photos and more here: http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/fern-and-kiwi-clarke-quay/

the food here surprised us, and the place warrants returns: it was huge servings, good flavors, considerable quality and friendly service – though at a rather large bill.

we went through about half the dishes on the menu that intrigued us, and they all came monstrously huge, and at standards that far surpassed what we expected.

we started off with a beef carpaccio; a large plate of thinly sliced raw beef drizzled with a creamy mustard-type dressing and topped with a mixture of grated cabbages and tasty hard-cheese shards. very good – especially with the pop of those little red pomegranate seeds. an entrée-portion of pork spare ribs arrivedsticky with a hoisin glaze. I liked this: the ribs weren’t overtly fatty, had a fair amount of meat and that glaze was tasty.

I have quite a bit of praise for the food here – my only gripe truly are the prices – and I hope the place stays in business. I recommend it for a casual post-work night out, with great food and a large range of beers on tap (I know that matters to some of you), and an environment ready for rambunctious gatherings.

photos and more here: http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/marmalade-pantry-town/

good, better-than-average bistro food at this branch of the yummy-mummy chain in the ion shopping mall. this is a long post, because I came here twice in barely a week – and I’ll tell you why: the food is pretty decent, the prices competitive for the area, and there aren’t much better options around for a place to sit down and have some cake and tea.

the food may not be spectacularly surprising, but it is reliable and very enjoyable. the menu runs the gamut of european-fusion-ish bistro dishes: easy brunch food, salads and sandwiches, proper entrées and pud. I tend to come here for brunch or tea, and so the menu does me well – don’t come expecting a formal dinner service here, it ain’t that sort place.

truth be told though, my constant visits are for their sweets. they have the same sort of style as the p.s. cafe chain (and both do a mean sticky date pudding). I got to try something new this time: their caramelized pear and salted caramel bread pudding. doesn’t that sound fantastic! and it really was intriguing – two rectangular slabs of bread pudding wrapped with filo, baked to a pale golden, and topped with a scoop of delicious vanilla ice cream. the filo was a little floury – I think it could have been baked a little longer, or brushed with an egg wash – but I’m quibbling: that bare drizzle of salted caramel on the plate was just the right accent to the pud – it was a great way to finish the meal.

photos and more here: http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/the-fat-cat-bistro-serangoon/

it’s a baffling prospect to go to a place that serves up three cuisine options all at once – and rather a relief to find that this isn’t some madcap venture, and that the food is genuinely all good. I put this down to the fact that it’s done up food-court-style, with the cafe basically serving as a communal dining area for three different stalls (and therefore three kitchens): thai yai, masala mantra and the french onion.

the place is packed out – and a little cramped (though not uncomfortably so, especially since it’s a casual joint) – and you get handed this large folder of a menu upon seating. you take your pick amongst the three menus – or do what we did, and go for all three – and the food comes relatively fast and fuss-free.

it was a predominantly indian meal for us – we particularly liked the value-for-money sets on the menu – all tender, well-spiced and moist, these were very good. we got appetisers to share from the european menu – a lobster bisque and calamari. not offensive – which is to say that its quality is rather in line with the surroundings. the thai fried rice though, was truly surprising in execution. it had all the wok hei and flavour you’d expect from a restaurant, and there was a huge mound of it.

it’s now on our roster of family haunts – and the variety offered here is one of its largest draws, especially since we don’t always agree on what we want to eat. it can get a little hectic during dinnertimes, and they seem a little short on staff: they were rather harried when the place filled up and we had to wait to get our orders in, but when they’re there, service is pretty dilligent.

photos and more here: http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2013/04/23/awfully-chocolate-town/

just to share the love a little – this is one of my greatest discoveries since coming back. I have been spoilt by ungodly-cheap haagen dazs belgian chocolate while in london – and even discounting the darkest chocolate ice cream at scoopz and the creamy chocolate gelato at oddono’s – that’s rather marred my appreciation for the options here in singapore. stores are plentiful, but ice cream is usually an icy, paltry substitute for the lingering creaminess of gelato.

but this place might just be my new go-to. it’s a generous – really unexpectedly so – large scoop of creamy chocolate ice cream in this cute american-chinese-take-out-style box; the flavour is deep – it stands out because it isn’t too sweet – and it gets all creamy and velvety in eating, with a slow melt. and the price is really rather reasonably for the amount you get. and I like those bright green spoons.

I didn’t really know what to expect, actually – I tried to come with tempered expectations in case it didn’t actually live up to the hype – but came away liking it quite a bit. it’s a small space (so be prepared to wait), but gorgeously furnished in kitschy retrovintage furnishings and what I feel is rather old-school american.

and the food? pretty good, really. we had two waffles – one plain with butter for the dad and a chocolate-ice-creamed one for mum – both of which came warm, crisp outside with soft insides. I think this ought to be a sure-order; it’s a rather large portion as well. we also had a bread pudding – served with crème anglaise – topped with flaked almonds and well-heated; as well as a still molten chocolate lava cake. I think the latter was more impressive – the chocolate was sufficiently dark so it wasn’t too sweet.

well-worth a return, and especially so after dinner at the fat cat.