Yumi’s Dip

 

This is rich and flavourful, yet so healthy because this dip is loaded with the goodness of vegetables and spices. And the small crunchy bits of vegetables give a nice variation to the texture. Even a meat eater loves this dip! It can definitely compete with butter on yumminess. And best of all, it helps me to maintain my weight. I’m having the best of both worlds.

Country of Origin: Australia

Where to buy this: Cold Storage

Gochi So Shokudo - Value for Money Premium Black Pig Feasts

Iberico pork is renowned for being the best due to the rarity of the breed, high level of oleic acid, the marbling and the nutty aroma resulted from the pigs’ unique diet. So naturally, it will cost an arm and a leg to savour this premium pork. So imagine our excitement when the new kid on the block of Nihon Street at Millenia Walk, Gochi So Shokudo, offers Iberico set meals at a very affordable price range of $15 onwards.

Secreto Belly Don immediately got my attention when I was flipping through the menu full of all kinds of Iberico pork dishes, being prepared in various ways: from stir fried, charcoal grilled to deep fried. For one, it is not often that I can find in other Japanese restaurants pork prepared this way: chargrilled till the exterior is imbued with strong aroma of roasted meat while retaining the succulent texture in the middle. It is a bit like char siew meat actually, except that it is more premium. Needless to say, it tastes very good. The marbling makes the meat tender and juicy. And it helps that the rice is well-cooked, being firm and starchy.

Bellota Iberico Katsu features, again, fresh, succulent, juicy meat, wrapped in a layer of crispy deep fried breadcrumbs. This, of course, gets the thumbs-up from us.

Teriyaki Bellota Iberico Loin Donburi set is oh-so-good too. And for obviously the same reasons as Secreto Belly Don and Bellota Iberico Katsu. The meat in this dish is like katsu being grilled and then being drizzled with the flavourful teriyaki sauce. And it works. Though this dish is seasonal, so if you see it, gonna try it before it disappears from the menu.

For the price I’m paying for Iberico pork, I know the ambience of the place will not be fancy and posh. And I’m right, in fact, it is like atas foodcourt setting, but I’m not complaining. I will take premium goods with great pricing any time over fancy setting.

And yes, I am a regular of this place already.

Thoughts: Must try! For the sake of your palates and wallet.

Nearest car park: Millenia Walk's car park
Nearest MRT: Promenade

Millenia Walk #02-16
9 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore

La Scala Ristorante - Rustic Good Food

This restuarant is no longer in operation

Despite knowing nothing about La Scala, I jump at the chance to dine at here upon invitation. I guess the craving for European cuisine strikes again since I hadn’t been indulging in it for quite a while. And a meal here definitely satisfies that craving. And it helps that the place has this rustic, European vibe, completed with vendetta and faux windows, it feels like one is enjoying the meal in a cafe at a quaint European neighbourhood.

Champagne is lovingly served in cold champagne glasses, which is a nice touch to things.

Things got off to a great start with Baked Cheesy Mushroom Crostone & Crispy Parma Ham. The woody aroma of mushroom, soaked in the creamy, springy melted cheese and peppered with the intense flavours of parma ham, simulates the senses and covers a wide range of harmonious flavours. It sure makes me look forward to the next dish.

Egg Tagliolini Prawn has me cleaning up the plate real good because of the springy al dente tagliolini, the sweet taste of the sea from the fresh prawns, completed with the tangy, slightly sweet taste of tomato sauce.

Being very satisfied with our meals, we decide that we need to try more dishes here before the desserts come, thus the order for Calamari Fritti. And we are not disappointed. Thin crispy, not oily, fried dough coats every piece of squid that is of the right texture: slightly chewy but easy to bite off. The garlic dip completes this cool little snack with a splash of creaminess and spiciness.

Liquid Chocolate Panna Cotta is a decadent treat with silky texture that will please most palates. Fans of coffee will be pleasantly surprised by the strong taste of coffee foam that reminds one of tiramisu. Though I’m no fan of coffee, which is why is I prefer another dessert on the restaurant week special menu instead.

Rich buttery lemon cake and whipped cream makes Caprese “Al Limone” is a very sinful dessert that I love to indulge in. I love the strong aroma of butter in the cake, which is perked up by the zest of lemon, and the light whipped cream is like of a wash of refreshing dairy goodness that makes the taste of the cake more nuanced.

Service is good, the staffs are full of passion for their work, being fast to response to requests and bring a certain positive energy to the table.

I like this quaint little restaurant. It has a unique vibe that I appreciate. It is like the place I can visit often, since it feels casual, yet at the same time, proper, making it an ideal place to have a sumptuous, nicely crafted meal with that special someone, family or friends while still feeling at ease.

Love to visit it again when the chance arises.

Thoughts: Perfect place to hang out at

Nearest car park: Funan Mall car park (this is my main gripe with Capitol Kempinski: there is no car park in this hotel! Either that or it is very difficult to find the entrance to it)

Nearest MRT: City Hall

13 Stamford Road #01-86

Arcade @ Capitol Kempinski

Singapore

Contact No: 6715 6877

Lola’s Cafe - Cool Little Backyard Cafe

This is a long overdue post actually. I was bowled over by what Lola’s Cafe has to offer, but I was so busy in my new job role that I couldn’t find the time to write about this cafe. Nonetheless, I was determined to pen down my thoughts about this heartland gem, and here it is!

Pulled Pork and Avocado Eggs Benedict is loaded with a myriad of strong flavours that work well together. The pulled pork is as intensely flavoured as our favourite BBQ pork, minus the sweetness and add in the spiciness. And the texture of shredded meat is somewhat fluffy, going perfectly well with the bread base, eggs and avocado. The hollandaise sauce spread on top of the egg has that hint of tanginess to impart dimension to the overall taste. The egg and the avocado add a wholesomeness and creaminess to this hearty meal while balancing the strong flavours. This is a must-try of Lola’s Cafe.

Lychee Rosewater cake is a creation that actually fits right in that backyard cafe vibe. The cake sponge is of the butter cake type, thus being dense, full of buttery goodness and very old-school. I actually like the cake sponge and the butter cream adds the extra creaminess that I appreciate. As for the taste of lychee and rose, the good part about this cake is that it is au naturale, thus the flavours are muted. But I can’t help feeling that this is a nice butter cake, not a Lychee Rosewater cake. All in all, still a nice cake to order for sharing, just don’t expect to be blown away by the flowery aromas of lychee and rose.

Bacon and Mushroom Truffle Cream Linguine has such smooth texture and awesome woody aroma, thanks to the truffle cream added. While my companion is not into mushroom and pasta, he loves this creation so much.

Ambience wise, this is really like that backyard cafe, being very rustic and casual. It is like the cool place to hang out at to enjoy good food and good company. Service is pretty okay, but the staff are very busy, so got to be proactive in getting their attention.

After the first visit to this cafe, I am so hyped about going back, while tagging my companion along this time, because the Pulled Pork and Avocado Eggs Benedict is so good and unique. Actually, the Bacon and Mushroom Truffle Cream Linguine mentioned above is tried on my second visit. Yes, this is the cafe that definitely worth checking out.

Thoughts: Wholesomely good

Nearest car park: Parallel parking along Simon Road

Nearest MRT: Kovan

5 Simon Road

Contact No: 62840349

Appleby Farms Ice-cream

I had actually noticed this brand of ice-cream before when shopping at Cold Storage since it is hard to ignore the cartoonish drawings on the tubs. I was tempted to get a tub but since I am more into exotic flavours, I ended not getting one. Fast forward to now, I eventually still snag a tub of boysenberry variety as it is impossible to resist the temptation anymore and boysenberry flavour is still pretty rare. And at the first spoonful, I know I made the right choice. In fact, I am shocked by how good it is.

It is incredibly smooth and creamy, most probably the smoothest and creamiest ice-cream one can get from supermarkets. Just when I thought no other supermarket-brought ice-creams can be better than my current favourites, Appleby Farms come in to change my mind. Cold Storage sure knows where to get the premium ice-cream lol

Despite refraining from getting those usual flavours of ice-cream, I am making an exception for Appleby Farms to go down to grab a tub of their old-school vanilla ice-cream.

Country of Origin: New Zealand
Where to get this: Cold Storage Supermarkets

Tamago-EN - Truly Unique Omelette

I had been wanting to check out Tamago-EN but the long queue makes it pretty impossible for me to do so. It’s only after I had finished my photoshoot session at Floral Fantasy, Gardens by the Bay that I realized I should give Tamago-EN a shot since I will be passing by Serangoon MRT anyway. It was a weekday afternoon, while there is no queue, the place is still pretty crowded. But I managed to get a seat at the counter.

The counter is where one can catch whiffs of the aroma of cooked egg. It sure raises my expectations of what is to come.

And the Tamago Kake Gohan, also known as Ultimate Egg Rice, does not disappoint. While the rice is a bit on the soggy side, thus losing that slightly chewy texture and starchy feel that I like, the egg and toppings are enough to make up for it. The raw egg from Okinawa, with its orange yolk—an indication of quality egg, is oh-so-good. The yolk has none of the slight smell of iron typically detected in most raw eggs. And the egg white is whipped to a fluffy cloud that serves to allow one’s tastebuds to explore new texture on savoury spectrum. Yes, it is worth it to specially go down to try the egg prepared in this unique way. And furikake—Japanese seasonings provided will add bursts of flavours to this ethereal puff of egg white.

I also like how we can choose the toppings of our preferences to be added to the Egg Rice. Since I always love negitoto, which is minced tuna belly, naturally I will opt to add in this topping. It is fresh, so this makes me a happy diner when tucking into the negitoro. Addition of avocado is highly recommended as it adds a rich creaminess to the egg rice while staying neutral in taste. In fact, it is hard to go wrong with adding avocado to anything. I also opt to add Chicken Tsukune—meatballs to be exact, as topping. Topped with savoury, tangy plum sauce, these fresh meatballs are very tasty.

Berry soufflé pancake is oh-so-good! The pancake is incredibly soft and fluffy. In fact, it is like a pancake cloud filled with the goodness of egg and just that tiny bit of flour to hold its shape. When paired with the cool whipped cream, it is a cloud of sweet gastronomic bliss.

Egg Pudding is silky smooth in texture and is full of eggy goodness, as expected from a place renowned for its eggs. Though I do wish there is more whipped cream at the top since the light creaminess and fluffy texture add a lot to the dessert.

So, will I go back? A definite YES, provided I do not need to queue.

Thoughts: Nice and Unique!

Nearest car park: Nex’s car park or URA open air car park or HDB multi-storey carpark nearby
Nearest MRT: Serangoon

23 Serangoon Central
#02-K5/K6 Nex

Manora Shrimp Chips

This brand of chips is so crispy and literally melt in your mouth. What’s more, saved for MSG, the chips are seasoned with natural ingredients like garlic and pepper. a pretty addictive snack.

Place of Origin: Thailand
Where to get this: Giant Supermarkets