Had a chance to experience a taste of 1933 at the newly opened Capitol Piazza last week! 1933 is the latest F&B concept launched by the BreadTalk group and serves a wide range of food and beverages with Asian flavors and a hint of Western Influences.

Diners can look forward to hearty soups served in bread bowls to all-time favourites like Hainanese Kampong Chicken Rice, Grilled Pork Loin, Fish & Chips, or salads and side dishes. 1933 is also known for its milkshakes made with scoops of Ben&Jerry ice cream and specialty coffees brewed with Torrefacto coffee beans served in espresso style. They also serve a selection of freshly baked bread and tarts!

Interior, with 2 storeys and an 80 seater

(1st Storey)Bar Counter2nd StoreyMenuWe had:1933 Specialty Coffee - $4.50From left: Melon Melody ($10), Berry Bliss ($8)

I wasn't a fan of the Melon Melody concoction, but I loved the berry bits in my berry bliss!Sawadee Greens - $14.90

A Thai-styled seafood salad with distinct Thai flavors! We were fans of this dish and I was heartened by their use of fresh prawns instead of the frozen ones. It's really unique, with minced pork bits and their special Thai dressing. 1933 Power Carrot - $9.60

For a bread bowl, $9.60 sounds pretty reasonable since that's almost the same price you have to pay at Soup Spoon. Served in a French bread bowl, the soup contains ingredients like carrots, onions, cream, ginger, butter and topped off with some orange zest to give it depth. It was thick, creamy and rather filling I must say!Nanyang Curry Chicken in Bread Bowl - $14.90

If you're a fan of the Golden Pillow Curry, you might love this! The curry chicken bread bowl at 1933 offers a similar concept, with a richer curry base. They were really generous with the chicken pieces though I would have preferred if they were deboned! They were also carrot and potato chunks in this! Grilled Pork Loin - $28.90

This was a rather interesting concept since it was the first time we saw pork served like this. The pork is dipped in thyme, bay leaves, honey and brine, accompanied by sauteed potatoes in olive oil. It also comes with 3 different dips for you to choose from - Mushroom, Hainanese, Black Pepper. My personal favorite was the Hainanese sauce which had a tinge of spiciness to add a little more kick to the dish. I felt that the pork loin was a little tough though Hainanese Kampong Chicken Rice - $16.90

Friends who know me well would also know that I'm a sucker for chicken rice. I know it might seem a teeny bit ridiculous to pay $16.90 for this, but hey, you really do pay for what you get. WJ and I had chicken rice recently, and it really paled in comparison to this. The kampong chicken was selected for its tender and less oily meat while the rice was cooked in chicken broth to achieve that fragrant goodness. It's also served with garlic lime chilli, dark soy sauce and freshly pounded ginger!Gula Melaka Pandan Cake - $8.90

The cake is baked and topped with whipped cream and bits of palm sugar, accompanied with Gula Melaka syrup. You could also taste the Gula Melaka sugar in the cake itself! The chef at 1933 put in more effort and came up with a different whipped cream base for the cake which reminded us fondly of the milkmaid condensed milk which we absolutely loved!

More pictures from the tasting!A huge thank you to 1933 Singapore and The Influencer Network for the invite!

We definitely enjoyed ourselves!

Oh, and don't forget to hashtag #1933sg and #Capitol1933 when you upload your photos to Instagram! You can stand a chance to win a $33 dining voucher when you do that!

Toodles!

This is my third time to L'rez and I am always amazed at how huge this place is! It is very spacious and strangely, it can get quite cold in here. This is the menu for the day, pick an entree, a main, for $1 top up you can pick any of the hot drinks on the right column.

1. Citrus Cured Salmon SaladI loved the pomegranate seeds, they were sweet! The salmon tasted fresh and it melted in my mouth! Overall a great way to start my lunch!

2. Parmesan-crusted Veal ScaloppiniI loved the crust and it went well with the tomato sauce. The ravioli was filled with cheesey goodness and it was hot. The asparagus was bit too stiff for my liking. The veal strangely tasted more like chicken. All mains came with tumeric-infused rice with raisins, I couldn't really taste the tumeric, but the raisins were big and sweet and it added flavour to the rice.

3. Vanilla Creme BruleeCreme Brulees from L'rez never fail to amaze me. It is always cooked to perfection! The ice cream on top isn't too sweet, and the crust is just thin enough for you to break it with your tea spoon. It was sweet, smooth and superb all the way through the bottom of the dish! Perfect ending to a perfect fine dining lunch set!The cappucino and mocha were nicely presented but both lacked flavour. Tasted more like an instant coffee with too much water. 

All in all, every meal at L'rez has always ended on a high note and I would love to come back to see what else these NYP students have in store for our tummies!

The latest venture belonging to Mediacorp actor/host Ben Yeo, this bistro located at the heart of Bukit Timah brings the best of western food to the residents as well as late-night supper-goers to their patrons, which encompasses the all-familiar Tenderfresh Fried Chicken as well as pasta from Play Kitchen, which was his first venture.Since the meal was going to be rather meaty, we went for a healthier side which we went for Marinated Mushrooms with Cherry Tomatoes ($5.00). It started off rather weird and quirky; the juicy and somewhat zesty tomatoes just did not seem to hit a note with the earthy and flavourful cold mushrooms, but with each spoonful it became rather tolerable and in fact tastier with every bite. The mushrooms were able to break the monotony of the usual salad, and adding Parmesan cheese definitely adds on to the taste factorThe Fries with Wasabi Mayo ($4.90) did not really hit off well with two of us, who were big fans of wasabi. We found it too tame although it carried a distinct flavour of wasabi less the numbing factor, but the other dining partner who was not very receptive of wasabi loved it as it was not too strong. Personal preferences, I would say.Because it was Tenderfresh, I could not do without ordering fried chicken. The Lucky Set ($7.90 with sambal sauce/$6.90 without sambal sauce) comes with two wings, fries and coleslaw. The fries were salted enough to taste with enough crisp, though I would love it thicker. Chicken Wings were huge, crispy and juicy. Tossed in a generous amount of sambal sauce, these wings reminded us of the days of Carona; carrying a real kick of spiciness that packs lots of oomph not meant for the light-hearted.One of my dining partners went for the Grilled Tilapia with Aglio Olio & Sambal ($8.90). The pasta was evenly tossed in herbs, chili, olive oil and pepper which carried a fragrant light yet peppery flavour; great enough on its own. On the other end, the Grilled Tilapia was well-grilled being crusty on the outside but felt rather dry and lacking of flavour. That was where the sambal sauce comes in handy, which adds a spicy kick to the fish. Interestingly the sambal sauce here is slightly different from the one served with the chicken, which is more dry and carried a heavier belachan taste.The other dining partner ordered a somewhat similar pasta, save for the Chicken Chop with Black Pepper sauce over it. To be honest, we were a bit confused with this dish; supposedly named Chicken Cutlet with Aglio Olio & Thai Sauce ($7.90), we were expecting a fried cutlet than a grilled one and there was really nothing Thai with it. The Aglio Olio was as good, and the grilled chicken was juicy and fragrant. We loved how it was, but we were caught off guard by what it turned out to be in reality from the menu.

For more photos and the full review, please visit: http://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2014/04/17/tenderfresh-classic-cheong-chin-nam-road/

2am: Dessert Bar is the brainchild of chef Janice Wong. A reputable chef in her own right, she has honed her skills under the tutelage of world renowned chef such as Thomas Keller from US. Awarded Asia's Best Pastry Chef at the prestigious San Pellegrino Asia Top 50 2103. In this establishment, expect your palate to be charmed and entertained by the creativity of chef Janice Wong and her team. Located on the second floor of 21 Lorong Liput Holland Village, behind the Cold Storage, this is a place to satisfy your sweet tooth and sweet eyes.

Boasting a decoration like a bar, as mention in its name, this place definitely great to chill out. Once you reach the second floor, this place is divided into three section. The bar, the high tables and the couch. For couples, the connecting long couch with coffee tables is a good option if you come in pair. While high bench and chairs, is the perfect choice if you come in a group. If you prefer to see how the chefs in action up close, you can choose the bar. The lighting is very intimate, as you can see I am taking pictures without flash as not to disturb the atmosphere. For something not too sweet, we recommend Hot Chocolate, served with homemade churros ($10). The chocolate drink is creamy with full bodied chocolate, together with the crispy churros, created a perfect chemistry in your mouth. I will recommend you to order extra churros ($4) to ensure you are fully satisfied. We just can't stop popping the little suckers into our mouth. Shares of Green ($14), pistachio sponge, coco mousse, pandan gula melaka custard. This desserts is delightful to see, due to beautiful combination of green, white and brown. It tasted quite light and refreshing, with Asian flair. The different texture of each part of this deserts will definitely excite your palate.For chocolate lovers, Chicory Chocolate ($16) is recommended. Chocolate overload is the proper description of this dessert. Chicory suppose to provide the bitter / coffee like texture to the desserts. The biscotti texture like chocolate slice, with milk jam, vanilla ice cream and mix crumble is just difficult to resist. However, for those who can't tolerate rich chocolate such as myself, you might want to avoid this. If you are into wine, the chef has pair each desserts item with the most suitable wine. And for those non-desserts person, there is a snack menu. All the menus are available on the establishment website if you want to check it out.

The chef in charge for the night actually went around and explain the menu to the customers. She gave us the details of each desserts, base on our preference. Although we can't understand more than half of the technical terms that she used, we really appreciate her effort. Kudos to her.

Overall, we were really impressed with the concept of 2am dessert bar. It is provide a wonderful desserts experience like none others. The price is very reasonable as final preparation for each desserts, such as the sauce and melted chocolate are done after they received the order. We look forward to comeback for more. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click / copy the below link to your browser:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2013/09/2am-dessert-bar-bye-bye-chocolate.html

What could have turn a public holiday into such an enjoyable one? My answer will be just a meal down Casuarina road but of course not the Casurina Curry as it was overly crowded. A marvelous breakfast choice made even though it was quite a heavy meal and sacrificing the sleep hours in such a cooling weather especially during a rainy day but they are all well paid off.

Looking at its fruits drink on the menu, there were a handful of interesting drinks we can choose from and we had shortlisted the Bitter gourd with honey (Left) as well as the HK Style Yam Ice (Right). Bitter gourd drink tasted bitter in nature however taste was still bearable with the honey sweetening the entire drink while the Yam Ice was filled with yam's fragrance and coconut's milk, tasted close to a bowl of Bo Bo Cha Cha. Nice!Kway Teow was clustered , sticking back to back and seemed hard to separate but it's just the small matter as they used lesser oil, making the plate non greasy. I had it well mixed with the sauce and taste wasn't that bad afterall. Most importantly, the chicken meat sweetness tastes special and uncommon from the usual shredded chicken I had. It was smooth, tender and juicy, well done! Vegetables via the sides were not the usual Xiao Bai Cai and what was given tasted crunchy.Salute to this plate of Hong Kong Style Wan Tan Mee, even its soup tastes very rich with prawns flavours. Yellow Mee is absolute different from our usual thin yellow noodle and it gives hints of prawns flavour too in every strand of them. Mee was Q and springy doused in the light soy sauce and with big dumplings placed on top of them. Dumplings looks appetizing especially in its plump and crumpled looking translucent skin.If you have tried Victor's Kitchen Carrot Cake, this is pretty similar. The "cha wan mushi" look-alike dish was actually its carrot cake. When seen from far, I thought they are selling some pudding. The softness cum its springy texture had blown me away. Dont worry, you definitely get to taste the bits of carrot in your cake. It was simply more than heaven! I will highly recommend this!Char Siew Chee Cheong Fun is one of best sellers of Chef Chair Lao Ban. Not only that it is freshly made on the spot but also of its soft and thin skin that encase the ingredients properly. They were divided into smaller pieces with each of them doused with sweet soy sauce, sprinkled with cut spring onions and sesame seeds. Chicken Shredded Porridge was a bonus to our breakfast (we are almost full) as we did not want to waste a trip down not trying its "Must-Try" dishes. Famous for its bowl size, we had ordered one bowl to try out. Fell in love with the softness and the mini cut fried fritters that comes with it. Those who don't enjoy roasted peanuts in the porridge will find it disturbing to consume when you have to bite the hard crust of them with the spoonful of congee. Shredded Chicken meat was exactly the same as the Kway Teow we had, and perfect! The drink and noodle stall will sum up the business nature of Chef Chair Lao Ban's. The place is brightly lited with table and chairs well organized inside and out of the shop.They had only a row of tables available for dining due to limitations of the pathway outside its shop.Usually the shops' van will be parked in front of their stall and it's less likely we can get a good parking lot like this.I find it funny to see the typical Hong Kong Man in his 30s wearing tee shirt and jeans, making his rounds to check if his customers' was served. Bald and carrying a big belly walking about and once in a while you will get to see him pulling his jeans all the way up way above the waist line, looking "different". And while he was walking again, his belly pushed his jeans and adjustment of jeans repeats. . Anyway Chef Chair's service was prompt and better than average standards.

There was no receipt given and total cost of our breakfast (2 pax) is S$25 which we find it pretty reasonable for an Authentic Hong Kong Meal in Singapore.

Notes:
(1) For those who are dining in, just take a seat and servers will come to you while for those who are taking away, they are required to queue in front of the stall.
(2) They are selling Zi Char too but not in the morning.