Riding on the Korean wave, home-grown brand Seoul Garden Group has opened two new Korean F&B concepts at Century Square mall- Seoul in a Sandwich and Two Hana to draw in the young and trendy. The former is a Korea sandwich kiosk, and the latter a Korean cafe, both with Western influences.

Time pressed but don't wanna reach out for instant ramyeon? Well Seoul in a Sandwich provides the warm comfort of Korean food in a convenient sandwich made with Western breads. I'm sure you'd know of the Issac toast craze, well, it's very similar but you get better breads at Seoul in a Sandwich for sure. 

Of course they have a similar Seoul Street Toast ($6.50), a simple buttered sandwich with onion-cabbage omelette, chicken ham, sliced cheese and mayo. It sounds really simple but woah, it's a sandwich that i can have for days. I would love for more mayo on this but apparently everyone feels that it's sufficient. How can there ever be enough mayo?? 

An unsuspecting favorite of mine is the Kimchi Prawn Cocktail ($7.50). I loved the fluffy and fragrant buttered focaccia bun which sandwiches a cold mix of Asian pear, kimchi, and mesclun mix. The kimchi flavor is very subtle in this one, which allows the light sweetness of the pear and prawns to come through. 

Something special is the Army Stew-wich ($8.50) made of a soft Tteokbokki, chicken sausage and spam, sliced cheese, daikon slaw on mayo ciabatta toast. I would say this tastes like what a healthier version of an Army stew. I was expecting punchier flavors but this was more balanced with a bed of refreshing daikon salad. If you love bulgogi, there's a Bulgogi Cheese Steak ($8.50) filled with sauteed peppers, grilled bulgogi beef and cheddar mozzarella mix, all in a buttered baguette. I'm not a huge fan of sweet meats so this wasn't for me. 

If you prefer sweet toast, give their Asian Pear Toast consisting of citron jam bits with cream cheese a try. The Matcha White Chocolate toast was also calling my name. 

If you have more time, head over to Two Hana for a modern Korean meal any time of the day. From 8am to 10pm, Two Hana promises to fill you up any time. What i love is the hearty and generous food served at value-for-money prices.  

Now, i'll just go straight to what i enjoyed. Go for the Korean Cauliflower Fritters ($9 for 6-8pcs) rather than the Kimchi Mac & Cheese or the Drumlets. The tempura battered cauliflowers are coated with a lightly spiced inspired dakkanjung sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds and spring onions. It's light and refreshing. 

The downfall of the Kimchi Mac & Cheese and the Drumlets (Honey Butter and Yangnyeom) is the oily flavor. It could be an opening issue so it could be rectified by the time you try it. I couldn't taste much of the kimchi in the mac & cheese cubes though, but be careful of the extremely spicy chili dip that it comes with. The drumlets had too much batter, some of which soggy and uncooked. Flavor wise, the spicy flavor helped to mask the oily taste but the honey butter sauce unfortunately enhanced it. 

For mains, i absolutely LOVE the Striploin Bap ($13). Kimgarou rice is topped with with generous servings of kimchi, spinach and beansprout namul, caramelised onions and 63 degree poached egg, crowned with perfectly-seared juicy medium-rare striploin slices. I cannot believe how much meat there was on my bowl. SO GOOD!!

For sharing, go for the huge Braised Gochujang Lamb Shank ($24) which if fork tender from being sous vide for 36 hours! There isn't any strong lamb taste to this and the flavors reminded me more of an ox-tail stew. Whatever it is, it's super hearty and perfect for 2-3pax. The lamb is served with a special kimchi-soft rolls, and a side of kimchi mash, which has a distinct butter flavor to it (we hear that it's 40% butter in this mix)! 

For something lighter, the Korean Seafood Ciopinno ($13) takes its inspiration from a soondubu jigae but i thought it was a little more like a tomato-based western soup. Anyhow, lovely creamy tomato flavor in this, with  fresh mussels, clams and prawns in it. Choose to have this with their soft rolls or tofu in this. 

Two Hana is perfect for that coffee break as well. Allpress coffee is used here and the desserts and ice cream are quire spectacular. Do not miss the Apple Caramel Waffles with Doenjang Caramel Ice Cream ($9)! Love the crispy waffles and the salty-sweet fermented soy bean icecream pairs perfectly with the cinnamon spiced apple puree. Their honey citron ice cream is very refreshing as well.

I also had the Cookies and Cream Affogato and that cream balanced the acidity in the espresso perfectly. Their Iced Matcha Latte ($6) isn't a bad choice either as it's not overly sweet. Oh and it comes with a super buttery fish bochubang! 

I need no more reasons to head back to Seoul In A Sandwich and Two Hana for a meal. Missing that Kimchi Prawn Sandwich and Sirloin Bap already!

Seoul In A Sandwich

#B1-23 Century Square 

2 Tampines Central 5 Singapore 529509 

Daily: 10am – 10pm

Two Hana

#01-21 Century Square 

2 Tampines Central 5 Singapore 529509 

Daily: 8am - 10pm

Dessert parlour Sugarhaus by day, speakeasy steakhouse Fat Belly by night. These two are reasons why you can camp out at Serene Centre for the whole day without having to go hungry. 

In the day, Sugarhaus offers diners of all ages homemade European-inspired ice cream. My favorite was the smooth-like-butter Dutch Chocolate which is made with a concoction of different types of chocolates. The Sea Salt Toffee is another one that you cannot miss. I love the saltiness in this, which has a butter caramel aftertaste. Have the ice cream on their own ($3.50/$4.30 per scoop) or with their fresh waffles ($6). 

Other exciting flavors include Sour Cherry, made with amarena cherries imported from Italy; or the Hibiscus Yogurt for an exotic and aromatic treat. 

Apart from ice cream, of course there are a mix of homemade desserts on display at the counter. Fat Belly is where i had my first galaxy cake and i must say that it changed my mind on artificial looking cakes (which is the main reason why i did not eat any earlier).

Sugarhaus’ Galaxy Tart ($8) is a dome of beautiful white chocolate mirror glaze that is filled with chocolate mousse, raspberry jelly and chocolate crumble. It's a lovely mix of tartness and rich smoothness. 

Next up is the Lemon Popsicle Tart ($8). As its name suggests, the mouth-watering tart comes in the shape of a popsicle filled with lemon sable, lemon parfait and coated with white chocolate. I love the sharpness in the lemon cream, with a crunchy sable that is reminiscent of the Chinese cashew cookie. 

 

Sugarhaus also offers a simple menu of savoury options available till 5pm. We started with the Melted Cheese Toastie ($12) which has gruyere, cheddar, and mozzarella sandwiched in a distinctly sour sourdough from Woodlands Sourdough next door. Not my preferred toastie sadly.

How about a modern okonomiyaki? The Corn & Zucchini Fritters ($15) was more on the wet floury spectrum, slightly salvaged by my love for kewpie mayo, bonito flakes and okonomiyaki sauce. AND THAT FRIED BACON! And sunny side up egg. 

For a more filling bite, the Crab Linguine ($22) satisfies with the heady and umami peppery prawn sauce. Shards of shredded blue swimmer crab claw added a sweetness to the savory pasta. The linguine was on the slightly softer end but i wouldn't mind ordering this again. 

Come nightfall, the bar section of Sugarhaus turns into Fat Belly, serving a lucky 10 customers alternative cuts of beef, particularly the Flat Iron (or Oyster Blade). The menu also features other cuts such as short rib, skirt, rib-eye. 

The Flat Iron ($22), was quite marbled and tender. It certainly has more meaty flavors than the usual steak though i still prefer a ribeye. All steaks come with a side of house salad and chimichurri sauce. Very Argentinean.

For an additional $5, guests can also enjoy side dishes such as Creamed Kale and Guanciale Mac & Cheese. There will also be one dessert exclusively available on Fat Belly’s menu: the Foie Gras ($13) is served with foie gras ice cream, brulee banana, speculoos and roasted nuts. If that's too funky for you, stick with their usual, they're good.

Sugarhause and Fat Belly

#01-03A, Serene Centre, 10 Jalan Serene, Singapore 258748 

Tel: +65 6314 2247 

Sun - Thu: 11am - 10pm, 6 - 10pm (Fat Belly)

Fri & Sat: 11am - 11pm (Last order 5pm for hot food; 15 minutes before closing for desserts), 6pm - 11pm (last order 10pm)

#Waffles the insane trend that is on the Singapore cafe scene right now. Even though it feels like the trend is past its peak, cafes are still hopping on to this train. Well I guess in months to come, only the good ones will still be going strong and my bet is on Montana Brew bar to continue serving us some crispy deliciousness.

Waffles are the highlight here though Montana Brew Bar does burgers and sandwiches alongside specialty coffee (it's a brew bar after all).

Let's start with savory first. The Southern fried chicken wafflewich ($10.50) has gone through many versions and I think this may be v2.5 or something. Reviews said that the chicken was dry and it still wasn't improved after all these changes #meh It may have something to do with the bland spice rub on the chicken. Well we'll just give us a juicy buttermilk fillet and that'll do. 

The spicy southern mustard sauce, which tasted pretty much like tabasco sauce, was pretty good. At least it gave some acidity to the crispy sandwich. I thought that the waffle seemed to be missing some kinda ketchup sorta base or something to gel the dish. The waffles, on their own, were faultless. They remained crispy with every bite even after sitting there for a bit as we carried on with our conversation and got distracted by the other waffles. 

The Truffle Jalepeno Mac & Cheese ($12.50) invaded our immediate environs with its strong truffle scent. The mac & cheese was folded into the waffle batter and then toasted. We were surprised by the generally sweet batter though (isn't m&c supposed to be salty?). Also we didn't get any of that stringy cheese pull-apart effect that we were expecting. This waffle was softer than the rest of Montana's offerings but we enjoyed the moist and spongy texture. Spice lovers may get a kick from the jalapeño bits but the chutney sauce that came with it tastes more like a a sweet Indian curry (it had a distinct cumin flavor). Overall, this dish required something salty to cut through the sweetness. Like bacon... Definitely bacon.

For sweets, you get a choice of the crispy crunchy waffle or the fluffy, light and chiffon-like center with a gentle crispy crust for their sweet stacks. The limited time availability made us choose the Red Velvet Waffle Stack ($10.50) (which really ran out when we were halfway through our brunch at 12ish) over the Chocolate Banana Waffles ($10.50), a chocolate waffle with caramelised banana, vanilla ice cream, salted caramel sauce and nutella truffle powder. 

I kinda liked this one actually. It didn't taste anything like red velvet (with the taste of beet) but go for this because it's a really awesome crispy waffle with dulce de leche and dense creamy ice cream (could do with a stronger vanila flavor). 

We spotted a new flavor which is the Brioche French Toast Waffles ($10.50). I'd hand them my money already. 

You can also get your caffeine kick at Montana Brew Bar with black coffee going for $3.50 onwards and other espresso based drinks from $4. The Montana House blend is a mix of beans from Brazil San Antonio, Peru Apu and Ethiopia Ardi Sidama beans. It produces a full bodied coffee with a low acidity and was an easy to drink cuppa with dark chocolate notes. 

Pour-over and aeropress coffee are available as well ($5.20) and you can pick from the Ethiopia YirgaCheffe or the Peru Apu single origin beans. 

I'd head back to Montana Brew Bar for a decent coffee and perhaps a sweet waffle if i'm in the area. You can't beat great waffles at a great central location.

Montana Brew Bar
1 Selegie Road #01-04, Singapore 188306
Daily: 8am - 9.30pm
Food from 10am

On my way to Lombok-Bali to climb Mt. Rinjani currently and because of that, i'm reminded that i have some Ubud Bali posts that i've yet to clear so here is a mish-mash of things that you can put together for a chill weekend on the island.

STAY

Well there are plenty of villas and hotels to pick from and it was by chance that we found The Purist Villas and Spa. It's an intimate villas hotel nestled in the green hills of Ubud that is home to seven tastefully designed spaces.

There are 7 villas on site, which means plenty of privacy and space. Some villas have private pools with gazebos, while others have sun decks and loungers. We love the modern Balinese vibe that the villas exude.

Four-poster bed and decadent bathrooms are included. We star-gazed from our outdoor tub with vino in hand. Read about my other recommended Bali stays here- Como Ubud and Alila Villas Soori.

DO

Something fun that i did in Bali was to go for a cooking class! A quick impromptu search later, we were signed up for a day of fun with Paon Bali Cooking School in Ubud. For our morning class, they brought us to the market, rice fields, and then to their traditional Balinese home where we took part in cooking a feast.

Trust me, we all need that well-deserved break from weekend retail therapy and there's no better place to rest your legs and pockets at Hilton Singapore! They have just launched their new Endless Saturday High Tea at D9 Cakery. 

High tea at a cakery? Sounds like sweet stuff. Well there are sufficient savory bites IMO. Though the selection is not wide, i must say they are quality stuff that will satisfy. 

I love the buns here. Definitely the Pulled Pork Sliders (love the good balance of sweetness and tartness of the meat, sandwiched between fluffy buns) and Pork Floss Curry Pork Bun (remember to add on more of chef's house-made curry and more floss).

Hilton does the best hotel satays in Singapore I SWEAR. They are even better than Pan Pacific Edge's. I say it's among the best i've tasted in Singapore too. 

Super chunky, juicy, tender and well flavored!

The Laksa is quite lemak too! The surprise was the Liu Sha Bao (the skin is so fluffy and the tasty salted egg lava flows). Something special from the savory section is the Swiss Raclette that goes on top of your potatoes or focaccia. Honestly i don't get the hype because the cheese coagulates quickly. I'd rather have a selection of cheeses. 

Fall into a sweet coma with the six-meter showcase brimming with a selection of desserts highlighting artisanal cake creations all made using premium imported ingredients. Here, you get the bite size portions of the typical slices sold at D9. I say it's definitely a great way to help you find your favorite bakes! The chocolate fudge was a hit, i enjoyed the banana walnut loaf, and the pralines are great too. Plus there are the famous Hilton cheesecakes in pop size! They also have pretty desserts in jars too. 

Whatever you do, make sure you pop a few more of their macarons. THESE ARE DAMN GOOD. Nice crust (breaks a tad too easily) with dense flavorful ganache fillimg. Absolutely love the salted caramel one, and coffee, and chocolate, and lemon... Sorry no photos because they are all in my tummy!

Afternoon tea is incomplete without freshly baked Vanilla and Raisin scones with clotted cream. I love these perfect bite sized scones that have a nice crust on the outside and sticky density on the inside. Plus that clotted cream is yums!! Definitely one of the better scones around town.

The afternoon tea experience is complete with over ten handpicked selections of TWG tea blends. This Saturdate experience can be enjoyed at $41/pax with free flow coffee and TWG tea. Top up an additional $35 for bottomless rounds of sparkling wine, selected beer, white and red wines.

Hilton Endless Saturday High Tea at D9 Cakery

Lobby Level, Hilton Singapore

581 Orchard Road Singapore 238883

Tel: +65 6730 3392

Sat: 12 - 2.30pm, 3 - 5pm 

Dug this review out of archives in an attempt to keep the blog alive but anyhow.. Stamping Ground Coffee is now at Upper East Coast (previously at Club Street) to offer Easties a cozy garden vibe to enjoy your coffee or tea in. 

Is there a better way to enjoy a cuppa and croissant with the light floral notes permeating in the air?

So first, coffee. Stamping Ground Coffee supplies their Cold Brew Coffee ($6) to Gemmills and some other cafes. Taste wise, it didn't leave much of an impression, which is strange since we hear that their beans are from Papa Palheta. The Flat White (S$5) is also on the milkier spectrum.

The food selection is bistro type, with everything prepped at the counter. The Bacon Jam ($13.50) with baked eggs (more like soft boiled) and mozzarella on brioche toast was sufficiently satisfying.

That ooze was soaked up by the fluffy brioche. I would have liked it better if the bacon jam wasn't all that sweet. Still, a delicious option.  

Skip the Tuna Croissant with apples, which is easily created at home. Well, Jr's choice and if that's what he wants to eat then so be it. But you shouldn't. #okthatsall

In all, Stamping Ground Coffee House isn't quite an exciting place for coffee or food but at least it smells good (they've an on-site florist) and it's a pretty place. For better coffee in this area, head over to Dutch Colony please. #notsponsored

Stamping Ground Coffee

87 Upper East Coast Road

Singapore 455223

Tel: +65 9070 7610

Mon - Thu: 9am to 6pm

Fri - Sat: 9am to 9pm

Sun: 9am to 6pm

Looking for the hottest dining enclave in Singapore? It has to be the new Seletar Aerospace Park (SAP). We checked out The Summerhouse, a multi-concept F&B and lifestyle destination comprising The Summerhouse Dining Room and Balcony Bar located on the upper storey; and Wildseed, a café, patisserie and bar on the ground level. 

And yes, The Summerhouse is in a godforsaken spot on the island but treat it as an excursion to the English countryside as you roll along the the tree-lined roads and conservation black and whites. Our recommendation is to start the day at Wildseed cafe with a lazy brunch, then move on to after drinks at Balcony Bar, followed by supper at The Summerhouse Dining Room. In between, wander around the edible garden curated by Edible Garden City, or check out the gorgeous blooms at partner florist, Poppy Flora Studio. Or simply enjoy the peaceful nature.

The produce used at the Summerhouse is not only fresh (they connect with a farming collective of Singaporean and Malaysian growers and producers, as well as a Singapore kelong), they are also sustainably grown. Plus all the garnish used are harvested from the in-house edible garden. 

Pick from the colorful array of sandwiches, salads, eggs, cold cuts, cakes, and pastries. While indulging in the freshly made bakes, kick back with coffee from Nomad the Gallant, which roasts and blends their specialty coffee on site. 

The Flat White ($5) uses the Exodus Blend of Brazil, Fazenda Lagoa and India Bibi Plantation AB. Go for this if you like wood, spice, and chocolate. If you are not into caffeine, pick from a selection of fresh juices.