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Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant
outside of Hong Kong, there are a couple of dim sum places back home that hits all the right notes when it comes to leaving a great overall impression. i used to think that Royal China at Raffles Hotel tops that list, until we visited Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant over the recent long weekend. located at Sheraton Towers Singapore, the restaurant shares a long history in Singapore. in more recent times, the younger ones may remember it for being on the 2016 Michelin guide or for being Qi YuWu's favourite dim sum restaurant..
the first thing we liked about this place was its service. the welcoming demeanour of the staff, how they quickly served tea and some really nice tapioca chips while we placed our orders really made it the start of a pleasant experience. the dim sum menu itself wasn't exactly long, but it included all the necessary Cantonese delights and some of its signatures. the food was served pretty quickly and we tucked into our dim sum feast. 
strangely, the only off-form thing for the afternoon was a classic Cantonese dish - Shrimp Cheong Fun (rice rolls). the texture for the day turned out a little soft and clumpy, while the dish didn't absorb the flavours of the sauce very well. considering that the rest of the dishes turned out tops, we choose to believe this was a one-off... one of those things. after all, the other carb dish that we ordered, the fish congee, turned out pretty good. 
this deep fried crispy scallop roll is one of their dim sum signatures. each roll has shreds of rice vermicelli (bee hoon) deep fried into a crispy ball, wrapping 2 scallops in it. we loved the skin, and the fragrance that the dish brings. another deep fried specialty is the deep fried cod roll with mango, the mixture of sweet and savoury taste that is not too heavy on the palette. the thing about dim sum is that its perfect for sharing, where a group can enjoy good variety without really over-eating. 
a notable mention to this Xiao Long Bao (pork and crabmeat dumpling) which came with a generous serving of fillings. and although the dumpling stayed intact when we bit into it, we could easily taste the flavours of the pork and the crabmeat stock. their baked mini egg-tarts was a good dessert choice and our experience was topped off with the staff volunteering to offer a complimentary carpark ticket when they came with the bill. it was an all-round good experience and a place we'd certainly come back, for a local dim sum fix. 
Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant 39 Scotts Road Sheraton Towers Singapore Singapore 228230 Opening Hours Mondays to Saturdays: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm; 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm Sundays: 10.30 am to 2.30 pm; 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm enhancing the natural flavours and fragrances of every ingredient.. Captain K Seafood Tower
the area around Prinsep Street is becoming quite a buzz lately with bars, cafes and restaurants all sprouting up. You'd recall us talking about the artisanal cafe Curious Palette sometime back, and in stark contrast, the concept of Captain K Seafood Tower is alot more straightforward, yet unbelievably popular.
something pictorial to give everyone the idea first, this restaurant is essentially offering a steamboat concept. it's soup base supports layers of these aluminum containers, each containing a dish of steamed seafood stacked over. customers can select layers ranging from 3 to 9 tiers, depending on the group size and the idea is that the essence of the steamed seafood will simmer through the holes in these containers to add flavour to the soup base. 
we were fortunate to have a big group of friends on this visit, so we went for the jugular and ordered the 9-tier tower. amid the prawns, scallops, oysters, squids and shellfish, this Alaskan Crab stood out, for its freshness and meaty limbs. scissors are provided on hand to help us break through the thorny shell. the way that the food is steamed also enabled us to lick off the meat from the shell pretty easily. 
we also managed to try an experimental dish that is not-on-the-menu-yet, steamed crab with golden roe marinated in rock salt. at a glance, this looks like cold steamed crab on a bed of ice, but it turned out to be salt, which gave the crab a rich flavour. another interesting dish worthy of mention is the steamed squid wrapped with spicy rice stuffing. the combination is actually very fragrant, but it guess when it was stacked as one of the bottom few tiers, most of us were too stuffed to really lap up the whole stuffing. 
some special mention for the soup base, customers can choose from 3 types: Korean Kombu Dashi stock, Kimchi stew or Ginseng chicken. we choose Ginseng Chicken for its rich taste and this was where the real steambox truly begins. you can select a variety of ingredients from the counter ranging from vegetables, hot-dog to instant noodles. you'd be charged based on the colour plates just like a sushi bar. there are also a few sauces (mostly sweet or spicy) to complement the steamed seafood so this is truly the fun part of the evening. Steamed seafood generally doesn't come cheap at most restaurants today, however, Captain K further brings an experience of unraveling the layers, and enjoying all things Korean. It's really popular now, and making a reservation before hand would be advised. 
Captain K Seafood Tower #01-02 Income@Prinsep 30 Prinsep St, Singapore 188647 Opening Hours Mondays: 6 pm to 10.30 pm Tuesdays to Thursdays: 12 pm to 3 pm; 6 pm to 10.30 pm Fridays: 12 pm to 3 pm; 6 pm to 11 pm Saturdays: 11.30 am to 3 pm; 5 pm to 11 pm Sundays: 11.30 am to 3 pm; 5 pm to 10.30 pm Steering and pioneering new culinary creations for food lovers.. Labels: #captainKseafoodtower, #koreanfoodsg, #seafood, #steamboat Dutch Baby Cafe
the first thing that attracted us to this place was really its name, although that's the part which also turned out to be somewhat confusing. Dutch Baby Cafe specializes in a fusion of Japanese Udon, and German pancakes served in a pan. around the cafe, there are some write-ups about how this German concept was first brought into America, and how the American owners couldn't pronounce "Deutsche" for German, resulting in the pronunciation becoming "Dutch".. anyways...
with the only Singapore outlet located at Paragon Shopping Centre, the cafe's exterior displays pastries that has shades of Fruit Paradise, this is not surprising, as this new concept is brought to you by the folks behind Ajisen and Fruit Paradise. the interior design is bright, simple and welcoming, with the niche menu emphasizing the concept's focus on its specialties. quite naturally, we had a go at some of their Japanese infused dishes. 
There is a selection of Udon dishes to choose from, which served as homely relief when we visited the store during the earlier rainy season (where in-mall air conditioning can get a little cranky). This Tom Yum chicken Udon is served with the right amount of spicy kick, with lemon chicken, and a somewhat thinner and springy interpretation of Udon. pretty good. for those who could do without spice, their signature dish is actually the Lemon chicken Udon that is served in a unique broth. we give thumbs up for both. 
of course, you've got to try the German pancakes while you're here. the texture of these pancakes are really different, with a soft base and slightly flaky crispy edges. the Caramel apple pan above was served with vanilla bean ice cream, apple slices and dripped with caramel sauce, with the latter in particular, blending exceptionally well with the pancake base. another signature is the lemon butter pan which also comes with ice cream and a slab of butter. it's drizzled with sugar and makes a pretty good pancake dish. 
to top-off the experience, we'd just like to talk abit about how they served tea and water in this cafe. they use this Gravitea dispenser to filter and drip the liquid into your glass. they do sell this gadget at the store, which i thought made a unique Christmas gift. Overall, the specialty dishes at Dutch Baby are well done, while some cafe purists may find the overall experience a little too simple, it is a good effort to keep up with the social-media times. for us, this makes a cosy place for catching up and gatherings, and we'd like to come back for the pancakes again soon. 
Dutch Baby Cafe 290 Orchard Road, #B1-13 Paragon Shopping Centre Singapore 238859 Opening Hours Mondays to Fridays: 10 am to 9 pm Saturdays & Sundays: 11 am to 9 pm Pancakes on hot cast iron pans straight out from the oven.. Atmosphere Cafe & Bistro
you'd probably only end up in Alexandra Central Mall if you're working around there, or happen to be visiting IKEA or Queensway Shopping Centre. the mall has only opened in 2015 and to date, there are still quite a few units available. one of the first-movers to take a prime spot would be Atmosphere Cafe & Bistro, who has hit a few buttons that could make it the next talking point.
the setup resonates with the modern clientele, with ample window seats, a chic Ipad ordering system, dark granite table-tops that make a good background for Instagram shots and its array of eye-candy desserts. we also soon found that most of the patrons are pretty well researched, and appeared to know what to order straight up.. well, i guess you don't really find this place by chance. while the cafe could still do with a little bit more publicity to give it the same following as its more illustrious counterparts, we'd say watch-this-space. 
the mains at Atmosphere range from baked rice, pastas to pretty standard Western main courses. nothing exactly wow about the dishes in particular, the Carbonara that we had was really generous with the chicken, mushrooms and cream sauce, but could do with an egg and better pasta texture. The Cajun Chicken was a pan-seared chicken thigh dripped with black pepper sauce and served with mash potatoes. the meat was well-marinated, portions were good, pretty decent fix.. it's just that you could have probably gotten the same thing at Aston's. in all, let's just say the mains were pretty decent. 
anyways, people come here for the "atmosphere", their desserts and the coffee. we had to give their stacked waffles/pancakes a try, and went for something called the Fluffy Snowball. it was essentially a double stuffed pancake, with vanilla cream, fruits and a couple of macaroons. we selected chocolate stuffing which probably went better with the toppings. very pretty and attractive serving, something you'd love if you had a sweet tooth and not too heavy for an after-meal-dessert if you're sharing. we heard that the House Waffles and Molten Lava Cake are also their specialties and would look forward to try them on our next visit. 
and of course, the most Instagram-worthy thing about this cafe would be their latte art. we regretted not going for the 3D coffee-art, opting to have a 2D version on our milk froth instead. you'd need to top-up for the 3D coffee art, but looking at what our neighbours are having, it looks pretty worth it for a date gimmick. for the non-coffee drinkers, there is hot-chocolate latte art as well. no, we didn't ask for Spongebob and Pooh Bear, it was just something these creative baristas came up with to surprise us. Overall, the whole ambience makes this place a good date, and as long as you don't come expecting a gastronomic experience, all you'd need is good company to top it off. 
Atmosphere Cafe & Bistro 321 Alexandra Road #02-01 Alexandra Central Mall Singapore 159971 Opening Hours Daily: 11.30 am to 10 pm Good food, good vibes and an even better view.. Grandma's
We've not quite seen Peranakan food set up shop in a retail mall setting and take off, but it does seem like this creation from the Akashi Group (the London Fat Duck people) would be here to stay. Although not quite your Guan Hoe Soon, which is truly a Nonya institution in Singapore, Grandma's still serves up a decent blend of Peranakan dishes together with Singaporean and Malaysian delights.
currently with 4 outlets in Singapore, we recently visited the one at the revamped Suntec City to check them out. the name of the restaurant gives it a very homely feel, although we felt that a more accurate impression you should carry before visiting, should be one of Malaccan or Penang street fare. there is a good variety of Nonya selections, some local delights and desserts on the menu, which indications for their signature dishes. 
there is nothing much Peranakan about this Hokkien Mee, but this is one of Grandma's most popular dishes. we were first drawn to Malaysian styled Hokkien Mee when we were in Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur and this interpretation of it while not as rich in terms of wok-hei, is still pretty flavourful and a refreshing change from the ones we typically see in food centres. this served as a good carb accompaniment to the other Nonya dishes we ordered. 
the dish above is called Babi Pongteh or rather braised pork belly in soya bean paste with dark soy sauce. the pork was soft and juicy, while the gravy was thick and had a rich flavour. goes very well with white rice. other Peranakan dishes that we went for included the Nonya Chap Chye and Otah Otah. not too bad really, giving you some confidence to go for their home catering service if you're going to have a gathering or house party. 
In all, Grandma's was a decent experience. some purists have taken to the web to say they don't represent the cuisine well, but then again, not many has taken the step out to let you have the Nonya option in the comfort of a mall anyway. For us, the seafood was fresh, the sambal chilli such as in the Sambal Udang above had that spicy kick, and the Chendol was nostalgic relief, good enough for us. We hope to see a couple more Grandma's sprout out near our homes, and we'd probably visit again on a lazy day that we're not cooking in. 
Grandma's (Suntec City) 3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-108, Suntec City Singapore 098585 Opening Hours Daily: 11.30 am to 10 pm just the way Grandma used to cook it.. 7Kickstart Museum Cafe
The Singapore Art Museum is having somewhat of a renaissance of late, as more families are now stopping by to immerse themselves in some of the themed exhibitions such as edible art or children's art. In the museum also houses one hipster cafe that is positioned with a twist, serving local fusion brunch food.
7Kickstart Museum Cafe is decorated somewhat like a vintage classroom, with long tables for group discussions, chalk-boards and self-service drinking water that you can fill using science lab beakers. The food itself is pretty much creative, from many local-influenced western food, a range of waffles, to their signature ice-dripped coffees. Having quite a following, a second outlet is now opened at the Singapore Management University. 
one good example of their fusion dishes would be the specialty Liu-Sha French toast. Practically a thick slice of toast with salted-egg yolk and custard flowing out of its centre. with the craze for all things salted-egg these days, we found this particular one not too over-powering and well blended with its drizzle of condensed milk over it, to give it a sweeter taste. Other similar fusion dishes would include the Orh Nee waffles and its assam-infused nonya curry grilled dory (only on weekdays). 
we went for the weekend brunch and tried their other breakfast classics, such as the Royale Classic Benedict which is essentially a salmon eggs Benedict with a sweeter apple-yuzu hollandaise sauce. we also tried the Portobello with eggs which was made up of 2 sunny-side-ups laid over portobello mushrooms and served with hash browns. this is one of the few vegetarian options that is available at this cafe, which makes it a plus for group meetings with people of varied dietary needs. 
and then special mention for their coffees. the cafe is famous for their ice-dripped coffees, with 7 different blends of cold-brews to kickstart your day. we went for something of slightly higher coffee intensity in the form of the Brazilian Yellow Bourbon ice-drip coffee that left us a little high on caffeine. I think their coffees are an acquired taste, as you'd read several mixed reviews online. if you ask us, straight-up, their iced chocolate drinks came out top, even the kids loved it. In all, this is a quiet place, good for discussions and has a solid range of artisanal dishes to choose from. 
7Kickstart Museum Cafe 71 Bras Basah Road #01-03 Singapore Art Museum Singapore 189555 Opening Hours Mondays & Tuesdays: 8 am to 8 pm Wednesdays to Fridays: 8 am to 10 pm Saturdays: 10 am to 8 pm Sundays: 10 am to 6 pm The first cafe in the country to serve ice-dripped coffee? |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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