After thinking long and hard, I can finally think of one thing I like about Oriole Cafe: the location. It’s snugly tucked away in an inconspicuous corner within the Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, just a stone’s throw away from the perpetually crowded 313@Somerset shopping mall. But other than its prime spot in town, there’s nothing else I like about it.

The garlic prawns bruschetta ($10++) with tomato and basil didn’t whet my appetite for more. The sautéed prawn was fresh enough but the toasted bread was quite dry and hard.

Another starter that didn’t impress was the salad of coriander-tomato ($14++) with baguette wafers and potted black crab. The latter tasted suspiciously like chicken and while I do like coriander, it’s not a good idea to use so much of the strong-scented herb all at one go without throwing in other salad greens for balance.

Half the table ordered the signature fish & chips ($15++) with very ordinary home-made wedges, NOT because we were all dying to try it, but because of the limited choices on the menu. The three thick slabs of lightly battered snapper loins were no doubt generous but I prefer quality to quantity as these were rather dry and bland. I quote the friend: “can find better ones at hawker centres”. Enough said.

The beef cheek tagliatelle ($15++) is apparently one of the most popular items on the menu. But the pasta was a tad undercooked and left virtually untouched by the friend at the end of the meal. I did try the mushrooms but the strong beefy taste of the sauce turned me off.

Though boring, the safest bet is to go for the spaghetti prawns ($15++) with rocket and tomatoes. Cooked aglio olio-style, this seems to be the best dish (relative to the rest) of the day.

Food was so-so; the enclosed space was incredibly dim and noisy; and service was a little pushy at times. Perhaps, Bedrock next door may be a better choice?

If interested, you are welcome to drop by www.myfoodsirens.wordpress.com for more reviews/photos =)

Black Earth was so new at the point of visit that it didn’t even have a signboard yet. Nor was there any NETS/credit facility, a big no-no since there’s only plastics and zilch cash on us. Amazingly, Roy (I’m guessing he’s the manager) welcomed us warmly and his “just come in and try the food, don’t worry about the money!” had me admiring his trusting nature and lack of concern for the bottom line.

It’s easy to overlook Black Earth since there’s only a small blackboard positioned near the entrance to draw your attention to the attractively priced 3 course set dinner which ranges from $16++ to $22++. Great since it was already after 9pm and we just wanted a quick fix dinner.

I can only remember that the poached snapper fillet ($18++) was overcooked and the ginger lime sauce too oily. But hungry people can’t afford to be choosy.

The poached chicken roulade ($16++) and mushrooms were bland but saved by the refreshing mango sauce.

I barely touched the coffee cake, mainly cuz of the cream that’s obviously from a spray can. That really ruined it for me.

At this sort of pricing, the food is decent, of average quality and good value. So why not give Black Earth a chance instead of joining the queue at nearby Astons, fellow easties? At the very least, you will be rewarded with nice ambience, unhurried service and lovely presentation for your food! Which is more than what I can say for Astons, really.

P.S. We really left without paying a single cent and I did a fund transfer to Roy days later. How cool is that haha.

If interested, you are welcome to drop by www.myfoodsirens.wordpress.com for more reviews/photos! =)

If you’re a regular blog-hopper like me (though I haven’t been one lately, what with about 1001 things to do -__- ), then you must have heard of Epicurious since so many blogs have reviewed it already. It’s popular for brunch, especially on the weekends when expats just swarmed the tiny little joint filled with a charming mish-mash of vintage memorabilia and furniture. There seems to be 2 camps: those who love it, and those who don’t. The former raves about everything from the food and service to the vibe and location, while the latter just scoffs at whatever the former gushes about Epicurious.

For those with a low tolerance for anything sour, you may want to pass the two-egg ratatouille omelette ($12++) cuz it’s filled with a super tangy tomato-eggplant-zucchini stew. Personally, I do like the appetising sourish tinge. Now, I have to express skepticism and disagree with the “great service” that Epicurious is known for. I requested for no Parmigiano-Reggiano but of cuz, they had to top the omelette with such a generous sprinkle; I wanted wholemeal toast and naturally, white toast was served and they even charged me for the additional bread when I pointed out their mistake. Huh, what do I need so much bread for?

The Epicurious burger ($18++) defines normalcy, from the house-made beef patty to the sautéed onions, mushrooms and fries. Makes me wonder why it’s one of the signature items on the menu. And it became an open face sandwich instead cuz they ran out of buns, tsk tsk.

Beware if the waitress comes back to the table after the order is taken and asks an innocent ”you want cheese right?” That’s an additional $2++ if you don’t know that it’s excluded from the price stated on the menu. Ya, it may come as a surprise, but we don’t memorise the menu’s description, do we.

I actually thought of going without desserts. For about 5secs. I ignored the waiter’s recommendation for the apple crumble cuz the “even newer!!” sticky date cake ($8++) was calling out to me. I’m not going to compare this with Marmalade Pantry cuz it’s just going to end up on the losing end. But on its own, it didn’t disappoint! Very moist and chewy in a kueh-like manner and surprisingly not too sweet even when drenched with butterscotch sauce. Love the creamy vanilla ice cream too. If I have to nit-pick, it’s that the cake wasn’t served warm so it didn’t have that temperature contrast I was looking for.

Remember the 2 camps of Epicurious I mentioned earlier? While I like the concept of dishing out hearty and wholesome food made from scratch, I’m inclining towards the latter group cuz the food was just so-so and I really don’t like the way they go about implementing ridiculous additional charges! No loss to them, I suppose, since they already have a loyal troop of regulars. And certainly no loss to me either.

If interested, you are welcome to drop by www.myfoodsirens.wordpress.com for more reviews/photos! =)

2am: dessert bar is such a popular hang-out spot in Holland Village that it’s quite impossible to get a seat without making prior reservations. We didn’t make any and were told to return the table by 2345. Just 45 minutes? No problem at all. Cuz the desserts were small enough to be polished off within 5 mins flat.

The interior looks good, very minimalist and chic but the reclining couches are uncomfortable, especially for girls wearing dresses or worse, mini skirts. This is also a place where one can get high on both sugar and alcohol cuz all the so-called designer desserts on the menu are paired with a selection of wines.

I thought of getting Araguani H2O but went for Purple ($14++) at the last minute cuz the latter sounds more exotic. A combination of purple potato puree, blackberry parfait, “leather”, and fruits of the forest sorbet. Though the interplay of textures is interesting, I couldn’t really discern the different flavours for what they are. Should have gone for good old chocolate instead, darn!

Another not-too-wise choice is Strawberries & Sweet Milk ($14++): macerated strawberries, panna cotta, sweet milk gelee, grapefruit marshmallow. Maybe this will be impressive to some but personally, I’m not into panna cotta or sweet milk. Translation: didn’t like this either.

Artfully messed up. Therein lies the “beauty” of deconstructed desserts.

If interested, you are welcome to drop by www.myfoodsirens.wordpress.com for more reviews/photos! =)

Like KOI, Gong Cha also originates from Taiwan and each has their own loyal fans.

Gong Cha Ali Shan Milk Tea ($2.40) is their signature and what sets it apart from KOI’s version is that frothy milk is added on top after the tea is brewed instead of blending it together. The result is a creamier texture that lingers in the mouth which I’m not too crazy about.

Though no sugar is added, I find the Korean Citron Jelly with Konnyaku Jelly ($2.90) too sweet cuz of the candied peels.

The best out of the lot is Lemon Juice with White Pearl & Ai-Yu Jelly ($3.40)! Bitter, sweet and sour all in one sip. And I’m particularly partial towards Ai-Yu jelly =)

If interested, do drop by www.myfoodsirens.wordpress.com for reviews/photos!