For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/05/07/five-dime/
G had cravings for brunch so we decided upon Five & Dime, located on a quiet stretch along River Valley Road. With a white minimalist exterior, this cafe stands out from the colourful buildings beside it. Step inside and soak in the New York vibes.
Five & Dime pride themselves for serving unpretentious, quality food. Prices are reasonable and I can see myself revisiting if Hubby’s is free. With the nearest MRT (Somerset) 10-15 mins walk away, it’s certainly not the most accessible cafe around. More convenient to drive here; free parking is available behind. There is a bus stop a few steps away but unfortunately for me, none of the buses stop near where I live.
Ah, I notice Hot Chocolate ($6, additional $1 for iced) on the menu. I have a thing for hot chocolate and I am glad to report that this is decent. For those worried about your calorie count, skimmed milk is available on request. Brownie point for the nostalgic gem biscuits instead of the typical cookie.
The simplicity of an egg poached to perfection, on warm brioche, is the ultimate comfort food. Here, we have Eggs Benny ($16) served with bacon, mesclun greens, breakfast potatoes and fruit salad.
Egg Mayo and Bacon Panini ($12) was equally good. The seasoning is spot on and the crispy bacon added just the right amount of saltiness to the egg mayo. You can’t see much on the bacon from the front view so I took another picture of the back to show the portion of bacon in the sandwich, which was just right. I didn’t feel guilty after devouring this so I ordered dessert.
I was quite miffed with the Truff’s Earl Grey Chocolate Tart ($9). For one, I expected more for something close to $10. While the chocolate rich and decadant, the earl grey flavour was too subtle and didn’t quite get off the ground. Also, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or passion fruit sorbet could have come in handy to tone down the cloying richness of the chocolate.
Another brownie point for the friendly service; all smiles and efficient. The staff who took our picture was patient; she suggested taking from this angle when the previous pictures didn’t turn out nicely.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/05/05/platypus-kitchen/
Fresh pasta, premium ingredients, wallet-friendly prices, spacious seating, convenient location. You really can’t ask for anything more, can you? Fresh handmade pasta prepared every morning is the pride of Platypus Kitchen and the folks here believe in gourmet dining at everyday prices.
Here, one can find the largest selection of pasta in Asia. Those who need help in deciding on that to order will find this algorithm useful.
I visited 3 times, twice for set lunch and once for dinner. Set lunch is very value for money; pasta and risotto sets from $12.90 includes a choice of soup or side salad, a cold beverage and pasta. For pastas with premium ingredients eg crabs, prawns, scallops and truffle, an add-on of $0.90-$1.90 is required. Service was attentive and efficient. Food-wise, hits and misses. I don’t see myself coming here regularly in the near future for the pasta but the mains, sides and risottos look tempting.
Healthy-tasting Elderflower Iced Tea and velvety Mushroom Soup.
Pumpkin soup was smooth and flavoursome, with just the right amount of cream. Love the sour crunch from the seeds in this Iced Passion Fruit Tea.
Lemon Prawn Parppadelle (add $0.90). Doesn’t look like a lot on the plate, but you’ll be surprised how filling it is. The combination of flavours and texture is marvellous. Pleasantly tart zesty lemon pomodoro sauce, sweet tomatoes, grilled prawns, chewy pasta and thinly sliced garlic which added another flavour dimension and delightful crunch.
Spicy Diablo Crab and Prawn (add $1.90) looks impressive. But looks can be deceiving. While I must commend on the generous portion of succulent crab claw meat and fresh prawns, the spicy egg sauce in addition to the chilli strands was overwhelming. I was startled by the spiciness and immediately regretted mixing in the chilli strands into the pasta.
Mushroom Aglio Olio ($13.50) was a disaster. Imagine my dismay when a plate of soggy pasta arrived in front of me. I even questioned the waiter if the pasta was meant to be sitting in a puddle of oily water. Ah boy gave a sheepish smile and nodded. Garlic flavour was severely lacking too.
Sea salt caramel ($6.90) was passable, although I could not detect much saltiness. Apart from being moist, the cake itself was mediocre. The unique part was the popping candy- quite fun to have the crystals sizzling in the mouth. The chopped peanuts married well with the chocolate sauce.
 

Everton Park is no longer a boring housing estate. With quite a number of small boutique cafes settling there, its awakening from its drowsy slumber. My FIL has been bringing home bite-sized melt-in-the mouth Roasted Pork encased in buttery, flaky pastries. They were so good we decided to check the cafe out.
This cosy, quaint bakeshop/cafe is a temporary respite from Singapore’s urban rat race. Take your pick from the savoury menu, sweet endings displayed and hot or ice teas from the 1872 Clipper Tea Co. ($3.50-$3.80).
On weekends, laze the afternoon away with a hi-tea set ($19.50 for 2) comprising of sandwich quarters, cranberry scones, cheese tartlets, chocolate mini tartlets, apple crumble tartlets, mini fruit bowl, a cupcake and a pot of tea.
Batterworks’s Mushroom Soup ($3.50) sets itself apart from other mushroom soups I have tried so far. Instead of being velvety smooth, it has a creamy gritty consistency. Substantial and gratifying!
Tomato and Red Pepper Soup ($3.50) was equally excellent. It may be a bit too spicy for some though.
Melted creamy cheese with a nice pull, flavoursome ground pork is what you’ll get in their Shepherd’s Pie ($5.90). Another lunch favourite is the Stout Pie ($6.50), a seriously tasty meat classic made with tender chunks of chicken and stout, and creamy mashed potatoes.
Paparika fries ($3) was not bad.
I’m always in the mood for something sweet and fortunately the standard of desserts were consistent with the earlier dishes. MIL thoroughly enjoyed her Maple Carrot Cake while I ordered a plate of dainty trios. Salted Caramel Cupcake ($2.50) could have been better if it was more moist. Chocolate mini tarts had a buttery crust whileOreo Cheese Tartlet was dense and satisfying (petite pastries 2 for $2.50).
Overall, I like Batterworks honest approach to the food, as well as their authenticity. Uncomplicated yet delicious food great for light (portions are small) but hearty meals.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/04/29/batterworks/

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/04/28/gunthers/
I have a soft spot for French Cuisine, so I was absolutely delighted when M mentioned she wanted to check out Gunther’s. After more than 5 years at helm at Les Amis, award winning chef Gunther Hubrechsen is now the chef-owner of Gunther’s, located at the swanky Purvis Street.
Service is professional but warm in this classy, unpretentious fine dining establishment. Nice place to have a business lunches, catch-ups and romantic dates. After serving freshly baked baguettes, the staff gave a presentation on the food available. I wasn’t paying much attention because I was distracted by the baguette. It was very well done, crisps with just the right amount of hardness.
The 3-course Set Lunch is great value. At $38++, you’ll get 3 selections for both appetizers and desserts, and 4 main course options. Because we both wanted to try Gunther’s signature Cold Angel Hair pasta with Oscietra Caviar, we topped up $25 each.
M was pleased with her Mushroom cappuccino with Grilled Scallops. It’s hard to go wrong with comforting mushroom soup and smoky, tender scallops.
Roasted Tiger Prawn cocktail salad. I can never get enough of salads and this was refreshing with a touch of sweetness and tanginess. The succulent prawns were fresh and the portion generous.
The highlight of our leisurely lunch- Cold Angel Hair Pasta withOscietra Caviar. My oh my, what a gem! It’s no wonder why this is Gunther’s signature dish. Tossed in black truffle oil, every strand of pasta tantalized my taste buds. The rich, nutty, creamy flavor of the prized Oscietra Caviar was to die for. RAVE ALERT!
Excellent Crème Brulee with a nice crunch of burnt sugar and smooth custard. My only grouse was that the portion was too small, which made it look unattractive.
Coffee and home-made petite fours rounded up our meal. While most restaurants offer plain black coffee as part of their set lunch (these days some don’t include hot beverage at all), you can enjoy a cup of cappuccino or latte at Gunther’s.

M was in town so I had an accomplice to satisfy my curiosity on much-raved-about Iggy’s. Named after its founder, award-winning Sommelier and restaurateur Ignatius Chan, Iggy’s is ranked 14 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014. We arrived with high expectations.
The entrance is somewhat like “Aladdin’s cave”. Upon entering, the staff welcomed us warmly. Service was attentive, without being over-zealous. I must commend that the staff were genuinely helpful. After ordering our set lunches ($65++ for 2 courses, $85++ for 3 courses and $105++ for 4 courses), my camera battery went flat *horrors*. Thankfully, the waitress found a charger and lead us to another table near a power point. 2 thumbs up!
The cooking-style is modern fusion. Flavours were subtle and never over-powering. Creative presentation, top-notch ingredients, but dishes lack an element of surprise. We came anticipating to be charmed but went home feeling “meh”. I mean… it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t mind blowing as I expected it to be.
Sundried Tomato Foccacia and Wholemeal Sourdough
Chilled Gazpacho sorbet with Tomato Salad Amuse Bouche provided a much needed relief from the sweltering heat outdoors.
Wagyu beef appetizer with red bell pepper “pappardelle” and pomegranate.
M’s luxurious appetiser-generous portion of Foie gras with artichoke, white asparagus and Alba Black truffle
For the second course, we both selected Iggy’s signature Cappellini with crunchy Sakura Ebi and Konbu. Tossed in Shellfish oil, each strand of pasta had an intense crustacean flavour.
For the mains, 70 °C Wagyu cheek with Pinot Noir and Hearts of palm fared much better compared to Pork Belly with Gobo, yam and kinkan. While the Waguy cheek main was flavoursome and melts in the mouth, the Pork Belly dish tasted flat and dull.
Inspired by Singapore’s popular breakfast , Iggy’s Kaya and Teh Tarik dessert is a creative spin on the well-loved staple. The soft brioche French toast had a beautifully caramelised exterior. Served with a thickened custard-textured kaya and bittersweet teh tarick ice cream. Lip smackingly yummy!
Vanilla ice cream on a bed of banana, served with Araguani chocolate, espresso, hazelnut. Not the most innovative dessert, but nevertheless satisfied my sweet-tooth
The waitress asked what coffee/tea would like to have, so we mistakenly assumed that hot beverage was part of the set lunch. The $10 tip I intended to give the waitress for her fantastic service went into paying for this exorbitantly priced small cup of Cappuccino ($11.70 after GST and service charge).
We were lukewarm towards the set lunch. Perhaps dinner will enchant? We’ll try, maybe, someday.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/04/24/iggys/