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. 

Ardent's @ 80 Neil Road

Love the cosy feel.

Nothing like an iced frappe for a respite from the sweltering heat.

Hell yeah, bring on the whipped cream.

I'm sure that walk in the heat from Chinatown station was reason enough. ;)

$7.90 for a generous serving of rosti.

Crisp crust.

Creamed scrambled eggs.

And add-on option for just $2.

Adding on a cheese hotdog would be the $2.50 option.

Brunch doesn't always have to be an expensive affair.

Eggs Montreal

Their relation to smoked salmon?

Perfectly poached eggs.

Just enough hollandaise sauce.

And the simple side salad that I really love.

Why we didn't do the dessert option here on my last visit, I question myself.

But better late than never.

I mean,

LOOK AT THAT.

Warm lava cake.

Molten chocolate.

A generous scoop of hazelnut ice cream.

Served on a cookie crunch base.

All drizzled with sticky caramel.

Oh my yum.

And?

This was $8.80.

I kid you not.

Tempted?

And just because it was a birthday celebration for my dive buddies,

here's a First Hug from The Patisserie.

Mango Passionfruit Meringue.

In all that crumbly goodness,

this was amazing. :)

Have a happy birthday already!

Special additions of dolphin and nemos for you.

girlfriend therapy @ duxton

blink and you'll miss it.

second floor.

push open the door.

the handle's a spade.

did you notice?

we had to be on the waiting list but it was just about a 15 minute wait.

almost settled for wok & barrel.

grilled ham and cheese panini with a house salad topped with couscous and chips.

that's some serious cheese.

would've loved more tomatoes. :)

much raved about poached eggs.

runny. mmm.

hollandaise sauce was very rich and creamy.

mop it all up with that thick toast.

smoked salmon for that protein boost.

while i enjoyed it,

i'm sure they could've thrown in another piece of toast for $15.

i'll be back some time to try the other offerings on the menu.

girlfriend therapy.

:)

brunch adventures

80, Neil Road

Blink and you'll miss it.

A lazy late Sunday brunch saw me waiting for 45 minutes without reservations for a seat indoors.

It was positively boiling outdoors. I was seated in the shade while waiting outdoors and even then, the staff made sure I had the fan lowing directly at me while I was left undisturbed with my book. Once there were seats available indoors, I was invited in for a seat at the bar counter to wait for a proper table to be vacated. This was heartwarming service. Effusive but still, a respect for my personal space. I really appreciated that. :) Especially being alone while I waited for my friend who was totally lost.

Quaint. :)

Anywhere with a book in hand.

Rosti? That sounds like a good breakfast item! This goes for $7.80 plain with sourcream. There was a whole list of add-ons ranging from $2-$3.50. I opted for add-ons of scrambled eggs and a chicken cheese sausage. I thought the rosti was a tad overcooked. But if you like crispy charred potato strips then this would be a perfect rosti for you. The chicken cheese sausage was a recommendation and it was good. Cheese sauce oozing out of the sausage with every cut and white meat that had none of that poultry smell. The serving was generous and it was a departure from the usual eggs on muffins at brunch.

The pot of Earl Grey was served full. Literally to the brim so be careful about spills. However, it was still a strong pot of tea. Adding that lil bit of honey to every cup of tea for that touch of sweetness.

My girlfriend chose the recommended eggs montreal with salmon and hollandaise sauce. I don't see how there would be any connections to Montreal with this creation. I was expecting smoked meat from the namesake. In any case, the eggs were poached perfectly. With delightfully runny bright yolks and a savoury hollandaise sauce. :) The side salad was simply dressed and cheery cherry tomatoes to add color to the dish.

It was a cosy setting for us to have a relaxed brunch for about an hour and a half. Kitchen closed at about 3pm? But no one chases you to settle the bill. Everything was to the customer's convenience. It was hard work finding this place but we left with tummies satisfied.

But that wasn't all.

It's a girlfriend day out.

There just HAS to be after-brunch desserts!

Coming right up :)

sunday brunch @ choupinette

At $19+ for an English Coq Set, I'm hard pressed to find this expensive. I was initially put off by the review on how pricey this was but hey, this was a set that included both a latte as well as a glass of juice.

The latte was good. Just enough coffee and more than enough milk foam. But oh, a pretty latte art would've been nice?

Hmm. Of course the portions were meagre, it's pretty plain to see.

One of the eggs was just a little bit overdone with non-runny yolks but they were busy and I didn't want to make a fuss.

I've come to realise that brunch isn't really about filling one's tummy up. At least not for me.

Brunch's almost always about the company. Food is secondary on brunch days. :)

And just a random note, I haven't had a proper eggs benedict in Singapore before.

I know, how shocking right.

Soon enough, I shall. :)