4 days old: Les Patisseries

Hello!

The boy and I went to this cafe over the weekend because well its new and in the heartlands! After lunch and some pies at Windowsill, we went down and this small cafe was quite crowded! This cafe is a joint venture by 3 Singaporeans who graduated from local culinary schools At-Sunrice and Shatec. The pastries are all baked in store!

This is space you see here is about 1/3 of the shop space (kitchen not included) so it is quite small in there and not manyyyy seats. They serve a wide range of things!

They have cakes - Rocky (reviewed below), strawberry shortcake, mango cake, forrest berry, tiramisu

Tarts: lemone tart (can't rmb whats the other one)

Macarons (can't rmb the flavours sorry!)

Waffles - with maple syrup, with berries, horffles (horlicks sauce basically), choc sauce, vanilla sauce, salted caramel  the last 4 kinds you're served ice cream along with it. I think for the choc sauce you get macarons too? Not sure

Savouries - they serve brunch 8am-3pm there are some all day brekkie options like eggs benny,, big breakfast set etc.

Then they serve their signature pork burger and truffle baked mushroom pasta all day, and dinner commences 6pm-10pm with club sandwich, carbonara and aglio olio. There's also quiche and sides like truffle fries. 

Price are fair with the savouries being $15 and below, waffles $8.90 mostly, cakes were bat $7

L' Rocky

$7

I don't know exactly what its Rocky cos there wasn't any details but here's what we think about it.  Honestly based on the looks (esp the nutty covering) I was hoping for a choc cake w a crispy feuilletine/praline base. Granted there was such a crispy part to the cake, but it was only one small part of the cake (1/4) of it only. 

I don't know if its meant to be this way or there was some mistake in the execution but the other parts didn't have the crispy layer that 1/4 part had. That crispy layer is not like those crispy layers we're used to. This one's really thin and kinda feels like a crisp in itself rather than as part of the cake. The nuts in the ganache coating were not crunchy anymore (i.e. lao hong in our local terms) so it was kind of a letdown. 

As the interior was mainly choc mousse, it got quite monotonous after awhile. Although in the cross section it seems as if there are different layers to this, honestly my humble and lousy taste buds could only differentiate between the smooth mousse texture, the slightly thicker choc ganache coating and the nuts (ignoring the 1/4 crispy part). 

Luckily this dessert wasn't on the overbearingly sweet side, I think they balanced the sweetness nicely in this cake so thumbs up! For $7 and this quality and size (its about same size as the mouth of your average mugs at home), I think the price is a little little bit steep but I do understand q a lot of work goes into creating this small pastry. 2.9/5

Horffles 

$8.90

We were intrigued by the horlicks sauce cos its our childhood snack hence we ordered this to try eagerly awaiting the yummy horlicks sauce. However the sauce only tasted faintly of horlicks :/ when you eat the waffles + sauce + ice cream, the ice cream just overpowers the sauce totally. It'll seem more like eating a vanilla sauce + ice cream waffle than horlicks. I like the addition of roasted almond silver and they are quite generous with the berries. 

When the waffles arrived, I told N, the waffles look soggyyyy like it won't be crispy :/ but then N was like, "No I think it looks quite crispy leh!" so he cut in and true enough there was the audible crisp :) so crispy it was! This waffle is more doughy, but its not more dense, quite light actually. Texture of this waffle is quite unique in that sense. The boy asked me if the waffles were fully cooked cos of the doughy texture but I told him yes it was fully cooked. So this had a crispy exterior but the inside was doughy. Yeast maybe? Not sure. So I'd say, it'll depend on what kind of waffles you like to determine whether you like this or not 3.2/5

Free plain water is provided, the place is basically black themed, staff friendly, chefs seemed nice too, place opens from 8am-10pm!!! O: Mon-Sundays I think. The opening hours are crazyyyyy I think! Hopefully they won't burn out or anything!

Les Patisseries

Blk 186 Toa Payoh Central #01-428

Spore 310186

8am-10pm daily 

Town Restaurant Fullerton Sunday Brunch!

I've been having this weird constant craving for buffets so I dragged the boy + his family and my mom to a Sunday Brunch I've yet to try! 

Have been reading a few one-liners about about Town Restaurant's spread but haven't read many proper reviews of the spread so here it is! Photos of the entire spread :) 

The cold seafood selection

Very good spread! Largest I've ever seen and most comprehensive. Generally good!

The Italian corner

Left to Right: pizza, live pasta station, mushroom risotto in parmesan, ready cooked pasta in 2 types of sauces

Mushroom Risotto in Parmesan wheel

The risotto was cold so it was quite icky since its cheesy and creamy.

Salmon

This salmon was probably seared? Not sure how they cook it but the meat was BEAUTIFUL. It was so gorgeously soft and fragrant! I had many many servings of this

Assorted smoked fish

2 types of lobsters! The one on the right was sweeter imo (the boy + our moms thought so too)

Also like how they have 2 kinds of lobsters :)

assorted raw shells

crab

The main cooked food area with a breakfast food area to the left and then malay food to the back

Breads! Love that they had a wide variety from savouries to sweet. There were 3 types of foccacias too which I really liked :) there was also banana bread, assorted multigrain/healthy loaves, croissants, tomato buns etc

Cheese!!!
This was a round table FILLED with cheese and this is 1/3 of the spread only! Love love their hugeass cheese spread :)

I had a taste of most of the cheese and honestly I loved them all :)

Assorted roast meats which we all thought looked great but disappointed in the taste/texture department

The siew mai was okay, a little too much meat for my liking but still okay!
Didn't try the other dim sum. These were the 2 dim sum items available that day as well as a chilli crab pau which I didn't try!

On to the Japanese area! this was slightly disappointing as there was only 4 types of fried food, assorted sushi (ok granted the sushi range was quite large), 2 types of sashimi, soba, miso soup

The sashimi wasn't cold enough as it was placed on the same white plates as the above. Also it is a little sad that there's only 2 kinds of sashimi!

On to the breakfast spread:

Eggs Benny on smoked salmon or spinach

The eggs benny was quite good!

Pancakes 

Scrambled eggs w ikura

Frittata - this was okay
  Hash brown - very crispy!

Bacon

Sausages, baked beans, omelette station (was v psyched there was an omelette station! Cos its my fav station for hotel breakfasts)

Assorted salads

They had potato salad, mixed mushrooms, pasta salad w lobster claw, and I can't remember what else! Oh DIY salad at the back too. The mushrooms were okay, not as flavourful as I thought they'd be!

Foie Gras w Balsamic Vinegar + Apple puree

This was THE BOMB. Replaced my fav foie gras from Basilico (since its standards dropped). I had so so so many servings of this!!! It was extremely well executed - crispy on the outside, melt in your mouth on the inside and most importantly this was very very well flavoured!!! With the thick balsamic, and the slightly sweet apple puree. Even my Mom who dislikes most foie gras dishes, loved this one! I would go back just for this (well the rest of the spread is v satisfactory too so.. works out well!)

Assorted keropoks (Crackers)
Papadam
Chicken Curry

Live Burger making station!

Didn't want to lift up each cover to take photos but I remember whats in them!

Briyani, seafood mee goreng, grilled seabass w this cream sauce, grilled salmon, butter chicken, mashed potato, grilled chicken, grilled lamp chops, naan

Assorted grilled veggies

Ham
Steak
Grilled Lamb - the meat was tough

Burger!

Seared scallops with mango coulis

This was good too! Same live cooking station as the foie gras :)

**

Photos of the dessert spread

Love how they have chiffon cake!!!! I've never seen this at buffets. The thing on the right is mango pomelo sago! Again I've never seen this dish at buffets! Below is mango crepe

Macarons - I thought they were so-so. Cant really tell the flavours. Shells not as crispy/chewy as I like them to be.

Mango mousse cake - this was okay

Chocolate shooter - its essentially choc mousse with crispy choc pearls - average

Choc cake w crispy base - this was good

Waffle - crispy kind of waffles with airy insides

Tiramisu (in front of waffles) - more mascarpone cream vs sponge fingers - a ratio I don't like

Choc tart + lemon tart - I generally don't like this kinda tarts cos the shell tends to be soggy and lousy which held true in this case.

Cinnamon cake - this one really had a strong cinnamon taste!

Overall

Service: very very good, prompt, friendly, lots of smiles, polite

Ambience: nice natural light, view of the Singapore River, space is not too cramped with the other tables, live music with good vocals! The musicians go table to table. Provide birthday cake + song

Food: generally good!! We were all v satisfied and impressed

Its now one of my top few buffets to go!

Town Restaurant Sunday Brunch

12-3pm

68778128

$108++ free flow drinks (Soft drink, tea, coffee, juices) - cheapest price for adults

You can have the free flow champagne option, but not sure how mud that is

New Cafe: Hatter Street Cafe

Read about this cafe and how the chef here trained at Bo Innovation so decided to try it since its near the boy's house! We went to this cafe after our lunch + 4 tarts (which will be blogged about later) hence we couldn't really eat much except the waffle! 

The man gave us an introduction to the "story" behind the cakes and the smoked macau pudding had the most interesting story imo. The cakes sounded good but honestly looking at the price and how small  + thin a piece is, I didn't really feel like trying it anymore. Although in all honesty, it could've been great. 

The brownie (dark choc btw) looked SUPERB w its crackly crust and we wanted to do a takeaway but were advised against it 'cos they'd heat it up (so that its yummier!) and its topped w an ice cream when we eat it in house. I guess if we bring it home, it wouldnt be the same experience. So we didn't takeaway. A reason to return!

The cafe itself is quite small. With approx 12-ish seats?

Cute wall decal used as the menu

Whoaffles

with vanilla ice cream & caramel sauce

$8

You can also choose to have it w pandan ice cream & gula melaka sauce. If you're expecting crispy outside, fluffy inside, this is not it. This is crispy all the way! Which does have its own merits. The batter was fragrant but I'm more a fluffy inside crispy outside, thick belgium waffle, kinda girl. But this was q enjoyable too esp the crispiness! Didn't try the sauce cos am not a fan. Ice cream was good and went well w the waffles. I had to eat the waffle w the ice cream else it'd be a tad dry to eat. At 8bux, I don't think I'll be having it again only because its not my kind of waffles (as I've stated). 3.6/5

Service there is q good and friendly. More cafes should open in the heartlands! Will probably try more stuff soon and give a review! (after my exams that is haha, 21 jan onwards!)

Hatter Street Cafe

212 Hougang Street 21 #01-333 (same row as Nakhon Thai)

69884591

Tue-Sun 1pm-10pm

Facebook

Food Tasting: New Menu at Stranger's Reunion!

Hi!

Thanks to Nuffnang, I was invited to taste Stranger's Reunion's new menu! I've never been to Strangers previously but have heard lots about it. They've recently expanded but according to a few of the bloggers there with me that day, the new area is less cosy/homely, more minimalistic and they didnt really like that feel! 

Anyhow, here are some photos and a review of the food!

The exterior

Some interior shots below:

Too full that night to try their cakes but they look gooooooood! Melissa says that the carrot cake is quite good!

The new improvised menu! Sorry if its unclear! Some of the food portions below I believe are smaller portions of the actual size but the price I put there is the price of the actual sizing! I'll also put in brackets the 'category' the dish comes under!

Lotus Root Chips

with spicy aioli

(light bites)

$12.90

We had 2 tables of food tasters so 2 bowls of this and the taste + texture for both bowls were different!

Bowl 1: saltier + crispier

Bowl 2: less salty but more chewy & less crispy

So quality isnt consistent! They're really addictive though. Best if they can achieve crispy + less salty! But the texture + salt level differs from person to person. Some are okay w the salt level, some like the chewy one more, so it really depends man. The aioli isnt spicy at all! 3.7/5

Green tea

$8

Very light green tea fragrance

Iced latte (5.90)/mocha (6.90)

Egg Net Tempura Soft Shell Crab

with spicy kewpie mayo & corn in a brioche bun

(all day breakfast)

$21

The egg net tempura is basically fried egg! We felt that the soft shell crab wasnt crispy enough? It could possibly be due to us taking photos of the food then it becoming a lil soggy. Once again the mayo isnt spicy although it says so in the description but of course the mayo goes wonderfully well with the burger and just binds the tastes together I feel. The flavours are quite refreshing and doesnt feel oily despite the fried interior. Bun is rather fluffy though could be slightly more toasted for me. 

Rockets are q dangerous cos many ppl dont like them! 3.6/5

Corn & Zucchini Fritters

with avocado, poached egg & spicy tomato relish

(all day breakfast)

$18 ($21.50 if you add bacon)

This photo is how the dish will look like if you order it (portion wise I am not sure)

But this was what we got instead for tasting! So I dont really know how it'll taste w the bacon + poached egg! You cant really taste zucchini in the fritter, more of the corn dominating. The tomato relish went q well with it and if you're afraid of avocados, the taste is somehow masked in this dish. This was an average dish imo 3.4/5

Crispy Pork Belly

with truffled mash, ginger beer, apple & date chutney

(from noon till late)

$24.90

This is their signature dish! And I think manyyyy of the bloggers + nuffnang staff agree!! All I could hear after they ate the pork skin was "mmmmm the skinnnnnnnnn" and people wanted more of the skin!!! Super crispy super fragrant :) The meat is tender and juicy, very flavourful too. This is a dish done well! 

Didnt really taste dates in the chutney though, more like apple! Which I think went really well with the pork cos green apple is sour so I really like the contrast in taste! Perhaps a bit more green apple would be good :) 

Truffled mash was not bad too! But pork totally overshadows it haha 4.4/5

And girls listen up!!! The guy said that they force out all the fats from the meat so dont worry about it! 

THE SKIN

Za'atar-spiced Eggplant Fritters

with lemon yogurt

(light bites)

$12.90

Some people dislike the taste of eggplants but fret not, you absolutely cannot taste eggplant in this dish haha which is kind of a bad thing in my dictionary cos you dk what you're eating! All you taste is some spice that reminds you of Indian food and a bit of creaminess from the yogurt which doesnt taste of lemon. 2.8/5

12-hour Braised Lamb Shoulder Flat Bread

with quinoa tabouli & hummus

$19.50

I really liked this dish! Very middle eastern in concept and even after eating so much previously, I finished this dish! The lamb doesnt have the smelly lamb taste dont worry and it was tender + juicy and the spices wasnt too heavy. But I think a bit more ingredients for a wrap that size would be good! Again not sure the portions for the actual dish! 4.5/5

Truffle fries 

with truffle aioli & parmesan cheese

$12.90

The girls at my table really loved the truffle fries!!! I thought the truffle taste could be a bit stronger though. 4.3/5

Buttermilk Waffles

with artisan greek yogurt & fresh fruit

$11.50

What most people come here for!!! The waffles were a little bit crispy at the edges but got soggy super fast! Didnt enjoy it as much as Wimbly Lu's but I finished it anyway, talk about being a pig! The greek yogurt is not as tart as the ones I've tried commercially. Wouldnt pay 11.50 for this though! 3.5/5

Buttermilk Waffles

with vanilla ice-cream & fresh fruit

$11.50

The vanilla ice cream is a little artificial tasting so I didnt really like it :/

Homemade jam

They made jam for us! I apologise but I have yet to try the jam but it was freshly made! Like it was still hot when they first put it out!

Service: I cant say anything about service cos it was just us two tables and it was an invited tasting. But the people there are friendly!!

Ambience: I think its okayish but not very cosy like what the other bloggers mentioned

Once again, thank you nuffnang!!! If not for nuffnang I wouldnt have been able to go for this tasting and wouldnt have met so many nice bloggers that night and made new friends! :)

Strangers Reunion

37 Kampong Bahru Road

Mon: 9am-10pm

Wed-Sun: 9am-10pm

CLOSED ON TUES

62224869

Parking: there's some parking around the restaurant but its limited

MRT: take to outram mrt, get out at exit G (the one to police cantonement complex!) and turn right then walk through/past the police complex then just continue walking straight till you see neil road and like spot the okb sign to your front left, diagonally. Then just crossover to okb and continue walking down the stretch of shophouses till you see what I posted above!