BRUNCH WITH TOBY AT TOBY'S ESTATE

I have an overseas friend called Toby. So when Toby is in town for a visit, the most natural thing was to bring him to Toby's Estate. Needless to say, Toby was absolutely delighted with the choice.

When we first stepped into the cafe, we felt like we were transported out of Singapore into some Melbourne cafe. I loved the industrialized decor of the whole place.

The place was doing brisk business & the wait staff all looked very flustered. Nobody greeted us, no one asked us if we needed a table so instinctively, we went hunting for our own seats. There was a huge table right in the middle of the Cafe & so we plonked ourselves onto some of the empty seats along the table. We also had a bit of trouble getting the staff to bring us the menu. In the end, we had to steal it off some other customers who were sitting across the table from us. Oh oh, this didn't seem to be going well.

The Simplistic Looking Menu

I also spied a wide array of scrumptious looking cakes & pastries on the cake counter & made a mental note to try out the cakes later.

After settling down, We managed to stop a waitress in her track & placed our orders. It was quite a long wait though, perhaps 20 minutes or longer, I wasn't sure but it felt like forever maybe because we were hungry!

Fortunately, things picked up after we were served our food. We ordered 2 All-Day-Breakfast items off the menu. First up was Toby's Breakfast which we felt we had to order just for its namesake. 

This came at quite a hefty price tag of S$25. Thankfully, the items on the plate were not measly. There were 2 poached eggs, a sausage, greens, cherry tomatoes, bacon, mushrooms, baked beans & a brioche bread. My favorite item on the plate was the sausage. There were definitely some herbs added to the mix for I could taste it from the 1st bite. The smell of the herbs wasn't over-powering but worked really well with the meat. I also tasted a tinge of black pepper in it. Next favorite item was the cherry tomatoes that were extremely sweet & juicy. On the whole, every item on the plate complimented each other really well. No wonder this was tagged as a 'crowd favorite'.

Next up was the Eggs Regal (S$21.90), which was essentially poached eggs with Salmon. 

This, I felt pales in comparison with Toby's Breakfast. It was just an OK dish for me. I didn't find anything really special about it. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of cooked Salmon. I always felt Salmon is best eaten raw.

Then came the coffee, which Toby's Estate prides themselves on. Well, they definitely did not disappoint with this. Mine was a Skinny Cappucino (S$5) and when it arrived, the whole cup felt really warm; so they had obviously pre-heated the cups to keep the coffee from cooling down. Thumbs up for that. Taste-wise the coffee was exceptionally fresh & fragrant. There were no sour after-taste at all and the aroma lingered on even after we were chomping down on the cakes.

Speaking of cakes, We decided to go for the Red Velvet Cake (S$8) & Strawberry Flan (S$7). 

Both had very different texture but both were equally delicious. The Red Velvet was moist, soft & smooth literally like velvet. The Strawberry Flan on the other hand, was saccharine, buttery & crunchy all at the same time. It was unmistakably a great choice that we made to follow up the main course with these desserts.

All in all, I would definitely re-visit Toby's but I have one word for the management. Increase your floor staff. 

Oh, and my friend Toby ended up buying one of their Keep Cups cos it had his name printed on it. 

Where to Slurp This:
Toby's Estate
8 Rodyk Street
#01-03/04
Tel: 66367629
www.tobysestate.com.sg

BATTLE OF THE TOA PAYOH FRIED HOKKIEN (PRAWN) MEES

Toa Payoh. Oh how I love you! The plethora of yummylicious foods here is a Foodie's foodgasm come true. Today, I'd like to pit 2 Fried Hokkien Mee stalls that you can find here in Toa Payoh against each other.

First up is Kim Keat Hokkien Mee at Lor 4. This stall has recently surfaced here in Block 92 & I've heard quite good reviews about it. Apparently the stall owner is a former Fried Hokkien Mee Veteran who has decided to pick up the frying wok again after having had a brush with the law. 

Well, I shall not dwell into his past but focus on the dish on hand. There are 3 price ranges, $3, $5 or $8. I ordered the $3 plate. When the noodles were finally served to me, it already looked good enough to eat. After the first bite, I immediately knew that this is done by an experienced cook. 

The best part of the dish is the noodles. You can tell that it is
so well-fried. The noodles had a slightly charred smell to it which I really liked. Another crucial step to good Fried Hokkien Mee is the addition of stock after frying the noodles & letting it simmer in the stock so that the fried noodles soak up the some of the stock. In this Kim Keat version the amount of stock added was just right, it didn't look too soggy & the noodles still had that chewy texture to it. 

In an effort to stick to the original recipe, pork belly is included here. Kudos to the owner for this as this ingredient is now missing in a lot of other versions. Another crucial ingredient is
fried pork lard which are also omitted to make the dish a healthier option. However, I just felt that the Hokkien Mee loses it originality once these ingredients are taken out. Therefore, I was really glad to find all these intact in the Kim Keat version.

Overall, I would definitely come back here for more. My only grouse is that the ingredients were a tad measly. Will try the $5 version next time.

Kim Keat Hokkien Mee at Toa Payoh Lor 4

Then it was on to Lor 1 for Tian Tian Lai Fried Hokkien Mee. This is a long-standing stall that I've always gone back to whenever I had those Prawn Mee cravings. I remember this stall from way back late 80s era before it was moved up to the modernised Hawker Center. Still missed the old school feel of the original stall, where seats were set up along the pavements on the ground level. It had such a kampong aura then.

Thankfully, the quality of the dish did not deteriorate after moving to the new Hawker Center. The secret, I think is in the stock. There is something very special about it. It has got a sweet after-taste that is remisniscent of fresh prawns. Personally, I like my Hokkien Mee wet & soggy & this one really suits my palate to a T. I loved how the noodles were always served swimming in the creamy, sweet-tasting stock. 

Although the Tian Tian Lai version did not have Pork Belly anymore, the taste did not seem to be altered. Of course, I was really glad that they still included the fried lard bits & it's really quite amazing that the fried lard still retained its crunchiness despite the fact that the whole plate is so soggy. I like to leave the fried lard soaking in the stock for a while. The combination of the fried lard & the infiltrated stock creates a burst of heavenly flavors as you bite down. And who can forget the Chili that come with it? It gives the dish that extra oomph for those who like to spice things up.

Tian Tian Lai Hokkien Mee at Toa Payoh Lor 1

So,  who takes the crown as King of Hokkien Mee? For me, It is still Tian Tian Lai but I urge you readers to give both stalls a try because hey, different strokes for different folks! Both have its very own distinctive characters so it is really quite difficult to compare both.

Where to Slurp this:

Kim Keat Hokkien Mee

Blk 92, #01-264

Toa Payoh Lor 4

Singapore 310092

11am-10pm

Closed every alternate Tuesdays

Tian Tian Lai Fried Hokkien Mee

Blk 127, #02-27

Toa Payoh Lor 1

Toa Payoh West Market & Food Court

Tue-Sun 8.30am-2.30am

Closed on Mondays

SAVEUR & CONCETTO BY SAVEUR

I've heard quite a bit about the excellent food at Saveur & had been wanting to try out this French outlet that is touted as 'Affordable French Food'. I finally got the chance when I had an impromptu meet up with a friend at Far East Plaza. So we decided to have a quick dinner here.

Friend ordered the Duck Leg Confit ($12.90) cos we spied many people ordering this thus we figured it must be good. When the dish was finally served, I was a little disappointed. It didn't look so appetizing & was a little charred. All the dismay went out the window once we had this in our mouths. The slightly charred parts didn't have any burnt smell to it but instead it was crispy & crunchy. The rest of the Duck Confit was tender & flavorful. 

I decided to opt for the Beef Bourguingnon ($16.90) & this turned out to be a great choice. The beef was stewed to perfection, it was literally melting in my mouth as I savoured it. The potato & the salad that came with it didn't disappoint too. The potato was covered in thick creamy sauce, it tasted exceptionally fragrant in the mouth. I couldn't quite figure out what kind of dressing they used for the salad but it was yummy. So yup, I basically cleaned up the whole plate.

Next up was dessert, which was the Pistacchio Panna Cotta ($6.90). I couldn't find any fault with this. It was of the correct texture, firm enough & not runny at all. The Pistacchios complimented the Panna Cotta perfectly, making it taste less creamy & added a nutty twist to it.

So, I obviously liked the food so much at Saveur that I decided to try out their sister Italian outlet, Concetto at The Cathay the next day. I was again out with another friend.

Friend ordered the Duck Tortellini ($12.90) which was accompanied by a poached egg & potatoes. I sampled a little bit of this. The Tortellini was Al Dente & the duck meat didn't have a very distinct duck taste to it. Personally, it was a little to bland for my liking but I guess this is good news for people who don't like the strong aroma of duck meat.

As for myself, I had the Crab Risotto ($12.90) & I absolutely adore this dish! Everything about this was perfect. The flavor was robust, the risotto wasn't overcooked and the best bit about this is that they added crispy rice crackers to it. The addition of rice crackers totally changed the dynamics of this dish. It gave the otherwise marshy Risotto a crackling punch. 

For dessert, we decided to go for the Tiramisu, the Concetto way ($10.90). We were both wondering what the Concetto way means till we were presented with the real thing. Ahhh... This is definitely unlike any Tiramisu that I've ever had. They've definitely scored points with the presentation of the dessert. But how was it taste-wise? Well, my verdict is that it was an OK dish. I prefer my Tiramisu to have a strong alcohol taste to it which I find was lacking in this version. However, thumbs up for the innovative presentation.

On the whole, I would definitely re-visit these 2 places & I would recommend that you visit them late cos it can get very crowded & noisy during peak hours. Oh, and they do not take reservations.

Where to Slurp This:
Saveur (Far East Plaza)
14 Scotts Road
#01-07B
Singapore 228213
www.saveur.sg

Concetto by Saveur
The Cathay
2 Handy Road
#01-11/12
Singapore 229233
www.concetto.sg

TENG BESPOKE JAPANESE VEGETARIAN DINING

A friend recommended that we try Vegetarian Japanese food for a change which intrigued me cos' this was the first time I heard about something like that. The restaurant was situated in the unassuming Sunshine Plaza. But when we got there, I was quite impressed with the decor of the restaurant. This place is so popular they actually have 3 separate dining halls!

 Then We got down to business & ordered food. They have quite an extensive menu for a Vegetarian restaurant. First up was the Kai Lan with Sesame sauce.

Those familiar with Japanese salads would be well acquainted with sesame sauce. So this dish was not much of a surprise. 3/5 Slurps.

Next was the Cheesy Tomato Wrap.

This I felt was the least Japanese-flavored course. It tasted like pizza. 3/5 Slurps.

And then it was on to Shitake Mushroom with Cheese.

This was my 3rd favorite. The combination of the cheese & Shitake mushroom & the sauce was in perfect harmony. Apologies for the blurry pic. 3.5/5 Slurps.

4th dish was another Mushroom variation.

Can't really comment on this cos I couldn't really remember how it tasted like. Haha... 

5th dish: The Scrambled Tofu

This had the texture of Scrambled Egg, went well with the gravy. 3/5 Slurps.

6th Dish: Mock Tempura Hand Rolls

This looked nice but taste-wise was quite bland. Can skip.

7th Dish: Seaweed Fried Rice

2nd favorite dish. There was a burst of flavors once you put the rice into your mouth. Although it was fried rice, it's not dry like how a fried rice typically tastes. The rice tasted moist & springy. The seaweed taste wasn't too over-powering too. Only grouse I got with this dish is that it is a tad too salty. 4/5 Slurps

8th Dish: Mock Assorted Sashimi

Taste-wise, they were quite spot on. However, in terms of texture I felt that it was a little bit too gelatin. This was not cheap too, the price tag was S$33. Think can give this a miss. 

9th Dish: Mock Unagi & Salmon Maki

Favorite of the lot! This really tasted like the real thing! 4.5/5 Slurps

Total bill came up to $154 for 6 persons or an average of $26 per person. Quite reasonable I must say. Overall, I would give this place a 3/5 Slurps. Would be a great alternative if you guys are looking for Vegetarian options.

Where to Slurp this?
Sunshine Plaza
91 Bencoolen Street
S(189652)
tengbespoke.com

SWEDISH CAFE & BISTRO: FIKA

So, the other day I was in Millenia Walk to meet a friend for dinner. Unfortunately, the Jap restaurant which we wanted to go has closed down. As such, we found ourselves in another branch of Fika, the Halal Certified Swedish Cafe.

I liked the interior of the cafe which was bright & cheery with a dash of color everywhere. Then we were showed the menu. Being unfamiliar with Swedish foods, we asked for recommendations from the waiter who helped us pick these.

To start things off it was the Blueberry Soup ($7.90). What was really interesting about this is that, it was recommended to be taken cold. The soup basically tasted like a thicker version of Blueberry juice. Well, it wasn't really the type of soup that I'm used to & prefer, which are the savoury, piping hot types. 

As a side order, we ordered the Baked Potato with Skagenmix ($13.90). This was basically the usual Baked Potato served with Shrimp & Smoked Salmon topping. I apologize for the lack of photo here as it didn't really appeal to my palette.

Then came our mains, which my friend & I decided to share:

1st up is the Panbiff, which essentially is Homemade Beef Patties served with Cream Sauce & Mashed Potato ($19.90). The beef patty was pan-fried till it was crispy on the outside. It wasn't quite juicy on the inside though, slightly too dry for my liking. However, it went very well with the Cream Sauce. And the Mashed Potato was Slurptastic. It had a robust buttery aroma which I'm a sucker for.

Then it was on to the Tunnbrodsrulle; which was generally Chicken Sausage & Mashed Potato wrapped in Bread Roll ($18.90). This was just alright for me. It's not bad tasting but by the time this arrived we felt that we had overloaded on Potatoes. So a word of advice to you people out there, please pay attention to what the goes into the dish when you order here. 

On the whole, what I really liked about this place is the decor, the food was pretty average & slightly over-priced! Haha....
But I'll definitely pop in here again for a Cuppa & Cakes. :P

Where To Slurp This?
www.fikacafe.com
9 Raffles Boulevard
#01-20 Millenia Walk
+65 6336 7234

DON'T LIKE BAK KUT TEH? TRY THIS.

It was a friday night & after a long week at work, a colleague suggested Bak Kut Teh. I am personally not a big fan of this local delicacy but my colleague swears that I'll like it. So out of curiosity, I went along.

The restaurant is at Havelock road & it's been there for as long as I can remember. I've passed by this place many times but never had the desire to dine here. Like I said I wasn't a big fan of Bak Kut Teh so I opted for an alternative, which was the Sliced Meat Soup (肉片汤). 

This turned out to be a good choice. The meat is not overcooked, it was tender & springy as you chew on it. The Bak Kut Teh soup that went with it was equally awesome, with just the right dose of pepper so that it doesn't overpower the sweetness of the broth. Also, they added fried garlic to the soup, hence giving it another layer of flavor.

We ordered some some other side dishes to go with this as well. I particularly liked the Water Crest soup. It was a generous portion, the bowl was packed full to the brim with Water Crest. 

Another fav was the Braised Peanuts. It was one of the softest Braised Peanuts that I've ever tasted. It was so soft that it literally melts in your mouth. This basically means that the peanuts have soaked up the flavorful stock so it was a burst of fragrance when once you have it in your mouth.

So yeah, I'll definitely come back here again now that they have won me over. :p

Where to Slurp This?

Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh Eating House

593 Havelock Road

Singapore 169641

Tel: 6235 7716

Mon Closed

Tue & Thu 11:00 - 02:00

Wed/Fri/Sat 11:00 - 03:00

Sun 11:00 - 22:00

J'S RESTAURANT: ONE OF THE BEST HALAL RESTAURANTS

Had a gathering with some ex-colleagues & this restaurant was suggested. Just by looking at the name of the restaurant, it appears unassuming. But boy, how wrong was I! In fact, there wasn't anything that we ordered that I didn't like.

Chipotle Beef Meatballs

First dish to arrive and I was won over immediately. Beef meatballs was of the correct texture, not too soggy or over-fried.

'Poppers' or Spicy Jalapenos

Again, this didn't disappoint. The outer crust was crispy, the Jalapenos inside was stuffed with melted cheese & the whole combination was just perfect.

Paella with Chicken & Salmon

Thought the combination of Chicken & Salmon was rather odd for a Paella but this turned to be quite alright. Helps that the Saffron Rice was moist & tasted tangy to the taste buds.

Chicken Quesadillas

Toasted to near perfection & the dips were equally yummy.

Chicken breast Fajitas

Ordered by another ex-colleague, the portion is huge, so would recommend to share between 2 people. Again, can't really find any fault with this. The Chicken had a really nice Char-grilled smell to it as it was served on a hot plate.

Catch Of The Day

Ordered by yet another ex-colleague. I didn't get to taste this but judging by the tantalising presentation & the way the colleague polished off the whole plate, I figure it must have been good.

Bread & Butter Pudding

Then it was dessert time! Not a huge fan of Bread Puddings but this didn't put me off after the 1st bite. In fact, I helped myself to it a few more times after the initial tasting. 

Churros with Bananas & Mangoes Dip

Save the best for last. This was heavenly. Undoubtedly the best dish for the evening. Loved the Bananas & Mangoes Dip, it went very well with Churros.

Where to Slurp This?

www.dineatjs.com

7 Purvis Street

#01-01

Singapore 188586

+65 6887 4787

Weekdays

Monday - Friday 12.00pm to 2.30pm (last order 2.15pm)
Last reservation at 2pm

Monday - Thursday 6.30pm to 10.00pm (last order 9.30pm)
Last reservation at 9pm

Friday 6.30pm to 10.30pm (last order 10.00pm)
Last reservation at 9.30pm
Weekends
Saturday 6.00pm to 10.30pm (last order 10.00pm)
Last reservation at 9.30pm

Sunday Closed

BRUNCH AT WILD HONEY (SCOTTS SQUARE)

It was my birthday & friends have decided to give me a treat at Wild Honey which suited me well cos' I've been wanting to check out this place anyway.

I was the 1st to arrive & since I had a bit of time on my hands I went trigger happy.

Then my friends arrived & we were recommended this as a starter by the waitress.

I forgot what it's actual name is but I'll call these Mini Cheesy Bread. It smelled heavenly, felt warm & springy in my hands & when I finally took a bite, there was an explosion of buttery aroma in my mouth.

Then we ordered our Mains & I decided to go for the Spanish Hash. It had diced beef & potatoes sauteed together & topped with 2 poached eggs & Brioche bread. It was a very full-filling; I couldn't finish the whole plate. But that's not to say that it's not yummy. So, ladies with a smaller appetite may consider sharing this.

The other friend who shared the same birthday as me went for this Norwegian Breakfast, which is essentially Poached Eggs wrapped in Smoked Salmon & served on top of Avocado & Brioche bread. I sampled a small portion of this & it was pretty yummy, tho' I'm not quite a big fan of Smoked Salmon.

After we were done with our Mains, we were surprised with a Birthday Cupcake compliments of the restaurant. All in all, it was a very pleasant experience & I would recommend this place to friends.

Where to Slurp This?
wildhoney.com.sg
6 Scotts Square
#03-01
+65 6636 1816
Sun - Thu: 09:00 - 21:00
Fri/Sat: 09:00 - 22:00