This 7 months old Ippin Cafe Bar is not the typical fanciful Japanese cuisine concept you may be looking at. Instead, it brings about a more homely, cosy and down to earth ambiance in this corner of theirs. Besides serving you with just food and drinks, they hold a wide range of imports such as sakes, teas, condiments, snacks & nuts and more just for you to be able to bring back some of the goodness of japan to enjoy at your own comfort and convenience.These nuts will really drive you nut! They are just too awesome to begin with! Rattsu comes in 3 flavors – Strawberry, Matcha and Coffee. It’s good to start off with the lighter flavor, Strawberry, and slowly increasing the intensity to the Coffee eventually.Their selections of condiments and snacks.Unlike most salads that are usually paired with dressing prior to serving, here at Ippin, you are given the free hand to choose your very own dressing and customize it to suit your own taste buds. Personally i like the Wasabi-Vinaigrette the most. I dont usually take wasabi, so i’m quite hesitant in trying it, but i glad i did! It’s quite refreshing, the wasabi taste was quite subtle, i would taste more of the sourish ponzu kind of flavor. It goes really well with the raw salad.The staffs were really friendly and knowledgeable. They would always ask us if we like to order any kind of drinks to accompany our food, and when we are lost at what to order, they are there with their recommendations. We decided to go for something fruity, so they chose this Gran Agri Weizen Beer for us. The beer was not as fruity as i thought but was nonetheless creamy and smooth with a little wheat-y taste. I was told by one of the professional that it would taste more fruity if i were to pour out and drink from a glass.Here comes the highlight of the night. First up was the Deep Fried Oyster Set ($24 nett). The set comes with rice mixed with barley, hatcho miso soup, Nikujaga pork & potato stew, salad and a dessert. It’s quite a sumptuous and worthwhile set! I’m totally in love with their fried oyster!! Lightly battered, so crispy on the outside and so fat and juicy on the inside! Also, the oysters were fresh and sweet. What more can i ask for! Another worth mentioning, was one of their side, Nikujaga pork & potato stew (close up and bigger version as shown below), which we all agreed it was good enough to standalone. The pork were thinly sliced and tender with potatoes and carrots cooked to perfection and have fully absorbed the essence of the stew. Also their atypical rice that was mixed with barley! A little light and chewy to the overall mouthfeel.Next up was Grilled Oyster & Veggie in Ponzu Butter Sauce ($20 nett) that comes with the same sides and salad. The grilled oyster in ponzu butter sauce was quite refreshing with a little tangy sourish taste from the ponzu. But i find the oysters here a little more dry and less juicy compared to the fried oysters. & do you know, all their oysters are from Hiroshima Prefecture, the area that is famous for their oysters reared in clean ocean! I believe that’s how they can serve sweet and odour-less oysters right in their dishes!Last but not least, to end off our meals, we are served with Yuzu Jelly as our dessert. A light yet refreshing taste from yuzu that cleanses your palate after a hearty meal. Texture of jelly was the soft and slimy type that can be easily slurp down your throat.This complimntary packet of Sencha Green Tea is relatively more mellow compared to the usual matcha green tea i had. I like the lightness and fresh tasting of Sencha.

For the full review with pics, visit https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/food-tasting-ippin-cafe-bar/ .

Tucked away in the stretch of shophouses along Bukit Timah sits The Missing Pan. Featuring an open kitchen concept at both levels with the first level showcasing their daily bakes and second level whipping up delish food serve up to our table tops. I like the chic and cozy setting of The Missing Pan, the perfect environment to spend your time with a cup of coffee accompanied by a plate of pastries or mains.I like how extensive their menu is, filled with variety of choices from the typical brunch food to mains like pasta and risotto.We ordered some munchies for sharing – Missing Wings ($10) and all time favorite Truffle Fries ($12). Missing wings turn out to be a little different from what i was expecting that is wings marinated with hot sauces. Instead it came out deep fried with its batter filled with spices and herbs. Crispy on the exterior with the crunch and juicy, piping hot in the interior. Not too bad an alternative i would say.These shoestring Truffle Fries are so addictive and awesome. Well seasoned with parmesan cheese and herbs tossed in truffle oil. Not only does it brings out a piquant truffle aroma, but i like how the texture of the fries are – the combination of crisp on the outer and soft in the inner.Instead of ordering one main each, we decided to order 2 of their Signatures, Crackling Pork Eggs Benedict ($18) & Beef French Toast Salpicon with Skewered Chicken ($23). It was something special to see Crackling Pork in the menu of brunch food, who would expect a combination like this. I find the pork a little too dry but at least it’s not too fatty, and the most important, your can hear the crackling sound as you bite off the skin. It’s also quite an intriguing use of orange flavored brioche in replacement of the typical white toast. You could really taste the orange flavor with a sweet orange scent, quite pleasant overall. The poached egg was a little disappointing though, besides the yolk being soft and runny, it lacks the lustre and seasonings. The taste and flavor of hollandaise sauce wasn’t really uplifting and the whites tasted really plain especially in the absence of hollandaise sauce.One of my favorite for the night is definitely this Beef French Toast Salpicon with Skewered Chicken. A very innovative twist made to a typical french toast. Juicy mushrooms and beef chunks well hidden within the french toast that was topped with tropical fruits and skewered fried chicken. A delish to satisfy both your sweet and savory cravings at the same time. The french toast has definitely not lost it’s natural beauty, the eggy taste! The pairing of french toast and stew within is indeed a delightful combination while the additional of fruits add a little sweetness and healthy touch to the dish.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/04/14/the-missing-pan/ for the full review.

What has greatly set FatCat apart from other conventional Ice Cream parlors, is their creative alcoholic pairing of flavors and the availability of fine dining style plated desserts. Being conveniently situated just a stone throw away from the Bedok Town, the crowd gets really bad on weekends.Upon entering, these trays of colorful and yummy looking ice cream will simply steals all your attention away. Taking a closer look, you’ll be enticed by the different quirky flavors they got to offer you. It’s nothing like your single flavored Vanilla, Strawberry, Mango etc but expects flavors like their signature Butter Beer, Watermelon Soju Sorbet and many more.We decided to try out one of their finely plated desserts and of course their highly recommended gourmet charcoal waffle with salted egg sauce. We had their Banana Nutella ($9) which comes with Hay & Honey ice cream, laid on mixture of nutella – peanut soil and lightly caramelized bananas. Subtle sweetness from the smooth and a little creamy Hay & Honey with flavor enhanced by the nutella-peanut soil. Overall it’s quite a light dish with a little trick played on it’s presentation.It’s a definite must try Gourmet Waffle with Salted Egg Yolk Sauce ($6). Well, their salted egg yolk sauce was a big disappointment. It hardens upon cooling down on the waffle and it did not complement the waffle as well. Neither does it bring out the salted egg taste, in short, I can simply make do without it. But nonetheless, the charcoal waffle was fluffy and light, unlike those dense and heavy ones which will make you ge-lard after a few mouthfuls. Paired with 2 scoops of ice cream ($9) -Watermelon Sorbet & White Peach Sangria. Both flavors were light and refreshing with tint of alcohol taste that is not too overwhelming. A delightful marriage of fruity and alcoholic flavors.

If you’re thinking of heading down for a try, you’re advisable to head down soon and early as their desserts in fact comes in limited quantities. (PS: I only manage to get my hands on this Gourmet Waffle on my third try to the cafe!) Their quirky ice cream flavors are definitely worth your try.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/04/04/fatcat-ice-cream-bar/ for full review with pics

Opened by Chef-Owner Frederic Deshayes, a french pastry chef who apprenticed at Lenotre Paris and has spent several years teaching in Sunrise Singapore has finally decided to set his foot along the stretch of Tanjong Katong with his very own Do.Main Bakery specializing in french breads & pastries. Separately, Do resembles the sound of ‘dough’ which is the essence of all bakery products and Main which means ‘hand’ in french and when placed together, Do.main also represent a prominent place or home which produces the best products by hand and dough, the soul of bakery products. Chef Deshayes steps into the kitchen as early as 6am and leave as late as 10pm just to bring the freshest and best tasting bakery to his customers.The bakery cafe is in a simple coat of monochromatic colors with a look through glass panel straight into the kitchen. They also have a room at their second level for hosting private events. Look at these golden flaky pastries, aren’t they making you salivate!It was a great honor for us to have a short tour around the kitchen with Chef Deshayes sharing with us the day to day kitchen operations. Chef Deshayes will knead the dough conscientiously and leave it overnight in the bread proofer till ready to use for the next morning. Being oven-inspired, this french boulangerie serves all their dishes in the absence of stoves and you’ll be amazed how good the food turn out to be!After a short tour around the kitchen, it’s time for dinner to be set. Many of us may have the impression that Do.Main only sells coffee & pastries but definitely that isn’t the case. They do have an all day dining menu serving a couple of simple french fares that are pocket friendly yet not compromising on the quality of ingredients used.First up on the menu is Charcuterie Platter with Sourdough Bread ($20). Charcuterie Platter will always be made up of 3 different meat selections which vary from time to time. Our Charcuterie Platter comes with Duck & Pistachio Pate, Pork Rillette & Kruobuta ham. Personally, it’s kind of my first time trying a dish like this. I really liked both the Kruobuta ham & Pork Rillette where it is salted and cooked slowly till it’s tender enough to form a paste. For the Duck & Pistachio Pate, the duck is well seasoned and brings out a slight nutty note to the taste bud. As these selections are quite heavy in taste, it really goes well with the plain airy sourdough that has a faint sourish taste and is light on the bite.Served together with the Charcuterie Platter was this Four Season Salad with the attempt to include at least a kind of vegetable from each season such as lettuce, cured capsicums, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots and lentils. Bringing an extra crunch if you pair it with the Charcuterie Platter & Sourdough. But to be honest, i’m not a fan for the given selection of salad.Next we have Broken Egg with Mouillettes ($12-$15). It comes in 3 different bases – Plain, Cream & Ham or lastly Tomato. Each base has their own distinct and unique flavor. For the Plain one, it reminds you of the traditional half-boiled egg that goes well with your dark & light soy sauce; while for the Cream & Bacon, it brings about the westernized brunch flavor with stripes of hams.So what’s the correct way of eating? Simply, grab a mouillette that has been slightly toasted, break the yolks and whites with it, and slurred it till it looks even out. Then either dip your mouillette into the broken eggs or scoop some of it and put it on your mouillette and it’s ready to be slurped down your throat. I like how runny and soft the texture of eggs were. Here’s another two items being dished out to our tables – Tartiflette “Reblochon” with Bacon & Potatoes ($16) and Cassolette Oven Baked Escargots with Homemade Garlic Herb Butter ($16). I’m in love with this delightful assemblage of Reblochone Cheese, Lardons and Potatoes. The potatoes and cheese were baked to perfection, potatoes were soft yet not mushy and the cheese melt perfectly leaving traces of cheese trails as you pull a part out from the dish. Another of my favorite will be the Cassolette Oven Baked Escargots. Escargots are heavily seasoned with garlic herbs sitting on a bed of tomato-base, springy, fresh and well treated with no lingering odour. & if you have not realized, sauces on its own of these dishes really goes pretty well with sourdough or bread sticks! After a cold platter and some hot savory french dishes, it’s time for some of their well-known pastries!They have a good collection of french pastries made from the finest ingredients. We are pleased to have Chef Deshayes to decide what’s in for our Dessert Platter.Lemon Tart, Paris-Brest & Royal Chocolate Tart (Gluten-free) are 3 out of the 4 desserts Chef Deshayes have chosen for us. These classic desserts have their own merits and are special in its own way. These pastries are freshly introduced into the menu for less than a week. This classic lemon tart need no more introduction, it can be commonly found in most cafe, but what makes this stands out from the rest is the lemon curd with a strong sourish citrus note and usually is topped with a lime marshmallow. Next is the Paris-Brest, inspired by a cycling race from Paris to Brest and this pastry is created to commemorate the race. I like the taste of the praline filling which is made up of nuts & sugar in a ratio of 60:40. Very smooth and nutty with tinge of caramel & hazelnut flavor. The Royal Chocolate Tart is made from roasted buckwheat flour without any use of gluten, and made up of 2 distinct layers – almond sponge with crushed waffle that gives a light crispy texture and chocolate mousse with the use of Valrhona Manjari Chocolate. I like how it tasted bittersweet and the flavor being not too heavy. Something that is healthier and less sinful for your indulgence.& this Questche Tart is the last dessert recommendation from chef. Questche is some sort of like dried prunes or also known as stonefruits which are seasonal and can be found commonly in Eastern France. So when stonefruits season is here, since they can’t keep all of them when they are ripe, they will process some into either jam or tarts. The thin crust at the bottom of the tart is simply made of semolina and sugar. The whole mouthfeel is as if you’re only eating dried dark red prunes amidst the jelly like sugar solution that has cooled down accompanied with the flaky crust. It may look sweet, but it’s actually not too sweet.After the end of desserts, Chef Deshayes is very sweet and thoughtful, he gave each of us a bag of Chouquettes for us to bring home. We were told that, this was a common practice in France where the host will usually give some treats to the visitors as a form of thanking them for coming by. Chouquettes is a type of Viennoiserie with a small portion of Choux pastry sprinkled with pearl sugar. The texture of Choquette is pretty interesting, it remains crispy on the day it was baked, and became chewy on the subsequent days. But i find it a bit too sweet for my liking.Indeed it was a wonderful dinner warmly hosted by Chef Deshayes and his staff and thank you Openrice for having us at the Food Tasting event. Not only that, do pop by over the weekends for their Bread Festival to check out the different varieties of bread they got to offer you. Also, their different french pastries which are at pocket friendly prices is definitely worth your trip down!

An ordinary looking bistro serving extraordinary dishes. The Snack Culture Company has adopted a white and clean concept for their bistro outlook filled with a mixture of high and low white wooden furniture. Serving bakery goodies and lunch menu by the day and transforming to a cozy tasting affair in the night. Being mainstream is definitely not their forte, fusion is the only existence you’ll see in this bistro.When you’re there, do not just settle down with their ambiance and sink yourself into the seats. You got to check out their amazing galore of cookies and nuts, otherwise it’s definitely your loss. I’m instantly attracted by their creative pairing of ingredients and flavors together. For example, where can you find Laksa cookie or Hei Bi Hiam cookies? If you find the flavors too strong for you, there’s other lighter flavors like the Earl Grey Cookies or Lavender cookies. There’s bound to be something for everyone.& now back to the real business. I’m there on a weekday night for their highly raving ‘Around the World in 9 Small Plates’ Omakase Degustation Dinner. Creating exquisite bits of culture with inspiration from cuisines all around the world. A 9 course meal valued at $49+, it’s gonna worth every penny you have paid for. One for the experience, next for the gastronomical delights.We started off with their specialty Sparkling Sake with Berry Jelly ($10) that is only unique to themselves. Amazing texture, it feels as though you are drinking liquid jelly that is only 1/5 solidified. The sake is not too strong but instead it brings out a tinge of sweetness in the drink.

One thing special about the dinner is that, food are not served to you once you reached, instead, they will serve you when almost all the customers have reached, or when it’s time to. They will serve you one dish at a time, and the owner of the bistro will go from table to table to briefly explain the gist of each dish and what’s in it for you. & they will clear your table before serving the next dish. It really make you take your time to enjoy and appreciate every inch of the food served and not rush into finishing it.The first fun starter is nothing less familiar to you but the common Japanese Edamame that you can easily find in any Japanese food place. But what makes it special is it being paired with Thai Tom Yum Espuma. Interestingly, instead of popping it directly into your mouth, you are suppose to pop it into the Tom Yum Espuma, and scoop it up & in it will go into your mouth. A special burst of flavors from the tangy zesty tom yum that brings about a combination of sourish spiciness that matches the light and green taste of Edamame. This particular dish has keep my curiosity level up and up, looking forward to the very next dish.Say what? Korean Mandu in Singapore Bak Kut Teh Consomme. Both items are well known and well loved traditional food by each of the locals. What do you think it will taste like CHILLED? I could taste the freshness of ingredients used in making the Korean Mandu. You could taste the crunchiness and sweetness from the fillings of the dumplings too. The skin is not too thick and the amount of fillings inside are just right. I wonder how it will be like if kimchi is used in the fillings! I’m sure it will be a more intriguing taste to expect! Even though the consomme is chilled, you could still taste the essence of Bak Kut Teh, a stronger peppery taste yet not choking.Here’s another highlight and my personal favorite dish! Inspired by the popular Nonya Chap Chye Dish – Chilled Black Fungus & Mushroom Salad. Choosing the main essentials from the Chap Chye and tossing it with Belachan Mayo brings about a tantalizing flavor to our taste bud. A very crunchy salad dish filled with aromatic crispy mini hei bi and tingling sensation from the Balachan Mayo. Totally in love with this dish!Another well infused cuisine of the day – Scotch Egg Ter Kar Chor. Scotch egg is basically a traditional British snack, boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat and covered with breadcrumbs before deep frying. And Ter Kar Chor (Vinegar Trotters), i’m sure need no more explanation. Cut the scotch egg into half, taste a bit of the original scotch egg and for the remaining, coupled it with the ginger ‘nest’, dip it into the Vinegar bowl and it feels as if you’re eating Ter Kar Chor. Amazing isnt it? With the taste of Ter Kar Chor but less the oilyness.This is what everyone like best, a bit of everything – The Asian Trio. I like the concept behind this dish – ‘my friend is hiding in the kitchen all along’, never overlook what are around us all the times. Taking a good look around their kitchen, the chefs have came out with these 3 special items – Korean Bulgogi Beef Shabu Shabu in Vietnamese Rice Paper Roll, Nonya Ayam Buah Keluak Wanton and Singapore Laksa Prawn Haebee Hiam Cookie ‘Crostini’. Flavors are stronger and intensified as you move from the left to the right of the dish. Korean Bulgogi Beef Shabu Shabu is quite a light refreshing dish, but i find the rice paper a little too chewy to my liking. I like how the wanton skin is deep fried yet not too greasy and paired with an acquired taste of Buah Keluak, makes it a unique creative snack on it own. This crostini is indeed exceptional with the best fusion of our very own local flavors – Laksa & Haebee Hiam. The Haebe hiam cookie is superb in short, from the flavor to the aroma to the texture of the cookie, there’s nothing to pick on.After something so exciting, it’s time to calm ourselves down a little. Enjoy a light yet flavorful Pen Cai Parcel which has incorporated the best ingredients, scallop, shitake mushroom and abalone wrapped in cabbage served together with a full bodied soup base that totally complements the natural sweetness of the quality ingredients in the parcel. The thick soup base is made from 2 important ingredients, one of them is the dried scallop and another is their special ingredient. I shall keep that a suspense too, it is really something that you least expect yet it’s kind of common and it enhances the overall taste of the soup stock.Now it time to get back on track to enjoy what’s in store for us. It’s time for another burst of international flavors you can find in this particular Har Jeong Crab meet Kaffir Capellini. Hong kong ‘Har Jeong’ (Shrimp paste in other words) coated on the soft shell crab and deep fried to resemble that of a japanese tempura served with tomato based capellini infused with the juices of Kaffier lime. The taste of Har Jeong is subtle and much more faint compared to the usual Har Jeong Chicken. On the other hand, the capellini is cooked well to al dente with a sourish note from the kaffir lime. For added spiciness, just have it with some chilli padi, and the taste is perfect.As the saying goes, save the best for the last. The last main before dessert is none other than the trending Louisiana Cajun Seafood en Papillote. Fresh juicy seafood are baked and cooked in a folded parchment parcel in its own aromatic moist heat retaining the natural sweetness of the seafood. The seafood are not overcooked and after cooking definitely has not lose its juiciness and crunchiness. The soup is sweet from the seafood and enhanced with the use of herbs and spices to bring out a stronger flavor. Dont forget to dip your bread in the soup!After all the 8 dishes, though the plates may look small, but its surprisingly filling. & it’s really a good time to end the meal with a dessert. Yet another fusion of italian with local flavor that has given birth to this Chendol Panna Cotta. Very strong gulu melaka that complements with the silky and milky panna cotta in the right consistency. I like how the texture of the panna cotta is but not a fan of chendol, i would definitely love it, if it’s fruit-based instead.
Definitely worth a trip down for their ‘Around the World in 9 Small Plates’ Omakase Degustation Dinner. Not only is it a time to taste some unique creative food but also a chance to taste some of their specialty available in their bistro. The owners of the bistro are really friendly and humble, they make a point to create small talks with the customers before the start of the meal and during the meal. & you really can see the pride they have for their food creations. Kuddos to the people behind The Snack Culture Company!

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/03/22/the-snack-culture-company/ for full review with pics.