Angie's Birthday Celebration at Cafe Cartel

It has been some time since i stepped into cafe cartel again. Don't really fancy the food there as i am not a meat-eater... usually will go for their pasta... the creamier the better. About time to do some carbo-loading for my marathon this sunday, although i think i will end up running to lau pa sat for breakfast.
That's what we ordered: Chicken & mushroom baked macaroni in cream sauce... So creamy. Geri's and lixian's plates were creamier! Their macaroni were drowned in the pool of cream... so much so that lixian can dip her bread into the sauce and eat.

The bread was warm and toasted... one good way of eating it is to spread some mozerella cheese on top of the bread after u spread your butter. The gals were so hungry that they took two baskets full of bread... u only see one in the picture above.My plate wasn't that creamier... some macaroni still managed to "breathe" on the top. Theirs were almost completely drowned.

This cake was brought from secret recipe. Had it once during Monica's 21st birthday party. It's the white chocolate macademia cake ($5.55). Hmm... it doesn't taste as good as the time i ate at Monica's party. The girls commented that the sponge wasn't good enough but the white chocolate is fantastic~

This is angie, the birthday gal!

Sth exotic?-- Ambrosia

Korean, Japanese, Western, Thai cuisines?? Nay~ Too common... Ru wants sth exotic! Hence i went to do some research on the more exotic cuisines in Singapore (we are not refering to those fried insects).

After searching thru the webs and food blogs, i came across this Mediterranean(i've hard time spelling this word) restaurant called Ambrosia, serving Arabic and Southen European Cuisines. Hmm.. Reviews weren't that fantastic... Basically it was their svc that pulled down their points. Anyway, we made a reservation, thinking Saturday will have a lot of people, but turn out that we were the only customers.

I was pretty worried initially judging from the "crowd" in the restuarant, there was only one staff at the cashier. If the food turns out to be bad, then my reputation will go down the drain! Most imptly, i didn't want ru and the gals to be disappointed.

All of us ordered their lunch set, which were priced at $9(main course and soft drink), $12(with salad) and $15(with salad and dessert). Hannah ordered a plate of chicken wings as starters:

Pic below: Fattoush Salad- Crisp lettuce, carrot, onion, cucumber, tomato, omatoes & toasted pita with olive oil. Okie, that's what i copied out from the menu... apparently the crisp lettuce was missing in the picture.

Debbie didn't know there was cucumbers and she totally gave up on anything "stained" with cucumbers.. so Yuhan got to eat it =). I liked the toasted pita... taste like those toasted bread biscuits. Pretty oily but hey, it's toasted and not deep-fried + with olive oil..i felt less guilty now. But sometimes you don't know what chefs do behind the kitchen... olive oil might be substituted with veg oil, toast might be deep fried instead...
Rating:3/5 (a diff kind of salad i would say)


Main course: Doner Kebab- Chicken with potato wedges. I like Kebab alot. It's a turkish/egytian dish? Had sultana Kebab @ Peace centre but that one was served in wrap while this is served on toasted pita bread. The chicken one taste better than the beef; the beef was abit rough. I like this alot... the white sauce is yogurt sauce and not mayo. Portion is a little big~ Like Turkish version of Carls Junior.
Rating: 4/5
That's Faith (left) and Hannah (right). Hannah's plate of wings had become bones by the time our main course arrived. Took really long for them to serve us! That only staff whom we saw ran out of the shop to get ice, went into the kitchen, and out again to serve us... multiple roles. That's Ru, our birthday gal! We were eating with forks and knives but i think it adds more flavour eating with hands =) Location:
Ambrosia, the Mediterreanean Resturant
19, Baghdad Street Singapore 199658
http://www.ambrosiacafesingapore.com/index.html

Togi Korean Restaurant

Whoa! I'm having a quiz on Thursday and i'm wasting my time blogging away! But i just had too many food photos stored in my hp and they shld be uploaded somewhere before i delete them to take more (delete and take delete and take... makes no sense... i shld revive my food blog again) This time round... less words and more pictures...

This is my first time trying authentic korean food! Usually i had kimchi ramen @ foodcourt, which is just normal instant noodle ridiculously priced at $5.00 (i'm crazy to pay that money for instant noodles too.. but sometimes just have that cravings for kimchi). This restaurant is really authentic! Not in terms of the interior decor (it's so plain and dull! Maybe that's how usual restaurants look like in Korea) but the food is pretty decent.


The meal started with a series of 6 dishes (free~but i think they charged)... 1. kimchi 2. anchovies 3. bean sprouts 4. cucumber 5. long beans? 6. ???. I like the idea of eating with the heavy metal chopsticks and rice served in metal bowl... So authentic~~

We ordered fried spicy squid and it comes with a plate of lettuce. You are supposed to wrap the squid in the lettuce and eat.

Korean rice cakes- One of their local delicalies which many people raved to me about!! It tastes like chee cheong fun to me tho. I feel that the dishes were not spicy enough... looked very red but it was still quite mild.

Oh... er... i have a soft-spot for noodles... still had my kimchi ramen in the end... altho it's still instant noodles (not crystal jade handmade ramen) but slightly more liao4 (ingredients) as compared to kopitiam? Ok.. i'm just cheating myself... so guys, just go ahead and try their main dishes... don't fall for instant noodles which throws in a few seaweeds and kimchi and priced it at $9++ -_-""

Missing in the pic is the Korean staple- Ginseng Chicken Soup. Very generous portion with the chicken.. i think the whole chicken is inside... What was interesting about the soup was that there were glutinous rice in it!?!?! I'm not a very ginseng person so don't really know how to appreciate.

Overall, i find this place pretty value for $$.. costs about $15-$18 per person. No service charge and gst. And there is a free flow of the cold dishes and free refill of your ginseng soup. A new place to bring my friends to try!!

Shokudo (Part 1)

I have been going to this Japanese Marche at least twice a week. Erm... not becos the food is fantastic, but becos the concept is pretty new.. So i have been catching up with my various groups of friends in this restaurant.

As they function like Marche (card concept), u don't really know or keep track of how much u have spent... it's a very gd marketing concept as u don't feel the pinch.. until u pay at the cashier after yr meal.

Individual items seem cheap initially... ranging from $7-$12... but as u accumulate with side dish and desserts... +GST + Service Charge, it's not cheap at all!!! Average spending at the end is about $18 and beyond. My friends of 3 generated a receipt of $100+! He felt quite cheated... it's abt $30/pax, could have go for an authentic jap restaurant instead.

Verdict: Tried once for the experience is sufficient. Their dessert crepes is the only thing to rave abt and sth which i will go back for. Their pasta is not too bad, with special jap cream sauce, nicer than pasta de waraku. The rest are not worth the $ tho...

My 1st Visit (out of 7 times)

Teriyaki Chicken Burger: 3/5
Hmmm... Edible. Not sure if it's the quality of the camera or this burger really was unappetizing. Fries and veggies looked rather uncooked hor. Guess it's for those who are hungry but not out to look for good quality burgers...
Pasta:4/5
I like the special wafu sauce. For the healthy conscious, soup based pasta is available too =)
Omelette Station
Mushroom Cheese Omelette:3/5
Too expensive for a plate of omelette. The fillings were quite stingy too. Dessert: Mochi Ice with Red Bean +Green Tea ice cream: 3.8/5
*Very chewy mochi with sweet red beans.. but don't be fooled by this picture.. It isn't a bowl of red bean but a bowl of shaved ice, topped with a layer of red bean. Nice Gelato green tea ice cream.

Watch out for Part 2! more food and more desserts(CREPES) pictures! =)

ButterCup

It was my first time in Novena (that place is quite out of the way for me, but happened to be settling Work&Travel USA doc ard that area) so i began to explore that area. There are so many more things to try in that area!!

I love the pancake, waffle and crepe family (do u see any similarity in them?). Buttercup- This little shop is located at a small little corner in Square 2. It caught my attention immediately!
They sell waffles and crepes with a variety of flavours. More unique one will be the chocolate banana flavour. Price consider relatively cheap, considering the fact that it is situated in a shopping mall.

Given that waffles is widely available, i went for the crepes~ I missed a gd crepe ever since i last had mine in Taiwan. Recently, a few crepe shops have sprouted out in Singapore- Plaza Singapura(french crepe), Suntec, Jurong point, IMM (japanese crepes)- all are soft skin crepes. But i having been looking for crispy crepes like those found in HK and taiwan! And yup, Buttercup has it!! I ordered a mushroom cheese crepe which costs me only $3.20 (cheap as compared to other crepe outlets which costs from $4-$5++). It's pretty filling and i supposed quite healthy too (of cos depending on what flavours u choose) =) Ratings: 3.8/5

Ochacha~ my new love

I love Greentea! Esp when i have tried the Green Tea Frappe from Starbucks. Ochacha immediately caught my eye when i was heading to Shokudo for dinner. I told myself that i must definitely give this shop a try one day!

Fast enough, within two weeks, i have visited the shop 3 times! Very clean looking shop. They have powerpoints by the side so u could actually work on yr laptop there! A good news for people like me whose battery can only last for 15mins...

After surfing thru some food blogs for reviews, and by the recommendation of the staff, we ordered this hot green tea: Green Tea Latte. Hmm... not too bad... can taste the quality of the green tea but the milk tasted a lil like baby's milk powder.

Ratings: 3.8/5

Matcha Azuki cake ($4 b4 GST). Just look at the powdery green tea cake with small layers of fresh cream and azuki! So pretty! Seldom see green tea cakes ard except the one from Breadtalk. But this has a stronger matcha taste, less creamy... doesn't feel sinful at all after eating! self-comforting... how healthy can dessert be -_-" They have other varieties of desserts such as panna cotta, sponge cake, biscuit, muffin etc.... all green tea flavours

Ratings: 4/5
2nd visit: Azuki Freeze ($6.50 b4 GST) + Sakura Egg sandwich ($4.80 b4 GST)
Azuki Freeze: Very expensive... but very nice~ Green tea and azuki (Red bean) is such a perfect combination! it's not too sweet like Starbucks Green Tea frappe... so u don't feel jieliat after drinking. Refreshing!

Ratings: 4.5/5

Sakura Egg Sandwich: You get to choose btwn Foccacia or panini bread. Comes along with seaweed potato chips (i think it's calbee brand) and a bowl of salad. Oh i muz comment on the salad! I am never a all greens salad lover (muz at least have potato or meat)... but this salad is gd! I have no idea what dressing they used but it tasted like jap soy sauce... a lil saltly but very nice, unlike those creamy fattening thousand island. The salad is topped with corns, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, wasabi green peas! Very fresh ingredients used!

Salad ratings: 4/5

Oh look at the fillings! not sure what those pink colour stuff are... Although it's just a simple egg mayo sandwich, i think $4.80(b4 GST) is pretty worth it, given that my other sandwich cafes are getting more expensive (i.e. Ce*el*... more than $7 for a sandwich!). The ingredients are really fresh. This is much better and healthier than eating mcdonalds!

Ratings: 4.3/5

The staffs are very friendly. Greeted every customers who stepped in... Offering free samples of their drinks w/o u asking... I guess i will be going again soon!

Raffles City basement (beside Shokudo Food Bazaar)

Overall ratings: 4.5/5

Giant Bao in Malaysia

In my village back in Malaysia, there is pasar malam every fri night. Something exciting for the villagers to look forward to... esp the food!! I didn't manage to take many photos cos i will be seriously deem as a weirdo to be taking pictures of food. It is definitely not their culture... But this interesting roadside pau stall has so many special varieties of pau that i couldn't help but try to snap it.... very discreetly... as i walked past... slowly ... and snapped while no one is looking.

The set up of the stall looked as if it's back in the 70s...
Just take a look at those buns! Hot dog buns!! if i'm not wrong, i think the green one is pandan or kaya... yellow one should be curry, corn or custard... (i'm trying to match the fillings with their colours)
The pau below is the ultimate- it's called the Ye Zi Mei pau... i doubt many of u know who is Ye Zi Mei. She is a HK actress in the early 90s who is well-known for her big boobs. Now you can understand why it's name after her. This Ye Zi Mei pau is so huge!! just compare it with the styrofoam boxes... it's abt twice the size! The fillings inside are meat.
Too bad i was filled with other food, hence didn't get a chance to try any of the pau above.

Creativity rating (given that it's from a kampong): 4.5/5

Dedicated to The Arcade's Pancake King

Went to Raffles Place for lunch on Monday and realized that The Arcade's pancake uncle is no longer there!! Don't misunderstand me... he is still alive... his stall is no longer there~~ I always patronized this stall while serving my internship at Raffles Place last summer. Eat at least thrice a week!
This pancake comes in many flavours. Couldn't quite remember all but i know there were chocolate, peanut and cheese. These pancakes are different from the chinese mee jiang kueh, which is spongy and thick. These pancakes are thin and crispy, it's like the malay apom balik. I love it because that's what i eat in Malaysia~
That's an ugly picture of my pancake. Cos it is quite embarrassing to take it in front of so many working adults. They must think there is something wrong with me, to be taking a picture of a pancake. Hence, i took a quick shot within seconds, without much focus or angle.
As i was such a loyal customer, the uncle soon became my friend. There was once he asked me to go behind his counter and helped him to collect the $ (because he was too busy). I was quite shocked and the office ladies were looking at me~ They passed me the $$ and the uncle told me to open his $$ drawer to return them the change. Hahahaaha. Another time, the uncle was telling me that he wanted to pass down his stall and skill to somebody as he couldn't manage two jobs (He is a Cze Cha cook at night). He asked if i'm interested... hohohohoho.

Sighz, think i have to wait for pasar malam or go back to Malaysia to eat these pancakes again. *Bugis street has one tho but such pancakes must be eaten fresh and hot, while it's still crispy!

Ratings: 4+0.3/5 (0.3 for our friendship)

Indian food is not just Roti Prata

This was a dinner gathering with the SA hockey gals... This Northern Indian Restaurant is located in Holland V but i forgot which exactly it is since there are at least 2-3 along that stretch of road! If i'm correct, it should be Kinara.

I used to think Indian food is limited to Roti Prata, Indian Rojak and Thosai... Don't expect to see all those which i have just mentioned in India. Let's look at what authentic Northern Indian food is... they ain't cheap:

1. This is a free starter... hmm... some indian chips... i'm not sure of the name for it. Start with C i think (not Chips). It comes with the greeny yogurt. I realised North Indians love yogurt! In their sauce, in their drink etc...

2. Ohhh~~ Cheese!! My fav dish of the meal!It's cheese naan! Taste a little like cheese prata but healthier i supposed? since it is not fried with oil. But looking at the thickness of it, seems like less oil but more carbo.
3. Er... I can't remember what are these. I think one of them is Tandoori Chicken, marinated in yogurt and spice.
4. A mixed platter of meat
Oh i didn't manage to take a picture of their rice... they called it basmati rice. Very different from the normal thai white rice... they are very floury and smooth.

You can visit another food blogger's website for more detailed write-up: http://food.recentrunes.com/?p=1446

Other than the price and the small portions, we are quite satisfied with the taste, given it's our first time trying authentic north indian food. The service was very good, maybe cos we were the only customers to eat dinner at 530pm. The lady, in her traditional punjabi costume was VERY gentle and polite. The ambience was very classy and well decorated... made us feel like north indian princesses~

Ratings: 4.2/5

Va Va Voom

Had a nice gathering with my Marketing 101 class at this vietnamese cafe called Va Va Voom. It is located at 36 Seah Street. Used to be at Bugis and was recommended by Rachel Nip when we were in year 1. Now i'm already year 3!

As Viet and Van are vietnamese, thought of bringing them to try this little cafe instead of having the usual western fare. That's my group! (oh wow.. i used to be skinnier... now, after all the rounds of makans, cheeks are drooping)

Our drinks: 2 x Honey lemongrass and 2 x green tea with mint (we all love our own drinks) i'm not used to the taste of honey lemongrass. The mint added a refreshing taste to the green tea!

Shared dish: Fried Tofu with sweet gluey sauce. Rachel's recommendation!

Jenny's dish: Sweet sour claypot soup

My Viet popiah with satay sauce (ok, that's not the correct term). It is wrapped with lettuce, thick bee hoon, chicken strips etc... i think it costs about $4-$5 plus... heard from Viet that in Vietnam, it's all along the streets which sells only about $1?

Van's pho: Her verdict: incomparable to those in vietnam.
Viet's rice: forgot what rice is it... pork chop? One of their recommended dish.

Ratings: 3.7/5 (not too bad and heard that their chef is from Vietnam. Pretty affordable... Avg $12/pax)

Soup Spoon @ Raffles City

Forgot whom i had this meal with... too many makan khakis already... Anyway, i ordered their
SouperValue Combo Meal, which includes soup (regular, medium or grande size), choice of either a salad or sandwich AND choice of either a pack of chips or apple AND a yummy chocolate.Price range: S$8.70 – S$10.90.

I had their mushroom soup and chicken tikka wrap. Verdict: Just go for their soup... it's enough to fill u. If you are a wrap lover, go for TOAST (outlets in Taka and Raffles place)... for the suaku- TOAST is not the Toastbox which u eat kaya roti... it's actually a cafe under marmalade pantry which serves sandwiches and desserts (will post up a write up soon on it).

Bread goes well with the soup. A little bun (sometimes white, sometimes grainy, sometimes brown) is served alongside with the soup. My sister prefer Cedele's soups, which i think you can find more ingredients in it.

Sigh, as inflation hits us, all the prices went up. One bowl of soup costs about $5.10 onwards! Can eat a Happy Meal! But guess it's a healthy way to fill u up...
Ratings (for soup):3.5/5
Ratings(for wrap): 2.5/5