Full review and pics: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/
Comfort food at hearty portions sums up my overall experience at this America's largest steakhouse chain in the world. It is quite difficult to fault the Kookabura wings ($14.90) or the Typhoon Bloom ($14.90) for being too heavy on seasonings because it is probably staying faithfully to the U.S. recipe. However, I wondered if some spice rub has been forgotten as the "spicy" wings were merely very savoury, juicy but not spicy at all. Similarly, the deep fried onion rings did not "blow" me away with the grease and sogginess. Nonetheless, the blue cheese dressing and signature bloom sauce in both dishes respectively were rich, creamy and tasty.
In fact, this was what happened to the Spinach Artichoke Dip ($13.90) which made it so difficult to resist from scooping the baked cheesy goodness with taco chips. Warm, fluffy with subtle honey-like sweetness from the molasses, the complimentary starter of wheat bush bread, was so delicious that it was wiped off the table in no seconds....

For full post and pics: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/11/foodology-fresh-ura-centre.html

Just right next to Maxwell Hawker Centre is Foodology Fresh, a gourmet deli place that adds to the list of healthy eating places in this increasingly health-conscious urban landscape. Push open the door, get a tray, and start assembling your lunch from the extensive menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and even desserts. How does a sugar-free Sun dried Tomato and Mozzarella muffin sounds?
The quiches, dessert pies and pastries are definitely the least healthiest food there but no harm indulging in one or two. Instead of the Apple Crumble, Summerberry Yoghurt or Lemon Tart, I prefer the Mascarpone Creme Brûlée Tart as it was close to my favourite Tiramisu. The dust of cocoa powder imparted a subtle bitterness which made this not overwhelming rich and sweet. All the chilled tart-based desserts might not deliver that perfectly pert shell or flavour but decent for the price of $5.80.
But the most stirring moments came from something that I often overlooked, the muffins. For full post and pics: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/11/foodology-fresh-ura-centre.html

 
Full review and pics; http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/11/paul-boulangerie-sg-new-menu.html
The repertoire of 26 new dishes include hearty salads like the Salad de la Mer ($20.90++), a seafood salad that would make an ideal satisfying light lunch option with plump shrimps, mussels, octopus and creamy avocados. The zesty grapefruit and in house french dressing lends the greens a bright zesty flavour that resonates with me. Both main courses reflected the simplicity of French cooking and natural flavours of fresh, seasonal ingredients.

The Longe de thon ($29.90++) was essentially a long steak of seared tuna whose core remained pinkish and tender, adorned with white sesame seeds. Magnificent in its own right, the fish fell out of sync with the sweet cranberry sauce and the side of tangy roasted seasonal vegetables, which were so appetizing that they could possibly steal the limelight of the plate.

On the other hand, the Confit de Canard ($28.90++) may be an old-fashioned French classic but never fails to please the palates. Rubbed with herbs and cured in duck fat for one day before slow-roasted for 4 hours, the unctuous duck meat, albeit tad salty, streaked off the bones in strands. It might be quite a distinct version from most of the crispy-skinned versions here but the duck is fragrantly meaty and not greasy. The same side dish of roasted vegetables did complement the duck but perhaps pairing it with some chestnut velouté with mushrooms may inject some variety? New iced teas like the Rosemary lime or Lemongrass Ginger were great options to refresh the palates and get one ready for desserts. However what piqued my curiosity was the beguiling Macaron Drink ($9.50++) shown below. Available also in Raspberry, Vanilla and Chocolate, I opted for the Pistachio flavour. Predictably a sweet maestro of pistachio macarons speedily whizzed to gritty bits with milk, it turned out to be less sugary than the original macarons, tempered to a balanced creaminess with a characteristic texture. Leaning gingerly against one another, the golden Waffles ($13.90++), as sturdy as the Pyramids of Egypt, were understandably more similar to the light crunchy Brussels waffles than the dense, chewy Liege waffles. Yet too much of a good thing may warrant a concern to oral pleasure as these square parcels were rather rigid inside-out.

In all true French fashion, a better option is the Eclair Paris Brest ($7.50++). The pillowy hazelnut cream delivered a soothing finish to the meal, with not much icing sugar dusted the lovely golden pastry shell to distract the palates. Above all, I am heartened that Paul stays true to its boulangerie roots and delivers the promised quality in their forte areas, the bread. Out of all the new dishes I've tried, the Tartine Boeuf ($19.90++) secured a special place in my heart.

A touch of herb cream cheese, hints of tart balsamic vinegar and a smattering of soft caramelized onions on succulent sirloin steak is all it takes to bring the humble countryside bread a whole new level. Even the starter basket of crusty baguette (below) sprung to life with just a slight dollop of its creamy unsalted artisan French butter. As you can tell, tradition reigns on the new menu and the honest straightforward dishes may traffic in nostalgia amidst the cosy French bistro settings, especially when the aroma of fresh bread from the oven calls out to you. Full review and pics; http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/11/paul-boulangerie-sg-new-menu.html

Full review: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/11/sync-korean-tapas-bar-serangoon-gardens.html
The bustling Serangoon Gardens welcomed the first Korean Tapas bistro in Singapore that is run by the same folks behind Sync Korean Bistro at Westgate. There is a strong effort to create a Korean ambience; TV screens showing Korean MTVs or dramas and Korean songs in the background, but the food could be further tweaked to showcased a more distinctive Korean personality.For example, the crispy minced pork and mushroom dumpling ($9.90++) with a rather flat "salsa" of raw green peppers and onions, as well as the deep fried spicy chicken with ricotta & chilli ($9.90++), were more reflective of modern chinese influences. Flavours have the potential to be further extracted and merged better with the ingredients as I could not detect much ricotta from the chicken earlier, nor the chilli yuzu dressing from the Samgyupsal ($10.90), a pork belly salad that was tad greasy due to the excessive seepage from the less than char-grilled meat that coated the greens. Of the more substantial plates, the Chicken Paella ($38.90++) that arrived hot in a large pan was much better. The grains were beautifully cooked; moist but not too clumpy and flavours were as rich and piquant as the colour imparted from tomato and kimchi. Hotteok($8.90++)All's not lost with the adventurous desserts here. I truly enjoyed the Misugaru lava cake ($8.90++), a nice Korean interpretation of the western lava cake by using Misugaru, a traditional Korean multi-grain powder most likely very new to most Singaporeans. Warm, earthy with a subtle malt fragrance, this was more outstanding and unique than its other matcha lava flavour. Crunchy and chewy, the Hotteok($8.90++), humble korean street pancakes are elevated inordinately with just the right amount of smooth piping hot red bean and peanuts. Savour them when they are fresh and hot with the ice cream.

Get a few friends, order the comforting paella, excellent beef jowls, a few tapas/desserts to share and chat along with some soju shots. It's more about the fun and company than the food.

Full review: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/11/kki-sweets-sota.html
I've tried nearly all of Kki's cakes when they were back at Ann Siang Hill but I decided to revisit again at it's new outlet in SOTA . There is no new items after so long and yes, one has to be mentally prepared to fork out more, meaning $9.80 + 10% service charge for each cake. This works up to be around 930 yen for each cake, surpassing the 750-yen cakes by Hidemi Sugino and the 800-yen range of Pierre Herme & Jean Paul Hevin but NOT in terms of quality. Ouch, I definitely felt the pinch in my wallet. First, the White Chocolate and Mango ($8.80++) which was messed up by a hazy confusion of sweetness. I would love the Strawberry and Pistachio ($9.80++) very much, if I hadn't knew it suffered from some nasty frost bites; the half-defrosted pistachio center was unpleasant. I suspect there is a big bad wolf hidden somewhere in this Little Red Riding Hood ($9.80++) for it's notoriously famed for its intense cacao notes. Pegged exquisitely against a sharp raspberry compote, the mousse layers were smooth as silk, to the verge of tasting like refrigerated butter left under room temperature for 3 minutes and not longer than that. Meanwhile, I was surprised that Kki proffered a delicious Mont Blanc ($9.80++) , safe from the radical glucose level by trading the uber-sweet meringue with an almond fragipane tart base and cushioning the chestnut goodness with clouds of heavenly light Chantily cream. I was expecting a "crunch" sound as I cut through the Cafe Dumo ($9.80++) but there was silence. Still, I gleaned in delight when my tongue hit some faintly crunchy praline, buried amidst the constituents resting atop, while hazelnut tones echoed back and forth amidst the waves of coffee. Highly recommended for coffee lovers. And Fromage Melon ($8.80++) was my personal favourite for two reasons. One, the rarity of flavours--where else in SG can you find a cheese melon combination? Two, superbly executed textures; neither too light nor dense cheese layer with solidly fresh biscuit baseI don't know how Kki Sweets got to be associated with Japanese cakes but to be honest, it isn't. Branded with a streak of perfectionism, the petit gateaux are seriously elegant and dainty, striking out a legend of its own by distinguishing from the mediocre cakes saturated in Singapore.