For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/03/22/astor-bar/

It’s impossible not to be impressed by the décor of the Astor Bar. Located on the first floor of the opulent St Regis Singapore, this Jazz bar is the perfect place chillax.
Named after John Astor IV, who founder St Regis in 1904, this bar looks like something that you would see in The Great Gatsby.

Relax in luxurious leather sofas, sip on delicious cocktails, while resident pianist-singer Ron Sinclair captivate your heart with his smooth vocals and jazz tunes.
While ambience, beverages and service were top-notch, nut and chips were rather flat. Expected more from St Regis….
St Regis Signature Cocktail- The Bloody Mary ($22) perfected in 1934 by Fernand Petiot, a bartender at St Regis New York’s King Cole Bar. An additive spicy concoction made with Vodka, tomato juice, lemon Worcestershire sauce and Cayenne pepper.
St Regis Singapore is also famous for another unique cocktail, Chilli Padi Mary, which has lemongrass, chilli padi and ginger ale, giving it a distinct spiciness which reflects Singapore’s diverse cuisine. We skipped this as we had curry fish head for dinner had enough of spicy stuff.
Singapore Sling ($21), with gin, Cointreau, cherry brandy, pineapple juice and Angostura was equally excellent.
For those who don’t take alcohol, you can choose from a range of appealing mocktails and juices.
Apple Pilar ($14): apple juice, ginger ale, mint leaves

Grapefruit Cooler ($14): grapefruit juice, soda water, grenadine syrup

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/03/18/u-u-cook/
Last week, Hubby and I enjoyed a very scrumptious and value for money ala carte buffet at UU Cook. It’s a new air-conditioned BBQ steamboat restaurant which recently opened in November last year. I bought the 50% Groupon deal with a bit of skepticism, but was pleasantly surprised with the standards. The Groupon deal ends in 2 days and you can get it here
The menu…if you wish to have Tom Yum or Hot and Spicy soup, a top up of $3 is required.
Right at the back, there is a shelving displaying various condiments eg peanut sauce, sesame oil, freshly chopped garlic, chilli padi, soy sauce etc etc. Feel free to mix up your favorite dipping sauce combo!
Vegetables, meat and seafood were very fresh, with the exception of the prawns which were reasonably fresh. Meats were well marinated and very tasty. For $12.90 (Groupon) per head, this was a steal for the quality as well as quantity of what we consumed.
Service was great as well. Staff members respond quickly and topped up soup at regular intervals. I made a terrible mess when I dropped a whole bowl of soup and food on the floor, but they were good-natured about it and cleaned up promptly. Thumbs up!

For full review and pictures collated from 4 visits, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/03/16/drips-bakery-cafe/
Co-owner Alfred Chan went from baking in Shangri-la Hotel to opening a cheery bakery café serving up quality fare in Tiong Bahru. Although Drips is well-known for their tarts and quiche, their tea cakes and sandwiches impressed me enough to revisit trice.
The café consists of 2 sections. If you wish to chill and relax, I recommend seats at the back, which comprises of mismatched sofas and couches. The front portion reminds me of a fun school canteen. Menu is written on a black board and selection changes often. Selection of both savories and sweets dwindle in the late afternoon, hence I prefer visiting at lunch time.
I don’t have close-up pictures of the teacakes to entice you; must try as they are are to-die-for! Pound cakes are so common these days; but I have not encountered any as good as Drips. They are luxuriously dense, amazingly moist and melt in the mouth. My family loves the raspberry cake; we buy a large block each time for breakfast.
Drips’ Iced Long Black ($5.50) is Hubby’s favorite coffee; he never fails to order this. Earl Grey Tea by the pot ($7.20) was satisfactory. There are 2 teabags in the pot, so be prepared to take them out to prevent over-steeping.
Hot Chocolate ($5) was fair; I had better ones elsewhere.
In order to set aside space for desserts, we ordered a slice of Rosemary and Chicken Quiche ($6.80) which was creamy and tasty. Don’t be deceived by the serving, although it does not look big, it’s very filling.
Sandwiches are wholesome and appetizing, prepared with generous portions juicy meat and fresh vegetables, plus a citrus side salad
Virginia Ham Sandwich ($13.80) with Dijon Mustard,
Sliced Corned Beef Sandwich ($15.80) ….
…and Oven Roasted Turkey Ham Sandwich ($15.80) with deliciously grilled capsicum and zucchini.
THIS Chocolate Tart ($6.80) stole my heart the moment I took my first bite. The first thing I do when I step into Drips is to check if this is available, and reserve one before it sells out. Made using high percentage of cocoa, the result is a slightly bitter tart with the ideal amount of sweetness.
Mixed Berry Fruit Tart ($8) was equally excellent. I particularly like the buttery and crumbly tart base, which had right amount of salt. Egg custard was just right-creamy and not too sweet.

For pictires and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/03/14/au-jardin/
How sad! Au Jardin under the prestigious Les Amis Group will be shutting its doors in approximately 2 weeks (apparently due to lease issues). In French, Au Jardin means “in the garden”. How apt, as it’s located in the beautiful Singapore Botanic Garden.
W and I visited some time ago during restaurant week for lunch ($40++ per pax), and I am so glad we did. I daresay you are missing out on a gem if you let the chance of checking out Au Jardin slip by. Their last day of operation is on 29th March.
The romantic fine dining establishment occupies the 2nd level of an elegantly restored colonial residence. Wine and dine in old-world charm. Love the warm-toned handsome furnishings and the touch of opulence thanks to the chandelier.
The best seats in the house are by the window, where one can admire the lush greenery. The tranquility is calming.
Warm bread promptly arrived at our table. I can’t help but notice their elegant China.
Amuse bouche was Cured Salmon, Orange, Honey Mustard adorn with Mesclun. Absolutely appetizing and no one flavour overpowered the other.
Foie Gras Ravioli in Mushroom consommé possessed robust flavours which W loved.
Shredded Duck Leg Confit and Gizzard with Organic Egg confit, wilted spinach, asparagus, truffle reduction. Oooo la la! Egg porn!
A winning combo of Butter Roasted Red Snapper with purple mashed potatoes, sautéed fine bean, bacon and Pommery mustard sauce. I polished these off in a snap.
Grilled saddle of lamb, vegetable couscous, confit of tomato and rock salad, natural jus. Another excellent main course with well-marinated lamb without a hint of gamey taste.
While the servings for appetizers and mains were substantial, the portion for dessert was rather small. This sweet and tangy dessert was the YUMS, and hence I was a bit upset that I didn’t get enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. Decussated lemon tart crumble , jelly and lemon sorbet.
We rounded of our meal with coffee, tea (included in set lunch) and petit fours. These cute mini Madeleines are irresistible-crisp on the outside while remaining soft, buttery and moist on the inside.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/02/28/afternoon-tea-mandarin-orientals-axis-bar-and-lounge/

Bestie and I regard taking tea as an enjoyable social ritual. I wanted to relax after a long day of meetings, while she wanted to try whether Singapore’s Mandarin Oriental afternoon tea is on par with Hong Kong’s. A valid reason to splurge a little on quality high tea, kekeke!

As the pianist sets the mood, indulge in an excellent 4 course afternoon tea. Chill in comfy sofas, in a chic, stylish setting. Sit by the floor-to ceiling windows and watch the world go by. Admire the view over Marina Bay. Don’t expect stunning views of Singapore’s skyline though, as Axis Bar is only on the 4th level.

As expected, service is impeccable and friendly. I love the consistency of Mandarin Oriental’s high service standards.

Afternoon tea is available daily, from 3pm to 5pm. Priced at $42++ per person and $80++ for two, it consists of a single tea selection (refillable) and 4 courses of dainty treats (non-refillable). Currently, there is a 15% discount with Citibank, UOB and Amex credit cards.

Apart from TWG, Parisan brand Mariage Freres is also available; a refreshing change from the usual tea labels I have encountered in Singapore so far. M’s choice was the alluring Earl Grey French Blue, a black tea with fragrance of rare bergamot and royal blue cornflowers. I had A L’Opera, a green tea with subtle fragrance of red berries and precious spices. Notice the teapots are rather small? It’s enough to fill one cup, which ensures no over-steeping.

We started off with a glass of Golden Apple and Lemon Jelly.

Warm Dried Cranberry and Golden Raisin Scones arrived swiftly, accompanied with lashings of clotted cream, lemon curd and orange marmalade. These are incredibly good scones which left us yearning for more. By the way, I forgot to take photos before digging in, so one scone is missing.

The other portion of the second course came in a lovely floral three-tiered stand. A visual treat!

On the first tier, we have smooth, intense Chocolate cremeux with morello cherries , delicate Mascarpone rose and lychee mini gateau, and Strawberry tuxedo. What a creative name for something so simple. These fresh strawberries have perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess, undoubtedly the best I have ever tried so far.

On the middle tier, sits:

- Heart shaped Fresh berry and ricotta cheese tart. Unlike the usual dense and cheesy cheese tarts, this rendition is superbly light and subtly sweet, thanks to the ricotta cheese, which has a light texture with a sweet flavor reminiscent of milk.

- Raspberry pate a choux with Golden Cherry. This could have been better if there was more raspberry cream in the choux pastry.

-Hazelnut plantar “terrazzo” pot – hazelnut mousse skillfully layered with sponge cake, with a cute little mint leaves “planted” on top.

The bottom tier consists of familiar savory savories: Mini Turkey ham & cheddar sandwich, Smoked salmon canapés, Smoked duck wrap with arugula & garlic aioli, and petite tuna salad sandwich.

The 3rd and fourth courses arrived at the same time- a basket of savory pastries fresh from the oven and a platter of canapés. While the buttery Ratatouille Puffs and Mushroom Chicken Pies tasted lovely, the lack of filling was disappointing.

Here’s final course, canapés with a touch of luxe…
Wafu prawn compression with caviar…
Smoke chicken & grape salad in mini cone…
and Caesar Salad in tart.

I was rather perturbed by the lack of sequence of how sweets and savories were served, but the food was so good, it’s not important after all. The menu changes every month, so I will definitely revisit. If you are looking an afternoon tea experience which tantalizes your taste buds, search no further. M’s verdict is that this high tea is comparable to Hong Kong’s and I feel its slight better than Bangkok’s (Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Author’s Lounge afternoon tea is considered the best in the city of smiles).

Reservations recommended to avoid disappointment; even though it was a weekday, most tables were occupied.