Sunday 9 November 2014

Les Patisseries

Walked past after a hair cut and decided to have a cuppa. This is a newly opened cafe at Toa Payoh Central. They have brunch menu from 10am to 3pm with sandwiches, truffles, salads, waffles etc..there are other food as well.



I always love to sit at the back of the cafe to observe everything. The staff was friendly and I hope he can smile more :)

Cozy corner, but red may not be a good color to relax.

Long Black ($4) was fruity, not bitter and slightly aromatic. I really enjoyed this long black during my first visit.

 Mocha ($5.50) was thick, creamy and sweet enough.

 Cappuccino ($4.50)

 Ice Mocha ($6.50). I could taste more cocoa than coffee and it was sweet.

Classic Fraisier ($5.50) was really creamy and moist, slightly sweet for me. The strawberry was not sour and quite generous too.

Non-alcoholic Tiramisu ($7). This is a non traditional tiramisu with almonds and just a hint of coffee taste.

Opera ($7) was slightly sweet but moist and texture was great. It has nuts in between, not for my buddy and people who are allergic to nuts. The chocolate wasn't bitter at all, great for kids.

Waffle with maple syrup ($7.50) presentation was colorful and healthy with blueberries and raspberries. It was crispy and light, definitely not the bready, chewy kind that will fill your stomach after a quarter of it. This will go very well with ice cream but I only ordered it with maple so that I could eat it at its purest and it didn't disappoint me. It was indeed pure and pleasant.

Overall, I find the service here was quite good with a personal touch which I really appreciate. I was even asked if I need warm water after I've finished my coffee. Which cafe will do that?

However, I think the air ventilation has to improve. I cannot go on a date there because my hair and dress will smell after going in. After my first visit, I stick to al fresco and did my order fast inside the cafe.
 

Monday 27 October 2014

Wheeler's Yard

Bicycle lovers..this is the place for you...

 Front view
Back view

Located at Lorong Ampas (somewhere at Balestier near Shaw Plaza), you don't need a car to have this interesting meal.



All these are for sale, so do look around...

 The interior is overwhelming...every table has a bicycle on it.

 Wheeler's carries headset too.

 Batman no longer drives his automobile. Notice the bicycle frames at the background on the wall? The yellow ones actually make up a big W. I think the frames are kind of sharp...


 Pastries. Yum....

We had our lunch, coffee and dessert there..as my dear friend is a bicycle fanatic and businessman, he totally entertained me throughout the lunch with his stories enthusiastically..Yes, I can feel it with all the bicycles hanging around. If I don't, I afraid one of them will fall on me and rip me into half as punishment.

I was there on a Friday around 4pm. Waiting time was around 15 minutes for my fish and chip to come.

Fish and Chips ($18.90) Bartered haddock fish fillet served with fries and homemade tartar sauce. Don't be deceived by the look, the fish is actually crispy and there are alot of herbs on the thin crust, totally didn't feel sinful finishing the crust. The chef knows how to get rid of the fishy smell and yet able to retain the freshness and fragrance of the fish. Frankly I'm not a fries fan but the fries were not soggy and definitely not re-fried, I quite like them.
Beef Stew ($24.90). Classic slow cooked beef stew served with creamy mash sauteed greens and merlot sauce. The beef was so soft and juicy. The gravy was so delicious, if only there was some bread to dip in. The mash potato really melted on our tongue..yum..The asparagus were really fresh, crispy and not overcooked.

Cappuccino ($5) was watery but it was so aromatic that the aroma still lingered in my mouth for awhile. Notice the 2 old school biscuits beside the cup? If you are not from my era (born in the 90s and after) , suggest you take them after finishing the coffee because they are extremely sweet.

Marble Cheese cake ($6) was rich and thick but yet still melted in my mouth. It was really great for kids and for cheese cake beginners.

The waiters and waitresses were young, lively and well mannered who always had smiles on their faces. Maybe their boss should wear a smile too.

Be reminded that the kitchen closes at 5pm on breakfast menu and opens at 6pm for dinner menu.

So here are my comments:
Ambience 2.5/5
Food 2.5/5
Service 2.5/5
Price Affordable. The cake is good.
Washroom 2/5 (Unisex cubicles)

Check out their website at http://wheelersyard.com/.

Photos taken using my baby Sony RX 100 MIII.

xoxo

Sunday 12 October 2014

Au Petit Salut

As promised, I will show some pictures using Sony RX 100 MIII food mode. This time I went to Au Petit Salut at 40C Harding Road to give my BFF a birthday treat!


 Al Fresco..peaceful.

 This french restaurant is rather elegant, secluded and quite romantic...


The service of Au Petit Salut was good, the waiter told us what were the beverages of the day, the recommended cut, the current promotion and so on, so that we do not miss any good deal..

As you can see, the food mode provides the depth of field..making the bread looks soft and fluffy, like cotton.

Lobster Bisque ($18) was delicious, not too salty and obviously brewed with many lobsters, rich but light. However the tarragon ravioli was slightly tough.

 Pommes Frites ($8) as sides. The portion was very generous.

Crispy French duck leg confit with brussels sprout, fresh pomegranate and verjuice ($40). The duck meat was juicy, tender but slightly salty. The skin was crispy.

Seafood Platter ($48) with seared black cod, Hokkaido scallop, king prawn, squid ink couscous, citrus and pastis froth. This was an interesting dish. The couscous was crispy and bouncy, I quite like it. The orange sweet potato paste (I think) pleasantly melted in my mouth and lingered on my tongue...The froth sent an exciting thrill to my tongue and woke my senses too. The seafood were fresh...This dish worth a try.

Finally, I would I miss dessert? This is Fondant ($18), a warm melted Valrhona 70% chocolate cake, green apple puree and pistachio. The vanilla ice cream was light and fragrant, the cake was crispy outside, melting inside. The chocolate was not bitter and not sweet at all. Great to have a BFF to share the joy together :)

So here are my comments:
Ambience 3/5
Food 3/5
Service 3.5/5
Price Steep but worth a try
Washroom 3/5

Next, The Wheelers!

xoxo

Monday 6 October 2014

Sony RX100 MIII

Firstly, apologies that it took me so long to post again as I've been busy tackling work and treatments..now that I think I've adapted to the new lifestyle, I missed blogging..let me introduce my new friend..

SONY RX 100 MIII

First, I must thank a good photographer aka friend of mine, Mr Eirik Tan...He's the one who brought me to the path of no return...he introduced me to this baby and I didn't regret buying it.

I bought it end of August and tested on all the difficult topics..pets, night scene and SELFIE! Yes...this baby can take selfie..easily....because it has the lcd screen that can be flipped 180 degrees. LOVE IT!

Talk is cheap. Let me show you with photos..I hardly edited them, really. I've saved so much time!

First, pets...they are fast, unpredictable...especially if they are black. Normally even DSLR autofocus can hardly focus them quickly, but this baby can focus it in a flash (without flash light) under dim condition.







Then I brought the baby to night festival....


 In the national museum.

 Using A-Mode



I didn't get the good place to capture the handsome face of William Close because it was soooo packed..He was amazing with his Earth Harp.

Then I went to Cafe Fest, got sun burnt and caffeine overdosed..




It was great effort from the organizer despite all the complaints from the people...please ignore them..

I happened to chance upon one of the effects available in the camera called retro during my treatment in the hospital..

And then...it is SELFIE!!!


Ladies..you will LOVE it! It has soft skin and timer so that you can prepare your pretty face before capturing it!

This baby has so many more other modes and so easy to use! I'm going to post more with food mode coming up on the way...stay tuned!

xoxo