This is a review for the cafe at this kitchen wunderstore. this is the newly-refreshed eatery of possibly my favorite place in singapore - I get lost in the aisles of amazeballs bake- and cook-ware and everything you might need (or not need). I say possibly because prices are still pretty high here - but the selection. Dear lord, the selection.

So it's just as well that after you do a not-so-quick perusal of the place - and end up hungry - there's a place where you can rest your legs and fill your stomach. before the next round, of course. This place reminds me of the ikea canteen/cafe - they share the same informal atmosphere, the bustling of manic children, with rather similar food standards.

What I'm trying to say, really, is that it's not the sort of place you drive a-heck-of-a-long-way for, and it's great for a quick lunch, though not for lingering. but that's okay - because that's not what they set out to do here, and come on: you're here for the shopping. the great thing is you get to park your man/children/other-uninterested-personnel here while you exchange your wallet contents for more cookware - and that's a win in my books.

We sampled a range of their new items, and in general it's not food that I eat very often - a lot of it is fried or heavy on the carbs, but they were adequately tasty. the oriental pizza was one of my favorites that day, and the breaded fish fingers are a good option for children.

I'd keep away from the ramen - the battered chicken got soggy, the soup was a tad salty (but then again, I don't like ramen), and the noodles clumped together (the way they do out the packet if you don't separate them properly). The tempura durian was a little like a fried ice cream, but not drained and FAR too greasy - a pity, because it sure looked impressive.

The food is simple, and more than adequate for the accompainment-to-shopping role it's meant to play. You'll have a decent meal sticking with the simple things (which I think means the fried finger foods).

For full review and more phoots, please visit http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/tott-bistro-bukit-timah/

photos and more: http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2013/06/27/tsujiri-tea-house-tanjong-pagar/

it’s a menu that looks pretty large – but all permutations of sweet-cooked beans, green tea in liquid and soft-serve form, jellies, mochi and a bit of cake. not a problem – because I love all those things – but the only option for a non-matcha-lover (other than to unbefriend them) is the vanilla soft-serve. it’s a expertly-portioned bit of confectionary: sized to be satisfying without any too-muchness, and small enough so it still feels exquisite – even if you are eating out of plastic cups.

we particularly enjoy the parfaits. the just-sweet-enough soft-serve actually tastes of good matcha, and there’s good dairy in it, too (which is why the vanilla also tastes great). the mochi was nice for a sit-down snack; but I didn’t think the chiffon cake anything special.

these don’t come cheap – but the quality is fantastic, the serving sizes reasonable, and those adorably-polite japanese staff so engagingly affable you feel like you could be in japan once again.

photos and more: http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/fish-co-novena/

alright-to-decent fish at this chain. I’ll be honest: I come here only for their swordfish collar. the chain suffers from inconsistency – food standards can be well below average depending on the outlet you visit, and service is slightly haphazard. but I think of the swordfish, drool a little, and ignore it all.

my parents like the garlic lemon butter mussels – the sauce is good for dipping, it comes with soft bread that works well together.

they have a new special menu for sides like prawn fritters to accompany your main course. this is quite a good idea – especially for variety. the giant stuffed squid was a monstrous-looking fried ball of cephalopod stuffed with orange cheese. a little rubbery, but worth the experience.

the swordfish collar is always delish. hulking bits of fish fried up to a crisp and served with a mango salsa, this is moist, firm white fish. the other mains are pretty alright – they’ve also just expanded their menu and the sis tells me standards are a little better (I wouldn’t know because I only ever have the swordfish).

it’s not posh dining at all – most things on the menu are essentially iterations of fried fish with sauce, and rather crude renditions at that. but it’s a good meal for mid-week, nothing too strenuous. plus, fish is good for you!

photos and more: http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/db-bistro-moderne-town/

it’s a nice restaurant – bistro-like steakhouse is probably the best description. we got the souffle: durian-flavored, and served with mangosteen sorbet. light, mildly sweet and eggy, I think the heavy pungency was muted to suit their (likely-foreign) clientele. it might be a little too mild, actually.

the sorbet was nice but subtle too. I’m not sure it was the best combination – both the souffle and sorbet had muted profiles that disappeared into an indistinct nothingness when eaten together.

his internationally-lauded madeleines were tiny little things nestled lovingly in a cloth basket and dusted with sugar – soft and cakey. I thought them a little one-dimensional, and a tad too sweet without a cup of tea to wash down. it was a generous serving – we doggy-bagged about half and ordered the hot chocolate fondant.

their lava cake was a decent rendition. I have a suspicion that the innards of the cake aren’t uncooked cake batter – which drops it a couple points in my regard – but it was quite chocolatey and served with two scooops of delicious ice cream.

so, decent desserts, though I would still pick the wolfgang puck establishment over this. the desserts here are a little lighter on the wallet, and the portions slightly more generous – which makes it a pretty good option if you’re in the area.

photos and more: http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/food-for-thought-botanic-gardens/

this place is rather popular, and I can see why. it’s a large open space, completely casual canteen-seating predominates, and the menu is likewise expansive.

it’s not the best brunch I’ve had but I don’t really think that’s the point. it feels rather more like a place you go to to be convivial, or bring your screaming children along, with a dash of decent food to help lubricate conversation.

it’s a casual place – you order at the cashier and food gets served to the table. the partner had his mind set on the trio of sliders: the kaffir lime fish, spicy thai chicken and pulled pork. served alongside fries, these were all average – the bread was soft and giving though, and we’ll recommend the chicken: it was tender, moist leg meat, seasoned well.

I took the salad-as-lunch option. the plate of sugar snap peas came tossed in a soy-sesame mix – refreshing in its simple greenness but the peas werere untrimmed, and I had to remove all the threads myself. the smoked salmon & broccoli plate was a great mix of flavors. chargrilled broccoli, cold hot-smoked salmon and roast beetroot – all delicious.

I might return. that salad was good, and the place does brunch proud – a vibrant atmosphere, nothing too awe-inducing or surprising for the first meal of the day. comfortable like those old pyjamas you can’t bear to throw away.just don’t come expecting mind-blowing food, and get in on the chillness of it all.