Full review and pics: http://www.dairycream.blogspot.sg/2013/05/raj-indian-vegetarian-restaurant.html
Going to an Indian vegetarian restaurant can be a problem for me because I am illiterate to the menu, especially those without diagrams. However, after the last visit and reading up a bit about the cuisine, I am feeling more at ease when dining at these places. Founded in 1965 in India, Raj landed on the Singapore island in 1988, serving Indian vegetarian food from ....North, South East West of India??? (the website says so)Before you start navigating through the menu, it is good to have some Papadam (5 at $1.80) to silence the growling stomachs. After all, everyone may also need some time to decipher the long list of food, especially when the menu at Raj is more extensive than Ananda Bhavan. So, the million-dollar question is : What to order? Well, the simplest step is to pick any items from the Dosai list. For instance, this Butter Marsala Dosai ($4.70) is a good set that will fill up any average adult. Its a typical triangular crepe filled with potatoes chunks, tomatoes cooked down to a mash. They come with the three chutneys-mint, tomato and coconut. Alternatively, go for the plain-flavoured ones like Sada Dosai ($2.90), Paper Thosai ($3.80-pic above), Garlic naan ($3.20-pic below) and choose from the array of vegetarian curry pots for dipping. The paper thosai is suitable for those who like it crisp but it is also more greasy to the touch. Ours came as shiny as a bald man's head that reflected the dining lights very well.Our first dip was Palak paneer ($10), a familiar North Indian dish that consists cubes of home-made cottage cheese immerged in rich spinach puree. It had the smoothest texture out of the 3 and received the most number of thumbs-up at the table. But it should be consumed in moderation as it was extremely savory. Alternatively, there is the Dhal Butter Fry ($7.50) which had a slightly tangy flavor imparted by the spices in the pool of simmered lentil gravy.The chef's specialty--Soya Keemar Mattar ($10), was a delectable pool of minced tofu and green peas (mattar) in an aromatic semi-solid gravy. It had a thicker consistency than the dhal butter but was less salty. The dhals were all tasty, but we underestimated the sizes of the dhals curry and still ended up with at least half a pot.In order not to contribute to the amount of food Singaporeans are wasting each year, we ordered more sada dosai and also the above Sadam Uthappam ($3.30), a thicker version of dosai. Imagine tu-tu kueh minus the filling. One experiences a sharper tang even though both Uthappam and Dosai are made from fermented batter of rice and lentils.And I am proud to say that all the food were 100% polished off at this farewell class dinner=D The slight hiccups in the service did not deter the mood as everyone chatted merrily into the night. While Indian vegetarian cuisine may not be the cup of tea for everyone, I believe it was a good cultural experience. Should you be interested to try out, Raj is a good and affordable place to begin with!
Full review and pics: http://www.dairycream.blogspot.sg/2013/05/raj-indian-vegetarian-restaurant.html

Click HERE : http://www.dairycream.blogspot.sg for Full Review and Pictures!
After an earlier Indian vegetarian meal at Ananda Bhavan, we walked to an ice cream shop that strangely, has no signs of ice cream on display."Huh? No ice cream?Then how to order?". As we looked around, there were Kitchen-Aid Mixers, some chemical pipes and a black board full of various flavors of ice cream. Sounds like Dexter Laboratory? Yes it is!
The ice cream here is made fresh upon order by using liquid nitrogen at below -320 degrees Celsius to freeze the raw ice cream custard. The two flavors we tried, Salted Caramel ($4.80) and Cookie Doodle($5.20). The latter was made up of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and crushed cookies. Thanks to this quick freeze method, both are creamy and velvety, without any icy crystals that obstructs your taste pleasure. More than just innovative, the ice cream here offers quality. They are less in sugar and do not use emulsifier, stabilizers, preservatives. Rest assure that this is safe for consumption because the nitrogen evaporates and leaves no residue.This place also accepts customization orders for any wacky flavors you can think of. I can't wait to try the flavours which I have marked out when I return to Little India next time!

Visit www.dairycream.blogspot.sg for full post.

Click HERE! http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2013/02/de-la-creme-patisserie.html for full reviewAssorted Macarons (1 for $2.40/6 for $12.90)
Having gone all the way to the East, I had to try all the flavours, especially the Gula melaka since not many offer this as a regular item. But out of all , I like the Salted Caramel best because of the sharp specks of salts that jump at your tastebuds. Other flavours include rose, earl grey, passionfruit, chocolate amer and red velvet ($2.40/6 for $12.90) the shells are indeed not too dry, but so fragile that one has to handle them with care. Genevieve($6.90)
But apart from the macarons, the cakes were quite average. I like white chocolate but the layer in Genevieve($6.90) was too sweet even if 70%chocolate was sandwiched in the centre. Luckily, it was saved by the smooth texture of the mousse and the crunchy praline feuillettine base. The Red Velvet cheesecake($5.90 in this Valentine seasons /$7.50 for a regular larger slice) is petite but rich and heavy on the palate. Something like a Dense NY-style cheesecake but loaded on top a sticky chocolate brownie. You may want to just go for their Red Velvet Macaron and skip this.The mango shortcake ($7.90) was a disappointment. I always believe a shortcake marks the basic skills of the chef but I think this did not pass. The sponge was not fragrant (perhaps due to the egg). and somehow not naturally moist because it has been soaked with liquor. I know some chefs like to brush the sponge with it but this...hmm.And the fresh cream was too thin to take notice.classic opera ($6.90)
Well, at least the classic opera ($6.90) was not bad. The quality is about the same as Delifrance.

Even though I prefer the macarons to the cakes, I still recommend you to go there and have a try. After all there aren't many true standalone patisserie shops in Singapore. Most newly opened ones are cafes that specialize in coffee and the cakes......well become quite mediocre. Should I drop pass the East again, I would not mind returning for their new creations if they are available

For full review: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2013/02/de-la-creme-patisserie.html

For full review: www.dairycream.blogspot.sg
I did not took notice of it until an article about this was featured in a Japanese magazine.
The menu has a wide selection of the classic Spanish food and also a vegetarian version of some of its items. Porto Rican Paella (serves 2 for $35)
This dish packs a whole full of flavour as they have added spicy sausages, salmon and chicken to this traditional rice. The short grained Porto Rican rice is moist and slightly sticky. It is very chewy and so tasty for it has soaked up all the juices from the various ingrediets.but it is the addition of saffron that makes this dish very fragrantCuban Chimichanga($18) Served with Mexican rice, salsa and sour cream
This one is like a huge spring roll stuffed with shredded chicken,mixed cheese, Japalenos, Tomatoes onions and bell peppers. It is wrapped in a tortilla and deep fried till crispy. It did not appear as tortilla to me but it is at least very crispy. In fact there were black beans inside too. There is a choice btw chicken and beef but I think chicken is better because it is still quite juicy. The sour cream leaves a deep impression as the texture is very thick and sour. Even sturdier than a firmly whipped cream.Dessert Platter: cheesecake, chilli chocolate cake and creme caramel($15)
This is good for sharing if you go in groups. The dessert platter is not impressive and rather average.
But if I were to choose from this plate, the cheesecake is the best amongst the rest but it can be softer and more velvety. The chilli chocolate cake sounds more exciting and looks better on the menu than its actual taste. The chilli taste was subtle but the cake was too dry, even when compared to the flourless cake.
The creme caramel was average baked egg custard but the caramel sauce was good as it was bitter.

In all, the savoury dishes still outshine the desserts. The Latin American cuisine here leans more towards the Mexican than the Spanish. Most of the portions can serve 1-2 and the ambience there is pretty comfortable. The service was really friendly and warm compared to other Mexican restaurants we've been to and I would recommend this for friends' or big group gathering just like what we did as they have a long communal table that is great for sharing not only food but also fun chatting.

In my final installment of the Singapore Restaurant Week hunt, I arrived at Ochre Italian Restaurant, a place that sells Italian-Japanese fusion food. After a recent revamp, it is now headed by Executive Chef Stefano Arrigoni ( I think I saw the real person ^-^). Chef Stefano has worked in famous restaurants around the world, such as Drone’s Club in London and Bice Mare in Dubai (a popular brand serving innovative Italian cuisine with more than 30 restaurants around the world).

Each set consists of appetiser, main course and dessert for $35 during Singapore restaurant week. Hence, the price for each dish will be unknown

For full description: http://www.dairycream.blogspot.sg/2012/10/singapore-restaurant-week-ii-ochre.htmlLobster cream soup with poached quail egg
Not that kind of rich thick soup but more viscous. Full of lobster flavour but we both agree that it was too salty. The globs of olive oil on the surface make the soup slightly oilier but smooth in texture. Good dip for the bread. Buffalo Mozarella Salad with marinated Tomato, aged basalmic and pesto sauce
Taste of mozarella cheese is accented with the green pesto topping. Classic italian appetizer but I think the portion is inconsistent. Why is it that the guy next to us received larger size and more slices of tomato and cheese? Hmm......Foie gras stuffed roast quail with truffle polenta & baby vegetables
Would prefer slightly more polenta or meat juices to pair with the quail. More vegetables would be good too. Quail is well roasted (tasted like chicken wings) and the bacon wrapped around it was really crisp!Black ink risotto with roasted calamari
Simple and nothing too fancy.I like that the black ink sauce is slightly sour and the rice grains are not overcooked. Herbs are infused into the dish. Notice the olive oil surrounding the risotto? some may find this bland if this is compared to a black ink pasta."Sweet and Salty" (ala carte menu)
Warm date and caramelized walnut cake was served warm. It was not too sweet, rich or heavy like the american style toffee cake but the texture was slightly chewy and not moist enough. Topped with a brown sugar shortbread. Baked capellini was stated on the menu but did not appear on dish.
Maldon Salted caramel ice cream is unique due to its cloying texture (perhaps lots of cream was used) but its saltiness was not distinct enough. Banana brulee, chocolate crumbles and Bailey cream
All the desserts we had were small in portion and could not satisfy a dessert lover like me. But the quality can still pass. Banana brulee was not served in typical ramekin. It was as sweet as the Bailey cream.
Chocolate crumble? I tasted normal plain crumbles instead.

Conclusion : The service was warm and friendly but there was no service charge. Not too bad an offer for this special price but might not return for the ala carte dishes.