sundays at prive. :)

the cafe was buzzingly busy on a Sunday afternoon and the indoor seating area was totally filled. I'd totally opt for an al fresco in this gorgeously picturesque marina. 

picture this. a brilliantly blue sky forms a back drop for numerous pristine white yatches of different shapes and sizes docked at the marina reflecting off the sunlight into the distance. 

pictured? perfect.

we were immediately shown to their available tables in the far end of the cafe. I liked being able to choose my tables. 

and my view of course.

nice big fans that don't blow off your wig (!) but keeps diners cool while taking in the great outdoors.

the silhouette of trees of the clear blue skies as you ponder over your meal choices. almost too surreal in the usual hustle and bustle of daily life.

Let's indulge a little shall we? Thick cut fries served with truffle mayonnaise. $10. 

There's something really attractive about truffle. Truffle in anything except in its original form. Trust me, I've had a whole truffle stuffed under my nose and what happened after was not a sight for sore eyes. This dip was delicious. The bits of truffle were visible and tasted like mushrooms. Nary enough to share. We had to ration it. There's no seconds. But there was mayonnaise and chilli sauce available. Settling for second best.

They serve all-day breakfast and the menu runs from 930am-5pm daily. 

And Eggs Royale. $16.

Traditional English Muffins with savoury Norwegian smoked salmon slices and two gently poached eggs. Drizzled with creamy hollandaise sauce with a side of rocket. Mmm. Eggs. It's a skill to cook these easy ingredients well. 

If you didn't already know, Prive runs their own bakery so these soft and fluffy English muffins are are made in house. And these muffins are what I would come all the way here for. 

Get me some chilli cheese lovin'!

10-inch pizza for $20. And it was just OVERLOADED with cheese. 

Seriously. 

Spicy chorizo, salami, chilli, tomato paste and mozzarella cheese.

it was a blanket of cheese I kid you not. 

And you'd literally be stuffed with cheese if you murdered the entire pizza on your own.

Which I almost did and hereby testifying the actuality of the statement.

I loved it though. the spiciness of the chorizo and chilli broke the monotony of salty mozza toppings. the crust was like biscuit on the ends and chewy in the middle. 

The staff are also quietly attentive, topping up the glasses of water and clearing plates once we were done. It was a pleasure to dine here.

Ending Sunday with a quiet stroll along keppel marina. Every Sunday should be like this. 

Cheesy Bites Trio Pizza Pre-launch Party Invitation

                         Growing up as a Pizza Hut fan and now blogging as a Pizza Hut fan.

And maybe this post might just make you a convert!

This was my second bloggers' exclusive pre-launch party preview. We were promptly ushered to our seats and presented with the menu for a drink order.
Customer service that touches your heart.
My brother was very thankful for a drink after our mad rush through the working crowd on a rainy night.

                A lychee green tea on my recommendations, was a refreshing treat for his senses.

Shortly after,

we were served the Hut's Platter.

Perfect for sharing.

Even if my brother was abstaining from deep fried items.

That's just the perfect excuse to polish off all the spicy chicken drumlets.

Sigh...

                                            I'm kidding. See? We're still happy siblings.

Because that just means more fries for me!

With barbecue cheese sauce.

Even he couldn't resist sneaking a couple of fries. :)

And what I love about the previews at Pizza Hut?

You get to see the behind the scenes -making- of their new creations.

Even the toppings have standard measurements.

So you'll be sure you won't be compromised on the quality and quantity of ingredients on your pizza.

What a burst of pretty colour! 

And in case you were wondering?

This is so labour intensive that they are selling only one standard size.

No large sized cheesy bites or the kitchen people would have a field day putting on dashes of colour on your bites.

And always the heart thumping action watching fellow bloggers battle it out with a challenge round.

But it was a friendly competition.

Who says girls always play rough?

Andrew must be a good teacher.

And now he has to suffer because his disciples have done well!

And boy, were they pleased with their creations. :)

And as a reward, they got to bring home the pizzas they made!

Aww.

  

If you always thought Pizza Hut was just good for their pizzas,

you'd be much surprised by their Hut's Chicken Steak.

A generous piece of chicken breast skin on, for maximum satisfaction.

The mushroom gravy and tomato salsa was also a treat! 

And there's more!

With a Seafood Parchment Pasta.

A deliciously spicy tomato based pasta with generous servings of seafood.

Be warned that it is high on the spice-o-meter. 

Caught on camera.

For using the camera.

And look what we have here!

The star of the night.

Oh we could hardly wait to pull these apart!

Black and white sesame mix had a brilliantly fragrant taste when you bite onto those little seeds.

And I loved the chipotle stuffed with cream cheese.

I'd skip the nacho cheese dip on this. It was perfect on its own.

Last but not least,

the parmesan.

That went perfect with the nacho cheese sauce.

Boy were we stuffed by the time we were done!

Oh yum!

If you haven't already gotten your hands on an order of cheesy bites trio.
Check out the dine in promotions at this link:
http://www.pizzahut.com.sg/dine_in/promos/CheesyDelight.asp
I've already told you why they only do regular sized ones ;)

The dummy's how-to-enjoy-a-cheesy-bites-trio guide.

And if you wanted to get your hands dirty in the comfort of your home,

check out their delivery promotions right here!

Indulge in double the goodness packed in one scrumptious deal!

                                                                      http://bit.ly/phdeliverysg

Fern and Kiwi @ The Cannery + Five & Dime @ River Valley Road

The second day back in Singapore after the travel madness in December and I would kill to eat local food.

Except that my girlfriend just had her China project nightmare and would die if she had to eat anymore Chinese food.

She wanted pizza.

And so here we are.

At Fern & Kiwi at The Cannery in Clarke Quay.

Besides subtly sounding like a swear word,

it was a cute idea.

Fern and Kiwi.

The two most representative items of New Zealand.

I knew about the latter but didn't have an inkling about the former.

In any case,

as long as they were actual food offerings on the table.

I was easy. :)

So what is New Zealand food?

You've watched all those cows grazing on limitless and luscious fields of green right?

That's basically it.

Quality food untainted by the advancements of agricultural steroids and toxins.

It isn't hard when they receive the best in rainfall, crystal clear waters and mineral rich volcanic soil.

Their physical proximity to Australia would explain for their apparently choice of food but they have a traditional tribal influence from the Maori ancestors inherent in their cooking style.

Simple and uncomplicated.

So let's have some of them ribs, shall we?

The Classic Pork Spare Ribs- A Lone Star Classic as a entree came with 4 counts of ribs. 

My girlfriend had this on her previous visit and wasn't impressed.

Apparently, just four ribs could be stacked till they hit the top of the metal racks.

For what it lacked in quantity,

it made up in quality.

Coated with honey BBQ orange glaze,

the meat fell off the ribs in a thoroughly satisfying way.

The soft bones of collagen, the tender pork rind and juicy meat.

I love not having to fight with my food.

And on the waitstaff's recommendation,

we had the Aucklander with chicken meat as our pizza order.

More bread than sauce it's obvious from here.

The base was good but would've been better if it wasn't soaked through with the tomato base sauce.

It became so soggy that you couldn't possibly pick up a slice and murder it without looking like you actually committed a massacre with all that sauce dripping all over you.

All those flavours were rich and intense.

I love every fork of pizza that I had. :)

And they should be bringing you hot sauce and this uber cute sauce called Rocket Fuel or was it rocket sauce.

With raisins as a main ingredient, it was a thick sticky sweet sauce that was so addictive...

You really should ask them to take it away after a certain time.

And no, it shouldn't be taken away only after the meal.

*Looks disapprovingly at you.

I mixed both hot sauce and the rocket fuel together.

Hot and sweet.

Oh my yum!

And the service there was excellent.

Fun loving staff and we had a few rounds of checking in to see if we liked what we were having and topping up of water without being asked.

It might have been also that we were one of the two tables filled downstairs.

The dining/ bar area upstairs area wasn't yet open at 7pm it seems.

I was happy with dinner but my girlfriend was not impressed with their dessert offerings and not about to settle for TCC desserts so away we went to this place with awesome Nutella brownies.

She was bubbling over with excitement I couldn't bring myself to say no.

Welcome to the Five and Dime.

So chocolate yourself out guys.

Earl Grey chocolate tart.

I love all things Earl Grey and this was not an exception.

Thick and rich chocolate infused with the smell and subtle taste of Earl Grey,

topped with cinnamon crumble and a lonesome berry.

The crumble wasn't buttery enough for satisfaction but provided a distinction from just pure chocolate decadence.

Share this.

Or end your dessert here.

The nutella brownie with Fig and Honey ice cream.

So have the ice cream. And maybe two scoops of it.

Bits of honey and fig in a deliciously creamy vanilla ice cream base.

I didn't like those chocolate pop balls because they weren't -that- crunchy.

I'm really picky with dessert it seems after our Parisian adventure.

The nutella in the brownie was only evident on the top layer and well, that's just it.

I put a scoop of nutella on a slice of brownie cake.

Hmm.

Just a note though,

we realised too late that you could request for the brownie to be served warm and they'd very conscientiously put the scoop of ice cream on the side when it's served.

Maybe that would've impressed me more.

Stuffed.

Sent home a very happy girl.

These are what girlfriends are for.

Pig out, hang out, hearing out.

<3 p="p">

Double Sensation Pizza Pre-Launch Party

The pre-launch party for the Double Sensation Pizza was held at their branch in Funan the IT Mall. Tucked away in a corner on the third storey, we were promptly ushered to our seats and presented with the menu for a drink order. Customer service that touches your heart. 

A lychee green tea was a refreshing treat to my senses after a frazzled walk in the sudden downpour.

And there was certainly a lot of heart that went into the planning of this tasting session.

Fruitti Prawn Salad. 

Summer love.

Refreshing salad with the vivid colors of fruits and crunchy prawns.

Tangy cream salad dressing on the side.

I was perfectly contented eating this. 

Undressed.

Trio Chicken Platter.

I hardly think it's selfishness.

Let's call it honesty.

Good for one.

No sharing.

After getting some food to quieten down our growling stomachs,

we were introduced to Albert, the restaurant manager of the branch at Funan the IT Mall.

Us bloggers were brought through a step by step demonstration of the Double Sensation Pizza.

And what a treat it was!

I got to do a hands-on for the sauces and ingredients on the Double Sensation Pizza so believe me when i say that there were exact measurements and quantities for each of the ingredients on the pizza so you can be sure there's never a discrepancy between the amount of cheese you get on your pizza and the order on the table next to yours. 

Unless it was a flurry of hands... on a hands-on competition :)

Chicken Spinach Cannelloni

For a creamy treat that's less heavy on carbo loading than the beef lasagne.

Chilli crab baked rice

If you were looking for a taste reminiscent of the chilli crab that's uniquely Singapore then you'd be much disappointed.

But if you were looking for an Asian twist on the baked rice.

This would score.

Just as a personal opinion,

I'd rather have a half portion more of the soft shell crab and skip the crab sticks altogether.

It made for a fairly weird combination.

And if the waiting could get any longer...

This was a Double Sensation.

And oodles of cheese.

In all its glory.

This Christmas, Pizza Hut brings you double the joy with Double Sensation Pizza. 

The new Double Sensation Pizza comes with an inner crust stuffed with cheesy chicken sausage with smoked chicken and succhini on pepper alfredo sauce in the inner ring and an outer crust stuffed with 3-flavour cheese topped with turkey ham, mushrooms and capsicums on salsa sauce on the outer ring. 

Yes there's all of that in just one amazing pizza creation.

That's a mouthful of joy in every bite.

I'd even fight with you for the crust!

Roasted chicken leg with garlic cheese sauce

A generous portion of chicken.

With vegetables that were too overboiled.

And to round it all off, 

a platter of sweet delights. :)

I was all stuffed by the end of the night.

And I left with a thoughtful note and bag of love in the form of a goodie bag and a voucher for our hands-on attempt at the pizza assembly competition. :)

Treats like this should definitely be shared. 

Check out their Christmas Party Meal at only $58.90++ which is good for 4-5 pax with 1 Regular Double Sensation Pizza, 2 selected mains, 1 Thick Fries on Dips, 4 Soup of the day and 4 selected Sparkle drinks.

Order online at www.phdelivery.com.sg or drop them a line at 6235 3535 for their special online deals.

Share the love with a special one with a Christmas Bliss Deal at $28.90 for 2 persons with 1 Regular Double Sensation Pizza, 4 pcs of Honey Roasted Wings and 6 pcs of Mini Hash Browns available from now through till 1 Jan 2013. 

Or perhaps a Christmas feast deal meant for 4-5 pax with 1 Regular Double Sensation Pizza, 1 Regular Pan Pizza, 6 pcs of Chicken Karaage and 6 pcs of mini Hashbrowns at $40.90 available from 12 Dec to 1 Jan 2013?

Christmas comes early this year with love from Pizza Hut and me.

Eat well :)

the vault @ club street

The Vault has opened its doors to the public since June this year.

Marketing and publicity has been rife-

scoring reviews in 8 days, a DBS Indulge feature on Channelnewsasia, features in I-S Asia and Timeout Singapore and the list goes on.

So what's the deal about this 7,000 square feet, two storey shop house with a running theme to the history left behind by the former occupants of the Overseas Chinese Bank Corporation in the 1930s?

The basics.

There's a bistro on the first level and a bar on the second.

It's a cozy, laid-back SoHo feel with its bare walls, various assortment of books and magazines to be read and these guys support the local art scene by opening up their space to be used for art features by local artists.

It's a bachelor's dream pad complete with a party going on every night at the bar upstairs and an open concept kitchen offering up a western fusion menu on the first level.

Now we're talking.

Sides that can also be ordered for bar bites if you're having drinks upstairs.

Bank balls.

Juicy meatballs topped with cheese.

Baked and drizzled with sweet sauce.

Hoisin perhaps?

Getting fresh.

Plump prawns that pack a crunch on a serving of Aglio Olio.

With your choice of pasta.

It's an open concept kitchen where the pizza oven is glaringly visible.

Although it isn't a traditional wood fired one,

you can probably bet your money's worth that the pizzas would be the house specials.

I loved the crust.

Thin but yet not quite.

Enough to hold its own weight balancing the toppings without causing you to make a mess.

Cajun chicken albeit a tad too dry,

was still a traffic stopping order.

Garnished by the bright hues of red, yellow and greens of bell peppers.

Peking duck some days (subject to availability)

and smoked duck breast most other days.

This smoked meat tasted like a refined version of its pork counterpart.

An acquired taste.

But the combination of sweet hoisin sauce, salty smoked meat and bitter rocket worked for me.

The verdict

A place to see and to be seen.

And I've been impressed with a fusion menu that offers up more than just your usual Western serves.

:)