Baker's Bench Bakery - Interesting Bakes

An old-school, rustic yet somewhat fancy shop front along Bukit Pasoh catches my attention and I just decide to step in to see what is this quaint little bakery is all about.

The interior is like a heritage abode being remodelled to become a cottage like bakery. It is full of character and cosiness. Even the unique bakes lovingly labelled with handwritten cardboard signs for that extra dose of rustiness.

Another highlight of this place is the use of sourdough, yielding more aromatic and sweeter bread.

Since it is the first time I see Pineapple Apple Bolo Bun, which is a CNY special, I decide to order it. At first bite, my first thought is "This is the taste of Chinese New Year!" The tang of pineapple actually goes very well with the sweetness of the soft fluffy Bolo Bun. The chopped apple gives a crunchy texture to this bake.

For full appreciation of the sourdough, go for Salted Butter Bolo Bun instead.

Croissant made from sourdough is amazing good! Super flaky with an additional sweetness of baked wheat, the croissant here really surprises me by how good it is with that light touch of uniqueness.

Thoughts: Lovely Place to chill

6 Bukit Pasoh Road

Nearest MRT: Outram Park

Humpback - Awesome Seafood Feast

I decide to revisit Humpback after an excellent experience here few years ago. This place is also special in a way since this is where I started to realize Outram Park and Tanjong Pagar is a foodie’s paradise. After that, it is an awesome journey of food adventures at this favourite area of mine.

There is a menu and interior revamp since I had dined at this restaurant and I’m actually really excited about the change since there are more choices of dishes now. Oh, and the Happy Hour Oysters promo is still around. 🎉 Just like last time, I’m still impressed with the food here. And I love how the ingredients are sourced from around the globe and this place’s creative rendition of the familiar ingredients into something unique and delicious. The fusion elements are also nicely done, where Asian influences are infused into European cuisine.

White-washed walls, aquamarine plush chairs, hanging globes of lamp with soft white lights, posh bar counter and hints of quaintness, this place is modern, stylish, hip and surprisingly cosy. And the awesome service here makes it feel even cosy. Thanks to Arnell and team for the wonderful experience.

By the way, this place is one of the more family restaurants in the vicinity. It is great for dates too.

Hokkaido Sea Scallops here have the nuanced briny sweetness I always love, and this taste gets even better when paired with the strawberries to accentuate that sweetness. Yes, simple yet magical. XO sauce, which is of Chinese origin, adds light splashes of spiciness and umami to the dish, making it exciting.

$4 fresh, sweet oysters with varying degree of intensity and creaminess are impossible to resist! They are must-try again. In fact, one can come here often simply for the oysters.

Hailed from Sabah, Malaysia are Tiger prawns with citrus butter and lime caviar. The firm, creamy, briny sweet prawns, perked up with the excitement from the tang of the citrus butter and lime caviar, are such joys to savour. I love this dish so much too.

Hidden beneath the tozazu jelly and pomelo sacs is a generous amount of chopped Red Prawn tartare from Patagonian Sea at Argentina. This is such a refreshing dish that awakes and teases the palates. I also love the iota of crunch in the jelly that juxtaposes so well with the springy raw prawn.

King Crab Donabe has the char of traditional Chinese claypot rice, starchy goodness of the Japanese rice, which is infused with the sweet briny flavours of king crab. There is so much plump juicy king crab legs (completely deshelled, yes!) added. The chickpeas also add a nice, crunchy texture. I love this Chinese meets Japanese dish. It is meant for sharing, but I managed to finish it all by myself because it is so good.

Toasted Castella Cake with creme fraiche ice cream and soy caramel wins my thumbs up with the element of saltiness added for dimension in taste. The ice-cream does well to introduce coldness and  moisture to the castella cake for that lovely richness.

Thoughts: Lovely Restaurant with Unique, Delicious Fusion Cuisine

18-20 Bukit Pasoh Road

Nearest MRT: Outram Park

Beurre@23 - Refreshing Lovely Encounter of East meets West

Actually I had visited Beurre 2 years ago, and due to certain circumstances at that time, I did not fully enjoy the complete experience of dining here. So when I passed by this quaint restaurant, I wanted to truly suss out what this restaurant is all about. And so I revisit this restaurant and order what I like.

The food here is actually very good. It is unique due to the incorporation of Asian ingredients into European cuisine. And the flavours are very pleasing on the palates.

The place is modern and romantic, with hints of rustic feel and industrial chic, due to soft yellow lights, dark wooden furniture, cement wall on one side and white washed wall on another. This makes for an excellent watering hole. I immediately feel at ease and cosy when here.

Service is awesome, being friendly, sincere and professional.

I’m glad that I decided to come here again.

Cold Scallop Noodles tastes so refreshing and full of the goodness of the ocean due to the briny sweet raw scallops, fish maw, ikura and “bingsu” tigre du leche. The noodles, which looks to be of Asian variety, is superbly cooked to al dente texture, thus presenting unique type of noodles that I have not tried before. This is my favourite dish here.

The butter to go with the bread worth a special mention. With kombu added, the smooth richness of the butter and the umami of the seaweed makes the bread such a joy to savour. I especially like the white one which is a crispy soufflé texture on the outside and stretchy soufflé on the inside.

Crab Risotto is definietly something special with deep fried soft-shell crab usually seen in Japanese cuisine. The buttery taste, brininess, sweet tanginess of soft-shell crab goes so well with the zesty and sweet tomato based risotto. The smoked scarmorza, a type of Italian cheese, added introduces that stretchy cheese quality into the risotto that I totally enjoy. But serviette needed to wipe the strands of cheese off my mouth lol

Piquillo pepper and garlic spout give the extra subtle kick in taste to make it more exciting. I also love the texture of the risotto: soaked with the goodness of the broth but each grain still retain a light bite in its core.

Octopus Fremantle is an interesting Octopus dish. Besides the chucks of fresh tender octopus added into the noisette potato foam, hotaru ika, including the innards, is also in the mix to amp up the brininess of the dish. Calabrese salami introduces the extra texture and meaty flavour while 63 degrees onsen egg brushes on an extra richness to the dish.

Topical Bliss is a dessert with dimensions in taste and I like it! The refreshing zest passion fruit ice cream juxtaposes perfectly with the sweet, light, airy taste of meringue and the richness plus savoury intensity of thick brown butter sauce. Since it comes in two ice-cream sticks, that means this dessert is perfect for sharing 😉

I love the sweet wine recommended by Joanne, the service staff, who somehow able to guess correctly that I like sweet wines despite me not saying anything about it.

Thoughts: Very Well-Executed Dishes

23 Bukit Pasoh Road

Nearest MRT: Outram Park

First Grill Signature & the Chilli Club - Nice Mid-range Restaurant for some Good Grill

Closed

I had passed by First Grill Signature countless of times and I did take note of it due to the striking neon light signages, but I was on a journey to try exotic cuisines so I put this place on the back burner. Until late this week where the craving for some good old grilled meat struck. And I immediately set on coming to here.

The food here is of good quality and pretty value for money. Each brunch item is less than ten bucks! But I want my grilled seafood, so I opt for ala carte instead.

Ambience is pretty funky, with Hollywood-inspired decor, such as blood red plush chairs and Hollywood Stars Walkway wall paper. Great for family, gathering and simple dates. The only thing that makes me raise my eyebrows in disbelief is the statue of Jackie Chan, whom I dislike. This is a totally personal preference. I still like the casual and hip ambience here nonetheless.

Service is good and efficient. The young chap immediately and automatically serves up some serviettes when noticing that I'm very into wiping my hands dry after squeezing the lemons.

The Josper Grilled Argentinian Prawns are huge, firm, succulent and briny sweet. The pronounced aroma of slight char plus the zest of grilled lemon makes it even better. I totally enjoy eating it.

Good old deep-fried Calamari is crispy and nice. Though can do better if is more tender. Best eaten when hot or warm.

Orange juice to go with the grilled food.

This place is great for family and gathering due to the wallet-friendly prices, huge, clean and vibrant space, and casual vibe.

Thoughts: Nice for a cool, casual meal

Clos Pasoh - Splendid Experience with Awesome Food

In midst of relocation

The lure of the famed Lobster Bisque with Lobster Dumplings is so great that I decide to dine at Clos Pasoh … for dinner. Yup, I seldom dine out for dinner, and I had taken restaurants off my wishlist due to clashes with my schedule. Clos Pasoh is open for afternoons, but for weekdays only, so here I am at the evening.

I feel so pampered when dining here. The space is classy while having this relaxing vibe that makes it easy to feel very at ease here. And lots of tall lush potted plants placed between the comfortable plush sofas to create a sense of exclusivity. And the super friendly, attentive staff here further seals the deal. They are very knowledgeable about the food here. Most important of all, the food here is splendid and unique.

By the way, to get to here, keep a lookout for a flight of stairs decorated with dim lights at the edges of the steps, nested within the shophouses right beside Ippai restaurant in Dorsett.

Bisque coco-homard coconut has very unique and interesting taste, and in a good way. The lobster bisque is very rich and flavourful, laced with the light unami of lobster. I finish up every bit of this lol The lobster dumplings are the surprise here. I love the paper thin wrapping that juxtaposes nicely with the slightly springy lobster filling. The kaffir lime and lemongrass added to the dumplings introduce lots of zest, complimenting the richness of the bisque.

Warm fluffy sourdough bread lovingly served on a pretty floral tile. Goes perfectly well with the French butter. I’m impressed by the generous portion of this complimentary bread.

Chef’s special of grilled bread and French cream cheese with coconut oil is a delight to munch on. Looks like the chef really loves coconut. The char of the bread goes so well with the tang of the flavourful cream cheese. And yes, this is complimentary too, woot!

Enchine de porc Ibérique rôti a la sauge, embeurrée de choux & sauce montarde is sure a long name. When I first set my eyes on the huge slabs of Iberico Presa, I do wonder if it will be tough and dry. I’m happy to see it is the opposite. The meat is succulent with a good bite, the best part is the layer of well-seared surface for the extra aroma and sweetness. The spiciness and pungency of dijon mustard sauce do well to cut through the richness of the meat to balance the taste. Braised savoy cabbage is another MVP here. The super tang of this vegetable really perks up the taste of this dish a lot.

Petit pot de crème vanille & caramel beurre salé is smooth vanilla custard pot topped with salted butter caramel. A lovely dessert to end the meal with.

Good wine recommendation by the female staff, it goes very well with both the lobster and pork.

I sure have a good time here, and I must say all the food comes in very generous amount. The food here has very good balance in flavours. Given the relaxed setting of the place, this is perfect for gatherings too. I sure like to come back again.

Thoughts: Totally enjoyable experience!