Tag Archives: Brunch
Paddington House of Pancakes @ City Square Mall
The Paddington House of Pancakes franchise, a specialty pancake full- dining restaurant, has finally reached our shores, after having opened four outlets all over Malaysia since 2004. This pancake house features more than 100 different types of pancakes from more than 10 different countries all around the world. With an all-encompassing menu which include pannekoeks, American stacks, poffertjes, blitzes, blinis, crepes (names of the multiple variations of pancakes you find in America, France, Europe, Britain and even Russia), the world is your oyster here at Paddington House of Pancakes as you travel round the world one pancake at a time.
From savoury to sweet pancakes, the menu is crazy extensive and it is not surprising to find yourself getting giddy with excitement as you flip through those pages with extremely vivid descriptions and mouthwatering pictures. No one will blame you for taking more than half an hour to decide what to order because you will definitely be spoilt for choice.
Pancakes are usually my staple at breakfasts and brunches. Nothing says Good Morning better than a stack of pancakes and drizzle of maple syrup. BUT if sweet stuff arent your thing so early in the morning, the Oslo $18 just might be. An extremely generous serve of smoked salmon fashioned into a flower with green grilled zucchini as the bud, sitting on two spicy mashed potato pancakes and cheesy scrambled eggs at the side. This was absolutely irresistible to both the eyes and taste buds.
Putting a twist on Fish N Chips, the Alaska $15 is a great lunch or dinner option. And despite being a specialty pancake house, it came as a nice surprise that the battered dory fish had a nice crumb and crunch. The fish itself was also moist and fresh, an absolute delight with that squeeze of lemon. The Alaska also comes with spicy mashed potato pancakes and a creamy mushroom sauce with whole mushrooms at the side, making it a nice complete meal.
London Eats: L’Eto Caffe, Soho
I have a confession to make. We were actually en route to Hummingbird Bakery when we got distracted by L’Eto Caffe’s glass window display of cakes, cupcakes and pastries. It was simply inviting and we just had to forgo Hummingbird and walk in instead (the two bakeries are actually next door to each other and yes we never made it to Hummingbird in the end).
L’Eto Caffe reminds me much of Ottolenghi with their overwhelming display of baked goods just sitting on the counters, topped with mouthwatering cream swirls and gorgeous finishing touches of candied fruit, cherried glaze and chocolate shavings, waiting for you to pick them up. The menu also offers a great selection of Antipodean coffees, all kinds of teas and juices for you to complete that perfect afternoon tea experience.
This is a compilation of two visits here. The first was the attempted Hummingbird post-dinner dessert episode while the second was actually a brunch visit to The Breakfast Club, which was unfortunately closed that day due to piping problems so we ended up back at L’Eto Caffe for their breakfast items!
Eggs Benedict £6.95
A very classic brunch order that many cafes offer but not many actually do a good job at. At L’Eto however, even though the eggs are unconventionally served as sunny-side instead of poached, it was a very different but welcoming experience of having every part of your egg white so thoroughly and appropriately covered in that buttery tangy Hollandaise. The yolks were runny good and ham difficult to fault. The sourdough held everything beautifully together though my only picky complaint would be that the crust was exceedingly hard to cut through and not good for chewing.
London Eats: Bill’s Restaurant Cafe & Store, Covent Garden
Brunch is and always will be a favourite meal. And after this experience at Bill’s, there is no changing that fact for a long time. Bill’s Restaurant Cafe & Store as its name describes it, is a restaurant, cafe and store. Pretty much a 3-in-1 deal. With more than 5 branches located all over the UK, we picked the most convenient and the one closest to where we were staying- Covent Garden.
We arrived at about 11am on a weekday morning and boy was this place already bustling and crowded. Seats are also available upstairs for a nice view of the courtyard and a quieter experience perhaps for couples who wish to have some privacy. But take it from me, be patient and wait for a seat downstairs. You will enjoy the cheerful atmosphere of waiters rushing from table to table, doling out huge plates of hearty portions and the morning bustle of fellow brunch lovers enjoying their fare.
Not forgetting that floor to ceiling gorgeous and colourful display of homemade bottled jams, local produce and basically just everything you would find and need in a well stocked pantry that catches your eye when you first walk into the cafe. This place is inviting and homely with a vintage flair.
Bill’s Breakfast 7.95
with bubble and squeak 1.50
Bill’s version of the big breakfast, it is every morning essential on that plate. From sausages to fried eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon & toast, yes they got it pretty much covered and the portion could definitely fill two people with small appetites quite easily. Yes, every breakfast place has their own version of this but not everyone gets all aspects done so perfectly and satisfying. There was absolutely nothing to fault. We enjoyed every part of it and needless to say, this plate was clean by the time we were done with it!
Eggs Royale 7.50
Yet another popular brunch item but Bill’s version is by far one of the best I have ever tasted. The poached eggs were spot on, with a quick to run yolk when it was cut through. The toast was nothing outstanding but complemented the hollandaise sauce well. The smoked salmon serving was generous, fresh and not excessively salty. BUT! The highlight of the day was an extremely beautiful and well done hollandaise sauce that stole the whole show. The ironic thing was that it tasted nothing like the usual hollandaise that I was so used to back home. This was light and airy but buttery and substantial. I could not stop raving about this for days and sadly it will be difficult to go back to regular hollandaise after having tried this one at Bill’s.
Food For Thought @ Singapore Botanic Gardens
The mission of Food For Thought Cafe has always been to serve food for a good cause, of which one of their main goals is to raise funds for the provision of clean water to third world countries. Recently, they have just moved from their original location at North Bridge Road to a much bigger one at the Singapore Botanic Gardens which can now accommodate more than a hundred people with both outdoor and indoor seating. The premises are spacious with bar counter chairs, long communal tables and regular sized tables, just few of the many seating options you have when you come here. Not forgetting the huge running space and playground for the kids just outside the cafe, FFT at the Singapore Botanic Gardens is the perfect spot for families, couples and large group gatherings.
The two of us dropped by one Tuesday afternoon before our movie at Shaw Lido for brunch and as the place was relatively empty, we had free reign to choose where we wanted to sit. Unlike the FFT at Queen Street or the North Bridge branch, orders are made self service at the counter where you pay upfront as well. After which, you return to your seat and the food will be served to you. The bonus? No extra service charge on your bill!
We started off with The Duo of Pancakes with Granola, Fresh Cream and Gula Melaka $12. Everyone knows that pancakes are a must-order here at FFT because it is definitely one of the better pancakes in Singapore. I find it especially unique that Gula Melaka is used in place of regular maple syrup or honey but with the rich and thick texture of the palm sugar syrup soaking through the fluffy pancake, this unique combination is certainly a great one.
The Fried Chicken Wings at 3 for $5 were pretty much a steal but taste wise, they were nothing much to shout about. I still think the best fried chicken wings are those at IKEA!
Late Plate @ Shaw Foundation Alumni House, NUS
NUS students will be more than happy to know that one of the most currently talked about brunch bistros in Singapore is conveniently tucked away in the corner of level 1 of the Shaw Foundation Alumni House at the National University of Singapore (NUS) campus. With Australian Chef Roland Graham who has an impressive 35 years of culinary experience under his belt as the man behind the scenes, you know you are in good hands here at Late Plate.
Though only opened for barely a few months, Late Plate has already created for itself quite an impressive track record, serving up good all-day-breakfast food in sizeable portions at affordable prices with no extra GST and service charge. The bistro can get pretty crowded at lunch times and reservations are highly recommended especially for big groups. Alternatively, sitting al-fresco here can be a pleasant experience as well because the open area is largely shaded from the sun and relatively windy.
We came here for brunch on a Thursday and was greeted by a very friendly and personable lady at the counter who patiently and enthusiastically recommended certain ‘must-tries’ as well as what was popular here at Late Plate.
Eventually we decided on the Communal Dining Set for min 2 to dine which turned out to be awfully worth it. The communal set came with an individual soup + a salad to share + any main you choose (U.P. $12-16) + a dessert platter of 3 desserts to share and all for just $19.90 nett each!
This Cream of Carrot and Potato Soup is certainly the king of all cream soups. Comfort food at its best, this was soothing and warm with such rich carrot and potato puree flavour. It was not too filling or heavy either, making it a pleasure to drink right to the very last drop!
The ‘Porky’ On a Roll (original price $16.90) with honey glazed pulled pork ribs was supposed to be served on a baguette roll but the staff were flexible enough to allow me to change my type of bread to Dark Rye. The pulled pork ribs were delicious and each mouthful was bursting with flavour. The meat was so tender, sweet with the honey glaze and chewy, I enjoyed my sandwich very much. This also came paired with a handful of potato chips and homemade coleslaw.
