Well hidden in a corner of Marina Square, rests Shallots, a subsidiary of the Onion Restaurant Group. Unpretentious decorations with only white brick walls against the bronze tone furniture coupled with an open kitchen concept, promoting that of a casual and cozy dining experience.Shallots places emphasize on the pairing of wine with great food, that explains the rack full of bottles of fine wines. Their menu focuses on European food with a touch of local flavors; bound to have something for everyone.We started off our lunch with Soup of the Day that was served with Buns and butter ($6). Nothing too spectacular or different is the minestrone soup but the buns were kind of nice, soft and warm on the inside with added aroma from the oats flakes.Triple Truffle Fries ($12) was quite a disappointment. The name brings about huge anticipation and i was expecting triple the joy from the truffle, but the truffle was subtle and barely noticeable. The truffle mayo was masked and the truffle taste from the fries were faint.Mussels with White Wine ($18). My only favorite dish for the day! Black mussels sauteed with garlic and shallots and a dash of white wine to perfumed up the whole plate of fresh, juicy and succulent mussels. Loving how the mussels has absorbed the white wine broth and bringing out the sweet umami taste of this dish.Duck Confit ($20). There are hits and misses to this dish. The crispy skin of the duck confit was something anyone could ask for but the meat underneath was a little tad too dry. The truffle mashed potatoes was appalling though. It’s of a chunky and dry texture which went kind of hard on the palette instead of the usual smooth puree. The accompanying greens fare much better than the mashed potatoes.
The restaurant was pretty empty on a weekend lunch hour and i could perfectly understand why. Much improvements are needed for most of their food items as to not waste such a good location with nice ambiance.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/10/20/shallots/

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/

We decided to drop by Sky on 57 by Celebrity chef Justin Quek located right at the rooftop of Marina Bay Sands for their High Tea Set and in lieu of my sister’s birthday celebration. Upon stepping into Sky on 57, we’re surrounded by an aura of luxurious and elegance. Decked in wood and brass tone, with a towering bar top strategically located along at the side of the restaurant and dining area filled with posh comfortable seating making you feel like kings and queens. Be sure to catch glimpses of the amazing view that encircles you too!Of course, one of the best selling point of Sky on 57 is none other than the mesmerizing panorama view of Singapore; from the beautiful greenery of Gardens by the Bay to the picturesque view of Marina Bay Reservoir to the tall sky-scrappers CBD office buildings, bringing Singapore to you in a 360 degrees view.After the enjoyment of such breathtaking view Sky on 57 brings to you, it’s time to indulge in their gourmet high tea set for 2 at S78++. The set comes in a 3 tier filled with savory and sweet delicacies, Chef’s Signature and free flow selection of Vittoria gourmet coffee and fine tea.For their tea selection, tea leaves are exquisitely showcased in a box display with samples and description introduction which aid us in our selection process. In addition to the tea selection, they have coffee selection varying from Long Black to Latte to Mocha, to Flat White to Cappuccino and more.Here’s come the teaser delicately created by Chef Justin to kick start the high tea – Demitasse of Mushroom Cappuccino and Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao. The mushroom cappuccino was creamy, smooth and perfumed with strong flavors of wild mushroom and fine remnants of mushroom bits. And i must admit, this Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao is the best Xiao Long Bao i have ever eaten. Beside the use of such dearly priced ingredient, the flavors were light and with one bite, the skin of the xiao long bao gave way gently with the warm flavorful soup stock flowing into the mouth and the fillings melting lusciously in the mouth. What a joy it was.The highlight of the day – 3 tier high tea set filled with a medley of dainty and delicate savory and sweet treats. At the top tier consist of some fried oysters with seaweed and milo ice cream. The milo ice cream was a hit, while the fried oysters were a little dry lacking of the juiciness. As we move downwards to the middle tier, it was filled with savory shredded duck and swimmer crab on the crisp edge bruschetta, truffle egg sandwich and earl grey creme brulee. Everything on the middle tier was so delish with the earl grey creme brulee being more unique and outstanding. Faint traces of earl grey warms up your palette with the soft smooth custard that melts in the mouth. Finally onward to the last tier of the high tea set which consist of all the saccharine treats such as scones, chocolate cornflakes, strawberry cheesecake, truffle white chocolate, chocolate mousse cake and pistachio macaroons to end your high tea on a sweet note. Personally prefer both the cakes the most, they were so intricate and tasted so subtle. The truffle white chocolate on the other hand is one full of intriguing flavor that will amaze you and i shall keep you in suspense for that!A nice gesture from Sky on 57 to gave my sis a complimentary birthday cake treat as well. It was something simple yet sweet.
It was indeed a satisfying high tea set we had at Sky on 57. It was an amazing afternoon we had surrounded by the lovely skyline of Singapore while indulging ourselves in all the scrumptious treats. I know many will agree with me that, though the price we paid for is on the steeper end, but accompanied by such an aesthetic pleasure and ambiance is what makes it all worth while.

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/10/10/sky-on-57/

Quietly located in a corner of Claymore Connect, sits Redbank Bar & Grill among the new additions to this mini mall. Redbank promises us a unique American dining experience right here in Singapore. The restaurant exudes an opulent comfortable interior with sofa seating adequately spaced and lights warmly dimmed but at the same time evokes a chic and playful corner with live streaming screens and a mini stage. The menu focuses mainly on classic American fares done the traditional way on a charcoal grill. Prices were reasonable and comparable to other similar restaurants given the portion size. Also, they have a corner of shelves filled with bottles of wine awaiting for your appreciation.Since there were only 2 of us, there are limited choice of food we could try, so we decided lay our hands on their appetizer and mains. Maryland Soft Shell Crab ($18). An innovative way of grilling soft shell crab over caste iron. Forget about the oiliness from all the deep frying and indulge in these grilled soft shell crab with a complete light crisp on the outside and full bodied meat on the inside with minimum guilt! Not only were these soft shell crab sweet and fresh, Redbank was very generous with their portion and particular with the size of their soft shell crab too, there were a total of 6 of them with each and every one of them fat and juicy!Lobster Pasta ($24). Yet another mind-blowing dish i had for the night. Tagliatelle cooked in lobster bisque broth with every strand of tagliatelle beautifully coated with the creamy lobster bisque and served with chunks of meaty and crunchy real fresh lobster. A bold creation with the reassurance that the bisque used was not too overwhelming on the palette yet bringing about an umami taste on each mouthful of pasta.Del Mar Pizza ($24). A 10 inch thin crust pizza filled with aplenty of mussels and scallops sitting on a bed of dense luscious cheese and tangy tomato mix. A little charred on the crispy edge with a rustic burnt flavor accompanied by the smokey traces of cheesy strands make the pizza tastes awesomely good! But the scallops tasted somewhat doubtful to me. Does not taste like any scallops i have came across, but instead like some frozen scallop balls.
With the mysterious background of scallops aside, Redbank really whips up a menu of delectable American dishes at pocket friendly prices without compromising the quality of ingredients used. In addition, the service staff there were really friendly and attentive to your needs too; definitely a good spot for some night chill out or soccer streaming!

https://poohlovesfood.wordpress.com/2015/10/06/redbank-bar-grill/

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/