Monday, August 27, 2012

House @ Dempsey

Date: 21 August 2012
Address: 8D Dempsey road
Opening hours: Mon - Fri 12 pm - 10:30 pm, Sat 11 am- 10:30 pm, Sun 9am - 10:30 pm
Nearest MRT: Queenstown MRT


House is one of the many restaurants at Dempsey and has quite a large seating capacity. 
I wanted to try something off their brunch menu but they only serve brunch on weekends (a little strange) but oh well. 
Honestly, the food was average but i liked the decor of the place. 



Squid Ink Paella -S$29
A friend suggested having Paella because she'd just come back from a long trip in europe and missed having paella. This one did not meet up to her expectations at all, which was quite disappointing because I really wanted to taste how authentic paella should be like. Guess this isn't the place for them.

It's a little like risotto except it's less creamy because paella is cooked with all the liquids in and little stirring, while risotto is cooked with constant stirring and portioned additions of liquids. They also use different grains, i think the risotto one releases starch with constant stirring so it has a "stickier" texture.

This paella was cooked in squid ink (a first for me) so I have nothing to compare it against. I'll just say it was rather bland. I mostly tasted cheese and a slight squid flavor with the zesty accompaniment of the tomatoes. The prawns were very fresh and good though i must say!!
The portion is rather big, I wouldn't have been able to finish it on my own. 


English Breakfast Skinny Pizza - S$24
Let me just say this cannot, in any possible way, be compared to my favorite pizzas from Peperoni Pizzeria. It looked aesthetically wonderful but it just didn't deliver taste wise. Huge mega disappointment. 

Firstly, there was too much going on. 
I could hardly see what I was eating. The huge chunks of tomatoes were really not a big help at all because if I wanted to eat a tomato on its own, I would've have ordered a tomato on its own. I expected my tomatoes sliced and placed nicely on top on my pizza and not have them rolling around while I try to cut into them. 
Secondly, the gravy was way too thick. It made the crust soggy and unappealing. 
Thirdly, the cheese they used could have been better. It tasted like the ones you would use for a sandwich and not a pizza. It barely blended with anything else on the pizza. It just stood out on its own. As did the tomatoes. 
Even the bacons came in full strips and not pieces. 
SERIOUSLY, It was as if they served english breakfast on dough. What's the point??? 


Thankfully, this wasn't a morbid disaster. The warm chocolate toffee cake (S$9.50) was rather small but it tasted just as a chocolate cake should, warm, moist and chocolatey. 


My cup of latte saved the day. It is so far, my favorite cup of latte in Singapore. It's dense and rich, with just the right amount of milk and goodness. 


Despite being thoroughly annoyed by the pizza I tried, i still wanna come back for their vintage tea party thingy. Will let yall know how it goes when that happens! 

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Societe Canteen


Date: 15 August 2012
Address: 501 Bukit Timah Road , #01-05B, Cluny Court
Opening Hours: Tue-Fri 10am - 7pm, Sat & Sun 8am - 7pm, Closed on Mondays
Nearest MRT: Botanic Gardens 

  
A new indie cafe just opened in June 2012 by an aussie guy and since my friend and I were next door at La Petite's for lunch, we decided to visit the place for a short while. 

For now, they don't serve any food on weekdays because they haven't found a chef yet. 
They do however, serve brunch on weekends and a few of their items include things like Eggs Benedict for S$15 and Big breakfast for S$18. 


I tried the Latte S$4.50 and it was nice but a little too milky for me. 
Perhaps I should have tried the other stronger coffee like the Piccolo latte. 


Decoration's minimalistic and comfortable, some of the paintings (if not all) on the wall are up for grabs if you fancy one and wanna buy it home. 
I'm eager for them to get a chef so I can try their food! For now, it's a nice place to have a coffee and do some work or read a book in peace.

La Petite

Date: 15 August 2012
Address: 10 Jalan Serene, Serene Centre #01-05 
Opening hours: Tue - Sun 11:30-2:30 5:30-9:50, Closed on Mondays 
Nearest MRT: Botanic Gardens 

La Petite is a hidden gem in the corner of Serene Centre, next to Island Creamery. 
A very friendly bearded french chef greeted us with a warm "Hello!" 
He looked oddly out of place, as if he stepped out from a cafe on a street in Paris and into this cafeteria looking restaurant in Singapore. 
But his warm smile and grandfather looks welcomed us nicely and started our splendid time spent there.


Everyone gets a free piece of bread which was warm, perfectly baked and fragrant. I actually regret not having asked if they sold bread. 


This is meant to be an appetizer but who says you can't have appetizers for lunch? 
I'm not a big eater so I decided this was enough to fill my stomach and boy did it taste AWESOME. 
The Ravioli with prawns and foie gras (S$15) WAS AMAZING. 
The creamy sauce was not exactly like carbonara, it was sweet and not too salty. The prawns were fresh and there was just a pinch of foie gras to complement everything. 
Ahhhhhhhh, so good. 


My companion ordered the dory fish in basquais sauce and rice S$13 
The fish was as it should be, fresh and tasty. The sauce was slightly sour and lemoney, went perfect with the sweetness of the fish. The rice was meh, okay. Nothing much about it, i've heard they serve good butter rice. I shall have a go at it next time. 


I didn't take a picture of the interior but this is how the exterior looks like and as you can see, it's just a nice unpretentious, fuss-free place to go to for good food at reasonable prices. The staff are great and helpful too. 
If you like duck confit, do go ahead and try it because it's ACTUALLY better than Saveur's. I can't believe I just said that either, cos I hadn't tasted better duck confit than theirs before trying Petite's. I would however prefer Saveur's mashed potatoes to Petite's diced ones. 
I wish i had (have) a bigger appetite so I could do a review of it for you guys but trust me when I say i'll be back soon for more!