We chose to eat early and not have to struggle with reservations on a Friday night. Especially since we had been turned away once. The expectation hanging over the place was inevitable. We sat down to efficient and professional service from who we guessed is probably the lady owner. If not, they probably have some great incentive scheme going for their employees. Iced water was poured promptly and drinks orders taken while she left us alone for a little while to pore the menu.

A typical menu of a casual Italian eatery, offering up appetizers, pastas, pizzas and a small selection of meats/seafood.

Amuse Bouche
Our amuse bouche of a tomato crostini drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and topped with a solitary Parmesan shaving was good. The tomatoes were sweet and the Parmesan a decent quality.

Caprese alla Bufala
Buffalo Mozzarella with vine ripe tomatoes
The Caprese was actually very good. Fresh tomatoes and Arugula (with the right amount of spiciness) matched with a creamy Bufala and it all came together with the aged Balsamic, which provided a sticky sweet finish.

Cartoccio di Mare
Seafood wrapped in tin foil
I was a little puzzled by this one. The spaghetti was perfectly cooked, with just the right touch of bite. However, the seafood was a big letdown. It just wasn't the freshest and as a result, there was no sea taste at all in the tomato-based sauce. I came away with the feeling that the seafood was separately cooked from the pasta and sauce inside the foil, which misses the point of a Cartoccio. It probably wasn't the case, but it tasted like so. Such a shame.

Wagyu Beef Cheek braised in a red wine sauce
The beef cheek was a little better and infused with the goodness of the red wine it was braised in. End result: a melt-in-the-mouth piece of meat. However, for non-beef lovers, don't order this since it is rather gamey since there wasn't enough done to cover that off. My other complaint was that the chef was a little heavy handed with the salt and you couldn't take as much sauce as you want without feeling a little dehydrated afterwards.

I didn't have dessert since I was distracted by the durian mooncakes available 2 shops away. Overall, it's a comfy laid back joint, and I might go back. If I do, I would try the other items on the menu since what we ordered didn't really blow us away. Bruno's is still my choice Italian joint in the East but Osteria has some potential. The chefs are really quite good, as long as the produce they have to work with improves.

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Ladies who lunch are fab. It's been so busy that I've forgotten how to enjoy a leisurely lunch. And so on the eve of a holiday, it doesn't get better.

Daniel Boulud, one of the celebrity chefs who've set up shop in Singapore, has his bistro in the newish Sands integrated resort down in Marina Bay. It's a comfortable place to dine in, with warm lighting, dark wood interiors, reminiscent of a old-style Parisian bistro but with modern fittings.

I ordered a home-made lemonade, which was overly sweet. And cloyingly so. I don't know why I didn't send it back since it was almost like drinking undiluted cordial. Must have been the holiday mood..

Bread Basket
No complaints with the bread basket, which eased the hunger pangs of a late lunch. Soft, with a nice chewy texture. If only they used better butter..

Tarte Fine Provencal
I wasn't quite sure about this one. My favorite bit was the smoked Mozarella melted over the top. The chewiness of the cheese allowed the savory smokiness to linger and bring what was otherwise lacking in flavor to the tart. The chopped up tomato and eggplant under the cheese was ratatouille like and while you could tell the 2 ingredients, didn't taste of much more. Maybe it's just me, but the combination of the 2 just wasn't enough. The squirt tail of Sauce Vierge on the side didn't add anything either. Pleasant enough but very person-next-door. Wouldn't order it again.

The Frenchie Burger
The burger on the other hand was total Yums. A good quality beef patty topped with a confit pork belly (like bacon but thicker and better)! The other condiments of caramelised onions, Morbier cheese (a French Mozarella) and cornichons added to the experience but did not distract. It was really about the 2 meats. I was a little apprehensive about the black pepper bun at first but happy it did not add too much spice. And of course the fries were nothing short of good. Even towards the end of the meal, they retained their crispiness and were extremely full flavored. Probably deep fried in fat, but that's how you get that quality, so really can't argue with that.

Gourmet burgers are the way to go here so next time I want my fix, I know where to go. Will I be a lady who lunches again soon enough?

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It's technically not a hole in the wall, and it wasn't all that difficult to find, although if you Google it cold, you would find the number on the address changes. But I'm pretty sure it's "60" since it was on the even side of the street. Walk up the stairs but stop short of the top and look for a door on your right. Push it open and "voila!". Step into a cosy, dark wood interior, with a lovely bar counter helmed by a smiley Japanese lady. And believe me when I say this is where Japanese salary men come to seek solace and the comfort of the home-style dishes the lovely lady brings out. And from time to time, she obliges with a return toast of Sake or Shochu, whichever it is the weary customer orders..

The dishes here are not your fancy gourmet stuff of high end Japanese restaurants. It's a simple down-to-earth place where every dish is simply executed well. It's stuff that you would enjoy with a bit of alcohol while winding down after the 12 hours you put in at the office. Sodium levels are higher for balance but not uncomfortably so that even if you have something less potent, you won't wind up with your tongue hanging out for dear life at the end of the meal.

We ordered a variety of dishes from the different sections of the menu and were pleasantly surprised at how well each turned out. Wholesome simple goodness.

Stir fry of Pork and Kimchi
We put in the order for this only after she reassured us that this wasn't heat of the Korean variety. She was right. And what it turned out to be was a lovely dish combining the natural sweetness of the cabbage and thin slices of pork, then given a subtle kick from the Kimchi paste. No heat required.

Squid in Garlic Butter
Garlic and butter are simply meant to be together till the end of time. Even if you throw in rubber, it will also taste good. Fortunately for us, the fresh and bouncy squids lent its natural Umami into the combination making this really quite addictive. A must-do for lovers of the sole weapon against vampires.

Konnyaku with Sweet Miso
This was an interesting combo and surprisingly good with Sake. Konnyaku is tasteless but has supreme texture that is a crunchy gelatin. Oddly good since it takes on the flavor of anything it is infused or slathered with. Japanese eat it quite a bit for its supposedly nutritional qualities, and is high in fiber. Chewing on it allows you to savor the sweet Miso paste although you cannot have too much at a go since it is sweetly salty or saltily sweet, whichever way it falls on your taste buds. So have your Sake ready...

Grilled squid with Ponzu
Another tried and tested combination of squid and Ponzu (citrusy marinade) in this case carried by finely grated radish. Drizzled liberally with Japanese mayonaise, which is more eggy than the Western variety, it is a guilt-ridden trip to heaven...

Oden
Finishing with a satisfying Japanese classic of Oden. The variety of fish cakes and Konnyaku slice soaked up the sweetly rich fish broth, and made for a comforting finish. Even if you don't care for Oden much, you should try this one and see if you change your mind. You just might, since I did.

Thanks to D for introducing us to this little secret, even if the Japanese salary men may hate us for publicising their last spot of solace..

For the original post with photos, visit edeats.blogspot.com

I finally stepped into the behemoth structure known now as Marina Bay Sands. Not without being first unimpressed by parking facilities though. The fact that there is insufficient parking underground in a facility of this size is just bewildering. And it didn't even seem like a night where much was going on, except the much touted show, The Lion King. And the fact that you have to pay double ERP charges over a 100 meter stretch to double back to parking beyond the worker dormitories just made the driving experience there frustrating to say the least. Good thing I wasn't at the wheel..

The inside of the mall is massive, and thanks to the young man at concierge who could not discern left from right, we ended up taking a tour of the mall, or was that on purpose??

Caffe B's restaurant entrance is in the basement, a little odd but I guess that's to make room for their bar at promenade level which overlooks the water out to where the Fullerton Hotel is, which I have to admit is rather pretty. Service was very professional and efficient with our waiter refilling our water glasses ever so often, and the serving staff dropping a "bon appetit" when each course is served. Professional but stoic and impassioned - they seem to be low in energy, and overworked...

The food was decent and competent but really nothing to write home about. The Japanese chef ensured there were spots of the crossover coming through but overall, it wasn't spectacular.

Bread for the table
Fluffy bread although toasting it made it crumbly and not the chewy kind I like. But decent and went well with the quality olive oil and balsamic.

To start, we had the Caffe B Antipasto Selection to save us the trouble of choosing an appetiser. And we thought it would be a good representation of what they have to offer since it was our first time.

Wagyu Beef Carpaccio
Starting with the carpaccio, this was actually a pretty good slice of beef. Although thin, it was very beefy and melts in the mouth. The use of an onion aioli was an interesting deviation from the norm and for those who like onions, they will like this, but I thought it might have stolen a bit of thunder from the beef itself.

Millefeuille Eggplant
This was deceptively blah looking but turned out to be quite tasty. A stack of thinly sliced eggplant infused with what we thought was bits of eel or fish of some sort was good. Topped off with a little raw fish in soy marinade, the bite-sized portion was a burst of different flavours and textures.

Iberico Ham
Interestingly, for an Italian place, the Chef decides to use Spanish Iberico. Though a tad salty, each piece went well with the 3 different fruit of melon, kiwi and grape in each roll-up. And balanced off with a good piece of Parmiggiano Reggiano.

Stuffed Tomatoes
This was a bit blah for me. One was stuffed with a Ratatouille - not my favouritest way to do vegetables. The other was a crab meat mayo - tasty enough.

Spaghetti with Iberico Ham in Tomato Herb Sauce
Going into the main event, the spaghetti was very well done - good quality pasta with bite and stained appropriately with a pretty robust tomato based sauce. The use of Rosemary was a little overpowering but acceptably so since the Iberico was man-enough to match it.

Fish of the Day in Clams and Mussels Broth
Catch of the day was Garouper. Interesting since it's more associated with Chinese style steamed fish dishes, but it went pretty well since I do like Garouper anyway. The sweet, cottony flesh was fairly good in taking up the broth made with our shellfish friends. White wine and butter made the broth a little more rounded but not greasy. Would have drunk a few more spoonfuls if it wasn't a tad salty. The shellfish was fresh but not ultra so since they didn't come off the shells so easily and were overcooked. But one can overlook it since the main event was the fish, and there was a lot of it even between 2.

Gelato
To end, 3 ginormous scoops of ice cream. Each scoop was the equivalent of about one and a half normal scoops, so even between 2 people it was a bit much, after a 3 course meal. The vanilla and sesame were ok but I really digged the green tea one since the Matcha came through very well, with a hint of what I think is honey. Sign of the Japanese chef's roots coming through.

The overall experience at Caffe B was enjoyable enough although it won't be one of the places people rave about. Perhaps a pit stop for ladies who shop and do lunch.

For the original post with photos, visit edeats.blogspot.com

Make no mistake, this is not Cantonese food. This is Malaysian Chinese food (of which Cantonese forms a sub-group), cooked the way that a mere 3 to 4 generations ago, was the stuff of weekend family dinners, weddings and other happy occasions. But it is sanitized, in a good way. This is a lot less greasy than it used to be. Still tasty and more importantly, delivers the distinct nostalgia we've been craving.

And Oversea has delivered it right to the shores of Singapore. While I've not tried their original shop in Kuala Lumpur, fans rave about that one and that the one in Singapore is a lesser cousin. But little to nothing takes me to KL, so who's complaining?

Char Siu or Honey glazed roast pork
This is their piece de resistance. This is what the kind person who takes your reservations on the phone will remind you to reserve. They don't seem to be able to make enough of this. Unlike the Hong Kong versions, this is sweeter, more caramelly in taste, with edges roasted till it's charcoal fragrant and crisp. A delightful way to start especially since it's served warm.

Siu Yoke or Roast belly pork with crackling
While some rave about this also, I was less than impressed. If you're used to having this in every other Cantonese restaurant in Hong Kong, Oversea's version is a tougher cut, with disproportionate ratios of meat to fat, and the crackling was not as crisp or aromatic as it should have been.

Double boiled chicken soup with Abalone
This was much tastier than it looked. The clarity is not to be mistaken for bland. The soup was flavorful from the chicken and abalone but surprisingly the chicken was still tender to the bite.

Scrambled eggs with fish maw
This was another winner for me. Eggs were well scrambled in a style reminiscent of the old days, when banquets offering a cold dish combo platter used to have this as one of the items. Fish maw is used in place of politically incorrect sharks' fin but there was no detraction from taste. Great with the lettuce leaves that are served together as receptacles for the eggs.

Steamed Tofu with dried shrimps and soy
Home-style tofu, period. A good quality soy that was slightly sweet made for a good sauce. Otherwise ordinary, since it is a piece of cake to reproduce this at home, especially since the imprinted edges suggested that all you have to do is lift it out of the box in which it was packed.

Eggplant and fish cake in claypot
This was just plain tasty and perfect to down a bowl of steamed rice with. The addition of little rounds of fish cake was an interesting twist to the classic version but the bouncy pieces made for an interesting crunch to the dish.

Tofu with Shrimps
We lamented the use of such big prawns in this dish since they were tasteless and failed to impress as a result. The sauce was created from shrimp roe, and a fair bit of it at that, but lacked a shrimpy robustness about it. A far cry from Joo Heng's version. The only element which won here were the tofu pieces. Very smooth, and encased in what tasted like an egg-based casing, that was well deep fried.

Steamed Patin (Catfish) with minced ginger
This is a great fish to eat, if you like fatty fishes. The Omega 3 content is probably sky high and makes for an easy fish to steam since you don't have to worry about overcooking it. The only unfortunate part of execution was that all you can taste is the ginger. Granted, if you like ginger, you will love this. However, I'm not a huge fan, and would have preferred a little more fish to come through.

Stir fried Kailan in ginger and chinese wine
Vegetables used were good quality. A teenage Kailan that made for perfect crunch and sweetness where florets meet leaves. A light ginger and Huadiao wine sauce enhanced.

Chilled honeyed sea coconut and longans
Dessert was quite blah. It was refreshing, but again something you can create out of a couple of cans of honeyed sea coconut and longans. The lemon wedge was the twist that cut through the cloying canned syrups.

While some comment that Oversea is pricey for what it is, and they're not far off, but in this day, where this style of food preparation is few and far between in Singapore, it is probably still a steal since it's all about instant gratification and not having to speed down the North-South highway for 3 hours to get the same thing for less.

For the original post and photos, visit edeats.blogspot.com