A refined German taste from Japan - Juchheim's matcha baumkuchen (Takashimaya)

Although I have passed by Juchheim many times to date, I have never had the urge to buy their baumkuchen for some reason. Perhaps it was that I always had the impression that baumkuchens are expensive due to the effort and skill needed to produce them or that Japanese brands tend to have this pricey image. However, when I saw the limited edition matcha version publicised on Juchheim's Facebook page, that was the best excuse to try their baumkuchen.

Baumkuchen which means tree cake in German (Der Konig der Kuchen), is regarded as the King of German cakes and also the symbol of the German Confectionery Association. In Germany, confectioners can only earn the title of Meister after mastering how to make this cake. Karl Juchheim, the founder of Juccheim, was the first to bake the baumkuchen in Japan back in 1919.

Much as I am very into anything matcha, I still felt apprehensive about buying a whole baumkuchen on my first attempt especially since it does not have any preservatives and can only last for three days. Coupled with the fact that there were no samples for this flavour, I pondered over this a lot at the counter which I suppose must have made the staff there wonder if I had no intention of buying anything. To make things even more complicated, seeing another limited edition version i.e. dark chocolate swayed my will as I deliberated between matcha and this flavour. In the end, I finally bit the bullet and went ahead with my initial choice. Luckily, the baumkuchen turned out to be better than I expected.

I was expecting a somewhat drier texture and sweeter taste from the matcha flavour based on the impression I got from the lemon version's sample. However, the matcha flavour turned out to have the right amount of moisture and the texture was smooth enough to eat it on its own. If paired with tea, I think it will be a great teatime snack or after-meal dessert. Although the staff did mention that the outermost layer may be a bit sweet, I thought that it was still acceptable for me. Price-wise, the matcha flavour is slightly more expensive than the original flavour but for this quality and size, it's a worthwhile deal after all.

Now that the matcha baumkuchen has won my heart, I guess it's time to get the dark chocolate version soon before it gets taken off the shelf.

Review of Platypus Kitchen (Bugis Junction)

I was looking for a nice place to have a late lunch in the Bugis area when I found Platypus Kitchen on the Internet. It had pretty good reviews and I liked what I saw on its menu so it was decided then to head to its outlet at Bugis Junction. As a matter of fact, I had walked past this place a number of times before but never had the chance or inclination to visit it especially since it seemed quite crowded during meal times.

When I entered the restaurant, I was a bit intimidated to find that I was the only customer around. I guess that's to be expected too since it was already past three when I was there. Nonetheless, the waiter who had come to greet me was very welcoming so it helped to put me at ease. I was seated at a table which allowed me to have a great view of the entire restaurant which was largely in soothing pastel tones and black. With the afternoon sun pouring in, this felt like such a good place to spend a lazy afternoon in as you watch the people walk by outside. In particular, I liked the seating which was very comfortable due to its padded seats. There have been many times when I stopped going to a restaurant because I found the seating very uncomfortable (e.g. chairs being too high or too low while eating at the table) or the tables being too close to one another thus resulting in a very cramped feeling so it was a good thing to be able to find a place which doesn't add on to my stress in this respect.

First up was the lobster and crustacean soup which is roasted lobster broth served with double cream and bits of Boston lobster. Based on my experience so far, most soups would be either served in a small round bowl or those very big round dishes so it was a bit unusual to see an oval dish used in Platypus Kitchen. I liked the idea because it was rather easy to drink from and prevent spillage which tends to happen with smaller bowls. As for the soup itself, the aroma was very tempting as soon as the dish was served. There was also no need to add additional seasoning like salt and pepper because the soup was already flavourful enough on its own. As for the lobster bits, I felt that they were a bit too finely-cut for me to get a more accurate feel of the taste but at the very least, they didn't taste fishy in a bad way. The only thing which I didn't like about this dish was probably the herbs served as garnishing because they tasted a bit bitter.

The main course I selected was the Italian Rosemary Garlic Cast Iron Grilled Chicken which was tagged as a specialty dish on the menu. The reason why this is called a Cast Iron Grilled Chicken is due to the fact that the chicken is grilled in heated cast iron skillets at 250 degrees Celsius. I presume that this cooking method helps to seal in the flavours of the chicken without the meat becoming too overcooked. There are four versions of this dish where the chicken is further cooked in different sauces so I think I'll be back to try the other versions another day. Coming back to this version which I ordered, I felt that the aroma of the garlic and herbs was nicely infused into the chicken so I was quite satisfied with this dish. The salad was fresh with a nice citrus-like dressing which made it more palatable since I really dislike those with a strong vinegar taste. The fries were of the right thickness but I would have preferred them to be lightly salted so as to eat them on its own. The chili sauce provided was a bit watery and unlike the usual local version we are used to so I thought that didn't go so well with the fries.

One good thing to highlight about the service here is, the staff noticed that I was struggling with cutting the meat and went to get a meat cutting knife for me to replace the bread knife I was using. Granted that I was the only customer at that time, it might not have been difficult to notice that but I still applaud them for taking the effort to make the change because they could have just ignored me anyway if I didn't ask for a change in the knives.

Last but not least, my dessert was the molten lava cake served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate soil. The vanilla ice cream was rather ordinary in my opinion but I thought the idea of having that almond chocolate glico stick as a garnishing was pretty interesting. On the other hand, the lava cake was rather dense and tasted quite rich so I gathered that it should be made of dark chocolate or the proportion of dark chocolate was pretty high. It was a pity that the cake was so dense that the "lava" failed to flow out when I put my spoon into it. However, the semi-liquid chocolate within was still nice to eat despite its gooey texture. I'm not sure how the chocolate soil was made but as long as it tasted good, it didn't matter so much.

On the whole, I was rather satisfied with my dining experience at Platypus Kitchen and would want to visit it again but still, I would prefer to avoid the peak hours. I sure don't mind being the centre of attention again as the only customer in the restaurant! I also liked the fact that the restaurant attempted to distinguish itself as a place where people can meet up to enjoy meals together and it's making an attempt to get people off their phones at the dining table with little notes in the form of bookmarks. There are quirky questions and little known facts about food which can be used as conversation topics and I thought that it's a pretty good idea to catch the diners' attention. Whether it does help in making people concentrate more on their dining partners and food rather than their phones still remains to be seen but this type of initiative should be encouraged for its positivity.

Outback cuisine for the first time - The House of Robert Timms (Suntec City)

The House of Robert Timms is not exactly a new name to me but I've never had the chance or inclination to give it a try especially after hearing that it serves some exotic fare such as kangaroo meat which I must admit that is too adventurous for my palate. Nonetheless, while thinking of finding somewhere new to try in the Suntec City Mall and after doing some research on its website, The House of Robert Timms seemed like a a pretty decent choice so I went ahead with it in the end.

Robert Timms is well-known as one of Australia's oldest and most established gourmet coffee brands and was only introduced to Singapore in 2010 at Wheelock Place. I'm not a fan of coffee though but the promise of wholesome cuisine from Australia did sound like an enticing prospect. Then again, I've not tried Australian cuisine before so I'm clueless as to what exactly defines Australian food other than the fact that the ingredients should come from there.

First up was the clam chowder served with toast which was truly delectable. The amount of clams in the soup was much more than the number of shells seen in the bowl and they were as fresh as they could get. The soup itself was rich but not to the extent of overwhelmingly creamy. The garlic toast was done very nicely with a nice fragrance and to top it off, the bread used had grains and nuts in the crust which further accentuated the flavour. This has got to be one of the best versions of clam chowder which I've tasted so far.

The main course was the herb roasted half-chicken with criss-cut fries and salad. Instead of the usual long fries served in most restaurants, I think the criss-cut fries were a rather unique choice but personally, I felt that it might have been better if the fries were reduced to bite-size portions. Generally, the chicken was nicely grilled and went well with the sauce. Nonetheless, I do not like breast meat which usually tastes tough and dry no matter how it is cooked unless it's used in macaroni soup or Cantonese congee. In the case of this dish, the only drawback was that the other parts of the chicken tasted well but the breast meat was a disappointment as usual or I would have given higher marks for this dish.

The chocolate mousse cheesecake came in a portion larger than what's served in most places but given the price tag of 9 bucks per slice, I think that should be the case anyway. Much as I think that the flavours of the chocolate mousse and cheesecake layers were fine on the whole, I found that them being equally dense meant that the cake was somewhat too rich to finish by the time I was halfway through. It might have been better if the mousse layer was lighter which would provide a difference and graduation in textures within the cake and make it easier to finish alone. Otherwise, it might be best to share this cake with someone else or in a group as this can be rather filling as a dessert or tea-time choice.

On the surface, this may look like the usual nyonya kueh with the coconut shreds but this is actually an Australian dessert called lamington. I didn't know this until I asked the waitress and she described it as a sponge cake with coconut shreds on the surface. Further research on the Internet suggests that the traditional Australian version has a coating of chocolate sauce with coconut shreds on the outside while a layer of cream or raspberry jam is spread between the two layers of sponge cake. There are variations in the flavours depending on the area as it is said that Australia has a lemon version too while New Zealand has a raspberry version. Apparently, the version served at Robert Timms does not have a chocolate coating.

Although there were three flavours to choose from, one was sold out i.e. orange. I then decided on the strawberry version over the lemon one in case the latter was too sour. When taking the first bite, I didn't really like the smell and flavour of the sponge cake which had an artificial flavouring somehow. After a few more bites, the taste would grow on you. In any case, having sponge cake with coconut shreds is a rather new experience for me so I would not rule out the likelihood of going back to try other flavours of the lamington.

Meant for royalty? - The Queen & Mangosteen (Vivocity)

Every time I walked past The Queen & Mangosteen, it felt strangely intimidating for some reason. It wasn't easy to see from the outside how the restaurant's decor was (posh or casual?) and the prices on the menu displayed at the entrance didn't quite strike me as being pocket-friendly at first. Actually, if you look hard enough, they aren't that bad especially when you consider that the portions are quite big. As such, even though it seemed like a fun drinking place for the after-five working crowd (I'm not that into drinking though), I just didn't have the inclination to check out this place.

On a weekday evening while in search of a quick dinner before a movie, I chose this place after looking through various options at Vivocity. I guess the prospect of trying something new won me over rather than going back to the places which I've tried and tested. After scrutinising the menu for a while, I decided to head inside. As it was still before 6pm that evening, the restaurant was relatively empty. However, the tables started to fill up soon after which suggested that this is indeed a popular place after all.

For a start, I ordered the Mojito mocktail. The version here is very refreshing because the mint hits your tongue first before the alcohol does and the fragrance of the mint leaves was very noticeable even before taking the first sip. Some versions I've tasted elsewhere had the alcohol overpowering the mint so it was too heavy to my liking. However, one thing I couldn't understand was that I had ordered a mocktail but I felt as if I had a cocktail. After I left the restaurant, I could feel the effects of the alcohol kicking in so I wondered if there was a mistake with my order. If it wasn't, then I would have to be careful about ordering mocktails here because they are actually not much different from a cocktail.


My main course was the duck confit with mashed potato and vegetables. What impressed me was the duck meat being full of flavour but not to the extent of being too salty and that it was soft enough but not overcooked. Although I do not know how to make this dish, it's evident even to a layman like me that it takes a lot of skill to do this dish well. In this regard, the version here has won me over on the duck meat alone. However, the sauce didn't quite leave an impression on me. It wasn't because it was bad but rather there wasn't nothing in it that really stood out. Likewise for the mashed potato, I do not know if it was deliberately left bland so that it would taste good when eaten with the sauce. To me, eating it with or without the sauce didn't make that much of a difference in the end because I didn't feel that the sauce accentuated the flavour of the mashed potato anyway. Perhaps I should have gone for the signature fish & chips after all since this is a British restaurant after all?

Luckily, the dessert was the saving grace for the evening. I ordered the chocolate lava cake which had a scoop of vanilla ice cream and various berries on top i.e. strawberry, raspberry and blueberries. The cake was baked in such a way that the crust was crispy and the interior was moist and luscious. When the spoon came into contact with the cake, the liquid chocolate within flowed freely outwards like a beautiful stream. Eating the liquid chocolate with the cake was such a heavenly and tantalising experience that this has got to be one of the better versions I've tasted so far. When eaten with the ice-cream, it adds a creamy dimension to the taste and the coolness from it helps to make the hot lava cake a bit more palatable for people who might prefer to have their cake at room temperature. The berries' sour taste also presents a different taste of the chocolate cake by neutralising the sweetness of the chocolate and might be favoured by those who don't have a sweet tooth.

To sum up the dining experience at The Queen & Mangosteen, I have to say that on the whole, I was satisfied with what I ordered although there were some flaws here and there. Perhaps it was just me who had these issues or I didn't order what they specialised in. One non-food-related thing I noticed was, the restaurant was really dark and relied on using fake candles on its tables rather than use real ones which I guess was due to fire safety and cost concerns. I usually won't have issues with this kind of thing but the flickering fake candles were making my eyes so tired that I would rather they not be put on the tables.

Frankly speaking, I still don't know why the restaurant's name is named as such but I guess the reference to the Queen probably has something to do with its British-influenced food. As for the mangosteen, I am guessing that it's because the fruit is the Queen of Fruits thus being synonymous with the Queen. As for whether the food is meant for royalty, I would say that the prices are, to a certain extent as they can be a bit steep depending on what you order. With regard to quality, I think it's a bit premature to judge them based on just two dishes so I'll probably have to try it again to see how things go.

Creative sweet treats @ Createaf Waffles (The Cathay)

Happened to come across Createaf Waffles' Facebook page by chance thus decided to head there for a quick snack before a movie. I am a fan of pancakes and waffles and the like but I've not been to that many places which specialise in these items. As such, it was a rather novel experience to be at Createaf Waffles and see the extensive combinations they can come up with for a plain-looking waffle, be it with different ice-cream flavours, fruits or toppings.

I opted for a relatively no-frills option for my first visit and that was the waffle with maple syrup and two scoops of ice-cream (matcha and rum & raisin flavours). It took a while for the waffle to be served as the tables were all occupied and it appeared as if the staff were making waffles one by one. As such, the waffle arrived piping hot which is a plus point but the wait could have been much shorter. Talking about the texture of the waffle, it was crispy on the outside but the interior seemed a bit too thin so I would have preferred it to be a tad thicker and more substantial. Otherwise, it felt too much like I was merely eating the crispy crust on the outside and nothing but air inside.

In addition, I think the staff were either a bit too generous with the maple syrup or the interior of the waffle was too thin thus resulting in the syrup seeping into the waffle so quickly that I felt that the waffle was saturated with maple syrup and it was too sweet for my liking. Given that the waffle had been served almost immediately after it had been made, there could be two ways to overcome this issue i.e. either making the waffle thicker or going easy on the maple syrup.

As for the ice-cream, the rum & raisin flavour was nothing impressive while the matcha fared slightly better because I could still taste a tinge of the matcha. I should probably try other ice-cream flavours during my future visits.

In conclusion, I think Createaf's waffles are slightly better than the norm served as desserts at non-specialty waffle places but there are some minor points which I think needs tweaking i.e. the service speed, the ratio of syrup with the waffle and toppings as well as the ice-cream flavours which needs more distinction to make them more appealing and distinctive to the palette. I would probably go back to try other combinations in time to come but it will take a bit more to make me a regular given that I rarely head to that area.

Dainty French dining for an afternoon of relaxation - Antoinette (Mandarin Gallery)

While searching for a place to have lunch before a late afternoon movie, there were not that many choices at Mandarin Gallery as some of the eating places had closed for their afternoon break. Luckily, Antoinette was still open. Since I had wanted to give Antoinette a try previously but never got the chance to do so, this was probably the best opportunity to cross this off my to-try list.

First up, things didn't get off to a good start as the cold drinks selection was limited so I could only order the iced lemon tea. According to the waiter, this was because Antoinette just changed the menu so most of the cold drinks were not available. Conversely, all the hot drinks options were ready for ordering. That was pretty disappointing for a first-time visit so I hope to try other items during my next visit. As for the lemon tea, let's just say that there was nothing spectacular about it nor was it bad in any way.

Next up was the mushroom soup which had small bits of mushroom in it for that added texture. However, the taste was too bland in my opinion and I felt that the soup was not thick enough too. When eaten together with the two slices of baguette, I thought they were OK but just like what happened to the ice lemon tea, the overall verdict I had of this dish was that it's easily replicated elsewhere and needs a bit more work to make it a memorable dish. Perhaps I should try other types of soup next time but I'm wary that I may be disappointed again especially since Antoinette's specialty should be its cakes and desserts rather than soups or main dishes.

The main course I ordered was Ballotine de Poulet a la Grandmere (Grandmother's style stuffed chicken leg). I was expecting a full chicken leg so imagine my surprise to see that it was a boneless chicken leg with stuffing inside. The texture of the chicken leg was smooth and succulent but I have no idea what was in the filling. When eaten together with the mashed potato and sauce, I thought the flavours were quite a match with one another. The biggest disappointment was that the portion was not as substantial as I expected it to be so it wasn't that filling. I do realise that for certain types of cuisine like French, I can't expect too much with regard to its quantity but I'm one who really wants to eat something that's value for money. As such, even if the dish is very delicious, it won't rank too high on my satisfaction index if the portion hardly fills me up. I guess this dish would fit into this category.

Last but not least, dessert was the saving grace in the entire meal, thankfully. The warm chocolate cake with the orange sauce was so rich and comforting that it was blissful just seeing the chocolate ooze out from the moist cake. I can't really remember which flavour the ice-cream was but if my memory serves me well, it should be caramel. It's a case of personal preference though but since the chocolate cake had a strong flavour, eating it with the caramel ice-cream felt like there was a clash of flavours inside my mouth. As such, I would prefer a pairing with an ice-cream flavour which is slightly lighter or more refreshing but of course, I respect the chef's choice because he or she would probably know what is the best combination to bring out the best of the food items.

In conclusion, I think that Antoinette is probably a place more suited for a lazy afternoon when you can afford the time to sit down and chat over tea and desserts. It was no surprise that most of the other customers I saw during my visit were ladies enjoying the desserts. I was in too much of a hurry when I was there and being too hungry probably caused me not to enjoy the visit as much because I have an issue with the portion size. Perhaps I should return on another day when I have the time and focus more on its desserts and cakes which should be where Antoinette's strengths lie.

Seafood from the Bostonian Harbour - Boston Seafood Shack (Tampines Mall)

A new seafood place is now open at the basement of Tampines Mall which is hardly noticeable because it is situated at one corner behind the escalators. As such, it can be difficult to attract walk-in customers if they do not walk past that corner. In my case, I happened to catch a glimpse of the shop from afar so decided to grab a quick bite before my appointment an hour later. There have been reviews online complaining about the slow service but given that it was a late weekend afternoon where the lunch crowd had dispersed and dinner crowd had yet to arrive, I decided to give this place a chance to convince me into being a regular here.

First up was the citrus refresher which according to the menu was made from apple juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lime and ginger ale. Given that it was a hot afternoon on that day, this proved to be a good choice because it wasn't too sweet and was refreshing on the palate. Then again, after multiple sips, I felt like the taste resembled Orangina quite a bit and wonder if I could replicate the same drink at home by mixing the ingredients as stated on the menu.

Next up was the lobster bisque which had a nice design made from the cream. In most situations, the cream could merely be seen as a drop on the surface of the bisque but for the chef to make an effort to draw something on the surface (though not very elaborate) was much appreciated. At least they bothered to make their version of the bisque look somewhat different. As for the taste, I liked the full-bodied richness of the bisque and and the fact that it wasn't too salty won me over. I've had other versions of this at places where the saltiness was too overpowering and overcame the supposed freshness of the lobster which made me reach for lots of water in the aftermath.

The single portion of mussels in white wine broth turned out to be a mix of hits and misses. I thought that the broth was OK and the taste was sufficiently infused into the mussels unlike the version at Fremantle. However, the freshness of the mussels was not as consistent as I would have expected as some pieces tasted good while the texture of others was too mushy. If I have to compare whether freshness or the immersion of flavours in the mussels matters most, I would choose freshness at any time because even if the mussels haven't absorbed the flavours fully during the cooking process, I can always immerse them into the broth for a while before eating so as to achieve the desired effect. As for the garlic bread, I would have wanted it to be crispier and the taste of the garlic to be less saltier.

Last but not least, the dessert which was the half & half cheesecake. Actually, I didn't really get what is meant by half & half but I noticed a layer which tasted like gelatin in this cheesecake. Nonetheless, I thought that the cake was rich as it claimed but not to the extent of being too overboard which was a saving grace. However, I think this cake must have been in the freezer for too long because it was quite difficult to use the fork to cut through the cake. On a side note, it was slightly disappointing to see that out of the four dessert choices, two were not available. I'm not sure if it was because the stock ran out or they did not prepare the desserts on that day but it would have been best if everything on the menu was available.

As a new restaurant, I thought that the quality of the food was pretty decent. I haven't tried the main dishes yet so my opinion might be reshaped after trying the signature items. As for the service, there were only four tables when I was there so I didn't really experience a long wait. A more accurate measure of service standards would probably be peak meal times. The only worrying thing for this restaurant is the location which doesn't seem to catch the eye of customers passing by so it will probably need to build more awareness so that people can actively look for this place to eat at.

An affordable gem in the CBD - The Wicked Garlic

This place may not be easily noticeable as it doesn't face the roads but once you enter the International Plaza building through the entrance where UOB and Swiss Bake are at (just beside the taxi stand), you will be able to spot this quaint shop with minimal frills but with lots of tempting fragrances luring you to check out what they are serving. And I finally gave in to temptation one evening to check out The Wicked Garlic.

This place is unlike your usual Italian restaurant because it is so small and there are not that many decorations or fittings which hint that this is a high-class dining place. However, despite the lack of frills, the food proved to be better than I expected especially with their pocket-friendly prices. I had the prawn aglio olio which gave off such a great aroma that I wondered why other versions of this dish I had elsewhere did not have that same fragrance. The prawns were also considered to be big, considering its price and especially when compared to that other seafood place I reviewed recently. The amount of spaghetti is good enough for one person but if you happen to be a big eater, you should get other dishes such as pizzas or sides to supplement the main pasta or you might not feel full enough. With regard to the taste, I like the fact that the spaghetti did not stick together in one lump and was not greasy at all. Coupled with the prawns which were grilled to the point where the shell portion was slightly burnt and gave off a nice aroma, it was such a perfect combination that I finally understand why there were so many other customers that night who ordered the same dish as I did.

To end the evening on a sweet note, I had wanted to try its signature tiramisu but too bad, it was already sold out. I chose the oreo cheesecake instead which turned out to be good too. The texture of the cheesecake was firm yet moist while the oreo cookies base and top accentuated the flavour of the cheese. I could have done without that drop of cream on top of the cake though. The cookie placed on the cream was a bit too soft which I gather was due to the fact that it had been placed in the fridge for some time and absorbed a fair bit of moisture before it got to my table that night. Other than this slight flaw, I thought that the cheesecake matched up to my expectations.

Considering the price I paid, I was quite impressed with the quality of the food and the prompt service. It would have been ideal if the shop space was bigger so as to accommodate more diners which would have prevented me from listening to what my fellow diners were talking about. However, given that this is the CBD and rental must be quite high, I think it's probably best for The Wicked Garlic to build up a loyal following with its food first before expanding further. For the time being, I'll be sure to go back again to try out its other dishes especially the new Bailey's tiramisu. ^__^

If you want to find out more about them or see their menu, you can visit their official website.

Australian seafood by the riverside - Fremantle Seafood Market (Clarke Quay)

On a sweltering late Saturday afternoon while looking for something light to eat i.e. no meaty or heavily-spiced stuff, I chanced upon Fremantle Seafood Market which is located next to the bungee facility at Clarke Quay. My impression of Australian seafood was formed largely based on various travelogues and food programs I've watched i.e. fresh, big, fleshy and juicy seafood. As such, that was what I thought I would get at Fremantle.

First up was the main course i.e. scallops and prawns linguine in white wine saffron garlic butter. The first impression was why the chef did not bother to wipe out the stray stains left by the sauce at the side of the plate. Second thing I noticed was how bright yellow the linguine had turned out. Actually, among the four sauces to choose from, I thought this was the lightest compared to squid ink, mushroom cream and spinach pesto but sad to say, I was wrong. The buttery taste and smell was pretty overwhelming to the extent that the zucchini and linguine was totally soaked in the sauce and I could taste nothing but the butter sauce. As for the seafood, it was rather disappointing to see prawns of such a small size and not being able to taste the freshness of the ocean from these prawns was pretty unacceptable especially considering that this plate cost me $24. The only saving grace was the scallop which was pan-fried to a nice golden brown on the surface but it would have been better to be able to taste its original freshness rather than have its flavour altered artificially by the overpowering sauce. Perhaps another sauce would have helped in letting me enjoy this dish a bit more? If they decide to do something like aglio olio-style, I think it would be the best test of the chef's skills in delivering the freshness of the seafood from the ocean to the table.

The mussels in spicy white wine broth were also rather disappointing. Not only they were not as big and juicy as I thought, the mussels seemed to be cooked unevenly with some having the taste of the broth while some obviously didn't absorb it. As such, the inconsistency in taste made it difficult for me to like this dish. Surprisingly, the garlic bread was very flavourful and tasted great when dipped into the broth. I would have wanted more pieces of this to go with the broth, two was simply not enough. Unfortunately, to have the supporting cast turn out to be better than the lead star in the dish is really not a nice thing to happen and I would have expected a seafood place to do better in terms of the quality and taste of its main selling point.

In conclusion, I am not writing off Fremantle entirely yet since I saw some other items of interest in its menu which I may return for a try in the near future. However, if the next visit continues to disappoint rather than impress, I might as well go elsewhere for more reasonably-priced seafood dishes. After all, if you can't get your signature item right, it's going to be difficult to justify that price tag and keep customers coming back for more.

Wholesome French cuisine without the classy distance - Poulet (Raffles City)

The image I have about French cuisine is that it's usually in very small portions i.e. not filling and it's eaten at a classy place where you have to be really conscious about your table manners. I once had very exquisite French food before but it was a bit stifling and I got hungry quite quickly after that meal because the portions were very small. That doesn't mean the food was bad but I guess I am of the type who prefers a balance between quality and quantity.

Poulet gives a very different vibe where you can easily enter the place without feeling too intimidated or worried about not being able to pronounce the French name of the dishes and I'm pleased to see that the portions are big enough (at least to me). First up was the cream of mushrooms served with croutons. The soup was creamy but not too overpowering but the mushrooms were minced so finely that it was a bit difficult to taste them. It might have been better to cut them into bigger pieces so as to taste the different flavours from the mushrooms used in this soup.

One note of caution to those who don't eat beef, it would be best to check with the staff on which dishes use beef stock. Luckily for me, the waitress alerted me to the fact that the onion soup uses beef stock so I switched to the mushroom soup instead. As such, for those who have the same concern as I do when eating out, be sure to check with the staff.

Of course, when you go to Poulet, you've got to order their signature dish i.e. the roasted chicken which can come in different sauces. Again, thanks to the gentle reminder from the waitress, I avoided the other two sauces which use beef stock and chose the signature version i.e. mushroom sauce in Chardonnay. The skin of the chicken was flavourful due to the overnight brining and the meat was juicy on its own (even the breast meat portion). When eaten together with the sauce, the taste changes so you can have different flavours within the same dish. However, when I ate the same dish at another outlet months after this visit to the Raffles City outlet, I was less than impressed because the chicken felt too dry and the sauce was too watery. Maybe the quality of the dish got affected because the second visit was on a very busy Saturday evening while my visit to the Raffles City branch was in the early evening of a weekday. It would have been better if the quality can be assured across branches and regardless of the time of visit or else customers would be turned off if they happen to have a less-than-satisfactory version during their first visit.

This is a pretty common dish in most restaurants but at Poulet, they call these prawn fritters. I was wondering what they were until the dish were served on my table. Frankly speaking, I don't know if this dish exists in French cuisine or they are including this in a bid to add local flavours to the menu. On its own, there is not much of a wow factor because this dish is so common elsewhere but thankfully, the size of the prawn fritters are big enough so it's a substantial snack and when eaten with the Thai-style chilli sauce, it's quite delicious. It's just that to find something resembling a Thai dish in a French restaurant feels a little odd somehow.

The tiramisu here is said to be their signature dessert item so it would be weird to give it a miss. I have tried many versions of this well-known dessert before but there have only been a few which impressed me. Luckily, Poulet's version does not disappoint and being served in a glass jar like this makes it slightly different from most places which serve it in a small cup or as a single slice. However, the only drawback from serving in this manner is the slight difficulty in trying to remove the different layers in a single scoop so you may not get the same taste with each mouthful as compared to when you eat from a sliced version. Nonetheless, I think it's not that of an issue to most people so overall, I think this is a pretty good dessert.

In all, it does seem like the quality of food may differ slightly across branches but the overall impression I have of Poulet is still good. It looks as if Poulet is rapidly expanding these days so it would be best to keep an eye on the food's quality regardless of when and where we go.

Fancy a walk in the world of tea? - TWG Orchard ION

Whenever I walk pass TWG, I always see tai-tais dressed in their finest, sipping tea elegantly and nibbling on the dainty snacks served here. Well, that's the impression I get: TWG = expensive and so not suitable for me. ^__^ I am no tai-tai and find it quite uncomfortable to eat at a fine dining place where my biggest grouse is usually how the price of food does not match up to its portion nor the satisfaction I derive after consuming it. That's why I've been rather reluctant to try TWG because I think I'll be the odd one out here struggling to behave like a fine lady.

However, while at ION one Saturday evening and being extremely famished with no more energy to find other dining options, TWG seemed to become welcoming all of a sudden especially with the lack of a queue. That was rare, I thought because it was a weekend night so I decided to give it a shot and see what the fuss is all about.

The decor of the place was posh with nice arm chairs, white tablecloths and fine cutlery. However, it was a bit disappointing to see that the tea stirrer spoon wasn't polished properly and looked a bit dirty. Other than that, I thought the surroundings gave off the vibe of a fine French restaurant except that this should be more like a tea specialty cafe with its half-open air concept (no roof but the surroundings are boarded up in glass). Metal cans of tea leaves line the walls and counters so you can imagine the number of options you can find here. To be frank, the choices are so many that I did felt overwhelmed. Thankfully, they have this Tea Book which has a description on the teas they offer so you can refer to before you make your choice. Due to the sheer amount of teas, they are classified by location of production and some places will have a longer list compared to others. However, if you prefer to make a choice quickly, you can get the staff to make recommendations based on the food items you order and your mood or preferences so that you can skip reading this book. Nonetheless, I thought it was a pretty informative guide, just that it's a bit too thick to read in a restaurant.

I was in the mood for something minty so I didn't seek the help of the staff despite this being my first visit. Maybe I should try doing this the next time I visit TWG? Anyway, I wanted something minty and refreshing so I ordered this mint white tea (can't remember the exact name) which came in a regular-sized glass teapot.

 What I've noticed that depending on the tea you order, the pots come in different shapes and sizes. At least from what I notice, there are teas which use small metal pots and some which have much larger pots. I wonder if it had to do with the intensity or should I say how thick the tea's flavour is supposed to be so it was rather interesting to see pots of various sizes and materials on the tables. In my case, the tea leaves looked like a flower rather than a cluster of leaves which I usually see in my teas. The flavour was a bit mild at first but as you let it simmer for a longer time, the flavour of the tea is gradually released and the mint taste lingers on even hours after I finished my meal. Not too bad a choice at all.

 As for the main course, I ordered chicken ragout which is essentially roasted chicken cooked in a rich Red of Africa Tea infused sauce with potatoes, olives and shallots. Frankly speaking, the taste of the chicken and the potatoes were OK but the sauce took a bit of adjusting to. A good thing was that the chicken parts used were the drumstick and thigh which were more tender than breast meat so this scored some points with me. The meat had absorbed the sauce fully which was also a plus point. Maybe it's because I'm new to this type of tea so I found it a bit difficult to accept initially. In addition, the portion of this dish was not that big so I didn't really feel full after eating this. I pondered a long time before deciding on the main course since the rest of the options didn't impress me at all. It would have been nice if there was a wider variety of choices for the main course section.

Since the tea pastries here are supposedly more well-known than its meal options and there was room for more food, it was decided that we should get some desserts. First up was the chocolate fudge which consisted of a rich chocolate cake served with a scoop of homemade Singapore Breakfast Tea ice cream and a sweet morello cherry marmalade. The cake on its own was passable, nothing too impressive or anything to complain about but when eaten together with the tea ice cream, the marriage of these two flavours wowed me. The cake was slightly on the sweet side while the ice cream's strong fragrance helped to take away a bit of the cake's richness and made it taste smoother somehow. When the ice cream was eaten on its own, I liked the taste too because it was not overly sweet and each mouthful felt rather refreshing. Maybe it's because of the fact that it's made of breakfast tea which is supposed to rejuvenate people as they start the day so the tea ice cream didn't felt like an overwhelming lump of sugar.

The other dessert we ordered was the matcha financiers which were heated up so it was slightly warm when it came to the table. On its own, the green tea flavour in the financiers was easily noticeable even before taking the first bite and I really liked the texture of the pastry which was moist and fluffy at the same time. On many occasions, I've tasted financiers which were either too moist that the buttery smell proved too much for me or too dry that I needed tea or some other beverage to wash it down with. Thankfully, TWG's version got the right balance and successfully impressed me again with the high quality of their tea pastries. Looks like I have to be back again soon to try its other pastries but I may not be so keen about the other items on its menu though.

The pastries actually do come with two options i.e. whipped cream and tea jelly which you can eat together with your tea pastries such as financiers, madeleines, muffins, scones, caneles, croissant, cinnamon roll or Swiss brioche. I had assumed that the whipped cream would be too rich for me but surprisingly, it tasted quite light and matched the financiers to a T. However, I think the tea jelly really nailed it for me because the rich tea flavour actually helped to elevate the matcha taste in the financier and make it a memorable taste which is hard to forget. In fact, the tea jelly impressed me so much that I had the urge to buy some back but I later found out that there are multiple flavours for the tea jelly so I have to figure out first which was the one that impressed me.

In all, I think the first experience at TWG was a bag of hits and misses. While I truly liked the tea and tea pastries, I think the main course paled in comparison. Of course, this is largely due to my personal preference so I'm sure there would be others who are fans of this dish. Nevertheless, after this first attempt, TWG doesn't seem to be that intimidating to step in anymore just that you probably need to be a bit more conscious of the price when ordering if you are on a tight budget. The pastries are generally OK but it's the other dishes which tend to be on the steep side. Other than that, service was great but this place is probably more suited for tea time or after-meal chit chats rather than a full-course experience.

Review of Skinny Pizza (100AM)

 This was my first visit to Skinny Pizza although I've walked past its outlets here and at other places before but never got the urge to try this out. A colleague suggested heading here for lunch and so here I was making my maiden trip to this outlet. 100AM is pretty quiet outside of meal times but since we were there right during lunch time, there was lots of activity going around and the restaurant was about 80% to 90% full when we reached. We got our main dishes and ordered some pizzas to share and the staff was quite patient with us, suggesting what choices might be nice.

I started off with this sweet corn crab soup but it was rather disappointing. Not only did I not taste the seafood taste of the crab (there were only two pieces of crab meat which I identified), the texture of the soup was also rather uneven. I could taste the overwhelming sweetness of the corn in some mouthfuls while in others, I could taste the water and the corn as separate entities. Coupled with the bread that was a bit too soggy to be eaten with this soup (I would have wanted a slice of toasted french loaf with this), I have to say that this soup did not match up to my expectations.

Next up was the black pepper tiger prawn linguine. The pasta itself was great and was thoroughly covered with the black pepper sauce so each mouthful was full of the mildly-spicy flavour. The prawns were very disappointing though because the second piece didn't taste fresh and I had problems detaching the prawn flesh from the shell (they were stuck together). Perhaps if the prawns had been shelled and that they were coated with more of the black pepper sauce so that it absorbed the sauce a bit more, it would have made the dish a lot better. In this version, the prawn shells had the flavour but the prawns itself were bland, to say the least. I wouldn't go to the extent of striking this dish out completely since the linguine was really well-done. It could just be that I happened to get a plate with lacklustre prawns so who knows if I might get something better next time?

And now, here's the pizza lineup! Chicken satay is said to be a chef's recommendation and a popular choice so we decided to go with this.The skinny crust was packed a lot of crunchy goodness and I didn't really feel like I was eating a pizza. As for the ingredients, there were lots of vegetables along with the chicken satay. I like the chunky texture of the vegetables but the chicken satay was a bit lacking since it didn't actually blend well with the crust. It felt as if the crust and the topping were too different things. Perhaps like they had allowed the pizza crust to absorb more of the satay's flavour, it would have brought about a perfect union between the two. Personally, I found this still OK but my dining companions thought otherwise because they didn't like the fact that the chicken satay was too bland to their liking.

This has to got to be the highlight of our meal at Skinny Pizza because this Macadamia Roasted Pumpkin pizza was simply amazing. I would never have imagined putting these two ingredients together on a pizza but surprisingly, they turned out to be in tandem with each other. The sweetness of the pumpkin coupled with the crunchiness of the macadamia and the crispiness of the crust was really good and won the thumbs up of everyone. Pizzas tend to be on the cheesy or savoury side most of the time but this can certainly pass off as a dessert as well. Do give it a try if you can!

Generally, the food quality at Skinny Pizza is OK with some misses here and there. Service was a bit patchy probably due to the lunchtime crowd and the seats were so close to other tables that it can be rather uncomfortable. Prices will also tend to be on the high side especially for the mains but pizzas are generally OK if you are sharing across the table.