Tag Archives: Dessert
5 Best Places For Waffles In Singapore
Every ice-cream/breakfast place sells Belgium waffles but not many can do a good tribute to this characteristically deep grid patterned dough-based cake. I personally enjoy my waffles served warm, crisp on the outside but light and fluffy on the inside, with those square imprinted pockets that soak up the heavenly combination of ice-cream, chocolate sauce or maple syrup and even cream. A good Belgium waffle in my opinion has to be a bit doughy, chewy, good to eat on its own but even better with toppings.
So here are my top 5 waffles places in Singapore. Read on to find out if your favorite made the cut!
5. Haato
5 Ridgewood Close Unit G1 Tel: 6464 9607
Opening hrs: Mon – Fri 11am – 10pm, Sat & Sun 9.30am – 10pm
Selling premium gelato that is free from preservatives and artificial coloring, Haato has been around for at least more than 10 years now. They have 3 branches in total left in Singapore (Ridgewood Estate, The Central @ Clarke Quay and Thomson Plaza) and while I do know that franchises tend to produce rather inconsistent quality, the waffles here at Haato have been reputed to be one of the better few out there. Made with Haato’s own special recipe, the contrast of textures in the waffles here are really distinct as you cut through the toasty exterior into the fluffy insides.
Recommended for: Those who love having their waffles plain (it’s good on its own)
Cost: Waffle + ice-cream $6 (additional scoop $3)
My pick of ice-cream: Black Sesame
4. Creamier
128 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 #01-835 Tel: 62501476
Opening hrs: Tue – Thu: 12:00 – 22:00, Fri – Sat: 12:00 – 23:00, Sun: 10:00 – 22:00
Creamier Handcrafted Ice Cream and Coffee is Toa Payoh’s funky addition to this otherwise old-school estate. Making all their ice-creams and sorbets with their own recipes, this Singapore-born ice-cream parlor opened by a couple has been nothing short of a success story. Their waffles come in pairs so stacking adds onto the satisfaction factor but while they were crisp and complimented the creamy ice-creams perfectly, they were a little bland to eat on its own. But I did appreciate the generous border of maple syrup and chocolate that made finishing the last part of the waffles a breeze.
Recommended for: Those who love their waffles extremely sweet and sticky
Cost: Waffle + ice-cream $8.30 (additional scoop $2.50)
My pick of ice-cream: Earl Grey Lavender, Sea Salt Gula Melaka
Ladurée Singapore | Renowned Parisian Patisserie Chain Opens In Takashimaya
A mere 5 days after Hong Kong’s Michelin Star Dim Sum Restaurant- Tim Ho Wan opens its first international outlet in Singapore, world-renowned Parisian Patisserie Chain- Ladurée has followed suit by opening two outlets in Takashimaya Shopping Centre.
Fans of their macarons can choose to either take the express route via the counter on level 1 or immerse themselves in the more chi-chi boutique on the second floor which carries a wider range of Ladurée products, namely their macarons, jams, chocolates and even perfumed candles in beautiful packaging.
It slipped my mind that Ladurée was opening today and it was not until I saw the flurry of tweets on Twitter, did I realise that it was finally here! I happened to be at Koh Sushi Bar & Grill for lunch and so decided to make a detour to Takashimaya to check out the crowds before heading home. And that explains why I did not have my dslr with me. I apologise for the mediocre quality of the photographs in this post.
Five & Dime Eatery
Five & Dime Eatery opened to much fanfare last year and getting a reservation on weekends have been near to impossible until recently. Located along River Valley road, this charming white-washed two-storey shophouse is almost hard to miss, and surprisingly accessible with the bus-stops strategically situated nearby.
The first floor is decidedly more chic as compared to the second, with a minimalist bar where the cocktails are concocted and diners can choose between the stylish stools that line the bar counter or the lacquered wood tables with matching chairs of brown and seafoam. My favourite spot in the day would probably be at the tables beside the windows, where a ray of sunlight enters and falls onto your food so naturally.
The best friend and I dropped by one Saturday afternoon for weekend brunch and ordered way too much from the considerably modest one-paged menu. We could have probably stopped after a salad, two mains and dessert but after seeing how almost every table had a platter of Fish and Chips $20, it was hard to resist ordering it as well.
I liked how the deep fried battered catfish, cut into smaller pieces, gave the illusion that there was more fish. It was flaky, crisp and extremely fresh. While I am hardly the best judge of Fish and Chips, I thought this one was possibly one of the better ones I have had. Extra points for presentation and the overall rustic feel contributed by those chunky cut fries as well.
The Salmon Rocket Salad $15 raised some eyebrows as the perfect example of how delicious fare need not be complicated as long as fresh ingredients and right techniques are used. Pieces of seared salmon wrapped around arugula had just the right contrast of sweet melt in your mouth smoothness and crunchy subtly bitter leaves. The wasabi mirin dressing too deserves a mention.
Possibly what Five and Dime Eatery is most popularly known for, their Mentaiko Pasta $18 is yet another dish seen on almost every table. The spaghetti was cooked al-dente and tossed in creamy mentaiko sauce before being topped with more cod fish roe. If you are those who shy away from dishes with a ‘fishy’ aftertaste then this is probably not for you. Apart from that, I liked how it was not overly heavy and brimming with umami. This is one creamy pasta you will not find difficulty finishing on your own.
The French Toast $15 came highly recommended by the server and it was good! That piece of fried toast with a slab of butter melting so conspicuously and lathering the entire surface was simply a standout. The best part would be munching down the middle section where the bread has soaked up all the butter with sticky notes of syrup. While it comes with a choice of pork bacon or chicken chipolata and fruit salad, the french toast is really all you need on the plate.
COMMUNAL | Diner. Bar. New American Restaurant
COMMUNAL, the newest addition to the CBD area, along the busy North Canal Road, is Singapore-based American chef Ryan Jette’s first restaurant to his name. With a glowing resume and experience from top restaurants all around the world, including New York, San Francisco, London, under his belt and most recently as executive sous chef at The Sentosa Hotel, Chef Ryan hopes to glamorize diner food in his latest venture with quality ingredients and big flavours, all while maintaining pocket-friendly prices.
The menu here though limited, leans towards mostly American comfort/diner food with offerings of Burgers, Mac N Cheese, Fried Chicken and Thick Milkshakes for under $30. The lunch crowd can look forward to a 3 course value set lunch which includes a sandwich, soup/salad and drink, all for $15.
And just its name suggests, half of the seating here is ‘communal’ with a long bar counter table that stretches across the restaurant, where diners sit on black wooden stools facing the open kitchen. The remaining seats in this contemporary-chic themed eatery, with a rustic flair contributed by the red-bricked walls, are booth seats which hold more privacy for conversations.
The Meat & Poultry section is modest with only three choices of Fried Chicken $18, Seared Black Angus Strip Loin $38 and Braised Beef Cheek $24. Three very different ways of cooking three different types of meat with three different price ranges. Clean-cut and straight to the point. We settled for the Braised Beef Cheek just because we felt like it was a beef day.
And it was a great choice. Braised till amazingly tender and moist, with all rounded succulence, these braised beef cheeks were infused with a beautiful rich flavor of oyster sauce that was nicely concentrated. The mashed potato too was a bed of velvety smoothness that was warm and comfortingly indulgent with notes of buttery creaminess.
Made from three types of cheeses- Parmesan, Gyuyere and White Cheddar Cheese, this Lobster Mac and Cheese Gratin $20 is one of COMMUNAL’s signatures. While purists may frown upon the absence of that thick gooey melted cheese sauce, I found that their sauce though less rich in intensity, complimented the elbow macaroni well instead of drowning it. The lobster meat added to the casserole was not scanty either and was instead found in chunks, in almost every spoonful of macaroni we picked up.
Beanstro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® @ Takashimaya
Beanstro located at B1 of Takashimaya Shopping Centre, is the second of two outlets in the whole world under The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® brand which prides itself for being a full-fledged table service concept restaurant. The moniker ‘Beanstro’ is an amalgamation of ‘Bean’ (Coffee Bean) and ‘Bistro’, with an American-style menu which boasts of a solid set of offerings ranging from All-Day-Breakfasts, Soups, Salads, Pastas, Sandwiches and Mains to Desserts. Beanstro has also just earned its Halal certification, which means that our Muslim friends can also enjoy a meal here.
We started our meal with the Seafood Velvet $9 from the Soup section. Resembling the creamy texture of a chowder, the soup had a full-bodied seafood flavor, augmented by the gentle peach compote sweetness nuances and complete with whole scallops. Easy on the palate and delightful to the taste buds, this one has two thumbs up from me.
Weight watchers will take to this Tuna Nicoise Salad $19 which is low in fat and extremely high in protein, gratuitous of the yellow-fin tuna loin coated with sesame seeds and hard boiled egg. Cuing on the healthy theme were a handful of fresh cherry tomatoes, few rings of raw onions as well as strings of Haricot Vert tossed in the salad for your daily dose of natural vitamins. Your dietician will certainly approve of the wholesome choice.
