Tag Archives: Holland Village
Plain Vanilla Bakery @ Lorong Mambong
Stashed away at the second level of a shophouse in Holland Village is a lovely little cupcakery- Plain Vanilla. I have heard many rave reviews about their cupcakes and have been impatiently waiting for an opportunity to have a bite into these pretty little things.
Lucky for me, I received a box of four from a good ol’ foodie buddy who seems insistent that I have a try as these were ‘really good’ according to him! But since these cupcakes were gifted, I do not have any photos of the shop itself though a little birdie told me that it is a quaint cosy space with tempting displays of cupcakes but no actual seating area so people mostly do takeaways when they come here!
Let’s open my brown paper box to see what’s inside!
MU Parlour @ Holland Village
While cafes, bars and restaurants in Holland Village are more commonly known for being loud, in-your-face and always crowded, MU Parlour is clearly the opposite. It’s white, chic, eclectic and whimsical, almost quite a different world when you climb up the stairs and enter the cafe on the 2nd floor. All the chairs and furniture here are clearly mismatched yet somehow still manages to tie in together almost perfectly with the quirky theme and white-washed brick like furnished walls.
The menu here is all about gourmet burgers and fries, cakes and pastries that they have on display and of course the very essential coffee and tea selection that is so important for a good afternoon.
I am not too sure if the lack of crowd was because the place is still relatively unknown but my friend and I were sure pleased with the quiet, space and the simple ability to hold a nice conversation without the need to shout over another person’s voice. And if you get a seat by the full glass window, it is also the perfect place to while the afternoon away by yourself with a book and a nice cup of tea.
Bistro Petit Salut
As one of the restaurants in the less boisterous part of Holland Village in Chip Bee Gardens, Bistro Petit Salut is more commonly known as the no frills version of sister restaurant Au Petit Salut. While the bistro greets you with its minimalistic decor and plain dark oak-brown wooden walls and furniture when you walk in, it is anything but when it comes to the food. Bistro Petit Salut is certainly no nonsense and spares no compromise when it comes to serving good quality authentic French cuisine.
Al-fresco style seating arrangements are also available if enjoying the lush greenery and the humid weather is what you would prefer. Drivers need not fret for there is ample parking around the compound and estate without having to walk too far.
We came here for the Set Lunch at $28++ one Monday afternoon and there was a healthy stream of customers once more reaffirming the draw factor this French bistro holds especially since it was only the first day of the week.
Warm complimentary bread were served in a basket once we placed our orders. It was hard not to compare the bread with the one I had at Bistro Du Vin 4 days ago and unfortunately, this one did not quite match up but I dont usually turn down warm bread with good quality salted butter so the three of us polished off this basket quite easily.
For our Entrées, we decided on the “Salade Lyonnais” which was a fresh and delightful serve of greens mixed with croutons, tomatoes and a single poached egg.
A Coffee Club Dinner
It was back to O’ Coffee Club at Holland Village to use up our remaining 3 groupons that we had bought last year. And as I had mentioned in my previous post, it was technically 50% off the bill- you pay $10 for every $20 spent!
There is really nothing not to love about this Coffee Club branch at Holland Village and I dont think I had mentioned earlier but the service here is really excellent. The waitresses/waiters are polite and efficient, very sincere in their service and A+ at making you feel comfortable and served. 3 times I have been here and though I have been served by different people each time, they have all left a very lasting impression and I have to commend the people who have trained them so well and of course the workers themselves for making such an effort at service.
Between the three of us, the first main we shared, was the Honey Glazed Chicken which had a crunchy French Onion crust and was served with mashed potatoes. You can never fault Coffee Club for their presentation and first impressions of their dish. It’s safe to say that the chefs do a good job at replicating what you actually see in the pictures of the menu. However, taste wise was a little disappointing. The seasoning and marinating of the chicken had not been properly done, leaving some parts of the chicken really salty and difficult to eat. The greens were very fresh though and mash smooth.
The Mega Club Sandwich was a definitely a good choice. Layers of classic Caesar salad with roasted chicken, smoked salmon and cheddar, this is one sandwich that is scrumptious in a healthy way if you excuse that cup of golden crisp french fries at the side…
Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao (Holland Village)
Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao was my first ever experience with xiao long bao- that small pouch of soup and mincemeat which fits exactly in a soup spoon. The thin and supple skin that breaks with a tiny bite so that one can first slurp up the soup inside before dipping what’s left of it into ginger and vinegar before popping it into the mouth.
Yes XLB became one of my favourite Chinese delicacies which I really enjoyed and I was soon on my way to try the different XLBs that Chinese restaurants had to offer, notably Din Tai Fung and Paradise Dynasty.
This time I was back at Crystal Jade in Holland Village after my last buffet experience a year ago where I solely enjoyed 5 lous of XLB which gave me really bad indigestion after that for the next few days. Had a slight phobia of XLB after that but that was due to my greediness.
Decided to not repeat my mistake and torturing my tummy again so I was good and ordered only one basket this time!
Tried 2 new La-mien flavours and they were so good! Definitely not disappointed at all. The first was the Hot and Sour La-Mien which the waitress who had taken our order warned us that ‘it was hen lar (very spicy)!’ We gave her a grin and said ‘hen hao!‘ with a thumbs up! When this bowl of piping hot La-mien arrived, it was delicious and an excellent choice. Was soon slurping up the spicy soup and enjoying the heat of both the chilli and chewiness of the La-mien.
