adelyc's Profile

http://sofood.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/parsley-thyme-sg/Previously owned and helmed by a Dutch gentleman, and now the restaurant is taken over by the food avid father-and-son team, for the past 9 months.This homey European cuisine focused restaurant is truly a gem – offering rustic presentation and delectable dishes.Chef Daryl Cheong’s father – Ricky helps running the front end of the restaurant, who also has an extensive knowledge on wines to boot.Daryl is a at-Sunrice graduate together with his two other culinary friends helms the kitchen. Prior to owning this restaurant, they held stints at these popular European restaurants – Absinthe and No Menu before.Non-fuss interior.Smoked Duck Salad S$12++ – Slices of smoked duck breast fillet with marinated orange and grapefruit slices on top of mixed greens tossed with a star anise dressing and a sprinkle of fennel seeds.I love smoked anything really…The sweet dressing on the greens was accented with Asian spices – that actually worked with the smoked duck slices without overpowering.Grilled calamari seasoned with garlic and served with a side of salad and tartare sauce S$12++ *Must Try*The chef has a good grilling technique, and a good fire grill I suspect.The tartar sauce served aside was redundant as the grilled tender squid was so ‘smokingly’ delicious – light salt sprinkles and olive oil seasoning sufficed.It is the perfect plate to complement the crisp white wine.We were treated to a crisp white wine from New Zealand to complement the calamari.French Onion Soup – Caramelised onions cooked in a beef broth topped with toasted crostini and melted Emmental and Gruyere. S$9++ *Personal Favourite*Honestly, the portion was smallish compared to the other French bistros.BUT, the broth was deep and came with some flavourful beefy bits too.The torched and melted cheese combination on the crostini was classic and appreciated.And we were treated to this very nice Spain originated red wine for tasting.Slow-braised shredded pork with penne cooked in a red wine cream sauce S$18++ *Personal Favourite – value for money*Penne was cooked past al dente bites yet not too soft, suitable to local palettes.The fork tender braised pork chunks were very flavourful, and the pasta was evenly coated with the same tasty stock with a touch of cream.Prawn Aglio Olio – Tiger prawns with linguine pasta sauteed in garlic prawn oil S$22++. This was another great seafood pasta dish, and I wouldn’t label it as Aglio Olio, prawn linguine would be more apt.Seafood Stew – Tiger prawns, green mussels, calamari and fish fillet cooked in a saffron-infused tomato stew S$27++The diner who had this commented that it was a little too sweet as a seafood stew and too rich as well.Well, I tasted the broth and found it resembled more of a vegetable soup infused with seafood flavour.The taste and texture have room for improvement.Halibut en Papillotte – Fillet of halibut baked in a parcel and seasoned with a tarragon white wine sauce S$24++ *Must Order*I was lucky to have this piece of very fresh UK imported cold water white fish.The fillet chunks were flaky, moist and uber comforting combined with the rest of the roasted vegetables and white wine cream sauce.It was like a fish chowder.I love fish and this dish would be the one I will return for.Strawberry Bavarois with marinated strawberries and white chocolate sauce S$9++Finally, we arrived at the sugar high round – DESSERTS!The glass of very creamy and a little heavy sweet white chocolate sauce was good, if you have a really sweet tooth.Even for me, a world-proclaimed sweet tooth, I found it on the cloying side.I’m sure with the chef’s skills, this dessert could be tweaked for a better balanced sweetness and texture.Nutella Chocolate Mousse served with crushed hazelnut praline and toasted hazelnuts S$9++On the first spoon, it was undoubtedly hazelnut-intensified chocolate mousse.The velvety smooth mousse was on the milky side – darker chocolate used would be my inclination.I find that my little nieces would love this equally as much as me.Caramel Panna Cotta topped with Apple Compote and Cinnamon Crumble S$9++ *Best among the three desserts*This pot was the best I found.It has got the right texture on the crumble mixed with cinnamon, good acidity from the caramelised appled cubes against the caramel infused smooth custard at the bottom.A perfect end to the multi-courses we had.Overall, I enjoyed the tasteful and unpretentious European cooking here (and I will be back for my halibut en papillotte).…Read More

http://sofood.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/moojaa/The mookata assembly takes place inside a recessed sink on the dining table, the sink is also equipped with exhaust holes on the wall around it piping out the more intense smoke.The stock base pouring into the ‘cauldron’ for grilling and blanching later.Homemade condiments, they were delicious! And hot and spicy!Very nice to dip the fried fish skin into!While waiting for the meat platter to arrive, we ordered the very sweet Thai Iced Tea and Lemongrass drink. S$2.50 eachMunching through Fried Fish Skin S$6 while waiting on the ‘kata’ to heat up.I missed a snapshot of the cheese balls, these little molten cheese filled balls were tasty.Due to longer cooking time, they will be served cooked alongside with the meat platter for munching on.We had a King Moo Set S$60 (and extra a la carte seafood items) among four of us – that includes US Angus Beef, Beef Slice, Kurobuta Pork, Pork Collar, Pork Belly, Boneless Chicken, Cheese Tofu, Abalone Slice and Crab Meat. Extra a-la-carte items were Squid, Scallop, Prawns, Pork Balls, Mixed Vegetables and Vermicelli.First round of the meal will be served by the staff where he/she will arrange the ingredients into the ‘steamboat’….see the lardons at the peak of the dome? That is the essence of Thai moo(pork)kata(grill)! This round was grilling the pork and chicken…We liked that the meat slices came prepared without any heavy marinade, the only flavouring was the lardons grilled throughout the course.Overall, a fairly quality mookata set indeed.Good news – if you are feeling peckish past 10pm, this is one of the only few places serving mookata throughout the night until 6am!There are also Thai cooked dishes here – the usual suspects are Som Tum (green papaya salad), Green Curry, Pad Thai, Pineapple Fried Rice, you name it.This shop is the obvious choice when it comes to late night meaty supper in town.…Read More

http://sofood.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/madam-kwans-sg/I was actually scoffing off at the opening of this outlet hailed from Kuala Lumpur – it must be overpriced and probably not as good.That was my prejudice.The restaurant reviews on paper clippings displayed on the entrance wall. He is a big fan of Malaysian style nasi lemak (typically served with chicken curry).And knowing Madam Kwan has set a foot print in Singapore, I was dragged here based on his persuasion of ‘it is still cheaper than buying air tickets to KL’.The menu cover.Their homemade condiments of belacan cili and sambal.Black & White S$3.50+I was surprised at how intense the soya milk was, tasted homemade.Syrup was served on the side, t’was thoughtful.Nasi Lemak served with Acar on the side S$13.90+Another surprise, the food served here tasted as good as the ones we had back in KL on numerous occassions.The tender chicken chunks smothered in the signature’s thick and aromatic curry sauce – just the type to have white rice with.Char Keow Tiao (CKT) S$14.90+This version of CKT is neither typical Malaysian nor Penang style.It is Madam Kwan’s another signature dish.The slightly smoky plate of chewy rice noodles tangled with the right amount of egg strands and beans sprouts.Quite a lot of fresh tender squid and chicken chunks thrown in as well.The service here was fast whereas the warmly lit interior was comfortable enough admist the boisterous conversations.…Read More

I was having a hard time deciding on a cafe to bring a visiting friend who has scoured parts of the globe. It could not possibly be a buffet at Straits Kitchen as she is a Malaysian, definitely not some place in our infinite air-con malls, even though it was tempting during the hazy week.I finally decided on Artichoke Cafe – located at Sculpture Square (which not many locals know of the location) – beside Singapore Women’s Association Council. Through the gates into the cozy shed of luscious pastries and rustic dishes abound.Pan fried Halloumi S$22++Sauteed organic mushrooms, huge slab of creamy omelette underneath and two slices of grilled dough on the side. It was a big portion for one and luckily this was my first meal of the day into noon time. I cleaned it up!Every ingredient was cooked well, done right and seasoned well – nothing complicated.I would have shared it if I were to have a Snickers Tart afterwards (from their sister bakery – Overdoughs) but not for the sore throat around.There will be next time.For full review and more photos, visit http://sofood.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/artichoke-cafe/. …Read More

Cedele is almost synonymous to sandwiches and carrot cakes on this island. This review is about their savoury offerings instead.Chicken & Walnut Salad S$15++The grilled chicken fillets were spiced up nicely, lean as well. Light coat of Balsamic dressing on the fresh greens served with fresh young walnuts, t’was hearty and healthy.Vegetable Stacks S$18++The tomato coulis at the bottom was also the base tomato sauce used in their pasta dishes, and that was fantastic! Cooked and blended to the right consistency, not watery, not sour, with a touch of light smokiness. The grilled vegetables were cooked just done, so the integrity of the vegetables and taste could be retained. The bottom stack of grilled sweet potato Kumara was sourced from India for its unique texture and sweetness. I could eat this everyday, and be a vegetarian without realising it.Prawn Paprika Risotto S$17.90++For this price, it was worthwhile to have such amount of fresh and sizeable prawns. The paprika coated grilled prawns were bouncy on the teeth. Risotto grains were a little soft, smothered in the rich but non-cloying spicy cream sauce with a handful of crunchy edamame for bites.Beef Bacon Works Sandwich S$15.80++This was literally a burger in disguise! *Highly Recommended* It was SO GOOD! The juicy and nicely grilled patty combined with melted cheese, crispy ‘lean’ bacons wedged between the toasty ciabatta – I repeat, order this! This sandwich beats some of the popular beef burger joints out there for sure.Sea salt caramel ice-cream / S$3.80 per scoopAlso, they launched Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake and ice-cream in the early years, way ahead of this flavour which now became the recent trend.Each element in Cedele food is put together with nutrition value and uncompromising taste in mind. Overall, the savouries at Cedele were impressive in such an honest way.For full review and more pictures, visit http://sofood.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/dining-cedele-sg/. …Read More

http://sofood.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/ice-cream-moments-of-delight/About 13 flavours of ice-cream available here, though not wide varied however each flavour was made with good dose of sincerity.Each of the flavours were pretty strong, and if you like boozy one – hit the Rum & Raisin flavour, you will thank me for that – it has the strongest alcohol in its league.Also, highly recommended are their smooth intense Salted Caramel, as well as Nutella with Hazelnut & Marshmallow bits.If you love something tangy and refreshing – Mango sherbet, Lemon Sherbet (quite tart, but I likey!) and strawberry sherbet were available in full fruity taste.I had the luck to chat with the owner – Stephanie, she revealed that the ice-cream was made with fresh ingredients – real fruits as well as full cream milk & cream.Each flavour was churned out in small batches to ensure freshness, without preservatives and whole lot other funky stuff.Iced Latte S$6.50I only hoped it contained one more coffee shot as the huge glass had probably 80% of milk instead of coffee, but it would be nice for someone who just want an ice milkish drink.Waffle with one scoop is S$7, about S$10 for double scoop (check in-store). Since there is only one waffle machine here, weekend tea time wait that involves a baked waffle could be testing if you are hungry. Well, it was worth the wait definitely.The waffle was toasty on the outside, fluffy and eggy inside.Matched so well with the creamy smooth scoops atop.Apart from baked waffle, you could also opt for a pastry to go with the homemade ice-cream. Varied options are – double chocolate macadamia brownie, chocolate lava cake and apple crumble. We also tried Milo and Chewy Cookie to curiosity.Milo was really malty and well… Milo-ey! Good version.Whereas for Chewy Cookie, texture was as good, it paled in comparison to the strong contestants – salted caramel and Nutella hazelnut.After this visit, I decided to prefer the ice-cream here than the overrated Udders down at Siglap.Given the reasonable pricing on such quality ice-cream and waffle offered, I have no doubt to revisit for a waffle & ice-cream fix.…Read More

http://sofood.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/swirls-bake-shop-sg/Cupcakes here available in 3 different sizes:Gobble Gobbles (Bite Sized Tiny’s) – approx. S$2.50Regulars – approx. S$4Colossal (Giant Cupcake) – price unknownToday’s special flavour – chocolate cheesecake!Being a cheesecake lover and a chocoholic, this is a genius combination!You also get crushed biscuit crunch at the bottom, and a dollop of dark chocolate bite at the top.Not to mention the slightly tangy and creamy rich chocolate infused cream cheese in the middle.Hazelnut cupcake with Nutella swirl inside.This was essentially a chocolate cupcake with Nutella swirls within.Topped with hazelnut butter cream frosting.Probably I had this after the chocolate cheesecake (above), the flavour paled in comparison.Swirls definitely packed a punch in terms of ingredients, flavours and weight too in their cupcakes.…Read More

http://sofood.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/breakfast-specials-beanstro-sg/Egg Royale $13.50++All of the thick toasts served here were really fluffy inside – I only wish they could be toasted a little more for extra crunch around the skin.Also, you will find a slice of almost melted torched cheese on top of the toast, stacked on by the eggs which were drowned in a thick and smooth Hollandaise sauce – torched atop again for colour.These smoked salmon was fairly salty which I had no qualm with, the saltiness will help to season the poached eggs as you eat along.Egg Florentine $12.50++ The stir fried garlic scented spinach added a very homey touch to this plate. Thick smoky turkey hams to boot.This is a Halal certified restaurant if you are wondering.Working our way through the smoky turkey ham and aromatic wilted spinach atop…the black bits were freshly ground pepper milled on request.Did I mention the side salad, how refreshing and zesty the dressing was?Do not ignore the greens, munch on it.Egg Salmon & Asparagus $14++The blanched baby asparagus were bunched up, tightened by a torched sliced of smoke salmon.Lesser smoked salmon here with extra dose of crunchy greens on this plate – your call!Overall, we were happy with the quality and taste on these four breakfast varieties.…Read More

http://sofood.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/whiterosecafe/Calamansi Plum Juice S$5++A classic local drink that is quintessential to our ever tropical island.It got to pack the intense sour plum amongst the sweet and sour juice.Deep fried curry chicken wings S$8++The ultra crunchy curried batter on these wings were so good.And it remained crunchy even after a long pause of sitting on the table (inside air-con interior).The fat layers of the skin rendered out completely, flesh underneath took on the spicy flavours too.Fish Head Curry. Half Portion S$28; Whole Portion S$42.The key dish here would be this Fish Head Curry, a tamarind (assam) based curry broth.It was prepared according to a well-guarded recipe dating from the 1970s.Remember, be quick and take away the cheek flesh of the fresh snapper once served *kiasu*.It was so tender, sweet and infused with the subtle yet heady curry spices served together with a myriad of vegetables – lady fingers, tomatoes and red chillies.Sambal King Prawn (per piece S$8)The juicy king prawns were deveined and split, lightly fried prior to being smothered in the aromatic sambal sauce.It was mild on heat but flavourful.Fragrant fluffy rice and acar with the homely dishes.Black Ink Sotong (Squid) S$12This was available decades ago before the Italian nero pasta created a wave in Singapore.Trust me, you will like this plate filled with fresh and soft squid coated in the briney squid ink – eaten with white rice NOT pasta. Nice one!Crab Masala S$32I learnt that it was chicken masala that cued for this crab masala from the regular diners.However, we way prefer crab masala than chicken one.The sweet fresh crab meat soaked up the tasty masala spices and turned into a really wonderful dish.Ask for a finger bowl or two as I couldn’t imagine eating it without my fingers.Tips: Use the poppadum to scoop out the leftover masala spices if you couldn’t get enough of it.Chicken Masala S$12Chicken Masala contained chunky bits of different chicken parts.Perfect for those who prefer non-messy affair eating the crab version.Chap Chye (Teochew style) S$8This simple stir fry of vegetable medley blew me away.It was of Teochew version – stir fried with fermented bean paste (instead of the Cantonese style of hoisin sauce).The vegetables were not overcooked, still retained a little crunch, infused with the bean paste seamlessly.Sambal Kang Kong S$8I must commend on the right amount of salt used in the homemade sambal sauce here.It was punchy without being too salty found commonly amidst the cze char stalls.Beef Rendang S$15 (from media set) We did not try it out this time round, definitely next time.The following desserts are perennial choices, and it is comforting to know that in the midst of fast-paced developments, we could still find some nostalgic taste from these retro desserts.I really hope they will stay that way.Creme Caramel ~S$6When I saw this wobbly white dome approaching me, I thought out loud – so retro! The smooth steamed custard and rich caramel are speechless.…Read More

http://sofood.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/7adam-sg/It was like an adventure coming out here for a casual fine dining, at the same time, a session of arts appreciation and/or acquirement.Note: casual dress code is totally allowed here, or rather no dress code per se.Pre-appetiser: Veloute of Trio Pepper SoupBlended sautee capsicum of three types which were naturally sweet and a little smoky when cooked, the soup really started off the appetite.Appetiser: Carpaccio of Hokkaido ScallopsFresh thin slices of scallops topped with roes, it was a true seafood burst in the mouth. It made me anticipated the next course even more.Main: Deconstructed Sprout Risotto, Sliced Truffle and Emulsion of Mushrooms and WineThis creamy risotto dish scented with truffle and white wine was perfect. Except that the risotto grains were actually made of chopped beansprouts. Each bite was juicy and crunchy, it was a bold dish, adventurous and rather amusing to the palette.…Read More