Max Brenner Chocolate Bar

After the concert ended, we decided to have some drinks before we headed home. I've been wanted to try Max Brenner's famous chocolate creations, so off we went to his cafe. It was kind of late, but still the very small group of staffs were kept busy by the crowds. We had to wait for around 10 mins to be allowed to sit at one of the remaining empty tables. The menu was equally disappointing, lots of items were not available anymore so we were left with less choices.

I had to pick the one with the least milk products in it, as I've just discovered that I'm lactose intolerant (unlucky me). I didn't really take notes of the names, I think I was having the Belgian dark chocolate drink. It was in between dark chocolate fondue and hot chocolate milk, with a little foam on top. Warm and soothing, suits well with this rainy season.

T decided to be more adventurous. She had the Mexican hot chocolate, a blend of chocolate, cinnamon and, wait for it..chilies. The first taste was a little tickling in the tongue and hot at the throat. I found it very unique, the taste was stronger than the chili chocolate bar I had before. Halfway through it, T had a difficulty in gulping the rest down. She said the spices gave an uneasy feelings to the stomach, a common case if you're not familiar with the combination of cocoa and spices.

We ordered some churros from their special threats promotion to be dipped in our chocolates. Spanish (or is it Mexican too?) style! The churros are great here, not too much sugar coatings, crispy on the outside but soft inside. They absorbed liquids well; we were having good dunks and bites (hehe).

On top of everything, we really enjoy the mugs. They are cleverly designed for us to comfortably hold our drinks, really something that we enjoy. Besides chocolate drinks, there are other sweets made from chocolates too: crepes, pancakes, cakes, ice creams, and so on. But as I said before, lots of them were not available anymore.We'll try our luck another day.

Max Brenner
8 Raffles Avenue
#01-06/08 Esplanade Mall
Singapore 039802
Tel: 6235 9556

Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge

Due to the slightly unsatisfied feeling left from TWG, me and T went for another tea time, in the hope that this time it would be perfect. We were hanging out in Orchard road, which was extremely busy as it always does on every weekend. The idea popped as we wanted to escape from the crowds and give our legs some rests. Despite the fact that we've never been to Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge before, we decided to give it a shot since I read a couple of astonishing blog posts about them.

Smoked salmon and prawn open sandwich

We were served by an old lady who was very attentive inspite of the long queue waiting behind us. The place is rather small remembering that it's the only cafe in Takashimaya department, but we quite enjoy the vibe. It's casual enough for us to be comfortably chatting over teas. The only downside was the way they arranged the tables in some areas, so close with one another that I even overheard other's conversations clearly.

The tea in a cute porcelain mug

On to the foods.. We had the afternoon tea set for two, comprises of mini open faced sandwiches, scones, a quiche, a selection of cake and coffee/tea. What were first served to our table really did surprise me. The bread in the open sandiches were buried under huge stacks of seafoods. We had prawns and scrambled eggs rolled in smoked salmon, both are mildly seasoned, just as we wanted them to be. This is tea time, not lunch right? Oh and they're just simply photogenic too!

Fresh creams, raspberry jam and butter

Scones

Next up were the scones, served with butter, raspberry jam and fresh cream. These were the plain version of scones, resembled a bread rather than cake. They were lack of that crumbly texture, but they didn't have to be. The dough was so aromatic, with the right amount of butter that they're not dry nor too oily. My favourite item from the condiments was the raspberry preserves. I think scones are best eaten with jam and a little bit of butter.

Quiche filled with spinach and pine nuts.

The set came with a selection of cake that we could choose from the display fridge. I was spoiled by the wide array of scrumptious cakes. If I weren't having my huge brunch earlier that afternoon, I'd be going for some rich chocolate cakes, which are the types they had the most. The green tea cake, however, seemed to be a best seller here since it was what most people ordered. Plus, it just sounds fit to have something lighter than a creamy cake after our encounter with those treats. This cake was marvelous; generous amount of matcha powder was used to produce the bitter-sweet taste in this cake and the pickled plum added some unique overall flavour.

Two thumbs up! I would definitely go back for the matcha cake. This place is surely on my list of visit now. I just need to come at the right time, avoiding Sunday if possible.

Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge

391 Orchard Road

2F Ngee Ann City

Tel: +65 6735 6833

Tea Cosy

Long ago had I noticed the evolution of this store. Eclectic Attic used to be a furniture shop; selling antique furniture and house decorations, as well as serving some hot drinks and some light bites for the visitors. It has given a name for the cafe recently: Tea Cosy, as apparently, more people came for the tea than the furniture. They sell less furniture now; the items consisted of mainly statues and porcelains. I passed the shop the other day and saw the high tea promotion they advertised on the entrance. I decided to give it a shot.

The set consisted of two-tire assorted mini cakes and two drinks. They have a tiny menu and very short drink list. Besides coffee and tea, there’s very few left for you to choose.

Sacher torte, a chocolate cake originated from Austria; consisted of two layers sponge cake and thin layer of apricot jam and dark chocolate icing. The yellow one is the mango cake; mango cream sandwiched between sponge cakes with mango icing.

On the back is tiramisu with a strong taste of coffee and hardly contains any alcohol. The other two are carrot cake with cream cheese icing and a chocolate brownie with nuts.

Overall, it tastes ok, but doesn’t worth the price. Also, the service is very slow as there are only a couple of waitress serving the customers, both on foods and the antique stuffs.

Tea Cosy by Eclectic Attic
#05-10 Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
Tel: 6732 7356

Toast: Chocolate Temptations

As the title has told you, this post is all about chocolate. I was having this crave for something chocolately, bitter sweet, whether it's rich or light would do. As I knew that I could get to choose from various sweet treats at Toast, I headed there since we're in Ngee Ann City already.

First up, is the chocolate truffle cake. Thin layers of chocolate sponge cake altered between dark chocolate mousses. The mousse is dense but smooths enough, with a rich flavor of chocolate. I shared this with my friend as I’m sure, even a chocoholic like me can’t finish them up at one go.

I was fooled by this petite chocolate tart. The chocolate ganache seemed very thin and resembles nothing but a light companion to the crust. It is indeed, can satisfy my craving after the first bite of it. After eating both of them in turns, we left some over. It was good though, paired with the bitter coffee, but I need to remember not to order more than a piece next time.

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

Marmalade Pantry: the two best desserts

Despite being great on serving mains, Marmalade Pantry’s scrumptious desserts never failed to impress me. The simple menu- white sheets on a clipboard, doesn’t guarantee a boring list. Nestled in the middle of a deserted shopping mall, this contemporary restaurant has always been crammed, with executives as their main clients. The place is undeniably comfortable, I could sit there for hours, drink my cup of coffee and catching up with my girls over desserts.


I was torn between ordering something sour, like their mouth-watering lemon pie, or the banoffee pie. After all, my tongue was calling for that banana, toffee and thin layer of creams over the sweet tart base. It land in my table gorgeously. Originated from the UK, this Simple, yet lip-smacking dessert has become one of my favourite. Banana, dulce de leche and tart complement each other very well, making it irresistible.


The house specialty is the sticky date pudding. No doubt about it, I was ordering one too. Though I had encountered a couple of experiences in this pudding, it still wowed me to this moment. The gooey warm cake is smooth and moist, perfectly accompanied by a scoop of smooth vanilla beans ice cream and butterscotch sauce.


For the same amount of money I paid this time, you can get a lunch for two at a pretty decent place. A tad too expensive for desserts in my opinion, but the feeling you’ll get is incomparable. It makes a brilliant choice for a lazy Sunday afternoon or after a special dinner.

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

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/

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