Bread King - as good as my memories of Paris

To say I love croissants would probably be an understatement.  If there's anything that perks up my day immediately, other than 80% dark chocolate and a hot cuppa Yahava, croissants would be it. In my memories of Paris couple of years ago, the most memorable is the 25 croissants/danishes we consumed. I distinctly remember the 1euro plain croissant across the street from our hotel and the pear danish at the patisserie a stone's throw away. On my last day in France, I bought 4 and savored it slowly as I worked away the jetlag back in SG. 

In the last 3 years, many a bakery has started, each with their signature or specialty - croissant. Indeed many are good, with a crisp top and holey crumb. A couple of good ones that popped to my mind are TBB, Poulet (did you know you can ask for plain croissants to take away), and now I proudly include new find of the year - Bread King. 

Their croissant had the quintessential crunch as you bite down, the big holes and a slightly doughy crumb. The best part about it is the buttery aroma that comes from using good quality Brittany butter. It is a croissant that gives you a texture that satisfies, a fragrance that infuses your mouth and an overall taste that satiates. I could eat this plain anytime, everyday.

 

$3 each, you cannot stop at 1

Bread King is situated somewhat remotely which is yay! for those of us who know of it. They are at a squash and tennis training centre, 43 Burghley Drive, occupying a small area with 6 round tables. On the Sunday morning that we were there, it was fantastically peaceful, with only another couple there and through our 1.5 hours there, many in the know dropped by for their take-away. Good game plan to stock up for the week! The owner Pedro, gave us good tips on how to keep the bread loaves, prevent loss of moisture and the best way to re-heat them. Never knew that spraying a baguette with some water before toasting them again would make them good as fresh again!

As I read the way-too-few reviews on Bread King, the cheese roll was frequently mentioned as a top highlight of their bakes. Fans of cheese that we are, it was the first thing served to us and greedily chomped on within a few bites. Lovely, crispy pastry that wraps a really, really generous filling of emmental cheese, it was savoury and buttery with a crunch. At $4 per roll, it is a steal; indeed a must try. 

The assortment of bread loaves for take-away was already sparse though we were there bright and early. The brioche was already sold out and 2 sourdoughs boules were left alongside a few sticks of baguette. We ordered a King Sandwich on baguette ($12) which has a filling of prosciutto ham, fried eggs, cheese, vegetables and a good dose of some very good quality olive oil and vinaigrette. 

Check out the lines of fat in the ham. Yum. Look at the holes in the crumb, chewy yet with such a crispy top that our mouths felt somewhat sandpapered after the meal, it is again, one of the best baguettes I ever had in SG. 

It would be a tough decision as to which pastries to get for my next meal at Bread King. I cannot decide; I want everything!   

This is the best I can get to my memories of pastries in Paris. Make it your next week-end jaunt!

Symmetry - yummy truffle fries

If you have read about Symmetry, you would have read that their potato fries $14 (which are truffle fries)  are good. And that their portion is big; seems like most are not able to finish that. #1 - Valid. Fries are great. #2 - NA. 3 of us didn't just finish the fries. We ordered a second tub! That IS good evidence that their fries are pretty addictive. They are crispy on the outside and gives a great bite. A fan of crispy or soggy fries? I'm for crispy anytime and 90% of this tub is crunchy good. A sprinkle of cheese on top complemented the truffle scent but like most of those truffle fries I've ever tried, it's mainly the top layer that taste best. Thankfully, the crisp makes up for it in the rest of them. One of the only few I would recommend and believe me, I've tried many, most of which I would not repeat. Symmetry fries, I would love to have it everyday if I can!

Can't remember the name of this dish but it's a tortilla packed with generous slices of pork, creamy avocado and melted cheese. This is a tasty meal, crispy tortilla meets juicy pork. Lovely to share amongst friends.

Pork Cheeks Pasta $28 was a dish recommended by many as well. This was a delightful dish too, with the meat tear-away soft and a suitably savoury touch to the creamy pasta. 

We also had the braised beef pork cheeks $40+. No photos of that but it was a disappointing dish. With the hefty price tag, we were expecting more but a plate bearing 8 or so slices of thin beef pieces arrived. Sadly, the beef were also too tough. Not quite enjoyable. 

Symmetry

Jalan Kubor

Sarnies Re-visited

3rd time at my favourite sandwich place. Was looking forward to their salads but alas, weekend menu doesn't include that. Fell back to my first time order of mushroom and egg ciabatta. It came with 2 eggs still with slightly molten yolks, generous serve of meaty mushrooms and a thin layer of tomato relish on toasted ciabatta. I love that I can ask for mushrooms instead of bacon, each time I went there, I customise my orders slightly and the good guys of Sarnies happily obliged. The mushrooms here are succulent and juicy, a little sourish, perhaps from a good dose of balsamic vinaigrette, yet sweet to the palette, as good as that at Humble Loaf or maybe just a tad better, in my opinion. The tomato relish added a different layer, tantalising to the tastebuds, just wished that it's a thicker layer. Huge in the portion, I did my usual finish half and doggy-bagged half. So while the price may be higher, the portion size justifies it. Not gonna be my last time there!

Friends had the below dishes. This is a Huge platter! Bacon, curried beans, sour dough, eggs, mushrooms, and a large sausage hidden under all those mushrooms. The male consumer of this couldn't finish it! Apparently overall a tad too salty for his liking though. I like the curried beans, fat and sweet/spicy at the same time. 

Such a pretty dish! Smoked salmon on sour dough toast with eggs. My fellow diner asked for the eggs to be fried instead of scrambled, omg came with 3 eggs and apparently already lesser by 1 as scrambled eggs portion would be 4 eggs. 4 Eggs! We would have usually consumed all 4 eggs unknowingly. Friend's comment that it is also too salty for her, and that the sourdough is dry, which I agreed as well. 

Can't leave Sarnies without their coffee, my 2nd top favourite (after Yahava, of course!).

A delicious lunch on a late Sat (best time to go would be 2plus as the crowd thinned out by then). Chill to the max! =)

Sunday morning with OZ Specialty Coffee and Yahava Koffeeworks

 

Are you a coffee fiend and need a big cuppa every morning to start your day? I do. And I usually wish for a strong dose, none of those watered-down versions or mixture bags. My daily morning cup is a usual black. At the arrival of weekends, I like to indulge in a aromatic cappuccino. And with the very cliché but true "Recent proliferation of cafés", its easy to explore different cafes but definite hits and misses in accordance with individual preferences of their caffeine fix.

 

Last weekend, we went in search of a early café breakfast and arrived at OZ Specialty Coffee, opened since November 13. It's at Thomson V Two, a condo in a part of Sin Ming that's a stone throw away from the Upper Thomson foodie stretch. Opened daily from 9am, me and hub were there at 910am Sunday and through our 2-hour stay, there were about 4 other groups of people so it was a lovely quiet morning. The café is the usual small setup, with a row of bar seats inside and pretty white tables outside. We sat outside, watching the little traffic on the roads. While it is quiet, it's not a place we could really stay to enjoy a cup and a read due to the presence of mosies. Good for a lazy morning of available seats and good food, before you start the weekend ahead.  

Food wise, OZ serves a small but very well-done range of breakfast items and coffee from Pacarama, Thailand, which is described to be rich and nutty. I'm really not an expert in deciphering coffee blends and their nuances so all descriptions are based on my personal preferences.

 

The coffees arrived amidst our 10 minute wait for the food. It's pretty in it's white cups and milk swirls, however both hub and I felt that the ratio of milk was a tad high, overpowering the coffee. It also makes for a light cup by my standards and not sufficiently strong for me, a self-professed coffee addict. I'm sure it appeals to many others though, as could be read from the many fantastic reviews on their coffee!

 

We love the waffles, which was crisp on the outside and doughy on the inside. We wonder if it's yeasted; it is seemingly so when we looked at the slightly holey structure of the interior crumb. Slightly sweet, it was a good accompaniment to the scrambled eggs. I would return just for the waffles! We also had the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on a toasted brioche with arugula. It was great as well, with a generous dose of salmon. I just wish the brioche was thicker or perhaps it was just weighed down by the filling. The portions are kind of small but at a very reasonable price, 2 coffees and 2 breakfast items only totaled $26. It was also sufficiently filling which means we did not over-eat as it sometimes happens with the larger portions that come with higher price tags anyway, at other places.

 

Thumbs up for the great breakfast but I would look elsewhere for my much-needed caffeine fix, which we did rectify rightaway by going to

 

Yahava KoffeeWorks

 

It was on my to-go list for the longest time but it's kind of hard to reach without a car as it's nestled deep within upper Thomson, at Jalan Gelenggang. We were super glad to have made the trip there, which was actually just another 5 minutes drive from where we were in Sin Ming. This is a huge place by the usual café standards, and is 1 serious coffee-brewer. You have to visit, to check out their full range of coffee beans, their vast array of equipment, both big and small and you could really take your pick. They have 1 corner for coffee-tasting and appreciation classes and their baristas are very friendly and willing to share their knowledge and tips with us.

 

We ordered 2 mid-sized cups, which is only $5.50 each and huge and so pretty when they arrived. I love these colorful mugs, and love their coffees as well. It has a strong aroma and slides very smoothly down the throat. They have a small selection of toasted sandwiches and pies as well as cakes, not a big bunch of food but the focus is on coffee. It's also generally pretty quiet and we spent a good 2 hours there with our coffee and books. It's probably going to be our frequently-visit list from now on!

 

OZ Specialty Coffee

11 Sin Ming road

#01-13 Thomson V Two 

Weekdays 12noon to 12midnight

Weekends 9am to 12midnight

 

Yahava KoffeeWorks

4 Jalan Gelenggang

Opened daily 9am to 6pm

The Plain - Cafe at Craig Road

On the first morning of 2014, tab on your FB app and there appears posting of various friends all about their first meal of the year. So, I jumped on the bandwagon and took lots of pictures on my first breakfast of the year too!

Hubb and I started the morning at The Plain cafe, right on the dot of 1030am when they opened. There was already 2 other even earlier birds sipping on their great-looking coffees. Love the decor of the place, simple, cosy, and not so packed with tables that you can hear your left and right clearly. We were especially taken with the huge wooden table and the 1 simple tree centrepiece. 

The menus are written on chalkboards placed around the walls; just as we are perusing the items, the friendly crew approaches and ask if we would like to start with any coffees. Start we did indeed, with a latte ($4) and a generra ($5), which is mocha with a good hint of orange from the peel in it. The latte was good, the generra was fantastic. It was thick, creamy and fragrant with a fruity scent, almost like a dessert drink. My only wish was that they have it in a larger size option. I finished the cup in a jiffy.

And..ordered another coffee, a cappuccino ($5) this time, in the larger size. Really much bigger, very satisfying. 

Woohoo, the food arrived, mine was the Darling Egg ($7.50), single serve (pic right on top). The poached egg was round and fat, oozing a yellow goodness onto the sweet roma tomatoes and crusty sourdough. The hubb had the beef pastrami ciabatta ($9.50), toasted to a crisp, filled with a generous dose of rocket leaves, well-complemented by sweet semi dry tomatoes. Very good. I already know I'm going for a turkey ciabatta on my next trip.

Total bill was only $31 for our 3 drinks and 2 breakfasts, very reasonable. The cafe has been in business for 3 years and I guess it will stay around for very long! Yummy!

The Plain Cafe

50 Craig Road

Long Phung Vietnamese Restaurant - Joo Chiat

Have you ever had a love-hate relationship with a city or a country? I did and still have. I've been to Ho Chi Min once for a short work trip and the memories left of the city were serious air pollution that left me nosebleeds, massive traffic with difficult-to-cross roads, purchases that had to be bargained at all times and cab drivers that tried to cheat on every ride we took. That was years ago, it could be different now I guess. Nonetheless, I had very good memories of the food. I love their sweet and thick coffee; 1 shot of super dark coffee dripped from the metal filter and a half cup cold condensed milk stirred into a satisfying, wake-up cuppa. I also love their Pho, especially the beef pho. Steaming hot bowls of a sweet, clear soup, with their signature thin, smooth kway teow and lots of raw beansprouts that added a lovely crunch. 

I've not visited Vietnam ever since, and heard that Hanoi is a beautiful place. It would be one of my to-visit places, for Halong Bay and for a taste of their pho again. Meanwhile, to get a fix of pretty authentic and really delicious vietnamese food, I would recommend Long Phung Vietnamese restaurant at Joo Chiat. They serve up a big variety of dishes, with a wide range of rice &  noodles dishes, as well as side dishes such as vietnamese rolls, spring rolls, chicken wings, cockles etc. Their cockles seemed really popular, with many of the tables enjoying it with a good dose of chili. 

Amongst the noodles which also has flavors such as duck, shrimp, beef, beef brisket, we chose the chicken for me and the beef and pork leg for the hubb. Both bowls arrived in a short while and they are full of flavors and generous in ingredients. The beef and pork leg (bottom left) has a deep, sweet aroma and tasted strongly of a broth that has been broiled for a long time to seal in the flavors. The chicken pho (bottom right) has a soup that also has a sweet undertone but a little lighter by comparison, which means I could drink most of it; it's pretty addictive, whereas the beef and pork soup could be a tad heavier to finish. The crunchy beansprouts lend a good texture to the dish and there was so much chicken that I felt there was more meat than pho, not that I'm complaining. It's a very satisfying bowl!

We also tried the quintessential Vietnamese Rolls. Wow. while Nam Nam is also one of my favourites, I'm afraid it has to stand aside. These Long Phung rolls are fantastic. They are big and fat! You can see the prawns clearly through the thin yet study but still soft and chewy skin; there were slices of pork that added a savory note and the vermicelli was smooth and silky. The mint was also clearly detected and I'm not a fan of mint leaves but this combination somehow blew me off and I woofed down 2 rolls greedily. Oh, not to forget that the accompanying sauce was the icing on top of the cake. It was luxurious, with a good dose of peanuts that added an extra crunch as you chomp into the rolls. Simply lip-smacking good. We almost ordered another plate; lucky the noodles arrived then! 

As for the environment, I would say it's more an eatery than a restaurant - clean and simple, with many waitresses taking and serving orders efficiently. The whole experience can be completed in half an hour as you want to get your slurps done and vacate your seats for the poor souls queuing outside. Do go early to avoid long queues. We reached at 6pm and could be seated immediately. When we left at 645pm, there was a snaking queue though it's a working Monday night. Go get your fix!

Long Phung Vietnamese Restaurant
159 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427436

Chinatown's Hong Kong Mongkok Dim Sum - Best Char Siew Bao

Best Char Siew Bao in Singapore! That's the opinion of my 2-man household which is not statistically accurate by any measure but definitely proven, by our happy tummies and nodding heads. The char siew is tender and coated in a thick, sweet sauce. The bao part is fluffy and soft, such a delicious package that you can eat at least 2 at 1 go. They are priced reasonably, at 3 for $2.30 and they are not the super small 2-bite size types typically found in the bao chains; these are at least 5 bites for a girl, somewhat similar to a child's fist in size. 

These are baos from "Hong Kong Mongkok Dim Sum", a stall found on the 2nd floor of Chinatown Complex Market. It's a stall where it's specialty is Char Siew Baos, much raved about from many food bloggers. They only sell 6 items, which are pictured clearly on the top, below the signboard. It's a clear case of quality over quantity. Thumbs up!

It's opened from 11am; hubby and I were there at 1030am hoping they will open early. No luck. We then observed others picking up these number cards from their stall though the metal gate is still half down. So while we were probably the earliest, 3 others picked up a card before we decided to follow suit. 

Aaaah, we understood the reason when the stall finally opened, at 1110am. There's a number system and you order your food when your number blinks. The auntie will then serve your food immediately before the system calls the next number. Kind of fast food concept style. Very efficient and very fast!

The baos are best eaten on the spot as the 3 baos get a little squished in the styrofoam box and they get  a little lopsided so the filling leaks out when steamed again at home. Having said that, do pack a few home for breakfast the next day, you wouldn't get sick of this and a little leakage and flat baos do not deflate the enjoyment index much at all.  

Other than the drool-worthy char siew baos, we tried both the prawn chee chiong fun and char siew chee chiong fun. The prawns were generously found through the whole rolls and the rice rolls themselves were slightly chewy and very smooth, very nice! The char siew here is a tad on the dry side though. 

If only they have a chilli with more kick, that would have completed our mini dim sum meal just nicely. By the way, I dabao 9 char siew baos and all were happily gobbled up by the family! 

335 Smith Street

#02-097

Chinatown Complex Market

From 11am onwards

Artisan Boulangerie Co Great World City

Woohoo, the bread lover in me rejoices once again as another lovely French style bakery opens in town. First, there was Maison Keyser, then there was Tiong Bahru Bakery and Sophie Bakery, and now there is Artisan Boulangerie Co. Founder baker Chef Eran Mayer left Paris and arrived in Singapore with a dream to have each Singaporean household have a daily loaf of freshly-baked, preservative-free bread in their house. With many good reviews under its belt within a few weeks of opening, I can't wait to try this new kid on the block!

Arrived at the Great World City branch today with much anticipation and indeed found myself in front of a large array of baked goodies. There were tarts, croissants, brioches, chocolate bakes, many varieties of breads and even pretzels! There were a few samples of bread available and of course, the greedy me tried everything so I could then order something totally different. Ha Ha! The challah ($5.50) was mildly sweet but not as dense as I would like. The muesli bread was really good and while it's not a fluffy bread, the bite and crunch in the bread with all the good-for-your-body seeds and nuts were really addictive. Slightly expensive at $10 for a small loaf though. The olive bread was generously studded with whole olives however, I prefer Sophie's even chewier version. The raisin sourdough was really yummy too, with a good chewy to the crumb and a crunchy crust.

I wanted to order the cheese pretzel as memories of yummy pretzels in Germany still lingers in my mind (& mouth) but alas they ran out of it already. Went for my 2nd choice, their Raisin Vanilla Swirl bread. I think it's a laminated dough, with buttery, flaky turns,  studded with loads of moist raisins. It was served a teeny weeny bit warm; would have been much better if it could be more warmed up more as it was cold by the time I took the 2nd bite. Still, it was a delightful snack and the coffee from Toby Estate totally satisfied my yearning for a good coffee just the day before. Full-bodied, strong aroma and well-roasted comes to mind as I sipped in satisfaction.

In terms of the cafe ambiance, it is a modern, fuss free setting. Clean lines, comfy chairs and a few sofa seats filled the cafe. Service at the counter is fast and polite though not exceedingly warm. (I really like Sophie's staff who are smiling happily and chats with me about their breads all the time). Cleaning of the tables was a tad slow as well with 15 minutes gone and tables still not cleared despite the staff outnumbering the number of patrons on a Tues mid afternoon. Otherwise, nothing to complain about and definitely a place I would repeat if I'm in the area. (My vote still goes to Sophie for their bread though)

On a last note, the plain sourdough was my eventual choice for my take-home purchase as I love the texture of the bread and a plain one would be perfect to soak up a runny poached egg with a home-made lemon honey garlic sauce. Perfect dinner at home!

Artisan Boulangerie Co
#01-01, 118 Killiney Road 
Singapore 239555 
Ph: +65 6444 8130 
Open Daily from 8 am to 10 pm 

#01-23, Great World City 
Singapore 237994 
Ph: +65 6887 4062 
Open Daily from 10 am to 10 pm

A brief peep into Sarnies, The Muffinry and Group Therapy

My list of to-go cafe list seems to be never ending, such that I don't even really update that list anymore. Cafes are sprouting out much faster than I can visit. It is with much delight then that I managed to pop into 3 of those on my list yesterday. THREE! My friends and I were indeed cafe hopping.

First was to Sarnies at 136 Telok Ayer Street. I've read many rave reviews about their sandwiches. Wow, it indeed did not disappoint. There were 3 of us, the 2 guys ordered the Smoked Salmon ($25.90) and Bacon and Egg ($15.90). Since I don't take bacon but wanted the sourdough and fried eggs of the bacon sandwich, the staff kindly changed the bacon to mushrooms. Double wow! The mushrooms were plump and juicy, seasoned perfectly. The eggs white were cooked through and the yolk slightly molten, coating the sandwich with a layer of creaminess as I sliced through the yolk. There is also a thin layer of a sweet and salty sauce beneath the mushrooms, complementing the whole sandwich as you bite into each crunchy mouthful!

The coffee were uber good too! I think it has just overtaken Habitat as my favourite cappuccino now. The aroma of the coffee was strong and dark, shining through the layers of creamy milk foam. At $5 a cup, I was really gonna order another one if not for the fact that we are going to another cafe afterwards. 

Service was prompt and food were served very quickly. My only peeve was that the weekend menu is different from the weekday menu and choices of sandwiches were limited and prices also seem to be on the high side as I read that their weekday sandwiches were mainly below $15. However, it was still very crowded for a quiet CBD corner in the weekends, surrounding shops were pretty empty if not altogether closed. The people of Singapore sure knows where to get a good sandwich! 

Next stop was The Muffinry on the same street. I've also read many rave reviews of their muffins from various bloggers. Oops, no pictures as we only each bought a muffin for take-away. I had the blueberry muffin with a sweet crumble topping. Their muffins are all priced at $2.80 and I see a selection of brownies and pies as well. There are also ready and wrapped sandwiches available in the chiller, not a very appetizing way of display; however guess the low prices (below $10) made up for the lack of display. 

With regards to the taste... well, it was filled with many plump blueberries and the crumble was a good accompaniment to the otherwise slightly bland and rather heavy cake. Guess I will remain a loyal ShunFu Road Market Choc & Spice muffin fan!

We then went in search of a 3rd cafe for another cuppa coffee. Proceeded to Duxton Hill where we first attempted but not able to get seated at Department of Caffeine (DOC). There was a queue waiting in line at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. Singaporeans sure know where to get a good cuppa too! We walked down the row of shophouses and went into Group Therapy which occupies a fairly large shop space on the 2nd floor. 

Ordered a round of Roasted Almond Latte. Hmm..after our fantastic coffee at Sarnies, this was sadly below par. Too sweet to start with , the coffee was also not well-detected, kind of lost in the almond flavor or perhaps that was the way it was meant to be. Both my companion and I did not like it too much. 

In terms of atmosphere, it was cosy and well-decorated. Friendly staff were also very considerate, and closed the window near us when the sun shone in, onto our table as the sun sets into the evening. However, the noise level was at all-time high, not a place to really chill out. You probably have to talk really loudly to make yourself heard to your meal companions. The food (spotted on other tables) look really yummy though! Probably have to repeat a trip to try their food!