I am not too famliar with the cafe culture but the overall experience once again convinced me of the extremely slim hopes of finding good food in café. Full review on http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/10/curbside-cafe-and-wine-bar-biopolis.htmlCorn Beef Hash

One can spare Spam Chips ($9) the accusation of being too salty since it's churned from the can (blame the manufacturer) but not for the Corn Beef Hash ($12), a brunch item that consists of salt-cured minced beef with two poached eggs. Even the accompanying sourdough were unable to divert the attention away from the sodium. The half-hearted Cheesy Fried Chicken ($18) which resembled the standard chicken cutlet set from the western stall at hawker centers, failed to impress with an awkward cheese blanket. The chilli powder did not impart any spice to lift up the fried fries in any way. TheCheeseburger ($18), an 180g beef patty on bun, remained dry and lifeless even though there was some melted cheese concealed within the meat. The homemade buffalo sauce for the Buffalo Wings ($12) had a lingering aftertaste of spice but made the wings too cloying to encourage a second piece. Cheesy Fried Chicken Cheeseburger I sometimes wonder if I should abstain from trying the cakes in Singapore as the more I try, the more pessimistic I become. Same goes for the desserts here. The Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownie ($8) could not command any feelings of awe, but at least they were fared better than the version from Seasons Bistro. As for the lemon tart ($9), the shell hasn't attain the full technical excellence of a classic French rendition. Fortunately, the coffee, be it cappuccino or mocha, had gained the thumbs of approval from many coffee aficionados that I knew. Though I can't tell much about coffee, I took a sip. And I quite enjoyed it.

Full review:http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/10/amex-30-licious-awesome-dining-deals-at.html
Dined through the Amex 30-licious promotion for the valuable set dinner here. The #30liciousAmex here features a House Salad, a Main and choice of beverage (coffee/tea/soft drink/in-house lemondade above) The House Salad is a class of its own , relished with truly sweet juicy tomatoes and unique champagne dressing that has a nice vinegrette tang to perk up our appetites. House Salad with choice of Champagne/Honey Djon or Ranch DressingFor the mains, the pastas are really the showstoppers, because they were so confidently delivered that you thought you were dining in an authentic Italian trattorias. The Signature Prawn Pasta looked like anything, but a prawn pasta. This inventive dish born out of Spruce's first-generation American head chef to mark its opening, has been a popular mainstayer on the menu.

Luxuriously coated with spinach and zuchinni puree, the orecchiette (cat-ear) pasta is tossed with chopped sea prawns and savoury zucchini bits. Brilliantly peppered with grana padano cheese, the flavours are superior than an average basil pesto pasta; strong, garlicky without letting your fork paused for any moment. This is probably the tastiest prawn pasta I've ever had. The Squid Ink Pasta Carbonara is also too good to share. Being a carbonara fan, there have been many scary encounters of bad cabonaras being either too watered-down or too dry. This achieved the right consistency, though it could be less salty since there were already rewarding amounts of smoky bacon in the creamy swimming pool. The oven-roasted Chicken Pullet might not eclipsed the pastas in terms of richness in taste but it does have the power to win on its natural flavour. Served with rosemary velouté sauce, the effect is of simplicity rather than showiness.Desserts are not available as part of #30liciousAmex but if you like to have a sweet ending like me, there is a simple yet achingly fragrant Pandan Creme Brûlée. The Baked Ginger Date Pudding (below) is not too intimidatingly dense as the classic American sticky date pudding. Fluffy with undertones of ginger, the cake itself was, in fact, not sweet unless you lap it up recklessly with the Kapiti Ice Cream and chocolate toffee sauce. Alternatively if you prefer a course that has a dessert, head to the Firestation Outlet where its lunch promotion features a choice of drink, side salad with different menu for mains (roasted chicken/vegetarian pasta in Aglio Olio or Tomato base) and a dessert of chocolate cake. This double layer chocolate sponge inter-layered with a winning salted caramel sauce and crunchy chocolate pearls was served chilled, a pity because the smooth texture was locked up a solidified form and the sponge lost its moisture. Besides the food, the Phoenix Park outlet actually houses a playground, a courtyard and an alfresco area that can total accommodate nearly 200 pax. No wonder it has been a popular location for families and events such as garden theme weddings or solemnization. But all these plus points will not distract me from the fact that Spruce dishes up solidly good mains. This reality alone, is sufficient to bring me back for more.

Full Review:http://dairycream.blogspot.jp/2014/10/botan-japanese-restaurant-homely-affair.html
I thought I would find Botan Shrimp on the menu but I didn't. Hah...but this Japanese restaurant serves up pretty delicious dishes that taste very close to those you find in Japanese homes. On the dinner menu, you'll find a list of Dinner Sets, ala carte sashimi, Yakitori, porridge, soba, sushi, tofu, tempura, etc. The Gyunikyu Jagaimo is a flavourful simple beef stew with the caramelized sweetness of onions and carrots. Soft, creamy yet not spammed with too much mayonnaise. The Tamago yaki takes semblance after dashi-maki, served warm and significantly less sweeter. I felt short-changed on the Stir-fry Beef with Leeks as the greens were in shortage and the dish was too oily. And I'm sure most Japanese housewives would raise opposition towards this.

Though being cruelly severed into slices, the Unagi Kabayaki ($15) remained a crowd pleaser with its fatty tissues that gave a full, tantalizing mouthfeel. If you love potato salad, then you should try the version here at $8 as it is probably the best I've come accords in Singapore. Not to forget the light low-calorie supper food Tofu Mentaiko; anything hardly goes wrong if you throw in some mentaiko and this is no exception Unagi Kabayaki (BIG LOVE)

Full review on http://dairycream.blogspot.jp/2014/10/patisseries-g-brunch-talk-about-eggs.html
Revisited the possibly most French local patisserie shop in Singapore to try its not-so-new cakes that were launched during my absence in SG. Gone was my favourite Douceur. Along the way, we had the Eggs En Cocotte with Bacon ($16), a French dish that hasn't seem to rise to much popularity for brunch in Singapore yet. The savoury custard was well-seasoned and wiggly, speedily demolished with the soldiers of fragrant toasted brioche. Eggs En Cocotte with Bacon ($16)Meantime, the Creamy Scramble Eggs ($15/add on with smoked salmon $3) might not be as grandiose as the soft luscious yellow clouds served at Bills, but was a heart-warming delight to go with its reputable croissant. Yes, I've had it previously with my dark chocolate drink and it still stays VERY delicious. The Lemon Cheesecake ($9) exhibits great character, distinguishing itself from the usual baked cheesecake with a livid lemon curd in the centre and a reliable chocolate biscuit base instead of the occasionally cranky graham crust. The Hazelnut Opera ($8.50) was particularly iffy; unquestionably tri-textures of the hazelnut ganache, coffee sponge and chocolate ganache, but the hazelnut tones weren't pronounced. The Nouvelle G ($9), a 73%-63% dark chocolate spaceship lookalike that had a delicate sandy yet crispy chocolate feuilletine which was finer than any of the feuilletine here.

And the star was the Coconut Choux Tart ($9), a pretty revolutionary piece that focused on the coconut-flavoured Carribean rum. Nothing much to speak in terms of coconut accents, but the beloved textures of all the components; chantily cream, (empty) choux puff, salted caramel sauce and Creme brûlée custard tart is enough to make this gateaux a highly saleable one.

Till the next wave of new creations~

Full review on : http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/10/set-pomo-east-west-contemporary-set.html
The team behind former TAO's restaurant makes a comeback by launching 5 or 6-course pre-fixe set menu featuring East-West contemporary cuisine. Carefully illuminated to set the romantic mood, the dark timber interior of the 94-seater restaurant looks like a traditional western dining house but the dining experience definitely isn't as taut as a tea ceremony.Breaking away from the rigidity of fine-dining, the Chef's starter was a piping hot Mushroom & Bacon Gratin, instead of the typical dainty one-bite sized cold amuse Bouche. The portion was fine, just enough to be smeared on crusty toasted brioche. This could enlarge into a main dish as it turned out to be one of the few dishes with strong flavours. Soon after, the cold appetizers rolling out, setting the theme for the subsequent courses to come. The Huai San Carpaccio is a refreshing twist to the usual raw meat version; crunchy, tangy and slimey. The Tomato Caprese is best enjoyed in a single mouthful; fluffy whipped mozerella pulling out the umami sweetness of the tomato with the assistance of sea salt flakes. Other two options include Salmon Gravalax and Smoked duck breast which could be revitalized with more citrus elements. Leading the soup lists was the Double-boiled herbal chicken with red dates and dried scallops (top right), a robust flavourful soup that takes the cue from an authentic Cantonese broth. The Mushroom soup with peanut butter (bottom right) sounded as if it was born after someone accidentally dropped some peanut butter into the soup but I'm glad it didn't turn out to be a kitchen nightmare. Nutty with a lingering bitterness, I haven't exactly understand the contribution of peanut butter but why not try this next time to find out for yourself.

The Roasted Pumpkin with Truffle couldn't outshine the Miso Soup with Sake (above left) served in a tokkuri. The latter has a smooth, strident earthiness that does not dissipates instantly. One is unlikely to get drunk from this but might be startled with its strong shot of saltiness, especially when it goes solo without any rice. The repertoire of the Main Courses resembled the Big 5 of the UN Security Council, featuring prominent proteins of our daily lives; pork, fish, chicken, beef and lamb. The Baby Pork Ribs (above), softened up with the steaming treatment and blasted on the grill with Chinese Barbeque Sauce, were tender and well penetrated with smoky flavours. Deboned and compressed into a ball, the Roasted chicken with chestnut sauce (cover pic) didn't quite deliver any depth of flavour and could plump up on the stuffings. The Grilled Snapper (above), unfortunately, seemed overcooked and depleted of moisture, despite the underpinnings of sweet caramelized onions. The Roasted beef tenderloin with black pepper sauce turned out to be the dark horse. Well-marbled and ridiculously tender, the beef reined in the excesses of fats and kept it from going worst with perfectly sealed meat juices. There is also Rack of Lamb, cooked in a textbook-perfect way without any gameyness, yet could not move beyond the classroom. In line with the multicultural concept, there is oriental Huai San Jello, literally Cheng Teng in jelly with the usual suspects such as white fungus and longan. The Poached Pear with Gelato (top right) would make delightful ending if it could brighten its acidity level to cut the sweetness.

Meanwhile, the Pistachio Panna Cotta doesn't shout as much as the traditionally smooth and creamy version, but on a closer inspection, you'll spot coarsest grinded pistachio nuts which add flair to simplicity. Not keen on nuts but craving for something custardy? Go for the Espresso Creme Brûlée (bottom right); reliable with mellow espresso notes.

What got me infatuated was the unassuming Chocolate Cake with Coconut Shavings (above left), reminded of the classic Lamington from Down Under. It was neither dense nor fudgy, but light and fragile, shattering into crumbles at the poke of the fork. The 5-course lunch stops right up to here. But come at night and one will be treated to an extra course; Grilled Oyster Mushroom, humble ingredient elevated to a delicate level of sophistication with truffled mayo foam.
Full review on : http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/10/set-pomo-east-west-contemporary-set.html