Taratata Bistrot is a charming little French restaurant along Keong Saik Road which I've been meaning to try for sometime. I finally made time for it when i saw that it was on the Restaurant Week listing (yes i'm slow in updating) and it was only $25 for a 3 course meal. The prices are very reasonable even if you didn't make the RW bookings though.
We were served starters from their regular menu, which is a good thing i feel. I hate it when restaurants serve a completely different (usually substandard) menu for RW. That kinda deters repeat visits especially if the food sucks.

The Half Dozen of Snails Baked in Herbed Garlic Butter ($25). I found the escargots to be succulent and well flavored with garlic herbs. 

The Baked Eggs Casserole with Duck Gizzard Confit and Mushrooms ($24) had nice runny eggs that are best soaked up with the delicious baguette Taratata serves. Generous pieces of foie gras were swimming in the eggs but i thought they would be better seared first before thrown into the ramekin.

Even though the mains were not from the regular menu, we were very happy with our dishes. The Salmon Coulibiac with Watercress Butter Sauce was lovely! The puff pastry was buttery and flaky and the salmon was cooked to a nice pink. 

The Pan Roasted Kurobuta Pork Tenderloin with Mustard sauce was done simply to allow diners a taste of the tender and non fatty meat. It's the first time i thought that pork could taste so clean and healthy. K thought it was a little too bland though.

Dessert was the highlight of the meal! The Baked Chocolate Tart with Crisp, Caramel sauce and Ginger bread ice cream was out of this world. The crunchy tart held the intense chocolate lava and the pastry skin twirl made us twirly whirly in our seats as we devoured the dish without speaking (but we did make a lot of oooohs and aaaahhhhs. God they need to put this on their menu.

Service was attentive and quick, maybe because they wanted us out fast for their second lunch service. If you're up for some quick lunch, Taratata Bistrot does a 40 minutes Lunch Express at $25 which includes a soup and a main course. 

For a more leisurely lunch, there's the $30 2-course set lunch and they also serve a 3 course set meal for $38. I'd recommend Taratata Bistrot for a charming and affordable French meal.

Taratata Bistrot

35A Keong Saik Road Singapore 089142

Tel: +65 6221 4506

Wed-Fri, Sun Lunch: 11.30am - 2.30pm
Tue- Sun Dinner: 5.30pm - 11pm
Closed Mon

I rather enjoyed my meal at Jamie's Italian the last time despite all that noise about how their food isn't good. Trust me that's not true (read my review here). This time I headed back to sample more from the updated menu and they added another 14 items.
Starters first. The Cauliflower and Parmesan fritters ($12.50) were simply amazing. I swear cauliflowers are the best replacement for potatoes in mash! These creamy and cheesy cauliflower croquettes were fried to a golden crisp, garnished with crispy sage and finished with a fiery Arabiatta sauce. I had to finish this one! The Italian Spiced Chicken Wings ($12.50) didn't do too well though. The char grilled spicy wings were piquant but bland and a little dry. (Sorry the lighting was way too dim so no pics!)

It was a lasagne dreaming for me since I tasted the fabulous Jamie's lasagne with squash (I've a weakness for pumpkin!). Well... The Pumpkin Tortilini ($13/ $22) wasn't quite exciting enough. The pasta skin was too thick and that overshadowed the pumpkin-ricotta filling. The sauce had an oily mouthfeel as well. I'd say stick with the lasagne while it's still around.

Thankfully, the pasta portion of the meal was salvaged by the beautiful Truffle Tagliatelle ($15/ $23). The sheets were cooked to perfection and emulsified with a lovely sauce of truffle cream, vegetable stock and butter, finished with grated Parmesan, truffle oil, grated nutmeg and shaved black truffles. Simple but perfectly luxurious. The dish was served a little cold though (hmmm) but we still enjoyed it tremendously.

For mains, we had the Baked Salmon ($23.50), a Norwegian Salmon coated with a semolina crust, pan fried in olive oil and finished in the oven. The whipped ricotta mixed with horseradish, lemon and mint was simply amazing with the fish and the spring greens.

The delicious memory of the Prime Rib caused me to order the Rump Steak ($28.50) just to see if it would be better. Well, i concluded that i don't like this cut because it's tougher. Well fatty wagyu is still my favorite i guess. Skinny fries are served on the side with rosemary salt.

If you're a porky fan, try the Jamie's Italian Signature Porchetta which is a slow cooked pork belly filled with herbs, garlic and spices with fennel crackling. Regretted not ordering this. :(

For desserts, skip the Chocolate and Espresso Profiteroles ($9.50) which was a boring and grainy choux puff stuffed with Chantilly cream. The ice cream was icy as well. I took some obligatory bites because the chocolate sauce was rather decent. 
An interesting dessert is the Rippled Pavolova ($11.50) which had a crispy light exterior and a slight chewy center. Jamie's version is topped with macerated berries, smashed hazelnut praline and finished with honey cress and lemon zest. Great contrast with the sweet meringue. However, I found parts with sugar clumps. Meh. I swear i will order the Brownie and Tiramisu next time!

For drinks, remember to skip the Ginger Beer. L didn't wanna listen to me and she regretted. The Amalfi Lemon and Basil Iced Tea ($5.50/$15) and Homemade Italian Lemonade (same price) are better options. Not that much faith in their cocktails. 

With regular changes to the menu and extensive options, it's hard not to find something you like at Jamie's Italian. So head on down for a decent and hearty meal. Thank you Jamie's Italian for having me! 

Jamie's Italian
1 Harbourfront Walk #01 165-167, VivoCity
Tel: +65 6733 5500
Sun - Thu: 12pm - 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm - 11pm

The best time to visit the hairstylist is during the earlier part of the week because everyone is feeling the depression from the weekends (i wonder why). So off i headed to Silkcut Salon to update my hair color after the previous water rebonding session (read about it here).

The supposedly ash hair that wasn't done properly by another salon. Doreen was in charge of making sure that i get a fresh and even coat.

The plan was to bleach my hair but only the top section so that i'll get a nice contrast. It's been some time since i last bleached my hair. I'm not a fan because it's kinda damaging for the hair but the Silkcut team reassured me that it'd be fine, especially after my water rebonding treatment.

Bleaching in progress.

You can get a glimpse of my super blonde hair here. We went with ash for the entire head. The bleaching would allow the ash color to show better.

The final product!

Love how my hair is still silky and soft. The good thing about the bleaching is that my fringe is not so flat anymore! You can also see the darker ash peeking from the bottom.

Better contrast in this one. Absolutely loving the color. Ash fades rather easily but the contrast is greater now. You'd know if you follow me on Instagram (check it out here). The bleaching is about $108 and it's another $108 for coloring (director price).

Silkcut Salon

22 Havelock Road #01-693, Singapore 160022

Tel: +65 6275 6108

Weekdays: 11am - 8pm

Weekends and PH: 11am - 7pm

Spring is here! Ok i'm a little late but you know it's still spring somewhere because of global warming. Anyhow, it's just an excuse to celebrate and where better to do so but at Brasserie Les Saveurs, St. Regis Singapore. Chef Fabrice Passicos has handcrafted some seasonal spring creations which is available till mid June 2014 which i really enjoyed. Here's a look at the dinner degustation menu!

We started with the Amuse Bouche of Yellowfin Tuna Tataki served with a ripe mango and green pea pate, star anise-red wine honey and Shiso Cress. Refreshing flavors in this one. I like the tangy red wine honey.

The fish went well with the delicious Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne, NV.

We moved on to a Light Morel Veloute and Foie Gras Custard, Herb Brioche Toast and Morel Dumpling. The foie gras custard at the bottom is really rich and tasty and the creamy and intense mushroom sauce was simply amazing. Well Cheryl had to work so she couldn't drink but i imagine this would be perfect with the French, Viognier, Domaine Gerard Bertrand 2012.

Love this dish but one may be overwhelmed with the robust flavors in this one. No issues for me of course.

This the season for White Asparagus and we had these European ones with poached sweet shrimps simply done with dill oil. Served with a cheesy hollandaise sauce that was a little weak for me but this hit all the classic spring flavors easily.

Something light and equally refreshing was the Oven Baked Pacific Cod with warm leek and cauliflower vichyssoise picked parsley, shimeiji mushrooms and fresh salmon roe. I liked how the pickled mushrooms added a little zing to the light tasting dish. Paired with the French Sancerre Pascal Jolivet 2011.

The plat de résistance, a heavenly Grilled Medium Spring Lamb Cutlets, served with sauteed potatoes, sweet rhubard compote, with spring vegs and garden herbs. The lamb was amazingly tender and juicy and the sweet and sour compote was a perfect complement to the red meat.

Lastly, the Fresh Strawberries Crepes Romanov. These berries are flambeed with fresh black pepper and fine vodka and aromatised with 100 years old Grand Manier (which is locked in the safe at all times). It doesn't look pretty but it tasted pretty fine! Served with a homemade pistachio ice cream and of course, concluded with a Chilean Concha y Toro Late Harvest 2011.

The full degustation menu also includes the cheese trolley (love) and coffee/tea.

The spring creations at Brasserie Les Saveurs are offered as special a la carte selections daily for lunch (12-3pm) and dinner (7-10pm). The degustation menu is only available for dinner and you could choose from a 5 course ($148) or 7 Course ($168) and add another $60 for wine pairing. Celebrate spring at BLS today!

Brasserie Les Saveurs

The St. Regis Singapore

29 Tanglin Road Singapore 247911

Tel: +65 6506 6860

Finally checked out The Fabulous Baker Boys at the foothills of Fort Canning. I've been meaning to pop by for a while but the lack of air conditioning was a put off and when i finally decided to go, they were closed for a long renovation! Well but guess what, The Fabulous Baker Boys are back, WITH AC! And DAILY BRUNCH! And they take reservations now too (we were chided for not making reservations when we went)! Is that FAB or what?

I'm obviously easily distracted by desserts. Zoomed in on that immediately before i could even pay attention to the menu. Ok let's attempt to start with brunch first.

TFBB Champion Breakfast is a massive plate of food for the hungry. 2 perfectly poached eggs served on a toasted brioche, roasted rosemary potatoes, garlicky mushrooms, swirly sage chicken sausage and a side of beef bacon. Honestly how do you finish this?! What i was more curious about was they perfect such nice egg spheres. The sauce was not explosive to be honest but the whole combination was very comforting. Nice starchy potato cubes that are crispy at the skin. The beef bacon taste like savory bak kwa.  

The Croque Monsieur ($12.50) came as a stack of toasted broiche, chicken ham and cheese and then topped with a baked cheesy béchamel. As usual, i made it a Madame with an added sunny side up for $3. A creamy cheesy dream that could do with a little more moisture i felt. The porous brioche drank up my egg yolk before i knew it.

The hot favorite was the 3 Cheese Pancake made using Cheddar, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. This was cheesy and mushy in an awesome way and even had a slightly crispy exterior. The combination with the sweet maple was a match made in heaven. Who knew.

Moving to the heartier dishes.

Chili Crab Mac & Cheese ($18) made with mini elbow macaroni tossed in a cheesy béchamel, with lumps of chilli crab meat and topped with herbed Panko (japanese breadcrumbs). The flavors were not spectacularly robust but anything more would have worked in its disadvantage. Great savory dish that was devoured within minutes. I would have preferred a bigger macaroni though.

Ju’s Prawn Pasta ($20) is a tiger prawn pappardelle cooked in a secret crustacean cream. I thought the sauce was heavy on cream but too light on the seasoning so there was an oily mouthful without the appropriate flavors.

Now back to the cakes! We were sufficiently stuffed but couldn't resist these sweet treats. Prices are $8 upwards.

We settled for the Apple Cider Cake which was deliciously moist and light tasting. The Red Velvet Cake with Valrhona chocolate frosting ($9) was just so so for me, so was the Iced Latte ($5.40).

We enjoyed the food at The Fabulous Baker Boy. Fab food BUT the service was no where near fab. Honestly what's with the attitude that we received the whole time we were there? They had problems  with our big group (we also had 2 kids with us), my additional side order of eggs (don't you dare roll your eyes at me) and even with the kids. I only discounted the bad service because i was too engrossed with my pancakes but honestly they really need to work on their service. The young girl (probably a part timer) was way more helpful to us than the men.

So yea, decent brunch spot but snotty service by the dudes. Head there if you can take that attitude.

The Fabulous Baker Boy
70 River Valley Road #01-15, The Foothills, Fort Canning

(Just opposite Liang Court)
Tel: +65 6694 8336
Tue - Thu: 11am - 10pm
Fri - Sat: 11am - 11pm

Sun: 9am - 5pm

Slowly checking items off my cafe list and this one is Drury Lane at Tanjong Pagar Road. 

Do not be deceived by the crowded 1st level, i was deterred once but decided head on back to check them out. The cafe spans 2 storeys so head on upstairs to escape the oily food smells as cooking and brewing are all done in that little space. Oh but do note that you gotta come down to place your orders still. 

It was a terribly hot day and we headed up to level 2 as W had already gotten us a reservation. I was hoping for a cool reprieve from the crazy heat but there was none. The AC was super weak and hardly cooled the heated 2nd storey of the shophouse. It was obvious that they have issues with the power rating as well because we had 2 blackouts in the short span of an hour.

and there i have a model (no i don't know him)

Well brunch was meant to be a birthday gathering for Cliff and i felt so bad for suggesting Drury at that point. It was also impossible to hear each other because the acoustics were terrible. Throw in 20 other people and it's just deafening. Not a good place for a date certainly.

So i had the Iced Mocha because it was simply too hot to have a hot drink. The drink was pretty good imo with melted chocolate instead of bottled syrup and it didn't overpower the mellow coffee. 

We had one of the specials which is the Garlic toast with sausage patties, sauteed mushrooms, spinach and truffle scrambled eggs ($18). This was the best savory dish out of the lot due to the garlic spread i guess. Scrambled eggs were too runny in my opinion and that sausage patty was just a joke with its bland flavor and dry nature. Eeks. For $18, it's not quite worth it. I've just had the pulled duck with apricot croissant at Symmetry and it was way better than this at the same price.

The sandwiches are at least decently priced at about $8 ish. The Steak and Cheese Sandwich was supposed to be awesome but they didn't have that when we visited. The Smoked Salmon and Mushroom alternative were just alright.

DO NOT EAT the Sausage Baked Eggs ($12) with spinach, homemade baked beans and cheese. We saw that familiar cardboardish sausage patty. Well this pot of food is terribly bland and pedestrian. I'm sure i make better stuff than this. I thought the baked beans were more canned than homemade though.  

Maybe try the Cloud 9.4 which is bacon infused pancakes with honey if you please.

Well, would i go back to Drury Lane? Not for the food certainly. But the desserts were quite divine. Not to sure about the 'Pay as you wish' muffins but the Banana Bread with Espresso Butter ($2.50) had W and i takeaway a portion each.

The moist bread with chunks of banana was naturally sweetened and i'm glad they didn't add more sugar. The espresso butter wasn't that good because it was oily (not the good kinda butter way) and lacked espresso flavor.
The Carrot cake was also one of the best i've had as well. It's of medium density but very well flavored with spice. We liked that there wasn't too much cream cheese because they didn't ice the sides but those between the layers were just sufficient for the added flavors and moisture.

Verdict of Drury Lane- I may drop by again for the sweets and a quick drink but certainly not for the food.

Drury Lane
94 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088515
+65 62226698
Weekdays: 8.30am - 9pm
Weekends: 10am - 6pm