Along the busy street of Telok Ayer welcomes the new establishment – Grain Traders. Grain Traders has a pretty unique concept, salad bowl made with a local fusion twist to satisfy the ever hungry stomach of the working adults.The furnishing style Grain Traders going for are that of simplistic and minimalist which pretty suits the fast pace walkers of the working adults who would just like to go for a fuss free nutritious bowl of food. Good food over fanciful decorations.How Grain Traders work is pretty simple – you can either go for their Signature Bowls ($16 nett) or Build Your Own Bowl ($16 nett). Personally, for the same price i would go for their Build Your Own Bowl, at least i can choose what i like from the wide range of variety they are offering while for Signature Bowls, they are pretty much pre-designed bowls with limited choices.The first step of Build Your Own Bowl is to of course to choose your GRAINS! Japanese Rice, Brown Rice, Quinoa, Bulgur Wheat, Soba Noodles and Super Green Bed. For a safer choice, i opted for the Japanese Rice. I wanted to go for their Soba Noodles, but some places always mix it with wasabi which puts me off.Next you can choose 1 protein and i have gladly went for their Seared Marinated Tuna. Something different and refreshing. They were not stingy with their portion, and each individual cuts were rather thick too.After which, you can choose 1 Hot Veggies and 2 Cold Veggies. The variety they have is rather fusion and international. For something different, i went for their Furikake Corn as the hot veggie, which was flavorful; then i went for healthy options of Beansprouts salad and Apple Kimchi as the 2 cold veggies. Totally pleased with my bowl at this point, loving the marination of the beansprouts salad and apple kimchi not forgetting the juiciness and crunchiness that accompanied.Last but not least, time to sealed your bowl with toppings and sauce of your choice. Decided to go for their Furikake flakes, a kind of dry japanese seasoning made up of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. As unhealthy it may sounds, but it tasted heavenly delicious. The final sauce i chose was Salsa Verde, something herby on the palette.Here’s the birth of my Build Your Own Bowl! Frankly speaking, it tasted good on its own even without the addition of the sauce as most of their veggies are in fact well marinated, distinct with their own flavors and colors! Although the price may seems to be a little high on the end, but i must admit, the bowl really tasted wholesome and awesome! A good recharge alternative to perk you up in the midst of the working week! You can opt for the Square Meal at a top-up of $2 which gives you an additional slice of banana cake and a bottled mineral water too.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/11/01/grain-traders/

One of the newer addition to Claymore Connect is none other than this french patisserie cafe Mon Bijou serving from french pastries and desserts to sandwiches and brunch items. Mon Bijou provided us with a quiet corner to just sink in to their cozy comfy armchairs for some afternoon escapade from the bustling city.Please gasp at the galore of choices they have for you! Are you like me now who was spoilt for choice?Here’s a glimpse of their rather extensive food menu.Since we headed down to Mon Bijou for an afternoon tea, we decided to go for their dessert tarts and a couple of drinks to cool ourselves down from the scorching sun. We went ahead with an Iced Mocha ($5) and Mango Passionfruit Smoothie ($7.80). Unlike what i was expecting of an iced mocha frappuccino kind of thing, it turn out to be mocha added with ice. Not too bad i would say, the coffee weren’t really thin and we could taste a hint of an acidic note from the caffeine and a tinge of sweet chocolatey note. The smoothie on the other hand was really refreshing, thick and creamy with the real fruit taste.The tarts that we had with us were Red and Black Fruit Sable ($7.80 per slice) and Yuzu Lemon Tart ($6.80 per slice). I find the base of their tarts rather unique, it’s quite cake-y, moist and dense unlike the typical which are usually more dry and crumbly. Love the abundance of berries they have used on their Red & Black Fruit Sable with each being so fresh, sweet and juicy yet brings about a tinge of sour-ness. Their Yuzu Lemon Tart was on par with the fruit sable, the sourish lemon-y curd paired with caramelized melted marshmallow was good, though missing the yuzu flavor as you savor on it.When you’re spoilt for choices, feel free to approach their friendly staffs for some of their genuine recommendations. Despite the inconvenience of the location, I would really not mind the extra mile as i really enjoyed the coziness and laid back ambiance they have coupled with their smoothies and desserts treats!

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/mon-bijou/

Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters has repackaged themselves from previously known as Oz Specialty Coffee and joined the cafe scene along upper thomson road since last year. Judging from it’s name, you’ll get to know how much pride they take in their coffee; Pacamara translates to a hybrid strain of Arabica with clean, well defined notes. Not just that, once you step into Pacamara, you feel as though you’re surrounded in an angelic clouds of white against the cemented floor and wooden table tops exuding the aura of pureness and serenity.Not only that, a very interesting concept of being roomy yet at the same time encouraging communal dinning.Don’t their tarts and cakes look deliciously good?One thing i truly like about Pacamara is their scrumptious list of menu items available for both brunch and night respectively. Their day menu will start from 9am to 4pm which consists mainly of salads, brunch items and pastas while their night menu will start from 5pm to 9pm and consists more of finger foods, western mains and once again all time favorites pastas. All prices shown were nett too!Sweet Potato Fries ($8). To be honest, it was actually my first time trying sweet potatoes fries. Personally i have not taken sweet potatoes on its own be it being grilled above the charcoal or as a form of sweet dessert soup. These sweet potatoes fries has turn out pretty well for a first timer. The texture was a little different from the usual fries, more starchy with a sugary element.Oven baked 5 cheese macaroni ($18). The wanderlust of parmesan, feta, emmental, mild cheddar and mozarella with sparks of truffle oil has has definitely lived up to the anticipation and attention i had for this dish. Long trail of cheese upon pulling a spoonful of macaroni with subtle burst of truffle in your mouth. It’s heavens! Not forgetting the bits and pieces of honey ham and mushroom that has complemented the dish well. Already falling head over heels for this dish, but at the same time wishing for more gooey intense cheesy flavors.Prawn Aglio Olio ($18). Springy spaghetti cooked to al dente. A dish filled with crunchiness from the succulent prawns and green crisp baby asparagus.Penne Carbonara ($16). Their cream based pasta is undoubtedly one step ahead of their Aglio Olio. Not too thick and creamy but instead unveiled a luscious sweet light milky note with a touch of cheese and dash of honey ham to create a waltz of balanced flavor which went easy on the palette.
A satisfying dinner which makes me can’t wait to be back again to lay my hands on their Truffle Benedict and a cup of aromatic coffee!

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/09/20/pacamara-boutique-cafe/

Going to 3 months old establishment along Tyrwhitt Road is none other than this sturdy stylish looking 1 Tyrwhitt Bistro Bar Cafe run by Karen and her husband. Clothed in a splash of monochrome accompanied by a few bold yet simplistic furnishing keeping its corner sleek and spacious, at the same time, preserving the rustic and vintage culture in the vicinity.Menu filled with a wide variety of choices ranging from finger food that goes well with a tower of beer to pizzas which are their specialties to pasta and some western mains. Not forgetting some desserts to complete your meal on a sweet note.Crispy Mid Wings ($10). Despite the crispiness of the lightly flavored batter with a tinge of spice and herbs, I find it a little too thick to my liking though. But the encapsulated meat within remains piping hot and juicy.Black Truffle Egg Pizza ($23.80) drizzle with truffle oil on wild mushrooms, mozzarella and parmesan cheese and topped it off with a sunny side up! Something special, first of its kind i have ever tasted so far. The crackling thin slice of pizza at its edges was surprisingly good with mild truffle aroma and taste that sits in really well with all the other ingredients on the pizza.Cheese lovers ($19.80). If you’re a cheese lover, or specifically a blue cheese lover, you’ll probably fall in love with this pizza. Topped with 5 kind of cheeses – Italian cheese, Mozzarella, Scamorza, Gorgonzola blue cheese,Taleggio and FetaCheese. From afar before it’s served to the table, you could smell the lingering ubiquitous blue cheese aroma overpowering the whole pizza. But taste wise, though the blue cheese is a little too invasive, i like the cheesy traces created from this medley of 5 different types of cheeses.Aglio Olio ($16.80). The pasta was a little under cook but the fresh crunchy prawns and fried garlic slices that weren’t pungent but aromatic saved the dish for the day.Carbonara Bacon ($16.80). I would say this is one of the better carbonara that i would not mind having. Unlike the usuals that are filled with milky cream base that tops it with an egg making it ge-lard and sometimes a pain to finish, the one at 1 tyrwhitt bar actually has a rich creamy sauce base from egg yolk reduced to just enough to coat around each strand of spaghetti, giving the dish enough flavor yet not too overwhelming for the palette.Sprinkle of zest and a dab of lemon butter sauce has beautifully highlight the flavor of Grilled Salmon ($20.80). The grilling has left the skin crisp and the flaky salmon moist with the heightened boost of flavor from the zesty lemon butter cream sauce.Pork Chop ($16.80) slow cooked to perfection, topped with brown sauce and served with wedges and home style vegetables. Well, have you attempted to have your pork cook the steak style way? Dishing up to your table is a thick slab of pork chop with tender meat and juices locked in within yet without any traces of pork odor. But there’s always 2 sides to a coin, though it’s a new and innovative way of cooking the pork, but it resulted in some under cooking at the thicker area of the pork where the heat may have difficulty reaching to it. Though it may be a delightful rendition of pork chop you can look forward to, but it’s good to let the staff know your preference of having it fully cooked.Panna Cotta ($8.80). It’s not easy to achieve the right smooth and silky texture with the milky taste on the right note and 1 Tyrwhitt Bistro & Bar have really done a good job in it. I must admit, they indeed have one of the best panna cotta around. Their milk based panna cotta served with raspberries coulis gives off a sweet yet refreshing touch to this dessert piece.Tiramisu ($8.80). Literally melts in your mouth velvety homemade tiramisu is another dessert that you must not miss. Soft and spongy layers that create intense flavor burst of espresso and rum that warms up your mouth instantly and leave you craving for more. It’s one of the better tiramisu around that really have the omph and leave an impression on you.
1 Tyrwhitt Bistro and Bar whipped up a table of delectable italian fare at a reasonable price with their pizzas and desserts scoring at the top of my list. The ambiance was smoothing and relaxing, perfect for a catch up with your long lost friends or just a simple chill out night after a long day of work.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/09/13/1-tyrwhitt-bistro-bar-and-cafe/

Stepping into Serenity with a dimly lighted ambiance and spacious seating arrangements exuding posh yet promoting casual and intimate dinning experience.Sangria White ($16). I’m more of a white wine than red wine person as white wine usually have a sweeter finishing note. This sangria cocktail is indeed refreshing with accompaniment of mixtures of citrus fruits for a heavy tasting meal which follows after.Pulpo Gallega ($19.80). Grilled octopus marinated with paprika spices, garlic, flake salt and extra virgin oil. There’s some hits and misses to this tapas dish. The octopus slices were grilled to perfection with meat so juicy and tender yet having the right chewiness on your teeth. But they could really hold back on their serving of salt, as the dish falls on to the saltier side with apparent presence of cluttered salt unevenly marinated onto the octopus. I would really love this dish if not for the cluttered salt.Chipirones Fritos ($18.80). They are actually simply known as fried calamari with alioli as dipping sauce. These chipirones have really crispy batter yet not oily on the outside and remains tender on the inside. A very addictive simple tapas dish to go with any beer.Coles Salteado ($18.80) is also better known as Sauteed Brussels sprouts with serrano hams. Brussels sprouts was fresh and crisp with savory flavors from the serrano hams but by nature, brussels sprouts has that tinge of bitter astringent aftertaste. More hams would be appreciated please!Seafood Paella (Serves 2, $58). I would find their paella disappointing with the fact that it comes from a spanish restaurant. The paella rice was overly soggy to begin with and there’s no distinct seafood flavor in the rice. The flavors of the ingredients were not infused and absorbed into the rice. Despite ordering two different kind of paellas, their taste and outlook were that similar that we could not really differentiate them apart except for the fact that Paella Valencia, is a little saltier in taste due to the incorporation of chorizo. Nonetheless, there was generosity in the amount of ingredients used and the seafood were fresh and not overcooked.Suckling Pig (Serves 6-8, $338). Cute little piglet at an exorbitant price yet able to leave our stomach and taste buds feeling all satisfied and worthwhile. This piglet is marinated with sherry wine, white wine, vinegar and herbs and slowly roasted for more than 6 hours. Be aware that prior reservation is needed for the suckling pig! You’re not able to order on the day itself when you dine. The piping hot suckling pig is brought to the table on an enormous wooden platter with coupled of potatoes, and the piglet is portioned into smaller pieces with the use of a small plate to show how crispy the skin was roasted till and how tender the meat is. As the plate slices through the crispy skin and meat, you get to witness the tender and juicy pork before even savoring it. Traditionally, Spanish will throw the plate used to cut the pig on the floor or into a wooden box believing it will throw all the bad luck away. Don’t you feel like salivating and drooling just by looking at it now? The suckling pig comes with 3 sauces – Brown sauce, jam with cinnamon and au jus (juice drippings from the roasting process). If you like it savory, pair it with your brown sauce; if you like it sweet, pair it with the jam sauce; and if you like to taste it’s natural flavors, have it with the au jus! The taste is still lingering in my mind up till today!‘Crime Scene of the suckling pig’ Churros ($10.80). Their home-made churros were quite decent and good, not too sweet nor too starchy. Perfect taste and mouthfeel after a dip into the chocolate sauce.
A delectable dining experience with the delish golden crispy suckling pig.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/08/27/serenity-spanish-bar-restaurant/