Tea Cosy - A HGW Outing

Nestled inside a shop called Eclectic Attic, that sells all things vintage sorts of collectibles, antiques and clothes and accessories to furniture and knick-knacks, you will find Tea Cosy. At first glance, one may miss Tea Cosy as the whole shop décor here is intentionally messy, making the place feel like an attic. A little crammed and cluttered, the cafe area is barely noticeable amidst all the objects in the place. But when one takes the trouble to peer inside, you will realise that they had place settings at the tables. You will be astound to realise that everything in the cafe is for sale besides the food you dine – from the decorations on the table, including the bell to ring for service (and it doesn’t come cheap mind you), to the wooden chairs that we were sitting on – talk about experiential home furnish shopping!

Starter was the Home-made Creamy Mushroom Soup. Every spoonful comes with generous bits of mushrooms although I rather prefer them in thick and big slices – quality for quantity. Soup was also slightly on the salty side. Surprisingly what I felt was better was the piece of toast that went along with it. It was toasted with Mayonnaise that gave it a sweet creamy taste, something different from the normal toast that comes with soup.

The Decadent Salad consists of Foie Gras, Prawns and Eggs. One of Tea Cosy’s reputed dishes – my expectation of it was heightened – although it didn’t wow me, expectations of a salad was met. The vegetables were fresh and the dressing was a good compliment to it, but the prawns could have been juicier and foie gras bigger.

Not sinfully satisfied, I opted for the Signatured Pan-fried Foie Gras as the main. Topped with pineapples and aragula leaves and with what tasted like orange marmalade on the side, the foie gras goes well with the juices from the pineapple and aragula to create a bittersweet combination, but on its own, the oily aftertaste wasn’t exactly pleasant. This is not the best rendition I have tasted but Tea Cosy is the cheaper option if one does not have a big pocket to burn but still crave for some sinful delight.

Not filling enough, we ordered an extra serving of Laksa Pesto to share that comes with quite a few prawns, and is said to be of reminiscent to Wild Rockets rendition – amidst more watery. Coming to the end of the dish however, one will probably find the gravy extremely salty due to the residues of the dried shrimps used for it. To be honest I wasn’t impressed with this dish.

We wrapped up the night with some desserts that I felt the portion was more suitable for their High Tea – petite. They were nothing extraordinary, and probably the only thing that impresses me was the name used for the chocolate brownie with ice-cream combi – Ebony and Ivory.

Rating

Food: 3/5 (Food was ok. Nothing impressive)
Service: 3/5 (Service was slow, and the temp they hired wasn't up to scratch)
Ambience: 4/5 (Nice vintage setting, perfect for high tea I reckon)
Price: 2.5/5 ($49/pax seems pricey for average food)
Total: 12.5/20
60 Orchard Road,
#05-10 Plaza Singapura (Besides Spotlight)
Singapore 238839

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TETSU - "LIVE" Kushi-style Restaurant

Following my virgin taste testing session that took place at Persimmon, HFB was honoured to be invited to another launch at TETSU ("哲"), which has just opened its doors at Tanglin Mall.

Japanese cuisine aficionados will rejoice a first of its kind authentic Kushi-style Tempura along with Tonkatsu menu, prepared “LIVE” before their eyes. Seated at specially designed counter bars that are in close proximity to the chef who deftly prepares their Tempura and Tonkatsu, diners get to enjoy a visual feast right before their eyes.

Diners can have a choice from a wide array of freshest seafood, meats and vegetables prepared either Kushi-age style (Skewered with Breaded Batter) or Kushi-tem style (Skewered with Tempura Batter).

In order to recreate the most authentic Japanese dining experience, TETSU has partnered up with one of the most established restaurant groups in Japan with 48 restaurants and employing over 1400 people.

The Hana Group, renowned for their authentic Japanese cuisine and has been advising TETSU in all aspects of their restaurant.

The night was kick-started with an appetiser off the menu, the Cold Tofu with Century Egg and Ebi Roe. It was surprisingly a good dish to start off with as the combination of the heavy century egg and soft tofu attempts to tickle your palate along with the salty exploding sensation of the ebi roe when one bites into it.

The Edamame ($4.00) like others are nothing to shout about, but something that stood out was the aestheticism of the dish, which is visually evident in all the subsequent dishes – it is only then that I found out that TETSU prides itself on offering the most authentic Japanese dining experience, taking it down even to the smallest of details.

The layout of the Kaiseki sets and even the art of serving up these gourmet sets are specially formulated in Japan, to ensure that diners can get the full “LIVE” experience, at the best value. In addition, much of the restaurant’s tableware are all specially flown in from Japan.

Moreover, the good thing about the Kushi-age Soft Shell Crab ($3.00 per serving) is that it does not come oil soaked, although I would prefer it to be slightly meatier.

One might also be intrigued to know that in TETSU, one also get a choice of three dips for their deep-fried food – Tonkutsu sauce, Japanese Mayo and Curry Salt.

Onsentamago To Tofu Salad, or Half-boiled (Hot Spring-styled) Egg & Tofu Salad ($13.50) is another dish that is dedicatedly prepared by the chef – using their bare hands to measure the temperature of the water cooking the eggs, and the eggs only taken out of the cooking water when the water is too hot for their hands to handle.

The only non-authentic dish that we tried that night was probably their Salmon Carpaccio with French Dressing ($18.00). Although the salmon was very fresh and comes with a very nice bite, I feel that the dressing was slightly too sour for me – let’s just say that I prefer sashimi the way it is.

Highly recommended was their Rosu Katsu (A set served with Salad, Pickles, Rice, Miso Soup and Dessert cost $24.50). Similar to Tonkichi, one is also given a bowl of Roasted Sesame Seeds to grind and add to the Tonkutsu sauce.

The sampling of their second deep-fried dish convinced me that their cooking and preparation technique is indeed accomplished. Although I pride Tampopo’s Black Pork Katsu to be the best in taste of texture due to its marbling fats, TETSU’s version comes a close second - one do not really sample the oily aftertaste in the batter.

It was then I was told that TETSU’s chefs have undergone intensive training in the chain’s headquarters in Japan. The attention paid to the preparation of Tempura and Tonkatsu is meticulous – TETSU chefs strictly ensure that all preparation techniques, from marination, to the type of batter and oil, to the time of frying, adhere to their timeless traditional Japanese recipes.

The Roll Sushi ($18.00 for 6 pieces) was another item that was painstaking prepared in many process. One would probably mistook it for a salmon roll sushi if one weren’t told that the filling also consists of scallop and tuna, as the saltiness of the cooked salmon seeks to over-whelmed it. However having said that, it was still a pretty enjoyable sushi roll due to the crunchy batter and the aromatic Sesame Seeds and pairing of Ebi Roe.

The Kushi-style cuisine is very popular in Japan because the skewer-style makes it easy for customers eat and enjoy their sake, shoju or wine at the same time.

However to be honest, by the time the Kaiseki Set Course B ($45.00) consisting of 4 Assorted Appetisers, Stick Vegetables, Kani-Suki (Paper Pot Crab Sukiyaki), Kushi-age or Kushi-Tem, Udon and Dessert arrived, I was pretty much filled up and my palate started to fail me. So I shall let the pictures speak for themselves.

However, one thing I remembered clearly was the very unique Japan-imported Udon that gives one a very chewy bite – one has to try it to truly understand what I mean.

163 Tanglin Road

#03-18 Tanglin Mall
Singapore 247933

Telephone: 6836 3112
Business Hours:
Lunch 1130hrs to 1500hrs
Dinner 1800hrs to 2200hrs

Disclaimer: No ratings would be given, as this is an invited taste test. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Pris and TETSU for their generous hospitality.

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Yoguru - Probiotic Culture

While Frolick has been making waves in Holland Village, Yoguru has been garnering their own horde of fans over at the other side of the island at Kallang Leisure Park.

They have position their yoghurt as the healthy non-fat choice of dessert with no preservatives and addictives added, which I reckon will strike a chord with all the health conscious. Produced fresh right in their store daily, Yoguru’s menu currently only consist of two flavours, Original and YoguBliss – the latter a fruity mix of Dragonfruit & Pomegranate which are famed for their anti-oxidants.

If one is in a dilemma of which flavour to savour, fret not as Yoguru offers a choice of both flavours in one serving – think of it as “Twist” from McDonalds – where one gets to sample and enjoy both flavours at the same time! Texture wise, Yoguru’s yoghurt is rather creamy and smooth, but I reckon Frolick’s version is silkier. Taste wise I always associate Original flavoured yoghurt as sour – somewhere along those produced by Yami Yoghurt – but Yoguru’s version was surprisingly sweet, in fact the Original is sweeter than that of YoguBliss which gave me a pretty mixed feeling.

Price starts from $3.30 for a regular serving of Original to $9.30 for a jumbo take home version of the YoguBliss – toppings are charged separately ($1.20 for 1 choice, $1.80 for 2, and $2.20 for 3 toppings). And for those who think that Yoguru’s location isn’t as convenient, you might be pleased to know they have plans to expand to town – so look out for it!

Rating
Food: 3.5/5 (Smooth and creamy but prefer frolick's smooth texture)
Service: 3.5/5 (Staff was approachable and helpful)
Ambience: 4/5 (Nicely furnish with tables for sit-ins)
Price: 2.5/5 (Pretty costly for a slightly average yoghurt with topping)
Total: 13.5/20
5 Stadium Walk,
#01-10A, Kallang Leisure Park
Singapore 397693

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Sydney Part 5 - Pictures Galore

Click here for Part 1
Click here for Part 2
Click here for Part 3
Click here for Part 4

It is the Euro Champions League Final tonight (Yes, Food Bloggers watch soccer too!) so I shall keep the words short tonight and let the pictures do the talking. Some leftover photos from my Sydney trip earlier this year.

Entrance of The Sebel, Pier One, venue for the wedding - right under the Harbour Bridge

Entrée of Chilled Prawns, Smoked Salmon, Saffron Aioli

Sides - Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes

Main of Barramundi, Bok Choy and Chilli Crab Sauce

Main of Grain Fed Sirloin Steak, Sauce Bernaise and Roasted Kipfler

Makoto Sushi Bar, Most Delicious Meal of the trip IMHO

Green Tea

Mixed Sushi Platter is OMG Wonderful!!!

Spider Roll

Fisherman's Soup - Crab, Yabby & Mussels

Oscar Cafe, undergoing some renovation

Cesar Salad with Chicken Cutlet

Hawaiian Pizza

Cafe across Coogee Beach

Desserts!!!

Two things I cannot resist in Australia - One of them is Cheese

The other is Chocolate!!!

Topped it off with a Chocolate Milk Shake!!

My friend brought me to this place for Burger

This is Kamara Chips (Sweet Potato) with Aioli Dip

Ford Freakout - ⅓ lb Ground Beef, Bacon, Avocado, Salad, Relish and Aioli

Situated right under the Distinctive Coca Cola Neon Board, any idea where this is?

Kings Cross Road, the infamous Red Light District of Sydney :)

Persimmon - The Taste Test

Last Wednesday, I had the honour of being invited by Helena Lim, co-owner of Persimmon (as well as Epicurious at Robertson Quay) to partake in the taste testing session organised by Yum.sg.

Located in the quaint neighbourhood of Tiong Bahru, one of the oldest housing estates in Singapore, Persimmon can be found within the premises of The Link Hotel, the largest boutique style hotel in Singapore.

The name “Persimmon” was chosen as suggested by Sharon, the other co-owner, because it is a often misunderstood and curious type of fruit, something that aligns with the type of cuisine they served in Persimmon – Fusion – European dishes with a hint of Singapore flair.

Entering into the restaurant is reminiscent of stepping into a swanky Kopi-tiam (or coffee-shop) – the décor of checker-tiled floors, white tabletop and wooden chair offers one a sense of nostalgia, in an Atas (or high class) way of course!

My dining partner and me ordered the Apple Infusion ($10) drink to share, consisting of Red apple, Lemon Grass, and Ginger, to start off the night. It was a refreshing fruit juice with a twist, if I may put it that way – as the lemongrass, a herb often used in Asian cooking, along with ginger, another Asian spice, tantalised the taste buds with their aromatic oil leaving one with a sweet spicy taste. I have to underscore that this drink was not part of the taste test and was in fact on the house as I found out later.

The first item up for tasting was the Amuse Bouche: Mushroom with Shao-Hsing Soup. Served in a shot glass, the soup was concentrated and full of mushroom flavour.

Great if you ask me, and it would be well received in other restaurants – but unfortunately not here in Persimmon, as the Asian element of Shao-Hsing flavour is evidently missing in the soup, a hint of it would definitely topped the cake.

The starter was a Salad of Pan-Seared Scallop, Glass Noodles, Cherry Apple & Starfruit Drizzled with Citrus Vinaigrette. This was one dish that the owner kept emphasising that it is in the process of being fine-tuned i.e. a show in weakness that they weren’t very confident about this dish, and I have to agree that they have every reason to be so. For once, I couldn’t see how the pairing would work, as I foresee people would be eating the scallop separately from the rest of the salad instead of with it. Also, the generous drizzling of the citrus vinaigrette, consisting of orange juice and olive oil, on my plate was way too sour for me to consume – it was the only dish that was left half eaten that evening. Perhaps the missing ingredient – shredded crab meat – which Helena apologise profusely that the chef had forgotten to add, was suppose to balance out the sourness in this dish, but I would never find out.

What was Kway Teow that was used in an earlier tasting session two weeks ago, that my fellow foodie attended, was replaced with Fettucine this time round. The Wagyu Beef "Char" Fettucine With Truffle Oil and Honshimeiji Mushrooom was an interesting rendition of our famous local delight. To be honest, I like this dish pretty much as the pasta was done al dente and I have to highlight that the truffle oil really makes a HUGE difference to this dish (I manage to steal a bite before it was added). Although the beef was tender, I would prefer it to be a slice bigger and thicker. It was too small a piece for my taste buds to discern it as Wagyu beef. The Poached Egg lacked seasoning and tasted of olive oil instead, which kinda makes it hard to stomach. However, with slight twitching, I believe this dish will do well in the long run.

Giant Prawn Chinchalok Thermidor was undoubtedly the crowd’s favourite that evening. Most who are usually turn off by the Chinchalok from the bottle were delighted to find out that the combination between that and the cheese on a giant prawn works wonder! What you get is a very savoury, lip-smacking tasty prawn that although a tad salty too consume on its own, but would made an excellent pairing to a bowl of rice (wild rice or brown rice would give it the fusion branding).

A shot of Orange and Pink Guava Sorbet refreshed our taste bud before we embarked on our final item of the day, and although a smidgen too sweet, I like the pairing very much as the flavours harmonises perfectly with one another.

The Ice Kachang “Eight Treasure” Sundae is another interesting twirl to our famous local dessert. Using Coconut Ice Cream instead of the usual coconut milk, this replica produces a surprise with every spoonful – as every dip give one a different ingredient of White Fungus, Wolfberry, Date, Kidney Bean among many others but most interesting, Dried Persimmon Strip was used to give it a pleasant final touch.

In conclusion, although I am not a big fan of fusion fare, if given time for fine-tuning in most of the dishes, I might just be back for the quiet and nice ambience presented that evening as well as the attentive service of this place.

50 Tiong Bahru Road
#01-07 The Link Hotel
Singapore 168733

Disclaimer: No ratings would be given, as this is an invited taste test. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Helena and Sharon for their generous hospitality.

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Baked Apple Tart @ Bakerzin UE Square

1. I have been “Cowboy Calebed”.

2. Check out the “Funky Chefs”, Tony and Melvyn – interested in quality, not quantity. Smaller party sizes are the key; they do sit down meals for up to 25 people. It is approximately $80 per pax depending on the menu and number of people.

3. Have you join the “Singapore Food Blogger” group in Facebook?

4. There is a new outlet at UE Square consisting of a children’s kitchen for kids to take part in baking lessons - pro-family! It is here I discovered my latest favourite dessert after their signatured Warm Chocolate Cake – I hereby present to you – the delicious Baked Apple Tart ($9.50), consisting of Caramelised Apple Slices baked to golden hue on a light Puff Pastry along with a dollop their very own Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

A heavenly combination of sweet and sour, light and creamy, & warm and cold that evokes conflicting emotions in a good way. I foresee this will be a hit among the non-chocolate lovers and those who enjoy the apple crumble. Enjoy your long weekend!

Rating
Food: 4.5/5 (See above)
Service: 4/5 (Friendly and efficient)
Ambience: 2.5/5 (Noisy because family bring their kids along)
Price: 3.5/5 (Affordable)
Total: 14.5/20
81 Clemenceau Ave
#01-15/16/17 UE Square Shopping Mall
Singapore 239917
Opening Hours:
Mon to Thurs: 8am to 11pm
Fri & Eve of PH: 8am to 12 midnight
Sat: 9am to 12 midnight
Sun & PH: 9am to 11pm

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Chef Chan's Restaurant @ National Museum of Singapore

Located in an obscure corner of the newly restored National Museum of Singapore – with no signboard or whatsoever on its exterior (signboard faces inwards as I discovered), Chef Chan’s Restaurant, honed by Master Chef Chan Chen Hei – a widely known and respected figure in the Chinese culinary circle, dwells completely at ease in the ‘new’ historical setting – as it is complete with Chef Chan’s personal precious collection of Chinese antiques amassed over the years.

The place is exquisite with only four private dining rooms up for reservations – walk-ins are not entertained.

From utensils to cutleries (besides the glass carrying warm water), everything was matched to give one an authentic Cantonese dining experience to that of a Chinese noble.

With much anticipation, first up was the Melon Strips Enlivened with Orange Juice. While some claimed the melon to be crunchy, I find it rather hard to chew on. However, what turns me off from this dish was the sweet orange aftertaste one gets, and we all felt "Melon Strip Dip in Fanta Orange" would be more apt description.

One thing that irks me in Chinese fine dining is that you are unable to have a 2^nd helping unlike those traditional Chinese banquet. This is illustrated when the Prawn Balls Stuffed with Pate and Wine was stacked temptingly on the serving plate but only one was distributed to each of us.

The exterior crust was crispy yet gentle for the throat but the interior was a major letdown – it was just overwhelmed with prawn taste that one cannot discern a hint of the pate or wine in it.

Stir Fried Shark's Fin with Eggs, Bean Sprouts and Spring Onion Served in Lettuce Leaves was probably one of the better dishes that night.

A good harmony among the ingredients – chewy shark’s fin and crunchy bean sprouts and lettuce leaves was a pleasure to chomp on. However, reality check beseech me to realise that one doesn’t need extraordinary culinary skill to execute this – this is one reason why my dad doesn’t order bean sprouts whenever we dine out.

The Sautéed Lobster with Garlic was another highly anticipated dish since it was one of the more “luxurious” items on the menu that night. The intense aroma of the garlic wowed us when it was first brought into our room, but we soon live to regret it as the profuse amount of garlic threatens to engulf the whole dish. It was such a shame since the lobster was very fresh and sweet but the tingling feeling from the garlic seeks to mar it.

The meat of the Steamed Sliced Red Garoupa in Village Style was very fresh with a good bite, but the gravy that accompanied it was outrageously starchy.

This is another example of excessive inclusion of element (starch if you are wondering) that threatens to blemish the already pathetic serving of fish that each of us got that night.

The Sautéed Vegetables with Shredded Mushrooms was greeted with disappointment that night. Drenched in gravy, it was just ordinary – any decent cook should be able to pull this off their kitchen – enough said.

The only showpiece for the night rightfully belongs to this seemingly humble chicken. Probably his best known dish, Chef Chan’s Famous Crispy Roast Chicken was the only dish that kept everyone quiet throughout its partake. Everyone was busy devouring the crispy skin that snap with every bite, coupled with the moist and tender chicken meat that was nothing short of flavour. This dish even though tended towards the saltier side near the end, was the only one that blew me away. A simple dish yet delicately and magnificently executed.

Dessert of the night was a choice between Papaya with White Fungus and Herbal Jelly with Glutinous Rice & Mango. And I opted for the latter, which I swiftly regretted. The dessert didn’t quite gel as one and I ended up eating it three ways, first the mango that was unripe therefore sour, then the glutinous rice which was nothing extraordinary, and lastly follow by the Herbal Jelly which some concluded should come with more honey, but I am used to having it bitter.

We chalked a total of $860.15 for 9 people (after 10% credit card discount), which roughly makes out to $96 per pax. For such a price and Straits Time claiming that it deserved at least one Michelin Star, expectations were high and I expected more. However, only the roast chicken make it for me that night that one is definitely better off having the rest of the dishes at some Tze Char stall elsewhere.

Rating

Food: 2/5 (Only the roast chicken stood up)
Service: 5/5 (Immaculate service - pampered like a King)
Ambience: 4.5/5 (Lavish decor - felt like dining in an imperial palace)
Price: 1/5 (Not value for money for the standard of food served)
Total: 12.5/20
93 Stamford Road
#01-06, National Museum of Singapore
Singapore 178897
Tel: 6333 0073
Opening hours:
Lunch 11.45am to 2.30pm
Dinner 6.15pm to 10.30pm
Closed on Sundays

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Coffee Club @ Holland V - The NEW Has Come

With its own on-site coffee roasting facilities in its flagship gourmet coffee house at Holland Village, Coffee Club took the coffee culture by storm and set a new standard in the industry in 1991. However, even with 21 outlets today, this flagship outlet remains close to my heart, even as a non-coffee lover. I like the impeccable service and aromatic coffee there and recently, its newly launched menu gave me more enticement to visit this place. I gave the NEW Banana Butterscotch Latte ($6.20) a try and what you get is an interesting blend of a very rich and sweet latte that is of acquired taste. Don’t get me wrong, the coffee was still aromatic, but I find the butterscotch flavour too overwhelming and with the addition of the banana in it, the drink was just too sweet for my liking – perhaps someone with a sweeter tooth will appreciate it better!

The NEW Spice Chicken Wings ($8.50) marinated with lemon juice was a delight. So much so that we devoured it within minutes. The skin was well marinated and the savoury & sour combination was truly pleasurable. The only flaw was that the greens that accompanied with it was all dried and wrinkled, and the texture was too rough for consumption – the least I expected was some olive oil drizzled on it – as I found out later that they only served salad dressing to their specialty salad dishes.

Thankfully, the NEW dessert in town saved t