The first thing that strikes you about Queen & Mangosteen is probably its memorable name. So how did it come about? There is a legend about Queen Victoria offering a reward of 100 pounds to anyone who could deliver to her the fresh fruit. Also, did you know that the mangosteen is known as the queen of fruits?

Photo by Queen & Mangosteen

The next time you visit a British pub, don’t forget to check out its sign. You may notice that it is represented by pictures. In olden times, customers who were unable to read would recognise the establishments by these pictorial signs. That explains the prominence of the crown and the fruit in the logo!

Photo by Queen & Mangosteen

The interiors here are just as charming. Seating is a choice between the indoor dining area, and an alfresco area by the sea with a view of the Resorts World Sentosa.

Photo by Queen & Mangosteen

Apart from Queen, the other bars and restaurants along the same stretch, such as Brotzeit the German bar and Serenity the Spanish bar next door, also offer the same waterfront view.

Queen’s snapper fish & chips
SGD24++

Our main reason for coming here is to try out the much hyped Queen’s snapper fish and chips. The beer-battered fish is served with mesclun salad, a lemon wedge and tartar sauce. The twist lies in the sauce itself, which is yellow and curry-flavored! It is very tasty, and goes delightfully well with the fish and chips.

Without the unique curry tartar sauce, the dish is otherwise quite ordinary. At that price, it would be nice if they offer a bigger portion than just two rather skimpy pieces of fish. So for now, I still prefer Fish & Co‘s cheese-stuffed fish and chips.

Photo by Queen & Mangosteen

Still, I wouldn’t mind going back to Queen. The drinks are priced more reasonably than the food. With the lovely ambience and sea view, it is a wonderful place for chilling out.

Have Your Say!

What is your favorite place for fish and chips? Share with us below!

Queen & Mangosteen
VivoCity
1 Habourfront Walk #01-106/107
Singapore 098585
(65) 6376 9380 | Website
Service:

Opening hours:
Sun – Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri, Sat & PH Eve: 11am – 1am

Posted by Veron in Food category | alfresco/outdoor dining, bar, beer, English, restobar, seafood, Vivocity, waterfront, Western

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(Note: If the photographs below look somewhat ‘different’, that’s because I was playing around with the vintage lomo effect.)

I am referring to The Cookie Museum, of course. This place was formerly known as The V Tea Room, where V probably stood for Victorian. Each time I walk past this tea lounge at the Esplanade, I can’t help but slow down for a better look. The quaint Victorian theme is so beautiful it really takes your breath away! Throw in the motif wallpaper, gold-rimmed mirrors and largely pink decor, this is one place that is perfect for an afternoon tea session with the girlfriends.

Another place that boasts similarly gorgeous decor is Tea Cosy by Eclectic Attic.

Here, you sit on plush chairs with ornate carvings and feel like royalty.

Obviously, the namesake cookies are a huge draw. Have you ever come across unconventional flavors like Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Hainanese chicken rice, masala and tom yam crab?

Photo by lion kim ball

Laksa cookies
SGD38-45 for a 500-gram tin

We sample the Laksa-flavored cookies, and my, they taste just like the real thing! This is the first time we have tried cookies that are actually spicy. It may seem a little weird at first, but I can get used to the taste.

Has anyone attempted baking these unique Singapore-flavored cookies? Would adding coconut milk, shrimp paste and a dash of sambal chili conjure up Laksa-flavored cookies? If you have done this, please share your recipe with us!

Aside from the cookies, there is a large menu just for the tea alone. The staff would roll the tea cart right to your table and delicately serve the teapot, sugar, etc.

You can see how the tea is being served here. It’s a rather long process so the video cuts off before the tea has been poured! But you get the picture.

I just love, love, LOVE that dainty floral teacup! I wonder where we can buy something similar for our homes?

Darjeeling Margaret’s Hope
SGD14.90++

In the past, they would refill the teapot with hot water, so you could practically drink the tea forever! But nowadays they have stopped doing it. Each teapot fills about 2 cups of tea.

If this isn’t your cup of tea, Max Brenner next door serves up wonderful hot chocolate, too! Speaking of which…

Have Your Say!

Is the Cookie Museum the best place to enjoy tea and cookies, or do you know of any other place? Share with us below!

The Cookie Museum (formerly V Tea Room)
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Avenue #01-02/04
Singapore 039802
(65) 6333 1965 | Website
Service:

Opening hours:
Mon – Thur: 12noon – 10:30pm
Fri & Sat: 12noon- 11:30pm
Sun: 12noon – 9pm

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, café, English, Esplanade, poll, tea

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The Offshore first started out as a bar, and expanded into the fish-and-chips business with a unit next door. I may be wrong, but I think the owner is a Brit, if he’s the same elderly male who is seen supervising his female Thai staff.

Most customers buy their fish and chips as takeouts, waiting at the stainless steel front counter while the staff deep-fry their orders. You can dine here as well, in the rather dingy-looking backroom, and order a drink or two from the bar. The place is rundown, yes, and lacking in any decor whatsoever. But the food speaks for itself.

Red snapper & cod
100baht & 150baht

We order both the red snapper and cod. These arrive as chunky, square-shaped fillets, lightly coated in batter. Both are moist and tender, and thankfully devoid of that unwelcome fishy stench. Of the two I actually prefer the cheaper red snapper; it has somewhat of a more delicate taste.

The fish certainly do not sport a heavy jacket of batter. Rather, the texture is light, crispy and tasty. None of that cheese-stuffed glitz, too. Just simple, wholesome English food.

The accompanying tartar sauce, home-made perhaps, and a whole jar of it, is served cold straight from the fridge. Hmm.

If you’re wondering, where are the chips? They come only as a separate order. But in this case we opt for the rings of gold instead:

Onion rings
35baht

Jumbo-sized onion rings! You see, I have an unconditional love for onions, however pungent or breath-polluting they may be. Sure enough, this is one appetiser that we find extremely enjoyable. Once again, they get the batter right. The dish is light and crispy and bursting with sweet onion flavor.

For a complete experience, wash down all the deep-fried calorific goodness with imported beers like Tetley’s (170baht) and John Smith’s (150baht) from the bar.

To avoid all the naughty action of the area, visit Soi Cowboy in the day. It is a short walk from the Sukhumvit MRT and Asoke BTS stations.

The Offshore
7/8 Sukhumvit Soi 23
Bangkok, Thailand
Nearest BTS/mrt: BTS Asoke / MRT Sukhumvit
(66)02-661-7830

11am-2am daily

Posted by Veron in Thailand category | Bangkok, bar, English, Western

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So while my course mates were dozing off in the air-conditioned lecture theaters, I was dozing off on a mat under the sun. Eventually I grew darker and less recognisable by my own friends and kin. My tanning regime had to end.

These days, my visits to Sentosa are limited to annual events like Sentosa Flowers and the occasional drink at the beach bars. But after a sumptuous brunch at Club Islander this past weekend, I reckon I would be going there a lot more.

The sun, the sand, the sea… And brunch! What a way to unwind — Hawaiian style! You like?

Free flow of coffee
SGD2.50++

Brunch has just been introduced to the palawan beach bar on weekends from 10:30am to 2:30pm. You can check out the brunch menu before heading down for an idyllic weekend. As with the other Sentosa f&b outlets, the menu is the creation of executive chef, kenny yeo.

Club islander directly opens out to the beach. The sea is literally just footsteps away! In fact, many people would simply laze on the sand while the waitstaff serve them their favorite food and drinks.

If you don’t like the feel of sand between your toes (wait, why are you at the beach again?), the sheltered boardwalk also provides ample seating. I think the shelter would be retracted at night, so people can have a romantic dinner under the stars! Wow-weee!

I tried to photoshop away that man in the photo but it’s too much work. He does illustrate a good point though; you can swim in the sea and then walk right up to the bar, dripping wet and all, wearing nothing more than your swimming trunks or speedos. No one would toss you a second glance. Unless you’re a hot bikini babe, that is.

Okay, enough about that. Let’s talk about the food!

Eggs Benedict on toasted English muffin
SGD12.50++

When it comes to brunch, the eggs benedict always has to make an appearance. So popular it is, McDonald’s decided to create a “poor man’s” version of it, substituting the hollandaise sauce with a slice of cheese. Do you know what it is?

Why, the mcmuffin, of course!

Anyways, the eggs benedict here is done with a little twist. Instead of the usual ham, the poached eggs come with chicken patty. Perfect with the dollop of hollandaise sauce and the toasted English muffin!

And that is just one way of having your eggs done.

Sunnyside up on prawn bolognaise served in a toast box
SGD17.90++

sunny side up works for me too. It comes with a box of prawn bologanise toast, which I can only describe as pure love. Let me tell you, this is no ordinary toast.

The toast is gently fried on the sides. The result? A super light, crispy, golden brown exterior that contrasts wonderfully with the soft interior of the toast. It’s the kind of toast that makes you wanna stay away from all the fancy Hong Kong toast, and heck, even our very own singapura toast, and just French it up with this toast forever! I daresay this is the best toast I’ve ever had.

The prawn bolognaise is interesting, too. It’s basically minced prawns in a delicious homemade tomato sauce that adds a flavorful punch to the toast.

Have I mentioned this is no ordinary toast?

Brunch platter
SGD19.50++

For more variety, there’s the brunch platter that gives you a taste of wild mushrooms, scrambled eggs, chicken sausages, chicken patties and…

Waffles! With honey for pouring into the holes! What a wholesome dish this is.

And for the children, they can tuck in to the chicky muffin meal or wacky waffles meal. Both sets cost $6.90++ and come with a watermelon slice and orange juice! There’s even a designated play area where they can enjoy themselves.

Did you think I was done? It gets even more exciting!

Midway through brunch, we saw a crowd gather near the water. Someone had found a baby monitor lizard on the beach!

That’s the lifeguard holding him. He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?

Occasionally one of the island’s many resident peacocks may even strut along while you’re having brunch or sunbathing.

Well, that’s Sentosa for you; it never gets boring!

Posted by Veron in Food category | alfresco/outdoor dining, brunch, egg, English, Sentosa, toast, waffle, waterfront, Western

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Strategically based in robinson road, pret is a hot spot for office workers that are too busy to sit down for a meal. People in a hurry can simply pop by and grab a sandwich to go. All sandwiches are pre-made early in the day. Customers can then choose from the assortment of sandwiches that are placed neatly in racks of chillers. Besides being fuss-free, pret also prides itself in using all-natural ingredients with absolutely no preservatives added.

But more importantly, are they any good?

I was there with a friend recently. We found that they had some very interesting fillings for their sandwiches, baguettes and wraps. I was especially keen to try out their crayfish & roquette sandwich. Anything with crayfish is an instant favorite with me!

Crayfish & Roquette Sandwich
SGD3.90

$3.90 for a two-inch-thick crayfish sandwich is a steal isn’t it? I had expected the price to be much steeper than this. The sandwich was good. Wheat bread, nice. Crayfish, yum. I didn’t even mind the roquette despite not being a fan of vegetables.

All sandwiches come in these cute triangular “pretboxes” with clear windows. Pret really took pain to guarantee that all their food is fresh. At the end of each day, all unsold food is donated to the Singapore council of women’s organisation’s star shelter, a home for abused women.

Coronation Chicken Sandwich
SGD3.80

Even though the pretboxes are labelled “pret petit” and the sandwiches are really half-size sandwiches, the portions are certainly not “petit”. I had trouble finishing mine!

Tandoori Chicken Wrap
SGD7.50

My favorite was the tandoori chicken wrap. It had obviously been created to suit Asian tastebuds. The wrap was huge and came in two smaller separate portions. I guess a person would have trouble finishing the whole thing alone. More people should get to enjoy this anyway. It’s very flavorful and very tasty! I loved it!

Hot Mocha
SGD5

The drinks are the cutest of all. Note how they had decorated our hot mocha with chocolate powdered stars. How very adorable!

Then, my friend whipped out the new kenny g album (I am a huge fan) out of nowhere. The pret folks gamely played it for us as their background music! Now, that’s good service for you! Pret has definitely won me over.

One last interesting tidbit: pret works with well-known jewellers tiffany & co. To make solid silver stars. Each star is used to reward a particular staff member whenever a customer writes or calls to commend him or her for good service. Wow!

February 3, 2007: My list of Best (& Worst) Restaurants in Singapore for 2006
- Runner-up for “Best Take-out”
January 2, 2008: I’m sad to note that as of today, the sole Pret outlet in Singapore has closed.

Posted by Veron in Food category | English, Lau Pa Sat, takeout, Western

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At tea cosy, diners sit at antique tables and eat off vintage Royal Copenhagen plates. Quite an experience indeed! You need to be extra careful though. The store policy states that broken utensils must be paid for. After all, these are all vintage stuff. Just look at that beautiful porcelain plate. With the exquisite rose painting and gold trimming, it’s easily the prettiest plate I have ever seen! Gorgeous!

Minty Chocolate Coffee
SGD5.90++

High tea is served in the traditional English style. Bite-sized cakes of different flavors are served alongside tea or coffee. Being a coffee person, I went for a minty chocolate coffee. I don’t really fancy the minty taste but there’s always room for trying out something new. Gotta say that I still love my coffee the way it is, without any extra flavoring unless it’s chocolate!

Strawberry Mousse Cake, Chocolate Brownie & Chocolate Marble Cake
SGD6.90++

The cake sampler set comes in different quantities, with a choice from seven different flavors. Chocolate is a definite safe bet. My chocolate brownie and chocolate marble cake were delicious. The good thing about the sampler set was that I didn’t even have to feel too guilty eating due to the bite-sized quantities! I didn’t really fancy the strawberry mousse cake though. Felix, the manager even took extra care to warm up the cakes before serving. It was a nice touch.

Besides high tea, tea cosy also serves lunch and dinner. foie gras is their house specialty but I would pass on that. I wouldn’t say that the food and drinks are the main draw of tea cosy. But dining amidst vintage treasures and all things pretty makes this a very unique and cosy experience.

Eclectic Attic
Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road #05-10
Singapore 238839
(65) 6836 9736
Service:

February 3, 2007: My list of Best (& Worst) Restaurants in Singapore for 2006
- Runner-up for “Best Design”
- Runner-up for “Best Hidden Gem”
- Nominated for “Best Tea Lounge”

Posted by Veron in Food category | English, Plaza Singapura, tea

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It’s Chippy British Take Away! With that striking union jack, the cheery name, and so many sinful treats such as fried Mars Bars and beer-battered fish, tell me, how could I resist?

The food is seriously dirt cheap. I did a double take when I found that the yummy-sounding cheesy curry chicken cost just $3.45! Was the portion small? Not at all! Chippy promised 35 (or was it 45) pieces of chicken and definitely did not scringe on the portion.

So I asked for “extra spicy chicken”, paid my $3.45, watched the crew deep-fry my chicken pieces right in front of me and waited eagerly for the chicken to be ready. I got real worried when I saw how oily it was. This was definitely not meant for everyday consumption!

Cheesy Curry Chicken (Extra Spicy)
SGD3.45

But boy was it good. It was lip-smackingly good! The food was cooked only upon each order placed, which explains why the chicken was still hot and crispy and packed with spices. As if that wasn’t enough, the little tub of cheese dip that came along was perfect for the chicken. It had a sweet and sour now-you-taste-it-now-you-don’t quality to it. Rather intriguing! Man, just thinking about the chicken makes me salivate already.

Even though this place is meant for take-aways, they do have some standing and sitting space reserved for customers. I like the colorful photo montage mural that decorated one side of the wall. I like the fact that the prices are cheap and the food is so yummilicious. Basically I like everything about the place! Chippy has totally won me over!

Gonna try out a couple of those fried Mars Bars next time!

February 3, 2007: My list of Best (& Worst) Restaurants in Singapore for 2006
- Winner of “Best Take-out”

Posted by Veron in Food category | English, Raffles City, takeout, Western

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A pretty tea boutique opened recently at the Esplanade, known as the V Tea Room. Boasting a Victorian theme in a cozy setting, everything about the V Tea Room looks beautiful! There is so much detail in its decor. Thick volumes of Victorian books decorate the counter. Masquerade masks hang on the walls. Dainty little cups are used to serve tea. Even the menus are very exquisitely designed!

I am most impressed with how beautiful the menu looks. First of all, it’s large. Every menu has its own unique cover with gold pop-up patterns. I have never seen a better-looking menu! At first glance, they don’t even look like menus, but more like the covers of thick, valuable antique books.

True to its name, the V Tea Room has a large selection of tea. I’m no tea connoisseur as I am more of a coffee fanatic, but the queen’s tea we had was good. And the best thing? With the tea leaves in the pot, we could simply keep refilling it with hot water. In the words of my friend, we could practically drink the tea forever!

They had a large variety of teacakes too, including ones filled with liqueur. My belly was still full from an earlier meal so I couldn’t really eat much. But I would be sure to visit the V Tea Room again for its affordable tea and cakes, beautiful decor and excellent service.

The Cookie Museum (formerly V Tea Room)
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Avenue #01-02/04
Singapore 039802
(65) 6333 1965 | Website
Service:

Opening hours:
Mon – Thur: 12noon – 10:30pm
Fri & Sat: 12noon- 11:30pm
Sun: 12noon – 9pm

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, café, English, Esplanade, tea

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