Pavlova at Boomerang

For those of you who have been following my blog, you would know that I am not a desserts person at all. Not into pastry, not into cakes (well the occasional cheese cake and tiramisu is cool but…), not into pudding, etc. I have had a good experience with Pavlova in Hong Kong which I blogged about in 2009 (yes, I am lazy so you are going to have to find that in the archives yourself! ). Well, this is the next best. I don’t think it is as impressive as the memorable one in HK, but it’s really rather good.

It comes in what seems like an enormous portion, but it’s really just fluff with that crispy texture that tastes somewhat between wafers and candy floss. Served with whipped cream and a good serving of fresh fruits, the pavlova here is worth trying, especially if you are in the vicinity of Robertson Walk, perhaps waiting to club at Filter next door; or if Em Cafe is full.

I had dinner here on a separate occasion with some friends and the food reviews aren’t raving. It’s basically surf and turf type of bar foods so it’s really just mediocre. Personally, I think I would dine at Red House next door, and maybe chill at Boomerang to watch that soccer match or cricket. Beers and simple bar foods or dessert would be just about right here in this casual diner.

http://boomarang.com.sg/

60 Robertson Quay #01-15 The Quayside Singapore 238252.
Tel: +65 67381077    Fax: +65 67387325

First Meal Post Chicken Pox

First thing I did right after I was cleared from pox was to get my nails done. I chipped my nail bowling a couple of weeks back and I had been waiting for it to grow out before I went for my manicure. When it finally did, I got hit by chicken pox so I didn’t get to do my nails again. For those who know me, I love getting my nails done. I can’t stand seeing my nails without colour. Perhaps it is because of that, I just feel my nails look terrible without nail polish. Alright, before I go on and on, let’s talk about food. Met S @ Double Bay at Raffles City for dinner after my nails. As I was late for my nails appointment and kinda spilled over, we had to rush through dinner. I still enjoyed my meal no less. After all, it was my first decent meal in 2 weeks!

The Sirloin Steak was very tasty. Well grilled and juicy although I wish they were more generous with the serving. You are allowed to choose it as a main course of course, in which case, they will serve you 2 slices at slightly under double the cost. Served with very yummy mashed potato and wild rockets, the meat was tender and full of flavour. I loved it!

S had the Chillean Sea Bass Beer Battered Fish & Chips. I had almost forgotten how yummy that tasted too. Truly one of the best places for fish & chips and the chillean sea bass goes perfectly with the beer batter. I love the flat chips served as well dipped with tomato ketchup…mmmm. Delicious!

It was a very good meal just short of my usual favourite grilled squid which I couldn’t order as I am supposed to abstain from seafood for the time being because of my chicken pox. I still have scabs and all which I heard will take a month to fall off! And we didn’t order any wine too as I probably shouldn’t take any alcohol just yet. Plus we were in a rush to catch The Expendables at Cineleisure.

Despite the lukewarm reviews, the show wasn’t that bad. Pure action with a simple plot. I wouldn’t say it was fantastic but it was entertaining. Sylvester Stallone has aged so much and he actually looks quite grotesque with his seemingly tweezed eyebrows and big bulk. I swear I thought he was panting quite a bit in some of the scenes. Definitely a sign of aging. One thing though, this was a lot better than Rocky 4. That was like a 1980s film trying to do modern day. Despite the already star-studded cast, I was misled into thinking that Bruce Willis and Arnold were part of the Expendables team. They grace the screen for about 5 minutes so don’t expect much of them if you are a fan. Jet Li also didn’t really get to show off his martial arts and more often was made to look like the typical American perception of an Asian. I didn’t quite like that but then again, I guess it is the case in most American films.

Wanted to check out Altitude Bar (promise to do a review on the place. heard it has an awesome view) but as I was in slippers, we ended up at TCC along Boat Quay.

The Sour Cream Cheese Cake was dry and not very good although the ambience was pretty chill and the Lychee Jazz uplifting (remember to stir it as the syrup is all at the bottom).

My first night out ended with me satisfied and glad to be back out.

Jules Cafe & Bar

I was recommended by an Australian client of mine who just moved over to Singapore awhile back. She said it was one of their favourite haunts and that it was extremely popular. Reservations were a must especially during the weekends. “Extremely good food and it is inexpensive. Very well worth your dollar.” This was her exact verbatim I recall. What intrigued me was when she told me it was located in Jalan Riang – hell, that’s in the Lorong Chuan vicinity and a residential area at that! I love such hideouts. Great food in the midst of a residential area. I had to check it out.

True enough, like the others I have been to, it’s always 1 single restaurant amongst a single row of shophouses which does things like laundry, electrical, spare parts; anything but nothing associated to food. And more often than not, the layout of the place is always chill, unpretentious, and very well supported by residents in the area as well as people who have heard of the place like myself, through word of mouth.

What I liked upon stepping in, was the cosy layout. Despite their obviously good business, the owner didn’t try to squeeze in more tables to maximise seating capacity. Instead, you have each table a good distance from the other so one did not feel claustrophobic or that your privacy is compromised. Dimly lit, the place makes for a good chilling place with friends or family. Enjoying good food, over some wine and of course, with great company.

S and I have come to the consensus that we were going to rate this place 10/10 for the following reasons:

1. Prices already inclusive of GST and service charge so what you see is what you get.

2. Straightforward menu so that makes decisions all that more easier.

3. Every dish we ordered was awesome. Which makes #2 an extra plus as the concise menu was followed by excellence in every dish.

4. Prices are very reasonable and relatively cheap given quality of food and portions served.

5. Presentation was very good.

6. Service was prompt.

7. Ambience was good. We love hidden places!

8. The food was really good!!

Here’s a look at what we had:

For Starters, we ordered the Garlic Prawn with Feta Cheese. Interesting combination I must say but they did it so well, it tasted amazing. The prawns were firm yet not overly (like those you know have been injected with something), they were nicely done with a slight tinge of “burntness” (I love that). Very tasty. Slight spice with a very light garlic taste. S and I loved it. The cheese was a nice touch too. Gave it a very unique and interesting taste.

For my main course, I ordered the Harissa Chicken Breast. Personally, I think this dish is subjective as it is served with Morrocan spices. I am not a fan of such exotic spices, I don’t even like Indian food except for roti prata. BUT I must say this was very well done. Whilst I didn’t super take to the sauce, I finished the dish easily. For one, this was the first time I have ordered chicken breast and it wasn’t dry or tough. This was juicy and tender. Extremely palatable. Moreover it was serve with Wild Rockets, Tangerines, Cherry Tomatoes and Balsamic which made the dish “wet” and the mix of everything was just perfect. The dish also came with nice thin strips of fried sweet potato. And this was amazing in its own right. Very addictive really. And it went well with the chicken and salad. I was thoroughly impressed at how the dish was so well-thought-out and how every single thing on that plate was so well executed. Absolutely BRILLIANT.

S ordered the Wagyu Beef Burger and he LURVED it. He kept saying how good it was as he was eating. I tried a few mouthfuls and I must say whilst I am not a fan of such burgers, this was one of the better ones. It wasn’t too heavy, and it goes down easily. So girls, you can order this too. The patty was excellent in that it was tender and sweet. The bread was soft and had a nice toasted taste. There was a generous serving of shoe-string fries which tasted a lot like that of MacDonald’s. The salad also went very well with the burger. JOLLY GOOD!

For dessert, we ordered the Double Chocolate brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream. Now as most of you know, and I have stressed many times, I am NOT a desserts person and I don’t like chocolate cakes, chocolate fudge, etc. BUT I LOVE THIS. Both S and I agree that this is the BEST BROWNIE we have ever had! For one, they served a generous portion. I love the slight crust at the top, and how this brownie didn’t taste like a chocolate cake. It was moist, a tad “fudgy” yet not to much. It was the perfect temperature and truly delectable YUMMMMSsSSS!!

To those living in the vicinity and have yet to check out Jules, Shame on You! You don’t know what you are missing! It was a wonderful dinner and the perfect treat for my boy who had a really long and tough day at the office. Remember to make reservations!

Address: 15-1 Jalan Riang Singapore

Tel: +65 6858 2827

when eating @ Double Bay…

…don’t order their pastas! I lurve Double Bay @ Raffles City, please don’t get me wrong. It really reminds me somewhat of Sydney especially how their steak has bits of juicy fat all over. The typical Australian food here like seafood, fish and chips and meat are awesome here, but I thought I’d check out the pastas and well, I won’t be doing it again. Here are some pictures from a previous visit with my girl S.

charcoal grilled squid. i love this. very well done, has a nice grill after taste and not the slimy sorta squid. Served with peanut sauce of some kind but I prefer it on its own.

not a fan of oysters but took these and they were incredibly fresh.

i can’t recall which is the correct one. i believe the nice juicy one is the striploin and not the tenderloin. be sure to check with the waitress. go for the thin piece and not the thick slab of meat.

no questions asked. get the chillean sea bass beer battered. although i think the grilled fish looked good too.

Double Bay is great for an after work chill out meal as it is conveniently located at Cityhall. I usually take the outdoor seats and inside is freakishly cold!!! Plus, it’s nice to sit, chill, enjoy a good dinner with wine and good company. Good way to unwind and remember that whilst working hard for those moolahs, it’s important to stop, breathe and take it all in once in awhile. Cheers!

Flutes @ Fort Canning

Came here about a month back with S and his friends for brunch. I like Flutes. Situated up on a small hill next to the old fire station, flutes is an old colonial bungalow, pretty much like those you see at Rochester Park. Serving Australian cuisine, it’s a nice place to chill in the day with friends for brunch and a romantic place to take a date for dinner.

The food itself was alright. Nothing spectacular that got me particularly excited. They serve decently priced brunch sets and they taste like any other regular brunch place. The selection of dishes is rather limited though so don’t get your hopes up of having anything exotic. Just the regular more common brunch selection.

I really like the ambience at day. First, it’s nice being on higher ground, and the bungalow is well sheltered by looming trees so it is kept cool although it can get extremely hot given our ferocious weather these days.

Nostalgia…

2 years ago, S brought me here to celebrate my birthday. It was my first time at Flutes and I though it was really romantic. The restaurant is spacious and so you don’t feel cramped or that the folks at the next table are listening in on your conversation.

we look so much younger back then. sigh I have aged so much since then.

this was a raw scallop dish…appetizer. I thought my love for scallop could conquer all but nope, I still can’t take it raw.

now this was yummy foie gras. as usual, I made S give up his foie gras for my scallops. :p

my beef wasn’t great. I recall being less than impressed but didn’t want to tell S as I was afraid to dampen his spirits since he so sweetly planned everything. His pork was much better…

his kurobuta pork which was awesome. he was enjoying it so much that I decided not to trade this one dish..

my birthday surprise

…but really the best gift was the man in blue beside me – my best friend, my shopping kaki, my companion, my confidante, my consult, my binging buddy..

Best Fish & Chips

I promise to do Double Bay justice and do a proper review on them next time. Just so happens that each time I come here, I don’t have my camera with me! But please do check out this Australian joint for it serves possibly the best fish & chips. Here, you get to select the type of fish you want and how you want it prepared given the choice of batter. I recommend the Chillean Sea Bass with Beer Batter.

Aside from their Fish & Chips, I must say their steaks are extremely yummy too! Each slab is nicely grilled to perfection such that you literally can taste the grill (if that makes sense at all). The steak used is tender and juicy with just the right amount of fat mixed in to give it that sweet taste with every mouthful.

sorry pictures taken using my bb again. I assure you they taste better than they look here!

I came here with R for dinner one weekday after work and on another occasion with S and his friends. Both times, it was packed. So you have been warned. Please make a reservation as it is particularly popular with the working crowd as a nice place to chill and de-stress with a good meal Ambience-wise, I’d say it’s nice and relaxed. I sat inside once and the tables are far apart enough to have a decent conversation without subconsciously listening in on the next table’s gossips. Outside is pretty nice too. You can choose to sit at the back or out front facing the traffic and Raffles Hotel. It was nice. R and I sat there, caught up, wined and dined. The moscato served was sweeter than usual. I can’t recall what was the other wine we had, but I think it was pretty good as well. We also had dessert, think it was the poached pear and some apple pie. They were alright but nothing fantastic. Then again I am not a dessert person so it would have to blow my mind for me to be impressed!

So check it out! Double Bay @ Raffles City!

DOUBLE BAY

#01-22A, 252 North Bridge Road S(179103)

Raffles City Shopping Centre

Tel: 6334 6530

http://yum.sg/index.php?component=view_restaurant&restaurant_id=3627

Where to Dine in Sydney: ROCKPOOL Bar & Grill – Best Steak in town! (one of anyways…)

Don’t even think of coming here if you did not make a reservation. Although not as sought after like Tetsuya, Rockpool requires at least 2 weeks to a month’s in advance reservation. Dimly lit in the heart of Sydney’s business district, Rockpool was filled with many people in business suits and office wear. In fact, S and I were rather out of place in our sneakers and jeans. Well, then again, there weren’t many Asians to begin with so yah, we pretty much stood out.

The ambience was really nice in that it wasn’t stifling like those awfully atas  restaurants yet it was somewhat in between fine dining and a casual Friday night out. The ceiling was high which gave the place a certain grandeur. All the service staff were neatly dressed in vests, bow ties, jackets, with their hair  neatly groomed; adding a posh touch to the already rather high end feel. The tables had a nice distance apart from each other and each table was lit by an oriental looking lamp. The kitchen was in full view and was in fact pretty much like a showcase. Different types of wine glasses became like centre pieces where they were displayed. Very nicely done.

The steak portions were just about right if you ask me. They were thick and well grilled. I love it how it’s so burnt on the outside yet not overly cooked inside. There was also just the right amount of fat to give it that juice and kick. Bear in mind that I am one of those that cuts out the fatty bits when I eat steak, but not this time. Beautiful. Something I noticed was whilst in Singapore, many steaks taste rather blend on its own and rely quite abit on the sauce used (red wine, mushroom, etc), the steaks here taste really good all on its own and you truly enjoy the steak for what it is. They also served some boiled carrots which were probably the nicest I have ever tasted. I was in heaven. Yummy steak accompanied by yummy wine and yummy S in yummy place. Perfect.

I’m sorry for not writing alot about this as it’s kinda dated since I took so long with it, but enjoy the pictures and do check it out when you visit Sydney especially if you are a steak lover!

ROCKPOOL

107 George Street

The Rocks NSW 2000

http://www.rockpool.com.au/sydney/rockpool/

Where to Dine in Sydney: BILLS

Time sure flies, it’s been 6 months since my Sydney trip with S and I still have a bunch of places I have yet to review and post. One of which would be the famous all-day breakfast restaurant – BILLS, owned by renowned chef Bill Granger.

 BILLS is particularly well known for their eggs and Bill Granger himself has many best-selling cook books. In fact S and I bought 1 for S’s parents since they are food lovers who enjoy whipping up fine food in the kitchen.

I can’t quite recall exactly how we got there. I believe we took a train and walked. But what I do remember was that it was raining by the time we had arrived so we literally braved the rain to eat there. However once we were safely inside, the rain stopped and sun came out. After our meal though, it started raining again. Talk about perfect timing.

What was perfect though was breakfast. BILLS lived up to its reputation and I loved it. The decor was simple with some tables inside and 1 big table in the middle. The wooden tables and white walls, along with the glass windows which allowed the sunlight in, gave the place a bright and cheery feel. The restaurant felt relaxed, unpretentious and uplifting. There were magazines on the table which S and I helped ourselves too whilst we slowly savoured our breakfast. It was the best feeling ever. I felt like I truly was on vacation.

S ordered the BILLS specialty and famous corn beef burger or something. Sorry but I really can’t recall the name. It was good and tasty but frankly a little to heavy for my liking. S enjoyed it thoroughly though and was happily sipping his coffee whilst reading after gobbling down his breakfast. I was a less adventurous and went for my usual bacon with scrambled eggs. Now here’s the deal, the eggs were immaculately done. By far, definitely, the best scrambled eggs I have ever had. I heard of BILLS eggs and I know they are supposed to be good but this really was incredible. There was some fluff to it, and the flavour of eggs came out subtly with a blend of…hmmm…I can’t quite describe it…but it was awesome. You never knew scrambled eggs could taste so different.

The bacon was also yummy as it wasn’t those over fried crispy sticks that you get at Burger King or some of the breakfast places in Singapore, but rather proper bacon with just the right amount of meat and fat. YUMMY.

I was extremely satisfied with breakfast and I recommend all who visit Sydney to have breakfast at BILLS. It just starts your day right and sets you in the holiday mood, keeping you tension free, relaxed, well fed and happy. My spirits were high despite the dampening rainy weather. All thanks to a good hearty breakfast at BILLS!

Bills

 433 Liverpool St
Darlinghurst 2010 NSW

Where to Dine in Sydney: Kingsley – affordable good steak/pasta

This was recommended by our Concierge at the Swissotel and I must say it was a good one. We took awhile to find it as it really was pretty much a hole in the wall. You kinda have to walk through a small alley and you will see Kingsley up a small flight of steps. Inside, the restaurant is cosy, dimly lit and has an old rustic country feel to it. Wine bottles line the brick walls and the tables are a comfortable distance apart. The kitchen is pretty much an open concept so you can see the chefs busy preparing your meal. Service is warm and friendly (as with most Australian restaurants frankly), and the mood is casual and chill. S and I were commenting that it is a great place to meet friends after work for some food and wine. Perfect for a weekday chillout.

I ordered the pasta which was impressive. Although it primarily consisted of mushrooms, I was happy that the pasta wasn’t drowned in the taste of mushrooms. You know how some places whereby the mushroom taste is just overbearing, along with the smell which can get quite choking? This was perfectly done. The pasta though neither cream nor tomato based, wasn’t oily like how  you find many pastas these days. It was nicely tossed and wasn’t too jaded (jelat). I loved it. It was very tasty and the portion served was just nice.

S had the steak which looked huge and very american with the grill lines prominently cutting across the steak. The meat was juicy and tender despite looking dry at first look. It was amazing. We were served 3 types of mustard to go with the steak and that just made it even better. S loved the wholegrain mustard, whilst I preferred the English mustard. It was a great start to our stay in Sydney and I was looking forward to more, and better food to come!

As we were pretty full and wanted to go check out IVY, we didn’t get desserts. The wine we had went very well with our main courses and we left satisfied and happy. Now this is what I call a family/friends steakhouse. Great food and quaint setting. Lovely for gatherings and family dinners.

PS: On weekdays, they apparently have a special lunch menu for only $29.90 and this comes complete with a complementary glass of wine. More importantly, part of the choices for main courses include WAGYU beef!! Now where do you get that at such a price!!??