SPRMRKT Singapore Brunch Review

Posted on February 22, 2014 by missuschewy

Oops! Just realized that this blog post had been collecting dust under my drafts folder since late last year 😛 Totally forgot about it because I was busy clearing Christmas and CNY posts. Hehehe. I finally got to try SPRMRKT when misterchewy and I went on a double date with YP and Wilson one Saturday afternoon! 🙂

I think we reached at about 2ish? Can’t really remember but anyway we were told that we had to wait for at least an hour because the place was fully booked. Kinda disappointed at first and when we were about to leave, the chef actually stepped out and asked if we were ok with sitting outdoors. Of course we didn’t mind la. We came all the way here for this.

YP said she got Little misschewy a gift! Hahaha it’s a mother-daughter cookbook! What a great way to bond with our little one next time 😀

I know that there are a few people out there who think that truffle oil is a scam but I don’t really care. It enhances the taste of my food, so why not? 🙂 We shared the Truffle Fries with Kelp & Parmesan ($12) which was quite flavorful but the taste of truffle could be stronger.

My Smoked Salmon & Eggs ($16) was pretty good stuff. The smoked salmon slices were quite thick and the scrambled eggs were definitely up to standard.

YP had the Corned Beef Mash And Poached Eggs ($16) which came with layers of mashed potato and hollandaise sauce with mixed greens.

The Chicken Milanese Wrap ($16) was a very healthy choice for Wilson I guess! Fried breaded chicken breast, house-marinated tomato cubes, mixed greens in a tortilla wrap served with shoestring fries proved to be quite filling for him.

‘DE’ Breakfast ($17) consists of a single pancake, scrambled eggs with bacon. Pancake was thick and fluffy! We ended up sharing this.

The husband went for The English Breakfast ($25) because he was starving. You can have your eggs done your preferred way. I tried a bit of everything and loved the korubuta pork sausage, sauteed mushrooms and baby potatoes.

SPRMRKT is undoubtedly one of the best brunch places in Singapore that has a pretty extensive menu that changes on a daily basis and almost everything is made from scratch! Just remember to make reservations before heading down!

SPRMRKT
2 McCallum Street
Singapore 069043

Opening Hours:
Mon to Fri
8am – 9pm
Sat
9am – 4pm
(Closed on Sun)

KPO Cafe Bar Singapore Food Review

Posted on October 17, 2013 by missuschewy

Over the weekend, my primary school bestie gave me my long overdue birthday treat! More than 3 months from my birthday in July! :O

I went back to office to clear some work on Saturday afternoon and then cabbed down together with misterchewy to meet Adelene and Alvin in the evening. Dinner was at KPO Cafe Bar along Killiney Road! KPO stands for Killiney Post Office. I had been here more than 3 years ago and the brunch was not bad. Didn’t review this place back then as this blog wasn’t born yet. Haha.

Very chill ambience, complete with dim lighting and music in the background.

We ordered the Straight Cut Fries ($11) because it was stated on the menu that the fries are infused with truffle oil. We were able to detect hints of truffle but it’s actually really mild. Not fantastic at all. Wouldn’t recommend this.

Pizza Yorkshire ($29) was paper thin and was topped with slices of yorkshire pork and mozzarella cheese.

Fish and Chips ($23)

Prawn Pasta ($24)

I know I’m weird but I was really keen on trying the KPO Hokkien Mee ($15). To my surprise, they actually do it quite well! There were also bits of fried pork lard in it. I love my fried hokkien mee swimming with gravy and this is exactly what I wanted. Not forgetting the superb sambal chilli that came with it.

Thanks bestie for the treat! 😀

Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

KPO Cafe Bar
1 Killiney Rd
Killiney Post Office
Singapore 239518
Tel: 6733 3648

Opening Hours:
Mon to Thu
4pm – 1am
Fri & Sat
4pm – 2am

Symmetry Cafe Singapore Food Review

Posted on October 9, 2013 by missuschewy

The husband and I visited Symmetry Cafe along Jalan Kubor sometime in August. We love cafe hopping especially when there are truffle fries involved but this time, a simple brunch of eggs and whatnot left us about $80 poorer. Anyway, I’m not sure about misterchewy but I absolutely lurrrve the indie vibe that Symmetry Cafe gives! Also, the music simply rocks!

My drink. I think it was tea and ginger and something else. Quite refreshing.

Hot Chocolate with bits of lightly burnt marshmallows for misterchewy. We were quite amused by the cutesy rabbit choc art. It looks like Miffy don’t you think?

Not sure why they call it Potato Fries ($14) but I’m glad we found out that these are truffle fries if not we wouldn’t have ordered it! Not bad not bad. The smell of truffle oil is clearly discernible although I prefer it to be overpowering. Come on, somebody hand over that bottle of truffle oil! Lol. Ok seriously, I wouldn’t mind coming back for these if I happen to be around the area (Bugis).

Told you I’m obsessed with anything truffle. The Truffle Eggs Mushroom ($21) was definitely up to my expectation. I reckon it’s pricey for scrambled eggs (ok drizzled with truffle oil), hashbrown, mushrooms, toast and some greens. Wonder if eggs are overpriced or overrated these days. But I really did enjoy the truffle scrambled eggs which was soft and wet, just the way I like it. There’s something unique about the toast too, especially when paired with the blob of blueberry butter cream. You gotta try it for yourself!

Hubby Chewy had the Eggs Benedict ($20) which is a very safe choice and I’m glad he liked it. The muffins had a nice chewiness to it, with light crispiness around the edges. Poached eggs were just perfect! They were oozing with golden yellow goodness when being poked into.

Will I visit Symmetry Cafe again? Highly likely! 🙂

Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Symmetry Cafe
9 Jalan Kubor
#01-01
Singapore 199206
Tel: +65 62919901

Opening Hours:

Mon
10.30am – 9pm
Tue – Thu
10.30am – 11pm
Fri
10.30am – 12 midnight
Sat
9am – 12 midnight
Sun
9am – 9pm

Ritz Carlton Singapore Staycation Blog Review

Posted on September 9, 2013 by missuschewy

Happy 2nd wedding anniversary to us and happy birthday to misterchewy! Yes 9th September is another date on the calender that holds tremendous significance for the both of us 🙂 We decided to celebrate one week in advance because I can’t get away from work this week. Today’s post will be a combination of a staycation review of The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore and how we celebrated this mega special occasion, The Chewys’ style! 😉

We checked in last Sunday, 1st September, at around 3pm after having a quick lunch at Marina Square. The check-in time is one hour later than most hotel’s standard check-in at 2pm. Time is money and money is time. When we stepped into The Ritz-Carlton, we were promptly whisked to the check-in counter and then asked if we wanted coffee, tea or juices.

Before giving you a virtual tour of our hotel suite, here are some parts of The Ritz-Carlton that we explored. This is Chihuly Lounge, which is named after famed American Dale Chihuly. How does high tea sound?

Greenhouse offers an attractive Sunday vintage champagne brunch from 12pm – 3.30pm, featuring an unlimited flow of Moët & Chandon, wines and selected cocktails accompanied by freshly shucked oysters, seafood, roasts, 50 French farmhouse cheeses and freshly baked soufflés.

Swimming pool with plenty of sun tanning chairs.

The gymnasium is located on the same floor as the swimming pool and is extremely well equipped.

It is also the largest and most impressive hotel gym that I have come across so far.

Business Centre

Ok here comes the exciting part! I made reservations in mid July and prior to that, I chanced upon a Happy Birthday package on The Ritz-Carlton’s website (which I think is no longer available) and decided to take it up since we could upgrade to a Premier Suite upon availability at check-in. I’m not sure if this is common but we were elated that we were lucky enough to score a suite room on the 7th floor! 😀

The Ritz-Carlton houses one of the largest guest rooms and accommodations of any hotel in Singapore, averaging 550 to 650 square feet, and The Ritz-Carlton Suite boasts a lofty 2347 square feet. Our luxurious suite spans approximately 646 square feet and features an unobstructed picturesque scene of Marina Bay.

The separate bedroom also has an element of timeless elegance, which seem to be consistent with The Ritz-Carlton’s definition of the essence of luxury, evident from its contemporary furnishings and state-of-the-art technology.

Doors separating the bathroom and living room from the bedroom can be closed for enhanced privacy.

The Ritz-Carlton is the first hotel in the world to be furnished with flushed wall-mounted 46-inch Hospitality LED TVs. There was one in our bedroom and another one in the living room.

Even the bathroom is so spacious that guests can enjoy his-and-her sink vanities. Mirrors are anti-fog, so you can no longer use your finger to write “I love you” after coming out from a hot steamy shower. LOL. There is also a separate shower stall with rain shower feature. Wrap yourselves in His and Hers micro-fiber Ploh bathrobes after your shower!

This is what I call the SEXIEST HOTEL BATHROOM in Singapore with the bathtub just beside The Ritz-Carlton’s signature octagonal window. Sorry this photo was taken in the afternoon when the sun was shining in, but I swear it looks sooo much better and also more romantic at night! The husband assured me that people staying at Mandarin Oriental and Pan Pacific won’t be able to see us because the windows are tinted on the outside. Anyway if you are scared, you can always lower the blinds. Ours was stuck and did not work. Oh wells.

Asprey bath amenities

Hair dryer in a bag. I used it after my shower and it gave me ridiculously soft and straight hair.

Separate cubicle. Told you the bathroom is damn spacious!

Walk-in closet. Are you thinking about playing hide-and-seek already?

Back to the living room! There is an iPod docking station at the writing desk but what impressed me was the Bose audio system. Tuned in to 98.7fm and the sound quality was quite good!

Mini bar stocks a range of beers, wine, water and juices.

There were 6 lit-up drawers within the credenza cabinet in the living room and pulling each one of them out was like unveiling a mini surprise.

Our Happy Birthday package was inclusive of a small bottle of champagne.

Welcome amenity consisted of cupcakes, strawberries and a very adorable Ritz-Carlton lion soft toy! Since our staycation cost us the husband more than $600, misterchewy and I decided to maximize the length of time spent in our suite and agreed on in-room dining. We were also entitled to $30 hotel credit which could be utilized for dining, shopping or spa at The Ritz Carlton, and used it for our in-room dining. Unfortunately, we poured through the menu for 15 minutes and carbonara was the only dish that we wanted to order.

Glad that Marina Bay Sands was nearby and it was a good chance for misterchewy to try the truffle fries from Au Chocolat because I kept raving about it after a casual brunch session with my bridesmaids earlier this year. So, out went the mister while the missus lazed in the hotel room waiting for her husband to tabao food back from Au Chocolat 😛

Truffle fries from Au Chocolat are da bomb! Really the best of all the truffle fries that I have eaten. The husband agrees with me! Still tasted damn good even when they were cold (I ate some leftovers the next morning).

Spicy Chicken Wings (Au Chocolat) had a tang of spiciness but was quite salty.

Duck Confit (Au Chocolat) was quite dry and hard, probably because we left it there for quite some time. Busy taking photos 😛

The Ritz-Carlton’s Carbonara dish was quite well-executed, thick and creamy but I think the egg could be done better.

Earlier in the day, I googled and found out that the sun would be setting at around 7pm, so we planned everything well and made sure that our food was served before that. That way, we could watch the skies change gradually as we were enjoying our food.

We find that in-room hotel dining is an ideal way to spend a intimate and romantic night with your loved ones. You have all the privacy in the world, can be yourself and relax without having to worry about being judged by others. The bonus is having lovely music playing in the background and a spectacular night view of the city. It was just the two of us and we dimmed the lights for a more romantic feel. 🙂

Feather beds and Sealy mattresses are used in all rooms, Club rooms and Suites. The bed was comfy but quite high. Think I have short legs because I had to tiptoe and hurl myself onto the bed. LOL.

This was the beautiful night view of MBS that we fell asleep to 🙂

And of course, we soaked ourselves in the sexy hotel bathtub after dinner and played with bubbles 😛 It was very therapeutic!

Hope you enjoyed our staycation review on The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Click here to check out our list of Singapore staycation reviews!

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039799
Tel: +(65) 6337-8888

Cafe Melba: A Tranquil Foodie Escape From The City

Posted on September 4, 2013 by missuschewy

I have always wanted to visit Cafe Melba after seeing photos of truffle fries posted by some of my friends on Facebook. I’m not on a quest to hunt down the BEST truffle fries in Singapore but it’s actually quite fun comparing and agreeing on which are the places that serve really really good ones! 🙂

As our birthdays are one week apart, it was good enough reason (sorry cuz we are very busy ppl) for Pei Rong and I to celebrate and catch up over dinner with our husbands on a lovely Saturday evening. For some reason, I didnt have any of my cameras with me and had to rely on my iPhone 5 that day. #bopian

Thankful that PR and her husband gave us a lift (we came from the west) because Cafe Melba is located at such an ulufied place! I have never even heard of Goodman Arts Centre. Sheesh! Take public transport at your own risk 😛

However, Cafe Melba has a very nice ambience. Rustic, yet romantic. I like. But Pei Rong and I agreed that Cafe Melba reminds us of PS Cafe. Does anyone know if they are under the same group?

Even the menu is so PS Cafe-ish.

The Truffle fries ($13) were quite good, but not the best that I have had so far. I don’t think I would travel all the way to Cafe Melba just for this.

There is all day breakfast here! Good for those who like eating breakfast food anytime of the day. Haha.

Pei Rong and misterchewy had the Full Melba cooked breakfast ($25). Eggs can be done in various ways – poached, sunny side up or scrambled. Only free range, organic eggs are selected. I only tried a bit of pork sausage and mushrooms. Sausage was quite salty but the mushrooms were good.

Forgot that we had truffle fries to share, if not I wouldn’t have ordered the Haddock and chips ($24). The fish was coated with light batter and was crispy. Nothing to shout about though.

Every pizza at Cafe Melba is made to order a la minute and is available from 12pm onwards everyday. There are 10 types to choose from and we had the 12 inch smoked chicken pizza with additional shiitake mushrooms ($25). I only had a slice because I personally found it strangely sweet. Not really to my liking.

The food that we had was satisfactory but I really like the ambience. Perhaps we would have better luck with the other dishes next time!
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Movenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa Singapore Staycation Blog Review

Posted on July 1, 2013 by missuschewy

Whoohoo! The husband and I were lucky enough to win a two-night stay on Sentosa Island after getting the most number of votes for an Instagram contest, thanks to the support from our friends and readers. It was our very first staycation at Sentosa, and also our first local hotel stay of 2013! 😀

The hotel was not revealed in the intial stage, but only after I won the contest. Was hoping W Hotel or Capella but I was also contented with Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa la! 😛 We chose to split our stay so we only stayed for one night. Will be going there again a couple of months later! We like how convenient it was because the hotel is located right next to the Sentosa Express monorail station. Highly recommend this hotel to all, especially tourists visiting Sentosa! You can also get to take tons of photos with our iconic Merlion YO!

The hotel reception was actually located downstairs and one of the female service staff promptly took our bags from us and led us the way to do our check-in at the counter.

We were given a room on the sixth floor, which is also the top floor.

Immediately after we putting down all our stuff, we headed to Tanjong Beach Club in our beach wear for some drinks and truffle fries. Oh yeah, all guests staying in Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa are given complimentary monorail passes in case you wanna get out of Sentosa during your stay. Appreciate the thoughtful gesture!

The only thing we did other than eat at Tanjong Beach Club was to fall asleep on the sand for about half an hour (believe me, it was not part of the plan) and then we returned to our room to shower and change. Didnt have time for other beach activities because we had a dinner tasting at about 6-ish.

Let me give you guys a little virtual tour of our hotel room! Ours was a 30sqm Deluxe Room with a king size bed, which felt reasonably spacious for the both of us, as evident in this photo. The room features natural wood furnishings and warm neutral colors which create a calm and tranquil atmosphere.

The LCD flat-screen television comes with Bluetooth connectivity but our only gripe is that wifi is chargeable.

The granite bathroom is equally spacious and has a contemporary vibe which I like.

With a see-through bathroom door like that, I think it’s gonna be awkward for non-couples to be staying together. At least there is a separate shower room (pictured above) but that would mean you have to change in and out of your clothes in the shower room which can be a tad inconvenient.

I find that granite is a good idea because its coarse-grained texture gives relatively more friction as compared to some bathroom floors.

Dim Sum in the toilet? No laaaa. It’s cute though! Guess what’s inside? 🙂

The bamboo steam baskets contain bathroom amenities like toothbrush, toothpaste, cotton bud, etc.

The loofah certainly came in handy in scrubbing away the suntan oil which we had applied earlier.

Besides the standard minibar and complimentary bottled water, there is also a Nespresso machine, a CitiZ 110 – Fire Engine Red, to be exact.

Pulling out the drawer reveals an array of drinking utensils. Nice to find wine glasses in there because you will need them if you are celebrating special occasions over a bottle of wine!

I’m not addicted to caffeine and coffee has absolutely no effect on me. Not sure if that’s a good thing but oh wells. Made a cup of coffee for the fun of it 😛

The yukata matches the bedroom slippers. Cute huh?

Featuring my OOTD! Bought this navy blue maxi dress sometime back but didn’t get the chance to wear it. There’s a peekaboo area around the small of my back. Hahaha. Since we’re on the topic on clothes, Zalora is having a GSS meltdown sale on over 8000 items, and up to 80% off! Often times, I find myself browsing through not just the women’s clothes collection but men’s as well because the clothes are really fashionable and trendy.

Not forgetting misterchewy’s OOTD! Love the color combination.

This is the view of the swimming pool that greeted us the moment we stepped out of our room and looked down. I immediately went, “Wah! So nice leh!”

And so, we went down to check out the swimming pool.

The gymnasium looks well-equipped.

We took one of the Sentosa feeder buses to Quayside Isle and it was our first time there! Kill two birds with one stone since we were already at Sentosa.

Such a pretty sight in the late evening! Kinda like Keppel Bay.

Our dinner tasting was at Museo, which will be featured separately in another blog post 🙂

Earlier in the day, we were toying with the idea of catching a late night movie at VivoCity but decided against it because old people wanna go back and sleep liao. LOL. Anyway, we thought that the Merlion looked kinda scary here! Hahaha! Wonder what would tourists think if they came here at night.

Was quite amazed that the Merlion changes into a myriad of different colors at night! This is my favourite color!

Showered and hit the sack! The husband and I slept really really soundly. Mine was quite extreme because I had a horrible nightmare. Shall not tell you what I dreamt about but I was crying in my sleep! Woke up and almost drowned in my own ocean of tears. I’m not exaggerating. On a positive note, it shows that the bed was really too comfy that I just continued crying and crying in my sleep, not being able to wake up earlier. LOL. The best part was waking up next to misterchewy and discussing if we should go for a swim or eat breakfast first.

We decided to eat breakfast first because the buffet closes at 10am! A copy of The Straits Times was found at our door. Can catch up on the news while having breakfast!

Breakfast buffet was at Mövenpick’s flagship restaurant, Tablescape.

The full International buffet includes an egg station and in keeping with the hotel’s promise to deliver the best of Swiss hospitality to guests, diners can also select from the Chef’s a la minute menu options.

The egg omelette was really good! We will definitely eat this again the next time!

Equally worthy of mention are the roasted potatoes, sausages and sautéed mushrooms! Mushrooms were so delicious that I had seconds!

The husband offered to take a photo of me but I refused because my eyes were kinda swollen from crying. FML. Later people think I siao. Go staycation should be happy why cry until like that. LOL. Ok la you will see some photos of me later 😛

Perfect weather for a morning swim! 😀

Towels are provided so you don’t have to bring along the towels from your hotel room.

No goggles also can swim! Don’t play play. I started learning how to swim when I was four years old and I have a National Survival Swimming Award (Gold). Ok la don’t haolian already 😛

Our staycation at Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa was quite a relaxing one although the next time round, I think I wanna go to Wave House Sentosa! Click here to read about our staycation reviews on Grand Park Orchard, Wanderlust Hotel, Oasia Hotel, Porcelain Hotel and Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel! 🙂 July is gonna be awesome because we will be celebrating our 3rd year dating anniversary and my birthday!

Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy

Click here to check out our list of Singapore staycation reviews!

Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa
23 Beach View, Sentosa
(Next to Imbiah Station)
Tel: 6818 3388

The Halia at Raffles Hotel: Contemporary European Cuisine with Asian Inspirations

Posted on February 4, 2013 by missuschewy

– Tasting Invite –

The Halia group was established in 2001 with the award-winning The Halia at Singapore Botanic Gardens. Subsequently in November 2012, The Halia at Raffles Hotel officially opened its doors and is proud to be the first home-grown restaurant brand to set foot into the historic hotel and also Singapore’s most graceful landmark. Known for its quality cuisine, well-trained staff, excellent service and ambient settings, the Halia group is poised to establish itself as a leading brand in the food and beverage sector in Southeast Asia.

Together with a few other foodies, misterchewy and I made our way to The Halia at Raffles Hotel after work!

Prior to being seated indoors, all of us ordered a drink each before we started the dinner proper. On the left is CnG ($12) for misterchewy, which was essentially Coke, Grenadine syrup and whipped cream. A deliciously sweet and fizzy drink which we both liked! I had the Halia Mint Berry ($12) which was a refreshing combination of ginger, mint leaf, fresh blueberry and sprite.

Helming the premises of the former Seah Street Deli, The Halia at Raffles Hotel preserves the charming black and white floors of its predecessor, while incorporating the lush surroundings of The Halia at Singapore Botanic Gardens. The 100-seater restaurant offers a spacious dining environment decorated by planted foliage, a collection of wood-carved tables and an abundance of daylight that peeks through the restaurant’s classic French windows

The Halia at Raffles Hotel takes away the convention of a standard three course meal and introduces a “small” and “big” plates concept instead. This encourages free form dining and casts away the notion that an appetizer has to precede a main course. The big plates are also generous enough to promote communal dining.

It is always nice to order some sides to share and potato-loving people would be happy to know that The Halia’s Potato Fries ($8) totally rocked with light yet detectable hints of truffle oil, further complemented by truffle aioli and piquant mayo.

Easily mistaken as deep fried fish fingers, the Polenta Coated Asparagus ($9), as its name suggests, is asparagus coated with polenta and then fried. It tasted good on its own and also with the basil lemon mayo sauce that came with it. A great way to sneak vegetables into your diet!

We had the chance of sampling 5 different small plates. I’m not a fan of salads to begin with, and so I wasn’t particularly eager to touch the Chicken Breast Salad ($14) to be honest. However, I found that this was not your typical salad. The chicken was quite tender and it was interesting that the salad tasted sweet from the ginger flower dressing, yet a little spicy at the same time, due to the addition of chilli.

I had mixed feelings about the Foie Gras Salad ($23) because as much as I liked the nicely pan seared foie gras, it was on the overall too sweet and fruity for my liking. Apricot chutney, candied ginger pecan, blueberry and crouton had also been added into the mix.

The Confit Salmon ($16) had an interesting semi-cooked texture because it had been poached in oil at a low temperature. It was kinda like eating sashimi, except that its texture was slightly firmer. Its taste was further enhanced by the cauliflower purée and vanilla.

This probably doesn’t look very appealing but the Celeriac “Lasagna” ($12) was one of my favorites that night. It is a “lasagna” because celeriac replaces the usual pasta and provided that extra crunch. This Vegetarian dish was creamy without being overwhelmingly so.

I absolutely approve of the Oriental Pulled Duck ($18) which was very well executed. The duck confit which had been seasoned overnight and cooked in its own fat, was very flavorful and when eaten together with the cold soba noodles, provided that refreshing mouth feel.

The Sous Vide Baharat Chicken Leg ($28) didn’t leave much of an impression; I thought that it was kinda dry from the grilling.

The Seafood Gratin ($26) won me over. The Pignolina pasta had a firm, chewy texture and the parmesan cheese was rich, creamy and very satisfying.

The Javanese Spiced Maori Lakes Rack of Lamb ($47) was very tender, and had a nice sweetness to it from the red pepper relish. There was nary a hint of gaminess, likely due to the Javanese spice that had been coated on it.

I’m not sure about my fellow dining companions but I was excited by the presentation of the Chilean Seabass en Papillote ($43) when it arrived in parchment paper. The fish had been cooked in tasty mirin broth together with shiitake and wakame mushrooms. Interestingly, the fish was served together with a plate of sushi rice, which made this a very Japanese dish on the overall.

Sometimes I fear that I will be disappointed by fusion dishes but with the Halia Chilli Crab ($25), my fears were unfounded. The chilli crab tastes exactly like our Singaporean chilli crab, perhaps even better with its perfectly balanced sweet and spicy ratio.

Moving on to desserts, let’s just say that I really liked all four that we tried. I’m the sort who doesn’t mind having a heavy dessert after a meal. If you are like me, then the Sticky Toffee Pudding ($10) would probably work well for you too. This is by far the best sticky date pudding that I have eaten in my life. The combination of date, butterscotch sauce, sea salt and vanilla ice cream is truly awesome beyond words.

I’m not sure if you have to be 18 and above before you can order the Chocolate & Orange Custard ($10) because the orange gel had been laced with Grand Marnier, a type of brandy liquor. The shortbread crumbs and almond bits provided an extra crunch to this dessert.

I like my desserts sweet and also not too sweet. Paradox I know. The Ginger Nougat Parfait ($10) was certainly not something that I would expect myself to like. The combination of caramelised pineapple, puff pastry, almond, anise and cinnamon worked extremely well together, resulting in a unique mild ginger taste.

I couldn’t decide if I preferred the sticky toffee pudding or the Chilled Strawberry Soup ($12). Both were my favorites out of the four. A good amount of sparkling wine had been poured into the chilled strawberry soup and together with the lime sorbet, this was slightly sour and very refreshing.

The Halia has also launched a very attractive Pre-Theatre Dinner Set ($28++ for 2 course, $33++ for 3 course) which is available daily from 5.30 – 7.30pm. It showcases a number of Halia’s signatures such as the celeraic “lasagna”, Halia chilli crab and sticky toffee pudding. Nope, you don’t really have to produce your movie or theatre ticket and I don’t suppose you will be chased out if your dinner stretches past 7.30pm 😛

Thank you FoodNews for the invitation and LeRoy for hosting us. Connect with The Chewys on Facebook!

The Halia at Raffles Hotel
Raffles Hotel
1 Beach Road
#01-22/23
Singapore 189673
Tel: 9639 1148

Opening Hours:
Mon to Fri
11.30am – 10pm
Sat, Sun & PH
10am – 10pm

Steam Sia: Food that is Simply Irresistably Awesome

Posted on January 31, 2013 by missuschewy

– Tasting Invite –

A modern bistro bar located in Little India, Steam Sia, as its name suggests, has an old school twist. The term ‘steam sia’ can have two completely different meanings but I shall leave you to do the guessing. My foreign colleague who learned that I went to Steam Sia asked me if the name meant anything and I merely explained that ‘sia’ originates from the Malay language and is simply an exclamation used in sentences like, “Wah lao.. Why you so late sia?”

The husband and I really liked the kopitiam decor that was totally reminiscent of the past.

I used to play hopscotch during my primary school days!

I loved blowing these when I was a kid!

Has anyone not played the country eraser game before? 😛

I was terrible at five stones!

I’m gonna be straightforward and admit that I didn’t really like the Seafood Stuffed ‘Sailing Boat’ ($8.90) which had been named as such because it’s supposed to look like a boat with all the stuffings in it. This was oven-baked with cheese and I believe it was served piping hot but it turned cold because we were taking photos of all the other dishes. It was an interesting idea although I felt that it could do with more cheese and the potato could afford to be baked a little longer.

Truffle fries are all the rage and these days, everybody just wants to have a piece of truffle fry. No truffle, no talk. Yes, it has come to this. We were a little disappointed that the Truffle Fries with Cheese Dip ($8.90) tasted nowhere as good as the ones we had at Au Chocolat, The Tastings Room and Arbite. The cheese tastes exactly like nacho cheese, which could be nacho cheese in the first place.

Steam Sia’s Nonya Chicken Curry ($12.90 for 1, $20.90 for 2) came with potatoes and carrots and was served with baguette. The curry was superb, without a doubt. It was thick and the flavors were very robust. In fact, I polished off my share of the baguette by dipping it into the curry even before I got myself started on the chicken. The chicken and potatoes were well cooked till they were soft.

Steam Sia’s Classic Tom Yum Spaghetti with Seafood ($16.90) was another exemplary dish. The spaghetti was well infused with the delicious tom yam flavor which was more sourish than spicy. This was so good that I had to keep reminding myself to leave some for misterchewy to try!

If I didn’t remember wrongly, ‘Steam Sia’s Signature Grilled Salmon with Fruit Salsa ($18.90) was misterchewy’s favorite and can be found under the Western Delights section in the menu. The thick slab of salmon was grilled to perfection, while retaining its tenderness and moisture within. I have tried salmon with kiwifruit, so the novelty of having this salmon with diced mango cubes did not wow me that much. Both of us agreed that the mashed potato that came with it was too dry.

We settled for Hot Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Ice-cream ($12.90) because their waffles were sold out that day. It was served warm drizzled with chocolate sauce and a scoop of ice cream. When sliced open, it oozed with hot chocolate goodness and we couldn’t really fault a dessert so perfect.

Make a trip down memory lane with your friends and loved ones at Steam Sia today! Thank you Sue Ann for the invitation.

Why you no ‘like’ our Facebook page sia?

Steam Sia
5 Hindoo Road
Singapore 209107
Tel: 6396 6585

Opening Hours
Daily
11am to 12 midnight

Wedding Update: First Bridesmaids Meeting @ Au Chocolat

Posted on January 7, 2013 by missuschewy

Hola chewy chewy friends! It’s the start of a brand new week! *Groan* Ok just kidding. Anyway, many friends have been asking misterchewy and I, “How are your wedding preparations coming along?” Our standard reply would be, “Ummm.. Like that lor.” We are researching on our honeymoon trip first because friends are shocked that we have not booked our air tickets and all. As for the wedding, we have yet to send our invitation cards for printing and look at the Guo Da Li (betrothal gift exchange) things. Yes very last minute I know. But wait! At least I managed to hold my very first bridesmaids meeting at Au Chocolat @ Marina Bay Sands! 😀

I was actually very thrilled to have all my jiemeis meet one another because they are very outgoing and sociable girls! Everyone in the group knows at least one other girl because they have met before. Shall elaborate later! I had to pick a good venue because all of us reside in various parts of Singapore so we agreed to meet in a more centralized location. I picked Au Chocolat because I wanted a place with a feminine and taitai-ish vibe (even though I have not been there prior to the meetup!) 😛 Not a very wise choice because almost everyone was lost when they reached MBS!

Tadah! Meet my bridesmaids! From left to right: Ying Pei (YP), Pei Rong (PR), Bee, Maureen, Adelene 🙂 YP knows PR. PR knows YP, Bee and Maureen. Bee knows YP, Maureen and Adelene. Maureen knows PR and Bee. Adelene knows Bee. Confusing or not? LOL.

Me and my bridesmaids! Welcome on board! Hahaha 😀 Ok I shall introduce all my pretty bridesmaids one by one according to seniority!

Name: Pei Rong
How did we meet: She was my Orientation Group Leader in JC.
Fun fact: After her GCE ‘A’ levels, we kept in touch through snail mail for a while before Facebook made things easy for us.
Number of years of friendship: About 10 years
My thoughts: Pei Rong will be the big sister to guide my other bridesmaids in the planning. She is more serious and I will go to her for advice.

Name: Maureen
How did we meet: Social Media
Fun fact: We crap a lot almost everyday on Twitter.
Number of years of friendship: More than 2 years
My thoughts: Maureen is the craziest, loudest and most-not-shy bridesmaid and I actually fear for misterchewy that she will come up with lotsa Mission Impossibru ideas for the gatecrash.

Name: Bee
How did we meet: Secondary School
Fun fact: She’s the only female friend from secondary school whom I regularly stay in touch with.
Number of years of friendship: More than 10 years
My thoughts: Bee is the most clearheaded bridesmaid so she might help to assess how realistic the situation will be when the ladies are brainstorming for the gatecrash. She is also too innocent for her own good so I hope she becomes less innocent after this.

Name: Adelene
How did we meet: Primary School
Fun fact: We were in the same class from P2 to P6 and I used to bully her in P2. LOL. And I don’t call her Adelene actually.
Number of years of friendship: Almost 20 years
My thoughts: Adelene is very responsible and she lives just across the street so she is my emergency contact person. I am very relieved that she agreed to be my bridesmaid.

Name: Ying Pei
How did we meet: Tennis
Fun fact: I didn’t like her when we first met on the tennis court because she seemed quite hiao but guess what? She turned out to be nice enough to be my bestest tennis partner after getting to know her better.
Number of years of friendship: About 8 years
My thoughts: Ying Pei is not the loudest but she is very wild. Maybe it’s an age thing. If I am ever going to have a hens night party, I’m sure Ying Pei is the one who will help me plan something that I will remember for as long as I live. LOL.

Ok and now, the food! I’m absolutely crazy about Truffle Fries ($15) and I’m glad to say that Au Chocolat’s did not disappoint with its generous amount of white truffle oil and truffle sea salt. The truffle fries was served with mayonnaise and BBQ sauce instead of truffle mayo but it was good on its own nevertheless.

Ying Pei’s Handmade Mini Crab Cakes Sliders ($18) certainly look too cute to resist. The specially seasoned crab cakes were made in-house with guacamole, tomato & caramelized banana ketchup sauce sandwiched between mini sesame coated burger bun.

For those with a ravenous appetite can opt for the Au Chocolat Club Sandwich ($20) which is easily mistaken for a ginormous burger from afar! Not that my petite bridesmaid Pei Rong has a monstrous appetite, but how could anyone turn down a traditional double decker stuffed with bacon, a sunny side up egg, grilled chicken fillet & sautéed mushrooms finished with Swiss cheese & tasty guacamole spread? Now that’s a mouthful, pun intended. The poor girl was desperately trying to share the calories with everyone else!

The Homemade Garlic Herb Pesto Pasta with Prawns ($25) is also a good choice if you wanna jumpstart your day with a bit of carbo boost. Our dear Adelene seems to be enjoying her dish!

Maureen and I chose the Au Chocolat Benedict ($18) which had perfectly poached eggs atop bacon, spinach, tomatoes on an English muffin smothered in their very own hollandaise sauce infused with red wine & dark chocolate. It still tasted pretty much like the usual hollandaise and I didn’t manage to detect any hints of red wine or dark chocolate. Be warned that eating this can be a very messy affair. The yolk squirted all over my plate instead of oozing out gracefully.

For something even more awesome, go for the Ultimate Benedict ($22), which Bee did. Imagine hot fluffy pancakes topped with sautéed spinach, tomatoes, crispy bacon, roasted ribeye steak, roasted chicken & two poached eggs with our very own red wine & dark chocolate infused hollandaise sauce. I don’t eat beef but this sure sounds like one hell of a brunch.

I think candid shots tell a little bit about someone’s personality. Look at these two shots and read “My thoughts” on each of them again. Hahaha.

Basically, during the meeting, I introduced the girls to those whom they have not met. We talked a bit about the agenda of the actual day wedding, their responsibilities and I will check out on their bridesmaids dresses in the meantime.

Let’s start counting down to the weekend! Take care everyone! Do check out our facebook page www.facebook.com/missuschewy for updates 🙂

Au Chocolat
Bay Level L1-03
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Singapore 018972
Tel: 6688 7227

Opening Hours:
Sun to Thu
10am – 11pm (Last order at 10pm)
Fri & Sat
10am to 12 midnight (Last order at 11pm)

The Coastal Settlement: Perfect Place for a Family Night Out

Posted on August 28, 2012 by missuschewy

My birthday posts seem to be never-ending! LOL. *Raises white flag* In recent years, my parents would ask me to choose where I wanted to celebrate my birthday and this time, I chose The Coastal Settlement (TCS)! Well, I have always wanted to check this place out but it’s quite inaccessible, unless you drive and know your directions well.

THe journey to Changi from our place took us close to an hour by car. I was thinking to myself that thank goodness I didn’t attempt to make a trip on my own! TCS is located along Netheravon Road (honestly, have you even heard of it?!) near Changi Beach Club and the old Changi hospital. The latter is kinda spooky but oh wells..

Mostly pictures in this post! 😛

There’s kinda like an area for kids to play! Cool right? 😀

Alfresco dining looks good too. But I’m not sure about the mozzies.

My parents used to go dating on my dad’s motorbike! Not Vespa la. Hahaha.

Drizzled with sweet and sour spicy sauce, the Coastal Wings and Drumlets ($14) are perfect for sharing! They were not overly fried and the meat was very tender.

The Truffle Fries ($15) were a major let down though 🙁 Couldn’t detect any hints of truffle oil and I don’t think they should serve truffle fries with their house tomato relish. On hindsight, we should have ordered the portobello fries, which I think would be served with truffle mayonnaise.

We shared a plate of Calamari ($14) as well. The salt and peppered squid was actually kinda soggy but wasn’t too bad taste wise.

TCS has quite a range of pizzas on their menu and we decided to have the Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza ($22). Thin biscuit like pizza base topped with 16 months aged prosciutto, baby tomatoes, mozzarella & cheddar, shaved parmesan cheese and arugula was deliciously savory. Strongly recommend this!

My mum had the Nasi Lemak ($16) which is the most expensive plate of nasi lemak that I had ever come across. Besides the usual fried chicken and sunny side up egg, this came with tiger prawns too.

The hubby and I chose cream based pastas and it was a pretty bad idea because we had major difficulty trying to finish our food. LOL. The Chicken Miso Carbonara ($22) wasn’t too bad. It’s something that can satisfy your creamy pasta craving. Felt that the sauce could be more savory though.

I’m pretty sure that a good amount of truffle oil had been added into our Truffle Mushroom Fettuccine ($21)! We could smell it from a distance when it was being placed on our table. Anyway misterchewy and I are crazy over anything truffle right now! 😛 This dish was superb and the mushrooms were really juicy. I would recommend this for sharing though. A little too creamy for me to finish this on my own. Even misterchewy was unable to do so!

My brother stuck to the safe option of having Cod ‘N’ Chips ($26) which was served with thick cut fries, mesclun salad, wasabi tobiko mayonnaise.

The bill came up to about $300 which I hadn’t expect even though we ordered a considerable amount of food and drinks. In any case, just wanna thank my parents for this lovely birthday treat! 🙂

The Coastal Settlement
200 Netheravon Road
Singapore 508529
Tel: 6475 0200

Opening Hours
Tue to Sun
10.30am – 12 midnight
(Last order at 9.45pm)

missuschewy

Singapore Lifestyle and Travel Blog

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The Coastal Settlement: Perfect Place for a Family Night Out

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