We rented the car for 2 days so on Sunday, we decided to go out of Manhattan island and explore other parts of New York! Joanne had brought along a guide book which recommended visiting DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). DUMBO is a neighbourhood in the borough of Brooklyn and I was thrilled when I was planning the route there as it would mean that we will be driving ON the Brooklyn Bridge - one of THE oldest bridges in the USA!!

The sad thing is that it was raining, so we it was marred by grey skies and of course, you saw the window wipers doing their job. As such, we couldn't really walk around the neighbourhood which is largely populated by artists and tech firms. Seems weird but with these 2 industries, you get a different vibe and feel from Manhattan for sure.

Although we couldn't walk around, we tried our best by driving through the neighbourhood to soak in the architecture:

I felt that this building really stood out due to the intricate details AND it was very colourful. This is quite representative of the other buildings in the neighbourhood, which were all more red than grey!

Anyway, the rain didn't let up so we decided to drive over to another borough of Williamsburg and searched for Momofuku Milk Bar! Dessert time!

The menu

I went for their Cereal Milk Shake (US$6.20) and it reminds me of Horlicks. Although I was rather pleased to see some cereal bits in the shake. Not that I can complain because Horlicks in a milkshake is extremely delicious!

My Cereal Milk shake

I was quite surprised to learn that the law in the US states that you have to consume alcoholic beverages within the restaurant/cafe/eatery! So sad that I couldn't try their alcoholic shakes because Ken was in the car waiting for Joanne and I to return with the desserts. We couldn't find parking :P

Joanne and Ken had the ice creams alone and boy did they melt super quickly and it didn't help that the cups holding the ice cream was super tiny. I ended up having loads of melted cream on my hand as I walked to the car with Ken's ice cream.

Again, the architecture in Williamsburg is a real contrast to that in Brooklyn and Manhattan. It's a lot flatter and has a slight bohemian/ hipster feel coupled with a lot of grunge.

After 'dessert', Ken decided to have 'real food' and he got all excited about Costco's pizza. Hence, we typed in 'Costco' into the GPS and headed over to the nearest branch.

Joanne and I decided to share a massive churro (US$1+) and it looks like wifi is more important to her...haha. The churro was rather disappointing. It was too doughy. So sad.

Ken not only decided to get a slice of pizza (US$1.99+), he also ordered the beef brisket burger (US$4.99+) and it was rather amazing to see him chomp all of that down after the ice cream. Wish I could trade metabolism with him.

After Costco, we really didn't have much time to do anything but return to Manhattan and send the car back. Ironically, we were all so tired that when the rental service drove us back, we didn't tell him to stop at the right junction so we ended up in the dodgier area of BUT...we found White Castle!

It doesn't cease to amaze me that 1 slider like this costs only US$0.99. It's no wonder that the poor are sustaining on fast food and getting more health problems! Honestly, White Castle isn't that great. It's just cheap and will fill up the tummies of those who can't afford better meals. Thanks Harold and Kumar for bringing more fame to this brand!

Located at a corner where Cecil Street meets Marina Boulevard, The Black Swan resides in an 1930s building which used to be a bank. Running with the Art Deco theme, the Lo & Behold Group transformed it into The Black Swan, which serves classic cuisine that borders on being French-Americano.

Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted by the unique bar and the high ceiling. The writing on the bar reads, "Here's to the Rose Coloured Glasses Of Life". La vie en rose. Well...less American since they still spelt Coloured the British way *wink*.

Panoramic view of The Black Swan

 

Go for their Set Lunch (2 courses @ S$38++, 3 courses @ S$44++) because it just makes things a lot simpler although the whole bunch of us still racked our brains to choose because everything looked enticing! Good thing for you is that there were 5 of us so we ordered quite a variety of starters, mains and desserts to review.

Above is the Farmer's Salad, so it's just a mix of rocket, apple, celery, arugula and tossed with a vinaigrette. Nothing too special about this.

Add S$4++ to order their Crab Salad which has sunflower seeds, avocado, mango, grapefruit and a citrus vinaigrette. Needless to say, this was a little more interesting than the Farmer's Salad.

For an additional S$6++, go for the Foie Gras which is pan fried perfectly and comes with a toast on a yuzu marmalade. Not a fault in this dish except maybe not enough of foie gras?

For those who are feeling 'safe', go for the Duck Confit (+S$4++) which was very crispy on the outside and still tender on the inside. It rests on a bed of bacon potatoes and a mustard sauce. Judging from how 2 of my colleagues ate their duck, it was good on the first few bites but in true Duck Confit style, it does a get a bit much.

Another main course was the Seafood Linguine. It's good and it wasn't wow. Just tasted like how it should be. This is one of the few dishes that were not French-based but Italian but I guess if you're going with an American theme, both cuisines go.

If you like fish, they have the Pan Seared Red Snapper with an egg sauce and with leek done two ways. The skin of the fish was crispy and the sauce creamy. However, it tasted exactly how a pan fried fish should taste like.

Yours truly went for the Mangalica Pork Collar (+S$6++) which came with pickled red cabbage and apple sauce...

It looks like a piece of steak and cuts a little like a piece of steak but beef it is not. This piece of pork was succulent and very well seasoned. It was simple but yet you know that you cannot replicate this dish with your home kitchen unless you're a very skilled chef with a good grill pan. I gave everyone a morsel of this porcine goodness, which spoilt their tastebuds and their mains don't taste as good as it did before. Oops. Needless to say, everyone on my table recommends the pork!

For dessert, I went for the Sticky Date Toffee Pudding (above) which tasted absolutely divine! The cold vanilla ice cream went really well with the sweet, warm pudding which could've been too sweet if it wasn't for the slices of banana and ice cream. Absolutely divine.

If you like dark chocolate, go for the Chocolate Dome. Inside that dome casing of rich, dark chocolate is a vanilla creme mousse and it's paired with strawberries and blueberries. Very classic.

Finish it off with a cup of coffee or tea and you're good.

That about sums up our whole experience in The Black Swan. Everything was classic and slightly laid back and it would be quite a romantic throwback to the 1930s, sitting at the bar and enjoying a glass of martini or whisky. I'm sure if you dine here at night, you might even let your imagination run a little wild and think that you're in a scene from The Great Gatsby. It helps that the restaurant has a Mezzanine floor which houses their 'Powder Room' - an intimate bar for craft cocktails and whiskies. If they played jazz music, I'm sold. I'll find as many excuses as possible to be treated to meals here.

It's not the cheapest place to dine for lunch though. You'll need to be prepared to spend around S$65/pax if you're ordering the 3 course meal with all the add-ons. Nonetheless, it is a place that is worth visiting at least once!

The Black Swan
19 Cecil Street
Singapore 049704
Tel: +65 8181 3305
Website: www.theblackswan.com.sg

There is a recent slew of hipster cafes popping up all across Singapore and Bridge Cafe seemingly seems like one, with a vintage bicycle propped outside. Nonetheless, this is a cafe that I came back a couple of times because I really like how it's quiet, the ambience is relaxing and the food is damn good.

Was introduced to Bridge Cafe/Restaurant/Bar by my vendor, whose office is upstairs, so we met at the Bridge for a meeting over coffee.

My colleague ordered the latte while I went for the non-caffeinated Hazelnut Milk (S$6.50). Colleague wasn't impressed by the latte art but the coffee was good, according to him.

My Hazelnut Milk was simply milk with hazelnut syrup. I asked for the iced version, which you can do! It was delicious but again, there's no need for a culinary genius to prepare this but it is making me feel like buying hazelnut syrup now.

Drinks aside, I reckon that the true test of an eatery has to be it's food. I went back to the Bridge to try out their Executive Set Lunches ($18.90 or $26.90).

My friend and I both went for the Executive Set Lunch 1, which is pricier at $26.90 but still doesn't break the bank. Compared to the less expensive set, you get a more premium choice of mains, a dessert as well as posher tea to slurp on.

I ordered the Cesar Salad and I was so impressed that it came with a poached egg! This really brought a smile to my face as most Cesar Salads you get these days give you bits of hard boiled egg or miserable slices but at the Bridge, you get a whole poached egg and it's the egg yolk that gives the salad the creaminess. The dressing was definitely true to the recipe. I could taste the mustard and they didn't drown the vegetables in dressing. The roast chicken that came along with it was also very tender and rich in flavour.

The Cream of Mushroom Soup came drizzled with truffle oil and just looking at it, you know that this did not come out from a can. It was really chockful of mushrooms and it was so delicious! I'll ditch Soup Spoon for this any day.

Both of us ordered the Veal Cheek Stew and I highly recommend this dish. It was braised for hours in a delicious brown sauce and it is so tender that the knife is rendered useless. Sitting on a bed of mash, this dish is comfort food at its best and the quality of the dish surpasses that of some stews that I've had in some restaurants.

Then came dessert. Could they impress us anymore? Warm brownie served with vanilla ice cream (I could see the vanilla seeds...could it be homemade too?) was the dessert of the day. The brownie was really moist and it reminded me a little of a lava cake. My friend and I were so delighted at the dessert and were also very happy to see that they had Apple Crumble too! This calls for another visit.

The interesting concept is that at 6pm, the cafe turns into a proper restaurant bar. They remove the bicycle and open up the glass doors as well as place LED tea-lights on each table. I'm not sure whether the ala carte menu changes.

In terms of service, there were a bit of a hiccup in the sense that they don't have a lot of wait staff so the barista doubles up as the waiter and perhaps even the bartender. That is fine but when my friend and I went in, there were a few tables with the 'Reserved' sign but we were told that we could sit anywhere...only after we asked. He was preparing a cup of coffee when we entered so we had to wait a bit before he passed us the menus, which again is ok but I would've much preferred if he had told us something like this: "Hi, do take a seat and I'll attend to you shortly." The service is actually quite personable but it's initially a bit awkward.

I've walked past Bridge several times whenever I go to Hock Lam Beef Noodles (it's now relocated) or to the Sin Swee Kee Chicken Rice stall further along Seah Street but never noticed it. This means that Bridge really does need to do some heavier marketing. It does have a bit of a niche in the sense that it's a bit more hipster than the other food outlets along the street but with Saveur at the next street, perhaps Bridge needs to emphasise its cafe/coffee culture.

Check out my next visit to Bridge review on 2 more dishes here.

Bridge Cafe, Restaurant & Bar
31 Seah Street
Singapore 188387 (between City Hall and Bugis MRT, opp Raffles Hotel)

Tel: +65 63334453
Website: https://www.facebook.com/bridgesingapore
Opening Hours: 12pm-10pm (Tues-Fri), 10am-12am (Sat), 10am-5pm (Sun)

Although I've noticed Eighteen Chefs ever since they started at Tiong Bahru Plaza ages ago, I've never stepped into their restaurant until last Sunday when I met up with Siew Mai and we decided to have a dinner...of sorts.

Started by Chef Benny, Eighteen Chefs is a bit like Jamie Oliver's Fifteen, where troubled youth or youth with convictions are given a chance at a proper career and to reintegrate into society.  The food is mainly western fare with a bit of a local flavour.

Siew Mai had a craving for fries and ice cream so we ordered the Double Cheesy Bolognaise Fries (S$6.80).  It's fries topped with mozzarella cheese, bolognaise sauce and finally drizzled with nacho cheese.  You definitely need to share this as one is just waaay too much for a person to finish.  This reminded me of BFF's Wow Wow West or Carl's Jr Chilli Fries minus the chilli.  Chilli Con with fries, perhaps? Me lurve cheeseeeeee....

For the dessert portion, it was a BANANA EXPLOSION (S$6.80)! That jar was full with 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream (I'm guessing either Walls or Magnolia), 1 banana (sliced), drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with chopped almonds.  Would have been more decadent if the bananas were cooked in caramel sauce.  Mmmm....yum.

Overall, I think Eighteen Chefs is ok and they do have wallet-friendly prices, which probably explains why it was super crowded with teens and there was a long queue at 7pm.  The hot honey lemon tea (S$3.80) was 'solid' but I wished that the cup used was a little larger.  Taste-wise, this place doesn't provide a party in your mouth but you can't really complain.  Why I will support them would not be for the food per se but because of what they stand for and the platform it provides to troubled youth.

Eastpoint Mall
3 Simei Street 6
Eastpoint Mall #01-36
Singapore 528833 (Located beside POSB)
Telephone:6782 1298
Operation Hours: Sun - Thu 11.30am - 10pm

Fusionopolis Way

No. 1 Fusionopolis Way
Connexis #B1-12/13
Singapore 138632 (Located at the end of Food Court)
Telephone: 6467 1296
Operation Hours:
11.30am to 9pm (Daily)

*Last order 8.30pm

Tiong Bahru Plaza
302 Tiong Bahru Road
Tiong Bahru Plaza #02-K1/K6
Singapore 168732
Telephone: 6272 0961

Orchard Cineleisure
4th Floor...If I'm not wrong 

How do you pronounce Guy Savoy? I was educated by my bro on this.  It's not English so...it's pronounced as Ghee Sav-wah.  I know what you're thinking.  My colleagues gave me bug-eyed looks when I mentioned the restaurant that I booked for our event's speakers.

Anyway, we had an event at Marina Bay Sands last week so as to thank our speakers, moderators and masters of ceremonies, we had lunch at Guy Savoy where we ordered the "TGV" set lunch (S$55++ for 2 courses).  Let the eating adventure begin!

I don't know whether to call this an amuse bouche or just a treat.  After we made our choices of starters and mains, the waiter handed each of us foie gras on crispy toast on a metal stick.  Delightfully light and crispy, I then wondered whether I should've ordered the crab starter instead.  Haha!

This is the 'real' amuse bouche by the chef.  It first came like this and had us all bewildered.  I can see the paprika and what looks like minced cucumber and crab at the bottom of an interesting bowl/cup.

The magic was completed when the waiter poured chilled asparagus soup into our bowls and instructed us to push the paprika into the bowl before slurping it.  When you lift the bowl, you'll discover a hidden dome of asparagus done in another way.  Sorry about not taking a pic of that.  Was too busy eating.  All I could say is that I would not have known that it was asparagus if the waiter didn't mention so.

For my starter, I chose the pan seared foie gras with potato roll.  The original version came with horse radish but I requested mine without (you guys ought to know how much I detest horse radish by now).  Two words to describe this dish - beautifully executed.  That twirl and roll of potato is one continuous piece! It lightly absorbed the accompanying broth but yet managed to retain its flavour.  Of course, the foie gras was pan seared to perfection.  This dish was refined and elegant.

I. Love. This. Soup.
It's Artichoke and Truffle soup and layered brioche with mushrooms and truffle cream.  You could taste the woody, oaky flavours of the truffles and mushrooms in a warm, comforting soup.  To remind you that this isn't your mother's concoction, the creaminess of the brioche adds that decadence that one expects in fine dining.

For my main, I chose the Atlantic Cod with artichoke polvrade, barigoule aioli and summer condiment of sundried tomato and (I think) thin slices of freeze dried mushrooms.  I quite liked the theatrics of bringing the whole darn fish to our table in the pot before slicing and plating.  Although tasty, I feel that I could probably recreate this dish if I put my mind to it.  The potatoes were nice.  The artichoke was lightly acidic which cuts any fishy taste from the cod.  I liked the texture of the condiments but otherwise, this was not a true party in the mouth.  It's dressed like it's going clubbing but ended up at an Italian family restaurant.

Above is what my colleague ordered and we had a good shock (plus laughter) when they presented the whole pork shank at the table.  The whole shank was HUGE but after cutting it, the small and non-intimidating piece was served with salad and special mineral salt from Spain.  I was told that the special salt was really yummy.  I didn't steal a bite so I can't describe it to you.  :(

 Oh...the petit fours! Too pretty to eat! I'm going to guess the exact names of the petit fours...first is the strawberry shortcake variation, coconut-marshmallow-like cube with fruit jam, chocolate dome and passion fruit macaron with chocolate filling.

To end the wonderful meal, we were served a scoop of earl grey sorbet with black pepper cream.  It was really yummy, which really surprised me because I'm not a huge fan of early grey since it has bergamot. Nonetheless, it is a lot nicer than eating lime sorbet and you could not taste the pepper in the cream.  Delicious!

The view from the restaurant is nothing to shout about (who cares about the casino?) when the true wonderful view is in front of you, in a plate.

Guy Savoy
10 Bayfront Avenue
L2, The Shoppes, Casino Atrium
Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 8513
email: guy.savoy@marinabaysands.com
websites:  www.guysavoy.com OR https://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Restaurants/Celebrity-Chefs/Guy-Savoy/

After lunch, bro suggested dessert and we were about to head over to Fruits Paradise but we chanced upon St. Marc Cafe at Vivo City.  This latest Japanese import is a cafe specialising in desserts and baked goods.  The first St. Marc Cafe was opened in Ginza in 1987 and true to it's Japanese origins, the menu had delightful names for its desserts such as:

• Kyoto delight (above)
• Little Fuji
• Gion 

They also had various ice creams served in large waffle cones too!  I ordered their Kyoto Delight which is a sundae of vanilla soft serve ice cream with matcha ice cream, azuki beans, gyuhii and mochi on a bed of corn flakes and pound cake with a pool of black sugar syrup at the bottom.  All of which was sprinkled with soy bean powder.

This sundae represents all the stuff that I love in Japan.  Yum!! Discovering the corn flakes, pound cake and black sugar was the delight for me.  However, with the syrup all at the bottom, it was incredibly sweet towards the end and I couldn't really finish it.  I'd like to have more matcha to balance the sweet though.

The signature product of St. Marc is their Chococro, which is a chocolate mochi croissant.  There were a lot of people in front of me in the queue who were buying it by the boxes so my bro naturally bought a couple of them.  Unfortunately, he and my mum started munching on them before photos could be taken.

I found it strange that St. Marc also calls the Chococro their daifuku, because it's not something in a mochi but the mochi is in the croissant.  As for the taste, I found the Chococro so-so.  You can't really fault it though.  The chocolate was smooth and reminded me of Nutella while the mochi was soft and gooey, and the croissant was buttery and flaky.  I guess it would make a nice tea snack or light breakfast with a cup of tea but I wouldn't be buying it by the boxes.  Especially when those small little buggers cost $2.60 each.

Nevertheless, I like the vibe of the cafe and I wouldn't mind trying other desserts! I have a separate tummy for desserts..lol!

St. Marc Cafe, Singapore
1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-108-110
Vivo City
Tel: +65 6222 2309
Website: http://saint-marc-sg.com/

Met up with my caterer, Kitchen Language, at one of their restaurants for lunch last Thu as we needed to finalise some logistical matters for my Ladies Workshop that was held last Sat.  It was my first time eating at OChre, although I knew that it was an Italian restaurant and it is priced to be slightly more premium.

I wanted to order their set lunch but the mains from the ala carte menu looked more interesting so I did a mains and dessert swap with my friend and catering manager.

For starters, I chose the scallops...

From left to right: scallop with caviar and a swipe of uni sauce, scallop with pan fried foie gras with a swipe of truffled mushroom sauce and last is just scallop with truffle oil.  Soooo good....

After that starter, I was looking forward to my main of cod fish.  As appetizing as the photo above appears, I must say that I was rather disappointed with this dish.  The fish was cooked perfectly and you can't go really wrong with cod and soy but the vegetables were the main let-down.  The radish and brocolini were tasteless.  I forced myself to eat them so that I get some fibre.  The soy was also a bit weird considering that OChre is supposed to be an Italian restaurant.

My dessert was HEAVENLY.  I ordered the "Sweet & Salty" dessert (S$18+) which consists of a square of warm walnut cake served with ice cream and a smearing of salted caramel.  It is adorned with hazelnuts and almonds as well as a few berries.  Really very yummy and will immediately remind you of a sticky date pudding but less cloying and sweet.  Thank god for this dessert, otherwise my meal would've been spoilt by the lack lustre main.

That said, the food served during my workshop was gorgeous.  The truffle mushroom soup was THICK and the smell of truffle oil permeated the air.  The pizza served was nice and flat while juicy because of the fresh tomatoes used.  Delish!

My friend told me that on Sundays, OChre has a buffet brunch where you will get a full-sized main in addition to whatever is being served at the buffet line. Be sure to go there with an empty stomach!  If you're not going to eat, OChre also has a bar/lounge area that boasts a wine cellar filled with bottles of Italian wines.  Overlooking Orchard, the roof bar is quite a nice chillax area and I would do that one day, when I do have the chance to just kick back and relax.

Great thing is that they don't charge 10% Service Charge but they do have a dress code of 'Smart Casual'.

OChre
181 Orchard Road
#11-03/04 Orchard Central
http://www.ochreitalian.com.sg/

Update: OChre is no longer around as of November 2013.

It's cheat day and I indulged in Once Upon A Milkshake's new offering of Shibuya Toast where the mascot is the super cute Shiba Inu named Hachiko.  I opted for the single with pecan, butterscotch and an additional banana, which came up to a total of $5.50.  The buttered thick toast was nice and warm which made the lovely contrast with the cold vanilla soft serve ice cream. The taste of this dessert is very much expected, so don't expect a party or fireworks in your mouth as you devour each morsel.  If you're sharing, I suggest going for their double toast which has a thicker toast and 2 servings of ice cream.  Cost depends on the toppings but their basic double toast is $4.50.

What I didn't get was...why didn't OUAM provide take-away packaging? I had to gently put this gem into a plastic bag in a manner such that the ice cream didn't touch the plastic bag! To make things worse, I ordered this from their small shop at Raffles City, which meant NO seating...um...even if I were to eat it within the next 5 minutes, I'll still need to carry this thing around...

Greedy friends and I went to Saveur again after dinner at Jai Thai, Purvis Street, for dessert (and dinner round 2 for a super greedy friend).  Note that we originally wanted to have dinner at Saveur but when I arrived at 6.50pm, the waiting list was so long that we would have to wait 1.5 hours before we could get a table.

Nonetheless, friend did leave his number behind and we did have a nice Thai meal in that 1.5 hours.  However, this post is on the yumminess of Saveur...let me proceed:

Looks like a simple salad?  Do not let it fool you.  Their salad has a quail egg that's cooked just right, with the yolk slightly runny.  What's the MOST spectacular part of this is the salad dressing! At first, I thought that it was uber oily but when I tasted it, I was pleasantly surprised and how NOT oily it was! The dressing was the perfect blend of tangy citrus and olive oil.  In fact, it seemed as if there was a perfume of citrus fruits.

Anyway, super glutton friend had a duck confit and angel hair pasta too but you can read about that in my previous post.  This time round, I managed to try the angel hair pasta and well, I wasn't too wowed by it.  It's a very simple pasta tossed with olive oil and pepper and topped with the sakura ebi.

We were there mainly for dessert and I ordered the "Cookie Milk ($9.90++)" off their special menu.  It has been a LONG time I've been served froth.  Last time I saw so much edible froth was in 2009 at Tom Aiken's in London.

Ah...what treasures lie beneath?  It's ice cream with peanut butter and milk froth.  Wait.  There's a surprise in it.  They have sprinkles of honey pops or whatever and it's like fireworks in your mouth!  Super fun dessert!! Will definitely bring out the kid in you.

My friend ordered another dessert from the special menu which was Strawberries with a basil sorbet and mini meringue biscuits.  Basil sorbet? Yup...I frowned when I read that initially but I tried it and it was very very refreshing.  Amazing how everything just came together and was the perfect mix of sour, sweet, cold, soft and slightly crunchy.  Wow.

The week after that, I just HAD to go to Saveur for lunch with my colleagues.  I ordered their Beef ribs ($14.90++) and the Cookie Milk again.

The beef was cooked wonderfully.  Each piece was so tender that no knife was necessary.  You will use the knife to halve the slices so that you get to savour each morsel of beefy goodness twice as many slices as there are.  The potato gratin was also cooked perfectly.  My only complaint was the horseradish dressing in the mesclun salad that accompanied the dish.  I hate wasabi and horseradish.  But if you like them, it is a very nice pairing with the meat and potatoes.

Colleagues and I have fixed Saveur as a weekly lunch destination.  'Nuff said.  Are you sure you're not going to try the food there once?