't offer anything simple for breakfast. Not to mention the opening of Rabbit Carrot Gun (still to be blogged). Then the discovery of Penny University. And places farther afield, probably now serious contenders for our breakfast dollars because i got a car and could zip around to where ever i felt like.

Anyways, in need of a good coffee + Rabbit Carrot being closed + Gastromania suddenly serving bad coffee + being too lazy to get out of the east, i have finally found myself back at Baci and though the service is mediocre, the coffee is good and i enjoy sitting outside, under the fans, with not many other people around, watching the world go by on Joo Chiat Road.

Baci uses Illy beans, which i love and use at home. So the coffee was good. And they have revamped their menu again, this time again offering the basic breakfast. Just eggs and toast with generous amounts of butter, jam and marmalade on the side. Didn't they use to serve a cookie with their coffee? That seems to have disappeared or i'm remembering a different place.

Eggs were perfect. Nice and softly scrambled, though i did have to get up and ask for salt, pepper, a glass of water. Also asked for my latte to be in a cappucino cup and got the latte glass which isn't as bad as the one at Dome so i drank it anyways.  (Yes, it makes a big difference, the vessel the coffee is in. To me at least. Hate those aweful glass things. Love a cup with a nice shape and saucer to go with it. I think i would base my judgement of a cafe by the types of crockery they use to serve up their coffees over the quality of the coffee being served!) 

I think i'll come back to Baci. Maybe not every day like i was. There are just far too many places vieing for attention now adays. But they also do really good sandwiches for lunch and their other offerings look good. i just haven't tried them.

About Baci:

Kid friendly – i suppose so. There's a great kids menu and if you keep the little ones outside on the veranda where not many people sit, they can be quite happy there and not too much of an embarrassment for you.

Opening hours – Mon to Fri: 9am-10pm; Sat and Sun: 8am-10pm

Location – I12 Katong. There's parking here, though impossible on weekend afternoons or during peak lunch hours.

Web – http://www.baci.com.sg/

Chye Seng Huat Hardware - 9 March 2013

Someone told me about this interesting place in late January but it's taken me this long to get here. (Not to mention, this long to update my blog again. It's not that i haven't been anywhere. I just have been too busy to blog about it)

But this place deserves a bit of a mention. And believe me, it's had a few. Tucked away down an unsuspecting alley in the Lavender area, you would never know it's there if you were just driving by. I mean, who would really think "coffee" when going past their shopfront (that looks closed). And a name like Chye Seng Huat Hardware! If you weren't told about it, you would never know. The entry through a metal gate with big tow away sign opens up to a concrete area where the kids can run around if they want to (and if you want to bring them). It's like a secret, hidden away, which is probably why it's so popular. Everybody likes a bit of mystique. That and the coffee is fantastic.

You can see through the glass doors that there's a big line in there, and once inside, the stark, industrial outside contrasts nicely with the cool vibe around the oval bar where you order, they make coffee and display food and coffee making prowess. Yes, there is a long line. Mostly cause they make the coffees while you wait and then you go to your seat where the food is served later. But the coffee is definately worth the wait. It is wonderful. And the staff are all friendly and seem to know their stuff.

I love their saucers with pretty lettering proclaiming that "Capsules are Dead". I've been a big fan of Nespressos before, but truly, you can't compare it to a really well made coffee. The food is pretty good. i had scrambled eggs and bacon, but really, it's the coffees that make the place. I got back into the long line to get another cup before deciding that i would instead come back another day for a cup and maybe one of their delicious looking brownies.

They have retail along the walls (i almost got myself a knock box! But i refrained. Maybe another day). They have coffee roasters in another part of the building and in another room, a place where you can learn about the art of coffee. (I think i'll look into one of their classes) You can also buy beans and take them home with you - another thing that i'll be doing next time.

It is a bit out of the way (for me, a confirmed east coasty). But worth going to if you like your coffee and interesting places.

About Chye Seng Huat Hardware:

Kid friendly – Probly more so than the other little coffee shops cause they have that outdoor courtyard. Inside is a bit too crammed for my liking to have little tykes running around.

Opening hours – Tues to Fri: 9am-7pm; Sat-Sun: 9am-10pm (Kitchen closes at 5pm)

Location – 150 Tyrwhitt Road. There's offstreet parking if you're lucky enough to find one.

Web – http://www.cshhcoffee.com/

Penny University - 29th Jan 2013

Might as well call this the Penny blog seeing as I'm always here and can't seem to get enough.

The guys saw me coming this day and promptly told me that there were no cupcakes because the goddess was ill.

That's ok, I had been wanting to try their macaroons anyway which are a new offering at Penny, and having just eaten half a loaf of home made bread with cheese and proscuitto back at my place, these delicious little dots were all I needed, washed down with a cup of their perfectly brewed English Breakfast Tea. (Remind me to buy a teapot because leaf tea does indeed taste better.)

Hanging out behind the counter was the nice young man who had made these morsels of salted caramel or earl grey - got to love a guy who can bake!

I have always wanted to try baking macaroons. But alot is said about how tricky they are to get just right and just right to me is a lovely crunch on the outside, a slightly chewy middle and something yummy sandwiched in between. These ones were exactly that so I think I will put my macaroon making thoughts behind me and wander over to Penny whenever I feel like one.

Although, really tough decisions are going to have to be made. Cupcake or cookie? Coffee or tea? Gee, my life is tough!

Sandwich Saigon - 28th Jan 2013

Stopped into this little shop for a quick bite after going to Pilates today. It's been here for a year maybe but I've never been. You see, I have a few Vietnamese friends who make the most awesome food you can imagine so I've never felt the need. But somehow today as I was wandering by, I felt like seeing what they had on offer.

Ordered me their cold cut trio and a lemon juice and soda (with less sugar). Perfect little lunch for me! Crunchy baguette and really tasty meat with smooth pâté, a dash of their type of maggi sauce, fresh herbs and pickles (which I would have liked a bit more kick too but only cause my friends make pickles with a bang and I love them). They make everything themselves, from the baguette to the cold cuts to the pickles. It was a really tasty Banh Mi.

Next time I'll try their Pho. They have a chicken one all day but only serve the beef one on the weekends as it cooks for 8 hours and quite tiring to make (said the lovely girl who was serving). The chicken one doesn't take as long and both are made without MSG which is really hard to find. Another customer had one of these steaming bowls and they were going on about how good it was, I almost ordered a bowl for me. But after feeling so proud that I even made it to Pilates, I thought I should try to be reasonable and not eat two lunches right after!

Ok, better get going now. I've been procrastinating all morning! i think you'll find me procrastinating here another day. And really soon because now that I've got the idea of Pho in my head, it won't stop til I try it.

About Sandwich Saigon:
Kid friendly – It's a tiny shop though mostly empty when I went. But why would you? I loved having my little lunch on my own with very little distraction other than my iPhone with which I am blogging.
Opening hours – Mon to Wed & Fri: 11.30am-3.00pm & 5pm-10pm (last order at 9.30); Sat, Sun & public holidays: 11.30am-10.00pm (last order at 9.30pm).
Location – 93 East Coast Road. Park at I12, across the street or anywhere around there and walk.
Web – http://www.sandwichsaigon.com/

Baker & Cook - 23rd Jan 2013

I love this name - Baker & Cook. I wish i were a baker. I know in this no-carb society that perhaps i should eat less bread. But who can resist a fresh new loaf, hot out of the oven, a spongy slice all covered in butter? I can't. I wish i were a baker and sometimes i wish i were a cook too. So perhaps i like the name because it is made up of two things i would like to be. But i know myself well enough that i wouldn't have the patience for it though am more than happy to sample what other bakers and cooks have made. 

I have never been to this street-side, corner cafe but a girlfriend suggested we meet there yesterday and i was more than willing because i spend most of my time on the east coast of Singapore and any excuse to leave is always good. Especially if it's to try out a cafe i've never been too. So here i was at Baker & Cook, Martin Road (apparently it's their 2nd shop). It was a lovely cool and breezy morning in Singapore so despite wearing jeans (which is not that great an idea in this weather - what was i thinking!), i felt rather comfortable sat outside on their sidewalk. There is hardly anywhere to sit inside. Just a bench and stools along the window (i think, or perhaps i imagined them). The table seating is outside but with the fans going and being a lovely morning, it was a really nice spot to spend a few hours chatting and sipping coffee.

When you go inside to order there are beautiful pastries, breads and cakes that line their display and me being who i am, would have liked a bite of almost everything. However, i hadn't had breakfast yet so opted for their scrambled eggs and toast.

Another girlfriend ordered their meusli which looked spectacular and i would have loved it but was told that i would probably find it too fruity. (My weird quirks in regard to fruit are well known). So i declined the offered bite and stuck with my eggs. The scrambled eggs were creamy and served with seedy bread (not in the bad sense - it just had lots of different seeds and grains in there). I put some salt and pepper on it and then it was perfect.

I love their Golden Syrup cutlery and napkin holders and their pots of jams sitting on the table for you to help yourself to. The service is friendly and your coffee is served with a mini brownie. Yum! Not to mention that the coffee is pretty good too.

I finished my visit with a pot of tea and a cinnamon scroll (you can just barely see the one my girlfriend had on the end of the table. I ate half of hers and then got one for myself! But ate it too quickly and forgot to photograph it.) 

About Baker & Cook, Martin Rd:

Kid friendly – there is space on the sidewalk for young 'uns to run around, but i had a lovely time without them around.

Opening hours – Sunday to Thursday: 8.00am-6.00pm; Friday to Saturday: 8.00am-6.00pm

Location – 38A Martin Road, #01-01, you can't miss it sitting pretty on the corner there. There is parking on the street for 50c per 1/2 hour and though it was really easy for me to park, i think i must practice my parralel parking because my park was atrocious

Web – http://www.bakerandcook.biz/

I hate bananas...

I do like banana bread. Weird, right. Hate banana in any form. But banana bread, i'll totally enjoy. So since I had a few going black and stinky on my shelf, I thought I would make myself a loaf. I didn't buy these bananas. My poor child is going to be potassium deficient cause I hardly ever buy bananas and she loves them. My dear husband must have felt the need and bought them, but whenever we do have bananas, there are always going off. And I find them icky. When that stinky, going off banana smell starts in my house, i usually send them right into the bin.

This time i persevered. Not for long, i couldn't stand it!  I think my new bigger kitchen has something to do with my wanting to bake some banana bread. Having no oven in this newer, bigger kitchen, we decided to buy a little table-top oven and i've been putting it through its paces. I've been doing teriyaki chicken alot. Bread rolls. Cinnamon rolls. Have even made 2 carrot cakes in there. One day i am going to roast beef and do a rotisserie chicken! That says alot cause i never really cook meat. The banana buyer is a vegetarian so what is the point?

Anyways, i made this banana bread and it is delicious. Even though i had to hold my nose while i mixed up the recipe in my Thermomix. And even though my kitchen bench ended up being covered in banana juice (one of the offending fruit had gone a little bit too off - don't worry, i did not cook with it even though hubby said it would  have been fine). The process was icky but the banana bread that was produced was yummy.

Here's the recipe if anyone feels the need. It's super easy, i found it on cooks.com and i would buy bananas just to tolerate them going brown so that i can make this again soon. Come by for a slice if you want. But be quick cause i don't think it will last long.

Banana Nut Bread

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 crushed bananas

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

A pinch of salt

1/4 cup of nuts (i used walnuts)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp of spices (i used nutmeg and cinnamon and didn't measure it well so i'm sure there was more than a 1/2 tsp)

Cream butter and suger

Add eggs and beat well

Add bananas, flour, soda, salt, nuts, spices and vanilla and mix.

Pour into a greased loaf pan

Bake at 175 degrees for an hour or until done.

Jones the Grocer - 18th Jan 2013

Jones at Mandarin Gallery is one of the few places that i would make a trip to just to drink their coffee. I think about their coffee during the week, wishing it were local and i could pop in there every day just for a cup. Like i said, i'm more than likely to drink coffee anywhere so long as the setting was attractive. But the first Jones coffee i had was perfect to me. I always get the regular size because the larger size doesn't seem to be as strong or perfect. And hey, i might as well have 2 perfect cups of coffee while i'm there, right?

When i do go to Jones, i usually am there for breakfast which they do really well. Creamy scrambled egg, perfect toast, with two slabs of butter which is a bit too much but very nice of them to give. Their banana cake is really yummy so if i've already had breakfast, i'll usually get a coffee and their banana cake. While i'm there something beautiful usually comes out of the oven and you can smell it wafting through the shop, tempting me with whatever it is. I also like to sit and watch the bread bake. Getting all puffy and golden before they pull it out and i just want to go home with the whole batch of freshly baked sourdough or whatever loaf they have made. They do breakfast til noon on weekdays, longer on the weekends.

This day, though, we were there for lunch. I ordered the wagyu beef pie which was nice but maybe a tad too sweet for my liking. The pastry was lovely and crumbly. Dunno if i would get it again but it sure was satisfying. I thought the salad in the cone shaped bowl was awkward to eat cause it kept tilting while i was trying to spear the leaves, but it's all in the presentation and the slab looked lovely so i got over the bowl thing quickly.

I love the service at Jones, everyone seems to know their stuff. Over christmas, i had them put together some cheese and bread for me and their suggestions for pairings was so helpful. They even put it all into a beautiful box with ribbon for me. If their things weren't so pricey, i would probably leave with a a bag of goodies every time i went because their jars of truffle and olive oils, snacks and take away meats and cheeses sit there so beautifully begging me to take them with me.

They have another branch at Dempsey but as a girlfriend rightly said, it has a different vibe. So much more warehousey and loud. I am much more drawn to the cosy atmosphere at Mandarin Gallery where you can have a nice quiet breakfast just yourself or with a friend or two.

About Jones at Mandarin Gallery:

Kid friendly – Could be but the working lunch people might disagree because i think they would prefer not to be distracted by boisterous young ones running about. They have a nice mini kids menu and there are usually mums with prams.

Opening hours – Monday to Sunday: 9.00am-11:00pm

Location – 333a Orchard Road, Level 4 #21-23 Mandarin Gallery (i usually park at Paragon and walk over because i want to shop while i'm at Orchard or sometimes i valet my car at the Mandarin Orchard because it only costs $15 and no more which can be cheaper than Paragon or Takashimaya if you're hanging about Orchard for a while)

Web – http://www.jonesthegrocer.com/

Penny University - 17th January 2013

I came back and i am happy! These cupcakes to me might just be what alcohol is to other people. With a wee sense of trepidation, i bit into the Red Velvet. What if it didn't live up to expectation? It certainly looked as pretty as i remembered. But what if it was just a dry bit of cake and tasteless frosting?...

Well, it wasn't. Beautiful soft cake, cream cheese topping and yep, the gooey Nutella center. Well worth the wait. Their cupcake maker is a goddess (and i got the pleasure of meeting her  as well). So i really couldn't stop at the Red Velvet could i?

Hello Salted Caramel... 

Please forgive me if i can't decide which one i love the most. I would eat almost anything with salted caramel and the cupcake goddess's signature must be to fill each of her beautiful cakes with a surprise because these were filled with salted caramel that had just the right kick of salt to gooey sweet caramel.

I think the thing to do would be to order one of each. They are not very big. Yes, i'm certain that is the thing to do!

And now a few pics of Penny University. And did i mention that there is free wifi?

Penny University - 16th Jan 2013

Give me a nice setting and i'm happy. I'll drink coffee just about anywhere as long as the ambience is nice. So no, i'm not a connoisseur of anything but i do like what i like and am rather picky about places and things.

Penny University is a lovely little spot on East Coast Road near the crossroad of Telok Karau. I found it a few weeks ago after reading a blog by Lady Iron Chef. So there i went and was not disappointed. Their Red Velvet Cupcake is the best cupcake i have had in forever! Trust me, i have had a fair few cupcakes in my day. But this one. This cupcake is the best ever. So since that fateful day where i met that cupcake, so soft, topped with icing and a teeny pink heart and best of all, filled with nutella, i had fallen in love.

A week ago, i was there, with a hankering for their Red Velvet and was told that their cupcake maker was on her honeymoon and would return on the 16th of January. So i put a note in my calendar, determined to return on this day for a taste of that perfect cupcake.

Picking up the usual suspects along the way, we got to Penny University only to see empty cupcake trays. No Red Velvet Cupcakes! I was in depression. Apparently they would not be in until 11am. (We were there at 9.30 and having to leave by 10.30, so eager we were, but Penny opens at 8.30 and i would probably have been there then except that i had to drop my darling daughter off at school).

Trying to pull myself out of my disappointment, i ordered their Cheese Toastie with Marmite and Poached Egg (minus the cheese). Perfect eggs, oozing out onto crusty bread, lovely with perfectly made flat white. i suppose i was satisfied but still feeling like a bit was missing as i left, having missed the cupcake delivery by 30 minutes.

So cupcake craving has not been satiated but i think you'll hear alot about Penny University because i love that place and will be back for the cupcake and their other things.

About Penny:
Kid friendly – Not really, it's a bit squashy. They have a baby chair but i would hate to go there with a hoard of kids anyways. I go there cause it's a lovely quiet place.
Opening hours – Tues to Thur: 8.30am-6pm; Fri: 8.30am-9.30pm; Sat, Sun + PH: 8.30am-10.30pm
Location – 402 East Coast Road (i usually park around the corner on Telok Karau for 50c per 1/2 hour)
Web – www.pennyuni.com

Red Velvet Cupcake

 

This is my original Red Velvet cupcake which i had with the loveliest cup of English Breakfast tea. They take their tea seriously, i'll tell ya. Real leaves and a lovely pot. They leave it with instructions to brew for 2 minutes before pressing the button. Doesn't give you a whole lot, but i'll take a little cup of perfectly brewed tea over a big cup of crappy tea any day!

Poached Eggs in Whipped Greek Yoghurt

Sounds weird but before you write it off, let me tell you, it's delicious. Perfectly poached eggs in thick, tangy yoghurt topped with a ton of chilli flakes and some chilli oil. I have not seen this anywhere before!