|
Boufe Boutique Cafe
This is probably one of Singapore's best brunch cafes in recent years. Since early days Maison Ikkoku who left an impression, Boufe Boutique Cafe located at Tanglin is pretty much one place that has all the elements of making it the perfect all day breakfast cafe. Its location within Phoenix Park in Tanglin is certainly off the beaten track (check), its got good interior lighting and plain white tables - perfect backdrop for Instagram shots (check), great brunch food and specialty coffee (not many places actually can have this, double check), and a menu of Insta-worthy drinks. Fantastic.
special mention to their designer cakes which are often featured on reviews. developed by classic French recipes and ingredients, the chef has curated them to look like burgers, sandwiches, unicorns and their acclaimed "galaxy" cakes. if you're thinking that having lots of these would be ideal for hosting a party, the venue could do just that. the cafe could be booked for events such as weddings, birthday parties and other celebrations. There's also an alfresco area to set up a simple solemnization area if thats what you're looking for. 
but moving on to the food. The cafe has got all the classic brunch food on its menu, and early this year, has added some fusion mains onto its list as well. we tried a classic Brioche French Toast, which we understood that the bread is home-made within their own facility. the toast was very soft and chewy, served with drizzle of mixed berries, almond crumble, caramelized banana, cream and maple syrup on the side. we also tried the newer creations of tomato crab pasta, which was essentially a tomato-based spaghetti with an abundant serving of minced crab meat with white wine and rockets. the pasta sauce could be made spicy or non-spicy to your preference. i always have a soft spot for tomato-based pasta so this was tops for me. 
there are also a series of colourful drinks on their menu that is one of their highlights. certainly one of the hits with the Boomerang faithful as these drinks often come with an interactive element such as watching some colourful cotton-candy dissolve in it or stirring them to create that "galaxy" effect in the drink itself. this above is called Romeo, a by-product of mixing blue cotton-candy into passion fruit soda. we ought to mention that their specialty coffee is actually really good, so for the serious brunch goers, there's still a more traditional choice. 
Finally, back to their cakes which is probably something that is most distinctive about Boufe. we tried the popular "galaxy" cakes and chose the blue one called Milkyway. these are basically mable looking cakes that is filled with white chocolate mousse, honey genoise and calamansi jelly. We also went for their unicorn cakes, where there are choices of black or white. we chose the white one which consists of white milk glaze and coconut mousse decking over a vanilla sponge cake with mango filling. one for the cameras and also ideal with those with a sweet tooth, the desserts capped off a perfect day and converted us to big fans of Boufe Boutique Cafe. 
Boufe Boutique Cafe 308 Tanglin Road #01-01 (Phoenix Park) Singapore 247974 Opening Hours Daily: 9 am to 8 pm To introduce home-made European pastries and bread to Singaporeans.. Labels: #boufe, #boufeboutiquecafe, #breakfast, #brunchcafe, #brunchfood, #galaxycakes, #phoenixpark, #tomatopasta Soek Seng 1954 Bicycle Cafe
Seletar Aerospace Park is slated to be the home of Singapore's aviation facilities. From housing a now private airport, to having several industries manufacturing and maintaining aircraft engines and parts, as well as several aerospace R&D facilities. Also, as part of the Nation's efforts to clean up the area for light industrial uses and to preserve its colonial heritage, the area has been now curated to transform several old buildings into public spaces and eateries.
Soek Seng Bicycle Cafe is located within a hangar-like aircraft consultancy building. It is adjacent to the runway where people can watch planes take-off and blessed with low-height structures of the airport environment, allowing people to catch sunset from the comfort of their seats. The cafe itself its operated by a vintage bicycle collector and represents one of the very few bike cafes in Singapore. Vintage vehicles and a unique biker interior gives the place several photo-opportunities as well. 
The menu is generally pub-grub with western dishes, cakes, cafe drinks and bottled beers. we actually found the food to be of fairly good quality, like this serving of Chicken Chop where the chicken was juicy, well marinated and flame-grilled to perfection. there was also a certain crispy texture of the meat, giving it greater meal satisfaction. Japanese rice bowls (Dons) are also a popular choice here, for those who cannot go a day without rice. 
Another unique offering would be the selection of burgers! This Double Cheese Chicken Burger is certainly tops simply because of its similar flame-grilled tenderness, the flavour and the abundance of cheese. there's also a small side serving of bbq ranch flavoured potato chips, alongside salad and some fries. pretty much a no frills affair but turned out as tasty as it was simplistic. We accompanied the mains with coffee and both the chilled or warm version turned out okay. 
In all, a very Instagrammable cafe in an interesting bicycle shop setting, with good lighting to create photo moments. the food quality for the flame grilled dishes were good and patrons could also enjoy a cold beer in an al-fresco setting in the evenings - while watching planes taxi by. the place is still rather quaint and the overall laid-back feel makes the cafe the perfect location for a weekend escape from the city. 
Soek Seng 1954 Bicycle Cafe 80 Seletar Aerospace View MAJ Aviation Building #01-01 Singapore 797563 Opening Hours Sundays to Thursdays: 10 am to 10 pm (closed on Mondays) Fridays & Saturdays: 10 am to 11 pm immerse yourself in bike culture and classic cars in a cozy ambience.. Labels: #bicyclecafe, #bikecafe, #chickenburger, #chickenchop, #seletaraerospacepark, #soekseng1954bicyclecafe, #westernfood Common Man Coffee Roasters
any cafe that hits the 5 year mark becomes something of an establishment. Common Man Coffee Roasters has entered that league of brunch spots with some history, and quite rightly so. they are a brunch cafe, coffee beans roaster / wholesaler and also a barista training academy. they currently have outlets in Singapore and Malaysia, judging by the crowds seen at their Martin Road cafe, their following is still strong amongst their ever growing clientele.
the interior maintains that industrial wood-themed look to this day, and the store at 22 Martin Road has somewhat become the front runner for brunch cafes in the area. although seating has flowed out onto the corridors on weekends, finding a seat during the lazy afternoons could still be a challenge. alot of this is attributed to not just their brews, but a sizeable and quality food menu as well. 
the mark of a good coffee roaster and barista academy would certainly be their coffee. we tried it black and in the form of a Nitro cold brew. each glass is hand-brewed and when served, one could smell the aroma of the beans and taste the smooth, bold and well-balanced flavour of the coffee. the conventional and less cultured drinkers like myself went for a classic latte, and it was perfect as well. 
there is a wide spread of brunch selections that are served all day, but we decided to try something pretty much unique to this cafe. the house-baked beans with confit Chorizo kinda stood out from the menu and it came with watery sunny-side-up eggs, rockets and a sourdough toast. the baked beans are mixed with Chorizo pork to complete a very hearty meal. pancake lovers could go for their Common Man fluffy pancakes, served with a crumble of nuts, bananas, berry coulis and a splash of salted caramel sauce. the presentation of the food was pretty much artisanal as well, good one for the cameras. 
in all a very satisfying breakfast outing and we haven't even checked out the main meals during this visit. the restaurant is amply staffed and everyone is able to get good service despite the very spread out dining area. be prepared to share tables though as the setting of long tables and benches encourages greater group interactions. we salute another local coffee institution, that marked a memorable weekend for us. 
Common Man Coffee Roasters 22 Martin Road #01-00 Singapore 239058 Opening Hours Mondays to Friday: 7.30 am to 5 pm Saturdays & Sundays: 7:30 am to 6 pm GREAT COFFEE AND GOOD PEOPLE Labels: #breakfast, #brunchcafe, #brunchfood, #CMCR, #commonmancoffeeroasters, #martinroad, #nitrocoldbrew Long Jiang Classic Noodle and Congee House
as a spin-off concept from the successful seafood restaurant Long Jiang Chinos at Bottle Tree Park, the folks have come up with another congee and noodle based restaurant at Clarke Quay. Taking a prominent spot just around the taxi drop-off point, the outlet is poised to capture the taste-buds of tourists and locals alike with its claypot congee dishes and Singaporean / Malaysian delights. its spacious and colourful interior also sports a trendier look, ditching the typical Chinese restaurant feel that probably blends better with its surroundings.
Helmed by Chef Francis Chong, Long Jiang Classic has its own range of Malaysian influenced dishes. The restaurant has been featured for reviews from across the Causeway and could address cravings for KL Hokkien Mee or fried Bee Tai Mak over in Singapore (not many food establishments really serve them here). the latter, also known as Seafood silver needle noodles, is served in a claypot with clams, squid, fish slices and prawns stir fried in dark sauce. had this a couple of times and would like to say that its pretty good with ample wok hey, but it could actually be a hit-and-miss sometimes turning out a tad too soggy. 
of course, the signatures here would be their congee and rice vermicelli claypot dishes. Lobster is probably the king, and although priced rather steep, they give a generous quantity that is fresh and meaty. nonetheless, we went for the XO Mud Crab with Rice Vermicelli. the broth probably is the unique selling point because it was thick, flavourful and well immersed in the XO sauce. the vermicelli is the fine type (would have preferred them thick) and there was practically a whole crab inside. Besides the lobster congee, this is recommended. 
they also carry a couple of popular zi char sides for bigger groups. we went for this Crispy prawn bean curd that was chunky, well fried with spices and has a really crunchy texture. other patrons would also try their KL-style soya sauce chicken which is also often ordered. to go with much of the fried and strong flavoured dishes, Long Jiang offers a medley of Chinese herbal drinks such as "Luo Han Guo" and "Buah Long Long" plum juice that are all healthy thirst quenchers. 
in line with the night life of Clarke Quay, the restaurant opens till late (4 am in fact!) and also does a lunch-time run. office workers or those coming at noon would find individual set selections of rice and noodle dishes, with the favourite being Penang-style prawn or crayfish noodle soup. once again, the broth is the clincher and when there's a promotion, the price is a steal. while consistency could remain one of Long Jiang Classic's challenges, this place has the potential to be the South-east Asian answer to the range of international restaurants at Clarke Quay. 
Long Jiang Classic Noodle and Congee House 3B River Valley Road, #01-16 Clarke Quay Singapore 179021 Opening Hours Daily: 11 am to 2.30 pm; 5 pm to 4 am find comforting seafood congee dishes or heart warming noodle soups in the wee hours.. Labels: #clarkequay, #crabbeehoon, #lobstercongee, #longjiangclassic, #ricevermicelli, #seafoodnoodles, #seafoodsilverneedlenoodles Aura
the page has enjoyed quite a few visits from Italian friends in recent weeks, so a big shout-out to and grazie to all. in the spirit of Italian fare, we had the opportunity to visit Aura at the National Gallery recently. established by the ilLido Group under renowned Italian restaurateur Beppe De Vito, Aura adds to their profile of quality Italian restaurants in Singapore.
Aura's brass and bronze colour theme brings about a sophisticated and elegant feel to the restaurant, and probably blends in well with the atmosphere of the National Gallery. we went for dinner and decided to try their degustation set menu. probably the best way to check out some of the chef's best interpretations in bite-sizes. before the courses was served, dinner came with complimentary Focaccia bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. the bread is really unique, very spongy in texture with a smooth skin crust drizzled with black olives. from the picture, it looks like traditional Chinese pastry. 
dinner itself was a 4 course meal that started with this Hokkaido Scallop Tartare served with sea urchin and Sevruga caviar. raw dishes are always tricky but Aura passes splendidly with fresh scallops that were soft and chewy, well accompanied by the explosive bits of caviar. this was followed up with a tasting portion of Fettuccine pasta with spanner crab, Prosecco and pollen. personally, i'm a big fan of authentic Italian pasta and i found the texture of this just right, with good spices and a reasonable portion of crab meat. 
there were a couple of choices for mains and we selected this Smoked Duck with Foie Gras, young spinach and Marsala Wine Sauce. Duck meat is probably one of the tougher poultry types to bite through and we found that the dish could be made a tad more tender. so we were a little torn with this one as the first impression with the wine sauce, the dash of hummus and first bites were great, but it somewhat became a jaw-bone exercise as we laboured to bite into the whole slice of duck. Our other main selection of Chilean Seabass with spicy Broccoletti and lemon potatoes was certainly a much safer choice. the fish was fresh, meat was tender and very easy to lap up. 
we kinda liked the dessert very much, this Chocolate and Hazelnut Tart served with Whisky Cream and Amarena cherries is just tops. and coming from someone who isn't a big fan of chocolate pastries, this is a huge compliment. post dinner activity for the romantics can adjourn to the sky-lounge bar where this is a fantastic view of the Padang and the Marina Bay skyline. in all, a hefty price tag for semi-fine-dining but a great experience of quality Italian food with good ambience. 
Aura 1 St Andrews Road #05-03 and #06-02 National Gallery Singapore Singapore 178957 Opening Hours Daily: 12 pm to 2 pm; 6:30 pm to 10 pm Skylounge is open from 11.30 am to 1 am daily an elegant and modern multi-concept dining destination... Labels: #aura, #degustationmenu, #illidogroup, #italianfood, #nationalgallerysingapore, #scalloptartare, #sgitalianfood Chui Huay Lim
this is to me the mother of all Teochew restaurants in Singapore, one that the towkays (bosses) i know swear by and i guess being located within the compound of the Teochew Gentlemen's Club since the colonial days speaks well of its authentic association. Today, the restaurant is refurbished and is operated by the listed Jumbo Group. If there were any lingering worries of a dip in standards once a restaurant comes under any IPO setup, it all came to naught once we visited this age-old institution.
Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine prides itself for serving Teochew dishes in its most traditional form. The food selections also include the most exquisite ones, which were popular with the Club's members since its early days. Following the culture of the dialect group, all patrons were served with the strong "kung fu" tea at the start of the meal. a great way to whet our appetite and wash down any other tastes that somehow remained from earlier. with that, we got straight into the restaurant's specialities. 
Good quality steamed fish is one dish that the Teochews would always love to have. most commonly, though not cheap, many would go for steamed pomfret. However, as our group was small, the restaurant staff recommended that we tried the Threadfin instead. it was a good choice as well, the fish was delicately de-boned by the chef and cut into bite-sized portions so that we could pick them up with our chopsticks. the fish was fresh, well-steamed and very juicy, a good recommendation indeed. 
Teochew braised duck is almost always a must-have. Served with Tau Kwa and a generous serving of braised sauce, we gave the dish a big thumbs up for its tender meat, good marination and reasonable portions. For the more adventurous ones, it is useful to note that Chui Huay Lim is one of the few places that serve braised goose meat as well, it would be interesting to try one day how they would fare with the tougher poultry meat. instead of noodles, the restaurant is also popular for Mee Sua (thin wheat flour noodles), stir fried in seafood. a refreshing change from the other Chinese restaurants where people usually end their meals with Ee-fu noodles. 
There are also other dishes that are rather uncommon in other Teochew restaurants that patrons ought to try here. this dish of pig's trotter jelly is a unique dish served cold, the meat is soft and melt-in-your-mouth, certainly no smell of pig organs that may put some off. All in all, our visit to Chui Huay Lim confirmed its reputation as one of the best Teochew restaurants in Singapore, and certainly one place to bring parents and parents-in-law, especially if they're Teochew. 
Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine 190 Keng Lee Road, #01-02 Chui Huay Lim Club Singapore 308409 Opening Hours Mondays to Thursdays: 12 pm to 3 pm; 6 pm to 11 pm Fridays to Sundays: 11.30 am to 3 pm; 5.30 pm to 11 pm a Swatow-based food consultant was engaged by the restaurant to attest to the authencity of the dishes.. Labels: #braisedduck, #chineserestaurant, #chuihuaylim, #kengleeroad, #steamedfish, #teochewcuisine, #teochewfood |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
|
