The Coastal Settlement

The Coastal Settlement

 After our drinks at Choc Full of Beans, J and I wanted to try out The Coastal Settlement. I had the genius idea of walking there and J was leading the way.

We walked past the Changi Hotel and the road was just winding away - I was observing the surrounding and it was just a road with vegetation on both verges and lamps. And I thought to myself 'Oh God - we have to walk back .. what if it turns dark...'

Just as these thoughts were swimming in my head, J exclaims 'Oh my I regret walking, I'm so warm !'

I grabbed her, made a turn and was relieved to drag her back to the car. Phew !

When we drove over, we realised that it would have been a really long long long walk.

The Coastal Settlement is nestled in a lush hideaway within Changi. It's a little out of the way and we couldn't find a spot to park. So we parked under a lampshade nearby. Shhhhh.

The cafe among the foliage

The first thing that stands out about the place is that the decor is really eclectic. Its a mix match of modern and vintage pieces. Paraphernalia of old Singapore's day to day living were dotted across the restaurant. Really beautiful and mesmerizing. Totally awesome venue for a date.

Lovely decor

Love this poster

We were walk ins so we could not get a table straight away. They sat us at the bar for a little while. But before we could open the menu, a table had cleared for us.  Awesome ! The wait staff were really friendly and always smiling. This was most appreciated.

A snap whilst waiting at the bar

Love the bar stools

Shutters as faux windows

Neat idea of placing the cutlery on the table

We took some time deciding what to eat as the decor is so eye-catching. There was car parked inside the restaurant ! Hahaha

Someone forgot their car

Finally we got down to business and J was going to have the Prawn Aglio Olio with XO Sauce. I wanted two desserts (as usual) and J suggested that I start with one first - just to see how my tummy will take it (I was recovering from an episode of severe food poisoning - sigh). So I went for the Vanilla Custard served with Ginger Granita, Green Apples and Vanilla Ice Cream. Sounded so yum. And I realised that day that my favourite flavour is Vanilla !

J was going to have a Gin and Tonic and so I decided I'll try a drink too. Bad move. I ordered an Earl Grey concoction of sorts. It was too strong for me. J didn't like her Gin and Tonic either. I think I'm just gonna stay away from alcohol and stick to desserts.

J's pasta came swiftly and the portion looked reasonable. She let me try some and it had a very distinct barbecue taste about it. Wasn't sure if that was the XO sauce.But it definitely packed a flavour. It was a strong tasting dish. Almost like a punch in the face. I think I would have preferred a little subtlety.

XO Prawn Aglio Olio

My dessert came in a jar ! So cute ! Almost like a surprise that I could open and find out. There was a sesame tuile on the top. Inside was a thin layer of vanilla custard. More like a well set brulee mix with a panna cotta. It was a mystery honestly. I took a large scoop of the apples, granita, custard and ice cream. Oh my god moment. Totally amazing. The balance of the flavours and textures. My only comment was that the ginger granita was a bit strong. So it left a bite. Otherwise, the dessert was thoroughly enjoying. I preferred something like this compared with a Bham Wham I'm Here kind of dessert.

Vanilla Custard Dessert

Vanilla Goodness

Aahh... this dessert tugged my heart. Portion for 1 was perfect too. Ooh I could have another dessert.

After J finished her pasta, we agreed to share a Blackforest in a Jar. Yup that came in a jar too. Layers of brownie, topped with morello cherries soaked in maraschino and topped with vanilla ice cream. Another beautiful dessert. Those cherries were saturated with alcohol so beware !

Blackforest in a Jar

So my verdict - I have to comeback to try their food ! But beware the prices are rather steep.

Our meal cost $80 +

The Coastal Settlement
200 Netheravon Road (Near Changi Village)
Singapore 508529
T : 6475 0200

Chock Full of Beans

This was a totally random visit. J texted  me in the morning after Church and was like you busy? And so I was like - see you at 4.

We hadn't decided where we wanted to go yet. We thought we'll just decide when we met. So picked her up at 4pm and we chose Changi Village as the destination. She suggested Chock Full of Beans.

Cafe Front

Thank god the parking at Changi Village was not full. I think I would have cried if I had had to parallel park. Surprisingly,  the cafe was just beside the open air carpark. Awesome.

I had already had lunch - thanks to my Grandma insisting I eat her cooking 0_O. Plus it was 4.30pm ish so neither of us were that hungry. So drinks and a snack of sorts was what we were looking for.

The cafe is small and has a 'new kid on the block' charm about it. Not sure how long it has been around though. The interior has unfinished brickwork and timber work. The combination gives the space a 'warm' glow which is inviting and cosy.

Inside Chock Full of Beans

We were able to get bar seats as it was just the two of us. Unfortunately, the sun was in J's eyes and annoyed her a little. Hey, but it made her brown eyes stand out even more !

After a browse through the menu, J had her coffee (a latte) and I went for the Strawberry Banana Milkshake since I wasn't really in the chocolate mood. We also ordered a side of chicken wings. They had quite a few options. Maybe another time, when we're more hungry.

Their Menu

The downside to our experience at Chock Full of Beans was the waiting time. After we were seated, there was a couple that were seated beside us. They ordered after us but had their food served, finished, paid and left and we were still waiting. Hmmmm.

As J was thinking of checking on our order, I saw them bring out my drink. So we patiently waited a little while longer.

My Strawberry Banana Milkshake was different from what I expected. Maybe I was hoping for more strawberries in the drink - a more natural tasting drink - I don't know. What came was really pretty but tasted very artificial and sweet. I'm guessing, they must have used strawberry syrup or something. I probably would not have it again.

Strawberry Banana Milkshake

J's latte, came with some kind of Ultraman art on it ! Super cute ! We were both trying to figure out if it really was Ultraman or something else. Hahaha. The coffee was good. I took a sip. But still not a coffee drinker.

Iced Latte

Ultraman Art ?

The chicken wings came after and they were amazing. They were grilled and not fried. Crispy skin and succulent flesh. As we bit into the chicken, there were clear juices oozing out - good sign. Really really yummy. A thumbs up for this.

Chicken Wings 

I wanted to have dessert but J was toying with the idea of visiting another place in Changi Village. So I jumped on that and skipped dessert.

Oh yeah - we were tired of waiting for our bill, so I went to the cash register to pay.

Two drinks and chicken wings cost us S$21.00+

Chock Full of Beans
Blk 4 Changi Village Road
Singapore 500004
T : 6214 8839

Tues - Fri : 11am to 10pm
Sat - Sun : 9am to 10pm

Grand Marnier Souffle

Grand Marnier Souffle

Weekends are the only time I get to bake what I want to eat. During the week, sometimes I'm just too tired after work.

After the success of the chocolate souffle, I had been wanting to try this souffle for a long time. Finally Sunday presented the perfect opportunity.

The recipe is pretty simple and yields two large souffles (perfect for couples or one really hungry girl)

Grand Marnier Souffle (recipe adapted from Eugenie's Kitchen)

Ingredients:

14g unsalted butter
10g plain flour
120ml warm milk
1 T Grand Marnier
30g caster sugar
2 eggs (separated)
pinch of cream of tartar
pinch of salt
icing sugar for dusting

extra butter and sugar to coat the ramekins

Prepare the souffle dishes - 2 large ramekins or 4 small ones - by brushing them well with the butter. Brush upwards like how the souffle will rise. Then coat the interior with sugar and keep.

First we make the roux. So melt the butter in  a saucepan. Once it starts to foam, add the flour and mix well.
The mixture will start to bubble and cook.

After a minute or so, remove from heat, add the warm milk bit but bit and whisk away. This ensures there are no lumps. Add all the milk and whisk. Return to the heat and let the mixture boil and thicken. It should form ribbons on itself when lifted. This is called a bechamel.

Remove from the heat. Add the salt and  mix well. Then add the egg yolks one at a time and mix well again. Transfer the mixture into another bowl to prevent further cooking from the warm pan it is in. Add the Grand Marnier and stir through.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites together with the cream of tarter until foamy soft peaks. Then gradually add the caster sugar and whisk until firm and glossy. Again we want soft peaks. This is the French Meringue.

Once we have the bechamel and meringue done - now we have to carefully incorporate them. Take a large spoonful of the meringue and drop into the bechamel and whisk through. This is to lighten the bechamel mixture which will make it easier to mix with the remaining meringue.

Then add the lightened bechamel mixture into the meringue and carefully fold through making sure not the deflate the batter too much. Remember we want all that air in the mixture.

Once all well mixed, pour into the prepared ramekins and using the thumb, clean the edges of the ramekins.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180'C for 12 to 15 mins. I baked it for 15 mins as the ramekins were large.

Serve straight out of the oven ! The souffle will only stay elevated for about 10 minutes. After that - it slowly starts to deflate. Which is why this dessert is a made to order item in many restaurants.

Enjoy !

Brunch at Riders Cafe

So it was my birthday week and I suggested having brunch at Riders Cafe. I've heard good reviews about the place and since it is located in a rather inaccessible location, I thought it would be a good opportunity to make use of the car - whilst I still had it anyway.

Our reservation was at three and we (myself, J and Z) had spent the morning - I'd like to add that it was a really wet morning - at Pasarbella - Singapore's take on an indoor farmers' market meet Marche style concept. It's a pretty interesting place.

Rider's Cafe Singapore

Rider's have their own little parking lot in front of the restaurant. The first thing that comes to mind is the tranquility of the space. No tall concrete buildings. Just vast fields and horses ! Yeap - its actually adjoining a stable. So every now and then don't be surprised to get greeted by a waft of equine aroma. Hahaha.

Wrought Iron Doorway

The entrance doorway looks like intricate wrought iron work. Was too preoccupied with the menu to inspect it closer but it was beautiful. The restaurant is not air-conditioned, yet the high ceiling and open windows allow for easy cross ventilation and thus, successfully creates a cool environment. The decor is simple and the focal point is the open bar/cash register.

Inside Rider's Cafe

Large open windows for cross ventilation

Although, we were on time for our reservation, we still had to wait for our table. We were quite obliging and just continued to look at the menu. Oh my there were so many items on the menu. There was a lunch menu, brunch menu, drinks menu. I couldn't find smoked salmon anywhere so opted for the Oyster Roll. Lurrve oysters. J was going for the Rider's Burger and Z opted for pasta. I also picked out Chicken Tacos for us as a starter to share.

We were then promptly seated and I even saw some horses ! First came our drinks. J had a Boston Iced Tea, Z had a Lemon Fizz and I had a Citrus Crush. I tried all their drinks and they were all good ! Very refreshing and not too sweet. Mmmm good. As we were settling in, Z suddenly decided he wanted to change his meal. So we quickly caught the attention of a wait staff and checked if we could do a swap. Luckily we could, so Z was going to have the Crab Benedict instead.

Our drinks for the day

The food took some time to come but it was reasonable. Wow the spread looked amazing. The Chicken Tacos were not what I had expected. I thought it would be shredded chicken. But out came a whole chunk of it. Despite the difficulty in eating it, the meat was well seasoned and delicious. The red cabbage slaw that it came with was tangy and oh so yummy.

Our food !

J's burger looked decent but I really can't comment on the taste as I don't eat beef. She said it was pretty good. Z commented that his Crab Benedict was ok. The crab could have been fresher and they could have used a bit more.

Rider's Beef Burger

Oyster Roll and Crab Benedict (Background)

My Oyster Roll was gorgeous. Plump deep fried oysters ... (there's a puddle of drool around me now) ... in a slighly toasted brioche. It was soooo yummy ! My only comment was - I was so engrossed by the oysters that I missed the fact that it came with fries. I mean its a brioche roll with fried oysters, do I really need another serving of carb ? Had I noticed it sooner - I would have swapped it for a salad. Sigh. Otherwise tho, the bread was soft and stringy. The gluten in the bread developed fully and so it gave it that stringy texture and pull. Yum ! Slightly toasted on the edges. With a mayonnaise based sauce on top of the oysters. Oh god it was good !

After our meal - (I didn't touch the fries) I was quite full - surprisingly full enough to skip dessert ! We sat there and chatted away and took some photos. Then J and Z had their coffees. I once again mesmerized by the latte art but sadly a non-coffee drinker.

The evening was still young and so we wanted to do something else. The problem is none of us really knew what ! So at a whim, we decided to drive to Dempsey.

We walked around Demspey and stepped into Jones the Grocer. Pretty nice place. Love the high ceilings ! A definite must hit place next time. We were looking for a particular place but it was no longer at Demspey. So then after some more wandering, Z suggested we go to the Pan Pacific for drinks. As we were driving out of Demspey, Z aptly points towards Glenealges and informs us that there is where he came out of his mom's vagina. Oh God ! Z !

The last I'd been to the Pan Pacific was ages ago. Apparently, they had renovated the place and it looks good. We took our seats and both J and Z had a Henrick's Gin and Tonic. I wanted to try something different. So I decided on a drink called Devotion. It supposedly had lychee juice and raspberries. I think that reminded me of Pierre Hermes Ispahan.

Gin and Tonic

The Devotion -_-

The drink came and I took a sip. Oh no ! It tasted like cough syrup ! Both J and Z tried it and concurred. Sadly I was stuck with a cough syrup tasting drink. So we continued our chit chat and the more I drank, the better the drink tasted. Wasn't sure if that was the alcohol kicking in or just that the lychee juice was concentrated at the bottom.

PB Drink

Since I was not 100% happy with my drink, I ordered another. Some peanut butter chocolate concoction. Another disaster. Hahaha ! It tasted like watered chocolate milk with an alcoholic kick. After that second drink - I was getting woooozy. Yup .. not a big drinker. After some more stories, we called it a night.

It was such a wonderful day to spend with friends ! A day forever etched in my memory.

Tuesdays at Modesto's

J was ranting about how Modesto's had 30% off on Tuesdays for OCBC card members. So naturally we decided to go, on a Tuesday of course.Modesto's Pizzeria is now located on the roof level of Vivo City, tucked beside Marche's.

I met J at Daiso and we walked out onto the roof to get to the restaurant. We were immediately hit with the haze. Choke choke, it was bad. We quickly covered our mouths and walked as quick as we could.

The restaurant's interior is dark and perhaps modern elegant would be the word to describe it. Mostly, dark timber, with warm droplights and cool grey tiles. At the entrance, there is an open kitchen with a wood fired pizza oven. Pretty cool to look at. We were then asked if we wanted an outdoor or indoor seat. Given the haze situation, we had to sit indoors but facing outdoors. Oh well, we still had a view.

Our indoor seat with an outdoor view

The Italian restaurants menu's is varied but divided into simple categories. There's starters, salads, pizza, pasta, risotto and desserts. Too many choices honestly. We took sometime deciding but finally settled on calamari rings, eggplant parmigiana and Buffla Pizza which was tomato based  with mozzarella and basil. We added pork ham to that. J of course had to have her Sangria. (Her homemade version was better)

The food arrived pretty quickly and the service staff  were friendly and attentive too. Perhaps it was because the restaurant was  not crowded at all. The calamari rings were  plentiful, nicely fried but still chewy. Some people enjoy that chewy texture, but I prefer the calamari rings that let your teeth glide into it like butter. Ahhh.

Calamari Rings and Pizza

The pizzas here are all thin crust. Really good flavour. Happy with the choice of adding pork ham as without it, I think the pizza would have been a bit too plain.

The parmigiana was really good too. Layers of crumbed and deep fried eggplant, a tomato based sauce, topped with mozzarella and grilled. Yum ! It was piping hot and oh so good. I took a massive spoonful before J reminded me to take a picture. Oops.

Eggplant Parmigiana

After our meal, it was time for dessert ! J had had their profiteroles and did not recommend it. And because I had just survived from Tiramisu (my mom made me do a big batch and we were having it over the week) So we had the Molten Chocolate Cake. We were told it would take 15 mins to prepare which was a bonus as we wanted to chat for a bit before having dessert.

Warm Molten Chocolate Cake

It was exactly what I thought it would be. Warm cake on the outside, molten chocolate lava on the inside. Good chocolate flavour. Not too sweet, not too dark. The vanilla ice cream was mediocre. Nothing special about it. It was the perfect dessert to share.

Oozing Chocolatey Goodness

Unless you're one greedy toot that wants the dessert all to herself. Which .... ahem ... I wasn't ... that evening anyway.

Our meal cost us $80++ after the 30% discount.

Modesto's Pizzeria
1 Harbour Front Walk
#03-11 Vivo City
Singapore 098585

Din Tai Fung

Table Setting at Din Tai Fung

After a movie night, me and J were in Carl's Jr. She was just having a thickshake and I was munching on a taco salad. Which was really good by the way.

J sorta got hungry and so we decided to try out Din Tai Fung. Mostly because I had not tried it before. However, we anticipated a long long line and prepared other dining options in our heads, just in case.

We walked to the restaurant and there was a line. J approached the service staff who noted we needed a table for two, told us it would take 15 mins (not too bad) and gave us a number. Then she was quickly interrupted by another customer and walked away. J kept telling me that the staff gave her the wrong number. As it was the current number on the screen and that ours should be a later number. We stood there for the next five minutes or so looking at the menu and waiting for the staff to return. When she finally did, J tried to explain the number mix up, but the staff was too preoccupied with something, she looked at our number, looked at the screen above (which was showing that number from the moment we arrived) and to our utter surprise she goes "Step right in, Table for two". Hah ! What were the odds of this happening ?!? Hahaha. Both of us quickly wiped off the surprised look on our face and quickly followed her to our seats ! SCORE !

I've always heard so much about this place. For their famous Xiao Long Bao. J did all the ordering  as I was completely clueless. She ordered a cold appetizer of some sort. It had vermicelli, thin strips of tofu,  vegetables and it was coated in a savoury sauce that had a hint of sesame oil. Really yummy !

Amazing Appetizer

Next we had the famous Xiao Long Bao. Look at those dumplings ! Sooo pretty ! J gave me a demonstration of how to enjoy it. First take a small bite to let the juices out whilst the dumpling is still in the spoon of course ! Drink the juices. Add the ginger strips (condiment) and black vinegar or soya sauce and pop the whole thing into your mouth. Mmmm delicious !

Xiao Long Bao

Next we had prawn dumplings. This time, I bit the top of the dumpling and they became perfect parcels for my soya sauce and vinegar. Soooo good ! The skin of the dumplings were firm, slightly chew and oh so good !

Prawn and Pork Dumpling

Parcels for my sauces

J was still hungry so she had noodles with pork cutlet. The broth was really light and the noodles oh so springy. The pork was thick and had a wonderful crispy crumbing.

Noodles with Pork Cutlet

The one thing I noted about the meal was the textures involved. The silky vermicelli appetizer, the hot dumplings with a pool of flavour nestling within it, the crispy port cutlet and the springy chewy noodles. Whoa, we were really lucky to get a quick table and a great meal.

The meal came up to S$30++

Din Tai Fung 
23 Serangoon Central
Nex  #B1-10
Singapore 556083

T : +65 66347787

Club Street Social

Club Street Social's Menu

So I had a friend transiting in Singapore from Brisbane and it was my pleasure to bring him around. Since it was early in the morning and we were in Club Street, I brought him to Club Street Social, a cafe I had always wanted to try.

It's a very light and airy feeling cafe despite the dark interiors. A little mix of industrial with its polished concrete floors and chic with the mosaic floor entrance, timber furnishing and white table tops. They have outdoor seating and indoors and since we were there early, it was pretty empty, so we sat inside.

Open bar in the cafe

 The menu is really interesting. There is breakfast items, items you can pick and choose or swap, things for sharing and proper main courses and so on. They have a pretty enticing drinks menu as well. But it was way too early in the morning for us to start drinking !

I immediately knew what I wanted. I love yogurt and I love muesli. So how could I go wrong with g.reek yogurt and granola. There was once I had bircher muesli at PS Cafe and it was to die for. P had a little difficulty choosing as he was probably tired from the flight and was looking for something small. After a thorough look through the menu and also choosing not to start drinks in the morning (although we tossed through that idea a bit but settled for the fact that the combination of yogurt and alcohol in my system would probably render me sick for the rest of the day), he chose the poached prawns for sharing.

My granola, berries, greek yogurt came swiftly. It was really pretty. They layered the components and finished it with a drizzle of honey and a cute little blueberry. His dish took some time to arrive.

Granola, berries, greek yogurt

So there it was, poached prawns on toast served on  a rectangular slate. The dish was okay. The prawns were really well prepared and plump and juicy. The capsicum sauce imparted a lovely smokey roast flavour. Just the right amount too. But the crostini, I thought was too hard and difficult to eat.

Poached prawn crostini

P had the 'genius' idea that we should do prawn crostini shots since we couldn't or chose not to do actual shots. I was telling him my mouth is not big enough and ya da ya da ya da. But hey, I'm the type that can take one for the team. So I put the whole thing in my mouth and it FIT ! The whole damn thing ! Hah !

Then came the difficult and un-glamorous part of chewing it ! Oh my god, the crostini was scraping my cheeks and making my mouth dry. I had to keep biting the prawn to impart some kind of moisture into the massacre that was happening in my mouth. Finally chewed and swallowed. Soothed my aching mouth with my cool greek yogurt.

It was a wonderful place to chill and have drinks with friends or family. I have to come back to try their other items. But maybe not the crostini ;)

Breakfast cost us $25++

The Club Street Social (Singapore)
5 Gemmill Lane
Singapore 069261

http://www.clubstreetsocial.com/

Chocolate Souffle

I couldn't wait - had to dig in

Sunday morning came and the only thing on my mind was "I want to make a souffle now". Yes, I wake up with such thoughts in my head.

I've seen Souffles being made many times on TV and my mom had it once at Hoshino. But it was ridiculously eggy smelling and I didn't like. But somehow or rather, I wanted to give it a go. Browsed the net and found an easy enough recipe from Eugenie's Kitchen.

Chocolate Souffle (recipe adapted from Eugenie's Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 T unsalted butter
1 T plain flour
1/3 cup / 80ml whole milk
1 1/2 oz / 43g chocolate chips
2 eggs separated
1/2 t vanilla essence
2 T caster sugar

Extra sugar and melted butter to coat the ramekins

Preheat the oven to 200'C.

Prepare two large ramekins by brushing the insides with the melted butter, all the way up to the rim. Then coat it well with sugar. Put sugar into one ramekin and tip the sugar into the other ramekin while rotating. If this is confusing, I suggest watching some youtube videos. There are countless online.

Preparing the ramekins

So I prepped the ingredients : butter, flour, milk, chocolate,vanilla essence, eggs (separated) and caster sugar.Prepped the ramekins as well. Brushing the insides with melted butter and coating with caster sugar.

It all starts with a roux. Melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour. Mix well and cook it till foamy. Then take off the heat and add the milk. Back onto the stove and stir until mixture thickens. Texture should be similar to wallpaper glue.

Take off the heat and add the chocolate. The mixture turns into a doughy like texture. Add in the 2 egg yolks and vanilla essence and stir vigorously. It should turn smooth and silky.

Smooth and silky chocolate batter

Now onto the egg whites.

Whisk the egg white till foamy and slighly soft peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar and continue to whisk. Whisk until glossy soft peaks are achieved. About 5 mins with a hand held mixer or forever by hand.

Whisking the egg whites

Next, take a large spoonfull and mix into the chocolate batter. This folding doesn't have to be too delicate as we are trying to lighten the chocolate batter. Then once incorporated, tip the chocolate batter into the whites and fold gently so as to not lose the air. Its the air that makes the souffle rise and be airy.

Mixing the whites into the chocolate 

Once well mixed, pour into prepared ramekin dishes and clean the sides of the ramekin, either with your fingers or a clean tea towel. This is to prevent the surface from catching onto the rim and stopping the souffle from rising.

Filled ramekins ready for the oven

Bake in the oven for about 15 to 18 mins.

Serve warm right out of the oven, dusted with confectioners sugar and a chocolate sauce or creme anglaise.

Careful the ramekins will be HOT !

Can you see the spongy texture 

The souffles were delicious !!! They were like hot mousses. Soft, firm, springy, light, airy - oh my god !!! It was soooo gooood !!! I'm so going to try out other flavours.