Pixieprodigy's Profile

Blog (http://pixieprodigy.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/othellos-onward-to-greenwood-avenue/)Once again, we have set foot on Greenwood Avenue. Slowly but surely, we will conquer all the eateries there. No joke, this place is so good. For starters, the rustic charm puts you in the mood to enjoy any meal of the day. We have not done brunch at Greenwood Avenue, so we thought we try it out today.The plan was not to have Othello’s at first, but that is not important. We are suckers for all-day breakfast, like moths being attracted to torches and we are glad that Othello’s whipped up a pretty decent fare.The ambience was great. Everyone was cheery but not rowdy. It’s really a family place.The Italian bread olive dip was complementary but it was nonetheless wonderful. The olive dip had diced garlic which enhanced the flavour of the condiment. It’s really like having garlic bread but this one is smoother and more balsamic. A great way to whet your appetite. Good job so far Othello’s!It’s E favourite combination. Egg’s Benedict ($14.00) and Cappuccino ($5.50), no two ways about it! Eggs Benny was a humongous affair, a serving fit for two people. Special praise has to be reserved for their Hollandaise sauce which was lip-smackingly good. It left a tinge of savoury sour taste in your mouth after each bite. However, the thick generous serving of Hollandaise sauce masked a major flaw. The poached egg was not well prepared. It almost resembled a semi-hardboiled egg with some of the yolk clumped together. In addition, the whites were a little too runny for our liking.Their Pancakes ($10.00) are not the biggest that I have seen. Each slice was the size of my palm, while perfectly charred, the pancake still remained soft and fluffy on the inside. Drench them with maple syrup and these pancakes are your perfect pick me ups in the morning. With an additional $3, you land yourself with 2 pieces of Chipolatas as an accompaniment.We kind of like this place. It is spacious yet cosy. We believe we could plant our butts on the seats and stay all day and watch the time pass by. Go ahead and have a pop!…Read More

http://pixieprodigy.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/tea-cosy/We ventured into the realms of High Tea today, for the first time in a few years. It was a refreshing turn from the numerous brunches that we had recently, and it was a welcoming one to be frank.It was decors galore upon setting foot on Tea Cosy, so much so that it was a bit overbearing at times. The country/cottage theme was welcomingly pleasant. However, much work needs to be done on colour coordination for some parts of the restaurant which sometimes threatened to wreck the original theme. The concept of Tea Cosy is akin to the likes of Octa Hotel Cafe and Maison Ikkoku where you can browse their merchandize while enjoying your meal.We recently changed our eating habits, preferring small portions in a wider variety rather than wolfing down the mains. With that in mind, we ordered their well publicized High Tea Set ($19.95). We had a choice between a seafood and a non-seafood set, we chose the former. Everything came in bite-sized portion which was friendly to our palates, without getting bored/tired of a single item. The items included grilled prawn cocktail, smoked salmon crostini, foie gras taster, turkey ham and pineapple crostini and bruschetta. In general, these were not really fantastic but they were not too bad also. I am sitting on the fence for this one!For sweets, again, we had a choice between 3 miniature cakes and 2 English scones. We opted for the later, which were quite the perfect scones! They crumbled in your mouth with every bite and they were really sweet. Well complimented with a slab of butter.For beverage, we had Tea Cosy Premium coffee which really was so-so. Nothing too impressive here.Being a mushroom fan, I could not let myself pass on their Baked Mushrooms ($11.95), which was one of their signature dishes. Each mushroom had melted parmesan cheese and they were baked to perfect succulence. Really heavenly this!The Clam Chowder Soup ($8.95) was not the usual cream based one. On the contrary, it was rather light and not too thick. We really liked the generous servings of finely diced clams thrown in.I am not sure if I would recommend their high tea set but their signature dishes are a must try. If you enjoy dining at a quiet place in a shopping mall, this could be the ideal place for you to do so after some retail therapy.…Read More

http://pixieprodigy.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/ah-tengs-bakery/While much of Singapore has changed since her founding in 1819, the essence of her colonial days is well preserved in the 125 year-old Raffles Hotel. The hotel named after the founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles was just a sombre-looking bungalow when it opened its doors in 1887. Fast forward to the present day, the hotel with its sprawling compound houses many posh boutiques, bars and dining restaurants.It was Easter Weekend, the perfect excuse to pamper ourselves with delicious food. I have not heard of Ah Teng’s Bakery. However, the fact that it resides in one of Singapore’s oldest and exquisite hotel could actually mean something. Or is it?It was a blast from the past kind of experience at Ah Teng’s Bakery. The marble tables and wooden chairs are reminiscent of the 60s. Given the name, it is excusable to assume that the bakery offers only Asian pastries and snacks. However, to cater to tourists from all over the globe, one can find tea time favourites such as scones and cakes and those were exactly what we got.Each Cake and Scone Set ($11.22, $10.28 respectively) came with coffee. There was a variety of cakes for selection and we ended up having a banana chocolate one. E has always prided herself on her ability to choose delicious food and her selection of the banana chocolate cake did not disappoint. The chocolate was rich and the fruit was almost whipped into a cream like texture. The soft and moist cake was a delight with every bite.Ah Teng prepares their scones rather differently from most places that we have been to. Instead of small bite-sized treats, we were handed something that resembled a bun. True enough, the top of the scone was as soft as what a bun should be like while the bottom was more scone like. We thought this one lacked a bit of flavour.I would not say Ah Teng’s Bakery offer the best food for brunch or high tea. It is passable but not fantastic.…Read More

A hidden find within Takashimaya Ngee Ann City. Domani, which means “tomorrow” in Italian offers cheap Italian cuisine.It was really a steal considering the fact that you could choose between 2 kinds of soup, several mains and a beverage. We go ourselves Mushroom Soup, Chic M&M Crabmeat Pasta and an Orient Pearl Tea all for $26.90. I am a sucker for mushroom soups and I have high expectations of them. This though, was not fantastic. Nothing too special to mention about really. Their pasta was not too generous with their seafood as well. The crabmeat was few and far between and prawns were sliced into half ala coffee shop Prawn Noodle style. Not something that I would expect from a restaurant.Aranchinii ($5.00) is your typical cheeseball. We enjoyed this one. The melted mozzarella was thick and gooey, Stringy good fun.The food at Domani is relatively cheap. If you do the math, you will realize that it is even cheaper than your friendly neighbourhood Pasta Mania. Those on a budget may well consider.…Read More

Pique Nique is the perfect embodiment of a pristine cottage styled setting that is visually appealing, which sets you in the mood for some really good food.Business is brisk here so be prepared to wait for a while at the reception. While waiting for our turn to be served, we could not help but be attracted to their merchandize on offer. Each of them exquisitely packaged. You are able to purchase items ranging from cookies to jams.We were actually heading to have KFC prior to settling at Pique Nique and what a choice we have made! For sides we had Carbonara Mac’ and Cheese ($13.00). It was served with a single poached egg atop thick gooey Mozzarella and macaroni. Hidden within were huge chunks of bacon. It was really delightful.We opted for Eggs Benedict Classic initially but we had our order replaced with Pancakes with Salty Caramel ($7.50) because the former was sold out. We did not complain though, for their pancakes were heavenly. They were thick, fluffy and soft, laced with delicious salty caramel and sprinkled with few dashes of icing sugar. The pancakes were uniquely flavoured. They had a distinct charred aroma which was not overbearing but on the contrary was inviting. The only issue worth raising up, was the lack of caramel syrup.The scene is set. Beautiful lights, ambience and decorations. This place is a must-go if you are an avid brunch person. I know I will be back.…Read More

Dim Sum is a Chinese cuisine that is close to my heart. Back when I was no more than a metre tall, my late grandfather would bring the whole family along to savour scrumptious Dim Sum at restaurants. The good ol’ days you say. What I like about Dim Sum is that each dish is so full of flavour and they are served in bite-sized portions that is really manageable and not boring. The perfect meal at tea time. We seldom hear of good Dim Sum restaurants in the heartlands but I am fortunate to know one, which I am going to share with you.It is really interesting at Mayim because you use odd shaped plates rather than the usual China associated with Dim Sum.I have to admit that the Siew Mai ($2.40) and Ha Kao ($2.60) are the default dishes that we would order for any Dim Sum meal. The reason being, they are simply delicious. The outer skin of the Ha Kao or shrimp dumpling was not sticky and did not tear easily. This ensured that there was enough moisture in each dumpling to offer that heavenly taste. On top of that, the prawn was fresh and crunchy.Mayim’s version of Siew Mai or pork dumpling had Chinese mushrooms thrown into the mixture. Each treat was tender and soft, not forgetting the inviting aroma from the mushrooms and well seasoned pork.Traditional Char Siew Baos ($2.40) are always a crowd favourite. This one here was no different. The hand-made buns were fluffy and sweet. The delightful Char Siew filling inside threatened to ooze out with each bite!Steamed Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp ($4.00) was accompanied with a special soy sauce that was uniquely sweet. The vermicelli roll was smooth glided down your throat with ease.Of all the dishes, we found Pan Friend Turnip Cake with Chinese Sausage and Dried Shrimp ($1.00) just passable. Nothing special to rave about. In fact, it was rather dry.My late grandfather loved this desert so naturally I am a fan of it. Mini Red Bean Paste Pancake with Banana ($4.50) was a savoury treat. Not only was it crispy, the red bean paste was also warm and moist. A perfect dessert to end your meal with.E and I have been to Mayim countless of times and we are very sure this will not be our last. That’s how high we rate them!…Read More

http://pixieprodigy.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/986/This week, we were off to town to savour brunch! Tucked in between Plaza Singapura and The Cathay is Blackbird.I shall keep this post simple and let the pictures do most of the talking! Let’s see what we have here.Again, what is brunch without Eggs Benny ($12.00)? Though the portion was a little small, this offering was pretty decent, with the right mix of how a proper eggs benedict should taste like. The eggs were how we liked it, runny. The ham was soft and tender and the muffin, well tasted like the ones from McDonalds. But we are not complaining! The mini rocket salad added zest which enlivened the flavourful concoction in the mouth.The Nana Omelette ($12.00) was not too bad. Like the Eggs Benny, the inside of the omelette was also runny. The shredded ham was a joy to munch on and the cheese made the whole flavour thing interesting.Though the portions were small, our gut were surprisingly filled after the meal. At $12.00 each, I would say it is a reasonable price for brunch, considering it’s location. The place was crowded and we did not have a seat inside so we had to dine al fresco. So, remember to work your fingers on the phone to reserve a table before you head down to Blackbird the next time!…Read More

http://pixieprodigy.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/antoinette-class-redefined/ (access the blog!)For a Saturday brunch to be perfect, you need a great place that is quiet, has great ambience and most importantly excellent food. Antoinette, as we discovered, checked all boxes. Many people have been raving how great Wild Honey is. Make no mistake, it is indeed a great place to have brunch and watch the lazy afternoon pass but I believe Antoinette is really giving Wild Honey a run for her money.It gives you a really classic feel when you step foot into the cafe. Exquisitely decorated, it feels as though they are preparing for the arrival Marc-Antoinette, the last queen of France. The chairs are covered with royal blue cushions that are so comfortable that they wrapped around your body once you sank into them. The marbled tables were spacious enough to accommodate lots of food! Talk about pampering yourself.Classic Eggs Florentine ($15.50) was a beauty. Each poached egg nestled on top of a thick slice of toasted brioche. Tucked underneath the egg were thin slices of serrano ham and wilted spinach. The egg was very well done and together with the Hollandaise sauce, came with this unique flavour that till now we still could not decipher which ingredient was responsible for it! But trust me, it was really good. Special praise has to be reserved for their toasted brioche which had this exquisite taste and aroma.I thought Egg with Smoked Duck Breast ($18.00) was unique for breakfast so I decided to give it a go. I was not disappointed. The smoked duck was rather thick which ensured maximum joy when your teeth are at work. Very flavourful. The scrambled eggs had a milky texture and taste which blended together very well. While not as thick as the brioche toast, the home made Pain de Mie toast was just as good. Very aromatic and tasty.It is really a must to come to this place. We highly recommend it. Prices are not exorbitant, it is your usual brunch fare kind of pricing. One complaint that we have is that their beverage was somewhat OK. My hot chocolate was really thick and chocolatey that I swear I could make another 3 cups with it. That aside, Antoinette is truly a haven of a place.They do not take reservations and the queue could be quite long at times. So be prepared to wait!…Read More

http://pixieprodigy.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/wild-honey-no-place-like-home/ (access the blog!)I have been to Wild Honey twice now and each time it has not failed to live up to its lofty expectations. Many people concur that Wild Honey is the epitome of a perfect breakfast, the gold standard to live up to, the ultimate place to go to if you need a pick me up. Well, they are not wrong and it is not difficult to see why it deserves such accolades.Most places that serve all day breakfast do not usually follow a certain cuisine. You have your usual Eggs Benny, Eggs Florentine and some other dishes that are often “mixed-and-match”, for the lack of a better word and that is it. Here at Wild Honey, they have a wide variety of breakfast that traverses the globe and each dish is distinct to one culture.European ($18.00) is one of Wild Honey’s signature dishes. This one here was simply superb in every sense. The sautéed mushrooms were brimming with aromatic eloquence and moisture while the prosciutto slice was springy and smooth. The eggs were well done and dressed generously with Hollandaise sauce that threatened to be ever flowing. The dish was also served with two thick slices of fluffy brioche, which ensured you would enjoy a hearty meal.Tunisian ($18.00) is also one of their signature dishes. It was one spicy pan of sizzling shashouka (tomatoes, onions, red pepper and chillies), Chorizo sausages and two eggs. The melting pot of different flavours was perhaps masked by the spiciness. Together with the brioche, the whole experience was almost like consuming a pizza. People in the the north of africa really have unique taste buds, especially considering them having this for breakfast! But nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised by this dish.Wild Honey is a great place to hang out and enjoy your breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner, provided you can withstand the noisy atmosphere and the occasional breaking of glasses by careless waitresses. During weekdays, you stand a better chance of having a more serene ambience where you will be allowed to be lost in your own silent reverie. All in all, this is a great place to dine. It is a tad expensive but you can always justify the cost by sinking yourself into their comfy chairs (if you are lucky) and chat your afternoons away.Business is brisk here, so prepared to wait for an hour before you get seats. The outlet at Scotts Square allows reservation but the one at Mandarin Gallery does not. So plan ahead I say or be deprived!…Read More