Bakerzin- not a dessert post

Who says this place is just great at desserts? Our visit last night had proven that the claim isn't quite right. A and I wanted something quick before we met with his cousin that night. Every other places have people queuing up infront of the entrances, leaving us to choices of snacks or coffee shops. We've seen some changes in Bakerzin's menu and decided to give it a try.

A picked his favourite: Braised Pork Belly.  Aren't the addition of flavoured hard boiled eggs just cute? Best of all is the sauce; sweet, not too runny nor jelly-like, absorbed well by the tender pork. Nevertheless, according to A, he had a better version in his previous visit.

The long, extended pasta menu has drawn up my curiosity. Whether pastas are their specialties, I was not sure when I chose that seafood marinara. The taste was, surprisingly good. They were mixing white wine with the tomato based sauce and gave some pretty generous portion of seafoods.

I didn't expected at all that the kitchen could do some other cooking besides baking. I mean, their baked stuffs are just fabulous, but this mains gave them another applause. I've seen other tables having the pizza flakes, which I ought to try next time, which is coming soon.

Bakerzin

290 Orchard Road

#02-09 The Paragon

Tel: +65 6333 6647

Graze: Table for Three, Please

"There you go, finally we're here!" said my friend I when we first spotted the sign. It was half past eight, no doubt we were very hungry. Walking down the road from the valet-service, the air was full of food aromas, musics and chattering sounds from the cafes along the way.

The lounge seen from our table

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It was our lucky day, since there was only a table left available. We didn't mind outdoor seating at all but rather pleased as the weather was supportive that night. Another good thing that I like about the seating's in Graze is the lounge, where you can relax a little bit before or after dinner while watching some classic movies.
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The complimentary breads that were gone by the first minutes

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I noticed some changes in their menu, the main entrees are mostly replaced by a longer list of some exquisite meals. They're also serving some grilled stuffs and a wider range of pastas, as well as vegetarian foods.
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The tiger prawn linguine ($29), with a generous serving of wild rockets, has that subtle flavour of white wine and a sharp garlic taste. I like the simplicity here, less ingredients doesn't always means taste-less.

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Just like it's name, the trio of cheese risotto ($27) starred three cheese in the rice: stilton, mascarpone and taleggio. Not that spectacular, but just deliciously smooth and creamy.

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This is the star of the day. Taken from the vegetarian menu, this organic pumpkin ravioli ($27) dressed in shallots, hazelnuts and some fresh herbs. The pumpkin fillings was a true winner, very rich in flavour, a little spicy with some chermoula.
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Clockwise from the top left: sour soup sorbet, banana fritter with ice cream, bittersweet chocolate tart with banana, Graze black and white puddings with their ice creams, homemade strawberry and honeycomb ice cream, classic afrigado, chocolate creme brulee, apple, pineapple and cherry crumble, and in the middle, pavlova with mango sorbet.

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We were stuffed; but I still wanted my dessert. The last time I was here I had the dessert tasting platter ($35) which I found very amazing. Since my best friend I was only staying for a short trip here, I really wanted her to taste it. It's basically a sample of all the desserts on their menu but only in mini portions.

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We're really glad that we had to walk back since we need that extra move to get the foods down the throat a little before we sit again. It was a real delectable dinner though, a stunning meal with my closest friends.
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Graze

4 Rochester Park

Singapore 13921

Tel: 6775 9000

Website: http://www.graze.com.sg

Riders Cafe: with the horses

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This place is cool. I'm not talking about the weather, but rather the ambiance. They said that the greens are good for your eyes, so here I am, in a perfect gate away from the busy city. Rider's cafe is located in Bukit Timah Saddle club, which is famously known for the horses. Sitting here, you can see the horse grazing and even smell them a little as you sip your drinks and have lunch.

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The stable seen from the balcony

Have you meet my friends, Mocha and Latte?

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It was a humid and sunny day so we had some ice-cold coffees too cool our body down. This authentic building is not air-conditioned. The large windows and high ceilings keep the fresh air ventilated.

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The outdoor seating's
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Rider's burger ($14)
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Chicken club sandwich ($15)

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Strawberry shortcake ($10)

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Now, this is cute. Unlike the ordinary strawberry shortcake that we've usually bought from the bakeries, theirs is presented in a cup: smooth custards with big sweet strawberries and biscuits, topped with whipped creams and crumbles. I like the sweet berries but since I don't fancy creams at all, it's not going to be one of my favourites.

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The foods are usual, nothing really outstanding but I love the place very much. They have brunch available on weekends and the menu is really tantalizing. A simple warm breakfasts to start your day-off at this homely and laid back place, I'll surely coming back soon.

Rider's Cafe

51 Fairways Drive

Bukit Timah Saddle Club

Singapore 286965

Tel: 6466 9819

Website: http://www.riderscafe.sg/

Chili's

What makes a good "nachos"? Crispy, cheesy, and a little spicy corn chips paired with refreshing dips.. Though it didn't came with guacamoles, these nachos ($13.90) from Chili's are superb! Covered with very generous amounts of cheese and spicy seasonings, I was really glad that I picked them from the appetizer's menu. The moment they arrived, I munched nearly three quartered of them down.

BBQ ranch burger ($18.90)

Whenever A sees bacon and cheese burger on the menu, he attempt to order it. It seems that it always looks good to him. Chili's version, however, doesn't satisfy him as much as Relish did. Size wise, it's obviously too big that he couldn't even finish it.

The grilled salmon with garlic and herbs ($29.90) looks great on the picture, but the reality says a different thing. The rice taste very weird, almost like eating foods straight from the can. Nevertheless, the salmon is very tender and I love the way they balanced it with some veggies.

nThough we were exceedingly full, we said yes when the waiter asked if we would like some desserts. Among all the other options, the molten chocolate cake ($16.90) looks the best. But alas, it was totally disappointing. Topped with the hard chocolate shells, the ice cream was too creamy and sweet. We found that the cake was too dry and large. There's no melted chocolate at all; I suspect that it was because of the ice cream. They were using chocolate sponge cake filled with chocolate chunks instead of baking the flour less chocolate cake half-done.
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For me, there will be no second visit, at least for the short period of time. We might come again only for the nachos though. This chili isn't that hot.

Chili's
#02-23 Tanglin Mall
163 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247933

Relish by Wildrocket

It's not a secret that I love brunch and a sunny lazy Sunday is a perfect day to go for it. I've heard so much (and also read, from other blogs of course) about Relish, lots of people reviewed that they have really nice burgers.

A ordered the bacon and cheese burger ($19). Every burger here comes with the fries. The beef patty is very thick, tender and has juicy flavour. I warn you, by the time you try this you'll stop going to Carl's Junior, Burger King, or other fast food joints which serves burger in Singapore. Though it might be more expensive, it's absolutely worth more to go for. For dinner, they have an option for the beef patty on the burger. If you feel hungrier, you can opt for the 180 grams of patty instead of the usual 150 grams.

I had the smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and cream cheese bagel ($18). It was a true indulgence, I've never eat salmon bagel this good. Toasted just perfect, the bagel has a crisp outer but still soft inside. The rocket leaves give a balance flavour to the creamy eggs and cream cheese. And I love the crispy diced potatoes, they're amazing! I would certainly prefer this compared to the usual fries. This item is only available for weekend brunch, so I need to wait for a week for another bite. (;p)

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I saw that they have several sweet items for brunch and some desserts too. We were quite full and decided to go for some ice cream from Island Creamery next door instead. I will certainly come back to try their burger and of course, the dessert next time.

Relish by Wild Rocket
#02-01 Cluny Court (next to Serene Centre)

501 Bukit Timah Road

Singapore 259760
Tel: 67631547

The Marmalade Pantry

I took my best friend T for a dinner yesterday at Marmalade Pantry in Palais Renaissance. I've been telling her about their amazing sticky date pudding but she never had a chance to try it. Since it was during the weekday, I decided to just walk in without reservations. Sure enough, though it was around 8 p.m., we were the only guests at the restaurant.

We ordered this homemade pita wedges ($9) for starter. It went very well with the dips.

T had the warm spinach & roast onion salad with bacon & mozzarella ($21). It came in a quite huge portion and served with the poached egg on top. The caramelized onion gives a subtle flavour to the fresh spinach and crispy fried mozzarella.



I had the penne with fresh pesto, tomato and grilled butternut ($18). I've always love pesto and pumpkin, the combination of both in a pasta is just wonderful.


Finally, the sticky date toffee pudding with vanilla bean ice cream ($12) that we shared between us as we were quite full. Though it was my fourth time eating this dessert, it gave me an "oomph" feeling. The warm date pudding is not too overly sweet, perfectly paired with the toffee sauce and cold vanilla ice cream. I personally think that this is the best dessert from this place. Even T has agreed with me now.

We got a little surprised when it came to the bill. They are having a "ladies night" every Wednesday and 20% discount is given to every girls dining in. Now girls, you know the best time to visit them. And don't forget the sticky date pudding! ;)

Marmalade Pantry
390 Orchard road
#B1-08 Palais Renaissance
Tel: 6734 2700