I heart lazy Sundays

It's been awhile since.

I've been back for some of these blended beans.

And boy were we ravenous after a mad morning of hide-and-seek and belly-full of laughter from our mad antics at the Alive Museum Singapore.

Just a hop, skip and well, a taxi ride away.
We find ourselves at Anthesis.

While waiting for our orders, my itchy hands picked up their mini chalkboards for their menu specials.

We asked if we could have some chalk to scribble on the back of these boards and the ever obliging staff at this lovely cafe gladly brought us some!

And there, we have my rubbish scribbles.

Together with the food that swiftly arrived at our tables.

In ten minutes tops.

The crisp waffles with glazed bananas was just as promised in its name sake.

The waffles were crisp but not overly dry.

The powdered sugar on top looked like a whole load but it made the waffles perfectly savoury sweet without the syrup.

I loved my dish although I wish I could have a bigger portion of waffle for the price I was paying.

More items to the table.

Our very dependable flat whites. :)

Of particular mention to this pretty plating of Eggs Duo.

Creamy scrambled eggs and ham and a mushroom frittata with a creamy sauce that I could not get enough of.

Mmm.

And the one that stole my heart.

These huge juicy sea prawns.

Just look at them.

Huge.

Definitely juicy.

A bite of these crunchy prawns sends umami juices into one's mouth.

Don't bother trying to share half of these,

the pleasure must be taken on in full.

While you're at it, don't forget the capellini.

The paprika powder added just a touch of spice and pretty colour to this dish.

My only reservation was an over generous use of olive oil which culminated in an oily mess at the base of this pasta.

Our table of 7 also had three orders of the Pegasus.

Be still my heart.

Take not your flight.

Till I have devoured this mythical creature descended from food heaven.

Never too much to be shared.

And here's our parting shot.

A not.so.quiet Sunday by where the Singapore River flows through.

Overfed.

The food was slightly pricey for some menu items.

But it still has my favourite house blend.

And the food standards are consistently maintained.

Kudos to the very obliging staff at Anthesis.

We loved it,

loved you.

And we'll definitely be back for more. :)

Visiting Sir Antonio- The Tiramisu Hero

The sun was out in all of its oppressive heated glory.

And just like everyone else, we needed to seek respite from its angry rays before we melted into nothingness.

Oh the drama.

And so welcoming was the blast of cool wind. We decided to bask in all of its air conditioned loving arms whilst waiting for a seat in the bustling crowd of cafe hoppers on a Sunday.

Thankfully, getting a seat at their communal tables didn't take too long.

The creme brulee latte came with an overpowering scent but for what it served in smell, it failed to make up in taste.

These chicken wings looked like heaven.

But again, fell short of their pedestal.

Straight from the fridge to the oven grills left them with an unmistakable un-thawed taste.

The waffles?

On their own, they were decent.

But those two scoops of vanilla ice cream was less than stellar.

They tasted of low quality and ruined the entire waffle order.

The tiramisu was quite the saving grace.

Though a little costly for its size.

It's a shame though because I loved the decor,

the aircon was quite the blast :)

The happy colors in the washroom and the cute drawings of The Tiramisu Hero of course!

I'm sure they'll get better as the cafe continues.

Jiayou!

Ronin. 17 HKST.

From the people who brought you Bravery, The Plain and now this, Ronin. 

I've come full circle. From simple primary colours to whitewashed zen and now, over to the dark side. 

Once upon a time, there were menus. Then a large communal menu and here?

Prick up those ears and keep close attention. 

For the friendly service staff will recite the menu to you patiently while you mull over your choices and place your orders.

Taking a huge step away from my usual flat white, I made an order for Wicked ($5.50). Mint green after-eights melted into an espresso shot. A little too sweet and quite the treat. :)

Toast and scrambled eggs ($9) for me. Because these eggs have found fame in the eyes of many. Lightly scrambled, slightly runny and very deliciously creamy without falling apart in a slop.

Sometimes, I do conform to the masses. 

Served with three slices of lightly buttered toasts and a dark earthy Portobello ($3.50) add-on on request. The Portobello was a little dry and would perhaps be made perfect with a Worcestershire marinade.

He had a roast beef sandwich. Thinly sliced roast beef, tangy cream dressing, a slice of camembert, sweet Japanese pickled daikon and a handful of rocket, held together by warm crusty bread.
Don't bother slicing these up.
Eat with hands.
Simple but satisfying. 

We took the seats at the round communal table where the seats looked more comfortable than the bar stools with minute seats. The high ceilings and open spaces of a modern industrial interior meant we could hear the conversations of other people around us but only barely so. It was dim but comfortable. A little warm yet hardly restrictive.

Welcome to the dark side.

I'll be seeing you there.

Something new is brewing at McCafé!

The first McCafé in Singapore opened in 2003 and over the years has quietly established itself with a laidback approach to quality coffee at an unbeatable value located conveniently islandwide alongside most of your favourite McDonalds outlet.

My favourite Himalayan Tea Latte, a soothing sweet milky tea infused with notes of cinnamon for a slight spice with the cutest latte art.

In an effort to kickstart McCafé's long-term commitment to celebrate and champion creativity amongst youths in the community, McCafé will be launching a series of complimentary Coffee Appreciation Workshops to give young coffee lovers an opportunity to learn more about their coffee and have free expression of their creativity using coffee as their canvas.

Who? 

Youths between the ages of 16-35

As long as you're looking like our ages, you should qualify to apply.

What? 

A three hour workshop learning from the talented baristas from McCafé led by Master Trainer, Mr Hilmi Mohamed- an effervescent man who bubbles over with his passion for all things coffee.

The workshop will allow participants to discover the history of coffee and origin of McCafé, watch a latte art presentation, try their hand at handling the coffee machine to prepare a cup of Cappucino and how to froth the milk. To conclude the session, participants will get to showcase their talents and express their creativity at latte art and plate art.  

And we had the privilege of being the first few to be taken on a preview of the new and exciting series of workshops for people like you and I.

The selected baristas from various outlets will patiently walk you through the process.

Telling you more about the finer points of the gold standard of foam and latte art.

As they encourage and watch you bring your creativity to life.

On a cup of latte made from McCafé's espresso with 100% Arabica beans.

Couldn't have done it without you, Hongliang from McCafé, Northpoint. Much appreciated. Thanks!

And what's plate art?
Bringing your food to life as far as your creativity brings you. Or at least, where mine brought me.

Where? 

At McCafé of course.

When? 

Starting in September on 6th and 13th of September where the first two sessions will be held, to coincide with the September school holidays. The sessions will be limited to a maximum of 10 participants.

The next two workshops are slated for December 2014.

How? 

Registration will take place from 18th August to 1st September 2014. Simple drop them an email at : promotions@sg.mcd.com

I know where I'd be heading for my next cuppa. :)

Thanks to omy.sg for the invite and to the marketing team of McDonalds and staff at McCafé.

The Provision Shop @ Everton Park

My only foray into Everton Park was for Sebastian's.

And that was a couple of years back.

Since then, the scene at Everton Park has largely evolved into a hipster chic neighbourhood.

Definitely time for an update on this once-quiet and sleepy estate.

In the void decks of HDB estates, it would be a gem to find a mama shop- a candid slang for a provision shop, that sold everything we needed. From basic necessities of bread and newspapers to candies and sweet treats for the lil young tot who's brought along for a walk.

Of course this wasn't about to be a review of a mama shop.

But let's atas my shop.

And call it as it should be- "The Provision Shop"

From hotelier Loh Lik Peng and Chef Anthony Yeoh of Cocette, comes a trendy cafe with details and decorations of old world charm.

And it started right from the outset of things.

A row of colorful chairs from a kindergarten classroom that seemed too small for comfort.

But here, my male models have shown that 

a) it's not just for kindergarten kids

b) it can hold its own weight pretty well

c) grown ups can settle themselves into these comfortably

d) no chairs were harmed before/during/after this photo. :)

White washed brick wall with their namesake.

Wine crate with several chopping boards leaned comfortably off the side.

A wire basket for crossiants

And a pulley system with a Milo tin.

Not for change but for tips. :)

Which spoke volumes for my childhood since there was one just like this at Ah Kong's old provision shop in Desker Road when I was just a tiny bub.

But the display case, was dismal.

If not, tragic.

I was looking forward to looking at boards of handmade treats and sweets as stenciled on the blackboard.

But all I found were these four items, loaves of breads and the truffled mushroom tarts stacked haphazardly at the bottom corner.

Hmm.

I loved that the menu was straightforward.

Hello hot food!

I usually do a flat white.

But after reviews that their latte was uninspiring,

I decided on a Cappucino instead.

Utensils in what looks to me, like tin for homemade love letters.

Sweet.

The cappucino was well executed.

Stiff foam on top with a dusting of chocolate powder

making way to reveal milky coffee underneath.

None of that acidic aftertaste that has surfaced on so many reviews.

Reuben sandwich came highly recommended as a must order item.

And when it came, it was also nothing like the reviews.

Definitely not sourdough bread flown in from France.

This was regular white toast.

And where's my sauekraut?

But let's just review what's in front of me, shall we?

A substantial morning sandwich,

the slices of corned beef were thin and layered generously

with a slice of melted swiss cheese.

The piquant Russian dressing was an orangey hue,

which even in the absence of sauerkraut 

did a brilliant job of breaking the salty monotony of the beef slices.

Held together by two slices of white toast pressed in the sandwich grill perhaps a little too enthusiastically since there were parts where I could hardly cut through.

The homemade coleslaw with purple cabbage, cabbage and carrots was quite the suitable companion to this sandwich serve.

First bite immediately reminded me of the signature smoked meat sandwiches from Schwartz in Montreal.

This order of Eggs Benedict was an affordable tenner.

The poached eggs were done beautifully.

The yolks flowed once broken over the smoked salmon slices.

The hollandaise sauce was savoury and light enough to be enjoyed mopped up with the thick toast.

We also had an order of the pierogies to try, made from a recipe by Chef Anthony's stepsister.

The first time I had pierogies were also from Montreal.

At $6 a pop,

these were slightly pricey.

A huge Polish dumpling stuffed with potato

topped with a generous dollop of sour cream, bacon and chives.

Definitely share this.

It would be too overwhelming to finish alone.

Nuts about smoked salmon.

The servings of smoked salmon of a fresh coral pink contrasted perfectly with the thin strips of cucumber skin on.

I would've expected zucchini to be used on this.

But the cucumber slices were thankfully not bitter as some do turn out.

The apples were refreshingly sweet and juicy.

Tossed with walnuts in a walnut aioli.

A balanced meal choice.

Light salad heavy on omega three fish goodness.

They also have a selection of alcoholic ginger beers on offer.

In the morning, yes.

And we tried the spiced orange flavour which was refreshing and deceptively tasty.

Coming from a non-drinker,

just a friendly reminder. :)

The staff is quietly efficient and unobtrusive.

We got the occassional rounds of feedback on the food and an inquiry for desserts, once they saw that our tables had been cleared of plates.

We much appreciated the service standards here.

And randomly, be warned that an extended stay indoors does unfortunately have you leave with the lingering smell of cooked food.

Celebrating no work day on Labour Day at the void decks of Everton Park. :)

Anthesis

Romanticising life through a flower in bloom.

A fairly new cafe and bakery that has sprung up along the riverside at Robertson Quay.

Right next to Toby's Estate.

What's up?

Wooden beams and birdcage lamp fixtures.

What's below?

Retro-style floral motifs on ceramic tiles.

What's you seated on?

Steel frame chairs and muted gray sofas.

Surroundings of rattan/steel baskets, wooden shelves and simple table decorations of lavender stalks give character to this rustic village like cafe 

along the Singapore River at Robertson Blue.

A 3-D panel of white washed pebbles in varying shapes and sizes made for an interesting photo background.

If you're lucky enough to snag a seat at the tables here.

To which, I could not resist.

And it couldn't have been more perfect. 

The Anthesis blend- a custom blend of Sumatran, Guatemalan and Brazilian beans with chocolate notes and a lingering bitter orange aftertaste.

This was perfectly paired with a good milk to coffee ratio in my flat white.

Perfect never looked better.

The Pegasus breakfast platter.

For $28.

An egg pot pie with savoury minced beef in a tomato base that I wished had runny yolk, 

More eggs- scrambled this time, atop a chicken snail sausage that was deliciously done, 

Streaky bacon too dry and hard for my poor teeth, 

Smoked salmon perfect from the pack 

And sweet duck breast- might've been the sweet vinigarette dressing on the side salad.

All was good till we got to the breads.

These were toasted so much, they crumbled apart at first bite like hollow biscuits.

Just like my hopes of freshly baked bread love at this artisan boulangerie.

Tragic.

I did want to pick up a baguette for takeaway at the counter but it was soft to the touch?

Perhaps today was not a good day for breads.

Because we didn't have space for desserts, you'll be sure we'd be back.

For that and.

My current house blend of choice.

Anthesis

:)

Drury lane on a dreary day

T'was a rainy day.

And we still went ahead to paint the town red.

With a cafe that had a brilliantly red shop front!

It was packed but not impossibly so.

They have a second floor for a quiet respite from the queues, cooking on the grills and the steady hum of the espresso machines downstairs.

With empty crates separating the tables, a skateboard haphazardly leaning off the sides.
I liked the rustic feel and spacious layout on the second level.

They have a crate right next to the sofa seat where diners can help themselves to condiments and sauces.
It's a nice touch to bottle their drinking water so that each table can have their own bottles to refill their cups.

Communal yet the line of privacy isn't crossed.

Unfortunately, they didn't have the peanut butter muffins I was looking forward to that day.
They do muffins on a 'pay as you wish' scheme.
And if you didn't already know,
Drury Lane is where the muffin man lives!

Oh do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Do you know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?

Oh yes, I know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Yes, I know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane

They do indeed have some awesome muffins. :)

We skipped that and had sandwiches that day.
Steak and caramelised onions.
And chicken avocado.
With sides of mushrooms and a poached egg.

The mushroom serving was much too tiny but then, one cannot expect too much for their pocket friendly prices.
The egg though, did not come with hollandaise sauce.
Tragic but not unbearably so.
We were too hungry to go downstairs to ask.

The breads were crisp on the outside and soft to chew on the insides.
Dense enough to be filling, light enough to enjoyed.
Of course,
I wished for more fillings within just so I could finish my breads. :)

And who could forget dessert?
The chocolate salted caramel tart had a solid buttery tart base to hold all of that liquefied pleasure within.
Salty sweet.
Makes it nothing short of a perfect treat.
Mess alert though!

Flat white- the standard order.
Was good but I'd much prefer the one at Anthesis.

Affordability meets palatability.
Right here at Drury Lane.
Till the next time,
Mr Muffin Man! x

Assembly

What is a third wave coffee movement?

The first wave being the type of coffee one would get at hotels and restaurants a long way back, possibly a decade or two.

The second wave would be the one that we are much familiar with- the likes of Starbucks and Coffee Bean.

And then there came the third.

Coffee movement for cafes who bring coffee enthusiasts together. They pride themselves on the attention given to the origins and quality of the beans. 

And of course, the brewing process as well.

You'll be sure there is an option for single origin beans at these establishments.

Here at Assembly, they use beans from Geisha and Liberty. 

Support local!

I was really here for their waffles.

All these posts of deliciously enticing waffles and amazing choco-ccinos from a friend who is a photography whiz left me without question to make a trip down to this establishment on a weekday for a post-work coffee hangout.

The waffle did satiate my tastebuds but not mind blowingly so.

The higher the expectations, the more it takes to close the gap between reality and actual experience.

We also had a spinach and ham quiche that was savoury and had a good tart base. 

The side salad was small. 

Petite. 

And really just a few leaves you can count on one hand.

The homemade granola was good.

Wholesome.

And with a side of greek yoghurt to pair.

And how did the coffee fare?

My flat white was smooth and there was a good milk to coffee ratio.

Nothing like a good cuppa to have over a girlfriend chat.

Unfortunately though, our coffee orders somehow disappeared in the queue and we watched as four other tables received their orders except us.

There was only one instance of an apology that our drink orders had been forgotten.

And 'nary much that the staff did.

Except to make and serve those orders 

-only- 

upon a polite query after our impossibly long wait.

Strange that we were ridden with such service, it wasn't the case for any other tables.

Carpenter and Cook @ Lorong Kilat

Hunger. Thirst.

A vintage artisan bakery shop.

That smells and feels just like home.

It had a feeling of pure goodness and honest treats. :)

You pick two and I'll choose one.

He says to the horridly indecisive me.

This was simple though.

I didn't fancy citrus.

But of course I could be kicking myself for it right now.

Everyone raves about their lemon drizzle cakes and lemon tarts.

No love lost.

Just another return trip on the cards. :)

Latte.

With a heart that's meant to be broken.

A chocolate chip cookie that was crumbly with grit and tasting like Famous Amos.

Where's your mocha art?

There!

A flower.

Tulip on abstract art? :)

Raspberry topped berrylicious bunt cake.

Soft and delightfully spongy topped with tart berry perserves.

A tad too sweet for me though.

Scones.

Everytime I see it,

I think of those rock buns I used to make at Home Economics classes.

But this buttery crumble speckled with raisins was yum!

Clotted cream and berry preserve.

Phoebe tells us that the preserves change depending what fruits are available.

Whatever the chef decides to churn out from the kitchen :)

And they also sell their preserves if you fall in love with them.

Just if. :)

That day they had orange marmalade, fig and pear, mango and passionfruit.

Oh all these flavours just sound amazing.

Apple cobbler.

Speckles of cinnamon.

Apple.

Crumbled.

Getting there?

19 Lorong Kilat #01-06 Singapore 598120

Call them at: 6463 3648

Click on the link for location map and other details
http://www.carpenterandcook.com/touch.html