http://sparklette.net/food/yum-cha-restaurant/ http://sparklette.net/food/yum-cha-restaurant/#comments Tue, 24 May 2011 03:00:10 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=1147 Even as Singapore is constantly transforming, it is heartening to know that some things do not get swept away in the sea of change. Yum Cha Restaurant is one of them. When dining in at the all-day dim sum restaurant in Chinatown (second branch at Serangoon Gardens Country Club), you still enjoy a very traditional dining experience.

Yum Cha Chinatown occupies the second floor of a three-storey shophouse building. The design of the current premises remains conservative with the standard-issue Chinese restaurant look, including marble table tops and old-style wooden chairs. The staff even serve dim sum in bamboo steamers from the traditional trolley.

Xiao long bao
S$4.20++

For dim sum, you can choose from the classics like pork dumplings, siew mai and xiao long bao.

Xiao long bao is the acid test of dim sum and the ones here are benchmark, boasting thin skin, hot soup and savoury minced pork filling.

Prawn dumplings
S$4.50++

The prawn dumplings are slightly lacking in flavour and you really have to dip into the soy and vinegar dipping sauces. They will also fare better with a thinner skin.

Lotus leaf glutinous rice
S$4++

Stuffed with chicken, mushroom, egg and small slivers of crab stick, the lotus leaf glutinous rice is vividly flavourful and satisfying.

Seafood fried rice
S$12/18/24++

For something more filling, you can’t go wrong with the seafood fried rice, a pyramid of savoury rice with a tiara of egg, scallions, scallop medallions and shrimp.

Deep fried custard rolls
S$2.80++

I can’t decide whether the deep fried custard rolls are dim sum or dessert. Dessert or not, I really love the taste of these rolls, the bright yellow sweet egg custard encased in a wafer-thin deep fried skin. These spring roll lookalikes will absolutely delight egg tart fans.

And speaking of egg tarts, Yum Cha does have a mini egg tart item on the menu that I have yet to try. The egg custard filling is perhaps similar.

Apart from the food, you’ll also appreciate the little device they place on each table for “quick service”. It has various buttons that allow you to request for water or the bill. Once you press a button, the LED counter on the wall would light up with your table number, alerting staff to your needs.

Credit

Here’s a tip: Like in many Chinese restaurants, the staff would hand you wet tissues and peanuts without your asking. You can return these if you don’t want to be charged for them in your bill.

In addition to dim sum, Yum Cha Restaurant also has an a la carte menu. The prices are a bit high for Chinatown standards. If you want to dine in a laid-back place out of town, you’d be happy here.

Have Your Say!

What are your favourite dim sum restaurants in Singapore? Share with us in the comments!

Yum Cha Restaurant
Website | Facebook

Yum Cha Chinatown

Chinatown
20 Trengganu Street #02-01
Singapore 058479
Tel: +65 6372 1717
Service:

Opening hours:
Mon to Fri: 11am – 11pm
Sat, Sun & Public Holidays: 9am – 11pm

Yum Cha Serangoon Gardens

Serangoon Gardens Country Club
22 Kensington Park Road
Singapore 557271
Tel: +65 6343 1717

Opening hours:
Mon to Fri: 11am – 3pm; 6pm – 11pm
Sat, Sun & Public Holidays: 9am – 3pm; 6pm – 11pm

---

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]]> 10

This is a nice thing that Swensen’s is doing. I visited Siem Reap a few years back and absolutely love the place. Tourists visit the laid-back town mainly to see the beautiful Angkor temples. The locals are friendly and honest, although there is a sad side.

At a tender age, many children have to take to the streets to sell wares to tourists. Amputees are a common sight. Despite not having much money, the Cambodians seem happy and content with life. If buying palm sugar would help these down-to-earth people in any way, I am all for it.

Palm fruit
S$7.90 a pint
Rating:

The imported palm sugar actually costs more than regular sugar. But the products are priced lower to encourage customers to buy them. For instance, the chendol and palm fruit ice cream are available at S$7.90 a pint, far cheaper than the S$10.80 for other flavours at Swensen’s. These iced desserts are healthful, delicious, and now have one heck of a background story.

Palm sugar is extracted from the sap of palm trees. To extract the sap, Cambodian men use long bamboo poles to climb tall trees, slash the flower buds, tie bamboo containers under the buds and leave them to collect the sap. Once collected, the Cambodian women then pour the sap into a huge pan, boil and stir it for several hours until it thickens to solid form.

Chendol
S$7.90 a pint
Rating:

The traditional South East Asian dessert drink chendol has been given an icy twist. The ice cream is made in a shade of light green, packed with green coconut jellies and red beans.

For those of you who need more “oomph”, these socially responsible flavours are also manifested in Swensen’s ice cream sundaes.

The Palm Paradise (S$6.90++) comprises scoops of palm fruit ice cream added with peaches, nata de coco and topped with palm sugar syrup and desiccated coconut.

The Chendol Delight (S$8.50++) comes served with bountiful scoops of chendol ice cream smothered in palm sugar syrup, served with a generous serving of red bean, chendol jelly and palm fruits.

It looks like Snowy the Cat has taken an interest in the ice cream.

As for me, I am content with tucking into the pints of palm sugar-made ice cream. The texture is creamy smooth and the taste is light yet delicious. Plus, there is that feel-good vibe from eating it, knowing that albeit small, it is an indirect way of helping the Khmer people. You can grab a pint or a sundae from any Swensen’s outlet.

Know any companies with socially responsible initiatives? Share with us in the comments!

Swensen’s ( Halal certified)
- Bugis Junction
- Bukit Panjang Plaza
- Causeway Point Shopping Centre
- Changi Airport Terminal 2
- Chinatown Point
- Compass Point Shopping Centre
- Funan DigitaLife Mall
- Holland Village
- IMM BuildingBuilding
- ION Orchard
- Junction 8
- Jurong Point
- Marina Square
- Northpoint Shopping Centre
- Parkway Parade
- Plaza Singapura
- Suntec City Mall
- Tampines Mall
- Thomson Plaza
- Toa Payoh
- United Square Shopping Mall
- West Mall
Tel: +65 6788 8128

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]]> 6 http://sparklette.net/food/kim-hwa-guan-bak-kwa/ http://sparklette.net/food/kim-hwa-guan-bak-kwa/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:00:19 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=1071 …not Lim Chee Guan, Bee Cheng Hiang, Fragrance or even Kim Hock Guan. Year after year, only one bak kwa (pork jerky) maker gets business from my family — Kim Hwa Guan (金华源). We swear by the Kim Hwa Guan bak kwa and find theirs to be the tastiest in town! Do you agree?

Each year, around this time, a phenomenon would occur in Singapore. Long queues would form at various bak kwa stalls in the Chinatown district. Never mind the swelteringly hot and wet weather or the fact that dried barbecued pork is available all year round. At Chinese New Year when this popular delicacy is at its priciest and demand is at its peak, people can queue for hours just to get a packet of bak kwa.

Bak Kwa (pork jerky)
Seasonal pricing
Rating:

When it comes to good bak kwa, here’s my list of demands:

Must be tender, man! Bak kwa in Singapore comes in two main forms — minced and sliced. The latter is prepared by slicing off solid blocks of meat and tends to be leaner and tougher. To devour it you really need to work those jaw muscles. I personally prefer the minced version which is distinctly more tender and easy on the mouth.

Slice it thinly, dude! One quality about Kim Hwa Guan bak kwa that I love is how thinly each square sheet is sliced, which contributes to the overall tenderness.

Must taste good, uncle! Every piece of the bak kwa here is well-marinated with succulent sweetness, juicy and perfectly grilled. It has all the makings of great-tasting bak kwa. Having tried all the aforementioned brands, Kim Hwa Guan has what I consider to be the best bak kwa in Singapore.

The plastic packaging has been improved over the years. After opening each packet of bak kwa, you can reseal it using the zipper/slider, ensuring maximum freshness to last you through the festivities.

Have Your Say!

In your opinion, where can you get the best bak kwa in Singapore? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Chinatown outlet

Toa Payoh outlet

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Tip: Receive even quicker updates by clicking the “Like” button on the Official Sparklette Facebook Page. Updates and photos are posted there even before they hit this website!

The scrumptious Jolly Season Party Package is a feast for 12.

You get:
- 1 Turkey / Roasted beef / Leg of lamb
- 1 Ice cream log cake
- 2 Salads / Sides / Pastas
- 1 bottle of sparkling fruit juice (750ml)

A slightly cheaper option would be the Make Merry Party Package, also good for 12:
- 1 Honey baked ham / Meatloaf
- 1 Ice cream log cake
- 2 Salads / Sides / Pastas

Swensen’s specialty ice cream log cakes are available in seven tantalising flavours:
- Cookie Carousel
- Chocolate Indulgence
- Cappuccino Raisins Fantasy
- Nutty Noel
- Berry Merry Christmas
- Durian Deluxe
- Chendol Jubilee

Each log cake is 1 kilogram and serves 10 to 12 people. Chocolate Indulgence in particular is made with the popular Sticky Chewy Chocolate ice cream, marshmallows and diced almonds.

Swensen’s party packages look well-together, filled with various goodies that one might expect at Christmas. I hope you find this Christmas Treats series useful!

Like the Sparklette Facebook Page to browse the entire Swensen’s Christmas collection 2010 and view all seven log cakes.

How would you be spending this Christmas? Would it be an intimate meal with your loved ones at home? Or a fancy dinner at the coolest restaurant in town? Share with us in the comments!

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Restaurant Ember at one of Singapore’s pioneer boutique hotels, Hotel 1929, has achieved a cult following for its set lunch offerings. Set lunches tend to gravitate towards lesser known dishes, giving the impression that restaurants are clearing out their refrigerators. Not Ember, which has come up with the winning formula of offering their star courses and packaging them in a sweet set, at an equally sweet deal of S$39.50++ per person.

Photo by Hotel 1929

The restaurant maintains a minimalist yet posh design with the use of a modern, elegant colour palette of dark chocolate brown and white. Like the current trend of branded bags that opt for classy subtlety over outlandish monograms, Ember chooses to focus on their cooking and let their dishes do the talking.

The expansive choices for each of the three courses will stump you. Warning: This wide array of selection may cause some internal dilemma and conflict as you go about wondering what you would finally order.

Curb your hunger pangs with the complimentary warm sun-dried tomato bread, which has been lauded by many as being soft and fragrant.

Starters

For starters, you can opt for those that have won over many fans, namely the homemade crispy tofu with foie gras-Mirin sauce and white truffle oil or pan roasted scallop with Parma ham, citrus and tarragon vinaigrette.

If ethics don’t get in the way, go for the foie gras. Just by topping up S$6++, you get to enjoy a well-made one that would cost much more outside of the set lunches. The pan seared foie gras with fresh orange segments, orange and passion fruit reduction is a flirty play of sweet and savoury all at the same time. The caramelized and crusty browned exterior, coupled with the soft and tender interior gives a melt-in-your-mouth sensation. The orange and passion fruit packs a zesty punch that cuts through the fats, providing a nice balance to the dish.

The same high standard applies to the foie gras with caramelized apples and clove, port and raspberry glaze. I personally think that matching foie gras with citrus keeps the dish refreshing on the palate.

Mains

The Chilean sea bass, a prime recommendation of the restaurant, is pan seared to perfection. The flesh is so tender it can be cut like a hot knife through butter. The sea bass is sweet and fresh on its own but when complimented with the mushroom and smoked bacon ragout and truffle Yuzu butter sauce, it adds a layer of richness that evolves the entire dish to another dimension.

The pork belly with Savoy cabbage is artfully plated. The apple puree and spiced Calvados sauce come in a little test tube that you can drizzle over the pork belly for full-on flavour or be used as a dip.

The crackling skin is a sharp contrast to the soft fats and tender interior. Take one bite to taste its original flavour, and do try another that is coupled with the fresh greens to enjoy the various textures.

By that time, you are already filled to the brim. But who can say no to desserts?

Desserts

The crispy caramelized pear tart is fabulous in its buttered, fruity and sweet glory, while the dollop of homemade Bailey’s ice cream adds icing on the cake.

We can’t resist the warm Valrhona chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream, an overdone but lovely dessert that is derived from the easy formula of hot chocolate and cold ice cream. Three words sum it up – rich, dark and sinful.

Everyone recognizes a good deal and here at Ember, there is no shrinking of dish sizes or cutbacks to make up for the reasonable prices. All dishes are well-proportioned to leave you truly satisfied. Another key difference between Ember’s set lunches and that of other restaurants is the fact that you are simply spoilt for choice for every course, from appetizers all the way to desserts. This is probably a good sales tactic, since you will be tempted to go back and sample the other equally attractive offerings you have yet to try. I know I will!

Photo by Hotel 1929

Joyce Ler derives joy in discovering the new and niche and rambles about almost anything under the sun on her blog, www.wildrocketing.blogspot.com. She seeks the little things in life, appreciates timeless aesthetics and usually over-indulges in food and retail therapy.

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]]> 7 http://sparklette.net/food/eden-sanctuary-floral-cafe/ http://sparklette.net/food/eden-sanctuary-floral-cafe/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:00:54 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=983 What colour is your food? Do you know that certain foods can be classified into colour groups such as red, green and purple, and that you can reap different health benefits from each colour?

At Eden Sanctuary Floral Cafe in China Square Central, meals can be personalised based on individual preferences and customised according to dietary requirements. In the 5-course meal, Chef Clement Ronald Ng painstakingly puts together each dish according to colour, and ensures that you literally taste a rainbow!

Floral tea

This being a floral café, it is fitting that we start with some floral tea.

Served in glass pots and delicate cups, the teas come in almost every colour imaginable. Don’t these look like magic potions?

Relax fusion tea
S$6.90++ (twin sharing)
Rating:

The fusion teas are made with various herbs and flowers. The Relax tea, for example, is a pretty in pink concoction that comprises rose, rose hip and lemon verbena.

Butterfly blue pea
S$6.90++ (twin sharing)
Rating:

With its dramatic shade of purple-blue, the butterfly blue pea certainly makes an impression. The colour is totally natural, courtesy of the butterfly pea flowers.

With practically hundreds of possible tea combinations, you can definitely find one that suits your mood!

6 colours

And now, let’s begin our gastronomic journey of colours!

Eden Rainbow salad
S$9.90++
Rating:

The Eden Rainbow salad arrives first, so named for its composition of 6 colours – red, orange, green, white, blue and brown. It consists of orange slices, blueberries, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes and multi-grain bread, tossed in a dressing made from calamansi, apple cider vinegar and honey. The whole sweet combination is well put together, and I finish all of it in no time. Love the delightful dressing!

White

- Boost immune system
- Slow cholesterol absorption
- Promote heart health
- Contain antioxidants
- Help maintain a healthy cholesterol level

Dory Portobello mushroom with lemon thyme butter sauce
Rating:

For this course, a cut of dory is served atop Portobello mushroom along with some mixed vegetables. The lemon zest and salted butter sauce is light and flavourful, but my favourite part of this dish is the mushroom that oozes delicious juices with each bite.

Green

- Build strong teeth
- Help build strong bones
- Boost immune system
- Promote eye health
- Offer antioxidants for healing and protection
- Reduce the risk of certain cancers

Prawns with Edamame peas pasta
Rating:

The prawns with Edamame peas pasta is “green” due to the peas, asparagus and celery. And how are these green? Why, the chlorophyll of course! (Glad to know that those elementary science lessons haven’t failed me after all these years!) While the generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese lends some flavour, the pasta is a tad dry for me.

Blue and Purple

- Promote memory function
- Help promote urinary tract health
- Boost the immune system
- Help promote healthy aging
- Offer antioxidants for healing and protection
- Help reduce the risk of some cancers

Balsamic Ambrosia blueberry chicken
Rating:

My personal favourite dish is the balsamic Ambrosia blueberry chicken. The boneless chicken cut is tender and moist, marinated over 24 hours in balsamic vinegar and a certain Chilean wine.

The Rucahue Ambrosia late harvest wine comes in a striking blue bottle. It smells fresh and crisp. Next time I’m gonna have a taste of it!

Yellow and Orange

- Help promote eye health
- Promote heart health
- Help reduce the risk of some cancers
- Contains antioxidants
- Boost immune system

Sauteed mushroom with Polenta and saffron cream sauce
Rating:

The cornmeal Polenta with White Button mushroom slices, cherry tomato, saffron cream sauce and feta cheese brings the yellow to the table. As healthy as it sounds, I am not a fan of the texture of the Polenta. By this course, you would likely feel full, but without that unwelcome stuffed sensation.

Red and Brown

Brown
- Promote artery and heart health
- Help reduce the risk of diabetes
- Help reduce high blood pressure
- Offer antioxidants for healing and protection
- Help reduce the risk of stroke
- Help reduce the risk of certain cancers of the breast, prostate and colon

Modena mousse cake, chocolate ganache and hibiscus cheese filo
Rating:

Ahh… desserts to curb your sweet tooth cravings! This is a trio of Modena mousse cake, chocolate ganache and hibiscus cheese filo.

The Modena mousse cake is sweet and sour. You probably won’t believe it, but amongst its many ingredients are balsamic vinegar and black pepper!

It is impossible not to love the chocolate ganache, which is a mould of dense chocolaty goodness!

Red
- Antioxidants for healing
- Promote heart health
- Promote urinary tract health
- Improve memory function
- Help reduce the risk of certain cancers

As for the hibiscus cheese filo (or phyllo), it is made with hibiscus (the national flower of Malaysia) and light cream cheese. The result is a beautiful pastry with a crispy skin, pink cheese layers and sweet fruity undertones. This is my favourite of the trio.

The 5-course meal is available at S$55 a person.

Are you aware of the different colour groups in food? Do you regularly pay attention to these colours while cooking and dining? Share with us in the comments!

Eden Sanctuary Floral Cafe
China Square Central
18 Cross Street #01-16
Singapore 048423
Tel: +65 6224 2298
Service:

Bus services: 61, 80, 145, 166, 197
Nearest MRT: Chinatown

Opening hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon to Fri), 11am – 6pm (Sun)

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]]> 3 http://sparklette.net/food/madam-tans-nasi-lemak/ http://sparklette.net/food/madam-tans-nasi-lemak/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 11:01:01 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=967 Lately I have been hearing a lot of online chatter, mostly glowing reviews, about a certain Madam Tan’s Nasi Lemak at Maxwell Food Centre. One of my favourite local dishes just happens to be nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk) so this is something I really gotta check out.

Update: The stall is closed for now and will reopen in April 2011 at a new location.

The stall also has a number of other offerings that include beef rendang, curry chicken and potato croquette, but for now I am only interested to know if the nasi lemak lives up to all the hype!

Nasi Lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk)
S$2.50
Rating:

You can select from a few predefined sets, like how they do it at Qi Ji, or pick your own ingredients. I go for Set A that comprises ikan bilis (dried anchovies), egg, cucumber, achar (pickled vegetables) and a choice between a chicken wing or crispy chicken. Pictured above is the crispy chicken that comes in a generous heap of yummy, boneless chunks!

The rice is really out of this world. I used to think that no one can do a better-tasting rice than Madam Kwan’s in Malaysia or Grandma’s in Singapore. Looks like they have finally met their match in Madam Tan! *cue the dramatic music* There is a delicious coconut milk fragrance and a sweet undertone, probably due to the use of Spanish onions.

The achar is great, too, and that’s saying a lot coming from someone that doesn’t have a love for vegetables.

Apart from the rice, a distinguishing factor between this and the typical nasi lemak is that it is served with not just one but TWO different types of chilli sauce! One is the sour and spicy sambal belachan, the other the less spicy sweet chilli sauce. The latter is my favourite and I love throwing spoonfuls of it onto the rice.

Look out for the brightly lit signboard that has the image of a Peranakan lady smiling down at you.

Now, for the all-important question: Does Madam Tan’s live up to the hype? Even with my initial high expectations after hearing nothing but good reviews, I must say that she passes with flying colours! Yes, this humble little stall has sky-rocketed to the top of my list of favourite places for nasi lemak.

As a side note, I think it’s great that businesses are increasingly generating publicity through social media, be it blogs, Facebook, Foursquare or Twitter. That’s how I got to know of a little gem like Madam Tan’s Nasi Lemak in the first place!

In your opinion, where can you find the best nasi lemak in Singapore? Don’t keep it to yourself, share with us in the comments!

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Good news! Swensen’s 1-for-1 weekday lunch promotion has been extended to end March 2010!

This wouldn’t be the first time that the casual dining restaurant chain has prolonged the ever-popular deal. Maybe they should make it permanent already!

From now ’til end March, you can enjoy this promotion at all Swensen’s restaurants between the lunch hours of 11am to 2pm.

Click to enlarge

Terms & Conditions:

• Valid on weekdays (11am – 2pm) till 31 March 2010, excluding public holidays.
• Valid for all food items (excluding desserts and drinks) from the ala carte menu.
• Free food item will be of lower or equal value. Valid for dine-in only.
• Not valid with other promotions, discounts, privileges and set meals.

This time round, they have included all their Wagyu beef dishes, too! Check out our review of some other dishes you can enjoy.

1-for-1 Ice Cream & Dessert Buffet

For all the sweet tooths, you may find their 1-for-1 ice cream and dessert buffet at the Ion Orchard outlet interesting. Go easy on the ice cream, mmm-kay?

Swensen’s ( Halal certified)
- Bugis Junction
- Bukit Panjang Plaza
- Causeway Point Shopping Centre
- Changi Airport Terminal 2
- Chinatown Point
- Compass Point Shopping Centre
- Funan DigitaLife Mall
- Holland Village
- IMM BuildingBuilding
- ION Orchard
- Junction 8
- Jurong Point
- Marina Square
- Northpoint Shopping Centre
- Parkway Parade
- Plaza Singapura
- Suntec City Mall
- Tampines Mall
- Thomson Plaza
- Toa Payoh
- United Square Shopping Mall
- West Mall
Tel: +65 6788 8128 | Website | Menu

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Remember this one? Swensen’s 1-for-1 weekday lunch promotion is back!

From now ’til end February, you can enjoy this promotion at all Swensen’s restaurants between the lunch hours of 11am to 2pm.

Click to enlarge

Terms & Conditions:

• Valid on weekdays (11am – 2pm) till 28 February 2010, excluding public holidays.
• Valid for all food items (excluding desserts and drinks) from the ala carte menu.
• Free food item will be of lower or equal value. Valid for dine-in only.
• Not valid with other promotions, discounts, privileges and set meals.

I think it’s terrific that Swensen’s has brought back this promotion and made the food more affordable for everyone. During the last run, I had made full use of the promo to try out various dishes. If you’re already planning your next meal at Swensen’s, here are some of my recommendations as well as their menu.

1-for-1 Ice Cream & Dessert Buffet

Oh, by the way, they also have a 1-for-1 ice cream and dessert buffet at the Ion Orchard outlet. Wowza!

Swensen’s ( Halal certified)
- Bugis Junction
- Bukit Panjang Plaza
- Causeway Point Shopping Centre
- Changi Airport Terminal 2
- Chinatown Point
- Compass Point Shopping Centre
- Funan DigitaLife Mall
- Holland Village
- IMM BuildingBuilding
- ION Orchard
- Junction 8
- Jurong Point
- Marina Square
- Northpoint Shopping Centre
- Parkway Parade
- Plaza Singapura
- Suntec City Mall
- Tampines Mall
- Thomson Plaza
- Toa Payoh
- United Square Shopping Mall
- West Mall
Tel: +65 6788 8128 | Website | Menu

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]]> 4 http://sparklette.net/food/pasta-inc/ http://sparklette.net/food/pasta-inc/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:33:57 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=891 I’m going to try not to use words like “whoopee!” and “yowza!” to describe how I feel after a sumptuous meal of gourmet food at Pasta Inc. Let’s just say that if you’re ever having a craving for gourmet pasta, this is one Italian restaurant that is definitely worth checking out.

The restaurant takes up a spot along Keong Saik Road. It is run by chef-owner Keith, a boyish-looking entrepreneur who worked at other restaurants for many years before striking out on his own.

The vast experience has certainly provided him with a firm grasp of the cuisine. Our meal here comprises of well-executed Italian gourmet food, including the exquisite squid ink pasta, that do not disappoint.

Portobello mushroom
S$12.90++
Rating:

We start with Portobello Al Forno, a large-sized baked mushroom that is topped with mixed cheese and a dash of tomato sauce. It is very fresh, oozing juices and flavour with every bite. Oh, they also serve bread with olive oil before each meal.

Crayfish pasta in tomato based sauce (Cartoccio style)
S$21.90++
Rating:

As a huge fan of crayfish, or seafood in general, I must give a thumbs-up to the crayfish pasta. It is done al cartoccio, a technique of cooking gourmet pasta that involves wrapping it in paper and baking it. Not only does the end product look mighty impressive, there is also that sense of anticipation as you watch the waiter carefully unwrap it before your eyes.

The tomato based sauce is dreamy, with none of the tartness you get from inferior sauces that come in a jar. The baking also helps lock in the moisture and flavours, resulting in a pasta that is succulent and delicious. I am most delighted at the generous serving of crayfish. There is not one, not even two, but altogether three crayfish halves! Magnifico!

Fresh assorted seafood pasta in squid ink based sauce
S$18.90++
Rating:

Your experience here is not complete until you have tasted the house speciality — squid ink pasta. This dark and mysterious dish is served chock-full with clams and prawns, and topped with a mussel, all of which help lend extra seafood flavour. That said, the most appealing (or perhaps unappealing to some) quality of this pasta has to be its dramatic appearance.

Black as sin itself, the squid ink sauce is surprisingly pleasant and mild, with none of the pungency that I had prepared myself for. It is cooked al dente with a hint of tomato flavouring. A must-try for squid ink fans, as well as the people who are curious about squid ink but have yet to muster enough courage to taste it.

Tiramisù
S$8.90++

I always feel that the mark of a good Italian restaurant can be measured not only by the pastas, but the tiramisù as well. Perhaps the most famous Italian cake, a trip to an Italian restaurant or café should always end with this dessert. Here, new batches of tiramisù are freshly made in-house everyday.

My verdict? It is one of the lightest versions I have ever had. The intersecting layers of creamy mascarpone cheese and airy sponge cake are so light and smooth, the cake seemingly melts in the mouth. This is a stellar example of the Italian dessert.

Creme brulee
S$9.90++

There is also the creme brulee that is off the menu for now, but I reckon it wouldn’t stay that way for long. The crack of the hard, burnt caramel top layer releases the wonderful aromas of the rich custard base. It is silky and creamy without being too heavy and sweet. I love it!

Aside from the food, one thing that I must commend about Pasta Inc is the excellent service. Our waiter is dedicated and furnishes useful information about the dishes. He also offers to split our pastas into smaller portions for sharing. I find such attentiveness and product knowledge a rarity in Singapore restaurants.

A promotion for Sparklette readers!

I have worked out an agreement with Pasta Inc for all Sparklette readers. If you are visiting the restaurant, look for Keith and let him know that Veron recommended you. This way, you get your second pasta at half the price! I am not benefiting from this, but I know a promotion like this definitely sweetens the deal for many of us that would like to try out good gourmet pasta at friendly prices.

Pasta Inc
35 Keong Saik Road
Singapore 089142
Tel: +65 6297 7515 | Website
Service:

Opening hours: 12-2pm, 6-10pm

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]]> 19 http://sparklette.net/food/cold-pig-trotters-shark-meat/ http://sparklette.net/food/cold-pig-trotters-shark-meat/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:54:58 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=847 Teochew delicacies such as cold pork trotters (猪脚冻) and shark meat are a dying trade in Singapore. I think such novelties appeal more to the older generations, as my parents have shown me. When we chanced upon a hawker stall selling these at Chinatown Complex Market, they ordered the dishes as though they were buying your everyday chicken rice!

Eating trotters, chilled, no less, certainly bears that squeamish factor. But I know some of you are probably hunting down these traditional dishes and, truth be told, they just aren’t that easy to find these days. So I thought I would showcase them here.

We start off with the cold pig trotters. They look like jelly! Yup yup, that’s right. Beneath that translucent brown jelly-like substance you can clearly see the round pinkish trotters.

Cold pig trotters
S$4 onwards
Rating: You decide!

I venture to taste a piece of it just so I get to say that I’ve been there, done there. Bracing myself to chew on what I imagine would be very rubbery trotters, I’m surprised by how tender the meat actually is! The taste is palatable, too. No kidding! This meat dish can almost be taken like a dessert, kind of like salted jelly. But I’d be lying if I said I’m a fan.

Preparation of this dish is a painstaking process…

1. Firstly the bones are removed from the trotters and other parts.
2. Then the meat is boiled for half a day, during which a gelatinous base forms.
3. The resultant meat + jelly thing is frozen for a day.
4. Cut into strips and serve.

The final product is a cold and soft jelly-like substance that slides down the throat easily, with meat that is super tender and devoid of any porky taste.

I’m most intrigued by the part where the brown gelatinous base forms. How, exactly? And from what? Would some good, wise people enlighten me please?

Shark meat
S$4 onwards
Rating:

Next, we tuck into white shark’s meat, another specialty at the stall. This dish is also served cold. The flesh is soft and fresh, with no unpleasant fishy stench.

The shark meat is unseasoned. For extra flavours you can dip into the two sauces (can be used for the pork trotters, too) — sour chilli sauce and plum sweet sauce with crushed peanuts — that are served alongside. The latter, a sweet and sour concoction, is my favourite.

If you like shark meat, here’s another place that sells it in the form of fried fritters.

Useless trivia: did you know that rotten shark meat is a delicacy in iceland? I bet the pork trotter jelly doesn’t seem so bad now does it?

so, feeling adventurous yet? trying out these two dishes would be a good idea, if only for the experience. In a few years they may disappear from our market altogether.

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Yes, all the Astons Express outlets across the island are situated at coffee shops. That means you pay cheap, cheap coffee shop prices! Not bad at all, considering the fact that they have also passed our taste test with flying colours.

The main courses include a large variety of chicken cutlets, steaks and burgers. For each main course you get to select two sides, including coleslaw, French fries, onion rings, baked potato, mashed potato, etc. I love to be given the freedom of choice!

Teriyaki chicken (with French fries and onion rings)
S$5.90
Rating:

Ever a chicken fan, I go for the teriyaki chicken with the sides of French fries and onion rings. Maybe I’m just really easy to please, but everything about it is good! The chicken is a thick and juicy slab of meat. The fries are yummy with red pepper powder sprinkled all over. Unlike the soggy fries I have had at many places, these remain extra crispy even after I’m done with the chicken!

Also worth mentioning are the onion rings. They help me realise that all my life I’ve been eating way too few of them!

Of course, the teriyaki sauce is irresistible too. In fact, my only gripe is that there is too little of it. I know some sellers like to nag at you when you ask for more sauce. But next time I’m gonna ask anyway. Yes, I will be back.

Crispy chicken (with French fries and mashed potato)
S$5.90
Rating:

The crispy chicken is your usual deep-fried chicken cutlet from western food stalls. It’s nothing special, except that boy, do you get a huge cutlet! It’s about fifty percent bigger than my teriyaki chicken! Can it be that ladies get a smaller cut of meat than guys? I hear some sellers do have such a practice, although I’m not sure whether it holds true in this case.

Oh by the way, the side of mashed potato is yum-yum. See? I’m easy to please!

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]]> 13 http://sparklette.net/food/shun-tuck-cheong-fun/ http://sparklette.net/food/shun-tuck-cheong-fun/#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:18:42 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=827 If you are a business-owner struggling to stand out from a sea of competitors, what do you do? The answer is simple enough — get creative! At Shun Tuck Cheong Fun, the hawkers sure are flexing their creativity muscles to transform the plain ol’ chee cheong fun into culinary works of art.

Gone are your usual steamed rice rolls in dark sauce and chilli gravy. In their place are a dazzling array of appetising dishes with names like Japanese maki, curry yong tau foo, and pork ribs with black bean sauce, amongst many other unusual concoctions. What fun!

It’s only my first time chancing upon the stall, and already I’m powerless in resisting those tempting pictures of the menu items! In the end, I have to order not one, but two dishes to pig out on!

Floss Cheong Fun Maki
S$3
Rating:

First on my list are the maki sushi rolls. Layered with seaweed, pork floss and other vegetables, the floss maki sit in a pool of delicious dark sauce and look really colourful!

Next comes the taste test. The crunchiness of the filling juxtapose the silky smoothness of the rice sheets. Truth be told, I can’t really taste any chicken or pork floss in the rolls. But that’s probably because the flavoursome combo of the sweet, salty and sesame oil-fragrant sauce tastes oh-so-good and overpowers everything else. With or without floss, this is one yummy fusion dish that works!

Chicken chop with spicy sauce
S$3.50
Rating:

For something chunkier, you can opt to have the super value-for-money meat dishes. There are chicken chop, pork chop, ribs or even fried fish with your cheong fun! These come in a variety of sauces such as spicy, black bean or black pepper. The spicy sauce, for instance, tastes similar to Thai chilli sauce — sweet and delicious!

If you’re not in the mood for cheong fun but can’t resist the colourful dishes anyway, you can substitute with brown rice too. Healthy, healthy!

Shun Tuck Cheong Fun is located at People’s Park Food Centre. The stall also sells herbal drinks such as hawthorn luo han guo and ginseng chrysanthemum. Wow, talk about convenience!

The food is served fast, and most of the time you won’t even have to queue. It’s great for quick bites that will fill your tummy and are yummy to boot!

Shun Tuck Cheong Fun
People’s Park Food Centre
32 New Market Road #01-1100
Singapore 050032
Tel: +65 9699 6838

Bus services: 2, 12, 33, 51, 61, 63, 80, 143, 174, 186, 197, 961, 970, 961C
Nearest MRT: Chinatown

Opening hours: 9:30am – 9pm daily

Another hawker stall that also gives its cheong fun nice yummy fillings is Teng Yu Chee Cheong Fun Porridge.

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Click to enlarge

Terms & Conditions:

• Valid on weekdays (11am – 2pm), excluding public holidays.
• Valid for all food items (excluding desserts and drinks) from the ala carte menu.
• Free food item will be of lower or equal value. Valid for dine-in only.
• Not valid with other promotions, discounts, privileges, set meals and Executive Lunch.

I may not be a huge Swensen’s fan, but when I do dine there, I tend to have the rodeo wings as starters, and either the chicken baked rice or crayfish pasta as my main course. Is there any other dish that I should be trying out?

Dish recommendations

I followed some of your recommendations! Here are the reviews of the dishes I have tried.

BBQ chicken
S$14.50++
Rating:

Ever a fan of both chicken and barbecue sauce, it seems only natural to go for the BBQ chicken. By default this comes with potatoes and greens. Some people, myself included, would prefer it with just fries. So when you place your order, don’t be shy to indicate your preference.

The serving is ample, and the sauce is yummy too. I only wish they would be more generous with the sauce, because I would quickly run out of it a quarter way through the chicken. The chicken flesh itself is rather mildly-flavoured, so having more sauce would have been nice.

Tomato mussel stew
S$13.90++
Rating:

The tomato mussel stew is one dish that has replaced the crayfish pasta as my default Swensen’s order. Out of my 3 to 4 visits to Swensen’s over the past month, I ordered this every single time!

The shellfish are stewed in a succulent tomato sauce that is also packed with onions, peppers and mushrooms. Healthy stuff! True enough, this particular dish is part of the Singapore Health Promotion Board’s Healthier Dining Program! I always finish off by slurping up all the sauce. Yum!

Now, if you’re thinking, “no way is that going to fill my tummy”, the stew also comes with slices of toasted sourdough bread on the side. Great for dipping!

Once again, if you have more recommendations, I am all ears!

Swensen’s ( Halal certified)
- Bugis Junction
- Bukit Panjang Plaza
- Causeway Point Shopping Centre
- Changi Airport Terminal 2
- Chinatown Point
- Compass Point Shopping Centre
- Funan DigitaLife Mall
- Holland Village
- IMM BuildingBuilding
- ION Orchard
- Junction 8
- Jurong Point
- Marina Square
- Northpoint Shopping Centre
- Parkway Parade
- Plaza Singapura
- Suntec City Mall
- Tampines Mall
- Thomson Plaza
- Toa Payoh
- United Square Shopping Mall
- West Mall
Tel: +65 6788 8128 | Website | Menu

Ice Cream & Dessert Buffet

Like Swensen’s more for the desserts? Go for the ice cream and dessert buffet :)

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]]> 11 http://sparklette.net/food/chang-ji-cooked-food/ http://sparklette.net/food/chang-ji-cooked-food/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:55:11 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=823 There’s really nothing quite like the experience of eating an awesome barbecued stingray. What are the two things that distinguish the good from the bad? Answer: The sambal chilli and the freshness of the fish.

Very often, I come across a barbecued stingray that is covered with the most delicious sambal chilli paste. But alas, the flesh of the stingray is overcooked and stiff! At other times, the stingray may be grilled perfectly, but the sambal chilli simply lacks punch.

When it comes to these two principles, Chang Ji Cooked Food at Chinatown Complex Market certainly have got both things right.

Sambal stingray
S$7 onwards
Rating:

Served on banana leaf, the portion above may look skimpy, but that’s only because we ordered the smallest portion. Come to think of it, most of the barbecued seafood stalls these days sell their stingray from $8 onwards. We seldom see anything cheaper than that.

The stingray is soft, tender and fresh, and comes with a vast amount of that flavourful sambal chilli paste! Don’t you just hate it when sellers are stingy with their chilli? So when a stingray is served drenched in a heap of yummy sambal, it really perks me up. For me, this is what I call “shiok“!

Oh don’t worry. Despite being caked in a thick layer of the chilli, it’s certainly not the tear-inducing hot. Most people would be quite comfortable with the spice level.

My only complaint is that the chilli is very oily and really ups the guilt factor when indulging in this dish. Any less oily and it would have been perfect!

Sambal sotong (calamari)
S$7 onwards
Rating:

Similarly drenched in the delightful sambal is the sotong (calamari). Again, prices start from $7. For that low price, we got a surprisingly ample portion!

It’s a shame that the sotong is slightly tough. If it had been softer and less rubbery, it would have scored a worthy five drumsticks!

Of course, sambal seafood is always served with lime and the pinkish mixture that I don’t know the name for. Some people stay away from it. But for me personally, it completes the whole stingray-eating ritual. I love soaking a slice of the sambal-drenched stingray into that sweet and sour pink mixture before putting it in my mouth.

There’s really nothing quite like the experience of eating an awesome barbecued stingray :)

Chang Ji Cooked Food
Chinatown Complex Market
335 Smith Street #02-197
Singapore 050335

Bus services: 2, 12, 33, 54, 61, 63, 80, 124, 145, 166, 143, 147, 190, 197, 851, 961, 970, 961C
Nearest MRT: Chinatown

Opening hours: 5pm – 11:30pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

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Having satay without a decent peanut gravy would be incomplete. I can never understand why some people would choose to eat it without a dip. It’s like eating barbecued stingray without the sambal!

Some satay sellers even go the extra mile of adding a dash of pineapple sauce to the peanut gravy! Very few sellers do this though; I’ve only had it at Old Punggol Satay before. But recently I came across another stall — dong li cooked food at the recently reopened Chinatown Complex Market — that does the gravy the same way!

Satay (pork/chicken/mutton)
S$0.50 a stick
Rating:

Some may argue that satay gravy should be eaten the way it is, without the fusion with pineapple sauce. But that little bit of pineapple really spices things up, or should I say, zests things up! It adds a whole new layer of flavour to your usual sweet peanut gravy.

The peanuts here are ground extra fine, so the gravy is extremely smooth (but certainly not watered down) and slides down the throat easily.

The satay — pork, chicken or mutton — costs 50 cents a stick and a minimum order of ten sticks is required. (remember the good old times when satay cost just 30 or 40 cents?) top it up with the lontong (rice cakes) if you wish, also at 50 cents each.

I was so impressed when the satay came within 5 minutes. That has got to be the shortest time anyone took to deliver my satay! Having said that, I found the meat to be slightly tough. But the excellent gravy and quick service really cannot be faulted.

So the food isn’t halal. But to my Muslim readers, fret not. I sure know where you can treat yourself to the best halal satay in town!

Shui Jing Bao (crystal dumpling)
3 for $2
Rating:

In addition to satay, the other item that the stall sells is the shui jing bao (crystal dumplings). The vegetable filling is delicious, and goes great with the sweet-tasting sambal chilli.

My only gripe is that the dumpling skin is rather thick. So you somewhat get the feeling that you are eating more of the skin than the filling. The sambal chilli is really awesome, but a delicate translucent skin like how they do it at tiong Bahru lien fa shui jing bao would have made it perfect.

In any case, the food here is great-tasting and service is lightning fast. Whether you’re looking for a full meal or just some nice after-meal snacks, dong li cooked food is well worth checking out.

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]]> 3 http://sparklette.net/food/jerrys-bbq/ http://sparklette.net/food/jerrys-bbq/#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:42:06 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=788 Wow I can’t believe it took me so long to blog about Jerry’s BBQ & Grill. The food there is awesome! You can feast on American-style goodies like hot, hot buffalo wings, meaty steaks and saucy ribs, then wash it down with a cold beer. It’s the kind of food that makes you wanna ignore your doctor’s advice, throw all health caution to the wind and just pig out!

A perfect starter to this belt-loosening meal is of course the most-talked about buffalo wings. What’s very interesting is that you can choose from three varying levels of spiciness — Smoking, Intensi-fire and Chef’s Challenge, which I hear is crazy-hot!

Buffalo Wings (Intensi-Fire)
S$12.95++
Rating:

As we love the shiok-ness of eating spicy food, but aren’t brave enough to venture to the far end of the hotness meter, we went for the level 2 Intensi-fire. The half-dozen buffalo wings arrived looking really hot anyway. You can still see the chilli flakes and seeds on them. Goodness! How very exciting!

The size of the wings are ample, nothing like those wee little hot n’ spicy drumlets you get at the Colonel. Each one is coated in a hot sauce that makes the skin of the chicken taste extremely good! It’s a little sweet and sour too, which is nice. The chicken flesh itself is flavourful even on the inside. It also retains a slight bit of moisture, because no one enjoys tucking into a dry and hard chicken!

Overall, the spice level is quite comfortable on my taste buds, getting a little fiery only on my third wing. With that said, I think I’m brave enough to take up the chef’s challenge next time!

Deep Fried Mushroom
S$10.95++
Rating:

As the meal is likely to be heavily meat-oriented, it’s a good idea to order a non-meat dish to mix it up a lil’. The deep fried mushroom is a highly-recommended item by the restaurant and moi. Firstly, the button mushrooms are dipped in a special batter. Then, they are lightly fried to a glorious golden brown. And finally, they are served piping hot with tartar sauce.

When I bite into each one, mushroom juices burst out! It’s really hard to describe how awesome it is. You can have it with or without the tartar sauce because both ways taste fantastic! I think this might just be the best mushroom dish I’ve ever had in my life. Nothing else even comes close.

After these flavoursome bites that totally woke our palates, we almost didn’t have room for the main course — a half slab of babyback pork ribs.

When it comes to pork ribs, very often it is more bone than meat. This is the case even for the highly popular, award-winning babyback ribs at Tony Roma’s.

As you can see from the photo above, it’s really just skin and bones at tony’s. (it still tastes pretty damn good though.) now compare that with Jerry’s.

Babyback Pork Ribs (Half slab)
S$21.95++
Rating:

For the ribs here you can visibly see a thick layer of tender meat on the bones that oozes flavour with every bite. I heard that they cook the ribs over special controlled hickory smoking ovens. The slow barbecuing process helps get rid of the fats, breaks down the tougher tissues, resulting in meat that falls off the bone easily!

And that’s not even the best part. The ribs are smothered in a thick, savoury tomato-based barbecue sauce that totally completes the dish. Seriously, this trumps Tony’s ribs by miles! When people ask me for a good place for ribs, I won’t mention Tony’s name anymore. Yup, Jerry is my new guy.

Let me now talk about the location. The flagship outlet is at Jalan Kayu, and the second outlet at Club Street near Chinatown. The latter is housed in a blue pre-war shophouse building with a small indoor dining area. I hear there are seats available on the second floor, although it wasn’t open when we went on a Saturday afternoon.

The interior is decorated with black and white photographs on aviation, and car license plates from various American states. There are also two separate washrooms at the back that customers can use after getting their hands dirty with the awesome buffalo wings.

Like I said, Jerry is my new guy. Check him out if you haven’t! For those who have, feel free to recommend your favourite dishes from there. I’m definitely dropping by again in the near future.

Jalan Kayu outlet

Club Street outlet

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The humble plate of Hainanese chicken rice has even found its way onto the menus of luxurious hotel restaurants, Singapore airlines flights and also the Singapore food sampler given to tourists during the Singapore Food Festival. It’s, like, an unofficial national dish! Ironically it still is Hainanese chicken rice, except that overtime we’ve created our own Singaporean rendition of the dish.

With its prevalence also comes the debate on where you would find the best Hainanese chicken rice in town. A personal favourite for my Mom and I is Tong Fong Fatt. Having had my fair share of chicken rice at the well-known Boon Tong Kee chain, Tian Tian, or even the $21 chicken rice at Chatterbox of Meritus Mandarin Hotel, the only one that gives me cravings is Tong Fong Fatt. How about you?

Hainanese boneless chicken rice
Rating:

To minimise the sinfulness of eating this oily dish, we would always ask for the skinless and less fattening breast meat. In general, the flesh from the chicken breast tends to be tougher, but the one here is very tender! What you see above is $6 worth of meat. A standard plate of chicken rice here would set you back by $2.50.

The thing we love most is the flavoursome sesame oil mixture that the chicken is drenched in. For me, this is the thing that gives the chicken its golden star. It’s a very fragrant, a little salty and a little sweet mixture. Each time I order the chicken I would simply throw all caution to the wind and indulge myself in this oily, calorific, but oh-so-yummilicious soupy mixture.

One time, the chicken rice seller who was chopping his chicken saw me scooping the sesame oil mixture onto my rice greedily. Without a word, he put down his meat cleaver, came out and topped up our plate with more of the delicious sesame oil mixture! Yummy!!

The rice itself is extremely fragrant (and oily) and even the soup is tasty too. I also love having the dark soy sauce and chilli sauce — both of these — to go with my rice.

A trademark of the stall is the row of chicken carcasses that is displayed prominently in the glass cabinet, a clear testament of a good day at business.

For you, what’s your favourite Hainanese chicken rice stall?

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]]> 13 http://sparklette.net/food/tong-heng/ http://sparklette.net/food/tong-heng/#comments Tue, 27 May 2008 13:43:29 +0000 Veron Ang http://sparklette.net/?p=742 The Tong Heng Confectionery has a long history dating back to 1920. This humble little shop in Chinatown is best-known for churning out popular Chinese pastries such as egg custard tarts (in a distinctive diamond shape) and wife cakes.

But did you know that the curry puffs and char siew (barbecued pork) crispy cakes here are real delights too?

My mom and I have been big fans of these handmade pastries ever since my brother started buying them about five years ago. I have a personal weakness for their curry puffs in particular.

Curry Puff
S$1 each
Rating:

These curry puffs are somewhat roundish in shape with a glazed surface. The curry filling has the most unique taste I’ve ever had in any curry puff!

It is wonderfully sweet, with a tinge of spice. People that are used to the taste and spice of traditional curry would be surprised by this sweetened version. Not everyone would like it, but I totally dig it!

The crust is rather thick and flaky though, and I would have awarded it all five drumsticks had it been thinner or lighter.

Char Siew (Barbecued Pork) Crispy Cake
S$1 each
Rating:

My mom loves the char siew crispy cake, although I’m not exactly a fan since I generally do not like the taste of char siew.

In each crispy cake, there is an ample amount of the moist char siew filling. So people that love char siew would naturally be a fan of this tasty treat.

(Note: I have indicated the price of each pastry as $1. I can’t be 100 percent sure though since it’s always my brother that buys them. If this is inaccurate, please let me know!)

Like any good ol’ traditional Chinese pastries, Tong Heng serves theirs in cardboard boxes that have Chinese characters all over. After five years of eating Tong Heng pastries, the design of the box hasn’t changed once, not even when new outlets opened. I do think I have seen it in different colour variations other than red though.

Nonetheless, each time I see a box like this in our kitchen, it always means a very pleasant surprise!

Tong Heng Chinatown

285 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058833
Tel: +65 6223 3649

Tong Heng Jurong Point

Jurong Point Shopping Centre
1 Jurong West Central 2 #B1-10 JP1
Singapore 648886
Tel: +65 6794 6292

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• Nice place with good food, for e.g.: graze, Aerin’s or Wild Rocket
• Cheap and good, for e.g.: Gu Zao Ren, Rong Guang BBQ Seafood or Riverside Indonesia BBQ
• Interesting and unique concept, for e.g.: Lagnaa, Eclectic Attic or Sho-U
• So bad that I feel you guys must be warned! For e.g.: Mushroom Pot or Mussel Guys

And in my opinion, the chocolate lava cake at Bistro Délifrance falls under the classification of being “so bad that I feel you guys must be warned”!

Fondant de Chocolat Chaud
S$6.95++
Rating:

First of all, chocolate lava cake or fondant is my most favourite dessert. It should be moist and chocolatey, with a thick and viscous chocolate lava at its core. Something like this one at Bakerzin:

Now compare it with Délifrance’s…

I mean, what the heck is that? It just looks all wrong! In fact, it even looks a little dirty to me.

I wouldn’t have minded the way it looked if it tasted good. But no, the chocolate cake was dry and crumbly, like stale cake! The chocolate lava was rather watered down and tasted a little funky.

Actually, it looked like one of those instant lava cakes that you can find at a supermarket. You know, the kind that you pop into the microwave oven and eat afterwards. Looks like I’m gonna give it a miss from now on.

Bistro Délifrance ( Halal certified)
- 510 Bishan Street 13 #10-520
- Chinatown Point, 133 New Bridge Road #01-07/08/10/11/12
- Lot One, 21 Choa Chu Kang Ave 4 #03-12
- Tampines Mall, 4 Tampines Central 5 #01-38
Website

I’m always on the hunt for good chocolate lava cake. The ones I’ve had so far come from the following places:

- tcc
- The Olive Ristorante
- White Dog Café
- Bakerzin
- Wild Rocket at Mount Emily

Know any other good places? Leave a comment!

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