Singaporeans are a disgruntled lot. We complain about everything under the sun, and about the sun as well! The weather is too hot and humid for anything outdoors and so we hide in the air conditioned comforts of shopping malls. Then we bemoan the lack of things to do. This never ends, does it? Why not bear the heat, explore the green spaces we have and marvel at the beauty of nature? You may even find some hidden surprises.

Casa Verde is one of those surprises. Very few dining establishments can boast of being at the doorsteps of nature. What's more? It is located in the heart of the city, nestled in a quiet corner of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The vibe is very relaxed, with pets roaming freely in the alfresco area and people chilling after a hike in the park.

Brunch is a casual semi self-serve affair where you place your orders at the counter and wait to be served. We took refuge in cosy indoor section to escape the sweltering heat while waiting.

Brunch is never complete with eggs. I can never say no to a Gourmet Breakfast with scrambled eggs (S$15) because it provides a great variety of ingredients. Even though the eggs weren't sufficiently creamy or buttery, I love the juicy Cumberland sausage and flavorful back bacon. The portions were huge for the price we paid.

I'm always fearful of eating Carbonara because the cream sauce could be rather overwhelming if not done well. However, Casa Verde's version (S$15) kept us going on till none was left. The cream, egg and Parmesan mix is drier as compared to most but it was just sufficient to coat each strand of spaghetti to give it a flavorful burst.

The slightly doughy Italian thin crust pizza was very decent as well. We had the Pizza Frutti di Mare (S$23), which came with fresh chunks of scallop, squid and shrimp on a tomato salsa base. This is perfect picnic food. Grab a few friends, lay out the red and white checkered mat on the luxuriant green and enjoy a good conversation over wine and pizza. Life is too short to be stuck in overcrowded shopping malls.

Sunnies up folks! It's time to stop and smell the roses.

Casa Verde
1 Cluny Road
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Tel: 6467 7326

This post was first published on LadyIronChef.

Dean & Deluca needs no introduction. Since its humble beginnings in SoHo (1977), it has expanded and established itself as the upscale grocery store chain in NYC. I was pretty stoked when it announced that it was coming to our sunny shores. Finally an alternative to Jones (which is terribly overpriced). 

Well, D&D opened its doors in June. So why did it take me 2 months to write my review? Well.. all that hype kinda deterred me from visiting. I heard horror stories about long waits and screw ups with the order system and all. It's really not how i want to kick start my weekend brunch. So i waited for a bit. Gave them time to sort things out, get settled down. 

Well i must say the smart me made a wise choice. I slowly eased into the D&D dinestyle. I tested the waters with their iced mocha and left the place swooning and buzzing with the caffeine packed chocolate espresso drink. Absolutely thick and delicious melted chocolate that arrests my heart. It's really quite the perk me up. If you love your chocolates, try the Marble latte which is a mix of White and Dark Chocolate. 

Each time i only had space for their pastries and cakes from my favorites Baker & Cook, Bread Project and Maison Keyser. Twitter and Instagram followers of mine would know that D&D is my current pre-yoga hangout. I've had the outsourced Salmon and spinach quiche and tarts. The small bites are perfect for all the downward dog and chaturanga. The in house bakers are still in the process of expanding their repertoire of bakes. My first taste of their Chocolate Pain was unspectacular though. Would love for it to be more airy and layered inside for it was just a little flat.

I only recently plunged into the deep end with their All Day Breakfast offerings 1 lazy weekend afternoon. I love how quiet and peaceful the place is. Absolutely no competition with all the people armed with their DSLRs trying to get shots of their food (guilty as charged).

The Sautéed Brioche French Toast (S$22) was intimidating when served. 2 one-inch thick slices of French Toasted Brioche, nicely coated with the Salted Caramel and a little charred on the exterior. This is topped with the Bananas, Fresh Berries and Vanilla Ice Cream. It looks like a diabetic's nightmare. But fret not. The caramel is more smoky than cloyingly sweet and that went well with the crispy and pillowy butter brioche. I LOVE the brioche. The ice cream lends a touch of creaminess to gel the various flavors and textures together. Perfecto. 

I love Eggs Ben and i love my Jamón Ibérico so obviously i order the Eggs Iberico (S$25), a twist on the popular Eggs Benny. 2 Poached Eggs with Sautéed Mushrooms, Jamón Ibérico and Hollandaise Sauce on Sundried Tomato Bread. Sounds perfect yea?

Well.. sadly, it wasn't. This dish was unsatisfying on many levels. The texture of the bread did not complement the eggs. It crumbled like a spoilt wet sponge after soaking the essence of the egg yolk. I also couldn't taste the sundried tomato at all. It seemed very much like a sad brown toast. The hollandaise sauce was too bland and diluted for my liking. My first set came with overdone poached eggs but the problem was quickly rectified when i sent them back. Overall, it was like eating different ingredients separately. 

There are quite a lot of other dishes available from salads to burgers to sandwiches and more All Day Brekkie options like waffles and bagels. I will slowly get down to tasting them since it's so convenient for me. As for you my dear readers, either be an early bird or simply have breakfast for dinner. That's probably the best way to beat that weekend queue. 

Dean & DeLuca Singapore
181 Orchard Road
#04-23/24 Orchard Central
Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 6509-7708
Daily: 11 am to 10 pm

Mohammed Sultan, Robertson Quay-This is a place i'd go to for a nice relaxing evening out with friends, over a glass of red or bubbly. Dinner would be somewhere by the waterfront, exquisitely prepared and amazingly comforting. Or perhaps a fun night with the cute chefs at Foodbar Dada ;) If it's for brunch, the options are aplenty. Kith, Toby's, Smitten all provides great coffee and delicious food albeit the slightly higher price bracket.

Now, a new player on the block E.Clat Gourmet has decided to join the F&B scene at Robertson. They do have lofty ideas of trying to be a Gourmet Canteen, providing fine dining for the masses. Now, that could be read both ways depending on the emphasis. Fine dining for the masses (gourmet food for everyone) and fine dining for the Masses (food that the masses think is good). So which is it? Read on to find out.

E.Clat is located on the 3rd floor from ground in the Sultan Link Building is easily missed by the Robertson crowd. There are no efforts to direct traffic to the restaurant and it's hard to get to it even if you locate the building. When you finally do, you will find yourself in a canteen style restaurant but with plush cushion seats (they really try their best to stick to both Canteen and Gourmet). Well, it's comfortable enough and there is an nice alfresco dining area though it doesn't boost much of a view.

I think for a restaurant to stand out, the entire concept has to be consistent and unique. Here at E.Clat, it is just plain confusing. They offer a mix of cuisine from English to Italian to Local and now they are toying with the idea of Thai food? They muddle it further by the varied groups of target audience that they are trying to reach- office workers, dinners and students?!! Werd?? I was glad that the menu they prepared for our tasting was a little more consistent. I certainly wouldn't be able to stomach all the apparent differences.

Putting the concept aside. Let's discuss the food.

The tomato bruschetta (4 for S$6.90) was plain normal. I didn't like the home made foccacia. It lacked the aroma of the herbs and olive oil and it was stale instead of airy. Gardenia has better prepacked foccacia. #Truestory.

The Cheesey Onion Fries (S$9.90) was a disaster. Over fried and hard crinkle fries topped with an easily coagulated cheese and onions fried in gravy. The sauce isn't too bad but the fries were uncooperative in my attempt to soak them in the sauce. All the tables left this dish pretty much untouched. I really admire the boss' enthusiasm in trying to get us to have more of this. I think he created this dish. :/

Fellow blogger friend Alexis was craving for a good Eggs Benny (S$10.90) but this was a disappointment. The price was right but the food wasn't. Tasteless ham on the same stale foccacia, topped with nicely poached eggs but accompanied with a bland and watery hollandaise sauce. I prefer a full bodied and creamier sauce than this. Coffee Bean does a better one at a similar price (or cheaper). #Truestoryagain.

The signature Black Pepper Beef Pasta (S$12) was a little oily and bland for my liking. More sauce with a fiery punch would be most welcomed. I ended up eating only the beef slices, which were adequately marinated.

Seafood Baked Rice in Tomato sauce (S$10.90) didn't have fresh ingredients. The prawns and mussels tasted muddy. And where art thou, you tomato sauce? The dish as a whole just didn't work for me.

The Rum & Raisin Panna Cotta(S$8.80) was too firm. Interesting rum and raisin mousse though. Would love more rum in the raisins to stand out against the milkiness of the dessert.

Am i being too critical? Not really. I mean, i'm accessing the dishes based on their gourmet framework. It's not all that doom and gloom. E.Clat does have some redeeming qualities.

The Beer Battered Fish & Chips (S$16.90) was a delight after all that ahem. The exterior is crisp and airy and the fish was succulent and moist. Our tasting was buffet style and i actually went back for seconds. You go figure the subtext but i hardly touched much of the other dishes. Skip the fries (read above for reason).

The Smoked Duck Pizza (S$18.90) was 12 inches of fabulous. The handmade crust was thin and crunchy (when hot) and was topped with tender smoked duck (by Chef Andy himself), rockets and dollops of truffle mayonnaise all around.

I'm not sure who else other than office workers and students would be drawn to the restaurant if it continues with its operation and concept the way it is. There is some potential in this place if they streamline things a little, focus on their pub food and make it into a residential bar. To bring the cool and hip crowd over, they really need to make it a destination instead of an afterthought.
By the way darlings. If it's mass, it's mass. Don't pretend to be gourmet. It could be just really good mass food and it's a-ok. We should never pretend to be something that we are not. Because people will know. #qotd

E.Clat Gourmet

63 Mohammed Sultan Road #03-14

Sultan Link Building, Singapore 239002

Tel: +65 6604 7998
Weekdays: 8.30am - 9pm
Weekends: 10am - 3pm (Sunday operation begins in Sept)

What's the highlight for weekends? BRUNCH. Better still, All-Day-Breakfast. And where can you get them? Food for Thought. Whenever i feel like having creamy scrambled eggs along with some moist buttermilk pancakes, this is where i'll head to. However, what puts me off is the long queue at 8 Queen Street Outlet on weekends. Thankfully, the folks at Fft has opened a bigger outlet at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which can house more than 200 guests! 

The service at the Botanic Gardens outlet is slightly different the one at SAM. This is a semi self-service system where you order and pay at the cashier and then the food gets served to you at your table. Even though it's pretty big, but it takes a while to get a table and then a little more to get your food. I prefer the sit down service at 8Q because at least i don't have to stand around to grab tables a la food court style.

I prefer to customize my own brekkie set and this is what i'd recommend. Scrambled Eggs with Cream (S$4), Garlic Mushrooms (S$3) and Chunky Chicken Sausage (S$4). FfT has one of the better scrambled eggs around because they actually use cream in theirs to give it that runny and buttery texture. Cream fraiche would be better but that's a lot more expensive. There are other sides like Bacon, Hash Brown and Tomato Mesclun Salad. I would say skip the Toasts unless you really need carbs. Their spreads are really pathetic though.

What you should not miss out on is the pancakes. 2 Buttermilk base Pancakes served with Fresh Cream and Gula Melaka Syrup with the choice of different flavors such as Banana and Walnuts, Milk Chocolate, Dark Choc and Raspberries etc. Prices range from S$8 to $12. 

I like the tinge of saltiness in the moist and fluffy pancake batter. The chocolate ones provide the sweet flavor to my savory eggs and sausages and makes this another winning sweet+savory combination! 

If you are not up for brunch (seriously how can you not?!), there are other dishes available such as local lunches like Chicken Rendang. Burgers, Salads, Pastas and other Western mains are also served here. 

Food for Thought at Singapore Botanic Gardens is perfect for weekend brunch. Instead of heading straight for a shopping centre or cinema, why not make use of this opportunity to explore the green spaces around us? I'd say bag your food, lay down barefoot on the fresh pillowy grass and let nature envelop your senses (after you fill your tummy with the delicious food). 

Happy weekends people!

Food For Thought
1 Cluny Road #B1-00
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Tel: +65 6338 4848

Daily: 8am to 9pm (Fri and Sat till 10pm)

Roadhouse is a cafe-ish American diner in Dempsey and one can expect hearty and quintessential American food at this upmarket offering by The Privé Group. 

We were the first customers of the day so i had the opportunity to roam around and take pictures without having random people in them. :P I like the simple decor which is kinda comfortable as well. Definitely more cafe-ish than the typical greasy retro American diner feel. Exactly that kinda place i wanna hang out over breakfast on weekends. And you know what? You can do just that because they have ALL DAY BREAKFAST from 9am - 4pm on weekends. YAY!

Roadhouse does a great lunch deal on weekdays from 11.30am - 2.30pm. You can go for a 2 course at $22 or a 3 course meal for $25. Take your pick from 4 Starters, 7 Mains and 4 Desserts which includes some of their chef recommendations. It's quite a good deal and their portions are quite big as well.

Starter: Bacon wrapped Corn Dog with mesclun salad. Typical American carnival snack! Love the lightness of the batter which is not too too floury. It's almost like tempura batter with a little more starch. Good batter to dog ratio. The sausage was juicy and savory and i love the smokiness of the bacon which gives it the additional saltiness.

Main: Forest Mushroom Burger- Josper-grilled wagyu patty with forest mushrooms, caramelized onions and shallot cream sauce (+$2). The famed Josper grill seals in the juices of the Wagyu Rump patties and gives it a nice char-grilled appearance and smoky aroma. The meat is just so flavorful and juicy and the blend of sauce and onions together with the natural flavors of the meat is just perfect. The light sweetness of the soft bun complements the savory centre. I must say it's one of the best burgers i've had in Singapore. 

I had their signature Eggs Benedict in replacement of the Eggs Royale for the lunch set. They were more than happy to accommodate my request. Was struggling to decide between this and the Chicken & Sweet Corn Quesadilla (another Chef's recommendation) but this was a great choice. Nicely buttered and toasted English Muffin with chunky slices of ham and smoky bacon. The meats aren't that salty though i have a feeling i've maxing out my daily sodium intake with all the cured meats. The gratinated hollandaise sauce isn't too sourish and had a slight cheesy taste to it. It's a little bland for me but it kinda goes ok with the saltiness of the meat. Would be nice if it has a little more tang to it.

Heard that the prawns wrapped in bacon with Maple syrup dressing is a great starter item. Americans do the sweet & savory thing so well e.g. Chicken with waffles, gravy and biscuits. Shall try it the next time. 

For desserts we had the Cheery Cherry Pie- red wine cherry compote with a dollop of fresh cream. The tart isn't fantastic. It wasn't crisp enough for me and the cherries were kinda bland. The highlight of this dish is the cream, which i happily ate on its own. Just look at the stiffness and the height of the peaks. Fresh cream is my nemesis. 

The S'mores ice cream cake was very blah. It's just an ice cream cake with some little marshmallows (not even toasted IMO). Kinda icy as well. :/

Roadhouse is also known for its Terminator Challenge ($58), which consists of 6 Wagyu patties, 6 slices of cheese, streaky bacon, jalapenos chillis and a home made bun. Finish the monster burger in 20mins, along with its sides, and you get a free meal plus have your face on their Hall of Fame! There's no sharing with your friends even if you don't finish it though. It's quite a good deal considering that a single patty costs about $24. :)) Eat at your own risk or maybe have a friend who can administer CPR in case your heart goes into overdrive. Sadly, despite our initial encouragement and subsequent taunting, we failed to get Ben to do the Terminator. Damn! So fun to watch people stuff themselves. Haha. 

Roadhouse

#01-07, Block 13, Dempsey Road
(Opp PS Cafe)
Tel: +65 6476 2922
Mon–Fri: 10.30am–2.30pm, 6.30pm–10pm
Sat–Sun: 9am–4pm, 6.30pm–10pm
Sat–Sun & PH: 9am–4pm [Brunch]

Another weekend, another 2 days of scouring the island for delectable brunch food,  dainty tea canapes and sinful supper haunts. Absolutely no proper meals allowed. This is why i live for the weekends. Anyway S complained that i didn't credit him for some of the awesome finds that are highlighted on this blog. He is the one who does the searching (most of the time) and i simply eat and review. So here you go piggy. Another one for S. :P

We took a drive around Siglap and Frankel estate to arrive at De La Crème, a french- styled patisserie specializing in the macarons (no wonder S brought me there) and other desserts. The silly me happily brought the camera out without my SD card AGAIN. This happens to me ALL THE TIME! Urgh. Back to the bakery- it is opened by a cute 22yo pastry Chef Rayner Tan who has trained under Le Cordon Bleu and then gone on to intern at 2am and Canele before setting up his own place.  

The cafe is small and cosy, kinda like someone's living room, except there's a delightful display of desserts in the middle. Dear friends, you know what you should do with your living room next time :))) It was quite empty during Sat brunch hours but that's kinda a good thing for us since we hate the crowd.

Couldn't help but be drawn to the desserts chiller. The Ispahan, which was raved about by some reviewers, was nowhere in sight. All that's left were the Mango Shortcake, St. Honore, Lemon Meringue Tart, Mogador and macarons. Desserts are priced around $7-8, which is the market price to pay for something decent. Since desserts were the first to catch my eye, i shall review them before the savories.

On my first inspection, the macarons look amazing. There is a nice height to the macarons and they look airy enough. Is it any wonder that DLC uses quality ingredients to achieve this texture? Ground almond meal, sugar and egg whites. Instead of using jams and pastes, the fillings are chocolate-based, caramel-based, or buttercream-based. I really abhor the wet creamy ones. Can you see the lovely feet as well? Looks wise, it is comparable to Pierre Herme.

There is quite a selection of flavors, with some infusion of local flavors such as Pandan and Gula Melaka. Other flavors include Chocolate Amer, Basil, Yuzu Sel, Pistachio, Rose, Violet, Passion fruit, Earl Grey Chocolate (i chose that of course) and others. Price- $2.40/pc, $12.90 for 6, $24.90 for a dozen

Sadly in terms of taste, it is a far cry from PH. I would have to say the macarons looked much better than they taste. They do have a crunchy exterior but once you bite into them, you will realize that the base has quite a spongy texture in the middle, which is typical of an uncooked beaten egg white. That was disappointing. Even though the filling was dense in many of the flavors i have tried, they were too sweet for my liking. Again, i'm comparing it to the Holy Macaron Grail by PH. I didn't like DLC's at all but it's probably better than Bakerzin. Obolo definitely has better stuff than DLC and i'll introduce another place which has perfect texture. Watch this space!

The other highly recommended item is the Mogador ($7.50), which is made of made of Guanaja (70%) dark chocolate mousse. Again, i didn't like it. Someone must really have a sweet tooth because i have no idea how this is dark chocolate.  The chocolate ganache wasn't crispy or nutty enough for my liking and the jaconde sponge was flat in texture and taste. The sourish raspberry compote attempted to liven things up by breaking the monotony of the intense sweetness but it simply couldn't be redeemed. Use this as a mirror, not for eating.

It's funny how DLC places so much focus on their desserts but they were all sub standard (at least the ones we had). I do however think that their savory items are stellar. Despite the limited food selection- 3 pasta, 3 tartines, 2 appetizers, all the diners finished every bit of their hot dishes. Now what does that tell you? Hmm. And say hello to All Day Breakfast (probably on weekends only). My little eye spotted some truffle fries. The next table ordered it and it smelled deli! Why did we make such a terrible choice to save space for desserts :((( 

What really wowed me was the Duck Tartine.

8 bucks for 4 huge slices of toast generously slabbed with a buttery & savory duck meat paste. Think spongy and cottony white bread that barely holds up the weight of the toppings and a heavenly emulsion that preserves the duck rillettes (in order words duck fat) seeping through the fluffy goodness and into your mouth.

I'm gonna make this my regular afternoon snack from now on. Serious. Love that golden brown crust on the exterior and the soft and moist savory center. They also have a chili crab tartines that is based on Chef Rayner's mum's recipe. I bet that is awesome as well. Tried to find out where DLC gets their bread from but the server wasn't sure. Oh wells.

Standard selection of drinks but it's the first time i see a Roasted Almond Latte ($4.90) being served. Naturally i had that. I'm quite sure it's just syrup but there is a light nutty sweetness to it. Not gourmet but it's still a decent cuppa.

Would i be back? Surely. For the savories instead of the desserts. Maybe i'll give the Lemon Meringue Tart a shot but i'll definitely skip the rest.

Verdict- Recommended
Food- 4/5 (SKIP THE DESSERTS)
Service- 3/5 Adequate, friendly.
Atmosphere- 4/5 Cosy and quiet. Good place for friends to hang out on a lazy afternoon.

De La Creme
42 Siglap Drive
Tel: +65 6246 2476
Tue - Thu: 2pm - 11pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm - 11pm
Sun: 10am - 10pm

(Closed Mon)

Was in the Harbourfront area and had some time to kill before my next appointment so i popped by this new shopping centre called the Alexandra Retail Centre which is connected to the PSA building. Most of the shops were not opened yet but there are quite a number of eateries serving the working crowd. A little cafe caught my eye when i first walked into the building and it was none other than Room Coffee. Bar. 

The quote on their feature wall was what piqued my interest and made me double back to the cafe. "The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age." I couldn't agree more that. I don't lie about my age but i do forget my actual age most of the time. It also helps that i look like i'm 18 (according to teens that age) and i feel a lot younger than i actually am. Yoga also helps to keep the body and mind fresh and prevents aging (i'd like to think so). 

The cafe does hot and cold meals which are reasonably priced. Panini sandwiches from $8 onwards (you can make your own sandwich). The smoked duck sandwich with caramelized onions sounds yummy ($14). There are also Wagyu and Kurobuta Pork burgers, all time faves like Fish and Chips and typical bar snacks. Breakfast is served daily and they provide All-Day-Breakfast during the weekends. (Yay! Even though the selection is very small.)

Nice place to chill out or have 'meetings' away from the office. I like that there is plenty of space and the green carpeted/turf feature walls makes me feel like i'm sitting on the grass, having a picnic outdoors.

It's just really soothing sitting around doing nothing, obviously that would be ideal regardless of the location actually. I momentarily forgot about my next appointment and simply took my own sweet time enjoying my afternoon tea.

Since i wasn't very hungry, i went with the Signature Carrot cake ($6) which looks very moist with the morsels of grated carrot bits and topped with a slab of melty cream cheese icing. The presentation was enough to make my mouth water.

The texture was just right, not too packed that it's hard and dry but it's not too airy that it doesn't have bite. However, i was a little overwhelmed with the level of sweetness of the dessert. The sponge already has the cinnamon sugar flavor, which was fine on its own. However, the cream cheese frosting is potent enough to induce a diabetic coma or activate some glucose hyperactivity (the latter happened to me).

I like the little walnut and apricot tidbits which added a little crunch to the cake but they really need to cut down on the sweet in this one. The other desserts don't look too bad as well.

If you guys work in the area, i would suggest checking Room Coffee. Bar out. The sandwiches look like they are full of fresh and quality ingredients, i would have ordered one if i wasn't so full. Remember, eat slowly and enjoy every mouthful.

Room Coffee. Bar
460 Alexandra Road #01 -18
PSA Building (Alexandra Retail Centre)
Tel: +65 6438 4230
Mon - Fri: 8am - 8pm
Sat - Sun: 10am - 7pm

Serangoon Gardens is one of my regular chill out places in the North East. It's convenient, homey, quiet and it also has a lot of food establishments. In my younger days, Chomp Chomp was the regular supper venue for the the brothers and i. The famous RK house is also around the corner- it never occurred to us to pull such a terrible joke on the servers, that's just mean. Ice Cube was our dessert spot till Frolick popped up and then Udders. Before myVillage opened, we studied at the old Coffee Bean and ate at Cafe Cartel and now there are so many more options. Gardens is pretty much the Holland V of the North East, just less noisy and more chill.

I'm usually not very adventurous when i head to Gardens for food. I associate it with comfort food and tat usually meant Sushi Tei for me. Each time i head there, i'd pass by Arbite, which is just next to ST on the 2nd storey. I never went in because it always look empty (typical Singaporean) until Bernie suggested having dinner there one night. I tried it and i kinda fell in love and the rest was history.

I recently headed there for a farewell lunch for a colleague and we noticed that they have converted the sitting area to accommodate more tables. Guess more people have discovered this gem! The interior feels pretty much like a dining room at Ikea. Simple furnishing and decor. Natural light is very important to me and this place is lit up nicely. 

The selection of drinks is not very extensive but it suffices. Milkshakes for $6 (not very thick. Strawberry one is somewhat fizzy? The colour is extremely artificial as well.). I love the Iced Lemon Tea ($3) which is made fresh. It's about as yummy as Toast's. There are some ales and ciders which are priced reasonably ($10). 

These were what we ordered for lunch. 

Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwich- Grilled eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, pickled onions, roasted cherry tomatoes, rocket leaves and crumbled blue cheese on a sun dried tomato focaccia ($13.90). The veg were fresh and juicy. Love the vibrant colours on the plate. I was eyeing the sundried tomato focaccia, it looks really tasty (didn't try it because Piglet was obviously greedy!).

Papardelle with mushroom and parma ham, spinach in a cream sauce drizzled with truffle oil ($19.90). The papardelle and tagliatelle are made to order and served fresh daily. I love this dish but it may be too cloying after a while. I liken the papardelle to our Chinese mee hoon kway but this has more bite to it. Not really al dente but it's just right for the huge sheet of pasta. I wished they gave more of the parma ham because the cream sauce could be a little bland. Highly recommended anyway. Order it to share and get another savory dish. :)

Japanese Curry Pulled Pork Wrap- Shredded pork collar, caramelized apples, leeks and a Japanese curry sauce wrapped in a tortilla skin ($13.90). This is another great dish. The pulled pork simply melts (probably due to the fats), and caramelized apples go so well with the slightly sweet Japanese curry. The sweetness is nicely harmonized by the salted wedges and that is always an important factor for me (read about it here).

Pork Schnitzel- Breaded pork loin deep fried till golden brown, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables served with blue cheese apple butter and gravy ($17.90). This is huge. Boss devoured it before i could take a closer look at it. I suppose it must be really tasty? The description of the sauce sounds really yums. I will probably try it someday, after i run like 10km maybe.

Squid Ink Tagliatelle with crab and tiger prawn. Jumbo lump swimmer crab with tiger prawns, asparagus and leeks in a Rose Sauce ($23.90). I had this for lunch when i was there. Tagliatelle is like meepok and sadly this was a little overcooked. I didn't taste any of the squid ink in the pasta, which is a shame. But when it comes to squid ink pasta in a creamy tomato sauce, Valentino is my go to place. The asparagus taste is also quite overpowering, so if you don't like that, get them to remove it from the dish. Fresh seafood and general servings of the shelled crab. Succulent and sweet+savory prawns as well. Average dish perhaps but maybe i'm just fussy.

The portions are more than sufficient and i always do not have space for desserts after. Shall make a conscious effort to eat lesser next time. OH! Did i mention that there's All-day-breakfast too? YAY!

Arbite
66A Serangoon Garden Way
Tel: +65 6287 0430
Tue – Fri: 11.30 am – 3.00 pm, 6.00pm - 10.30 pm
Sat – Sun: 11.00 am – 10.30 pm
Last Order at 2.30 pm & 9.45 pm
Closed on Mondays