Ninja Cut

I'm late on my post because of the Christmas break and some screw ups on the food feature because of some irresponsible behavior from some inconsiderate guy that got Vain Pot very sick. Seriously, if you don't have such a big head, don't wear such a big hat period. Due to the illness, we couldn't explore an Italian Weekend Brunch which I wanted to try. Oh well...

In any case, we went to Ninja Cut the week before to enjoy some healthy food. Ninja Cut is the sister outlet of the other healthy bowl Ninja Bowl. Both concepts are largely similar except that Ninja Cut provides a brunch menu along with a greater focus on proteins.

Vain Pot selected Oh My Cod! ($18) which contains baked miso cod, pickled beets, honey-glazed carrots, asparagus & endamame and onsen egg. It presents itself as a pretty hearty meal. Customers can choose to add a carbo of choice at an extra cost too with Quinoa being the most expensive carb. I like it that the cod was soft and decently tasty. The side vegetables were also well seasoned and not difficult to finish.

My food of choice was Squid Fix ($18). It contains grilled surume ika, sauteed mushrooms, miso cucumbers, onsen egg and honey-glazed carrots, furikake. I enjoyed my bowl too and especially enjoyed eating the large chunks of squid meat which were all very tender. I do think the cafe owners should remove the tentacles from the Squid Fix bowl because they are really tough and difficult to bite. I particularly enjoyed my bowl because I ate all the other ingredients given and they tasted healthy! I also thought that for a squid bowl $18 is quite a steal.

Drinks wise, Vain Pot chose Hot Mocha ($6.50) while I settled for Earl Grey Imperial ($7). Honestly, I think these healthy bowls are wasted with coffee. Tea is the right pairing for such bowls and I enjoyed the tea so much better than the mocha.

As a whole, just like my experience with Ninja Bowl, I'd be back again for another healthy bowl fix. I do like their location at Seah Street better than Ninja Bowl at Duxton. I would recommend this place if you are into clean food.

Ninja Cut
32 Seah Street

Tendon

This week has been food filled and busy. I feel like a bee buzzing around catching up on work after disappearing for 10 days. Christmas is round the corner and all the festive gatherings are here knocking. I'm prepared to gain weight.

Tendon is a place which has gone un-noticed by greedy me. Interestingly, I noticed the streaky queue when I was in the area the last time I came to check out Kajiken Ramen but didn't bother to find out what the queue was about. It was only after my friend brought me to the place because she wanted to try that I finally found out what everyone was queuing for. Tendon is a very authentic Japanese dining joint. They only have 2 options on the menu making it easy to choose. You either pick the Special Tendon ($13.90) which consist of meats and vegetables or Vegetable Tendon ($12.90) which is pure vegetables.

We picked the Special Tendon which has a mix of vegetables, chicken and prawns tempura on rice. The portions are very generous. We sat at the bar tables which meant we could see the chef prepare our food in front of us. The tempura were lightly battered and tasty. I like it that there wasn't any hint of oil when I bite into the food. I also enjoyed the sauce that goes with the tempura and the variety in the special menu was just right. In fact, after the meal I felt very full.

The meal also consisted of chawanmushi and miso soup and a tea. The chawanmushi was especially good and I finished mine in double quick time.

In short, Tendon allows you to experience authentic Japanese tendons without the cost of the aeroplane. It's really a perfect place for Jap food lovers but please do this when you have time to queue. Lunch break is probably a bad idea to brave the long queues. Oh one more important note, we didn't have enough cash and had to to the nearest ATM in order to settle the bill. They only accept cash.

Tendon
101 Tanjong Pagar Road

Brunch places worth a visit at Bangkok

Recently, I travelled to the land of smiles and coined this visit my Thailand Cafe Hunting and Lifestyle trip. It's my first trip there since I was age 9 and a lot has changed. I'm really pleased that the places I shortlisted from research proved to be satisfying to my taste buds and made my entire trip all the more enjoyable. I'll be sharing some of the brunch places I went and my thoughts on it.

My first stop was at On Luk Yun. The Thailand equivalent to Chin Mee Chin Confectionary in Singapore which I wrote about not too long ago. This old school traditional breakfast place is almost a must visit for me the next time I come back. There's a couple of key highlights that I like. The French Toast is very flavourful, you can taste the good blend of the eggs wrapped around a fluffy bread. Yummy! I like the egg kaya with steamed bread. Really, the bread is awesome fluffy and doesn't fill your tummy up and goes perfectly with the egg kaya (uniquely thailand). Even bought one kaya home for my mom. The soft boiled eggs served in a cup surprisingly carries a very addictive taste. I kept gobbling up my cup till all is gone and if not because this is such an eggy meal, I'd order a second cup. I think the soft boiled eggs addictive taste has to do with the special nestle thai sauce that is added with the pepper unlike our dark sauce back home. But I'm left blown away given that I never knew soft boiled eggs can taste any nicer. I didn't pay the bill but the total cost for two is less than $15 SGD.

On Luk Yun
72 Charoen Krung Road, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong
Bangkok 10100

Roast is another place I wish to highlight. I felt the portions are really generous and all the dishes were executed technically perfect. Why technically perfect? I felt that the eggs were creamy well beaten, bacon crispy, bread well toasted and salmon properly done, however there's no wow factor. The eggs tasted like a typical properly done scrambled eggs but it isn't a stand out scrambled eggs. There's nothing on the menu that jumps out. Thats the problem. However, if you are looking for a decent brunch fix that doesn't spoil your day, Roast is the place to be. Roast Breakfast (400 Baht with coffee), Smoked Salmon Rosti (320 Baht) and dessert was S'mores Custard Cake (280 Baht). The outlet that I went was at the Commons, a new shopping mall concept that promotes lush greenery. I think that Roast is by far the costliest brunch meal I ate at Bangkok, but it's highly popular among expats and tourist because the ambiance is really relaxing. I enjoyed myself despite not being exceptionally impressed with the food. 

Roast
Unit #T1 (Roast), The COMMONS
335 Thonglor Soi 17, Sukhumvit 55
Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110

Rocket Coffeebar is another satisfying discovery on my first adult Thailand trip. Rocket Coffeebar is a Nordic Cafe and I like it that everything about it is simple and not complicated. The eggs benedict (290 Baht) that we tried had very good hollandaise sauce, light yet brings out the flavour and the eggs were soft and runny. The eggs are fat and generous and goes very well with the sauce and bread. The salmon according to the brother is much fresher than the ones at Roast. I like my order of quail eggs and truffle (240 Baht) tasted really good too. The potato waffle that the eggs and truffle were served on wasn't too hard and eating it didn't feel tiresome at all unlike some waffles I've tried elsewhere. The bacon was fried till crispy something distinctly Thailand. I like that the truffle and eggs blended really well with the potato waffles that I enjoyed eating them together. I'm looking forward to try their other dishes the next time I return.

Rocket Coffeebar
147 Soi Sathon 12, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand

The Coffee Academics

It's a couple of hours left before I board my first ever cruise. I spent my weekend enjoying some ME Time this week and thought it's quite an enjoyable experience. I'll keep this post short because I haven't finished packing and cruise wifi need to pay!

So my choice for ME Time was spent at Coffee Academics. I first came across this place when I was in Hong Kong on Repulse Bay. They are known for good coffee! The problem I had back then was finding something I felt like eating and it was very very difficult. Nothing looked appealing. I decided to give them another chance randomly today.

For my main, I picked their signature Crispy Fish Fillet Tacos ($23) which comes with a locally grown golden snapper that is combined with chipotle mayonnaise and fresh mango salsa. There's also salad and curly fries on the side. I felt the fish went very well with the mango salsa and chipotle mayonnaise. In fact it was rather addictive. Unfortunately the taco shells wasn't very crispy and that took some shine off an otherwise hearty meal. Fries was very very generous. I couldn't finish. Taste wise was ordinary but nothing to complain about.

For dessert, I settled for their signature Affogato Coupe, blend expresso with vanilla gelato ($10). Being known more for their coffee than food, the Affogato was presented well and tasted great too. The quality of gelato given was acceptable and I like how the sweetness of the vanilla goes well with the bitterness of the espresso. Worth trying! I also enjoyed the instagram photo-taking moments. HAHA!

On the whole, I enjoyed my visit to The Coffee Academics. This is a coffee place. It's an awesome chill out place for good coffee and a nice book. I'd be back again when I want some ME Time.

The Coffee Academics
Scotts Square, #02-01/02, 6 Scotts Road

Kiss the Tiramisu

This week I'm honestly flooded with stuff to do! Car inspection, renew road tax, work as much as possible, spend time with my other hobby investment plus put it into practice, and I discovered some new stuff I want to try to increase my knowledge on topics of my interest... so you get the picture. There's still the cruise and Bangkok trip the following week which I'll be taking a break from showcasing food. Oh, I would like to add that my original choice of feature was Hai Di Lao which I've never eaten before (despite my love for good food) but the queue is insane! 4 HOURS! I'm amazed. I'll go the next time after I make reservations...

This entry is kept deliberately short. Kiss the Tiramisu originates from Korea. It's a combination of tiramisu and soft serve making it awesome tiramisu ice cream. At least that is the idea. It's pretty popular here too but thankfully no queue. The crowd is just enough to keep the servers busy but not enough to form a line.

We picked the original flavour ($6.90) and it earned my stamp of approval because I'm one of the typical instagram junkie who must take picture of every food I eat. I love it that it's served in this golden flute plastic cup. I didn't take pictures of the preparation process but I felt it's worth watching if you are the curious sort like me. The taste on the other hand doesn't really live up to its hype. I mean it doesn't taste bad. It's just not special. Vain Pot and I kept digging through the cup trying to taste the distinctive tiramisu flavour but all we got was vanilla soft serve and cocoa powder. Essentially I paid $6.90 for a well decorated vanilla ice cream.

Will I eat it again? No. However I didn't regret trying it. While I've been hunting for food every week, I hardly hunt for snacks or desserts to eat on the go. I found this to be a rather novel experience for both Vain Pot and myself. Unless you fly to Korea very often, I recommend going through the process of trying it once. At least you won't be sua ku. I enjoyed the entire experience even though I won't buy it again.

Kiss The Tiramisu
277 Orchard Road #01-15 Orchard Gateway

d'Good Cafe

I spent my weekend reliving a game that few of my friends still play - Pokemon. The brother is still very much into this game although I tell him nowadays only Aunty and Uncles play. Since it's my first time playing after changing to my iPhone SE, I got lots of catching up to do. There's lots of Pokestops in town and he is very into it, so why not catch some Pokemons while we are running errands there? Apparently the game is offering some pretty attractive perks for its current players because more and more players are dropping out of the game.

In any case, I decided to visit a cafe I've left in my Easy to Go Food Hunting By Public Transport list today since I'm at the heart of Orchard Road. The original plan was to visit Fuel + but time was a little tight given that we had a long list of errands to run. d'Good Cafe has two outlets, one in Holland V and another at Takashimaya. It's a very English themed cafe at the Takashimaya outlet but the biggest highlight I read about this place is that Mediacorp artist Chou Choo Ming is said to be an investor.

Somehow the classic red telephone booth and letterboxes sparked a strong desire for Ling Cod Fish and Chips ($22). I must say it definitely satisfied my cravings, with the cod tasting fresh and the batter light and not very oily. It goes well with the sour cream and malt vinegar sauce that comes with it. One strange observation I have is that most of these cafes serving cod fish have a similar tough rubbery taste that comes with some parts of the fish. According to one of my chef friends, it's due to the frozen fats that comes with the fish whenever these big fishes are imported from overseas.

The Brother picked Fresh Sea Prawn Aglio Olio ($16) which is garlicky rich in taste, a bit oily but who cares, it taste awesome and just how good aglio olio should be. The taste lingers in the mouth which passes my primary criteria for awesome food. The prawns were generous in serving as well. A new place to get my Aglio Olio fix when I'm in town from now on!

d'Good Cafe is also known for their cold brews and the Brother tried D'Unknown Coffee ($7.50) which is just like what the name says. You don't know what coffee you are getting! Turns out it's rose coffee which is a refreshing change from standard coffees at cafes. I like it that it isn't excessively sweet!

For its accessible location and safe cafe menu, I feel that it is a pretty good hang out place for group gatherings and social meet ups. The food standards are above average even though I'm not 'wowed'.  I probably won't bring someone I wish to impress here but I'll definitely recommend this spot for my group gatherings. It's still a very convenient spot to enjoy a comfortable meal at the heart of town.

d'Good Cafe
391 Orchard Road #B1-56 Takashimaya S.C Ngee Ann City

Whisk & Paddle

This week is a week of learning. I resumed my book reading hobby thanks to some motivation from reconnecting with some inspiring friends. So far I've finished the book Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and have just started on this new book called Bull by Maggie Mahar. I kinda enjoyed my weekend also given the opportunity to catch up with busy Fat Fat whom I hardly get to see.

I kinda let Fat Fat pick the venue because I hardly see her and we both had to rush off to work after our catch up. Honestly, I believe if we are determined to make time for people we can. Busy is an excuse because believe me when I tell you I'm proud to say I know a lot of friends who make meaningful use of their time but still have time for a 2 hr catch up. She picked her regular haunt: Whisk and Paddle. 

Whisk & Paddle is located at Punggol near a cycling area so people hang out there to exercise and the area boast a couple of nice eateries, one of which is Uncle Leong Seafood for example. I first heard about this place when I developed a soft spot for eggs benedict on waffles which I tried with Vain Pot on my first visit to Whisk and Paddle. This is actually my second visit.

I thought I'd include the Eggs Benedict ($13) which first lured me to this place. The hollandaise sauce were in the right thickness and the sauteed mushrooms were great. The waffles which is one of the highlights of this place was baked just right as well. The only problem was the eggs. They served hard boiled poached eggs instead of runny poached eggs. Back then, fussy Vain Pot asked for a change of eggs only to be served another hard boiled poach egg. Getting a poach egg right is a test of culinary skill and that experience kinda dissuaded me from trying the eggs benedict during this visit. 

Fat Fat picked the Whisk Breakfast Pan ($19.8) after I dissuaded her from picking the Eggs Benny. The pan provides a generous serving of eggs of your choice, potatoes, pork sausage, steaky bacon, roasted tomatoes, sauteed mushroom, sourdough bread and french butter. I tried most of the stuff in the pan and they are competently executed. I guess you can't go too wrong with these basic ingredients. I'd like to add that the french butter is my favourite even though the sourdough bread was a little too hard. 

I chose Macaroni and Cheese ($13.80) for my own selection. Mac and Cheese is the standard comfort food that remains a safe choice whenever I can't decide what to eat. To begin with, I like it that it's serve in a pan. Looks so instagram worthy right? The Mac and Cheese at Whisk and Paddle is served with generous slices of ham. It's cheesy and taste really yummy when it's hot. However, this is one of those dish that you can't wait for everyone on the table to be served before you eat. Once cold, it taste very 'jelat' and hard to eat. Not yummy at all. Finish it while its warm.

Usually I'm not adventurous with coffee. However, I find myself thinking about the black sesame latte ($5.50) each time I come here. My black sesame latte was served on a saucer and with biscuit the first time I visited. Why now no saucer and biscuit? Don't you find it very unsightly for the spoon to be served without a saucer? Anyway, complains aside, the black sesame latte tastes great so consider trying it the next time you are there.

While the food at Whisk and Paddle isn't fantastic, I find myself still drawn to this place. I think I like it that the ambiance is chillax and that parking is easy to find. The food has a good variety that I can come back often on days when I'm looking for affordable food.

Whisk & Paddle
10 Tebing Lane
(Please note that brunch is only available on weekends)