Fellow food bloggers must have heard / had been to Oomphatico’s . I have heard of it long long time ago but I always missed the chance to visit the restaurant. I am sort of Mountain tortoise, calling myself a food blogger and yet to try their food till now! Anyway, Oomphatico’s is quite popular in Tanglin Mall as well as Caffe Beviemo (the strawberry shortcake is damn cute !)

Oomphatico’s is a sort of cafe, serving from breakfast all the way to dinner. It is a favourite place for caucasian to sit around, chit-chat , having breakfast and enjoying high-tea. Thus, you can see that at least 70% of the diners here are Caucasians.


The cafe/restaurant adopts a pinkish decor and it looks elegant and resembles a fairyland! Once you step in, you can see the dessert counter with a variety of colourful cupcakes, pastries and cakes. The waiter/ waitress would then ask you for outdoor/indoor seating. Most Caucasians would prefer outdoor seating and it is just opposite Ah Hoi’s Kitchen!

They offer 3 different types of set lunch- a soup/salad, 2 course or 3 course set lunch and prices are nett.They offer quite a variety of cuisine and those dishes that are vegetarian are being highlighted. There is a mixture of different cuisines— Mediterranean, Western and European .. to cater to a larger group of people.


Mixed Leaf Salad ($5 ++)

Being a ”salad lover”, I would always try to have a simple salad to start. This mixed leaf salad was ordered as an extra side dish but it came together with my mains.The mixed leaf salad has mixed salad leaves, Avacado,kalamanta black olives, cubes of cucumbers and Real juicy cherry tomatoes. I highlighted the word Real juicy as the juice of the tomato burst out immediately when I took a bite and I created a mess!

Roasted Black Pomfret, served with butter, veg, tossed with olive oil & Lemon ($19++)

Initially I wanted to get the vegetable steak but I saw the red snapper being offered in the set lunch as well. They do not allow me to change the soup. Thus, I had to choose between the vegetable steak or the Snapper. When I asked the waitress the ”Fresh catch of the day”, she told me it was Black Pomfret . I confirmed with her that it was 1 fillet of black pomfret & I want it being roasted.I waited for about 15 mins for this dish and when it appeared in front of me, I was completely stunned! It was not a fillet but a WHOLE FISH! OMG, I thought it was rather huge and I probably could not finish it. Anyway, I began to dissect the fish and enjoyed the fish head (my fav!) but found the front portion was a little under-cooked. I could see some red coloured blood in the gills part and I had it sent back to the kitchen. They apologised for the mistake and promised to prepare a new dish for me thus I waited… again for another 10 mins.They just reheated the under-cooked fish and serve it back to me. As I had already ” enjoyed the fishhead”, the reheated fish was ‘‘headless”. I thought they would prepare a ”new dish” for me but was just talking through the hat (bullshit!).

Back to the fish, it was well-roasted and the skin was very crispy and the meat is very tender and juicy. Being a fish lover, I would definitely enjoy the fish especially the chin, belly and the fishhead. It was a little unglam when I actually used my hands to dissect the different parts and spitting out the fish bones. However, I did not care and enjoyed the fish because it delicious!

The accompaniments- Maittake mushrooms, asparagus brocolli and tomatoes were well roasted as well.

Overall verdict : The cafe is provides a relaxing and comfortable setting and I would love to spend my leisure time having high tea here or simply chit-chatting with some friends. It deserves another return , perhaps for the desserts or the pomfret fish again. I would have given a high score if the fish were not served undercooked as the fish is really delicious !

Strategically located at a corner facing the yet-to-be opened Genting Integrated Resort over at Sentosa, the Serenity Spanish Bar & Restaurant is an oasis of ‘cool’ in bustling VivoCity.

A place for yuppies and families to wine and dine in air-conditioned comfort or alfresco, facing the Sentosa harbour, we are the only outlet in VivoCity to have a full bar with loads of house and international cocktails at affordable pricing. Other than great food and drinks, there is a live band playing from 7pm to 11pm daily & a flamenco dance performance every thursday night 8pm to 10 pm – a sure way to enliven any weary soul.

Cuisine
Serenity Spanish Bar & Restaurant serves authentic Spanish fare.The menu has a wide range of tapas, salads, mains and other Spanish delicacies. Their specialty is paella and they dare say that they have the most authentic and best tasting paella in Singapore because they use the best and freshest of ingredients, and their chef prepares each dish to exacting standard.

I was given a sofa seat by the Window facing the Resort World. Actually I am not particular about seating but the staff kindlt offered me a wondeful seat to enjoy the ambience. I must admit that the view would be spectacular at night and when the Resort World is officially built.

There is a live stage where live bands & performances would be held. Spanish music is played. Although I do not understand, I actually felt quite relaxed. I guess those it would be great when eating spanish tapas and watching the live performances at night!

I decided to take the SET LUNCH priced at $11.90++ which I felt that it was pretty reasonable for a 3 course meal. There is a choice of salad/ soup of the day, pasta( penne/ spaghetti), type of sauce and ingredients (mixed vegetables and mushrooms, beef bolognese, etc), a choice of ice-cream and a free drink.


Fresh Green Salad

Some salad leaves mixed with olive oil vingrette, simple and light. It serves as a great appetitizer.


Fusilli with mixture vegetables and mushrooms tomato sauce

I had the fusilli with the choice of mixed vegetables and mushrooms in tomato sauce. They are quite generous with the serving and there were quite a few types of vegetables in the pasta.( Zucchini, Carrots, yellow squash and mushrooms) all tossed in tomato sauce. I love any pasta that goes with tomato sauce as cream sauce tends to be a little heavy. There were bits of fragrant garlic bits in the pasta and I sprinkled some black peppercorns to spice it up. It was not too bad.


Strawberry ice-cream

There was a choice of Chocolate/ vanilla/ Strawberry flavour. I had the strawberry flavour and it was served ina cup with some nice buttery digestive biscuits sprinkled at the top. The ice-cream is just ordinary, not much strawberry flavour.

The service here is quite friendly but a little slow. I love teh ambience here and would definately come back for the paella and probably have some tapas while watching the live performances at night!

Capricci, Italian dinning & more. Besides Italian dining, Capricci is also ideal for parties, celebrations & holding events. Capricci is fairly new (about 8 months) but it has already established a good reputation in this F &B industry.

Step into Capricci, I felt a sense of welcome & warmth. The restaurant adopts a fine-dining ambience, with dimly-lit lanterns, providing a relaxing atmospshere.


Complimentary Bread

Few pieces of Focaccia bread with olive oil & balsamic vingrette. The bread came warm,soft and moist, just the way I like it. There were some black olives and sliced capsicums in the bread. It was not too bad.


Melanzane alla Parmagiana ($16++)

Layers of sliced eggplants with melted mozarella in between, baked to perfection. The tomato sauce that comes with it is home-made therefore it taste naturally sweet and fresh. The skin of the eggplant slices are crispy as they were being deep-fried before being baked. Basil pesto sauce drizzled at the side, simply lovely! I fell in love with it & would definately come back for more.


Tagliolini Pasta with zucchini, groper and Saffron Sauce ($22++)

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus. It is expensive and used for colouring food and just a little would be enough to colour food.

The Tagliolini pasta is very smooth and has a QQ texture. The Zucchini is very crunchy and they actually made an effort to peel and slice it evenly. Paparika powder sprinkled at the sides added a nice touch.

Chilli from Sicily

When they present this chilli on my table, I was a little surprised. Pasta and chilli taste a little weird to me. Do not be deceived by it’s appearance. The chilli is fiery hot & spicy, it sent my tongue dancing after trying just a little. I didn’t dare touch it.

However, some critics said that the Chilli is not to be missed in Capricci. I tried having a second try with my pasta and it was actually not too bad. But, I would still prefer without it.

Massimo, the restaurant manager of Capricci is very hospitable and friendly. He explained the different dishes to me and seeked my opinions of the food. He made an initiative to find out the customer’s preference and tastebuds.

I think restaurant managers should learn from him to make an effort to talk to the customers to find out about their opinions and suggestions for improvements

Wild honey, it’s about beautiful breakfast. Tucked in level 3 of the newly renovated of Mandarin gallery, Wild honey serves different types of breakfast from European to Tunisian. Many people are curious why they are called wild honey. Are they lots of honey there to attract ”bees” like us?

The restaurant adopts a vintage look, it wasn’t a very big restaurant yet it is cosy enough for people to sit around. The menu is scribbled on the board and you would have to make your choice and place your order at the cashier. Too many choices? Diffcult to make decisions? Do not worry… the I phones are there to help. The pictures of the different breakfast sets are in the I phone, you are free to browse and pick your choice. I must agree that they are creative to try out this method and makes them stands out from the rest. I was stop by them from taking pictures of the menu written on the board. All breakfast sets are priced at $18++

Eurpoean Set ($18++)

Their version of Eggs benedict with Field mushrooms & prociutto. I have requested for multigrain bread instead of brioche and the hollandaise sauce to be at the side. The eggs benedict came with 2 poached eggs and grilled field mushrooms sitting on top of 2 slices of multigrain toast. One of the eggs were done pretty good, with the runny egg yolk oozing out and soaking the bread. While the other, was not sucessful, the egg yolk seemed to coagulate .
The prociutto ham was a little on the dry side. Though it was well-cured, but it fails to impress me. The hollandaise sauce is a little bland. I expect hollandaise sauce to have a little sour taste but there wasn’t, just bland butter taste.

Frankly speaking, I felt a little uneasy dining there. When they served me the food, they placed the bill on the table. The staffs kept walking around to refill water which I think is not necessary. I walked to the cashier to pay for my food and they were a little surprised. Well, they placed the bill on my table so I think they expect me to pay at the cashier right?

While I was dining there, I spotted 2 magazines editors(from appetite), they are chatting and taking about Wild honey. I think Whild honey is going to make a name for itself very soon.

The opening of the Bukit Timah Guild House (BTGH) marks historic return to the Bukit Timah campus some three decades after they moved out from the Evans Road Guild House.

Conveniently located in the heart of Singapore, BTGH and its facilities are housed in a quaint, beautifully restored colonial bungalow. While the other 3 guildhouses are only opened to the NUSS alumni members, the bukit timah guildhouse is opened to the Public.

Steeped in rich heritage and nestled amidst the lush foliage of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, BTGH springs a relaxed tranquil atmosphere with an enchanting garden offering members respite from the bustling city.The Guildhouse has a vintage-looking decor, it looks like an old bungalow to me. Seats were available at the restaurant itself or alfresco-dining (magnificiant view at night).

The restaurant introduced set lunch and dinner and the menu changes monthly. The 3 of us were hesistating whether to go for the ala-carte or the set dinner. The set-dinner looks promising, 5 course meal ( cold appetitizers, soup, warm appetitizers, choice of main course, dessert and choice of coffee/tea). The set dinner is priced at $39.80++ which I felt was quite reasonable for the generous portion they served.

The cold appetitizer- Aubergine Parcel with bull tomatoes & mozarella cheese


The greenish liquid is actually Basil pesto sauce which I love it. The black-coloured liquid that surrounds it was the balsamic reduction and I thought it was chocolate syrup. The aubergine slices were nicely grilled and there were tomato slices wrapped in it. Harris was curious why was the dish called aubergine parcel and I explained to him that the tomato slices were wrapped in the aubergine slices and resemble a parcel. The mozarella cheese that was melted at the top of the parcel hardened thus it did not fare well.


Mixed seafood veloute with Tomato

The soup comes with the set menu. The comments was ” Fruity essence and creamy” while . The prawns were unfresh.

The dish serves as a good start, light and refreshing, preparing us for the main course that is to be served soon.

The warm appetitzer- Roasted sea bass on a bed of Crispy Parmesan IntermezzoI was not a fan of sea bass due to the muddy taste but I was quite satisfied with the grilled sea bass that was served. It was nicely-grilled, the texture of the fish is smooth and tender. The fillet is served with some sauce which we could not figure out what was it.

Braised Australian Reg grouper with lemongrass broth & seasonal mixed vegetables

This was my ala-carte order. Since there is only 3 choices of fish on the menu, I decided to have the Grouper fish. The fish requires a longer time to braise thus it was served pretty late. It looks delectable, with the colouful mixes of vegetables and a huge piece of fillet ”sitting ”on top of the mixed vegetables. The fish was over-cooked, resulting a rough and tough texture. Fish normally do not require a long time to cook and since it was braised, it was a wrong method of cooking. However, I love the lemongrass broth and the mixed vegetables. The lemongrass broth taste like tom yam soup minus the spicyness and sourness. It was a little creamy and I can taste a little milky flavour in it. The mixed vegetables include zucchini, squash, aubergines, capsicums…etc. They were diced into little cubes and served together with the lemongrass broth. It was not only colourful but also flavourful! Divine!