An English wave recently hit our sunny shores and had caused a tsunami of people to appear in a matter of minutes when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited. While i do like Kate and her impeccable work dressing pretty much, poor people like us are actually too busy at work and we hardly have the time to exercise in the park. Especially not so when the sun is blazing hot at 3pm.

Anyway, for those of you who are still hung up over the fact that you have missed the Royal Couple, here is a spot of English Afternoon tea to cheer you up. Introducing the Mandarin Oriental's Axis Bar & Lounge.

There are many things to love about 3 tiered English Afternoon tea. 1. It's very royal and dainty. 2. Butter, sugar and flour are my best friends 3. A pot of Earl Grey soothes all tension and stress. I'm sure the Duchess would approve of this wonderful English tea at the Axis Bar.

Being a mega tea fan, i've tried most of the noteworthy afternoon tea sets in Singapore- Ritz Carlton, Regent, St. Regis, Fullerton, Fullerton Bay etc. But i've always remembered this to be one of the better, if not the best all rounded tea place in Singapore.

Located on the 4th floor of Mandarin Oriental, Axis Bar provides a great view of the Marina Bay/Civic District (that's what they call the CBD area on our tourist maps). It's very idyllic and soothing, knowing that you are not stuck in a cubby hole working like bees. My little eye also spotted the F1 tracks from my comfy plush seat. Great place to hang out for the upcoming F1 Weekend!

Tea started off with some savory puffs. It's weird that they only gave 1 item each for sharing among 2. On hindsight, it's a thoughtful gesture because we wouldn't have been able to finish our tea set otherwise. The pastries were well executed. I love the quiches here and they rotate the flavors daily. The Potato Bacon and Spinach quiches had the right filling to puff tart ratio and the centre was moist and flavorful.

One thing that irks me about Afternoon Tea sets in Singapore, is the lack of attention paid to the savory items such as the sandwiches. How is it ok that the mass produced and common place items like off-the-shelf white bread and Kraft cheese are used when one is paying premium price for them? (Hello Regent, that's you.) Axis Bar trumps most in this aspect. I love the mini muffins that they use for the Roast Beef and Truffle Egg Mayonnaise sandwiches. Rye crispbread was used as a base for the Smoked Salmon Cheese bite and premium cheese for the simple Ham and cheese sandwich.

The sweets were a mix of light and intense flavors; crisp and smooth textures. They were delicately made and incredibly tasty. We could hardly find fault with any of them. I especially enjoyed the Chocolate and Orange tart and was surprised at how the rich dark cocoa could be so light.  Worthy of mention is also the Salted Caramel Macaron, even though the texture is a tad too soft.

The Mango Kallis Lime creme was a great spread on the Scones. My friend accidentally discovered that combination when she mistook it for the preserves.

The Home made Raisin Scones were to die for. These are probably the most delicious mini scones in Singapore. The other mini scones that i know of at Marmalade Pantry were too dry for my liking. These were moist and dense in the middle and the yellow sun dried raisins lent a light sweetness to the buttery flour. Goes best with the rich clotted cream that we couldn't get enough of.

For S$38 each (or S$65 for 2), you'll be able to enjoy the daily tea set. I would say it's the more reasonably priced hotel tea sets around. Free flow coffee or a pot of TWG tea (refillable) is provided, or if you wish, the champagne option is also available.

More on the other tea places soon!

Axis Bar & Lounge

5 Raffles Avenue, Mandarin Oriental

Singapore 039797

Tel: +65 6885 3098

Daily Afternoon Tea: 3pm–5pm

Singaporeans love their crabs, especially the Chili ones. The Uniquely Singapore dish was first invented by Mdm Cher Yam Tian in 1950 with her bottled tomato and chili version and then made popular by Chef Hooi Kok Wah of Dragon Phoenix Restaurant. The current version is a tad sourer, making use of lemon juice, vinegar, sambal, tomato paste and egg white for that thick cornstarch gravy which goes so well with the fried man tou (buns). The dish is so popular that there has been an attempted hijack by Malaysia, claiming it to be their national dish in 2011. That got us pretty riled up of course. If there's one thing Singaporeans are passionate about, it's food. Do not cross us.

I recently visited Crab Party at Serangoon for a crabby fest with a bunch of friends. Heard not bad reviews of their Chili and Salted Egg Yolk crabs (2 of my favorite flavors) so it was a good opportunity to test it out for myself. The price of the crabs is $48/kg (quite pricey) so it made sense to go with the set menu (S$288 for 6pax) which included 2 medium sized crabs, a fish, trotters, cereal prawn, seafood platter, veg, a rice/noodle dish and yam paste desserts. It is possible to change the items on the menu so we went for 3 crabs instead.

Conclusion? Perhaps it's wiser to stick with the crabs because they are after all the highlight of the store. The other dishes were average at best but they did help fill us up a little.

The seafood platter looked more appetizing than it tasted. The prawn rolls were lacking in the 5 spices and was too bland for our liking. The baby squid tasted of overused oil and had too much of the charcoal taste (not the good wok-hei sort). Definitely needs more of the Thai Chili sauce. Cuttlefish was refreshing though with the lime and chili padi seasoning.

I like the Cereal Prawns. I don't have a habit of eating the shells (some people do) but these were so crispy the legs made for a crunchy snack. They were very generous with the salted butter cereal morsels which carried a tinge of sweetness in them. The prawns were fresh too; the shell separated readily from the succulent meat.

I used to love the No Signboard Chili Crabs but the standard has fallen. The Chili Crab at Crab Party has the same problems as No Signboard. I thought it to lack the chili oomph. It's ok if you don't take the spice but i like them hot. One tip for ordering Chili Crab is to go for the female crabs because the roe adds a richer flavor to the gravy. It could be creamier depending on how cooked the roe is.

Surprisingly, the not-so-good Pepper Crab (as claimed by my friend) turned out to be really tasty. I started out eating Black Pepper Crabs when i was a kid and this really brings back those wonderful grubby memories of finger licking goodness. This really packs a punch with the spicy black pepper. They may have gone a little overboard with the salt but the condensed black gravy complements the sweet and juicy chunks of meat. I like it better than the Chili one. 

Highlight of the night was definitely the Salted Egg Yolk Crab. This flavor has overtaken Chili as my must order at seafood restaurants. There is a hint of either milk powder or condensed milk in this one to give it the sweet creamy texture. I like that there is a substantial amount of gravy in this one and it is perfect with the fried man tous (S$1 for 1 big bun).

The service was pretty slow. We were one of the first few customers on a Saturday night but we waited for more than 30 minutes in between our first and second dishes. By then we were starving already. The food came pretty fast after we highlighted that to our servers.

The crabs are worth a try over here. Again, people have been telling me Crab Party is better than the House of Seafood nearby. Shall give it a shot next time. Till then, enjoy the eye-feast!

Crab Party

100 Yio Chu Kang Road 

Singapore 545576

Tel: +65 6288 8588

Daily: 11.30am - 2.30pm, 5pm - 1am

Bali is known for its island getaway and it draws in the crowd from all over the world. Australians especially love her for the surfs and you'd see all the tanned bodies on bikes scooting around the Kuta area. Weary couples or individuals looking to recharge have found peace and balance in the many secluded villas in the Seminyak area.

This time round, we decided to simply luxe it and went with Alila Villas Soori, an extremely isolated 5 star villa in the SouthWest coast of Bali; a good 1.5-2h drive from Denpasar, Indonesia. We went on dirt tracks and cut through padi fields before finally arriving at the exclusive black sand fronted, Indian Ocean facing villas.

The service and hospitality was warm and impeccable. We chose the Indulgent in villa service: 24-hour personalized butler services to deliver our every whim. The hostess addressed us by our names and showed us around the 2 Bedroom Beachfront pool villa. This is a unique configuration because those that are advertised on their website are the 1,3 and 10BR. You can make your request at a premium of course. A typical 1 BR beachfront villa is 156sqm, each with private pool and outdoor pavilion. There is also direct access to the beach, which is just a few steps away.

Alila really aims to please their guests. All our preferences were noted prior to our arrival. Movies, music and reading materials of our choice were loaded in the living room. S went overboard with his pillow choices and we had 8 pillows on our king sized Ploh bed with 300 thread count linen and duvet.

I really enjoyed the bathroom amenities: a complete range of superior quality locally-sourced organic ingredients Alila bathroom amenities specially made for HIM (lemon grass and black pepper) and HER (mandarin, lemon grass and rose geranium). I thoroughly enjoyed my bubble bath in the huge ass bathtub in the room. It sits 4 comfortably and proved to be a little too big for the petite me.

Sunscreen, tanning oil, cooling gel and moisturizer were nice touches that enabled us to enjoy our beach holiday (though i was still burnt). I carried them around in the nicely woven brown beach bag provided and the pretty huge beach hat provided some respite from the rays.

When one is at such a luxurious villa, there is simply no need to get out. You shouldn't really. A day should be spent lounging at the infinity pool, submerged in the water day beds to escape the heat. We had fun on the black power volcanic sand beach and the grains are like a million speckles of bright lights under the sun. We chased the 3m tall waves far out into the ocean, trying to catch a surf. If you please, get on horseback and ride into the sunset.

Meals are served at the 3 restaurants- Cotta and Ombak for the main meals and the Reading Room for a snack in between. We enjoyed the breakfast tasting menu at Cotta, which made us buttery croissants and fluffy pancakes, along with a good selection of cheeses and cold cuts. They also have the more substantial like Steak and Indonesian mains.

Dinner on the first night was a special BBQ buffet on the lawn. We had an enjoyable time watching the traditional Ramayana performance. The performers were mainly local fishermen, not full time singers. They do it for a token sum but the main purpose is to carry on the traditional arts. We also tried Cotta's dinner on another occasion and it wasn't too bad except for the failed souffle.

The other thing i love is the daily complimentary yoga class held at the yoga studio. It's a 1.5h session either in the morning or at dusk. I dragged S with me to a session and laughed while he struggled with some of the poses. It was practically a private session with the instructor since we were the only 2 who showed up. Uber zen moment. What's best is the sight that greeted us thereafter the session. I've never seen a sunset this beautiful. 

I love the beautiful play of natural lights in the skies and the reflection on the smooth black chalk canvas. The salmon pink is mirrored on the cool waters at the break of day and then a lovely purple at dusk. It was me and the world and nothing else mattered. That was my solitude. No one to interrupt the crashing of waves or the whisper of the wind. 

If you don't mind spending 500USD a night for a 1BR Beach Villa then this is the place to really get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Great place to throw an engagement or wedding as well with the availability of the 10BR private villa. If you prefer a less secluded spot, check out Alila Uluwatu in Bali as well.

Alila Villas Soori
Website: http://www.alilahotels.com/soori

I love my cocktails and i'm glad that bespoke cocktails are really starting to take off in Singapore. Guys often make fun of ladies and their cocktail drinks but with the flourishing of the scene, i guess that kinda shut their mouths about it. They are simply to delicious to resist.

That said, we still haven't gotten into the habit of getting a drink before or after our meals and hence i've been missing out on many a cocktail bars e.g. Maison Ikkoku, Nektar, Barkode, 5 Hong Kong etc. I was really psyched to see that Table Manners by One Thousand Tales (who also runs Cafe Fables and Bar Stories) is introducing their cocktails with hearty Western dishes in the East.

We chanced upon this new venture in Changi City Point, one of our lazy weekend hangouts. Table Manners is a full-fledged restaurant revolving around the communal dining concept. There is this huge snaking N-shaped table in the middle of the restaurant. What's really cool is the tongue-in-cheek table mats that highlights the various eating quirks in Singapore. There is one on 1h power lunches and another on the rules of dating at the dining table. I was nagging at S about using his phone during our meals and that was also covered on the chic black mats. They act as good conversation starters for dates (or NOT).

Bespoke Cocktails are served by sister Bar Stories. Drinks are standard price cooler (S$12/16). Drinks are categorized under the different tastes as per their original cocktail joint- Sweet, Sour, Spicy, Bitter and Gentlemen. It's really a lot more convenient to order drinks by my mood. I'm usually Sweet. ;)

I had the Rosemary cooler while S had the Mai Thai. The presentation of the Rosemary cooler couldn't be more spectacular with the flaming diesel poured onto the rosemary. According to the bartender of the night, the scent of the herb contributes to the overall drinking experience as well. These are some strong drinks and extremely tasty. It is easy to get high on these without knowing.

I wanted the signature Angus Ribeye Steak (S$20) but they ran out of steaks! Darn me and my indecisiveness. I spent the night spying on the lady who placed her order before me. It was like she was taunting me as she slowly enjoyed her juicy and nicely grilled steak. :(

I ordered the Three Little Pigs (S$15) in the end. I was worried that the breaded pork cutlet would be too dry but it was juicy and succulent and very substantial. I also like the combination of the different flavors on my plate- a tangy and slightly spicy garlic aioli, creamy and buttery mash potato and the refreshing citrus sauce on the salad instead of the usual vinaigrette. Very satisfying dish i must say.

S had the healthier Norwegian Baked Salmon (S$20) which was lightly flavored in miso cream sauce. The salmon was nicely done though i would prefer it to be a little more moist. This buttered mash potato is creamier than the one served with the pork cutlet. 

Other western staples include Fish&Chips, burgers and other meat dishes. Table Manners also does some seafood items like Kebabs and Mussels. Would certainly be hanging out here more often to escape the Town crowd on weekends. With great food and great drinks, life can't get better than this.

Table Manners
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
The Oasis #01-68/69, Changi City Point
Singapore 486038
Daily: 11.30am - 12am

The Father of the Third Wave Coffee Movement, Papa Palheta, has started a new cafe called Chye Seng Huat Hardware. This cooler than thou coffee joint has only been opened for a month or so and has been drawing in coffee affectionados, yuppies and indie wannabes despite its rather inaccessible location. Then again, it's a smart way of picking their target audience as seen by the number of Golfs, Minis and Audis scrambling for lots, looking a little out of place in the traditionally cheena estate of Jalan Besar.

True to its Papa Palheta beginnings, this coffee bar could be easily missed by the untrained hippie eyes (the entrance is not by the store-front but through the tow-away sign by the side). The owners have kept the decor true to the heritage of the site and area with with the traditional facade that is in line with the rest of the shophouses. The Art Deco facility is touched up with modern and sleek lines while embracing the use of the industrious steel bars, grills and sheets. Thank god for this. I'm getting sick of all that "Scandinavian brick walls" already.

CSHH is their flagship store of Papa Palheta, the largest of the 3 outlets. This 8000sqft compound houses not only the coffee bar, it is practically a school for coffee education. Other than serving novices the flawless coffee, CSHH aims to enlighten your taste buds and open your eyes to a world of aromatic beans through 3 levels: The Roastery, the Annex and the C-Platform. Watch the magic begins with the transformation of the fresh beans to roasted brown seeds at the Roastery.

Be treated to an exclusive tasting at the Annex (three-course session which includes coffee and light bites for $23). Satisfy your inner chemist geek at the C-Platform, where you learn more about the state-of-the-art coffee gadgets, apparatus and machines. 

For the DIY nut in you, grab the V60 filters, Chemex sets, espresso machines, beans and all by Papa (single origins and blends) off the grill and wood racks. If that is not your cup of coffee, sit back and relax as you hang out around the first 360-degree coffee bar in Singapore while the barristers grind and steam it for your cuppa. The signature Terra Firma blend is used in espresso based drinks (S$4 onwards), as well as single origin ones. Or go for the cold brew coffee(not iced)(S$7), served in a cough syrup bottle (really cool) or a coffee beer (S$7.50+), a special concoction by Jungle Beer and Papa.

What really excited me was the food. I'm really more of a cafe than a coffee person and the food really kinda makes or breaks a place for me. The 10 item menu which includes a mix of sweets and savories (not inclusive of the desserts rack at the counter), is carefully conceptualized. Extensive thought and effort has gone into planning this as compared to the pathetic offerings at Loysel's Toy.

The Patrick's Platter (S$16) is lovingly presented on a wooden board and has all my favorite meats: Pork rillette, duck terrine and parma ham. Everything works, down to the sweet-ish pickles and zesty tomato bruschetta sides. The pate is a smooth butter that glides onto the airy and slightly salty muffin like panini? bread. I tasted a hint of salted egg yolk. Don't ask me how but it's awesome. 

The Smoked Salmon Sandwich with cream cheese, onion and capers (S$11) was also a delight. Love the succulent smoked slices of pink meat that is contrasted by spurts of citrus from the capers. Or if you want something more substantial, go for the beef or chicken patties. They look like a carnivore's dream. 

Do save some space for the tea cakes on display. The Hazelnut ginger tea cake (S$3) is an interesting combination which surprisingly worked well together. The salty buttery crumble top gives way to a moist and sweet bottom with a hint of spice in the ginger chunks. Gotta have this really. The chocolate cake is also a hot favorite, along with the madeleines.

There really isn't a better place to be educated on coffee in Singapore right now. Even if you are not that into coffee, this is still the place to flaunt your pretentious self while you enjoy the food on offer. Chye Seng Huat Hardware is the place to see and be seen and it's at the top of my cafe list right now. Peace.


Chye Seng Huat Hardware
150 Tyrwhitt Road
Singapore 207563
Tel : +65 6396 0609
Tue-Thu: 9am-7pm
Fri-Sun: 9am-10pm

It's the weekends again and the problem with waking up late is that all the popular brunch places would be packed. Especially so in the coveted Tiong Bahru cafe enclave. You can forget about getting a seat unless you have 1. a reservation 2. you are willing to wait. If you are unwilling to do either of the above and still want to bask in the indie ambience of Tiong Bahru, PoTeaTo may be able to satisfy your hunger pangs.

Opened 2 months ago, this minimalistic chic Tiong Bahru eatery specialises in potato-based dishes and brewed teas, hence the name PoTeaTo. Pick from a selection of hand-cut chips (made from US Russet potatoes) to sweet potato fries that are freshly cut and deep fried and then wash the oiliness down with a pot of freshly brewed tea. Well, at least that's what owner Debra Chan wants you to do a la cheena style.

Call me a stick in a mud but my stomach and taste buds are traditionalist when it comes to certain meals and food types. English tea with cakes and scones; Brunch with latte. The comforting combination is my food security blanket and i wouldn't wanna mess with that. Hail the tummy god. 

But if you're really concerned about the 'heatiness' from the brown paper bag full of yummy chips served with nacho cheese and salsa; 'Cool' yourself down with the tea (S$7.80/pot). Locally sourced, there are several interesting blends like Raspberry mint, Peach, Oolong Berry and Persian Apple & Ginger. The Genmai Cha blended with popcorn and roasted sesame sounds like a dessert in itself.

I would have the Sweet Potato fries if i were there for a tea time snack or lunch but eggs are my brunch staple and i have to make space for that. The Brekkie Platter (S$16.80) for the greedy me. Pork sausages with sauteed spinach and mushrooms, scrambled eggs and hash. 

The eggs were sufficiently moist and flavored (just a dash of cracked pepper, no need for salt) but it could do with a lil more butter or cream. The first taste of the sausages was quite satisfying with the herbs blend in the mix but it had a rather powdery texture to it. I thought the sauteed mushrooms and spinach were too oily. I was expecting the English kinda spinach to be tossed with a light vinaigrette but this is the overcooked Chinese sort. NOOOOO! I left that untouched obviously. The hash was a deep fried crunchiness and i surprised myself by finishing most of it. 

The healthy conscious could go for the Baked All American B'fast (S$14.80) which is a mix of hash, bacon, baked beans, eggs and cubed fluffy toast all in a ramekin. It's not a fantastic dish for it is simply a mix of the regular items. The baked bean sauce is simply not the thing to gel the separate ingredients for it is too weak and diluted in taste and obviously too commercial. Well, at least it's not oily. 

There are 4 weekend brunch sets in all (S$14.80 - 16.80) and each is served with brewed coffee/tea and juice. W was amused at the use of the cocoa powder to create the coffee art. Well.. not everyone can do latte designs. The coffee was adequate but not comparable to FortyHands. It is not PoTeaTo's intention to compete with their next door neighbors on Yong Siak. Perhaps they should do what Open Door Policy does, get their coffee from them.

PoTeaTo was awfully quiet during the Sunday brunch hour whereas the other cafes were packed. I suppose publicity hasn't been drummed up yet. Average food but at least it's well priced and very relaxing in fact (thanks to the lack of customers). However, i think they need to up the ante with the potato based dishes. It does seem like the brown fellas are still sides dishes rather than main courses. That said, I'll be back to give the fries a shot after my brunch at Tiong Bahru Bakery perhaps.

PoTeaTo
78 Yong Siak Street

#01-18 Tiong Bahru Estate
Tel: +65 6221 2488
Tue-Fri: 11am-10pm
Sat: 10am-10pm
Sun: 10am-9pm

There is simply too much to love about Tiong Bahru: the restored walk up apartments, mix of old and new, traditions and modern styles, indie boutiques and cafes. With the opening of Tiong Bahru Bakery by Monsieur Gontran Cherrier, i'm finding it hard to spread my lovin because this one has won my heart. 

Tiong Bahru Bakery is the first overseas tie up for Gontran, one of the top baker in Paris, celebrity chef and published author, with the Spa Esprit Group to provide artisan bakes in Singapore. How they managed to convince him, i don't know, but as long as i'm getting my buttery croissants, i honestly don't care.

The 40-seater bakery churns out freshly baked breads, pastries and sandwiches by the minute. They have to, or they wouldn't be able to feed the hungry human chain that snakes around the shop. No worries, the queue moves extremely fast but you will have a problem getting a seat with people chilling out with their croissant and coffee by Forty Hands.

If you are there to have brunch, i would suggest you order a sandwich or pick from the selection of open-face focaccia as a main. An interesting sandwich would be the Squid Ink Bun with Smoked Salmon and Ham (S$6.50). I sampled the bread but there wasn't any hint of the smoky ink but the presentation of the black buns with generous slices of meat is definitely appealing.

People have been raving about the croissant at TBB, claiming it to be the best in town. But this skinnyfat girl says the hidden gem is the Kouign Amann (S$3.50). If you like salted butter, caramel and pastry, you would love this! Eating this is like unwrapping a present. The exterior is flaky and crisp with the caramelized sugar bits. I thought i was eating Garrett's Caramel popcorn. As you unravel the buttery swirls, the delicate insides is moist, pillowy and a little salty. It's everything i want in a dish and more.

Being my greedy self, i ordered the Chocolate Almond Croissant (S$3.50) instead of the plain one. Duh! It has all my favorite fillings even though that compromised on the classic croissant texture. I have no issues with the taste of the minced up almond nut paste and chocolate bits but there isn't enough chocolate and it's not spread around evenly. If you have a sweet tooth, this is it for you. Should have tried the plain or chocolate croissant though.

Will be back for more bakes and the Kouign Amann is definitely on my must eat list. If Tiong Bahru is a little out of the way for you, they also have a centrally located branch at Raffles City Shopping Center. It may not be as fresh but it's still a good option for lazy folks out there. Enjoy your afternoon tea!

Tiong Bahru Bakery
56 Eng Hoon Street, #01-70
Tel: +65 6220 3430

Hours: 8am-8pm (Closed Tue)