One on the Bund

C says:

I know atetoomuch usually only reviews places that A and I go to together, but I had a company lunch at One on the Bund today and we figured since it’s highly unlikely that the two of us will ever go there on our own, this might be the only chance for atetoomuch to do a review on it.


One on the Bund is located at the newly refurbished Clifford Pier building. I must say the architects and interior designers did a wonderful job restoring the interior of the previously crummy building. The entire building is now the restaurant, and they’ve fitted it out beautifully. It would be a fabulous place to entertain foreign visitors, especially when the IR is completed. Right now you do get a view – just of the IR construction site. The restaurant itself is quite well designed, with many different semi-private dining areas rather than just one big dining room.

Our group of 20 had 2 tables of 10, and we had one of their set menus. I think ordinarily the food is served family style, but if you request like we did, they can serve individually plated portions. I’m quite impressed that they took the trouble to present the individual servings properly plated. They could just as easily have shown us the whole dish, then dumped individual portions onto standard china plates.


The first course was a trio of asparagus dipped in sesame seeds, scallop with pomelo and yuzu sauce, and a vegetable roll with beancurd skin. I found everything a little tasteless, and the scallops tasted slightly fishy too.


Next up was a fish broth with sliced fish, chives and mushroom. Again, the first mouthful was a bit bland, and it benefited greatly from some pepper and black vinegar. The portion was huge – no matter how much we ate, there was still more in the bowl. It was good but it really filled us up.


The set actually comes with a choice of beef tenderloin or their signature crispy lamb ribs. I was looking forward to the latter, but because it was a company do, we had to change the meat dish to a more universally accepted option, i.e. the soya sauce chicken. Everyone got the same portion – shredded meat, and a perfunctory chicken wing. I have a weakness for any kind of soya sauce chicken, so no complaints here.


Next up was the chilli and fennel prawns, and the fried fish fillet with salted egg yolk. I like anything that’s prepared with salted egg yolk so the fish was right up my alley. The prawn wasn’t too bad but general consensus was that it was pretty spicy. I, however, chomped on some of the dried chilli for more heat…


By the time the tofu and vegetable dish arrived we were quite full, which was a pity because I thought the vegetables were done very well. The stock was subtle yet tasty, and the broccoli was cooked perfectly.


Being a Shanghainese restaurant, I had high hopes for both their xiao long baos and their home-made noodles. Both were unfortunately a let-down. The skin for the xiao long bao was really thick, and there wasn’t enough soup in each of them. The meat inside was well seasoned, though. As for the noodles, maybe we were just too full by then, but I found them way too thick and starchy. For most of us at the table, one mouthful was all we could handle.


The meal ended on a high note with dessert. We were presented with 2 platters containing 5 different desserts each, ranging from a red bean and green tea panna cotta-esque pudding, a chocolate orange mousse, chocolate cake with lemon curd, vanilla mousse with crème brulee, and blueberry cheese cake. No one at our side of the table wanted the red bean one, so I selflessly chose it and to my surprise it was actually pretty good. It was a nice, clean, subtle flavour to end the meal.

Having finally tried the food, I must admit that it hasn’t convinced me to bring A here separately. The set menu we had was $888++ for 10 persons, and at almost $100 per person, I expect the food to wow me. Well, the ambience certainly did, but the food itself was at best above average.

If A were there, he’d say:

I don’t do none of that Chinese food. Give me Subway any day.

A really says:

C never brings me anywhere nice anymore. The magic is gone...

One on the Bund
80 Collyer Quay
Clifford Pier
Tel: 6221-0044
Lunch: 12pm - 3pm
Dinner: 6pm - 11pm

Udders

C says:

Finally! An ice cream joint that keeps their durian ice cream segregated from the rest of the flavours! Udders gets my support purely for this reason alone. They have 3 display units in total – 1 for the durian flavours (2 different types of durian), 1 for the regular flavours, and 1 for the alcohol-spiked ‘adult’ flavours.

Udders first opened near United Square, and recently opened right next door to Don Quijote at Lorong Kilat. Despite being totally stuffed on Sunday afternoon after the Don Quijote buffet, we dropped in just to see what flavours they had to offer. The server was really friendly, offering us tastes of almost all the flavours even though we said we were too full and promised to return.

The alcohol flavours pack a serious punch; definitely not for kids, or even folks like A with a low alcohol tolerance. The rum and raisin I tried was more rum than anything, and A tried a seriously spiked Baileys & Bourbon too.

The one flavour I’m definitely going back for is the Kick S Salt Caramel (or something like that). Come on, with a name like that, how can I resist?! It’s essentially a burnt caramel with a hint of salt, and I was sold by just one taste. A ended up getting a rather interesting flavour combining vanilla ice cream, honeycomb pieces and chocolate chips. The richness and texture of the ice cream is somewhat in between gelato and Island Creamery, and certainly better than Daily Scoop. We’re definitely going pop by after our next visit to Don Quijote.

A says:

I’d recommend this place just cause they keep their durian in a separate kelvinator so the horrid taint of durian doesn’t spread to the other flavours. Having said that, I really didn’t find any of the other flavours to my taste, not even the Vanilla Beanz. The very friendly staff kept offering samples to me and out of shear paiseh-ness, I went with the Snickers Bar with Honey flavour.

Udders
17 Lorong Kilat
#01-08 Kilat Court
Tel: 6466-1055
Sunday to Thursday: 12 noon – 11 pm
Fri, Sat and eve of Pub Hol: 12 noon to 12 midnight
www.udders.com.sg

Don Quijote (Sunday brunch buffet)

C says:

We decided to try Don Quijote’s a la carte Sunday brunch buffet - $33 for unlimited orders from a selection of 20 tapas; $48 with free-flow sangria. I decided to treat myself with the sangria option, but A had the standard.

The selection for the buffet is definitely much more limited than the a la carte menu. It may be good value for money, but I can safely say that with the exception of the chicken wings, I wouldn’t order any of the dishes on the buffet menu on a regular visit. The 2 best dishes from our last visit – the long beans with Serrano ham and the squid ink pasta – both didn’t feature in the brunch menu.


Anyway, I can’t deny that it’s a pretty good deal nonetheless. Some of the better options include the garlic mushrooms, the prawns wrapped with eggplant and the asparagus wrapped with bacon. I only managed 2 glasses of sangria, one red and one white, and while they were slightly watered down, that’s actually how I like my sangria – like a glorified fruit punch, heh.

Rather than stuffing ourselves for less than spectacular dishes, knowing full well what the restaurant is capable of, next time we’ll just come back for the regular a la carte, and just order more selectively. Then at least we won’t be too full for some Udders ice cream from next door.

A says:

Good value for money. I’d recommend it if you’re hungry and don’t want the usual boring buffet spread. The place was fully booked when we went so it might be best if you call the night before to get a seat.

Don Quijote
17 Lorong Kilat #01-09
Tel: 6465-1811
Open Tuesday to Sunday
Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.00pm to 10.30pm
Sunday Brunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm
http://www.don-quijote-restaurants.com/

Purple Rose Cafe

C says:

We read about this cafe in Urban a few weeks ago, and happened to have some time to kill at Holland Village this afternoon. Unfortunately I’d forgotten both the name and exact address of the place, so we were wandering around the various blocks desperately trying to find it. We were almost ready to give up when we finally saw a cafe that looked a bit more posh than the surrounding shops. We walked in to see a blown-up version of the Urban article so we knew we were in the right place.

They sell 500g portions of their cakes for around $11, and they halve those portions into triangular slices for individual orders at around $5.80. We tried the classic Chocolate Fudge Cake, and I wanted the Strawberry Shortcake as well but they didn't have individual slices of that.


In my opinion, most places don’t serve their cakes at an optimum temperature. With the exception of mousse cakes or really light Chantilly cream cakes, most cakes benefit from being thawed at room temperature for at least 10 to 15 minutes before eating. That way, the cake has had a chance to regain its moistness, and the frosting reaches a nice creamy consistency.

This place is no different. The cake came straight from the fridge so it was a little hard and therefore, slightly dry. It got a bit better towards the end. I liked the fudge – it was slightly salty which was perfect for a lover of all things sweet-salty like me.

The good thing about the cafe is that for $3.80, you get free flow coffee. And not just a weak percolated brew either. They use a pretty decent coffee machine where you can select latte, cappuccino etc. I just hope this isn’t abused by customers who plonk themselves there all day with a book, and drink endless cups of coffee.

A says:

Not bad. Think it would be a nice place to chill over a cup of coffee and some cake.

Purple Rose Cafe
Block 42, Holland Drive
#01-91
Tel: 6775-9101
Monday to Saturday: 11 am to 6 pm
Public Holidays: 11 am to 3 pm
Closed Sundays

Quiznos

C says:

A was pretty psyched to find out that American sandwich chain Quiznos was going to open here, but it still took us quite a while before we finally made our way there on Monday to give it a try. The chain was brought to Singapore by the same folks that brought in Tully’s coffee, so both joints share the same premises at Far East Square.

We both ordered combo meals – I had a Turkey Ranch and Swiss with the chicken noodle soup, and A had a Classic Club with a chocolate chip cookie. Both combos also come with a soft drink.




I suppose a comparison to Subway is inevitable. Here are a few pros and cons of each:

Subway – variety of breads to choose from.
Quiznos – only white and whole wheat.

Subway – you can custom design your sub with various dressings, veges etc.
Quiznos – toppings and dressings are predetermined. However what I really liked about Quiznos is the free flow of various types of peppers, like Jalapeno and banana peppers, which added a great kick to the sandwich.

Subway – quality of ingredients themselves isn’t great.
Quiznos – prides itself on serving proper cuts of meat, no ‘mystery meats’. It shows, because the turkey in my sub was a lot tastier than at Subway.

The chicken noodle soup and chocolate chip cookie were both passable, but nothing to shout about. I have a feeling A still prefers Subway, but I think Quiznos has my vote based purely on taste.

And by the way, the latte at Tully’s sucks. Can you say weak?!

A says:

I had high hopes but was let down. I still prefer Subway. Funny story is that my ex-colleagues and I all swore off Subway when we were working on the account. (They were not very good clients.)

Erm, I guess all I can say is Cold Cut Trio on Parmesan Oregano with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Mustard and Mayo.

Quiznos
49 Pekin Street, #01-01 Far East Square
Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 3pm
Closed on Sundays

Tierney’s Cafe

C says:

Tierney’s, our trusty ‘neighbourhood’ grocer because of our weekend visits to Comics Mart, has just carved out a section of their shop space and turned it into a cosy little cafe. This is very no frills – they sell drinks, pastries like danishes, sausage rolls and chicken pies, and simple sandwiches that are either pre-made or can be made to order, using their existing array of cold cuts.


They also have a limited variety of hot food items, like fish and chips, all day breakfast and a daily special. When we went on Sunday the daily special was a pan fried soya sauce pork served with rice. The portion was quite small but it was right up my alley – pork belly drizzled with dark soy sauce and plain white rice. It was simple but surprisingly tasty.


A went with the all day breakfast – fried egg, chipolata sausages, baked beans, ham and bacon, served with 2 slices of white toast and butter. Again this was quite basic and old school but not bad if you’re looking for simple, hawker centre Western food-type breakfasts. And at least here you know the meats and sausages are Tierney’s quality.

In terms of variety and taste, this will never replace La Petite Cuisine downstairs, but on days when you just want a light bite and the offerings at La Petite are just too rich and heavy, Tierney’s Cafe isn’t a bad alternative.

A says:

I wouldn’t recommend the cooked-to-order stuff really. The portions are small for the price and taste average. The pastries at Tierney’s however have always been excellent. And overall, we’ll still probably add this to our viable dining options when we come to Serene Centre.

Also, as part of our austerity drive, I’m trying to convince C to do reviews of instant noodles (yes, after 7 months of unemployment, it has come to that). Leave a comment if you’re interested in reading that.

Tierney’s Cafe
#02-20 Serene Centre
Mon to Sat: 9 am to 8 pm
Sun: 9 am to 5 pm

Cafe d’Orient

C says:

So sorry for the radio silence. A’s been off serving the nation for the past 2 weeks, and to top it off, we’re also on somewhat of an austerity drive for various reasons, including our recent extravagant holiday. So you may hear less of us, or you’ll find us writing about slightly more modest establishments.


This cha chan teng in Sunset Way definitely fits the bill. We went there on Y’s recommendation and we were very pleasantly surprised. I judge every cha chan teng by its instant noodle dish – Streets (which now has branches at Raffles City and Liang Court) passes with flying colours, Xin Wang not so much. The one here was a soup version and it was much better than Xin Wang’s, and they were very generous with the ingredients, piling on ham, luncheon meat and an egg.


A had the pork chop baked spaghetti which was more his thing than mine, but not too bad all the same. It was a very no-frills, old-school dish – very much comfort food.


We also shared the mocha spare ribs, which were much better than expected. The meat was really juicy and tender, and the mocha flavour was distinctive yet not overpowering.

They’re currently having a 30% discount on all a la carte items, which works out to a very reasonable meal indeed. This place is definitely a viable option for when we want to eat out but don’t feel justified in splurging. Pity about the rather sad name.

A says:

The food’s pretty decent and the prices are reasonable. I’ll be back if I feel like some quick cha chan teng food in the area.

Cafe d’Orient
Block 106 Clementi St 12 (Sunset Way)
#01-38L (next to Rocky’s)
Tel: 6777-4680
Open daily: 11 am to 11 pm

Skinny Pizza

C says:

Skinny Pizza has its own outlet at Suntec City, but it’s also available at Barracks/House at lunchtime. Inspired by tissue pratas, these pizzas aren’t really your typical Italian pizzas. No tomato sauce, hardly any cheese and paper-thin crusts, these are more like giant crackers topped with salads.


We had the wild truffled mushroom pizza, which comes with shaved parmesan cheese and lots of rocket salad. This was quite tasty and because it was so light, felt quite healthy too. They’re pretty generous with the topping, but they must be subtly cutting back in other areas cos there was barely a hint of truffle.

It was even worse with the truffle fries that the accompanied the American Sliders we ordered. I’ve always been a fan of the truffle fries here, but after not being here for quite a few months, they were very underwhelming. Previously you could smell the aroma of the truffle oil as the plate approached, but today I had to eat about 5 fries before I could detect a faint trace of it.


We shared the churros as well, which pretty much undid any element of healthiness that the skinny pizza may have offered. Deep fried dough sprinkled with icing sugar, and dipped in a combination of chocolate and condensed milk. So much for our post-holiday diet.

A says:

Some friends have told me that they’ve had bad service here, but we’ve always been treated very well.

Food-wise, the skinny pizza wasn’t really my thing although I think I’ll try another topping before I make my final call. The churros were good but also didn’t blow me away.

Food For Thought

C says:

Oh dear... it’s taken us a year and a half from our last post on the red velvet cake to actually come here for ourselves to check out the food. We were here on a Friday night and it was pretty crowded. As a result it was quite noisy, and the steady stream of orders meant the kitchen was churning out food non-stop, and soon the place had that distinct “frying garlic in small enclosed place” smell.


I had the pulled pork sandwich that I’ve been eyeing all these months, but sad to say it didn’t live up to expectation. First of all, the online menu mentions that it comes with crisp pork crackling and baby spinach leaves, but neither were present tonight. The pork itself was a bit on the dry side, and the barbeque sauce was quite average.


A had the oven roasted steak sandwich set, which came with a mushroom soup. I’m not sure if ordering the set shrinks the sandwich, because his sandwich was about a third smaller than mine. His sandwich was better than mine, but I wouldn’t say it was wonderful either. The shitake mushroom soup impressed me the most. It’s made without cream so it tastes pretty healthy and is packed full of moreish mushroom flavour.


Even the red velvet cake was a bit disappointing. Maybe it’s because they served it straight from the fridge rather than letting it come to room temperature, or maybe it had been sitting around all day, but it was nowhere near as good as the one I tried when V bought it for me at work. This time the cake was quite dense and dry, and the cream wasn’t light and creamy either. You can even tell from the photos that the one on the right doesn’t look as moist, and the cream is a bit yellowed and stiff.

Maybe this place is better at lunch or tea time, when the cakes are baked fresh. I don’t think this place is a destination, though if we’re ever at the National Library we may pop by. They do a pretty good Earl Grey tea milkshake.

PS: Be careful; I got attacked by their chair. They have simple unpolished wooden chairs and while dragging mine in, the rough underside scraped a flap of skin off my finger.

A says:

After wanting to come here for so long, I was left rather disappointed by the food. I did like the milkshake though.

I was impressed by the friendly staff, although it’s more of a DIY kind of place. You place your order at the cashier and get your plain water yourself. The water’s free but you’re encouraged to leave donations for charity when you take some.

I’m recommending this place just because of the support they give to Asian charities (without being too preachy). While the food’s not great, you do leave with a good feeling.

420 North Bridge Road
North Bridge Centre #01-06
Tel: 6338-8724
Monday to Saturday
9am to 1130am (Breakfast only)
1130pm to 230pm (Lunch Menu)
230pm to 530pm (Drinks and Desserts only)
530pm to 1030pm (last order for dinner 9pm; after 9pm drinks and dessert only)
Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays
www.foodforthought.com.sg

The Queen and Mangosteen

C says:

This gastropub that opened fairly recently is currently our new favourite dining destination at VivoCity. We came here twice in the span of 3 days – once on a Saturday afternoon and the next time on Monday evening after work. Hence the dramatic difference in photo quality, and also how we managed to try 5 dishes. We may be atetoomuch, but even we have limits...

The specialities here are apparently the mini burgers, and the fish and chips. Surprisingly, both appear in the Nibbles section of the menu rather than the mains, and for the price and corresponding portion sizes (fish and chips for $12 and the burgers for $16), these are very good value.


The fish and chips are given a slightly Asian twist here. The batter has a hint of lime leaf, and it’s served with a curry tartare sauce that’s a little strange on its own, but goes well with the fish. The fish itself, 3 pretty generous pieces, is really fresh, flaky and moist.


I always make a point to ask for my burgers to be cooked medium rare, because more often than not most places don’t get it right anyway. I’m happy to say that they didn’t disappoint here. The dish comes with 3 mini burgers; the patties are about 100g each, and served with a slice each of tomato and onion. They were very simple, no-frills burgers but were juicy, done perfectly and very enjoyable.


The only proper main course we tried – lamb chops with mash and arugula salad – was good too, but at twice the price of the nibbles but almost the same size portion-wise, this isn’t the most value for money. Taste-wise the lamb was very tender, but I didn’t quite like the sweetish dressing for the arugula salad.


Hot off our new obsession with all things cheese and ham related, we also tried the duck rillette with mini baguettes, and the cheese platter. The rillette was pretty good but very oily; the cheese board was surprisingly good and actually paired very well with the rillette dish.

The slightly kooky name apparently stems from a rumour that the mangosteen was Queen Victoria’s favourite fruit. Whatever the story, the name really suits the whimsical vibe of the place.

A says:

The food is here is very good though I’m not sure it fully lives up to its gourmet pub food billing. The prices are not cheap but the large portion sizes (especially for the nibbles) and quality of the grub mean you get great value and it’s totally worth it. I’ll definitely be back to have the mini-burgers again.

The Queen and Mangosteen
#01-106/107 VivoCity1 Harbourfront Walk
Tel: 6376-9380
Sundays to Thursdays - 11am to midnight
Fridays, Saturdays and Eve of Public Holidays - 11am to 1 am
http://www.queenandmangosteen.com/

Our trip, Part 1: Vancouver

C says:

We’re back! We had a fabulous time, and Vancouver is now our number one retirement destination, due in no small part to the availability of good food and amazing produce. We actually ate better and fancier in Vancouver than in Vegas, though maybe it’s not that surprising considering the wealth of decent fast food in the US.

As usual rather than detailing each and every thing that we ate or place where we dined, we’ll just share some of the gastronomic highlights of the trip.

Vancouver is fast becoming a foodie’s heaven. You can eat at some of the best restaurants in the city at fairly reasonable prices. In fact, even their most fine dining restaurants still retain a casual, non-intimidating vibe. They’re also very proud of their local produce, with menus everywhere proudly proclaiming that they serve “BC salmon”, to give the most common example.

One place that encapsulates everything I just mentioned is Raincity Grill. This is one of Vancouver’s fanciest restaurants, yet we still felt quite at ease and not at all patronised. They even surprised us with a platter of 3 raw oysters on the house, because they felt bad for making us wait too long between courses, even though we never complained.


Local produce is very much showcased, to the extent that they actually have a 100-Mile Tasting Menu featuring ingredients from within a 100 mile radius. Some of the highlights included a platter with five bite-sized portions of appetisers on spoons, the seared scallop with winter root vegetables, and pork loin from pigs reared so organically that the meat was prepared medium rare.

One of the reasons I was so disappointed with the meat and cheese platter from our recent visit to Don Quijote is because of the sheer variety and quality of the cured meats and cheeses that we tried in Vancouver. First, Salt Tasting Room in Gastown was one of the most interesting dining experiences I’ve had because it opened my eyes to so many different flavour pairings of meats, cheeses and condiments. The concept of Salt is simple – on a blackboard they have 10 cheeses, 10 hams and 10 condiments. You can either pick and choose 3 of each to create your own tasting plate, or leave it to the experts to choose the best pairings for you.


We selected a few, and left it to them to fill in the gaps and to create the pairings. They did a fabulous job, introducing us to ingredients and combinations that we never considered before. The blue cheese and honey was a winner, as was the Jambon Des Ardennes with quince paste. I hadn’t even tried quince paste before but now I’m a fan.


Finding Salt was an experience in itself. The address simply says Blood Alley, Gastown. We assumed Blood Alley was a cobblestoned path of some sort, and walked all of Gastown twice in an attempt to find it. We passed a dingy back lane a few times with nothing but dumpsters, but after increasingly frustrating failures to locate Blood Alley we finally stopped to peer down the back lane and noticed, far FAR off in the distance, a flag with an upside down salt shaker. Argh!

Granville Island Public Market is similar to Borough Market in London. On the plus side it opens every day, but it’s less suited to random grazing for tourists and more towards home chefs shopping for ingredients. Still, one of the highlights was a stall selling a staggering variety of cheeses, prosciutto (the common English vernacular use of the term meaning cured hams, not the generic Italian word for “ham”, so as not to offend any readers), salami and more.


The photo shows just a small selection in one corner of the display window. I was both blown away by the variety, and terribly upset that we don’t have an equivalent stall in Singapore. They do a picnic platter with a selection of cheese, prosciutto, rillette and cornichons, which of course we had to try. While not as novel as Salt, it was still very satisfying, in particular the double cream Camembert which was superbly rich and creamy.

We’d watched Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations: Vancouver shortly before we left, and one of the restaurants that was featured was Tojo’s, arguably Vancouver’s best Japanese restaurant, and these days one of the few where the namesake head chef is still very much hands-on in the kitchen. We decided to try a mid-priced omakase, and with great anticipation settled down expecting to be amazed.


I hate to say it, but we were rather underwhelmed and to this day I don’t understand why. To be fair, we were presented with flavours and textures that we’d never tried before, like tuna scraped from the bone mixed with a Japanese mountain yam, but while it was novel we didn’t find ourselves really loving it. Some of the other dishes were halibut cheek with sautéed vegetables in a soy and miso sauce, braised bluefin tuna, and a sushi platter. Strangely enough, we actually had more of a ‘wow’ reaction to the simple garlic tuna nigiri sushi in Vegas, from the MGM Grand’s perfunctory Asian restaurant, Grand Wok.

We’re still wondering why we didn’t have the mindblowing experience that we were expecting. Is it just that – did our expectations get in the way? Or are our palates just not sophisticated enough to appreciate it? This was our first ever omakase meal, so maybe we’re not used to what’s usually offered at one. If we’re ever feeling flush enough, perhaps we’ll go for one here and see if our experience is any different.


Another joint featured in No Reservations: Vancouver was Japadog – literally, Japanese hot dog. This hot dog stand probably isn’t as bizarre to us as to some Westerners, because we’re quite used to concepts of fusion Japanese food, like Jap pastas and pizzas. We tried the Okonomiyaki and the Terimayo, both with a Kurobuta pork sausage. The sausage is partially sliced while cooking, creating more surface area for crisping and charring. Paired with all the mayo, teriyaki/okonomiyaki sauce and seaweed/bonito flakes, the result is a very messy but very juicy hot dog.

A says:

Excellent food. Superb service. Awesome cold weather. One of the biggest surprises on our trip was discovering Tim Hortons, a Canadian fast food chain that does donuts, bagels and more. The donuts were crap but the bagels were awesome. We came here almost every day for breakfast.

The dining highlight of Van for me was Salt. The portion sizes are perfect and, considering the quality of food and service, very reasonably priced. A definite must-visit when in Vancouver. That’s if you can find the place, which is an adventure on its own.

After a disappointing meal at Tojo’s, I wasn’t expecting much from Raincity Grill. Thankfully, the food was excellent, although due to the large party they had there that night, service was exceptionally slow. Almost Hell’s Kitchen slow. I have to at least give credit to the staff who gave us free oysters while waiting.

I wasn’t as blown away by Granville Market or Japadog as C was. I actually prefer our quick brunch at Cafe Crepe along Robson Street.

On a whole, the only thing I found lacking in Vancouver was the coffee. All the cups I had were very mediocre. Very strange considering the strong coffee culture they have there.

Our trip, Part 2: Whistler

C says:

One of the more, if not the most, memorable restaurants of the trip was Elements Urban Tapas Lounge in Whistler. They serve food tapas-style, i.e. smallish portions meant for sharing, but the food is more fusion Canadian than Spanish. We liked it so much that we ended up having three out of four dinners there, trying new dishes each time.


We’ve featured four of the best in the collage. The roasted duck breast with hoisin sauce and avocado was my personal favourite dish, possibly of the entire trip. I’ve never had such tender and juicy duck breast before, almost melt-in-your mouth. The lamb mini burgers with mint yogurt had quite a strong lamb flavour and weren’t at all dry. The flank steak with caramelised onions and blue cheese was A’s favourite dish there, and the seared sesame-crusted tuna with a ponzu dipping sauce was also fantastic.


What is it with tapas and crepes ending up as our favourite food on holiday?! Another note-worthy place in Whistler was Crepe Montagne, an authentic French creperie where we had possibly the best crepe ever – a seafood crepe with a creamy bisque sauce. This was superb because while most crepes tend to be just creamy and cheesy, this seafood bisque sauce was so much more flavourful.

A says:

My idea of dining on a ski/snowboard trip consists of donuts, sandwiches and cup noodles. Whistler has blown all that away. In fact, we ate better in Whistler than anywhere else on our trip.

My favourite single dish of the trip was the seafood crepe at Crepe Montagne and my favourite restaurant menu was at Elements. And on a side note, if you need a really filling meal before you hit the slopes, drop by Beetroot Cafe.

Our trip, Part 3: Las Vegas

C says:

We ate so well in Canada that we decided to go pretty simple in Las Vegas. We mostly had fast food or food court fare (Panda Express!), but we did have a few interesting moments nonetheless.

Vegas is the land of buffets, with some going as low as under $15. We didn’t feel like gorging ourselves silly on poor quality food though, so we decided that the only buffet we’d go for this time was the renowned gourmet buffet at the Bellagio. Queues around dinner time are apparently legendary, but because we hadn’t had lunch, we were starving by around 5.30 and sailed in without waiting.

The Japanese section was average. The spicy tuna handrolls weren’t too bad but the nigiri sushi had way too much rice and not enough fish. The crab legs were sliced in half lengthways to make it really easy to get at the meat. Again, these were good but not fantastic, as the crab flesh had that slightly watery texture from being frozen and defrosted.


The highlights of the buffet for us were the meat/carvery section, and the dessert bar. There was quite an astounding variety of meats – prime rib, Kobe beef brisket, venison tenderloin, turkey, lamb chops and beef wellington. Side dishes included lovely grilled asparagus and sautéed button mushrooms. I think the meats made the buffet more or less worth the price ($28 on weekdays, $36 on weekends) – I asked for the prime rib to be seared and it tasted fantastic. The venison was tender and the lamb chops were really good too.

There was a staggering array of desserts, but by then I was so stuffed that I could only manage a cream puff and two helpings of a lovely cheesecake. Weekday lunches are only $20, so if the dessert selection is roughly the same, next time I may just come for lunch and focus on the desserts.

We went with cousin S to Burger Bar at Mandalay Place, Hubert Keller’s (of Fleur de Lys) innovative burger restaurant that really lets you customise your burger to your satisfaction. From the bun to the patty to the cheese to the toppings, you can build your burger exactly the way you want it.


This may be one of the best high-end burgers I’ve had. S had an Angus beef patty with mozzarella and baby spinach, A had a Ridgefield Farm beef patty with Provolone cheese, bacon, a fried egg and aioli, and I had an Angus patty with blue cheese, bacon and Portobello mushrooms. The burger was a perfect medium rare, the meat was full of flavour and the patty was loosely packed and therefore really juicy. I also like how fries are an option, so we opted out and therefore weren’t completely stuffed.

Of course, no trip to Vegas is complete without having an In-N-Out burger. Specifically a Double Double, with 2 patties, 2 slices of cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce and special sauce. This was completely different from Burger Bar but in my opinion, no less satisfying. A begged to differ, claiming that it wasn’t as good as he remembered. Well, I guess I haven’t had it as often as he has, so maybe I’m less jaded, but as far as old-school burgers go this was perfect.

Serendipity 3, that ubiquitous NYC diner featured in the movie with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, opened a branch in Las Vegas just 3 weeks before we arrived! Woo hoo! After hearing friends and family wax lyrical about the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate and wondering how good it could possibly be to warrant such rave reviews, we finally got to try it for ourselves.

Well, now we know what the fuss is about. I can’t even begin to describe how good it was. It’s like nothing that I’ve tried before – not exactly a milkshake, yet not simply a cold chocolate drink because there are tiny little ice crystals in each slurp. I don’t know how they’ve managed to get such intensely chocolate flavour into a frozen drink, but they have and that first sip is truly an experience.


It comes topped with a mountain of sweet whipped cream topped with dark chocolate curls. (Ours collapsed slightly on its way to our table; it’s supposed to look more like the picture on the left.) I would advise against mixing the cream into the drink, which is what we did. Firstly, the sheer amount of cream is a heart attack waiting to happen, and if you eat it separately you can control how much you consume. More importantly, the cream tends to water down the intensity of the chocolate, so drinking it neat is the best way to appreciate it.

Well, clearly we need to do double time at the gym to make up for everything that we consumed on our trip. Do let us know if you want more details for the various places that we visited.

A says:

OMG! Serendipity 3 is one of the most amazing restaurants EVER! I could feel my arteries getting clogged as I went through the mountain of cream on the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. Plus the portion sizes are HUGE!

The Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay also rocked. In retrospect, we shouldn’t have gone there on the same day as In-N-Out. The In-N-Out burger really can’t compare.

Finally, never, never, NEVER eat at the food court at the Luxor. I felt sick enough to puke after the chilli dog I had there.

Don Quijote

C says:

A’s cousin L recommended this place to us, and we managed to catch the tail-end of a very good Citibank promotion when we went on Tuesday.


We ordered a selection of Spanish hams, sausages and cheeses. This was quite a disappointment, maybe because we’d just been spoiled by the quality of produce in Vancouver’s Granville Island Public Market (more on that in our upcoming holiday post). The cured meats here didn’t have much flavour and were quite chewy, and the cheeses were quite basic as well.


It got much better after that, though. The smoked salmon roll with cream cheese and lettuce was wrapped in an omelette instead of a typical tortilla or spring roll-esque wrapper and was very interesting. The grilled scallops with bacon bits and chicken wings with tomato, chilli and garlic sauce were both pretty good. The wings came with an optional spicy dip that packed a good punch. The sautéed green beans with Serrano ham were an unexpected hit. The beans were crisp and tender, and the ham added a subtle smoky flavour to the dish.


We thought we’d have to order more cos the dishes were all pretty small, but then the Spanish pasta with squid ink arrived, and the small portion we ordered was already quite substantial. The pasta was possibly even thinner than angel hair pasta, and absorbed every bit of squid ink flavour. I liked that it wasn’t too heavy or oily, just very intensely flavourful.

Without the 50% off promotion, this place isn’t all that cheap. They do have an a la carte buffet Sunday brunch, but that doesn’t cover the entire menu, just a selection of 20 tapas. Still, at $33, or $48 with free flow sangria, it sounds like a pretty good deal and we’re definitely planning to check it out one Sunday.

A says:

The service is superb. The food is above average. It’s not cheap but really not crazy expensive either. We’ll be back.

Don Quijote
17 Lorong Kilat #01-09
Tel: 6465-1811
Open Tuesday to Sunday: 5 pm – 11 pm
www.don-quijote-restaurants.com

Qun Zhong Eating House

C says:

On the day that we left for our trip, we decided to have something light and Asian for lunch, what with the prospect of lots of Western cuisine on our trip. We ended up at Qun Zhong Eating House, also ‘affectionately’ known as the Dumpling Nazi because of the owner’s apparently gruff manner.

Pass by here either during lunch hour or in the evenings and you’re likely to see a snaking queue outside the tiny no-frills shophouse. We got there at 11.30 before the crowds formed so we managed to get a table immediately.

We ordered the la mian with minced pork (zha jiang mian), la mian soup with sliced pork and Szechuan vegetable, and an order of xiao long bao. There was a slight miscommunication and we ended up also getting an order of the vegetarian dumpling, but luckily portions are pretty small and we managed to finish it all.


The thickness and texture of the noodles here are unlike any la mian that I’ve tried here. They’re quite thick but still pretty light. The sauce of the zha jiang mian was good, but I really like the tasty simplicity of the soup one. That’s my version of comfort food and I could probably eat that every day.


For something that I’d never voluntarily order, the vegetarian dumplings weren’t too bad. The xiao long bao were again quite different from the ones at Crystal Jade or Din Tai Fung. The skin was very thin, and the dumplings were absolutely loaded with broth. Kudos to them for being able to achieve that, but purely taste-wise I think I actually prefer the ones at Din Tai Fung.

All in all, the food isn’t too bad but definitely not worth waiting in line for. I wouldn’t mind going back but only if we happen to be in the area and there’s a table available.

A says:

The service isn’t great but it isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The food’s not bad with some interesting things on the menu. Still, I probably wouldn’t line up for it.

Qun Zhong Eating House
21 Neil Road
Tel: 6221 3060
Opening hours: 11.30 am – 3 pm; 5.30 pm – 9.30 pm (Closed Wednesdays)

Prima Taste Kitchen

C says:

I’m not quite sure how we found ourselves at Prima Taste in Centrepoint; I think it was more a process of elimination because we didn't feel like any of the other outlets there. After perusing the menu, I ended up being drawn to the promotional item – Laksa Seafood Porridge, served piping hot in a claypot.


Actually, this is more like mui fun than porridge. I really enjoyed it because when you think about it, what’s there not to like? Seafood (prawns, crayfish, clams, scallops), bamboo shoot, shredded cucumber, laksa gravy, and rice instead of noodles. Perfect for those who are paranoid about laksa stains on their clothes.

Surprisingly, laksa fan A didn't like it. He thought the rice tainted the flavour of the laksa gravy. I didn't think so, but I must agree that the rice tends to absorb quite a bit of the gravy after a while.


A initially wanted the Laksa Yong Tau Foo, but because I ordered the Laksa Porridge, he had the Satay Beehoon instead, after being tempted by the table next door. I really don't like Satay Beehoon so I can’t really comment on this.

Anyway, this is the last post from atetoomuch for a few weeks while we’re off on vacation! We’ll bring you highlights of our eating exploits in Vancouver and Las Vegas when we return.

A says:

Service was surprisingly good. Although when we got home and C checked the receipt, we found we were charged for the chin chow that was supposed to come free with the laksa porridge.

Taste-wise, it’s good, but not great. I’d say this place is alright but really not a destination.

Prima Taste Kitchen
176 Orchard Road #01-63/64
The Centrepoint
Tel: 6887 3786
Open daily: 10 am – 10 pm

Return to Verve

C says:

We decided to make a repeat visit to Verve for dinner tonight, since we weren’t in a particularly adventurous mood and wanted something quite fuss-free. For starters we tried their fried calamari, which came with a garlic cream sauce, and their smoked cheese wrapped with proscuitto.


This wasn’t as oozy as the one from Valentino or even Pietrasantra; I guess it's because they use a different cheese. The one here uses a smoked cheese that’s quite hard, so it was more chewy, and also quite salty from the combination of smoked cheese and proscuitto.


I thought the calamari fared much better, though A wasn’t as enamoured. The calamari was quite tender, and I really liked how crispy it was without being oily. The garlic dip was a bit overwhelming but ok in small doses.

A decided to be boring and ordered the exact same thing as the last time – linguine tossed in olive oil with sundried tomatoes and shaved parmesan. The last time we came here this was a special, but it’s since been included as a permanent menu item.


I decided to try the slipper lobster linguine with cherry tomatoes in white wine and lobster broth. It was a big plus that the lobster came deshelled. However, I found the sauce to be a bit too subtle. I couldn’t discern much white wine nor lobster broth, and as a result the cherry tomatoes all but overwhelmed the flavour. This is good if you want something very light, but I much prefer the duck confit pasta I had the last time.

There are still a few more pastas on the menu that I’d like to try before deciding if they’re a one (or two) hit wonder. As it stands though, I don’t think Verve will take the place of Pasta Brava as our dependable Italian option (when we can't get a reservation at Valentino’s).

A says:

Generally, I’d recommend this for a nice, simple Italian meal. Just don’t expect the food to blow you away.

Verve
Block 7, Lock Road
Gillman Village
Tel: 6473-3655
Mon – Thurs: 12 noon to 11 pm (last order 10 pm)
Fri & Sat: 12 noon to 12 midnight (last order 10.30 pm)
Sunday & PHs: 12 noon to 10 pm (last order 9 pm)
http://www.verve.sg/