El Patio: Mexican Feast

Foods in Holland village never get so boring. One time I could came for the Italian or Thai or westerns, but most of all, I favoured the Mexican. There are two that you can find: Cha Cha Cha and El Patio. The latter, being the chosen one for that night, has successfully delivered its authentic Mexican image.

We sat in the open air area, enjoying the good weather despite the rainy season we are now experiencing. As we sat, they served some complimentary tortilla chips which are refillable as soon as we finished the previous basket. The salsa is a perfect complement to it, the tangy tomato flavours gave that fresh tickle to your tongue.

Being curious, I tried their tequila coffee; served with some whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon powders on top. The tequila was strongly dominant in the drink, it was like drinking a shot of it with a hint of coffee.

Greedy as we are, the three of us opted for the combination platter. We picked two tapas from the selection of burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and tacos, which will came in single plate.

Burrito grande and chicken quesadillas

Soft texas taco and chicken quesadillas

Beef enchiladas and turkey burrito

I know, they all looked pretty similar and though they used tomatoes as the main ingredients, they are actually different in taste. The quesadillas are crispily toasted with warm and tender chicken fillings. The burritos are just as nice as the enchiladas, perfectly cooked with the right amount of spices. According to your liking, you can choose the meat fillings; beef or chicken. Notice that all foods are drizzled with some sour creams and they came with a side of fresh mixed salad to balance the meals.

Last but not least, my favourite part: dessert! We shared some churros among us and I have to admit, their's are so good. Now, it was until recently that I started to like churros, as I didn't see them regularly in normal bakeries. I love the cinnamon taste that it brought and being not overly sweet, the batter are light, just right to end the heavy meal.

El Patio

34 Lorong Mambong
Holland Village

Tel: +65 6468 1520

Seoul Yummy

I finally found a good Korean restaurant worth mentioned in this blog. From which I can remember, I was never into Korean foods. The very first introduction to it was ages ago and it's none other than kimchi. Maybe I wasn't in the right restaurant after all that my first impression to it was horrible. So there went the stereotype; the little me thought that all Korean foods are typically sour. Some time later, Korean dramas seemed to have saved me; the continuous exposions of those foods on most episodes had raised my curiousity. I saw more than pickled cabbage and sooner than I realised, I've been endavour in much of those goods..

Clockwise from top: kimchi, cold tofu, anchovies

Friday afternoon used to be a liberated day for me. Those minutes near the end of my last class for the week, my head was full of good places I might be coming for lunch. Not mentioning I was hungry as well. Choosing a place with less crowds seemed to be a wise decision, so I took my friend to the Central, intended to try something new.

From top to bottom: broiled peanuts, fruit salad and cucumber kimchi

After a little walk, I spotted Seoul Yummy and was greeted by some yummy pictures. My stomach immediately decided to end the search here. Soon as we settled with the orders, we were served the typical side dishes, consisted of about 6 different sides in mini portions. I personally love the peanuts; they're somehow sweeter from the usual broiled nuts.

For mains, we had two bulgogies: beef and chicken. The two items are surprisingly among the best that I've ever had. Served in a hot skillet, the meats sizzle when they first arrived.

Though they might have similar names, the two meats are cooked with different sauces. The beef has darker sauce which taste more like teriyaki sauce, while the chicken has a spicier red sauce. Both are utterly divine and that's why you can't have a single type on your table.

In addition, we ordered rice cake to be shared. Soft and chewy without being hard, they're great with the sweet and sour sauce.

After all, this Seoul is really yummy. The place is pretty nice to welcome the weekends after the hectic week. Price wise are definitely worthed. From the name card, I found that they have another branch in Novena Square, just steps away from my home. How wonderful is that?

Seoul Yummy

6 Eu Tong Sen Street

#03-92/95 The Central @ Clarke Quay

Tel: +65 6227 8802

Orange Cake for Breakfast

I've been coming back to Toast a lot lately, as I always found something new that I'd like to try from there. My sweet tooth are always telling me to eat sweet foods all the time; even for breakfast. Loaf cakes are often on my top choices, since they resembled a bread (they're quick bread, remember?).

Look at how pretty this slice is, don't you just want to eat it?

Without going too far away from lemon, this time I had this orange cake from Toast. It came in two slices which it's totally up to you if you want to gobble both of them altogether. I saved one for later. This thing is gooood. They're not overly loaded with sugar and I can see some orange skin bits in it. Most importantly, the crusts are perfectly done and locked all the flavours from the cake.

Toast
391 Orchard road
#02-11 Ngee Ann city
Tel: 6733 8489

Sofra

The chef and the Kebab work-station

Sofra; the name stands for "dining" in Turkish. After doing some research, Sofra seemed to be a suitable place for our lunch this weekend. Away from the crowded Arab Street, it provided a serene environment for a weekend lunch (or brunch? hehe). Anyway, we were there last weekend; all of us with empty stomaches..

Sesame Bread

While we wait, we had some Sesame Bread and Hummus dip. Made from a cream mixture of chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice, the hummus is a very refreshing companion for the warm bread. They gave a considerable portion too, for those who dip a lot, like me. Consisted of mainly tomatoes and bell peppers, the Sofra Salad is too plain I would say. The dressing was ok but there are hardly any walnuts in there, despite what was written in the menu.

Chef Plate is a combination of Doner Kebap, Izgara Kofte (grilled flat meatball) and a skewer of Shish Kebap. The best item on the plate would be the Izgara Kofte, cooked perfectly with smoky taste, crisp outer but tender meat. It was served with some turkish bread-warm and fluffy; just came out from the oven, I reckon. They combine chicken, beef and lamb here, but I can't tell you which one is which, except the white one (it must be chicken).

Beyti Kebab is spiced meat patties rolled in their homemade bread, served with some tomato sauce. There are three choices of meat: chicken, beef or lamb. I find this very unique; they roll it together and cut them into smaller pieces. This one would be the chicken, but I think it doesn't matter- everything there will taste great with any meat fillings.

Golden Jacket Cream Dory

I didn't have a stomach for any heavy meats and opted for some fish instead. I thought it would just be in a perfectly fit portion and obviously not this extremely huge. Mine came out really, really late and I immediately understood why when it finally came. There are lots of stuffs in the plate (or is it tray?haha), can almost be shared for 3. They put lots of tomatoes, diced beet-roots, flavoured rice and of course, the dory with cheese fillings. I like the tomato sauce that was midly spiced and it goes well with the whole thing. 

For dessert (Yes, I can't skip this thing), we opted for something small: Baklava. I was being careful this time and asked the waiter about the portion. It came in two tiny pieces and I'm glad it did. The flaky pastry would deliciously paired with the istachio fillings, if only the syrup wasn't too sweet. Even a sweeth-toothed person like me can't even finish one whole pastry. But I did my research, and found out that Baklava are traditionally sweet; so maybe that's the way it is?

To tackle down the sweetness, some bitter Turkish coffee or tea are recommended. Small cups are enough for you, I tried them. By the end of the meal, we were fully filled. Even after it past the lunch time, most of the seatings are remained empty. Some diners kept the kitchen busy though, making it a perfect place to go for a laidback weekend.

Sofra - Turkish Cafe & Restaurant

100 Beach Road #02-42/43/44
Shaw Tower (Shaw Leisure Gallery)
Singapore 189702
Tel: (65) 6291 1433

Cedele: Tea Break

There are several reasons which makes Cedele one of my favourite place to eat: long listed and greatly wide-ranging menu (I personally love the fact that they serve all-day-breakfast), peaceful ambiance (I usually go to Wheelock Place or Great World City), tasteful dishes; despite the fact that they are healthy. Yes, all the foods are prepared thoughtfully, most of them that you'll find are the kind of gluten free, fat free or low sugar.

When I'm not coming here for lunch or brunch, I seek for their cakes and pastries. How could I not, when they have everything I like; from muffins, cakes, tarts, pies, cookies – the list goes on. Most of them are available each day whereas I need to get lucky to try out the others. Today I picked pistachio chocolate cake to be eaten with my coffee. Dense and rich dark chocolate fudge are delectably paired with crunchy pistachios. It's a big slice though, I'm not sure if I'm going for dinner in 2 hours from now.

The caramelized banana pancake came with a scoop of ginger ice cream from Cloud 9, Cedele's very own ice cream brand. The pancakes are smooth, not chewy at all, which is what I look for in pancakes. The caramelized bananas added a sweet note to them; bananas and pancakes are meant to be together, I think. My friend dislike the ice cream though, it has a strong ginger taste with some bits of ginger candies in it, but I think it's brilliant as I never had a good ginger ice cream before. I guess for a local food chain, Cedele has enhanced their quality and come up with a fantastic creation of foods.

Cedele

501 Orchard Road #03-14
Wheelock Place
Tel: (65) 6732 8520
Fax: (65) 6732 8526

Tawandang Microbrewery

Dempsey Hill seems like a perfect place for a nice, sunny Sunday afternoon, had everyone hadn't think the same way as I am. It was a little past the lunch time, well maybe it was the lunch time for some people (It's the weekend, you know) that almost all the restaurants are packed with people. Even the road and the parking place are crowded with cars. So we went around to find a place to eat, somewhere we haven't tried before. That very moment I spotted Tawandang, a Thai Restaurant which seems to have only few customers sitting on the outside. We approached thee waitress and he took us in, and that's when I realize that I was wrong.

Green Curry Chicken

By the time he opened the door, the soundsof people chattering inside find their way out. There are more than 6 groups of people dining in, from which the two of them are the large ones. High ceilings, natural furnitues, red walls and some jazz seemed cozy enough for us. Despite the Authentic name, Tawandang Microbrewery is a modern Thai Restaurant and Bar which serves mostly German Beers. They're having a life performance at night; but I don't know the exact timing.

Spicy Kang Kong with Shrimp Paste

The foods are surprisingly nice, inspite of the merger between Thai and Germany cuisines. The Green Curry is rich in herb flavours, a little spicy and sour altogether. It came in a pot a size of individual steamboat pot and they're pretty generous in the tender chicken.

Spicy Pork Salads

This spicy prok salad is very refreshing. It has a sour-peppery gravy with some raw red onions, green chilies, dried red chilies and of course, herb leaves. This is the top rated dish for that day, it will wash away all those little sick feelings after consuming too much coconut milk from the curry.

Overall, the foods and the vibe are casual, yet we enjoy them very much. Will I come back? Maybe not in a short period, (there's still so many more to try!) but that was a nice dining experience that was worth a try.

Tawandang Microbrewery

26 Dempsey Road

#01-01

Tel: +65 6476 6742

The Fullerton: Mooncake

The mooncake craze in Singapore has somehow affected me in a way that makes me addicted to it. An old fashion bakeries may have been so experienced in making these pastries for years but some of them are still too sweet for my taste bud. The cakes were traditionally paired with some bitter chinese tea; a rare case in these modern days. Meanwhile, people are becoming more health-concious nowadays. Some of them stands at the extremes, but I do agree that mooncakes aren't good for health if eaten too much. Modern bakeries seemed to understood these situations and created low sugar versions of the mooncakes. I tried this baked lotus with single yolk from the Fullerton and I'm hooked. It's not overly sweet while still able to hold that rich lotus flavours. Eating a slice or two of this wont give any harm to your body!

"Burger" Cake?

Canele is one of the places where you can get awesome pastries and chocolates. A sister of Les Amis group, this Patisserie has been around for about 5 years. Besides the sweets, there are also some savoury items available; whether as mains or snacks.Taken from their all-time favourite list, the Strawberry Shortcake is light and refreshing. The sponge cake is very airy with thin layers of fresh creams and sweet and sour strawberries.

They renew their menu each year, adding some new, creative innovations to the desserts list. One of the 2009 creations is the macaron burger, which is utterly cute I would say. The buns were made from macaron shells, with chocolate mousse as the patty, red meringue "tomato" and orange jelly "cheese". Though it doesn't taste like a good, greasy cheeseburger, it does taste like a nice layered dessert. How creative!

 

1 Scotts Road

#01-01A, Shaw Centre
Singapore 228208
Tel : (65) 6738 9020

Relish: In The Search of A Good Burger

Remember that post about Robin from "How I met your mother"? How I went around to try burgers in Singapore? Well I think the search of a good burger ends here at Relish. They had all it takes to make a good burger: perfect buns, flavourful patties and crispy fries that are nicely presented. The plus mark would be given to the ambiance, as the place is very laid back and cozy for lunch, dinner and brunch.

Ok, since this is my first time having their beef burger (Yes, I've always had their other items), I opted for the non-ordinary one: Blue Cheese + Pear Burger. I would say that it's very creative; using blue cheese in the patty, poached pears and walnut butter. They came together nicely, giving me that "wow" sensation.

The Mexicana Burger is one of the new items in the menu. Beef patty topped with bacons and chili beef, giving a wonderful Mexican touch. Apparently, you can switched the fries with some onion rings, but of course they added some extra bucks.

As for usual, I can't skip the hand made onion rings. I like it very much; the batter has that flavour, crispy on the outside without using the bread crumbs.

Relish is currently having some promotions. The 2 best from what they offered are Wednesday and Friday. Ladies night in Weds and free onion rings on Friday. Unlucky enough, we weren't there on Friday. But it doesn't matter, it's totally worth it.

Relish by Wild Rocket

#02-01 Cluny Court (next to Serene Centre)

501 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 259760
Tel: 67631547