Usher in SG50 at The Halia at The Singapore Botanic Gardens over gorgeous orchid-infused teas, cocktails, and desserts specially created for the grand occasion. Afternoon tea is certainly a leisurely activity i approve of, especially in the lovely environs of our national park. 

I'd recommend you getting started on some light bites and the soothing Orchid teas created by 1872 Clipper Tea Co. There are 3 blends currently available, the White, Red, and Gold Orchid Tea, each using a different tea base with varying strengths. 

The Orchid White is the most delicate mix of green and white tea; the Orchid Red will awaken you with the strong Rooibos and Pekoe; while the Orchid Gold is a zesty mix which showcases the notes of cream and blueberries perfectly (80g, $28).

Of course, light bites are mandatory. The Broken baguette bruschetta ($10) provides the perfect crunch with its crisp and airy texture. Rub some of that garlic confit onto it for that savory pungent flavor, dunk it into some chilled tangy tomato compote for that explosion of flavors. 

Something more sinful is the Chili Crab dip ($15), a Halia signature. We couldn't get enough of the lightly spiced chili sauce with convenient chunks of crab meat. 

Now that your stomach is lined, it's time to cool that heat with some Orchid Tea infused mocktails/cocktails. Check out the Singapore Jubilee ($10), a refreshing Vietnamese honey homemade lemonade which has this amazing vanilla and blueberries perfume.

We were thrown back to 1965 ($25), with this cool Hendrick's Gin base, modern day Long Island Tea. This is the perfect afternoon tipple in my opinion.

Something sweeter would be the Yam Seng ($23), a Sailor Jerry spiced rum with Orchid Red tea, lemon juice and grenadine.

What's an afternoon tea without desserts. Be refreshed with the Ginger & Gold Orchid Tea Granita ($12), an mild black tea ice kachang with an acidic yuzu gel, lychee fruit and tea jelly. 

Skip the White Orchid tea and lapis ($14). The layered cake we had was terribly soggy and bland (of course i ate it without the ice cream to be certain). Stronger flavors are definitely required here as we couldn't taste the tea in the ice cream. Also the textures of banana, especially the dehydrated one, was strange (it was kinda stale).

The Orchid Tea Gift Set, 30g x 3, ($42) are the perfect gifts for friends back home and i'd recommend you get them from the Botanic Gardens Shop. If you do not fancy the food items created for SG50, i can assure you that the regular Halia Afternoon Tea set is amazing (read about it here). The items do change with the season but i have faith in the team. Can't wait to be back for tea soon. I'm severely missing their scones. 

Halia at Singapore Botanic Gardens

1 Cluny Road Singapore 259569

Ginger Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens (enter via Tyersall Avenue)

Afternoon Tea: 3 -  5pm (Weekends & Public Holidays)

Tel: +65 8444 1148

Bespoke cocktails are still all the rage but it's tough to find a decent one in town, since most of them are in the Tanjong Pagar area. Well, if you are looking to enjoy a tipple in Orchard Road, a great place to head to is Elixir Bar in KUVO. We previously visited KUVO for brunch and tea (read about my KUVO dining review), and were rather satisfied. This time, i headed to the bar for their latest cocktail and tapas promotion which is going on till 31 May 2015, daily from 5 to 8pm.

If there is a current F&B spot that is a big boy's dream come true, it has got to be Hungry Heroes. One can live his superhero fantasy with all the life size figurines on display, TV screens that play superheroes cartoons and at the same time, he can dig into the hearty meat platters and guzzle down craft beers. How about that!

Well for me, food was the only thing on my mind. A hot deli counter serves a range of ready-to-eat meat dishes such as the Classic Pulled Pork ($9/$14), the Veal Osso Bucco ($16) and Bratwurst Sausages ($6/pc).

Or pick your preferred cut of meat from the cold deli showcase and they'll fire it up for you on the grill. I think the 150-day Grass-fed Tenderloin ($32/200g, $43/300g) would serve me dainty.

We went for the communal feast of course. Platters come in various sizes. We had the “Steak-out” ($108, serves 5 to 6) and it featured a 200g ribeye, full rack of pork ribs, pulled pork, sausage trio, 250g de-boned chicken leg, beef stew and veal osso bucco. Yes that was a lot of food!

Now on to my favorites on the platter. Top of the list belongs to the Pork Ribs ($16/$30 ala carte). Twice-cooked, the pork ribs are first braised over low heat before being glazed with house marinades and placed in the oven to seal in the juices. I loved the caramelized crispy bits and the marinade wasn't overly sweet and definitely non-artificial. Hell, i will make a trip back for the ribs and that says a lot because I'm not typically a ribs girl. 

The pulled pork, another of my favorite, was cooked in a less intense version of the ribs marinade. It is also available in a burger form which i'll sample next time.

I practically finished the beef stew by myself as well. I would expect some secret stock to go in there (they really do have some)! It is kinda soupy so i thought it rather perfect for a cold day. If you prefer the hearty Italian style, then the tomato based veal osso bucco would satisfy your taste buds. I thought it was a good way to take away any gamey flavors of the veal.

In all, the meats were pretty well prepared. All that was supposed to fall off the bone did so easily. The exception was perhaps the steak. I felt the meat was a little too thinly cut, and our medium rare was served medium so that could have explained the slight toughness of the meat. The chicken steak was rather meh as well but the in-house created sauces kinda compensated for it. My favorite was the Hero sauce, which was a creamy pepper gravy and tasted of the yummy Christmas pimento cheese scone from Starbucks. There are plans to keep changing the sauce so you may be in for a surprise next time.

Each platter also comes with fries or roasted potatoes, caramelised onion, and sautéed buttered corn. The corn was super sweet and juicy and i found it hard to resist the starchy roasted potatoes (carbs be damned)! We ordered the truffle mash potato ($5) but it was a tad dry and nothing to shout out about (it's simply truffle oil). Luncheon fries are well luncheon fries.

The boys behind Hungry Heroes are also crazy over their craft beers and they opened bottles after bottles to induct this girl into their world. Well i didn't need much convincing with their curated list. Award winners like the Rogue Mocha Porter ($13/355ml), or the nutty Hazel Nut Brown Nectar ($14/355ml) are great accompanying beverages.

I took a liking to the Hitachino Espresso Stout ($15). Well they had me at espresso. I believe it's my virgin stout experience as well.

The boys were raving over the Beavertown Gamma Ray ($15) which was very hard to source and stock in Sg. It's kinda on the bitter end and so it's more for seasoned craft beer drinkers. 

Currently there's only 1 dessert on the menu but that gooey brownie with a heap of chocolate sauce sure does satisfy my sweet teeth. HEE,

Another thing you might notice about the restaurant would be the quirky decor. If you like something, you can probably buy it too (sans the toys)! Art Art And Away (managed by the same folks) provides these products at an affordable price if you wish to purchase something. They also provide customization and framing services as well. If i'm not wrong they have taken over a shop house unit 2 doors away.

Besides showcasing its products at the retail store, Art Art And Away will also be launching an online shopping platform in the near future. Customers can browse through the full range of products and make purchases from the website.

So yea, Hungry Heroes is a great spot to pig out with the boys. Do make a reservation as they are like waaaay packed these days. Remember to get the ribs!

Hungry Heroes
33 Tessensohn Road, Singapore 217656

Tel: +65 6295 5401 (no reservations)

Weekdays: 4pm – 12am
Sat: 11am – 12am
Sun: 11am – 11pm 

There is a hidden gem in Orchard Road that i've been keeping a secret hidden since the media preview and that is KUVO restaurant. The elegant and sophisticated space in Orchard Shopping Centre (it took over Lei Garden Restaurant) takes on a multi concept approach to dining and it offers bespoke cocktails, extensive list of New World wines and exclusive labels, as well as international food offerings.

The main dining space seats up to 88 persons over 2 wings and it serves an all day a la carte menu with all day breakfasts (yay!). The KUVO Atlantic Cod Meuniere ($38) was a massive piece of sweet pea-crusted cod medallion (it can cover at least half my face) with pearl barley fricassee, layered potato/sweet potato gratin with a citrus nutty-brown butter. The lightly flavored sides complemented the freshness of the cod and allowed the sweetness to come through. My mama enjoyed it thoroughly on a separate visit.

Asian selections are also available including the Slipper Lobster Laksa Lemak ($22) and King Prawn Noodle Soup ($20) if you prefer something different. 

Another highlight is the sumptuous tea available daily from 2 - 5.30pm ($35/pax). It includes a three-tiered tea set (refillable), together with a mini buffet spread of cheeses, hams, tapas bites and a whole selection of desserts! My mummy enjoyed this one because she had so much to pick from. I do love the cheeses and cold cuts. Also, who can resist the desserts bar.

I would certainly be back to chill out at the Vine Lounge with the delicious Brut by Antica Fratta ($17/glass, $98/btl). I also enjoyed the Pinot Bianco by J. Hofstatter ($16/glass, $84/btl) tremendously. 

Small plates and bespoke cocktails are also available at Elixir Bar, which is helmed by mixologist Yutaka Nakashima. Do not miss the Duck Foie Gras Duo ($21)! I'm drooling over that creamy chunks of liver just thinking about them. 

Kuvo also does an all day breakfast and my mama thought their pancakes are a lot fluffier than the ones i make. MEH. But yea, great spot to escape the Orchard Road crowd. Don't say i never share! Btw, the entrance is between House of Robert Timms and Poh Heng Jewelry. Take the escalator to the second floor!

KUVO

321 Orchard Road #02-01, Singapore 238866

Orchard Shopping Centre (next to 313 Somerset)

Tel: +65 6733 8272

Open Daily

Restaurant: 12- 11pm

Wine and Tapas: 12pm - 1am (till 2am on Fri-Sat and Eve PH)

Cocktails: 5pm - 1am (till 2am on Fri-Sat and Eve PH)

There's a blazing fire that is out to turn up the heat on Hongkong Street and that is FOC Restaurant, a new Spanish dining concept and cocktail bar. FOC is an inspired collaboration between Michelin-starred Chef Nandu Jubany, Chef Jordi Noguera formerly from FoodBar Dada, and award-winning mixologist Dario Knox previously from Catalunya Restaurant. Yes it's a star studded team!

Expect a contemporary small plates menu with Catalan and Mediterranean influences, complemented by a selection of inventive cocktails. They even created a selection of Asian inspired tapas which were honestly pretty darn good.

Gazpacho de sandía con helado de aceite de oliva ahumado. Watermelon “Gazpacho” with charcoal smoked olive oil ice cream ($12). Light and tangy cold soup to awaken the taste buds. Love how the dish is kept cool with the olive oil ice cream!

Croquetas de setas. Mushroom croquettes ($8 for 4). There's something about breaded and fried mashed potatoes that have me ordering it over and over again and these were creamy with chunks of earthy mushrooms.

Coca de anchoas y escalivada, con queso Idiazabal. “Coca” with anchovies, charcoal grilled peppers, eggplant, spherical Idiazabal cheese ($16). This is great for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. I love the smokiness of these Nightshade but that kind of overpowered the cheese when you pop it in whole. It's a little pricey though.

Vieiras con caviar de soja. Scallops soy caviar ($20). It's scallops, and it's nicely seared and it's in a salty soy. There's really nothing else to it.

Pulpo a la gallega. Octopus Galician style, prepared with paprika, olive oil and potatoes ($22). I'm not a fan of octopus because it is rather flavorless and is easily rubbery. The pulpo at FOC is first sous vide so it's firm but not overly chewy and lightly spiced. I liked the potatoes more than the octopus though.

“Cansalada” confitada con pure de coliflor. Confited pork belly with cauliflower puree ($14/4pcs). Bland. Fatty. Bleah. Give me that cauliflower puree on its own.

Paella de arroz negro con mariscos y “all I oli”. Black Mediterranean “Paella” with seafood and garlic mayonnaise ($22). The rice was just right, done al dente of course. The rice tasted more sweet than salty, which took me by surprise on the first bite. Some salt please. I liked that there were generous chunks of squid mixed very nicely with the rice.

Cochifrito. Crispy Pork Taco ($14/2pcs). This is one of my favorites if not the top favorite dish. This is FOC’s take on the Mexican taco, and that crispy shell was too addictive. It's like a really awesome fried wanton skin filled with tender pulled pork. I really liked the crispy pulled pork. I didn't even mind the dou miao and I don't even like bean sprouts. Now could we have this in jumbo size or what?

Bocata de foie-gras a la brasa y shitake marinado. Grilled foie-gras with marinated shitake and green apple ($22/2pcs). Loved that broiche bun with a glossy blistered exterior. It was very crunchy and extremely buttery. Even though the foie gras was on the oily side, it had a nice creamy texture and i liked that the green apples added that tinge of tartness.

Chuletón a la brasa con guarnición. Grilled “Chuletón” beef steak with garnish ($35/150gm). Order if you really need your meats. It's tender and juicy but nothing spectacular. 

Espuma de Crema Catalana . “Crema Catalana” FOC Style ($12). Now this is like a Spanish creme brûlée with a distinct dulce de leche ice cream in the middle which was kinda icy. Nice sour strawberries break the monotony of the light foamy cream but still not quite my idea of desserts.

FOC Hamburguesa de chocolate FOC chocolate burger ($12). Now here is one carefully crafted dessert burger made from white chocolate, vanilla mousse, strawberries and mint leaves. You should eat it all together for a balanced review of this dessert. The combined flavors of the smoky caramel, sweet milk chocolate and the tart strawberries were delightful. The cream in the 'bun' had a marshmallow texture too!

If you find the food a little too pricy, i'd suggest that you line your tummy somewhere else and then come here for drinks and some snacks anyway! The impressive and affordable drinks menu curated by Dario certainly gives 28 HongKong a run for their money plus there are available ALL DAY. Dario also started FOC’s own solera system to age a range of spirits and makes an extensive list of syrups, infusions and bitters.

The Madame Butterfly ($13) was a delicate like a rose with many house made ingredients e.g. lavender honey infusion and Floral Gin Blend N. Great drink for the ladies.

If you're for something refreshing, the Indochine Enchantée ($16) will cool any Singapore heat. Distinct passion fruit, mint, lime and honey could be tasted. If they could up the ginger flavor, the drink would be perfect.

If you want something with a kick (spice), then the Blacked Out in Bangkok ($13.50) would be your thing with the home made Lemongrass-Ginger-Cachaçz, Kaffir Lime Leaves Infusion and Chili Padi-Lemongrass Tincture. SPICY!

For Serious Drinkers, El Vermouth de Dali ($15.50) is a strong one. It's citrusy with a light bitterness and spice. You will also taste a hint of the smokiness.

I would recommend the bar counter for an interactive dining experience (only if it's just the 2 of you).

For bigger groups, i love the space at the further end of FOC Restaurant with double-height ceilings, a large skylight and three communal tables that seat up to eight diners each. Very cosy indeed.

Adding to my list of favorites for tapas and drinks. Will certainly be back with friends!

FOC Restaurant
40 Hongkong Street
Singapore 059679

Mon - Sat: 12pm - 2.30pm; 6 - 11pm

Cocktails and bar bites available all day