TCS

The Coastal Settlement
200 Netheravon Road (Opp Commando Camp)
Tue-Sun (1030am-12am)
6475 0200

An "Old School Charm" indeed.

Hidden in the far eastern end of the island, The Coastal Settlement was one heck of a drive to get to (even for an Eastie like me), but its eccentric contemporary decor (think shelves lined with Vespas) and kampong feel made the journey totally worthwhile.

I am going to be brutally honest about the food here though as I don't really think much of the few dishes we sampled. In fact, I am going a little 'hmmm' about how the food served on that day turned out a little different from what have been previously written about by other famous food bloggers who were there on personal invites by the owner(s). However, that being said, I would still head back there just to hang out on a nice afternoon with good company as they have really nice pockets of sitting areas around. Plus, i love the kampong feel of the surroundings too (less the eerie now-defunct hospital opposite the eatery).

 

The most exciting part about the visit to TCS wasn't the food, but the exploration of the ex-army-barrack-warehouse interior. The quaint decors were well-juxtaposed against a modern contemporary lighting and layout. Some decors were 'live', like this fighting fish - with great ambitions nonetheless.

Now, about the food!

For starters, we ordered a recommended snack (thanks Clar): Fried Portobello Mushrooms with Truffle Mayo - $15. ( i know, everyone is jumping on this 'Truffle Fries' bandwagon). I personally am a big fan of mushrooms, so this was a great way to start the meal for me...except for the fact that the cooks over-timed the frying and the coated breadcrumbs were almost charred when it was served. Gave me a crazy sore throat after that.Thankfully, the mushrooms underneath the layer of coating still retained its juiciness, the mayo was nice too..so in all, it wasn't too bad.

 There was a whole list of Singaporean hawker dishes featured in the menu, but we sure as hell weren't willing to pay $16 for a plate of Nasi Lemak within a 1 km radius of the fabled Changi Village Hawker Centre(rumoured to be close till the end of this year though).  So, we went 'angmoh' and ordered 3 western main dishes. The first of which was the Rosti Sausage served with Arugula and a dollop of sour cream. Being the underdog, I was quite pleasantly surprised at the way this dish turned out. The potato shreds used for the rosti were not your normal Marche-sized ones, they were flatter and broader, which gave the entire potato pancake a smoother texture. Interesting!

2nd main dish: Prawn Aglio Olio with XO Sauce - $22. Overpoweringly (is there such a word?!) flavourful. Left my dining partner (Fish) a little overwhelmed. The essence of the flavourings were derived from the XO sauce served at some Chinese restaurants we have over here. We tasted lots of dried shrimps. It was a nice dish, but a little 'jer-la' to conquer an entire plate by yourself, so, share!

 Finally, the highly-acclaimed Char-grilled Wangyu Beef and Mushroom Pizza -$23. The pizza dough was a little undercooked and chewy, and it sure did not look like the one featured in thefoodnomads.com You can say I was feeling really cheated when I read that review! Other that that, the wangyu beef and mushrooms were great, and the caramelization of the toppings really did give a nice finishing touch to the pizza.

For deserts (upon Fish's insistence), we ordered the Waffles - $14. Definitely a big thumbs-up for erm, food art. The 'sides' provided were bananas, strawberry, cracker crumbs and chocolate ice-cream, all dusted with some powdered sugar. Mix and match for each bite! Waffles were so-so only.

It was an enjoyable dining experience in all. I guess largely due to the great company and the rustic ambiance of the dining area. Again, a little too pricey for my liking (petrol $$$ not even included yet.grr.), but still worth a visit or two in the near future!

Deih Gua Mee Sua

Seng Kee Black Chicken Herbal Soup
467 Changi Road
Opens from: 5pm-4am

Easties would have been well-acquainted with this late-night supper establishment opposite Kembangan MRT station by now. It is one of my go-to places whenever the tummy makes pleading noises past 11pm.

The star dish of this popular zhi-char place will have to be the pork liver meesua (deih gua mee sua). Of course, for those who get a little queasy just by visualizing pork kidneys and livers, you can opt for the lean pork slices version of it. I personally know of two people who would do just that :)

The soup interestingly gets more 浓 (and saltier) as the night goes by.  Really flavourful broth. Please do not expect those clear 黑鸡汤 that your mum prepares at home. This is farrrr from it. Besides the broth, I have also always been impressed by the fresh pork/livers/kidneys that they use. The kidneys really do pack a crunch when you bite into it. They get the timing just right.

I have tried the other zhi char dishes too, nothing seriously fantastic. Their steamed fish and lala dishes seem to be quite popular though!
One added word of caution: be prepared to put up with nonchalent service staff.

Trust me, that bowl of mee sua is crazily comforting on one of those rare chilly Singapore nights.

Locale @ De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate

Add: De Bortoli Yarra Valley, Pinnacle Lane, Dixons Creek, Victoria, Australia

Opens: Thu-Mon from 12pm (lunch), Saturday from 630pm (dinner)

Links: Website & Menu/Wine List

I have always wanted to blog about this wonderful place from the trip Down Under that took place more than 5 months ago but... Procrastinator is my middle name, so tadah! Better late than never huh? :)

 

A little introduction:De Bortoli Yarra Valley is located an hour east of Melbourne on a 240 hectare plot of land.  The De Bortolis migrated from Northern Italy to Australia in the 1920s and settled down in the Bilbul Region (New South Wales). I guess it was almost by accident that Vittorio De Bortoli (first gen De Bortoli winemaker) discovered his flair in wine-making with some surplus grapes from the fruit farm he acquired in 1927. The tradition was then passed on and now, De Bortoli Wines is a third generation family wine company that is one of the larger privately-owned companies in Australia.

Their 'flagship' wine has got to be the award-winning Noble One (sweet wine - my favourite!) which I should get my hands on one day since their other desert wines that were available for tasting at the recent Savour 2012 event were splendid. Swear it was the best among all the other exhibitors and I am sure R would agree too! The Yarra Valley vineyard (they have 3 other sites all around the country) however, is well-known for producing cool-climate wines like Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Anyways... I digress, I am here to talk about the food @ the vineyard's very own restaurant - Locale :)

Well firstly, I am an easy foodie to please. Any restaurant that serves F.O.C freshly baked bread with their home-made dip to start my meal has already won half the battle. And of course, Locale did just that.  My memory fails me but I think the bread was of the rustic Irish Soda genre, and it went down well with the dip/olive oil combi that came with it. There were some really yummy chips drizzled with herbed cheese too.

Side dish & Vegetables (contorni e verdure): we ordered the Italian roast potatoes with garden rosemary & garlic (AUD 9). Best side dish ever! The rosemary-infused potatoes and whole garlic cloves were roasted to perfection. Not charred or undercooked - just about right. It might sound odd but I vote this side dish as my favourite among all the other dishes served throughout lunch.

 

First Course (Primi): Fresh linguine with pancetta, guanciale, calabrese salami, tomato & spring onion (AUD 18 for 1/2 size). This, to be honest, was a tad bit disappointing. The linguine was done al-dente, the flavours from the olive oil, pancetta and other ingredients were great. However, I think it was too salty - no thanks to the pancetta (Italian bacon). I hope the chef did not throw in even more salt though! Was totally an overkill and not particularly enjoyable. Probably would have to ask the chef to go easy on the pancetta or salt if you do order it.

 

Second Course (Secondi): Seared milawa free range duck breast & confit leg with braised farro & white onion purée (AUD 36). Outstanding dish. The duck breast was cooked evenly through and the confit leg was crispy on the outside and really flavourful as a whole. Although a little pricey at AUD 36, it was well worth the $$$. (ok, I admit, I can't say that with full conviction since I didn't pay for it :p)

side notes: Confit by the way, in its most traditional concept, is a salt-curing process in which the meat is seasoned with salt, garlic and sometimes herbs. It is then cooked in its own fat (theoretically) before serving. Farro (just in case you are wondering), is a kind of grain from a certain wheat species. Widely-used in Italy.

The service staff were attentive and helpful with wine-pairing suggestions. The interior decor of the restaurant was simple and I loved how it was filled with the lovely afternoon sunshine pouring in from the huge windows. The walls are lined with photos of the De Bortoli family from when they first arrive in the 1920s - a great pictorial history. Strolling around peeking at their photos was a nice pre-meal activity. And of course, after-meal activities are aplenty in a VINEYARD. Head downstairs for more wine and cheese tasting frenzy or head out into the open air and marvel at the manicured valleys that extend way into the horizon around you.

Locale is definitely one of the places I hope to have the privilege to re-visit.

Five & Dime

Add: 297 River Valley Rd (free parking!)
$$$: $20-$50/pax
Website: http://www.fiveanddime.com.sg/ (add them on facebook too)
Cuisine: Western/Fusion
Type: Restaurant/bar/coffee/bakery/desert place
Opens from: 12pm-12am (Mon-Fri, closed on Tue), 10am-12am (Sat), 10am-10pm (Sun)
Phone: 9236 5002


" When you know what you want, the whole world conspires you to achieve it" - Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)

Just 2 weeks ago, I was driving through the River Valley region when I caught sight of a resplendent white-washed shopfront - the only eye-catching building sitting juxtaposed against a row of dimly lit traditional colonial-style shophouses. The full glass frontage allowed me to take a momentary peak into the interior, which had a brick/wood finishing and was filled with late-night diners. I was drawn to it for that fleeting instance - "Definitely need to drop in one day!" I thought to myself. Alas, just like many other transient moments in life, the once-gleaming image in my mind faded into oblivion as time passed by... Also, my zonked-out goldfish memory didn't help much, I couldn't for the life of me recall the name or the exact road/location of the eatery which I chanced upon. The one that got away.

Fast forward 2 weeks.

A belated birthday meet-up for Wq saw J wrecking her brains the whole of Saturday as our original plan of munching at Club Street Social was unfortunately foiled by a private event. Further iterations of dining suggestions proved to be uninspiring until a Whatsapp message by J in the late afternoon "Booked Five & Dime at 830pm, 297 River Valley Rd" closed the issue.

Five & Dime. Hmm. Sounds familiar.

830pm - Saturday, saw me staring wide-eyed as I rolled into the free parking spot just adjacent to the charming shophouse I passed by a fortnight ago.
Five & Dime. That was it! Serendipity :)

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Five & Dime is a gastrobar owned by chef Teng Ei Liang from Truffs (which I should really check out soon). The center piece of the restaurant was the wooden-top bar which was lined with jars of icing biscuits (you know those little biscuits topped with oh-so-sinful coloured icing from our yesteryears?) and delish baked goods. A clever mix of brick walls, colonial-style mosaic floors, wooden table tops and pastel-toned chairs gave a really warm and toasty feel as I settled in. The smartly-dressed service staff who all came with a friendly disposition and an eagerness to serve as they pranced around the cafe was also definitely a plus. Loved the vibe of this place!

...............
Wq and I were famished while waiting for queen J to arrive so we started our night with the Mac & Cheese and Salmon Rocket Salad. Waiting time was not too bad considering the fact that the restaurant was packed. We were tucking in to the Mac n Cheese just 10 minutes after we placed our order.

Mac & Cheese: with creamy lobster sauce under melted mozzarella, parmesan & cheddar.
Our first reaction: "huh? $16 for this? " However, it was not long after that we begin to realize it was worth every single dime (no pun intended).
The Mac & Cheese was served in a stoneware dish that measured no more than 5 inches in diameter (which explains our initial disappointment). Disappointment soon gave way to delight as we ate our way through the little shell macaroni soaked in the rich cream sauce ladened with tiny bits of lobster. The best part was the melted cheese. Heaven.

Salmon Rocket Salad: flamed salmon on rocket with wasabi marin dressing.
The flamed salmon was done to perfection. Cooked half way through and raw on the underside. We were satisfied with the portion. There were 6-7 huge rolls of salmon placed along side with the salad. Marin dressing was also tweaked just about right.


After much effort (about half an hour worth of it) in restraining ourselves from licking up J's portion, she finally arrived.. and things went crazy from there. We ordered another 2 main dishes + 1 appetizer + 1 desert! Gosh, just the thought of it is making me feel sick already.

Fish & Chips: mini battered fillets and hand-cut fries
Brit's pub grub done pretty well I must say. The smaller than usual battered fish (Japanese Sutchi - shark catfish) was juicy and flakey. The batter layer was crisp on the outside but really spongey on the inside. Interesting texture! The tartare sauce that accompanied the dish however, was watery and not that great.

Mentaiko Pasta: pasta in creamy mentaiko sauce and chicken yakitori
What is Mentaiko? Beats me. Googled response: marinated roe of pollock and Chubbyhubby has a write-up on it if anybody is interested: http://chubbyhubby.net/blog/?p=465
I wasn't really wow-ed by this pasta even though it was apparently Five & Dime's signature dish. The yakitoris lacked the flame-grilled fragrance and the pasta sauce tasted almost like a more concentrated version of your typical carbonara. Was hoping for more of a distinct taste from the Mentaiko (even though I had no idea what on earth it is when i ate it).

Wings: 1/2 dozen of 9-spiced chicken wings
You could sense the amount of effort taken in 'spicing-up' these wings. Like your har-cheong-kai, but 10 x better and juicier. Another 1 of the restaurant's signature starter dish. But I wasn't exactly in the wings mood yesterday, so i gave up after eating after 1 1/2. Give me BBQ chicken wings at Lagoon Hawker Centre anytime!

Pandan Creme Brulee
I am not typically a Creme Brulee person but since the desert menu was limited and it was recommended by the staff, caved in and agreed to give it a shot. The fragrance of the pandan permeated the entire smooth custard base. It was served with a handful of raspberries at the side, which I found a tad bit too sweet and failed to complement the star of the show. But of course, the fun part of Creme Brulee always lies in breaking the burnt caramelized top - and feeling it all crunched up within your palette.


In all, i would definitely head back there for brunch, cocktails and some dishes that ran out when we visited (meatballs and braised pork belly). The priciness is more than outweighed by the impeccable service from the staff, effort put into the food and the charming ambience. Of course, to us Singaporeans, free parking always helps too.

El Toro Restro Bar

Add: 165 Penang Road, 2F of Winsland Conservation House

Price: Mains $20-$30, Appetizers $10-$20
Great for: Mexican Food, 1 for 1 ladies drinks special, Chocolate Chilli Cake, Chillout,Paella, Atmosphere Website: http://www.eltoro.com.sg/home/home.html

I have always wanted to check out the restaurants/bars in the quaint white shophouse at Penang Road that stood out in stark contrast against the new developments around it (think 313@ Somerset). The opportunity came about 3 weeks ago when I met up with a handful of my friends from UMich at El Toro Restro Bar within the Winsland Conservation House for a meal after work.

Having done my research on hungrygowhere (quoting SJ: "wah, you did your homework before coming"), I decided to give recommendations. Reviews online have nothing but praises for El Toro and I started my meal there with high expectations, which on hindsight, I shouldn't.

Unfortunately, they ran out of the highly acclaimed Grilled Fresh Calamari on the day we were there and since we weren't in the mood for salady appetizers, we decided to give that portion of the menu a skip (though I was really tempted to rate the Ceviche against the one I had in Peru). For the main courses, we decided to stick to what the reviews claimed was good: the Fajitas and Paella.

While waiting for the food to arrive, we munched on the complimentary nachos & salsa, which were pretty good I must say. The nachos weren't your typical Doritos and the spices in the salsa gave a pretty good punch to the concoction. I also ordered the Mojito (they were having a 1 -1 drinks special for ladies) which wasn't fantastic, but still pretty much decent.

El Toro's Nacho + Salsa

After what seemed like a millennium, our main courses were finally served. The first dish (Fajitas) was an immediate disappointment. For a classy Latin restaurant selling their food at exhorbitant prices, ($26.80 for a puny chicken breast and 4 tortilla wraps?) they have failed to even learn the art of grilling their poultry well. We were all chewing on tough+overcooked meat and the marinade was definitely not substantial enough to console us from our little jaw workout.

Say NO to this Fajitas

The next dish was so-so. Or maybe, I have eaten too much Paella during those 29 days in Europe of Spring 2008 that nothing would ever come close to the authentic ones I had every day in Madrid and Barcelona. However, that being said, El Toro did a decent job for this one by using fresh seafood ingredients and the rice was sufficiently moist (though I prefer it to be drier, but was informed by Sj that this was the right consistency) and flavorful.

Paella with really fresh seafood cooked in white wine, saffron & cilantro

We decided to add one more dish (Plato Mixto) to our meal since Sel was joining us late from work . It was an appetizer mixer filled with mini chimichangas, quesadillas, al fuego chicken wings and jalepeno poppers. (I know, you must be like...chi chi what? Please refer to the end of El Toro's menu http://www.eltoro.com.sg/menu/menu.html. They have a Spanish glossary there, which may help shed some light =) Definitely a unique dish this one. I especially liked the jalepno poppers! And the chimichangas & quesadillas were done much better than their cousin (Fajitas) which we were trying very hard to forget by then. Also, the chicken wings reminded me of Har Chiong Gais at your typical 煮炒 store.

Plato Mixto

I think the saving grace for the entire meal was the dessert. No doubts about that. This was one spot-on review from hungrygowhere: Chilli Chocolate Cake. I have had my fair share of molten lava cakes and chocolate cake on hot plates while i was in the U.S but this was unlike any other! If you haven't guess by now, the chilli was KEY to the success of this cake. It gave such a surprising kick to it that you simply have to try it to understand what I (and many others) are raving about. Also, the basics of this desert weren't lacking either, you have the moist+warm chocolate cake, thick melted chocolate (with chilli) surrounding it, a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and it was served on a hot plate! Every bite was like having a little bit of heaven (or fiery hell, depending on how you look at it=P) in your mouth.

Fighting for the Chilli Chocolate Cake

Ok, so maybe El Toro isn't that bad after all. The slow service, $$$$$ meal and yuckeroos Fajitas were thankfully saved by the other dishes. If you are there, remember that the first thing you have to do is order the Chilli Chocolate Cake (less you forget), ask for drinks specials, forget the Fajitas, go for the Grilled Calamari and come back here to tell me about it. (many thanks!)

Flagstaff & the Grand Canyon

Photos by: Val and other random GC-ers



“To stand upon the edge of this stupendous gorge, as it receives its earliest greeting from the god of day, is to enjoy in a moment compensation for long years of ordinary uneventful life.”
-John L. Stoddard


Its been almost a month since I left the mundane life in Ann Arbor for my Spring Break trip to the Grand Canyon National Park with the University of Michigan's Outdoor Adventures Club. I would say for sure that this has got to be the most significant experience during my short stint in America (which thankfully got prolonged by some good news!=). There was nothing more I could ask for: 9 days away in the majestic canyons, humbled by nature, the scenery, the people, the night sky blanketed with stars, isolation, the bittersweet pain of the sore-d muscles and burnt skin, 10 strangers evolving into 10 great friends..


I find that the most amazing thing about being close to nature was the way in which we learn the subtle lessons on humility and courage. Our tiny existence gets lost in the grander scheme of the world around us and we take these lessons away from that short moment in our lives in the depths of the canyons and forests.. The magic in all this was that it continues to inspire us long after we've conquered them...

Is has been a month, memories will fade no doubt but I guess it was really the moments that matter, up the Mesa, by the Colorado River, camping in knee deep snow at the Rim.. they were my little snippets of Paradise.


The charming town of Flagstaff was amazing. I wouldn't say that I'd love to live there forever, but it was a unique community with the distinctive "mountain culture" oozing from every shop and establishment. We had a great time stuffing ourselves silly at the eateries after climbing out of the canyon (You really can't blame us, it was so exhausting!)The pleasant streets were lined with hotels from the yesteryears, microbrewries, historic brick buildings and chic restaurants. I also had an awesome time walking into all the outdoor equipment shops with Wilson (and lamenting about how expensive the stuff were!).




I intended to put up NOLS's (North-American Outdoor Leadership School)recipes of the meals that were made in our backcountry kitchen (right under the stars and by the river.oooo.) but I decided it will be too long a post (and its already 315am over here!) so I shall spare you (and me) the misery. Would definitely feature those yummy deserts soon though!

Anyways, here are some restaurants that we tried at Flagstaff based on recommendations by our hostel staff..

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Beaver Street Brewery
http://www.beaverstreetbrewery.com/
11 S. Beaver St., Flagstaff, Arizona


This brewery prides itself with its beer of course, but sadly, we were unable to try it due to the no-alcohol policy set by the Outdoor Adventures Center (which I can understand why after witnessing my dear GC-ers turn insane back in Ann Arbor on St. Patrick's Day under the influence of alcohol=)
Besides beers, there was also a really sweet wood-fired oven near the entrance of the restaurant for their popular wood-fire pizzas..
I chose the Salmon B.L.T sandwich though and it was a decent choice. The guys went crazy over their Beaver St Burger which consisted of 1/2 pound of certified Angus ground chuck and erm..ALOT of fries. We were all really hungry and had no problems wolfing down those calorific and sinful burgers. Our powerful stench (from not bathing for 6 days)that came from the jackets, pants, shirts, bandanas managed to attract the attention of the brewery's customers while they walked past us after their meal. It was a wonder why they didn't barf.
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Mountain Oasis International Restaurant
http://www.themenuplease.com/mountainoasis/
11 E Aspen Ave



For lunch on our rest day, we hopped down to Mountain Oasis after having our lattes and capuccinos at Flagstaff Coffee Company. I loved the ambience at that cosy cafe, and the Pesto Chicken sandwich i had....was TO DIE FOR. I may be biased though because I am a huge fan on Pesto! Give me anything with Pesto and I am sure to give it a two thumbs up!They have daily specials too and their meals (lunch menu) are reasonably priced.

(sorry.no valeebelly photographers with me on the trip.haha)



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Nimarco's Pizza
101 S Beaver St. Flagstaff, AZ


The locals view it as the "best way to sit and enjoy the best pizza in town, drink beer and watch football" The 2 memorable pizzas we had there was the one with the pesto (duh.) and this one called "meat lovers"....and you REALLY have to be one to fully enjoy it.

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Macy's European Coffee House
http://www.macyscoffee.net/
14 South Beaver Street



I wished I had more time to hang out at this cafe! I loved the interior decor..the old-fashioned way of selling pastries over the wooden counter...some chess action going on near the corner..the country singer crooning away at the other end of the cafe ( i sat there mesmerized by the songs.i think some country songs are so heartwrenching! GAH). Thank goodness I had a chance to actually try some of their pastries when Wilson decided to go hunt it down right before we met up with the group for dinner. Though their prices are steep, you would definitely enjoy soaking up the laid-back and almost hippy-like atmosphere blanketing the cafe.


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If you are in the area, do remember to pop by one of these restaurants for a meal!
Till the next post...


almost at our campsite..almost...after about 9 hours of trekking

cooking out.